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Post by hk47fan on Jun 21, 2007 23:45:42 GMT -4
Calvin
I smiled and said "I'll guess I got lucky enough to see him then."
Lunch would be good. But not for the fact of food, the fact I didn't have to think about the mission and could take this chance to talk to Jaing. Perfect timing, too. Even with the Force I swear I will start forgetting things soon. If I didn't have it I probably wouldn't remember anything. I thought
But the Force was a powerful thing. Kept the old ones wise and able to do thigs what normal elderly people could not do. Sustain our memory, and keep our speed and skills. Unfortunately, it didn't stop the graying of hair and wrinkles. That was the only flaw.
Well, now its time to get into something I might regret later....but it's worth a shot.
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Post by Force_Flow on Jun 21, 2007 23:57:58 GMT -4
The mess hall, though orderly, was teeming with GAG soldiers and scientists. Jaing surveyed the room, and quickly found the lunch line. Getting into the back, he grabbed a tray. He grabbed what looked remotely appetizing, and Seyah paid for them. Sitting down at an empty table, they started to talk.
"So Luke sent you down, huh?" Jaing asked Calvin. "What for?"
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Post by hk47fan on Jun 22, 2007 9:53:32 GMT -4
Calvin
"Yeah. Centerpoint is a big place, we thought you could use a little assitance," I said and paused for a moment, that wasn't the only reason, and I wasn't going to lie or coat what part of the reason I came here is "And also, I came here to talk to you about this ongoing bickering between you two. I talked to Jaden at that dinner a couple of days ago. She's trying. What makes you so resistant to not try yourself? I'm not going to force either of you to do anything, but Tian has and is in the middle of all of this."
I paused for a moment, but decided to continue "Ever since the Swarm War, you two have been able to keep your distance with missions. But if this situation with Corellia grows any more, there is a chance you two will have to work together, somehow. Can you at least do that, if nothing else?"
I hoped this would get through to him....but it would take time. I had to give him time. Time to think about everything. This was the first time I had really spoken bluntly to Jaing about the situation. I had tried before, but not enough effort to make either of them think about it.
"Just consider it. Please. I am mainly concerned because of Tian, but at the same time I wouldn't want you two fighting anyway. I can understand why you would be angry....she's more in my situation when I left for Earth all those years ago. Your in Shalin's." I said to him
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Post by Force_Flow on Jun 22, 2007 10:05:13 GMT -4
"Shalin kicked your ass," Jaing said. "She thought she could change your mind by fighting you. She was afraid of you. I'm not afraid of Jaden. We don't get along anymore. Period. Don't press the issue."
"Tian and I played some video games after dinner," Ben ventured. "I beat her."
"What game?" Seyah asked through a mouthful of peas.
"I didn't." Ben raised his eyebrows in Jaing's direction. He was eating. "Just seeing if he was paying attention."
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Post by hk47fan on Jun 22, 2007 10:14:20 GMT -4
Calvin
I sighed, and kept my focus on Jaing. "I know it is hard to trust her." I said "I only understand it because I've been in her situation."
I took a bite of my food, then after I swallowed I said to him "I won't push you into anything. I just want you to think about trying to patch things up, at least a little. I will say I am glad you two can be in the same area...something that was hard for me and Shalin, but that was my fault that I kept pressuring her. I won't pressure you, I'm not making that mistake again. I know it takes time, and if it does then so be it....I just want you to consider it. Please."
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Post by Force_Flow on Jun 22, 2007 10:19:56 GMT -4
"I am," Jaing said tartly. "Don't you think for a second I'm not. She won't let me in any more. From what I can tell, dad, she thinks I'm a total stranger. I trust her with my life. She won't believe me if I told her the time."
Seyah jerked to exit with his head. "Ben, are you finished? Yes? Good. Why don't I show you my gear, huh? You'll like it."
"Yessir." Ben stood and both he and Seyah deposited their trays in the trash bin. Jaing didn't watch. He met Calvin square in the eye, challenging him to push further.
