Stormy Weather

Stormy Weather

It happened two years ago.  He considered it one of the luckiest days of his life.  He was stranded on Mon Calamari; a storm was brewing.  The power had been short-circuited in a public hangar.  She had been there, helping to steer people out of the building.  They found each other at the same time.  While she pointed people in the right direction, he listened to her indignant complaints about being reduced to a living traffic sign.  

She was off at 2100; he was stranded until the weather cleared.  To him, it was an opportune moment to reacquaint himself with his friend, if she allowed him to.  Needless to say, she did.  They went back to her apartment for a cup of caf, becoming soaked to the bone in the process.  It was a peaceful night, spent talking about what they had been doing since the war ended.  With an unspoken agreement, both avoided the topic of why they had to catch up with each other in the four years succeeding the war.  

At 0100, he left her apartment to stay in the inn near the hangar his ship was based.  They left with a promise to meet the following day at a nearby café she knew well.  Again, they had another peaceful chat and parted on amiable terms with promises to be in touch.  However, luck was on his side.  The storm – which was originally supposed to last a day and a half – extended to nearly a week.  For the first days they had met up, whether by accident or design, he enjoyed each one.  

Then, he “walked through mud without checking to see if it was bantha dung or not” as Tahiri would say.  He made the mistake of mentioning Hapes.  The topic was apparently tabooed and someone forgot to give him the memo.  That was a difficult day.  Twice, he chased her down after saying something without reviewing it carefully in his head.  It ended with her storming off and refusing to answer any of his calls.  He felt like a teenager again.  

The storm ended the next day.  He was free to leave.  He had gone to her apartment three times, attempting to contact her even as he was leaving the atmosphere.  When he had emerged from hyperspace nearly two weeks later, there was a holo-message for him.  It was from her.  

She apologized for not responding to him, her squadron had been called away to help with an evacuation.  His heart had pounded when he heard her next words.  She invited him to dinner next time he was on planet.  That was his briefest assignment to this day.  Including the one where he had only been Jedi representation at the opening ceremony of a smash ball game.  

His next action was to see if there were any available assignments for Mon Calamari.  In fact, there were many.  All having something to do with being government liaisons.  He took one; anything was good so long as he was able have her near.  

It was raining again when he arrived.  She was waiting.  They ate at the pilot’s lounge, watching the falling rain as they ate their meal.  Most of the dinner was spent in awkward silence.  Both chose to avoid their last topic of discussion.  Until the evening nearly ended.  This time, she started the conversation.  

It went considerably more peaceful than the last time they tried this topic.  Instead of retiring when the inn’s owner declared closing time, they went to her apartment, talked into the night, and fell asleep on the couch.  For three months, they saw each other for dinner at least twice a week or more.  For another month, they both denied that they were seeing each other.  For five months, they were a couple.  They broke up for two hours before getting back together.  Now, six weeks later it all came down to this…

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Zekk’s hands shook violently.  He clutched them behind his back so she wouldn’t notice.  They were at a pawn shop, looking at old engine parts to a speeder.  Outside of the shop it was raining.  It was time.  His only obstacle was his faltering courage.  

Jaina asked him something about the engine part.  He nodded absently, hoping with all his heart that his discomfort did not show.  She pointed the part out to the shop keeper and gave no sign that her attention was on anything else.  Zekk glanced around the shop.  

Should he do it here?  It wasn’t the most romantic of places or the cleanest but Jaina liked things done unconventionally and this would…

“Zekk?  Hello-o-o, anyone home?” She flicked his forehead and he snapped his eyes to hers.  “What’s gotten into you?  You’ve been lost in your own little world since this morning.  Are you sick?”

He numbly shook his head.  His hands found their way into his pockets where he fingered the cool ring of metal in an effort to calm himself down.  Jaina gave him a disbelieving look and stood on tip-toe to feel his forehead.  His heart started to pound, as it did every time she was too close to him.  Blood roared in his ears and a feeling that now was the right moment swept over him.  

Gently, he grabbed her hand and tugged her to him.  His hand let go of hers and moved to snake around her waist as his other hand pulled the metal ring out of his pocket.  He held it up for her to see.  Silently, he watched her eyes widen.  With a deep breath he whispered, “Will you marry me?”

The silence stretched on for what seemed like years, and then she yelled something incomprehensible and threw her arms around his stomach because she couldn’t reach his shoulders.  She jumped up and down in his arms before pulling back and using the Force to give her the extra boost to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him.  When she pulled back, Zekk blinked in shock and asked, “So, is that a yes?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Jaina exclaimed, launching herself at him again.  

This time they over-balanced and fell onto the floor with a loud bang.  Zekk could hear the owner of the pawn shop laughing in the background.  Jaina continued to hold onto him and kissed once more before quickly straddling him.  “Put it on me!  Put it on me!” she exclaimed.  

It was the first time he ever saw her excited over a piece of jewelry.  He possibly would have enjoyed it more if she hadn’t bounced on his stomach every other word.  Still, it was rather endearing.  With a grunt, he pushed himself up and brought the ring he had tightly clenched in his right hand to her left ring finger.  Once the ring was in place, she tackled him again.  

