LL2 36 Dinner at the Solos

Kess straightened her new Jedi tunic and brushed off a piece of white lint from her black-shrouded shoulder. She rang the doorbell of the top floor apartment.

Threepio answered it. "Good evening, Lieutenant. Please come in."

Kess stepped into the hallway already hearing voices of loud tales and laughter in the back. Her eyes scanned over the white, curved, Alderaani-style furniture.

"If I may say so, the uniform turned out rather nicely."

Kess looked down at her new outfit, still trying to decide if she liked it. She looked like a man in it, but shrugged that off since her greasy jumpsuit wasn't that feminine either. Threepio led her down the hall to the living room.

The rambunctious crowd fell silent at her arrival.

Captain Solo was the first to speak, "Well, kid, looks like you've finally found yourself a sidekick."

Luke stood to the side of the room with his wine glass in his hand and own black Jedi uniform fitting comfortably over his build. His free hand went on his hip as he looked her up and down. "Looks good."

Chewie growled something from the couch.

Han chortled, "He said you look like a male."

Leia stepped up to her in a rust-colored jumpsuit and flowing ivory robe and straightened the shoulder of Kess' tunic. "Ignore them," she whispered and stepped back, looking her up and down. With a wink, the Princess turned to the dining room, "We'll make a Jedi out of you yet."

The bodies started moving to the table as Han raised his voice back to the tales of old times. "So anyway, about that brilliant idea to dive headfirst into the trash…"

Leia shot her husband a look, Chewie hooted out in laughter and Luke grinned.

Kess sat gingerly in the chair across the table from Chewie. She blinked when Luke sat next to her, but quickly realized that there was no other place at the fine dining table for him to sit. Captain Solo and his furry partner-in-crime laughed about the adventures on the first Death Star while Threepio served them plates of a saucy Corellian meal. Solo kept calling Luke a 'kid' just to make him wince like a little brother. Leia watched her husband's rambunctious complaining with love in her brown eyes. Artoo rolled around the table with a platter of wine glasses on his head and twittering in complaint about Threepio's relentless whining during the event years before. Kess was able to get the trash compactor story out of them and listened attentively for any other tidbits of history she could pick out of the conversation.

Mostly, she just soaked up sights of Luke's easy smile as he enjoyed his family.

When dinner was over, Leia took Kess to the middle of the living room floor and began to instruct the different greetings to political leaders in the Council. The protocol lesson was the excuse to invite the Jedi Apprentice over for dinner in her new uniform. None of them would admit they were just anxious to see her dressed like a Jedi Knight for the first time.

At the little bar, Luke sipped on his wine from the stool and watched the women practice. It was the same set of lessons that Leia taught Luke, Han and Chewie years ago. He smiled to think that learning the details of protocol had become a kind of initiation into the family.

His eyes flicked to nothing in the air. Kess?... Family?

Surprised at himself, he looked back out to where she was listening to Leia with complete attention and respect. He absorbed the sight. Luke began to grin—

"I wanted to talk to you about something, Luke," Han muttered as he watched the women across the room.

Luke turned his head to him. He was so used Han calling him 'kid' that it drew more attention when Han addressed him by his real name.

Han spoke quietly so he wouldn't be overheard. He glanced again out to the living room floor before meeting Luke's gaze. "I did some checking up on your girlfriend."

Luke's patience twanged twice. He opted not to jump on Han's case about referring to her as his girlfriend for the sake of ripping his head off over trying to find something about Kess that Luke wouldn't like. His tone was clearly aggravated. "Why?"

Han brought the grass-colored drink to his lips, "I wanted to see if I could find a connection between her and that Mugwot Pon. See if that's what he's after."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "That's weak, Han. If Mugwot Pot is after Kess, then he's a bounty hunter hired by the Empire." He shook his head. "You wouldn't find a connection and you know it."

Han's voice was light but cocky. "That must be why I didn't find any." Luke's glare didn't faze him. "But I did find something interesting." He put his hand on one hip and swallowed down more of the slushy alcohol. "Something Master Luke needs to know."

Luke watched his wine as he swirled it in the goblet, "I don't want to know."

Han watched the women more than two metres away practicing different bows to each other. Chewie strolled over and sat on the other barstool with a mumbled comment. Han took Chewie's glass with one hand and set datapad on the bar with the other.

Han's voice was quiet and tight. "Read it."

With a sigh of defeat, Luke picked up the pad and turned it on. Chewie growled a question at Han and the smuggler whispered back, "It's an unofficial background check on our favorite Lieutenant."

Luke started shaking his head, "This was all in her security check, Han."

Han motioned with his finger. "Page down."

Impatient, Luke sighed and punched the button, eyes flicking across the page—

Luke froze.

"Told ya," Han said.

Luke's mouth fell open. His eyes fell closed. He shook his head.

Furry fingers tugged the datapad from Luke's hand. Chewie's wrist curled around in front of himself so he could read the thing upright. The big body shifted as he hooted a soft comment. His eyes peeked at Luke and furry shoulders half-turned to peek out Kess.

The bowing lesson in the middle of the floor had come to a screeching halt. Both women stretched brown eyes back to the men with concern.

Chewie set his hand on his hip and barked a hooting sentence at Kess.

Threepio began to help, "He said—

Han pointed hard over at the droid. "Don't translate that!"

Chewie whipped his head back over his shoulder and griped at Han.

Han argued back. "Yeah. But that's between them!"

