Star Wars: Shadowbound Chapter 15 - The Hutt's Greed, An Almost Battle & A Sith Scheme (Patreon)

Doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Aak2H_Cs2Fj65Wc-8Ik6dJKo2OoASmFwszR3OkqBBU/edit?usp=sharing

[A/N: In the first scene, the Hutt Council is talking in Huttese. But I'm writing it in English. So when you imagine, just think of them doing gibberish.] 

__________

Grand Hutt Council, Nal Hutta

There was silence in the dimly lit Council Chamber. The circular room was made of natural material in the Hutt style. The Five Hutts sat on the elevated seats before tables; some had drinks in hand, others had their pleasure slaves beside them. 

In the middle of the round hall, below at the center, sat a holoprojector, showing a full-sized hologram of Beldorion the Dread. It was a rather large Hutt even by Hutt standards, and muscular as well. The lightsaber stood out. 

"He lives." Jabba Desilijic Tiure grumbled. 

“Regrettably,” Oruba of the Gorensla kajidic replied. The old Hutt shifted upon his seat. “I remember when his Force sensitivity was first discovered.”

“Why let the Jedi have him?” Gorga asked. Jabba’s nephew had lived many years himself, though fewer than Beldorion.

“We opposed it,” Marlo of the Quanaalac kajidic replied. “His foolish father would not listen. He sent the boy away seeking glory for the Hestilic kajidic.”

“And now he has it,” Arok of the Besadii kajidic said. “Violent. Strong in the Force. Three Jedi serving him. A dreadnought under his command, and a planet besides.”

“A sector,” Gorga corrected. “So he says.”

The chamber filled with Hutt laughter. Holding onto a sector wasn’t an easy task, especially when you were all alone and just starting as a Hutt crime lord.  

“Put bounty hunters on him,” Jabba said. “Let them keep him busy.”

"I will do the same."

"So will I."

The Grand Hutt Council seldom shared the same interests. Beldorion, however, threatened none of them directly. His rise offered neither profit nor loss.

So they treated Beldorion as they would any rebellious Hutt who needed a reminder of his place.

####

Odessen was a planet in the Wild Space, and it had a strong connection to the Force. However, reaching it wasn’t easy, and also time-consuming. So Arenval chose to postpone collecting those Skytroopers and instead chose to boost the immediate defense of Dodz. 

And since he already had a Harrower-class dreadnought, he chose to look for starfighters that would fit perfectly inside it. So, he chose to search for Mark VI Supremacy-class starfighters that were used in the same capital ship. 

They weren't cheap, however. And they weren't in great shape. For a total of 40,000 SP, he found twenty-five Supremacy-class starfighters. The full-sized dreadnought carried ninety-five of such starfighters. However, Dominator was a scaled-down version, and at max could carry twenty. The rest were just extra. But that didn't mean more space couldn't be made for the starfighters, since the crew was going to be droid-based. 

The twenty-five starfighters were found on a ruined world where a battle was once fought during the Great Galactic War. They were all broken, battered, scattered in a planet-wide ruin of scraps. However, that also meant he could find spare parts easily on that same planet, as most of the scrap was from the same era. 

The Mark VI Supremacy-class starfighters weren't built to be strong. They were just fast, with a powerful engine and rapid-fire laser cannons. The past Sith Empire used them in swarm tactics. But he wasn't the Empire, nor did he have the resources to keep churning out new starfighters after each battle. 

So, he planned upgrades for the starfighters. 

Dodz had no shipwrights, so with just a team of engineers and techies, he worked on the starfighters. The goal was to give them advanced shielding. 

Then, secondary ordnance bays were added to stock the starfighter with concussion missiles that could also be changed to proton torpedo launchers whenever needed. After that, the power reactor was upgraded to the latest model, sensors and targeting suite were enhanced, and all life support systems and consumables storage were removed. A point-defense array was added to break enemy missile locks. 

But those were all basic things that a decent starfighter should already have. What Arenval wanted was an edge. Something that would make the starfighters tide-changing pieces on the board. 

Taking inspiration from the future Luthen's haulcraft, he began making modifications to a select few starfighters. To some, he added a Ballistic chaff launcher, which would throw tiny explosives behind in a swarm.

