Saga - ST The General's Wife (AU): Hux, OC (drama)

Part 20


“Is there more to pack?” Breha asked.

Blue glanced around the small room. “No. I didn’t really have much to begin with.” He bent over the travel bag that sat on his bed and tightened the clasp.

“What about your medications?” she asked.

“I’m set. I have an extra month’s supply in case something happens, and I took three day’s doses out to get me to transfer day.”

Breha was about to say something when she froze for a second and a small grunt escaped her. Blue cast an alarmed glance at Breha. “What’s wrong?” he asked, coming swiftly to stand at her side.

She grimaced slightly. “It’s nothing. I’m fine,” she reassured him. “He’s kicking.” Breha smiled softly and rubbed her belly, then looked up at at Blue.

He looked at her with concern. “Does it hurt?”

Breha shook her head. “It can be uncomfortable sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt.” She paused and tilted her head as she looked at him. “Would you like to feel it?”

“Really?”

Her smile grew wider. “Yes, really.”

“I’ve read about prenatal activity. I’ve never felt it before, though.”

“Well, now’s your opportunity.“ She took his hand and placed it gently on her stomach. “Here. Wait a moment.”

She covered his hand with her own. Then, to his delight, he felt the fluttering just under her skin. “That’s amazing,” he whispered. He moved his hand across her abdomen, trying to find the movement again, then he pulled his hand away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t presume to touch you like that.”

“I don’t mind when you touch me. I’m not afraid of you.” Breha gave a small smile. “Your touch is full of love. Armitage’s touch is always at best a warning, at its worst a punishment. But Armitage didn’t know better. He never knew how to love. In a way, I feel sorry for him.”

Blue scowled and shook his head. “He’s a monster. How can you feel sorry for him?”

“You have to remember how he was raised. Armitage never knew his birth mother. She was a teenager, used by Brendol Hux to produce a child that he couldn’t have with his wife.” Breha frowned, her expression one of disgust. “They called it an affair,” she said, spitting the words. “You and I both know what it really was. And when this poor girl gave birth, Armitage was presented to Maritelle Hux and the teenaged mother conveniently disappeared. Armitage was born to be a prototype child soldier. He was physically and emotionally abused by his father, neglected and unwanted by his mother, constantly reminded that he was illegitimate. How could Armitage ever love anyone?”

She looked down at her pregnancy budge, folding her hands over her belly. “I wish you were this baby’s father,” she said quietly. “What a different life he would have had.”

Blue was silent for a moment. “He has you for a mother. You’ll teach him everything he needs to know. And I’ll do whatever I can for him, too.”

“You shouldn’t make promises like that,” she said sadly. “You’re leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“I won’t be gone forever. I’ll find a way to contact you. I’ll find a way to get back to you.”

“Don’t promise things like that. You don’t know what the future will hold for you, what this war will do to you.” Breha was silent for a moment, then she sat on his bed, beside his travel case. “In fact, I was thinking…”

“Thinking what?” Blue frowned.

“We’ve only known each other for four months. This has been wonderful, but maybe…” She glanced away. “Maybe it’s better if you don’t contact me again.”

Blue was silent for a moment. When he finally spoke, he struggled to keep his voice steady. “I don’t understand. I love you, Breha. What did I do wrong?”

She kept her eyes down. “It’s not you. It’s just that —- I’ve lost my daughter, my father, my mother -- I can’t lose someone else that I love.” Breha shook her head and raised her tearfilled eyes to look at him. “You don’t know Armitage. He’ll hurt you if he finds out you and I were together. He has an entire army at his disposal. He’ll find you and he’ll make you suffer. Right now, he has no idea about you. You’ll be safe if we end this and he never knows it happened. But if he finds out --”

Blue sat beside her on the bed. “Listen to me. I know the risk. I’m not afraid.”

“He’ll torture you. He’ll make you suffer in ways you can’t even imagine. He’ll enjoy watching you die.”

Blue put his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. “Breha. I’m a soldier. I could be killed tomorrow. I’m only here at headquarters because the entire D’Qar medical staff was wiped out during the evacuation. But I knew the risks when I joined the Resistance, and I chose this life.” He raised his hand and cupped her cheek with his palm. “I love you. I knew the risks of being with you when I first fell for you. I have the right to choose what I want in my life, and I want you. I choose this. I would choose you every time.” Blue leaned in and softly kissed her. “I love you, Breha. Nothing Armitage could do to me will ever change that. I’m not afraid to love you. Don’t be afraid, either.”

He embraced her and kissed her again, and she returned the tender kiss. He held her tightly. “I’ll come back for you. I promise. Do you believe me?”

Breha nodded silently. When they drew apart, he gently brushed her hair away from her face and looked into her eyes. “Take my love with you when I leave. It’s yours. Keep it in your heart.”

She managed a smile. “I will. And you, take my love with you, too.”

 

I think this really shows Breha´s kindness that despite all he has done to her she can still have pity for Hux, see him as another victim of the society he lives in. Remember reading the Athermath novels were he briefley appears as a teenager and it really becomes clear how he became the way he is. Makes him, in a sense, more tragic and sympathetic than Kylo, who choose to join the FO(and later another to leave), a choice Hux never got to make.
Great chapter

 

Sweet with the pregnancy bulge It provides a compelling contrast with the serious discussion afterwards.


Of course Breha would be wary of two very real possibilities: losing Blue to the uncertainties of war; losing him if he ever falls into Hux's clutches. She said it right out, she couldn't bear to lose one more person she cares about.

Blue's assurances and promises are lovely!! You know he'll do anything and everything necessary to come back to her.

 

Another great chapter; Breha is ... far kinder than I am AFA Hux (yes, the past can weigh one down, but one can also CHOOSE to be better as an adult ... )

*ahem* Sorry. Anyway, here's hoping Blue and Breha get to reunite safely, and the FO gets its' collective shebse kicked.

 

Two stunning updates, showing us the persons behind the legends that they are for the galaxy. Your Breha really is a great woman. She can even forgive her enemies, show them pity.

And I agree with @devilinthedetails when it is up to losing a parent. And this why I was not around on the boards earlier for I had to help one of my best childhood day friends. Her father died of ALS. My husband & I will visit that dear friend in her garden which she has in an allotment club.

Anyway, what your story clearly shows is that shared sorrow makes stronger, creates new passageways for light.

 

Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate it. Even with all that he's done to her, Breha knows Hux. She understands him like no one else does. Hux is in some ways a sympathetic character; he could have had a much different life if he had been shown some kindness at some point. Instead he was brutalized, and now all he knows is to brutalize others.

