From Scratch
Chapter 12
If Jacen was expecting Tenel Ka to rage at him he was sorely disappointed. She simply stared at him, no emotion of any kind on her face, before slowly turning to look back outside. He stayed where he was as she allowed her gaze to confirm his words. The world, from what she could see, had many planes and angles. Unnatural angles. She turned her gaze back to him, and Jacen was disappointed he felt nothing beyond a brief, mild surprise. Tenel Ka seemed to be in charge of her emotions and reactions once again. For some reason, he was deeply disappointed.
"Why have you brought me here?"
Her words were calm, with no trace of anger or annoyance. No emotion of any kind showed in her eyes or on her face. It was only in her body language, the tense muscles of her frame, that he read any indication he'd shocked her. This was the last place she'd been expecting him to bring her and Jacen hadn't gotten the reaction he'd wanted. "Why not? It's the last place anyone will think to look for us."
"I will simply take the ship."
His smile was crooked. "With the hyperdrive gutted and the hull in need of some serious repairs? Good luck getting yourself off planet, let alone beyond the system."
Her eyes narrowed, the only indication of her annoyance. "You have sabotaged the ship."
"You'd better believe it. I didn't bring you all this way to simply let you escape now. We're stuck here until we can affect repairs. Oh, and the comm. system is out too, I took the liberty of disabling it."
"We are alone."
He nodded. "Well, the only free thinking humans, if you want to get technical. There are thousands of slaves, shamed ones and several hundred Vuuzhan Vong on this world. They're in turmoil though, fighting amongst themselves. Their defeat has thrown them into turmoil. I doubt we'll be seeing any of them. And if we do, the shamed ones tend to like Jedi in a "You are a god" kind of way, so we should be alright."
She simply arched an eyebrow, not looking at him. "May we eat now?" She really didn't are about the politics of the planet when she had to focus on getting off it as soon as possible. She couldn't afford to be captured, yet she didn't think Jacen would be crazy enough to set them down in the middle of a Vuuzhan Vong encampment. If they came across any warriors, they'd likely be facing combat.
He was suddenly cut off from the Force and Tenel Ka's gaze went back to him in alarm. His eyes were closed and her curiosity was suddenly peeked. What was he doing? Communicating in his unique way with the creatures? Probably.
Jacen cut himself off from the Force and dug deep for the Vong sense he'd acquired while in Vergere's care just over two years ago. Slowly, he stretched out, learning the lay of the landscape again through the eyes of the creatures thriving on the world. Digging deeper, the World Brain's presence could be felt, but he didn't contact it. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled. There were no hostile creatures in the vicinity. He stepped from the ramp and into the small clearing. Large trees grew in several areas, a small grove of immature amphistaffs on one side. They were far enough away, on the other side of the ship, that they wouldn't bother them.. There was only one way in and out of their clearing and it involved walking through unknown territory. Unless one wanted to scale the four meter high walls on two sides. "It's safe. I hope dinner is to your liking."
She followed him down, her posture belying her readiness. Tenel Ka was uneasy about their surroundings for all her lack of reaction. She crouched next to the small fire, extending her hand to it even though the night's air was warm. Jacen pulled something she couldn't recognize off the fire and split open the shell. The strange, yet cloying scent reached her nostrils causing her mouth to water. But she said nothing. She refused to speak to him more than she had to. The less contact they had the better.
Jacen carefully cut slices of the meat from the inside of the shell and placed them on two plates before returning the carcass it to the fire. As it was, immature vonduun crab was a tasty meal. He passed one of the plated to Tenel Ka, not expecting, nor receiving, a 'Thank you' before she began to eat. His lips kicked up at the side as she quickly devoured her food. "Hungry?"
She nodded once.
"After four days in meditation I'm not surprised."
Her body stilled and Jacen knew he'd succeeded in surprising her. She obviously hadn't thought she'd been that deep in meditation. So far to the point that it was almost a healing or hibernation trance. Served her right. He tossed a canteen of water to the ground at her feet before turning back to his meal. He continued to watch her as he ate. Four days of solitude due to her meditations had left him aching for conversation, for the sound of her voice. Yet, here she was, as tight lipped as ever, determined to ignore him. It figured. Tenel Ka had been nothing by contrary since he'd kidnapped her. Not that he blamed her.
