SW 6
As she walked into her quarters, Leia knew that she was in for a long night. The first thing she did was put on a pot of caf before heading to the refresher. She stripped down and stepped into the shower unit to revel in the powerful spray of hot water. She allowed herself to relax and enjoy the shower for thirty minutes before she got out, dried off, and pulled on her nightgown. After Leia fixed a cup of caf; she walked over to the soothing aide that had been a gift from the Queen Mother of Hapes. Leia set the device to produce the scent of the forests of Endor along with the sounds of a medium sized waterfall. The Jedi knew that after what little she'd learned, she was going to need something to relax her mind and keep her calm and focused.
Leia curled herself up in a large overstuffed chair next to the workstation, and picked up the first of the standard data pads that she'd gotten from Talon. This was the journal of Darth Magus, and in it, the Sith Lord had detailed many of the innovations he'd made and why. As she started reading, Leia became more and more horrified that anyone could do such things.
As instructed by my Master, Darth Tyranus, I will keep a record of the means by which I train those who will embody the future of the Sith legacy. My Master, Darth Tyranus has assured me that his Master will never know of this secret academy until it is time for I, and my students to sweep across the galaxy bringing death and terror to all who dare stand in our path...
…The secret accounts have been set up for automated use, so I will never need to leave this base of operations. This is excellent, because I can now begin to train the small group of younglings that have been brought to me. One of the first things I have done is to wipe away all knowledge and memory of who they once were. They will now be Sith or they will die. For them to have a name, they must earn the privilege of choosing one. I will begin to sort the strong from the weak by starting their saber training. Four hours at a time, and three times each day. These younglings can become strong or they can die...
…Well. It seems that I went too far with the Force lightning today. One of the students began to cry because he was tired and hungry, and I ended up killing him. Pity, he might have been useful. I'll have to practice with a few of the others to make sure that I know exactly how much can be delivered at one time to avoid the unwanted deaths of worthy students...
…Excellent! I've finally mastered a method by which I can subject any of the students to hours of Force lightning without killing them; although it took quite a few deaths to figure it out! This will mean longer sessions of torment for them in the future. The means that I used to accomplish this is by allowing their bodies to act as a conduit for the low power lightning from me to form a complete circuit, and I've noticed an interesting a very enjoyable side effect of this process; it overloads the victim's nervous system in such a way as to leave them in constant agony for as long as three weeks afterwards, and with this method I can make them last far longer than they would normally survive...
…I've decided that none of the students will be allowed to have clothing until they earn their names. As cold as it is in these caverns, they shiver almost constantly. I find it hilariously satisfying to watch them try to hold a saber while shivering uncontrollably. It will be just one more method of constant torment that will sort out those who are worthy of the title of Sith. During their brief sleeping periods they huddle together for warmth, and I find that I am truly enjoying their constant misery. I've also deliberately neglected to show them how to operate the environmental controls, along with the communal refreshers; I will keep them ignorant of anything and everything, except what I think they need to know...
…One of the Tarentatek wandered into the lower caverns today. I finally killed the creature by plunging my lightsaber through its eye. I've decided to teach these students that they are the Guardians of Sith strength, and that only those worthy of being true Sith may earn the privilege of facing them in battle. I will now begin using exile as one of my many punishments for any and all infractions. The agonized and terrified screams of these younglings as I torture them has become akin to the most wonderful music...
…It seems that the latest shipments of emergency rations were short. This has proven to be an unexpected boon. The students have begun to fight over the food supplies. I'll never order enough food supplies again! I've also decided to begin adding Mandalorian battle stimulants to the food that I do order, so that the students who do manage to eat will become more aggressive. The stimulants won't be near as effective as they would be if injected, but they will still increase the aggression of those who eat the treated supplies...
…Well. I've discovered something today. I've found that after using the Force to invade the mind of a student that I had just finished tormenting, that the boy had little to no mental defenses. I was able to completely control his access to the Force! I will begin doing this with each and every student that comes here. Those that can learn to defend against such invasions will learn to control those who can't. The students who don't learn to defend themselves will be trained in only the most basic use of the Force except to feed most of their strength to the controlling Sith. I'll make certain that the weak ones are given excellent saber skills so that they can be used as front line shock troops, while the controlling Sith stand back and use the Force through the connection provided by their cannon fodder. It will be interesting to see how their enemies react to a horde of naked suicide troops charging at them. Students will now either earn their place as a Wielder, or a Fighter, but not even these Wielders will become Sith until I say that they are...
…My system could not be working better! The Fighters, as they are now called, have no mental defenses what so ever! It has even served to dramatically increase the Fighter's connection to the Force, which will make them that much more effective in battle! This is being achieved by mental invasions in which the victim is forced to see and feel their body being raped. The fun part is that the Fighter is never actually injured by this process, which means that it can be performed dozens of times each day. I'm actually starting to enjoy working with these students again...
…Oh, the irony. The perfectly twisted irony! One of the Wielders asked about where we Sith came from today, and I have begun to teach a version of history that will have these students so terrified of the Jedi that they will fight to the death with a ferocity that will guarantee there will never be any prisoners of either side! No one, Jedi, or otherwise will be able to stand against this new Sith army that I have created...
…Force sensitive younglings are getting hard to find as of late, so I have begun a breeding program. Those males who are strongest in the Force and have attained the rank of Wielder or Master will be able to provide new generations of potential Sith. While those females who have also attained such rank and are strong in the Force will allow themselves to be bred. The female Fighters who are strong in the Force will be forcibly bred upon their first fertility cycle; whether they wish to be or not! Any male Fighters who are strong in the Force will have proven themselves to be almost useless to the Sith cause and will not be allowed to breed...
…The Fighter Wing's saber skills are progressing farther than I might have anticipated. I've ordered several hundred tons of Beskar to construct some rather unique training weapons that I'm sure will take them down a few notches. I intend to make sure that each weapon weighs a full metric ton. They will find it very difficult to master these new weapons, but I intend to see that they do so, or die...
…The time will soon come when this new army of Sith will be ready to sweep across the galaxy leaving nothing but terror and carnage in their wake. Our numbers have climbed to 4,368, and what a magnificent sight it shall be to witness the slaughter that will commence once I decide that it's time to unleash our wrath upon our unsuspecting victims...