Thank you for your comments! Lol, although it was over 20 years ago now, I still remember those days of asking Baby to please stop jumping up and down on my ribs! I bet Breha feels the same way at this point in her pregnancy. Blue is still a medic, and he's fascinated by all things physiological He doesn't get the chance to see much obstetrics work in hs practice, so he inadvertently gets a little carried away.

Breha has lost a lot and she is still recovering from the years of systemic humiliation and abuse at her husband's hands. She's found something precious and wonderful with Blue and she knows how quickly she could lose him, too. She has to be strong for a little while longer.

Thank you for your reply! You're right in that there is always a choice. Breha could have chosen to be angry and bitter after all she's been through, but she chooses love. Hux went through his own trauma, but he chose hate. Ultimately, it's a reflection of who they really are at heart.

Thank you, @AzureAngel2 ! I always appreciate it. Breha is so much like her mother. She has care and compassion for others, even when she's in the worst pain herself.
I hope that things are getting better for you, my friend. I know you've had so much difficulty with health problems and with the loss of your dear ones. I think of you often.

 

Spoiler: Author’s note

The story Black Is the Color takes place at this point.

Part 21.

Breha stood in the open doorway of the office that had once been her mother’s and knocked on the doorframe. “You wanted to see me?” she asked.

Poe looked up from his desk, then switched off his datapad. “Yes. Come in, please.” He gestured. “Take a seat.”

Breha walked slowly into the room. It seemed far more cluttered now. A pile of data pads teetered in a corner of his desk and she could see a projection map behind him. There were no personal items to be seen, but there was a different feeling to it, as if her mother’s presence had faded away to be replaced by Poe’s. She lowered herself carefully into an armchair across from the desk.

Poe sat back and stroked his stubbly chin. “How have you been doing, Breha? I haven’t had the chance to talk with you much.”

She considered her words before answering. “It's been hard without my mother, and now with Blue gone, too…” Her voice trailed off. She took a breath and continued. “But I’m managing. Rose has me busy in mechanics and repairs. There’s a lot to do there.”

“Good, good. She speaks highly of you, you know. And how are you feeling?”

She instinctively raised her hand to her belly. “I’m fine. We’re counting weeks now.” She bit her lip. “Have you heard anything about my daughter? Have you found her yet?”

Poe shook his head and Breha’s hopeful expression faded. “No. That’s not why I called you here.”

Breha tried to hide her disappointment. “Oh. Well, then what can I do for you?”

He pulled one of the datapads out of the pile and switched it on. “You should see this,” he said.

The screen flickered to life and a pale green holo appeared over the projection plate. Breha’s skin turned icy as the image of General Hux appeared. A holonews reporter began to speak about the kidnapping and potential murder of the General’s wife, reported missing last week following a break-in at the General’s mansion. “General Hux is, of course, despondent about the Resistance terrorist action toward his beloved wife and his unborn child, and has ordered a special investigation to determine her whereabouts,” the reporter announced. “However, he remains committed to the cause of the First Order and has valiantly put aside his personal heartache to lead our troops to the annihilation of the Resistance threat.” The message ended, and the image flickered into nothingness.

Breha looked at Poe. “She said that I went missing a week ago. I’ve been gone for months. Either she’s lying, or you’ve known about this report for weeks. Why are you showing me this now?”

“There was no reason to show it to you earlier. The point, though, is the direction he’s headed in regarding your disappearance. He’s using the cover story that it’s a kidnapping. What he isn’t saying is that he knows you were shot in the back and he’s got the recording to prove it.”

Breha frowned for a moment, then shook her head. “Because he’s saving it, isn’t he,” she finished.

“I think so, too. He intends to kill you when he finds you, and use the footage to blame the Resistance. He’s trying to drum up sympathy as the grieving husband and father. When he has your body to display, he’ll turn it into a media spectacle. Your funeral will be a propaganda coup for him.”

Breha was silent while she thought this through. “You said there was no reason to show me earlier. So how does this affect me now?”

Poe smiled slightly. “Hux can’t have a funeral for you if you aren’t dead. You’re going to be hidden so well he can’t possibly find you.”

“What do you mean?”

Poe swiveled in his chair. “You’re going to be transferred to a secure facility, someplace where you can finish your pregnancy in peace and deliver your baby in safety.” He looked at her sympathetically. “You had to see this coming. We can’t run a nursery here. A military base is no place for a newborn and a new mother.”

Breha’s mouth opened, then she shut it. “Right now?” she stammered.

“No, not today. But very soon.”

Breha covered her mouth with her fingers and stared at the desk. One thing she had learned from her years as Hux’s wife was that everything had a price. “What do you want from me in return for this security?”

Poe leaned closer to her across the table. “We need Resistance contacts on outpost worlds. You would be the go-between. In exchange, we’ll give you a new identity and some start-up money. You and your baby would settle into a community where we have a presence. You’ll transfer information from our people there back to us.” Poe leaned back. “You help us. We help you.”

“Can I at least know where I’ll be giving birth?”

Poe smiled sympathetically. “I can’t tell you right now. But we’re taking care of you, Breha. You’ll be safe.”

He stood up, indicating that the meeting was over, and Breha stood up in turn. “It’s for the best, Breha. Your son shouldn’t be born in a war zone.”

“And Marielle? Will you still be looking for her?” Breha asked. She fingered the thin blue ribbon tied around her wrist.

Poe spread his hands. “If we find her, we will do what we can to bring her back to you.” He came around the desk, over to where she was standing, and reached into his pocket. “One more thing. This is for you. It’s from the medical frigate Solace. There’s a personal message on it.”

Breha took the data stick from Poe and turned it over in her hands, then she closed her eyes and clasped the data stick close to her chest. “He’s alive,” she whispered. She quickly touched her fingers of her right hand to her heart, lips, and forehead before raising her open palm upward.

Poe smiled reassuringly. “Yeah. They’ve seen action, but he’s alive.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he walked her to the doorway. “Be ready. Pack your things. Your safety is important, and we’ll take care of you, but it’s time for you to move on.”

 

Oooh, things suddenly turned urgent but Poe has had things in motion and well-planned for Breha's safety and it will also keep her involved with the Resistance. Great that she got a personal message, as well. I know that lifted her spirits.

 

I hope the love of "adopted" family and friends will protect Breha. And bring Marielle back into her arms at one point.