Then, taking inspiration from his Scimitar, he upgraded the ion engines of all starfighters. And finally, on just two of the starfighters, he added a cloaking device. It wasn't as powerful as Scimitar since he had no extra Stygium crystals. Instead, he used a modified, additional ion engine. It was pure engineering, without any magical, special crystals. The two starfighters were coated with reflective shielding that used internal computers to reflect space around them, making it vanish. 

Finally, he left two with actual pilot seats for humans. These two lacked heavy weaponry and were instead focused on quick laser cannons, powerful shields, and fast engines. They were for Komari and Aayla, meant to be pushed to the limit with the Force guiding their senses.

With that, he had ten starfighters with Ballistic chaff launchers, two with cloaking, two with human pilot systems, and eleven upgraded starfighters with advanced shielding. Moreover, all but two didn't have a cockpit inside. Instead of making a droid climb inside as a pilot, Arenval built in the droid pilot system. That was the only way to upgrade them to his specifications without making them bigger. 

They were similar to vulture droids, but far more advanced and equipped. Still, in case of emergency, they could carry a single passenger in a really cramped space.

It took Arenval two weeks to finish those upgrades. Mechu-deru helped with the speed, but he was just one person, having to guide people who had never worked on ships before. That revealed what he lacked. He had the designs, perhaps even materials, but he didn't have the people to actually make what he wanted. 

On the fifteenth day, he returned to Dodz as he received an emergency transmission. Their informant in the Black Sun had revealed that Gardulla had finished her preparations and was sending the strike force to take Dodz. 

Gardulla knew about Dominator. But through Black Sun, she was made to believe that it was just an ornamental ship, hundreds of years old, without any weapons or complement. It was there to discourage pirates. 

He fitted the twenty-three starfighters into the Dominator, and sent the last two to the planet's surface. He also sent Komari and Aayla down to train with their starfighters, get used to the controls, the speed, and mobility.

He tasked Shmi with preparing a command center on the surface inside Beldorion's new palace. It was just the old building where the previous tyrant used to live. It was destroyed mostly during the liberation and was now rebuilt with Beldorion's size in mind. 

Most of the Theran Listeners were also sent to the ground since they lacked battle experience. Only a handful, already trained with Dominator's operations, were kept on the bridge. The rest of the weapons systems were handled by inbuilt droid-AI systems, upgraded with Arenval's handmade targeting system.

"Master... I have received word. Gardulla's strike force has entered hyperspace. In two days, they will be here with us."

"Then you have two days to master the starfighter. Try not to die, Komari. Aayla too. Train her, help her. She's not as experienced as you are."

"And you, my master?"

"I'll take the Scimitar. There are ways to convince an enemy that surrender is the wiser choice. With luck, we might even come away with a few new ships. But we need to move quickly. Once they're neutralised, we head for Tatooine."

Arenval declared, and moved towards the modified shop. 

“Have Bel prepare his holotransmission to Gardulla, along with one for the wider galaxy. We’ll need a justification before we strike.”

"What of Master Fay, Master?" 

Arenval paused on the ramp. He knew the Force worked in mysterious ways. There was a reason Fay had found him. The real question was what for. 

"She'll come with us to Tatooine."

He reckoned it was better to keep her close. 

####

Gilded Grasp, En route to Dodz, 

Dealing with the Hutts was always good for business. That was what human Captain Vane Karr thought. The Hutts paid well for a job well done, and once you earn a name, the contracts keep coming. 

Though he was mostly involved in piracy, bounty hunting, slave transport, and such. This was the first time he'd been given such an opportunity, and he knew why. His flagship, the Marauder-class Corvette, was a beauty. It was old, but he'd made it new again with so many repairs. 

So when Gardulla gave him the chance, he snatched it. Besides, Black Sun was also getting involved, and it was always a pleasure to build some rapport with organised crime. In his line of work, it was good for business. 

He was shocked, however, when the job was revealed. A secret attack on Dodz, the home of the recently viral Hutt Jedi. Initially, he felt no excitement. But once he learned about aurodium, he smelled wealth. Even being a part of moving that precious metal could make him rich. 

Soon, he was in a briefing with a Falleen Black Sun operative. He learned about the enemy's strength, the planet's strength. It was laughable. Though he liked the beauty of that capital ship. Although it was powerless, a sitting duck, he believed he could get it running. 

So in the end, he agreed to participate. 

