Notes: Sequel to Dubious Engagement which you can find at on TFN at http://boards. This is George Lucas' sandbox, I'm just playing in it.
Here is the summary of Dubious Engagement for those of you who have not and do not intend to read it.
Settle down and get ready for a revolutionary alternative universe featuring our some of our favorite EU characters. Follow the story of Jaina Solo's dubious engagement to the dashing young Chiss officer Jagged Fel as they battle to make the best of a situation thrust upon them by galactic politics.
Since age 6, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin Solo have been in the loving care of their uncle, Luke Skywalker. Unable to balance the duties of Chief of State and mother, Leia Organa Solo has allowed Luke to raise and care for her children. Some ten years later, in the midst of galactic turmoil, Jaina Solo takes her place in New Republic history when she is used as a bargaining chip in a tedious peace treaty with the Chiss Ascendancy. Her role: to marry a young Chiss Colonel by the name of Fel. This arranged marriage is to be bring peace to two long off-standing governments.
Expecting the worst, what she finds surprises her: instead of a staunch Chiss commander, she finds an amiable - and attractive - human. After a small civil service on the Chiss central planet of Csilla, even in the face of the adverse situation, Jag and Jaina call a truce and a tentative friendship begins. Just as Jaina and Jag begin to settle into their new life together, tragedy strikes. In an apparent accident, Jag's best friend Shawnkyr is killed – and Jag suggests foul play. His investigation begins, but is interrupted as a larger, galactic threat enters the scene – the Yuuzhan Vong invade the outskirts of Chiss space, and Jag is sent to the front lines.
Left on her own, Jaina befriends a local store owner –the only other human living on Csilla - a young woman named Touri. But soon after Jag's departure, Jaina is surprised to find Touri has left on an unannounced extended vacation leaving her brother Payton to run the store. A comfortable friendship between the two develops, despite the warnings of several close to Jaina. When Jag returns on leave, Payton continues to push the relationship even when Jaina rejects him. In a moment of desperation, Payton steals a kiss – just as Jag enters the room. When Jaina finally finds Jag to discuss Payton's actions, the conversation brings a shocking revelation: their friendship has somehow developed into something much more – they are in love. Finally, their marriage is true in legality, body and soul. This time, as Jag prepares to head back to the front lines, Jaina is prepared – and follows.
Her presence soon proves useful. The Chiss have little intelligence information on the enemy, prompting Jaina to volunteer for a dangerous infiltration mission. Once on board the wounded Yuuzhan Vong vessel, she learns the terrible truth: the Yuuzhan Vong do not exist in the Force. As hope of her escape diminishes, her husband saves the day, cruising in to the rescue. Upon their return, Jag and Jaina are determined to spread the word of this dangerous threat: Jag heads to the Empire, Jaina to the New Republic after a brief respite on Csilla.
Upon her arrival at Csilla, Jaina discovers another awful truth: Payton is a Yuuzhan Vong agent, sent to split up Jaina and Jag in hopes of destabilizing the fragile New Republic and Chiss alliance. It was he who brutally murdered both Shawnkyr and his own sister Touri, even as he attempted to move in on Jaina. Jaina tracks him down to bring him to justice, but the ensuing confrontation ends in Payton's death.
As Jaina returns to the New Republic with the enemy intelligence, her loyalty to her family – and the Jedi - is tested. They ask her to do what might be unforgivable: betray the Chiss – and her new love and allegiance to Jag. Left without options and hoping to bring a swift end to the war, Jaina uses Jag's access to steal high security intelligence about Yuuzhan Vong locations – hoping to allow the Jedi to attempt something no one else has – negotiate.
The Jedi arrive at Tiras – a remote planet in Chiss space - and talk their way onto the planets' surface. When negotiations turn aggressive, the Jedi fight their way out with heavy casualties. Hearing news of the attack and suspecting the source of the Jedi intelligence, Jag leaves his post in the Empire to return home and confront his wife. As their new love tears at the seams, Jaina takes the Fel family speeder and escapes into the frigid Csilla night. Things turn desperate when Jag learns that the speeder Jaina took has been malfunctioning and won't make it further than 5 miles into the killer blizzard. Eager to prevent her death, Jag heads out after her, arriving just in time to save her life, and their relationship.
Determined to put the past behind them, Jaina and Jag head to the New Republic, allowing Jag to meet all of Jaina's family and giving their relationship a fresh start. Jaina is sad to learn that the Chiss have banished her from Csilla for her security file theft, leaving the couple adrift without a home. Trying to find a safe alternative, Jag suggests they relocate to the Empire, where he had been previously received with open arms by Grand Admiral Paelleon. After the brief respite on Coruscant, the couple defects to Bastion to start their new life as Imperials.