 

Thank you! It makes sense that she can't really stay at the headquarters any more. There's no need for her there. She needs to find a place of her own now.

Thank you for your response! Blue is very, very aware of the idea of consent. He would never touch her unless he knew for sure that is what she wanted him to do, and his professional curiosity about pregnancy carried him away there.
More importantly, as you point out, this is a fatherless child. But Blue loves her, and he will love this child as his own, regardless of who the biological father is. The poem is absolutely stunning - I keep going back to it, it's so beautiful. And it expresses exactly how he will feel about the baby: "There is a glow of an inner warmth from you in me, from me in you. That warmth will transfigure the stranger's child, and you bear it me, begot by me." A father is the man who raises you and loves you, and that's more than genetics alone can give.
And Breha's had a lot of time to think about there husband's lack of caring and why he is the way he is. She understands, but that doesn't mean she excuses it or forgives it. She just knows that Armitage might have had a different life had he not been brought up under such cruelty. In a way, she feels the crossroads for her own son, a fear that he will turn out like Armitage, and she is determined not to allow it to happen.
Breha again says what she said months ago on Arkanis - leave now, before Armitage finds out and he hurts you. She is willing to sacrifice this loving relationship with Blue to save him. She does it out of love for him. But Blue won't allow her to give up on them - he'd rather die loving her than live without her.

Hux has turned this situation into a public relations advantage. His wife didn't leave him; she was kidnapped by terrorists. He wasn't going to kill her anyway; he loves her and worries for her. That's the kind of manipulative son of a Bantha he is. This is a win-win for him. He gets sympathy, and he can blame Breha's death on the Resistance terrorists to plume up his own ambition. Marielle is still out there, and every day she is gone is another day she is indoctrinated further into the militaristic First Order. It's breaking Breha's heart every day.
And yes, finally, some good news! A message from Blue. Breha didn't even ask about him, and she was prepared to hear that he had been lost, but to find that he is alive and has written is such a relief for her. Some good news at last!

Thank you for your kind words! Yes, Breha has friends who are definitely becoming her new family. They give her hope and support to keep going.

 

Part 22.

Breha looked up as the dark-haired security officer’s image appeared on her data pad projector. “Are you all set, Miss?” he asked. “Anything you need before I secure this line?”

She glanced at the baby sleeping in the cot beside the bed and a small smile traced across her lips. “Thank you, Chepas. We’re set.”

The man nodded. “Then goodnight, Miss. Call on my private line if you need anything.” His image disappeared.

Breha switched the comm line off the datapad. She waited until she suspected that Chepas had drawn his attention elsewhere, then she rose from the bed, walked over to the window, and quietly opened it, letting in the soft night breezes. She smiled ruefully. If Chepas knew that she was even near an open window, never mind leaning into it, he would shut that nonsense down immediately.

Not that she could blame him. Chepas came from a long line of ridiculously loyal Naboo security personnel, and he took a blood oath to protect the Naberrie family. His assignment to guard the actual granddaughter of the near-mythical Padmé Amidala was the posting opportunity of a lifetime. He wouldn’t jeopardize it by letting that same granddaughter do something as stupid as stand in an open window, regardless of how nice the evening air was.

The breeze lifted the curtains and they floated like the delicate winged insects that fluttered around the vibrant blooms of aleander and sopinta planted in the garden beneath her window. She closed her eyes and inhaled their night perfume, imagining what it would be like to actually be able to walk outside without the fear of being spotted and identified by a First Order informant. This open window was her own private act of rebellion, a freedom by proxy, and she would take every moment of this that she could possibly get.

Breha thought back to the first few days on Naboo -- the surreptitious entrance to the Naberrie compound, Varykino; the welcoming embraces of Ryoo and Pooja. The sisters had agreed to accept the shipment of their cousin Leia’s possessions, under a false declarations in customs that declared the priceless treasures of the last princess of Alderaan to be nothing but mundane building materials. Within a few days Pooja had to return to Theed, but Ryoo had stayed with Breha at the family estate and was with Breha when she went into labor a week later.

A murmur from the baby brought Breha’s attention back to the present, and she turned away from the window. Evenings were the best for her. Once her son Prestor was finally asleep, she had a moment to herself. During the day the newborn took up almost all her time, and of course she had to give her own body a chance to recover from giving birth just three weeks earlier. But the days were also filled with briefings about her soon-to-be intelligence contacts, meetings with resistance agents who were working to supply her with false identities and documentation, and Chepas’s insistence that she hone her self-defense skills. As much as Ryoo and Pooja loved her and honored their family bond, it was clear that Breha and Prestor could not stay hidden in this caretaker’s cottage deep in the countryside for long. First Order officers walked with impunity throughout the capital city of Naboo, and the Naberries could not risk being discovered harboring a fugitive such as her.

Breha stood beside the infant’s cot and gazed at the sleeping baby. She reached down to stroke the faint wisps of red hair that covered his head, then she touched his hand, and he wrapped his tiny fingers around her index finger. Breha smiled and watched him. He cooed softly in his sleep and tried to bring her finger into his rosy mouth. He was a strong, healthy baby, and she was grateful for that. Strong like his big sister had been when she was a baby. The smile slipped from Breha’s face as she remembered watching Marielle as she slept in her own little cot.

Reluctantly, Breha pulled away. Prestor continued to sleep. Assured that he was fine, she went over to a small table beside her bed and opened a drawer to reveal three data sticks. She sat back on the bed and picked up her data pad again. As she did every night at this time, when all was peaceful and she could deceive herself for a moment that she was fully protected from the war and from Armitage’s wrath, she selected one of the data sticks, inserted it, and waited for the familiar, flickering image to appear on the projector plate.

The lines coalesced as Blue’s image appeared, visible from the mid-chest up, his expression weary and fatigue lines around his eyes. Breha listened to his voice as the words transcribed across the bottom of the screen.

Beloved --

She drew a deep breath, as if drinking in the sound of his voice.

I hope this message finds you well. I hope it finds you. I’ve been sending messages, but I don’t know if you’re still getting them.

I pray every morning to Lannash that she will guard you and send you strength. We’ve been sent to some very difficult places and I have been kept very busy. As it is, I've

Spoiler: REDACTED

This material has been redacted per order 54.2 of Resistance Forces Protocols

so I don’t know when we can be together again.

Sometimes when I’m at the point when I’m exhausted, when I can’t even see straight and I want to give up, I think of you. It makes every battle worth fighting for, if I’m fighting for you. I love you, Breha. I love you with all my heart. Remember the night we were in the medical lounge and we kissed that first time? I felt like my whole life I had been waiting for that moment, that my life started with that kiss.

