YOUR TICKET TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Chapter 1
(Title is lifted from a graduation speech given by Tom Brokaw)
"Do we have everything set?" Leia asked Han.
"We're fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about it," Han said slipping his arm around her shoulder.
{It'll be great}, Chewie promised.
The intercom went off.
"I can't believe it. Luke and Mara are on time," Han muttered. He pressed the talk button. "I hope you're Mara and Luke and Ben, because I'm not letting anyone else in!" He heard them laugh and cleared the codes for them to enter.
"Mistress Leia, what time should I take the salads from the cooler?" 3PO asked.
"I'll text comm you. I'm not sure how long this is going to last."
"How long can it be?" Han asked. "There's only 20 graduates!"
"You'd be amazed." Leia shook her head. "There were 50 in my class, and it took over three and a half hours."
"Yeah, but in this heat?"
"It was warm. Okay, not nearly as warm as it is here. We passed around bottles of Alderaanian ale to keep cool or, barring that, to get smashed."
"And you passed on it, didn't you?" Han teased her.
"Are you kidding? Our speaker was horrible!"
"Wow, Mom getting drunk when she was underage. How come we never hear about this stuff?" Jaina asked as she brushed her dark hair.
"I have an image to keep up," Leia said to her.
"Forget it. It's useless around us." Everyone laughed. "Hey, Tenel Ka, lemme hold my niece for a few seconds, okay?"
"Sure." Tenel Ka had not told Jacen she and Allana were attending the festivities. He missed both of them and the entire family was looking forward to his expression when he discovered his daughter and her mother were present.
"Wow, you've gotten so big!" Jaina marveled at her niece, who had grown a great deal. The little one smiled and cooed now, and the entire family was enchanted by her. Tenel Ka had chosen a pink dress for Allana to wear out of the hundreds that Leia had purchased. Jaina held her for a few minutes and handed Allana back to her mother.
"You blink and the next thing you know she'll be eighteen," Han warned. "Anakin! Jarik! C'mon, Grand Theft Star Destroyer'll be here when we get back! Let's get this show on the road already."
01123581321345589144233377610987
The veterinary college graduation was set up on the lawn to the side, which had a patch of cool soft grasses, colorful and fragrant flowers and, mercifully, some shade trees. The wind was hot, but at least the air wasn't stagnant.
The first row of chairs was reserved for the graduates. Fortunately, the Solos weren't, for a change, late. There was room for everyone to be in the same row.
"There were times when I never thought we'd see Jacen this way," Leia said to Han.
"Yeah, you weren't the only one."
"So Jacen's a real veterinarian now?" Jarik asked eagerly.
"He will be as soon as they put the flimsi in his hand," Han told him.
"A flimsi? For what?"
"It's a diploma. It's what you get when you finish something," Anakin said, grabbing his little brother and giving him noogies.
"Aargh! Mom, Dad, make him stop!" Little Ben was laughing at them.
"You're on your own, kid," Han told him.
"Han, would you like to hold Allana for a little?" Tenel Ka asked him. Of course, the request was simply a courtesy; Han had totally fallen in love with his granddaughter. He had gone from feeling that he was too young to be a grandfather to that of being an extremely proud and happy one.
"Hand the baby over and no one gets hurt," he said to Tenel Ka. Allana smiled at Han. "Hi, sweetie, are you Grandpa's best girl?"
"Hey!" Jaina said, narrowing her eyes.
"You're Daddy's best girl. Allana's Grandpa's best girl," Han assured her. Her brothers laughed at her. They all knew - and at times had resented - the fact that Jaina was always Daddy's Little Princess. Han made faces at the little girl, making her smile and laugh.
"She is precious," Leia agreed. Leia had been on Hapes with Tenel Ka and Allana for most of the last two months, and Jaina and Anakin had been training during that time, only coming home to do laundry and hit Han up for a dinner that featured something other than noodles and hot sauce. Jacen spent all of his time studying, which made Jarik unhappy, but Han made sure that Jarik was playing with his own friends, either at their home or one of his friends' homes.
"She makes me want another one," Luke said, eyeing Mara in a way Han understood well.
In a short time, all of the seats had been filled, and then there was a wait. Allana became hungry and Han passed her down to her mother, who was sitting near the center aisle where the provost and the faculty entered first. The faculty were not all human; in fact, the provost was a Calamarian.
"Good afternoon, family and friends," began the provost. "As you know, training to be a veterinarian is a difficult and lengthy process, starting from far before arriving here. That these graduates are here today, ready to be practicing, is a testament to the love and support they receive from you. For that, we bestow upon all of you our utmost gratitude."
"All right, he kept that short and sweet," Han mumbled to Leia.
Leia shook her head. "I can't take you anywhere, can I?" But she gave a bemused smile.
"And now, with great pride, I present to you, our graduating class."
The students filed in, by what appeared to be height. There were a few nonhuman sentients in the class as well.
Like everyone present, the Solos all stared at the middle aisle, holocams ready. Jacen was the second last in line. He looked solemn, until he saw his family there, including Tenel Ka and Allana.
