Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

     Pace tightened his lips into a thin line.  He tried not to turn his head too much, afraid that he’d be compelled to launch himself out of his seat and start choking Han in front of him.  He couldn’t believe how awful…no, how terrible…no…there wasn’t even a word that Pace knew to describe the state of the once proud YT-1300 freighter.  The closest descriptor he could come up with was a flying junk heap.

     A red light started blinking on Han’s left (the warning light that told you when the hyperdrive needed coolant), but before Pace could inform him that they needed to stop somewhere to get it fixed, Han reached over and smacked it twice as though it were a part of some ritual.  The light blinked off (for now), and Pace had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from chewing out his friend (acquaintance, he reminded himself).  After all, there were little ears present.

     Pace pushed Zander’s hands away from the buttons for the umptillionth time since they had boarded and addressed Han in the most pleasant manner he could muster.  “So, who does the repair work on this thing?  It looks like a pack of Ranats just slapped pieces on wherever they could find room.”

     “Eh, Chewie and I handle the repairs ourselves,” Han replied smugly.  “Chewie's pretty handy when it comes to mechanics.”

     Pace cast a doubtful glance at the hairy lump in the co-pilot’s seat but chose to keep his mouth shut.  He’d heard stories of enraged Wookiees dismembering those who upset them, and with those fangs and hidden muscles, he didn’t see any reason to doubt the truth of those tales.

     “How in the galaxy did you two meet?” Lena asked as she rocked Kordi, who had begun to fuss a bit.

     Han rubbed his cheek, his tone becoming terse.  “Prison.  Chewie almost ate me.”

     Chewbacca unleashed a series of indignant growls.

     “You were too gonna eat me!  I could see the hungry gleam in your eye.”

     Rolling his eyes, Pace prevented Zander from pushing a button that would release poisonous fumes into the cockpit.  “I’m not even shocked that you were in prison,” he muttered.

     “Oh?  Would it shock you to learn I was imprisoned under the accusation of insubordination during my time as an Imperial trooper?”

     Pace nearly choked on his spit.  “You?  An Imperial?  I can’t even picture you bathing, much less wearing a uniform.”

     Han gave a dry laugh.  “Yeah.  Crazy, ain’t it?”

     Pace peeked over at Lena, who squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.  A heat crawled up his neck, and he almost slapped himself.  Prison and Imperials were things they had mutually agreed to never talk about, what with Lena’s Imperial entanglements still a rather tender topic.

     Fortunately, Han seemed to understand or, at the very least, deemed it ideal to change the subject.  “So, you think you can find a durasteel transmuter coil for me?”

     “They were commonly used by the Separatists in their droid control ships.  If we can find one of those, I can find you the coil easy.

     “Zander, leave that alone!” Pace hissed, turning the toddler around in his lap so he was facing away from the buttons.  Zander’s bottom lip trembled, causing Pace to instantly regret his tone and choice of words.  He hugged his son to his chest as the first few sobs came forth.

     “I’m sorry, buddy,” he soothed.  “You just can’t touch anything.  Something bad might happen if you push something you’re not supposed to.  And I don’t want anything like that to happen to you, you little mudtoad.”  He tickled Zander in his armpit, eliciting a series of giggles.

     Pace laughed and glanced up to find Han watching them with an odd expression on his face.  He could have sworn that a glimmer of sadness, envy, and perhaps even anger passed over his friend–acquaintance’s–features for just the barest of seconds before the confident, smug smile was back, and Pace wondered if he had imagined it.

     “Your kid wanna sit with Chewie?  Give him a better view,” Han offered.  “And Chewie’ll make sure he doesn’t press anything.  Won’tcha, Chewie?”

     The Wookiee growled what Pace assumed to be an affirmative.

     Pace hesitated.  Did he really trust a Wookiee to be gentle with his son?  What if Zander did something to upset the Wookiee?

     Before his thoughts could spiral out of control, Lena reached over and placed her hand on his knee.  “Chewie won’t hurt Zander.”

     The sentence was so simple, but the faith in her statement caused his frazzled nerves to relax.  He put Zander down and watched the toddler clamber onto Chewie's lap, his insides turning warm with joy and pride at his son’s bright smile.  He smiled broad as he watched Zander chatter about the spaceship to the Wookiee, who purred and fondled the boy’s hair.

     Han glanced over at Chewie’s companion before looking back at him.  “You better watch out.  You got a natural-born pilot on your hands.”

     Pace chuckled a bit.  “I know.  I’m afraid one of these days he’ll just hop into a cockpit and take off to who knows where.”

     The pilot smirked a moment before his face fell as though something had entered his mind.  “I missed you, Pace.  Not a day has gone by that I didn’t think about you.  Wondering where you were, if you were alright.”

     Despite his frustration with Han, Pace sensed a sincerity in his tone.  An apology almost.  He cast a brief glance at his wife and daughter before gazing at Zander sitting happily in Chewie’s lap.  A smile spread across his face as he thought about how far his life had come from his days on Corellia.  And it was all thanks to Han (from a certain point of view).

END

Chapter Text

     “Zander!  Zander, wake up!”

     Zander groaned and rolled his head over.  Despite his exhaustion, he forced his eyelids open and thought he could make out the vague shape of his sister through the groggy haze.  “What?”  His voice squeaked heavily at the end, a result of his rude awakening and the onset of puberty.

     “Rowan’s not in bed.”

     With a long, groaning sigh, he stretched his arms and legs, their various joints popping back into place with soft clicks.  He yawned wide, rubbing at his crusty eyes with the heel of his hand, and sluggishly rose out of bed.  Still under the influence of sleep, he shuffled after her in the direction of her and Rowan’s room.  By the time they arrived, Zander had woken up enough to think properly.

     He peered into the room and found Rowan’s bed void of any life.  He frowned.  “Maybe he had to go to the bathroom?”

     Kordi shook her head, her hair whipping her paling cheeks.  “Rowan would have woken me up to take him.  You know he’s scared of the dark.  And I already checked the bathroom.”

     Despite knowing their little brother couldn’t have gone far, Zander found a coldness seizing his lungs with an icy grip, the kind he hadn’t felt since….  He swallowed hard.  No, he couldn’t think about that now.  Not when Rowan was currently missing.

     Stuffing his inner trauma aside, he squinted down the dark walkway, trying in vain to see anything.  “He’s probably just pestering Roger.”

     Kordi nodded, to his relief, but her face was still too pale for his liking.  She swiped her bangs out of her face with a huff.  “I’m gonna have to have a talk with him about that,” she muttered as she stalked down the walkway toward the series of ladders.

     They were about halfway down the final ladder when Kordi froze mid-step.  Zander didn’t notice until he accidentally stepped on her fingers, flinching back at the pained hiss that escaped between her clenched teeth.

     “Did you hear that?”

     He strained his ears, furrowing his brow when he was rewarded with nothing but silence.  “Kordi…I don’t hear-”

     She abruptly shushed him, just in time for a faint clunk to reach them.  Her wide eyes stared into his with a glare of near horror in them, and he could practically hear the thought circulating through her mind.  Burglar.

     Without taking her eyes away from his, she very slowly continued to descend the ladder.

     He reached out, grasping her hand and forcing her to a stop.  “I’ll go first,” he uttered in a hoarse whisper, sliding past her before she had a chance to respond.  He crept down the ladder to the first floor and began scanning the area for any sign of an intruder.

     Several pieces of scrap littered the floor, although he wasn’t sure if they had been there earlier or not.  One of his Z-wings looked as though it had been tampered with, its wings in a different configuration than before.  However, it didn’t seem like anything had been stolen or broken.

     He turned toward Kordi, who had just reached the floor from the ladder.  “I think everything’s in order.  My Z-wing’s been messed with, but it’s nothing I can’t fix.”

     “They didn’t steal any credits.  I counted to be sure.”  Her face pulled into a frown.  “Why would anyone want to mess with your Ugly?”

     “They’re called Z-wings, Kordi.”  He folded his arms with a huff and shrugged.  “And I have no idea.”

     A faint scraping sound floated over to them at that moment, as though something was being dragged along the floor.  Kordi’s eyes snapped to his, wide and panicked.

     He furrowed his brow as he registered the location of the sound.  “Someone’s in the kitchen.”

     Creeping toward the kitchen entrance, he motioned for Kordi to stay back.  He flexed his fingers, wishing they’d stop trembling so much, and quickly grabbed a wrench from a nearby work table.  Just in case.

     As he neared the corner of the doorway, he swallowed hard, knowing he had no chance against a burglar.  But the thought that the burglar might have snatched his brother was enough to steel his nerves, and he cautiously poked his head into the kitchen.

     At first, he couldn’t see anything, the light of the galaxy’s stars hardly able to light up the kitchen.  Once his eyes adjusted to the dimness, however, he could make out the vague shape of a person holding a knife.

     His heart froze before jumping into his throat as though it could hide, and his grip on the wrench unconsciously tightened.  He took a shaky step forward before his eye caught a flash of color and he stopped, his body suddenly cold.

     There was red on that knife.

     “Zander?”  Kordi’s whisper cut through the silence like a welding torch.  She must have noticed his body going rigid.  “What is it?”

     Though still shaking, he sucked in a breath through his nose and took another step closer to the person.  He shoved aside the panic that begged him to run screaming.  Rowan was in danger, and he made a promise to his dad that he’d protect his siblings.  Even if that meant confronting…

     He froze again, but this time, he cocked his head to the side as mumbling reached his ears.  Familiar mumbling.

     “Kordi…I think you might want to see this.”

     Kordi snuck up behind and peered around his shoulder to look at the spectacle before them.  She was quiet for a moment as her eyes likely adjusted to the lack of light before her body relaxed with a deep sigh.

     Rowan, for his part, completely ignored their presence and continued to spread strassberry jam over the slice of bread in his hand.  He kept mumbling incoherently to himself, and his half-lidded eyes never wavered from his task.

     “What…”  Zander watched as Rowan, having finished jamming his bread, proceeded to slowly lick the jam off.  “What is he doing?”

     “He must be sleepwalking,” Kordi sighed, obviously relieved that their little brother was fine.

     The two of them watched Rowan for a moment before Zander broke the silence.  “Should I wake him up?”

     Kordi shrugged, looking as clueless as he felt.  “I guess.  Just be careful.”

     With a nod, he approached Rowan, now able to make out snippets of his mumblings that made it sound as though he was talking to Roger.  He reached out a hand, hesitating as he tried to decide the best way to wake him, and ultimately settled for gently shaking his little brother’s shoulder.

     “Rowan?  Hey, Rowan.  Come on, buddy.  Time to wake up.”

     Rowan’s mumbling paused and his body gradually became limp, Zander having to grab onto him before he could fall over.  After a moment, his eyes fluttered open, and he squinted up at Zander’s face.

     “Zander?”  His voice was soft as though he was still floating between asleep and awake.  He sluggishly wiped at his eyes, a small frown creasing his forehead.  His tired eyes then flitted around the room, and his frown deepened.  “Why are we in the kitchen?”

     “Eh…”  Zander paused, wondering how to explain to him that he had been sleepwalking.  Deciding it wasn’t important at the moment, he shook his head with a small smile.  “I’ll tell you later, buddy.”

     “Okay.”  Rowan’s response was mangled in a wide yawn.  His eyes drooped, and he rested his head on Zander’s chest.  “I’m still tired,” he muttered softly.  “C’n I go back to bed now?”

     Zander chuckled and hoisted his little brother up into his arms, resting his head on Rowan’s wild hair.  “Sure, buddy.  You can go back to bed.”

     He made his way carefully up the series of ladders to the second level, Kordi following behind.  Once in his brother’s room, he gently settled Rowan into bed and tucked him in with a smile.

     Rowan snuggled further into his blanket with a small grin of his own, drifting back to sleep.

     Zander and Kordi watched him sleep for a moment, simply glad that their brother was safe and found.  Kordi suddenly sighed, breaking the comfortable silence.

     “Well, I’m going back to bed too.”  She threw him a weary smile.  “G’night, Zander.”

     “Good night, Kordi,” he replied softly.

     Leaving his younger siblings in their room, he entered his own room and slid into bed, his eyes trained on the ceiling.  He frowned and flopped over onto his stomach, letting out a sigh through his nose as he closed his eyes.  After just a few moments, however, he popped them open again and groaned.

     “Blast it, Rowan,” he muttered as he glared at the wall.  “Now I can’t sleep.”

     Oh well , he thought with a small huff as he hoisted himself back out of bed.  At least I can get an early start.

END

Chapter Text

     Pace rubbed his eyes in hopes of keeping sleep at bay.  Between the long hours spent repairing ships and little Rowan crying in the middle of the night most nights, he was utterly exhausted.  And even when he finally did get to bed, he often found himself lying awake thinking worried thoughts.  By the time morning came, he always felt as though he hadn’t slept at all.

     He sighed and turned his attention to the papers littered on the desk, making a mental note to sort through those in his spare time.  He picked up a sheet and allowed a tiny smile to grow on his lips.  It must have been one of those days when Lena helped chronicle their sales, her nuna scratch heavily contrasting against his bold, careful penmanship.  She had always teased him for taking lightyears to write anything down.  Meanwhile, it had taken two years before he was accustomed to her writing to the point of actually being able to read it.

     With a shaky breath, he swallowed the tears that threatened to fall.  He and Lena had been opposites in many ways.  Him, ever the hopeful dreamer; her, always the hard-nosed realist.  He was careful and planned for the future; she took things one day at a time and flew with the turbulence.  They had balanced each other out; they made a good team.

     Until she was gone.

     The tears he had tried to push back ultimately sprang forth with such force that he uttered a choked sob as they fell.  Shaking, he placed his elbows upon the desk, grasping his hair by the roots as though it would distract him from the void in his core.  He gave a weak effort to calm his cries but finally released them, unable to hold them back any longer.

     He had lost track of how long he had been sitting there when he heard a soft shuffling coming from the walkway.  Jerking his head up, he found Zander standing just outside the office, his son’s brown eyes staring up at him with trepidation.  Quickly wiping his eyes, he tried to give his son a normal smile.

