Part 47 (2/2)
”That's not a Mando name.”
”I'm still catching up on Mandalorian stuff, guys. Just a white job who's been promoted, okay?”
Darman chewed over the question. ”Kad,” he said. He was aware of Etain and Skirata looking at him. Maybe he wasn't showing enough interest. ”Kad's a nice name.”
He moved in a little closer; Etain looked uncomfortable and stared at her boots. Maybe she didn't find babies as fascinating as Skirata did, but then it was his grandchild. It was to be expected.
”Can I hold him?” Darman asked.
He wanted to show some enthusiasm, because Skirata was... fierfek, this was his own father in as many senses of the word that mattered, the man who raised him. It was rude not to admire his grandson. Darman held out his arms, and Skirata hesitated with an expression on his face that Darman couldn't fathom at all. It looked like sorrow.
”Here you go, son.” Skirata laid the baby in Darman's arms, moving them into position. There was a technique to baby holding, apparently. ”They don't react much at this age. They basically eat, sleep, and . . . need their diapers changed.”
Darman, surprised at how heavy the bundle was, inhaled cautiously. Little Venku just smelled vaguely of powder and skin. But the baby did react: he opened his eyes and tried to turn his head, unfocused and totally uncoordinated. His eyes were pale blue-green and gla.s.sy.
”He's got your eyes, Sarge,” Darman said, lost for any-thing else to say. What he actually felt like blurting out was so inane that he didn't dare: that babies were so tiny, so help-less, that he couldn't imagine ever having been'so small. He had a vague memory of babies in gla.s.s vats in Tipoca City, but that was different. This was a real live kid in his arms, and he had no idea what to do next.
”Their eyes change color,” Skirata said. Yes, there was a definite huskiness about Kal'buir's voice, which usually meant he was emotionally charged about something. ”They're all blue at first, pretty well. Might be totally different in a few weeks.”
”Right,” said Darman. ”Do you want him back now?”
”You can hold him as long as you want, son.”
”I don't think he's comfortable with me.”
”Oh, I don't know. I think he's fine .. .” Darman felt inexplicably uneasy. The baby seemed to be doing his best to squirm toward him, and for a moment he felt as if Etain was reaching to him in the Force, but that was impossible. She was right there, right next to him, looking toward the doors as if she wanted to get out of the room as fast as she could.
”I'd make a rotten father, wouldn't I?” Darman said. Skirata looked him straight in the eye, still with that same expression that was somewhere between tears and contentment. ”Dar'ika, you'll make a great dad, believe me. A terrific dad.”
”Yeah, maybe, but not yet.” It was the first thing that came into Darman's head. The baby scared him, and he wasn't used to fears he couldn't come to terms with or remove. ”I need to do some growing up first. Here, take him before I drop him.”
Great. What a stupid thing to blurt out. It always upsets him when I talk about getting older.
Skirata just smiled sadly and held out his arms to take Venku. Etain seemed uncomfortable and shot through the door. She was in a hurry to get somewhere, and Skirata jerked his head at Darman to follow her.
”Go and take some time together,” he said, easing his hand into his pocket to take something out. ”Just go and do normal couple stuff. Plenty of credits on this chip. Here. Go have some fun for a couple of days. We'll eat all the food and talk about you when your back's turned.”
Skirata was a touchingly generous man. Darman took the credits and squeezed his shoulder. This was his family-his sergeant, his brothers-and however much he wanted to be with Etain, he needed them, too. So Niner had his answer.
”Thanks, Kal'buir.”
Skirata smiled. ”Ni kyr 'taylgai sa 'ad.”
Darman understood what that meant. But it didn't really need saying, because Skirata had taken on the responsibility of being the commandos' father a long time ago.
”You know what that means, Dar?”
”You've adopted me. Formally, I mean.”
”Yes.” He patted Darman's cheek with his free hand. ”Time I adopted you all.”
”Are you rich, Sarge?” Corr asked. ”I always wanted a rich dad.”
”Richest man alive,” Skirata said, half smiling. ”You'll be amazed what I'm going to leave you in my will.”
Skirata sometimes had his little jokes, and the commandos didn't always understand them. Darman didn't like to think of his sergeant writing a will. It was all too early for that, but then he was a soldier, and those things had to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
”We'd rather have you, Kal'buir,” Niner said. ”Though a country estate on Naboo is a reasonable second choice ...”
They found refuge in laughter again. Darman left Skirata with his grandson and went to look for Etain.
He found her waiting in the lobby, sitting on the fat upholstered arm of one of the sofas, arms folded tight against her chest. She looked upset. ”What's wrong?”
Etain shrugged. ”It's just sad, that's all.”
”He's happy.” Darman showed her the credit chip. ”He loves kids. He'll be in his element. Look, he gave me this and said to go off and have some fun. Anywhere you want to go?”
Etain had that same expression that he'd just seen on Skirata's face. He knew he must have said something wrong, but he wasn't sure what. He unfolded her arms with a little gentle pressure and took her hand.
”The baby's upset you somehow, hasn't it?” he said. Of course; being a Jedi, Etain would never have known her parents. ”Does it remind you of being taken from your family?”
”No, let's think about where we can go.” She threw that switch and turned into the little general again, her wavy brown hair bouncing as she walked briskly ahead of him, hauling him by his hand. ”Have you seen the botanical gar-dens at the Skydome? Amazing plants in there, a nice place where you can eat, all kinds of stuff.”
Darman knew all about plants. He had his GAR fieldcraft database of everything he could safely eat if he had to live off the land on a mission, planet by planet. It was a novelty to think of plants as something fascinating to admire. But his mouth felt connected somehow to uncontrolled thoughts that just dug him deeper into this emotional mire. He had to say it. He knew what was bothering her now: she wanted him to have a normal life, and she probably thought he wanted a child now that he'd seen Venku, because Mandalorians loved their families and that was how she saw him.
”If it's the baby that's upset you,” he said, ”you don't even have to think about having one for ages. Not during a war. It's not a good time, is it? Not for cither of us.”
There. He'd said it, and she would feel better now, let off the hook. There was no point dwelling on his shortened life span. Neither of them knew what was around the corner.
He'd take the pressure off her, because it was the responsible thing to do.
”You're right,” she said. ”It's not the right time.” The Skydome gardens were just as beautiful and fascinating as Etain had promised. He could tell she was trying to be cheerful and enthusiastic about them, but there was some-thing sad and wounded about her that he didn't know how to make better.
Evacuating Qiilura must have been worse than she'd let on. But she'd tell him in her own good time.
Chapter 20.
Order 65: In the event of either (i) a majority in the Senate declaring the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) to be unfit to issue orders, or (ii) the Security Council declaring him to be unfit to issue orders, and an authenticated order being received by the GAR, commanders shall be authorized to detain the Supreme Commander, with lethal force if necessary, and command of the GAR shall fall to the acting Chancellor until a successor is appointed or alternative authority identified as outlined in Section 6 (iv).
Order 66: In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established.
-From Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic: Order Initiation, Orders 1 Through 150, GAR doc.u.ment CO(CL) 56-95 * * *
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