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Post by hk47fan on Jun 22, 2007 10:34:14 GMT -4
Calvin
That took me a moment to process. Uh....okay...so he's mostly saying the opposite of what Jaden said.... I thought, then looked at Jaing for a moment with a blank look "Miscommunication?" I asked "I spoke to Jaden...she said she was trying. She said you didn't trust her. Alot of the opposite of what you are saying...it seems to me like you both want to end this, but at the same time their is still tension."
I paused, and waited for his reaction.
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Post by Force_Flow on Jun 22, 2007 10:41:13 GMT -4
Jaing finally lowered his head, turning his attention to his food. He had carrots, green beans, and a slice of chicken smothered in gravy. All of it looked and tasted pretty good, so he used his fork to take three, warm carrots and stuff them into his mouth. Chewing hard, he swallowed, then ate some chicken. He wasn't really hungry, but he thought that it'd be best to eat, anyway. He'd need his strength for the simulation.
"You better eat," Jaing said, pointing to Calvin's plate. "Seyah is going to kill you in the simu if you don't. More blasterbolts flying your way."
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Post by hk47fan on Jun 22, 2007 10:53:18 GMT -4
Calvin
I sighed heavily and looked down at my food, then began to eat. They both needed time. I couldn't do much anymore. Shalin could probably do more, but I'm not sure if even she could now. It was up to them. Completely. I only hoped the tension didn't rise instead of lower.
I decided to forget the subject for now, and continued to eat.
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Post by hk47fan on Jun 23, 2007 17:54:45 GMT -4
Across a span of days, Han and Leia put together facts, numbers, dissappearances, reapperances, ship movements, personnal reassignments, things said, and things not said into a complex computer projection, carefully maintained-though scarcely understood-by C-3PO.
Fact: elements of the Galactic Alliance Second Fleet were being diverted from their missions of record. As an example, the Mon Calamari heavy carrier Blue Diver was supposed to be heading out to the Tingel Arm of the Galaxy on an annual fleet mission to retrace the Yuuzhan Vong's entry route into the Galaxy in order to spot any lingering manifestations of their passage . Yet when it had reprovisioned, it had not taken on the sort of provisions appropriate to a months-long solo mission.
Fact: Communications between Coruscant and Corellia continued to be problematic, in a fashion suggesting that comm traffic was being heavily monitored and analyzed-but no anticipated boycotts or economic sanctions had been put in place against the increasingly independent system.
Fact: Civillian experts on Corellian government, military, and economics were increasingly unavailable. None had technically dissappeared; all were on "vacation," on leave of absence, on recent intergallactic assignment. The same was not true of experts on other worlds that had united with Corellia in agitating against the GA- Commenor or Fondor, for instance.
Fact: Corellian coporate properties belonging to Peferderan Lloyn, chair of the GA Finance Council, had recently been sold or traded in kind of properties in the Kuat sytem. In theory, because of the active role she played in GA government finances, Lloyn was not exerting any direct control over her business holdings, having assigned that control to business officers for the duration of her government service...but Han Solo put no faith in theories heavily involving the integrity of government officials.
These were only a representative sampling of the data Han and Leia found and loaded into Threepio's new analysis routine. But all the facts supported Han's growing conviction that something very bad was about to happen in the planetary system where he'd grown up. His conviction wasn't eased when Threepio, during one of their analysis sessions in the Solos' living chamber, said "To all appearences, Corellia is about to experience a- a pasting, I believe the term is."
Han snorted, an irritated noise that caused the protocol droid to lean back away from him "Does you new found analytical skill give you any idea as to exactly what form this pasting is going to take?" he sajed irritatedly
"Oh, no, sir. I've have to be loaded with extensive military planning applications, not to mention extensive databases, in order to offer you a useful prediction on that matter. Which would interfere with my primary function as a protcol droid. Keep in mind I cannot be much more than that, and can not become like that dreadful aggresive droid HK-100!" Threepio exclaimed
Leia kept her face straight "That would be terrible. What form would this aggresion like HK-100's take? Would you strangle security officers and kick children?"
