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As a fertility expert and medic, you were expected to keep up with your Padawan training but had instead chosen to go into service of the Republic using your hard-earned field of study. Not many women from your planet on the Outer Rim succeeded in going from there to the Core Worlds to study. It had been especially difficult to get into the field of medicine. Add to that your secondary study of languages you were proficient, if not fluent, in at least twenty languages which served you well, and conversational in another forty or so. Due to the long life spans of your people, it was possible to bury certain aspects of your past. You’d had a falling out with your former master and were never registered with the Jedi council, so you split on not-so-great terms, and he took on a new Padawan when you decided on your course of study.
Your fundamental difference was that you believed in family and the Jedi were anything but pro-family. On the contrary, they eschewed all attachments. Family was the core of your very being and you were very close with your mother, father, and brothers. Add in the fact that you wanted a big family of your own and there was the split in your training that proved detrimental to continuing as a Padawan.
Still, you kept up your force abilities despite being told it would be best to let them die on the vine, as it were. You weren’t sure why, but you kept that part of you secret. It was something you vowed to have just for yourself. It was as if you nurtured that particular jewel with a rabid interest that was coveted for yourself and yourself alone. It was odd, considering there were probably many that would teach you off the books, but instinct was strong in your race, so you kept this close to the vest.
Your assignment on Kamino came as a surprise. You were tasked with helping to mutate specific clones, enhancing those mutations into desirable traits. You worked with a Kaminoan woman named Lama Su. She was arrogant but professional and admittedly impressed with your work in genetics. Kaminoans were relatively long-lived, if not as much as your own human-like species, of several hundred years. You, yourself were a hundred and eighty years old, well in your prime.
The urge to procreate hit you about one-hundred and eighty-five years of age. It did strike some of your species at different times and was an evolutionary response to the longevity of your species, sometimes forgetting, in your rabid pursuits, that of family-building.
One thing you checked for in the mutated clones was that of force-sensitive abilities. None came back positive except for that of a clone named Hunter. All of his senses were enhanced. Even though it wasn’t something the Kaminoans checked for, you were extremely interested when that particular trait came back positive, although you didn’t bring it to anyone’s attention.
No, you had different plans in mind for this clone- frankly, that of a breeding program. When it became clear that Order 66 wiped out the Jedi, which you disapproved of, you were more careful than ever to keep this close to the vest. Clone Force 99 was shipped out on various missions, and you were suddenly reassigned, never to see them again for some time.
It was a mix of luck and strategy, that you’d heard of the rogue clones coming to Ord Mantell and working with a contact of yours named Cid. Since the regime change, you’d lost your main line of work and had opened your own clinic on the small planet on which Cid also resided, blending in with the locals and changing your name.
It was time to start a family.
You moved further out to the suburbs and then the countryside and made a name for yourself, racking up plenty of credits to set aside in raising a brood. It was more important than ever to perpetuate not only your own species, which was now scattered across the galaxy but to ensure the survival of the force-sensitive since so many had been wiped out. You made sure your own fertility was viable and then began to hang out at Cid’s in your spare time, hoping against hope to find the only other force-sensitive being you knew to begin a family with – Hunter.
“You been spendin’ a lot of time here, kid,” Cid mentioned when she saw you for what seemed like the thousandth time. It also seemed like most of the time you were here – the bad batch wasn’t – and when you were gone at work they were here. You thought about asking Cid for a job but figured that would be overkill.
“Yeah, I’m looking for someone,” you admitted, not that it was a secret, but you figured she might put in a good word for you.
Cid looked suspiciously at you. “Yah? A lot of people come and go around here. Who you lookin’ for, and why do you want’im?” she asked, pouring herself a drink.
You twirled the little umbrella in your drink, considering your response. “Hunter.” Well, that was blunt. Probably even make her even more suspicious.
“Yah? What you want all dark n’ broody for?”
“I find him attractive.”
“Where do you know him from?”
“Kamino.”
Okay, now she got her hackles up. She pulled a blaster out of its holster and pointed it at you. “Get outta here, and don’t come back.”
