A/N: Assume that the translator translates everything Numa says in this chapter.
With Suu and Nilim
The Kitchen was a warm place for a Summer day, Nilim thought as he stared at the dozen presents sitting on the table, wondering how he would get it all back to Ryloth. It was early afternoon, and he knew Numa was off with the other kids, playing while Boil was one of the adults who supervised them. Luckily, Boil was fluent in Twi'leki to help with translation. A lamp above the table lit the room, and the scent of wood filled his nose. Nilim didn't mind that the chair was hard.
Nilim heard the door open and looked up as Suu entered.
"Everything OK?" Suu asked.
"All these presents. Everyone is so generous. I don't know how to thank you. Or how we get the presents to Ryloth," Nilim admitted.
"We know you don't have much money, so we all chipped in to help make this Festival great for you and Numa. As to what we'll do with the presents, we can help you pack them so you can transport them to Ryloth," Suu replied as she took a seat with Nilim.
"Thanks," Nilim replied gratefully before noticing something in Suu's hand.
"What's that?" Nilim pointed to Suu's hand. Suu looked down, smiled, and then gave it to him.
The pamphlet is blue and white and made of laminated paper, with the entire piece framed by a swimming pool. The pool water was light blue, meaning the text on the card was easier to read. The bottom-right corner of the card had a picture of the Water Demon of Dantooine looking in. It was an invitation for free swimming and water safety lessons from the operators of the waterslides.
Nilim felt his eyes went wide reading this. Numa had been very upset about not being able to enjoy the waterslides due to not being able to swim. Free swimming and water safety lessons were something Nilim had hoped for since, and he was happy that Numa could take this opportunity. However, he suddenly realised it was happening on Dantooine. He, Boil, and Numa would have to travel across the galaxy to attend. That was an expense that even the Syndullas could not keep up long-term.
Perhaps sensing the nerves from Nilim, Suu rested a hand on his shoulder and explained, "If you explain your situation to the people running this, they'll cover the cost for you. I saw how upset Numa was that she couldn't go to the attractions due to being unable to swim. Learning to swim and Water Safety is important. I'm sure they'll understand,"
Nilim rested a hand on Suu's and smiled, "You're right. My schedule's pretty flexible, as I homeschool Numa. I'll sort something out,"
"Lovely," Suu replied.
"You know, it never occurred to me that playing in the water was something others did," Nilim said.
Suu nodded, "I understand. You live on a desert planet, so water is scarce, and you'll need all the water you can get to sustain your population. That means that recreation activities associated with water won't occur due to the need to preserve water."
"Glad you understand, Suu," Nilim replied, "Can you help me pack the presents? The translator is going in last, as Numa will need it tonight,"
"Sure," Suu got up from the chair. Nilim did likewise, and they started packing the presents.
That night with the kids.
The four children, Jek, Shaeeah, Numa and Alexis, enter the Kids' room after a long but enjoyable day. It was nighttime, and the air conditioner hummed as it regulated the room's temperature and made the air colder than outside for a Summer night. Jek saw that a night light lit the room from the ceiling fan. Jek could inhale the scents of the bed wood and the flecks of Mantell mix that Omega had left behind. The carpet is soft on Jek's feet. He watched as Numa entered the ensuite, and five minutes later, Numa returned wearing her large flower, pink-and-blue nightgown. Seeing the nightgown on Numa again made Jek flush.
"Numa looks so cute in that nightgown," Jek whispered to Shaeeah, who giggled, seeing Jek flush, "She does,"
As the quartet grabbed their translators, they sat in a circle facing each other. This conversation was several days coming.
Just as the quartet started talking, they heard a scratching at the door.
"Who is it?" Numa wondered, getting up and walking to the door. She opened the door to find her pet Loth Cat, Verd'ika, looking up at her.
'You can come in," Numa said, and Verd'ika walked into the room as Numa returned to her seat.
Just as Alexis went to close the door, she saw Daniel, her pet Tamed Canid, approach. Alexis let Daniel enter before closing the door, and soon, Verd'ika and Daniel were lying with their respective owners.
"So, I've got a question, Numa," Alexis started.
"What is it?" Numa asked.
"Is Nilim your dad?" Alexis wondered.
