Yup, Things are Different Now (a Horn story)

LoL! Post more!

 

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STORY


PLEASE!!!!!!!

 

Corran also has pulling practicle jokes and jedi tricks.

 

more!!! please?

 

Up!

 

Ve are vanting more Post, Jah!!?? >

 

LoL!!! Ve vant vome vore!!!

 

There are some odd ppl here. ;p

 

test

 

*Grin* Great posts Opie!!!! Now, where is the next one?

 

(Author's note; Does anyone know the song below? I cut it off b/c it was hardly filked at all and I didn't want to type out an almost-"stock" song. As for the tune, think Irish jig.)


That night, the whole family was together. With my family, that's saying a lot!
I'm thinking of it as a huge party, and that's probably how I'll always remember it, but it was really just me, Jys, my parents, Grandpas Ross and Booster, and a couple droids. It was a double party, though; our immediate family's homecoming and my twelfth birthday, in addition to a family reunion.

We had a huge dinner, though; the most wonderful roast gornt ever took center stage, plus regular and sweet potatoes, string beans, and lots of fresh fruit, which is something of a luxury on Coruscant even in the best of times but, I'm told, something Corellian homes are rarely without. (Having almost half the planet's land as farms has certain advantages).

"Hey, did I ever tell you about the worst roast gornt I ever tasted? You'll love this one, son-" Dad said at the end of the meal.
"Twi'lek-restaurant-on-Coruscant-with-Iella. Just-before-you-went-to-the-academy," I replied in my best bored-adolescent voice.
"Shut up and sing."
I started tunefully; "Mmph whmmph hmmp hmwmmmhmmmhh..." Everyone laughed- even Dad.
"Seriously, Valin," Grandpa Ross said handing me my instrument, "Give us a song."
"Am I under police orders?"
Grandpa Booster added in a mock-threatening tone "Lay off the kid, Corsec."
"Let's just say your cooperation will be appreciated," Grandpa Ross smiled.

I knew exactly the right song, too. A very old, and somewhat sappy ballad, but one with a cheery tune. Not really meant for a boy's voice, but really meant for an occasion like this...

"When Corell hangs low over Treasure Ship Row,
The colors last for hours, oh,
The lights come on, the night's a song
The streets are paved with gold.
A gentle mist all heaven-kissed
Like teardrops off an angel's wing,
Now don't you know you'll cleanse your soul
With a walk in Corellian rain.

Oh, Katherine, take my hand,
I've got three creds in change.
I'll sing you songs of love again, and when we get too drunk to sing,
we'll walk in Corellian rain,
We'll walk in Corellian rain.

(By this point everyone was singing. I sort of trailed off, kept the accompaniment up, and let Mom and Dad sing the second verse to each other)

For good or worst I've stepped a-dirt,
My spacing days are over, oh,
Time and tide and by your side,
Together we'll grow old.
I put my space-bag in the bin,
I brought these pretty flowers home,
Now kiss me Kate, we'll celebrate
'Till all the food is gone-

"Oh, speaking of food!" Mom rushed into the kitchen. When she returned, I was amazed.
"Wow! Two ryshcates for six people!?"
Grandpa Booster said, "Yeah, sure beats being back on Coruscant living on austerity rations, don't it, kid?"
(That was the only mention anyone made of the war all night. Hard to believe, but true.)
"Well," Mom said, "This is a double celebration." Since I was sitting, I hadn't noticed the tops. One of the ryshcates was iced with the Corellian flag; the other had 12 candles on it.

(Here's where this post ends, as good a place as any. PM me if you have any suggestions about Booster's present!)

 

YAY! IT'S a POST!!!!! And good too!

 

OMG. a post!! WOW!

 

What's Valin going to wish for.

 

Whoa, great story! I love the bits of teen humor stuck around in there.

UPPERS!

 

up

 

and away

 

(Author's note; What do the Jedi study? I have a few ideas...)

After the candles were lit, I wished for....wait, I can't tell you! Let's just say that there aren't any Vong in it.

The ryshcates were (BURP!) delicious. Plus, for once Jysella was able to eat neatly! There's almost a whole one left over, too (you've got to try leftover ryshcate with peanut butter on top)

"OKAY- time for presents! MINE FIRST!" Grandpa Booster was his usual modest self as he carried in a couple of boxes.
"Open the little one first."
I did- it's a datapad. Not a child's toy, but a full-function one. "WOW!"
"It has a few -special- features that your dad and Grandpa Ross think you should have. Like it'll tap into computers," Grandpa Booster said. Then he muttered, "Never thought I'd see the day. Me, buying a Horn a piece of police equipment. Now open the other box."
That contained a pair of very sturdy-looking boots. When I put them on and stood up, I noticed that I was at least 2cm. taller than usual. "You were serious about the elevator shoes!"
"What's this all about?", asked Dad.
Grandpa Booster shot back, "Spoken like a true cop, Corsec!" Everyone was laughing.

"Why don't I just open yours next, Dad"? I did- it was just a bunch of old parts. Then I looked at the parts- a piece of duraplast pipe, a light bulb, some wires, several batteries, and- a crystal?
"Dad?"
"Yes, son?"
"Does this mean what I think it means?"
"Yes, it does. Just because you're not at Skywalker's ranch anymore, doesn't mean you're not a Jedi apprentice. You're a little young yet, but time isn't really a luxury we have."
"But...I don't feel...ready?" I mumbled, holding the box of junk that I was to turn into one of the most distinctive, and deadly, weapons in the galaxy.
"That's a good sign. If you did feel ready, I'd be worried."
After that, what could I say?
Grandpa Ross's gifts were books; the Corsec pursuit driving manual, and the NRI kidnap-escape manual (the "Green Book"). Mom gave me a model kit (a SoroSuub V-75 Courier), and a couple video games for my new datapad. ("Someone has to give him normal birthday presents!")

