Magdalane was still lost in her thoughts when Miriah found her, sitting near the holo but nothing on it. "Mags, you okay?" her sister asked, and Magdalane looked at her with a frown.

"I was just talking to someone who has been on Balmorra recently, and she mentioned Jurin's name. He has to be the link, Mir." She got up to see what Michi was doing, and Miriah followed her to the playroom.

"Corso is at the office now, running background and looking for anything."

"He's SIS, Mir. They don't report using the normal channels, most of the stuff they do is highly classified and never sees the light of day."

"Have faith in my Corso, Mags. He'll look at things that they don't think to hide, that seem unimportant. I know he will, he thinks that way." She picked Devin up, and his little arms went around her neck, and he snuggled into his mom. "Dev, need a cookie?" His head popped up and nodded, and she laughed as she took him to the kitchen, trailed by the twins.

Corso and Aric had taken the Senators and Garza through the building that housed their office, and their visitors were duly impressed. "So much technology in such a concentrated area, but I see Miriah's influence here," Garza said, pointing to the cookies in the break room. They laughed, but Garza could see why they were able to get so much done in a short amount of time. Diedre stood close to Zenith, earning her a glance from her mother, but Garza said nothing about it.

"You have everything you need, from medical facility to bunker. Where did you get the idea for this?" Diedre asked Aric, and Aric chuckled.

"Miriah. She's the contingency planner, the one who has multiple outs for everything. It's her smuggler background, and she uses it to make sure that our soldiers are safe as well as her family. Maura's datapad chimed and she looked at it, quickly putting it down on Aric's desk. He was speaking about the design of the building, and glanced at the message. Jurin is known on Balmorra, has extensive network there, according to a diplomat friend of Mags. Miriah had sent it just moments ago, and Aric was wondering how to get Garza alone to speak to her about it, when Diedre expressed the desire to return to the ranch house, anxious about Paolo. Corso took her and Zenith back, leaving Aric and Maura with Garza.

"I just got this," he showed the message to the general. "So Jurin maybe knows more than he should. And more important, may be passing along info to the wrong people."

"I just can't see it, " she said. "He's a well liked and decorated agent, has spent years in upper echelons of military and intelligence. Why would he do something like this?" She paced, thinking.

"We have to consider him a possible traitor," Aric said, beginning to lose his patience with her reluctance to accept what he thought was a clear fact.

"I just can't barge into his office and accuse him, Jorgan. I have to have more evidence, something that I can take to the Supreme Chancellor. Get me that, and we'll get him out of the picture." She sat heavily. "In the meantime, I'll limit what I tell him, without making it seem that I'm limiting." She put her head in her hands. "I think about retiring, every single day lately. This kind of cloak-and-dagger stuff just makes me want to do it more." She stood and put her hand out to Aric, who shook it. "We'll work on getting what we need to close this." Aric nodded, and they headed back to the ranch house.

Corso had gone to his office when he'd arrived at his house, anxious to search more on Jurin. He was looking at the results of one of these searches when Miriah found him. He looked up at her as she approached him, smiling at the look on his wife's face. He knew that look, and it had his immediate attention, causing him to reach for her as soon as she got close enough. "Wish we didn't have so many people in the house," he whispered against her neck, pulling her to sit in his lap. She giggled and agreed.

"That's not why I came to find you, though, you just looked so cute sitting here," she told him. "Find anything?" He was really not thinking about Jurin anymore and it took him a few moments to process her question.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, here, see it?" He pointed to the computer screen. "There's a three week gap here, where I can't find travel plans or a leave request. No explanation so far, so I'll keep digging." He kissed her and was trying to figure out how he might get more time with her when they heard Devin cry.

"Sorry, sugar, duty calls," she told him, sighing as she got up to see what had happened to her son. Sarai had already comforted him, but he wanted his mom. When she reached them, he reached out for her and she took him, sitting with him on the couch.

