Entry 41
My father, Zylie and I went to the Skywalker's quarters at the temple for dinner tonight. Ben and Valla were already there, so it was a big family reunion of sorts.
It was an interesting meal.
We had our appetizers and then their protocol droid brought out dinner. It was a stuffed game hen with an assortment of side plates. It was delicious and I was having a great time until I realized my aunt kept looking over to me and suppressing a grin. Eventually I couldn't keep my curiosity in check. "What's so funny Aunt Mara?"
I could tell she was trying really hard to maintain her composure. "Nothing."
I took a sip of my drink waiting for her to finally admit that nothing was really something. Unfortunately she fessed up when my mouth was full of fizzed berry juice. "I heard you got hurt breastfeeding a vornskr."
I choked on my drink forcing carbonated juice up and out my nose. I grabbed my napkin and wiped off my face before turning to glare at my wife. "You promised not to tell."
I could feel surprise rolling off of Zylie through the Force. "I didn't tell anyone, Talon."
"You are the only one that knew!" I shot back.
At this point Ben started laughing. "That's not exactly true."
"What do you mean?" I looked around the table and realized everybody was desperately trying to suppress laughter. "You all know!" I turned back to Ben. "Who told you guys?"
Ben grinned. "2-1B told me."
My jaw clenched as my dislike for droids was renewed. "Why would 2-1B volunteer up that information?"
Ben leaned back in his chair as a broad grin spit his face. "What happened was I went to the ship to pick up some dinner outfits for me and Valla and while there I used the 'fresher and noticed bloody bacta patches in the waste bin. I went over to the medical droid and asked him what had happened. That's when he told me about you getting speared by a baby vornskr tail and then how the runt bit off your nipple when you were trying to feed him."
At that point everybody at the table lost complete control and started laughing hysterically. My face turned bright red as I regarded my cousin. "That doesn't mean you have to tell everybody."
The obvious anger boiling up in me prompted Ben to try to explain his actions. He put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "I didn't tell everybody, just Valla...at least at first. When I got back to my parents' quarters she knew I was hiding something." He gave me a beseeching look. "You know you can't keep secrets from Karrde women." He blew out a nervous breath before he continued. "Anyway, I told Valla and that got her laughing so hysterically she had to run to the 'fresher before she peed her pants. Mom comes down the hall and hears Valla in the 'fresher gasping for breath because she is hyperventilating and mistakes it for vomiting. Because she can sense joyful hilarity coming from us through the force she assumes if you feel happy about vomiting it means Valla is pregnant. So she gets all giddy and that brings my father running and wondering what is going on. I had to explain to them that Valla was not pregnant." He took a deep breath before continuing. "This upset my parents and they looked depressed, so I wanted to cheer them up, so I told them what happened."
I looked over to my father who was biting his bottom lip in an attempt to not laugh. "So how did my father find out."
My dad chuckled. "I can explain that. You know I have a Force connection to Luke and Mara. Well, I was in negotiations with Streke when I felt a disturbance in the Force. I knew something was up with the Skywalkers, but I couldn't get ahold of them on the comlink. So I contacted your brother Jaden and ask him to go down the Skywalker's quarters and find out what was going on. Which he did and reported the situation back to me."
I stared at him wide-eyed and slack jawed. "Are you telling me my entire family knows I got bit by a vornskr pup?"
My father was shaking as he tried to suppress his amusement. "Pretty much."
"I'm glad you guys are having so much fun at my expense," I said bitingly. "As soon as he is weaned Kriffer is gone."
"Watch your language at the table," my aunt chastised me.
"That is the name Talon gave the pup," Zylie explained.
My uncle took a sip of his drink. "That's a horrible name."
Valla nodded in agreement. "We should find an appropriate name for the pup."
"How about The Nipple Slayer?" Ben suggested.
I shook my head in disgust. "Not funny, guys."
"No," my aunt interjected. "I say we go with the nipple terminator…wait, wait, I got it: the nipplator."
"Oh I got a better one," my father said enthusiastically. "Darth Nipple, dark ruler of the Areola."
I balled up my napkin and tossed it on the table as I stood. "Why do I always get the brunt of your teasing?"
Mara stood and motioned for me to sit. "Sorry Talon. You just make it so easy sometimes. We tease you because we love you. Don't you know that?"
My eyes narrowed. "You also tease about Mokk Streke. Does that mean you love him also?"
My aunt took her seat and gave a look of disgust. "I don't tease him to his face. So no. If I tease you to your face, then I like you. If I do it behind your back, I dislike you."
"You must really love Talon," Ben remarked with a chuckle.
I sat back down but continued to glower at my family. "Why don't we change the subject." I turned to Ben. "Hey, how is that grandkid making process going?"
Ben's eyes narrowed as his jaw tightened. "You know I hate it when you do that."
Mara wiped her lips with her napkin and gave her son a furtive look. "If you and Valla gave me a grandchild then he wouldn't be able to use that ploy." Mara turned to Mark. "When are you going to start nagging Talon to give you a grandchild?"
My father chuckled. "One's enough for now."
A spike of fear shot through my spine, thinking dad just revealed Marcus' existence, but then I realized he was talking about Jessa.
"Yes, you have your granddaughter," Mara agreed. "But don't you want a grandchild from Talon and Zylie?"
My dad turned to us. "Yes I would very much like a grandchild from you two."
"I think we discussed that subject enough," I muttered before addressing my father. "How much longer will discussions go with Streke?"
My dad gestured that he didn't know. "My role in the negotiations is over. I will let the delegation continue the talks until a resolution occurs. I made it quite clear that I was going to Hapes to see my nephew. I am sure Streke will see this as me going to negotiate with the Hapan government about the sale of the crystals. Maybe that false pretense will encourage him to make a decision."
"When do we leave?" Valla asked.
"As soon as you're ready."
I looked to my wife and then Ben and Valla. "I'm ready when you are."
