I don't own Star Wars, of course
I don't own any of these songs, either, except on CD.
They are, in order: Badly Drawn Boy – Something to Talk About; Franz Ferdinand – Auf Acshe; Blink 182 – Violence; Snow Patrol – Chocolate; and Maroon 5 – Shiver.
Hope you enjoy the story…
Jaina laughed as Jag pulled her by the arm, through the corridors and to the large hall where the celebrations – for Ben Skywalker's fifth birthday – were taking place. Although ostensibly to celebrate the small boy's birthday, the party promised to be fun for "all ages" – Jaina took this to mean her father had a hand in planning it, whether Mara and Luke had asked for the help or not. It was a minor leap in logic, but nothing Jaina wouldn't expect from her father without the promises of fun anyway.
Even so, Jag's apparent excitement was rather surprising. She had never taken him as the party type before – at least, not someone who would enjoy her father's style of parties. But here he was, pulling her towards the hall like a small child dragging its mother to a promised treat. He'd certainly gotten a little less… uptight, in the past two years.
"Hey, Jag, slow down! What's the rush? Whatever happened to the term 'fashionably late'?"
Jag slowed to a casual walking pace and let go of Jaina's hand, moving his arm round her shoulder. "No rush, I suppose. We just don't want to be too late."
"Why? Is this anything to do with the stuff my dad's planned?"
Jag tightened his hold on her shoulders for a fraction of a second, then shrugged. "Might be. Can't tell you."
Jaina froze in shock and stared at Jag incredulously. "You. You, and my father. In on something. That I'm not."
"What?" Jag's expression was too innocent, and Jaina pulled on his arm as he tried to move forward again.
"Really. What's going on?"
"Absolutely nothing. What makes you think there's anything going on? I just don't want to miss Ben's birthday cake; I hear Tahiri made it again this year." He blinked at her, still far too innocent, but Jaina shrugged and leaned back into him again.
"If you're not going to tell me, then I guess we should hurry so I don't miss it, right?"
"Good call, Jaina." Jaina thought she heard Jag snigger slightly, but dismissed it. Jag didn't snigger. "You definitely won't want to miss this."
Somehow, that worried her more than anything else.
The two of them entered the hall to find it packed full of people – almost everyone the Solo-Skywalkers knew, thought Jaina, and probably a lot of people they didn't. Looking round, she saw Luke and Mara standing together, and briefly wondered where Ben was – until he ran headlong into her.
"Jaya! You're here!"
"Yep, I am! Hey, Ben. Happy Birthday!"
Ben nodded his thanks, his blue-grey eyes sparkling with laughter and red-gold hair shimmering under the disco lights someone had installed in the hall for the party. He looked up and noticed Jag for the first time, nodding again in greeting. "Hi, Jag."
"Hey there, Ben. How's the party so far?"
"OK. But it'll be better when the band comes on!"
Jag suddenly looked startled and reached down to cover Ben's mouth with his hand, but it was too late. Jaina tilted her head as she studied him. "A band, huh?"
"Uh-"
"Well, I suppose it's obvious there would be a band. It is my father planning the party, after all."
Jag looked relieved and straightened. "Right-"
"But," Jaina continued, "they must be something special. I mean, judging by your reaction, they're obviously the thing we were rushing for."
"Uh-"
"Yeah, Jaya! Band will be really good! I heard-"
Jag reached down again to cover Ben's mouth. "Alright, Ben. I think you should go and find, uh, Wes, and ask him to teach you some jokes to play on your parents."
Ben's eyes lit up with sudden realisation of how fun that would be, and he raced off round the hall to find the pilot.
"So," Jaina began casually, "who's the band?"
Jag waved a hand in an effort to be dismissive, but Jaina caught his discomfort at being so close to ruining the apparent surprise. "I don't know, some Corellian group or something."
"Right." Jaina didn't believe him for a minute.
"Well, I don't know. It's some new style that's popular in the system, not the regular jizz and cantina medley stuff… Your father thought it'd be fun, is all."
"Considering how Corellian Ben is," Jaina said dryly. The boy had, of course, not a drop of Corellian blood in him – unless Mara's ancestors were from the planet.
"Well…" Jag looked uncomfortable again. "I suppose… maybe it's someone he knows…"
Ah ha, thought Jaina, and immediately tried to think of anyone remotely musical that her father knew. No one's name came to mind. She frowned. "Who?"
"Hey, kid, you haven't spoiled the secret, have you?"
Han's voice floated over Jaina and she spun round, grinning at her father. "Dad!"
"Hi, princess. He's not ruined the fun, has he?"
"No." Jaina scowled. "He's being infuriatingly secretive."
