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star wars: luke skywalker

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Who:Han Solo and YOUR FACE
When: throughout the month of May
Where: aboard the Moira unless otherwise noted
What: for all your miscellaneous threading needs! will probably post some specific starters, but feel free to hit him up with basically anything.
Warnings: currently n/a; will warn in threads / update as needed

Though going home is Han's number one priority, he's not sure a temporary trip (if that's even for real) is worth the risk. So while he'll get into his share of trouble, he's sticking around on the Moira a fair amount. Plenty to do.

He keeps up with his work running one of the transporters as needed, and can frequently be found between trips on the flight deck. Sometimes he's poking at his shuttle of choice, but just as often he can be found in or around the Millennium Falcon. Loath as he was to risk spreading whatever contamination they've all contracted onto his pride and joy, there's only so much waiting a man can take. (Play your cards right and maybe you'll get a tour, he likes to show off.)

The mess hall, the bar, and the cafe are all frequent enough haunts. Hell of a lot better than being stuck for months with instant caf and freeze-dried rations. As far as space travel goes, this is straight up luxury.

Otherwise, he'll be around, here and there.

---

[ closed starters below! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Life in this foreign galaxy is full of surprises, and it ranks pretty high among them that Ben Kenobi actually used to be a pretty fun guy. Based on their brief acquaintance back home, Han never would have guessed it. It's the kind of thing that makes you wonder what could have happened in the intervening years, except that he generally tries not to think too hard on all those intervening years.

Now and then, though, a little seriousness can't be avoided. Han has been thinking on all this business about attachments and the Jedi order, and he's come to the conclusion that it's not his business. But that's never stopped him before.

The message he sends Ben to ask if he wants to grab a drink doesn't mention any of that. And, hey, there's plenty of easy stuff to chat about. The ship. Races. The likelihood that whatever is on the planet below is going to turn out disastrous. Nothing unusual here. Whenever the Jedi shows up he'll find Han seated casually as ever, having taken the liberty of getting them two glasses and a bottle.]

[ Obi-Wan does owe Han a drink, although he doesn't get the impression that Solo's calling that in. This feels like a much less ad hoc — as if it might as well be spontaneous.

He arrives to find the pilot already waiting and he wastes no time in taking a seat with him. ]

Your invitation couldn't have come at a better time — I needed a convenient exit from a rather... unpleasant conversation. I'll spare you the finer details, but I suggest you avoid the sour soup.

[ It's true enough that this version of Kenobi is a bit more fun than the man he's due to become in nineteen years (or less), but it certainly doesn't mean much, does it? People change all the time. Obi-Wan can't quite know how much he'll change, either. Even with the aid of the Force, he's not quite that adept at seeing the future.

Han seems to have a unique perspective over his eager companion. ]

What did you order us? [ And then, abruptly. ] You've been all right? [ And then, again, almost as if he's now concerned something could be amiss. ] How's Leia?

[ Now look what you've done, Solo. He might not ever shut up. ]

[Wow, Ben, slow down. Han doesn't budge from his lazy sprawl in his chair, though he does raise an eyebrow at the series of questions-- and the somewhat mysterious comment about soup. You can't just say something like that and not explain, buddy.]

I dunno what it is, but you need some of it, [he says decisively, filling their glasses. How are they going to find out what all these extragalactic drinks are without sampling them? It's reasonable logic.] I'm fine, we're fine. What's wrong with the soup?

[No rush to get to the tough questions. A few years ago (or a few in the future, depending on your point of view), Han might have agreed on the danger of forming attachments, though he would still have been skeptical of any attempt to forbid them. Here and now the whole thing seems ludicrous, in no small part because Kenobi himself seems to have his share, Jedi Order or no.]

Did you ever get that forward actuator fixed up?

[ This is, perhaps, a trap in some regard, as Obi-Wan finds himself with no expectations when it comes to Han. Their so-far easy companionship has reminded the Jedi Master of more than a few favored acquaintances (many of which shared company with Kenobi in much the same manner).

He's halfway through testing a taste of the drink, making an affirmative noise even before he has a chance to actually swallow down the alcohol. ] I did, yes. I doubt Anakin even noticed, but I feel a bit better about it, anyway.

[ Regarding the glass, he completely forgets to fill Solo in on the soup. Suffice to say, it's seems like no small thing, but perhaps the fact that it so easily slips Obi-Wan's memory suggests otherwise. He's more interested in the booze, which is a little bitter, but not entirely unpleasant. ]

That's your ship down in the hanger? The new one? I've heard it is.

[Maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise that Ben is capable of relaxing at all. After all, disapproving though he might have been, the old man seemed comfortable enough in Mos Eisley, aware of how to handle himself, what threats to take seriously and who to ignore. It's a strange thought.

