Week Seven (June 28, 2010) UDC 5 - Wes Janson and Roganda Ismaren

31. Iron

It was hard to picture these people as allies for the first couple of weeks as she and her son did the best they could to stay out of everyone else's way. It was hard seeing them as anything other than the enemy, as people to be turned in without a moment's hesitation. It things had been normal, that's exactly what she would have done... until the day that she rounded a corner while looking for her son, and found him being comforted and helped up by an x-wing pilot.

She watched them for a minute, taking in how happy her son looked and how at ease the pilot was... and her opinion softened. Maybe it was a good thing that nothing was normal or as it should have been.

32. Challenge

They challenged her, these people from all corners of the Empire that wanted nothing more than it's total demise. She'd been brought up to think rebellion, however mild, was awful and warranted the strictest punishment imaginable. But these... people. They were different. They came from different planets and cultures, but they worked well together. They trusted.

Slowly, Roganda Ismaren began to trust them as well. After all... her son already did.

33. Stadium

It had been Irek's idea to go to a Smash Ball game, and Wes knew he should have been surprised at the sight of his step son talking to a girl animatedly, but he wasn't. Not at all. The boy had learned how to act around women by watching people at rebel bases interact... some of it had to rub off eventually. He glanced at the girl's mother, standing on the other side of the asile, and nodded to her. She simply smiled and rolled her eyes.

Ah. So it wasn't odd for the girl's mother, either. He wondered how he was going to explain to his wife that her son had developed a relationship with a girl at a Smash Ball game. Maybe Irek would beat him to it and save him the trouble.

34. Chairman

Wes arrived at their shared apartment on Coruscant to find Roganda supressing laughter as her son ran around with a towel tied like a cape around his neck. "What's going on?"

"I am Chairman!" Irek yelled as he ran past, now with a broom. "Defender against dust! And dirt!"

Wes blinked and looked at Roganda. "Chairman?"

"He wanted to be helpful," she told him between giggles. "And he's hyper."

Wes chuckled, and bent down to catch Irek when next he ran by. "Would the Chairman like to help with supper?"

"Yes!"

35. Chef

They stood in the doorway of the small room and watched the ten year old sleep the sleep of the innocent. Roganda chuckled softly. "So how much did he really help?"

Wes smiled. "Quite a bit, actually. And then he cleaned what got messy."

"Hmmm... think we'll have something to tease him about when he's older?"

"Probably." Wes let the silence reign for long minutes before he turned to her and pulled out a ring box. "Marry me?"

"What?"

"Marry me."

Roganda glanced into the darkended room at her sleeping son, then looked at Wes again. "Even after nights like tonight?"

"Especially after nights like tonight."