Aboard the Falcon [Wednesday afternoon, Fandom time]

[momslilassassin]

The quarters were a little more cramped on the Falcon than they were on the Shadow, and the addition of two more people and a nexu cub was helping Ben feel a little caged in.

It wasn't helping that Luke hadn't called yet to let him know where to rendezvous to continue on with their mission. His father wasn't dead--Ben would have felt that--so Ben was trying to wait patiently for his comlink to go off, rather than calling and demanding to know what was going on.

After a few hours of staring at the comm and mentally demanding it to ring, Luke finally called in. The Sith had left the planet having captured most of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, but Luke had Vestara as his prisoner aboard the Shadow and was using her as collateral in his new pact with the Sith.

Ben's yelped "WHAT?!" at that news had echoed through the ship.

Luke's second bit of news--that the Sith claimed their young people were going through the same Force psychosis that had plagued the Jedi--was harder for Ben to believe, and the final piece--that Luke would prefer Ben head to Coruscant to warn the Council personally about the Sith rather than meet up with his father to head back into the Maw--was greeted with absolute silence, then a nod of acquiescence.

Ben was being left behind again. He was fine with that. Really. He curled up on his bunk after he wished Luke luck on his mission and stared at the wall.

See? Totally fine.

[OOC: For the guy with him, phone calls or emails!]

Comments

[endsthegame]

"That works for me," Ender murmured. "Less nexus there."

[momslilassassin]

"You're okay?" Ben checked. "It's been a fairly trying week."

[endsthegame]

"I'm fine," Ender said. And added, after a beat, "Honestly. Week-wise, this has already felt like something of a vacation."

He'd gotten to help some people reconcile their differences, instead of taking each other apart. That had helped, a little, even if it left him feeling guilty because it wasn't enough.

[momslilassassin]

"We really need to work on our definitions of vacation then," Ben said. "A few days in a bed that doesn't move, not getting attacked by bugs or anything else sounds astral."

[endsthegame]

"I think I can arrange that," Ender said, "Though I can't promise you there won't be mosquitoes."

[momslilassassin]

"Well, I just won't go outside, then," Ben declared. "I'll look at the lakes from the window and not end up sunburned either."

He smiled at Ender. "You can build a boat."

[endsthegame]

"I think I'll start off with having a swim," Ender assured him, "Non-competitively."

[momslilassassin]

Ben decided privately that he wasn't going to object to seeing Ender without a shirt on.

"I'll see about making arrangements," he said.

[endsthegame]

Ender shot him a quick glance, looking almost embarrassed for a split second.

"You won't need to do that," he said. "I've got that covered."

[momslilassassin]

Ben eyebrows rose. "You have that covered," he repeated. "How?"

[endsthegame]

"With your father gone from Coruscant for so long, Daala could have easily closed off parts of his income," Ender said, looking up at the ceiling. "So I thought it was probably a smart idea to let my accounting program calculate some potentially useful investments."

Everyone needed a hobby?

[momslilassassin]

Ben burst out laughing. "Where did you invest?"

[endsthegame]

"A couple of places," Ender said, and didn't add I think. The truth was he barely had any idea where Jane had spread his funds to, though she'd pointed this one out to me. "But apparently Naboo real estate is a really good investment right now..."

He even managed to get that out without sounding too much like there should be a question mark at the end of that.

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, kreetle," Ben said, laughing harder. "Please tell me you don't own a hotel now."

[endsthegame]

"Not... exactly," Ender said, smiling wryly at himself.

[momslilassassin]

Ben knocked his forehead into his. "Just when I think I've got you sort of figured out," he murmured.

[endsthegame]

"In this case, complaining is a little rude," Ender said, knocking his forehead back. "I'm the guy with the vacation home."

[momslilassassin]

Ben decided that it was really comfortable to keep his head there, so he did. "I hope I don't have to cook."

[endsthegame]

"Do they have take-out on Naboo?" Ender asked. "I... haven't really looked into it."

[momslilassassin]

"If you bought a vacation home without take-out options--" Ben fake threatened, grinning.

[endsthegame]

Ender pulled his head back. "Plenty of mud on Naboo," he said, simply.

[momslilassassin]

"So you'd like to eat some?" Ben offered sweetly.

[endsthegame]

Ender snorted, pulling his arm free as well so he could give Ben a gentle shove. "I'll dunk your head in it and leave you for the mosquitoes."

[momslilassassin]

Ben wondered if it was just him or if the beds in here were a little smaller.

"And after all I've done for you," he said, reaching out to drag Ender over with him.

[endsthegame]

"Ben--" Ender protested.

And then there was toppling.

And something that wasn't so much 'flailing' as 'punching Ben in the stomach with purpose'.