Blue shifted in his seat and paused for a moment before resuming.

It’s strange to think that it’s been two months already since I last saw you. By this time, you’ve probably even had the baby. I hope all is well with him. Please kiss him for me and tell him that I love him, too.

Oh, Breha, it’s so hard not knowing where you are. When I’m working, if a patient is talking, that’s excellent. They’re lucid and coherent, they’re doing fine. If a patient is moaning or screaming, even then at least I know they’re breathing. But when a patient is quiet...I just don’t know. Are they asleep? Unconscious? Not able to speak? Or is the patient gone? I wish I knew what you were thinking. Are you not able to speak? Or are you gone?

If you have moved on, I understand. I won’t stop you. But I pray that you still feel the way you said you did that night when we went to your quarters and I gave you my love. That night you said you loved me, too.

I love you, Breha. I will find you. By the grace of the Elementals, we’ll be together again for good.

The image flickered and disappeared. Breha stared at the empty projector in her hand for a moment. Where his voice had been only a moment before, there was nothing but the soft breathing of the baby, the rustling of the trees outside, and the occasional call of a night bird. She sighed and rose from the bed again to place the data pad on the side table. She opened the drawer and returned the data stick to its previous location, neatly aligned with the other two. Then Breha walked to the window, shut it firmly, and locked it in place.

 

Diva - apologies I've not kept up like I should've; things have been busy IRL ...

How fitting, indeed, that Breha go to not only Naboo, but name her son Prestor.

It figures that Hux would be a scheming murglak - - but it seems, for now, that the Resistance has things well in hand. Of course, these things can change, but it's good to see Breha taking time to rest while she can.

 

What a tranquil, wonderful place they've found in the warm protection of Ryoo and Pooja; it is a shame they cannot stay there. Prestor sounds a darling but he is incredibly vulnerable, as is Breha. Blue's message is heart-tugging! His uncertainty as to her literal whereabouts and as to her feelings being the same -- I wish there was some way she could reassure him.

 

That time on Naboo will do her and the baby good after all that heartbreak and sorrow.

 

Thank you for reading and responding - no need to apologize! I'm just happy you are still enjoying this.
Naboo seemed a fitting place for Breha, for sure. First of all, she has actual family there and a history there. Secondly, it's such a peaceful place that it seemed the best location for her to have her baby. She deserves a break! And as for the name, she has a special reason for naming her son that, and it will be clearer in a chapter or two. It's a nice tribute to her Alderaanian grandfather.
Hux is a scheming murglak for sure. He will do whatever it takes to avoid embarrassment, such as having his wife run away from him, and if he can twist it to make the Resistance look worse, then he's all in.
Thanks for the comments!

Thank you, as always, for the kind reply!
Ryoo and Pooja are Breha's only relatives, so it seems a good idea for her to be under their protection while she (and the baby!) is at her most vulnerable. Besides, Variykino is such a gorgeous estate. It will do her a world of good to have such serenity around her.
Blue's off at war; he doesn't know where she is or what she is doing, and it's about killing him. Naturally he wonders if he will ever see her again. The frustration is difficult for both of them, but love will see them through.

Absolutely! Breha will finally get a chance to let someone else take over for a change. She needs time to recover and to bond with her baby.
Thank you for your reply!

Thank you! I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Naboo has a special place for Breha since she spent a lot of time there as a child. I imagine that Leia would have valued the connection between her family and her cousins, Ryoo and Pooja. (Also, Varykino figures significantly in my original Blue/Bree story and I wanted to parallel that...)
That aside, it's a perfect place for Breha and her baby to finally find some peace and quiet, to let someone else take over for a while. I figure that Breha is like a little niece to Ryoo and Pooja, and they would want to take care of her. She would be roughly the same age as their own children.

Thank you! I appreciate it!
As I mentioned above, Ryoo and Pooja probably see her as a beloved niece, since she'd be about their own children's age. They are family, after all, and they know how to care for her and the baby. But you're right, this can't last forever. She has to use this time to prepare for her next step, and part of that preparation is making sure she can defend herself. She is definitely a target for the First Order.

His name is significant; it's her grandfather's name - her mother's father. It's a way to honor both Breha's Alderaanian heritage, as you say, but also a nod to her mother and Leia's family. It's keeping the light alive. And true, although Breha loves him to pieces, Prestor (through no fault of his own, bless him) is also a daily reminder of his father - and what he would do to her if he ever caught her -- and of what she had to leave behind to bring this baby into the world so that he would have a chance at an independent life, free from Hux's machinations. It's very bittersweet.

Breha misses him so much. He's the first man who truly loved her in the way that a partner should love. She's dying inside a little every time she replays his message, hearing the uncertainty in his voice. She loves him and is hopeful, although right now there doesn't seem much chance that their paths could cross anytime soon.

Thank you to everyone who stopped in to read!

 

Part 23.

Jacen Syndulla’s ship, the Phantom, was a typical Class-C medium freighter.

On the outside, Breha mused.

Now that she and Prestor were onboard, though, it was easy for her experienced eyes to see where Jacen had made a number of adjustments and improvements. For one thing, it had a state-of-the-art gunnery section, from the glimpse she had seen. The cockpit was far more elaborate than a simple freighter needed. Breha suspected there were “improvements” in the hyperdrive system, too.

She balanced the baby on her hip as Jacen showed her around. Right past the galley, he gestured to a hatch.

“This is the stateroom,” he said as the door opened. “I had Dorsay put your things in here. This is usually where I sleep, but seeing as you’ve got the little one…” His voice trailed off as he glanced around. He smiled sympathetically. “I’ve got one of my own. I know how much equipment a tiny person needs. I can reactivate the nanny protocol on the security system if you want someone to watch him while he’s napping.”

“Thank you,” she said as she walked into the room and looked about. It was clean and organized. Dorsay had put her luggage in one corner of the room, and on the same side, Prestor’s trunk of clothes, his repulsor lift stroller, a playpen, a pack of diapers, and his food supplies were arranged in a neat pile. The bed was bigger than the usual one-person bunk, and Breha surmised that this was where Jacen and his wife, Berratha, must stay when they travelled. A memory rose in Breha’s mind of happier times in her own childhood, a memory of a similar stateroom on the Millenium Falcon, when her parents still lived together, when they were still a family.

