OMG than you everyone for the wonderful comments on this fic. I'm actually super excited to finally post the last part of this beast of a fic. Thank you for everyone who has stuck with me, even with my bit of wandering from the prompt. I hope you all enjoy the last part!
-
“I want to learn to understand Flaurion.” Poe tells Zadan a few days later. “It’s not fair that they can understand me and I can’t reciprocate, and you can’t always be with me when I want to go out.”
Zadan beams at him, “I can arrange for a tutor, it was how I learned. It is doubtful that you will be able to pick of the entire language during the rest of your time here but we can arrange for some holo discs to take with you when you leave. That is if you will still wish to continue learning at that time.”
Poe nods feeling pleased at the idea, one hand pressed against his distended stomach where he can feel the eggs shifting when he moves. He wants to stay in contact with Oolfan, Vveeda and the children after they’re born. “Yeah, I would really like that.”
-
Over the next two weeks Poe learns more about being an incubation parent and what to expect as the days go on. He’s told that the day the eggs are laid is known as a push day and that the eggs hatch within hours of being laid.
Both Zadan and the royal physician Ghaalf go over every detail of the laying with him. There will be some discomfort, possibly even pain at first but once the labour starts Poe will be move to the laying tub where the waters should sooth away much of the pain of the laying process. Once the eggs are laid he will be moved into a bacta bath so that his body can heal from the laying.
Oolfan and Vveeda are making sure no expense is spared to ensure that Poe is both comfortable throughout the incubation as well as the egg laying. It’s not just his physical wellbeing they see to but they make sure he’s doing alright mentally and emotionally as well. Poe rarely finds himself alone, if he isn’t with one of his egg partners than he’s with Zadan or the tutor that is teaching him to understand Flaurion.
He’s also permitted to make frequent holocalls to the Resistance. Most of the time he speaks with Leia, telling her about how he’s doing and listening to her go over what’s been happening during his absence. He also talks to his pilots a lot, whether it’s one or two of them together or a group of them all together trying to talk over each other. They all miss him and think he’s crazy for doing this but of course they support him. During his absence Karé and Iolo have taken temporary command and Iolo assures him with a mischievous grin that they might let him take it back when he returns.
Poe’s favourite calls are those he has with Finn though, BB-8 at his side, telling Poe about their day and all the things he’s learning. Listening to the two of them makes Poe feel truly homesick and he promises them he’ll be back soon and that he’ll make up for his absence when he is. Finn tells him to take his time and make sure that he takes care of himself, they’ll be here waiting when he gets back.
Just once, about two weeks into his incubation, Poe called his father on Yavin IV something he hadn’t done in months. His father had been startled when Poe told him what was going on but had been supportive. The promise of bringing pictures of his grandbabies was heavily stressed. The call had ended with Poe fighting back tears, forgetting how much such calls with his father made him miss the man so kriffing much.
Even with the discomfort he feels sometimes at having his stomach so large and having the eggs within him, Poe actually finds that he enjoys himself greatly during the three weeks leading up to his push day. Both Oolfan and Vveeda dote on him constantly and Poe enjoys spending time with them individually or together. If the way they treat him is any indication, Poe is certain two Flaurions are going to make amazing parents.
-
The pains begin around noon twenty-three days after Poe was incubated and they hit Poe like a raging bantha, almost bowling him over. By this time Poe can only manage being on his feet for shorts spurts of time before his back and ankles get too sore. Added to that he looks like swallowed BB-8 with how huge his stomach is.
When the pains hit Poe is glad that he’s been spending the day with Vveeda in the gardens around the palace, if he’d been alone he wouldn’t know what to do. Ever since the three week mark had passed Poe has been under constant supervision as they wait for the eggs to be laid.
Poe still doesn’t have their language down but he’s managed to learn enough to be able to hold simple conversations, especially when both emperors understand basic even if they cannot speak it themselves. It’s made him feel a lot less lonely being able to communicate with his egg partners.
“Vveeda. . .I-I think it’s time.” Poe cries as he grabs hold of the emperor’s arm to steady himself. He doesn’t manage anything else when another pain hits him, if this is what human women experience during labour then Poe has an entirely new appreciation for what his mother went through to have him, especially since she done so in the middle of a war.
Vveeda coos gently at Poe in an attempt to comfort him and picks him up easily before carrying over to where Poe’s hover chair is waiting. It still surprises Poe how strong the Flaurions are despite their slim appearance. They’re also fast because as soon as Poe is seated, Vveeda takes off at a sprint, wheeling Poe back into the palace and to the laying room that is attached to Ghaalf’s medical rooms.