     “Zan, what are you doing up?”  He gestured for the boy to come closer and hoisted him onto his lap, smoothing his bed head.  “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

     “I was thirsty.”

     “Well, let’s go get you a drink then.”

     He set Zander back down and rose to his feet, reaching for the boy’s hand.  His heart sank when his son walked past him to the ladder and began climbing down to the ground floor on his own.  With a hollow forming in his chest, he followed.

     Once in the kitchen, he poured a cup of blue milk and handed it to Zander.  As he waited for his son to finish his drink, his mind wandered back to Lena.  He smiled sadly, remembering when she would sing the children to sleep in the evening.  A lump lodged itself in his chest as he thought of her surprisingly sweet singing that had accidentally lulled him to sleep on more than one occasion.

     A rough sniff snapped his attention back to Zander, who stared watery-eyed into his half-drank milk.

     He gently took the cup from his son’s trembling hands and set it on the counter before kneeling to Zander’s level.  He brought his hand to his son’s cheek, guiding the boy’s face to look him in the eye, and his throat closed up at the sight of fat tears rolling down Zander’s face.

     Zander launched himself into his chest, his tears growing into full sobs.  “I miss Momma,” he cried as he clung to his father’s jacket.

     He hugged his son tight, fighting against the tears that threatened to resurface, and rubbed his back in small circles.  “I know, buddy.  I miss her too.”

     They stayed that way for awhile until Zander had cried himself to sleep in his arms.  With a small smile, he carried his son to bed, tucking him in and brushing his hair out of his face.  He studied the boy’s face, noting that he had Lena’s nose and cheekbones.  Fresh tears prickled behind his eyes as he kissed his precious son’s forehead, earning him a smile from the sleeping boy.

     Being careful not to wake Zander or Kordi in the next bed over, Pace returned to the office, his mood sobering once again as he looked over the ledger.  Business wasn’t doing well; he’d only sold one ship in the span of two months; and Furlac was breathing down his neck.  Worse than that, he had already gone over budget acquiring ship parts due to having to buy another part to replace one that had arrived broken beyond use.  Not to mention the cost of delivery that had gone up with the looming threat of war and few pilots willing to risk Imperial intervention.

     Tears stung the backs of his eyes.  But Zander’s peaceful, smiling face came to mind, and he knew he had to make something work.  His children deserved a far better life than his had been back on Corellia.  A life that wasn’t full of scraping by, living day to day, or worrying about where their next meal would come from.  He wanted his children to have a hopeful view of the galaxy, especially with the Empire spreading its roots farther and farther each day.  He prayed that they would never have to encounter the Empire or find themselves wanted by other parties, such as the Hutts.

     He couldn’t help but shiver, thanking his lucky stars that Graballa seemed to have given up searching for him or, at the very least, hadn’t been able to find him.  He briefly thought of Lena and her entanglement with the Empire, wondering if the Imperials had decided to cease their search for their former prisoner.  A fear always in the back of his mind was that the Empire would one day come breaking down the door, searching for Lena and deciding to take him instead once they learned of her death, thus leaving his three children alone with no one to care for them.  Well…perhaps they wouldn’t be alone.  Roger would be here.

     A smile played on his lips as he thought of the battle droid.  Roger had started out as nothing more than a relic rescued on a whim from certain destruction.  He had entertained the idea of selling the droid to a collector or perhaps a museum for all the span of ten seconds before Zander had latched onto the Clone Wars veteran with his toddler smile, and Pace knew at once there was no way he could let the droid go.  Roger had become an assistant in the garage, freeing up Lena to care for the children, and despite his somewhat clumsy nature, had proven to be useful.  As time went on, Roger helped with cleaning and baking and sometimes watched over the children so he and Lena could have time to themselves.

     After Lena’s death, he had Roger take over looking after the children so he could work longer hours.  The battle droid took it all in stride, accepting his new role as babysitter and surrogate mother (if a little begrudgingly) with unwavering devotion.  More often than not, it was Roger who was able to calm little Rowan down when the baby had difficulty sleeping, a fact that both touched and saddened Pace.

     There was no way in the galaxy he would have been able to last this long on his own with three mouths to feed, that was certain, and he thanked the Maker that he had Roger to pitch in and do far more than the droid was originally intended to do.  But he didn’t want to lose his children either.  Little Rowan hardly knew him, hardly saw him, until those times in the small hours of night when he tried to comfort his son from whatever shadows had frightened him, only to finally ask Roger to rock the baby back to sleep when he failed.  Kordi didn’t seem to mind that he spent little to no time with her, and it bothered him how she accepted her father’s constant absence without a second thought.  He thought of earlier when Zander had ignored his hand and how his son had clung to him while crying as though afraid to let him go.

     In attempting to build a better life for his children, he realized, what if he was denying it to them by being absent in their lives?

     Maybe he couldn’t give them a life of plenty and comfort, but he could give them better than he had.  Having lost his own father before he was born and losing his mother when he was twelve, he had to learn early on to survive on his own, with no one to help him but himself.  He never had siblings and no other family that he knew of.  It was always him.  But his children didn’t have to live that way.

     He looked down at the ledger again before putting it away and turning off the light.  He strode to the end of the hallway into his own room, careful not to disturb the sleeping form in the crib in the corner.  Although physically and emotionally exhausted, he peered in at his youngest, smiling broad at the sight of Rowan spread-eagle on his back with his thumb in his mouth.  His son’s foot twitched as he dreamed, and his chest constricted when he thought of how much his children had suffered without their father in their lives.  He brushed a kiss on little Rowan’s head before quietly entering his bed, a new resolve to fatherhood blooming in his heart.

END

Chapter Text

     "Zander, can you tell me a bedtime story?"

     "Rowan..."  His older brother rubbed his neck with an apologetic expression.  "You know I'd love to, but we need to make rent by tomorrow, so I have some work I have to do.  I'll get Roger to tell you a bedtime story, ok?"

     "Why Roger?"  He sunk into his sheets so that only the top of his head poked out.  "He'll just read me his boring autobiography again."

     "You could always go to bed without a story."

     He peeped out of his sheets and gave Zander the most sour look he could muster.

     "Well then...ask him to tell you a different story.  I'll get Roger.  Goodnight, buddy."

     "Goodnight..."  He didn't really like Roger's stories; they were long and utterly boring.  Kordi's were better, but she told him the shortest stories possible so he could go to bed sooner.  Zander's stories were by far his favorite.  He loved it when Zander told him stories of the Clone Wars or sometimes even stories that featured him as the hero.

     He sighed, wishing his brother and sister weren't always so busy.  This was the fourth night in a row that Zander couldn't tell him a story.  Part of him wondered how important it was that they made rent that would require them to work late when the shop was closed for the day.  Before he could ponder the mystery further though, Roger entered the room carrying his holopad.

     "Alright, Rowan.  I have a wonderful chapter to read to you tonight.  Chapter twelve, "The Siege of-""

     "Roger?"

     The droid paused and looked at him.  "Yes, Rowan?"

     "Can you tell me a different story tonight?"

     "Oh.  A different story?  What kind of different story?"

     Rowan paused, thinking of all the different kinds of stories his siblings had told him.  A smile stretched between his cheeks.  "A scary story."

     "Scary?  Well...let me think..."

     After a few moments, Roger set his holopad down and sat on the edge of Rowan's bed.  "Ok, Rowan.  I have a story for you.  The legend of the Droid-Eaters of Salucami.

     "About halfway through the siege of Salucami, word started spreading throughout our camp that a group of mysterious beings had been spotted in the forest.  They weren't clones.  They weren't droids.  They were something that no one had ever seen before.

     "The reports varied quite a bit on what they looked like, but two things that every report agreed on was their pale, expressionless faces and their size.  These beings were said to be one and a half times the height of a super battle droid and as thin as a battle droid's arm.  Some reports said that the beings disappeared as soon as they were spotted; others told that the beings simply wandered around in the trees, apparently minding their own business.

     "As the days passed, more sightings occurred  A small squad of five droids was tasked with investigating these creatures to see whose side they were on.  The droids marched into the forest, blasters at the ready, and disappeared.

     "Four days passed, and no one had seen or heard from the squad.  So another squad of five was sent to find the others, figuring their directional matrix had failed and that they were simply lost.  Several of those five didn't want to go, saying that something terrible must have happened to the first squad, but they went anyway.

     "Another four days went by, and there was no sign of either squad.  Many of us were beginning to panic, with all sorts of rumors and theories being whispered in the camp about what had happened.  Finally, three spider droids were sent out to find both squads.  Surely, our superiors thought, the spider droids would be able to find them.

     "Four days later, a single spider droid stumbled into the camp, missing a leg, its visual sensors destroyed, and covered in thirty weight oil.  They inspected its memory files and found footage of the last four days.  What they found would have sent chills through any droid if droids were capable of feeling chills.

     "Seven battle droid frames were hanging from trees, some with legs or arms missing and with wires hanging out.  A large pool of oil sat beneath the trees, fed by the oil dripping from the droid frames.  There was no sign of the other three droids.

     "Suddenly, a loud screech sounded.  When the spider droid turned to investigate the noise, it found two of the beings pouncing on the other two spider droids and ripping their legs off.  When they were done, the creatures turned to the lone spider droid and attacked.

     "These beings looked much more frightening than they had before.  They seemed to float through the air like ghosts, their eyes glowed an eerie light blue, and their giant mouths harbored rows of jagged black teeth that could only be seen up close.

     "They howled as they grabbed the spider droid's legs and started tearing them off.  As one being tore off a leg, the other being smashed the droid's visual sensors, and everything went black.  Terrified, the droid somehow managed to kick itself free and flee as fast as it could back to camp.

     "After they went through its memory, the spider droid shut itself down and couldn't be booted up again.  All of the droids were frightened and pleaded with the general to move their camp someplace else.  The general refused and ordered the entire company to go into the forest to rid it of these creatures once and for all.

     "A small number of droids ran away toward the clone encampment, willing to risk blaster fire rather than march into the cursed woods.  The rest, though scared, were assured that whatever these creatures were, they were no match for our army.  So, with this promise giving them a bit more courage, they marched into the forest.

     "They marched for two days until they came to the place where the beings had been encountered.  However, only the remains of ropes could be found on the trees where the frames had once hung, and there was no sign of the two spider droids.  The pool of oil had all but disappeared, with only a message in Basic left behind that read "You have trespassed".

     "Once the army returned to camp, the general ordered the entire camp to be relocated.  Many droids lost their logic circuits and had to be transferred to another planet, removed from service, or even deactivated.  No more droid parties went missing, but up until the end of the Salucami campaign, there were many reports of seeing the strange beings watching from the trees as though reminding us that we would never truly be safe until we left the planet."

     Rowan laid stock still in his bed for the entire story, his blanket pulled up to his nose, and cold tingles crept along his spine.  He dared not move, speak, or breathe.  When Roger stood up from his place on the bed, Rowan jumped, his heart shaking inside his chest.

     "Well, goodnight, Rowan.  I'll see you in the morning."  With that, the droid exited the room and disappeared.

     "...G'night."

     Time ticked by slowly, and the details of Roger's story swirled in his head.  The more he tried to purposefully think of something else, the more he couldn't stop thinking about the spooky tale.  He froze in his sheets when he caught the sound of whispering before realizing it was only his siblings finally going to bed.

     Rowan turned over in bed, his eyes flicking in all directions.  Every shadow looked like a beast waiting to pounce on him as he slept.  Images of lifeless, skeletal droids with missing limbs assaulted his mind.  Each breath he took was too loud.  He couldn't hear anything beyond the pounding of his heartbeat.  He couldn't tell how long he'd been laying here.

     Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a shadow along the wall began to move.  Fear overrode his thoughts as he bolted out of bed and raced into his sister's room next door.

     "Kordi!  Kordi!"

     "Rowan?"  His sister's voice was thick with sleep.  She flipped over and propped herself up with a groan, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand.  "What is it?"

     "There'samonsterinmyroom,andIthinkitwantstoeatRoger,andI'mreallyscared,andI-"

     "Whoa whoa whoa.  Slow down, Rowan.  Take a deep breath."

     Despite his hyperactive nerves, he managed to drink in a few shaky breaths.

     "Okay.  Now start over.  There's a what in your room?"

     "A monster."

     "I thought you were too old to be scared of monsters."

     "But I saw it!  And I think it wants to eat Roger!"

     Kordi groaned again and hoisted herself off her bed.  After stretching with a grunt, she began shuffling to the door.  "Look, Rowan.  If we check on Roger, will you go to sleep?"

     With a sheepish nod, he followed her down the series of ladders to the main floor.  As they approached Roger's charging station, Rowan's skin prickled imagining all the horrors that his friend was going through.  His body froze when they found the charging terminal empty.

     Kordi placed her hands on her hips with a sigh.  "Where has he gone to this time?"

     "Maybe the creature already got him."  Rowan pressed himself close to his sister's side and tried to hold back his tears.

     "Rowan, calm down.  He's got to be around here somewhere."

     At that moment, the shuffle of something metal scraping the shop floor sounded nearby, and Rowan nearly knocked Kordi over as he startled.  His sister moved closer to where the sound came from, and he somehow managed to follow her despite his gelatin legs.  Kordi shoved a crate aside, revealing a battle droid curled and shaking on the floor.

     "Roger?  What are you doing?"

     The droid shakily rose to his feet and glanced around.  "I-I h-heard a whoosh sound and thought the Droid-Eaters were gonna get me."

     "The what?"

     "The Droid-Eaters of Salucami," Rowan explained.  "From Roger's story.  They captured droids during the Clone Wars and tore them apart, leaving their empty shells hanging on trees."

     A soft rush of air sounded then, and Roger collapsed to the floor in the battle droid's version of the fetal position.

     "Please don't eat me," the droid whimpered.  "I didn't hurt anyone on Salucami.  I swear!  ...Well except for that time I accidentally blasted R0-BB in the back when I tripped over-"

     "Roger.  That was the ventilation ducts, not a monster."

