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Author	Topic: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
talkingbanana Registered: Jun '03	Date Posted: 6/29/06 7:48am Subject: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO - Date Edited: 6/29/06 7:49am (1 edits total) Edited By: talkingbanana
	Title: Odd Man Out Characters: Kell, Han Timeframe: barely pre-NJO Summary: Kell tries to cope with not being able to understand the bond between his Jedi wife and Jedi son, with help coming from an unlikely source. Or, well, maybe not so unlikely. Author's Notes: Written for the fanfic100 LJ challenge; prompt #25 - Strangers. The idea is to write 100 fics with the same group characters (in my case, Wraith Squadron). Yeah, I'm in over my head, but it's more fun that way. * * * I feel like a stranger. Not that feeling like a stranger, in itself, was particularly unusual. I don't belong in a lot of places - fancy restaurants, art museums, traditional X-wing units, civilian life in general - but most people belong in their own homes. Even a home as transient as mine, which, with a family entirely consisting of unconventional NRI agents and Jedi, can only be so stable. It's the Jedi contingent that makes me feel like a stranger. I couldn't be more proud of Tyria; she's learned to overcome everything and now she's finally fulfilled that one childhood dream of becoming a Jedi. And, likewise, I'm proud of my son for following the same path, training with his mother. They have this amazing mother-son bond that I can only watch and marvel at, thanking the Force that it's around to keep Doran out of the trouble I got into when I was his age. I just wish I could share some part of that with them. I don't think I realized how much of a stranger I was in my own family until I realized that Tyria and Doran's bond was a direct result of the Force. Doran was all of five or six years old and starting to display what Luke Skywalker called a "considerable" talent with the Force - more than his Force-strengthened temper tantrums as a toddler, which I'm told were not nearly as bad as the Solo kids'. (Not that "Oh, at least he's not as strong as the Solo twin terrors" was any consolation when he broke our antiquated but well-loved entertainment system at age two, shaking it off its safe place on the top shelf with his mind.) I'm also told that, in the old Jedi Order, Force-sensitive children were brought to the Jedi Temple as infants, for some reason or another dealing with the old Jedi code and its prohibition on attachments. I think the real reason they took those babies away from their parents, though, was that only Jedi can deal with Jedi temper tantrums. Anyway, Doran was five or six and just starting to question the world around him like most children that age do when he looked up at my wife and asked, "Mommy, why can't I feel Daddy the same way I can feel you?" Luckily, Tyria had gotten good at answering questions dealing with the Force, so she fielded that one quite nicely; multiple times, in fact, as Doran proceeded to ask the exact same question about Uncle Face, Uncle Wes, Aunt Shalla, and every other non-Jedi "relative" he could think of. The fact that he never asked about his real relatives - my sisters and their families - hurt almost as much as the fact that he had something I could never understand; not only was I a stranger in my Jedi family, but my Jedi family and I were strangers in our extended family as well. I blame the Empire. I know, it's childish to blame everything on the Empire like it's the scary monster hiding under your bed, but for my generation, it will always be the scary monster hiding under the bed, giving us nightmares. Peace treaty or not, some things will never change; we'll always flinch when we fly towards a Star Destroyer, we'll always associate stormtrooper armor with evil, and we'll always blame them when bad things happen. So, by that logic, it's the Empire's fault that I'm sitting alone in at a tapcafé we used to frequent with the rest of the Wraiths: a rundown, unassuming little place near the Starfighter Command headquarters we never quite stopped calling home after our transfer to NRI. Face and I had called in a number of favors and finally managed to get a decent amount of leave for the entire squad coinciding with the month-long sabbatical Tyria and Doran were supposed to get from the Jedi Order. Naturally, something came up and Skywalker had to send them off to some distant backwater planet to solve some Jedi problem at the last minute, leaving me with a long overdue month of leave and nobody to share it with. The rest of the Wraiths are all off-planet, enjoying long vacations on island resorts and visiting family and not sitting alone in their favorite tapcafés sulking. The Rogues aren't around, either; they're off on some diplomatic tour in the Core, waving and smiling and letting people buy them drinks. I can't even go visit my sisters; they're both unreachable, on their own vacations or doing whatever it is sisters do when they don't want their big brother hanging around. "Tainer. You too, huh?" I looked up from my drink, the kind of overly strong concoction I only touched when my wife and kid were