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]

"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."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "That might be enough to swing it," he said. "My Jacen...slipped...before we knew what we were looking for."

[solo_sword]

"I make no guarantees. I'm not naïve. Just... cautiously optimistic," Jaina said. Yes, that was weird to her, too. "You okay?"

[momslilassassin]

"I want you to be happy," he replied, which wasn't exactly answering the question. "Jainas work better with Jacens."

[solo_sword]

"We can work independently, too," she said. Forget that Jacen had picked his current assignment based on where she'd be more likely to come back to. "That wasn't what I asked. Trust me, I can handle it." Maybe.

[momslilassassin]

Ben was a hell of a liar. "I'm fine," he assured her. "Your galaxy isn't my galaxy."

[solo_sword]

Unthinkingly, she reached over to ruffle his hair. "You're taking this really well," she told him.

[momslilassassin]

"I yelled at Dad on Sunday and got away with it," Ben said, leaning his head against her shoulder, "and this makes you happy. I'm fine."

[solo_sword]

"You yelled at your dad?" she asked, looking down at him. "What for?"

[momslilassassin]

"He called to tell me that Mom's killer was taken care of and that he was going to start grooming someone to take over as Grand Master," Ben replied. "I kind of...lost it."

[solo_sword]

Jaina frowned, and said slowly, "That sounds kind of final." She'd had her room packed up since Myrkr.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "I asked him if he wanted to be with Mom and it kind of spiraled from there. At the end of it, he told me to build my lightsaber."

His dad was a little odd.

[solo_sword]

She couldn't help but wonder if that sort of thing ran in the family or something. There was a happy thought for you. "Things okay now?"

She really hoped things were okay now.

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "There's someone living behind Dad's eyes again," he said, sounding distinctly relieved.

[solo_sword]

"No one can say some good things can't come from yelling," she said with a tiny smile.

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah, he told me to name one good Jedi that wasn't obstinate, and I couldn't," he said, smiling back.

[solo_sword]

If Jaina was quiet, it was because she was trying to think of one. "I don't think they exist."

Though that was advice for Zayne: Be obstinate. There you go.

[momslilassassin]

Ben moved away from Jaina's shoulder--he wasn't a little kid, after all, even if had been really nice to be there for a bit.

"I'm heading home on Friday afternoon," he said. "I didn't want you to worry if you couldn't find me or something."

[solo_sword]

"Thanks for telling me," she said, starting to wonder if they didn't need some sort of phone tree or E-mail chain for that kind of thing right now. "Do me a favor, and give your dad an extra hug from me? And if you think you're too old for that, suck it up and do it anyway."