"What happened, sweetie?" she cooed at him. He said nothing but held onto her tightly, sniffling. Her normally happy son was decidedly unhappy, she thought. She glanced at Sarai, who shrugged. Calleigh came in to check on him, and Miriah asked the little girl what had happened.

"Dev just wanted you, An 'Riah." In her mind, it was as simple as that. Miriah wondered if her unease with the situation with the general had made her son anxious, which had happened before. She kissed his little head and felt his hands in her hair, his comfort measure. Corso found them, worried that Dev might have been hurt, and when he saw the little boy's head on Miriah's shoulder, his hands in her hair, he knew his son was just fine. He walked up to them and put his arms around them both, and Devin let go of one handful of hair to touch his dad's face.

"Want to go outside, little man?" Corso figured he'd give his wife a break and take one himself, but Devin shook his head no, and buried his face in his mother's neck again. Magdalane felt the force ripple and found them, sitting in the kitchen, Devin not crying but not letting his mother go either. Miriah looked at her oldest sister.

"Mags, is he okay? I mean, something is obviously up, but he doesn't have the verbal skills to tell me what." She stroked his back, his weight beginning to make her lower back burn. Mags aura flared for a few seconds, then waned.

"He's in a growth period, Mir, but that's all I can see, at least physically. He's content with you. It's possible it's just bone growth that's making him feel a little uncomfortable, plus all the people in the house and strangers." She held her hands out to Devin, and he lifted his head and went to her, which surprised Miriah. "Stars, Mir, how do you carry him around so much, he's a solid boy." Mags sat with him, unable to keep her balance carrying her own son as well.

"See, that's what I mean. How can I be thinking of another baby when he's still a baby." She sighed, and Mags caught her hand.

"It's all just a time thing, Mir. In a week, he'll be on to something new. You have time, sister. Enjoy having him, and if it happens, it happens. " Miriah nodded, and squeezed her sister's hand. Corso had heard this. She wants another child, he thought, and I do, too. But I want her, her time, too. He sighed, and started to cook dinner, figuring they'd have everyone here again. It surprised them all when Sarai and Garza elected to return to Sarai's house instead, giving the young couples a chance to bond.

Maura had been keeping an eye on the twins and Michi, and brought them into the kitchen where everyone was gathered. Devin saw them and slid down from his aunt, joining them all in the floor, and Miriah sighed in relief. She went to Corso, who was still preparing dinner, and put her arms around his waist, her head on his back. He turned and kissed the top of her head, his hands covered with the sauce he was putting on the bantha ribs. "Hey sugar," she told him. He grinned at her when she stood on tiptoe to kiss him properly.

"Hey cyare. After dinner, I have some things to discuss, some with the group, some with you." He kissed her again, and she saw the look in his eyes. He moved away to finish his sauce and she started with the table, wondering what he was thinking about.

Felix and Mags were entertaining Diedre and Zenith, telling stories of their diplomatic years, when Mags had to stand and stretch. "Baby kicking around?" Diedre asked, a smile of warmth and memory on her face. Magdalane nodded, and saw the wistful expression on her new friend's face as Diedre squeezed Zenith's hand. They'd never have their own children, she thought, but they still might have this experience. She knew that's what Diedre was thinking, and she felt the surge of protectiveness and affection that Zenith was experiencing. Wonder if these two are moving toward a marriage?

"He's very active and this time of day is worse." She rubbed her belly and grinned at Felix, who was smiling at her. She felt her aura change and saw Felix's eyebrow go up, the whispering of desire on his skin.

"Miriah?" he said, but she shook her head, and he grinned wider at her. They held hands as they continued to talk to the senators, and eventually they all made their way outside. Corso had the grill going, Maura and Aric had the kids outside playing ball, and Miriah was sitting, for once. Miriah asked the senators about the daily routine in the senate building, and got some good info, but not really anything useful. Until Diedre mentioned a visit by an SIS group, about a month before, telling her that the group had been impressed with their increased security measures, and had made suggestions for improvements.

