When A Loved One Dies: A Star Wars Rebels Story

Loss and Gain

Kanan didn't hear the knock on the med-bay door. He was in the same position he was in last night, except now he was sitting in a chair, holding Hera's hand with both of his. He had closed her eyelids last night, but never pulled the blanket fully over her.

The person knocked again, but this time, they walked right in. Kanan knew that the person was someone in his crew, but he couldn't tear his blind gaze away from Hera. Kanan felt a hand on his shoulder. He finally tore his eyes away from Hera. He looked in the direction of where the person was.

"Kanan," Sabine's voice was filled with sadness. "How... How could this happen?!" She started crying. Kanan stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed into his shirt until he turned away. He focused his eyes once more on Hera, his love, and then pulled the white sheet over her head.

"The doctor needs to see you," Sabine continued then left the room.

Kanan stood next to the bed for a minute more and then turned and walked out of the room. Outside the room, the crew was there with tears on their faces. Some other members of the rebellion were there too. Cham had even come and was now praying in the corner of the waiting room. When everyone saw Kanan, they all stood. But Kanan payed no attention to them. He stood outside the door, his blind eyes focused on the wall in front of him.

"Mr. Jarrus," the doctor said coming over to him. "Please come with me." The doctor took Kanan's hand and guided him out of the waiting room and down the hall. After turning a few corners, they stopped at a door. "In here, you'll meet your baby," The doctor explained to him. At this Kanan looked up from the ground. "Are you ready?" The doctor asked him.

Kanan hesitated, shedding a few tears. After a moment, he nodded and wiped away his tears. At this the doctor guided him into the room, where Kanan could hear a few babies crying, most were sleeping though. Kanan sat down in a chair by the door while the doctor went to get his baby. He waited, listening to the quiet cries of babies.

Soon, the doctor came back with a swaddled, crying baby in his arms.

"The baby is so tiny," the doctor explained. "We didn't think it would make it." He passed the tiny, still crying child to Kanan.

Kanan held the baby close to him. He brought his head to the baby's head and whispered, "It's ok now. Daddy's here. It's ok," The baby fell asleep with its little body held to Kanan's warm chest. Kanan looked back in the direction of the doctor and asked, "Boy or girl?"

"It's a girl! And she's very lucky to be here right now," The doctor said.

Kanan nodded. He had the perfect name for her. "Maarchje," he whispered the uncommon name.

The doctor smiled. "Since you have had a very big loss here, we will not charge you." The doctor said, meaning that Kanan could leave. Kanan looked up and levitated a credit out of his pocket with the force since he didn't want to drop Maarchje. "Keep it," Kanan told the doctor as he walked out of the room holding his bundle in his hands. He went to the Ghost with everyone following him, but he hid Maarchje's face from the people.

He locked himself and Maarchje in his room and gave her a bottle of baby's milk. He and Hera had been prepared for something like this, so they already had enough baby milk for Maarchje.

Kanan sat on his bed rocking his baby in his arms while she slowly drunk the milk. He looked down at his baby, using the force to see her for the first time. She was human, not twi'lek. She had brown-blond hair and cyan-teal eyes like her dad. He smiled at his baby. He had had a terrible loss, but had had a terrific gain as well.

The baby's name is pronounced Mar-jé in this book. It can be pronounced many ways though.

Hope you're enjoying so far! :)