“I’m not looking for any trouble,” you admitted, hands up.
“Neither am I. I don’t take kindly to strangers asking about my employees.”
“I’m honestly not after him for anything. I just want to talk to him.”
“About what?” She’d come closer and now had the blaster against your chest. The rest of the bar seemed to hold its breath.
Okay, this was starting to get a bit awkward. Cid pressed the barrel of the blaster a bit harder against you in a nudge to get you talking. “Okay, okay. If you must know, I find him attractive. I want to know if he’d like to go out on a date with me.”
“Are you serious? You pining for dark n’ broody? Well, I don’t believe you. Get outta here.”
You stood up, hands raised, and backed out of the bar to the opening then turned, only looking back once to see her blaster still trained on you as she looked around the corner. With a sigh, you decided you’d have to just hang out at the place across from hers and hope for the best.
It was a fortnight before luck was on your side and you saw the bad batch trail one another into Cid’s bar. You managed to catch the straggler heading in, who was looking at a holopad.
“Hey! Tech!”
His head whipped up and over to see you. “Mesh’la! So good to see you again, we were wondering what happened to you after your re-assignment!”
So, they were still amenable to seeing you. That boded well. You rushed over and hugged Tech, who returned your hug gently. “It really is good to see you. Come join us for a drink.”
“I’m afraid I can’t,” you admitted.
“And why ever not?”
“Cid thinks I’m up to no good and chased me out of her cantina two weeks ago. I told her I was there to see Hunter and she assumed I was after your bounty, but I swear I’m not. I just wanted to see you again.”
“You have business with Hunter? He never mentioned you.”
“He doesn’t know I’m here. Can you get him for me?”
Tech considered you a moment then nodded. “If you promise you’re only here with good intentions, I’ll do so. The timing, however, is a bit suspicious, despite your claims. I’m afraid I will have to advise Hunter of caution in dealing with you given the state of our – departure from the Empire.”
“Understood.”
It was a tense few moments until Hunter came out. His blaster wasn’t drawn but his hand was at his side, ready to pull it in case you tried anything funny.
He said your name and nodded. You could tell he wanted a hug too but was world-weary.
“Hello Hunter,” you said softly, so as not to spook him. This really wasn’t how you envisioned this type of discussion going. “Can we go somewhere more private to speak?”
He looked around and gestured to a nearby alley. “I’m going to have to check you for weapons and bugs,” he said, and you readily agreed.
When he’d frisked you and removed your only weapon – a small hidden blaster you told him about beforehand, so he didn’t think you were trying anything funny – he was satisfied. “Alright, talk.”
“I’ve been waiting for you for quite a while,” you admitted.
“Why?”
“Because I missed you – all of you. Is it so hard to believe I just wanted to see you, to reconnect? I – I’ve always been attracted to you and wanted to know if you wanted to go out on a date,” you said lamely. When you voiced it, it sounded stupid to your ears and weak, like you had an ulterior motive.
“I don’t date,” he said calmly. “I take an occasional lover, but that’s about it. And I’ve never seen you that way, although you’re very attractive.”
“Can I at least get a hug if you’re not interested, for friends’ sake?” you asked, desperate suddenly to just be held by him. He was the perfect specimen to be the father to your children, so you supposed you did have an ulterior motive, but you certainly weren’t going to try any Jedi mind tricks on him to get him to comply. First and foremost, you considered the bad batch to be your friends and respected their free will, even if others in the galaxy only saw the clones as property.
He slowly extended an arm and you rushed into it, throwing your arms around him. He reluctantly returned the hug and then squeezed, sighing in pleasure when he finally relaxed.
“You know I’m sincere,” you told him matter-of-factly when he finally released you. You still held his hand, but he pulled away.
“Yeah. I could always tell that about you. I still think you’re hiding something.”
You nodded, unable to lie to him. You decided just to tell him the truth. It took a while to explain, and he nodded at certain intervals, surprised that his senses also allowed him to be force-sensitive, what he always thought of as a sixth sense or instinct. Unnatural but natural given his other abilities.