Luke stared at the floor.

"What?" Kess snapped.

Chewie sucked down his fresh drink in one swallow, slapped down the glass, and rumbled across the living room to the door, hooting pleasantries to Leia but he stopped between the two women and loomed over Kess.

He hooted something different.

Kess' wary eyes slid sideways up at the Wookiee. With his gray eyes and her Force senses, Kess didn't need anyone to translate that one, but Artoo did anyway.

"You break his heart, I will kill you."

Kess lowered her eyes with subservience to the alpha-male threat.

Everyone suspected, but nobody understood. If she only had the guts to say it out loud it would be easy to assure Chewbacca, or anyone else, that their worries were for naught. There was no possible way Kess could break Luke's heart if Luke never let her have any of it.

Kess shook her head at the floor. And yet nobody gives a damn if he breaks mine.

The Wookiee gave the woman one last look of warning and lumbered out of the room to leave for the night.

Leia's voice was quiet and cold. "Threepio, will you please help Artoo plug in for a recharge before they leave."

Threepio's gears whirred as he waddled away. Artoo turned and rolled back, pausing by Luke's boot. He swiveled his head and whistled a soft query of support. Luke motioned him off with a flick of his downcast head. Threepio whirred away and Artoo rolled down the hall, leaving the humans alone in their little drama.

"Is anyone going to tell me what I did wrong?" Kess called out, already aggravated over this.

Han leaned his elbows on the bar counter, "Don't yell at him. I'm the one who looked it up. I wasn't satisfied with the security check."

"Looked what up?" Leia challenged.

Kess only stared at Luke, looking for clues. Luke eventually lifted his eyes to stare back. He really didn't want to confront her about it at a family dinner, but deep in his heart, he wanted an explanation.

And he wanted it now.

The room went silent as Luke broke the stare and raised the datapad to his sights. With a low, depressed voice, he read aloud the entry that he didn't want to believe. " Accused: Kess Lendra, 76 Tusken Street, Mos Eisley Tatooine. Location of arrest: Corner of Market Square and Carrack Road, Mos Eisley. Crime:" He dropped his wrist to let the datapad hang and looked at her with disheartened shock, "Prostitution?"

Kess stepped forward with her lips drawn into a thin line and her arms folded stiffly at her chest. She stuffed back the first response that came to mind because they weren't in the clearing. She stopped her second response because they were in Jedi uniform. She halted her third response because they were at Han and Leia's place. She bit back the forth response out of habit and just gritted her teeth at him.

Leia scolded her husband from across the room. "Han, that was uncalled for."

Han met his wife's eye but said nothing.

Kess huffed. Here she was, mistaking a family dinner as an open-armed gesture of friendship with these people, and they drag a skeleton out of her closet for trial. Kess could not have been more insulted.

But she crumbled in Luke's stare. His irises faded to white. His eyebrows slanted with painful alarm. She ripped her eyes away in defense. "Street walking wasn't the crime I committed; it was the crime I was busted for."

Luke cocked his head. "And what crime did you commit?"

Kess threw back an angry smile. "It's kind of a long story."

Luke hissed back through his clenched teeth, "We have plenty of time to hear it."

Kess took one stomp and pointed at him aggressively, "Oh really? Then maybe you could explain how you knew Ben Kenobi. Or better yet, I'd love to hear the Darth Vader story! Do remember, Master, I asked you first!"

Kess felt the air harden. Luke wasn't the only to stiffen at that, but that was hardly a surprise. It was no secret that the villain kidnapped Leia, tortured Han, and crossed blades with Luke. Sure. You guys are heroes for surviving it. Fine. Here's your kriffing medal. Kess was tired of walking on eggshells around these people.

Especially in this uniform, she had a right to know the whole story.

Luke dropped his eyes and his chest heaved for air. Solo stepped out from behind the bar and went to his wife, but Leia stepped away from him and put up a palm for him to get away. She watched Luke press his lips together and set his wine glass carefully on the bar. She turned away from him, bursting with frustration at his continuing silence.

Her fingers dug deep into her bangs as she sighed in defeat. "I was a scout for a credit exchange. Okay? I had to clear the area so a friend could meet his rendezvous and trade Alliance credits for Imperial credits. Since possession of Rebel contraband was a felony at the time, I chose the misdemeanor." She hissed sharply. "All right?"

Luke closed his eyes with relief.

"Even if it was true, it's none of your damn business—

"Watch it!" Han barked at her this time. "I can get Chewie back in here," he smiled angrily and shook his head, "but I don't need to."

Kess shouted at Han. "Break what heart!" She flicked her arm violently in Luke's direction across the room and screamed with uncontrolled frustration. "There's nothing in there!"

Luke lifted his face at her unbridled hurt and the Force fingering out from her as dark wisps in all directions. He glanced at Leia who stood alone, keeping away from her husband, and was just now looking up to see the shade of emotion bleeding from this screaming apprentice.

Then all those black fingers of heartbreak and anger and insult sucked quickly back into her black uniform to a sick, poisonous, eye-of-the-storm kind of calm.

Kess took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and did a hard Right Face to square herself to Leia. "Minister, it's been a lovely dinner. Thank you for your hospitality." She bowed just like as she was taught.

Leia's mouth parted. She looked over at Luke with a silent order.

Luke took in a deep breath, and then another, only finding the guts when Kess turned for the door.

"Darth Vader..."