…Recently, one of the younglings has begun to develop saber skills that rival my own. She is not particularly strong in the Force, and she is far too weak too defend herself from any of my mental invasions, or those of any of the other Masters I have trained. I think I will see just what she can learn as far as her saber skills are concerned. In the meantime, I will allow both the other Masters and the Wielders to have their fun tormenting her, but I will make it clear that they are not to kill her; yet...
…I'm now positive that this particular Fighter is like a gift from the Darkside of the Force! She has begun to use her telekinetic ability on a subconscious level. I didn't know that such a thing was possible. Several of the Wielder's want to kill her, or at least exile her for being so weak and unworthy. I know the feeling. I'm completely disgusted by her very nature. Every time I go anywhere near her, I have to suppress the urge to kill her out of pure revulsion. But I have managed to avoid doing so, because I am using her to pioneer new teaching techniques. If I can teach all of my new Sith to use the Force at an unconscious level then we will truly be unstoppable...
…This should not be possible, yet it is. This Fighter managed to use a staff in each hand today! I made her use them on a whim to humiliate her, and during the first session with them that's exactly what happened, but during the second training session she began to use them more effectively. I think I will continue to keep her alive for now to see how far she can go with this interesting fighting style...
…One of the first Masters I ever trained has begun giving this unworthy Fighter the laughable title of "The Talon of the Sith", and I find it utterly ridiculous! As if I would ever allow that worthless Fighter to gain the title of Sith! I will use her to finish the development of the Whirlus form, and then see if she can come up with anything that might prove worth her life. If she can't come up with anything more, then she will die. She isn't strong enough in the Force to be used for breeding, although she might produce a few more Fighters, and I must admit that it would be fun to see her reaction to her first breeding. She would be completely worthless were it not for her remarkable saber skills. I will truly savor each and every one of her agonized screams as I enjoy causing her to die slowly...
Leia set the data pad aside and wiped tears of pure rage from her eyes. Even with what she'd seen in Talon's mind, she still hadn't had any idea that the young girl's life had been one of such torment and misery that it was a wonder that the girl still wanted to live. Leia knew that there was no way that she could bring herself to read any further. The information was just too sadistic, too horrific, and the more she read; the angrier she became. To learn that a child's entire life was nothing more than a sick demented experiment to develop techniques that would be used by other individuals, who were considered more worthy, was abhorrent to the Jedi.
Leia rubbed her face with both hands before running them through her hair as she tried to get a grip on herself. Part of her wanted to assemble an army to make sure that all of those who were in charge at that academy on Korriban were dead, dismembered, disemboweled, and dis-anything else she could think of, while another part of her wanted to rush to the girl's room, cradle the child protectively in her arms, and promise the girl that such things would never happen again. Realistically, she knew that both courses of action were completely irrational, but still, her conscience demanded that she do something to right this situation.
Leia wished now that she hadn't taken that shower earlier, because after reading what was contained on that data pad; she somehow felt contaminated by it. She knew from the overall tone of the writing that Darth Magus had truly enjoyed tormenting both Talon, and every last one of the students who had the severe misfortune to end up under his control. The Jedi shuddered in revolted disgust. Leia knew she had only skimmed through and actually read a small fraction of the entire journal, but that was more than enough.
Grabbing her cup; Leia went over to her bags of luggage and pulled out a small flask of Corellian brandy. Pouring a small shot of the liquor into her cup, she then filled it the rest of the way with caf and sat down to drink it. It didn't take the Jedi long to recover from the pure shock of what she'd learned, but woe to anyone that crossed the Knight in her current mood.
Four stiff drinks and an hour later, Leia had finally begun to shed her murderous thoughts. It hadn't been easy, but between the liquor and meditation, she had managed to reach a point where every other thought wasn't about a painful method of killing an already dead Sith Lord. She knew that there was no way she could brief the council on this information until she calmed down even more than she already had. Thoughts of that shower were once again running through Leia's mind when the door to her quarters slid open with a hiss, and her husband walked in.
"Well, don't you look surprised." Han said with a grin.
Perfectly trimmed brows rose a full centimeter as Leia looked at him. "Is it going to stay fixed this time?"
"Honestly. I don't know. I had just gotten the hyper drive torn apart for some maintenance, when I got Luke's call. So I called Lando, asked if he could finish the job, and loan me a ship. After that, well, I got here as fast as I could." Han answered with a heavy sigh.
Now Leia did look surprised. "You left the Falcon?" She gasped in disbelief.
"Hey! She's in good hands. Lando promised to take good care of her. Besides, when Luke said something about you finding a Sith, I wasn't going to just sit around." Han retorted with a wounded expression.
"I think it's more like the Sith found me. And you can relax. She's not a threat. Although I'd love to get the miserable Hutt spawn that trained her at the end of my lightsaber!" Leia finished in a near snarl.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Han asked instantly.
"He's already dead." Leia stated disgustedly.
"Luke beat you to him, huh?" The Corellian asked as he moved the other chair so he could sit facing his wife.
The Jedi shook her head as she tried to figure out how to begin to explain the mess that had been dumped on her.
"No, he didn't get the chance either. The Hutt slime died before I even found out about him." Leia huffed sullenly.
"So? Where's the corpse? I'll feed him to a sarlacc for you. I happen to know the location of a pretty good sized one too." Han quipped seriously.
"Again, you're too late, Sweetheart. He got ate by something that would have made me take off running." Leia stated bluntly.
"Good for him! Now, what about this other Sith you mentioned? The one that's not a threat." Han asked her, changing the subject.
Leia shook her head while thinking. "I don't know, Han. I'm supposed to brief the council about her in a couple of hours and see if I can convince them to accept her as a student. But I promised her that if she couldn't stay here, then I'd let her stay with me." Leia admitted heavily.
Han didn't say a word, he didn't have to. The former smuggler gave her a look that demanded to know if he was allowed any say in the matter.
"She's barely a teen, although you'd swear she was only eight, maybe nine, and she's scared, because her whole life has been nothing but a living hell." Leia explained. "All I know is that every time I look at her, I can't help but wonder how I would feel if Jaina had been given the kind of life she's had."
"Come on, Princess. It couldn't have been that bad, could it?" Han asked doubtfully.
"No, no! There is no way that I'm letting you read that journal to see for yourself how bad it was! Kindness, compassion, a little sympathy, and friendship? Yes! She needs that, but she does not need pity! Which is about all she'd end up getting from anyone who reads that... that twisted… mess!" Leia finished angrily gesturing at the data pad.