Jaina and Jag are indeed received with open arms. Bringing valuable intelligence information to the table, the Imperial military is strengthened. They quickly move up the ranks within the first months of their time in the Empire, each catapulting to the rank of General. Forced to split up and fight on separate fronts, the two married Generals reunite several months later when Jaina discovers a massive enemy plot: an impending offensive is aimed at Ithor. When Jaina rushes to warn the New Republic army, she's caught away from her command and in the heat of battle in a lone star fighter. As combat rages around her, her fighter is damaged, leaving her vulnerable and surrounded. In the nick of time, Jag arrives and rushes in, sacrificing his fighter to save Jaina from destruction. As Jaina struggles to latch onto Jag's injured ship with the Force and bring them both to safety, she is joined in her efforts by her brothers, on board a nearby ship. But soon the enemy targets their wounded fighters, and this time it's the legendary smuggler Han Solo who comes to his daughter's rescue – sacrificing himself, his co-pilot and his beloved ship in the process.
The estranged Solo family is hard hit by Han's loss. As Jag recovers from his injuries, Jaina secretly sneaks away to Coruscant to attend the funeral services. While there, she encounters her mother and for the first time in nearly 10 years, they are able to communicate; Jaina convincing Leia that a peace treaty with both the Chiss and the Empire would help to save the galaxy and avert more deaths. Several weeks later, as the Generals Fel return to Coruscant for the signing of the peace accord, they are shocked hear that Mara has been afflicted with a terrible degenerative disease – and to make matters worse, she's carrying her and Luke's first child. To aid in the war effort and in NR and Imperial relations, Luke and Mara accompany Jaina and Jag back to the Empire, taking Cilghal with them to monitor Mara's health condition.
As Luke and Mara settle into their new surroundings and Mara's sickness continues to rack her body, more unexpected news is revealed. Chak, Jag's long-thought-dead older brother is in fact alive and in Yuuzhan Vong custody as a coral-infested slave. As the slave ship carrying Chak disappears, Jaina makes a more personal realization: she too is pregnant. The celebration is joyous, but short lived – it serves to give the Fels a new focused goal: end the war and end it fast. As the galactic conflict continues, Jag is desperate to rescue Chak and stop the endless flow of slaves that travels through their sector. During such an attempt, a Master YV Shaper named Nen Yim taken alive and held captive. Finally, the break-through they've been waiting for.
The Jedi decide to learn more about the Shaper and allow her to learn more about them in an attempt to put a face on the enemy. Yim is transferred back to the Empire under the watchful eyes of the Skywalkers and Fels. But Yim and conspirator Nom Anor hatch a counter-plan: learn as much as possible and then kill the leading Jedi family. Under the ruse of finding a cure for Mara's illness, Yim attempts to inject the Jedi with poison. Through the Force, Jaina and brother Anakin sense a trap and reject it. This brings about Yim's confession and ultimate conversion – she will now seek to find a way to save her people and bring an end to the war.
Meanwhile, the young alliance between the great galactic powers hatches a cunning plan: lure the Vong to the deadly Maw and provoke the very last battle there – sending the Vong into the depths of the numerous black holes located there. Danni Quee, an astronomer rescued from the Yuuzhan Vong captivity (and Jacen Solo's new interest) is placed in charge of mapping the Maw so that Alliance ships are safe during battle. But the Skywalkers hatch a back-up plan aiming to subvert the enemy and weaken them from within. While Jag and Jaina are on leave at Coruscant, Luke, Mara and Cilghal fake their deaths, using Anakin as the messenger. While Jaina and Jag are not sold, to support the ruse they rush back to the Empire. There, they find that the ruse was devised as a mechanism to allow Nen Yim return to her people. There, she will build a rebellion from the inside out, working with the lowest class – the Shamed Ones – to overturn the YV government.
In the blink of an eye, 6 months pass as all sides ready what is sure to be the ultimate battle of the war for the galaxy. Before Yim's plan can be completed, she is found out by her past partner, Nom Anor, and killed. At the same time, back in Imperial space, Mara, now cured by Nen Yim, gives birth to a beautiful baby boy – Ben. As the family celebrates the new arrival, the battle draws near – even faster than anticipated. After the discovery and death of Nen Yim, Nom Anor and the Supreme Overlord Shimrra hatch a plan in hope of throwing off the New Republic: they launch a surprise attack on Coruscant and capture it. In desperation, Leia and several other able ships escape, heading for the safety of the Maw – and effectively bring the battle with them. The forces in the Maw are weak and unprepared; the situation turning more desperate with every passing moment. Anakin Solo is sent out from the Maw to reach help – any help at all.
