The eruption Mission was anticipating never occurred, however. Mostly because Kenna was in no mood-or shape-to fight. She didn't even feel like talking, so the trip to the doctor's office was silent. It took all her willpower to stay vertical, even with Carth's help, as they walked into the office.
"I hate this," the Jedi mumbled as she all but melted into one of the chairs in the waiting room. Carth offered her a sympathetic smile before crossing the room to let Leni know her patient had arrived.
The doctor smiled when she caught a glimpse of Kenna. "Wow. I've never seen anyone get hit so hard with morning sickness."
"You can tell?" Carth ran one hand through his hair. "She's pretty miserable. Never thought I'd see her like this."
"Get used to it. This will last at least another month, maybe two, depending on how far along she is."
Kenna groaned. "I heard that." She pushed herself up out of the chair and walked over to join them, weaving slightly.
Carth was pretty sure this was the only time he would ever see her looking...tipsy, for lack of a better word. "I'll, uh, I'll just wait out here for you, Ken."
"Coward," she mumbled, trying to sound disgusted, but she was sort of grinning as she said it. She followed Leni back to the exam room as if she was in a haze.
"I think you may be getting this the hardest of anyone I've seen in ten years of practice," Leni commented as they reached.
"Great." Kenna plunked down on the examining table.
"I wonder if it has something to do with you being a Jedi."
That got Kenna's attention. "How did you-?"
"It's not that hard to figure out. I suppose the irony of getting your butt whupped by morning sickness after all you've survived hasn't escaped you." Leni chuckled sympathetically as Kenna nodded. "Sorry. But your connection to the Force may be what's causing you to suffer so severe a case."
"Wonderful. The one thing I can't do a damn thing about..." Kenna buried her head in her hands.
"I said maybe," Leni reminded her. "Now lean back."
Kenna obeyed, sliding up her tunic to expose her stomach as Leni flipped on the equipment. "I hope this baby's closer to coming out than you think. I don't know how much more of this I can take."
"Mmm." Leni's attention was directed toward the monitor for the sonogram machine. She watched what showed on the screen, her eyebrows curving upwards. "Oh."
"What? What's wrong?" Kenna demanded, pushing herself back upright so fast it made her head spin and her stomach protest.
"Nothing, I promise." Leni put one hand on Kenna's shoulder and pushed her back down. "Here, I'll, um, show you." She seemed to be fighting a grin as she nudged the monitor into a position where Kenna could see it as well. "Okay, this-" she tapped a circular shadow on the screen, "-this is Baby A-"
"Baby what?" Kenna practically shrieked, her eyes nearly doubling in size, sure she'd heard wrong.
"-and this is Baby B," Leni finished, the grin she been fighting spreading across her face.
"Twins?" Kenna shot a glance at her stomach. "I-I'm pregnant with twins?" Didn't see that coming...Damn. The thought was so jarring she numbly repeated the last word."Twins?"
"Yep. You heard me. Both of 'em look perfectly healthy, too. You probably would have started showing soon, I figure you're about three months along, maybe a smidge more. Do you want to know gender?"
"Um..." Kenna bit her lip. "I need to ask Carth. We never got a chance to talk about that.."
Chuckling at the dazed expression on the other woman's face, Leni stood. "I'll get him for you."
He wasn't sure whether it was good thing or not that the doctor was beckoning for him to join them in the exam room. Kenna hadn't been back there that long. Carth stood and crossed the room. "Is something wrong?"
Leni shook her head. "Not at all. She has something to ask you."
Carth raised one eyebrow as the doctor turned to lead him to the room.
"Hey, love," Kenna greeted him when he walked in. Her eyes were shining even though the dark circles were still there. "Do we wanna know whether I'm havin' girls or boys?"
"I don't c-wait, what?" he demanded as what she'd said sank in.
Kenna wanted to laugh. His expression was even more priceless than the time she teased him about having a thing for Bastila. "You heard me. And yes, you heard right. It's not a baby, there's, um, two of 'em."
"Wh-what?"
"I...am...pregnant...with...twins." Kenna enunciated carefully, her eyes laughing at him. "Catch it that time, flyboy?"
"Yeah, beautiful, I got it."
"You okay with that?" she asked hesitantly.
"Not like there's anything we could do about it if I wasn't, but I am very, very okay with that," he chuckled, kissing her on the forehead. "Are they both healthy and everything?"
Leni nodded. "They're both fine. I told your wife I just need to know if you want to know gender."
"Well, how important is it?" Carth looked back at Kenna. "Do we need to know?"
She shrugged. "I guess it only really matters if there's one girl and one boy, 'cause then Mish would have to share with the girl when they get older. It would be nice to be able to warn her about that, y'know? If it's two girls or two boys, they can just share with each other."
"True. So...?"
"Could you just tell us if it's two of the same or one of each?" Kenna asked Leni. The doctor nodded and spun the screen back so the two of them couldn't see it as she checked. Carth couldn't resist kissing Kenna again as they waited.
