{{ absolved - chapter 01
-- GALACTIC ALLIANCE FREIGHTER RF-43 THE HOUND / OVER CORUSCANT
"So what's up with him and Tenel Ka?" Jaina reclined in the cushy chair, her eyes moving from Tahiri to Zekk, who was standing by the large viewport and staring absently out to space. "You've been talking to them lately, Zekk, right? Well, more than any of us have after this whole Raynar fiasco. Hear anything?"
It had been a couple months since they had gone to the Urbania to rescue Raynar Thul, meeting up with Welk and Lomi Plo in the process. After they had been briefed on Hapes, they had spent a few days questioning the man and then took him to Ossus, to study him more and try to help him become who he once was. He was doing alright with his rehabilitation, but they all knew it would take some time for him to get back to the man they knew. Jaina and most of the others, who were pilots as much as they were Jedi, had started rigorous training with the Twin Suns, while Tenel Ka and Gadell had stayed on Hapes. Jacen, meanwhile, had focused all his time on the Force and building up his powers.
They all knew he had been stuck traveling between Coruscant and Ossus all the time and they all wondered exactly what was going on. Shouldn't he be spending more time on Hapes? They knew he and Tenel Ka had been through way too much just to let everything slide away now.
Moments passed before Zekk finally turned around and leaned back against the transparisteel, arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not sure. I mean, we know how they feel about each other, but as far as I know they're holding off on any sort of relationship until they have a real chance. He's on Coruscant. She's on Hapes. I just... I don't know."
Jaina nodded slowly. She figured they would fully act upon their feelings when the time came. They were both adults now.
She studied Zekk as he turned back to the viewport, watching Coruscant's light-speckled surface drift into the field. He looked tired and worn-out. She knew he had been spending long nights awake on Ossus, talking to Raynar outside of his cell and training to get a better grasp on his Force skills. He had spoke of becoming a Master one day, something Jacen was close to. Zekk always referred to it like it was an unreachable dream, something he would never be able to achieve. Jaina knew better than that; they had been good friends for almost a decade. She had observed him on the mission to the Urbania. He was determined and mature, the latter being something she would've never expected him to be when she first met him on the streets.
A growl sounded to her left, and swiveling her chair towards it, she saw Lowbacca, who was posing a question to Zekk. Looking back to the dark-haired man, she waited for an answer.
"Yeah, we're almost there." He jabbed a finger at the large viewport before running both of his hands back through his dark hair and pulling it into a loose tie.
"Finally," Tahiri huffed from the other side of the table they had been seated around. "I almost fell asleep again."
Jaina shot her look and they both chuckled before settling in and preparing for the landing.
"My ship had better still be in the hangar where I left it," Zekk wandered to the table and plopped himself down into a chair, strapping in.
Lowbacca rumbled jovially from beside him.
"It's not a piece of junk, Lowie!" Crossing his arms over his chest, with a scowl on his face, Zekk began to tune out his companions and prepare for the descent to Coruscant.
-- JACEN SOLO'S APARTMENT / CORUSCANT
It had been exactly a month and twenty-six standard days since Jacen Solo had seen the Queen Mother of Hapes. The last time he had seen her, he had been leaving the Consortium with his parents to head back to Coruscant. It was the morning after he proposed to her.
And still, to this day, no one knew about the proposal except the two of them.
They had been out in the grove near Karina Lake that night, and had sat there after she responded to his question. They had talked all night and fell asleep by the small pool of water, in each other's arms and curled up on the soft earth. Once they woke up, in the early morning hours, they both had snuck back into the Palace and Jacen had gotten cleaned up, preparing to leave mere minutes later.
"I'll come back soon, I promise."
"I know," she had responded, whispering to him in front of the door to her quarters. This time wasn't nearly as hard as it was watching him leave before. Last time, he was being sent on an important mission to an unknown destination. This time, he was just going home, to Coruscant. They figured him sticking around might draw too much attention from the Court, the public and the other suitors who seemed to mill around the Palace during the day.
He had planted a quick kiss on her lips and jogged off, vanishing around the corner of the dim hallway.
Jacen Solo had been keeping track of the days that passed since then. He didn't really know why. It seemed like something to do to pass the time. The long hours he spent alone; training, meditating, learning new techniques -- it was getting to him. Luckily, he was on Coruscant now, in his apartment, instead of Ossus where he trained alone, because Uncle Skywalker had called a meeting at the Jedi Temple that evening. He knew he had to leave soon if he was going to make it on time and he was mildly excited about it; the chance to see everyone and take a break for a bit.
Sprawled out on the simple sofa in the living area, Jacen had the holoscreen on, with the news running, but his eyes were locked outside past the line of windows that made up the east wall of the room. His gaze was stuck on the spires of the Jedi Temple out across the city, his mind racing ahead to what would happen that night. It would be wonderful to see everyone again, and he could always have his hopes up that Tenel Ka could've escaped Hapes for just a bit to attend the Jedi Meeting -- even though he knew it was pretty much impossible.
Finally ripping his eyes from the orange-tinted horizon, Jacen slid off of the couch and switched the holoscreen off, moving towards the refresher to clean himself up and get ready to go.
