Room 424 [late evening]

[momslilassassin]

His headache had finally cleared up, so Ben was trying to catch up on his robotics work this evening.

Well, that was his story, anyway. It wasn't like he slept more than a few hours a night. The door was closed, though, so the sound didn't carry down the hall.

[OOC: For the girl.]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben let out a little laugh. "Something like that," he replied. "I'm a big fan of people not getting hurt when they run off and do heroic and sometimes stupid things."

[weetuskenraider]

"Spoken like someone who's resigned to the fact that at least certain people he knows are going to do that no matter what," Tahiri observed.

[momslilassassin]

"Skywalker," Ben said with a grin. "Stupid is what we do."

[weetuskenraider]

"You can't hog all the stupid," said the girl who'd done plenty of it herself. But then, look who she spent a lot of time with . . .

[momslilassassin]

"Are you sure?" Ben said. "We seem to have cornered the market, though we also share with the Solos."

[weetuskenraider]

"You have to share," Tahiri insisted. "Especially with those of us who are crazy enough to like spending time with you."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "We're not trying to corner the market on crazy. I think that's as unlimited as the Force."

[weetuskenraider]

"Good thing, because there's still plenty to go around after what I'm hogging," Tahiri said half under her breath.

[momslilassassin]

Ben, of course, heard her. "Hey," he said softly. "Not your fault."

[weetuskenraider]

"I can't really help what I am," Tahiri said, trying to shrug it off. "And it sure doesn't keep you and my friends away. Which, by the way, I appreciate."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "Riina is."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri wished she could be so sure; not knowing what to say all of a sudden, she reached out to wrap both arms around him and just hold on.

[momslilassassin]

"Hey," Ben said softly, stroking her hair. "This really spooked you, huh?"

[weetuskenraider]

"A lot." Tahiri leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. "I could have come so close to being something I never want to be."

[momslilassassin]

"What do you want me to do if she ever takes over?" Ben asked, continuing to move his hand through her hair.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri swallowed. "I'm not sure. But one way or another, I don't want Anakin's vision to come true." She trailed off, her Force-sense going a little chilled when she realized she wasn't sure if she'd ever mentioned that to him. When she found her voice again she said, "I hate having to ask this. If that ever happens, if she's ever a danger to anyone, promise you'll find a way to stop her."

[momslilassassin]

"What was the vision?" Ben asked.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri swallowed hard, wishing she hadn't said anything about it. If she'd guessed right . . .

"Me, looking completely Yuuzhan Vong, and a dark side Force user," she said in a whisper.

[momslilassassin]

Ben went tense. "Nothing is certain," he finally said. "But in my version, half of that never happens."

[weetuskenraider]

"That's about what I thought," Tahiri said, trying to meet his eyes. "And believe me, Ben, I'm doing my best to make sure the other half never does."

[momslilassassin]

"I know," he said, trying to relax again. "You're stronger than my version of you is. She's...brittle."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri nodded. "Jaina says her version of me is still having a rough time of it too, and she's had longer than I have to deal." She smiled slightly. "I asked her to give the other me a hug next time she sees her."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not hugging the other you the next time I see her," Ben replied.

[weetuskenraider]

"The only me you'd better be hugging is the one talking to you right now," she informed him. "You've been good for me, you know."

In a dysfunctional, slightly wrong kind of way, but details.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "Really?"