Chapter 3

Eleven months later (Empire Day)…

The alarm woke Ahsoka but all she wanted was more sleep. She reached over to the night stand and turned the alarm off. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she felt a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Lux whispered in her ear before kissing her again. "Last night was amazing."

Smiling, Ahsoka rolled over in bed, facing her husband of ten months. The night before he had come back from a two week visit to Coruscant. Fearing that she might be recognized, Ahsoka never went to Coruscant with Lux; choosing instead to stay at their home on Onderon.

With the help of her handmaidens, Ahsoka had planed a special evening before sending the staff home early, something the staff was used to when Lux was away for a long period of time. The cook made a special dinner for them (a mix of Onderon and Togruta dishes) while Ahsoka and her handmaidens set the table and made sure everything was perfect.

Once everything was the way she wanted it, Ahsoka spent the better part of an hour getting herself ready. After getting cleaned up, she put on one of her best date-night dresses and matching shoes. After putting on the sapphire necklace and matching earrings Lux had brought back from his last visit to Coruscant (which matched her blue eyes perfectly), she put on some makeup before waiting for her husband to come home.

After a romantic, candlelit dinner, Ahsoka and Lux had relaxed on the couch and watched one of their favorite movies (The Princess Bride) before going to bed.

"I missed you," Ahsoka said.

"I missed you, too," Lux said, playing with one of the straps on her white satin and lace nightgown (the same one she had worn on their wedding night and Valentine's Day and his birthday). "I wish you could come to Coruscant with me."

"But I can't. I could be too easily recognized. Besides, if I went to Coruscant with you, I couldn't plan these nice welcome home nights."

Just as the couple was about to kiss, there was a defining roar as a ship flew overhead. They knew right away that it wasn't an Onderon ship but one of the new Imperial ones called a TIE fighter. And they knew why it was there.

"I forgot what today is," Lux said. "Empire Day."

Ahsoka groaned and rolled back over. Neither of them were very happy about the first anniversary of the founding of the Empire.

"Do we have to go to that stupid celebration?" she asked.

Lux wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"We don't have a choice," he said. "Everyone has to attend by Imperial order."

"I hate it."

Lux kissed her shoulder.

"I do, too. But I promise that, after this celebration, I'll give you anything you want."

A smile spread across Ahsoka's face.

"A baby," she said before rolling back over to face her husband. "I'm ready to have a baby."

Lux smiled as he traced the white marking on her cheek with his thumb.

"Then I'll give you a baby," he said. "One that will be every bit as beautiful as you are."

♡♡♡

Despite no one on Onderon really wanting to celebrate Empire Day, the fair grounds were decorated very festively. It reminded Ahsoka of the Summer Festival she and Lux had attended just two months earlier. The only difference was that it was slightly colder and there were stromtroopers everywhere. Apparently the people of Onderon had decided that, if they were going to be forced to celebrate Empire Day, they were going to have some fun things to do.

"For you, my Kätzchen," Lux said using the Onderon word for kitten as he handed Ahsoka a stuffed Loth Cat, the prize from the game he had just won by getting three balls into a small basket. They kissed and he took the opportunity to lean in and whisper, "...and for the baby."

Ahsoka smiled and the coupled continued on. They had been there for almost two hours. Once the festival and parade were done, there was one last event they had to attend before they could go home. The regional governor in charge of the sector that Onderon was in had insisted on King Dendup hosting a ball in honor of Empire Day. As the senator of Onderon and a senator's wife, Lux and Ahsoka were expected to attend. Music sounded calling everyone to the parade grounds.

"Lux," King Dendup said as the couple entered the royal box where they would be watching the parade. "Good to see you, my boy."

He took Ahsoka's hand and kissed it.

"Ahsoka, as lovely as ever."

Ahsoka smiled. King Dendup always treated her and Lux as if they were family. He had actually invited them to join him in the royal box to watch the parade. Music sounded again signaling the start of the parade.

♡♡♡

Ahsoka had been to the Royal Palace of Onderon for several balls since marrying Lux and coming to live with him on Onderon and each time the ballroom had been beautifully decorated. This time was no exception thought it was fairly obvious to anyone that had been to the other balls at the palace that this one wasn't as well planned as the other. Part of that was due to it being so short notice and part was due to the fact that not everyone on Onderon was happy about Empire Day.

Lux and Ahsoka entered the ballroom both impressively dressed in formal attire. Ahsoka was wearing a beautiful teal gown with the decorative headdress she had gotten on Kiros during their honeymoon while Lux was wearing robes in the style of the Senate but that complimented Ahsoka's gown. Music played softly in the background while the guests circulated.

"Senator Bonteri," said a man slightly older than Anakin but younger than Obi-Wan. He was wearing a military dress uniform leading the couple to believe that he was the regional governor. He looked at Ahsoka. "And you are..."

"Ahsoka," she said, glad that her name is so common among her people. "I'm Senator Bonteri's wife."

The regional governor looked at Lux.