"No, he's my uncle," Numa replied, her face saddening noticeably, "He's the only family I have left. Except Boil. But otherwise, Nilim is my only family,"
"I remember Nilim mentioning that to me," Jek replied, looking sympathetically at Numa.
"I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost your family, Numa," Alexis said, resting a hand on Numa's shoulder.
"Jek and I understand what it's like after losing someone close to you, so we can sympathise," Shaeeah replied.
Numa was surprised at what Shaeeah said, and as she looked up, Numa replied, "Who did you guys lose?"
"Uncle Rex," Jek replied, while Shaeeah added, "Uncle Rex and our biological father,"
"I'm sorry to hear that. How long ago was that?" Numa wondered, looking sympathetically at Jek and Shaeeah.
"Only a few months ago," Jek admitted, "What about you?"
"I lost my family four years ago when the Separatists attacked and occupied Ryloth. I also lost Waxer about two years ago after the battle of a planet called Umbara, which didn't help," Numa explained.
"Sorry to hear that," Jek replied, hugging Numa, which she returned.
"I'm lucky I haven't lost anyone yet," Alexis admitted, though Numa noticed Alexis wasn't telling the total story regarding that line.
"I feel that you're not telling us everything," Shaeeah said. Alexis sighed, then admitted, "It was me that my family thought they were going to lose,"
"Why?" Shaeeah asked curiously.
"After Alejandro got his back injury at the hands of the Commando Droids, I tried to help him. But I failed to take care of myself, and I had a total mental breakdown as a result. I suffered from depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. For a while, my parents opened the door to my room, not knowing if I was still alive. That caused huge stress, and they were so glad when I started mentally recovering," Alexis explained.
"That's terrible. Why didn't you tell us about that earlier?" Shaeeah asked as Jek, Shaeeah, and Numa buried Alexis in a large kid hug pile.
"The topic never came up at school or during play dates. So I never mentioned it," Alexis replied, overwhelmed by the support.
'You don't feel like that anymore?" Jek wondered.
"I still have my moments, but I'm in a much better headspace than I was," Alexis replied as Jek, Shaeeah, and Numa got off Alexis, allowing her to get back into a sitting position.
"We're all glad you're OK, Alexis. What techniques did you use to rebuild your mental health and resilience?" Numa asked.
"It was difficult," Alexis admitted, "My parents and older brother were affectionate towards me, which helped. Talking about what I was feeling with my parents and therapist helped me process my thoughts and feelings. I also had to go on medication to help fix some of the chemical imbalances in my brain. Even now, I still have breakdowns at school, I still have days where I struggle to get out of bed, I still have lots of depressive moments, and my mental health is still poor. I also have lots of affirmation statements to keep me up mentally,"
"Yet you still help us where you can. You're still getting up every day to face the day. You still enjoy your life. That's an incredible achievement considering where you said you were," Numa replied.
"I also look at Omega. She had a horrible time growing up. Yet Omega is doing everything she does. I find inspiration from Omega," Shaeeah replied.
"Really?" Numa asked.
"Yeah," Jek replied, "Omega has severe anxiety and things like storms upset her. She wakes up regularly from nightmares, and Shaeeah and I have seen it first-hand. Omega has severe scarring on her upper arms from what the Kaminoans did to her. And despite all of that, you've seen what she's like,"
Numa gasped, hearing this, putting her hands over her mouth. Slowly lowering her hands, tears in her eyes, Numa said, "That's horrible. I can't imagine how tough that must have been. It sounds like the Clone Wars has traumatised everyone, not just us,"
"It certainly seems that way," Alexis replied.
"Honestly, if we keep each other company and talk about what happened, we can work together to heal from what happened to us," Shaeeah suggested.
"Well, we've been doing that so far," Jek replied, and the others nodded.
'Oh, by the way, you mentioned that your brother got injured by Commando Droids. Is that why he's moving slowly and has back pain?" Shaeeah asked.
"Yes," Alexis replied, "It was scary. I think that contributed to my mental collapse later. Al is mine and Omega's rock, a support mechanism for him. I think Omega and Al provide mutual support, which would be cool,"
"How did you meet Omega?" Numa asked.