Nodding along, letting the topic of soup fall by the wayside, he takes a cautious taste of their mystery drink as well. Not bad, though it hardly compares to Corellian brandy. (But what does?) Besides the alcoholic distraction, Ben has landed on one of Han's favorite topics in any galaxy. He grins broadly.]

She sure is. Fastest ship you'll ever see. [Deja vu much? Okay, he can't help testing it.] She did the Kessel run in twelve parsecs.

[ That certainly gets a raised eyebrow out of Kenobi, but he would certainly admit if asked that he's got some suspicions about a boast of that magnitude. Nevertheless, he holds his tongue and raises his glass in salute. ]

In that case, we'll drink to fast ships. [ He raises his drink to his lips and mutters a bit as he stops short for a few seconds. ] As long as I'm not the one flying them...

[Ben, how could you mistrust this face?

Han is a depressingly honest man these days. But absolutely he'll toast to that.]

As long as I am the one flying 'em, [he counters. See? Neat how these things work out.]

If we race I'm gonna have to stick to the transporter, though. Wouldn't be fair.

Very considerate of you since the other option is to allow everyone to fly your ship.

[ He smirks and sets his glass down, not quite ready to take shots (but not honestly all that far off, as he rarely is when he finally does allow himself to drink). ]

I've no interest in racing, in any case. I don't mind spectating. Or betting.

I thought you were organizing us.

[He grins broadly. Don't think he forgot your enthusiasm last time you talked about this, Ben. Even if it's only to keep the pilots busy, it's a good idea. Though the promise of betting leaves him wondering the implementation of currency aboard would be a bad thing after all.]

Leia thinks it'd be better to do runoffs than compare times.

That sounds fair. Is she planning to participate? Perhaps she'd make a better judge than I would.

[ Which is to say, he suspects there isn't much getting past Leia, particularly after their most recent conversation. She's sharp and principled and she's already made it pretty clear she wouldn't skew favor in Han's direction. ]

Just watching, I think.

[He doesn't doubt that Leia could be entirely impartial judging the races. It's not even as though he'd be the obvious favorite if she were biased, she's got complicated ties to half the pilots aboard, it feels like.]

But you're right, she's got good judgment.

In most things, at least. [ Obi-Wan raises his glass to salute Han, unable to keep the amusement from spreading across his face, all the way to his eyes. ] But then she gets mixed up with smugglers.

[ It's really no wonder, not that Kenobi makes a habit of waxing poetic about romantic entanglements. He can sense, even from afar, how good they are for each other. It's not unlike Padmé and Anakin, who somehow complete each other in the most unexpected ways. For a moment, Obi-Wan almost wishes he could blame his sentimentality on the alcohol. Unfortunately, he's not that much of a lightweight. ]

She wasn't entirely pleased with me, last we spoke.

[He walked into that one, so he answers with a lift of his own drink. At the very least Ben doesn't seem particularly disapproving of their relationship in particular, which doesn't quite jibe with the stance that attachments are so inherently harmful. It's the biggest reason why he's curious rather than upset.

Though Leia's upset, which means he's a little upset.]

Yeah, I heard about it.

[He lets that hang, leaving the Jedi the opportunity to explain his side of it if he wants to.]

[ He doesn't particularly want to talk about it, although he gets the sense now that this is the real reason behind this encounter. It leaves him a bit deflated, but not so noticeable that it's due to ruin their evening. ]

I imagine you did. [ And knowing Leia, she passed it on with enough accuracy that Kenobi doesn't necessarily have to mention "his side." ] And what did you think?

[It was kind of inevitable. The lot of them are stuck here together, these disagreements and confusions are going to work their way through everyone sooner or later. It's like trying to do repairs on an old engine. You replace one part, it shorts out another.]

Do I really have to point out where the problem is?

[Telling the Jedi's children that Jedi can't have children...]

That would have been the point of asking, yes. But I imagine you have the same stance as Leia, perhaps Luke as well, and even Anakin.

[ For that matter, Obi-Wan stands alone in his reasoning as far as he knows. Barring the possibility that Kylo Ren denies attachment, he may very well remain alone in this. ]

So, are you here to understand why? Or to talk me out of my beliefs? Or to call me on my hypocrisy?

Leia's the only one I talked to. I'm guessing Anakin's not a fan.

[If his response was to run off and have a couple of kids, that's a statement that kind of speaks for itself. Which is largely why Han isn't going to discuss it with him; t's kind of difficult not to feel awkward about dating the younger man's daughter. He lifts a shoulder, a lazy shrug.]

Do you have reasons? Or is that just what they tell you?

