"Can I touch it?" Ijaat's face was a study of awe and envy.

"Oh… I suppose so. Watch the red button, though. That turns it on, and your buir would finish Hrachek's job if you come home with missing limbs."

Ijaat grasped the polished silver tube with reverence, eyes alight. "It's beautiful! You turn it on then."

Rana heaved a deep sigh, feigning exasperation as she took the saber back. "Fine." She thumbed the ignition, and the long shaft of red energy suddenly split the morning air, humming ominously. "Back up, and I'll show off a bit." The boy retreated, grinning broadly, and Rana performed a few fancy passes, tracing bright shapes in the air with the blade.

"Rana!"

Extinguishing Hrachek's lightsaber, Rana turned to face the slowly approaching Zace. "Yes, mother?"

"Watch what you're doing with that thing. Remember last time."

Rana rolled her eyes. "You sound like Ruusaan. If this is what motherhood does to you, I don't want kids. And Jus welded the antenna back on anyway, so no real harm done."

Zace frowned slightly, a hand on her swollen belly. "And most of the external communications were down for four hours before he did." She waved an arm out toward the endless grassy plains. "There's plenty of room out there away from important things to swing that silly thing around."

Rana clipped the saber to her belt, folding her arms. "All right, but I know you didn't walk all the way over here just to yell at me. What does Ruusaan want now?"

"Not Ruusaan, the baby!" Zace beamed. "It's moving again. Feel." She took Rana's hand and pressed it to a spot on her abdomen, gasping slightly as the baby kicked. "Ooh. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Just as wonderful as it was this morning," Rana said, the smile on her face belying her dry tone. "It'll be soon, won't it?"

Zace nodded dreamily. "It should be. Ruusaan says any day now…"

"Good. I want to see who you finally decide to name it for." Rana took Zace's elbow and steered her back toward Dav's house, limping slightly. Zace noticed the limp and frowned.

"What have you been doing? I keep telling you to be careful of that ankle."

"Nothing!" Rana exclaimed defensively. "Well- maybe Ijaat hit it accidentally, but it's fine now. I beat him."

Zace rolled her eyes. "Tell me that when you end up not being able to move it one day."

Rana snorted. "You do sound like Ruusaan. Hey-!" She flinched as Jus grabbed her shoulders from behind, driving an elbow into his stomach plate and stomping on his armored instep.

Jus laughed breathlessly, slightly winded from her attack, and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Udesii, Ran'ika. Bit jumpy today, are we?"

"You'd be jumpy if some idiot kept sneaking up behind you," she growled, black and scarlet kama flaring out as she twisted loose from his grip.

He punched her shoulder good-naturedly. "Keeps you on your toes, though, doesn't it?"

"Worry about your own toes. I'll end up breaking them one day if you don't watch out, and it may not even be on purpose."

Zace giggled. "You two. I don't know how I didn't see it before…"

Rana faced her, raising an eyebrow. "Because you were too wrapped up in dear Davrel to notice a charging gundark, much less the subtle cues of emotion my would-be cyar'ika was displaying."

Jus snorted irreverently, a habit he seemed to have picked up from Rana. "That blow to the buy'ce I gave you yesterday must've been harder than it looked. As I remember it, you were the one who started it."

Rana waved a gauntleted hand airily. "Mere details. Does it matter? You could've used a good kiss."

Jus shook his head. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"'Cause you know I'm right," she answered, grinning madly.

Jus ignored her and changed the subject. "Heard from Keb lately?"

Rana shook her head. "Not since last time, at least. She's still visiting her cousin and that stinking animal."

Zace gave her a curious glance. "You still haven't told me why you don't like strill."

Jus let out an unsuccessfully stifled burst of laughter, and Rana glared at him. "Shut up, Jus. It was ages ago."

"Not long enough, it would seem," he smirked. "Shame on you, holding a grudge this long."

"You would too, if…" Still scowling, Rana trailed off.

"Good stars, Rana, I'll tell her if you don't." He turned to Zace. "It was a long time ago, about ten years?" He glanced at Rana for confirmation, but she ignored him, face stony. "Anyway, some part of Keb's family breeds strill, and some relative or other drops in with his. I can't remember exactly what the circumstances were, but somehow Rana ends up in the dirt with it on top of her head."

Rana's flush was visible even under her tan. "It attacked me! It was bigger than I was!"

Jus's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. "Ah, Ran'ika, it was just saying hello! I think it liked you. You still have all your limbs, don't you?"

"No thanks to you, chakaar," she muttered resentfully. "You didn't even try to get it off, just stood there laughing!"

He reached out to ruffle her hair, grinning, and she knocked his arm away. "I knew it wasn't going to eat you."

Zace bit her lip, trying not to laugh too. "Poor thing," she said teasingly, patting Rana's shoulder. "You've been quite traumatized."

"Shut up," Rana growled, shrugging off Zace's hand and quickening her steps to leave the two of them behind, spine stiff with outrage.

Jus wiped his eyes with the heel of one hand, grinning after Rana's retreating form. "You know what they say, Ran'ika: If you can't take a joke…" Rana's only reply was a very rude gesture.

Dav's voice crackled over the comlink clipped to Zace's collar. "Zas, Keb's back! Meet us at Ruusaan's."

"Copy that," she answered, as Jus chuckled again.

"He doesn't let you out from under his nose for a second, does he?" Jus asked, gesturing to the tiny comm.

Zace's fond smile belied the wry edge in her words. "No, he likes to keep an eye on us." She patted her belly affectionately.

The short walk to Ruusaan's house was still enough to make Zace grateful for its cool interior. She sank gladly onto the cushioned bench as Keb grinned at her from a seat at the table across from Dav. "Su'cuy, Zas!"

"Su'cuy, Keb," Zace smiled back, as Rana entered, kicking off her dusty boots.

"Kebii'tra!" Rana said, a mock scowl across her tanned features. "Since when do you- What's that?" she asked suspiciously, staring at the cloth-wrapped bundle cradled carefully in Keb's arms.

Keb grimaced. "Don't call me that, Rana. You know how much I hate it. And this is a little present for the ad'ika from me and Cabur." She stood carefully, carrying the bundle over to Zace and twitching a corner aside.

Zace brought a hand to her mouth in delighted surprise. "Oh, Keb, thank you!" Swathed in the fabric was an ungainly tangle of legs covered in pale brown fur, which, as Zace watched, opened a pair of golden eyes and chirruped curiously.

Zace took the strill pup carefully from Keb as Rana's lip curled in revulsion. "You're kidding," she said, voice dripping with distaste.

Dav matched Keb's grin. "Well, Zas'ika," he said conversationally, "this way we won't have to choose who gets a namesake. We'll name the baby Ruusaan, and this little guy can be Rana."

"Oh, no." Rana's face was a picture of disgust. "Name that- that stinking heap of drool after me and I'll-" Words appeared to fail her, and she lapsed into silence as the pup squirmed around to face her, ears pricked with interest.

"Aww, I think it likes you!" Zace crooned, stroking the pup under its velvety chin.

Dav's laughter mingled with Keb's as Rana gave them all a very dirty look and stalked away.