"Four days?" she asked, as if double checking his time to her internal clock.
He nodded. "Yeah. I was starting to wonder if I'd have to drag you out of it and make you eat."
She looked at her empty plate before holding it out to him. Jacen relented. He could see she hadn't intended to meditate as long as she had. She was a little shocked she'd been out that long. He severed up a larger helping and passed it back to her. She nodded once, in thanks, before going back to her meal. He could see the strange shift in her posture as she finished off the second plateful and set it down. She lifted the canteen, tucking it between her legs as she twisted the cap off. She lifted it to her lips and proceeded to drink half of it in a manner that had his gaze riveted to the slender column of her neck as her throat worked. He mimicked the movement, feeling the familiar stirrings in his blood and quickly tramped them down. Or tried to. He wasn't going to touch her again, not unless she asked him to.
At least, that was the plan. She wiped her hand over the back of her mouth and looked at him as she placed the bottle back between her knees to twist the cap back on. "Thank you. That was most invigorating."
He caught the canteen as she tossed it back to him. "Your welcome." Placing the canteen beside him on the ground he placed his plate beside it before stretching out. There were no lights, save for that from their fire, and the stars glittered brightly in the heavens with the three moons. Jacen inhaled deeply. He'd missed this place. As crazy as it sounded, he'd actually missed the new world the Yuuzhan Vong had begun to build such a short time ago. He felt a little guilty about it; millions upon millions had died in the Yuuzhan Vong attack. Still, there was something about the organic life around him that was almost soothing in its presence.
Tenel Ka surprised him by mimicking his posture, her head near his, her body at a right angle. She leaned back on her arm before slowly lowering herself onto her back and tucking her hand behind her head. What remained of her left arm was cradled on the side of her head absently. Jacen turned on his side and looked down at her, grinning. She was upside down to him. The fire played havoc with her hair color, giving it the texture of molten flame, and he allowed himself the liberty of simply looking. He picked up a twig from beside the fire and twirled it absently in his fingers to keep from touching her as he looked his fill.
She was beautiful and his breath caught in his throat. The urge to lean down and kiss her was strong, but he fought it back. She wouldn't appreciate his advances if he was reading her body language correctly. Not yet, at any rate. She was still leery about the planet, unsure about his reasons for bringing her here. He could wait; he would wait. When she came to him the reward would be all that much sweeter.
Tenel Ka wasn't looking at him as he was looking at her. Her gaze was focused beyond him, the ends of his messy hair just inside her field of vision as she stared at the stars. She'd never seen such stars. The constellations were different, out of synch from what she was used to. She searched for her home, the Hapes consortium, finding the glittering star that was the main sun far off to her left. She turned her head and froze. On the edge of the clearing was a creature she'd never seen. "Jacen?" her voice was soft, so not to startle it.
"Yes?"
"What is that?"
Jacen followed her gazer and froze. Standing on the edge of the clearing was a creature he'd never seen before. Silky feather-like skin covered the avian, only it walked on all fours and had no wings. The colors they could see were iridescent, blending and changing in the dim light of the fire. The creature looked alot like an ancestor of the Jedi Knight Vergere and Jacen looked his fill. A stab of sadness hit him and he smiled a soft, sad smile. Vergere had died to save him, and here was a creature that could very well evolve into what she'd been. The thought have him smile. Vergere wasn't dead; a part of her had survived and would continue to survive, though these creatures. It was a comforting though. The creature raised its head, paused and fled back into the trees.
Jacen paused as it fled. What had Tenel Ka asked him? Oh, right. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it seems to be thriving here."
Tenel Ka nodded. "It would appear so."
They lapsed back into silence as Tenel Ka turned back onto her back. Jacen leaned forward, looking down at her. "It's late, I think I'm going to hit the sack. Be careful if you plan to be out here without me, alright?"
She pushed herself up and he drew back, resting one arm on a raised knee as he looked back at her. "Is it dangerous?"
"More so, because you won't be able to sense the danger." He sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that when the idea to bring you here took hold of me. I should have."
She looked at him seriously.
He grimaced. "Don't look at me like that, Tenel Ka, I didn't mean for things to go this way, honest."
"I do not believe you."