Her eyes fell on a doll slumped on a chair in the corner. Jacen followed her gaze. “Yeah. That’s Sika’s.” He walked over and picked up the doll, a soft toy in the form of a pale green Twi’lek. He smiled and handed it to Prestor. “Here you go, little guy. Sika’s too old for this now.”

Prestor reached out and took the doll, then promptly began chewing on one of the doll’s lekku. Breha shrugged apologetically. “He’s teething. Everything goes in his mouth.”

Jacen laughed. “Hey. I get it. Anyway,” he said, letting out a breath, “Why don’t you get settled and meet me in an hour after take off. I’ll brief you on your responsibilities.”

”How long will we be travelling?” she asked.

“We just picked up some cargo. We’ll need to drop that off first, then we’re heading straight to your assignment. It should take about four days, assuming no complications.”

Breha nodded. Four days. she thought, looking at her son. Four days, and then the rest of my life begins.

***

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Breha said breathlessly as she strode into the common area. “Prestor wouldn’t go down for his nap.” She sat down in the open space on the bench.

“It’s okay. We haven’t started,” Jacen said. He gestured to the other three people sitting around the dejarik table. “This is Pim. She’s our navigator, and the pilot when I’m not available.” A petite human with dark hair nodded at Breha, and she nodded in return. “You already know Dorsay,” Jacen continued, gesturing to the large human man who sat across from her. “They’re with our operation. We have Hallah Kashall, from the Resistance, with us too.” A dour-looking Duros female nodded in greeting. “Hallah’s our comms person.”

“I’m Breha Solo,” Breha said to the group.

Jacen turned to them. “Our mission is to first deliver the coaxium inhibiters to our contact on Rishi. From there we pick up some supplies and deliver them, and Breha, to our endpoint: Belderone.”

Breha frowned and searched her memory. Belderone. Belderone? If she remembered correctly, it was about as far away from the core worlds as a person could get. Moderately inhabited. She vaguely remembered something about it being used in the Clone Wars for ship assembly or something like that.

She turned back to the group. Jacen was finishing his briefing. “...take first watch,” he was saying. “Pim, you rest up for the second watch. Dorsay, don’t blow anything up until we ask you to. Hallah, set up the decoy comms we might need if we get any unwanted attention. Dismissed.” The group rose, and Breha stood up with them.

Dorsay hesitated. He looked at Breha, a chastened expression on his bearded face. “Breha, I wanted to say…” He paused before stiffening his back and starting again. “I wanted to say I was sorry for what happened on Arkanis.”

Breha raised an eyebrow. “You mean the whole shooting me in the back thing?”

“Yeah.” Dorsay glanced at the table surface, then looked up at her. “I wasn’t thinking of you. I was thinking of the quickest way to end that mission. I shoulda known better.” His voice softened. “I hope I didn’t hurt you or the kid. I’m really sorry.”

Breha relented. “You didn’t do any permanent damage. We came out of it fine.” She smiled a small smile. “I appreciate your apology, and I accept it. I’m willing to go forward from here if you are.”

“Good. If you need anything, you can count on me. I owe you, Breha.” Dorsay nodded at Breha, then at Jacen. “Well, I’ll be in the weapons room. Looking at all the stuff I can’t blow up.”

Jacen raised his finger and pointed at Dorsay. “Yet,” Jacen called after him as Dorsay left the room.

Breha had turned to follow Dorsay out when Jacen gently touched her arm. “Breha, let’s talk.”

She paused, then sat back down. As soon as the door slid shut behind Dorsay, Jacen sat back at the table across from her. He pulled out a small black leather case from under the table.

“Here are your identification docs,” he said, sliding the case in front of her.

Breha opened the package and spread the materials on the table in front of her. She lifted one up and read it. “Aubré Solara,” she read aloud. She raised her eyebrows. “Dad always said the best way to remember a lie is to make it close to the truth. Breha Solo, Aubré Solara - close enough for me to remember under stress.”

“Exactly.” Jacen pointed to another identification doc. “There’s one for Prestor Solara, too. Father is listed as ‘unknown.’ I’ll let you come up with the story for that.” He leaned back. “You’re from Naboo now. You’ve spent enough time there that you can cover your Coruscanti accent with a Naboo one, right?”

“I can do that.”

“What languages other than Basic can you speak?”

Breha frowned slightly and began to count them off on her fingers. “I can speak Huttese -- Dad did a lot of work with the Hutts. There’s Shyriiwook, of course. I can’t speak it but I understand it, and I can read it a little. I know some Sy Bisti. For ceremonial reasons, Mom made me learn Old Alderaanian and classic Naboo, although neither is particularly practical. I’ve picked up a little bit of traditional Barolian. I can get by in Mando’a.” She looked up at Jacen.

He nodded approvingly. “Good. You’re going to need to put your language to use; you’re going to be assigned to a spaceport and I want you to be able to blend in. Rose Tico says you’re a good mechanic, so that’s your job there. We’ve got you a position with a mechanic’s shop and we’ve also provided you and Prestor with a place to live. You’ll have some start-up money; don’t spend it if you don’t need to.”

Jacen reached over and picked up a data card. “This is important. This card contains an emergency extraction beacon. If you put this in your computer, it tells your contact to come get you now. It’s your emergency escape. Never lose this.”

Breha nodded solemnly and took it from his hand.

“Tomorrow we stop at Rishi, then from there we head to Belderone. You’ll get your assignment before you leave.” Jacen’s stunted lek twitched slightly as he spoke. “Any questions?”

Breha carefully placed all the items back in the case from which Jacen had taken them. She closed the lid and traced her fingers across the top. “Just one,” she said quietly. She looked up at Jacen’s quizzical expression.

She took a deep breath. “Has anyone heard from my daughter?”

Jacen’s lips drew into a grim line. “Poe thought you might ask. He said to tell you that unfortunately, there’s been no progress.”

Breha signed and stared back at the case. “I understand,” she whispered. She took a deep breath, then looked up at Jacen. ”Thank you for this,” she said. “I’ll do my best.”

***

Hours later, the ship had turned the lights down to night level. Breha lay on the bed and watched the baby sleeping beside her. She leaned over and kissed the feathery hair on his head, smiling gently at the sweet baby scent of him. She ran her fingers along the soft skin of his arm and sighed.

He was so little, so vulnerable. Here she was, dragging this helpless baby from Naboo, where he had spent the first three months of his life, all the way across the galaxy.

