Yavin IV

[Skye Organa]

(( actually I left the "smell" up to you. What I actually meant was a newborn has a unique smell all of it's own. Not that the "infant" had dirtied it's nappy ))

 

Skye smiled at Armiena's handling of the simulated child. "I have no control of the simulation other than having set it to resemble your own child. What happened there with the dirty nappy was of your own reactions and maternal instincts."

 

The grin widened at the sound of Ara's voice, the Healer turning towards her good friend. "Thank you Ara. Yes, it is one of my inventions." Including Armiena in her answer she added, "And not only for Force Sensitives."

 

Her expression softened as she looked upon the wriggling, gurgling 'child', it's hand raising up to wave around in front of Armiena's face. Skye was pleased that her invention of the simulated baby looked so real. It did make it life-like in almost every way.

[ObliviousKnight]

((Gonna hold the aging at the current rate until Aryian gets back, which should be very soon. Then it'll practically be a time warp.))

 

”œNo, not yet, I still have a good four months before”¦”

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

"I took a bit of a vacation, I suppose you could call it." Ara sighed. "I'm mostly well, though now you have me wishing I had my own child on the way. Not that I haven't wished that for some time..." She blushed. "I'd just need a husband first, and I don't see that happening anytime soon."

 

I can't help it...I've always had that maternal instinct, even without any children. Knowing my luck and how things go for me, though, I'll never get to have one of my own.

 

She watched Armiena play with the "baby," and she couldn't help but smile despite her own melancholy. I suppose I'll just have to deal with being the honorary "aunt," then.

 

"I also took some time to make a few things. I left them on my ship," Ara explained, "and I would have taken them with me here, but Sanare was being rather...excitable."

 

The sword, having remained in blade-form rather than taking on it's usual spirit-being-humanoid shape, piped in from the sheath on Ara's belt, "There's a new baby on the way, Mother! It is exciting!" Sanare let out a soft whistle in the form of a happy children's song Ara had known when she was young. "A joyous time!"

 

Ara grinned again. "Indeed. So, have you been in hiding this whole time? I was quite lucky to find you. I didn't expect anyone to be here, given that most people think Yavin IV is still a pile of dust and debris."

[Skye Organa]

"Honourary Aunt to three others as well if you recall Ara..." Skye winked in Ara's direction. "Even though my three are fully grown..." Her voice turned wistful as Skye turned her head to watch the giggling bundle of joy in Armiena's arms.

 

It gave her a twinge of longing though she supressed it. Her three were enough, even if she wouldn't mind having others. Skye didn't think she could bare desertion of a partner again... if she ever got involved again she'd make sure a ring was on her finger before anything went that far. She couldn't ever see that happening in her future though.

 

Skye wondered what Darla, Darex and Seraphim were doing since they'd left Yavin IV. It seemed so long ago since they'd left, even though it hadn't been that long at all.

[ObliviousKnight]

((Still waiting on that mod ruling, though I really just want to get moving forward.))

 

”œI've been”¦ mostly successful, though I'm starting to wonder if staying in hiding is costing me. I can count the number of people who know about Aidan on one hand.”

[Skye Organa]

Skye gazed knowingly at Armiena and the simulated Aidan. If an infant wanted something, they... she didn't even get the thought completed before the crying began.

 

"Aidan... look what Aunty Skye's got..."

 

She raised her hands up and wiggled her fingers to get the child's attention, then, summoning Force energies she created small dancing lights. The crying stopped, a half sob, half gurgling sound replacing it before a giggle occured. Small hands reached towards the lights that danced around the child's outstretched arms.

 

"A distraction often works, or replacing the object with another." Skye turned back towards Ara. "So you've been keeping well?"

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara looked rather sheepish, knowing she had inadvertently caused the "incident" at hand via Sanare. She rubbed the back of her neck, wincing. "Sorry about that." Had the baby-droid not quit crying, Ara had thought about starting her own special brand of singing, but she didn't know if Armiena would appreciate her son, simulated or not, being literally sung to sleep with Ara's odd ability.

 

"I've been doing...all right." She moved her hand from her neck to clasp her other hand in front of her. "I took a while to try and think on 'things,' recover somewhat from life, on the whole." Ara's face flushed, and she laughed softly. "I guess you could say I've been hiding, too. Truthfully, I meant to spend time with you, Armiena, to prevent you from going crazy during your own time of hiding, but it seems you've done just fine without me."

