STAR WARS
"Meant to Be"
A Young Jedi Knights Short
by Dave Ziegler
"Blaster bolts!" Jacen Solo swore. The Dorman lizard, a prodigious puff of milky white fur marred by a set of sickly green legs and a snout shaped head, scampered away toward the heavy jungle foliage. They were quick creatures, spry and nimble on their feet. He had seen the animals sail from bough to bough, ducking and weaving through the thick leaves of the Massassi trees. This time Jacen hoped he would be quicker. He had to be. If the lizard made it from the clearing back into the jungle he would have no chance of catching it.
"No you don't. Not this time." Determined not to let this opportunity slip by Jacen leapt forward and gave himself a nudge with the Force. The boost it provided should allow him to make up the ground he was rapidly losing. Descending upon his prize Jacen stretched out his arms, hands ready. He felt his fingers brush the reptile's curiously fine hair. He felt its slick tail slip easily through his fingers.
Then his chin connected with the packed earth.
Jacen's jaw began to swell with a warm ache as he watched the little creature dive into a tangle of broad leaves. "Perfect." Groaning irritably he slowly rolled himself onto his back and stared up at Yavin's cloud covered sky. It was a thick quilt of rolling gray. Varying shades, varying depths, but gray nonetheless. "I know exactly how you feel," he said defeatedly.
The Dorman lizard had been the object of his quests for the past week now, ever since he had first seen it during a vain effort to go the entire ten kilometers with Tenel Ka on one of her runs. There it had been, climbing one of the jungle moon's gnarled trunks. A drop of white in a canvas of green.
It was the oddest little creature Jacen had ever seen. His interest piqued, he had put aside some time to research the lizard only to discover that one had never actually been held in captivity. So the reason for the creature's queer possession of hair was just as much a mystery to the biologists as it was to Jacen.
And so he found himself with a totally unique and exotic creature within his grasp. Jacen just needed to pull himself together and realize this dream. He could do it. He knew he possessed what was necessary to accomplish this, it was just a matter of gathering the potential and exploiting it. Then he would capture the lizard.
Unfortunately his continued rate of failure in this matter was rather disheartening and seemingly prevented Jacen from doing what he knew he had to. It was usually so easy for him though. A few calm, soothing thoughts wrapped casually around the mind of whatever animal he was interested in would subdue it enough for him to grab it. All that need follow was for Jacen to get it back to his menagerie with the heap of cages Jaina had constructed for him.
The Dorman lizard, however, was completely unresponsive to his Force powers. Jacen could feel the ever present sense of alarm that surrounded the tiny creature. It seemed virtually impossible to penetrate that aura no matter how much effort he put behind the projections. So the lizard always ran.
Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.
Jacen pushed himself up and grimaced. Not only was he still smarting from the blow to his chin, but a casual glance downward alerted him to his appearance. He was caked in dirt and sweat. Bits of twig and vine clung to his clothing and lay tangled in his hair.
Jacen was an utter mess.
"I guess a side trip to the lake is in order," he grumbled to himself. "At least I'm not still a student though. Wouldn't want to show up to a lecture like this."
"Hey Jace!" Jacen glanced up and caught sight of his sister as she came jogging out from the Jedi temple. "I wouldn't let Tenel Ka see you like that if I were you," she smirked, coming to a stop and giving him a look over.
"Cute Jaya, real cute." Jacen shot her a stinging look then struggled from his jacket and hurled it at her.
Jaina gave a little yelp as she dodged the soiled clothing. "Whoa. Sorry Jacen. Don't get so upset. I was only indulging in a little sisterly teasing." Her face fell in a placating manner. "Beside which, you wouldn't want to kill the messenger would you?"
"Sorry?"
"I came to tell you that Tenel Ka's been looking for you all morning."
"She has?" Jacen asked. Jaina felt her brother's spirits suddenly rise.
"Would I lie to you?" she asked coyly. Jacen snorted.
"That depends. But you aren't this time. I can sense it."
"Well, you better get moving then. I think even the patience of a warrior of Dathomir will wan eventually."
"Right. Stall for me would you Jaina? I just need a little more time to dunk myself in the lake. Um, for obvious reasons," he finished glancing at himself.
"Sure thing," Jaina said, watching Jacen spring to his feet and peel off into the jungle. His significantly lightened mood brought a smile to her lips. *The power we women wield* Jaina thought to herself amusedly, then jogged back toward the temple in search of Tenel Ka.
By the time Jacen stumbled into his room, still somewhat wet from his excursion, Tenel Ka was already waiting for him. "Hey Tenel Ka!" Jacen beamed. He never ceased to feel giddy in her presence. "I hear you were looking for me?"
"This is a fact," Tenel Ka said inclining her head. "I have been searching for you for most of the day."
Jacen took a step nearer to her and gazed into the warrior girl's glorious gray eyes. The storm seemed to suddenly break and sunlight lanced in through Jacen's window highlighting the bronze braids that fell across her shoulders. "Really? Why?"
"I have a..." Tenel Ka faltered. She felt momentarily trapped in the intoxicating brandy of her friend's eyes. "I... I have a gift for you Jacen my friend," she finished, finally managing to pull free.
Tenel Ka gestured to a small wooden box that sat atop Jacen's sleeping pallet. Its lid sported a large cluster of narrowly carved holes.
He looked questioningly at Tenel Ka.
"Open it," she instructed, fingering the Gort egg necklace Jacen had given her only two weeks before.
Jacen eased the lid from the box. A small puff of white shot out from inside. Despite his surprise, this time Jacen was faster. He snapped his hands around the creature midair.
"A Dorman lizard!" he exclaimed. "How did you manage to catch one!?"
"Ah. Aha. You cannot expect a Jedi to give away all of her secrets friend Jacen," Tenel Ka responded. The corners of her mouth turned slightly upward.
Jacen's own grin grew broader. He quickly stowed the lizard in its waiting cage then turned back to Tenel Ka.
"I don't know what to say... this means more than you... uh... thank you," he finished lamely.
"Do not worry about the words Jacen," she began, then suddenly flashed him a rare and brilliant smile. She placed a warm hand on his chest. "What you are unable to articulate, I can feel."
Jacen was too shocked to stop her as Tenel Ka slowly turned and exited his room. She had done all that for him. And smiled. Oh gods she had smiled. There was nothing in the universe more beautiful and it had been meant solely for him.
*Perhaps,* Jacen thought looking happily at the lizard now exploring its cage, *some things were meant to be after all.*
~End~