A Long Time Ago
6. Mistakes And Names And Idiots

The next day, Tass told Dekabyn about the conversation at the dinner table. "Wouldn't you like it? Going to the Jedi Temple? Because...I sort of said I'd take you. It's alright if you don't want to..."

"Are you kidding, Tass?" Dekabyn asked increduously. "I'd love to go. When is it?"

"I dunno yet. Sometime in Shelova Week, I guess, Mum doesn't want me to miss school."

"Great. How much will it cost? Because...well...it'd be expensive, wouldn't it? I was thinking of getting a job soon, but it'd probably make more sense for me to get one now, if we're going to..."

Tass cut him off. "Dekabyn, Mum's paying for both of us. She doesn't mind."

"What?" Dekabyn stared at her. "She can't do that, it's not fair. Tell her I'll pay."

"Don't be like that. It's a treat for you. For both of us."

"But..."

"She thought it'd be good, since you're, you know..." She stopped there.

"Since I'm what?" Dekabyn asked.

Oh, that was a dumb thing to say...

"Since I'm what? A stupid little poor boy who can't survive on his own?" Dekabyn went on fiercely.

Tass groaned. Damn. "Look, it's a nice thing she's doing, okay? Don't throw it back in her face." But she had a feeling she'd said the wrong thing.

"They all do nice things. All the time. It makes them feel good about themselves." Dekabyn snapped. Then he looked guilty straight away...but he pushed ahead of her and ran off.

Tass sighed to herself. Brilliant.

She didn't see him at the start of lunchtime, which was a pain because she wanted to speak to him. She went to the library instead, realising that she seemed to be spending more time in here than anywhere else now. Why? What was she doing, drowning her worries in schoolwork or something...?

She found a bunch of holopads and took them back to her table. What hadn't she done yet? Oh yeah...the reformation of the Republic, for one. She'd been putting it off, it seemed boring, all the politics and stuff...but she ought to mention it nonetheless. She picked up the first holopad and began flipping through the screens.

Formation of government...former Empire supporters...Senator Organa...Master Luke Skywalker...Hey, it was him again. She opened that page. Then, she felt someone sitting down next to her. Dekabyn.

"Hi," she said, forgetting he was annoyed at her and then remembering again. "Dek, I didn't..."

"Sorry, Tass," he said sincerely. "I was just...well, I don't know. But I didn't mean to say that you and your parents are anything like the sixth-levelers or anything..."

"It's okay, Dek. Honestly." She moved her eyes back to the holopad, then realised something. "Sixth-levelers? We're calling each other names now?"

"It wasn't my idea..." Dekabyn muttered.

"Well, whose idea was it? Are we starting a revolution or something now?" When he didn't answer she sighed and went back to her work. "I should be doing this. I'm still behind, I think...there's loads I haven't done..." She looked at the holopad, still in her hand. "Let's see. Princess Leia and Han Solo got married. And Luke married and had children. Hey...he named one of them after his father..."

"Vader?" Dekabyn asked.

"Anakin."

"Poor kid," Dekabyn grimaced. "Maybe he changed his name. Imagine having to be named after an evil dictator all your life..."

"Luke's father saved his life and killed the Emperor as well, Dek, you know that! I'm sure he was perfectly happy with his name."

"Well..."

"Why do you care, anyway?" She hoped she didn't sound annoyed, because she wasn't, really...just worried about something and she wasn't sure what...

"I was named after an evil dictator, that's why."

She blinked. "You are?"

"Yep. Governor Dekabyn Amnawi Scelus...remember him?"

Tass thought for a minute. "Ages and ages ago...the governor of...oh...that place where there's always bad weather...what's it called...Tornama."

"That's the one. Killed a lot of people. Used to threaten people by taking their kids and saying they'd kill them if they didn't join them."

Tass gaped. "Why would your mother want to call you that?"

"Who knows? She's mad. She did say, though...said it was because if we let him poison that perfectly good name then he'd have won something else."

"Oh. Well...I suppose I see the logic in that."

"I don't."

"Look on the bright side, she could have called you 'Palpatine'"

Dekabyn gave a small smile. "Yeah, okay, I suppose there's that to be grateful for."

The schoolday went by slowly. History was last lesson. Regimesh took her aside at the end of it. Dekabyn hovered by the door, waiting for her.

"I've seen you researching in the library, Miss Vari. I must say I'm impressed. Nonetheless, you have to work extremely hard to make up for years of poor performance. This is clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have you been working at home?"

"A little..."

"A little? Miss Vari, there is nothing more important than your History work right now. This is vital to your future!"

"Well, sir, I..."

"Miss Vari, let me jog your memory," he said with a sigh. He went to his table, pushed a button, and took some papers from the tray that popped out. Oh no...

He began reading. "Electrons on Naboo took place two years ago. The aspharagus takes food to the stomach..." He frowned. "The next one I won't read..."

Tass cringed. Thank the heavens the rest of the class isn't here. Regimesh always took delight in reading out stupid mistakes to the whole class. The third one, which he had for good reason not read, had had the class in stitches for days afterward.

"I think I've made my point. A year of bad performance, Miss Vari..." Tass glanced at Dekabyn, he wasn't laughing. "Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Go."

She walked to the door, and down the corridor, Dekabyn at her side.

When Tass got home, someone was yelling. Two people, in fact. She followed the voices...it was her mother and Nerra.

"It's already costing me a small fortune to have Tass and Dekabyn go to the Temple!" Lelleri was snapping. "And now this! It's the last thing I need. Understand? The. Very. Last. Thing."

Tass saw Nerra open his mouth.

"Don't say anything, Nerra, if you do I may be forced to hit you." Lelleri said.

"I was just going to say," Nerra said angrily. "that if you're that short on money, just stop Dekabyn going with Tass. It's not like he's part of the family or anything."

"Tass wants him to come, and besides, I don't want her to go all the way to the other side of the planet on her own. Dekabyn's a responsable boy, he can look after her."

"Hello," Tass said nonchalantly. Both of them turned to look at her.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Ask your brother," Lelleri said. She looked at Nerra.

"Broke a window," he muttered.

"Why?" Tass asked.

"Because he got in a fight," Lelleri said shortly. "And it resulted in things being broken. And he doesn't have the money to pay for them. And he cut his hand, and he hit someone around the face. Nerra...this has got to stop, understand?"

Nerra nodded. With a sigh, Lelleri went into the kitchen. Nerra stayed where he was.

"Doesn't have the money to pay for them?" Tass asked. "You do have money. You can't make Mum pay for stuff that you ought to, it's-"

"Shut up, Tass."

"Remember when we were younger and shared a room? We used to collect creditchips, and we hid them in that compartment...they're still there, y'know. So why don't you use those? Most of them are yours."

He said nothing.

"So," Tass said crossly. "Since the room is mine now, I suppose I get to keep the money?"

"Sometimes, Tass...I hate you!"

Tass was horrified. Nerra stalked past her and out of the room.

What an IDIOT.

Furious, she went to her bedroom. She turned on the holovision and watched it for a while, then got bored, walked to the wall and pressed a well-concealed button. A secret compartment sprung open next to it. Inside were several credit chips, and a holopic of her and Nerra. She glared down at the picture, picked out a few of the credit chips, and then went back downstairs.