Knight-Errantly Chapter Two
Suggested Theme:
Main Theme- Tom Bombadil's Song, Hey Dol! Merry Dol! by Tolkien Ensemble
"Have you ever thought of donating your allowance to refurbish the ship's interior?"
"If father would accept his arrangement, then he would feel obligated in letting me do the redecorating. That will never happen since our tastes differ."
"What a diplomatic way of saying that he has sh–poodoo tastes." Ben snorts at Armitage's self-censorship, while Dead-Star rolls his eyes at them.
Looks don't matter.
Then, why are you so intent on reclaiming your natural form?
Fine! Looks don't matter in objects.
What about stars?
Well, taste matters more than looks. Some stars are quite pleasant to eat, while others crush your chest and you're left in utter agony until that Skywalker–
Han boards the ship, lugging a storage cube over his shoulders. He's wearing a frown on his face like he heard something stupid.
"Yes, and your tastes have you dressed up like a Rootai." What the kark is a Rootai? An Umbaran who's a member of the highest-ranked caste; they're practically royalty. How is that an insult? Because they dress melodramatically. So they dress like idiots? Exactly. What's an Umbaran? Shadow People.
"Actually, it would be more accurate to call me a Bgztlian since I am wearing their most renowned hero's colors!" Armitage shoots back, while Han stares at him for half a second before scoffing and walking away from them.
"Is a Bgztlian an alien race in the Unknown Regions?"
"Nah, they're from the DC comics." Is that another part of the galaxy? No, it's just comics. And those are? Stories that hinge on their art rather than their words. Hmm, I might be interested in those kinds of books.
"Prince, where am I staying?"
"In my quarters, Dead-Star would cry if he had to sleep by himself!'
NO, I WOULDN'T, YOU LIAR!
Quit shouting!
"Yeah, right!" Armitage laughs and then whispers, "I think we should get to your room fast. I bet Dead-Star is getting antsy being stuck in your head."
"He should be grateful; my mind is a beautiful place."
Liar, there aren't any stars here!
I'll imagine you some.
They aren't the same, you piece of kark!
The trio make their way to their quarters with nary a fuss.
Their Wistie gapes at the bookshelf, most likely amazed by the amount of leather-bound, paper books. Most of the books were Life Day gifts from family friends, his mother, and his uncle. Armitage bolts to it and crouches to the lowest shelf where the miscellaneous books were sorted; he pulls one out that Ben hasn't read since he first bought it.
"You have Starfire Volume Two!" And then their Wistie makes an undignified squeal before continuing, "And you have Jean Grey: Psych Wars Part 1!"
Is he dying?
I'd say he's having a fangasm.
What is that?
A fan having an orgasm.
What's an orgasm?
When you're beyond happiness.
Have you ever had one?
No, but I haven't hit puberty.
When will that happen?
When I'm twelve, most likely.
"I take it you like those two comic books." Armitage nods his head vigorously and continues scouring through the collection for more comics, but then hands his head when he finds no more.
"Why do you care for these comics?" Armitage stands up and turns with a comic in each hand; their Wistie looks at them with such determination that it makes them squirm inwardly.
"I'll start with Starfire since she's not as confusing as Jean Grey. In most iterations, Starfire, her real name is Koriand'r, is a princess of Tamaran and blessed with superpowers natural to her kind, while her older sister, Komand'r aka Blackfire, had none and hated her. She married twice, once for a peace treaty and another out of love, but both died; she was eventually sold into slavery but escaped to Earth where she joined the Teen Titans. Usually, she ends up with Dick Grayson, the first Robin and Nightwing. She's typically optimistic, sociable, and sexually open; she's sort of like a redheaded version of Barbarella. She's usually a supporting character, but she finally got her own solo series! "
"I see." I don't really understand what he said. Sometimes it's best to pretend you do for the sake of your sanity. So we shouldn't ask about this Barbarella? Exactly.
"Jean Grey…to be honest, it would be better to start with the movies before I launch into her entire publication history. The movies are like a primer and typically easier to get into for uninitiated. But I don't see my bag anywhere!"
"Chewie must've misplaced it; I'll fetch it." Ben offers with his most charming smile; Dead-Star once more rolls his nonexistent eyes at him.
"Thanks, Prince!" Armitage smiles back for a moment before returning to the bookshelf. Ben leaves to do as he promises.
Why are you walking so far away from your room?
The guest room is right by my parents'; it used to be mine.
Why isn't it your room still?