If he didn't know her better; Han Solo would have almost sworn that his wife had been about to use profanity, which he knew occurred about as often as a heavy rain on Tatooine. From that alone, the Corellian knew that whatever had happened to this Sith, it had to be pretty bad.
"So, when do I meet this Sith?"
"What?" Leia asked not sure she heard him correctly.
"Well, there's a chance that we're going to be taking her in, right? So, I should at least get a chance to meet her before she moves in, shouldn't I?" He asked in a reasonable tone.
Leia glanced up at her husband suspiciously. He was just a little too quick to accept this situation for her liking. "Fair enough. You can meet her when the morning wake up bell sounds. And don't think you're going to talk me out of this." Leia answered firmly.
Leia raised her eyebrows when her husband gave her his patented "who me?" look of complete innocence. She watched as Han wore that expression for only a couple of seconds before it dissolved into that classic smug grin of his, which said he had the winning hand this time.
"Oh don't worry about that, Princess. I'm not even gonna try." Han told her smugly.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're finally learning..."
"I'll let your brother do it for me!" Han interrupted her smoothly.
The Jedi gaped at her husband for a few seconds before she burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Han demanded suspiciously.
"Luke's already met her, and he fully agrees with me. She needs to be trained as a Jedi. He might even try taking her in if we don't." Leia told him when she finally stopped laughing.
"Luke? Come on, Leia! He hasn't got the slightest clue how to raise a young girl, or how much trouble they can cause." Han said seriously.
"I know. Believe me; I know. For right now, she seems to trust me a little. Which is saying a lot, because she's been taught to fear Jedi. So, if the council does decide to accept her into the Order, they may have me working with her in some aspect or another." Leia began explaining.
"Which means that we might end up with her anyway." Han finished for her.
Leia nodded her head in agreement. "Exactly. Han, I know that we have our own little way of dealing with each other, but we'll need to be careful of our comments around Talon. She won't understand our jokes, and she doesn't even know what the word 'friend' means; forget about what it means to actually have a friend." Leia began explaining. "When you meet her; just remember that she's still terrified of Jedi and anything to do with us. So, don't expect much of a conversation from her." She warned.
"So, let me get this straight. You don't want me scaring the Sith! Is that right?" Han asked in a doubtful tone.
"Exactly. She's not like any of the Sith or Dark Jedi that we've faced in the past. She's young, inexperienced, and certain that she's going to be killed at the slightest excuse. She has a few things that could really benefit the Order, but she hasn't really been trained as a Sith, or much of anything really. So, when you do meet her; I want you to turn on that winning charm of yours." Leia told him.
The former smuggler looked at his wife searchingly for a long moment, before he nodded his head as if considering it. Han wasn't stupid. One didn't survive for long as a wanted criminal, rebel, or a smuggler without a high level of intelligence or a lot of luck. Corellian captain Han Solo had both, and he knew that his wife wouldn't ask something like this from him lightly. That Leia knew a lot more about this Sith girl than she was telling him was obvious. He could also see that this was something that was important to her for some reason she hadn't explained yet. Finally, he looked his wife straight in the eye. Then captain Han Solo flashed such a brilliant, winning, and devilish smile that it might have convinced even most Jedi.
Leia was neither fooled nor impressed. "You'll have to do much better than that, Han." She told him rolling her eyes.
Han's smile vanished in an instant as he gave his wife a hard look. "You're really serious about this aren't you? You really want me to try to make a good impression on a Sith?"
"Yes, I do. As young and impressionable as she is; Talon can be taught better. She doesn't have to end up like... like..." Leia couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, and she didn't need to.
Han grimaced as a wave of memories washed over him. Suddenly it all made perfect sense. He knew without needing to ask, exactly where his wife was going with this. Even four years later, they still couldn't talk about who, and more importantly, what their son had become after his fall to the darkside.
Han shook his head as he got up to pour himself some caf. He realized that his wife wanted to give this Sith a second chance. The same chance that the monster who had once been their son had so arrogantly spurned. He wondered just how tough it would be to try balancing the scales this time. If this girl that Leia was talking about was anything like Darth whatever his name was; then it was going to a real challenge, and he doubted that they'd be able to pull it off on their own. Then he realized that if Luke had already met this Sith, and agreed that she needed to be trained as a Jedi; then maybe it wasn't such a lost cause. Making up his mind was fairly easy after that realization.
"Alright. I'll give it a run. But there is no way that I'm taking a chance that this kid will turn out to become another one of those things that our son turned into! I see that start to happen, and I'll take her out myself." Han finally told his wife bluntly.
"I'll agree with that, but honestly, I don't think we'll have to worry about it. If she ever does learn to hate anyone, it'll be her Sith Masters." Leia said in a matter of fact tone.
Han only nodded as he drank some of his caf.
"So, how soon do you think Lando will have the Falcon ready?" Leia asked changing the subject. Knowing that he'd given his final opinion, but was ready to give Talon an honest chance.
"Shouldn't be more than a day or two. There wasn't anything really wrong with her. Like I said; I was just doing some maintenance on the hyperdrive. I don't think he's gonna be happy with me though." Han finished with a devilish grin.
"Why; what did you do to him this time?" Leia asked as she narrowed her eyes at the man.
"I left Goldenrod with him." Han said simply waiting for the right instant to tell her.
Leia choked on the spiked caf that she was sipping on. It took the Jedi a few seconds to get control of herself, and when she did; she shot her husband a disbelieving look.
"You realize that Lando just might shut him down permanently?" Leia chided.
"Somebody's got to do it sooner or later." Han quipped with a grin.
Leia started chuckling. Her husband's intense dislike of the talkative protocol droid was certainly well on its way to becoming an obsession with him.
"So, how'd it go?" Han asked curiously.
"How did what go?" Leia shot back, not quite following.
"The shakedown run of the Alderaan? What'd you think I meant?" Han supplied.
Leia sighed before she began providing all of the boring details that only a die hard pilot or engineer would be interested in. The two sat there drinking caf while discussing the merits of the heavily armored, but lightly armed diplomatic vessel. The change of subject had done wonders for helping Leia to shed her murderous mood, but hadn't done anything to help her prepare what she was going to tell the council. An hour later, the two of them were still discussing the various amenities of the new vessel when the first wake up bell sounded.
Leia looked up at the sound of the chime, before looking back at Han. "Come on; I'll introduce you to the most menacing Sith you'll ever meet." Leia quipped with a wink and grin as she got up, changed into her robes, grabbed a few things, and headed for the door.
