The Jade Shadow- Saturday
With a few hours before they arrived at Coruscant, Jaina was acting as Luke's copilot aboard the ship while Ben and Vestara stayed aft, which apparently put them in the perfect setting for a heart to heart.
"How did your parents handle it?" Luke asked without preamble.
"Handle what?" Jaina asked. "They've handled a lot of things. Especially me."
"That's what I'm referring to," he said. "And Jacen, and Anakin. How did they feel when you… well… when you noticed boys as more than people to spar with?"
Jaina told herself that she probably should have expected a talk like this, and even smiled a little. Oh, Luke. "Mom and Dad were pretty okay with the boys. Dad was a bit overprotective of me, as you can imagine. I honestly think any problems they might have had with me and John… and Jag… and Zekk… stemmed from the fact that they weren't around to share a lot of our younger years. We seemed to grow up too fast for them. They weren't ready for me to be an adult, to be forced to think about me having a relationship. I think they realized how much they missed, and that's why now they're focusing on spending so much time with Amelia."
Once upon a time that would have upset her. She used to be really resentful of the time that her parents- especially her mother- had been away, and it took half a war for her to get over it. She'd learned, just as her parents had, and now she was glad they got the time with Allana that they did.
Luke nodded, taking that in. "I was thinking about what you said a while ago. Before we let Vestara accompany us to Korriban."
Jaina frowned as she thought back. "What did I say?"
"You told me not to underestimate the power of love. And that maybe if Ben believes Vestara is redeemable, it's because she is."
"Oh, that, right."
"I… can't help but wonder if you're right," Luke admitted. "Vestara seems completely sincere. I've always been able to sense when she's hiding things, at least to some degree. But I don't think she's lying this time."
It felt a little strange to be discussing this, just for the fact that she didn't really know Vestara. She'd never really let herself trust the girl enough to get to know her. And Jaina was totally fine with that, but it made it hard to speak knowledgeably.
"She's only sixteen, Uncle Luke," she said. "She's had her father try to make her a head shorter with a lightsaber and is effectively cut off from her whole culture now. She's had a chance to see far beyond what she's been taught, and to make up her own mind about what she wants to do. And she's obviously in love with Ben and he with her, even if they won't admit it, and he's a good influence."
By the look on Luke's face, he hadn't been expecting at least part of that. "They're awfully young for that. Infatuation, yes. But love?"
"Tahiri was fifteen and Anakin seventeen when he died. Don't you think those two were really in love?" she countered. It wasn't that she was trying to advocate for Ben dating a Sith, but it seemed dumb to deny what was right there.
He seemed to accept that one. "Because of all he's been through, I understand that Ben is more of an adult than most people twice his age. I guess I just never thought about him having that level of maturity with regard to relationships."
"Some people never become mature with regard to relationships," Jaina pointed out. "Some people's hearts settle early, and for good. Even when they don't realize it."
Luke sighed. "Maybe I'm the one who needs to change. Maybe I'm too set in my ways to believe that someone who was born Sith, raised Sith, and grew up surrounded by Sith can set that aside enough to become a Jedi."
"Well, I would have used the word crotchety myself, but yes, that's what I'm thinking."
"That's what's wrong with younglings today," Luke smiled. "No respect for your elders."
Jaina grinned back at him.
[So anyway I like Luke and Jaina together these days. Dialogue taken from Ascension by Christie Golden, and you know the drill by now!]
"How did your parents handle it?" Luke asked without preamble.
"Handle what?" Jaina asked. "They've handled a lot of things. Especially me."
"That's what I'm referring to," he said. "And Jacen, and Anakin. How did they feel when you… well… when you noticed boys as more than people to spar with?"
Jaina told herself that she probably should have expected a talk like this, and even smiled a little. Oh, Luke. "Mom and Dad were pretty okay with the boys. Dad was a bit overprotective of me, as you can imagine. I honestly think any problems they might have had with me and John… and Jag… and Zekk… stemmed from the fact that they weren't around to share a lot of our younger years. We seemed to grow up too fast for them. They weren't ready for me to be an adult, to be forced to think about me having a relationship. I think they realized how much they missed, and that's why now they're focusing on spending so much time with Amelia."
Once upon a time that would have upset her. She used to be really resentful of the time that her parents- especially her mother- had been away, and it took half a war for her to get over it. She'd learned, just as her parents had, and now she was glad they got the time with Allana that they did.
Luke nodded, taking that in. "I was thinking about what you said a while ago. Before we let Vestara accompany us to Korriban."
Jaina frowned as she thought back. "What did I say?"
"You told me not to underestimate the power of love. And that maybe if Ben believes Vestara is redeemable, it's because she is."
"Oh, that, right."
"I… can't help but wonder if you're right," Luke admitted. "Vestara seems completely sincere. I've always been able to sense when she's hiding things, at least to some degree. But I don't think she's lying this time."
It felt a little strange to be discussing this, just for the fact that she didn't really know Vestara. She'd never really let herself trust the girl enough to get to know her. And Jaina was totally fine with that, but it made it hard to speak knowledgeably.
"She's only sixteen, Uncle Luke," she said. "She's had her father try to make her a head shorter with a lightsaber and is effectively cut off from her whole culture now. She's had a chance to see far beyond what she's been taught, and to make up her own mind about what she wants to do. And she's obviously in love with Ben and he with her, even if they won't admit it, and he's a good influence."
By the look on Luke's face, he hadn't been expecting at least part of that. "They're awfully young for that. Infatuation, yes. But love?"
"Tahiri was fifteen and Anakin seventeen when he died. Don't you think those two were really in love?" she countered. It wasn't that she was trying to advocate for Ben dating a Sith, but it seemed dumb to deny what was right there.
He seemed to accept that one. "Because of all he's been through, I understand that Ben is more of an adult than most people twice his age. I guess I just never thought about him having that level of maturity with regard to relationships."
"Some people never become mature with regard to relationships," Jaina pointed out. "Some people's hearts settle early, and for good. Even when they don't realize it."
Luke sighed. "Maybe I'm the one who needs to change. Maybe I'm too set in my ways to believe that someone who was born Sith, raised Sith, and grew up surrounded by Sith can set that aside enough to become a Jedi."
"Well, I would have used the word crotchety myself, but yes, that's what I'm thinking."
"That's what's wrong with younglings today," Luke smiled. "No respect for your elders."
Jaina grinned back at him.
[So anyway I like Luke and Jaina together these days. Dialogue taken from Ascension by Christie Golden, and you know the drill by now!]