The pain is intense and possibly the worst thing Poe has ever felt physically. Kylo Ren ripping through his mind to find the location of the map to Luke Skywalker still ranks as the number one most painful thing he’s ever experienced in his life.
Once they’re in the laying room, Vveeda helps Poe into the shallow pool that is set up for the children once they hatch from the eggs. Being in the warm water helps soothe some of the pains and with Vveeda’s help they manage to get Poe stripped of all of his clothes.
Sadly the water only eases the contractions slightly, Poe is still practically double over fro the pain. It’s so intense that it brings tears to his eyes and what’s more is that Poe knows this won’t be the worst of it.
He’s scared of how the egg laying will go; even with all the preparation and information he’s been given.
“W-what if I can’t do this? What if they’re too big?” Ghaalf has been monitoring the eggs and he’s assured Poe that he will be able to deliver them but that isn’t registering in Poe’s head at the moment. “I’m scared.”
Vveeda embraces Poe from behind, running his hands over Poe’s belly and whispering soothing thing in Flaurion. Poe still hasn’t gotten a complete grasp of the language yet but he picks up a few words; “safe,” “here,” “succeed.” It’s enough for Poe to piece together what the emperor is trying to convey.
Soon Oolfan is hurrying into the room, Zadan hot on his heels to aid in interpretation though he remains with his back turned to Poe out of respect for his privacy.
Ghaalf turns to Oolfan and Vveeda once both parents are in the room and hands them a large jar of gelatinous looking liquid. The liquid will act as a lubricant, and isn’t water soluble, and ease the pain due to the bacta contained within. It’s part of the ceremony for Oolfan and Vveeda to prepare poe in order to aid him in laying the eggs. His body isn’t naturally equipped to ease the large eggs out of him without risk of tearing badly. In some ways it will be much like preparation for sex, the biggest difference is of course that he’s going to be pushing something out of himself rather than taking something in.
Poe doesn’t feel much beyond the ache in his stomach as the eggs start shifting, preparing to move down through him. He’s sure that Oolfan and Vveeda are being careful not to hurt him as the press their fingers into him, trying to stretch his insides wider than they’ve ever been in order to accommodate the eggs. The bacta in the gel also helps to numb him to the feeling of having both of then fingers, and when he dares to try to glance down, it seems they entire hands, inside of him.
“K-kriff!” A particularly sharp and painful contraction has Poe bearing down and Ghaalf is shooing the two emperors away so that he can pass a scanner over Poe’s body. He says something which Zadan translates as ‘it’s time.’
Oolfan and Vveeda each take one of Poe’s hands and place their free hands on his stomach, pushing down gently to encourage the eggs to move down and pass through his body. While their touch is gentle the action is still agonizing and Poe can’t hold back a shout of pain, his eyes squeezing tightly shut as he tries to ensure it.
He can feel every agonizing inch as the first egg moves through him until its settled low enough that Ghaalf orders him to ‘push now!’
Even with the bacta gel and being prepared for this Poe still feels stretched impossibly wide; he can feel his muscles fighting against the egg inside of him but not quite able to push it out because of the egg’s size.
The emperor’s are repeating comforting and supportive phrases over and over in Flaurion and Poe tries to draw strength from them as he pushes as hard as he can and finally there’s one flash of absolute agony and he can feel something give away and slide out of him into the water.
Ghaalf is quick to move the first egg out of the way, setting it inside a small net within the laying pool so that it does not get disturbed by any of Poe’s movements.
Poe gets a glance at the egg and has a brief moment of shock, wondering how something that big had come out of him, before the next egg is already making its way down through him and he has to go through it all over again.
He passes out after the first five eggs have been laid, his body unable to take anymore of the strain and the pain.
The touch of a hand stroking tenderly through his hair slowly bring him back to consciousness. Opening tired eyes, Poe looks up into the concerned gaze of Vveeda. He’s saying something that Poe can’t understand, his mind too fuzzy to translate the words.
“Emperor Vveeda wishes that your pain was not so great, the eggs are larger than usual and there are more. He and emperor Oolfan both wish to express their sorrow at the pain they have put you through.” Zadan translates from somewhere behind Poe. “There are still three remaining to be laid. If you feel that you can no longer proceed, the royal physician has the tools to remove them surgically.”