far, far away; none other than Han Solo, the grand hero of the Rebellion who completely ignored me once a long time ago, had slid into the seat across from me. "Whaddya mean?" My words were more slurred than I would've liked. Solo waved over the nearest waiter and asked for one of whatever I had. "Your entire family gone on some damn Jedi fool errand just when the galaxy had stopped bothering you long enough to finally have time for them." I could tell this was not the first tapcafé on his evening rounds. "'Bout sums it up." "Hate to say it," he continued. "But it never gets easy. Something always comes up, and they'll always be the ones in charge of runnin' out and fixin' it." I played with my near-empty glass. I had never thought about the fact that Han Solo was in exactly my position, estranged from his family simply because of his inability to wield the Force. He probably had it the worst of all; his Jedi family was the Jedi family. There were others, too, if I thought hard enough about it: Mirax Horn, for one. We all had the same problem - we all had to sit at home while our Jedi spouses and children rushed off to save the galaxy, like we ourselves used to do before the Jedi were the force they are now. Like most soldiers I know, I fought so that my kid wouldn't have to, but it didn't work out like I hoped. Jedi kids don't have the luxury of not knowing war. Solo was still talking. "Luke says Jedi in the Old Republic were forbidden to marry. Somethin' about attachments getting in the way of duty. But y'know what I think?" He paused dramatically, waiting for me to answer. When I didn't, he continued. "They didn't let Jedi marry 'cause it's not fair." I nodded. In some twisted way, it felt good to know I wasn't the only one who struggled with this. "It's not fair," Han repeated, sounding much like I felt: frustrated, loud, angry, less than sober. "Not fair to the guys like you and me, who marry 'em and have kids with 'em and then have to watch them go get themselves nearly killed. And you can't do a damn thing, 'cause they got something you don't." "I'm proud of 'em," I ventured, not quite trusting my voice. "But I wish I could be there to protect them. Even though they don't need it." "Yeah," he agreed, his loud and angry voice deflating into simple exhaustion. "The kids keep sayin' something bad is coming. They're all edgy, nervous. Leia, too, and Luke and Mara. But none of them know what. Can't fight a shadow." He gulped down the rest of his drink and set the glass back down on the table with a resounding thump, appearing strangely more sober than he had a minute ago. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of credits and threw them down next to our empty glasses. "That should cover it. C'mon, kid, let's get you home." I frowned but stood and followed - he was, after all, the Han Solo. "But nobody's home." Solo grinned, that lopsided smile famous across the entire galaxy. "Will be soon. Got a message from Luke earlier today. Apparently he sent my wife and kids to meet up with your wife and kid and take their places. Somethin' about the Will of the Force, but I think he really did it 'cause he heard what you and Loran had to do to get leave. Luke has a soft spot the size of Corellia's sun, so he felt sorry for you. So you're the lucky one this time." He clapped me hard on the back. "Congratulations. Now get home and sober up." I smiled and walked away, too overcome by happiness and alcohol to find words: to apologize that his family was sent away so mine could come home, to thank him for coming down and finding me and buying the drinks. I knew he would follow behind me in the shadows and make sure I got home - I realized that this probably had been his first tapcafé of the night, and he had come down looking for me, not for a drink - and I'd pretend to not know he was following. It was one of those unwritten rules in the military, and even though we were both technically ex-military, it was something else that would never change. Well, mostly never: it was a rule that didn't apply when there was still a question or two left hanging in the air. "Captain Solo," I called out suddenly, turning around. Sure enough, he emerged from the shadows. "Yeah, Tainer?" "Why didn't you just say my wife and son were on their way home?" He grinned again. "Needed to talk to someone who would understand. Another stranger. There aren't many of us." I laughed, still unsteady but a good deal better off than I had been earlier in the evening. "Another stranger," I repeated. I feel like a stranger, but it helps to know that I'm not alone. -----signature----- How? Myn/Lara one-shot, Betrayal, slight AU http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28175766/p1/?0 Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness. - Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
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Golden_Jedi Registered: Jun '05	Date Posted: 6/29/06 8:34am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Excellent viggie. I've always wondered about how Han would feel being the only non-Force-sensitive in his family. -----signature----- New Bespin Café - come visit THE place for H/L fans http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/29538471 Diving (a H/L intertrilogy AU) http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27836852