It is in this midst of this chaos that Hanna, Jaina's little girl, decides to enter the galaxy. Tucked away on board her ship, the Roughshod, Jaina goes into labor as Jag, in the midst of battle, rushes to be by her side for the blessed event. It is with such a grand entrance and an impeccable sense of timing, that Hanna Fel is born.
With Jaina out of commission and tending to their daughter, Jag is needed to coordinate the battle at hand and heads back into the fray. But not hours after Hanna's birth, the break of the war finds its way to Jaina: the Supreme Overlord wishes to parley – for the life and release of Chak Fel and possibly the end of the war. Even in her weakened state, Jaina is determined to retrieve Jag's brother – even if she dies trying. Unable to veer her from such a course, Jacen insists he accompany her. The twins head to the heart of the YV fleet to meet their destiny.
The twins arrive on the Supreme Overlord's ship and are welcomed into his mighty chamber. Shimrra stands on his dias, a monstrosity of a YV. Beside him stands Chak, expression blank, but alive and relatively well. Also present is Nom Anor, the murderous executor who has so desperately tried to harm or kill Jaina, her family and her husband on several occasions. As negotiations open, the twins find the deal has changed – Shimrra now demands a life for a life. Even as the recent ordeal of childbirth weighs on Jaina's body, talks fail and Jaina and Jacen jump headlong into a final battle: for their lives, for their future and for their galaxy.
Weak and out of practice, Jaina takes on the giant Shimrra, receiving quite a beating even as Jacen handles the numerous other YV in the chamber. As death comes swiftly at her in the form of an ampistaff, a moment of revelation allows Jaina to not only safe herself, but defeat the Overlord with a brilliant display of cunning and Force abilities. As she readies to help Jacen in his own losing battle, she is attacked from behind by the traitorous Nom Anor. In the consequent clash, Anor is wounded and flees from the battle. With their enemies finally vanquished, the twins – both beaten, bloody and barely able to walk – aid the helpless Chak towards their shuttle, both knowing that it is doubtful that the shuttle even remains intact.
As the Solo twins head for a certain dead end, the outside battle resumes as Anakin arrives in the nick of time with reinforcements from the Empire. The Imperial forces begin to quickly take control of the battle, leaving only one problem – Jaina and Jacen are still on board the Overlord's vessel. There, the twins meet little resistance as the YV scramble to fight the space battle beyond. They arrive at the ship's hanger bay to find their worst fears confirmed: their shuttle is demolished. They have no way out. As Jaina moves to try and commandeer an enemy vessel, the roar of engines fills the bay. Jagged Fel, in the Jade Sabre on loan from Mara, once again flies to the rescue. Infuriated though he is at his bride's rash action, he's unable to hold back the joy he feels at her safe return. Even more amazing, there is Chak – alive, but a mentally empty shell. Still short for time, Jag rushes back to the Roughshod bringing Chak, Jaina and Jacen in for immediate medical attention. As the pull into the Imperial ship's hanger bay, victory is won – the Overlord's ship is destroyed.
The war is over.
Epilogue:
Weeks later, Jaina and Jag return to Coruscant. Chak has been in intensive care at the New Republics best and brightest research facility. While the coral implants previously controlling him have been removed, they have left massive damage. Jaina and Jag face an awful truth: Chak has no memories, no knowledge of anything. He will have to learn everything – eating, walking and talking – from the beginning, as a child. It will be a long road to recovery, but in time, recover he will.
So finally the time came – over a year after their small civil ceremony on Csilla, the Fels grant Leia her request – a large, elaborate wedding ceremony highlighting the alliance between two of the galaxy's greatest governments and now, a celebration of peace and the bright future to come. In the midst of thousands of beings – and Hanna in the audience, Jag and Jaina make the ceremony their own. It is a moment forever ushering their once dubious engagement into the halls of true love, matrimony and the future.
end
Chapter 1: Fractures
The heavens were clear and spotless, the stars visible and shining over the solitary moon, blanketing Varen and his crew with an artificial comfort of peace. Or perhaps that was the problem. There was too much peace, the galaxy was resting. But it was restless.
At least, that's the way Varen saw it. There needed to be conflict, a reason for he and his crew to exist. There was no call for smugglers, for slave traders, when no one needed the goods he carried. He had built his company from scratch, and it had grown in leaps and bounds, especially throughout the Yuuzhan Vong war. He had briefly lent his efforts to groups of people who favored succession, but that didn't take hold. It was the Vong themselves who had been in need of his services. He had handed thousands, hundreds of thousands of refugees over to the enemy, and made fortune beyond his wildest dreams doing so.