"Oh, no, mistress. But I might become....more sarcastic. Even verbally abusive. A slight mixture of R2-D2's edge and HK-100's extreme rudeness!" Threepio told her
"Goldilocks, go get us some caf," Han said
"Yes, sir." the droid rose "I don't believe any has been brewed. Would you like instant?"
"About as much as I'd like a blaster burn on my kneecap." Han said and he heard a slight snort from Leia "Go ahead and brew some."
Han waited until Threepio was in the kitchen and the door closed behind him. He turned to his wife "So what do we do to keep this from happening?"
Leia drew in a breath to answer, but held it for several long moments. Han stared at her curiously. He could tell that she was framing her reply, but she was so well practiced at doing so that she could normally compose a speech as she was beginning to recite it. This sort of delay was unusual for her.
"Perhaps," she finally said "the best thing to do would be to not interfere." The look she turned upon him suggested that she expected him to transform into a rancor and go on a rampage
"Not do anything." he said
"Han, what happens if Corellia continues doing exactly what it's been doing...and gets away with it? Suffer no consequences/"
"Corellia becomes independent again," Han shrugs "So?"
"And other worlds follow Corellia's lead."
"Again-so?"
"The Alliance will weaken. Things will become more...un-tidy. Black markets. Corruption. And the UNE might not even be willing to help this time, if they aren't watching closely it would even spread into the Milky Way." Leia pointed out
For once, Han spent a few moments considering his reply. A flip answer would have come easily to him, but good government and a stable Galaxy, preferrably to Leia two stable Galaxies, and he couldn't casually dismiss them. "Leia, there's got to be room in this Galaxy for independence. For chaos. In a Galaxy as tidy, as sanitary, as controlled as you're talking about, I never could have happened. I'd really prefer to live in a Galaxy wehre there's room for someone like me. And since I have got zero chances living in the Milky Way, I think this would be the one I could fit in to, at least at times."
Leia looked away from him, and in her expression Han could see the dawning of a regret that amounted to mourning. Once again, she was mourning the loss of a system, a government that had always existed only in the abstract-one so fair and reasonble, it could never endure when implented. "Then the thing to do is warn Corellia," she said "Preferably without alerting the GA that you're doing it. Because it would be nice for you to not be thrown in jail."
"You'd just rescue me. If I took too long to escape on my own, that is." Han said
Leia smiled sourly, still keeping her attention on the viewport and sliding door out onto the balcony.
"I need your help, Leia. I can't do this one alone." It took an effort for the great Han Solo to admit those words. Admitting he couldn't perform some ordinary task-such as saving a world from invasion or conquest-all by himself was painful enough. It was worse to ask a woman devoted to order and lawfulness to set those considerations aside for him. Of course, Leia knew he usually allways needed her.
"I know." Leia looked back at him "I'll do it, Han. But only if you help me. Corellia can't play both sides of the field. If the system is going to be independent, it has to be independent. It can't continue to accept all the benefits of the GA and defy GA law. And this also includes that it should not look to the UNE for help either. If you tell them the GA is coming in to compel them to obey, you have to tell them to stop playing games. They have to grease the whole bantha."
Han blinked at her "Uh, they have to grease-they have to what?"
"To grease the whole bantha. It's an expression. From Agamar, I think."
"Sure it is. How interesting, honey."
"It is. Stop it, Han. You're just trying to keep from responding to what I just said. I hate it when you do that, and you know you have to."
"No I'm not. You're right, Leia. No more games for Corellia."
"Then I'll help."
"And more grease for the bantha."
"Don't make fun of me, Han. There are consequences. No more games." Leia said, pointing a finger at him sternly, sometimes she felt like she was talking to a child when she was trying to talk seriously with her husband
"We could grease the protocol droid...." Han said with a slight grin forming
"Han, I'm warning you...."
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