Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 6): Hero

Chapter 10: Father Moments

LUX BONTERI

Lux walked into his room, which he shared with Ahsoka. But now, since Ahsoka was off on a mission, it was just him. And his daughter, of course.

If, at the beginning of the Clone Wars, someone had told Lux Bonteri that he would be a father at age 19 to a Human-Togruta hybrid, and husband to one of the most fearsome and powerful Jedi, living in the Unknown Regions hiding from a Galactic Empire along with a bunch of other Jedi (and then later become a Jedi himself,) he'd have called whoever told him that crazy.

But Lux Bonteri was now exactly that.

A father. A husband. A Jedi. A fugitive. A rebel. And, perhaps most importantly, an adorable idiot.

Aletta was still awake, making a few bawling noises.

"Kriffing medical droid," Lux said, "I thought I told that thing not to leave her alone!"

Lux rushed over to his daughter's crib.

"Alright," Lux said to Aletta, "No-good droid's not here, so I'm just going to have to stay here with you for a while, okay?"

Aletta made some sort of noise in response. Lux decided that his daughter had agreed with her.

"Alright, let's see here," Lux said, looking through the cabinets and drawers for some baby food. "I don't know when the last time that droid fed you was, but I don't think you'll spontaneously combust if I feed you too much food."

He got out the food and put it in front of Aletta.

Without any sort of second thought, Aletta began to scarf it down.

"Well," Lux said, "I guess that's the Togruta in you."

Within a few moments, the food was gone. Aletta didn't consume it all at once, she did stop instead of force it all down simultaneously. Lux guessed a Togruta baby would have just thrown the whole thing into her mouth in an instant.

Lux smiled, and got on his knees, putting his hand against Aletta's crib.

Aletta, her cheeks still stuffed with food, put her hand on Lux's, with only the crib's walls separating the two of them.

He closed his eyes, and reached out with the Force towards his daughter.

She sat up and closed her eyes as well, presumably trying to reach back.

Lux felt a sweet, warm presence inside of her, but also a certain fierceness, like burning embers that will turn into a fire that could burn down a whole forest planet. It felt so similar to what her mother was like.

Aletta Bonteri would grow up to be a fierce Jedi one day, perhaps on even footing with her mother.

Lux just thought about it. Her orange skin, her hair blowing in the wind, her facial markings, and her eyes looking right into you as they locked on to their target.

He couldn't wait to see what she grew up to be.

He opened his eyes and smiled back.

Aletta fell backwards, back into her crib.

Suddenly, the medical droid came back into the room.

"Oh goodness," the droid said, "It appears you noticed my absence."

"What gives?" Lux said. "Can't just leave my daughter like that, you know?"

"Apologies," said the droid. "I had to deal with something else in the medical bay."

"Alright," Lux said. "I know we don't have too many droids, so I'll cut you some slack. Just make sure she doesn't go missing, okay?"

"You are being overstressed," the droid said. "It is a common symptom of early fatherhood-"

"Shut up," Lux said, walking past him. "I'm not overstressed."