"You're not making me feel any better about this, you know." Han complained grouchily as he followed her.
Leia made no answer as she walked across the stone tiled hallway; before she stopped at the door to Talon's quarters and tapped the call button on the entry panel. Leia didn't expect a response, because she knew she hadn't explained all of the functions included on the lock panel, but she had still signaled to be polite. Leia also noted that the door wasn't sealed, so she palmed it open after waiting a moment.
As soon as the door hissed open, a wash of cold air blew over both of them, and Leia shivered in spite of being ready for it. Han, on the other hand, had no warning, and wasn't prepared for that little surprise.
"It's as cold as a meat locker in here!" He exclaimed as he followed his wife into the cold dark room. Leia tapped the controls to the lights as she moved into the room, not that the dim lighting made much difference.
Han stopped as he realized that his wife was staring at an empty bed that looked as if it had never actually been slept in at all. "Well? Where is she?" He asked.
Leia was about to reply that she didn't know, when they both heard a soft snore emerge from the far side of the bed. Curious they both stepped closer for a better look.
In the far corner formed by the head of the bed and the wall; Talon was on the floor curled into a fetal position and still sound asleep. Leia held up a hand to stop her husband from approaching closer.
"Would you mind waiting in the hall until she gets dressed?" Leia asked him.
"Sure. Why not? It's warmer out there anyway." Han replied with a sour mutter and a shrug as he turned for the door.
As soon as the door slid closed; Leia knelt down and reached out with her hand intending to gently wake the girl up. She never got the chance. As soon as her hand started towards the girl; Talon came awake with a startled gasp.
Leia didn't say anything as the girl in front of her tried in vain to press herself further into the corner than she already was. Leia noted that the girl never took her eyes off the Jedi's hand; fully expecting something to happen to her.
Leia pulled her hand back to rest it on her thigh; giving Talon a light smile. "Sorry Talon. I didn't mean to startle you. It's time to get up, so you can meet someone and join us for breakfast."
"What's that?" Talon asked eyeing the Jedi warily.
"Breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day. It helps you wake up, and gives you the energy you need to start the day." Leia told her with a light smile. "Now, come on. Let's get you dressed. There's someone that wants to meet you."
Leia stood and offered a hand to the girl, who only looked at it questioningly. The Jedi had to suppress a snort of amusement at the girl's confusion. "Give me your hand and I'll help you up."
Talon reluctantly did as she was told and gave the Jedi her hand. She felt Leia take a firm grip and begin to pull. This was the first time that Talon had ever received help with anything, and she quickly realized that she could use the Jedi's strength just as she would have used her bed or anything else.
Talon got to her feet on muscles that were stiff and aching from both her exertions during her escape as well as her last session of punishment from Darth Magus. This condition was nothing new to her since she'd often felt much worse than this every morning for as long as she could remember. Talon tilted her head to the side in confusion when she realized that she didn't hurt quite as much as she usually did in the mornings. Then it struck her; she hadn't been punished yesterday! That realization didn't help Talon's morning any, because she was certain that she would be punished today for her disobedience the previous night.
Deciding that she'd rather be punished as soon as possible so that she could have some time to try to recover before facing whatever Master Cilghal might do to her, Talon chose that moment to confess.
"Master Leia, I disobeyed you by practicing my saber skills in a training session last night, and I'm ready to face my punishment." Talon stated in a soft trembling voice while looking at the floor.
"What? Why would you do something like that on a broken leg, Talon? Are you trying to end up in a bacta tank?" Leia promptly demanded, not even registering the fact that the girl had addressed her as a Master.
When the girl only shook her head to answer the questions, Leia let out a sigh of exasperation, knelt down in front of her, and put her hands on the girl's shoulders.
"Look at me Talon." Leia instructed firmly. "I want to know why you would do something like that?" Leia continued when she had the girl's attention.
Talon swallowed hard and looked back towards the floor as she started to answer that question.
"Talon, are you listening to me?" Leia snapped before Talon could make a single sound.
Talon nodded her head as her heart began pounding in her chest. Experience told her that whenever a Master had to work themselves up for it, that the punishment was always much worse than usual.
"Then look at me, Talon. It's considered very rude, insulting, and disrespectful to look at anything except the person who's speaking to you, understand?" Leia explained while looking the girl in the eye.
Leia couldn't help but notice that Talon wasn't exactly meeting her eyes, but having the girl fix her gaze on her mouth instead of the floor was a vast improvement. Leia knew that she'd had Talon's full attention from the start, but she knew that many of the Masters and instructors at this academy wouldn't think so; therefore she needed to get Talon to drop that habit quickly.
"Talon, the reason you can't practice your saber skills is because your bones are very brittle right now, and they'll break very easily. You were extremely lucky yesterday in that you only ended up with a broken leg; it could have been worse. If you had hit your head... well, it could have killed you. You could have ended up with enough broken bones to put you in that bacta tank for much longer than a week. That's why Cilghal doesn't want you doing anything like that for a while. This isn't intended to be a punishment Talon; it's to keep you safe from injury. Understand?" Leia explained patiently.
Talon wasn't sure that she did understand the reason given, but she nodded her head to give the Jedi the answer she was looking for. Talon was more than a little concerned and frightened that the Jedi had gotten so close to her before she'd waken up. Talon knew that she would normally wake up when anyone came within three meters of her, but this time she hadn't, and that really worried her, because she knew from painful experience that Masters did not like to be kept waiting.
"Now, let's get you dressed. There's someone out in the hall waiting to meet you." Leia said as she encouraged the girl out of the corner.
Talon gathered her clothes from the chair, where she'd laid them before going to sleep the night before. She remembered feeling strange without the other Fighters around her to share body heat, and had later moved to the corner to try to sleep in a way that was more familiar to her. Sitting down on the floor; Talon removed her leg brace and began getting dressed.
She made a couple of false starts when it came to putting on the shirt. It wasn't all that easy for Leia to avoid laughing when Talon tried to put the shirt on backwards. The only reason the Jedi was able to, was because she knew that Talon had never been allowed to have any type of clothing before.
With Leia's help; the girl was dressed fairly quickly. While Talon was putting her brace back on, Leia went into the refresher to retrieve a brush to do something with the girl's hair.
Leia sat down on the bed and had Talon stand in front of her while facing away from her, so she could fix the girl's hair. Not wanting to keep her husband waiting; Leia used the Force to activate the door panel.