 

She paused. "Not that you'd automatically go nuts without me here. It's just that I know what having to be in absolute secrecy by one's self can do to a person." Ara coughed into her hand. "Bounties on your head tend to make being a public figure somewhat impossible."

 

"...boy, I got on a tangent. Yes, I'm doing fine, and glad to see you both again. Let's just go with that."

[Skye Organa]

Skye gave a small cough at the mention of Bounties.

 

"I know exactly what you mean there Ara. I think all of us have one hanging over our heads. The latest one I've heard of was put on me by the new Dark Lord, Exodus. I'm not keen to meet with him. Kirana Sunrider mentioned him to me a while back before he became the Dark Lord. I'm surprised he hasn't a bounty out on her actually. She still has a double hilted saber of his I believe."

 

Catching sight of a silver glint out of the corner of her eye, Skye turned her head to watch as I-Nine brought in a tray of refreshments for the three women. The droid stopped so that each of them could take a glass and piece of cake. Since Armiena had the "baby" in her arms, I-Nine remained close by her so that she could place her glass back down if the infant demanded more attention.

[Ary the Grey]

A verbal encrypted comm comes in for Armiena, her comlink beeping with the new message.

 

"Armiena, Armiena...wherefore art thou, Armiena? Thy lover is lost without his companion, cast adrift amongst the turbulent night sky..."

[ObliviousKnight]

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the proud tones of Reveille, the proud trumpet making itself heard without regard for what they had to say. It took some adjustment to check my comlink.

 

"I'm on Yavin IV, you dork," I spoke into the device. Trying and failing to not smile at the news--and the author Aryian had quoted at the beginning of the message. My utter failure to restrain a grin from dominating my expression made it obvious who had just contacted me, but I felt the need to explain. "Aryian's coming."

[Ary the Grey]

There was little warning. Aryian's presence flooded into the minds of those at Yavin as his craft pulled out of hyperspace forcibly, calculating exactly one kilometer of distance between the atmosphere and the exit point from hyperspace, well within the gravity well. Warnings sounded all over the cockpit, but Aryian ignored them, as did the onboard AI. They were merely regulatory, anyways, in the event he was unconscious or some other event had happened.

 

But not today...today Aryian was in full control of his craft, and it sang at his graceful handling of the controls, speedily picking up the location of its sister craft and kicking into high speeds at the Master's command to meet it. He was walking down the boarding ramp before he knew it, his wife's presence meeting his own solidly, as well as Ara's and Skye's. He easily navigated the hallways to find them, and spoke before he saw what Armiena was holding.

 

"Hey. I'm not that much of a dork, now, am I?"

 

His half-grin turned to a look of hollow shock as he finally did look at what she was holding, but the Force told him differently.

 

"What in the Force is that?"

[ObliviousKnight]

”œI wouldn't worry too much; you're my dork. As for this”¦”

[Ary the Grey]

It started crying.

 

"So it has a volume control?"

 

Aryian almost had to jump back to avoid his wife's playful swipe at his shoulder.

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

"I'd say that the child has his father's lack of volume control." Ara raised an eyebrow, but smiled. "It's good to see you again, Aryian. Quite the bit of technology in Armiena's arms, isn't it?"

[ObliviousKnight]

"What a way you have..." As Aryian had no doubt expected, my free hand darted out to strike him in the shoulder, though his preemptive evasion had saved him from the blow by the distance of my fingertips. Then that hand had to go to work again, as keeping ahold of the droid became much more difficult after he started complaining and squirming.

 

I struggled to keep a smile on my face while I took a deep breath, summoning a reassuring aura about myself. Aryian was the droid's programmed father, no matter how unpleasant or unhygienic he might have seemed to him. Heredity had to count for something. "Come on, it's just Dad there. I know he might not be the best looking guy... or he might smell like he's spent a few hours crammed in a starship... but..." I looked up and grinned. "He's not that bad. Even you have to admit that, eh?"

 

Fortunately, he seemed to agree and started to calm down. Perhaps with the sudden arrival, the little guy felt as though he was getting crowded in.

