The Kenobi Saga Book One:The Clone Wars

25. Driving Lessons

Solitaire looked up at the sound of the apartment door unlocking. General Skywalker let himself in and nodded a greeting to the clone. Across the room Lore-Val was sitting at the table, leaning over her datapad. She was head bobbing, eyes fluttering open and shut.

Anakin smirked at her, coming to look over her shoulder, "What could possibly be so boring?"

She jumped at the voice, suddenly back in the world of the living. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, "Hi."

Anakin snorted out a laugh, taking the datapad. He looked over the page Lore-Val had been reading, frowning as he did so. "Theoretics of flight? What kind of garbage is this?"

"It walks you through flight controls," she explained, cracking her neck, "If you have problem x, you do y to fix it."

Anakin shook his head, "A book can't teach you to fly."

She shrugged, "I can fly. Just not legally...or very well."

"Solitaire," Anakin called, "I'm taking your prisoner as my hostage. Lore-Val, go get your shoes."

Lore-Val nodded, grabbing her boots from the corner she'd dumped them in earlier, "Do I need a coat?"

"Sure, why not."

Lore-Val disappeared into her room to find her jacket.

"Sir," Solitaire interrupted, "I don't know that Lore-Val is allowed to leave with you."

"Sure she can, I'm me," Anakin grinned. It wasn't reassuring. "Do you want me to pull rank?"

Solitaire sighed, "No sir."

"Great. I'll have her back by dinner."

.   .   .

Lore-Val hurried to keep up with Anakin's long strides.

"Solitaire seemed worried."

"He's spent too much time with Cody," Anakin told her, "The whole 212th is completely strung out."

Lore-Val smiled, "So where will we go?"

"I was thinking of open space. Keep you away from gravity wells. I'll teach you the fun stuff that Obi-Wan and Solitaire won't."

"Fun stuff?"

He thought for a second, "Spinning. That's a good trick."

She grinned, "Wizard."

.   .   .

"It was so cool!" Lore-Val told Solitaire, dancing around the kitchen, waiting for their dinner to finish cooking, "The controls were exactly like the book said and Anakin shut down different systems so I could learn to reboot them during flight. And did you know Obi-Wan doesn't like flying?"

"Yes I did know that," Solitaire answered off handedly, his focus elsewhere, "Please tell me you weren't near any planets."

"Nope. Anakin even showed me the map, we were in the middle of nowhere."

"Somehow that is less comforting than I thought it would be."

"That's because you are, and I quote, completely strung out."

Solitaire snorted out a laugh. He knew general Skywalker thought the 212th was too tightly wound but hearing it from Lore-Val was just ridiculous.

"Kenobis just have that effect on people," he told her, turning away to stir the vegetables that were sizzling in a pan.

Now it was Lore-Val's turn to laugh, "Maybe you should just come flying with me so I can prove to you what a pro I am."

"How do you say no in Mando'a?"

"Very funny," she frowned, "You'll see. One day you'll be in a jam and begging me to come fly you away from danger."

"No way. Unless I'm unconscious you won't be flying me anywhere."

"That can be arranged," she sing-songed, spinning a small circle.

Solitaire rolled his eyes. He paused to frown at the pan he was still stirring, "I think I burned dinner."

"So as long as I fly better than you cook we'll be okay."

"Dear force kid. You're killing me, you know that? You're killing your best friend."

"Who said you're my best friend?"

Solitaire turned, his glare meeting Lore-Val's devilish grin, "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

She stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to Solitaire's cheek making his face flush red. She grinned at him before flouncing away. "Come on," she called over her shoulder, "Let's get something to eat. I'll drive."

He blinked a few times, clearing the shock he'd fallen into, "No you won't!"