Somehow that feels like admitting defeat, and Poe knows that if it comes to a C-section his recovery time will be longer, even with bacta speeding up his healing. “N-no.” he croaks weakly, his voice hoarse from vocalizing his pain. “I-I can do this.”
“Poe, it would not be advisable, it is safer for your health to remove the remaining three eggs via C-section.” It seems that Zadan is as worried as Oolfan and Vveeda.
“I can do this.” Poe repeats, more to himself than Zadan. He can feel the other three eggs sitting in his stomach still; Oolfan and Vveeda must have stopped pushing as soon as Poe passed out. “I’m okay.” Poe assures them, giving their hands a squeeze. “We can do this together.”
The emperors hesitate before slowly pressing on Poe’s stomach, urging the first of the three remaining eggs to begin its journey downward. This time Poe’s ready for the pain but it seems the gel effectiveness of the gel has worn off somewhat, the burning as he pushes the egg through his already stretched hole is intense enough to cause tears to well up in his eyes and slide down his cheeks.
Two more to go.
Poe tries to focus on the feeling of Oolfan and Vveeda’s hands holding his own, he listens to the sounds of their voices, anything that isn’t the next egg pushing down and the out of him.
It’s getting harder to focus, his head is starting to swim again from the pain and he can feel sweat soaking the back of his neck. He’s also aware that there’s blood in the water meaning that he’s likely torn something but he just wants to get this over with, to prove to himself (and maybe Kylo Ren) that he can do this, he isn’t weak or afraid.
The last egg proves to be the most difficult and Poe’s vision goes black as he bears down, pushing hard until he feels himself opening up impossibly wide and the pain before the egg drops out of him and Poe falls back against the side of the pool.
He hopes that everything went alright but it’s hard to focus again. He’s briefly aware of someone scooping hi up in their arms and hurrying him into another room before he’s slowly set down into cool tingly liquid; bacta. A mask is slipped over his face and Poe can tell that the respirator contains some sort of drug. This time when the world fades out it’s much more peaceful.
-
Poe wakes up a day later with Oolfan sitting at his side, both his hands clasping one of Poe’s own. When Poe opens his eyes Oolfan smiles at him and begins to speak to him slowly, enough that Poe can tell that he’s asking if Poe is feeling better.
When he takes stock of his body, Poe realizes that he doesn’t feel any residual pain. There’s a bit of soreness and some muscle weakness, but over all he’s feeling better than he has in days. His stomach feels oddly empty, and Poe presses a hand to the slightly swell of it. Ghaalf had told him that after laying the eggs it would take a few days for his stomach to return to close to it’s original size.
To distract himself from the emptiness, Poe focuses instead on something else. “Did everything go alright. . .w-were the babies born alright?” Poe isn’t sure that he could handle it if he failed Oolfan and Vveeda by somehow harming the babies because of his difficulties with the egg laying.
Oolfan nods and shifts so that he has his arms under Poe’s back and knees, looking at Poe for permission to lift him. At Poe’s nod Oolfan picks him up and carries Poe into a room that is connected to the one Poe finds himself in. Inside the room Vveeda is sitting next to a tank where Poe can see something swimming around.
Vveeda beams as he sees Poe and makes room for him to sit comfortably next to them, helping Poe to peer into the tank where the babies are swimming around.
Baby Flaurions it turns out looked like little jelly fish with small hands and feet, and too large eyes. Vveeda tells Poe that the jelly like substance of their bodies acted like a sustenance sack until the babies’ stomachs properly form and they can digest the fish and seaweed that is the main diet for Flaurions.
When Poe reaches into the tank the babies swim over to him making small chirping sounds that both Oolfan and Vveeda assure him are noises of delight and love. The babies recognize Poe as their incubation parent and are greeting him. Poe feels tears sting his eyes as the babies all crowd around him. Zadan had assured him they would recognize Poe as a parent to them, but it’s still surreal to experience it. Having them just gives Poe one, or eight, more things to keep fighting for.
The location of the tank allows Poe to come and visit the babies whenever he wishes, with or without Oolfan and Vveeda around. He is after all a parent to them as well, Oolfan reminds him fondly, reaching down to allow the babies to swarm around his fingers.
“They’re wonderful.” Poe says, as he gently runs his hands gently over the heads of the babies who have swum up to them. “I’m glad that I could be a part of this.”
