Your prison is walking this world all alone

[jedi_librettist]

Ben watched out the window as the ship dropped out of hyperspace. He took a shaky breath. It was time. He wouldn't burden his brother anymore. He walked back to his cabin. He didn't know how what he would do after he left. It didn't matter. This was the right thing.

Comments

[jedi_librettist]

Ben ducked his head, blushing. "There's only two things I do that people like now."

[middleoftheforce]

"You'll find other stuff," he said, giving a shrug. That's what tended to happen on bases like this, people picked up skills they didn't think they'd have.

[jedi_librettist]

Ben shrugged. He was far from convinced. He hadn't learned many new things in several years.

He looked over at a loud crow from his son. His face grew paler as he realized what the toddler held. "Ani, put that down!"

[middleoftheforce]

Solo look round. "What's he got?"

[jedi_librettist]

"Mom's Alderaani porcelain Thranta," he shot back, running over to the kid and prying the priceless item away.

Ani promptly started wailing at the loss of the toy.

[middleoftheforce]

"... Well, shit." That would have caused some problems if it had been broken - it was hard to find anything Alderaani on the market, even if you were willing to look in less than savoury places. He winced at Ani crying, trying to remind himself he'd need to get used to it.

"Hey, Kid, come on."

[jedi_librettist]

Ben set the figurine where Ani wouldn't be able to reach it and leaned down to pick his son up.

The toddler leaned away, reaching for the thranta. It floated back to his hands.

"Ani, no. You can't have that. We'll find something else to play with." He looked up at his brother. "Did she keep our old toys?"

[middleoftheforce]

"Uh," he gave a moment's thought, moving to the storage cupboard in the room and opening the door. "I think there's a couple of things here? Not much, but some stuff."

[jedi_librettist]

"Mine," the child declared, holding it to his chest.

Ben sighed, reaching to take it away again. "No, it's your grandma's. Look, there are toys near your Uncle Bail."

[middleoftheforce]

He pulled out the box that had a few toys in it, opening it to let Ani in to take his pick.

[jedi_librettist]

Ani turned away from his father's hands, still holding the figurine. He ran over to the toy box, repeating that the thranta was his.

"I'll... I'll find you a toy thranta, Ani. I don't know where. Somewhere. But that's not a toy."

He looked over at his brother, eyes wide.

[middleoftheforce]

He wasn't really sure what to do, and couldn't help but shrug in response. He knelt down at the box.

"Hey, wanna give me the Thranta?"

[jedi_librettist]

Ani held the figurine tighter. "Mine," he insisted, reaching for a toy. "It fwy."

[middleoftheforce]

"It doesn't fly," he said, gesturing. "Just something that can break easily."

[jedi_librettist]

"It fwy for me!" the child crowed, grabbing a block. "It need a bed."

[middleoftheforce]

"It could have my jacket to sleep in? Shall we put it to sleep now?"

[jedi_librettist]

"I make bed first." Ani set the block down and grabbed another one. "Then bwanket."

[middleoftheforce]

He nods slowly. "Do you want me to hold it?" He asked. "So you can make the bed with both hands."

[jedi_librettist]

Ani shakes his head. "Mine. It mine."

[middleoftheforce]

There was a sigh, and he looked over at Ben shrugging. He tried.

[jedi_librettist]

Ben nodded, sighing. All he could do now was hope their mother wasn't too angry when she got back with the food and try to make sure nothing happened to it until the toddler lost interest. He yawned, his eyes fluttering. No, he had to stay awake.

[middleoftheforce]

It was fortunate that it was then that Leia came back in, carrying some food.

"Here we go."

[jedi_librettist]

Ben spun around when she walked in. "Mom..."

He let out a breath of relief, though. This should make distracting his son easier. "Ani, it's time to eat."

[middleoftheforce]

It was mostly fruit she had brought in, healthy things that would be okay for someone Ani's age to eat.

"It's all fresh, so eat up."

[jedi_librettist]

Ani came running over, porcelain thranta still in hand. "It eat, too. It want yogun."