     The droid unfurled and again rose to his feet.  "It was?"

     "Yes, it was."  Kordi folded her arms over her chest.  "What's this about Droid-Eaters?"

     "I told Rowan a scary story, and I think I may have scared myself too."

     Rowan peeped at Roger from behind Kordi.  "Wait.  So there's no such thing as the Droid-Eaters of Salucami?"

     "No.  I just made it up."

     Kordi sighed and rubbed her forehead.  "Well, let's avoid horror stories from now on, okay Roger?"

     "Okay..."

     "I think we all just need to go to bed and forget this whole thing."

     "Already taken care of."  Roger twisted his head for about two seconds before returning it to normal.  "What are you guys doing up?"

     Despite the tingle of fear still in his system, Rowan smiled at Roger's innocent question.  "Nothing, Roger.  We were just making sure you were tucked in for the night."

     "Oh!  How thoughtful!  But I don't need tucked in thanks."  The droid began heading towards his charging station before he paused and looked back at them.  "Although...if you really wanted to..."

     "Goodnight, Roger," Kordi snarked.

     "Yeah, okay, goodnight."  Roger climbed into his terminal and went into sleep mode.

     After rolling her eyes, Kordi started herding Rowan upstairs.  "Alright, kiddo.  Now that we have that all straightened out, it's time for you to get back to bed too."

     "Okay."

     When they reached his room, however, Rowan paused.  "Um...Kordi?"

     "Yes, Rowan?"

     "Do you mind if I sleep in your room?  Just in case?"

     Kordi sighed.  "I don't care."

     "Thanks, Kordi."

     Minutes later, Rowan was settled on Kordi's bedroom floor, wrapped in his blanket.  He smiled as Kordi shifted to a more comfortable position in her bed.  "Goodnight, Kordi."

     "Goodnight, Rowan."

END

Chapter Text

     Pace woke to the sound of Rowan stirring in his crib and beginning to fuss.  Feeling as though he had just gotten to sleep a few minutes ago, he checked the time and found it to be morning.  With a tired grunt, he reluctantly crawled out of bed, wishing more than anything that he could go back to sleep.  He picked up Rowan and cringed when the baby started wailing at near full volume.

     "Hey, buddy,” he murmured.  “It's ok.  Daddy's here."  Unfortunately, his attempts to calm him only succeeded in making him scream louder.  He grimaced and gently bounced Rowan in his arms, frustrated tears gathering behind his eyes when the baby refused to calm down.

     At that moment, the door opened, and Roger clanked into the room.  The battle droid immediately covered his audio processors to block out Rowan's cries.  "Want me to take him?"

     Pace passed the baby off to the droid.  A hard lump formed in his chest as he watched Roger calm the infant down, his mind replaying his thoughts from last night.  As Rowan settled with his thumb in his mouth and his shiny eyes peering up at Roger, Pace's resolve solidified.

     "Roger, why don't you get Rowan his bottle, and then I need to discuss a few things with you, if that's alright."

     "Roger Roger."  The battle droid saluted before heading toward the lift with his small cargo.

     With heavy steps, Pace walked down the walkway to the ladders and began climbing down to the first level of the shop, almost slipping off the ladder halfway down.  The adrenaline from his near fall woke him up a little bit more, and he wiped away any lingering drowsiness from his eyes as he headed to the kitchen.

     Less than half an hour later, he glanced up from the liwi fruit he was cutting in time to catch Zander entering the kitchen while holding a groggy Kordi's hand.  His son gave him a small, tentative smile that twisted his chest.

     "Morning, Dad."

     He returned the smile as best he could.  "Morning, Zan.  Morning, Princess."

     "M'ning, Daddy," Kordi mumbled as she rubbed her eye with a fist, clearly not fully awake yet.

     His heart sagged as he watched Zander help Kordi get some fruit to eat, his mind once again repeating his thoughts from earlier.  He inhaled deeply and stepped toward them.  "Zander.  Kordi.  Can I talk to you two for a minute?"

     Zander gazed up at him with wide eyes.  "Ok..."

     Pace maneuvered onto a nearby stool and beckoned his children over, placing one upon each knee.  His chest twinged again as he registered just how big Zander and Kordi had gotten, each of them a solid weight on his thighs, and he briefly wondered when the last time he had noticed was.

     "Am I in trouble?"

     Smiling softly at his son's worried question, Pace ruffled his hair.  "No, buddy.  You're not in trouble."  His smile slowly disappeared.  "I wanted to tell you two that I'm sorry."

     "Why?"

     "Because I haven't been a very good dad to you guys lately.  I haven't been taking care of you the way I should."

     "That's ok, Dad."

     He gave his son a sad smile.  "No, buddy.  It's not ok.  I don't want Roger to be the only one who takes care of you guys...although he does do a good job.  I want to spend time with you because I love you more than anything else in the galaxy."

     His smile became genuine as he squeezed Zander close to him.  "I love you."

     Zander laughed and snuggled into his arm.

     "And I love you," Pace continued as he tickled Kordi in the side.

     She giggled and squirmed.  "Daddy!  Stop!  Tickles!"

     He chuckled and held them close, tears gathering behind his eyes.  He had nearly forgotten how good it felt to hug his children and hear their laughter.  He could almost hear Lena's laugh in Kordi's giggles or feel her arms wrapped around him in Zander's hug.  In this moment, he felt more complete than he had ever been since Lena died.

     "Do you love Baby Rowan too?"

     He laughed, releasing a few joyful tears as he did.  "Of course I love Baby Rowan.  I love each and every one of you very, very much."

     After he wiped his eyes, he hugged them tightly again.  "So today, we're going to do things a little different.  I'm going to hang out with you guys, and Roger's going to fix the starships.  Is that ok with you?"

     Zander nodded so fast his wide smile was nothing but a blur.

     "Ok, Daddy."  Kordi wiggled further into his side.  "I love you."

     Pace kissed the top of her head.  "I love you too, Princess."

     He held them for another minute before letting them slide off his lap, his heart already lighter in his chest than it had been last night.  Zander seemed more cheerful as well, practically bouncing around the kitchen as he got his and Kordi's breakfasts.

     With a wide grin, he stood from his seat and headed toward the caf machine for a drink, knowing he'd likely need a cup or four to get him through the day.  He held his mug over the nozzle and pressed the button.  Nothing.  Frowning, he pressed the button again and again but still nothing happened.

     Rolling his eyes with a sigh, he tugged the blasted machine around to inspect its exposed inner workings.  Just as he thought.  The filter was misaligned again.  He set his mouth into a thin line as he stared at the filter, wondering how he was going to fix it.  Usually, Lena was able to slip her slender fingers in the slot and push it back into place, but the only way that he could realign the piece would be to try and jam his fingers into the machine or to dismantle the whole thing.  Neither option seemed pleasant.

     “What are you doing?”

     Zander's question startled him out of his thoughts, and he turned to find his son standing and watching him from behind.  He smiled at the curious crinkle in the boy's brow and the slight tilt of his head, recognizing that they were the same quirks he himself displayed when confused.

     “Trying to fix the caf machine.  Again.”  He rubbed his forehead with a sigh and studied the filter through the slot in the machine.  If only he could slide his fingers in, he could-  An idea forming in his head, he glanced back at his son, who was still watching him in curiosity.

     “Hey, Zan.  Do you wanna help me?”

     Zander perked up at the offer.  It took a minute, but he nodded enthusiastically and drew closer to the caf machine, peering at all of the wiring and circuitry with wide eyes.

     “Alright, buddy.  What I need you to do is...you see that piece right there?”  He pointed at the filter through the slot.

     “Yeah.”

     “I need you to reach in there and push that piece up.”

     Zander slid his small hand into the slot and grasped the filter.  “This?”

     “Yep.  Just push that up until you hear a click.”

     With a grunt, Zander shoved the part upwards, but it got stuck before it could click into place.  He strained his arm, trying to push harder, but his six-year-old muscles weren't strong enough to force it in.

     “Do you need some help, buddy?”

     Zander looked at him, and he thought the boy was about to shrug him off again like he did the other night.  To his delight, though, Zander simply nodded and allowed him to help push the filter in with a soft click.

     His heart softened at the triumphant grin that spread across his son's face, and he tussled his hair proudly.  “Thanks for your help, big man.  You did awesome!”

     Zander beamed and ran off, presumably up to his room to play.

     “Stay out of Roger's way, please,” he called after him, his son's bright smile still etched firmly in his mind.  He turned back to the caf machine, his own smile widening as the caf started trickling into his mug.  Once it was full, he brought his mug to his lips and was about to take a sip when Kordi rushed in, a sizable bundle of cloth in her arms.

     “Daddy!  Daddy!”

     “What is it, baby girl?”

     She held the cloth out to him and bounced on her tippy toes.  “Can you put dis on me?”

     He took the fabric and carefully unfolded it, his eyes widening as he realized what he was holding.  The powder blue dress was cool and smooth in his hands, made of some soft material that was surely expensive and bordered by delicate lace.  He frowned at the dress before peering down at his daughter.  “Where did you get this?”

     “Mommy.”

     He fingered the velvety cloth, a sad smile spreading across his lips as Lena's memory once again sprang into his mind.  She must have gotten the material from Manda, a friend of hers who had lived on the Upper Ring until several years ago when she had left the Wheel following a difficult divorce.  His throat closed up as he wondered when Lena had made the beautiful dress.  He hadn't even known she could sew like that.

     His grin grew in strength as he knelt down to help Kordi wiggle her way into the dress, noting with a chuckle that it was a tad too small for her.  After only a small bit of difficulty, he fastened her in.  “There you go.  Now you look like a real princess.”

     “Dank you, Daddy.”

     “You're welcome, Princess.”  He wasn't prepared for the tackling hug that his daughter gave him, almost falling back onto his rear with the sudden force.  Tears pricked his eyes as he hugged her against his chest and gave her a quick squeeze, causing her to giggle.

     A sudden cry interrupted the moment, and he released Kordi with a sigh.  “Alright, baby.  I need to see what's up with your little brother.”

     “Ok, Daddy.”

     Pace rose to his feet and approached the rocker that Rowan was laying in, apparently having just woken up from a nap.  “Hey, Ro,” he murmured as he lifted the baby into his arms.  “What's the matter with my little man?”

  Just as earlier in the morning, Rowan only started crying louder at the essential stranger holding him, and Pace's heart panged in his chest.  He gently started bouncing the baby in his arms.  “Hey, it's ok, buddy.  Shh, shh, shh.  You're alright, Ro.”

     He sighed as Rowan continued to wail, wondering what he could possibly do to calm the infant down.  None of his usual strategies ever seemed to work, and he figured the last thing that would soothe his son would be his singing.  Out of ideas and with a migraine starting to settle itself behind his eyeballs, he blew out a frustrated breath through puckered lips.

     Suddenly, a thought entered his aching head.  He pressed his lips into Rowan's belly and blew a loud raspberry.  After a moment, Rowan's cries stopped, and he stared at him as though he had gone crazy.  Smiling, Pace did it again.  Rowan let out a small giggle.  Again and again, he blew raspberries, starting at Rowan's belly before migrating to his side and finally his neck.  By this time, Rowan was smiling, giggling, and squirming happily.

     "There's my happy little man."  He rubbed his nose against Rowan's before giving his son a kiss on the forehead.

     Rowan cooed and reached toward his face with little fingers as though seeing his father for the first time.  Perhaps he was.  Pace smiled through the tears in his eyes and pressed another kiss on his little boy's head.  “Don't worry, buddy,” he whispered.  “Daddy's right here.”

Chapter Text

     "What do you mean you don't like Hawaiian pizza?"

     "Exactly what I said."  Zander plucked another piece of pepperoni from the pizza box and plopped it onto his plate.  He sucked the grease off his fingers as he sat back down in the recliner, scooting to the left when his butt met the annoying spring that poked anyone foolish enough to sit on the chair properly.  He bit off the first third of his slice in one bite.

     "Besides," he mumbled around the cheese and meat in his mouth, "you know I hate pineapple.  And ham."

     "You both are crazy," Kordi muttered, shoving her older brother's feet off the battered coffee table as she entered the kitchen.

     Rowan snagged another piece of pizza from the box in front of him.  "Kordi, you like pineapple, right?"

     "Not on pizza."  She pulled a Diet Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and set it on the counter.  Lifting the lid of the pizza box Zander had raided, she sighed and pulled out a pizza slice.  "And not pineapple flavored things."

     "What things are even pineapple flavored?" Zander piped up, his feet once again firmly on the coffee table.

     Kordi took a small bite of her pizza, grimacing a little at the level of greasiness, and swallowed.  "Candy, lip gloss, gum...I've seen plenty of pineapple flavored things."

     "So, you like pineapples but not pineapple flavored stuff?"

     "Yep."

     "Zander likes strawberry flavored stuff but not actual strawberries."

     Kordi about choked on her next bit of pizza.  "What?"

     "Same thing with raspberries."

     "I don't like the way the seeds get stuck in my teeth."  Zander took a swig of his own Dr. Pepper and shrugged.  "At least I like Oreos, unlike someone I know."

     "I don't mind Oreos," Kordi shot back.  "I just like other cookies better.  And at least I don't dunk mine in orange juice."

     Rowan screwed up his face and poked his tongue out.  In his opinion, his brother had an unhealthy obsession with orange juice, finding ways to put it in or on everything.  He was mildly surprised that Zander didn't dip his pizza in the stuff...unless he hadn't thought of that yet, in which case, Rowan decided he wouldn't say anything about it.

     "It gives it a little tang, that's all," Zander harrumphed as he ripped off a piece of crust and popped it into his mouth.

     "It's downright disgusting."

     "Says the person who puts peppermint in her coffee."  Zander shuddered.

     "That's only on special occasions, and I only put in a small amount.  You can just barely taste it."

     "Still gross."

     "So's orange juice and marshmallows."