Oolfan and Vveeda both press close to him, wrapping an arm around him and holding him close. Like this Poe feels part of a completed circuit of family.
A House Built Out in Space [3a/3]
-
“I want to learn to understand Flaurion.” Poe tells Zadan a few days later. “It’s not fair that they can understand me and I can’t reciprocate, and you can’t always be with me when I want to go out.”
Zadan beams at him, “I can arrange for a tutor, it was how I learned. It is doubtful that you will be able to pick of the entire language during the rest of your time here but we can arrange for some holo discs to take with you when you leave. That is if you will still wish to continue learning at that time.”
Poe nods feeling pleased at the idea, one hand pressed against his distended stomach where he can feel the eggs shifting when he moves. He wants to stay in contact with Oolfan, Vveeda and the children after they’re born. “Yeah, I would really like that.”
-
Over the next two weeks Poe learns more about being an incubation parent and what to expect as the days go on. He’s told that the day the eggs are laid is known as a push day and that the eggs hatch within hours of being laid.
Both Zadan and the royal physician Ghaalf go over every detail of the laying with him. There will be some discomfort, possibly even pain at first but once the labour starts Poe will be move to the laying tub where the waters should sooth away much of the pain of the laying process. Once the eggs are laid he will be moved into a bacta bath so that his body can heal from the laying.
Oolfan and Vveeda are making sure no expense is spared to ensure that Poe is both comfortable throughout the incubation as well as the egg laying. It’s not just his physical wellbeing they see to but they make sure he’s doing alright mentally and emotionally as well. Poe rarely finds himself alone, if he isn’t with one of his egg partners than he’s with Zadan or the tutor that is teaching him to understand Flaurion.
He’s also permitted to make frequent holocalls to the Resistance. Most of the time he speaks with Leia, telling her about how he’s doing and listening to her go over what’s been happening during his absence. He also talks to his pilots a lot, whether it’s one or two of them together or a group of them all together trying to talk over each other. They all miss him and think he’s crazy for doing this but of course they support him. During his absence Karé and Iolo have taken temporary command and Iolo assures him with a mischievous grin that they might let him take it back when he returns.
Poe’s favourite calls are those he has with Finn though, BB-8 at his side, telling Poe about their day and all the things he’s learning. Listening to the two of them makes Poe feel truly homesick and he promises them he’ll be back soon and that he’ll make up for his absence when he is. Finn tells him to take his time and make sure that he takes care of himself, they’ll be here waiting when he gets back.
Just once, about two weeks into his incubation, Poe called his father on Yavin IV something he hadn’t done in months. His father had been startled when Poe told him what was going on but had been supportive. The promise of bringing pictures of his grandbabies was heavily stressed. The call had ended with Poe fighting back tears, forgetting how much such calls with his father made him miss the man so kriffing much.
Even with the discomfort he feels sometimes at having his stomach so large and having the eggs within him, Poe actually finds that he enjoys himself greatly during the three weeks leading up to his push day. Both Oolfan and Vveeda dote on him constantly and Poe enjoys spending time with them individually or together. If the way they treat him is any indication, Poe is certain two Flaurions are going to make amazing parents.
-
The pains begin around noon twenty-three days after Poe was incubated and they hit Poe like a raging bantha, almost bowling him over. By this time Poe can only manage being on his feet for shorts spurts of time before his back and ankles get too sore. Added to that he looks like swallowed BB-8 with how huge his stomach is.
When the pains hit Poe is glad that he’s been spending the day with Vveeda in the gardens around the palace, if he’d been alone he wouldn’t know what to do. Ever since the three week mark had passed Poe has been under constant supervision as they wait for the eggs to be laid.
Poe still doesn’t have their language down but he’s managed to learn enough to be able to hold simple conversations, especially when both emperors understand basic even if they cannot speak it themselves. It’s made him feel a lot less lonely being able to communicate with his egg partners.
“Vveeda. . .I-I think it’s time.” Poe cries as he grabs hold of the emperor’s arm to steady himself. He doesn’t manage anything else when another pain hits him, if this is what human women experience during labour then Poe has an entirely new appreciation for what his mother went through to have him, especially since she done so in the middle of a war.
Vveeda coos gently at Poe in an attempt to comfort him and picks him up easily before carrying over to where Poe’s hover chair is waiting. It still surprises Poe how strong the Flaurions are despite their slim appearance. They’re also fast because as soon as Poe is seated, Vveeda takes off at a sprint, wheeling Poe back into the palace and to the laying room that is attached to Ghaalf’s medical rooms.