Prestor murmured in his sleep, and a powerful surge of protective love raced through her like an electric current. Breha wrapped her arm around him, nestling his little body close to her own. Whatever it takes to protect him, she thought. If I have to travel a thousand light years to keep him safe, that’s what I’ll do.

 

A very nicely laid out plan for Breha's new identity, using her skills as a mechanic, giving her a name that's close to her own (thus easy to remember) and an emergency extraction contact. Wow, the continued silence about Mireille is worrying, because I know all the available resources have been used to find her. Once Breha settles, will she be able to tell Blue?

 

Thank you for your comment! They've given Breha what she needs to start a new life, and she has her own resources to draw from being the daughter of both a diplomat and a smuggler. She should be fine.
The lack of any progress in locating Marielle is disturbing, for sure. Hux knows that's what Breha wants more than anything so he keeps their daughter from Breha out of sheer spite. He doesn't make it easy. And not having Blue around to comfort her makes it even harder for Breha. So much loss and responsibility has been heaped on her shoulders.


*****

Part 24.


Breha glared at the comm system that blinked insistently. When at last the baby fell asleep after an evening of seemingly inconsolable crying, Breha had finally gotten ready to go to bed herself, only to be interrupted by the ping of the comm system indicating an incoming message from the cockpit.

“This better be good,” she muttered. Breha placed the earpiece in her ear, switched the comm on, and Jacen’s face appeared.

“Are you up?” he asked.

“I am now,” she responded dryly. Breha glanced at Prestor, then sighed in relief that the sound of the comm signal hadn’t awakened him and restarted his fitful howls. And now I know why you gave me your own cabin: for the soundproofing, she thought.

“Good,” Jacen said. “We’re coming into orbit at Rishi. There’s been a slight change of plans, though, and I wanted you to be aware of it. We’re dropping off the power supplies and picking up the medical supplies as scheduled, but we’re also picking up another passenger.”

“Oh?” Breha frowned and pushed her dark hair off her face. “Is this something that has to do with me?”

Jacen nodded. “He’s going to be working with you, per General Dameron. Poe says you’ll need a support teammate. I thought you might want to be there when he comes in to meet him.”

She sighed quietly. So much for getting any sleep. “Okay, I’ll be right there. Give me a minute to get dressed.”

The comm switched off. Breha went over to the portable crib and checked on the baby, tucking the blanket around him. Prestor’s little chest rose and fell with his breathing, and he pulled the Twi’lek doll closer and began to gnaw on it in his sleep. Breha adjusted the recorder so that the nanny program would relay his image to her own datapad.

She took off her sleep clothes and shrugged her shirt and pants back on. So Poe thinks I need a teammate. Great, she thought. Just what I need. Another person to look out for, as if taking care of a baby isn’t enough. They had already secured her with a job as a mechanic near a First Order shipyard, so she didn’t need any help with that. And did this so-called teammate mean she was going to have to accommodate another person in her home? It was going to be crowded enough with all the baby’s things. Breha let out an exasperated huff.

Irritated, she went into the fresher to see if she could somehow cobble together a presentable appearance. A quick glance in the mirror proved her suspicions to be true: she looked exhausted and there was, in fact, a mystery stain on the shirt. She twisted her hair into a makeshift knot on top of her head and secured it with a band, ignoring the strands that slipped out and hung limply against her neck. She paused for a moment, shrugged, then decided to go to the ship’s main lounge looking like this anyway. If this person is supposed to be my teammate, then there’s no sense in giving them false hope that I look like anything more glamorous than an exhausted mom.

By the time she had poured herself a caf from the galley and settled into the lounge’s cushioned bench seat, the ship had landed and the coaxium inhibitors had been taken out of the cargo bay by Pim and Hallah. Dorsay had gone with Jacen to provide security, leaving Breha alone in the room with only the chattering of Jacen’s droid for company. She leaned back in her seat, checked the baby monitor on her datapad again, and, reassured that Prestor was still sleeping peacefully, she slowly sipped her beverage. With any luck, the sharp scent of the caf alone ought to keep her awake long enough to meet this so-called teammate of hers.

Finally, she heard the sound of the cargo bays closing. Footsteps clanged on the metal grates that led to the main part of the ship. She turned her head as she heard Jacen’s voice emerging from the background clicks and hums of the ship. “...hadn’t planned for this,” he was saying. “I don’t even have a spare cabin for you. You might have to bunk down in the cargo bay.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry, I’ll be ok,” a man’s voice replied. Breha froze. She knew that voice, the cadence, the soft lisp of the accent. She had heard it in her dreams every night since she had left Rothana, the laughing sound of his conversation over shared dinners in the mess hall, the sultry whispers in the most private of moments. Suddenly awake, she put her hot mug carefully on the table and stood up. Her heart pounded and her breath quickened.

The two men entered the lounge. Jacen looked at her and gestured. “Hey, you remember Breha, right?” he asked.

Blue stopped short, staring at her. She stared back. “Breha,” he whispered hoarsely.

Jacen glanced from one person to the other. His bright green eyes widened. “Wow. The emotional energy of this room just exploded. ” He nodded knowingly. “Blue, I think I just solved the problem of where to bunk you. I’ll just see myself out, then.”

Breha barely noticed Jacen leaving, slipping behind Blue and shutting the door. Slowly, she made her way over to where Blue was standing.

He reached out for her and raised both hands to cup her face. “Breha,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” she answered, her voice quavering. She felt unbidden tears forming in her eyes, and he wiped them with his thumbs. He leaned down and pulled her close, gently pressing his lips to hers, and she returned the kiss, first delicately, then with increasing intensity as all of the denied passion of the last four months was finally resolved between them.

When they at last broke away from each other, Blue held her at arms’ length and stared intently at her. “How are you? How have you been doing?” he asked. “How is the baby?”

She smiled. “I’m managing. And the baby’s sleeping.” She took his hand. “Do you want to see him?”

She led him through the galley and into her nearby cabin. They held hands as they approached the little crib. Breha slid her arm around Blue’s waist as he peered down at the sleeping child.

“He looks like you,” Blue commented. He looked at her. “What’s his name?”

Breha lay her head on Blue’s shoulder and gazed at her son. “Prestor Han Solo. Prestor was my grandfather’s ascension name, when he took the role of Viceroy of Alderaan. And, of course, Han was my dad’s name.”

“It’s a good name,” Blue agreed, nodding.

“It’s an Alderaanian custom to name a child after someone who had an important impact on your life. I was named for my grandmothers. My brother was named for Ben Kenobi, because he was the man who brought my parents together in the first place.”

