Chapter 8:

"I really think Lingni is the most awful thing I've ever experienced in my life."

Obviously, you've never tasted Alliance ration bars. "He's not that bad."

Ivoen looked up from her desk. "Do you have someone worse?"

"No, not really."

"Then I'd say he's bad enough." She sighed and shuffled through the syllabi disks she'd received earlier that day. "Have you checked out how much reading we have to do?"

"No, I haven't even looked at those things yet."

"Well, we didn't get a syllabi from Lingni, so I don't know anything about him except what he told us to know. But for Sector History, it's like the prof thinks we've got nothing to do besides read up on stupid kings and politicians. It's nearly sixty pages of preparation a night! And don't even get me started on PoliSci."

Now, wait a second. "What's so bad about political science?"

Ivoen stood up from her desk, grabbed a rusty chair and sat in it backwards. "Okay, I'm really not trying to insult you here, Rims, but I hate your major. It's like paying to be taught how to lie effectively for a living. How can you even consider going into politics?"

"Hang on, is that what you think politicians do all day?"

"What, you mean, lie?"

"Yeah."

Ivoen tilted her head. "Isn't it?"

"No! Think of how much more you can do if you're in politics for the common people of your jurisdiction! You can improve their lives significantly and help end social problems on a large scale. You could end tyranny and homelessness and hunger, or discrimination between species and social classes. You could – "

"Okay, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stick the podium under you or anything and I didn't mean to insult you in any way. It just came out." She paused. "I'm becoming more and more like my father every day."

Yes, let's discuss your father, dear. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he has this ability to insult you without openly insulting you in a way that seems completely uninsulting, until you think about it later and realize exactly how it was he insulted you uninsultingly."

"I think you made up two new words, Ivoen."

She smiled. "He does that, too. Says strange words that I'm sure he makes up on the spot. Anyway, my point in all this is that he doesn't like politics."

Oh, now, this is interesting. "Really?"

"Yeah, he says that it's all the same as long as the politicians stay away from the economy."

As in, your father may have a slight sympathy towards the Rebellion to usurp the current one that's seriously interfering?

"Oh, yeah, Rims, I forgot to tell you, my parents want me to come back home this weekend to pick up some of the stuff that I left there." She grimaced. "They're making another office out of my bedroom. Why do parents do that? Don't they know it's demeaning and belittling?"

"I don't know."And I don'thave that issue to worry about, either.

"Anyway, they want to meet you and talk to you face to face. Do you mind going with me this weekend?"

Hmm, free opportunity to talk to a board member of GansCorp? "No, no, I don't mind at all."

"So, Rimsie," the redhead chattered at her in a high-pitched, nasal voice, "I heard you got a guy."

"No, no, Okkon, she didn' get a guy, she already had a guy. He's like twenty-nine and has this totally awesome smile. She said so herself." A blonde Leia vaguely remembered as part of the boyfriend conversation reached across and grabbed her right hand. "She's so in love with him, its nuts. She's gonna marry 'im."

Leia shrugged off the hand. "What?"

Okkon sighed. "Oh, Rimsie, that's brilliant!"

"No! No, wait, I never said – "

" – a ring?"

"No, seriously, guys, I don't think – "

"How about a summer wedding – "

"Look, it's not that serious yet, and I've only known him for like – "Well, I've known Han for a year, but – "six months, we're not gonna get married."

"Never?"

Um, well – "I don't know!"

The blonde waved her hands around and laughed, throwing her head back. "That's okay 'cause we still need to meet 'im. Right, Okkon?"

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah! We can't give away one 'a our girls without knowing the guy, first." A twinkle came to her eyes. "You know wha' would be fun? Introducin' 'im at the party. He could meet, like, everyone!"

The blonde shook her head. "No, see, he's a hometown guy, Rimsie said. Too far away."

Please just get me out of this! "Yeah, too bad. He wouldn't be able to make it."

Okkon's face fell. "Sucks, Rimsie. It woulda been fun to see 'im. Wait – " The glimmer reappeared. "Aren't you from here? IE?"

Damn. "Yeah?"

"Well, he's close. Call 'im, why don't'cha?"

"No, he's working. I don't wanna bother him." Drop it, drop it, drop it!

"Oh, he'd love to come to one of these parties, I betcha. Everyone does."

There is no way in – "Well, uh, he's not really into – "

The blonde looked up sharply. "You're making lots 'a excuses, Rimsie. Did'ja lie before? Do you really have a guy?"

Uh-oh. Damage control. "Yeah, I got a guy."

"Then why not show us? Hmm, Rimsie?" Her eyes narrowed. "Hey, Okkon, maybe she has a guy but he's real ugly."

It was out before Leia could control it. "He is not!" She scrambled to put a cap on the surge of defensiveness that swept through her. "He's not." She repeated more quietly. "And I have a guy."

Okkon reached into Leia's bag and pulled out her comm. "Call 'im."

"What? Right now?"

"Why not?" The blonde winked at her. "Jus' to make sure that you're not lying, that's all."

How can I get away from this? Leia slowly cued the comm to the Falcon's relatively safe line to buy herself some more time. I managed to slip Han Solo's grip for a year and I can't do the same here? She finished cuing and started fiddling with her hair. He's going to know what I've said about him, and he's never going to let me live it down.

If I don't die of mortification, this may someday seem real hilarious.

Han's deep voice rumbled from the comm. "Hey'a sweetheart."

Way to begin, Han. "Hi, Jace. I'm standin' here in the dorm an' got two girls who're invitin' you to a party – " She covered the squelch and addressed the blonde and redhead. "What party are we talkin' about?"

Okkon smiled. "Oh, Edbmel Eppek Ehple's got a great one goin' down tonight for the start 'a the term. He can come, can't he?"

Leia hid a grimace. I know how that's going to go down. "Hey'a, Jace, there's a frat party tonight. The girls really wanna meet my – " Please, please don't say anything – boyfriend, so you're invited."

"Huh."

Oh, gods.

"You sure you don' want me t' get your brother? I bet he'd be willin' to go wit you."

She stared at the girls as they shook their heads and batted their eyes. "No, uh, Jace, they really wanna see you." And Luke and I couldn't convince anyone that we're siblings.

"Well, uh, yeah, I'll be there. I guess. Uh, what time?"

Leia looked over at the girls again.

"Party starts at eleven, so have 'im come by here at, like, ten. Okay?" Blonde looked for confirmation to Red, to which Okkon gave a squeal of laughter and covered her mouth with her hand. "Yeah, ten. Tell 'im."

"'kay, Jace, uh, come over here at ten, alright?"

"'course, Sweetheart, I wouldn' miss this for the world."

And as the comm clicked silent and the girls giggled away, Leia felt the strongest desire to choke herself with the comm and end the torture she knew this evening would include.

So, a frat party. I'm off to write a frat party. See y'all later.

KR