His smile was crooked. "I had planned on taking you into the bowels of the old city, count your blessings I decided against it. For the moment. I'd like to show you the Force well before we leave, but it will take some time on foot. For now, I take my leave, lovely lady." He pushed himself to his feet, stopping when she extended her hand to him.
"I will do the same."
He examined her hand before slowly reaching out to grasp it. Tensing his arm, he made to pull her up. Tenel Ka threw her weight into her sharp tug, dragging him down and rolled with it, ending up straddling him a second later, a few feet from the fire. Her hair hung down around them like a curtain of flame.
Jacen froze. This couldn't be happening. Tenel Ka did not just roll around with him in a hostile environment. It just wasn't done. At least, he didn't think it was. She leaned down, bracing herself above him, her eyes serious. Jacen found it a little eerie that her expression hadn't changed. There was no indication beyond the tensing of her muscles that he was having any kind of effect on her. He couldn't see anything in the gray abyss of her eyes. "Tenel Ka?" his voice was soft as he searched her gaze, confused. And hurt. It was almost like a rejection, not being able to see her reaction.
She looked back, her face remaining impassive. "My control is back."
He blinked, shocked, when she simply rolled off him to her feet and disappeared back into the ship. He stayed where he was, stretched out on the ground, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. Was that what she'd been searching for? Most likely. His heart ached. He'd been getting somewhere with her, making her accept the fire in her soul, and now nothing. Had he pushed too far too fast? He shook his head, rolling to his feet, his mind spinning. He'd never be able to sleep now. He looked at the open door of the cargo bay and stepped inside. Opening a hidden panel, he pulled his lightsaber from it and hooked it to his belt. He needed to walk and clear his mind. Without a backward glance at the ship, he set off into the forest.
Tenel Ka watched from the shadows as he left. She could feel his conflicting emotions, his pain. She'd hurt him by her sudden rediscovery of control. Her lips thinned and she turned back into the ship. He'd deal with it, and then come back trying to break her resolve. Of that she was certain. She closed the door into the cargo bay and retired to the bedroom. Hurt or not, she sensed Jacen hadn't yet given up. Their stay was going to be interesting.
Jacen stepped back into the clearing the following morning just as the sun was starting to rise to find Tenel Ka crouched by the remains of the fire, waiting for him. She was gently coaxing the fire back into existence, her gaze on her job, but the tensing of her muscles indicated she knew he'd come back. The shell of their dinner lay off to the side, hollowed out, and several rolled up leaves were beside her. Something in her posture warned him that something was amiss.
"Good morning, your highness, did you sleep well?"
She looked up from her task and Jacen could see new strain lines around her mouth and eyes. She didn't look like she'd slept at all. "I did not."
He stopped just out of her reach, across the small fire pit. "You didn't sleep well or your didn't sleep at all?"
She went back to the fire, placing a couple more sticks on the small flames. "I did not sleep well."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He reached to the back of his belt and pulled a small, dead bird-like creature from it and placed it on the ground beside the fire pit. Crouching, he began to pluck the feathers from its body.
Tenel Ka watched him as the flames caught on a larger piece of tinder. "It is your fault."
He glanced up from what would become their breakfast. "I don't see how, I wasn't here so I couldn't have kept you up."
Her face was serious. "That is why."
"What, because I wasn't here?"
She nodded once and he smiled a half smile, going back to his job, "I'm flattered you missed me, your highness, maybe I should disappear more often."
She straightened slowly. Her legs were bare, golden tanned, and grabbed his attention immediately. He forced himself not to look at her, keeping his gaze solidly on the bird-thing he was plucking. He could feel her gaze on him, feel the way she carefully checked him over, as if looking for injuries. She took a step towards him. "Do not."
Her voice was soft, almost a plea, and he couldn't help looking up at her. She sounded almost... worried? Did it really bother her that much when he was gone? "Does it bother you when I'm not here?"
She nodded, crouching down so that he didn't strain his neck. He still couldn't read much beyond the tensing of her body, but she seemed spooked. "I do not like this planet."
So that was it. He sighed, looking back at the last of the feathers he had to pluck. "Don't judge it until you know it, Tenel Ka. Just because the Yuuzhan Vong created it, doesn't mean it deserves your contempt and hatred."