She pulled away from Blue and led him to sit beside her on the bed. “I named him Prestor not just to honor my mother’s homeworld. There’s another reason.” She took his hand in hers and caressed it as she spoke. “Bail Organa adopted my mother when she was a baby. She was in danger. If her biological father had found her, he would have taken her and it would have been a disaster. So Bail took her instead. He loved her as if she had been his own blood, a child born of his own flesh. It never mattered that Bail wasn’t my mom’s biological father to him; she was always his daughter and he loved her that way.”

Breha looked at Blue hopefully. “I named Prestor for Bail Prestor Organa because I hoped someday another man might do the same for him. To be honest, I hoped it would be you. I hoped you might someday find it in you to love him the way Bail loved my mother. Not as a child of your blood, but a child of your heart.”

Blue’s expression was one of tenderness, and a small smile played upon his lips as he squeezed her hand. “I’m honored that you felt I deserved this. I will love him as my own. I promise.”

Breha let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “Thank you. It means so much to me that you’re here, that I can share this with you.”

“When General Dameron pulled me out of rotation from the Solace, at first I was terrified that he was going to tell me something had happened to you,” Blue said quietly. “But now that I see that I was being reassigned to be your teammate, I know that the Elementals heard my prayers. I understand now. They brought us together so that I can protect you and Prestor. You two are my family now.”

He pulled her close to him. Breha placed her hands on his shoulders and locked her dark brown eyes with his purple ones. Slowly, deliberately, she pulled his jacket off of him, letting it fall to the floor, then she reached up and undid the band that held his hair in place. Blue’s breath quickened. He kissed her again, small kisses across her face and down her arched neck. His hands reached for the hem of her own shirt. Breha wrapped her arms around him tightly and sighed, surrendering to the passion that they had too long been denied.


****

They were awakened a few brief hours later as Prestor began to fuss and whimper. Breha sat up and rubbed her eyes. Blue looked over at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“He’s hungry. It’s time for his feeding,” she answered, yawning. She stretched and moved to get out of the bed.

Blue placed his hand on her arm. “You get comfortable. I’ll get him.” He sat up and pulled his shirt on, swung his legs out of bed, then walked over to the crib. Carefully, he picked the crying baby up and held him to his chest. Breha watched as he cradled the child in his arms, and a sudden overwhelming sense of love enveloped her.

Blue gently placed the baby in her arms and she positioned herself to nurse him. “Can I get you anything?” he asked.

She pointed to the shelf. “Those cloths, please. No, not those-- those are his sleep clothes. The other pile. Yes.”

Blue brought her the cloths, then sat beside her on the bed and watched her contentedly. “I’m sorry he woke you up,” she said, glancing apologetically at him.

He laughed. “I wasn’t sleeping. This is the middle of the afternoon for me. But you, you were out cold.” Blue lifted a stray strand of her hair off of her face and pushed it back. He left his hand on her shoulder, stroking her bare skin with his fingertips.

“Breha,” he began. “I missed you so badly. I never want to be away from you again. Ever.”

“I feel the same,” she admitted.

“What would you think…” He trailed off, as if looking for words. “Now that we’re back together, I want us to be together always. I want to know that you’re mine, and you know that I’m yours, and we never have to worry about each other.”

She looked up from the baby to face him. “What are you saying?”

“Breha, I want to marry you. I want us to always have that bond with each other. I know we’ve only been together for less than a year, but I have never been surer about anything than I am about my feelings for you. I can never love anyone else but you. You’re my lifemate.”

She was silent for a moment. Blue glanced downward. “I shouldn’t have said anything,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting that.” She shifted position. “How would we even do that? We can’t just set out a legal document in the republic. We’d have to do it like my divorce, as an official document only valid in the ranks of the Resistance. And who would marry us? We can’t just go to a local magistrate and have it done, and we’re nowhere near a Resistance base.”

“Hear me out,” Blue said, raising a hand. “I’ve heard that in ancient times, ship captains performed marriages.”

Breha raised her eyebrows and chuckled. “Jacen?”

“He’s working under the orders of the Resistance, and he’s the highest ranking person on this ship. He can marry us under that authority.”

Prestor gurgled and Breha lifted him up. She placed the baby on her shoulder and gently patted his back until he burped.

“Here, I’ll take him back.” Blue took the baby from her arms and held him securely against his shoulder, rubbing the baby’s back soothingly. “You get some sleep,” Blue said. “Think about it. I know this is a lot to process. Don’t give me an answer now. We can talk about it more in the morning.”

***

Breha sat beside Blue and watched him as he slept. The ship had reverted to daylight running and she had already been awake for two hours while he caught up on the sleep deprivation caused by the shift in time zones. She ran her fingers through his long blue hair and across his bare shoulders. “Wake up,” she said softly.

He didn’t budge. She smiled again, and this time she shook his shoulder. “Wake up, Blue,” she said more loudly. Finally he grumbled, then slowly opened his eyelids and he smiled at her.

“Time to get up, my love,” she said, breaking into a wide smile. “It’s your wedding day.”

 

I was totally amused by Breha's irritation about her new teammate. Then their reunion was as sweet and delicious as I always knew it would be. The depth and genuineness of their love is a tender lovely thing.

 

Loved the past two updates. Her Naboo break could not last forever. Being her parents´ daughter she is of course there where the action is (like Han) AND hidden in the open (like Leia). Plus she is on the famous "Ghost" together with no other than Jacen. Hey! A thumps up for that.

And now she is about to marry Blue...

But see being a kindergarten teacher working at the creché for 2, 5 years non-stop now, I developed a certain "Force" sense due to experiences with the kids, the parents and colleagues. A gift to feel trouble ahead.

HuggXXX is not idle and still fanatic about Breha, right?!?

 

Still waiting for my favorite Evil Space Ginger to make an appearance XD

 

Thank you! Some strings were pulled to get them back together, but they are better together than they are apart. Their love is very strong.

Thank you for your reply! Jacen is back from the very beginning of the story, and he has become a good friend and ally to Breha. It was not possible to stay on Naboo for long; she has to make her own way.
And as for trouble ahead, well, Hux does not give up easily. He feels he's had his son stolen from him and he will not stop until he gets what he wants.

Thank you for your comment! As I mentioned to @AzureAngel2 , Hux is still looking for her. He wants his son, and he wants to punish her for betraying him. That's still a huge danger for Breha and a heavy weight on her mind.