"Two of the same," Leni reported. "So, you'll need to come back every month so I can make sure they're still both healthy. The morning sickness will last probably another month or two. Sometimes people have all the way up 'til they give birth, but most it's only to four or five months."
"That's comforting," Kenna mumbled. "Thanks, doc." The elation was giving way to the nausea again. She just wanted to go home and sleep. Or at least lay down. "You get to tell Mission," she told Carth on the way out of the office.
"Okay. And I'll wait until you're back in bed before I tell her, so you don't have to field a million questions and shrieks of delight," he promised. "I'll deal with that."
"Lifesaver. Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Not today." He grinned at her.
"I really, really love you, Carth Onasi." She pulled him close to kiss him.
"The feeling is mutual, Kenna Onasi," he replied as he kissed her right back.
Kenna made a beeline for their bedroom when they got home, managing-Thank the Force-to make it without Mission seeing her. As she stripped off her clothes in trade for the loose tunic she'd slept in the night before, she heard Mission pestering Carth. Thank the Force for you, love. She burrowed under the covers and was asleep in seconds.
"So, what did the doctor say?" Mission demanded before the door had even slid shut behind Carth. "Is Kenna okay? What about the baby? How long's she gonna be sick?"
"One question at a time, Mish," Carth laughed. "Kenna's fine. This is just morning sickness."
"Okay, well, what about the baby?" Mission plunked down on the couch, but bounced back to her feet almost immediately.
This is going to be fun. "Actually, Mission, Kenna's having twins."
"SERIOUSLY?" the Twi'lek whooped. "Are you...are you pullin' my leg, Carth Onasi?" she demanded suspiciously.
"No. You can ask Kenna when she gets up, if you don't believe me. She's having twins. I promise," Carth grinned. "And they're both fine."
"Girls or boys?"
"We didn't find out," he admitted. "We know it's either two girls or two boys, but decided that's enough for now."
"Oh. Still, that's way cool." Mission grinned and bounced on the couch a couple times. "Oh, my gosh, that's beyond awesome! I seriously can't tell you how awesome I think that is!"
"I think I can guess, Mish."
"You tell Dustil yet?"
Oh, Sith's blood! "No. Not yet." Carth groaned. "I guess I should do that."
"Yeah, I would. And soon." Mission smiled sympathetically. "Sorry. Did I just totally ruin a great mood?"
"Yep. Reality would have done that anyway. It's not your fault, Mish," he assured her.
"If you say so. I'm gonna go practice sparring, since I suddenly have all this energy." Mission sailed out the door with a huge grin on her face. As he watched her go, Carth realized he hadn't seen her that happy in quite a while. Since Telos, in fact. He and Kenna both knew Mission missed Big Z, but she never brought it up, never seemed to want to talk about him. It didn't seem right to just let her bottle it up inside, but they couldn't make her talk about it. Well, maybe Kenna could. But that would be cheating. Carth shook his head. At the moment he was more concerned about how he was supposed to tell Dustil that Kenna was pregnant...with twins. That was not going to be easy. He didn't even honestly have the faintest idea what to say. Part of him wanted to wait until he actually knew what to say before he told his son, but the other part said-very pragmatically-the longer he waited, the angrier Dustil would most likely be about getting left out of the loop.
Carth couldn't help but smirk at the irony of it, the son who was still pretty ticked at him was so much like him it was scary. He sighed. The longer he waited to do this, the harder it would be, and he knew it. You can take on a roomful of Sith no problem, but talking to your son scares you to death. That's messed up. He decided to just do it, and hope the words would come as needed. To his-immense-relief, Dustil was apparently out, as the call went straight to a message service. Carth left a message for Dustil to call him and disconnected, more relieved than he'd ever tell anyone. Since he was off for the whole day and had nothing else to do, he headed back to the bedroom. Might as well keep Kenna company... It was the best way he could think of to spend his time.
She was absolutely adorable curled up like that. Carth smiled to himself as he yanked off his clumsily-mended flight jacket, which still bore the after-effects of Telos, thanks to Kenna's less-than-stellar sewing skills. Two straight lines had been harder than she anticipated. Of course, the thicker than normal fabric his jacket was made of was partly to blame for that. He didn't care how it looked. That jacket had been through so damn much, the scuffs and other marks just added character at this point.
However, at the moment the jacket was cast aside, tossed on the floor next to his kicked-off boots as he climbed into bed next to his sleeping wife and pulled her close. As usual, Kenna twisted to wrap her arms around him rather possessively the second she sensed his presence. Carth grinned and held her close, relishing the sound of her breathing. It was the simple things in life that were important. He kissed the top of her head, and she moved slightly, making a contented noise in her sleep. What'd I do to deserve her? Carth wondered as he watched his wife sleep.
Her placid expression twisted into a deep, angry frown, and he suddenly was very worried.
"Rand did what?" Revan demanded, rounding on the trembling cadet who had been saddled with the dangerous task of informing the Dark Lord what her star Assassin was up to now.