The pain is intense and possibly the worst thing Poe has ever felt physically. Kylo Ren ripping through his mind to find the location of the map to Luke Skywalker still ranks as the number one most painful thing he’s ever experienced in his life.
Once they’re in the laying room, Vveeda helps Poe into the shallow pool that is set up for the children once they hatch from the eggs. Being in the warm water helps soothe some of the pains and with Vveeda’s help they manage to get Poe stripped of all of his clothes.
Sadly the water only eases the contractions slightly, Poe is still practically double over fro the pain. It’s so intense that it brings tears to his eyes and what’s more is that Poe knows this won’t be the worst of it.
He’s scared of how the egg laying will go; even with all the preparation and information he’s been given.
“W-what if I can’t do this? What if they’re too big?” Ghaalf has been monitoring the eggs and he’s assured Poe that he will be able to deliver them but that isn’t registering in Poe’s head at the moment. “I’m scared.”
Vveeda embraces Poe from behind, running his hands over Poe’s belly and whispering soothing thing in Flaurion. Poe still hasn’t gotten a complete grasp of the language yet but he picks up a few words; “safe,” “here,” “succeed.” It’s enough for Poe to piece together what the emperor is trying to convey.
Soon Oolfan is hurrying into the room, Zadan hot on his heels to aid in interpretation though he remains with his back turned to Poe out of respect for his privacy.
Ghaalf turns to Oolfan and Vveeda once both parents are in the room and hands them a large jar of gelatinous looking liquid. The liquid will act as a lubricant, and isn’t water soluble, and ease the pain due to the bacta contained within. It’s part of the ceremony for Oolfan and Vveeda to prepare poe in order to aid him in laying the eggs. His body isn’t naturally equipped to ease the large eggs out of him without risk of tearing badly. In some ways it will be much like preparation for sex, the biggest difference is of course that he’s going to be pushing something out of himself rather than taking something in.
Poe doesn’t feel much beyond the ache in his stomach as the eggs start shifting, preparing to move down through him. He’s sure that Oolfan and Vveeda are being careful not to hurt him as the press their fingers into him, trying to stretch his insides wider than they’ve ever been in order to accommodate the eggs. The bacta in the gel also helps to numb him to the feeling of having both of then fingers, and when he dares to try to glance down, it seems they entire hands, inside of him.
“K-kriff!” A particularly sharp and painful contraction has Poe bearing down and Ghaalf is shooing the two emperors away so that he can pass a scanner over Poe’s body. He says something which Zadan translates as ‘it’s time.’
Oolfan and Vveeda each take one of Poe’s hands and place their free hands on his stomach, pushing down gently to encourage the eggs to move down and pass through his body. While their touch is gentle the action is still agonizing and Poe can’t hold back a shout of pain, his eyes squeezing tightly shut as he tries to ensure it.
He can feel every agonizing inch as the first egg moves through him until its settled low enough that Ghaalf orders him to ‘push now!’
Even with the bacta gel and being prepared for this Poe still feels stretched impossibly wide; he can feel his muscles fighting against the egg inside of him but not quite able to push it out because of the egg’s size.
The emperor’s are repeating comforting and supportive phrases over and over in Flaurion and Poe tries to draw strength from them as he pushes as hard as he can and finally there’s one flash of absolute agony and he can feel something give away and slide out of him into the water.
Ghaalf is quick to move the first egg out of the way, setting it inside a small net within the laying pool so that it does not get disturbed by any of Poe’s movements.
Poe gets a glance at the egg and has a brief moment of shock, wondering how something that big had come out of him, before the next egg is already making its way down through him and he has to go through it all over again.
He passes out after the first five eggs have been laid, his body unable to take anymore of the strain and the pain.
The touch of a hand stroking tenderly through his hair slowly bring him back to consciousness. Opening tired eyes, Poe looks up into the concerned gaze of Vveeda. He’s saying something that Poe can’t understand, his mind too fuzzy to translate the words.
“Emperor Vveeda wishes that your pain was not so great, the eggs are larger than usual and there are more. He and emperor Oolfan both wish to express their sorrow at the pain they have put you through.” Zadan translates from somewhere behind Poe. “There are still three remaining to be laid. If you feel that you can no longer proceed, the royal physician has the tools to remove them surgically.”
