"Ha ha ha, she actually told you that?" Lando asked Zekk as he, Kima and
himself were sitting in one of Lando's amusement parks. They had stopped
there after a quick tour of Cloud City.
Zekk nodded, sipping on his drink. "Yes, and you know what, the rations were stale. I can't believe I didn't recognize it before."
"They are healthy, Kima remarked. "Just the right amount of sodium, fat, nutrients, vitamins, calories, carbs, calcium."
"But no taste," Zekk finished.
Kima laughed. "Exactly."
***
3 days later
"Jacen, you're comin' with me." Jaina grabbed her brother's arm and literally yanked him off of the sofa he was sitting on."
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "And who gave you the right to come barging into my room like.whoa, did you get a haircut?"
Jaina ran a hand through her now short brown hair and hair sighed. "Yeah, Raynar clipped some of it with his lightsaber during sparring and I had to get it cut to make it look right."
"OK, now where exactly am I supposed to be going with you?"
"To talk to Zekk," she told him.
"What?"
"You heard me. Uncle Luke is letting me go find Zekk but only if I take someone with me, all right?"
Jacen raised an eyebrow. "Have you considered what you will do if you somehow manage to find him?"
"I already know where he is," Jaina told her brother.
"How?"
She smirked. "I made a call to Lando, you know, to see if he'd accepted my idea."
"The one about the new theme park?"
"Yeah. We talked and when I mentioned Zekk, I sensed him drawing back, almost trying to shield his thoughts."
"So?"
"Jaina sighed. "You know, you can be kinda slow sometimes bro. Lando knows something and I'm going to start off by going to Cloud City and asking him."
"But you're gonna do it unannounced?"
"Sure. I don't think Lando will mind."
"He might not even recognize you."
Jaina shot Jacen a dirty look. "My haircut looks nice, thank you very much."
"Whatever you say."
Jaina smiled. "OK, lets go."
***
Zekk had no ideas what it was. Maybe the water, the air, the gravity that was lighter than he was used to, something was bothering him. And it was coming through the Force which meant it was not very common. It was like a dark shadow was following him everywhere he went. It was putting him on edge and others were starting to notice.
"You seem really uptight lately," Kima told him simply as they ate at one of the many wonderful fast food stops on Cloud City. Technically, it wasn't a date but she had asked, he'd accepted, and for now that was good enough. Well, almost good enough. Zekk kept looking around and had rarely cracked a smile. Also, his food lay on his tray untouched.
"Really?" he asked. "I'm sorry, its just that I'm a little preoccupied."
"With what?"
Zekk decided to tell her. "I've been getting these weird feelings; through the Force."
"Weird feelings?" she asked. "You mean like premonitions?"
"No, more like a sense of foreboding. Its really creepy and also kind of distracting."
"Oh. Well its OK. Really." Kima smiled as to make him feel at ease. "I'll read something."
"Read something?" Zekk chuckled. "Like what?"
Kima pulled a holotext projector from her pocket and flipped it on. "I just recently downloaded a Mron J'Kartae novel. Its pretty good."
"Oh really. Doesn't J'Kartae write romance?"
Kima raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, is there something wrong with that?"
"No, not really. I don't mind it as long as its well written and not one of those love at first sight kind of deals. I mean, how can you just fall in love by looking at someone?"
"I agree. Personally, I like romances where, you know, you've got two people on opposites sides at first and they get off to a kind of rocky start but then slowly come to love each other." She stopped when she realized that that was a pretty good description of her and Zekk, the first part anyway.
Zekk smiled, deciding not to press it. "What do you say we go take a walk," he said.
"Sure," Kima replied. "But first." she nodded her head towards Zekk's food.
Zekk slid the food tray to her side of the table. "Its yours."
Zekk nodded, sipping on his drink. "Yes, and you know what, the rations were stale. I can't believe I didn't recognize it before."
"They are healthy, Kima remarked. "Just the right amount of sodium, fat, nutrients, vitamins, calories, carbs, calcium."
"But no taste," Zekk finished.
Kima laughed. "Exactly."
***
3 days later
"Jacen, you're comin' with me." Jaina grabbed her brother's arm and literally yanked him off of the sofa he was sitting on."
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "And who gave you the right to come barging into my room like.whoa, did you get a haircut?"
Jaina ran a hand through her now short brown hair and hair sighed. "Yeah, Raynar clipped some of it with his lightsaber during sparring and I had to get it cut to make it look right."
"OK, now where exactly am I supposed to be going with you?"
"To talk to Zekk," she told him.
"What?"
"You heard me. Uncle Luke is letting me go find Zekk but only if I take someone with me, all right?"
Jacen raised an eyebrow. "Have you considered what you will do if you somehow manage to find him?"
"I already know where he is," Jaina told her brother.
"How?"
She smirked. "I made a call to Lando, you know, to see if he'd accepted my idea."
"The one about the new theme park?"
"Yeah. We talked and when I mentioned Zekk, I sensed him drawing back, almost trying to shield his thoughts."
"So?"
"Jaina sighed. "You know, you can be kinda slow sometimes bro. Lando knows something and I'm going to start off by going to Cloud City and asking him."
"But you're gonna do it unannounced?"
"Sure. I don't think Lando will mind."
"He might not even recognize you."
Jaina shot Jacen a dirty look. "My haircut looks nice, thank you very much."
"Whatever you say."
Jaina smiled. "OK, lets go."
***
Zekk had no ideas what it was. Maybe the water, the air, the gravity that was lighter than he was used to, something was bothering him. And it was coming through the Force which meant it was not very common. It was like a dark shadow was following him everywhere he went. It was putting him on edge and others were starting to notice.
"You seem really uptight lately," Kima told him simply as they ate at one of the many wonderful fast food stops on Cloud City. Technically, it wasn't a date but she had asked, he'd accepted, and for now that was good enough. Well, almost good enough. Zekk kept looking around and had rarely cracked a smile. Also, his food lay on his tray untouched.
"Really?" he asked. "I'm sorry, its just that I'm a little preoccupied."
"With what?"
Zekk decided to tell her. "I've been getting these weird feelings; through the Force."
"Weird feelings?" she asked. "You mean like premonitions?"
"No, more like a sense of foreboding. Its really creepy and also kind of distracting."
"Oh. Well its OK. Really." Kima smiled as to make him feel at ease. "I'll read something."
"Read something?" Zekk chuckled. "Like what?"
Kima pulled a holotext projector from her pocket and flipped it on. "I just recently downloaded a Mron J'Kartae novel. Its pretty good."
"Oh really. Doesn't J'Kartae write romance?"
Kima raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, is there something wrong with that?"
"No, not really. I don't mind it as long as its well written and not one of those love at first sight kind of deals. I mean, how can you just fall in love by looking at someone?"
"I agree. Personally, I like romances where, you know, you've got two people on opposites sides at first and they get off to a kind of rocky start but then slowly come to love each other." She stopped when she realized that that was a pretty good description of her and Zekk, the first part anyway.
Zekk smiled, deciding not to press it. "What do you say we go take a walk," he said.
"Sure," Kima replied. "But first." she nodded her head towards Zekk's food.
Zekk slid the food tray to her side of the table. "Its yours."