"Come on in, Han. She's dressed now." Leia called out as soon as the door slid open. Turning her attention to the room's environmental controls; Leia again used the Force to temporarily reset them to standard levels.
Talon flinched as the heat rushed across her hands and face. While Talon was glad to able to be warm enough to be comfortable, she had no idea how these Jedi were able to stand the levels of heat that they seemed to prefer.
As Han walked back into the room, he saw his wife brushing the hair of what appeared to be a very young girl. The girl was shorter than his wife's activated lightsaber, and the top of her head wouldn't even reach his elbow. Han stopped in his tracks and stared at the girl his wife was tending to; taking careful note of everything about her.
A mere one hundred and seventeen centimeters in height; Talon had pale alabaster white skin, a mass of hair that was as black as the depths of intergalactic space reached down past the girl's waist, and eyes that were glowing slightly with the color of high quality gold. Four lightsabers were hanging from the girl's belt, along with a pair of thermal modulators. He could see that the girl was watching him warily, but hadn't moved from her position in front of Leia.
"So, this is the Sith you wanted me to meet?" Han asked doubtfully while looking at the two.
Leia glanced up at him and nodded her head. "Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself? You'll see what I mean."
"Okay." Han replied as he moved to stand in front of the girl so she could see him without interrupting what his wife was doing to her hair.
"Hi. I'm Han." He stated with a disarming grin.
He ended up staring stupidly at her when she only flicked her eyes up to look at him for a split second before she looked back at the floor and nodded silently. Han met his wife's gaze over the girl's head and raised his brows questioningly.
Leia shot the confused man an amused smirk that screamed 'I told you so' without stopping what she was doing. She had noticed that Talon was once again not complaining about any discomfort or pain; even though Leia knew that some of the tangles she was working on had to hurt. Leia deliberately caught her husband's eye and nodded meaningfully toward Talon to encourage him to keep trying.
Han hunkered down on one knee to put himself on the girl's level as he reviewed everything his wife had said about her. He was more than a little disconcerted by the fact that not only would she not say anything, but she wouldn't even really look at him. Even though she was only getting her hair brushed, Han would have sworn that she was getting ready to face her own execution or something, from the air of expectant doom that hung around her.
"So, Leia tells me that you're a Sith." Han tried again; nearly wincing as he realized how lame it sounded, but became concerned when the only reaction he got was another silent nod of her head. Han gave a mental shrug and cleared the cobwebs out of his mind. He was now determined to get a response out of this kid even if it got him in a mess of a bind.
"Did you know that Leia's father was a Sith?" Han asked her suddenly.
Talon looked up at the man in front of her as half a dozen questions went through her mind. Leia looked up at Han in surprise when he'd said that, and couldn't help but wonder where he was going with that line of conversation.
"What's a father?"
It seemed like such a simple and innocent question, but at the same time it contained implications that floored the Corellian pilot. Han looked up at his wife helplessly, and saw that she was just as stunned by the question as he was. Han had a well deserved reputation as being quick of wit, and a fast thinker, but that was not the case here. He resembled nothing so much as an aquatic creature deprived of water as he kept opening and then closing his mouth while trying to think of a reply.
"A father is usually, but not always a male progenitor that helps guide, teach, and protect the young. In some cases the male only provides the necessary genes. You'll learn more about that once you're placed in regular classes." Leia said coming to her husband's rescue, while giving Talon an answer that would both answer the question truthfully, but also avoid taking the conversation into areas of family which Talon knew nothing about, or the physical act of procreation; which Talon knew far too much about.
Talon frowned slightly in concentration as she tried in vain to make sense of the answer that she'd been given. She was once again acutely aware of the incredible jumble of thoughts and emotions emanating from the world around her that made it difficult to think. She could feel the calm steady presence of the Jedi behind her, and while she could tell that Leia wasn't trying to use the Force to affect her in any way; the strength of the Jedi's mind helped to drown out a large amount of what she was sensing. Finally Talon decided that since one question couldn't be answered, perhaps other questions could be.
"Who was he?" Talon asked softly.
Leia froze when she heard that question. She hadn't planned on revealing that part of her life to Talon just yet, because she wanted Talon to focus more on seeing the principals and differences of the Jedi for herself. Looking up at Han; Leia saw that cocky smirk which said that this was exactly where he'd planned on going to begin with.
"Who? Leia's father? Oh, that would be Darth Vader." Han stated a little smugly thinking that the information would impress the girl.
Talon's golden eyes shot wide open as she whipped around to stare at the Jedi with an expression of complete shock on her face.
"You knew Lord Vader?" Talon asked in a hushed awe filled tone.
Leia could have strangled Han for bringing that up, but seeing the look on Talon's face, and hearing the reverent awe filled tone in the girl's voice; she realized that it might actually work in her favor.
"Yes, I knew Darth Vader, but did you know that he was trained as a Jedi, and regretted ever becoming a Sith?" Leia responded with a light smile.
"What's regret?" Talon asked puzzled.
It was exactly the question that Leia was hoping for, and when Talon asked it; Leia could not keep a true smile from emerging as she prepared to answer it.
"Regret is when you do something that you later wish you had never done. It's like doing something to get punished for, and even if you don't get punished; you still wish that you hadn't done it to begin with." Leia explained still smiling.
That was an answer and explanation that Talon could easily understand, and more, identify with. Talon stood there thinking about what the Jedi had just told her. She knew of Lord Vader from some of the lessons that Darth Magus had sometimes taught, and while some of those lessons were sure to be lies, one thing she was certain of, because Darth Magus had repeatedly insisted on it; was that he had been a powerful Sith Lord, which all Sith should try to emulate.
"What did he do?" She asked in a near whisper.
Leia's smile softened as she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "He resolved his regret by turning against the Emperor, and saving the life of a Jedi. He was fatally wounded, but he died as a Jedi, because he'd saved a lot of lives, and he was the one to end the tyranny of Sidious." Leia told her.
Talon's gaze drifted slowly to the floor as she thought about what had just been said. She could still hear the words as if they had just been uttered.
"Strong in the Force, and skilled beyond your pitiful imaginations; Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith was a perfect example of what each and every last one of you pathetic wretches should aspire to become! If any of you should ever become a tenth of what Lord Vader was, then you will truly be worthy of the title of Sith!"
"Darth Magus always told us that all Sith should try to be like Lord Vader, because he was a perfect Sith, but now she's telling me that Lord Vader died a Jedi. Which one is right?" So great was the confusion running rampant through Talon's mind that she didn't realize she'd spoken the words aloud.