"After Omega got injured on a mission, her squad arrived for a while. The Lawquanes took Clone Force 99 to the same restaurant where my family had dinner. Jek and Shaeeah introduced me to Omega, and after she left due to being too injured and old to play on the playground, I went over to my brother and pointed her out. A few minutes later, Al went over, introduced himself to Clone Force 99, Rex, and the Lawquanes, and then took Omega to the balcony, where they talked for a while. They spent the following month meeting up, walking through the local park, talking and bonding. Even after Omega had to return to action with Clone Force 99, they stayed in contact. And when Omega returned, they continued bonding, and that's how I learned about her," Alexis explained.
"That's awesome," Numa replied, her heart swelling with happiness before she turned to Jek and Shaeeah.
"How about you two?" Numa asked.
"Shortly after rescuing Omega from Kamino, they flew to Saleucamai. Echo knew about our family from when Captain Rex had been saved by us earlier in the war, so after he joined Clone Force 99, he introduced them to us. It didn't take long for us to bond with Omega, though we didn't get much time to talk due to the Empire. Later, after we moved to Dantooine, Omega and Clone Force 99 arrived on Dantooine, just like with Alexis after Omega got hurt, and we got an entire month to bond. Mom quickly adopted Omega as a mother figure, and in turn, Omega adopted us as younger siblings. After a brief rough start due to Omega's nightmares and night terrors, we quickly bonded, mainly with Jek and I helping Omega with her nightmares and night terrors,"
"Oh wow, that's cool," Numa replied.
"Speaking of meeting people," Jek said, "How did you meet Hera?"
"All thanks to Howzer and Boil," Numa explained, "Boil and Howzer escaped prison on Malastare and flew to Ryloth. Of course, Boil reunited with Nilim and me, while Howzer reunited with the Syndullas. Boil and Howzer caught up, along with our families, and that's how Hera and I met. It's not as interesting as others, but it's our story,"
"That's lovely to hear," Jek smiled at Numa, which she returned.
"It seems like fate has brought us together so we can support each other throughout overlapping trauma to process and heal from what happened. Especially since our trauma involves the same thing," Alexis said.
"With our traumas overlapping, supporting each other is crucial. Especially since the Clone Wars affected everyone here," Shaeeah replied.
"That's true. Battle droids seem to be the source of all our traumas," Jek replied, "So we've all got problems to work through, and we can lean on each other for support since our traumas overlap. I know Omega and Echo do that, and it's helped them,"
"That's great to hear," Alexis replied.
"We need to hand out our datapad codes to each other so we can talk more regularly. We can play games, bond over our pasts, and discuss other things like friends do," Jek said.
"We can do that first thing tomorrow morning. Has anyone checked the time?" Alexis replied, looking surprised.
Jek checked his watch and saw it was almost 10:30 pm.
"Wait, we've been talking about this for over two hours? We'd better get to sleep. But I feel like everyone sleeping in their beds alone wouldn't be good after what we've discussed," Jek replied.
"Is there something we can do as a group while sleeping?" Shaeeah wondered.
"I have an idea," Alexis said suddenly.
"What is it?" Numa asked.
"Have you heard of a cuddle pile?" Alexis asked.
'I haven't," Numa replied.
"You want us to cuddle pile together with Numa in the middle?" Shaeeah suggested, making Jek flush.
"Yes. Numa needs comfort, and she's never experienced it before," Alexis replied before she turned to Numa, "Is that OK with you?"
"You didn't answer my question," Numa said, "What is a cuddle pile?"
"A cuddle pile is where a group of three or more beings resting together in one place in an arrangement where they're all touching each other and comfortable. The cuddling is platonic and is a great bonding exercise," Alexis replied.
"That sounds nice," Numa replied, "I'd be OK with engaging in a cuddle pile,"
"Awesome," Shaeeah replied, "To be fair, I wouldn't have considered this before tonight if only because privacy can be an issue when one of them sleeps without sleepwear on,"
"You know that was due to my nightmares, right?" Numa asked, slightly annoyed.
"I know that your lack of sleepwear is due to your nightmares, Numa," Shaeeah replied, stung slightly, "Everyone here knows that nightmares are scary. We all have them. And having to wash your pyjamas, especially if you live on a desert planet like Ryloth, can be frustrating. But you were fine with Jek, right?"
