Work Text:
Jacen waited patiently in the hallway while his mom was in her meeting. He was really bored, but Mom said he can’t leave the hallway because the rebellion base is “dangerous”. Jacen didn’t really get how, they’d been there loads of times and nothing really happened. However, it was always boring whenever they came to the base.
Jacen sat on a little chair and kicked his feet back and forth and lazily tried to lift pebbles off the ground with the Force as he talked to Chopper. At least Chopper was actually fun. He had lots of stories to tell Jacen and he always told them very dramatically.
He was in the middle of telling Jacen a story when he was interrupted by a voice Jacen didn’t recognize.
“Why, hello again my little droid friend! It’s been quite a long time!” A man said, getting closer to Chopper and Jacen.
Chopper paused his story and made a grinding sound that Jacen knew to be like an animal’s growl. Whoever this guy was, Chopper didn’t like him and so Jacen didn’t either.
“Oh come on, now, Chopper. You can’t still be mad about what happened. It was many years ago.”
“You tried to sell Mom!” Chopper wauped angrily.
Jacen didn’t really know what they meant, but he was angry too. Nobody gets to try to sell Jacen’s mom, much less this random guy. Chopper’s retractable arms emerged and he started waving them around violently at the man, spinning and squealing until the man backed away from Jacen.
“Now, now, Chopper. I apologize for my actions. I realize that wasn’t a very nice thing to do.” The man raises his hands in a surrender motion and backs up.
Chopper growls and then puts his arms away and wheels back to Jacen and parks in front of him protectively. Jacen’s eyes widened for a moment, knowing Chopper only did this when he perceived someone to be a threat, and Mom said that means Jacen should be wary of that person.
Jacen furrowed his brows and crossed his arms over his chest menacingly at the man. He then went through Mom’s checklist of what to do when caught in a dangerous situation.
Number one: identify the threat.
Jacen narrowed his eyes at the man. He had a kind smile on his face and a nice mustache, but even then Jacen knew not to trust him. Not after what Chopper said. How did this guy even get onto the secret base anyway? Who was he?
Number two: stay by Chopper and seek help together.
Mom was the closest person who could help, but she was in a really important meeting on the other side of the locked durasteel door. He could go find Aunt Sabine or Uncle Zeb, but that means disobeying Mom and leaving the spot she told him to stay in. Therefore, step three.
Number three: if you can’t get away and get help, gauge the threat and act.
The man’s eyes finally landed on Jacen and he raised a puzzled brow at the boy. “Hello there, little guy. I almost didn’t notice you. You’re a quiet kid, aren’t ya?” The man said.
Jacen pursed his lips and scooted away when the man sat down next to him.
He reached out to Jacen, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Lando. Lando Calrissian.”
Jacen didn’t shake his outstretched hand, he tucked himself closer to Chopper and frowned.
“Ah, I’m sorry.” The man said and pulled away, “I’m not trying to scare you. How’d you get in here anyway? This is a secret base after all.”
“My mom works here sometimes.”
“Ah, I see, and you’re waiting for her?”
Jacen nods, “Mhm.”
“Is she in there?” He pointed at the big durasteel door and Jacen nodded. “Ah, she must be very important then.”
Jacen nodded again, proudly, barely concealing a smile.
The man, Lando, chuckled, “Well now I’m curious. I didn’t know any of my colleagues had a kid as little as you.”
“I’m not little. I’m almost five.”
“Ah, sorry, my mistake.” Lando laughs softly. “What is it your mom does?”
Jacen eyed him wearily, but he couldn’t resist talking about his mom. She was the coolest .
“Momma is a general! She fights bad guys and flies ships.”
“Ah, she does sound pretty cool. What about your dad?”
Jacen looks away from Lando and down at the ground and then shrugs absently, his lower lip wobbles a bit.
“Sensitive subject? I didn’t mean to make you sad, little guy.”
“I’m not a ‘little guy’, I’m Jacen!” He insisted.
