Borleias, Tuesday Fandom Time

[weetuskenraider]

It had been just over two weeks since they'd arrived, and Tahiri was packing. Not to go back to Fandom -- not yet.

Luke was assembling a team to go back to Coruscant, now in Yuuzhan Vong hands; he'd had a vision of a powerful dark side presence there, an even more compelling reason to go than just the vague suspicion that Jacen, if he was still alive, was being held there.

It hadn't been for either one of those reasons that Tahiri had volunteered for the mission, though; she didn't flatter herself that her skills would be an asset on paper against a potentially powerful foe, and well . . . if she was really honest with herself, what she knew of Ben's world was coloring her opinion too.

But if he was alive and there, it was too much of a risk for Jaina to go, and that was what Tahiri had told her: twins being such an obsession for the Yuuzhan Vong, she'd endanger the mission if they knew she was there and tried to capture her too. They couldn't afford that. She still couldn't quite believe she'd won that argument against a Jaina who scared her the way the one in Fandom didn't (as much), or that she'd let loose with a variant on the same speech she'd given Mara, but she had, and so she was packing to head to Coruscant with Luke, Mara, the scientist Danni Quee, and members of Intelligence's Wraith Squadron.

And here she'd been thinking this trip hadn't been awkward enough.

Tahiri wondered how much time had passed in Fandom; from what little the Jaina there had told her about her own trips home, she guessed that time didn't necessarily move at the same pace. She had no idea how much longer she'd be gone or even what would happen, but for now she had a few minutes to herself. It seemed as good a time as any to put in a call or two back to Fandom, or wherever her friends were now.

[OOC: Yeah, this post is totally a spacer to spread things out a little longer. If your character knows what she's up to and would like a (brief) call from Tahiri, feel free to ping in as receiving one! She won't really give out details (so I don't joss myself) but you're welcome to have her check in with you if you like. Mega-SP during the day as I sneak tags on my phone and then around in the afternoon/evening Pacific time.]

Comments

[momslilassassin]

Mom! a tiny, immature, little boy part of his mind wailed. Ben ignored it. "Well, if it's Mom & Dad, you'll be fine," he said firmly.

[weetuskenraider]

"I hope so," Tahiri said, sounding apologetic for a different reason now. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. Mostly I just wanted to say I miss you."

[momslilassassin]

"I miss you, too," Ben said softly. "I've been taking lots of pictures of what's going on here for you."

[weetuskenraider]

"How much have I missed?" Tahiri asked. "I mean, how long has it been?"

[momslilassassin]

"It's Tuesday here," Ben said. "So...two days?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Two days? I've been here for two weeks," Tahiri blurted out.

[momslilassassin]

Ben let out a low whistle. "So you miss me a lot more," he teased gently.

[weetuskenraider]

"Uh huh." Not that he could see it, but Tahiri was blushing a little on her end of the comlink. "Nice to know you miss me after two days, though."

[momslilassassin]

"There are lots of couples here doing couple-y things," he said. "And I would've loved to see you seeing all of this water."

[weetuskenraider]

"Because I needed more excuses to not wear shoes?" Tahiri laughed, and eyed the pair she was about to pack. "I might have to make it up to you later."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm always up for that," he said with a smile. "What do you have in mind?"

[weetuskenraider]

"Um . . . I'll let you know when I come up with it?"

[momslilassassin]

"It's a date," he said, clinging a little tightly to the comm. He didn't want to hang up just yet.

[weetuskenraider]

"Count on it." Tahiri glanced at the door, like she expected someone to notice how much less prickly her Force-sense was right now and come knock any moment. "You better be having enough fun for the both of us, for now."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm working on it."

Working on having fun. Sigh, Ben.

[weetuskenraider]

"Try not to pull something while you're working on it then, Mister Stompy Boots," Tahiri teased gently, before her voice dropped in volume. "I'm kind of scared."

[momslilassassin]

Ben really, really wished he was closer. "It's going to be bad?" he asked softly.

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri really wished he was closer too, and tucked her knees up against her chest. "My first actual mission since, you know."

[momslilassassin]

Terms of endearment didn't come naturally to him. "Oh, that's right," he said quietly. "Deep breaths help," remembering how he'd felt going into the Cal Omas disaster. "And focusing on where you are and what you're doing. Don't let the other stuff take over."

[weetuskenraider]

"Deep breaths, right," Tahiri echoed. "Focus. I can do that."

[momslilassassin]

"Of course you can," Ben said. "You're the strongest person I know."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri smiled at that, warmth spreading all through her at the reassurance. "I'll remember you said that. I should probably go soon, though."

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben said, sounding disappointed. "May the Force be with you. Call when you can?"

[weetuskenraider]

"If I can sneak away for a few minutes so no one wonders who I'm talking to, I will," Tahiri answered. "But just in case you don't hear from me before we're done there, I'm going to miss you anyway."

[momslilassassin]

"Me too," Ben said softly. "Watch your back, okay?"