Li'aa shook her head in frustration as her eyelids slowly fluttered open. It just
wasn't working. She couldn't concentrate on meditation with her mind so crammed full
of distractions.
"So much for finding clarity," She whispered gloomily, getting up from her seat
atop a large, flat rock at the edge of a ravine. Her brother had recommended the spot from
his short stay on the jungle moon. Despite the great view, it wasn't doing much for her.
She'd have to work out her problems in a different way.
********************************************
Kyp groaned, struggling to roll over as the comm chirped persistently. He reached
out with the force to push the transmission button as the sound grew too annoying to
bear. Whoever was dumb enough to contact him this late at night would be getting a good
talking to.
"This better be good," He commented, grunting as he shoved himself up into a
sitting position.
"Gods, Kyp! What the sith happened to you?" A familiar voice exclaimed with a
hint of amusement.
"Brodey," Kyp acknowledged. "The only monarch I know who doesn't observe
and respect the time differences between our two locations!"
"I know it's late, but I figured you'd still be up," Brodey chuckled. "You still
didn't answer my question. What happened to you?"
"Well, I've been struggling for the past two hours to find a part of me that doesn't
hurt to lie on," Kyp remarked. "See, somewhere in between the ass-kicking of the century
and the stew heard 'round the world I began to get a little sore."
"Oh no, don't tell me," Brodey moaned in disbelief. "Li'aa did all of that?"
Kyp nodded slowly, trying to move as little as possible in the process.
"What did she do to you? And what's the stew heard 'round the world?" Brodey
cried.
"This is going to take a while."
**********************************************
"Sweetheart! How was your first day of work?" J'aa'nalia Narundi asked, a
pleasant smile on her face.
"Not too great, actually," Li'aania answered hesitantly as she forced an uneasy
smile. "That's why I contacted you."
"Oh," Her mother said softly, the smile fading. "All right, what went wrong?"
"Everything!" Li'aa whined as she grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it
tightly. "I've only been here a few hours and I've already managed to incapacitate one of
the other jedi masters! Not on purpose, of course."
"Of course not, honey," Her mother cooed reassuringly. "I know you wouldn't
purposely try and hurt somebody!"
"I know you know," Li'aania sighed. "But that always seems to be what happens
when I'm given any sort of free reign over my own actions!"
"Look at the alternative. You could have your father dictate your actions for the
rest of your life," J'aa'nalia shrugged. "That's the way it used to be, back a few
generations."
"At least he'd keep me from getting into food fights with humans," Li'aa huffed,
blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"I doubt you'd enjoy it as much as you think you would. You'd have no freedom
to choose your mate."
"Hey, do you see a possible mate within ten thousand light years of me? I think I
inherited the Narundi bad luck in love," Li'aa grumbled.
"Your father and brother had no such bad luck. It just seemed like bad luck
because finding and then marrying the girl they loved was a long and arduous process,"
Her mother explained.
"Oh, I see. So after I suffer through a few rejections and let-downs, then I can
finally have love?"
"Something like that," J'aa'nalia laughed. "I think I can remember your brother
saying the same thing to me."
"Man, what's with everybody comparing me to Brodey today? I mean, I love my
brother and all, but I'm nothing like him!"
"I think you're more like him than you want to admit," Her mother replied with a
sly smile.
"Oh boy," Li'aa groaned, holding her head in frustration.
************************************************
"You have to forgive my sister, for she's lacking the part of the brain that tells
you if something is a bad idea. She still feels bad about it afterward, but she can't seem to
stop herself before she causes trouble," Brodey explained seriously.
"Yeah, I know where she got that from," Kyp remarked snidely, the corner of his
mouth curling up.
"Certainly not from me!" Brodey scoffed. He tried his best to look appalled even
though Kyp couldn't make out any of his facial features. "I always caused all of my
mischief on purpose."
"She still packs a bigger wallop than you ever did," Kyp mumbled painfully as he
struggled to massage his stiff neck.
"First off, she's a better fighter than I am. That's her one major area of expertise,
as you'll soon probably find out. Second, I'm a good enough friend of yours to know
your limits. I wouldn't purposely try and push those limits," The king informed him
solemnly.
