fandomhigh | Flight & Flying [Tuesday, June 16, 4th period]

Anakin was nodding off as he leaned against the door leading into the flight shed.

Not that he would admit that. If asked, he was meditating. While standing up. And kind of snoring.

His eyes cracked open when most of the students arrived. "Today you're going to avoid flying into black holes," he said. "You're going to make the Kessel Run, though if I hear of any of you becoming drug runners--which was what this particular route was used for--you will be very, very sorry."

He flicked his hand towards the wall, where a two dimensional map of the 18-parsec run was illuminated. "The route takes you around The Maw--which is a series of black holes--and leads you through an uninhabitable—but far easier to navigate—area of space called The Pit." He smiled a little at Ben, who he was sure knew this entire area by heart. "The Pit is an asteroid cluster encased in a nebula arm, which makes sensors and pilots go virtually blind. There's a high chance that pilots, weary from the long flight through real space, will crash into an asteroid."

He arched up an eyebrow. "And yes, I know that parsec is a unit of time. If you swing closer to the Maw, you can cut the distance, and thus the time of the flight. But more likely, you'll get sucked into a black hole and be crushed."

Anakin waved his hand, and the map was replaced by a picture of the ship they'd be flying. "This ship and its," he swallowed back an "irritating" "pilot made the run in under 12 parsecs, which I think stands as the fastest time through..." he shot Ben a questioning look.

"Dad and Uncle Han shaved some time off of that a few years later," Ben corrected.

Anakin looked annoyed. He hadn't shaved much off of the original twelve.

"Very well. Climb into the Falcon, try not to hit asteroids, black holes or the ships that are chasing you."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah." Tahiri drew a breath and gave him a brief smile. "I talked to someone who might be able to help, maybe."

"Really?" Ben replied, shifting a little closer. "Who?"

"This girl named Karla, who came down to the Gig on Sunday. She kind of noticed right away, about . . ." Tahiri gestured at her scars, still a little unsettled that someone had been able to tell so easily. "She said she could help, so . . ."

"I like Karla," Ben offered cautiously. "When are you going to talk?"

"Yeah, I got the 'oh, so you're Ben's girlfriend' greeting," she teased him, paraphrasing. "I told her I'd come by sometime tomorrow or Thursday."

"Want me to be around after?" he asked.

"Of course I want you around," Tahiri said as if she hadn't given him reason to doubt that of late. "I mean, if you want to be."

"I'm not going to let you do this alone," Ben said, brow furrowing.

Tahiri reached a hand out to him on impulse. "I think we're just going to talk it over for now. I don't know yet how much she can do. But," she added, smiling slightly, "if we can fix this somehow, I'm not doing it without you, get it?"

He took her hand and squeezed her fingers. "You better not."

"I'm getting the hang of this 'us' thing," Tahiri murmured. She was trying, at least.

"Yeah, me too," Ben said, smiling. "At least, I think I am."

Tahiri didn't realize how glad she was to hear that until he actually said it, and she squeezed his hand in return. "Good," she said emphatically.

"You were worried," he said, looking at her.

"A little," she admitted.

"I'm sorry," Ben said quietly.

Tahiri shook her head. "Not your fault, Ben, and you'd better not be blaming yourself."

Yeah, she kind of knew him.

"I'm not," he lied quickly.

Tahiri just raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh huh."

"I'm not blaming myself entirely," he amended.

"Well, that's a little better," she conceded.

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm working on it."

"You know I'm going to make you keep working on it, right?" she said lightly.

"Or deny me ice cream?" he teased back.

Tahiri's eyes flashed. "I'd never do that."

Someone was a little insistent.

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