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

[momslilassassin]

"Lightsabers R Us," Ben teased. "They have a store on Yavin."

[weetuskenraider]

"That must have been the one place I didn't explore, then," Tahiri mused. "You'll do an amazing job with yours. I know you will."

She was so very objective.

[momslilassassin]

"It's right next to the big tree," Ben said, giving the galaxy's most unhelpful fake directions. "I'm kind of interested to see what crystal I end up picking."

[weetuskenraider]

"Oh, right, the big tree." Tahiri poked at him with her big toe. "As opposed to all the tiny little Massassi ones. And I want to know what crystal you end up with, too." Well, of course she would.

[momslilassassin]

"How did you pick yours?" he asked.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri nudged him again, just because she could. "Which one? The one I lost, or the one I have now?"

[momslilassassin]

"The one you have now," Ben decided.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri reached for his hand. "Most of my lightsaber parts are stuff I scrounged up on the Errant Venture while I was recovering from what . . . they did to me. It wasn't exactly safe to go around looking for a crystal, though, so this one's synthetic." She shrugged. "That was hard. Dealing with technology. Not fun, either, but I had to, you know?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben squeezed her hand hard. "It makes you a Jedi," he said, "and not what they wanted you to be. And that's a fight worth having."

[weetuskenraider]

"Yeah. That was kind of the idea." Tahiri gave him a smile. "But it's not a really interesting story."

[momslilassassin]

"Sure it is," Ben insisted. "It's about you. I'm interested."

[weetuskenraider]

"You're biased," she told him.

Of course, she'd be just as interested in what was going to happen with his lightsaber crystal.

[momslilassassin]

"Am I not supposed to be?" Ben asked, grinning.

[weetuskenraider]

"We're supposed to be impartial and all that," Tahiri said, teasing, because that worked so well in Luke's Jedi Order.

[momslilassassin]

"I think I can like you best as long as we don't tell anyone," Ben decided.

That was nice and healthy.

[weetuskenraider]

Couldn't possibly be healthier, really.

"Your secret is safe with me," Tahiri said solemnly.

[momslilassassin]

He held out his hand. "I think we seal it with a hearty handshake," he teased.

[weetuskenraider]

"Well, that's boring," Tahiri said, but took his hand in a grip that most people might find surprisingly strong for someone her size anyway.

[momslilassassin]

Ben was kind of expecting that. "And also a kiss," he decided, keeping his grip on her hand.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri leaned forward to bump noses with him again. "Sure, twist my arm, why don't you?"

[momslilassassin]

"I can do that too," Ben said, "but it doesn't seem like quite as much fun."

[weetuskenraider]

"Oh, okay then," she pretended to relent. "You can have your kiss."

[momslilassassin]

Ben grinned and leaned in. "Lucky me."

[weetuskenraider]

"Lucky both of us," Tahiri retorted, reaching up to wrap an arm around his neck as she kissed him.