for middleoftheforce

[jedi_librettist]

Ben picked a seat in the corner of the galley. There was something homey and comforting about watching his brother cook. The last of the tension he'd carried melted away.

Comments

[middleoftheforce]

Solo looks down, swirling the water in the canister in thought.

"Like them or not, Hutts keep some ... weird kind of order." There was grimness in his expression. "These other places aren't places you go if you've got another option."

[jedi_librettist]

"Then we go to Jakku."

It's simple. Jakku had no hutts and was safe. It really isn't that nad.

[middleoftheforce]

"Jakku is a junkyard. Ships go there to die."

[jedi_librettist]

"It's safe. There are no hutts. I can get the parts I need to make a couple podracers. There's the open space to race them away from people."

[middleoftheforce]

Solo just rolled his eyes.

"I hate Jakku. Too much sand."

[jedi_librettist]

"Better sand than swamps."

Ben grimaced.

[middleoftheforce]

He can't help the eventual sigh

"You'll clean the ship of every trace of sand."

[jedi_librettist]

Ben nods, looking extremely relieved.

"That's not that hard."

[middleoftheforce]

There's a huff of a laugh.

"Yeah. Just wait."

[jedi_librettist]

"Just you wait."

It really wasn't all that hard.

[middleoftheforce]

He couldn't help but wonder if his brother would be saying that after it seemed like the traces of sand would never end.

[jedi_librettist]

The Force makes a lot of impossible things possible.

[middleoftheforce]

Thanks for reminding him.

"And don't use the Force. Force cleaning is never as good a job."

Speaking from experience.

[jedi_librettist]

"Clearly you've never had to clean all the sand out of a wreck in an hour."

Speaking from experience.

[middleoftheforce]

"Yeah. I have."

He wouldn't explain that one, no matter how hard he was pressed. There's a lot he won't explain. He did ... maybe too much in his quest to find his brother.

[jedi_librettist]

"With a droid checking after, looking for a single grain of sand?"

[middleoftheforce]

"And getting literally dragged back by the hair if they found just one."

[jedi_librettist]

"And losing all meals for the next twenty-four hours."

[middleoftheforce]

"Not that they were much to talk about anyway."

[jedi_librettist]

"They were better than nothing.."

[middleoftheforce]

He stares, words catching up with his brain.

"...Yeah. They were."

[jedi_librettist]

"And if you missed something a second time, it was another twenty-four hours."

[middleoftheforce]

"But not now."

[jedi_librettist]

"Not now," Ben agreed but the look in his eyes was so tired.

[middleoftheforce]

He couldn't fix the look, but he was hopeful it might lessen