No one was Surprised when they found out James had a Child.....

[James Justice]

Well, ok, no one except.... James.

He took it as a hoax of sorts, when he got the message. But, well the timing was right, and well.... He was James after all. He had taken more women to bed than most men even met in a life time. Those odds evened out to him EVENTUALLY having a child. Somehow, Some way.

But damn it, he had missed so much. He missed the toddler years, the baby blues, the first steps, the first everything. The first words, the first of-- the first--

The spacer closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as the Lost Angel made its way to the surface of Hoth. He had to get this under control, he needed alcohol. Damn it, no, he chided himself. The man wanted to be sober when this came around. He wanted to be fully aware, even if it was painful. Even if it brought up the memories and feelings he had been running from for so long.

No alochol.

No Cigarettes.

Only himself. The ship finally landed in the ice-cove he had been directed to in the message. Stepping out, clad in leather, James left his rifle behind. His DeathHammer heavy blaster pistol, however was still strapped to his side. He didn't feel at home without it.

"I can do this," he muttered, collecting himself, "I can do this."

The spacer came to the massive durasteel door and-- hesitated before he knocked. The man had stared down the barrels of hell itself, he had no idea why he was so terrified right now.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Brook was sitting there in her bedroom of the small house on Hoth when her mother steps in and says "Honey he's here." The moment that she had been looking forward to was finally here and she had butterflies in her stomach as she stood up and put her coat on and walked outside and straight to her dad "Hello father." She say

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Well she was---

Pretty. And short. And pretty. The spacer felt weak at the knees, his muscles threatened to quit on him here and now, leaving him on his face like a fool. In stead he smiled and leaned on the fridged wall, playing it off. That was what he was best at, wasn't it, playing things off? Always on top of things, even when he knew he was failing miserably, that was his life's creed.

The spacer managed one of his charming smiles, "Hey--Brookie, long time no see?"

He had tried to be sauve, to be cool, but for him, the awkwardness was so real. It was surreal. In truth, he didn't even know she existed--he had never met her and her mother's name he had to confess, he didn't even remember.

He swallowed his nerves and did his best to carry on like they were drinking buddies meeting back from a run instead of a daughter and her long lost absent father, "So, how'd ye find me, miss?"

His undefinable accent was ever there, and ever the truth to his voice.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"Mom found you for me through one of her contacts." She says looking up at her father who was well tall for one he seemed like a giant to her. "Would you like to come in?" She asks opening the door and letting the warm air hit him in the face. She could tell he was still in shock about all of this situation so she thought it was best for him and sit down inside while they talk. She stared up at him before putting her arms around him and hugging him before pulling him inside

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Hugs. Hugs were--daddy like?

His father had never been much of a "daddy" figure. Eric Justice had been a man's man; quite like James himself. Eric had been a spacer, raised his son on a freighter, drank, smoked, and was a lady's man. James had been from bar to bar at a young age and witnessed things he wished he had never existed. He had learned right from wrong not by the law but by how it hurt people. That was what kind of man his father had been, but was that what a dad should be, James wondered as he wrapped his arms around the little carrot-top teen.

As he came inside, James was comforted by the warm air. That was when he--

He halted and narrowed his eyes, "Wait, contacts, what? What do ye mean 'contacts?' And what do ye mean 'found me?'"

Granted he was a bit of a famous man, the tabloids were full of his face, and the paparazzi loved James even more. He was a celebrity as much as he was a billionare.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"I don't know but come on have a seat." She says pulling him to a couch where she would sit down. "So how's life been dad?" She asks before grabbing blue nail polish off of the table and kicking off her boots and starting to paint her toenails

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

She was.... toenail painting.

It looked so strange, he had never really seen it happen. Well, alright, he had, before, but that had been so weird, and she had been an adult. Did young girls do that too? He was so lost, so confused. He needed help. He needed a drink, he needed a cigarette, he needed--

Get a hold of yourself, captain, he scolded himself inside. You can do this. You can do this, you have been through so much more. He couldn't help but wonder how long she had been painting her nails--and that thought made him realize he hadn't seen the first time. It made a lump in his throat, but James had no idea why.