When you got to the point about him being a father to your children, however, he laughed out loud and had to cover his mouth with his hand.
“You’ve got to be kidding. Me, settle down with you and raise a brood of children? Impossible. I’m first and foremost a soldier. I’ll always be a soldier.”
“And what happens when you’re too old to fight? Are you going to just lie down and die?”
“Look.” He took your arm and guided you deeper into the alley. “I always knew I was meant to die in battle. There’s nothing anyone can do to change that fate. I can’t simply leave my brothers and just – settle down. It’s not the way things are meant to be.”
“I’m not asking you to settle down,” you hedged, although it’s what you’d wanted, you had to change your plans if this were to work. “I’m asking for you to father my children, so we can continue to repopulate the galaxy with force-sensitive individuals to replace those that have been lost.”
“So, you just want my sperm, that’s it?”
“If that’s all you’re willing to give.”
Hunter scratched his chin. “I’ll think about it. Until then, give me your comm and leave me be. I’ve got a mission to debrief and I’m quite busy.”
“Alright.”
He wasn’t extending an invitation to a reunion with the rest of the batch, apparently unhappy with your proposal but not outright rejecting it. With a small squeeze of your arm, he walked away with your comm info programmed and it was all you could do not to run after him, beg him to reconsider.
What if he said no? You had plenty of time to find out but didn’t want to have to find another force-sensitive individual in this screwed-up galaxy just to father your children. It could take you years past your prime.
There was nothing to do but wait.
--
Time passed. Having moved out to the countryside saw a decrease in your business, but you were able to afford more state-of-the-art equipment to keep a cutting edge amongst those in your field.
From time to time, you frequented the Cantina across the way from Cid’s, only distantly hoping to see the bad batch enter or leave the Cantina. Once, you saw Wrecker leave, but that was it. The longer time passed by, and you didn’t hear from Hunter, the more your distress grew. You were going to have to face the music and find another force-sensitive being with which to procreate. The desire was strong in your DNA and you could no longer wait.
Questioning, even discreetly, for those that had force-wielding ability was tricky business and brought you unwanted scrutiny. You had to lay low and abandon your practice for a while, all the while not garnering any leads. With that move your clientele moved on to your competitors and business was nil. While you had plenty of money, it wouldn’t last forever.
It was a year or so later when you’d heard nothing from Hunter that you decided to be the one to comm him with an arrangement he could either approve of or decide it wasn’t for him. Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, and if he refused you, you would never bother him again.
--
To say Hunter was surprised to hear from you was an understatement. In all actuality, he’d completely forgotten about your request. He decided to take the call privately, remembering the last nature of your request.
“Let me get this straight. You’re not only still on about the original request for my DNA but you want me to donate a sperm sample so you can impregnate yourself as you see fit? And I don’t have to be a part of it anymore after that?”
“That’s right. I can even ship you a container at my expense. All you have to do would be to provide the sample.”
“Can’t you find someone else to do this?” he wondered aloud.
“No. I’ve tried locating another force-sensitive individual and come up against unwanted scrutiny. You’re my only hope if this is to work.”
The long pause made you think Hunter was going to turn down your request, but he finally gave a heavy sigh and relented. “Ship the container to Cid’s. I’ll provide it there and ship it back in whatever you provide on the condition I have no further part in your endeavors regarding this matter.”
“Deal. Thank you. Over and out.”
Hunter shook his head. The things some people got up to. He could hardly believe he was going to be a father and would have no say in their lives. A family was something he’d always dreamed of but never imagined he could have for himself with the life of a soldier. It was the sole reason he’d relented to give you a sample of his sperm at all. Maybe … just maybe one day he would look in and see how you were doing. It couldn’t hurt to just – look – right?