"Not unless I really pissed you off, right?" Kyp chuckled, the familiar crooked
smile returning to his face.
"Nah, you never really pissed me off," Brodey said, dismissing him with an
abrupt wave of his hand.
"Not even that time when you decked me in the cantina?" Kyp asked with a
smirk.
"Well, I guess you kinda did that time," Brodey admitted, a guilty grin on his
face.
****************************************
"I made a little bet with Ericho earlier today. I told him if he asked K'aatya out
then I'd ask Kyp," Li'aa confessed, turning slightly red from ear to ear.
"Ha! I would hope that Kyp wouldn't run away from the mere sight of you after
today!" Her mother laughed mischievously.
"Mother!" She yelled back in shock, her eyes going wide. "You're so
supportive!"
"You know how it is in our family," J'aa'nalia replied with a small smile.
"Besides, I'm sure he'll get over it. You're too lovely a young lady for him to just
completely ignore."
"Oh stop it!" Li'aa sighed, rolling her eyes in disgust. "You act like every boy I
run into can't help but fall madly in love with me. That's so not true!"
"You're absolutely correct," Her mother acknowledged. "But that doesn't mean
they don't want to have a little fling with you."
"I am NOT having this discussion with you. You're my mother and you're evil
and you're putting impure thoughts into my head," Li'aania cried in outrage, throwing
her arms up in the air.
"Quit being so melodramatic. I'm trying to boost your confidence. How else do
you think you win a man's heart?" J'aa'nalia said reassuringly. "You know, just because
I'm your mother doesn't mean you have to make believe your love life is tame."
"Oh, I assure you, it's QUITE tame. As in it never existed!" Li'aa snapped,
growing impatient.
"Well, just between you and me, I think you should screw all the rules and do
whatever you want. I never worried about what you might do as much as with your
brother, and he still turned out okay."
"I think you're forgetting that Brodey was a father at the age of twenty. I'd like to
keep from having kids until the normal time, thank you," Li'aa said stubbornly.
"Who said anything about having kids?" Her mother answered with a meaningful
raise of one eyebrow.
"I swear, the mid-life crisis must have permanently altered your way of thinking."
"Glad to know my input is appreciated and not dismissed!" J'aa'nalia laughed
warmly.
***********************************************
"Maybe my ears are doing funny things, Durron," Brodey commented wryly as
one corner of his mouth curled up in defiance. "I didn't just hear you pursue my kid sister
in a romantic manner."
"First off, before you dispatch the assassins, I said nothing of the sort!" Kyp
insisted. "I just asked if she was seeing anyone."
"And I'm asking you why that would be any concern of yours. Unless, of course,
you wanted to date her," Brodey said in a dark manner. Kyp could almost make out the
frown on his face, even through the big blur.
"I don't know, she just seems pretty lonely. I was wondering why a girl her age
and of her status would want to work so far away from home. If she had a boyfriend, I
mean," Kyp said with a gulp. Even he was beginning to doubt where his argument was
headed. He guessed it was little more than a one-way ticket to trouble.
"Not that it's any of your business, but she's never had a boyfriend to my
knowledge," Brodey replied after a long, tense pause. "I still don't know why you care so
much about this."
"Ah well, you know me. I'll probably assume something incorrect about her one
night at dinner and get my ass kicked," Kyp answered with a shrug.
"Hey, not that you wouldn't deserve it," Brodey said with a smirk. "You know,
she loves to lament about her horrible luck in love. If I didn't tell you then she probably
would the next time she's feeling unfortunate."
"Does she do that a lot?" Kyp asked, his brow knitting together in contemplation.
"I mean, is she really, well, depressed?"
"Eh, maybe," Brodey said without conviction. "But take a good look at my
family. I mean, we've got quite a history of dark side and substance abuse problems. The
mere fact that Li'aa stays away from drugs and alcohol is promising. If I could get out of
the rut I was in then she'll be fine."
"You think, huh?" Kyp contested.
"Why, you have doubts?" Brodey asked, his anxiety level rising.