[Ary the Grey]

"I'd say that the child has his father's lack of volume control."

 

((Funny thing is, you haven't even talked to me over skype yet. I'm a riot. A loud one. Anyways...))

 

"Hey, I can take a hint from the sisters of unsubtleness. Cute little guy...but I imagined he'd always look different than that. More like his mother. He's got my eyes though...bluish grey as light slate. Makes him look handsome."

 

Aryian beamed for a few seconds before he came to his senses.

 

"But yeah. Me. Shower. Now. See you guys in a bit."

 

He meandered out of the room, eventually finding the rooming quarters and doing exactly what he set off to do.

Edited May 28, 2008 by Guest

[Skye Organa]

(( Just a reminder guys... we're in the hold of Skye's ship Serenity atm where she has the simulator set up. Not in the base itself... ))

 

Skye laughed quietly at Aryian's response to his simulated 'son'. It would have been a shock to the 'father-to-be' to see his wife holding a 'child' that looked like their own. Armiena's description of the simulation that Skye had created was on the mark so she wouldn't add to that unless asked to.

 

"Hey, I can take a hint from the sisters of unsubtleness. Cute little guy...but I imagined he'd always look different than that. More like his mother. He's got my eyes though...grey as light slate. Makes him look handsome."

 

"The simulation is just that... a possible outcome for what the child's appearance will be. You've seen my children I gather?" Skye produced a hand hologram unit and flicked it on to show a photo of her three children. "Morgana, Amon & Krishna all have aspects of both of us though each have their own uniqueness as well. For all we know, your son, when he is born will look totally different to the simulation."

 

Skye waved him off along with the others when he headed out of her ship and off to go have a shower and get cleaned up. Giving a sly grin towards Armiena she added.

 

"Hmmm... bath time. Sounds like another lesson to me."

 

She lifted up the lid of the storage container and got out the implements to bath the infant.

[ObliviousKnight]

I shook my head ruefully, my ebony braid tickling the sides of my back. It was astounding, really, the painstaking detail that had gone into Skye's simulation. So far, the droid had proven itself capable of the less pleasant functions of the digestive system, shown an ability to react to our manipulations of the Force, and now”¦

 

The droid was not only perfectly waterproof, but he liked the water. At least he didn't complain when I brought the water in the tub to a lukewarm termperature, undressed him, and””fearing the consequences””placed him in the shallow pool.

 

No, he actually did like the water. At first, he'd watched the tiny waves peaking around the edges of the tub with a kind of wide-eyed fascination, then he gingerly touched the surface, observing the weak eddies and waves generated by his careful movements”¦ Then, a toothless grin stretching the corners of his mouth, he began to punch and slap the surface, splashing everywhere and decorating the front of my white robes with a random pattern of damp marks. Much giggling followed.

 

”œTrust me, this is a fight you can't win.”

[Ary the Grey]

A while later, Aryian returned, sporting a white bathrobe and a towel around his neck. Several marble-sized silvery metal spheres floated near his hand, orbiting casually in a common telekinesis exercise, but these weren't so he could practice the depth of his control over the Force...these were toys for his simulated son.

 

As he saw his wife bathing the thing, another of his trademark half-grins spread across his face, the marbles returning to his hand as he instead reached out, grabbing a glob of water from the pool, and made it float over Aidan, shaping itself into a miniature version of Ara's dragon and perching itself on the child's forehead, nuzzling it.

 

"That...is a Krodak moment."

 

He referred, of course, to the motto of a well-known holoimaging company as he stood in the doorway, arm extended, concentrating intently on maintaining the shape and membrane of the water.

[Amon Saulot]

Eldritch fire roared as the real was torn open for a second and Amon and the Jedi exorcist Damon tumbled out. Amon collapsed to his knees, the sheer amount of energy that he had expended between the battle, the healing, and the trip here was herculean.

 

"Damon... needs... healing... Nurgle's rot...Arach'tar commander at Gromas slain."

[Skye Organa]

Skye grinned as Armiena took to bathing Aidan like a duck to water. Aryian's response caused her eyes to sparkle all the more at the scene. Once giving all the items required to bath the 'child', Skye had stepped back to see how well she'd do, finding that she wasn't disappointed in the reaction. The hologram simulation surrounding them had changed to show that of a bathroom to further add realism to the situation.