     Rowan chuckled as his siblings argued.  Every so often, they'd bicker about their favorite food combinations, with orange juice vs peppermint being their usual argument.  He only half-listened to their squabbling, finishing off his pizza before hopping down from the squeaky bar stool.  He placed his paper plate in the trash and cut in front of Kordi to rifle around in the fridge until he found his prize.  The elder two didn't even pause in their bickering to notice him carrying the pie pan back to his spot at the counter.

     "I'm only saying, orange juice does not go with everything."

     "I agree."

     "Then stop trying to put it on everything!"

     "Is it my fault orange juice happens to be a versatile beverage that can be used in cooking?"

     "You're thinking soda, Zander."

     "No."  Zander jabbed a finger in Kordi's direction.  "You're thinking soda.  I've seen recipes that call for orange juice.  Roger has a few."

     Kordi forced out a laugh.  "Yeah, and we all know how good his cooking is."

     "Cut him some slack, Kordi.  He's a reprogrammed assassin droid, not a chef.  He can barely boil water."

     "He makes some decent grilled cheese," Rowan interjected through his biteful of lemon meringue.

     "That's only because it's bread, butter, and cheese.  Someone would have to be physically trying to screw up in order to— hey!  Who said you could eat pie?"  Zander all but launched himself out of the recliner at the sight of the pie tin on the counter.

     Rowan shrugged as he tucked into his second piece.  "I did."

     Once she had recovered from her shock, Kordi folded her arms across her chest.  "Rowan Freeman, you know you're supposed to ask before having dessert."

     "Yeah."  Zander dropped his scowl as he peeked into the tin.  "Is there any for me?"

     "Really?  You're supposed to be the adult with me."

     Zander waved a hand, face full of lemon meringue.  "Screw adulting, Kordi.  There's pie."

     Despite her best efforts, a smile twitched on her lips, and she grabbed her own slice of pie.  "Fine.  We can dispense with the adulting.  Just this once."

     Rowan grinned.  Despite them having differing opinions on orange juice and pineapples, he knew there was one thing the three of them could agree on: lemon meringue pie.

END

Chapter Text

     Pace locked the shop door, feeling his spirits sink with the click of the lock.  He turned on the security system, not that it was necessary.  They had nothing valuable and barely had any money for anyone to swipe, a fact that was a bittersweet blessing.

     He sighed as he made his way through the shop, double checking to make sure things were locked up or powered down.  Business was all but nonexistent.  Except for the occasional repair job, the shop had been empty of any customers.  He hadn't sold any ships either.

     It was getting harder to find a positive outlook on things, he realized.  With the threat of eviction and worry for his children, there wasn't much room for optimism in his mind.  He wondered if things would be any different if Lena were still here.

     His heart ached thinking about her, but he held back the tears.  He couldn't fall into that trap again.  Feeling sorry for himself and wallowing in grief wouldn't bring in customers or pay the rent, as much as he missed her presence.

     With heavy steps and a pile of rocks forming in the pit of his stomach, he headed to his room.  Just as he was about to climb into bed, however, he caught the soft thumps of little feet behind him.

     "Da!"

     Despite his worries, Pace felt his heart lighten as Rowan grabbed onto his pants.  Unable to resist the powerful urge to smile, he lifted his youngest into his arms and ruffled his hair.  "What are you doing up, Ro?"

     Rowan snuggled into his neck.  "Love you, Da."

     "I love you too, buddy," he chuckled, rubbing their noses together.

     Rowan giggled and nestled back into his embrace.

     "Alright, little man.  Let's get you to bed."

     He carried Rowan to bed, tucking him in with a kiss on the head.  "Goodnight, buddy."

     "Night, Da," Rowan replied, cuddling his stuffed Loth-cat with a sleepy smile.

     Smiling, Pace settled into his own bed.  Although the worries were still there, they felt smaller and lighter than before.  For a while at least.

END

Chapter Text

     Zander couldn't say he was surprised.  He should have known that Naare and Graballa would find them eventually, despite their best efforts to stay hidden.  But seriously?  They had only been home for less than ten flarxing minutes before the bad guys had swooped in and subdued them with handcuffs.

     He strained against said handcuffs, his face hot from embarrassment or anger or possibly both, before shooting their Sith captor the ugliest scowl he could manage.  “You're out of luck, Naare.”

     “Rowan has the last crystal, and we don't even know where he is,” Kordi added.

     “And even if we did, we'd never tell you!”  He spat the words out with the fury of a wet nexu.

     “Ever!”

     “Ah, but there are ways of bringing him here.”  Naare approached him with a wicked smile, digging a sharp finger into his chest.  “You see, through the Force, he will feel your pain.”

     “Pain?  Ha!  You wanna talk pain?  I can take pain.”  He sucked in several breaths, readying himself for the blows.  He had survived an Imperial interrogation droid; surely, he could handle whatever Naare threw at him.  “Do your worst!”

     She regarded him with an eerie calm that made his stomach crawl.  “Oh, I will.  But I'm not talking physical pain.”

     Beside him, Kordi ever so slightly stiffened.  “You're not?”

     Naare turned away from them, folding her hands behind her back.  “No, that's Vader's game.  So unimaginative.”  She paused a moment, looking up at their ship and tilting her head as though studying it for the first time.

     “Zander?  Have I ever told you how much I admire the StarScavenger?  I can tell you've put a lot of work into her.”

     Despite everything, he flushed at the praise.  “Well, yeah.  Not to brag, but I've made quite a few modifications and-”

     The rest of his sentence died in his throat when she casually reached up and tore off the entire right gunner section of the ship.  His breath froze midway out his windpipe as she tore off the left side as well.  His legs buckled even as tears rushed to his eyes because she couldn't know, she didn't know, it was a coincidence, how could she have known-

     All at once, the memories rushed forward.  The turret falling.  The resounding thud as it hit the floor.  The paralyzing cold that had surged through his system as he bolted to where he had been standing.  The pale, lifeless man crushed under the heavy ship piece.  Tears.  So many tears.

     Naare's tattooed face suddenly filled his vision.  “All that hard work,” she cooed, a victorious glint in her dark eyes.  “This must be very upsetting for you.”

     Around them, Graballa's gang began laughing, but all he heard were the panicked screams.  “Dad!  Dad, wake up!  Please!”

     A weight on his arm chased the trauma away enough that he could hear the present again, Kordi's voice cutting through the static.  “It's ok, Zander.  It's just a ship.  We can rebuild it.”

     Her tone told him that she was just as upset as he was, but she knew Naare's game.  The Sith wanted him to react.  Swallowing thickly, he stuffed the memories back into their crate and slammed the lid shut.  He could do this.  “Rebuild...tough,” he managed to squeeze out, still wrestling with the painful memories that were scrambling to come out now that they had had their first taste of freedom in a long while.

     Naare was speaking again, but he wasn't listening.  Instead, he bit his trembling lip to try and keep the sobs at bay.  Suddenly, he was nine years old, watching his father die all over again.  He remembered the wet, gasping breaths his dad had sucked in as he fought to stay alive.  He remembered the way his dad's eyes had started to dim like twin stars on the verge of collapse.  He remembered the promise he had made, to protect his siblings no matter what.

     Kordi's whimpers broke through his traumatic memories, and he snapped his attention back to Naare in time to see a small incinerator floating over to them.  His eyes quickly flicked to the money box nestled in the crook of the Sith's arm, and he did a double-take at the small number of credits inside.  How did those get there?  He thought they had grabbed all of their credits when they had left the Wheel, thinking that they weren't going to be coming back.

     Naare grinned viciously as she turned on the incinerator and started tossing in credits.  “Look, Kordi.  You have credits.  To.  Burn!”

     Somehow, Kordi managed to hold strong.  Stronger than Graballa, anyway.  The babbling Hutt was a decent distraction from his spiraling thoughts, though, and he wrested his jaw as he fought the memories back into their proper place.

     The Sith growled low in her throat at Graballa's retreating form, clearly upset that he had interrupted her fun.  “Enough games,” she announced, tossing the money box and incinerator away.  Her gaze locked onto his, and he could feel the blood draining from his face at her hard stare.  “Let's hit you where it really hurts.”

     Wait...that was the tame stuff?  He didn't have time to imagine what other horrors she could do before she had collected a ship in her grasp and...the Blazemaker.  Oh no.  Oh no no no...

     “No!  Not the Blazemaker!  Not my baby!”  Not the ship he had carefully crafted himself out of parts that he had hand-picked and cleaned from each salvage mission.  Not the ship he had designed in his father's memory.  He wasn't even aware that he had been attempting to shuffle over to it until one of Graballa's Gotal minions yanked him back.

     “Yes.  Your.  Baby!”

     There was nothing subtle or casual about the way she tore the starfighter apart, pieces savagely ripped from their bearings with screeches of protest.  He could only watch, his heart seemingly torn to bits along with his precious ship.  The lid on the crate of emotions he had kept shut for years finally sprang open, unhindered and unchecked as a wail tore through his throat.

     “Hey.”  He didn't miss the way Kordi's whisper shook uncontrollably.  She pressed her shoulder against his.  “You ok?”

     He couldn't take his eyes off the pieces of the StarScavenger and the Blazemaker laying on the hangar floor.  “No.”  Their father's lifeless face assaulted his mind again.  “I couldn't keep my promise.”

     She shoved herself further into his side.  “Yes, you did.  You kept us together when times got super hard.  You encouraged Rowan when I didn't want to accept his new abilities.  You've never once failed to keep your promise to Dad.  He would be proud of you.”

     He shook his head, not wanting to believe the things his sister was saying.  “Doesn't matter now.  We're not going to be here much longer.”

     To his shock, Kordi grasped him in a hug as best she could through the handcuffs, burying her face in his neck.  “Rowan's safe.  That's all that matters.”

     He glanced at Naare out of the corner of his eye, swallowing at the disturbingly calm expression on her face as she started to pace the floor.  He could only hope that his sister was right.  He didn't want to watch another member of his family take their final breath.

END

Chapter Text

     A soft breeze whispered through the towering trees of Alistan Nor and ruffled the hair of a young man sitting amid the branches, his eyes peacefully closed.  The jungle was calm today, and Rowan breathed in the sweet forest aroma of moss and flowers with a smile, thankful for a little break from his building project.

     He reached out through the Force, searching for any hint of his family.  His smile broadened when a tiny seed of joy blossomed in his heart.  His niece's happiness was soon lost in the swelling sea of the Force, however, and the feeling disappeared along with it.  Knitting his brow in concentration, he attempted to find his siblings or sister-in-law, but he felt nothing.

     Opening his eyes, he let out a sigh.  He had tried to learn more about this "feeling things through the Force" thing but there wasn't much in the Alistan Nor teachings about it.  From what little he could glean out of the ancient texts, however, it sounded as though it was generally negative feelings like pain or fear that one could sense.  Rowan figured his ability to sense positive emotions stemmed from his closeness to his family and was his only way of being with them from so far away.

     But it wasn't the same as actually being there.

     Although it brought him a bit of comfort to feel the small glimmers of their happiness through the Force, it often felt as though he were standing behind a force field.  He could feel them, sometimes he could almost see them, but he could never quite reach them, no matter how hard he focused.

     He hated having to stay far from his siblings and the niece he had never even met, but he knew if he went to visit them that he would only find it harder to leave them again.  As desperately as he wanted to go home, he knew that it was best for everyone if he stayed here.

     A coldness suddenly seeped into his heart, and he jolted upright when he realized that the feeling was coming from somewhere close.  He peered through the trees in an attempt to locate the source of the disturbance, pressing himself close to the branch he was occupying when the grumble of slow, heavy footfalls reached his ears.

     A gundark limped into view, his fur pale with age and his breath coming out in labored grunts.  The beast's teeth were cracked and worn from battling rival males, and one of his ears bore a jagged tear through the lower half.  His gait was stiff as though his joints had long since given up proper motion.

     Rowan watched the creature drag itself through the forest underbrush, the heaviness in his chest growing with each passing moment.  He closed his eyes and focused, allowing the emotions to filter through.

     Pain...fear...loneliness...

     He climbed down the tree and carefully followed the gundark's path, taking care to keep some distance between them.  After a couple more minutes of slow, labored travel, the gundark finally collapsed with a groan to the forest floor, leaning against a tree with a heavy sigh.

     Rowan crept closer, the emotions dragging his heart lower with each step.  When he was a short distance away, the gundark glanced at him with sad, tired eyes and simply laid his head on the dead leaves littering the ground.  Rowan continued his slow approach until he was standing right beside the dying beast and placed a hand upon its rough fur.

     The gundark uttered a long groan but made no move to hurt the youth.

     Rowan ran his hand over the creature's heaving chest before gently brushing several twigs out of the beast's fur.  "I know," he murmured softly, petting the gundark's neck.   "I know what it's like to feel alone, without anyone to share your pain or fears with."

     The gundark gave a labored huff.  He shifted his head so Rowan could scratch his chin and closed his eyes, enjoying the human's affection in his final moments.

     With tears stinging his eyes, a warmth spread through his being as he sat with the gundark.  Peace flooded his soul as the beast heaved one final breath before growing still.  Rowan managed to smile even as several tears trickled free, happy that at least one soul didn't have to spend his last moments alone.

     "Farewell," he whispered as the cold loneliness enveloped him yet again.

END

Chapter Text

     The war was finally over.  After the Empire officially surrendered at Jakku, anything seemed possible.  So, when Zander suggested going back to their shop and reopening the place, the answer had been unanimous.

     Rowan sucked in a breath as the Wheel came into view.  Aside from a short trip there to find a part for the Arrowhead about a year ago, they hadn't been to their old shop‒their home‒in nearly two years.  He briefly wondered if Wick Cooper still owned the place, or if Furlac had rented the space out to someone else.  Either way, he was excited to see their shop again, even if it was a disaster zone.

     Zander parked the StarScavenger at one of the many ports adjacent to the Lower Ring, easing them up to the airlock until the ship shuddered from the slight impact.  He took his hands off the controls with a slow exhale before turning to address the rest of the crew behind him.

     "Ok," he began, voice trembling with emotion.  "Let's go home."

     Kordi and Rowan gazed at each other with wide smiles.  Roger stood nearby, his face expressionless but they were sure he was as excited as they.  Becky also smiled, the Freemakers' excitement infectious despite her having no emotional attachment to their shop.