Han grinned and slapped Jag on the back. Jag promptly choked. "Good. Knew we'd taught him something."
"Yeah, you Solos have been a bad influence on me."
"I'd like to think we've been a good influence sometimes."
Jag looked over at Jaina and smiled slightly. "Well, OK. You've been an alright influence. Just the rest of your family."
Han nodded. "And proud of it. Oh-" He glanced at his wrist-chrono. "Nearly time for the band to come on. Another five minutes. I better get going." He flashed another grin at his daughter. "You're gonna love this."
Jaina sighed at her father's retreating back and turned back to Jag, but he was looking determinedly anywhere except at her. She sighed again. "Come on, let's go find everyone else and say hi before the band start."
Jag suddenly looked nervous. "Who else?"
Jaina frowned a little. "Kyp, Jacen, Tahiri… everyone."
"Uh – well…"
Jaina narrowed her eyes – now she was suspicious. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Kyp and Jacen at all since we arrived. Or Tahiri. And shouldn't Zekk be here, too?"
Jag made a sound halfway between a moan and a choked cough, and continued to stare determinedly at the stage.
"This Corellian music style," she began, but was interrupted by the crackle and hiss of someone turning the speakers on and hitting the microphone for attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, and people of all species and genders!" Han's voice cried out from the huge, out-dated speaker system. "Sorry to resort to such crude technology, but someone-" He glared at Wes and Hobbie, who shuffled back against the buffet table. "-messed with the system we set last night, so I had to pull this out of a store cupboard. I'm assured it adds to the atmosphere of what we're about to experience.
"And boy, have we got an experience for you guys tonight!" Han flashed his famous lop-sided grin to the crowd, and everyone cheered in anticipation of what he was about to say. Jaina wondered just how many people were in on the plan.
"I'm proud to present something new to you guys tonight – it's a music style you may not recognise, but you'll surely love! Popular most of all in the Inner Rim and Corellia, we're transporting it right here to Mon Cal for all of you to enjoy! Known variably as alternative, indie, and pop-punk, we like to call them good old rock and roll. Ladies and gentlemen – here – one night only – for your ears only – I present – Durron and the Rocker Kids!"
Jaina's eyes widened and she stared at the stage in disbelief, even as some small part of her mind groaned at the lameness of the name. But then the curtain pulled back as someone switched off all the lights, plunging the stage into darkness.
She squinted, trying to see through the shadows, and she thought she could make out four figures on the stage – someone on drums in the background, a guitarist and keyboardist left and right, and centre-stage, another guitarist. The centre figure raised his head, and Jaina caught a glint of green as the dim lighting reflected on his eyes. He reached up with one hand to grab the microphone, and pointed another just off-stage. With a quick flick of his hand, the lights flashed on and the crowd roared appreciatively.
Jaina gasped as the stage was suddenly illuminated. In the background, drumsticks held to the ready, was Tahiri. Left, holding a bass guitar – and looking surprisingly confident with it – was Zekk. To the right, seated at an angle, hands hovering above a complicated-looking keyboard, was her twin, Jacen. And there, in the centre, grasping the mike and smirking at the crowd, was Kyp Durron.
"Oh… my… Force…" Jaina groaned quietly, and frowned at Jag's answering snigger.
Kyp held the mike up as the crowd cheered again – Jaina looked round, wondering who exactly was cheering for these misfits – and lowered it to speaking level, indicating for the crowd to quieten. "Well, hello, Mon Cal!"
"Whoo!" was the general response from the crowd. Jaina looked round for a wall to bang her head against.
"And how are you all this fine day?"
"Whoo!"
"Glad to hear it. We're here to say happy birthday to a special little kid – hey there, Ben!"
Ben's voice cried out from surprisingly close to Jaina, "Yeah! My birthday!"
"He's five today – a big boy now! – and so our set today is dedicated to him, even if he won't appreciate the songs as much as the rest of you guys. It's a small set, and it's all songs we've covered after finding them on the Holonet. The bands were hard to track down, but we love you guys anyway!
"OK. Our first song, I've taken a little liberty with the lyrics, and we made it sound a little rockier. But this is a great little song called Something To Talk About."
At an unseen signal from Kyp – undoubtedly through the Force – Jacen started up a keyboard rhythm. Kyp replaced the microphone in the stand and concentrated on the guitar in his hand, glancing round as Zekk started the bass, and again as Tahiri hit in with the drums. Nodding to himself, he started in with his guitar, playing a catchy melody that the amps routed through to the speakers and blasted out over the crowds.