His payment wasn’t only credits, but also that defunct capital ship. He didn't know what its name was, but he liked the design. Especially its hangar. Just imagining how it would boost his operations excited him. 

A day into hyperspace, he ordered his men to prepare for battle. Although they were going to attack a sitting duck, the real challenge was dealing with the Jedi. Thankfully, other than his Corvette, two bulk freighters, and twelve Cloakshape fighters, the Black Sun had also sent an Interceptor-class Frigate as well as a squadron of Kihraxz fighters. 

He was absolutely confident in his victory. 

"Leaving hyperspace in ten."

Utterly relaxed, Captain Vane Karr watched from his command chair as the view outside changed from hyperspace to darkness. And then, there she was, a beauty just rotting. The massive, 600-meter-long ship was above the bright side of the moon. 

"Captain, the Black Sun ships have stopped moving." 

Captain Karr frowned and glanced at the communications chair. "Connect me."

Soon, the Falleen appeared on the screen. 

"Captain. My ship is facing a hyperspace drive calibration anomaly. Proceed with the attack; I'll deploy the other ship."

It was bad luck right at the start of their job. But there was nothing he could do. "Then we'll proceed. Enemy's ship is just a sitting duck to begin with. There are no power readings on it."

"Captain!" the co-pilot voiced. "We are being hailed from Dodz surface. It's a one-way transmission."

Captain Karr chuckled, ended the talks with the Black Sun operative, and gestured to bring up the transmission. 

"Warning! Unplanned jumps into the Dodz system are prohibited by the authority of Beldorion the Dread! Warning! Leave the system, or face the anger of Beldorion the Dread."

The transmission blared from the speakers. 

"Bahaha!" Captain Karr howled with laughter. "Threatening us with a kriffing junkbox? Deploy the starfighters, and don't damage the enemy ship. It's our prize."

However, for some unknown reason, as Captain Karr sat in his chair, he began to feel a chill. He scratched his beard and looked around at the vents. The more he looked at them, the more he began to feel fearful for some reason. 

He couldn't tell what or why. 

He just felt afraid. As if… the mission was going to fail. That there was something he'd missed. 

"Raise the kriffing temperature. It's freezing in here." 

####

Arenval had seen the enemy ships arrive and flew Scimitar in stealth mode until it was right underneath the Corvette. He waited for the enemy to deploy starfighters, as it meant the shields were down, and he could sneak closer. 

He made the Scimitar stick to the hull of the Corvette. Having seen the enemy forces, he felt confident about taking them down. If the Black Sun's two ships had been participating, it may have posed a challenge. 

However, this small pirate fleet was nothing in front of Dominator's power. The old Sith ship had powerful turbolasers, and this Marauder-class Corvette wasn't made to handle that type of attack. 

But that was the issue. He wanted to take this Corvette for himself, so striking it directly was not an option. That left him with the only choice of directly attacking it personally, using the Force.

While the enemy starfighters flew towards the Dominator, Arenval began using Crush Opposition, hoping to affect his surroundings, which was the 195-meter-long ship. He sat cross-legged alone in the Scimitar and channeled the Dark Side. 

While he did that, he had to actively maintain control of his mind. 

Let it all go. 

Feel the power. 

All sorts of whispers echoed in his mind. But he maintained the meditative state, thoughts clear, replacing darker ideas with more simpler things. T7's rambling, Aayla's teases, Shmi's warmth. It was about finding a balance. 

But more powerfully he wielded Crush Opposition, the harder it was to control. To use Crush Opposition, his own side must be impenetrable. But that was an issue when used against another Force User. 

On that Corvette, there were only non-sensitive pirates, almost two hundred of them in total. 

While he did that, he tried to sense the living beings through the Force. He knew where the bridge was, so it wasn't hard to find the Captain. Once he knew which part to target, he used Greater Force Listening. 

He had no goal in mind and began implanting ideas into the entire bridge crew. The Crush Opposition's aftereffects made them hesitant, lacking the will to make quick decisions. Questioning everything they did. Paranoid about everything, everyone around them. 

But Arenval didn't realise that because of his innate talent in the Summon Fear ability, his Crush Opposition had a bigger effect than expected. It also made the air inside the ship chilly and spread dread through all sentients onboard. 

