When the Jedi Council decided that I could go back to train with Cyla in the Under City, Master Tanza escorted me as she felt it'd be safer for me to be accompanied by an adult. Plus- I think Master Tanza wanted to see Cyla and her new baby. When we got back to my old apartment, we were greeted by an eyebrow-raising scene.
Caleb had grown now-halfway to the age of one- and boy he could cry his eyes out. Onthant was trying to lull the baby to sleep in his arms as he cried at full force. Strive dashed through the house with a pail and threw it on a fire that was emitting from where the oven was. As he was about to throw the bucket of water, you could hear Cyla yell:
"STRIVE, NO! THAT WILL ONLY-"
Poof!
And great flames erupted with Caleb screaming even louder now. Cyla soon ran off while Strive stayed to wave his hands in front of the fire as a way to keep down the flames(not really well though). She soon came back with our fire extinguisher and put out the flames. She flipped her hair away from her face and was wide-eyed to see Master Tanza and me.
"Master! Jalo!" she smiled and rushed over to Tanza and me; wrapping me in a hug.
It was weird to see her without her Jedi Robes on during the day. Sure, she rarely wore them while she was pregnant as they barely fit towards the end of her pregnancy. But, it was still weird to see that she had just regular citizen's clothes on and not have a large belly. It was like she was a commoner rather than a Jedi.
She ruffled my hair as she released me from the hug and looked so happy to see me.
"I heard you had quite an adventure at the Temple. How was your time at the Temple?"
"It was great, Cyla," I smiled and turned to the female nautolan. "Master Tanza helped a lot on my meditation."
"I see Caleb has grown," Tanza smiled as she looked over to Onthant who still held the crying baby. She looked back at Cyla with a smile. "Have I not taught you how to quell a crying infant?"
Cyla shook her head, "No. We never really encountered many infants while I was your Padawan, Master."
Tanza walked over to Onthant and looked at the crying baby. Onthant carefully handed the baby to the Jedi after she asked to see him. As she held the baby, she placed her first two fingers on Caleb's forehead. The baby immediately allayed and he opened his eyes to look with curiosity at the Jedi.
Cyla was quick to walk over to see with her own eyes the still Cyla was wide-eyed, she asked, "How did you do that?"
"You still have much to learn, Dume," she smiled. "We do this all the time with babies in the Temple. It's allowing their minds to feel the Force's calming properties."
"Does that mean Caleb's Force-sensitive too?" Strive asked. "Is that Force stuff genetic?"
"We do not know," Master Tanza said to the rodian. "He hasn't shown signs yet of Force-sensitivity. It's hard to tell with some infants."
"So...how did that fire start?" I asked. "And where's Beepy?"
"We were using the oven to keep the apartment warm and the fire started. R3 is out looking for a cheap heater for us," Onthant told. "We haven't been able to pay for natural gas for a while now."
"You are having troubles with money?" Tanza asked.
"Yeah; we only had us three work in the shop for the last while and one of always had to watch over the baby," Strive gestured to himself, Cyla, and Onthant. "Creds have been tight."
"It seems as if you need an extra pair of hands," Master Tanza commented. "I can request to stay down here with you all. I can help with Jalo's training and even help with your mechanic's shop if you would like."
"We'd love the help. That is very kind of you...um…" Onthant struggled with words. "Jedi? Master? Or just Tanza?"
"You can call me just Tanza," she smiled.
And so she stayed with us for a good while. She often taught me different lightsaber techniques, the history of Jedi, and other things. She really did help Cyla with my training; talking about half of my training. While the adults worked, I was often in charge of watching over Caleb. As she stayed, I noticed Cyla and Onthant never talked to each other more than absolutely necessary. They used to sleep in the same bed, but saw it was inappropriate as they didn't want Tanza to know about their relationship. Being the wing-man I was to my brother, I'd sometimes occupy Tanza with something stupid so Onthant and Cyla could leave the house or shop and actually talk to each other.
I could nearly see the sweat drip down Onthant's forehead when Tanza mentioned how Caleb looked a little like Onthant.
As she held the sleeping baby, Tanza said, "He's so peaceful when he's asleep. He also snores a little; kinda like you, Onthant."