     The crew meandered their way through the Lower Ring, avoiding piles of trash and discarded stormtrooper armor as they headed toward the elevators.  Their excitement built during the short ride up to the Middle Ring until, at last, the door opened to reveal the familiar walkway.

     Rowan sprinted down the hall, passing five shop doors before skidding to a stop at the entrance to their home.  As indescribable emotions tumbled through his body, he glanced up to where the neon sign used to be.  Nothing was there.  Maybe Wick didn't own the place after all.  Once the rest had caught up to him, Rowan pressed the button to open the door.

     One by one, they filed through the lobby and into the workshop, whereupon the Freemaker siblings gasped.

     The piles of junk that had been littered about during their last visit there had all been cleared.  Shelves of neatly organized ship parts lined the far wall, and rows of polished tools hung on the right wall.  On the left side of the hangar bay, four starships roughly the size of a Y-wing sat in a row, some of their parts mismatched but otherwise sound.  The entire area looked like their repair shop but if someone had come in and cleaned and organized everything in their absence.  As if someone had expected them to return.

     "Did Furlac...clean the place for us?" Rowan asked, glancing around at how clean the area was.  He couldn't remember their shop ever looking this nice.

     "No," Kordi countered.  "That scumweasel would go broke before he cleaned anything."

     "More likely someone else owns the place now," Zander agreed.

     "Honey!  We have customers!"  The female voice came from somewhere above them (likely the office), but they were unable to catch a glimpse of the owner of said voice.

     After a short moment, a man emerged from the back of the shop, wiping his hands on an old rag.  He appeared to be in his early forties, some graying hairs starting to show around his temple, but otherwise seemed younger than he looked.  Spots of brownish fluid dotted his bright orange mechanic suit from working on starships.  The man wore a kind smile as he approached, eyes still cast to his hands.

     "Well then, folks.  What can I do for..."  His sentence trailed off as he finally glanced up to see his visitors.

     His smile vanished, being replaced with a face possessing a swirl of emotions.  Shock, disbelief, and hesitation floated over the man's face as he gazed at each of the siblings in turn.  As his gaze landed on Rowan, tears welled in his eyes.  He glanced over them again, a smile spreading on his trembling lips.

     "You're home," he whispered, so quiet they could barely hear.

     He turned his head upward without taking his eyes off the scavengers.  "Lena!  Lena, come here!"

     Shuffling sounded from the level above as someone made their way to the lift.  The lift came down to the main floor, and a dark-skinned woman close in age to the man exited the platform.  The woman had flowing, dark brown hair with thin streaks of gray and warm, brown eyes surrounded by the beginnings of wrinkles.  She wore a simple, deep pink tunic and a long, black skirt with a red and gold patterned shawl tied around her waist.

     "What is it, Pace?"

     As she approached, her steps slowed and she put her hands to her mouth.  Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she crept closer, slow and cautious as if she might scare them away.  She reached out a shaking hand and brushed some of Zander's hair away from his face.  Her gaze turned to Kordi and Rowan, and suddenly her tears turned to full sobs.

     "My children," she cried.  "My children have returned."

     Zander and Kordi stared with gaped mouths, trying to process the fact that their parents, whom they had presumed deceased for nearly ten years, were not only alive but standing right before them.  Rowan, quite young when their parents vanished, studied them with a sense of vague familiarity.

     Zander found his voice first.  "But...how?  We thought you were dead!"

     Pace came up beside Lena and wrapped his arm around her as though to calm her from her joy.  "We almost were.  We left to pick up a shipment of parts from a dealer, if you remember, but we ran into a bit of trouble with the Empire.  We tried our best to find a way to come and get you, but the risk was too great.  We could only hope that you would be able to manage without us until things settled down.  Once we heard of the Empire's defeat at Endor, we knew it was safe for us to come home.

     "But when we got here, you were gone.  Your mother convinced me to reopen the shop, because she figured if you were still alive that you would come home someday.  And here you are!  My children...all grown up."

     Zander and Kordi embraced their parents, tears of joy flowing down their faces.  Never had they dared to hope their parents were still alive, and yet here they were.

     Lena broke away from her two eldest and stroked Rowan's cheek.  "You were so small when I saw you last.  And now look at you!"

     He smiled sheepishly.  "I'm thirteen now."

     "My little boy is becoming a man!" Pace laughed, giving his youngest a tight hug.  He spied the droid behind him and smiled broad.

     "Roger!  I'm glad you're here!"  The man gave Roger a slap on the shoulder.  "Thank you for watching out for them."

     "It wasn't easy," the droid muttered.

     But Pace had already noticed the new arrival who was not a member of the family.  "And who's this?" he asked with a grin.

     Zander blushed hard.  "Um, that's my girlfriend. Becky."

     "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

     Lena's face lit up in recognition.  "Manda's little girl?  Oh, Becky!  It's so good to see you!  I was friends with your mother before she left the Wheel."

     Zander's expression was one of utter confusion as his mother embraced Becky with a fond smile.  Kordi stood off to the side with an amused grin on her face while Rowan chuckled behind a fist.

     Pace stood between the younger two with a contented smile upon his features.  "So," he began, glancing at each of his children, "where in the galaxy have you all been?"

     Rowan gazed at his siblings with a wide grin before looking at his father.  "It's a long story, Dad.  It all started when we took a trip to Nal Kapok..."

END

Chapter Text

     Lena woke up feeling nauseous, but it wasn't because of the baby.  She had promised herself that today she would tell Pace the news.  As she sat up, her throat became sticky, and her body ached as if to plead with her to reconsider.  Gritting her teeth, she rose to dress herself, ignoring the urge to crawl back into bed.

     She paused as she slipped on her dress, her hand coming to rest on her protruding stomach.  She had discovered the bump several days ago, and it was one of the major reasons why she had decided to tell him today.  Though her waist was still rather small and the bump completely unnoticeable if she wore her shawl around herself, it wouldn't be long before she was too big to hide it any longer.  Once she was sure she was presentable, she sucked in a shaky breath and headed down to the main floor of the shop.

     As she made her way to the space where her partner was working, a clang sounded through the hangar, followed by a series of mutterings from Pace as he tinkered with a light cruiser.  He tossed a piece behind himself before slamming his fists into the hull with a loud curse.  She froze as those unnatural words left his lips, and her stomach twisted at the redness of his face.

     "Why would she lie to me?"  Pace yanked out another ship component and tossed it onto the floor behind himself with a growl.  "Did she really think I wouldn't find out?"

     Lena bit her lip to fight her tears.  Her worst nightmare had come true after all.  Pace had found out the truth and would no doubt want nothing more to do with her.  Her heart felt as though it were shrinking in her chest, and she suddenly felt sick.

     Pace grabbed a wrench and paused, clutching it so hard she could see his knuckles turning pale.  "If I never see her again, it'll be too soon."

     Hearing enough of Pace's fuming, Lena shuffled away from where he was and headed toward the shop door, her eyes stinging.  The first few sobs came forth as she exited the shop and walked down the hall toward the elevators.  She entered one and pressed the lowest button, her stomach plummeting along with the elevator.

     How could she have been so stupid?  She had vowed she would have nothing to do with partners ever again after what had happened the last time she had trusted someone this much.  But she had been blinded by hope that Pace would be different than last time and yes, by love as well.  Something about his naivety and innocence had been charming.  The way hope flashed in his eyes.  The way he trusted and saw the good in everyone, even Lando.  She closed her eyes, wishing she didn't have to be the reason Pace had to have that trust shaken.

     The elevator opened with a whine, revealing trash-infested walkways and suspicious folk slipping through the shadowed hall.  Careful to keep her cool, she headed toward the gambling hub, where laughter and curses abounded.  The scent of smoke and sweaty patrons filled her nose, causing her to grimace as she fought the urge to throw up.  She meandered her way to the bar and sat at the counter, ignoring the activity around her.

     She had to leave this place.  Surely the Empire had ceased looking for her by now.  She should be safe as long as she stayed away from high profile planets like Coruscant and Canto Bight.  Maybe a backwater planet like Tatooine or Jakku.

     Her thoughts were interrupted as a burly man smelling heavily of sweat and alcohol sat in the seat beside her, yelling at the bartender for a drink.  He happened to glance her way and gave her a crooked grin that looked more like a sneer with his heavy, scarred lower lip.

     "What brings a pretty lass like you to a slime pit like this?"

     "I need to get out of here."  She kept her tone guarded to prevent any further questions.  She had been fooled once too many times into trusting others; she wouldn't let it happen again.

     The man let out a roaring laugh.  "'Course you do. A nice lass doesn't belong in a place like this."

     "I mean off the Wheel."

     "I know, lass."  He drank the liquid in his glass and his smile broadened.  "I tell ya...I've a ship.  I could take ya.  Wherever you wish to go.

     "For a small fee," he added with a wink.

     "I don't have credits on me."

     The man shrugged before leaning closer to her, his scent invading her space.  "We could work something out," he purred as he stroked the hair spilling out from under her shawl.

     Squirming over to the other edge of her seat, she pulled her shawl tighter around herself.  She couldn't tell if he was too drunk to know what he was saying or if he was truly serious, but she had no desire to find out.  Her defiance must have amused him, however, because he howled in laughter.

     He ordered two drinks then turned to her.  "I'll be leaving after the podrace.  I've got money on Motz.  I'll come get you after."  He swigged one glass and pushed the other towards her with a grin.  "See ya then, lass."  With that, he swaggered off in the direction of the podraces.

     She stared after him until he disappeared.  With unfeeling fingers, she reached for the glass and brought it to her lips.  As she gazed into the deep green liquid, however, her belly clenched and she decided against it.  She brought her hand to her stomach to try and ease the stuttering feeling there but paused when she brushed the small bulge under her dress.

     She wasn't sure what she planned to do once she was off the Wheel.  Tatooine and Jakku weren't ideal places to raise a child, but neither was an Imperial prison.  And she had no idea how she was going to provide for herself and a baby on her own.

     She shook her head.  She'd figure out something.  Now wasn't the time to worry about such things.  First, she had to get out of here...preferably not with a drunken podracing gambler.  As she was thinking of some way to leave, she heard a familiar panicked voice cut through the constant hum of the gambling patrons.

     "Lena?  Lena?"

     She risked a peek behind herself and saw Pace weaving his way through the various tables and crowds, his eyes wide and his skin pale.  Hoping he missed her, she shrunk into her shawl and kept her head low.  Her ears burned as he continued to call her name, and she squirmed at the tight feeling in her chest.  The frantic tone in Pace's voice squeezed her heart despite her best efforts to ignore him.

     "Lena!"

     Her skin prickling, she turned to find Pace squeezing his way between two patrons and coming towards her, his previously strained features having relaxed.  She quickly faced the other way, preparing what she would say to him.  She was in the middle of running an apology through her mind when he sat on the stool beside her with a sigh of relief.

     "Lena!  I've been looking everywhere for you!"  He flicked his eyes to the shady characters milling around.  "What are you doing down here?"

     "I'm leaving."  She cringed as her terse tone made her words sound more forceful than she had intended.  She stared at the counter to avoid his eyes.  "You don't have to make me."

     "Why would I make you leave?" he finally asked.

     "Because I didn't tell you sooner.  I...I was afraid of what you'd say.  I thought you'd leave me...like my first partner did."

     After a moment of silence, he placed a tender hand on her shoulder, and she involuntarily froze at his touch.  "Lena, I wouldn't turn you over to the Empire.  You know me better than that."

     "I didn't mean Zradca."  She inhaled a slow, shaky breath and squeezed her eyes shut as though the action would force the name out of her throat.  "I meant my first partner. Tarver Dion.

     "I was fifteen when I met him on the Ring of Kafrene.  He said he was nineteen, though I doubt it looking back on it now.  We worked cons together and became pretty close.  He said one day he'd take me to the richest places in the galaxy, where we'd have everything we wanted..."

     A tremble entered her voice, and she hugged her shawl close around her shoulders as she continued.  "Then, one day, I found out I was pregnant.  At first, he thought I was joking.  I told him that I wasn't and that it was his child, but that only made him angry.  He-"

     She paused as a sob ripped through her throat, her nose wet and her body shaking.  "He beat me.  He kept yelling that I was lying, that I was a worthless female and other terrible things.  And then, he just...left.  I never saw him again."

     She was suddenly aware of Pace's hand around hers and her cheek upon his shoulder.  She buried her face into the crook of his neck and unleashed her pain as sob after sob bubbled forth.  He said nothing but held her, his own tears dripping onto her cheeks.

     Once she had calmed down and sat up again, he gave her a weak smile and squeezed her hands in his.  He gazed at them for a moment before he met her eyes again.  "What happened to-"

     "I lost the baby about a month later."  Her voice strained as she numbly watched their hands, her eyes also lingering on her hidden secret.

     "I'm so sorry, Lena.  I can't even imagine how hard that must've been for you.  But I still don't understand why you thought I wanted you to leave."

     "I overheard you in the shop this morning, talking about how I had lied to you and how you never wanted to see me again."  She attempted to hide in her shawl, feeling his eyes scrutinizing her.

     "Lena."

     His kind tone lifted a touch of her fear away, and she looked up at him.  His smiling face was flushed a pale pink.

     "I wasn't talking about you.  One of our customers left the Wheel before she paid for the starship I sold her.  I was upset and I guess I started ranting out loud."  He touched her arm, his voice gentle.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean for you to think I was angry with you."

     Her stomach lightened a little as this information sank in.  Suddenly, she felt incredibly silly, and the corners of her mouth pulled into a weak imitation of a smile.  "I guess my past experiences and paranoia made me jump to conclusions," she confessed, her neck warm.

     He chuckled, his eyes bright and sparkling again.  "That's alright.  I'm just glad that we have everything straightened out."

     She tried to smile, but her stomach turned, reminding her that she still had one more obstacle to overcome.  Taking a deep breath, she grasped his hands tight.  "Pace, I...I have something to tell you."