As soon as she heard that softly muttered question; Leia knew she had the girl right where she wanted her. The only thing left to do was drive the point home, and Leia knew the perfect method to accomplish that goal. Taking the girl's chin in her right hand; Leia looked straight into those eyes that glowed with the golden hue of the darkside.
"Talon, I'd like you to listen to me very carefully. As much as I would love to have Darth Magus at the end of my lightsaber so I could kill him for what he did, not only to you but the others as well; he and I agree on one thing. You should try to be like Darth Vader!" Leia told her firmly.
Both Talon and Han were gaping at the Jedi Knight in astonishment. Neither of the two could believe their ears. Both had questions they wanted answered, however, it was Han who found his voice first.
"What? Leia, you can't be serious! You want her to be like Vader? What about the torture he put you through and the carbon freezing that he put me through? No, forget about what he did to us! What about what he did to Alderaan? Remember the entire world full of innocent people that got blown up? What about that? What about them?" Han demanded angrily.
As soon as the man started yelling, Talon quickly slipped from Leia's grasp and began backing away while trying not to be noticed. She could feel the man's anger burning through the Force like a lightsaber, and she did not want to become a target for that anger.
Leia calmly waited until her husband finished yelling before she spoke. When she did; her voice was calm but firm, and it was obvious that she was not to be argued with.
"Yes I do want her to be like Vader. Because in the end; Vader turned away from the darkside, and turned his back on the teachings of the Sith, and that is exactly what I want her to do! Vader wasn't the one to give the order that destroyed Alderaan; that was Tarkin, and Vader had nothing to do with it, and I was there, remember? Before he ever became a Sith; he was a renowned Jedi. A renowned hero of the clone wars, and not even all the years of the evil teachings of Sidious could fully erase the good in him. I'll admit that it took me years to understand that, but Luke knew it, and brought him back to the light side of the Force. That is what I want from her; to become the kind of Jedi that Anakin Skywalker, who became Vader, would be proud of. The kind of Jedi that we can be proud of." Leia finished softly.
Han took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he looked around while his anger drained out of him. When he could finally trust himself to speak calmly again, he looked over at his wife and nodded.
"I can live with that." Han said at last. "But what if..."
"We aren't going to let that happen." Leia said firmly; cutting off any objection he'd been about to make.
"Are you sure about this? I mean look at what's happened in the past. Look at those who went to the darkside in spite of everything they were taught." Han protested.
Leia pointed over at the small form huddled under the workstation, trying to hide as best she could. "Look at her, Han. Really look at her. She hasn't hurt anyone. How many people do we know that are out there walking around freely, who deserve a fate worse than death? Pallaeon was a perfect example. As an Imperial he was just as ruthless as the rest of them, but he turned out to be a highly a respected, fair, and honest leader at the end. Talon deserves a chance, Han. The same chance that everyone else gets, even when half the galaxy knows they don't deserve it."
The Corellian sighed heavily. He'd lost this argument before it ever began, and now he knew it. The only thing left for him to do was figure out where to go from here.
"You're right." Han admitted grudgingly. "I just don't want to see another war get started because someone decides that they're entitled to be the next Emperor." He finished heavily.
"I know. I don't want that either. That's why we need to do this Han; so she won't want that." Leia agreed. "Look, you and I won't be alone in this. Already several others have met her and are willing to help. Together, we can make sure that she doesn't turn out to be another Palpatine, or even someone like Alema Rar. Besides, if we don't try to help her, then we're no better than those who did this to her, and I couldn't live with that. Plus, there would be a greater chance that it would happen."
"Okay, so what's next?" Han asked after thinking it over.
"Breakfast. I don't know about you, but I'm starved, and she needs to eat as well." Leia replied with a smile.
Talon had been watching and listening to every word that was said. She could feel their strong emotions through the Force, and knew that both were angry. But then, the yelling stopped and both of them somehow put aside their anger, and replaced it with an emotion that she had never sensed before.
Being unable to close herself off from the Force; Talon was able to almost see the emotion emanating from the two people in the room. It was like a stream of energy flowing from one to the other that would linger for a brief moment before flowing back again; linking the two in a cycle that had no end. It was similar to the feeling that the female Jedi had shown her when the woman was in her mind, but intensified to an incredible degree.
Talon had no idea what this emotion was, but now that she was aware of it; she realized that it completely engulfed both of the people she was watching. Instead of seeming to consume them in the way that she'd seen anger and hate do to some of the Masters and Wielders on Korriban, this strange new emotion was flowing from one to the other, feeding and sustaining them, strengthening them. Talon had never once seen anything like this. There was nothing remotely hostile about the emotion the two she was watching shared, but at the same time; it was as strong as hate, rage, or fear. Not knowing what else to do, Talon sat there, huddled under the workstation, waiting to find out what would happen next.
Han turned his attention from his wife to the girl who'd been the source of the heated discussion. He stepped to the center of the girl's room to get a better look at her, and frowned at what he saw. In spite of four lightsabers hooked to the girl's belt, and all the crazy Force things that he knew both Sith and Jedi could do; she was cowering away from him. With her knees pulled up to her chest, hands braced on the floor, and literally trembling, Han could see that the girl was more than prepared to make a break for it. It was something that got his attention. What really pounded it home to him was that she was obviously scared of him, as if he were the one that the galaxy needed to be afraid of. Han knew for an absolute fact that he'd never done anything to the girl that was watching him as if she fully expected him to sprout horns, fangs, and claws before trying to devour her.
Imperial officer, criminal, smuggler, rebel, General, and father; he'd been each and every one of them, and never in any of those roles in his life had he ever given a child any type of reason to be that scared. He knew that he had a reputation in certain circles as being someone to avoid tangling with, but he had the distinct impression that this girl knew nothing about him. Never in his entire life had Han Solo ever seen a child cower away from him in the way that this one was, and that disturbed him. He knew that when his own children had been that small, that he'd always been more of a friend to them, than a figure of authority. He knew that he was good with kids, and gained their trust and friendship easily, but seeing one this afraid, afraid of him, hurt in a way that he would never be able to explain.
Squatting down on his heels, he rested his forearms on his knees and looked at her for a couple of seconds. Then, he began slowly turning his head as he looked first over his left shoulder and then over his right shoulder as if searching for someone behind him. Finally looking back at the girl a couple of meters in front of him; Han's face assumed his patented expression of wounded innocence, and he pointed to his chest in that classic 'who me?' gesture of his. Han heard a snort of suppressed laughter from his wife as Talon's face twisted in confusion.
