Betrayal

The rights to this belong to George Lucas, I am not him.

Beta: Fiction over Reality

"It does seem strange, doesn't it," Jonash asked as he walked with Andromeda along side of the mountain, on their way home. "how everything is infinite; there is an infinite number of cells and atoms the smallest units of measurement and an infinite limitless to the universe which is the largest of measurement. "

"I find it strange as well," Andromeda went on. "There is an infinite numbers between zero and one, infinite numbers after and before zero. So we can have infinite nothing and infinite everything at the same time. My father always said math is the language of the cosmos." Andromeda said as they walked.

Jaina, who remained behind them, followed and groaned.

~X~

Andromeda could normally hear Jaina and Jonash at night. From the sounds, it sounded like Jania was having a good time. It was a much better sexual experience than she had with the brute next door.

She looked over at Han who was asleep in his crib. Despite the constant arguing, it was clear he was truly loved by his parents. He slept there peacefully, wrapped in hand knitted leggings, a hand knitted cap and a soft baby dress covered with a thick blanket. He was cozied up next to his hand-made dog.

Andromeda remembered reading about Cornelian babies; it was when missionaries came to her temple to take a collection for the Naboo mission in the Verni Islands. After spending time with a Cornelian, Andromeda wondered if it was for a mission or for a tropical resort. She remembered reading about the poverty and seeing pictures of the huts and malnourished toddlers with outstretched bellies before tossing it aside and giving the missionaries loose change.

She even read about it; she read how birth control and maternal care was scarce. This horrified Andromeda, knowing she was going to have to give birth to two babies without any medical assistance in a world where high maternal deaths and infant mortality rates meant more than a number. Andromeda ran her fingers along her bump; a discarded statistic was now a terrifying reality. She look down at Han, knowing the child himself had a fifty-fifty chance of making it to ten. Even if Jaina and Jonash made it to the the city, Han would attend an overcrowded school, grow up illiterate like his mother, and be forced to join a street gang. She cried, knowing he most likely would never make it to fifty. Andromeda looked at Han, feeling sorry for the lad, knowing he'd never make it.

Years later, when she saw Han Solo as a celebrated hero, she'd remember the night she pondered these thoughts.

~X~

"I can't believe it's early spring," Andromeda said, as she and Jonash walked through the mountains. Andromeda was carrying a laundry basket, but Jonash offered to carry it for her. Meanwhile, Jaina lagged behind with the baby strapped to her back and a saddle sack of buckbeans, chickweed and juneberries. She felt tiny wet fingers on her ears and constant yanking on her hair as they traveled, a constant reminder of a teething baby.

"That is one of few things I like about the mountains," Jonash said, smiling at Andromeda as they followed the Selonian markings. He was careful when he stepped, presenting warnings of mud. "Such beautiful colors everywhere. I find a bit of euphoria myself when I am walking in the deep woods watching the light loom over them."

"Still can't wait for it to be in full bloom. Get to breath in the flowers," Andromeda said.

"Figured as a Nabooian, you probably love flowers," Jonash said. Andromeda nodded and smiled.

"Well, to warn you, once the wildflowers grow, expect to see a fresh bouquet every day, maybe even a potted plant or two." That was when Janina had enough. She didn't see the point of growing or picking anything in less it could be eaten or brewed.

Jaina looked back at Han and kissed his head. She had just weaned him, and was now struggling to find find foods for him, plus then there was the task of having to grind his meals up, jar and preserve them. She noticed they were going the wrong way; the Selenon paths were marked on the trees with red paint, each mark being visible from the standing point of the previous mark. The path back to the village was marked with white paint. Jaina went back to the village, wondering if they would even notice her absence.

The two others kept a lite pace, enjoying the fresh mountain air and taking sight at the wondrous nature that surround them. It was when they came to a clearing, the sun broke through the trees, reaching the surface creating rays of light that shimmered among the pines. Jonas looked over, seeing Andromeda smile at the scene.

"I want to show you something," Jonash said. Andromeda followed him to part of the woods that was cleared out. He then took her to a giant rock. It was there, Andromeda became awestruck. For she saw mountains, endless mountains stretching far and beyond her eyes. Some majestically tall with snow top crowns, others tiny with patches of lime green. Jonash watched her in this captive spell, staring at the outlook. Then suddenly she touched her stomach.

"They kicked," she said with a tear in her eye. For a moment, Jonash felt her joy.

~X~

As Andromeda started to bloom, Jonash couldn't help but feel her warmth and glow. Her red auburn hair seemed to shimmer a light orange in the early spring sun as her rosy cheeks highlighted when she smiled as she collected herbs in the mountain spring as the two remained hidden in the tall grasses.

"What is it like?" Andromeda asked suddenly as she rang out some clothes from the stream.

"What is what like?" Jonash asked.

"When you and Jaina are together," Andromeda answered. "I don't know if the hormones, a prying curiosity, or the fact that my only experience is in brutality. You two seem to take enjoyment with each other. I hear you sometimes; it wakes me up.""

"To be honest, it wasn't like that at first," Jonash answered, blushing. "When we were first married, I didn't even like her. I could barely stand to look at her."

"Then how did you...make a child?"

"Obligation. My masters pulled me aside and told me we had to. She wasn't the first wife, so I the mechanics. I did her out of obligation." Jonash said. "Not exactly the romance you've read about."

"You are too young to have family." Andromeda mentioned.

"That's not Han's fault," Jonash said.