Almost every single slave had perished the Maw four years prior, leaving no evidence of his treachery. His company was clandestine, underneath even the seediest of traders scattered across Nal Hutta and other havens of crime. It existed outside the knowledge of most crime bosses, and was completely unknown to the government high-ups who would give him trouble.
But as in all businesses of his sort, there were risks. Varen didn't do well with maybes, he wanted guarantees. He had worked hard, sacrificed so much to get where he was, to achieve the kind of wealth he had. And so after the Maw he had killed all of his ranking officers and brought in new people, ones who couldn't betray him. He could always find new people, but couldn't risk being found out. The Galactic Federation of Free Alliances—as the united New Republic and Empire had decided to call themselves—had an extreme sensitivity to things that had happened during the war. If they had known he had been a key contributer in supplying the enemy with resources and slaves...well, he knew there would be no mercy.
And so he needed a plan, and a good one. There weren't many living who could name him for his crimes, and all but one of them were in no position to give him any trouble. And even that one was a long shot, a very unlikely instance. But Varen didn't take chances. Of course, it was also a possibility that while trying to implement this plan of his he would only incriminate himself unnecessarily. That's why he needed a good plan, a foolproof one. And that was why he was on this singular moon in the farest edge of space, making preparation for the scheme to come. Readying his men for the fall of greatness.
Clouds hung above Coruscant; gray, fluffy clouds the color of the ocean after it rains, or a foggy mirror. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a promise of the storm to come. The former Imperial Center was famous for its rare but devastating lightning storms, and by the sound and flashing lights this one was sure to be sizeable. Jaina curled further under the sheets of her bed, trying to block out the noise and the rebellious echo in her womb.
A tremendous clap of lightning sounded overhead, and the baby responded by kicking her painfully. The result was the protesting of her stomach, and before the crackling had died away she was lurching to the 'fresher. She barely made it, reaching the disposal bin just in time to retch into its interior. She stood slowly, moving to the sink and washing her face and mouth as rain began to pelt the windows outside her bedroom.
"Are you okay?" Jag's voice interrupted the storm.
"And I had thought I was long done with morning sickness," she grumbled as she padded back into the sleeping quarters and sat on the edge of the bed.
A hand grappled for her in the dark, pulling her back under the covers. "I guess you've graduated to 0300 sickness," he replied with dry wit.
"Ha ha," she said, letting his arms envelop her. "Very funny. You're the one who did this to me, I would think you could be a little more compassionate."
"I'm very compassionate," he said huskily, lips trailing along her collar bone sensually.
Jaina sighed and closed her eyes, happy for the rare moment of intimacy. They had been living almost separate lives of late, instead of together they existed parallel to each other. Jaina spent her days taking care of Hanna and Chak while Jag acted as ambassador of affairs to the New Republic, the Coruscanti representative of the Empire in the newly formed Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. In the beginning they had both held the position, but after they had decided to have a second child Jaina had remained at home more and more until she only stopped by the Embassy on occasion.
They tried to maintain the same relationship they had always had, though Jaina thought they were fighting and uphill battle. There had been a few bumps in the marital road of late, mostly because of Jaina's selfish wish to turn back time. Things had been rough but simple during the war, and she found herself wishing more and more that they could return the innocent love of that first year.
But they made time for each other still, no matter what. And soon they were relocating back to Bastion, very soon if they wanted to complete the move before the baby was born. That would help matters tremendously. And so does this, Jaina thought as his ministrations moved lower, hands tugging at the sash of her robe.
"Where were you five months ago?" she panted, remembering how randy the second month of pregnancy had made her.
His response was only a low chuckle as he returned his kiss to her mouth, pressing her lips thirstily. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. This was one thing that would never get old...
"Mommy!"
They both relaxed like deflated balloons, Jag moving away from her with an irritated sigh. "Yes, sweetie?" she called back, rubbing her eyes with one hand.
"Mommy the storm scares me!"
Jaina sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed tiredly. She tossed Jag a regretful look, and padded quietly out of the room. "I'm coming, Hanna."
Hanna Fel was a small, female version of her father. When Jaina entered the room she was sitting straight up in bed, black hair frazzled and nightgown twisted around her tiny form. That was one thing she had gotten from Jaina, a petite stature that belied her energetic nature. At the moment her lower lip was extended far past its usual level in an expression that was part fright and part pout. "Mommy," she whimpered as another bolt of lightning cracked just outside they window.
Jaina smiled and came to sit on the small bed, helping Hanna climb onto her lap, somewhat reduced from the protrusion of her belly. "It's okay, Hanna, the storm can't hurt you."
The four-year-old buried her face in Jaina's chest, clutching the folds of her robe in both tiny hands. "Why's it so loud? Something that loud should hurt."