     His relieved smile slowly vanished.  "What?  Is something else wrong?"

     Unable to find the words to tell him, she simply placed one of his hands over her belly, watching his eyes slowly widen as he felt the bulge hidden under her dress.  She tensed as he gazed into her eyes, her breath stuck in her throat.

     "We're having a baby?"

     "Yes, we are."  She tried to swallow the numbness in her throat.  "I'm sorry I haven't told you.  I was afraid that...well..."

     "That I would abandon you?"  He pulled her close to him.  "Lena, I would never leave the love of my life."  At this, he kissed her forehead.

     "So...you're not angry?"

     "Are you kidding? I'm excited!"

     His face broke out into an infectious grin that caused her fears to evaporate into a grin of her own.  For the first time since she had discovered her pregnancy, she rubbed her belly with a smile.

     Pace stood and helped her off her stool.  "Let's go home."

     She grinned as he wrapped an arm around her, and she allowed him to lead her back to their home, vowing to never doubt his love for her ever again.

END

Chapter Text

     Pace lay awake while the rest of the Wheel was still slumbering.  He couldn't believe how dishonest some people could be, even though he really should have known better.  When a customer had asked if she could hold off on payments for a week until her husband got paid, Pace had agreed without a second thought, knowing the pain of having to stretch his credits.  The week passed, and there was no payment, but he figured he'd give her a little extra time, just in case.  However, when he had gone to see about the payment yesterday, he'd been informed that the woman had left the Wheel shortly after "purchasing" the starship from him.  To say he was upset wouldn't have scratched the surface of how he felt.

     He rolled over and discreetly checked the time so as to not disturb Lena beside him.  It was still pretty early in the morning, but he couldn't lay in bed any longer.  With a soft grunt, he slipped out of bed and strolled down the hallway to the ladder.

     Once on the main floor, he stepped into the kitchen to grab a liwi fruit to munch on, hoping to calm himself down.  He bit into the fruit, its usual sweet juice turned sour by his angry thoughts.  The action of biting and chewing the fruit only somewhat distracted him from his frustrations, however, and he found his temper flaring hotter the more he tried to tamp it down.  Finally, after several more bites, he tossed the fruit into the trash with a grimace, the sour taste coating his mouth with its distasteful flavor.

     That done, he spied a light cruiser that he'd been working on fixing up and decided a little repair work could help clear his mind.  He grabbed his toolkit, plunking it beside the ship with a long sigh, and cracked open the squeaky engine hatch.

     For a little while, he simply poked and prodded at the engine components, his mind at a numb lull.  However, his temper started heating up again when he found a certain part that hadn't been installed properly, sticking out like a hex wing on a Jedi starfighter.

     "Why would anyone install that there?  Anyone with a brain can see that's not where an ion filter goes," he mumbled to himself as he yanked the component out, tossing it behind himself without caring where it ended up.

     As he continued studying the wiring and tubing, the entire engine system suddenly looked like a wrong and jumbled mess, and he slammed his fists onto the hull, shouting a curse.  Gritting his teeth, he started digging furiously into the engine, his mind automatically going back to the payment issue.

     "Why would she lie to me?"  He jerked out the hyperdrive coolant tube and chucked it behind his back with a growl, his temper burning his face with unleashed fury.  "Did she really think I wouldn't find out?"

     He grabbed a wrench from his toolkit, imagining it was a certain customer's shirt he was clutching.  "If I never see her again, it'll be too soon."

     Growling, he tightened a bolt on the engine, his arm pumping furiously.  He fumed as his wrench suddenly resisted movement, unable to tighten anymore.  After several fruitless tries to get the bolt to budge further, he finally paused, his breathing heavy and sweat dripping from his forehead.  The cloud of anger slowly dissipated, leaving him feeling drained and empty.  With a long, shaky sigh, he gently set the wrench upon the hull of the cruiser and ran a damp hand over his face.

     Allowing a calming breath into his lungs, he let his head fall onto his crossed arms, wondering why problems insisted on causing trouble in his life.  It wasn't like he deserved such punishment.  He smirked, imagining Lena describing him as "cursed".

     His smile fell when he realized that he hadn't seen her yet this morning.  He glanced around, craning his neck to peek into the kitchen, and frowned when he didn't see her anywhere.  He pushed himself off the starship and wandered around the hangar a little in case he had missed her.  When he didn't find her in the workshop, he climbed up the series of ladders to check their bedroom.

     Lena had told him that she hadn't been feeling well lately and so had been sleeping in most mornings as a result.  Perhaps she wasn't feeling well this morning and had decided to stay in bed, he thought as he opened their bedroom door.  He was greeted by an empty room, with no sign of Lena anywhere.

     He backtracked to the bathroom, gently rapping on the door with his knuckles.  "Lena?  Are you in there?"  When he received no answer, he peeked inside to find the room void of life.

     As if in a trance, he quickly searched the remaining rooms on the second floor, his heart sinking lower with each empty room he found.  By the time he checked the last room, his mouth had dried and his feet moved on autopilot as he began panicking.  Where could she be?  Had the Empire somehow taken her away while he was distracted by the payment problem?  Or had Graballa shown up and taken her as compensation for the starfighter?

     He numbly descended the ladders again, stumbling toward the shop exit with shaking hands.  Once outside the shop, he whipped his head around in hopes of catching sight of her long, dark hair or her brightly colored dress, but the sea of bodies and faces blended together to his frantic eyes.  He spied a droid window washer nearby and cut across the walkway to speak to him.

     "Excuse me."  He gulped in a breath in an attempt to calm his frazzled nerves.  "Have you seen a young woman pass by here recently?  She's about this tall-"  He held his hand up to about Lena's height.  "Dark skin and hair.  Wearing a bright dress and shawl perhaps?"

     The droid swiveled around to point down the hall with his window scraper.  "I saw a young woman of that description pass by here ten point four minutes ago heading towards the elevators."

     Gazing down the direction the washer droid had indicated, Pace gave the droid a friendly nod.  "Thank you!"

     The droid's mechanical reply was lost as Pace jogged to the elevators, his mind a frenzied tangle of thoughts that refused to let him ponder them for more than three seconds before a new set appeared.  He paused at the doors, realizing he had no way of knowing where exactly she had gone.  The elevator to his left opened, unloading its payload of passengers, who passed him without a glance.  He entered the elevator, staring at the buttons with a crinkled brow.

     Of course, Lena wouldn't have been able to go to the Upper Ring, what with its stiff restrictions.  And there wasn't much different on the other level of the Middle Ring that one couldn't find here.  By process of elimination, that left the Lower Ring.  With trembling fingers, he firmly pressed the bottommost button.

     As the feeling of his organs defying gravity filled his senses, he realized that she could have not taken an elevator at all and simply passed them on her way around the hall.  Maybe she had just gone around the Middle Ring for a walk to get some air.  He decided he'd check the Lower Ring real quick before heading back to the middle floor to resume his search.  The door groaned open as though it hated this place, and Pace had to agree.

     It was dark and gloomy with the only light being a few sickly yellow lights along the ceiling that barely pierced the bleak atmosphere.  A single person stood leaning against the wall by the elevators, a thickset Trandosian who flashed his fangs at him as Pace scuttled out of the elevator and headed towards the bar area, the loud hoots and jeers guiding him.

     The bar was obviously the most popular area of the Lower Ring, evidenced by the more abundant lighting and deafening buzz of dozens of gamblers and bar flies.  A particular odor hung in the air, and multiple pairs of eyes peered out from the dankest corners of the area, following the activity in the bar with eerie stares.  A rather unfriendly place to find Lena, but Pace squeezed his way through the crowd of patrons anyway, searching for any sign of her.

     "Lena?  Lena?"

     His body trembled and his skin felt cold as he weaved between bodies, scared of what might happen if he didn't find her anywhere.  He continued calling her name, more desperation leaking into his voice with each shout.  Feeling overwhelmed at the volume and activity around him, Pace was about to turn and head back to the elevators when he spied a familiar shawled figure huddled at the bar counter.

     "Lena!"

     He squeezed between a couple of patrons as the figure peered back at him, and he caught a glimpse of her brown eyes before she faced away again.  He mumbled an apology to a Rodian patron he had accidentally run into, managing to weave his way through the rest of the crowd without incident.  He let out a relieved sigh as he slid onto the stool beside her.

     "Lena!  I've been looking everywhere for you!"  His eyes flitted to several unsavory characters hovering around the area.  "What are you doing down here?"

     "I'm leaving."  She flinched, but her tone was firm as though her mind had been completely made up.  She avoided his gaze as she added, "You don't have to make me."

     His brain stalled at this unexpected answer, and the only thing he could think to ask was "Why would I make you leave?"

     "Because I didn't tell you sooner.  I...I was afraid of what you'd say.  I thought you'd leave me...like my first partner did."

     Unable to unbox the maze of questions her words sprouted, he simply placed a hand on her shoulder, his heart clenching at how she tensed under his touch.  "Lena," he chastised softly.  "I wouldn't turn you over to the Empire.  You know me better than that."

     "I didn't mean Zradca."  She sucked in a breath and scrunched her eyes shut as though the thought was too painful to put voice to.  "I meant my first partner.  Tarver Dion.

     "I was fifteen when I met him on the Ring of Kafrene," she began.  "He said he was nineteen, though I doubt it looking back on it now.  We worked cons together and became pretty close.  He said one day he'd take me to the richest places in the galaxy, where we'd have everything we wanted..."

     He listened carefully as she described her relationship with this man, his heart waiting for the story to turn for the worse.  Sure enough, she wrapped her shawl tighter around herself as a tremble entered her voice.

     "Then, one day, I found out I was pregnant..."

     He wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting her to say, but it certainly hadn't been that.  He was still processing this turn of events when she let out a choked sob, her body shaking.  Without hesitation, he grasped her hand in his.

     "He beat me.  He kept yelling that I was lying, that I was a worthless female and other terrible things."  Her head migrated to his shoulder as she continued, fighting back against the flood of tears.  "And then, he just...left.  I never saw him again."

     She seemed to realize where her head was at that moment because she buried her face into his neck, sobbing hard and trembling uncontrollably.  He had no words to say, tears of his own falling onto her cheeks to mix with hers.  After a few minutes, her sobs slowed, and she sat up again.

     He gave her the best smile he could muster and gently squeezed her hands.  He gazed down at them before a thought entered his mind, and he glanced up at her again.  "What happened to-"

     "I lost the baby about a month later."  Her voice was rather tired, and her eyes lingered on their intertwined hands, avoiding his gaze.

     "I'm so sorry, Lena.  I can't even imagine how hard that must've been for you."  He crinkled his brow and tilted his head.  "But I still don't understand why you thought I wanted you to leave."

     "I overheard you in the shop this morning, talking about how I had lied to you and how you never wanted to see me again."  She huddled into her shawl as though she were hiding from him.

     His face heated up a little when he realized she had heard him ranting about the payment issue.  He smiled at how silly he was for getting so worked up about such a trivial thing.

     "Lena."

     She glanced up at him, her anxious gaze melting a bit as she did.

     "I wasn't talking about you.  One of our customers left the Wheel before she paid for the starship I sold her.  I was upset and I guess I started ranting out loud."  He brushed his fingers against her arm and softened his tone further.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean for you to think I was angry with you."

     Lena's face slowly relaxed, and she twitched her lips into an awkward almost-smile.  "I guess my past experiences and paranoia made me jump to conclusions."

     He chuckled, his heart lighter now that they had come to an understanding.  "That's alright.  I'm just glad that we have everything straightened out."

     She appeared to try and smile, but it fell short as though there was still something on her mind.  She inhaled deeply and squeezed his hands tightly.

     "Pace, I...I have something to tell you."

     His smile fell and his gut sank again, wondering what other terrible things Lena had been through in her earlier years.  "What?  Is something else wrong?"

     Instead of answering, she moved his hand over her belly.  At first, he wasn't quite sure what she was getting at.  And then he felt it.  A small bump, barely noticeable, hidden by her shawl.  His brows shot up, and he gazed straight into her eyes with shock.

     "We're having a baby?"

     "Yes, we are."  She swallowed thickly.  "I'm sorry I haven't told you.  I was afraid that...well..."

     "That I would abandon you?" he finished.  He brought her closer to him.  "Lena, I would never leave the love of my life."  To prove his point, he kissed her forehead.

     "So...you're not angry?"

     "Are you kidding?  I'm excited!"  His face broke into the biggest grin he'd ever had as the joy of becoming a father flooded his system.  Lena smiled as well, rubbing her stomach where their child rested.

     He stood from his seat and helped Lena down from hers.  "Let's go home."

     He caught her content grin, wrapping his arm around her, as they headed towards the elevator...and home.

END

Chapter Text

     "Hey, Dad!  I got the shipment.  Where do you want it?"

     "Over by the tool rack is fine.  Thanks, sweetie."

     He finished tightening the last bolt on an ion engine before sliding out from under the freighter he had been working on and standing up with a grunt.  He cracked his back and sighed, making a mental note to ask Becky for a massage later.  Rubbing his sore back muscles, he strolled over to check the part shipment.

     "Where's Roger?" Moxie suddenly asked, looking around the hangar.

     He jabbed a thumb behind him.  "In the back room.  Working on a landspeeder, I think."

     "Oh, ok.  I'll go see if he needs any help."

     Smiling, he shook his head as she headed towards the back room, knowing she was more likely to beg Roger for a story than actually help fix the speeder.  He opened the crate and hummed to himself, rummaging through the contents to ensure they were all accounted for.  Pulling out the fuel pump, he grimaced at the layer of grime covering the plasteel shell.

     "Ugh.  The least they could do is send me stuff that's clean," he grumbled, grabbing a nearby rag and scrubbing the pump furiously.

     He had lost track of how long he had been cleaning the blasted part when a sleek star shuttle slid into the hangar bay and landed with a gentle hiss.  The fuel pump forgotten, he strode towards the ship and let out a long whistle as he admired the trim wings, the smooth engines, and the flawless hull.

     "Aren't you a beauty," he murmured as he ran a hand along the side.