His eyes all but popped out of his head and a smile lit up his face.
Tenel Ka handed him Allana and he leaned down to kiss Tenel Ka and carried his baby in his arms to the front row. It was definitely A Moment, and had the families and friends and fellow graduates cheering.
Leia had tears in her eyes but she had a huge smile on her face. She hugged Tenel Ka. Jaina, Anakin and Jarik gave their brother two thumbs up.
"What a beautiful baby," the provost marveled. He then looked at the audience, smiling even more. "It is customary that the individual who attains the highest grade point average to address their classmates, families and friends. I give you Jacen Solo."
The family looked at each other like what? Did we just hear that?
Jacen held his daughter on his shoulder.
"Thank you all for being here," he began. "I've gotten to know all of you and like nearly all of you, well, all except for Elon." This created a roar of laughter; Elon had been the person closest to him in the program.
"Run, Elon, run for you life!" another classmate, a young woman, spoke up and generated more laughter.
"Okay, we've humiliated Elon now, so we can go forward. Provost Trubik said that it wouldn't have been possible for us to get where we are without the love and support of the people closest to us. And that's so incredibly true. My family's stuck by me even when I deserved to be left behind, and for them, I don't know what to say but, thanks, you've always been there for me and I hope I make you proud."
The audience applauded.
"The other person who's been my rock for so long, and I didn't even realize it, is the mother of my baby, Allana. Tenel Ka, I owe you everything, and I want you to know how very much I love you."
There's not gonna be a dry eye in the house, Han thought, trying not to succumb to the misty eyed thing.
"Animals are also family and friends," Jacen continued. "In my worst moments, and even in my best ones, my animals have always been there for me and with me. They are as important as parents and brothers and sisters. It's my vision to have a galaxy of animals who are always loved and well treated. If you love an animal, it will give back a thousand times over."
More applause.
"Some individuals want to get credentials, thinking it's the way to a life of luxury. I've got no problem with luxury, but I think it's something different. Maybe more like a ticket to change the world. And we can do that because of the reason we became vets: we became vets because we care about animals. I believe our treatment of them reflects how we see ourselves as a society. When we treat them well, we become more civilized. I want to contribute to that for the rest of my life. I'm not a big talker, so I'm gonna cut it there, but thanks, Mom, Dad, Jaina, Anakin, Jarik, Chewie, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, Tenel Ka and my daughter Allana, along with my motley zoo."
He stepped down and everyone stood up. Jacen kept his face on his daughter's.
Each graduate's name was called, and their diplomas handed to them. The applause quited down and Provost Trubik returned to the podium.
"Be proud of these young ones, what they have accompished," he said. "They are not only among the brightest and the best, they are among the most compassionate souls out there. It's a good quality for getting along in life. Thank you all for coming today, and feel free to grab some refreshments and take all the holos you want. Graduates, congratulations again. You did it!"
Jacen's classmates huddled around him and Allana.
"Time to play Pass the Baby," Han mused.
Tenel Ka smiled. "She's very friendly. Lots of people around her all the time. Especially Grandma Leia."
"I'm shocked, I tell you, just shocked!" Han remarked wryly. Tenel Ka stepped forward first and stood on the edge of the classmates.
"Tenel Ka! Don't just stand there! C'mere!" Jacen called to her, loud enough that everyone could here. Tenel Ka went up to him and they kissed, and from all indications, it was a real kiss. "This is my girlfriend Tenel Ka, and she's my baby's mom!"
Tenel Ka smiled and greeted everyone, but instead of doing it like a royal would, she smiled and shook hands with Jacen's friends and classmates.
"You didn't think Allana and I were gonna miss you graduating, did you?" Tenel Ka said, smiling.
"I didn't know. I know you're real busy."
"Not too busy to see my baby's father graduate," Tenel Ka assured him. She was grateful that Jacen did not mention her royal status. She disliked it enough when she had to use her title, and she was happy just being herself today.
The entire family, including little Ben, was snapping holos of Jacen with Tenel Ka and Allana and his classmates, who all wanted to have a shot taken with baby Allana. Allana was tolerant and smiling for a while, but then she began fussing. Jacen took her in his arms and patted her gently on her back, holding her close, and quieted her.
It's Han all over, Leia thought, smiling. He's a great father.
"He'll do all right," Han said, echoing her thoughts. "Now, let's get the party started."
01123581321345589144233377610987
The Solos only gave one type of party: large, loud and fun. Han always said that if you didn't have fun at one of their bashes, you couldn't have fun anywhere and you had no one to blame but yourself.
The recreation area of their complex had been reserved, with an open invitation for anyone in the building to stop by, and the understanding that the noise level would border on deafening. It was a huge building but over the years, Han, Leia and the kids had made friends there. It was nice because nearly everyone worked in government jobs or those supporting government jobs, and no one thought twice about the Minister of State being their next door neighbor.
Guests filled up the place in a hurry. Kids that all their kids had known were present, Jarik was allowed to bring his friends, Anakin would have invited the entire galaxy but Han vetoed it, strenuously. Friends Jacen had had in primary and upper level day school had joined in; even some came from Praxium. Some of Jaina's friends were there as well, including Jagged Fel. Han's band mates and Leia's colleagues attended as well.