Onthant froze and looked to me from across the common room as if he was looking for me to distract the Jedi.
"I'm really happy Cyla has someone to have someone like you to be like a dad to the baby. I don't think she'd survive with someone like you to step up to the plate and be like a father," she commented.
"Yeah- yeah…" Onthant sputtered out. "Thanks."
"Master," I called out. "How are babies made?"
I legitimately couldn't think of a better question. Oh, I knew how they were made; there was literally a- ahem- "gentlemen's club" just down the street from our apartment. I lived on the streets for a while in this part of the Under City! I saw some things…
And Onthant may or may not have had a few magazines in his room that I may or may not have snuck a few looks at. But, hey, I won't say either way.
"Um...well...Cyla should be able to explain that very well to you seeing that she actually made one," Tanza smiled. She called, "Cyla! Your Padawan has a few questions for you!"
"Yes, Master?" Cyla walked into the room.
"Jalo wants to know where babies come from," Master Tanza explained and gestured to me. "I figured you'd be able to explain it best as you actually made a baby."
And that's why Cyla had to explain to me how Caleb was made. She and Onthant sat me down in my room a little bit after that and explained to me everything. I wanted to rip my ears off, to say the least.
A while later, I remembered this one time Cyla nearly had a heart attack. It's funny looking back at it, but at the moment it was terrifying for everyone involved. This moment is when Caleb had snatched my lightsaber from my belt when no one was looking. Caleb had started to snatch random things from each of us; especially the Holocron from Cyla. But this time, it was my lightsaber. He laughed as he held it, prompting me to turn around as he never laughed for no reason. I let out a high pitched scream as I saw he held it in his hands.
Cyla looked over at us and her face went white as she saw me slowly approach the baby as I didn't want him to push the button his chubby little hand was hovering over.
He didn't die though, so that's good. What wasn't good was that I was grounded for a few rotations to teach me a lesson on how my lightsaber should never leave my side; especially being so easily stolen that it could be taken by an infant with ease.
Eventually, Cyla was able to go back up to the surface with Tanza and helped once more in the Jedi Archives. Tanza didn't return; I only saw her once in a while since. The first time Cyla returned to work was proven to be difficult, but we managed. Caleb sure did miss his mother as he cried almost the entire day. It was in the evening when I was having to lull him to sleep for a nap. I cradled him in my arms as I sat on the couch in our apartment and sang to him a song Cyla taught me.
You thought I was weak...dead
You saw me as too small...to put up a fight
But you were so wrong
I'm stronger than you know
You think I'm broken
You think I'm weak
That my words've been spoken
You must not think I'm smart…
But I'm stronger than you know
I'm stronger than you know
I'm faster than you think
I'm better than you know
Oh…
I can run the extra mile
I can climb the next mountain
I can even fake a smile
Oh…
Sometimes I don't believe in myself
I think, sometimes, I'm not good enough
But I can show you I'm tough
You think I'm broken
You think I'm weak
That my words've been spoken
You must not think I'm smart…
But I'm stronger than you know
I can the extra mile
I can climb the next mountain
I can even fake a smile
I'm stronger than you know
Faster than you think
Better than you ever thought
...I'm stronger than you know
She taught me this song even before Caleb was born. It was used once when I got sick and I couldn't sleep. It proved most useful for lulling Caleb to sleep. She said she remembered it being taught to her when she was a very small child; before the Jedi Temple took her in. I only assume that she learned it when she was a slave on Jakku or even before that possibly- if she even was anything before that. I don't know- so I don't ask.
"You got him to go to sleep?" I heard a voice. I looked up to see my Master in her Jedi robes standing at the door.
"Yeah," I nodded as I still held the baby in my arms.
"Well now, aren't you the best little uncle?" she smiled.
She sat next to me and looked at the infant; lightly stroking his brown hair. She looked up at me and sighed, her smile faded now to a face of compunction.
"I'm sorry about all of this," she shook her head. "You should have to be in this position; taking care of your Jedi Master's baby. I'm sorry about all this."
"It's alright, Master," I condoned. "I kinda like being an uncle. Lil Caleb already likes me."
"You're such a good Padawan," she smiled. "I don't know what I did to deserve you all."