Jaina sat back against the headboard, holding her daughter close as she considered the question. No, stature was not the only thing Hanna had inherited from her mother. She had also managed to acquire a bit of her cynicism. What had her Uncle Luke told she and her brothers when they were younger? "Thunderstorms are nothing to be afraid of," she began slowly. "That loud noise? It's just the sound of the clouds bumping together. The bigger the cloud, the bigger the noise. And when they hit, little pieces break loose, and that's what we call rain."
"What about the lightning?" Hanna sniffled.
"Lightning happens when all the bumping clouds knock into the planetary shield," she said, trying to sound serious. The story had eased her own fears many years ago.
Hanna relaxed a little bit, but didn't let go of her. "Can it hurt people in space ships?"
"Sometimes," Jaina admitted reluctantly. "But no one really flies in a storm, so you don't have to worry about it."
"Can it come in my room?" she asked in a low whisper, as if the question itself was dangerous.
"Never," Jaina promised. "Will you be okay now if I go?"
"No."
Jaina sighed. "Do you want me to stay until you fall back asleep?"
"Yes."
Making herself comfortable, she leaned back against the headboard and waited for her child to go back to sleep. She was growing so fast, sometimes it was nice to be needed. That was one reason she had wanted a second child, to have a baby to hold once again. Hanna was so rebelliously independent that she hardly ever wanted to be held or carried anymore. But such was life, and Jaina was grateful her daughter was growing normally.
Yet there was someone else in the house that wasn't. Chak's mind had regained its normal functioning, even though his memories were lost in the void. He was capable of adult thought and could carry off the act well. But inside he was still very sheltered and immature, just as someone newly born into an adult body should be. He knew that Jaina and especially Jag didn't expect much of him. They expected him to walk and talk and function on his own, and take himself to the 'fresher and be able to drive a speeder or space craft or whatever necessary. But beyond that there was no standard, and sometimes it seemed to Jaina that he had no desire to push himself further. It was when this thought occurred to her that she grew troubled, but Jag would hear none of it. Chak's recovery was miraculous, he said, and he would let Chak be whatever he wanted to be. He wouldn't push him in one direction or another. And since Chak was Jag's brother, she really had no choice but to concede.
Still, she knew what would be best for him. He needed stimulation, to be pushed past the comfortable zone he had settled in. To be treated like the adult he was, forced to grow. It sounded harsh, she knew, and that was probably why Jag wouldn't hear of it. But Chak would never be independent, happy, or feel self-worthy until he was made to be the adult he was.
"Chak, are you coming with Hanna and me to see Mara and Ben?" Jaina asked as she poured the blue milk from the container into Hanna's cereal bowl.
He shrugged, taking another bite of his processed granular breakfast. He was slouched against the sofa, bowl precariously balanced against his chest, watching the morning younglings addition of the Holonet. He was a tall man, a little taller than Jag and bearing a great resemblance to him. When she had first seen him he had been a scrawny little thing, malnourished; little more than skin stretched over bones. But his appetite grew with his recovery, and regular trips to the rehabilitation facility where they helped him return to normal had built back up at least some semblance of his former muscularity and stature.
"Nah," he answered after he had finished chewing. "I think I'll go to work with Jag and run the sims." A gigantic Imperial Embassy had been built when Grand Admiral Pellaeon had allowed Jaina and Jag to stay behind on Coruscant as ambassadors to the New Republic, complete with a company of stormtroopers and squadron of TIE fighters and several sets of barracks, all along with the numerous offices and conference rooms.
"Okay," she said, setting Hanna's breakfast down in front of her on the kitchen table. "You might want to ask him first, though."
"Jag!" he yelled loudly, and Jaina smirked at his misinterpretation. "Can I go to the Embassy with you today?"
"If you want," he answered as he emerged from the bedroom, pulling his tunic over his head. "Good Morning," he said softly to Jaina, kissing her upturned cheek. He then bent and kissed the top of Hanna's head, ruffling her hair playfully.
"Hanna and I are going to see Mara," Jaina told him.
"Okay. Do you want to meet us for lunch at the Marquee?" he asked, referring to the strip of open-air tapcafes on the edge of the Senatorial District.
"It depends on how long we're with Mara. I'll comm you later if we do."
"Okay," he smiled, kissing her once more. "Come on Chak, we have to go now if we're going."
The older man stood, downing the remainder of milk in his bowl in one drink. "Coming."
"Ben!" Hanna exclaimed happily, waving her arms as she ran towards her cousin. Ben Skywalker and Hanna Fel were only two weeks apart in age, and had grown up more like siblings than cousins.