     "Don't you dare take it for a spin.  It's not under warranty anymore."

     His face pulled into a frown, and he turned with a huff.  "That was one time, Kordi.  I like to think I've matured a little since then."

     Kordi stood at the end of the boarding ramp with a teasing smirk, her hands upon her hips and her eyes twinkling.  "That remains to be seen."

     Gradually, his face twitched into a smile of his own, and he breathed out a laugh.  Kordi chuckled as well before the two siblings embraced.

     "Ah, Kordi.  Feels like ages since I've seen you.  How have things been?"

     She gave a one-shouldered shrug.  "Can't really complain, I guess.  Aside from the occasional assassination attempt, things have been pretty average."

     "Assassination?"  He sputtered.  "Who?  Why?"

     "Just kidding."  She elbowed him gently in the ribs with a grin.  "Gotcha."

     After he had recovered from his scare, he rolled his eyes.  "Ha ha.  Very funny.  Let's just give Zander a heart attack, why don't we?"  He sighed.  "You're hilarious."

     Ignoring his deadpan, she nudged him again.  "Hey...I've missed teasing you.  Besides, anyone interested in taking me out has to deal with my bodyguard."

     It was then that he noticed the guard standing off to the side, who was eyeing him with careful scrutiny.  He gave the guy a small grin and a wave, but he didn't even react.  Deciding to ignore the less-than-friendly guard, he turned back to his sister.

     "Well, I'm always happy to see you, but I get the feeling this is more than just a social call."

     "I'm afraid you're right, Zander."

     He turned to the new voice, and his face broke out into a smile.  "General Organa!  Or should I call you Senator Organa?  Or...wait...Senator Solo?"

     "Just Leia is fine," Leia interjected, a strange look crossing her face for a brief moment before she smiled at him.  "It's good to see you again."

     "Always a pleasure."  He grasped her hand and kissed it with a big grin.

     "Zander Freemaker!  Are you flirting with the customers again?"

     His smile broadened as he looked back at his wife striding over.  "Becky, Kordi and Leia are here."

     Becky's pout transformed into a huge grin.  "Kordi!"

     Before they could embrace, however, the guard stepped between them.  "No touching the senator."

     Kordi slapped him away.  "Don't talk to my sister-in-law that way!"

     She and Becky shared a hug, giggling at the guard's flustered expression.

     "So, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Zander asked.

     Leia's countenance turned grim.  "There are rumors that the First Order plans to start a war with the New Republic.  I've been unsuccessful in convincing the Senate to fund an army, so I've had to take matters into my own hands.  I'm gathering volunteers for the Resistance, our answer to the First Order."

     As the gravity of the reason for their visit settled, the smile gradually melted off his face.  He had heard whispers of Imperial splinters having banded into the First Order, but the rumors had always made them sound like a nuisance, no more dangerous than a pack of drunk womp rats.  But to declare war on the New Republic?  They must be either incredibly stupid or a much greater threat than he'd originally thought.

     He brought his mind back into the conversation.  "Well...while I'm flattered you came to me," he began, rubbing his grizzled beard, "I'm not sure how I could be of any help.  I'm getting a little old to be fighting any wars."

     "Oh, whatever."  Becky gave him a slight shove with her shoulder.  "You're chomping at the bit to get back in on the action."

     "I wouldn't say 'chomping'.  Besides, I've got a bad back.  And what about you?  And Moxie?  I couldn't just fly off and leave you two-"

     "Actually," Kordi interrupted, "we came to see Moxie.  She's always talked about how she wanted to save the galaxy like we did."

     A sudden heat started rising into his chest at his sister's words, and he squared his jaw.  "No.  Absolutely not.  Not my baby girl."

     "Zander," Becky chastised gently.

     "Becky, they want our baby girl to go to war.  To war!"  He glared at Kordi as though the whole thing were her idea.

     Kordi actually flinched at the heated stare he gave her.  "We're not going to drag her off against her will, Zander.  It'll be her choice."

     His face burning and his hands trembling, he turned away so he couldn't look into his sister's face.  "You want her to wind up risking her life like Rowan did?  Multiple times?" he spat.  Angry tears pricked his eyes, and he closed them to keep the tears from escaping.

     After everything they had been through nearly thirty years ago, Kordi wanted to take his precious little girl and have her fight in a war, one that she might not come back from?  Had she forgotten the near heart attacks and sleepless nights they'd had when Rowan was always running off to be a hero?  Had she forgotten how many times Rowan had almost died because of that?  Did she want him to feel that heartache again?

     A gentle hand brought him out of his thoughts.  He expected it to be Becky or Kordi trying to persuade him but instead found himself looking into Leia's eyes.

     "Zander, I understand your concerns.  Don't think for a moment that I expected this to be easy.  For any of us.  And, you're right.  She may put her life at risk.

     "But it's not about the fighting.  It never is.  It's giving her the opportunity to help people who can't fight for themselves.  To be one of the people willing to fight for our future...for her future."

     She gave him an understanding smile.  "At least give her a chance.  She may surprise you."

     He released an explosive sigh.  "She's in the back room," he muttered.  He waited, listening as they left to recruit his little baby.

     "Zander."

     He glanced up to find Becky standing before him, concern in her eyes.  The tears from earlier surfaced again, and he blinked them away.

     "How can we just let her go?  Knowing we may never see her again?"

     "I don't know."

     He looked away so he wouldn't see her cry, knowing that he would start crying if he saw her tears.  "I can't believe Kordi would want to bring her into this," he grumbled.

     "You were a part of the Rebellion," Becky pointed out.

     He shook his head.  "That was different.  All of us were in the Rebellion, and that was only because it was the safest place for us at the time."

     "So...it had nothing to do with the fact that the Empire was conquering the galaxy?  Nothing to do with helping the last hope for the people?  Nothing to do with saving the galaxy for the next generation to live in peace?"

     He snorted.  "Rowan was the one who helped save the galaxy.  All I did was fix things and get in the way."

     "Well...there's more than one way to save the galaxy.  Besides..."  She smiled and kissed his cheek.  "I think you did a little more than that."

     He smirked at her before his face fell again.  "So, we're going to let her go then?"

     "That's up to you.  I personally think she's old enough to make her own decisions, but if you want her to stay, I won't object."

     She started to head towards the back room before turning back to him with a weak smile.  "But remember, Zander.  Think about more than just your own feelings."  With that, she left him standing in the hangar bay, alone with his thoughts.

     It must have been about ten minutes later when he walked into the back room, the sounds of conversation becoming clearer with each step.  He heard Moxie gushing about something, and his heart dropped lower in his chest.  As he approached the group, he found Kordi and Moxie talking about the Rebellion, with Becky chiming in every so often.  Leia stood nearby, watching their exchange with a simple smile.  Roger hovered close to Moxie, glancing between the girls as they talked.

     Suddenly, Moxie spotted him and rushed over, latching onto him in a giant hug.  "Dad, this is so great!  I got to meet General Organa."

     "Really?"  He tried his best to smile, his throat constricting at her wide, excited grin and her shining eyes.

     "Yeah!  And she wants me to join the Resistance.  Isn't that great?"

     "That's wonderful, sweetie."  He met Kordi's gaze, and his face fell when she glanced away.

     Moxie's enthusiasm waned as she looked between her father and her aunt.  Her voice turned soft and meek.  "That is...if it's ok with you."

     He was suddenly aware of everyone's eyes upon him, and he swallowed his numbness.  Taking in a breath, he gazed into his daughter's eyes.

     "Sweetheart..."  He paused as she stared him in the eye, her gaze completely trusting and yet, there was something else there.  A longing look that made him think of Rowan's gaze that he had often had on his face before he left for places unknown.  He suddenly realized that she had her own destiny to fulfill, just as Rowan had had his.

     With a small sigh, he grasped his daughter's shoulders.  "If this is where you think you need to go, then you should go."

     Her smile returned, and she hugged him again.  "Thanks, Dad.  I love you so much."

     Tears stung his eyes, and his smile wavered a little as he held her tight, but his heart felt light.  He glanced up to find Becky and Kordi giving him their own smiles, and he set his cheek against Moxie's head.  "I love you too, Sunbeam."

     Moxie's grin widened at his nickname for her.  Finally, she pulled away to gaze into his face again.  "Don't worry, Dad.  I'll take Roger with me!"

     "What?" the droid sputtered, the first thing he had heard him say.  Everyone laughed at the shock in Roger's otherwise monotonous voice.

     Slowly, the group began migrating back out to the hangar, Moxie taking the lead while dragging poor Roger behind her.  Becky and Leia were talking about Moxie's place in the Resistance with Kordi following close behind.  He stood there, surprised that he didn't feel upset about his daughter leaving.  Instead, he felt proud.

     A hand clapped onto his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts.  He looked at Kordi's bodyguard in surprise and confusion, having forgotten that he was even there.

     "That...was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen," the guard stated, patting his shoulder before following after his charge.

     After recovering from the unexpected gesture, he smiled and walked towards the hangar bay.  He wanted to be there to tell his daughter goodbye...and to wish her luck on her journey.

END

Chapter Text

     Kordi had just finished sorting through their latest collection of scrap they had collected two days ago.  All of it was sorted neatly into piles according to type, size, and function.  Now the only thing left was to clean the sizable pile of dirty ship parts so they could be used.  Luckily, she knew just the person for the job.

     "Hey, Rowan," she called.  "Come here."

     Within seconds, her six-year-old brother arrived, tripping over a coolant tube and knocking over the pile of dirty scrap in the process.  He quickly rebounded, sprinting up to her with a grin wider than a Kowakian monkey lizard's.  "Yeah, Kordi?"

     Shaking her head at her brother's clumsiness, she pointed at the spare parts now scattered across the floor.  "I need you to clean this scrap so we can use it, ok?"

     His face instantly morphed into a frown.  "Aw, why do I gotta do it?  Why can't Roger?  He's always cleaning stuff anyway."

     Kordi placed her hands on her hips and tried to seem grown up.  "Because I told you to, that's why."

     His expression only grew more sour.

     Deciding to change tactics, she softened her posture and gathered him in a hug.  "Please, Rowan?  You don't want poor Roger to do everything around here, do you?"

     "No."  Rowan sagged into her hug, and she knew she'd won.  "Ok.  I'll clean the junk."

     Kordi gave him a small squeeze, thankful that she had gotten him to cooperate.  "Great!  Thanks, Rowan!  I'm going to help Zander.  Call me if you have any questions."  She strode towards the other side of the hangar, barely catching her little brother's disappointed moan.

     As she approached the build area, she found her older brother underneath a starship that was leaking a foul-smelling green liquid.  She could hear him muttering to himself as he banged around inside the ship.  Something about a gundark puking in the engine hold.  Or maybe she heard that wrong.

     "Need any help?"

     Zander startled so badly that he slammed his head into the hull of the ship with a squeal that sounded like a Gamorrean in a rancor cage.  He pulled himself out from under the starship, holding his head with a wince.  Green slime dripped down from his hair and along the right side of his face before joining the Hutt-sized stain on the front of his shirt.  When he saw her standing there, he merely stood with a grunt and pulled a rag out of his back pocket to wipe his face.

     "I'm having a little trouble with the engine," he answered as he started swiping the rag over his shirt.

     Kordi pursed her lips, trying not to think about the fact that Zander was spreading the stain and making it worse.  Instead, she peeked under the ship, being careful to avoid getting sludge on herself, and traced the leak to a crack in the ion projector.

     "Looks like a cracked ion projector, Zander."

     Zander, who had seemingly decided it was pointless to clean his shirt, joined her and nodded.  "Yep, that is definitely a cracked ion projector."

     Kordi straightened and looked in the direction of the spare parts.  "I think we have one laying around somewhere..."

     At that moment, a small explosion rocked the hangar, sending parts clattering to the floor and causing a shelf to collapse.  Dark smoke floated towards where the two of them stood, and Kordi's stomach flipped when she realized where the explosion had originated from.

     Fearing the worst, Kordi raced to the site of the explosion, Zander not far behind her.  She froze at the sight of blackened scrap blasted everywhere and spot fires scattered across the floor.  Her heart stuttered when she didn't see her little brother anywhere through the smoky haze.

     "Rowan?  Rowan, where are you?"  Kordi began to officially panic as she frantically dug through the mess of ship parts.

     Inwardly, she was furious with herself.  She knew better than to leave Rowan by himself for more than two minutes.  Disaster always followed.  And now, he might be-

     At that moment, Rowan crawled out from underneath an S-foil, coughing and dusting off his jacket.  Soot marked his face and his hair was more wild than usual, but he appeared unharmed.

     Zander beat Kordi to asking the obvious question. "What happened?"

     Rowan rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.  "I was cleaning a power cell, but the connection wires were really gross, so I tried to scrub them really good and they got jammed inside the power cell and it, um, exploded."

     Kordi facepalmed with a groan.  "This is why we can't have nice things.  Or nice junk, for that matter."

     Zander, apparently oblivious to her complaints, just started laughing and helping Rowan brush himself off.  Rowan started chatting at hyperspeed about how he didn't know power cells could explode and how cool it looked and other boy things.

     Kordi simply rolled her eyes and wandered off to find the ion projector, massaging her forehead as a headache began to take hold.  She just wanted to go one day without a disaster occurring in their shop.  Was that too much to ask?

     ...

     Suddenly, Roger burst out of the kitchen, fire extinguisher in hand.  "Nobody panic!  I'm a certified firefighter droid, and I'll have everything under contro- AAHHH!"  The battle droid slipped on a sheet of metal and dropped the extinguisher, sending white foam spraying everywhere.

     Rowan and Zander laughed at Roger's misfortune as the droid tried to stop the foam from spurting out.  Kordi simply watched before shaking her head and heading towards the kitchen to grab a mop.

     ...

     Apparently, it was.

END

Chapter Text

     “Dad!  Dad!”

     Zander grunted out a sigh as he dug further into the engine housing of the StarScavenger.   Sometimes he himself was amazed the old crate was still flying, and he was the one who maintained her.  I guess it’s like Dad always said, “A ship takes after its crew”, he thought with a smile.