She tilted her head at him, considering his words. The war had taught her to be less than tolerant with the Yuuzhan Vong and their "technology". Yet, Jacen had lived here, on this planet for who knew how long, and he knew it. He'd chosen the very 'brain' that controlled it. Having him ask her to respect the planet he'd had a hand in creating, wasn't that strange of a request was it? She'd had a grudging respect for their warriors, was this really any different? But, could she do it? Could she respect a planet that she felt so hostile towards? She didn't know, but she could at least try to keep an open mind. "I make no promises." She said at last.
He nodded, pulling a knife from his belt and gutting the bird-thing. "That's about what I expected." He paused in his task to pull a small pouch off his belt. "Want to make yourself useful and ground these up for seasoning?" he asked, tossing the bag towards her. She caught it, eyeing him for a long moment before she turned away.
Jacen was glad for the reprieve. Pretending that her lack of response didn't much matter was taxing. Not to mention he could feel every brush of her eyes like a physical touch. She might have found her self control again, but his was dangerously taxed. Especially after he'd been out all night and was in desperate need of a nap. He supposed he should be thankful that she was back in control. If she'd kissed or touched him... he shook his head fractionally. He'd have been, they'd both have been, in trouble.
The bag dropped back at his feet as he spread the meat on a nearby leaf. "Thanks." He opened the bag and scooped some of the powder onto his fingers and rubbed it into the meet. "There's a bunch of..." he paused. Telling her to search through the lower pockets in his pants was probably a bad idea. Thinking better of it, he rubbed his fingers on the mossy, grass-like ground and opened the pocket in question. He pulled several long shoots and roots from it and placed them next to the meat. "Never mind. Could you go get some water, Tenel Ka?"
She didn't say anything as she stood and went back to the ship. Jacen was thankful. Maybe he could get through breakfast, take an hour nap or so, and then make it through the day without touching her. By the time she returned, he had the bird-creature spitted over the fire and the wraps she'd made of the crab leftovers smoldering in the coals. The roots had been brushed clean as he could, waiting for the water before he wrapped them in fresh leaves to bake.
Tenel Ka wordlessly offered him the canteen, which he took, and quickly set about cleaning the roots properly. She watched him again, going so far as to pull a small, empty crate from the ship for something to sit on. Finally, his preparations complete, he sat back and washed his hands. His head came up and brown eyes met gray across the fire. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to order you around."
"I do not mind."
He chuckled. "Sure, and I've lost my Force powers."
He thought he saw a sparkle of emotion lit her eyes, but he couldn't tell for sure with the fire reflecting off her pupils. "It is nice to be needed," she admitted. "On Hapes I am not required to help in the gardens or kitchens. Simply to enjoy the fruit of other people's labor. I am... glad you think me capable."
"I never said I thought otherwise, though I admit I'm starting to think you've been awful spoiled in that palace of yours."
She inclined her head. "I have. I am the Queen Mother, people lavish me with attention."
"And you hate it," he grinned. "See, I still remember that part of you."
"You are correct. I do not like the public side of my position, but I must comply with the dictates of my station."
"Well, we're not on Hapes anymore, obviously, you could relax a little with me."
She arched an eyebrow at him, the light of the sun beginning to bathe their small campsite with warm rays. "Relax is not a word I associate with our relationship."
He affected a wounded look. "I'm hurt. You can't relax with me?"
"The way you look at me? I think not."
He grinned. "Better safe than sorry I suppose. Breakfast will be ready in a bit, but we have time for a morning run if you're up for it."
"Can you keep up with me?"
"Over ground I've had the chance to map?" he winked at her, pushing himself to his feet. "I think I'll try my luck. Do you still run ten kilometers or is it down to five now?"
She stood, her head tilted at a challenging angle. "Ten was five years ago. I run fifteen kilometers now."
He should have known. "In consideration of wanting to eat cooked, and not burned, food this morning, what do you say we simply do five for the moment?"
"That is acceptable." She motioned for him to lead the way out of camp.
Jacen grinned, pulling a familiar, non-metallic object from his pouch and flipping it to her. "A Jedi should never be without their weapon. Come on."
She caught her lightsaber and hooked it to her belt, following him out of camp. At least she was armed again. Without a backwards glance, they disappeared at a brisk run into the dense foliage.