"You two are different people, with different life experiences," Kyp explained. "If
there's one thing I've learned from my fall, and from watching others fall and struggle to
come back, it's that each person handles it differently. The one thing that everybody
needs is support. Remember that I had the love and friendship of Han Solo, Jaina had Jag
and me, and you had all of us. I don't think you would have made it if not for the sheer
volume of people who reached out to help."
Brodey was silent for a while as he considered this, scratching his chin as he
thought. "You're right. It was a long, slow process, and I had a lot of help from all of
you."
"You can say that again," Kyp agreed. "So, about your sister. You want me to
look out for her and make sure she's doing well?"
The young king glanced at his friend with the suspicion that was second nature to
a protective older brother. "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to regret this? Fine, Kyp,
make sure my sister doesn't join any crazy jedi cult and commit suicide to please the
gods."
"Ok, I'll keep her from dating any guys who are wrong for her," Kyp said firmly.
"That's not what I said!" Brodey muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Oh, but you did!" Kyp challenged, throwing back his head with laughter. "Your
highness, I hate to bring this discussion to a close, but I have some restless sleep to catch.
I'll get back in touch with you sometime soon. Hopefully my sight and smell will have
returned by that point."
"Eh, goodnight, you big jerk," Brodey growled playfully. "Take care and watch
yourself around my sister. I don't want anybody getting hurt."
"You know Narundi, I can't tell if that was advice or a threat," Kyp said slyly.
"Both," Brodey responded firmly before his image turned into static.
*************************************************
"So how's Daddy?" Li'aa asked as she pushed herself up onto the bed and sat
cross-legged atop the fluffy pink comforter.
"He's busy running around after grandkids, as always," Her mother responded with
a smirk. "Whoever told him that his retirement would be quiet was obviously
mistaken."
"Why, are they giving him a hard time?" Li'aania asked with a satisfied grin.
"Tell him the twins wouldn't be so bad all the time if their parents taught them
how to behave."
"Easy for you to say! You don't have any kids!" J'aa'nalia laughed heartily at
her daughter, who proceeded to redden slightly in the face. "By the way, your
father told me to remind you not to look at boys until you're at least twenty
five years old. He feels that there are just too many little ones to take care
of these days."
"Sometimes I wonder who the mother is in this family," Li'aa commented, rolling
her eyes.
"Oh stop! All fathers want their daughters to steer clear of any man who's only
looking to corrupt them and talk them out of their clothes," J'aa'nalia
chuckled, a hint of scolding tingeing her voice.
"Really?" Li'aa said flatly, cocking her head to one side. "And what do mothers
think about that?"
"Pfft! To hell with him!" Her mother laughed with a dismissive flip of her hand.
"Like I said, I trust you. You're smart enough to know the good ones when you
see them."
"How do you know that if I've never dated?" Li'aania asked curiously.
"It is because you've never dated that I know you have good taste," J'aa'nalia
countered with a suggestive wink. "Have no fear, my dear. Some day your prince
will come."
"Gag me! Not that tired old line again," Li'aa groaned, shaking her head.
"It's always that tired old line again, lest you forget what your wonderful,
loving parents had to go through to be together. If we could do it then anything
is possible."
"Fine, I'll keep my options open," Li'aa sighed.
"And that includes Kyp?" Her mother asked, that same annoying smile tugging at
her painted lips.
"Mother!" Li'aa protested, hell-bent on embarking on a long tirade. "Dad
wouldn't appreciate that too much," was all she managed to get out.
"I don't know. Your father seemed to take to him quite well when he was here for
your brother's wedding."
"You know that's only because he never thought in a million years that a
mass-murderer twice my age would make a move on me," Li'aania criticized with
her hands on her hips.
"Think what you want, but I think your father and Kyp bonded," J'aa'nalia
teased.
"You're horrible."
"Thanks, I know," Her mother responded lightly. "Well, little girl, it's about
time for us old people to go make some lunch for the grandchildren."
"Have fun," Li'aa said with a snort. "And don't let them boss you around too
much!" Nik'aau screamed at the top of his lungs as if right on cue, calling his
grandmother to the table.
"Oh, the joys of being a grandparent," J'aa'nalia laughed, beaming proudly.
"Take care, sweetheart. Love you, bye."
