Aboard the Jade Shadow [Sunday, Fandom time]

[momslilassassin]

It had taken a few days to break free of the Kathol Rift, but the minute the ship cleared the interference, Ben had his comlink out to make a few long-needed calls back to various galaxies.

Ender and his dad had been good to talk to--or not talk to--but he needed to reconnect with some others, too--especially Jaina.

[OOC: If you think you got a call, you did! Ping on back!]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

"Well, what we learned there is sending us to the Maw, which isn't exactly my favorite spot in the galaxy," Ben replied. "Plus the beings there communicated via licking. Not to be judgmental but yuck."

[solo_sword]

"...Licking?" See, there were good and bad times for that. If you had to lick someone just to say something like 'hello' or 'do you know where I left my keys?' it was probably always going to be a bad time.

[momslilassassin]

"Six green tongues," Ben added. "I think I'm fine with the Aing-Tii keeping to their own corner of the galaxy."

[solo_sword]

"You went to see the Aing-Tii?" Jacen hadn't been entirely forthcoming about his travels- he sure hadn't mentioned tongues- but she did recognize the name.

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben said. "It was not my favorite."

For any number of reasons.

[solo_sword]

Tahiri had told her that Luke couldn't go back unless he figured out how to make sure what happened with Jacen didn't happen again, and now Jaina was beginning to figure out what that might mean. "What happened with them? Besides licking?"

[momslilassassin]

"They taught Dad how to move a rock from one place to the other instantly just by thinking about it, which is pretty astral," Ben said.

Maybe Jaina didn't remember what else the Aing-Tii knew how to do?

[solo_sword]

"Great, Uncle Luke knows more tricks. Now out with it, Ben. Why was it so bad?"

Jaina didn't specifically remember what they could do, but she knew when people were hedging.

[momslilassassin]

"I flow-walked and saw Jacen," he blurted, and there was more than a little bit of bone-deep regret in his voice when he admitted that.

[solo_sword]

That... explained the hedging. She paused so as not to say the first random thing that came into her mind, and the second random thing she came up with was, "Why?"

[momslilassassin]

"I wanted to know--" he began, then took a deep breath. "--if there was anything I could have done."

[solo_sword]

"Get any answers you liked?" she asked quietly.

[momslilassassin]

"No."

His voice was barely audible.

[solo_sword]

When he answered, Jaina realized that she'd kind of figured as much. She'd dwell on that more later.

"I'm sorry, Ben," she said.

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah, well--" he said, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry too. How are you?"

[solo_sword]

"Always busy," she answered. "How about you?"

Because no she was not done checking up after that.

[momslilassassin]

"I've had better weeks," he admitted softly. "I just thought maybe I could fix something."

He was such a Skywalker.

[solo_sword]

"You can't fix things after the fact," she said gently. "Which stinks, but that's the way it is. At some point all you can do is hope for closure." Hopefully he'd at least gotten that.

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah, maybe someday," he said quietly. "Right now it's like I stuck a vibroblade into a wound I should've left alone."

[solo_sword]

"Need to talk about what you say?" She was betting he'd say no, being a repressy type, but it might help.

[momslilassassin]

"Not really," he admitted. "I miss you, though. I could use a hug."

Which took a lot for Ben to admit.

[solo_sword]

"I'd love to give you one," she told him honestly. "I don't suppose you get to stop back at Fandom much to visit at the moment."

[momslilassassin]

"Not for another nine years or so," Ben said. "Well, Ender'll go back in seven months, give or take. Time's been weird here. It's still summer in Fandom."

[solo_sword]

"Time moving weirdly. Somehow not shocking," Jaina said. "How long's it been for you?"

[momslilassassin]

"A few months," Ben said. "I turned seventeen just before we went into the Rift."