"We were betrothed before the war," Lux said thinking fast. "It was for political reasons but we've known each other for years."

"You have political ties," the regional governor said to Ahsoka.

"Yes. My uncle is the governor of Kiros."

"If you'll excuse us," Lux said.

The couple continued to circulate around the ball room, greeting their friends among Onderon's elite. When dinner was served, they took their seats at the head table with King Dendup and the regional governor. Fortunately, the conversation was kept light. After dinner, the guests circulated again and Ahsoka ran into one of her close friends, Sapphire.

"Ahsoka," she said. "It's good to see you. It's been so long."

"I know," Ahsoka said giving her friend a hug. "I've been busy."

"So how are things with you and Lux?"

"Good. He's back from Coruscant for a while."

"I still don't understand why you never go there with him."

"I have my reasons."

Ahsoka hate not telling Sapphire why she never went to Coruscant but she knew that it was for her friend's own safety. The fewer beings that knew about her past, the better things were. Even the staff had limited knowledge of who she was before she and Lux got married.

♡♡♡

Ahsoka leaned against Lux as she tried to catch her breath. She was tired and sore but extremely happy. She rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart beat while he traced the stripes on her hip through the sheets with a fingertip.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," he said.

Ahsoka snuggled closer. With the staff having gone home for the night, the estate was quite and the couple had every intention of enjoying it. With any luck, their little family would soon be growing.

Three months later (two weeks before Christmas)...

Ahsoka made one final check to make sure everything was going acorrding to plan for the Christams party she and Lux were hosting. It wasn't going to be formal or anything, just a casual get together with some of their friends, but Ahsoka still wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Something brushed up against her ankle causing her to look down and smile.

"Shili," she said picking up the five-month-old loth kitten that Lux had given her for her birthday two weeks after Empire Day. "You could have tripped me."

The little kitten purred happily as she nibbled at Ahsoka's fingers. Most loth cats hated being handled but Shili was an exception. She loved to be cuddled and held and would even sleep on the bed with Ahsoka when Lux was away.

"The guests should be here soon," Lux said as he came up to them.

Because this was a casual get together, he was wearing a pair of black pants and one of his favorite Christmas shirts while Ahsoka had on a pair of gray leggings and her favorite Christmas sweater. Ahsoka set Shili down and the little kitten followed the couple out of the living room.

♡♡♡

The Christmas party was going well. Several of their friends (both from Onderon and the Senate) were there. Bail Organ and his wife had come with their one-year-old daughter Leia and Riyo and Ion brought their new born daughter Padme. Both little girls and the other children that were at the party played happily with Shili while the grown ups talked.

"Everyone is having a great time," Lux said.

Ahsoka nodded but she seemed to be slightly out of it.

"Are you alright, Kätzchen?"

"I'm fine," Ahsoka said. "Just a little tired."

"Well you have been keeping yourself busy planning this get together."

"That's not the only reason I'm tired."

Lux turned to look at her. Their guests, who were all caught up in thier own conversations, left his mind as he took his wife's hands in his and looked in to her eyes.

"Ahsoka," he said just loud enough for her to hear, "are you pregnant?"

"Two months," she said. "I just found out a few days ago."

Lux hugged her tightly, or at least as tightly as he dared, and kissed her. The couple then turned back to thier guests and Lux cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"We have an announcment to make," he said, wraping his arm around Ahsoka's waist and holding her, and their unborn child, close.

♡♡♡

It had been several hours since their guests had left. Their friends had stayed much later than anyone planned not only celebrating the upcoming holiday but also Lux and Ahsoka's news that they were going to have a baby. But now their friends and the staff had gone home and the estate was quiet.

Ahsoka and Lux were both in bed with Shili curled up at their feet. However, neither one was ready to go to sleep; they were both too excited at the thought of being parents. Lux draped his arm over Ahsoka's waist and put his hand on her stomach as if holding her and their child close. Ahsoka smiled and put her hand over his.

"I love you, my sweet, little Kätzchen," Lux said before kissing her cheek.

Ahsoka rolled over and kissed him on the lips.

"And I love you, my big, handsome Leão," she said using the Togruta word for lion.

Lux kissed her again.

"It's hard to believe that in a few months we're going to be parents," he said.

"I'd better get started on the nursery then," Ahsoka said. "I was thinking of painting the guest room closest to ours a pail yellow, replacing the old carpet with a hardwood floor, and putting up a boarder and curtains with baby loth cats, loth wolves, crystal foxes, and porgs. I think that will be cute for a baby."

"Whatever you want will be fine," Lux said. "We'll make the official announcement at the New Year's Eve Ball at the Royal Palace."

Ahsoka nodded but there was one other thing she wanted to talk about.

"Lux," she started, "if the baby's a boy,..."

Lux kissed the words off her lips and then pulled her close before answering.

"We can name him Anakin."

Translations (Shili is in Polish and Onderon is in German (except for "lion" which is in Portuguese))

Onderon:

Kätzchen = Kitten

Shili:

Leão = Lion