Title: Meeting over Caf
Author: Jedi Bubbles
Rating: G
Period: pre-YJK
Genre: one-shot
Summary: I've decided to take on the Ultimate Fanfic Challenge but I'm not going to formally enter. This story is for the first theme Beginnings. It's made to be funny and written at 1:15 AM. If it's a bit strange, I hope that explains it.
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He surveyed the near empty mess with a frown. Jaina was supposed to meet him here. It didn't matter that their rooms were next door to each other. It didn't matter that they should eventually get sick of each other's constant company. It didn't matter that they had spent almost all of their sleeping hours cleaning mold from each other's room. And so what if he had far more caf than she had and had only managed to get two hours of sleep because of it. Ever since Jacen could remember, he and Jaina had eaten every single meal together.
His frown turned into a scowl. If Jaina preferred sleep to her twin then he would find someone else to eat his meals with. Jacen added a wounded sniff in for good measure. The small part of his brain unaffected by lack of sleep and large quantities of caffeine laughed at him and told him to get over himself. The majority of his mind told him to forget Jaina and make new friends. It was also informing him that another cup of caf would probably stop him from jumping up and down. It struck him as slightly abnormal that this voice sounded distinctly like See-Threepio.
While he pondered this, Jacen retrieved a tray of food and caf. He paused to add several scoops of sugar and creamer. Next, he turned to scan the room for his new meal partner. Another frown crept onto his face. Half of the twelve people in the mess seemed ready to fall asleep in their cream of grains. Jacen passed to ponder a reason for this as he took a gulp of caf.
His eyes fell on a red-head at a near-by table. She was sitting alone and was by far the most alert person in the room. Aside from Jacen, of course. He took another gulp of caf. He decided to add less sugar next time. Maybe a bit more creamer.
The girl's red-gold hair was plaited into several braids. Her armor reminded him strongly of Kirana Ti's and since he was mentioning it, so did her hair style. Then it hit him like a blaster bolt fired by a storm trooper. He giggled at that thought. Storm troopers rarely hit the target they aimed for. And that made it funny. Or at least… that's what his dad told him. But to be fair, those light filters in the helmet were hard to see through. According to his Uncle Luke, that is. He decided that blaster bolt was a cool and funny word and that it should be made a catch phrase.
What was he thinking about again? Oh right. Kirana Ti. The girl looked like a Dathomiri warrior. Which is what Kirana Ti is. Jacen decided that the Dathomiri girl would be his next meal partner. It didn't matter that she looked like she enjoyed her solitude. It didn't matter that it looked like she could bench-press him. It didn't matter that she was armed to the teeth with weapons he had trouble remembering the names of. She seemed to need a laugh and he had the irrational desire to be the one to provide it.
With that thought, Jacen marched over, occasionally doing a small hop to jostle his tray. The girl barely glanced at himas he half-tripped/half-sat down across from her. She barely even responded to Jacen's overly-cheerful-for-5:15-I've-just-drank-my-body-weight-in-caffeine "good morning". All he got was a simple "greetings". Jacen was baffled but decided to forge on after another gulp of caf. He was going to need a re-fill soon. He bit into his toast and fruit spread.
"I'm Jacen Solo," Jacen said with his mouth full, spraying a few crumbs, and hand outstretched. It actually came out more like "I Jafen Soro" but he was sure she could understand him.
Jacen nearly jumped for joy when the girl looked up from her meal and stated clearly, "I am Tenel Ka."
She gave his hand a firm shake while Jacen tried to suppress the jittering in his right leg. Maybe he should stop drinking the caf since it was causing him such an excess of energy. Jacen mentally shook his head. What harm could a few more mugs of caf do? He swallowed. "Nice to meet you, Tenel Ka. How old are you?"
This was most likely not the best question to ask but it has most likely been realized that Jacen was not in his right mind.
"I am fourteen seasons. And you?"
He decided to try out his new catch phrase. Every Jedi needed one. Uncle Luke's was "Do or do not, there is no try" (or would that be Yoda's?), Jaina's was "laserbrain", and Kyp's was "Sith spit". Although he wasn't quite sure if Jaina's counted. What was he thinking about again? Oh yes, catch phrase.
"Blaster bolts, you're barely a season older than I am. That's wizard." After that, there was no shutting him up. Jacen blabbed on about this and that, how much caf he added to his creamer and sugar, and told some of his best jokes. He had to go up at least twice to re-fill his empty caf mug.
In the middle of the meal, Jaina tiredly wandered her way into the mess. Jacen decided to forgive her for abandoning him to sleep and for her non-morning person attitude. After all, without her abandonment then he would have never met Tenel Ka. He couldn't help but daftly grin when Tenel Ka referred to him as "friend Jacen".
He needed more caf again.
Fin
This story is special. R&R if you want. I'd appreciate the input but it is not necessary for y'all to do so if you don't want to.