~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eight
Wedge cradled his head in his hands. He'd never been so embarrassed by one of his pilots in his entire life. And considering the fact that he'd flown with Wes Janson for nearly his entire career, that took some doing.
But Janson had never dressed like a vagabond and barreled into a room of NR dignitaries shrieking at the top of his lungs. No, he'd left that particular scenario to Kyp Durron. And boy, had the Jedi done it with a vengeance.
He chuckled wryly. Still, it was pretty funny to see him like that, he mused. And the Goddess. She'll never let him forget that. If he weren't Kyp Durron, I'd feel sorry for him.
The door opened, and Wedge looked up from his private musings. "Sit down, Durron," he said.
Durron sat.
"Explain, Durron," Wedge ordered.
Durron explained.
Midway through, Wedge barked, "Stop!"
Durron stopped.
"Why exactly were you sitting in a bar?" Wedge asked, wondering if he'd heard correctly.
"Well, sir, uh, I was, uh, well." Kyp stuttered, wondering if it had been a good idea to let slip he was trying to coerce Wedge Antilles's nephew to fall in love with the daughter of Han Solo.
Wedge stroked his chin. "You really think she likes him?"
Kyp raised his eyebrows in shock. "Uh, pardon me, sir?"
"You heard me. Do you think Jaina likes my nephew?" Wedge repeated his earlier question.
Kyp smirked. "Well, unless you don't think her sobbing on my shoulder about how much she loves him every time she sees me is a good indication that she likes him."
Wedge quashed a grin. "Durron, I don't like you. If I had my way, you'd be dead and long buried. But, well, Luke, Han, and Jaina obviously trust you. They say the Force moves in mysterious ways. Frankly, I need you help."
Kyp's eyebrows shot up even higher and disappeared into his hairline. "Excuse me? You, Wedge Antilles, are asking me for help? I am Kyp Durron, you know. Still am."
Wedge nodded. "I know it sounds a little strange."
Kyp scoffed. "A little?" Narrowing his eyes, he suddenly leaped over the table and pressed his finger hard against the skin by Wedge's nose.
"Durron, what the hell are you doing?!" Wedge demanded, a little p.o.'d that he'd been knocked out of his seat and his face had been pressed by what appeared to be a Jedi gone mad. "I don't do that cosmetic surgery stuff, if that's what you were wondering. And you could've just asked!"
Just then, the door opened and Iella walked in. "Wedge, I was wondering if." She trailed off at the sight that greeted her eyes. Wedge was prostrate on the floor with Kyp bending over his face. "Ummm. I'm not even going to ask, I'm just going to turn around, turn around and walk away, and pretend I never saw this." She promptly turned and exited, shutting the door behind her.
Kyp got up shamefacedly and dusted himself off. Returning to his former position, he righted his chair and sat down. Taking out his chrono, he noted the time and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, with a groan, Wedge dragged himself up from the floor using his desk as leverage. Picking his own chair up, he sat down heavily and glared at Kyp.
Kyp grinned cheekily and pressed a button on his chrono. "Impressive, General," he smirked. "You're slower than Han by only 30 seconds."
Wedge glared some more, then cleared his throat. "Getting back to business. Are you willing to. er. help me?"
Kyp leaned back. "I still don't understand what you need my help with."
Rubbing his temple, Wedge replied, "Jag has told me he loves Jaina. Jaina told you she loves Jag. But, they've both inherited their respective fathers' knack of being absolutely blind to what is staring them in the face. They'll never get together without a little. shove, you might say."
Kyp grinned. "Precisely what I was thinking, General," he said. "I'll help you. Under one condition."
"Before you ask, no, you can't have the access codes to the Lusankya." Wedge smirked back.
Still grinning, Kyp replied, "You tell Mara."
The smirk ever so slowly slid off Wedge's face. "No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Antilles, she already hates my guts! What do you think she'd do if she ever found out I played the matchmaker with her only niece, for Force's sake??" Kyp shuddered at the mere thought.
Wedge grinned. "Personally, I would consider that to be the best gift I ever got."
Kyp gave a fake little laugh. "Ahahaha, very funny. Seriously, though. The only way to decide this is to flip a cred."
Wedge glared. "Durron, I may look stupid, but I wasn't born yesterday."
"Okay, fine." Kyp replaced the cred in his pocket. "Well, then. What she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?"
Wedge raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting that we keep this pertinent information from Mara Jade, the former Emperor's Hand? Well, Durron, that's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say in my life." He stuck out his hand and shook Kyp's, the two grinning conspiratorially.
"Wedge, what." Iella came in again and stopped in shock when she saw her husband shaking hands and grinning at Kyp Durron. She slowly backed away. "When am I going to wake up?" she wondered aloud, then retreated and left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What'd you think?