"I think I'm jealous," Andromeda said.

"Jealous?" Jonash looked at her confused.

"I am jealous of you and Jaina." Andromeda said with tears welling in her eyes. "You are like my comfort in all this. Your conversations remind me of where I'm from and who I used to be."

It was then Jonash leaned close and the two kissed. It wasn't an ordinary kiss; it was long and beautiful. It was interrupted by a cry.

Jonash looked over to see Han. After a few short weeks of mastering the art of setting up, he kept tempting to stand. In his attempt, the baby had lost his balance and had fallen out of his basket, rolling over, almost falling in the stream. In an instance, Jonash raced over and grabbed him, and held his son in his arms, until he calmed.

"This never would have happened with Jaina. I'm sorry," Jonash said, panting. "I can't deny that I have feelings for you, but it is Han who is my true love. I have to do what's best for him."

~X~

Jaina stood outside her hut, she was with a mortar and pestle, crushing up food for Han. She looked over and saw Han on a mat practicing his crawling, using a wooden block to calm his teething.

She furiously pressed the newly found beans in the mortal, not knowing that it was almost creamed. The way Jonash looked at Andromeda that night played in her head over and over again. It caused a deep burning inside her; an old buried hatred that resurfaced, like the kind she felt for Jabba's daughters, when those ugly half worms were getting jewels and being adorned with flowers while eating fine meals while Jaina watched in rags, her stomach starving for a bowl of crumbs. Andromeda was far from a Hutt, but once had that privilege, and now she wanted to take Jaina's only chance for happiness.

Jaina stopped as Han looked up at her innocently. She moved to her next task. Her fingers touched the string of her loom, solely keeping her eyes on the threads as she weaved the fibers into the cloth. She then heard the sound of boots. Jaina left her loom and raced out to see Bhumdi reaching his shak.

"Excuse me, Bhumdi" Jaina said the next day. "I need to tell you something."

"Yes, Mrs. Solo?" Bhumdi asked.

"I am so sorry," Jaina said with an expression of fringed innocence. "We've been keeping a secret from you. It was really terrible of us."

~X~

"Where is she?!" Bhumi stormed in the next day to see Jaina and Andromeda in the living room with Han practiced his crawling on the floor between the two women. Andromeda fearfully got behind Jiana to protect her. Jaina picked Han off the floor and stepped aside.

"There she is," Bhumi said, grabbing Andromeda by the hair as Jaina covered Han's eyes, remaining silent. Bhumi pushed Andromeda down to the ground. She instantly tried to get back up again, but Bhumi straddled her, careful not to sit on her baby bump. He grabbed her by the throat, as he pulled out a small, white object from his pocket.

"There she is," Bhumi said, grabbing Andromeda by the hair as Jaina covered Han's eyes, remaining silent. Bhumi pushed Andromeda down to the ground. She instantly tried to get back up again, but Bhumi straddled her, careful not to sit on her baby bump. His large hands clasped her throat, as he pulled out a small, white object from his pocket.

"No, get away from me," Andromeda tried to push him off but Bhumdi quickly grabbed both her wrist with one hand and she tried kicking him with her knees. "Get off me!" she screeched, as her nightmares returned.

"See this?" He snarled as Andromeda's eyes went wide. "This is your incarcerator. Hulda arranged for me to have it before her death. So if you ever try to leave me or even disobey me, just rememberer your life is in my hands."

"Jaina, help!." Andromeda cried as Jaina stood there with her arms folded. It was then Andromeda realized who told Bhumdi about her.

"Your friends are only your friends until you threaten to take what little they have," He huffed.

Andromeda stopped, looking up at Jaina, betrayed.

"How dare you?" Andromeda said, still staring at Jaina with a nasty sneer.

"Don't look away," Bhumdi ordered putting his large hands around her chin, squeezing her cheeks. "Think you can get away with it! Taking away my babies. I won't let you leave with my children." He then ripped her dress revealing her bare stomach and pop out belly button.

"Please don't!" Jaina intervened, recognizing the instrument he pulled out of his pocket "They are your children."

"You did enough," Bhumdi said then took out a tracker gun. He put his ear to Andromeda's stomach. "This is one." He then put his hand on the mark were his child kicked him. He injected the tip of the needle into Andromeda's stomach causing a fetus to light that it could be seen."

"What did you put in it?" Jaina asked.

"A tracker. Now the same for the other one," Bhumdi said, Andromeda fought hard to get out from under him and he just pushed down on her harder. He placed his fingers next to the other part until he felt movement and placed his ear against it and repeated giving the other a tracker.

"Now, listen here," He said pulling Andromeda up by her hair. "You are going to come back with me and be my wife. If you don't, than you will face death. You will give birth and raise my children and if you try to run away… well, they will have trackers that is so imbedded into them, it will be impossible to hide."

He then forced her out as Jania grabbed Han and followed. It was at that moment Jonash was coming home from his work.

"You," Bhumdi pointed to Jonash angrily. "I will like to let you know, I got my wife's controller and injected a tracking device into my twins. They will be born mine. If you go anywhere near her, I will get yours too." He then proceeded to take Andromeda back to his quarters.

"Jonash," Jaina called to him, holding Han to look innocent in all this. There was then the loud studded and thumps, all coined to Andromeda's abused. "We have to go."

It was then, Skuld's words rang. 'Twins born to a Nabooian Mother, and betrayed by their father before birth. Your son's destiny is bounded to theirs.'