Jaina gasped – the song was good. She didn't know her friends were so musical, her brother least of all. Yet here they were – Tahiri keeping rhythm with the drums, Zekk grinning to himself as he added the bass, Jacen with his eyes closed as he kept a cool tune on the keyboard – and Kyp, lead, making the main melody on guitar.
It was a moment until the lyrics kicked in and when they did, Jaina gasped again.
"I've been dreaming
Of the things I learned about a girl
Who's bleeding
Celebrate to elevate
The joy is not the same without the pain"
Kyp could sing. That was the only thing Jaina could think as the lyrics and melody combined to overwhelm her mind, but there it was – somehow, miraculously, Kyp could sing. And wow, could he sing.
"Ipso facto
Using up your oxygen
You know I'm shallow
Calling out for extra help
You've got to let me in or let me out"
His voice was like a waterfall over her thoughts, something flooding her mind. She closed her eyes and nodded along to the tune, feeling herself sway in time. The song itself was brilliant – she had never heard it before, but she loved it. The drums were good, the bass was good, the keyboard was good.
"Ooh...
Something to talk about
Yeah...
Something to talk about"
But it was all just an accompaniment to Kyp's singing.
"I've been dreaming
Of the things I learned about a girl
Who's leaving
Nothing else to chance again
You've got to let me in or let me out"
She barely noticed Jag's arms creeping round to hold her, concentrating as she was on the song. She let herself lean back into him, still listening to the melodious sound of Kyp – Kyp! – singing, smiling softly.
"Ooh...
Something to talk about
Yeah...
Something to talk about"
Jaina opened her eyes, still smiling, as the song finished. She glanced up at the stage and Kyp caught her eye and grinned. He raised a hand in a quick wave, then picked the mike up again and looked out over the crowd.
"Alright, Mon Cal!"
"Whoo!"
"Enjoy that?"
"WHOO!"
"I'll take that as a yes. Like I said, the bands were hard to track down over the 'Net, but I'm sure we'll get all the good music and you can listen to it through us in future! But it's not over yet! We've got a short set, but still a few songs left. Next is a bit of a rockier one, when it gets started. This is Auf Acshe!"
Zekk started with the bass at the same time as Jacen kicked in with the keyboard. After a moment of melody, Kyp started playing and Tahiri began the rhythm with the drums. Kyp's playing mellowed after another moment, and the lyrics kicked in.
"You see her
You can't touch her
You hear her
You can't hold her
You want her
You can't have her
You want to
But she won't let you"
Jaina closed her eyes and nodded again, as Kyp repeated the first verse, his voice overwhelming her again. The song seemed a little mellower than Kyp had promised, even as the next few lines came out through the speakers.
"She's not so special so
Look what you've done boy
She's not so special so
Look what you've done boy
She's not so special so
Look what you've done boy
She's not so special so
Look what you've done boy"
Even if was still soft and mellow, it was amazingly cool, and still showed off Kyp's singing.
"And now you wish she'd never
Come back here again
Oh never
Come back here again"
He repeated the first verse and chorus again afterwards, and Jaina opened her eyes to look up at the stage.
Jacen's eyes were closed as he concentrated on the keyboard through the Force, feeling where each key was to be played. Tahiri almost seemed bored, despite the smile on her face and the nod she kept up in time to the rhythm. This song didn't have much in the way of a drum rhythm. Zekk frowned slightly as he concentrated on the bass, but smiled as he glanced up and saw Jaina.
Kyp, however, seemed barely to notice what was going on. His eyes were closed, and he played his guitar almost absently, not paying attention as he intuitively played the right chords and melody. His voice was soft and powerful at the same time, and picked up volume as he sang the next part.
"And now I'm nailed above you
Pushing from my side
It's with your sins that you have killed me
Thinking of your sins I die
Thinking how you let them touch you
How you'll never realise
That I'm ripped and hang forsaken
Knowing never will I rise
Again"
It was quicker and, indeed, rockier, than the rest of the song. But still, Kyp hardly paid attention to his surroundings. He just seemed to sing and play what was right to him, what worked while he was playing.
"You still see her
Oh you hear her
Oh you want her
Oh you want to
Oh you see her
And you still hear her
Oh you want her
And you still want to"
The song slowed again, the melody and drums and bass faded, and the crowd roared. Kyp opened his eyes, seeming almost surprised to find himself where he was, and then he grinned and raised a hand, drawing louder cheers. "Thank you!"
"Whoo!"
"Thanks! This next song's a little different. More rhythm, less melody, but it works and it works well. We love it. You will too! This is Violence!"
A soft drum rhythm started from Tahiri as Kyp replaced the mike in the stand. Jacen abandoned the keyboard and started snapping his fingers in time to the beat. Or was it off-beat?