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VaderLVR64 Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 6/29/06 8:42am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	As always, your writing hits me on many levels. It's always so powerful, so very REAL, that I feel like I've gotten a glimpse into someone's life. That's a very rare thing, and you do it flawlessly. I don't think I realized how much of a stranger I was in my own family until I realized that Tyria and Doran's bond was a direct result of the Force. Doran was all of five or six years old and starting to display what Luke Skywalker called a "considerable" talent with the Force - more than his Force-strengthened temper tantrums as a toddler, which I'm told were not nearly as bad as the Solo kids'. (Not that "Oh, at least he's not as strong as the Solo twin terrors" was any consolation when he broke our antiquated but well-loved entertainment system at age two, shaking it off its safe place on the top shelf with his mind.) I'm also told that, in the old Jedi Order, Force-sensitive children were brought to the Jedi Temple as infants, for some reason or another dealing with the old Jedi code and its prohibition on attachments. I think the real reason they took those babies away from their parents, though, was that only Jedi can deal with Jedi temper tantrums. Amazing, simply amazing. -----signature----- R.I.P John, Alex, Jason, and Christian Never forgotten Soldiers' Angels http://soldiersangels.org/ 2114 soldiers waiting for someone to care
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Astronut Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 6/29/06 8:44am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Naturally, something came up and Skywalker had to send them off to some distant backwater planet to solve some Jedi problem at the last minute, leaving me with a long overdue month of leave and nobody to share it with. Begins to beat Luke over the head with frypan for making Kell suffer Somethin' about the Will of the Force, but I think he really did it 'cause he heard what you and Loran had to do to get leave. Luke has a soft spot the size of Corellia's sun, so he felt sorry for you. Stops the beating, settles for glaring Wonderful presentation of two well-developed characters in a difficult position. You made them show the hurt and loneliness they feel without betraying the character's hard, humourous images. I loved how Han took the opprotunity to complain and empathize with Kell before finally revealing his mission. Well done! and excellent use of the prompt! One hundred Wraith 'fics...drools Keep up the good work, I look forward to reading all one hundred (or any lesser amount)! -----signature----- Antilles/Celchu in '08
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The_Face Title: Ex-Manager Registered: Feb '03	Date Posted: 6/29/06 9:09am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	’nanner! I’m so glad I found this. It was really well-executed (as is to be expected with your stuff), had Kell and Han, and dealt with a very interesting area of the characters in a great way. talkingbanana posted: I looked up from my drink, the kind of overly strong concoction I only touched when my wife and kid were far, far away; none other than Han Solo, the grand hero of the Rebellion who completely ignored me once a long time ago, had slid into the seat across from me. Good reference! What really hit me the most was how real these characters felt. You focused on one aspect (and addressed it well), but somehow conveyed lifetimes of background and dimension. Amazing vignette! -----signature----- "Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." - E.L. Doctorow
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RogueSticks Title: 7th JC House Cup - Winner Slytherin Registered: Feb '03	Date Posted: 6/29/06 9:25am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	I'm popping out of semi-lurkdom to comment because this was a great piece. Powerful and poignant. You managed to capture the essence of what I feel would be a very real isolation for the non-Jedi members of Force families. Kudos. -----signature----- ECHO BASE: http://www.hostingphpbb.com/forum/index.php?mforum=echobase
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princess_of_naboo Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 6/29/06 10:24am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	That was incredibly sweet. Poor spouses of Jedi. That really does have to be hard at times. -----signature----- Reports from the Corellian Conflict - updated 11/22 http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/24309725 Princess of Naboo's Drabbles - Wk 7: Han; Wk 8: Tenel Ka http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/244319