What followed between then and the start of the school year were three weeks of the most intensive -and practical- Jedi training in my life.
Grandpa Ross came home one day with several types of prisoner restraints that I was put in and had to get out of. The first was a sort of harness that I was tied to a chair with.
"Why this? Why now?", I asked. I tried to motion around me, but the thing I was in tightened around me. It was right before dinner!
"You're an okay escape artist, Valin, but you need to work on being a quicker one. If Joe Shmo kidnaps you here and plans to hand you off to Boba Fett at the spaceport, and he's selling you to the Yuzzies who'll take you out past the end of the galaxy, who would you rather escape from and where?"
"I get the point, Dad. Any hints?"
"Did you study your Green Book?"
"I, um, looked at it."
"Don't squirm. And may the Force be with you!"
An hour and forty-five minutes later, when I was a tangled lump on the floor, Dad came in, untangled me and let me free. We went downstairs and both ate a flash-reheated dinner. That night I studied my Green Book!

The next day, same thing, everything but eyelid restraints, but this time I had myself up in an hour; day 3 it took 37 min. (Dad was timing me); by the end of the week I was breaking out in 14 min. 23 sec. As it takes half an hour to get to the spaceport from here or downtown, I suppose that means I'll be getting away from Joe Shmo in Coronet; I don't suppose I'll ever beat Anakin Solo's practice-escape record of 3 minutes flat, but for a nontelekinetic with no special ability with puzzles 14.23 is pretty good.

On the third day of my training, Dad, Grandpa Ross, and I drove out to the CorSec Academy in Bela Vistal. Escape artistry is necessary training, even an intellectual challenge, but it's certainly not enjoyable.
Today I was going to have some serious fun!

Dad and I climbed int

 

Brilliant, can't wait to see if Valin has a race against his dad!!! Wouldn't Valin practice his illusion skills (Oh the possibilities at school!)

 

LOL! Thanx for the post and . . . .



more?

 

Somehow, between all that training, we managed to cram in visits to the two schools still in the running.
If I had ever seriously considered attending the Coronet Academy of Fine Arts, my hopes were dashed by visiting it.
"Most students spend three to five hours per day, outside of class time, practicing," the teacher who showed us around said. How I would love to be able to put that kind of time into my music! Unfortunately, if I did put that kind of time in, on top of my Jedi training and school itself, I'd have no time left for anything else. Like sleep.
Maybe someday, probably not 'till I'm an old man, there'll be enough Jedi for me to be able to devote myself to music. I'm not counting on it, though.

Grassyhill Middle School, on the other hand-that's the one right near home- seems perfect. Not too big or too small, good academics, nice teachers, and I'd already met a couple of kids who are going there.

Let me backtrack a bit. The day before we went to the CorSec track, I was tossing around a smashball in the driveway of the house we just moved into (three blocks from Grandpa's, five from Grassyhill), when a kid came by on a hoverboard.
"You're pretty good. Just move in?"
"Thanks, and yes." I held my hand out to him,"Valin Horn."
"Arden Mobur. Where you from?"
"Coruscant."
"You don't sound like it."
"Thanks. I've been working on my accent."
"Oh. Horn....you're not related to Corran Horn, are you?" There was awe, not pity or anger in his voice. The Corellian newsnets had been painting Dad as a true Corellian hero, a man of honor who was destroyed when his opponents proved to lack honor.
Which was closer to the truth than what the Coruscant media said.
"He's my dad." I said, matter-of-factly.
"Wow. Are you a Jedi, too?"
"I'm training to be one."
"So you're going to school on Yavin 4?"
"No. I'm probably going to Grassyhill. They decided that 'my needs could be met in a fully-mainstreamed setting'"
"Who's 'they'?"
"Some expert the New Republic sent to Yavin. A Bothan."
"You're family doesn't have good luck with them?! First the Bothan pins Ithor on your dad, then another one kicks you off Yavin!"
"Yeah, but I'm sort of glad, too."
"Why?"
"Partly because if I'd stayed I'd be the only one from my family there. And partly because of something someone told me."
"What's that?"

I paused and took a breath. "Well, most Jedi are telekinetic- they can move stuff with their minds. I can't-nobody in my family can. Another Jedi told me it's a 'disability that I'll overcome someday'. That got me thinking; I was beginning to think of it as a disability. Which is really ridiculous. Being around normal people will be good for me."
"Oh." Then, "Can you do mind tricks?"
"Sure- want me to try on you?" I grinned.
"Fire away."
I waved a hand, "You will moo like a bantha."
"Nice try." And it was, if I do say so myself- just strong enough that Arden could feel me in his head, but nowhere near strong enough to overcome the natural resistance of anyone who knows a mindtrick is coming. I could almost certainly have had him mooing like a bantha, but I didn't want to.
After that, we talked about- and played- smashball for hours, until dinnertime.

(Author's note; I won't spill anything about the second kid, except that I haven't named HER yet. And I'll try not to go a week between posts this time!)

 

THANK you! I love this story---too bad Valin can't do what he loves most (music) but at least he's made a friend.

Her?? *wiggles eyebrows*

 

how about Jaclyn?

I like that name. . . or maybe Arrura. . .

sorry names. . . . . . . .

 

I WANNA POSTY!! And I like Jaclyn too