His apartment was fairly large for a one bedroom model. The living area had a low table that sat in front of a curved sofa, all facing a large holoscreen that was mounted on the wall. To the right of the holoscreen was a wall of windows that looked out across the Coruscant skyline. The decor in his apartment was sparse. A mask received as a gift from a tribe on Tatooine hung on an otherwise empty wall, a painting from Ithor hung in the hallway back to his bedroom and a flowing scarf made of Hapan silk was folded neatly over the back of the sofa. Everything else around the kitchen and living areas were all necessities.
In his bedroom, there was a bed, a nightstand, a desk and a metal chest of drawers. Clothes were scattered here and there. Boots. Belts. Flimsiplast ads he received on the streets and shoved in his pockets. The only thing that wasn't a necessity in that room was a small holo on the nightstand. It was an image of Tenel Ka standing in Karina Lake after they had returned from the Urbania, water up to her stomach and a rare smile on her face. He was behind her in the image, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. He paused every time he saw it, his mind racing back to those moments months ago and how he wished he could see her again. If things were that simple.
The picture was a necessity after all.
Quickly getting ready, Jacen threw on his Jedi robes and left the apartment, trying to plot out the quickest route to the Temple.
-- JEDI TEMPLE / CORUSCANT
People wasted no time in rushing to greet him when he arrived. He spoke to Kam Solusar and Tionne, Corran Horn, Alema Rar -- his eyes were drifting between conversations, roaming around the oversized halls and tall chambers. He still held out hope that somehow Tenel Ka would've been able to come, but it was only the slightest bit and he knew there was most likely no way. That didn't stop him from imagining it though. His gaze caught sight of a head of red-gold hair and he slid through the crowd of people to it, smiling as he approached his aunt and uncle.
"Jacen!" Luke reached out and took his nephew's hand, clasping it and shaking it before pulling him into a hug.
Mara did the same, a sly grin breaching her lips. "It's good to see you again."
"Same goes for you as well." Jacen crossed his arms over his chest, his lips still upturned slightly. "How's Ben?"
As if the child heard his name, he came zooming around the corner of the corridor, arms outstretched and spit flying from his lips as he imitated an X-Wing's engines. He circled the three and then jumped in the air, landing on his feet and still making noises as he shut himself down. He hesitated a moment before looking to his parents and cousin, then his mouth broke out into a loud giggle as he tossed his arms back up in the air and threw himself at Jacen.
"Jasa!"
Laughing, Jacen swept the kid off of the ground and hoisted him up onto his broad shoulders. "How's it going, kid?"
"It's going!" Lightly bopping Jacen on the head repeatedly, like he was a drum, Ben peered around at all the Jedi milling around the main hall. "Where's your girlfriend?"
"What?"
"Your. Girl. Friend. You know, that girl and she's your friend. With the shiny, sparkly thing on her head! Queenie Teekay!"
Mara and Luke chuckled, Luke with his hand to his face. Mara tilted her head towards the large meeting chamber, Luke falling in step beside her as they began to chat about something. Jacen pulled Ben from his shoulders and set him on the ground, taking his hand. They followed Ben's parents.
"She's on Hapes. She's the Queen there. And she's not my girlfriend," Jacen tried to hide a grin from his face.
"Why not?" Ben tightened his grip on Jacen's hand. "She's a girl, right?"
"Yes."
"And she's your friend."
"True."
"SO THEN SHE'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"
Jacen laughed, shaking his head slightly. He looked down to Ben as they walked, preparing to figure out the boy's logic. "So then Tahiri is my girlfriend too. And Alema. And ---"
"No!"
"And why not? They're friends and they're girls, yes?"
"Yeah! But you don't kiss them!"
Stopping in his tracks, Jacen pulled Ben to him and knelt down, facing the boy. People continued to walk into the meeting hall, parting around the two. "How do you know I kissed Tenel Ka?"
"I'm smart!"
Jacen narrowed his eyes and thinned his lips, which instantly scared Ben a tad, causing him to blurt his real response out.
"I saw you kiss her in her big house-castle when we were all there. And I saw you guys that morning we all left -- you said something about porposing to her. And you guys were all hushy-shush about it. I was behind a plant!"
"It's supposed to be a secret." Jacen had a feeling that people knew how the two of them felt about each other. But the people that knew were the ones who would let Jacen and Tenel Ka deal with it all themselves. Close friends, family members -- if that information fell into the wrong hands -- suitors, other Hapan nobles, certain Palace staff -- it would definitely be dangerous. And Ben wasn't at the age yet where Jacen was willing to take the risk of leaving the information unguarded with him, especially since he had heard them speak of the proposal. "Promise you won't tell anyone."
"Yes, sir!"
"I'm holding you to this, young man."
"I'm not gonna let you down, old man!" He slammed a tiny hand to his forehead in a mock salute, his unruly red hair sliding over his fingers.
"Thanks, Ben." Jacen laughed and stood, ruffling his cousin's hair and smiling at his little military-style display. The kid had most likely been watching too many old holovids. He tugged at the child's hand, pulling him into the meeting chamber. Master Skywalker was already at the front, ready to speak.
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