Jaina allowed her to run down the ferrocrete footpath through the trees towards the place Ben and Mara sat, but Jaina continued at her slow pace. Already in her seventh month, quickly approaching eighth, walking for long periods of time was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and so she settled for keeping Hanna within her line of sight. The trees in the indoor gardens were blooming in their artificial Spring, pink and red buds hanging from their branches in brilliant clusters. The particular tree Mara was sitting under was huge in its girth and height, hundreds of ropy knots twisting together into one gigantic tree. Its laden white canopy bowed under the weight of the blooms, the lowest branches coming within two meters of the ground. Mara waved to her from the slight dip between its roots, her red hair in stark contrast with the white flowers.
"I'm so glad you suggested this place," Jaina said as she came within earshot. "It's beautiful."
Mara smiled dryly. "It's the Ithorian gardens, the surviving remnant of flora from the war."
Jaina smiled sadly. "I'm sure they love having something left, at least."
"How are you doing, Jaina?" Mara asked, helping her niece take a seat beside her. Ben and Hanna had already scampered into the open park area and were attempting to catch a wayward flitterfly.
"Tired," Jaina answered. "It was hard with Hanna, but this one is so much more temperamental," she sighed.
"Boys always are, or that's at least what I've heard," Mara said. "Ben certainly seemed more rambunctious than Hanna."
Jaina ran a loving hand over her stomach. "He certainly keeps me on my toes. You know I actually got another bout of morning sickness last night?"
Mara shook her head. "It'll all be over soon, as you well know. So how is everyone else? I haven't talked to you all in forever, it seems. I'm so busy with the new Jedi Temple."
"We're just trying to get prepared for the move. Hanna's taking it better than, Chak, I think. He's never known anything but here, and it scares him. And Jag's working himself into the ground, like usual. He's home less and less, Pellaeon's running him ragged. That's another reason we wanted to go back to Bastion. This job is getting to be too much. We handled it fine when I was still able to help, but he can't do it on his own, no matter how hard he tries to pretend it's okay."
"We're going to miss you," Mara smiled, laying a hand on her arm. "But I certainly understand. Have you heard from Jacen and Danni lately?"
Jaina shook her head slowly. "Not in a few weeks. And then he told me things were getting rough. She's still pushing him to get married, and he's till staunchly against it. I'm not sure how it'll all turn out."
"Does he love her?"
Jaina considered the question carefully before answering. "I think he did, once. And probably still does. But mostly, I think he just wants to keep things the way they are. He's always had a problem with overanalyzing, overthinking things. He's very cautious, and this time I'm afraid his caution is going to cost him Danni."
"What's her rush?" Mara said, plucking a fallen flower from the grass and twirling it between her fingers.
Jaina laughed shortly. "I think you have a slightly slanted view on the subject, Ms. I-waited-ten-years-to-marry-my-husband."
"And so do you, Ms. I-waited-two-days." They both laughed then, the ridiculousness of it all too apparent. "Well, they both turned out okay in the end," Mara smiled.
Jaina smiled wistfully. "Let's hope."
Mara scowled gently. "Are you and Jag having problems again?"
"When were we not having problems?" Jaina returned. "I feel so tied down, Aunt Mara. I can see everything I wanted in my life just slipping through my fingers, and there's nothing I can do about it. And no matter how many times I tell him, Jag just doesn't seem to understand."
Mara plucked a petal from the flower and let it waft back to the ground. "If there's one thing I've learned from marriage, it's that love is a lie."
Jaina frowned at the statement, unsure of what the it meant or if she wanted to know. But before she could ask Ben and Hanna came bounding towards them, giggling hysterically. "Mommy, save me!" Hanna squealed, coming to hide behind her back.
"I can't save you," Jaina said dryly. "You have to save yourself."
"Well I'm going to get you both," Mara said, jumping to her feet and making a ridiculous face that was supposed to be mock-scary. Despite, both children squealed happily and took off at a run. Jaina sat and watched thoughtfully as Mara caught both of them, then subjected them to the horrors of merciless tickling. It was easy to fall back into the happiness of the moment, but still Mara's last statement haunted the back of her mind.
Jaina hurried along the catwalk, suspended hundreds of feet in the air, tugging Hanna along beside her. They're date with Mara and Ben had ended before lunch, and so they had decided to meet Jag and Chak at the Marquee. They were already fifteen minutes late, but she didn't think her back could handle carrying Hanna the rest of the way.
Finally they were there, traversing the long walkway lining the row of tapcafes. She spotted Jag at a table and steered Hanna in that direction. He smiled as he saw them coming, but didn't stand. "Where's Chak?" she asked, setting Hanna onto a chair between herself and Jag.
