{{ urbania's void - chapter 09
...youthful promise (day negative two thousand nine hundred and forty-six / - 2946)
The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall canopy of trees, crashing onto a young boy about fourteen or fifteen. A loose short-sleeved shirt stained with sweat and dirt hung over his lanky chest, while a pair of equally grungy beige pants, that were now brown with mud, were clasped at his waist. His feet were in a pair of tall black boots that vanished under the cuffs of his pants. Damp strands of dark hair fell into wide eyes of a rich brown shade that stared into the jungle ahead of him as he placed his hands on his hips, a small empty cage in the left. The sunlight filtered through the trees and a sliver of the soft rays fell vertically down his face, giving the Princess beside him a comforting skip of a heartbeat or two. Even grimy, sweaty and frustrated, she still found his company extremely enjoyable and she always found herself trying to sort out her feelings for him.
"Blaster bolts! No!" Jacen Solo sighed and scoffed, kicking the dirt. "Not again."
He stood out front of the Academy. One of the crystal snakes had gotten out again and poor Jacen had just finished catching it about an hour earlier.
"Friend Jacen, I know you love all your animals, but do you not think that you should let them roam free?" She paused as she reached her right arm down to her ankles, holding it there for a few seconds before straightening herself upright again. "If you really love something, should you not let it go to be where it wants to be?"
Solo turned his gaze to a copper-headed female who was seated and stretching, mere feet away from him.
"How would you feel if I took you and locked you up in a cage?" She cracked her neck to the left side as she spoke to him.
"Depends, Tenel Ka. Depends on what you would do with me after you locked me up," the trademark Solo grin crossed his face as she reached over and smacked his leg from her seated position with her right hand. "Hey, come on! I was kidding!"
The two caught each other's gaze moments after that, the smile slowly vanishing off of Jacen's face. Her words were busy sinking into his mind. His expression fell into one of pure seriousness as she stared back at him. It was moments like the one that had just happened that Jacen cherished forever. And as he gazed into her eyes he thought about the future and what it would hold for him...
For them.
Realizing that she was falling into his stare, Tenel Ka quickly turned her head towards the Academy. "Jacen," she said softly. "It is time to eat." Standing up, she began walking towards the open entrance to the temple.
Jacen followed behind Tenel Ka as she walked towards the Academy. "Wanna hear a joke?" He inquired as he galloped up beside her.
"Not before you clean yourself up, Jacen." A snicker to him. The front hall of the Academy was filled with the clatter of an empty cage and Jacen Solo's laughter as he broke off from Tenel Ka and went to his quarters to get himself tidied up.
"Save me a seat!" He called back to her as he jogged backwards down the hallway. Tenel Ka motioned for him to go on and he knew she would save a seat for him. They always saved seats for each other. Jacen spun around and began down the hallway, his light and airy mood dissipating as he thought of her words.
Traipsing to their normal table, Tenel Ka sat down across from Jaina Solo and Lowbacca. Lowie looked up to her with crumbs in his fur and Jaina was busy shoveling food into her mouth. They had been busy tinkering with some old ship parts and probably hadn't eaten anything all day. Lowie grumbled a question.
Em Teedee spoke up from where Lowie had set him on the tabletop. "Master Lowbacca would like to know where Master Jacen is, Mistress Tenel Ka."
Jaina stopped eating and glanced up to Tenel Ka, waiting for the answer.
"He had to go get cleaned up."
"Playing with the animals again?" Jaina giggled and set her spoon down in her empty bowl, crossing her arms and resting them on the table.
The three ate their dinners chatting, laughing and telling stories all the while. Time slipped by them and before they knew it, the sun had set and dinner was over.
"We're going to finish up with these old parts... Tenel Ka, maybe you can find out why Jacen never showed up."
Tenel Ka glanced up to Jaina and nodded firmly. Her idea of a quiet night training or working out was now shot to the ground, but she didn't mind. She wondered herself why he didn't show. Letting her cool gray eyes land on the empty section of the bench beside her, she drew in a deep breath and stood up, turning away from the table.
Grabbing a plate of food for him, she exited the dining hall and stalked down the empty hallways of the Academy. The other students were either already sleeping, training or talking to friends within the rooms of the temple. The hallways were void of any students and Tenel Ka found it a bit unnerving. Turning the corner, she made her way down to the end of the hallway, where Jacen's room sat on the left. And as she was about to turn into his room, she heard what sounded like a sniffle.
Feeling something slither by her feet, she glanced down and watched as one of Jacen's younger crystal snakes went by, the way she had just come from. She rushed into the threshold of the room.
"Jacen! I just saw one of the other---"
Jacen sat on the ground, with his knees under him. The empty cage he had earlier was a few feet behind him, lying open, the door ajar. Beside his hand was another cage. The way his hand rested on it, made it appear that he had just let the crystal snake she had seen out of it's metal habitat. He sensed her behind him, and quickly reached up to attempt to dry his eyes. He was still clothed in his messy shirt and pants, his hair was still disheveled and his face was still streaked with mud and dirt, from chasing animals all day.
Tenel Ka set the plate of food down on the small table beside the door and stepped over, stopping behind his quavering form. She looked down at him, her lips working around words she couldn't say. Before she could attempt to say anything though, he spoke up, his voice shaky and soft, almost a whisper.
"Tenel Ka... when I really love something... I'm never gonna let it go."
Her words earlier had gotten him thinking about one of the most important emotions to a living being. The emotion frightened Jacen, especially at his age. But for some reason, he felt like he knew it in the least bit. And he thought that Tenel Ka was the reason he knew it. Her words made him think about having to let her go one day and that thought crushed him. And the young Solo vowed he would never let it happen. It wasn't just love that made him promise that to himself, it was because of her friendship and trust. She was an incredible companion and no matter how bad Jacen ever felt, she always cheered him up... even if she didn't mean to.
As she stepped up beside him, he ambled to his feet, staring straight ahead at his wall of cages. He could feel her at his left side, facing him. And then cursing himself and his emotions, he felt a tear run down his cheek, leaving a clear trail in the dirt on his face. He thought Tenel Ka would laugh at him for crying, or scoff at him.
But she did the last thing in the galaxy he ever thought she would do.
Tenel Ka placed her right hand on his shoulder and leaned forward and upwards a tiny bit, placing a gentle kiss right where the tear had stopped, at the corner of his mouth.
She didn't even need words after that gesture. She let her hand run down his back as she walked away from him and exited the room, her heart hammering in her chest. Some little voice in the back of her mind, wondered if the words were meant for her...
As she left, Jacen's head tilted upwards as he shut his eyes and sighed. With a deep breath, Jacen collapsed onto his bed, his eyes locking on the ceiling. He brought his left hand up to the corner of his mouth, where he let it linger there for a moment before allowing a smile to cross his face. And shutting his eyes again, he pictured Tenel Ka like she had been just moments ago... beside him.
And with another content sigh, Jacen sat up and began eating the dinner that she had brought for him, sending her a small nudge in the Force as a thanks. He could feel her happy response and then her slow drift into sleep. And the smile never left his face.
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