"Love you too mom," Li'aania muttered contentedly just before the screen went
black.
wasn't working. She couldn't concentrate on meditation with her mind so crammed full
of distractions.
"So much for finding clarity," She whispered gloomily, getting up from her seat
atop a large, flat rock at the edge of a ravine. Her brother had recommended the spot from
his short stay on the jungle moon. Despite the great view, it wasn't doing much for her.
She'd have to work out her problems in a different way.
********************************************
Kyp groaned, struggling to roll over as the comm chirped persistently. He reached
out with the force to push the transmission button as the sound grew too annoying to
bear. Whoever was dumb enough to contact him this late at night would be getting a good
talking to.
"This better be good," He commented, grunting as he shoved himself up into a
sitting position.
"Gods, Kyp! What the sith happened to you?" A familiar voice exclaimed with a
hint of amusement.
"Brodey," Kyp acknowledged. "The only monarch I know who doesn't observe
and respect the time differences between our two locations!"
"I know it's late, but I figured you'd still be up," Brodey chuckled. "You still
didn't answer my question. What happened to you?"
"Well, I've been struggling for the past two hours to find a part of me that doesn't
hurt to lie on," Kyp remarked. "See, somewhere in between the ass-kicking of the century
and the stew heard 'round the world I began to get a little sore."
"Oh no, don't tell me," Brodey moaned in disbelief. "Li'aa did all of that?"
Kyp nodded slowly, trying to move as little as possible in the process.
"What did she do to you? And what's the stew heard 'round the world?" Brodey
cried.
"This is going to take a while."
**********************************************
"Sweetheart! How was your first day of work?" J'aa'nalia Narundi asked, a
pleasant smile on her face.
"Not too great, actually," Li'aania answered hesitantly as she forced an uneasy
smile. "That's why I contacted you."
"Oh," Her mother said softly, the smile fading. "All right, what went wrong?"
"Everything!" Li'aa whined as she grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it
tightly. "I've only been here a few hours and I've already managed to incapacitate one of
the other jedi masters! Not on purpose, of course."
"Of course not, honey," Her mother cooed reassuringly. "I know you wouldn't
purposely try and hurt somebody!"
"I know you know," Li'aania sighed. "But that always seems to be what happens
when I'm given any sort of free reign over my own actions!"
"Look at the alternative. You could have your father dictate your actions for the
rest of your life," J'aa'nalia shrugged. "That's the way it used to be, back a few
generations."
"At least he'd keep me from getting into food fights with humans," Li'aa huffed,
blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"I doubt you'd enjoy it as much as you think you would. You'd have no freedom
to choose your mate."
"Hey, do you see a possible mate within ten thousand light years of me? I think I
inherited the Narundi bad luck in love," Li'aa grumbled.
"Your father and brother had no such bad luck. It just seemed like bad luck
because finding and then marrying the girl they loved was a long and arduous process,"
Her mother explained.
"Oh, I see. So after I suffer through a few rejections and let-downs, then I can
finally have love?"
"Something like that," J'aa'nalia laughed. "I think I can remember your brother
saying the same thing to me."
"Man, what's with everybody comparing me to Brodey today? I mean, I love my
brother and all, but I'm nothing like him!"
"I think you're more like him than you want to admit," Her mother replied with a
sly smile.
"Oh boy," Li'aa groaned, holding her head in frustration.
************************************************
"You have to forgive my sister, for she's lacking the part of the brain that tells
you if something is a bad idea. She still feels bad about it afterward, but she can't seem to
stop herself before she causes trouble," Brodey explained seriously.
"Yeah, I know where she got that from," Kyp remarked snidely, the corner of his
mouth curling up.
"Certainly not from me!" Brodey scoffed. He tried his best to look appalled even
though Kyp couldn't make out any of his facial features. "I always caused all of my
mischief on purpose."
"She still packs a bigger wallop than you ever did," Kyp mumbled painfully as he
struggled to massage his stiff neck.
"First off, she's a better fighter than I am. That's her one major area of expertise,
as you'll soon probably find out. Second, I'm a good enough friend of yours to know
your limits. I wouldn't purposely try and push those limits," The king informed him
solemnly.