"The 'fresher," he answered. "How were Mara and Ben?"
"They're doing fine," she said, folding a napkin and tucking it in Hanna's collar.
"I'm glad you could make it," he said. "I have a meeting with the Bothan senators this evening, you should probably take him home."
Jaina nodded, gesturing for the waitress to come to the table. She came, a four-armed Codru-Ji that sat a menu in front of each of them and pulled a note pad from her apron. After taking their orders she retreated back to the kitchen, to return a moment later with their beverages. By then Chak had returned, taking a seat opposite Hanna. "How was your day?" she smiled at her brother-in-law.
"Good," he replied shortly. "I beat Lieutenant Kensing in the simulators."
Jaina threw Jag a questioning look and he confirmed with a nod. Chak had no memory of his military and pilot training, but it was obvious he still had the extincts and maybe even unconscious memory of those days back on Csilla. Jaina felt her stomach turn over several times, and once again she knew doubtlessly that the place he belonged was back at home with his family.
"That's wonderful, Chak," Jaina said truthfully. "How did he take it?"
Chak smirked as he downed a large gulp of his drink. "He dented the control panel."
Jaina laughed and shook her head. "I can imagine."
"Daddy," Hanna said, tugging on his shirt, "can I be a pilot some day?"
Jag's eyes lifted and locked with Jaina's, and for a moment they were both completely in accord, and as thrilled with their daughter as they had ever been. Then he looked back down at Hanna and beamed. "Of course you can. You're going to be the best pilot this galaxy's ever seen."
She smiled, satisfied with his answer, and turned back to playing with the paper wrapping that had come off her straw.
They finished the meal in a comfortable quiet, but towards the end Chak said abruptly, "When are we moving?"
The question took them both off-guard, and Jaina took a long sip from her drink while she collected her thoughts. "Before the baby's born," she replied finally.
"Why?" Jag questioned.
Chak shrugged. "Dr. Banks said to come see her one more time before we left."
"I'll take you tomorrow," Jag promised.
Jaina frowned minutely, having a bad feeling she wasn't sure about. It was like those feelings she got as a General in battle, when she could feel the tension about to break loose before the enemy would strike. But no matter how hard she tried, she could pinpoint its origination. So she finished her meal with wary uneasiness, praying that for once she could be wrong.
The burden of knowing her brother-in-law, who she loved as much as if he was her own, could possible have so much more in life weighed heavily on her. So heavily that by that evening when Jag returned home she was prepared to use whatever means necessary to convince him of the same.
"Jag," she started immediately as he came through the door, "we need to talk."
Her husband sighed heavily, taking off his shirt and pulling on sleep pants before turning to answer her. "Jaina, if this is just another something we can fight about, can't it wait until morning?"
Jaina raised her chin slightly. "No."
He ran a hand through his hair and came to stand in front of where she sat on the edge of the bed. "What is it?"
"Chak," she said. "You're not doing him any favors by keeping him here."
"I'm not keeping him here," he replied flippantly. "He's coming to Bastion with us."
"You know exactly what I mean," she snapped, her anger making her flush. "The thing with the simulators today, you know what that could mean. What if he could get his memory back, Jag, but doesn't have the right kind of catalyst? If you sent him home, where he spent most of his life, something there could trigger the person he was. You know I love him and want him here, too, but because I love him I know the best thing for him is to go back. Can't you see that too?"
Jag looked away for a long moment, the muscles in his arms and chest tightening with his stress. "I can't take him and just leave him with strangers, Jaina. And that's who Mother and Father would be to him. We're all he knows."
Jaina shook her head tiredly. "There's only so much I can do for him. He needs to live like he did before he was captured. I can't give him that, Jag. None of us can. You have to let him live."
"He doesn't know how," Jag argued, a tinge of anger to his speech.
"That's why you have to let him learn," she said almost tenderly. She knew it was hurting him to hear this, but he needed it. "Take him home, Jag."
He was struggling, that much was visible; but if past experience was any indication, it was around this point in their arguments that he usually caved. And this time he did to, she thought smugly as the resigned look came over his face. "I'll talk to Chak tomorrow."
Jagged Fel was nervous. He rarely allowed anything to break through his calm outer shell, but telling his brother that they were taking him a galaxy away and leaving him with strangers was one thing that made his heart race. Chak sat in the copilot's chair of the family speeder, happy to be on his way to see Ismene. Jag often wondered if Chak's feelings towards his therapist were healthy, but there was really no good way to ask him about it. So Jag let what was be, and ignored the possibility that his brother had a soft spot for the doctor.
"Chak," he began slowly, gathering his thoughts about him, "how do you feel about the move?"