“And we have a name, it’s nice to meet you little Jacen.”
Jacen frowned.
“I get the feeling you don’t like me much.”
“Chopper said you tried to sell my mom.”
Lando’s expression sparked with recognition and he nervously scratched the back of his neck.
“Ah, yeah. I traded her for a puffer pig. She wasn’t happy about that. I told her I was sorry and I knew she could get out of it. Hera is a very smart woman and tougher than she looks, that’s for sure!” Lando grinned.
Jacen turns his nose up and looks away.
“Come on, little man, it’s not so bad. Your mom is okay, isn’t she?”
Jacen turned back to him with an unamused and frankly the most livid expression a four year old could make.
“You can’t sell people! That’s wrong! My mom is a person and she can’t be traded for a pig! Momma is her own person and nobody can own her!” He shouts and crosses his arms tighter over his chest, just as the durasteel door begins to slide open.
Chopper made adamant noises of agreements and wacked Lando on the knee again.
“Alright, alright! I’m truly very sorry.”
Lando raises his hands in surrender and sighs, his gaze turning to the woman standing in the open doorway with her arms crossed over her chest in a very similar fashion to the little boy.
“Calrissian. I see they’ll give out a rank to anyone nowadays.” Hera says.
Jacen’s face lit up when he saw her and he jumped out of his seat and ran to her. Hera stooped down and gathered Jacen in her arms and Jacen felt safe again. Her hands came to rest on his cheeks and she looked at him in the eyes with a soft expression.
“Are you okay? He didn’t say anything mean to you did he?”
Jacen looked back at Lando and then back to his mom and shook his head.
“No. But I don’t like him.”
Hera chuckled softly, “Did Chopper tell you he tried to sell me?”
“Yeah!” Jacen stomps his foot, “And that’s wrong, Momma!”
“You’re right, sweetheart. That is wrong.” Hera smiled sweetly and gathered Jacen up in a hug. “Thank you, Jacen.”
She stood up and ruffled his hair gently before turning back to Lando with an unamused expression.
“Didn’t realize you and Kanan got busy. Where’s that scoundrel anyway?” Lando chuckles.
Hera looks down at Jacen and tucks him into her side. “Kanan passed away a few years ago.”
Lando’s jaw drops, “Oh, I’m sorry. He was a hell of a man.”
Hera nodded softly, “Yeah.” She looked down at Jacen, took a deep breath and grabbed Jacen’s hand, “Okay love, are you ready to go?”
Jacen looked up at her and nodded, “Yes Momma!” She smiled brightly.
“Nice to see you again.” She told Lando.
“Yeah, nice to see you too, Hera. I’m still sorry about the whole puffer pig fiasco.”
“Good. You should be.” She waved and started walking away.
“And congratulations on the kid!” He called down the corridor. Hera rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving Lando feeling guilty. He could only sigh and walk into the general’s meeting room.
Jacen swung his hand and his mom’s and he skipped along with Chopper protectively wheeling along at his side.
“Did he know Dad?” He asked and looked up at Hera.
“Uh, we all met once a while before you were born. Lando ran a mining operation on Lothal. I have no idea what he’s doing with the Rebellion. He’s not really the kind of guy to do things outside of his own self interest.”
“Is he bad?”
“No, not bad. Just selfish.”
“Isn’t that the same?”
“Not necessarily, kiddo. Good people can still do selfish things sometimes. Everyone has reasons for doing things, sometimes there are good intentions behind selfish choices. It’s just that usually bad people are the ones being selfish for the wrong reasons and they usually end up hurting people. Sentients are complicated, Jacen.”
“Oh, okay. I think I get it, Mom. But I still don’t like him.”
Hera laughs and picks her son up under the arms and holds him on her hip. She kisses his cheek and grins at him.
“You’re so much like your dad. I see him in you all the time.”
Jacen grins, “I’m like you too, Momma.”
She presses a kiss to his forehead, “You are, and I’m so proud of you. Your dad would be too.”