After spending most of the day struggling to write a paper on the Empire's policies versus that of the New Republic Jaina threw down her pen in disgust.
"Why am I doing this again?" She asked the various posters in her room.
"Because Jace won't let you use his." A snarky voice replied from the door way. She turned and glared at her youngest brother and he met her gaze with a confident smirk.
"Just telling it as I see it big sis." He said, shrugging his slim shoulders. He was wearing his street-racing outfit; a patched blue flight suit that matched his eyes and a pair of racing goggles hanging from their strap around his neck.
"What do you want runt?" She growled at him, raising one dark brow.
"Hey, I'm not the runt here. Anyway, Mom wanted me to tell you your friends were here and to get them out of the house before she went crazy. Now I'm off to work on No Krakana with Tahiri." He explained, naming his racer before he disappeared. Jaina immediately jumped up from her sprawled position on her impossibly large bed and yanked her boots on before clattering down the stairs. She nearly broke out laughing right there when she found her mother looking very frazzled and aggrieved as the guys improvised a rap and Darra played the rhythm out on various counters and dishes.
"C'mon guys, we've abused this house enough for now. Let's go to the Venture." She suggested. They all agreed, loudly and enthusiastically, and followed her from the house. The Errant Venture was an all-ages club in the upper-levels of Coruscant and run by a family friend, Booster Terrik. As they walked they automatically took up their usual positions; Jaina in the lead with Zekk and Kyp flanking her and Jake and Darra taking up the rear. Most people didn't pay the group any mind, as this was a familiar sight in this neighborhood.
"So, did you get that paper written?" Kyp asked with a mischievous grin and Jaina waved her hand.
"Who cares?" She replied as she swept into the Venture with a flourish. Booster grinned at them from his office door, watching as the activity level in the club immediately picked up. Things like that happened when Jaina Solo was involved, everything got much more exciting. Even though two of the five weren't old enough to drink, no one officially noticed if Zekk and Jaina palmed a few drinks off their friends. Jake and Darra were the same age as their two friends but, due to cultural stuff that no one could understand, they could out-drink anyone there. And Kyp, well he was old enough, stubborn enough, and idiotic enough to go drinking with kids 15 years younger than him. Shaking his head with a chuckle Booster simply waved for the Bartender to give the group whatever they asked for, in moderation. And why not? It was the last day of summer vacation for these kids and they deserved to party a little.
"Hey Booster!!" Zekk yelled some time later, his words a tiny bit slurred. The older man outright laughed at this, for such a big kid Zekk was a light-weight.
"Yeah kid?" He replied as the five made their way towards him through the crowd.
"How you doing old man?" He asked, a huge grin on his pale face. Jaina was snickering beside him, only slightly buzzed unlike her large friend. Booster raised an eyebrow and Jaina smirked, knowing that her friend had just stepped in a pile of poodoo.
"Old man? That's an insult kid, one I don't take lightly. You care to settle that in the way of men?" He replied, holding back a grin. Zekk considered it then nodded.
"Alright then. Someone bring a table and two chairs! We have an insult to settle." He called into the crowd. A few minutes later the two males were seated across a slim table from each other, sleeves rolled up and elbows firmly planted on the plasteel surface. They grasped hands and Jaina stood between them beside the table, a huge grin on her face.
"Go!" She yelled and the two started straining, muscles in their arms bulging for a moment before Zekk's pale hand slammed onto the table. The dark-haired youth looked at his hand, then at the 'old man' sitting across from him.
"Rematch." He growled. Booster happily agreed and they set to it. Five rematches later and Booster was still winning. Five more and Zekk was dragged away from the club by his friends. He had never beaten Booster before, and it didn't look like he was gonna be breaking that record anytime soon.