It was, Han thought, the way to throw a party. The two swimming pools filled rapidly.
"Looks like it's Pass the Baby time again," Leia said, watching as various guests took turns with Allana. "I'm glad she's not nervous." Allana was a friendly baby, but after a little while, she began to cry as she became overly stimulated.
"Let me take her," Han offered. He picked up the crying little one and cuddled her, taking her away from the noise and commotion.
"I think someone is enjoying being a grandpa," Leia called out as she grabbed a drink from 3PO. R2 and 3PO graciously offered to be on drink service detail.
"You better believe it," Han said, smiling happily as the baby went from crying to cooing and finally, fell asleep on his shoulder. He walked about with her, drinking one of the many Corellian rums he would have that day, talking to his band mates and the neighbors from their building, laughing with Jaina's friends from the Navy, who wanted to hear all about his flying techniques and his tales from his smuggling and military careers. Han was at his happiest when talking about flying and specifically his ship.
Jacen was tossed into the pool several times by his friends, and Tenel Ka was as well. She was a sport, and she and Jacen would come up kissing and laughing.
"They just might make it," Han observed, taking a break to stand by Leia.
"Unfortunately, it looks like there could be civil war on Hapes. The idea of having non royal rule isn't popular with a sizable minority. In fact, it's like 52 percent for parliamentary government with a Prime Minister who's elected and 48 percent who want the Queen Mother to continue to rule the parliament. It's early days, of course, but there's a great deal of anger." She shook her head. "I've sent my best negotiators and constitutional scholars, but I'm going to have to go back to Hapes soon." Leia shook her head. "It's not over yet."
"How's Tenel handling it?" Han asked her.
"She's having a very difficult time trying to be a good new mother and a good new Queen Mother, and it's very stressful for her. A lot of her constituents don't understand why she doesn't want to be Queen Mother. Oddly enough, her grandmother was very popular."
"Couldn't see it myself."
"Not the most charming woman, then or now."
"Hearing her fellow inmates got her made me want to break out a bottle of Bespin Sparkle."
Leia chuckled. "You're horrible, Han Solo. I have to confess, I was ready to do the same."
"The Minister of State condones these acts of violence?" Han's eyebrows were raised in mock horror.
"Honey, diplomats are humans, too."
"Good to know," Han said teasingly. "Especially since I've been sleeping with one for 23 years now." He winked at her and adjusted baby Allana slightly. "I think this is the most Tenel has ever laughed."
"It's nice to see her as a young girl, just having fun," Leia agreed. "Like us, she never had the chance to be a kid."
"Let's hope she can at least have fun as an adult."
"Hey, you two! Isn't this your party?" Mara came over to them, holding an Alderaanian ale in her hand. Mara looked at the sleeping baby and there was a warm look in her eyes, one that was to Leia unmistakable.
"I hear Luke wants another one," Han said, grinning.
"I'm starting to come around on that," Mara said happily. "She is so pretty. Want me to take her?"
"Nah, she's happy," Han said, smiling.
"Well, Grandpa is certainly happy," Mara observed, smiling.
"How's Ben?"
"Having the time of his life with Jarik and his friends."
"Where's Luke?" Leia asked.
"Having the time of his life with Ben and Jarik and Jarik's friends."
"I remember when the older three were little. Seems like only yesterday," Han said wistfully.
Mara gently touched her grand niece. "I never knew how much I'd love being a mother till I became one. Babies are so incredible."
Leia smiled. She'd spent a lot of time over the last couple weeks caring for Allana, and it brought back how she'd marveled at her own newborn babies' soft skin, their smiles, the soft little baby sounds they made.
Luke wandered over their way, drenched from swimming in the pool and tossing kids around. He was somewhat out of breath.
"Had to take a break," he said. "Those kids are gonna kill me." He looked at his grand niece and smiled. "She's a beauty. I want another one."
"So do I," Mara said, smiling.
"Tonight. I promise we'll get to it tonight," Luke said, leaning against Mara and getting her clothes wet.
"Save your strength," Han teased him.
"Uncle Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke!" Jarik yelled.
"Okay, better get back or they'll try to kill me," Luke said, grinning wryly.
"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" Jarik shouted out again.
"I'm busy, and keep your voice down!" Han admonished him.
"When are you gonna come in and play?" Jarik asked.
"Maybe when Allana wakes up," Han said. He turned to Mara. "I dunno about Luke, but my back's not what it used to be."
"He'll survive," Mara said, laughing, arching an eyebrow. "Trust me, he's having a blast."
"Right along with the other kids," Leia mused. "I think I'm going to put my suit on and jump in the water."
"Do you still have the red bikini?" Han asked hopefully.
"Han, I'm way past the age - and size - for the red bikini," Leia said to him.
"But it's my favorite."
"Tell you what. You wear that skimpy little suit you had when we were first married, and I'll wear my bikini."
"On second thought..."
"That's what I thought," Leia said, laughing as she headed to change.
01123581321345589144233377610987