Before he could regain his bearings she sat up again and punched his shoulder.  “I can’t believe you proposed to me in a pawn shop!”

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His palms were sweating.  He felt the strong urge to throw up.  His heart was pounding.  He was nervous.   He had to use the bathroom very badly (he really should have taken Jacen’s advice about going before the wedding) and his new Jedi robes were chafing.  Other than all of these reasons he was having the perfect day.  

The rain pattered on the awning set up outside the Jedi Academy for the ceremony.  The sound of falling water did nothing to help his bladder situation.  Zekk shifted his feet, leaning over to whisper to Lowie.  The Wookiee’s fur had been trimmed and brushed, loosing its normal windswept look.  Jacen stood on the other side of Lowie.  

“What time is it?  Are they late?  Do you think she came to her senses and ran out on me?” Zekk asked.

Lowie answered all of the questions except for the last one, which he chose to ignore.  Jacen offered his own reassurances and offered to tell a joke to help pass the time.  Zekk denied his offer quickly.  He had a good memory of Jacen’s jokes.  

Master Luke Skywalker smiled at Zekk.  “Don’t worry.  Jaina wouldn’t keep you waiting.  There’s still five minutes before the ceremony is supposed to begin.”

Zekk gave a soft groan.  “I’m going to be sick.  No, no, I’m going to cry.  Or worse, faint, if she says ‘I do’.  That is, if she does.”

“Zekk, Zekk, Zekk,” Jacen said.  "Hakuna matata."  

"Hakuna Mawhata?"

"Ha-ku-na ma-ta-ta," Jacen repeated.  "It means no worries.  It's a motto."

"What's a motto?" asked a little boy who was a relative of one of Jaina and Jacen's numerous hold parents.  

"Nothing.  What a motto with you?" Jacen asked with a laugh.  

Zekk had to bite back a groan.  Apparently, Jacen forgot that he didn't want to hear any of his jokes.  Suddenly, the quartet, which had been playing softly in the background, struck the bridal march in a proud forte.  Zekk straightened and turned with everyone else to look down the aisle that led into the Jedi Academy.  

Originally, when it had begun raining, Leia – who planned their wedding – wanted to cancel.  But Zekk and Jaina protested and had the awning arranged so that it would cover the door to the entrance of the Academy.

Slowly, the bridal procession made its way down the aisle.  Syal and Myri were flower girls; Ben was ring-bearer, with Tahiri and Tenel Ka serving as bridesmaid and maid-of-honor.  Then came the part he had been waiting for ever since he had been a young boy on Coruscant.  On the arm of her father – who glared at him as if he was the scum of the universe – she slowly walked down the aisle.  

He suddenly became aware that he was having trouble breathing.  He wouldn’t have bothered with it at all if the thought that he would pass out and be unable to stare at Jaina any longer crossed his mind.  With great effort, he took several shallow breaths.  His jaw dropped.  He was going to cry.  He knew it.  That moment she got up here he was going to cry.  Or throw up.  He couldn’t be bothered to distinguish between his emotions at that time.  He was too busy watching a goddess.   

They were two feet away from the dais now.  Zekk had yet to remove his eyes from Jaina.  His heart was racing and his breath grew shallower.  The feeling to throw up faded away.  It took several minutes of waiting before Han reluctantly released his daughter’s arm.  As he walked backed up a few steps, he shot Zekk a glare that reminded him of the talk they had when his and Jaina’s engagement had been announced.  

…Have you ever heard of castrati?  That’s what you’re going to be if you ever hurt my daughter or even think about hurting her.  If I catch one word of her suffering while she’s married to you I’m going to…

Zekk felt himself pale and shook those thoughts off.  Now was not the time to think of that.  Master Skywalker took a step forward and asked, “Who gives this woman away?”

Han responded only after Leia kicked him.  That heartened Zekk slightly.  At least they didn’t have to put Han at blaster-point for him to say it.  His eyes turned away from Han and focused on Jaina again.  She was giving him an impish, lopsided grin, slightly obscured by the gauzy veil around her head.  In the background he heard vague murmurs of Luke talking, but didn’t register the words.  

He felt stinging in the corner of his eyes, tell-tale sign that he was about to cry.  He cursed his tears for blurring the image of Jaina.  There was a sharp pain in his side as Lowie’s elbow dug into it.  Blinking, he turned to Lowie with a dazed, “Huh?”

Jacen snickered behind his hand and pointed to his Uncle Luke.  Zekk registered Jaina’s own amusement through the Force as he turned to Luke and said, “I do.”  

Luke started speaking again, this time to Jaina.  Jaina responded with her own “I do.”

He suddenly became aware of his surroundings again as he gently put the ring on Jaina’s hand and waited for her to do the same to him.  Then came the moment he had been waiting for years.  Luke stepped forward and stated, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Mister and Missus Zekk Solo.  You may now kiss the bride.”  

You didn’t have to tell him twice.  Zekk swooped down and kissed her.  In his mind, thanking the stormy weather that had kept him on Mon Calamari.


The End