"Not unless I really pissed you off, right?" Kyp chuckled, the familiar crooked
smile returning to his face.
"Nah, you never really pissed me off," Brodey said, dismissing him with an
abrupt wave of his hand.
"Not even that time when you decked me in the cantina?" Kyp asked with a
smirk.
"Well, I guess you kinda did that time," Brodey admitted, a guilty grin on his
face.
****************************************
"I made a little bet with Ericho earlier today. I told him if he asked K'aatya out
then I'd ask Kyp," Li'aa confessed, turning slightly red from ear to ear.
"Ha! I would hope that Kyp wouldn't run away from the mere sight of you after
today!" Her mother laughed mischievously.
"Mother!" She yelled back in shock, her eyes going wide. "You're so
supportive!"
"You know how it is in our family," J'aa'nalia replied with a small smile.
"Besides, I'm sure he'll get over it. You're too lovely a young lady for him to just
completely ignore."
"Oh stop it!" Li'aa sighed, rolling her eyes in disgust. "You act like every boy I
run into can't help but fall madly in love with me. That's so not true!"
"You're absolutely correct," Her mother acknowledged. "But that doesn't mean
they don't want to have a little fling with you."
"I am NOT having this discussion with you. You're my mother and you're evil
and you're putting impure thoughts into my head," Li'aania cried in outrage, throwing
her arms up in the air.
"Quit being so melodramatic. I'm trying to boost your confidence. How else do
you think you win a man's heart?" J'aa'nalia said reassuringly. "You know, just because
I'm your mother doesn't mean you have to make believe your love life is tame."
"Oh, I assure you, it's QUITE tame. As in it never existed!" Li'aa snapped,
growing impatient.
"Well, just between you and me, I think you should screw all the rules and do
whatever you want. I never worried about what you might do as much as with your
brother, and he still turned out okay."
"I think you're forgetting that Brodey was a father at the age of twenty. I'd like to
keep from having kids until the normal time, thank you," Li'aa said stubbornly.
"Who said anything about having kids?" Her mother answered with a meaningful
raise of one eyebrow.
"I swear, the mid-life crisis must have permanently altered your way of thinking."
"Glad to know my input is appreciated and not dismissed!" J'aa'nalia laughed
warmly.
***********************************************
"Maybe my ears are doing funny things, Durron," Brodey commented wryly as
one corner of his mouth curled up in defiance. "I didn't just hear you pursue my kid sister
in a romantic manner."
"First off, before you dispatch the assassins, I said nothing of the sort!" Kyp
insisted. "I just asked if she was seeing anyone."
"And I'm asking you why that would be any concern of yours. Unless, of course,
you wanted to date her," Brodey said in a dark manner. Kyp could almost make out the
frown on his face, even through the big blur.
"I don't know, she just seems pretty lonely. I was wondering why a girl her age
and of her status would want to work so far away from home. If she had a boyfriend, I
mean," Kyp said with a gulp. Even he was beginning to doubt where his argument was
headed. He guessed it was little more than a one-way ticket to trouble.
"Not that it's any of your business, but she's never had a boyfriend to my
knowledge," Brodey replied after a long, tense pause. "I still don't know why you care so
much about this."
"Ah well, you know me. I'll probably assume something incorrect about her one
night at dinner and get my ass kicked," Kyp answered with a shrug.
"Hey, not that you wouldn't deserve it," Brodey said with a smirk. "You know,
she loves to lament about her horrible luck in love. If I didn't tell you then she probably
would the next time she's feeling unfortunate."
"Does she do that a lot?" Kyp asked, his brow knitting together in contemplation.
"I mean, is she really, well, depressed?"
"Eh, maybe," Brodey said without conviction. "But take a good look at my
family. I mean, we've got quite a history of dark side and substance abuse problems. The
mere fact that Li'aa stays away from drugs and alcohol is promising. If I could get out of
the rut I was in then she'll be fine."
"You think, huh?" Kyp contested.
"Why, you have doubts?" Brodey asked, his anxiety level rising.
