weetuskenraider | Room 529, Tuesday Evening

All in all, Tahiri felt satisfied with the results of today's class, although she was worried about Master Skywalker, Firekeeper, Jaina, and the others who'd gone off. She had absolute faith in them, of course, but well . . . she cared, and therefore she worried.

That was something she had practice at, of course -- she could worry about her friends and carry on with her day unimpeded, because that was just something you got good at after you'd been doing it all your life. And maybe, just maybe, she was still humming that kriffing "it's a small world" song as she paged through a small solar system's worth of files and notes from Danni Quee and Tekli.

That was, until a weird little impulse took hold of her, and she took time out of her reading to send an email that read simply:

Ben Skywalker, you had better not be doing anything unbelievably stupid right this minute!

No idea why. It wasn't even a bad feeling she had -- just a weird one.

[OOC: Establishy, but open if you want. Because I have new canon today, and I HAD TO.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tahiri bit her lip and considered for a while before replying.

He did? I guess telling him 'good job' from me isn't exactly what you're looking for here. I don't know, Ben; no matter which angle I look at it from, it makes sense to me. Is it the killing that's getting to him, or what happened before that?

The killing. He worries about the people they've left behind or the potential he's extinguished.

Ben didn't realize until that moment how much he'd missed Tahiri. He hadn't really allowed himself to feel it.

And telling him that he probably stopped half a dozen beings from their dreams of galactic dominance isn't going to help.

Tahiri had spent a good couple of weeks letting herself realize how much she'd missed him, and trying very hard not to think about it ever since.

No, I don't think that will. It works for us, but . . . he seems like a really logical person. We think about ideals and the big, broad picture. We believe the Force is guiding us to the right ends, and that's enough evidence for us. Maybe you should think less like a Jedi and more like a cop to help him with this, Ben.

He's got a guilt complex that rivals mine, Ben wrote, venting a little bit of his frustration. It's like beating my head into a wall. You can't negotiate with Sith. I learned they were there when they plunged a lightsaber through a door at HEAD HEIGHT. He didn't slaughter toddlers.

No, Tahiri agreed, sensing that Ben really needed to vent. You know that, and I know that. But we've been dealing with these situations up close and personal since we were how old? It was never practice and theory for us.

True, Ben admitted, and 'you'll move on' isn't helpful either. I'll keep thinking.

Thanks for listening, though. I miss you.

Tahiri didn't sniffle, not really. Her smile, though, was definitely wistful.

I miss you too. And any time you need to vent I'm all ears, so to speak. But you'll help him get through it somehow, I know it -- you don't give up on people you care about. It's what makes you so frustrating. Oh, and special too, I suppose.

Oh thanks :). And I have to help him--he's the only non-Dad person on the ship with me.

You'd do that even if you weren't stuck on a ship with nobody but him and your father, Ben, and you know it, Tahiri replied.

Okay, true, Ben admitted, but he doesn't like to think of people hovering over him.

How convenient, then, Tahiri replied, a flash of mischief in her eyes as she typed, that you have a built-in cover to do it now.

I'd pretend I planned it but I'm not that smart, Ben typed, grinning. He'll be fine, I hope. When do you head home?

Tahiri could picture the look on his face if he'd actually said that out loud, and it got a laugh out of her.

Sooner than I'd like in some ways, but in others I think I'm ready for it now. I've got about two weeks left here, and no, I'm not going to try and convert that into relative time for you.

I've been 17 for almost six months now. Ender's 18. We're feeling quite old and mature, while you've had the longest summer ever.

You'd think we'd be used to these things by now, Tahiri commented ruefully. Happy birthday to both of you, though. I'm sorry I missed it. Is your hair a disaster yet?

Completely.

It's not as long as Zekk's? Karla sent us scissors in the last package she sent us but I'm not that desperate yet.

No, desperate is if you went after it with your lightsaber, Tahiri replied. Should Zekk be looking over his shoulder to see if you're about to catch up to him yet, though?

Not Zekk. Maybe Kyp, though. I refuse to have a beard.

Better start practicing your dramatic cape-flaring entrances, then. Luckily, you have good role models to look up to for that, don't you?

I could practice for eighty years and still not get it to look like Granddad, Ben typed, chuckling. Don't tell him about the Sith, okay? I like his head attached to his body.

I can think of quite a few people who would agree, me included, Tahiri wrote back, although she wondered how much Leia counted in that category these days, or would soon. Especially now that he's in charge of town security, and isn't that something that would get reactions out of people both of us know?

Not a word, promise.

Somehow Ben had missed that piece of news.

THEY PUT GRANDDAD IN CHARGE OF SECURITY?!!

Possibly because nobody wanted to give him that apoplectic fit? Good one, Tahiri.

I KNOW. On the bright side, it's a variation from the 'guess who's teaching Ethics' shadow bomb now?

I suppose it's way late for a lock up the younglings comment?

Tahiri chuckled. Just a bit, I'm afraid.

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