"You're not scared of me are you?" He asked while making sure that his tone matched the expression on his face.
Han carefully maintained his expression while watching the girl closely. He could see confusion vying with apprehension in the expression on her face, as she nodded silently. Han didn't have to pretend to look hurt as he shook his head slightly.
"You shouldn't be scared of me; I never hurt anyone unless they're trying to mess with my friends or family, sometimes not even then." Han told her.
Talon was confused. She couldn't help it, because just a few short minutes ago, the man in front of her had been very angry and was yelling; now he was acting as if she had somehow hurt him. Talon couldn't understand why she was sensing something similar to pain from him, when she knew that she hadn't done anything to him. Not knowing what to do, Talon slid a glance over at the female who'd been helping her.
Leia watched with a small amount of amusement as her husband used his own unique methods to coax Talon out of her spot. While she couldn't see the girl very clearly with the workstation directly over her head; Leia couldn't miss the unnatural golden glow emanating from the girl's eyes. When Talon looked at her with an unspoken question clearly written on her face, Leia smiled and nodded her encouragement to the girl.
Talon saw the woman smile, and while she knew that such an expression usually meant that pain or something equally bad was headed her way; she was beginning to recognize that coming from Leia, a smile meant something else entirely. She looked back at the man in front of her, certain that he wanted her to do something, but she didn't know what it was.
Han was neither blind nor stupid; he knew fear when he saw it, and the girl who was trying to hide under the workstation was scared, and he realized that she wasn't just scared of him; she was scared of a lot more than that. He knew that his little trick had gotten through some of her fear to arouse her curiosity; so now he just needed to capitalize on that.
"Now you wouldn't want to try to hurt Leia or one of my friends now would you?" Han asked her gently.
"N... no." Talon stammered shaking her head while wondering where the man had gotten that idea from.
"See? That's what I mean. As long as you don't try to hurt me or the people I care about; then you've got nothing to be afraid of. So, come on. Let's go get something to eat, besides, Leia turns into a real rancor when she's hungry." Han finished in a light joking tone.
"Han, don't start with the teasing. She won't understand that you don't mean it." Leia warned him while keeping a light tone in her voice for Talon's benefit.
Han wasn't all that sure that he'd heard her correctly; because he knew that it had to be an unwritten law of the universe that all children were familiar with jokes.
"Come on, Leia. Are you seriously telling me that this kid's got no sense of humor?" Han demanded using the thumb of his left hand to point at Talon while looking at his wife.
"Sweetheart, I'm sure that the only 'fun' she's ever participated in; was being on the receiving end of someone else's idea of it, and that was always some form of what they called 'punishment' or what we'd call torture." Leia corrected in a seemingly sweet tone of voice.
Han felt his blood run cold in an instant. It wasn't just her words that caused it, but rather the underlying steel in his wife's tone. It was that unique tone of voice she used, which, while sweet and gentle, was a hundred kilometers of solid duraloy underneath. Han realized that she was really serious about not cracking any jokes, so he decided that it was time to sit back and size Talon up in the same way that he would have examined a blockade that he would have needed to run during his days as a smuggler.
"Okay then. Looks like it's your turn." Han stated with a smug grin and a welcoming gesture towards Talon that said 'be my guest'.
Leia glanced at her husband and could easily see that he didn't think she'd fare any better than he had. She shook her head slightly. There was no way that she was going to allow this to turn into one of their little competitions; not when there was a person's life at the center of it.
"Talon, I need you to come here so I can show Han something." Leia instructed calmly.
Talon obeyed the command, but kept her attention focused on the man in front of her as she slid out from under the workstation. She got to her feet, and saw him do the same. As she walked over to where Leia was sitting on her bed, Talon made sure to keep an eye on the man who'd been so angry just a moment ago. This was the second time that she'd seen these Jedi get angry and start yelling without any type of fight breaking out, and as hard as she tried; she couldn't understand any of it.
With Talon standing in front of her and keeping an apprehensive eye on Han; Leia motioned her husband over.
"Take a look at her eyes and tell me what that means to you." Leia told Han.
"That was one of the first things I noticed about her, and to be honest; it's hard not to notice. It means she's turned to the darkside." Han replied without even bothering to look.
"Not exactly, Han. That type of change can be caused by the strong influence of any negative emotion with anger or hate merely being the most common cause; in Talon's case however, it's caused by fear. The color change is only evident, and only occurs when the mind of someone trained in the use of the Force allows a strong negative emotion to firmly dominate their mind, but with Talon; the majority of her thoughts and actions are guided by fear. The color of her eyes is a really good indication of just how strong that fear is, and how scared she really is. That's why I'm hoping to get someone assigned to counsel her in order to help alleviate some of that fear." Leia informed him.
"What a minute! From what I've seen, and what little I know; it takes a hell of a lot of hate to make someone's eyes change. So just what the hell is she so scared of that would cause her eyes to change color like that?" Han demanded suspiciously.
"Everyone. Her Sith Masters, other Sith students, anyone and everyone who has anything to do with the Order, you, me, and anyone else that she's likely to run into. She's been starved and tormented in a deliberate attempt to force her into complete submission, and it seems to have worked, but she's not a lost cause, and I believe that she can be helped." Leia answered evenly.
"Come on, Leia. Everyone? What reason does she have to be scared of me? I've never done anything to her." Han asked doubtfully.
"Han, every adult or Master she's ever known, was involved in tormenting her, and every other student she's ever known was either an assailant who took her food away from her by force, or one who was victimized in the same manner; which means that she doesn't have any reason not to be afraid of everyone she meets, and yes, that includes you and I as well. Receiving brutally painful punishment for infractions and sometimes for no reason at all, is something that she's had to live with and even come to expect from almost everyone. It's not going to be enough to tell her that we're different; we'll have to prove it repeatedly over time." Leia answered heavily.
"It's beginning to sound like we flew straight into the maw on this one." Han muttered sourly after a heavy sigh.
"I know, and I also realize that it just might get worse before it gets any better." Leia replied grimly.
One look at his wife, and Han knew that she wouldn't even consider the alternative of turning the problem that Talon presented over to someone else.
"So Princess… what do we do now?" Han asked conveniently changing the subject.
"Now, we go grab that breakfast. I don't know about you, but it's been a very long day for me, and I'm going to need some more caf before I face the Council with that briefing." Leia replied as she stood up, strode across the room, picked up Talon's cloak, and offered it to her.