Finally, Arenvall started giving hints using Greater Force Listening. Telling some to evacuate using the pods. Told others to surrender. And finally, he told those on the bridge to lower their shields and activate the docking mechanism. 

Arenval waited after that for the right moment. He had to give the command to the Dominator as well, as well as the starfighters waiting on the dark side of the moon. 

Moments later, T7 whistled near him. "Enemy Ship = Docking ready."

Arenval jumped into the pilot seat and flew the Scimitar slightly up, and latched onto the Corvette's docking bay. Of course, the enemy wasn't going to open it, however. He didn't need them to. All he needed was for the inside of the airlock to be ready. 

Bzzzzz!

He ignited his lightsaber and plunged it into the Corvette's airlock door. He quickly sliced a circle into it, and Force-pushed it inside, knocking away anyone who might be waiting for him on the other side. But it seemed not all docking procedures had been completed. 

The ship's red emergency lights were blinking, and a loud siren was blasting through the air. 

"I guess we'll have to settle for this. T7, take over the systems. I’ll go find the Captain."

"Safety = First!"

"I know, I know." Arenval held the lightsaber with one hand at his side, the amber light crackling. The moment he turned into the main corridor, T7 cut all the main lights, leaving only the red emergency ones on the ceiling and the floor. 

Arenval stood there, his blade emitting a light not much different from red. In front of him, half a dozen pirates aimed their blasters at him, though they looked visibly scared, trying to backstep into each other. 

Why do I feel déjà vu? 

Nonetheless, he spoke into a communicator on his wrist. 

"Commence the operation." 

With that, he stepped forward towards the pirates. 

Pew!

Woosh!

Even a cornered beast knew how to bite. The pirates shot towards Aren, but their aim was terrible, and the blaster bolts barely even touched him. He didn't even have to deflect them. 

Pew!

Arenval sighed and fast-walked towards them. This time he waved the lightsaber, each blaster bolt deflected away from him, and a few of them struck the shooters' backs. 

Bam!

His other free hand moved, using simple telekinesis to slam them into the ship's ceiling or walls, knocking them out. 

The emergency alarms got louder from there as one by one the blaster bolts stopped shooting. But each time Arenval dealt with one group, another came. Still, it was surprisingly chilly in there. 

####

Gilded Grasp

The bridge was in utter chaos. Captain Vane Karr watched the screens in disbelief. The sight of that dark-robed man slicing through his men sent chills down his spine. 

His body froze in his seat, as did the bodies of the rest of his crew on the bridge. It was a grotesque sight: men split in half, some beheaded, others smashed into the walls until they spat blood. 

Worst of all, their blasters did nothing. All blaster bolts either got deflected away or back at his men. Already, the lobby was littered with dead bodies of his crew. It had taken him more than a decade to grow his Iron Nebula Consortium. He'd trained his men like soldiers, and that was what earned him contracts from the good and the bad. 

His men weren't just no-name pirates. Training was drilled into them before they joined him on board his capital ship. 

"No! Damn Jedi!" 

Captain Karr shouted, though his face told the tale of fear more than anger. 

"S-Sir! The… The enemy flagship… its energy readings are increasing!"

Captain Karr gulped. "What of the Black Sun?"

"They… have turned around."

"Kriffing backstabbers!" Captain Karr jumped from his seat and ran to the communications console. "Tell all starfighters to return! Now!"

He hailed the Black Sun ships, hoping to at least earn some time to escape as well. However, there was no response. 

"Enemy starfighter squadrons approaching! Two of ours are down!" 

Captain Karr shivered with rage, his teeth clenched. He stared out of the viewport as the sky lit up with explosions in the distance. The design was unknown, both the flagship and those starfighters. But they were so fast, and as if that wasn't enough, soon the enemy flagship began firing turbolasers at the two bulk freighters headed towards Dodz. 

Just a few concentrated hits from the massive turbolasers and the freighters lost their shields. Then followed the bright explosions. 

"It was… a trap." 

Thud!

Captain Karr fell back into his chair. 

####

Aayla and Komari together led a squadron of starfighters each. They were overkill, as the enemy had only one squadron of old, less advanced fighters. They were fast, agile, and packed a punch. 

"Komari, I'm winning."

The two women were connected through comms. They were both competitive, and because of that, a bet had been made. 

"‘Yet’ is the word, Secura." 

