Ta'a Chume'Dun, Hapes, Hapes Cluster, Friday evening

[momslilassassin]

Ben leaned against the balcony of their suite in the Fountain Palace and sighed softly. Hapes really was ridiculously beautiful, and while he preferred Naboo because of the lack of constant political posturing, he did enjoy getting to show Ender and Val off to Tenel Ka, who flatly refused to believe he was old enough to have a baby of his own when she could still remember changing his bottom.

The laughter from her guards at that had almost made the embarrassment worth it. "I think it's time for dinner soon," Ben called into Ender. "It's hard to gage here by the sun because it never gets fully dark."

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled back. "It's been a really good fit," he agreed. "At the risk of sounding like Aunt Leia, are you looking for a Prince Consort?"

Tenel Ka snorted. "Not very hard, no. I am far too busy to coddle Hapan noblewomen and their beautiful but dim sons."

[endsthegame]

"Is there any pressure in that regard?" Ender wondered.

[momslilassassin]

"Some," Tenel Ka said, popping the last bite of dessert into her mouth. "The nobles prefer a clear line of succession."

And didn't know about Allana.

[endsthegame]

"And you are happy to let them wring their hands for a while," said Ender, who knew about Allana but wasn't going to be as unsubtle as to bring her up directly.

[momslilassassin]

Tenel Ka's lips quirked up. "Precisely. I am Queen Mother and a Jedi. I have more important things to deal with than matchmaking."

[endsthegame]

"And how fare those things?" Ender said, smiling back.

[momslilassassin]

"Like Jaina and Ben, I have taken a....leave of absence from the day-to-day life of the Jedi," Tenel Ka said. "I am thinking of offering up space for a new Jedi training center. It is not strategically sound if the Sith know the location of all of them, as they currently do."

[endsthegame]

"Agreed," Ender said, "Though if they suspect a hidden facility, I suspect your realm will be one of the first places they look."

[momslilassassin]

"They are welcome to try," Tenel Ka said with a small, vicious smile. "The Hapes Cluster was home to pirates for thousands of years and is much more difficult to navigate than flying with a Skywalker would lead you to believe."

[endsthegame]

"And the Hapans keep themselves sharp," Ender said, thinking back to their earlier conversation. "As far as ideas go, it's a good one."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "I'm sure the Council would be very grateful if you decide to offer. They're worried about the Sith."

[endsthegame]

"As always," Ender said wryly.

[momslilassassin]

"They are persistent," Tenel Ka said. "Like a fungus."

[endsthegame]

"As are many philosophies in this galaxy," Ender said. "The question is, why is this one so inclined to grow in power?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben looked thoughtful. "I don't know," he said. "I mean, for a lot of generations, they shouldn't. Only two and they hate each other? Constantly scheming for more power? I don't get it."

[endsthegame]

"Either they are tapping into something in the people we don't understand, or there's something else going on," Ender mused.

Don't turn into Kreia now, Ender.

[momslilassassin]

Ben finished his dessert, looking intrigued. "Like what? Not that I think Vestara's taking my comm connections."

[endsthegame]

"That there's something else that wants this to keep happening," Ender said. "Something that feeds on conflict."

[momslilassassin]

"Another Abeloth?" Ben said, biting his lower lip. "Could be. There's a lot of galaxy out there."

[endsthegame]

"You have to wonder," Ender said. "This is the first peaceful lull in how long?"

[momslilassassin]

"A long, long time," Ben admitted, frowning.

[endsthegame]

"Maybe sending Abeloth off closed the door on something," Ender said, "Or maybe something's still waiting.

[momslilassassin]

Ben pressed his lips together. "Well, the Force is neither good nor bad," he said. "It just is. Light and dark must be in balance."

[endsthegame]

"When you put it like that, the insinuation is that the Force itself thrives on conflict," Ender noted. "Just a balanced amount of it."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not entirely happy about that," Ben admitted, "but it doesn't feel wrong. We don't grow without conflict."