"Life was, is, good," he said unsure where to begin as he sat down, "I, er, own a shipping business. Over four hundred ships now. We do security. We help a lot of good people, give jobs to the poor, take care of orphans, widows, that sort of thing."

He deliebrately left out the smuggling, the mercenaries, the pirating, and of course, the gun running. But she didn't need to know all that just yet. He wanted her to think the best of him, even if it was just for a little while.

"H-How," he cleaned his throat, "How about ye? Are ye in school, I guess?"

He supposed that was what kids were supposed to be in, right?

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"No there are no schools around here so mom homeschools me. As for me I am doing well but I hate the cold." She says finishing one foot. She looks up at her father noticing him staring at her. "What have you never seen a teenager paint her toenails?" She asks in a civil tone and starts shivering

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Homeschooling--right. James had a pechant for understanding that. He had been "ship schooled" by that same token. He learned everything he knew from his dad and the holonet. He even spoke--goodness, a few dozen languages? He was always picking them up, it was part of living in his world. A habit that made him speak weird. Ah well, it was a part of his life.


"Er, no I ain't," he said with a nervous chuckle.

He noticed she was shivering and chided himself. James, you fool, he shook himself as he quickly doffed his coat. How could he be so blind? He gently wrapped the leather clothing around her shoulders with a gentle pat, and grinned, "There, better, Brookie?"

As he sat back, his arms were bare, covered only by a dark tee shirt. His left arm was pitted and gnarled with a series of disgusting and disfiguring scars. Some were burns, some were slices, all in a delicate, disfiguring balance.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"Thanks dad and by the way I like that name." She says as she goes back to painting her nails careful not to get paint on his coat. "So you seem to be doing ok. So where did you get those scars?" She asks looking at his arms

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad.

James mulled the word over in his head a few times. He liked it--in a way. But still, it was going to take some getting used to. He grinned.

"Thanks, I'm glad ye like it," he said before--oh feth. He grimaced inside, praying she wouldn't feel his cartons of Tatoowine Red Cigarettes in his right pocket. That would be a horrific way for her to find out about his smoking problem.

But it was a mountain that would have to be climbed eventually. Hopefully later than sooner, he thought.

His arm. Right. Ugh, James pinched the bridge of his nose, how could he explain this?

"I--er--I--uh, Brookie," he began with a halting jumble of attempted words, "Ye see, the worlds--they are full of dangerous people sometimes. One of them, I was sent to go get and," he halted. How old was she? How much was appropriate to tell her at her age? Could he tell her he was tortured? How could he? Would she understand? Could he even form the words?

He licked his lips and swallowed. That was a battle that was still being faught up hill for James; coming to terms with what [member="Thraxis"] had done to him.

"This bad man captured me instead," James said at last, "and he hurt me. I got away, of course, but," his voice trailed off. It had been him or Ryn, and damn it, he wouldn't let Ryn get hurt.

[member="Ryn'Dhal"]. @Stardust. [member="Triter Zone"]. There were so many people he had to tell, and so many people that she had to meet, a whole family, in a sense. And then there was--

"So, have ye ever been off world?" He asked.

Ugh, great question. Winner of #1 Lame-o dad, he thought with a chiding tone.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"No I haven't." She says as she puts her nail polish down for a moment. Sensing his disrest she scoots over and wraps her arms around him, well at least as far as they would go which was only barely around her sides. Thinking about what her father had said her eyes began to tear up. She tried to hold it in but she was unable. And in her tears three words came out of her mouth unexpectedly "I love you."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James had to swallow the lump down out of his throat. He hadn't heard those words in a long long time. A very long time. Not since his first--and last--wife. He had seen her die, he had watched the flames cut her down. It had been--it had been the worst day of his life. Without a doubt. Her death had changed him, broke him, and made him unable to ever say the words since. Not until now.

He swallowed again and took a deep breath, filling his tobacco-scarred lungs before wrapping his arms around her too. She was a sweet one, a very sweet one. So untainted by the evil things in this world.