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frankieskywalker Registered: Apr '06	Date Posted: 6/29/06 5:51pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Han, mirax, and Kell are the three big ones but i think it's worse for mirax because she was pregnant with the kids. it's sad that she doesn't have that bond with them, but on a lighter note they should set up a non-jedi family member suport group. -----signature----- and so the plot bunnies attack a whole in his heart http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=24122906&brd=10477 my second fic Your sightless eyes have seen too much http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/24195526/p1/?0
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padawan lunetta Registered: May '99	Date Posted: 6/29/06 10:16pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Ooh wow, very deep, amazing vignette! Love poor Kell's thoughts (Specially about his son's temper tantrum and only Jedi could deal with them...and that he took no consolation in the fact that his kids weren't as bad as the Solos.) Also love Han talkin to him about it, and not mentioning his family was coming home until the end. Perfect characterization...love it! Exellent work, my dear! -----signature----- Moldy Oldbie in search of a gimer stick. "Whoa, is my hair out?" Jacen\Jysella Forever!!!
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talkingbanana Registered: Jun '03	Date Posted: 7/1/06 8:39pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Golden Jedi - Thanks! I hadn't really thought about it much until I read Betrayal, and then a couple days later when I saw the prompt for "Strangers" on this challenge I'm doing, it came to mind. I'm glad you enjoyed my little take on it. VaderLVR - Thank you so much for your high compliments. The most important thing to me when I write is that I affect readers somehow - if I don't make y'all laugh or think or cry, what's the point? So it's really encouraging to me to hear you say that my writing is real. Thank you so much! Astro - I'm sure Luke wasn't trying to make Kell hurt on purpose, so don't bust out that frying pan until you know for sure. In all seriousness, thank you so much for your kind words. Finding the right balance for these guys was tough - we hardly ever see Kell in father-mode, and I hardly ever write Han, so I was a bit nervous about the reception to this. I'm glad it worked! Thanks for reading. Face - I'm glad you found it, too! Thanks for reading and for your compliments. And I'm happy that you enjoyed that tiny obscure reference as much as I did. RogueSticks - Wow! It's an honor to drag someone out of semi-lurkdom. Thank you so much for popping out to let me know you read this and enjoyed it. It really means a lot to me. princess - Thank you! I imagine it'd be brutal, and I'm wondering if it really was part of why attachment was forbidden in the old Jedi Order: all-Jedi families really aren't fair to any non-Force-sensitives in the household. Glad you agree, and thanks for reading! frankie - Thanks for reading! I'll pass on the suggestion for a non-Jedi family member support group. Luney - Thanks for your compliments and for reading! And really, if your kid destroyed something with his mind, would it be any consolation to you that somebody else's kid is worse? Thank you all so much for reading! -----signature----- How? Myn/Lara one-shot, Betrayal, slight AU http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28175766/p1/?0 Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness. - Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
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Gabri_Jade Title: Fan Fiction Archive Editor Emeritus Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 7/31/06 11:56pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	I could have sworn that I'd replied to this. Despite my tardiness, I really enjoyed this vignette. I'd never made the connection between Han and Kell before this, but I can totally see how they'd have at least some measure of bonding over their similar circumstances. You did a great job with both the characters and the scenario. -----signature----- Evil Twin of LadyPadme This concept of "wuv" confuses and infuriates us! - Futurama All I can do is be me. Whoever that is. - Bob Dylan Serendipity (Leia-Mara vig) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/30178069 !!11!1eleventy
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TheCrazyRodian Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 9/25/06 11:01pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Upping also, because Kell is such a good man, and because Han Solo is, too. Their interaction here is realistically sad--nothing dramatic, but still profoundly moving. -----signature----- My body wears a green scent, as on the verge Between green laughter and green sorrow I have walked all day Until my legs have gone lame, and still the spring seems spirited away. --Yi Sanghwa
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Arwen_Djo Registered: Jul '06	Date Posted: 9/26/06 7:47am Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Nice to know they're not alone. I aways wondered how Han felt about being left home sometimes. It also seems just like Han, to help someone else out even if he's family was taking their place. Han is awesome... -----signature----- To err is human, to ARR is pirate. Proud padawan to SilSolo and Jaya_Solo I Will Glory in my Redeemer, who carries me on eagles wings...