Somehow that feels like admitting defeat, and Poe knows that if it comes to a C-section his recovery time will be longer, even with bacta speeding up his healing. “N-no.” he croaks weakly, his voice hoarse from vocalizing his pain. “I-I can do this.”
“Poe, it would not be advisable, it is safer for your health to remove the remaining three eggs via C-section.” It seems that Zadan is as worried as Oolfan and Vveeda.
“I can do this.” Poe repeats, more to himself than Zadan. He can feel the other three eggs sitting in his stomach still; Oolfan and Vveeda must have stopped pushing as soon as Poe passed out. “I’m okay.” Poe assures them, giving their hands a squeeze. “We can do this together.”
The emperors hesitate before slowly pressing on Poe’s stomach, urging the first of the three remaining eggs to begin its journey downward. This time Poe’s ready for the pain but it seems the gel effectiveness of the gel has worn off somewhat, the burning as he pushes the egg through his already stretched hole is intense enough to cause tears to well up in his eyes and slide down his cheeks.
Two more to go.
Poe tries to focus on the feeling of Oolfan and Vveeda’s hands holding his own, he listens to the sounds of their voices, anything that isn’t the next egg pushing down and the out of him.
It’s getting harder to focus, his head is starting to swim again from the pain and he can feel sweat soaking the back of his neck. He’s also aware that there’s blood in the water meaning that he’s likely torn something but he just wants to get this over with, to prove to himself (and maybe Kylo Ren) that he can do this, he isn’t weak or afraid.
The last egg proves to be the most difficult and Poe’s vision goes black as he bears down, pushing hard until he feels himself opening up impossibly wide and the pain before the egg drops out of him and Poe falls back against the side of the pool.
He hopes that everything went alright but it’s hard to focus again. He’s briefly aware of someone scooping hi up in their arms and hurrying him into another room before he’s slowly set down into cool tingly liquid; bacta. A mask is slipped over his face and Poe can tell that the respirator contains some sort of drug. This time when the world fades out it’s much more peaceful.
-
Poe wakes up a day later with Oolfan sitting at his side, both his hands clasping one of Poe’s own. When Poe opens his eyes Oolfan smiles at him and begins to speak to him slowly, enough that Poe can tell that he’s asking if Poe is feeling better.
When he takes stock of his body, Poe realizes that he doesn’t feel any residual pain. There’s a bit of soreness and some muscle weakness, but over all he’s feeling better than he has in days. His stomach feels oddly empty, and Poe presses a hand to the slightly swell of it. Ghaalf had told him that after laying the eggs it would take a few days for his stomach to return to close to it’s original size.
To distract himself from the emptiness, Poe focuses instead on something else. “Did everything go alright. . .w-were the babies born alright?” Poe isn’t sure that he could handle it if he failed Oolfan and Vveeda by somehow harming the babies because of his difficulties with the egg laying.
Oolfan nods and shifts so that he has his arms under Poe’s back and knees, looking at Poe for permission to lift him. At Poe’s nod Oolfan picks him up and carries Poe into a room that is connected to the one Poe finds himself in. Inside the room Vveeda is sitting next to a tank where Poe can see something swimming around.
Vveeda beams as he sees Poe and makes room for him to sit comfortably next to them, helping Poe to peer into the tank where the babies are swimming around.
Baby Flaurions it turns out looked like little jelly fish with small hands and feet, and too large eyes. Vveeda tells Poe that the jelly like substance of their bodies acted like a sustenance sack until the babies’ stomachs properly form and they can digest the fish and seaweed that is the main diet for Flaurions.
When Poe reaches into the tank the babies swim over to him making small chirping sounds that both Oolfan and Vveeda assure him are noises of delight and love. The babies recognize Poe as their incubation parent and are greeting him. Poe feels tears sting his eyes as the babies all crowd around him. Zadan had assured him they would recognize Poe as a parent to them, but it’s still surreal to experience it. Having them just gives Poe one, or eight, more things to keep fighting for.
The location of the tank allows Poe to come and visit the babies whenever he wishes, with or without Oolfan and Vveeda around. He is after all a parent to them as well, Oolfan reminds him fondly, reaching down to allow the babies to swarm around his fingers.
“They’re wonderful.” Poe says, as he gently runs his hands gently over the heads of the babies who have swum up to them. “I’m glad that I could be a part of this.”
Oolfan and Vveeda both press close to him, wrapping an arm around him and holding him close. Like this Poe feels part of a completed circuit of family.