Jedi Princess Jainakin- Yeah, I feel bad for Jaggiepoo too.

chimpo- You're adding drama to this story even more... When will it stop Never!

Jaina Solo Potter- Thanks!

skywalker64089- Yes, they do need to sit down and have a chat, but everything has just gotten much more complicated for the two of them!

InsaneJediGirl- Glad to have you back.

Melissa- I'm gald you're liking it.

Chapter 26

Valin Horn was glancing around the mess hall at the Jedi Academy, looking for a place to eat his evening meal. Spotting a seat at a far table beside Tahiri and her daughter Menley, the young man walked swiftly over there in order to reach the spot before someone else took it. Making it to the table victoriously, Valin couldn't help but smile as he sat down next to his friend.

Tahiri glanced up from her barely edible food to take note of who was sitting down next to her. It was Valin. "Hey," she said half-heartedly.

Valin just nodded in response. Taking a big bite out of his meal, he chewed in silent thought for a moment. Swallowing the bland lump of food, he glanced at the blonde to his left. "Tahiri, you're a girl right?"

This brought a rather confused look to her face. "Last time I checked, why?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead," she said, still rather baffled.

"Well, the other day when you and I were sparring, I think you may have been right about what you said to me. Later that evening Syal told me that she liked me as more than just a friend."

"Yeah, so I was right. Where is the question in that?"

"I just wanted to know what I should do."

"How do you feel about her?"

Valin looked away for a moment. "I really don't know. I mean, I've known Syal even longer than I've known you. We were best friends when we were little but during the last few years of the war we had seemed to grow apart a bit. And then there was everything that happened with Wyn."

"Look, Valin, I know that Wyn hurt you. But that hurt aside, how much did you really care for her? More than you do for Syal?"

"That's the problem Tahiri. I'm really not sure. When I first left the Maw I didn't have anyone. Not even you. Wyn and I slowly became friends. I thought she was sweet and beautiful, but I also thought that she reminded me a lot of Syal. But then I kissed her and things changed. I felt like more than just a friend to her, but in a way she kind of began to pull back from me. I should have known that she was going to break up with me eventually."

"Valin, I think her breaking up with you had more to do with Drake not being found guilty than it did about her feelings for you. She knew that she needed to go home and she didn't want to be unfair to you because she could see that her cousin cared about you."

Valin looked down at his food and then back up at Tahiri. "I guess I had never thought of it like that."

Tahiri tucked a piece of her curly hair behind her ear as she said, "Now back to the original question. How do you feel about Syal?"

"I'm still not completely sure. I think she's great but I don't know if I'm good enough for her."

"Valin, of course you're good enough for her. In fact you guys are the perfect match. Can you imagine how happy both of your parents would be? They probably had planned on hooking you two up since you were born. Valin, if you are unsure of your feelings towards her, then just go talk to her."

He considered her advice. "I think I will." Getting up from the table, he walked to the garbage chute and disposed of the uneaten portions of his meal. Then Valin turned around and scanned the mess hall for any sight of his parents.

They were seated at a table with Luke and Mara Skywalker, Kam and Tionne, his little sister Jysella, and Ben and Landon Skywalker. Walking up behind his father, Valin clasped his on the shoulders.

Corran glanced up from his tray and into the dark brown eyes of his teenage son. "Hey Val. What do you need?"

"I just came to tell you and Mom that I'm not feeling so well and I'm gonna go straight to bed right now instead of having that family holo night with you guys and Jysella."

Mirax reached out and grabbed her son's hand. "Are you okay, honey? Do you want me to go tuck you in?"

This caused Valin's face to blush amongst a few chuckles from others at the table. "No, Mom, I'm not five anymore. I'll be fine."

"Okay son, I'll come check on you later-"

"No," Valin said a little too quickly. "I mean, I'll be fine. Just need some undisturbed rest, that's all."

Corran and Mirax traded suspicious looks, but Corran nodded. He needed to have a little trust in his oldest child. "Whatever you want, Valin."

"Thanks Dad," he said before walking off.

"He's up to something," Mirax commented after her son was gone. "I don't even need the Force to tell me that."

Valin was attempting to sneak out of the Jedi Academy in a stealth-like manor. This wasn't too hard though since almost everyone was still at supper. Glancing both ways, he stepped out into the center of the hallway and walked through the big wooden doors at the front of the building.