When I was four, I got a choice to stay in that room or choose another. I chose the room farthest away from my parents'.
Why?
Because I was tired of listening to my parents having sex.
Oh…that's bad, right?
As bad as a sister romantically kissing her brother in front of her future husband.
"Ben is just as bad as the kid when it comes to picking friends." Han announces to his wife as he enters their shared quarters; Leia hardly looks up from her datapad.
"Luke is fond of the...Commandant." She answers diplomatically like she's conversing with another senator, which slightly aggravates him.
"It's excusable in Ben since he's young and introverted, but Luke should know better!"
"It's not like Luke has any other adults to talk to, and he can only converse with taciturn Artoo so much." Neither of them bring up Threepio.
"Still hasn't found any success in finding other Jedi survivors?"
She shakes her head.
"Maybe you'll find some at Nagi." He predicts.
"If I go." She corrects him.
"You will go because you and the kid could never resist adventure." He counters and is met without much resistance.
"No, no we couldn't."
She kisses him deeply.
While the Prince was away on his quest, Armitage puts away the comic books in their proper space and appraises the rest of the royal bedroom. The smile he wore leaves without a word, while his eyes change into a crystal blue.
His room is so much like Jacen's. A queen's bed with high-end sheets. A closet bursting with fashionable clothes and shoes. An antiquated sewing machine, but the Prince's is more for aesthetics than for affordability; a great description for this room as a whole.
A little, round table decorated with a rosy, porcelain tea set; Jacen's table was a square missing a leg and his tea set was a rainbow mismatch of ceramic. Glass dolls of Queen Amidala, Duchess Satine, and Princess Leia sit in their own little thrones; Jacen had plasticine dolls that were knockoffs of knockoffs and they all shared an upside down box.
The Prince has all the birthright and prestige that Jacen would covet. I doubt Jacen would befriend his cousin; in fact, he'd resent him and presume that he was a prat wasting his golden opportunities. But it's his family's fault for trading in the Prince's silver spoon for Jedi austerity; there's no way he chose being Jedi over this without his family pressuring him to do so. What a waste, and Jacen would agree but still hate his cousin. It's best if they never meet, or, else, this could end up like Mordred and Arthur.
His eyes catches something pink hiding under the table; he pulls out the thrones and crouches down to examine the pink thing. He finds a miniature AT-AT much like Jaina's, except it was painted hot pink and the top taken off.
"Ah, you've found the convertible." Armitage nearly bangs his head at the Prince's voice. He gets out from under and stands up to see the Prince with the duffel bag hanging off one shoulder like an expensive purse.
"Is this a new toy from Dr. Fool?" His toys cost at least 1,000 credits; I didn't think his mom was the kind to waste credits on toys.
"No, it was a miniature AT-AT that father and I refurbished; it was one of the few projects we could do together…" The Prince's smiles widen. "If you think my mother would buy it, then you're wrong. She helped put down some of the miniature AT-ATs when they went rogue in 1.5 ABY, so he felt indebted to her and the Rebellion's silence."
"Are the dolls also his?"
"Yes, he made quite a pretty credit after the Empire's dissolution on his Rebellion line of dolls; my mother sold the most."
"Of course she would, she's a real-life princess." Armitage pauses. "Queen, she's a queen, right?"
"In name only. She actually wanted to get rid of all the trappings of the monarchy on New Alderaan, but the diaspora wouldn't let her."
"Of course they wouldn't, she's the last of the beloved royal family, and looks so perfect through their rose-tinted glasses!" The Prince's eyes widen.
"I'm sorry that was….mean." Not completely wrong since nostalgia is more effective than a Jedi mind trick. Yet, she isn't a viper like most of the First Order politicians, nor is she cold like Mothma. But I can't forgive her this soon!
"All is forgiven." The Prince anoints him with a magnanimous smile.
"How long are we going to be in hyperspace?"
"About two hours."
"Just enough time to watch X-Men!"
"Before that, Dead-Star wishes to speak with you." The Prince closes his eyes for half a heartbeat and opens to reveal the yellow slits of the dragon.
"Armitage…." Usually, he calls me "human," but recently he's been calling me by name. Does that mean we're friends now? I better not tease him about it; he can be unreasonable like a one-note tsundere.
"Yes, Dead-Star?" Dead-Star's cheeks splotch pink, and then he walks right into Armitage's personal space. He gives him a lick on his cheek.
"I missed you too, buddy!"
"My name is Dead-Star."