Chapter 12
If Jacen was expecting Tenel Ka to rage at him he was sorely disappointed. She simply stared at him, no emotion of any kind on her face, before slowly turning to look back outside. He stayed where he was as she allowed her gaze to confirm his words. The world, from what she could see, had many planes and angles. Unnatural angles. She turned her gaze back to him, and Jacen was disappointed he felt nothing beyond a brief, mild surprise. Tenel Ka seemed to be in charge of her emotions and reactions once again. For some reason, he was deeply disappointed.
"Why have you brought me here?"
Her words were calm, with no trace of anger or annoyance. No emotion of any kind showed in her eyes or on her face. It was only in her body language, the tense muscles of her frame, that he read any indication he'd shocked her. This was the last place she'd been expecting him to bring her and Jacen hadn't gotten the reaction he'd wanted. "Why not? It's the last place anyone will think to look for us."
"I will simply take the ship."
His smile was crooked. "With the hyperdrive gutted and the hull in need of some serious repairs? Good luck getting yourself off planet, let alone beyond the system."
Her eyes narrowed, the only indication of her annoyance. "You have sabotaged the ship."
"You'd better believe it. I didn't bring you all this way to simply let you escape now. We're stuck here until we can affect repairs. Oh, and the comm. system is out too, I took the liberty of disabling it."
"We are alone."
He nodded. "Well, the only free thinking humans, if you want to get technical. There are thousands of slaves, shamed ones and several hundred Vuuzhan Vong on this world. They're in turmoil though, fighting amongst themselves. Their defeat has thrown them into turmoil. I doubt we'll be seeing any of them. And if we do, the shamed ones tend to like Jedi in a "You are a god" kind of way, so we should be alright."
She simply arched an eyebrow, not looking at him. "May we eat now?" She really didn't are about the politics of the planet when she had to focus on getting off it as soon as possible. She couldn't afford to be captured, yet she didn't think Jacen would be crazy enough to set them down in the middle of a Vuuzhan Vong encampment. If they came across any warriors, they'd likely be facing combat.
He was suddenly cut off from the Force and Tenel Ka's gaze went back to him in alarm. His eyes were closed and her curiosity was suddenly peeked. What was he doing? Communicating in his unique way with the creatures? Probably.
Jacen cut himself off from the Force and dug deep for the Vong sense he'd acquired while in Vergere's care just over two years ago. Slowly, he stretched out, learning the lay of the landscape again through the eyes of the creatures thriving on the world. Digging deeper, the World Brain's presence could be felt, but he didn't contact it. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled. There were no hostile creatures in the vicinity. He stepped from the ramp and into the small clearing. Large trees grew in several areas, a small grove of immature amphistaffs on one side. They were far enough away, on the other side of the ship, that they wouldn't bother them.. There was only one way in and out of their clearing and it involved walking through unknown territory. Unless one wanted to scale the four meter high walls on two sides. "It's safe. I hope dinner is to your liking."
She followed him down, her posture belying her readiness. Tenel Ka was uneasy about their surroundings for all her lack of reaction. She crouched next to the small fire, extending her hand to it even though the night's air was warm. Jacen pulled something she couldn't recognize off the fire and split open the shell. The strange, yet cloying scent reached her nostrils causing her mouth to water. But she said nothing. She refused to speak to him more than she had to. The less contact they had the better.
Jacen carefully cut slices of the meat from the inside of the shell and placed them on two plates before returning the carcass it to the fire. As it was, immature vonduun crab was a tasty meal. He passed one of the plated to Tenel Ka, not expecting, nor receiving, a 'Thank you' before she began to eat. His lips kicked up at the side as she quickly devoured her food. "Hungry?"
She nodded once.
"After four days in meditation I'm not surprised."
Her body stilled and Jacen knew he'd succeeded in surprising her. She obviously hadn't thought she'd been that deep in meditation. So far to the point that it was almost a healing or hibernation trance. Served her right. He tossed a canteen of water to the ground at her feet before turning back to his meal. He continued to watch her as he ate. Four days of solitude due to her meditations had left him aching for conversation, for the sound of her voice. Yet, here she was, as tight lipped as ever, determined to ignore him. It figured. Tenel Ka had been nothing by contrary since he'd kidnapped her. Not that he blamed her.