"Since Jek ensured he respected my privacy when we snuggled together for comfort that first night, you're right about that," Numa replied.
"Did snuggling with my little brother comfort you?" Shaeeah asked. When Numa nodded, Shaeeah replied, "Imagine that, but with Alexis and I snuggling with you, too,"
"Especially since, thanks to your nightgown, snuggling with us isn't potentially awkward," Jek replied. Numa thought about it momentarily, then nodded.
"Yay!" Alexis replied, "Now. Who should snuggle where?"
"Well, Jek's smaller than Numa, so he should lie on top," Alexis suggested.
"And Jek has already snuggled with Numa once, and when Numa was unclothed too," Shaeeah teased. Jek and Numa awkwardly flushed in response.
"I prefer Numa wearing the nightgown. No awkwardness there, plus she looks super cute in that nightgown," Jek replied, making Numa blush, burying her face in her hands.
"Jek's not wrong," Alexis admitted. After a moment, Numa calmed down and unhid her face.
"So, who else go where?" Numa asked.
"We're going to be either side of you, alright?" Shaeeah suggested.
"That's fine by me," Numa replied, both excited and nervous at the prospect of this cuddle pile.
"Hey, Jek, how about we grab a couple of mattresses and combine some pillows and blankets on top?" Shaeeah suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Jek replied, "Alexis, could you please help me move my mattress to the floor? Shaeeah and Numa can get another mattress down,"
Over the next few minutes, Jek, Shaeeah, Numa and Alexis worked together to pull the mattresses from their beds to the floor. Jek and Alexis pulled the mattress on Jek's bed to the floor, while Numa and Shaeeah did the same with Numa's mattress.
Verd'ika and Daniel dashed out of the way as the kids pulled the mattresses to the floor.
"What about Verd'ika and Daniel?" Shaeeah asked, pointing to the pets.
"They can sleep near the beds. Verd'ika tends to sleep next to my bed anyway and will even jump into my bed to keep me company after a nightmare," Numa replied.
"My Tamed Canid, Daniel, jumps onto my bed to keep me company, too. It's something pets have, especially if their previous owners have trained them that way," Alexis replied.
"We'd probably have a pet, too, if Corin hadn't been born about six months ago," Jek continued, "Speaking of pets, I heard the Batchers are planning to get at least one pet to help their transition from Military to Civilian life,"
"Verd'ika has helped Boil with his transition from Military to Civilian life, so maybe a pet will help them too," Numa smiled and patted Verd'ika, who purred gently.
("We haven't finished piling up the bedclothes. Can we please not get distracted by talking about our pets right now?" Shaeeah pointed out.
"Right," Alexis replied, and over the next few minutes, the quartet grabbed their pillows and blankets and arranged them for everyone to rest comfortably. Once finished, Numa lay on her front, snuggling comfortably. Jek was next. He gently placed a blanket over Numa, then, being careful with her sensitive Lekku, Jek snuggled himself close against Numa, wrapping an arm around her. Shaeeah followed, wrapping another blanket over Jek before she snuggled herself against her younger brother, carefully moving her Lekku so she didn't accidentally lie on them.
Finally, it's Alexis' turn to lie down. Although she's a Togruta, not a Twi'ilek or Twi'lek hybrid like the others, instead of Alexis' lekku sitting behind her body, the lekku sits in front. Alexis resolves this by placing a pillow near her head, elevating her just enough to avoid lying on her lekku as she snuggles up to Numa from the opposite side of Jek and Shaeeah.
"I'm not used to sleeping on my front or back. I always sleep on my side due to my Lekku," Alexis admitted.
"Understandable. We're all comfortable?" Shaeeah asked as she pulled one of the weighted blankets over herself and Jek.
Grabbing the other weighted blanket and pulling it over herself and Numa, Alexis replied, "I am now,"
"Good," Numa replied, "Good night,"
"Good Night," the others said, and the kids fell asleep.
And now we follow the adults the following morning.
It's a cool, clear morning for Summer at the Batch household. Aurora heads to the kids' room to check on Jek, Shaeeah, Numa and Alexis. Sunlight filters in through the windows, and Aurora can hear the sounds of her fellow adults and teenagers moving around the house. She can smell and taste the carpet and the wafting of breakfast and coffee. The floor is soft on her feet.
