Assassin (A Star Wars Fan-Fiction) Book 4

Chapter Nineteen

Being gentle was usually a necessity when it came to newborns. For the first few months it was common for parents to be careful when interacting with their offspring, if anything, it was encouraged. Babies are frail creatures, dependent on others to provide for them and care for them until they're of a proper age to provide for their self. It is expected of a parent to be nurturing, loving, protective. 

Rahm was a little less than that.

It wasn't that he didn't love children, or that he didn't care about the way a newborn was supposed to be held. He just didn't have the time to be over-excessive when it came to getting the babies out of their bacta tanks. Master Kota did his best as he gingerly removed the first child and wrapped her in a blanket, wiping some of the excess bacta liquid away from her eyes and mouth with a corner of the cloth. 

Her little, delicate fingers weakly grabbed at the edges of the fabric and her small mouth opened to let out a small whimper before closing. While Rahm was bundling the child up and made sure the blanket was secure, his eyes caught sight of a small note written on the side of her bacta tank, a note with eight little letters scribbled quickly across the surface. 

Shendira

Rahm glanced at the other two tanks and saw two other notes as well. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the words on the notes had to have been the babies' names, though he didn't know when Denali had had the time or resources to label them. It must've been one of the nurses or doctors who took the time and effort to make distinguishing the siblings from each other a little easier. The jedi master plucked the note from the glass surface and placed it in the folds of cloth wrapped around the first child. 

After setting Shendira carefully on the floor, close to the wall so he wouldn't accidentally step on her, Kota then grabbed another blanket and opened the second bacta tank. As careful as he possibly could when he knew he was running out of time, he swaddled the second baby, grabbed the second note with another name written on it, placed the note with the child, and set her down next to her sister.

At this point, he thought he was making some good time. He opened the third bacta tank and, though he knew something was suspiciously off with the infant, gave her the same treatment as he did to her siblings. She cried loudly when he cautiously removed her from the blue vat, which made her different from her quieter sisters, but it was something he expected. Babies always cried, it was natural.

But what wasn't natural was the evil energy surging towards the incubation room as Obi-Wan ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards his destination. His anger rippled through the air, sent chills up Kota's spine and caused Shendira and Deidre to join in with Kalani's wailing. 

Whatever good Kenobi had been before, there was nothing but darkness in its place.

With the knowledge that Obi-Wan was closing in on their position, Rahm climbed back into his starfighter, sat down, closed his eyes, and extended his hands towards Shendira. There was no possible way he could've carried all three daughters at once, so he used the best method he could think of when time wasn't on his side. Shendira sobbed as she was cradled in his left arm, regardless of how gently he held her. 

His heart thundered as the raging darkness continued to sprint down it's course.

Kota reached out for Deidre and placed her on his lap then, with a quivering hand and his face scowling with concentration, Kalani was lifted into the air and began to hover towards the man and the two other crying infants in his grasp. 

It was in that moment that Obi-Wan barreled into the room, eyes red as blood and fists shaking with a thirst for vengeance.

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