 

The holographic walls shimmered suddenly, a startled Skye wondering for a moment what had caused the disruption of the signal. The answer to her unformed question came as a roaring sound drowned out the giggling of the child, causing him to cry and want his mother to comfort him, wet arms reaching for Amiena to pick him up.

 

A somewhat familiar sensation shot through the Jedi Healer as she observed the unnatural blue flames flicker around the room, opening a hole large enough to emit her son, Amon and another, Damon, out of it.

 

"Amon!" Skye was immediately at his side, the Force brushing over him soothingly to help restore his energy levels. "Rest dear, I'll see to him."

 

Having reassured herself that her son was alright, she turned her attention towards Damon, calling out for I-Nine to move Damon to the surgery. Flitter hovered into the hold, stopping above Damon. A scanner lit up, visibly tracing over his body as the hover-droid assessed his injuries. I-Nine returned with the hover-gurney, Skye summoning the Force to carefully lift her patient onto it so that I-Nine could transfer him into the surgery.

 

She turned her head towards Armiena and Aryian, "The simulation will cover every eventuallity. It will soon be time for you to feed him once you finish his bath. You can also set up his cradle over in the corner."

 

Stepping towards the door, Skye glanced over towards Ara, then to Amon and back again, concern showing for her son even as she knew she would have to see to Damon first. "I'd appreciate your help Ara."

 

With that she followed the gurney into the surgery, hurrying over to wash her hands, place gloves on and prepare herself for healing Damon. She transfered her patient across onto the medical bunk, I-Nine placing the gurney back in storage and moving back to her side to assist. Flitter brought up the results of the scan on the monitor above the bunk so that Skye could see them.

 

"Rest easy now Damon. I'm going to put you into a hibernation trance while I heal you."

 

It had been some time since Skye had treated someone with Nurgle's rot, though she was quick to get what she needed, letting the Force guide her as she began his healing.

[Damon]

Damon had gone in and out since his infection of the rot. His energy spent in attempt to defeat the avatar was great and this disease was not helping.

 

Here though he helt somthing he had not felt for some time. The pressence of a friend. Master Skye was his doctor and with that he knew he was in the best hands.

 

She spoke to him in her comforting voice that she had always had.

 

"Rest easy now Damon. I'm going to put you into a hibernation trance while I heal you." The stricken master did not aruge. He would let the master healer do as she felt needed.

[ObliviousKnight]

At least I had been able to act on Aryian's turn-of-phrase and actually take a picture of the scene before it appeared that Hell literally broke loose. My eyes flashed between Aryian and the druid for a second, until they finally fixed my husband in their lively gaze. I gave him a sheepish grin and spoke before returning my attention to the bath, where the baby was understandably confused by the sudden morphing of the water into the shape of a great beast's head. Understandable””had I possessed no knowledge of the Force, I would have been puzzled at how the water seemed to mold itself like clay. ”œAbsolutely.”

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian held the thing on his shoulder, simulation or not, its wailing was annoying. A few seconds and Aryian caved, ignoring the traditionalistic parenting instincts. He held the thing in front of him, supporting the little butt while cradling its back with his other arm, looking it right in the eyes.

 

"Look. I'm not too comfortable right now myself either. Come on, Aidan, work with me."

 

The Force, already turbulent here, calmed itself in the room as Aryian took hold of it once more, using it to levitate his child, making it feel as if it was being held snugly all over, the feeling that all babies found most familiar and comforting, as they had just come from the womb. A moment more gave Aryian time to levitate a towel over from the table, wrapping itself around the child with ease, much more perfect than he would have with his hands. And likely, it'd also be how he changed the thing's nappy if Armiena ever made him do that (And knowing her, she would).

 

The child, already beginning to quiet down (not to mention being distracted by Aryian moving his hands and pointing at both it and the towel) slowly descended to Aryian's outsretched arms, where the supposed father began to rock it slowly back and forth. Now wrapped in a soft warm blanket, a much more comforting environment than had existed a few seconds earlier, the thing's protests ceased.

 

"Thaaat's right. Daddy's here now. And guess what? You look sleepy. Don't give that look, mister...all you need is some warm milk and a nice nap, that's quite enough excitement for one day."

 

He motioned to Armiena, who he saw returning with the cradle and a bottle of formula.

