video; Tuesday of week 62

[last_ofthe_jedi]

((It's locked *from* Mal but that doesn't affect any of your characters because Mal is mine so this network post is basically open.))

[The stream opens up to Luke's broadly grinning face.]

Hey, it's about time I get to make this announcement. Kaylee and I wanted to confirm it and get the word out to those closest to us first before we went public.

Kerra, I hope you've got your own paintbrush, and anyone else who thinks painting a nursery sounds like fun can join us. Kaylee and I are expecting a baby!

She's almost four weeks along so the baby's barely bigger than a speck right now but it's definitely there and it's growing quickly. So far everything's going well and we can't wait for Skywalker number three.

[Luke already sounds like the kind of Proud Daddy(tm) who simply can't wait to send everyone an obnoxious number of pictures of his kid and take every opportunity to tell terrible "dad jokes". Needless to say, he's excited beyond reason and it looks like his face will break if he grins any harder.]

Comments

Video

[kettchmeifyoucan]

[Wes grins into the camera]

That didn't take long, did it?

[The baby or the telling everyone]

Pretty sure I'm still banned from painting anything.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke smirks. Wes is right. It really hadn't taken very long which was why Luke was so surprised when he first started feeling that little extra presence hovering around Kaylee's. Well, that and he'd had no idea he could even *do* that. Not exactly something that was outlined in Yoda's lesson plans.]

We're tenacious.

[Anybody who's ever been his and Kaylee's neighbor can attest to that.

Luke furrows his brows curiously at Wes, not really sure if he should laugh yet.]

What do you mean? What did you do?

[kettchmeifyoucan]

That's one word for it.

[He's known the two of them as the two of them, he knows. Oh does he ever know.]

Wedge banned the entire squadron from painting anything after we started making colour scheme suggestions for the eventually Wraiths.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke bursts out laughing.]

That sounds like Wedge, alright! What a killjoy. Well since he isn't here, as the current leader of Rogue Squadron in *my* timeline I hereby rescind the ban.

[kettchmeifyoucan]

He hardly ever lets us have any fun.

[Except when he decides it's prank time...]

I bet I can find a way to be a bad influence through painting.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke snorts and shakes his head.]

Please do! I probably shouldn't encourage your antics but I'm so entertained by them.

[kettchmeifyoucan]

My antics are highly entertaining. Kids love my antics.

[Not that he spends a ton of time around kids. But they're good antics.]

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Yeah? And is this knowledge from previous experience?

[Luke looks incredulous but amused. Children were pretty thin on the ground at the rebel base, though the idea of Wes entertaining kids is pretty hilarious to him.]

[kettchmeifyoucan]

Few of the pilots have kids now. See them at squad events sometime. Some of the blame really sits on your sister and her adorable kids.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke's smile fades into a look of mild surprise.]

Leia? She had kids?

[He supposes that it would be logical to assume that Leia might have wanted kids in the future but no one had ever confirmed that to him.]

[kettchmeifyoucan]

[Whoops, had that not come up after they realized spoilers were... not really something they had to worry about? Apparently not.]

Oh, uh, yeah... five year old twins. Jacen and Jaina. And little Anakin is three. They're all far cuter than should be humanly possible. Especially when the holos get taken.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke gets a wistful look and lowers his gaze, seeming to ponder over this for a moment. Gradually he smiles. Somewhere at a point in space and time he has a niece and two nephews, a set of twins and another one named Anakin. How perfect is that?

Through the joy there's a pang of anguish at the knowledge that, unless they're asleep in pods on the ship, Luke will never get to meet them.]

What are they like?

[kettchmeifyoucan]

[That's always the thing, about home for them. They already knew that was one road that was closed to them.]

Jaina's always taking the household appliances. Jacen loves animals. And Anakin wants to learn all about Jedi.

[video]

[girlworthfighting]

I already heard from Kaylee, but congratulations to you anyway.

It sounds like you're not wasting any time getting everything prepared.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke laughs shyly and then shrugs.]

We just knew exactly what we wanted and went for it. No point in holding it off to wait for things to get better when it doesn't look like it will any time soon.

[girlworthfighting]

You can certainly say that again. On all points.

[Happy thoughts, Mulan. Come on.]

I'm sure you've had many offers already, and admittedly this is far from one of my specialties. But, if there's anything I could do to help, just ask.

lol I just now realized that I read your last tag wrong. ffff oh well. Hope this makes up for it.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke gives a grateful smile.]

Thanks, I will. I just mentioned painting the nursery because a couple months ago when Wes had his betting pool open, Kerra made a bet that the 'trouble' wouldn't happen for nine months. Well, she ended up losing because it'll actually be ten months from the time the bet was made but she promised to help paint the nursery anyway.

Thought I'd see if anyone else was willing to pitch in too if we do decide to do something special with our extra room.

ha i didn't even really notice! meh, i'm tired.

[girlworthfighting]

I wasn't aware 'trouble' was going to end up being a euphemism. I guess I was behind on that curve.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[He chuckles.]

