Chapter 7

Luke had never felt so helpless in his life. Aubé lay with her head in his lap, her eyes closed, her breath coming in short little gasps. She had vomited a little, and wept apologetically over that while Luke had wiped her eyes, murmuring gentle reassurances he barely felt.

He had thought about putting her into a Healing Trance but had disregarded the idea almost as soon as it had crossed his mind. She hated to be manipulated, especially through the Force, and had confessed earlier that she had never forgiven her brother for doing it during the birth of the twins. It was as if someone else had given birth, Luke, she'd said. It felt so… wrong…

It would only be for a little while, until we got help…

Please, Luke, anything but that…

But he had done it once before, during the early part of her pregnancy, and the aftermath had been unpleasant to say the least. She had been angry and upset – enough to very nearly banish him from her bed for the night, the only saving factor coming in the middle of the night when she found herself 'too cold to sleep alone after all' – and he had resolved never to do it again.

At least, when he could be caught out.

Her eyelids fluttered open as another contraction seized her body. Brown eyes met blue, as she squeezed his hand, beckoning him to lean over, closer so she could whisper into his ear.

He kissed her fore-head, and bent over to listen.

"Luke…" she gasped. "Luke…"

He leaned closer, heeding an urge to turn his torso away as he did so.

"No… No Healing trance…"

"Of course not, Aubé…" he replied softly, shifting further sideways as he did so. "Of course not…"

"Need it… yourself… if you do…"

Luke repressed a grin, understanding that it was primarily the pain that was talking, but mindful that the pain could do more than just talk, it could impose a lethal kick as well…
"I know," he soothed. "Bé, what do you need me to do?"

Her eyes grew wide with terror. "What do you mean, what do I need you to do? You don't know?"

"It's not something that was part of standard Jedi training, beloved. He's all right, I can feel it… Let go of your fear, Aubé… it'll be all right. Do you trust me?"

Aubé closed her eyes and sighed, relishing the moment between the pains. "Of course I do!"

Grinning now, Luke removed his shirt. "Well then, I guess we'd better get ready to welcome our son into the Galaxy…"

**

"Is she asleep?" Han said in what he hoped was an acceptably quiet voice. He turned a withering glare at the now closed door – for just 'being in the other room', those damned Jedi were making too much noise for his liking – but he chased the thought away for now. Baby Jaina had finished her first meal and now was nestled snuggly in her mother's embrace.

"I think so," the Princess whispered back. All of a sudden her face frowned, though, an involuntary gasp leaving her lips.

Her husband's mouth opened in a silent question. What...?

"I think it's starting again..." she answered with a sigh. "Would you mind...?"

Jumping out of his seat, Han Solo faced the second most difficult challenge of his life. At least when he had to catch her when she was coming out of her mother's womb, there had been a lot of helping hands – so to speak – around, but now... He was all on his own.

Leia's half smile turned into a broad one as she noticed the look of concentration washing over Han's face as he started to slip his large hands between her and the baby. The same look she had admired on his handsome face so many times as he steered the Falcon expertly through asteroid fields or evaded a dozen enemy ships at the same time. The look he had when he knew the life of his friends depended on the steadiness and precision of his hands and was determined not to fail.

"Hey, why you crying? Do I call the healers..?" Han asked, returning full of pride after succesfully transporting sleeping Jaina to her first crib.

The new mother shook her head. "I love you."

The Corellian leaned in to give his wife a slightly wet and salty kiss. "´Love you too, sweetheart... You alright?"

"I'm fine, Han," Leia smiled drowsily. "The sooner, the better. Could do this a hundred times more I think. You however…"

"I'm fine," Han grunted, running his hand through his hair. Perhaps 'fine' wasn't the word he was looking for. He felt… odd. Out of sorts…

That damned Healer – Kay'leb, he thought. What the hell happened back there? As fleeting memories came filtering back, his features darkened.

Frowning, Leia touched his arm. "Han, what' wrong?"

An angry retort that was about to fly from his lips was cut off by the sound of a shout and a large object crashing into a wall in the other room.

"What the..." Han muttered darkly, his hand automatically going to his blaster and releasing a string of colorful curses when he remembered that Kampher had made him leave it in the second room after the previous incident with the spybot. What ever it was, it wasn't good. "Stay here!" he called with out a backwards glance.

"Like I've got a choice?"

**

They had wandered around together, playing games of hide and seek like the little children they were, around the cold marble columns of the Temple, when Nico had suggested they could have an even better game if they went into the gardens.

"What's that?" Pem had asked, now decisively taking his hand. Something felt amiss, but exactly what , she couldn't put her finger on. Part of it she knew was the fact that Nico, for all his Jedi training was fighting the urge to kiss her, but there was something else, something… elusive.

"It's a place where there are plants and trees from all over the Galaxy," Nico began, and trailed off. He closed his eyes. "Yes…" he murmured. "I sense it too! There's someone in a lot of pain, but it's not a bad kind of pain…"

"Ma-mere!" Pem gasped with realization. "My Ma-mere is having her baby! It's just her and Pay-pa, though!" Her eyes grew wide. "Nico! Ma-mere might need a Healer!"

"I can com Master Gi," Nico said reaching for his com, grateful for the chance to look away. "But where are they?"

"Pay-pa said he was going to take Ma-mere to the Council Chamber if she would go," Pem said, a slight tremble to her voice. "I know I shouldn't be scared, but I am, Nico!"
Green eyes met blue, and suddenly, Nico stood up taller, prouder. He was a Jedi Healer in training, and even at 10 years old, he knew that he would be brave enough for both of them. He would be a great Jedi one day, he could see it in those eyes.

Those beautiful, blue eyes…

"Oh Nico!" Pem cried, throwing her arms around him and kissed him, firmly and fully on the lips. It wasn't a graceful kiss, or a skilled one, but never the less, it was a kiss.

A first one…