The gym [early evening]

[momslilassassin]

After a few good hours of wallowing, Ben made his way down to the gym to work off his tension in a more productive way.

The punching bag might not be all that appreciative of it, given the way the chain was squealing each time Ben hit it.

[OOC: Open like a gym!]

Comments

[solo_sword]

"Extremely," she nodded. "You're not a very good conversationalist there."

[momslilassassin]

That earned her a smile. "How old am I?"

[solo_sword]

"I don't know exactly- time difference- but I think about ten months? Still carryable, yet squirmy."

[momslilassassin]

"What was I doing?" Ben asked. "I don't remember much of that time. Um, obviously."

[solo_sword]

"Crawling, babbling," she shrugged. "You ended up having to leave Borleias with the Jedi kids and the Antilles girls, though. You probably didn't notice too much." Okay she wasn't sure she believed that.

[momslilassassin]

"Without Mom and Dad," Ben said. "That part I remember a lot of."

[solo_sword]

"Really?" she asked, immediately trying to think of how much she remembered at that age. "Even that young?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben shrugged, uncomfortable. "There was a reason I didn't exactly reach out for the Force when I was little," he said.

[solo_sword]

Jaina frowned. "See, this is why I don't like kids getting sent away. I get it, but I don't like it."

[momslilassassin]

He shrugged again. "They had their reasons. Can't exactly go into battle with a baby strapped on your back."

[solo_sword]

"Yeah, I know," she said, and there wasn't any of the anger about it that there used to be. "Doesn't mean it doesn't stink. But I get their reasoning."

[momslilassassin]

"Care to explain it to me?" Ben asked.

[solo_sword]

"It's like you said, if you say no, someone else has to do it, and we know the people at the top because they're the best people to do it. If they don't do it, who will?" she said. "They have the responsibility to do what they can, and that has to extend further than just their children. The kids are safer, the parents can stop worrying about how unsafe they are with them and concentrate on saving the rest of the galaxy, which those kids are a part of. It doesn't mean it's easy, or that they stop worrying at all."

[momslilassassin]

Ben listened carefully, then nodded. "So it's stupid to be mad at Mom and Dad."

[solo_sword]

"Not really," Jaina replied. "It's still gonna hurt. It just hurts them, too."

[momslilassassin]

"Think they'll be mad that Jacen didn't let them know about this weekend?"

[solo_sword]

"...Honestly?"

[momslilassassin]

He nodded.

[solo_sword]

"Yeah, I think so. And I think they'll be right to be mad."

[momslilassassin]

"Probably," Ben agreed. "I don't think I want to be there to see that."

[solo_sword]

"Probably not," Jaina said. "That might be something for over the comm."

[momslilassassin]

He nodded hard. "That way Mom can yell without me hearing."

[solo_sword]

"it helps that I'd like to think she would save it till you had gone, at least."

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled. "Yeah, but the doors aren't quite that soundproof."

[solo_sword]

"I'll give you that," she said. "And earplugs probably wouldn't really work."