They ate and enjoyed each other's company. Paolo got along well with the younger children, and they ate together at a table of their own. Devin was covered in the fragrant, tangy sauce and when Miriah took him for a bath, Maura joined her with Colin. "So, it's been a long day, Mir. You said you had something to share with us, and I'm hoping I can stay awake long enough to hear it." She had Colin wrapped in a towel, searching for clothes in her gear bag. Miriah just handed her a set of pajamas for the little boy, seeing that they wore the same size now. Maura dressed her son and looked at her sister, who was drooping with fatigue as well.

"I think Corso has something, too, but I'll tell you mine now. I was talking with Diedre and she confirmed that Jurin was on Balmorra about a month ago with an SIS group, and their security was discussed." Maura put her son on the floor and he ran off, Devin following him.

"So, we have a connection now. That's significant." Maura rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"Didn't sleep well, hon?" Mirah asked her, a wicked grin on her face at Maura's blush. "Or just not enough?" She giggled when Maura pushed her, and they went back to the group. Zenith and Diedre were leaving, Diedre to Sarai's house and Zenith to his ship, his mission to Coruscant could be delayed no longer. When they'd left, Corso turned to the group.

"I've found a span of time where there is nothing, no record of leave, no travel, accounts not accessed. Three weeks, and nothing was used or taken? He was noted as being ill, but there's nothing in Jurin's medical records to verify this." He was sitting with Miriah, Devin on his shoulder for a change. "So, I started looking into who was on Coruscant during those three weeks. I was surprised to see a large number of politicians, it was during a convention for advancement of, hmm, hold on, here it is. Advancement of Rehabilitation."

"What does that even mean?" Aric asked, looking at Mags for her input.

"Best I can remember, it's a society that tries to find ways to rehabilitate criminals. They've come up with some very strange methods, and the only reason I've ever heard of them was that they were associated with the Empire's Intelligence agency."

"That just seems too coincidental to me," Miriah said, yawning. "I'll see what I can turn up on them tomorrow, but now I'm just too tired." Corso went to put Devin in his bed, the little boy sleeping heavily. When he returned, the others had gone to their houses and he had his Miriah alone. She moved into his arms, her head on his chest.

"Let's go to bed, kitten," he told her, and she nodded. They changed and snuggled together, Corso pulling the warm comforter over her shoulders before kissing her forehead. Her eyes were already closing when Corso remembered he wanted to talk to her about babies.

"Mir?" he whispered.

"Mmm?"

"Earlier you told Maura that you really wanted another baby." She was quiet, and he thought she'd gone to sleep, when she spoke.

"I do, sugar. I keep thinking I should wait, but I still want. That shouldn't surprise you." She was lightly stroking her fingertips on his forearm where it was curled around her.

"It didn't, really. It's not like we're doing anything to prevent conception now, though. The timing has just been off, right?"

"Mmmhmm," she responded, the warmth of his body against hers and the long day combining to make her drowsy. "It'll happen, sugar. When it's right." She relaxed against him, but the thought of another little one was in his head now. So it was that he was still awake when Devin came stumbling into their room, his eyes sleepy.

"Dev, buddy, it's nigh-night time," he said softly, wanting to let Miriah sleep. Devin came to him and put his little head on his dad's arm. "What's wrong, little man?"

"Love you, Daddy," he half whispered. "Want Mama." He saw his mother and looked at his dad with those big brown eyes. "Mama nigh-night?" When his dad nodded at him, he hung his little head and started back to his room. Corso eased Miriah onto her pillow and got up, going to his son. He picked the little boy up and put him in their bed. Just being with them both made the child feel safe, and he was almost immediately asleep. Corso sighed, just being with them both calmed him, and he could feel himself getting sleepy. His last thought was of another baby, and how much he loved his wife.