[ Kenobi does what he can to avoid the sting of upset, the heat of frustration. It's not as if he thinks Han is accusing him, but the fact remains that he must not be presenting himself properly if anyone has to question his autonomy. ]

I have my reasons, yes. [ Reasons enough that he looks at his empty drink glass and bemoans the fact that he's too sober for even this conversation, which hardly feels as aggressive as his last on the topic. ]

Make no mistake, I've struggled with attachment. I still struggle with it. Daily. No Jedi is unfeeling, Han. The point is to acknowledge attachment and then release it of the power it holds over you.

In my experience... [ He sighs out his disappointment. ] failing to do so has had lasting consequences.

Denial has lasting consequences, too.

[In his time there is no Jedi Order, so his experience is a little lacking... And growing up under Imperial rule, Han is used to seeing authority misused, and thus inclined to be mistrustful of dogma.

He's not having this conversation to be cruel. He's not quite sure, actually, why it seems so important to talk about it, except that he's unreasonably fond of Leia and Luke both and the idea that they'd need to deny themselves basic human connection for the sake of some mystical nonsense bothers him. (Okay, yeah, that's probably it. Still, he slides the bottle across the table, a small consolation.]

I make a living off things being outlawed, you know? Forbidding something, that's what makes people want it.

Of course.

[ The concept certainly doesn't elude him, and in fact, he's considerably more practiced in this concept than is strictly necessary of most Jedi; between a rogue Master and a rogue Padawan, Obi-Wan's seen more than his fair share. ]

I suppose to question really remains if a person desires more to serve the Order or themselves. As I tried to impress upon Leia, we all have a choice. A person can leave the Order.

[ That's saying nothing of those given no choice to start, Obi-Wan included, having been placed with the Order at infancy; his parents and the Force had made that decision for him.

And then, belatedly, he adds: ] The Jedi have not always operated in this manner. The... suggestion being made by the Order is an attempt to lift ourselves above a place of influence. We look to become pure devices for the Force to work through. Like a focusing crystal.

[ He tops off both of their drinks. ]

You think Leia serves herself?

[The question is too incredulous to sound accusatory. Maybe a few years ago this would be a moot point; Leia had her own code of detachment, then, as severe as anything Obi-Wan could suggest. Perhaps she would've liked the excuse. It's not just self-interest that has Han convinced she's better off having admitted to her feelings. Wanting things is part and parcel of living; even Obi-Wan is acknowledging that. Denial is energy wasted.

Besides, attachment is why he's here. It'd look better to claim he's altruistic and focused only on the liberation of the galaxy, but it's not true. He went back for Luke. He stayed for Leia. Attachment is why he'd sacrifice himself for the cause. Bad for business, maybe, but it's not a weakness.]

It doesn't really seem like leaving's much of an option.

[ Semantics, always semantics. Obi-Wan had guessed that somewhat pedantic streak was concentrated in the Skywalker bloodline, but apparently birds of a feather flock together; Han could have conceded to the logical point if he'd really wanted to: in this scenario, the Order represents the Force and nothing else. ]

But it is an option. As is the ability to study in the ways of the Force without committing yourself to the way of the Jedi.

I'm not the one you have to convince. I don't know if I even believe in it.

[Grudgingly, he's coming to admit that there's something. Leia and Luke are convinced, and the things he's seen... The bruises have faded, but he hasn't forgotten Kylo Ren throwing him across the room.

But he's not sure. He's definitely not buying anything about destiny or guidance. And he's getting away from the topic at hand, anyway.]

Besides. You treat them like family.

[Okay, yeah, that one's kind of an accusation. He's seen it.]

[ So it is about the hypocrisy, Obi-Wan reflects, somewhat soured and yet still somehow a bit amused (the alcohol must be working its charm). It's interesting to him that this would come from Han, of all people, considering how few actual interactions they've shared. Perhaps his practical application of a simple fix to Anakin's transporter had done it. Or maybe his asking after Leia.

And still, he wonders a little darkly how such a thing could even be said, whether he really knows how a family should be treated — his only examples are always from an outsider's perspective — and whether stories of him run rampant through their inner circle. By far, they're none too pleasant thoughts, but he does as he does and away they go, too, let off into the Force to be dealt with in other forms, as opposed to plaguing him here in this shared moment. ]

I treat them well. [ It's not an affirmation, it's an excuse. ] I treat everyone well. [ From a certain point of view... ]

Edited (Wait for it...) 2016-05-10 02:30 (UTC)

Sure.

[He can't help it if his views are colored by their first meeting. Even if he and Ben didn't get along, exactly, there was absolutely something familial about the way the old man shuffled the kid around. Same as the way he looks after Anakin. And there's a sort of pride in the way he talks about Leia, even in the midst of their disagreement, which was probably (knowing the both of them) actually quite civil, even if there are intense feelings on both sides.

Yeah, there's something hypocritical about it. He can't wrap his head around why, and maybe he never will.]

You ever think about leaving?

closed : obi-wan kenobi

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