     A sudden jolt of electricity shot through his arm, and he yanked his hand away.  “OW!  Flarxing hunk of junk!  It’s gonna cost me an arm and a leg to fix you up at this rate.”  He rubbed his sore arm with a wince.  “Literally.”

     “Dad!  Dad!  Daaaaad!”

     “What what whaaat?”  Seconds later, a body collided into him from behind, and he peered back at the grinning redhead latched around his middle.

     “I love you so so SO much!”

     Smiling, he ruffled her hair before turning with a sigh to face her.  “Alright…what did you do?”

     “Nothing.”  She blinked up at him innocently, a suspiciously huge grin on her face.

     “Nothing, huh?  I’ll believe that when Mustafar freezes over.  What did you break?”

     “I didn’t break anything.”

     “Did you lose something?”

     “No.”

     He suddenly noticed the small lump squirming in her vest.  He crossed his arms.  “Moxie…what’s in your vest?”

     “Nothing!”

     “Moxie, so help me, if you brought home another baby womp rat or monkey lizard because it was ‘cute and lonely’…”

     “But this time, he was!”  She pulled out a small ball of fuzz and held it up close to his face.  “He was all alone and scared in the marketplace.  He asked to come home with me.”

     Once he registered exactly what he was looking at, he frowned at the Loth-kitten staring up at him.  He flinched back as the puffball squeaked out a menacing hiss and thrashed its tail.  After shooting the ball of lint a glare, he met his daughter’s gaze again.

     “Moxie…how many times do we need to go over this?  No animals.  I don’t need critters running around making a mess of the place.”  He glanced around at the piles of scrap littering the shop.  “It’s messy enough as is.”

     “But, Dad-”

     “No buts, young lady.  Besides, we’ve already got muckrats hiding in the walls.  Don’t need any other furry things crawling around.”

     “But, Dad!  He can catch the muckrats,” Moxie argued, her eyes shining in determination.

     His counter argument abandoned ship as he gazed into her stubborn eyes, and for a brief moment, he saw Rowan standing before him instead.  The same eyes full of unwavering determination and drive as his little brother, the only difference being the green hue she’d inherited from her mother.

     He thought back to all the times Rowan had pleaded to keep some raggedy critter he’d found on whatever planet they were scavenging on and every disappointed frown when he’d said no.  He thought of all the times he and Kordi had left Rowan behind with Roger, telling themselves it was for his own good.  Moxie didn’t deserve a childhood like that.

     He sighed as his heart grew soft.  “Alright…you can keep it,” he relented.  “But you have to take care of it and keep it out of the scrap.”

     Her face lit up brighter than the stars, and she hugged him tightly.  “Thank you thank you thank you, Dad!  Kipo will be a good boy, you’ll see!”

     Kipo growled as he tried squirming out from where he was squashed between them, and he flinched back from the savage kitten.  The critter eyed him with a stare that made his skin crawl.

     “Come on, Kipo!  Let’s go show you to Mom!”  She rushed towards the kitchen, her beaming smile lighting up the entire shop.

     He watched her go, the first twinges of regret settling in his stomach.  “That cat wants to kill me.”

END

Chapter Text

     “Dad!  Dad!  Look!  A Jedi Starfighter!”

     Pace chuckles and shakes his head as Zander zips over to admire the shiny starfighter.  Maybe bringing him wasn’t the greatest idea, he muses.  But he had promised his eldest could tag along to the ship auction, and it warms his heart to see Zander’s eyes sparkle in awe over the antique beauties.

     “I see.”  He joins his son in inspecting the ship.  “Do you know what model it is?”

     “That’s easy!  A Delta-7 Light Interceptor!”

     “Actually, it’s a Delta-7B.  The 7B has the astromech port in front of the cockpit.  See?”  He points to the empty socket where the ship’s astromech is supposed to fit.  “7’s have them on the wing.”

     “Oh….”  Zander peers up at him with his beaming smile.  “It’s still really cool though.  Right, Dad?”

    “Absolutely.”  He grins and tussles his son’s hair fondly, his heart growing soft as Zander giggles and tries to swat his hand away.  He squeezes him to his side, glad he allowed his son to join him.

     Zander’s attention drifts to the side, and he suddenly gasps, taking off with a squeal.  “DAD!  AN N-1!”

     Laughing at his son’s enthusiasm, he follows at a more reasonable pace, weaving his way through the crowd toward the shining starship.  He stops beside his son, smiling at the way he vibrates from pure excitement.

     “You know something?”  He bends close to Zander’s ear as if sharing a secret.  “I think this is my favorite starship too.

     “Although….”  He leans closer to the ship, studying the opened engine compartment with a light frown.  “Some moofmilker installed the coolant valves incorrectly.”

     “Is that bad?”

     “It can be.  If they fly the ship for too long, it could cause the whole thing to blow.”

     “See something you like?”

     He turns toward the male Togruta striding over to them, frowning at his large grin and expensive clothes.  Hugging Zander protectively against his side, he watches the other with cautious scrutiny.  He’s learned to be wary of folks like him, all fake smiles and false promises.

     “Well, I was just looking at this N-1, and-”

     “Ah!  You’ve got an eye for the classics, I see.”  The Togruta salesman slaps him good-naturedly on the back hard enough to bruise.  “I’ve had her for about fifteen years now.  She’s in excellent condition.  Only flown on weekends.”

     “Yes, but-”

     “I was planning on having her as an auction exclusive,” the salesman interrupts, “but if you’re interested, I’m sure we can work out something-”

     “It’s broken.”

     They simultaneously turn to Zander, who peers between them with his big eyes.

     “The cooling vent thing isn’t in right,” he clarifies.  “It might explode.”

     The salesman frowns and peers inside the engine compartment, his eyes growing wide.  “I had no idea!” he gasps.  “My mechanic must have forgotten to properly install it.

    “Observant boy you have here,” he admonishes, giving Zander a wide smile and tousling his head briskly.  “I’ll have someone fix it right away.”

     Pace gently tugs his son away from the Togruta and gives him a terse nod.  “Glad we could be of assistance, but we should be going now.  There’s some more ships I’d like to look at.”

     “If you’re sure you’re not interested….”

     “We’re sure,” he answers quickly, already starting to herd Zander toward the cargo ships.  “Thank you.”

     “Well, I, for one, am very interested,” a voice speaks up.

     A man wearing a pristine white suit and a golden medallion hanging around his neck slips over and begins looking it over.  He doesn’t even bother peeking into the engine chamber before whirling around to shake the Togruta’s hand.

     “Wick Cooper, galaxy’s most handsome millionaire and collector of rare, immaculate starships.  How much would you take for her?”

     Pace starts leading his son towards the cargo ship area, shaking his head as the two discuss business.  He pulls his lips into a thin line when the salesman “conveniently” fails to mention anything about the misaligned coolant valves.

     He gives Zander a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.  “That’s why you need to be honest, son.  Some people will do anything for a stack of credits, even if others get hurt.”

     They walk in silence until they arrive at the cargo ship area, which is noticeably less crowded than the starfighter section.  Most of the people here are scruffy old junkers looking to buy ships for parts or upstart freighters trying to buy the fastest ship they can.

     Pace sighs.  The best cargo ships, he knows, aren’t the fastest but the well-built, the ones that have lasted.  Fast ships wear down quicker and have more problems over the long run.  A sturdy ship that’s stood the test of time?  Priceless.

     “Wow….  Those are really big,” Zander murmurs beside him.  His wide eyes study the large starships in quiet awe.

     “Yes, they are.  You need plenty of ship to haul freight across the galaxy.  But we’re looking for a special kind of freighter.”

     “What kind?”

     “Something like….”  He pauses, catching sight of something he hadn’t seen in a long time.  With a big smile, he starts leading Zander toward the large ship.  “That.”

     It’s definitely seen plenty of years, he observes.  Much of the plating is flaky and rusted, but the frame seems sound.  And the ship still has both sections, a rarity these days.  Most CT-900’s he’s seen on the market only have the cockpit and blaster cannons.

     “Lookin’ fer somethin’ in particular?”  The grizzled man by the freighter gives the two of them a friendly, crooked-toothed smile.

     “I’ve been looking for a salvage ship.”  He nods in the direction of the ship.  “This CT-900 is in good shape.  How long has she seen action?”

     The old man’s face lights up with a joy only found on the face of someone asked to share their vast knowledge in an area of expertise.  “Got this old beauty fresh off the assembly line twenty years back, back when I was a freighter in the Namri System.  Been flyin’ ‘er ever since.  Now that I’m fixin’ on retirement, I reckoned I could find ‘er a good home.  She’s still got plenty of pep left in ‘er, I can tell ya that.”

     “I can tell you’ve taken good care of her.”

     “Yeap.  A bit rusted ‘round the edges, but she still flies like she’s brand new.”  The man cocks his head at them.  “Salvagers?”

     Pace nods.  “Salvage and repairs.  Been looking for a ship to collect my own salvage instead of buying off of other junkers.”

     The man nods sagely.  “Had a friend years ago who ‘as a junker.  ‘e went broke buyin’ special parts ‘cause ‘e couldn’t find ‘em anywhere else.  A hard business ta be in, but a good ‘un if ya know what yer doin’.”

     The call for the start of the freighter auction rings through the building, alerting the bidders to come to the bidding floor.

     Pace slings an arm around Zander’s shoulder.  “Well, come on, Zan.  Let’s find some good seats.”

     “Good luck t’ ya,” the old freighter says as he prepares his ship for the auction.

     Pace spares one last look at the old freighter with a smile.  He wasn’t usually one for believing in destiny, but after everything that’s happened in his life, he’s certain that this ship is the one.

END

Chapter Text

     Pace gently stroked his thumb over his newborn son’s head, love and pride swelling his heart to impossible measures.

     He and Lena hadn’t planned on having any more after Zander and Kordi.  But destiny, it seemed, had other plans.  Not that he was complaining.  Little Rowan was a surprise but a welcome one to be sure.

     Thank the Maker he had managed to drag the doctor from his office.  Unlike with the other two, Lena had been having trouble during the birth, and he had all but threatened to murder the lazy doctor if he didn’t do his job.  Needless to say, the doctor had done his part, and now Rowan was peacefully swaddled and sleeping.

     Pace smiled at him through the tears in his eyes.  He truly was the luckiest man in the galaxy.  Yes, things were still hard.  Yes, there were still days they only just barely made rent.  But the difference between him before Lena and him now?  Now, he had a reason to endure the hard days, had a reason to live.

     And he would be forever grateful for the silver lining that was his family.

     The door to he and Lena’s room suddenly opened with a quiet hiss, and two little faces peeked inside.  Roger stood behind them, his apron still tied around his metal frame.

     “Hey, Zan, Kordi!” Pace whispered.  His smile grew wider as he waved his two eldest children over.  “Come meet your little brother!”

     Zander eagerly crept closer, tugging Kordi along with him.  Once he could see Rowan’s little face poking out of his bundle, his face exploded into a bright smile.  “Aw!  He’s so cute!”

     “He is, isn’t he?”  Pace chuckled.

     This was a new experience, introducing his older children to the newest member of the family.  Zander had been pretty little when Kordi was born, too little to have much of an opinion concerning his baby sister.  But now that the two were old enough to understand what was happening, he hoped everything would run smoothly.

     He brought Rowan down a little so Kordi could get a peek.  “What do you think, Princess?”

     She studied Rowan with the air of a ship appraiser scrutinizing an antique starfighter, her brow set in a light frown.  Finally, she glanced up to meet his eyes.

     “Where ‘is hair go?  He bald,” she said, her nose wrinkled at the baby in his arms.

     Pace blinked at her, even as Lena snorted from their bed behind him.  He peered down at Rowan again and carefully stroked the fine, soft hair on his head.

     It was somewhat true, he supposed.  What little hair Rowan had was somewhat hard to see in the light, but he wasn’t bald.  Not all babies were born with a full head of hair like Kordi had been.

     “And he ugly,” Kordi continued with her assessment, still staring at her newborn brother like he was the most repulsive thing imaginable.

     This time, Lena burst out into full laughter at their daughter’s words, even as Zander gave an offended gasp.

     “He’s not ugly!  You can’t say that about our baby brother!”

     “But he is!” Kordi argued back with a pout.

     She peered up into his face.  “Daddy?  Can we get a diff’ent one?”

     “Sorry, Princess,” Pace chuckled awkwardly, sparing a glance back at Lena.  “I don’t think we can do that.”

     “Why?”

     “Because Rowan’s a part of our family now,” Lena spoke up, a ghost of laughter still in her voice.  “And someday, he’ll need an older brother and an older sister to watch over him.  To teach him all sorts of important things.  To love him.”

     Pace smiled again, thankful for her intervention, and glanced between his eldest children.  “You think you guys can do that?”

     Zander nodded enthusiastically with a wide grin.  “Yeah!  I can teach him about spaceships and speeders and-”

     “Maybe when he’s a little older, buddy,” Pace interrupted with a laugh.  He peered down at his daughter.

     “What about you, Princess?  Do you think you can watch out for little Rowan?”

     She stared at Rowan’s sleeping form a moment before meeting his gaze again.  “Will he get ‘is hair soon?”

     “One of these days,” Pace laughed.  “Yes, he’ll get more hair.”

     “Then I guess so.”

     His heart light, he gently squeezed the two into his side and gave them each a kiss on the head.  “Thank you, guys.  Mom and Dad really appreciate it.”

     After one last squeeze, he let them go.  “Alright.  Why don’t you two go play now?  Let Mom and Baby Rowan rest, ok?”

     “Ok, Dad.”  Zander gave his little brother a small wave as he started leading Kordi to the door.  “Bye, Baby Rowan.”

     Pace smiled as they left with Roger, glad their meeting had gone well.  He peered down at his youngest and smiled wider still at Rowan’s sweet little face.

     He couldn’t quite explain how he knew, but he was certain Rowan was special.  Special in a way that he couldn’t understand.  Perhaps his little boy was just the spark of light this dark galaxy needed.

END