I will do anything to keep her that way, he realized. He suddenly realized he would fight through all the nine hells and back to take care of her. Damn it if, that wasn't love then what was?

"I love you too," he said, blinking away the stinging tears, "I love you too, Brookie."

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Brook stays there for a minute and then pulls away from him and blinks back her tears. She picks up her nail polish and then a scream rips through the air. "Mom!" As she took off through the house and into the backyard without her shoes she sees her mom on the ground with a rather large pool of blood on either side of her. When she sees this she drops to the ground and cries

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

Fething hell. Fething. Hell.

The spacer felt the tremor through the Force as the life was torn from the galaxy. Brookie was moving through the house faster than he would have liked, towards the danger. Towards the bad Force nexus, towards---

"Brookie, stop!" he roared, lurching from the couch.

His hand snatched the leather jacket from the couch where she had sat and into the freezing cold. There she was--lying face down on the ground. And Brookie was crying over the body. Now James recognized her. Yes, he knew who she was, but her name, he couldn't remember. The windy ice whipped around them, puckering James' skin in a tight bristle, his eyes scanned the area, he was looking for the shooter. He had a good idea who it was, as he stretched out, feeling.

There.

James lurched forward, tossing his jacket over his daughter's shoulders. A blaster bolt hit it, but did not go further, through its blastproof inner lining. That was the real reason the old spacer wore it all the time. He drew his side arm and began firing from where the shot had come.

"Brookie, house, now," he shouted, his voice demanding obedience.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Brook having her whole world being ripped away from her in an instant knew there was no one but her dad here so she listened to him and ran for the house. When she made it inside she collapses on the floor of the house and everything came into focus for a moment. How fragile life was how at any moment your whole world could be torn from you and shattered in a matter of seconds as hers had been.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

A blaster bolt sung over James' shoulder, narrowly missing his head. He reached down and felt for a pulse on his former lover. None. Anger tore through his body.

"Fething hell, ye monster!" James roared, rising to his feet, "Ye leave outsiders out of this, ye know this is just between ye and me!"

No its not, you know its not, said a familiar voice in the spacer's head, You know I swore to take everything valuable from you before you died.

The man roared once more and reached on his belt unclipping an explosive charge. Never leave home without it. He lobbed it across the yard and began hurrying into the house once more. He didn't have much time, there wouldn't be. Soon the Prosecutor would be in here, and Brookie--

"I won't let that happen," he muttered firmly, sooping her up in his arms.

His legs carried him as fast as they could, up, up into his ship, the Lost Angel. The loading ramp closed behind him, the spacer set his daughter down on his bed.

"Say there," he shouted over his shoulder charging for the cockpit. It was a race he had to win, the winner won his daughter, he knew that much. The stakes were too high. Way too high.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Brook was on shock not knowing what was happening so she just sat there on her dad's bed wondering where they were going. She heard a clang and grabbed a blaster off of the dresser

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"Feth," James shouted for probably billionth time that minute.

He slammed his body into the pilot's chair and imediately opened the afterburners. Fuel ignighted into them with a wild rush, sending the ship jolting forward. It would be murder on the engines,and they would need some serious maitainance, but damn it, he had to get them out of there--the ship would live.

He jerked the throttle back in a tight arc, sending the Angel up in a 90* rise to the space. Gravity doubled, then trippled, ripping and tightening at his innards. "U--uu--uuuuugggh FETH IT TO THE BLOODY HELLS."

Language. He had a daughter now, after all. Funny the things one thinks when fighting for their life.

Then, in an instant, there was weightlessness, then the artifical gravity kicked in, sending a nausiating feeling up James' body, "Ugh f--" he stopped himself and began punching in Hyperspace co-ordiates, "h--how we doing, girly?"

Oh, no, no no, never again. He had called her mother that. He shook himself. No, no, no, he would have to think of something different.

[member="Brooklyn Justice"]

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"I- I don't know I just feel empty." She says standing up although all that did was make her shorter. She worried about being shunned for her size.

[member="James Justice"]