"You two are different people, with different life experiences," Kyp explained. "If
there's one thing I've learned from my fall, and from watching others fall and struggle to
come back, it's that each person handles it differently. The one thing that everybody
needs is support. Remember that I had the love and friendship of Han Solo, Jaina had Jag
and me, and you had all of us. I don't think you would have made it if not for the sheer
volume of people who reached out to help."
Brodey was silent for a while as he considered this, scratching his chin as he
thought. "You're right. It was a long, slow process, and I had a lot of help from all of
you."
"You can say that again," Kyp agreed. "So, about your sister. You want me to
look out for her and make sure she's doing well?"
The young king glanced at his friend with the suspicion that was second nature to
a protective older brother. "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to regret this? Fine, Kyp,
make sure my sister doesn't join any crazy jedi cult and commit suicide to please the
gods."
"Ok, I'll keep her from dating any guys who are wrong for her," Kyp said firmly.
"That's not what I said!" Brodey muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Oh, but you did!" Kyp challenged, throwing back his head with laughter. "Your
highness, I hate to bring this discussion to a close, but I have some restless sleep to catch.
I'll get back in touch with you sometime soon. Hopefully my sight and smell will have
returned by that point."
"Eh, goodnight, you big jerk," Brodey growled playfully. "Take care and watch
yourself around my sister. I don't want anybody getting hurt."
"You know Narundi, I can't tell if that was advice or a threat," Kyp said slyly.
"Both," Brodey responded firmly before his image turned into static.
*************************************************
"So how's Daddy?" Li'aa asked as she pushed herself up onto the bed and sat
cross-legged atop the fluffy pink comforter.
"He's busy running around after grandkids, as always," Her mother responded with
a smirk. "Whoever told him that his retirement would be quiet was obviously
mistaken."
"Why, are they giving him a hard time?" Li'aania asked with a satisfied grin.
"Tell him the twins wouldn't be so bad all the time if their parents taught them
how to behave."
"Easy for you to say! You don't have any kids!" J'aa'nalia laughed heartily at
her daughter, who proceeded to redden slightly in the face. "By the way, your
father told me to remind you not to look at boys until you're at least twenty
five years old. He feels that there are just too many little ones to take care
of these days."
"Sometimes I wonder who the mother is in this family," Li'aa commented, rolling
her eyes.
"Oh stop! All fathers want their daughters to steer clear of any man who's only
looking to corrupt them and talk them out of their clothes," J'aa'nalia
chuckled, a hint of scolding tingeing her voice.
"Really?" Li'aa said flatly, cocking her head to one side. "And what do mothers
think about that?"
"Pfft! To hell with him!" Her mother laughed with a dismissive flip of her hand.
"Like I said, I trust you. You're smart enough to know the good ones when you
see them."
"How do you know that if I've never dated?" Li'aania asked curiously.
"It is because you've never dated that I know you have good taste," J'aa'nalia
countered with a suggestive wink. "Have no fear, my dear. Some day your prince
will come."
"Gag me! Not that tired old line again," Li'aa groaned, shaking her head.
"It's always that tired old line again, lest you forget what your wonderful,
loving parents had to go through to be together. If we could do it then anything
is possible."
"Fine, I'll keep my options open," Li'aa sighed.
"And that includes Kyp?" Her mother asked, that same annoying smile tugging at
her painted lips.
"Mother!" Li'aa protested, hell-bent on embarking on a long tirade. "Dad
wouldn't appreciate that too much," was all she managed to get out.
"I don't know. Your father seemed to take to him quite well when he was here for
your brother's wedding."
"You know that's only because he never thought in a million years that a
mass-murderer twice my age would make a move on me," Li'aania criticized with
her hands on her hips.
"Think what you want, but I think your father and Kyp bonded," J'aa'nalia
teased.
"You're horrible."
"Thanks, I know," Her mother responded lightly. "Well, little girl, it's about
time for us old people to go make some lunch for the grandchildren."
"Have fun," Li'aa said with a snort. "And don't let them boss you around too
much!" Nik'aau screamed at the top of his lungs as if right on cue, calling his
grandmother to the table.
"Oh, the joys of being a grandparent," J'aa'nalia laughed, beaming proudly.
"Take care, sweetheart. Love you, bye."
"Love you too mom," Li'aania muttered contentedly just before the screen went
black.