Commlink in hand, Valin tried to decide the best plan of action. It was a very long walk to the building where Syal lived, but if he borrowed his father's speeder, then the trip wouldn't take longer than ten minutes. Crossing his fingers and praying to the Force that he wouldn't get caught, Valin headed to where his father always parked.

Climbing into the pilot's seat, Valin took a deep breath. While his father let him drive in remote areas every now and then, Valin wasn't yet licensed to pilot a speeder or anything else.

After he turned the vehicle on, he gingerly began his trip. At first he took it slow, but then Valin noticed that there wasn't that much traffic out at that time of night, so he picked up the pace a bit. Once he reached Syal's building, he found a dark and remote place to park where hopefully none of the pilots who were friends of his father would see him. There he took out his coomlink and dialed Syal's number. He could hear it buzz several times and was about to give up when someone answered.

"Hello. This is Syal Antilles, who is calling?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Valin, it's you," Syal said with a bit of disdain in her voice. "Oh joy."

"Cut it out," he said. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay, we're talking."

"No, I mean in person."

"Val, my dad isn't going to let me leave at this time of night."

"That's okay, I'm already here."

"Where?"

"Parked outside your building."

"Your dad let you fly here?" she asked, the shock apparent in her voice.

"No, he doesn't exactly know that I left."

"Well, then you just risked your neck for no reason because my dad isn't going to allow you to come in this late without calling your dad to make sure that it's okay for you to be over this late."

Valin thought about what he could do for a minute. "How about this. Wait until everyone in your house goes to sleep, then comm me and unlock your front door. I'll just sneak in and then we can talk."

Syal considered his plan and found no major flaws. "Fine. But if we get caught, this was your idea."

Valin sat back in his seat to wait. What he didn't realize was that Wedge Antilles doesn't go to bed until about 0200 hours. By the time Valin's commlink began to ring, he had already fallen asleep himself. "Hello," he answered groggily.

"Get up here fast, flyboy. We need to get this talk done as fast as possible before you get caught."

Clicking his comm off, Valin climbed out of the speeder and up to Syal's front door. It was unlocked as planned. Walking inside he saw the blonde girl waiting for him. Valin was about to say something but Syal put her fingers over her lips motioning for him to be silent and then she grabbed his arm and pulled him to her bedroom.

Once inside, all Valin could do was glance around. He had never been inside of Syal's room. The walls were the color of pale lilacs and she had a frilly bed and white dresser.

"My mom decorated," was all she said before motioning for him to take a seat on the bed. "It's too risky talking in the main room, so we'll have to stay in here where my parents can't hear us."

"Okay," Valin said as he settled down onto her bed with her. Yawning a bit, he said, "We should probably have this talk pretty quick before I fall asleep."

"Fine. What was so important that you had to talk to me in person about it?"

"Syal, the other day you said you wanted to be more than just my friend. Do you still feel this way?"

"Why?" she asked in a guarded manor.

"Because I think I might like you as more than just a friend, too. I'm still trying to figure things out and it's all really new, but I know that you've always been special to me. I think you're smart, and funny, and beautiful-"

"You think I'm beautiful?" she interrupted.

Taking the girl's hand, he said, "Yes, Syal. I think you're beautiful."

Pulling away a bit, she said rather harshly, "My cousin is prettier than I am."

"Not necessarily. Yes, Wyn is beautiful also, but she's beautiful like her mother- in a holo star sort of way. You're beautiful in a natural way."

"Thanks, I guess," Syal said.

"Believe me, it's a compliment. Besides, Wyn and I are completely over."

"You sure?"

"Look, I really cared about Wyn. She was a good friend in a tough time. But those last few months when we were something more, I think I just wanted someone to be close to. And she was the most obvious choice. But now I think I chose wrong."

"Are you serious?" Syal questioned. "Do you like me the way you liked Wyn?"

"I think I like you more than I liked Wyn." he said as he took her hand once more. "If you'll have me, I'd like to be your boyfriend."

Syal threw her arms around his shoulders with a little squeal of glee. "Yes, yes, and yes. Of course I'll have you, Val."

"Good," he said. " 'Cause that means I can do this." And he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

He stayed there for a moment before pulling away slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, but Syal pushed him back down on to the bed and kissed him again. They stayed like this for several minutes before both began to drift off to sleep.

Sorry it took me so long to post! I've been really busy lately. I know that chapter was switching gears a bit, but after so much drama, we needed something a little bit light hearted.