"Four days?" she asked, as if double checking his time to her internal clock.
He nodded. "Yeah. I was starting to wonder if I'd have to drag you out of it and make you eat."
She looked at her empty plate before holding it out to him. Jacen relented. He could see she hadn't intended to meditate as long as she had. She was a little shocked she'd been out that long. He severed up a larger helping and passed it back to her. She nodded once, in thanks, before going back to her meal. He could see the strange shift in her posture as she finished off the second plateful and set it down. She lifted the canteen, tucking it between her legs as she twisted the cap off. She lifted it to her lips and proceeded to drink half of it in a manner that had his gaze riveted to the slender column of her neck as her throat worked. He mimicked the movement, feeling the familiar stirrings in his blood and quickly tramped them down. Or tried to. He wasn't going to touch her again, not unless she asked him to.
At least, that was the plan. She wiped her hand over the back of her mouth and looked at him as she placed the bottle back between her knees to twist the cap back on. "Thank you. That was most invigorating."
He caught the canteen as she tossed it back to him. "Your welcome." Placing the canteen beside him on the ground he placed his plate beside it before stretching out. There were no lights, save for that from their fire, and the stars glittered brightly in the heavens with the three moons. Jacen inhaled deeply. He'd missed this place. As crazy as it sounded, he'd actually missed the new world the Yuuzhan Vong had begun to build such a short time ago. He felt a little guilty about it; millions upon millions had died in the Yuuzhan Vong attack. Still, there was something about the organic life around him that was almost soothing in its presence.
Tenel Ka surprised him by mimicking his posture, her head near his, her body at a right angle. She leaned back on her arm before slowly lowering herself onto her back and tucking her hand behind her head. What remained of her left arm was cradled on the side of her head absently. Jacen turned on his side and looked down at her, grinning. She was upside down to him. The fire played havoc with her hair color, giving it the texture of molten flame, and he allowed himself the liberty of simply looking. He picked up a twig from beside the fire and twirled it absently in his fingers to keep from touching her as he looked his fill.
She was beautiful and his breath caught in his throat. The urge to lean down and kiss her was strong, but he fought it back. She wouldn't appreciate his advances if he was reading her body language correctly. Not yet, at any rate. She was still leery about the planet, unsure about his reasons for bringing her here. He could wait; he would wait. When she came to him the reward would be all that much sweeter.
Tenel Ka wasn't looking at him as he was looking at her. Her gaze was focused beyond him, the ends of his messy hair just inside her field of vision as she stared at the stars. She'd never seen such stars. The constellations were different, out of synch from what she was used to. She searched for her home, the Hapes consortium, finding the glittering star that was the main sun far off to her left. She turned her head and froze. On the edge of the clearing was a creature she'd never seen. "Jacen?" her voice was soft, so not to startle it.
"Yes?"
"What is that?"
Jacen followed her gazer and froze. Standing on the edge of the clearing was a creature he'd never seen before. Silky feather-like skin covered the avian, only it walked on all fours and had no wings. The colors they could see were iridescent, blending and changing in the dim light of the fire. The creature looked alot like an ancestor of the Jedi Knight Vergere and Jacen looked his fill. A stab of sadness hit him and he smiled a soft, sad smile. Vergere had died to save him, and here was a creature that could very well evolve into what she'd been. The thought have him smile. Vergere wasn't dead; a part of her had survived and would continue to survive, though these creatures. It was a comforting though. The creature raised its head, paused and fled back into the trees.
Jacen paused as it fled. What had Tenel Ka asked him? Oh, right. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it seems to be thriving here."
Tenel Ka nodded. "It would appear so."
They lapsed back into silence as Tenel Ka turned back onto her back. Jacen leaned forward, looking down at her. "It's late, I think I'm going to hit the sack. Be careful if you plan to be out here without me, alright?"
She pushed herself up and he drew back, resting one arm on a raised knee as he looked back at her. "Is it dangerous?"
"More so, because you won't be able to sense the danger." He sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that when the idea to bring you here took hold of me. I should have."
She looked at him seriously.
He grimaced. "Don't look at me like that, Tenel Ka, I didn't mean for things to go this way, honest."
"I do not believe you."