******
Part 25.

Breha sat down on the small couch in their home’s main room with and placed a package on her lap. Blue, who had been working at the nearby dining table, looked up from his data pad. “What’s that?” he asked. Prestor, sitting on Blue’s lap, also turned and glanced up at his mother.

She began unwrapping the package. “Some new clothes for Prestor. He’s growing so fast. I went to the marketplace today and traded some of his old outgrown ones for these.” She looked knowingly at Blue. “The trader gave me a good price because the old clothes were immaculately clean. But then, they had better be considering I literally washed any trace of his DNA out of them.”

She lifted up the new outfits for Blue to approve. “Those are nice,” he commented. “They’ll keep him cool as we head into the warmer weather.”

“You know, Blue, you can let him play in his area,” she teased. “You don’t have to hold him all the time.”

Blue laughed and kissed Prestor’s head. “I know. I just feel better having him right here. Besides, he’s helping me figure out when the next shipment of wide spectrum vaccines are coming in. I need to take a couple for Prestor so I can keep him up to date without having to officially report it.”

“Is that the shipment that Fulcrum told you to locate?” she asked.

“Yes. I guess there’s some fears of a potential bio attack. Fulcrum wants to be sure that our people are prepared. I’m rounding up a stockpile of them, in batches of two hundred each. All Fulcrum wants is for me to transmit the vessel numbers to him, and he’ll arrange the pickup.”

She finished folding the baby clothes and placed the neat pile on the arm of the couch. “Do you want me to send him a progress report? I just messaged him today, but I’m contacting him again later this week. I should be getting a report from the factory about the upgrades to the TIE fighters they’re working on. I can put your progress report in the same submission.”

Blue shook his head. “No, don’t bother. It’s probably safer if we keep our reports separate in case one of them ever gets intercepted.” He paused. “Did Fulcrum say anything about Marielle?”

Breha shook her head sadly. “No. Everytime I ask, he sends back a message that there’s no progress on that end.”

Blue looked at her with sympathy. “I’m sure they’re doing everything they can.”

Prestor began to squirm. Blue stood up and brought the baby to his play area, where Prestor sat up and pulled some stacking cups toward him. He began to babble to himself and play with the colorful cups. Breha’s expression softened as she gazed at her son, but her eyes were lined with worry and fatigue.

Blue studied her for a moment. “There’s something else. What’s wrong?” he asked.

Breha shook her head, then smiled tightly at him. “It’s nothing. Everything is wonderful. I have you, the baby, this house...It’s just me overthinking things.”

“Well, it’s something. I can tell when you’re distracted. Did I do something?”

“No. Nothing like that,” she said quietly.

Blue moved to sit beside her on the small couch. “Tell me. Let me help you.”

Breha sighed. “I was thinking about my parents.”

“Oh.” Blue nodded. “I understand. You must miss them very much. They passed away so close to each other. It was a difficult double loss for you.”

“Yes, but that wasn’t what I was thinking of.” She idly twisted the faded blue ribbon that she wore on her wrist. “They loved each other very much, you know. And yet, their marriage couldn’t take the stress. They never divorced but still, they separated. I guess I’m afraid that our love won’t be enough. If my parents’ marriage couldn’t last under all that pressure, then why would ours?”

Blue was quiet for a moment as he considered her words. Then he reached over and took her right wrist and turned it over, with her forearm facing up. He traced his fingertips over her marriage tattoo.

“Look at this,” he said softly. “Remember the image we chose? The five interlinked moons of Baroli, and the crest of the royal family of Alderaan at each end. In the center of Prima, our first moon, is the star symbol of Corellia. One design made of the three elements. That means that you and I are linked together; we’re integrated into something new.” He traced his finger along the outside of the tattoo as he spoke. “And the cartouche that encloses it…”

She spoke. “A vine. Representing that we will grow together.”

Blue took her hand and clasped it. “Yes. We will grow together. We didn’t know each other long. But that doesn’t make our love any less.”

He sighed. “Breha, your parents were wonderful people. I never had the honor to know your father, but your mother was an amazing woman. And so are you. But their marriage is not our marriage. You told me that they fell in love in the middle of a war.”

“You’re right,” she admitted. “Mom told me their first kiss was literally during a bombardment and base evac.”

“They knew that their lives could end at any moment,” he continued, nodding. “They saw happiness and they grabbed it. Because they knew that tomorrow, they could lose everything. But they really didn’t have much in common except their love and their desire to help others.”

Blue looked down at the tattoo again. “You and I have so much in common. You think maybe we rushed into this marriage. Maybe we should have waited longer. But we didn’t need to wait to know this was right. I know you and you know me. We’ve both had to deal with trauma. We’ve both been told over and over that we’re not worth anything, and we’ve both overcome being crippled by doubt and fear. We know each other’s deepest secrets and we know how to help each other find strength. We grow together, like that ivy vine. We protect each other.”

“La’ah Kanata se te parinai, Breha,” he said, the old Barolian words like music. “My love lives in your heart.” He looked over at Prestor, who had pulled himself up to a clumsy standing position and was amusing himself by bouncing up and down. “We’re a family. We have each other.”

“I love you too,” she said, taking his hand. “Oh, Blue, this is all so fragile. If one piece comes loose, it all comes apart. Suppose a bounty hunter finds us. Suppose someone gets suspicious and turns us in to the First Order. Suppose someone gets ahold of Prestor’s medical data and thinks they’re doing us a favor and submits it, for enrolling in school or in public heath lists?” She sighed. “It’s so hard not to worry all the time. I worry about your health. Prestor’s safety. Someone discovering that we’re sending intelligence to the Resistance.” Her expression darkened. “I worry about what will happen when Armitage finds us.”

Blue squeezed her hand in return. “Don’t worry about what might happen. We honor the past. We prepare as best as we can for the future. But we live today, Breha. Today, we have each other. We have Prestor. There’s food on the table, there’s a warm bed to sleep in, and there’s a safe home to relax in. The blessed goddess Lannash doesn’t promise us that nothing bad will ever happen. Instead, she gives us courage to face what may come. She gives us resilience to deal with the damage. Have faith, my beloved wife. Whatever happens, we face it together.”

Breha took a deep breath and smiled gently at Blue, then pulled him close for an embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He laughed gently. “You’re welcome.” He pulled away from her a bit to look at her face. “Better?” he asked, raising his hand to stroke her cheek.

She nodded. Blue leaned in and kissed her softly. “La’ah Kanata se te parinai, Breha,” he repeated.