Room 424 [Wednesday evening]

[momslilassassin]

Ben returned to his room from his club activities just in time for his father to call. A shuttle would be picking him up Friday afternoon for an assignment to be explained when he arrived on Endor.

Ben sighed as he sat down on the floor. At least it was his father calling the shots--he was pretty sure that meant he wouldn't be assassinating anyone this trip home.

But he'd probably need his lightsaber.

He pulled the parts for the new hilt out from under his bed and began welding them together using nothing but the Force. If the weapon was going to be his, it had to be built the old-fashioned way.

And for Jedi, it didn't get more old-fashioned than this.

Ben was so focused on the weapon floating above his lap that he didn't realize he'd left the door cracked open.

[OOC: Open door, open post...]

Comments

[solo_sword]

"I'm kind of surprised you hadn't already," she realized.

[momslilassassin]

"I had a practice one," he said. "He says I've passed the trials."

[solo_sword]

"Your dad?" she guessed. Because if it was his Jacen, she'd have to raise a few questions and that would just be the worst segue ever. "You're about the right age, you've had... a rough year. Can't say I disagree with him."

[momslilassassin]

Ben relaxed a little. "If you think so," he said softly. "I wasn't sure."

[solo_sword]

"Don't feel ready?" she asked, taking a seat.

[momslilassassin]

"Most of what I learned wasn't through the Temple," he said carefully. "I'm afraid I might have missed something important."

[solo_sword]

"I think the most important stuff comes through experience anyway. It's one thing hearing about something and studying it. It's another thing entirely to it," she pointed out.

[momslilassassin]

"And I've been doing it," Ben agreed.

[solo_sword]

"You'll be fine," she assured him. "Besides, this is the fun part." Of course, she was a mechanics dork.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm sorry that it won't be ready when I go home in a few days," he said with a slight frown.

[solo_sword]

"Something up?" Jaina wondered. She was almost afraid to know the answer, but that had never stopped her before.

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave a little shrug. "Dad wasn't exactly spilling details over the comm," he said, "but the way the government is right now is terrible. Dad's finally getting up off the mat. Jacen won't know what hit him."

[solo_sword]

It wasn't like she was blind to what was going on there, and she knew what would eventually have to happen to Jacen if they were going to stop things from getting worse. And yet in any galaxy, any reality, she'd still feel awful about anything bad that happened to him because it was Jacen.

"Listen, there's something I need to talk to you about," she said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben had a bad feeling about this.

"Okay," he said softly. "What's going on?"

[solo_sword]

She took a brief pause to figure out how to say it. "Recently I found out some things... You remember when I got called home suddenly?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded, heart starting to pound painfully in his chest. "Who's gone now?" he whispered.

[solo_sword]

"No one. "That's what I thought too, but just the opposite," she said quickly. "They called me there to tell me in person that my Jacen's alive."

[momslilassassin]

Ben disappeared entirely in the Force.

"Oh?"

[solo_sword]

"Don't disappear on me, okay?" Jaina requested. "It's okay. I swear."

[momslilassassin]

Ben gave her a look. "How is it okay?"

[solo_sword]

"Because he's definitely not the same as the Jacens I've met here in Fandom," she told him.

[momslilassassin]

Ben's eyes were far too old for his face. "I hope so," he whispered, eyes flicking down to the lightsaber in his lap. "Because my Jacen used to tell jokes and know how to smile. He just isn't him any more."

[solo_sword]

"My Jacen's a twenty-year-old who just spent months in torture," she said quietly. "He's getting a shot. At least from me."

[momslilassassin]

Ben moved to sit next to her. "He deserves a shot," he said softly, "especially from you. The future isn't written in stone."

[solo_sword]

The fact that he was taking it so well kind of worried her. He was fourteen. He should be throwing fits or getting mad, or something. "I told him," she said. "About the other hims. No details or anything. But he knows about the possibility, and he knows I know it."