His smile was crooked. "I had planned on taking you into the bowels of the old city, count your blessings I decided against it. For the moment. I'd like to show you the Force well before we leave, but it will take some time on foot. For now, I take my leave, lovely lady." He pushed himself to his feet, stopping when she extended her hand to him.
"I will do the same."
He examined her hand before slowly reaching out to grasp it. Tensing his arm, he made to pull her up. Tenel Ka threw her weight into her sharp tug, dragging him down and rolled with it, ending up straddling him a second later, a few feet from the fire. Her hair hung down around them like a curtain of flame.
Jacen froze. This couldn't be happening. Tenel Ka did not just roll around with him in a hostile environment. It just wasn't done. At least, he didn't think it was. She leaned down, bracing herself above him, her eyes serious. Jacen found it a little eerie that her expression hadn't changed. There was no indication beyond the tensing of her muscles that he was having any kind of effect on her. He couldn't see anything in the gray abyss of her eyes. "Tenel Ka?" his voice was soft as he searched her gaze, confused. And hurt. It was almost like a rejection, not being able to see her reaction.
She looked back, her face remaining impassive. "My control is back."
He blinked, shocked, when she simply rolled off him to her feet and disappeared back into the ship. He stayed where he was, stretched out on the ground, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. Was that what she'd been searching for? Most likely. His heart ached. He'd been getting somewhere with her, making her accept the fire in her soul, and now nothing. Had he pushed too far too fast? He shook his head, rolling to his feet, his mind spinning. He'd never be able to sleep now. He looked at the open door of the cargo bay and stepped inside. Opening a hidden panel, he pulled his lightsaber from it and hooked it to his belt. He needed to walk and clear his mind. Without a backward glance at the ship, he set off into the forest.
Tenel Ka watched from the shadows as he left. She could feel his conflicting emotions, his pain. She'd hurt him by her sudden rediscovery of control. Her lips thinned and she turned back into the ship. He'd deal with it, and then come back trying to break her resolve. Of that she was certain. She closed the door into the cargo bay and retired to the bedroom. Hurt or not, she sensed Jacen hadn't yet given up. Their stay was going to be interesting.
Jacen stepped back into the clearing the following morning just as the sun was starting to rise to find Tenel Ka crouched by the remains of the fire, waiting for him. She was gently coaxing the fire back into existence, her gaze on her job, but the tensing of her muscles indicated she knew he'd come back. The shell of their dinner lay off to the side, hollowed out, and several rolled up leaves were beside her. Something in her posture warned him that something was amiss.
"Good morning, your highness, did you sleep well?"
She looked up from her task and Jacen could see new strain lines around her mouth and eyes. She didn't look like she'd slept at all. "I did not."
He stopped just out of her reach, across the small fire pit. "You didn't sleep well or your didn't sleep at all?"
She went back to the fire, placing a couple more sticks on the small flames. "I did not sleep well."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He reached to the back of his belt and pulled a small, dead bird-like creature from it and placed it on the ground beside the fire pit. Crouching, he began to pluck the feathers from its body.
Tenel Ka watched him as the flames caught on a larger piece of tinder. "It is your fault."
He glanced up from what would become their breakfast. "I don't see how, I wasn't here so I couldn't have kept you up."
Her face was serious. "That is why."
"What, because I wasn't here?"
She nodded once and he smiled a half smile, going back to his job, "I'm flattered you missed me, your highness, maybe I should disappear more often."
She straightened slowly. Her legs were bare, golden tanned, and grabbed his attention immediately. He forced himself not to look at her, keeping his gaze solidly on the bird-thing he was plucking. He could feel her gaze on him, feel the way she carefully checked him over, as if looking for injuries. She took a step towards him. "Do not."
Her voice was soft, almost a plea, and he couldn't help looking up at her. She sounded almost... worried? Did it really bother her that much when he was gone? "Does it bother you when I'm not here?"
She nodded, crouching down so that he didn't strain his neck. He still couldn't read much beyond the tensing of her body, but she seemed spooked. "I do not like this planet."
So that was it. He sighed, looking back at the last of the feathers he had to pluck. "Don't judge it until you know it, Tenel Ka. Just because the Yuuzhan Vong created it, doesn't mean it deserves your contempt and hatred."