--
Five years passed by, and Hunter often thought of what happened to you. He’d tried comming several times only to receive static. You’d changed your frequency without telling him. Well, he couldn’t blame you. He wondered if he had a son or a daughter, maybe two. He couldn’t imagine being a soldier for much longer and wondered whether you’d allow him to be a part of their lives if he changed his mind. Much had changed in the five years since that fateful call, and he was as ready as he’d ever be to settle down. Several close calls had him realizing that combat was for younger, stronger men. Although he kept in excellent shape, he was more suited for the occasional job than constant combat missions.
He arrived on Ord Mantel with the rest of the batch after what was to be their last mission. They were drinking tonight before going their separate ways. Each one had plans but of course, wanted to stay in touch. Hunter had been vague about his own plans. Tech would be the one keeping the ship, as he and Echo had plans that involved that after they dropped Wrecker off at his destination.
Bright and early the following morning, after they’d said their goodbyes, Hunter made some discrete inquiries and headed out to the country where you’d reset your practice once the heat of scrutiny was off of you. It had taken a lot of work and preparation to get the clinic up and running again but now you had enough staff to take over so you could work on your next main project – starting a family. That had been quite the undertaking and you’d ended up with fraternal twin boys the first go-round who were now three years old, had eighteen-month-old fraternal boy/girl twins, and were early in your pregnancy with a singleton that was also a boy. It was a lot of work for a single mother, and you were exhausted but elated. So far, each one of the children evidenced force sensitivity in their blood and during exercises you’d come up with so they could practice their abilities from an early age.
The doorbell rang and you had one of your two assistants answer. The clinic was closed for the day, but you often got people coming to see you for urgent requests.
“Who is it?” you called out and your assistant yelled back, “It’s a man named Hunter. He said you’d want to see him. Shall I send him away?”
Your heart felt like it was going to stop at that moment as you played with your children. Having your other assistant take over, you ran full tilt to the front door to see for yourself. There he was, in the flesh, Hunter on your doorstep. Why had he come after all these years? Fears of him wanting to take away the children ran rampant through your mind, and you were instantly on high alert, feeling immediately defensive.
“What do you want?” you snapped, holding the door open as you dismissed your assistant, whispering, “Gather the children and take them to the garden.”
“I came here to see you. To see how you are,” he said lamely. “I felt I owed you, after not contacting you all of these years.” It sounded lame even to his own ears.
“You’re not here to take away the children, are you?” you asked outright, never one to beat around the bush.
“What? No! I would never do such a thing,” he protested, gesturing. “Why would you think something like that?”
“What am I supposed to think, you show up on my doorstep after silence for five years?”
“I tried to comm you a few times, but you changed your frequency.”
Oh, that’s right, you’d forgotten about that. “I’m sorry. I completely disregarded that as I was – indisposed at the time and it was for my own safety.”
Standing there awkwardly, you invited him in. When you’d both sat in the living room across from each other you asked him, “Would you like to see the children?”
“Oh, there’s more than one?” he asked, and you nodded. “I have four with one on the way.”
“Four children!? And you’re pregnant?” he exclaimed with incredulity. He couldn’t imagine he’d ever be a father – a donor – to more than a child or two.
“Yes, and I plan to have at least a few more. I have plenty of money and plenty of help. This is what my species does.”
“Can I – can I meet them? I know I haven’t been here, but I’d like to change that if you’re willing. I’m retired from combat now,” he admitted. “Some of the original clones are dying of old age and my mortality has been hitting me hard. I figured I’d never get the chance to be a father any other way since I’m not involved with anyone.”
“I think that can be arranged. I never meant to shut you out,” you also admitted back, then ushered him out to the garden and introduced him to the children. Of course, they were quite fearful at first except for the three-year-old twins, who took to and loved him immediately. They looked just like their father, and you were over the moon that he was taking an interest.
The pair of you took it slow for quite some time. In time, Hunter took an interest in not just the children, but in you. He was very involved in your pregnancy and was fascinated by the natural process of it all. He was there for the birth of his son and admitted he’d fallen in love with you and wanted that bigger family as a permanent part of your lives.
It was a dream come true and you could never have wished for more, loving this man and your children with him with all of your heart, for all time.