Chapter Eight
Wedge cradled his head in his hands. He'd never been so embarrassed by one of his pilots in his entire life. And considering the fact that he'd flown with Wes Janson for nearly his entire career, that took some doing.
But Janson had never dressed like a vagabond and barreled into a room of NR dignitaries shrieking at the top of his lungs. No, he'd left that particular scenario to Kyp Durron. And boy, had the Jedi done it with a vengeance.
He chuckled wryly. Still, it was pretty funny to see him like that, he mused. And the Goddess. She'll never let him forget that. If he weren't Kyp Durron, I'd feel sorry for him.
The door opened, and Wedge looked up from his private musings. "Sit down, Durron," he said.
Durron sat.
"Explain, Durron," Wedge ordered.
Durron explained.
Midway through, Wedge barked, "Stop!"
Durron stopped.
"Why exactly were you sitting in a bar?" Wedge asked, wondering if he'd heard correctly.
"Well, sir, uh, I was, uh, well." Kyp stuttered, wondering if it had been a good idea to let slip he was trying to coerce Wedge Antilles's nephew to fall in love with the daughter of Han Solo.
Wedge stroked his chin. "You really think she likes him?"
Kyp raised his eyebrows in shock. "Uh, pardon me, sir?"
"You heard me. Do you think Jaina likes my nephew?" Wedge repeated his earlier question.
Kyp smirked. "Well, unless you don't think her sobbing on my shoulder about how much she loves him every time she sees me is a good indication that she likes him."
Wedge quashed a grin. "Durron, I don't like you. If I had my way, you'd be dead and long buried. But, well, Luke, Han, and Jaina obviously trust you. They say the Force moves in mysterious ways. Frankly, I need you help."
Kyp's eyebrows shot up even higher and disappeared into his hairline. "Excuse me? You, Wedge Antilles, are asking me for help? I am Kyp Durron, you know. Still am."
Wedge nodded. "I know it sounds a little strange."
Kyp scoffed. "A little?" Narrowing his eyes, he suddenly leaped over the table and pressed his finger hard against the skin by Wedge's nose.
"Durron, what the hell are you doing?!" Wedge demanded, a little p.o.'d that he'd been knocked out of his seat and his face had been pressed by what appeared to be a Jedi gone mad. "I don't do that cosmetic surgery stuff, if that's what you were wondering. And you could've just asked!"
Just then, the door opened and Iella walked in. "Wedge, I was wondering if." She trailed off at the sight that greeted her eyes. Wedge was prostrate on the floor with Kyp bending over his face. "Ummm. I'm not even going to ask, I'm just going to turn around, turn around and walk away, and pretend I never saw this." She promptly turned and exited, shutting the door behind her.
Kyp got up shamefacedly and dusted himself off. Returning to his former position, he righted his chair and sat down. Taking out his chrono, he noted the time and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, with a groan, Wedge dragged himself up from the floor using his desk as leverage. Picking his own chair up, he sat down heavily and glared at Kyp.
Kyp grinned cheekily and pressed a button on his chrono. "Impressive, General," he smirked. "You're slower than Han by only 30 seconds."
Wedge glared some more, then cleared his throat. "Getting back to business. Are you willing to. er. help me?"
Kyp leaned back. "I still don't understand what you need my help with."
Rubbing his temple, Wedge replied, "Jag has told me he loves Jaina. Jaina told you she loves Jag. But, they've both inherited their respective fathers' knack of being absolutely blind to what is staring them in the face. They'll never get together without a little. shove, you might say."
Kyp grinned. "Precisely what I was thinking, General," he said. "I'll help you. Under one condition."
"Before you ask, no, you can't have the access codes to the Lusankya." Wedge smirked back.
Still grinning, Kyp replied, "You tell Mara."
The smirk ever so slowly slid off Wedge's face. "No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Antilles, she already hates my guts! What do you think she'd do if she ever found out I played the matchmaker with her only niece, for Force's sake??" Kyp shuddered at the mere thought.
Wedge grinned. "Personally, I would consider that to be the best gift I ever got."
Kyp gave a fake little laugh. "Ahahaha, very funny. Seriously, though. The only way to decide this is to flip a cred."
Wedge glared. "Durron, I may look stupid, but I wasn't born yesterday."
"Okay, fine." Kyp replaced the cred in his pocket. "Well, then. What she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?"
Wedge raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting that we keep this pertinent information from Mara Jade, the former Emperor's Hand? Well, Durron, that's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say in my life." He stuck out his hand and shook Kyp's, the two grinning conspiratorially.
"Wedge, what." Iella came in again and stopped in shock when she saw her husband shaking hands and grinning at Kyp Durron. She slowly backed away. "When am I going to wake up?" she wondered aloud, then retreated and left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What'd you think?