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SakuraTsukikage Registered: Oct '05	Date Posted: 9/26/06 12:06pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Oh, oh, oh, wow. In a lot of ways, this is just incredible. You've dealt with a topic I've always wondered about, and you did it using two of my favorite characters. Your characterization was just spot on, deep and sad and funny all at the same time, and I loved all of it. I'd pick out my favorite lines, but I think I'd probably end up reposting the entire fic, so I'll just repeat that this was great. Wonderful job. And one hundred Wraith Squadron fics? I can't believe I missed this. -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. Rebellion Rising-- http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=26988897&brd=10476
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JadeSolo Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Sep '02	Date Posted: 9/26/06 10:22pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	There were others, too, if I thought hard enough about it: Mirax Horn, for one. We all had the same problem - we all had to sit at home while our Jedi spouses and children rushed off to save the galaxy, like we ourselves used to do before the Jedi were the force they are now. It's very odd to think of Kell, Mirax, and Han as each being a proverbial "soldier's wife." They've done so much, stood on their own for so long, that you never consider the fact that they're the ones being left behind. Quite the mix of commiserating comrades, and I loved how you handled the emotions - heartfelt but not overdone. Great vig! Furthermore, I think a Han/Kell buddy story would be very fun to read. -----signature----- "If you expect a kick in the balls and you get a slap in the face, it's a victory." "May God bless you and keep you always...I mean that in a civic deist way." -Prof. Siegel "No guaranteed money, but all guaranteed fun!"
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talkingbanana Registered: Jun '03	Date Posted: 1/6/07 12:18pm Subject: RE: Odd Man Out - Han & Kell one-shot, just before the NJO
	Wow, I just looked at this out of the blue and saw a lot of posts I hadn't replied to yet! I'm sorry, everyone, I really do appreciate your thoughts. Gabri - I'm glad you enjoyed it! The connection between Han and Kell just kinda popped into my mind randomly one day, and I guess I figured that if I had just thought of it, maybe it'd be a new idea to a lot of people. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Crazy - Thanks for the up. Glad you liked it enough to reply! Arwen - Han is awesome, and I'm glad he let me write him, haha. Thanks for reading! Sakura - Thanks for reading! I'm happy you think it came out so well. And yes, one hundred Wraith fics. Eventually. I, ah, wouldn't hold my breath on that one, but I'll get them done someday. The ones long enough to post here on the JC, I'll put up here; the rest will be on my fanfic LJ, which is linked in my profile. Jade - Thanks! And a Han & Kell buddy story would be fun to read. You should write it sometime. I'm glad you enjoyed this! --- Thanks again, everyone who read while I was too busy with school to pop in! What a wonderful surprise to come back to. -----signature----- How? Myn/Lara one-shot, Betrayal, slight AU http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28175766/p1/?0 Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness. - Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
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