Aurora carefully knocks on the door but gets no response. She hears someone approach, turns around, and sees Suu and Nilim approach.
"Checking on the kids?" Nilim whispered.
"Yeah," Aurora replied as she gently opened the door. And the sight that greeted the trio was heartwarming.
Two mattresses were on the ground next to each other, with multiple pillows and tangled blankets covering them. As rays of sunlight filter through the window, they shine on Jek, Shaeeah, Numa and Alexis sleeping together in a kid cuddle pile. The kids' pets were sleeping at the bottom of the mattresses. Alexis's tamed Canid Daniel and Numa's Loth Cat Verd'ika.
"When did they get to sleep last night?" Suu whispered.
"About 10:30 pm. The kids were talking for ages," Nilim replied.
"It's lovely that they've found comfort and support in each other, and thanks to the translators, they can now understand what they're all saying," Suu said.
"They need it after everything they've all been through. It's a shame we'd have to break it by waking them," Aurora replied.
"Don't. The kids were up over two hours past their bedtime. They need to sleep in if they're going to get enough sleep for their growing bodies and minds," Suu said, putting a hand out in front of Aurora.
"OK. It's just Alexis doesn't sleep in this late normally," Aurora replied.
"Alexis isn't up as late as she was last night, though," Nilim reminded her.
"Agreed," Aurora replied, gently closing the door to let the kids sleep.
When the trio return to the Kitchen, they show the image of the kids asleep in a cuddle pile. And everyone agrees it's the most precious thing they've seen in a long time. Everyone also agrees to let them sleep in after learning how late they'd stayed up the previous night.
Eventually, the kids awoke and headed downstairs for breakfast, one by one. All of them had slept better than they had in a long time and were glad to have found comfort and support in each other, a critical part of the healing process.
The end of the Dantooine Solstice Festival sees everyone start heading home. Jek, Shaeeah and Alexis had gotten Numa's number so the group could communicate, even across the galaxy. For a Summer day, it was colder than it had been. A change had come through, and the winds had changed direction, picking up the scents of the hills that rolled to the southwest. The light from the star shone on Boba as he headed for Slave 1 for the final time, preparing to return to Tatooine to decide on their next course of action. He hoped they wouldn't have to go into hiding, as it would mean travelling to the Unknown Regions, but if they had to, so be it. His heart ached at that thought, unable to see or help Omega if the Empire came after her again.
"Boba," came a voice from behind, disrupting Boba's thoughts. He turned around and saw Hera Syndulla approaching, holding a large present. Hera's presence made Boba nervous, as he was still not 100% sure if Hera was happy with Omega being called Arla.
"Hey, Hera. What brings you out here?" Boba wondered, pushing his nerves down.
"You forgot a present from yesterday," Hera replied, handing it to him, "And considering who it's from, after the first night, you need it,"
Boba remembered back to that first night. The nightmare of losing his father on Geonosis still haunted him. He had awoken to find Arla at his bedside, her noise-cancelling headphones still on, the eye mask sitting above her eyes. Although he had confused Hera and Alejandro when he called Omega Arla, the comfort from having someone there and the Weighted Blanket allowed him to get back to sleep.
"Stay safe, alright?" Hera asked.
"I will," Boba replied. Hera smiled, then headed off.
When Boba entered Slave 1, he sat on his bed and checked the card. To his surprise, it was from Arla. And Hera hadn't changed the name on the card to Omega. That meant that Hera accepted him, calling Omega Arla. Grabbing his datapad as the craft headed for deep space, where they could jump to hyperspace, Boba sent a message to Hera.
"Hey, Hera, thanks for not changing the name on the card from Omega to Arla. Your acknowledgement of me calling her by that name is greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton, Boba," was the message Boba sent to Hera.
Once he sent the message, he tore open the paper to the very heavy present. It was a blanket. Boba looked puzzled at it momentarily, then realised it was a Weighted Blanket just like the one Arla had on her bed. Boba gratefully smiled as he climbed off his bed and carefully placed the blanket over, grateful to Arla for getting the blanket for him. Boba didn't know what the future held for him, but he knew he could at least face it, knowing he had more comfort and security at night.