Yeah well, that's Kerra. She got pretty creative with her bet. Everyone else was sure that some disaster would interrupt the honeymoon. Of course, she'd also been joking at the time and didn't think we were serious. The word 'crazy' got passed around a few times.

[girlworthfighting]

She thought you were crazy for getting married, or just crazy in general?

[last_ofthe_jedi]

No, for trying to have a baby. I told her she might just end up winning the bet because we were seriously considering it. Apparently she didn't think we would actually go through with it.

[girlworthfighting]

You sure went and showed her. Now she'll never underestimate either of you ever again.

[erranthero]

[Kerra laughs somewhat nervously, because...well...shit, she'd thought Luke was kidding about starting a family. Or just trying to make her feel bad for messing with him.]

Heh...alright, yeah, I've got one. Geez, Skywalker you're seriously going through with it?

[last_ofthe_jedi]

I keep my word, Kerra. Didn't I tell you that you'd better be ready?

[He's smirking, clearly enjoying the fact that he threw her for a loop.]

[erranthero]

[Sorry she's a cynic. And she does think you're an idiot for fathering children on Verdana of all places, reasons or not.

She brightens up though, smiling roguishly.]

You did. I said I'd help. And I'd do it anyway, because I'm such a generous person. Either way, I guess I win that bet with Jansen. Trouble in nine months.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke still looks smug.]

Sorry, Kerra, but you still don't win the bet. From the time the bet was made it'll be ten months.

[erranthero]

Oh? [Mental math...]

Guess so. Ah well. [Shrug.] I'm out like...two credits.

Don't guess I need to ask if you enjoyed the honeymoon, huh?

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Well of course we did, but the baby wasn't conceived during the honeymoon. It was actually around the time the riots started when I was injured and stuck at home. I suppose we had a lot of free time.

[So, so smug. Luke's cheeks are starting to hurt but he just keeps smiling.]

[erranthero]

[Kerra's eyes flicker with a sudden flash of worry. She hadn't known he'd been injured.]

You got hurt during that?

[last_ofthe_jedi]

Oh! [It hadn't occurred to Luke that some people might not have heard but then he realizes that with everything else that was going on he'd completely forgotten to let his friends know he was okay.]

Yeah, that first night a rioter whacked me in the head read good with a plank of wood.

[He lifts up his bangs to show a nasty gash on the left side of his forehead, disappearing into his hairline. It's healing but it looks like the sutures were only very recently removed. There's also some ugly bruising around it.]

That and a concussion. I was only just allowed to go back to work yesterday.

Still don't know why people were making such a big deal about it. I could've gone back that same week. I only threw up once and the hallucinations weren't that bad.

[Translation: I WAS BORED OUT OF MY MIND, WHOEVER INVENTED CONCUSSIONS I WILL MURDER THEM IN THEIR SLEEP.]

[erranthero]

[Kerra shakes her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. No. No you didn't tell her, Skywalker. And that bothers her, and it's written all over her face.]

Any hallucination is a bad one, Luke. No, that was the right call. A concussion can frak you up in ways you don't even know. That's why they're such a good method of getting an opponent down for the count.

But seriously? A plank?

[last_ofthe_jedi]

No, you're right. The first two days were awful but after that I felt fine! I could have at least helped out with the cleanup and recovery.

[No really, making Luke sit still for longer than five minutes is pretty much the worst torture to him.]

... What? That's all the guy could find, I guess.

[erranthero]

Sounds like things turned out for the best. Seriously, that's not something to mess around with. The doctors here know what they're talking about...even if they do give weird advice sometimes.

[Looking at you Mordin.]

And yeah, I guess. I know I'd be a bit more embarrassed, but you're not me.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke rolls his eyes, finally understanding what she was getting at.]

Hey, they surrounded me! I could sense him coming up behind me and I managed to turn around but I couldn't move in time because I was pinned.

That was when we decided to abandon the port because it was just getting too out of control. That and I was bleeding everywhere.

[erranthero]

[Well, actually she's kind of glad Luke isn't her. Or anything like her. She's no hero, and she knows it.]

At least you made it out alright.

[There's no mirth in her voice, she's not making fun of him, honest.]

Next time there's trouble like that? Call me, okay? I know we're a thousand years apart at least, but we're still Jedi. We should help one another out, y'know? With painting things, or riots, or any of that.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[Luke shrugs helplessly.]

Honestly, I wish I could've but I was sent out there in uniform. We're not even supposed to allow civilians to help let alone ask them to, but sometimes I'll let them anyway if it looks like they can handle themselves. If you'd been there we would have been able to hold them back for much longer. Maybe a few more people could have evacuated before the port was overrun.

When I'm on the job it's not up to me but believe me, I'm not too proud to ask for help. If I need it you'll know.

[erranthero]

Good, I expect it. [She taps her head.]

If you have to, think at me real hard. I'll hear it.

[last_ofthe_jedi]

[He smiles and closes his eyes, nodding.]

I know. Thanks, Kerra.

Even though you think we're crazy for going through with this it's good to know that we have friends nearby to watch out for us.

[erranthero]

Not my place to judge crazy, farmboy.

[Oh yeah, Wes told her about that.]

But yeah, you can count on it.