After a moment, Zekk started a bass solo and Tahiri hit in with a harder rhythm. Kyp started playing his own guitar, and they kept up the tune for a moment, before freezing for a second. Then the finger-snapping and soft drum rhythm continued as the lyrics began.
"Six bottles went down the drain
Your breath in this cool room chill
One hour's a waste of time
I'd ask if you feel the same
Still pushing that chance to try
Long hair that blows side to side
You speak and make time stand still
And each time you walk right on by"
There was another silent pause, then the hard drum rhythm hit in, the bass started and Kyp sang again.
"Like violence
You have me
Forever
And after
Like violence
You kill me
Forever
And after"
Jaina found herself absorbing the snap changes in rhythm and melody, loving it as it flowed together. She nodded along to the beat – or the off-beat – but kept her eyes open, watching as Kyp nodded along himself, as Tahiri hit the rhythm in a whirlwind for the chorus and Zekk concentrated hard on his bass.
The drums softened again, the bass stopped and Kyp cut in with his guitar and voice again.
"Can't count all the eyes that stare
One drink and the pain goes down
Can't count all the things they see
She kills with no life to spare
Just victims are left to bleed
Soft shadows lie by her feet
Lay soft til you slowly drown
Lay still as you fall asleep"
Another pause, another change, and-
"Like violence
You have me
Forever
And after
Like violence
You kill me
Forever
And after"
Kyp repeated the chorus again to a slightly softer rhythm and bass, then twice more to the regular, hard playing. The song finished on Zekk's bass playing, trailing off into low notes and then nothing, and again, the crowd roared its appreciation.
"Wow, guys! Thank you so much! You're probably our best crowd ever!" For some reason, Kyp looked round at that point and caught Jaina's eye again, winking. Or our only one, he sent through their bond. He smirked out at the crowd, then looked round the stage, and back out.
"Alright, so we had a nice rocky, punky edge there for a bit. The next song has more guitar, more constant rhythm, more suave, if you will. And more awesomeness! Once again, I've taken a little liberty with the lyrics… This, my friends, is Chocolate."
The bass started low, then Kyp cut in with his guitar, and Tahiri started a soft, regular rhythm. Jacen kept melody and time with the keyboard, adding a little extra tune, and then the bass cut out suddenly as Kyp started singing.
"This could be the very minute
I'm aware I'm alive
All these places feel like home
With a name I'd never have chosen
I can make my first steps
As a child of thirty-five"
This song was the most beautiful so far, with the constant rhythm of the drums beating to Jaina's pulse, the keyboard melody washing over her, Kyp's guitar strumming through her mind. And his voice – the singing fell over again, flowed through her, melodic, soft, powerful, awesome.
"This is the straw
Final straw in the
Roof of my mouth
Thanks a lot to you
Just because I'm sorry doesn't mean
I didn't enjoy it at the time"
Kyp's eyes were closed again – this song was another that flowed right through him, that caught him and played itself, merely using his guitar and voice to get out. But when it got out, it got out in such a way that Jaina knew she would never, ever forget this.
Once again, she barely noticed Jag holding her. The song was too powerful, overwhelming her senses, holding her mind in a lock. It was all she could do to concentrate on it, but still she kept her eyes open, watching Kyp playing, fascinated.
"You're the only thing that I love
Scares me more every day
On my knees I think clearer
Goodness knows I saw it coming
Or at least I'll claim I did
But in truth I'm lost for words"
Kyp's eyes opened at that verse, scanning the crowd, looking lost. When he found Jaina, he didn't smirk or wink or do anything at all, other than hold her gaze and sing. He sang, with everything he could, and Jaina's breath caught in her throat.
"What have I done
It's too late for that
What have I become
Truth is nothing yet
A simple mistake starts the hardest time
I promise I'll do anything you ask
This time"
The song trailed off with the bass and the keyboard ending slowly, and still Kyp's eyes didn't leave Jaina's.
The crowd's cheering went on for a long time before Kyp reached out and grabbed the mike, forcing himself back into the moment. He tore his gaze away and looked out at the crowd, grinning again. "Alright! Did you love that as much as me?"
"Whoo!"
"Good… good… well, our time here is almost at an end, I'm afraid."
"Whoo!"
"That was negative, right? Well, anyway, we have one last song left. This is the rockiest, maybe the best we have for today. It's… it's just awesome. And, well, the whole set today is dedicated to Ben, since it's his birthday. But I want to dedicate this song to – to someone out there today. She ought to know who she is."
Kyp swallowed and glanced at Jaina again. "Hope you guys enjoy this song. It's brilliant, it's awesome, and it's called Shiver."
