FOR THE LOVE OF FATE

𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆. it begins with mothers.

The heat of the Jedha sun had already begun to bake the streets of the Holy City, and Mirva Kyssera found herself wiping her brow of sweat as she bustled around the kitchen. The home she and her husband shared was small, but it belonged to them. This was more than they could say about anything on their home planet. Mirva and Soren had fled Arkania a few years prior after a slave uprising had given her freedom.

She had never dreamed she'd feel safe or free enough to bear a child, but here she was on this especially hot desert morning with a sizable bump on her abdomen. As she bent over the kitchen sink, she felt a sold kick, and let out a soft oh! as she placed a hand over her stomach. She felt something warm and wet trickle its way down her leg, and at first she thought she had developed premature incontinence. A glance down made her realize what they had prepared for for about eight months now was finally happening.

"Soren, honey!"

She heard her husband groan from the bedroom. He had a much lower tolerance for the sun than she did, but today he would just have to use his blinders.

"It's time! She's here!"

A series of crashes and thuds sounded from the next room before Soren appeared, a mixture of panic and utter elation stretching across his face. He already had his blinders on, and he surged forward to hand another pair to Mirva.

"Here, put these on. I'll call the clinic so they're expecting us."

"Forget the clinic," Mirva rasped, her breathing quickening as contractions began to rock her body. "Get us a blasted driver!"

"Right!"

Soren was panicking now, she could tell. He looked around the main room a few times before his gaze landed on his communicator. He scrambled to pick it up, and ran out of the house to catch a ride.

-

A few hours later, Mirva was settled at the local clinic. Soren was out gathering supplies and getting documents lined up. Mirva knew he had to handle the stress by keeping himself busy. She didn't mind-she knew he'd be back when it mattered. A midwife droid hovered nearby, checking her vitals and coaching her breathing every so often.

"I think I'm going to name her Idris."

"My records tell me the gender of your child has not yet been determined. Would you like me to scan for that now?"

"No! No, it's okay. I can feel it. I know she's going to be my baby girl."

They must have programmed the midwife droids to not be as argumentative as other function droids usually were, because it did not reply. Mirva looked down at her swollen stomach. She rubbed the exposed skin lightly, a soft smile touching her face as she felt a kick as though in response to her touch. Her baby girl. Her testament to their newfound freedom.