"We should watch the kids."
"What brought this on?"
Desolous raises an eyebrow ridge.
"The Force."
"Poodoo, you hate not knowing every sordid detail of your lineage's lives."
"That is true, but the Force is telling us to do this."
"If you claim so, then summon up the projector and watch them."
"I can't; we need to go to your room."
"This is your room, you can conjure up anything that you desire." Desolous reminds the prodigal Jedi without a whiff of exasperation.
"Let's just go to your room." Anakin insists.
"Fine."
As they walk away from the imagined gloom of Mustafar, they pass by Master Windu and Kanan Jarrus; Jarrus stops for a moment and nearly asks who the other Jedi was. But Windu firmly grips his arm.
"It's Skywalker."
"How can you tell?"
"Because my blood pressure spiked."
He lets go and walks away; Jarrus stares momentarily at Desolous who looks back.
I'll tell you everything later.
Jarrus nods and follows after his Grandmaster.
In Desolous's room, the holoprojector is there and on because he willed it. The Millennium Falcon has touched down on Chandrila, safely secured in its eternally reserved spot. The Skywalker-Organa-Solo unit exit with little fanfare and loads of luggage. The children come out last; they're arguing whether Magneto and Xavier were on-and-off lovers or platonic friends. Ben argues the former, while Armitage argues the latter.
"Who are they talking about?"
"The once and future couple of Brendol's beloved superhero franchise."
"…That didn't really answer my question."
"You would have to sit through about eleven holos to begin wrapping your head around it."
"Oh…did you watch them with Hux?"
"No." He says softly with regret. "I watched him and Armitage watch them over and over again."
"Was that all they watched?"
"No, they watched nearly everything on that little red datapad, mostly during holidays and summers. They're nearly identical."
"How'd you mean?"
"Not just physically, but in personality."
"…How? Hux isn't an innocent!"
"Oh, but he is. He's always been innocent, just unable to believe in it. Armitage is what Brendol should've been if he was raised with love and freedom."
"You're factoring out the other father from this theory."
"Of course I am, that man is the Son of Chaos! I was worried that the child would turn out like him; it was for the best that he left, so Armitage could remain pure." Like his parents never could be.
"It sounds more like you're jealous that man became Brendol's true love."
"Wouldn't you if Amidala chose Rush Clovis?" Desolous counters, and Anakin's red lips curl into a feral snarl. "Now you understand, but primitively."
"Don't ever bring up that foppish Separatist sympathizer!" Rage destroys the illusion of middle-age in Anakin, reducing him to the golden, imperfect youth.
"Or you'll cut me down, Lord Vader?"
Anakin's face crumbles and he looks away in shame.
"Are you me subjected to the Seven Sith Hells of Brendol and Triclops?"
"Perhaps, if Ashla didn't favor you so."
"….The kids won't end up like us, right?"
"It's really up to them now, isn't it?"
"What can we do then?"
"Watch them, mostly. Protect them if the Force lets us."
"You'll protect Armitage from his other father then?"
"…If only I could. I'll protect him from your grandson."
"What?! Ben loves him and would never hurt him."
"You were the same way with Amidala, do I need to remind you what happened?"
"He's not me!"
"But he's very like you, actually sort of worse. That child has an inclination to the Dark Side, and he didn't need a Sith'ari didn't have to manufacture a war for that to happen."
"…..Ben hasn't hurt anyone recently." Not a flyboy. Not a hydra!
"So long as no one comes between him and Armitage. But it will happen."
"How are you this certain?"
"Because they're keeping secrets from each other, and that never ends well…" Desolous looks away to his cold cup of bloody tea.
"What secret is Armitage keeping?"
"What secret is Ben keeping?"
They stare at each other for a moment before going back to the holo. The children soak in the rays of Chandrila's single sun; Armitage looks up with his eyes closed to bask in it, not noticing Ben's look.
Anakin calls it love.
Desolous calls it possession.
The Force says nothing.
Author's Comments: There are no links this time.
The miniature AT-ATs come from Star Wars: Galaxies and were an event that happen in 1.5 ABY if you destroyed one you got the title of "Toy Recaller."
Boy, this was a very chatty chapter, but I got to write some romantic fluff between Han and Leia, which I think is my first. Next chapter, I will really explore Chandrila, and perhaps get into some future intrigue.
Next chapter: Ben takes Armitage on a tour of Chandrila after a shopping spree, Luke and Brendol have another chat, and the Force Ghosts get some surprising information.