Talon took the proffered cloak and put it on, pulling the hood low over her head in such a way that the amber glow from her eyes could be clearly seen from the shadowed depths. She knew that the two had been talking about her, but what had her attention was the strange way the man felt in the Force. There was a huge difference in the way she felt their presence. Leia presented a strong bright essence in the Force; while Han on the other hand, was somehow subdued, and dim. It was almost as if he wasn't entirely there. Talon had never encountered anyone with a Force presence like his before, and it was more than a little unnerving. She could sense the Force flowing from him and through him, but it wasn't flowing into him, and that was what she didn't understand.
When Talon saw the two start to leave; she moved to follow them, but not before summoning her training weapons to her hand. She'd gathered the two weapons without even thinking about it, because of the painful lessons she'd been taught after being caught without them. No sooner did she have the weapons in her hands, when the woman in front of her stopped. The Jedi just stood there as if she were waiting for something, and it took Talon a few seconds to realize what it was.
Talon looked down at the floor and reluctantly used the Force to send her training weapons back to their place on the floor next to her bed. Talon knew that she'd committed several infractions since she'd arrived, and she was sure that this was just one more item added to a growing list.
"Very good, Talon." Leia told her without turning around.
When they entered the cafeteria, Leia led them to a table in a corner near the entrance where she could keep an eye on the council chamber; knowing that Talon would be distracted by what she saw if they sat near the windows.
While she waited for the server droid to come take their order, Leia looked around the cafeteria.
While not particularly full; the cafeteria wasn't empty either. A few dozen students were fumbling through their breakfasts, with several of them appearing to still be half asleep. Leia smiled to herself as she recalled how tired she'd been on some mornings after Saba had put her through a tough bout of physical training the day before. The scattered Knights and Masters that she saw were all preparing themselves for whatever awaited them in the coming day. Some were discussing the progress, or lack of it in certain students that they were working with, others were simply taking the opportunity to relax while they had the chance.
All in all, it was a typical morning at the academy, and while Leia couldn't say that she missed it, since she'd never really gone though it during her own training, it did somehow fill her with a sense of normalcy. She exchanged a few nods of greeting with some of those that she knew, and strangely, the activity going on around her helped to steady her mind and allowed her to gather her thoughts.
Leia barely noticed the arrival of the server droid, but Han didn't hesitate. He placed his order and knowing his wife's preferences, placed hers as well. Leia noticed Talon hesitate when it was her turn to order, but then the girl repeated the same order that Han had placed for her. Leia listened with interest as Talon had to think about the unfamiliar words, but was satisfied to see that Talon was at least trying to adapt to unfamiliar conditions.
"Bring Talon two eggs instead of one." Leia instructed the droid after Talon had ordered.
While she would never openly admit to such; Leia knew that her own metabolism had slown down with age, and she had to watch her weight more closely than she had when she was younger. She knew that Talon on the other hand, was not only young, but had been given several injections to crank up her metabolism to not only correct her malnourished condition, but also help fuel the girl's pubescent growth spurt in an effort to counter some of the stunting caused by the starvation that had occurred throughout the girl's life thus far.
When the droid returned with their food; Han immediately began sipping his caf, while Leia took the time to add cream and sweetener to hers. During her lesson in table manners the previous evening; Leia had shown her the proper method of adding such things to her caf, but Han wasn't drinking it that way. Talon wasn't sure if she would get in trouble for trying it like that or not, so she went ahead and reached for the cream to add it to her caf.
"Hey kid. You know you don't have to add that stuff if you don't want to. Some people drink it that way because they don't have the stomach to drink it straight." Han said noticing the girl's indecisive hesitation.
"Talon, there are a lot of different ways that people drink their caf. There is no right or wrong way to prefer it. If you want to add cream and sweetener; then go ahead. If you want to drink it straight; then you can do that too." Leia told Talon before turning to her husband. "And as far as her stomach goes Dear; don't test her. Because I know for a fact that she's willing to eat things a Wookie wouldn't touch, and I don't want to discuss it right now because I'd like to keep my breakfast down. Thank you!"
"You're kidding right?" Han asked with a grin thinking his wife was joking.
"No; I'm not! And I don't want to discuss it." Leia said firmly.
The Jedi was about to say more when she saw her husband grimace in disgust. Following his gaze, she saw Talon dumping enough cream and sweetener in her caf to flavor three or four pots of the stuff. The girl had obviously drank it down some in order to be able to put that much in, and that was when Leia realized that the more Talon drank, the more cream and sweetener she added. Leia cringed when she realized this, and knew that even if Talon didn't mind drinking it that way; others would have a hard time watching her drink it like that. Leia shook her head with distaste, but declined to say anything to the girl as she figured that there were some things that Talon would have to learn on her own.
When Han saw that his wife wasn't surprised by Talon's actions, he turned towards Leia, intending to ask a question, but apparently thought better of it. If she wasn't concerned by what Talon was doing; why should he say anything?
Talon's eyes widened in their sockets as the shockingly intense and unbelievably sweet taste of the concoction she'd created hit her. Even after she swallowed; the flavor was still stuck in her mouth. She was so surprised at the intensity of it that she set her cup down for a minute.
"That's why small amounts are sometimes best Talon. It's one of those things that you needed to learn for yourself." Leia said as she tried to keep from laughing at the girl's reaction to what must have been very little caf at all.
Leia knew that it was like something out of a fairly harmless prank, and one that any number of the students would have tried, and while normally funny, this was a learning experience for Talon.
"You know, you could try adding more caf to it, but as much as you've got in there; I don't know if it's going to help or not." Han suggested in wry tone.
Talon thought about the man's suggestion, before giving the cup a second try. This time instead of just sipping at it, she gulped it down as fast as she could. Once again; the overpowering sweet taste of her concoction hit her taste buds. To both Han and Leia's consternation; Talon didn't stop until she'd drained her cup.
Han couldn't help staring stupidly at the girl as she sat her now empty cup down and licked her lips.
"Tell me she didn't like that." Han muttered to himself.
"Who knows? I'm not asking her, just in case she did."
Once the three of them had finished eating, they sat at the table drinking caf while Leia waited to see if she would be summoned to the Council meeting. She'd seen the various Council members make their way into the specially built meeting room and a pair of Jedi take up a guarding position outside the doors while she was still eating, so she knew that it shouldn't be too much longer.