She tilted her head at him, considering his words. The war had taught her to be less than tolerant with the Yuuzhan Vong and their "technology". Yet, Jacen had lived here, on this planet for who knew how long, and he knew it. He'd chosen the very 'brain' that controlled it. Having him ask her to respect the planet he'd had a hand in creating, wasn't that strange of a request was it? She'd had a grudging respect for their warriors, was this really any different? But, could she do it? Could she respect a planet that she felt so hostile towards? She didn't know, but she could at least try to keep an open mind. "I make no promises." She said at last.
He nodded, pulling a knife from his belt and gutting the bird-thing. "That's about what I expected." He paused in his task to pull a small pouch off his belt. "Want to make yourself useful and ground these up for seasoning?" he asked, tossing the bag towards her. She caught it, eyeing him for a long moment before she turned away.
Jacen was glad for the reprieve. Pretending that her lack of response didn't much matter was taxing. Not to mention he could feel every brush of her eyes like a physical touch. She might have found her self control again, but his was dangerously taxed. Especially after he'd been out all night and was in desperate need of a nap. He supposed he should be thankful that she was back in control. If she'd kissed or touched him... he shook his head fractionally. He'd have been, they'd both have been, in trouble.
The bag dropped back at his feet as he spread the meat on a nearby leaf. "Thanks." He opened the bag and scooped some of the powder onto his fingers and rubbed it into the meet. "There's a bunch of..." he paused. Telling her to search through the lower pockets in his pants was probably a bad idea. Thinking better of it, he rubbed his fingers on the mossy, grass-like ground and opened the pocket in question. He pulled several long shoots and roots from it and placed them next to the meat. "Never mind. Could you go get some water, Tenel Ka?"
She didn't say anything as she stood and went back to the ship. Jacen was thankful. Maybe he could get through breakfast, take an hour nap or so, and then make it through the day without touching her. By the time she returned, he had the bird-creature spitted over the fire and the wraps she'd made of the crab leftovers smoldering in the coals. The roots had been brushed clean as he could, waiting for the water before he wrapped them in fresh leaves to bake.
Tenel Ka wordlessly offered him the canteen, which he took, and quickly set about cleaning the roots properly. She watched him again, going so far as to pull a small, empty crate from the ship for something to sit on. Finally, his preparations complete, he sat back and washed his hands. His head came up and brown eyes met gray across the fire. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to order you around."
"I do not mind."
He chuckled. "Sure, and I've lost my Force powers."
He thought he saw a sparkle of emotion lit her eyes, but he couldn't tell for sure with the fire reflecting off her pupils. "It is nice to be needed," she admitted. "On Hapes I am not required to help in the gardens or kitchens. Simply to enjoy the fruit of other people's labor. I am... glad you think me capable."
"I never said I thought otherwise, though I admit I'm starting to think you've been awful spoiled in that palace of yours."
She inclined her head. "I have. I am the Queen Mother, people lavish me with attention."
"And you hate it," he grinned. "See, I still remember that part of you."
"You are correct. I do not like the public side of my position, but I must comply with the dictates of my station."
"Well, we're not on Hapes anymore, obviously, you could relax a little with me."
She arched an eyebrow at him, the light of the sun beginning to bathe their small campsite with warm rays. "Relax is not a word I associate with our relationship."
He affected a wounded look. "I'm hurt. You can't relax with me?"
"The way you look at me? I think not."
He grinned. "Better safe than sorry I suppose. Breakfast will be ready in a bit, but we have time for a morning run if you're up for it."
"Can you keep up with me?"
"Over ground I've had the chance to map?" he winked at her, pushing himself to his feet. "I think I'll try my luck. Do you still run ten kilometers or is it down to five now?"
She stood, her head tilted at a challenging angle. "Ten was five years ago. I run fifteen kilometers now."
He should have known. "In consideration of wanting to eat cooked, and not burned, food this morning, what do you say we simply do five for the moment?"
"That is acceptable." She motioned for him to lead the way out of camp.
Jacen grinned, pulling a familiar, non-metallic object from his pouch and flipping it to her. "A Jedi should never be without their weapon. Come on."
She caught her lightsaber and hooked it to her belt, following him out of camp. At least she was armed again. Without a backwards glance, they disappeared at a brisk run into the dense foliage.