Holiday Tales

A Mother's Love

When she lost Kanan, Hera thought that she would never love anyone again. But then she discovered that he left her something; his child growing inside her. When she discovered that she was expecting Kana's child, she decided to keep the baby. She didn't know if Kanan knew about their child when he died but she was determined to have his baby. She was also determined that her baby wouldn't grow up under the tyranny of the Empire (especially if he or she was destined to be a Jedi like his or her father). But, at Sabine and Zeb's insistence, she withdrew from the fighting temporarily when she had three months left until she gave birth.

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Hera moved her hands over her stomach as tiny feet kicked from within. Her baby was moving and she could not only feel it against her stomach but also her hands.

"Hera," Sabine said entering the cabin.

Hera smiled.

"Do you want to feel something?" she asked.

She placed Sabine's hand on her stomach as the baby kicked again. Hera couldn't help but think how proud Kanan would be if he were here. She knew that he had loved Sabine and Ezra as if they were his own daughter and son. Of course, she didn't know much about his past. He hadn't talked much about growing up as a Jedi and she had no clue what had happened to him between the end of the Clone Wars and when they met on Gorse.

Her own childhood was somewhat difficult as well. It wasn't that surprising since Ryloth had been in turmoil since long before she was born. Some of her earliest memories were of her father fighting for Ryloth's freedom. He had always told her that everything he did was for her; so she could grow up in a world free to be whatever she wanted. At the time, she hadn't understood. But now she did. She was determined to make sure that her baby had the best possible life she could give it. But, to do that, the Empire had to be stopped. Only then would her baby be able to grow up safely.

Sabine smiled at the feeling under her hand

"He's going to be a fighter like his mom and dad," she said.

"It's too bad Kanan won't to be here to see him," Hera said.

The baby kicked again as if to tell his mother he was there. Hera smiled and rubbed her hands over her belly. Kanan may be gone but a part of him would live on in the child he left behind.

"Still no word from Ezra," Sabine said looking sad.

Hera knew that look. It was the same one she got when she thought of Kanan. Sabine was heartbroken at the loss of Ezra. But they couldn't go looking for him. While Hera would never see Kanan again, there was a chance that Sabine might see Ezra. But they couldn't even begin to look for him until the Empire was gone.

"We will find him," Hera told Sabine placing her hands on the younger woman's shoulders. "But he would want us to finish what we started first."

"You're right," Sabine said. "He did this to separate Thrawn from the Empire. He'd never forgive us if we gave Thrawn a chance to re-join the Empire."

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Hera was awoken in the middle of the night to her baby kicking her.

"I guess I should get used to you waking me up at night," she said.

The baby kicked again as if making a point. Hera smiled and reached for a data pad. If her baby wasn't going to let her sleep, she might as well get some work done.

"Hera," Zeb said from the doorway of her room a few hours later, "you should be resting."

"You try sleeping with someone kicking you from inside your stomach," Hera said.