Aayla scoffed and pushed her fighter faster, firing the laser cannons as she slipped past the exploding debris. "Five down for me. Just two more and I win. Looks like no Aren for you for a month."

Komari’s furious growl crackled through the comms as the Dark Sider drove her starfighter to its limits. The craft seemed to shriek, almost like it was weeping, though no sound could carry through the void. Her sharp eyes never wavered, locked obsessively on the starfighters ahead.

They were too slow. Komari knew it. She had experience they lacked. She swept through the wreckage of the bulk freighter and stayed behind them, changing course until she climbed into a better firing position. From above, she finally squeezed the triggers.

Even Komari could tell the battle was not as serious as it should have been. It felt almost like another training exercise. She pushed herself to the edge anyway, dragging Aayla there with her. Her Master had ordered her to teach the young Twi’lek, and Komari would obey him without question. She taught Aayla what she could.

Soon, the two women chased the same last enemy starfighter, as one was shot down by the Dominator. 

"Allow me to show you how it is done, Secura."

Training Aayla was acceptable. Losing was not. If Komari lost, the bet would be lost too, and it would condemn her to remain three meters from Aren for an entire month. A whole month. The thought alone was maddening.

“Learn from this, Secura.”

"Ugh…"

Right as Aayla and Komari's starfighters were side by side, Aayla felt something brush against her mind. Her one hand went straight to her forehead to soothe the sensation.

"Komari… You… Used the Force!" 

"Who stopped you?" 

Boom!

Komari took the lead and shot down the last starfighter. 

"That was cheating."

“In battle, there are only winners, Secura. Never forget that. Now... I must find my Master.”

Aayla sighed in her starfighter, frowning deeply. She knew it was only a difference in experience between them. Komari had been fighting for years, after all. But it still stung.

Beep!

"Hm?"

Just then, the holotab strapped to Aayla's wrist chimed. She glanced down and saw an unusual message from Master Vos. With the battle nearly over, she opened it immediately.

Except instead of her Master checking if she was all right, she found an official document issued by the Galactic Republic.

"What?!"

####

Gilded Grasp, 

The ship had too many pirates. There were forty-eight gunners alone, and the rest of the crew numbered well over a hundred. It took time to deal with them all while he made his way to the bridge at the front.  

Bzzzzz!

As expected, the bridge's door was locked. So Arenval just used his lightsaber to open it, carving out a long rectangle in it. 

Boom!

He Force-pushed it inside again with enough power to crush anything on the other side. As expected, he soon heard the sound of bones snapping, followed by a painful scream. 

Pew! Pew!

There were more than a dozen people on the bridge. They all fired at him at the same time. But Arenval didn't raise his lightsaber this time, just his left hand. He'd trained with Tutaminis enough by now. 

"W-What?!"

"Kriff!"

Dozens of blaster bolts froze midair in front of him while he glanced around at their faces. Once his gaze landed on the Captain, he stepped aside and let those bolts hit the wall behind him. He wasn't yet proficient enough to send them back at the shooters.

"Why are you targeting us?" 

Arenval focused on the shouting man. "I don't even know you."

"W-What? Then why? Wasn't this a trap?"

He nodded and stepped closer to the man. "It was."

"Then wh—Ugh!"

Arenval's hand clutched the likely captain by the throat, lifting him in the air. “You seem to have mistaken yourself for someone important to me, pirate scum. You’re nothing more than a tool I happened to use.”

"W-What?"

"Thank you for the ship. A fine gift. I’ll put her to good use."

Arenval's other hand thrust the lightsaber into the Captain's stomach. The man was in complete disbelief. His entire life, this entire operation. It all ended for something utterly meaningless.

Shhhh!

"I don't welcome your kind."

Thud!

He let the Captain's dead body fall and turned towards the remaining crew. Only two of them were human. One was even a Twi'lek. 

"And I have no use of you."

Wooosh!

He sliced through them with ease. It was murder, a small massacre of unarmed pirates. But he was no Jedi, nor a Republic enforcer. He had no prison to hold them, nor any intention to waste his time. 

Seconds later, sliced bodies lay across the bridge. There was no blood, thanks to the lightsaber.

"Teeseven, have Bel send the cleanup crew and release the holotransmission. Tell Alfred to prepare a purchase trail for this Corvette. It'll serve as our primary anti-piracy assault ship. Much as I like the Dominator, we can't bring it everywhere."