"He-He took the squad out, last n-n-night, an-"
"Was there one planned?"She almost questioned her decision to give Rand command of the squad; these kind of shenanigans were becoming all-too-common. Almost. She had a gut feeling about this man, he had promise.
"No, my lady." The soldier shook his head vigorously. "He said he had a f-feeling that he should take them out, that it wo-would be worthwhile-"
"And?"
"Th-They found some kind of r-relic or artifact, or something."
This was why she still stood by her choice; Rand was oh-so-skilled, especially at finding things that proved invaluable. He was a good fighter, ruthless, and perfectly willing to use whatever means he deemed necessary to win. Revan wondered at times if his lightning-quick reflexes were a sign of Force Sensitivity, and made a mental note to check up on that possibility the next time she had a chance
Either way, he needed to stop acting like the rules didn't apply to him. If she said 'Stay on base', it meant everyone. Not everyone but him. The others called him her pet, because he could-and did-get away with a lecture for things that would land anyone else in the morgue. True as that might have been, the next time he disobeyed a direct order, the consequence would be more extreme. She found the assassin in the weapons room, cleaning off his warblade.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Rand?"
"Ma'am?" He sat down the weapon and stood.
"What were you doing taking the squad off-base when I gave orders that no one was to leave until Malak and I returned?" She crossed her arms and glared at him. "When I say 'stay on base' it does actually include you. You are not exempt from the rules."
"No, ma'am." He shrugged apologetically. "I don't have any excuse beyond what you've probably already heard from whichever unlucky bastard had to risk life and limb to tattle on me this time."
"All I heard was you had a feeling you needed to take them out and that it would be worthwhile. If you don't have anything better than that, we have a problem."
Rand sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You know during the Wars, how the Jedi would sense what was about to happen, or when something important was nearby?"
"Yes." Revan kept the high level of interest out of her voice, sounding like a detached superior listening to a subordinate. "What about it?"
"That's the closest thing I can think of to describe this feeling. I'm no Jedi-" his expression twisted with disgust "-but I just get this sense about things sometimes."
"Alright, Rand. I'll take it. What did you find?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. I can tell it's Sith, I can tell it's ancient, but as far as what it is, I don't have a damn clue. It's in the hanger garage, if you want to see it."
"I do." Revan turned to leave. "Rand?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Next time you break the rules, the consequences will be more than just a lecture. Understood?" Her tone implied it better be, or there would be some discipline dispensed on the spot. The way she flexed her hands back up that inference.
"Yes, ma'am." Rand picked up his warblade and resumed cleaning it off as the Dark Lord left the room.
He wasn't afraid of her. Revan could see it in his eyes. Combine that fearlessness with his reflexes and this new bit of information, that he had 'sensed' that this relic he'd found was out there and important, and she was almost positive he was Force Sensitive. He might be getting a first-hand look at her most secret project. None of the rank and file had ever seen it, unless they showed signs of Force Sensitivity, like Rand.
She knew what she put the captured Jedi, and occasionally her own soldiers, through could kill people. But if that was what it took to have the best army she could possibly command, then that was what she would do. You grew stronger or you died. If you weren't strong enough to defeat your enemy, you were as good as dead anyway. And Rand was one of the toughest of her men. Like Malak, if he got over confident and tried to take her place, he'd give her a fair amount of trouble, even if he didn't have the Force at his command. He would survive, should she choose him. She knew it.
If Kenna was remembering something, it didn't seem to be in the same vein as the last time. Carth absently ran one hand down her arm as she slept, wondering if she was dreaming or remembering. Part of him wanted her to just be able to forget her past, leave it all behind her. She couldn't be someone she didn't even remember. The other part pointed out that it had to be horrible not remembering her past. After all, even with as much pain as he had in his past, Carth wouldn't want to forget any of it. The thought of having a hole in his memory, even if it was replacing the moment he found Morgana' broken body, was an unpleasant one. He'd rather remember pain than not know what he had been feeling, so why would Kenna feel any different? He knew she was afraid Darth Revan would come back if she remembered too much, but he didn't think so. Especially now that she was going to be a mother. That thought made him smile, his loose grip on Kenna's arm tightening for a moment. She smiled slightly in her sleep and snuggled in closer. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders.
This is what I call happiness.
A/N:Sorry I didn't quite make Thursday. This was actually done-despite working an 8-hour shift-but my Internet went out. So you get it today instead. So, moving on to the story-related stuff... Surprise! I could not resist making it twins. And about Atton showing up again...that wasn't planned, this memory just popped up as I was writing and I went with it. It's really weird, I can't write "redeemed Atton", as in KotOR 2, IC to save my life, but fully evil and still as Jaq, he just kinda comes. And before you flip out, no, this is not the end. I fully intend to take Kenna all the way till she has these babies. At least. Mommyhood as a Jedi will be interesting to write. And hopefully Dustil and Bastila will both find out in the next chapter. In all honesty, I"m drawing as much of a blank as Carth is far as telling Dustil... that will be very interesting to write...