[ObliviousKnight]

”œMy hero.”

[Ary the Grey]

"I know"

 

He looked up, moving towards her and putting his hands on her shoulders, looking up at seemingly nothing. He was about to be a father, the galaxy was still torn with chaos as it was and as it would be, and he was desperately trying to keep them safe in a universe that wanted them dead. One plan of action, the same plan that he had been thinking about for some time, resonated in his thoughts, and he knew what he would have to do shortly.

 

"I know."

[Ara-Lai Kaipi]

Ara reluctantly left the couple to go assist Skye. Upon looking at the two injured Jedi, she gave Skye a sideways glance.

 

"I've been gone a while, so I'm not entirely up to date. I'd gather this has to do with the Arach'tar, given Amon's word, but aside from that, what hasbeen going on?"

[ObliviousKnight]

I nodded again, my last breath coming out in a shaky, tearful smile. Force, how I wished I wasn't burdened with this imitation of a child, so I could have sprung from this couch and rushed into his arms to feel his warmth and strength, to be so close to him that even our thoughts sometimes collided. Thankfully, my love took the opportunity to sit aside from me and perform the closest imitation by draping his arm across my shoulders, his other hand gently stroking my six-months belly. My response to his touch was a beatific smile, only to widen when I felt Aidan--the real one--give another kick.

 

How long had it been since we did something like this?

 

It was the retreat of the droid's head from the bottle that announced that he was quite finished, despite the face that--to no less astonishment--some small amount of liquid remained. His lazy squirming, to say little of the fact that his astonishingly blue eyes were slowly blinking, indicated that he was nearly finished with this day, at least for another few hours. The rest of my duties came easily. My previous expedition had located a supply of pajamas near the baby's crib, and after some self-conscious rearrangement of the blankets, I set the droid down to see that he had already fallen peacefully asleep.

 

I remained there with my husband for a few minutes, reminding myself that this was only a simulation, and besides, it was rarely going to be as easy as this. Then I seemed to come to, remembering that I was not a mother yet, merely--I almost snorted at that--Aryian Darkfire's wife. I slowly walked that man out of the simulation room, wearing a slightly mischievous smile that I knew he would recognize, but I had displayed too rarely--not by our choice, though.

 

"You know..." I approached him further, so closely that all I cared to see was his eyes and my abdomen literally came between us. The redness from mine had faded, he could see, replaced by something more pleasant. "If it weren't for the fact that we're on Skye's ship and almost half the Masters in the Jedi Order are here, I would be all over you right now."

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian watched her get up from the couch, depositing the droid in the cradle. He still couldn't get his mind around that it'd be anything more than a droid, but that was because he'd worked with droids his entire life. It was a good simulation, but that's all it was. He stood as she came to him, stopping intimately close to him. He could barely suppress a snicker at her comment.

 

"You have to watch yourself...don't forget about Aidan, I doubt he'd enjoy that."

 

He laughed aloud for a few seconds, noting his wife didn't share the laughter, only giving him a 'I'm not amused' look. He pulled her close, kissing her gently yet firmly on the lips, relaxing as her own arms wrapped around him, pressing on his shoulders and neck. A few seconds later, he pulled away, a childish grin on his face.

 

"You know, that shower was pretty secluded..."

 

Her giggle was all it took for him to know she had caught the sarcasm.

 

"But seriously. I'm looking to our future every day, Arm. We still have a bunch of enemies. Namely the Sith...and the Empire. But hopefully, that won't be a factor soon. I promise, Aidan will be raised in a peaceful environment. I just have to get the Emperor to listen to me first."

[Skye Organa]

Looking away from her patient, Skye answered Ara, "I've been away from it all myself. Amon should be able to update us on what's been happening." She gave her son a warm smile before turning back to her patient.

 

Flitter updated her on Damon's status as I-Nine gave her a glass of her usual energy boosting nutrient drink. Skye drank it down, handing it back to I-Nine before making herself comfortable in the chair beside her patient's bed.

 

With Damon in the hibernation trance, Skye let herself go into her Healing meditational trance, reaching out to let the soothing light energies flow over and surround him. Feeling the location of the source of his infection, Skye let the tendrils of light go to work in healing the disease caused by Nurgle.