T7 whistled through the comms. But then continued. "Aayla = Searching for Aren // Emergency Message = From Coruscant."

Arenval frowned. His plan was to head for Tatooine right away. Besides, he couldn't leave that Corvette yet since there were a few more living pirates locked in the back of the ship. They needed droids to clean them out first. 

"Tell her I'll be at the Dominator soon."

####

Coruscant, 

“Something on Tatooine, you say?” Palpatine said, dressed in a dark hood, standing in a hidden dark room. Before him was Count Dooku's face in the holotransmission.

“Yes, my Master. My source within the Black Sun has uncovered the greater scheme Arenval Tython has devised.”

"Hehehe... good. His eagerness has exceeded all that I expected. Most promising. But victory has become far too familiar to him. Cultivate his strength, my apprentice. Nurture him with care, and when the inevitable hour arrives, we shall possess the finest sword at our disposal."

"What will you have me do, Master?"

"Tatooine. Learn what it is he desires, and place every obstacle you can in his path. He must know loss. Let his suffering weaken those feeble restraints, until he willingly embraces the Dark Side."

Palpatine felt excited, in truth. Having already become the Supreme Chancellor, and with the Jedi Order so clueless, things had become somewhat dull. But in Arenval he saw a potential to become his greatest undertaking. 

“It will be done, my Master. I have several pawns standing ready for orders. I will send them to Tatooine.”

“Excellent. You must remain unseen. Arenval must continue to respect you, to seek your advice when necessary. Keep providing him with the locations of captured slaves. With every act of violence, his craving will deepen. It is inevitable.”

"Understood, Master."

Palpatine ended the communication and stood back. He'd found himself smiling more often those days, all thanks to Arenval Tython. 

"My gift must have reached him by now. Soon, we shall meet at last, my future apprentice."

####

The Dominator, 

It took 3 hours to clean the Corvette named Gilded Grasp. By the time he returned to his flagship, the rush of the battle had faded away. It could hardly be called a battle, however. 

It was a one-sided massacre. 

He was aware of how dangerous a true battle could be. And he was thankful that he got this experience. His crew needed it as well. In the future, things won't be this easy. The same trick won't work twice. 

Dealing with the Black Sun won't be easy going forward. 

He landed the Scimitar in the Dominator's hangar and walked down the ramp. Already, he planned his attack on Gardulla. He couldn't take the Dominator with him because it would expose him too early. 

Going small and tactical was the best choice. 

"Aren!"

Just as he'd gotten off the ramp, he heard Aayla shout and run towards him, waving a larger holotab. Right behind her, his entire crew followed; even Master Fay was there. And seeing the worry on Shmi's face, he reckoned it was something big. 

Something happened on Coruscant? 

He tried to remember if something was supposed to happen in that year. 

"Aren, look at this. Master Vos sent this to me."

Arenval took the holotab and gave it a quick read. It was a notification.

[Bureau of Ships and Services…]

"I expected as much," Arenval replied after reading it. The Dominator had just officially received an illegal status now. And it was barred from moving out of the Dodz system. As long as it remained there, it could be called a station. 

"But Aren, look at the second one." Aayla shifted to his side and swiped on the holotab. "Look!"

[Wanted - Arenval Tython]

"Huh?" 

Arenval exclaimed without realising, reading further, under the whole height, age, race, and other details. 

[For - Unlawful termination of sentient life, unauthorised enforcement, unlawful deprivation of property, disruption of the peace in Coruscant.

Bounty (Alive) - 5,000 Credits (Inactive until the last court appearance date)

Issued by - Office of Republic Justice]

"What is this? I killed slavers on Coruscant."

At the bottom, a final note read that a lawyer will be assigned to the case if the defendant does not have the means to secure one. 

He lowered the holotab; a clear frown marred his face. 

This one has to be Palpatine. 

A/N: Question about pregnancies. Since Arenval has just started sleeping around, it's not much of an issue. But what do you guys think about breeding in this fic? He does spill the seed inside most of the time.

It makes sense for someone like Komari actively doing her part to avoid pregnancies. Makes sense even for Aayla. But what about the likes of Shmi? Silya Shessaun? Mon Mothma? Celeste Morne? Bo-Katan in the future?

So my question is, do you guys want me to keep pregnancies rare? Or more common?