The drum started in, followed swiftly by the bass and keyboard, then Kyp's guitar. Another quick moment, just hitting the tune, and then the lyrics kicked in and Kyp sang like he hadn't all evening.
"You build me up
You chew me up and spit me out
You knock me down
Provoke a smile
And make me frown
You are the queen of run around
You know it's true
Enjoy the taste I leave in your mouth
You look at me
I look at you
Neither of us know what to do"
Jaina's thoughts were on standstill – she could barely concentrate on the lyrics – as she stared up at Kyp. His eyes were full of some emotion as he sang, and then he started on the chorus, and his eyes closed as he devoted his full attention to playing and singing.
"There may not
Be another way into your heart
So I guess I better find a new way in
Hey
I shiver when I hear your name
Think about you but it's not the same
I won't be satisfied 'til I'm under your skin"
The chorus was higher pitched, but Kyp's voice still carried all the notes and washed over Jaina, threading its way into every little space in her soul. It filled her mind, stabbed at her heart. She couldn't just hear the song, she could feel it. In Kyp's voice, in the music, inside herself.
"Immobilised by the thought of you
Paralysed by the sight of you
And hypnotised by the words you say
Not true but I believe them anyway
So come to bed it's getting late
There's not much time for us to waste
Remember how my body tastes
You feel your heart begin to race"
Emotion stabbed at Jaina with each word, and as Kyp's voice edged up with the last line of that verse, it broke something in her and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut. It still flooded her, though, still crashed over her like a waterfall in its plunge pool. She felt like nothing could block Kyp's voice, his emotions, from her senses. And she also felt like she didn't want anything to.
"There may not
Be another way into your heart
So I guess I better find a new way in
Hey
I shiver when I hear your name
Think about you but it's not the same
I won't be satisfied 'til I'm under your skin
Hey
Yeah"
As Kyp dropped the singing for a brief pause, Zekk picked up on the bass, playing another solo. But even though his voice wasn't weaving its way through her mind, Jaina could feel Kyp's emotions, could see it as he opened his eyes and met her stare.
She read it, everything, there in his eyes, and shivered. A corner of his mouth lifted up in a rueful smile as he started singing again.
"Yeah
There may not
Oh
Feel your heart begin to race
Be another way into your heart
So I guess I better find a new way in
I shiver when I hear your name
I think about you but it's not the same
I won't be satisfied 'til I'm under your skin
Hey
Yeah"
As he sang the chorus for the last time, Jaina felt the emotion rising up inside herself and she surprised herself by grinning. Her eyes flashed and she met Kyp's gaze one last time and joined the crowd in singing the last chorus with him.
"There may not
Be another way into your heart
So I guess I better find a new way in
I shiver when I hear your name
I think about you but it's not the same
I won't be satisfied 'til I'm under your skin"
The drums cut off, the keyboard tuned out, and then it was just Zekk's bass and Kyp's guitar – and his voice, that voice, soft as the song closed.
"Yeah yeah yeah…"
And the crowd was beside itself, cheering and "whoo!"-ing loudly. Tahiri tapped her sticks together; Jacen stood and waved at the crowd; Zekk held his guitar up to the loudest cheers of the three.
The lights snapped and converged into one spotlight, and Kyp looked suddenly bewildered at all the attention as the crowd roared again, just for him. He looked out at the crowd, caught Jaina's eye again, and she grinned back at him, nodding. He returned the grin and turned back to the crowd, bowing low and raising a hand to more cheers.
And then the lights were out, and the curtain was closing, and Jaina found herself feeling suddenly cut off, as if the whole world had frozen, just for a moment, just for her, then started again without telling her.
"Well?" Jag murmured beside her. "Worth the secrecy?"
Jaina hesitated, glancing up and to the side at Jag, and smiled. "Oh yeah. That was most definitely worth it all."
He smiled back at her. "I thought it would be. And I bet it was as much of a surprise for you as it was for me, learning that Kyp could sing."
Jaina nodded absently. "Yeah. He sure can." He sure can.
"The backstage area's just through that door, where Wedge is standing. Go see them all." Jag grinned at her. "Go see him."
Jaina stared at him, and he just grinned back at her until she nudged him. But he still smiled. "Give it up, Jaina. I was right here the whole time, through all the songs. Especially the last one," he added, frowning thoughtfully. "We never had a song like that."
"No…" Jaina shook her head and grinned ruefully up at Jag. "Alright, I won't be long."
Jag watched her make her way through the crowds with some difficulty, finally getting to Wedge and the door. As it closed behind her, he looked away, back up at the stage. "Yeah, Jaina. You probably will be."