"I'd rather not go," he said casually, keeping his eyes fixed outside the transparisteel viewport.
Jag licked his lips nervously. "What would you say if I told you that there was a chance you wouldn't have to go?"
Chak turned to him sharply, a keen look in his eye. He looked so much like the man he had once been, the headstrong, powerful older brother that he had looked up to for as long as he could remember. Perhaps Jaina was right; if taking him to Csilla could bring that man back, maybe it was worth it. "How?"
Jag considered, searching for a suitable response. "Do you ever wonder about our family?"
"Jaina and Hanna?"
"No," Jag said, shaking his head. "Our family. Our parents, and brother and sister."
Chak shrugged. "Not really. What are they like?"
"Well, they all live on Csilla, a planet in the Unknown Regions controlled by the Chiss. Father is an assistant syndic. Our mother stays at home most of the time, and the last time I saw her Wyn was attending the Academy. She would be fifteen now," Jag mused. He hadn't see her in years, it was hard to tell what his little sister was like anymore. "And we have a younger brother, Cem." He paused, remembering. "And we had a sister Cherith, and a brother Davin, who are both dead now."
Chak took the information in as if they were statistics on a flight report. "Oh."
Jag swallowed hard, throwing him a sideways glance. "Would you like to meet them?"
Chak looked surprised. "I never really thought about it. I guess so."
"How about tomorrow?" Jag offered.
"You want to go see them tomorrow?" Chak asked, incredulous.
Jag shrugged lightly, as if it was of no great consequence. "Sure, why not?"
He was quiet for several long moments, then finally said with a tinge of humor, "Sure. Why not?"
Dr. Banks was a tall woman, with sandy brown hair and soft features that made it easy to see why so many people who were essentially lost turned to her. Her easy smile spread sweetly across her face as Chak and Jag entered the office, and she stood quickly from behind her desk. "Chak," she smiled, extending her hands to him, "I'm so glad you came to see me one last time."
"I'll be back," he promised with a grin.
Her gaze switched momentarily to Jag, champagne eyes sparkling intensely. "Good Morning, General Fel."
He nodded curtly. "Doctor. Chak said that you wanted to have one more session before we moved to Bastion."
"I did," she smiled. She turned and moved back behind her desk, pulling a datapad from a drawer. Jag and Chak took a seat on the other side. "So, Chak. Have you had any incidents lately, anything that made you feel strange or pensive, maybe sparked some sort of remembrance?"
"No," he said, shaking his head.
"Well," Jag interrupted, "you beat one of my pilots on the simulators yesterday. Jaina and I thought that was odd when he should have no memory of his piloting days."
Ismene nodded minutely, typing something into her datapad. "That's true. But it doesn't necessarily mean he had any sort of buried memories. He was a pilot of great caliber, if what you tell me is true, and that would require not only training but instincts. He is essentially the same person, and still has the raw skill he did when he was born. It's not unfeasible that he's simply reacting to his nature-born gift."
Jag nodded disappointedly. "I almost expected as much."
"Jag's taking me to visit our family on Csilla," Chak announced suddenly.
Her smile faded somewhat, and she threw Jag a sidelong glance. "Family?" she asked.
"Is that okay? For his development, I mean?"
She thought hard for several minutes, then finally nodded. "I supposed it would be good for him to find out where he came from. I give it my consent."
We were going whether you gave it your consent or not, Jag thought dryly. "Good," he smiled outwardly.
"Well," she said, pushing he chair away from the desk and standing once again, "I really don't think there's anything more to discuss. I've taken him as far as I can. Now it's up to you, Chak," she said to him. "I'm going to miss you as a patient."
Chak smiled back. "I'll miss you, too. But I'll be back."
"Well you better," she teased. Turning to Jag, "Good day to you, General."
Jag bowed slightly, then guided Chak back out of the room. But before he could leave she called out, "Oh General?"
He stopped at the door, turning half-way to ask, "Yes?"
She grinned gently. "Take good care of him. He's a lot more fragile than he looks."
Jag smiled back, understanding. "I will."
Jag threw his wife a helpless look, hoping she could somehow pry the clinging four-year-old from his neck. Jaina smirked and came to her daughter, tugging at her waist gently. "Hanna, Daddy has to go now. Let go."
"No!" she exclaimed, wrapping herself more tightly around him. "I won't let you go!"
Jag sighed, touched and annoyed at the same time. "Hanna, I'm coming back, soon. I've been on trips without you before, what's wrong this time?"
"I won't let you go!" she repeated stubbornly.
"That's quite enough, Hanna," Jaina said, prying the small fingers from the collar of his tunic.
"Why does Daddy have to go?" she asked, on the verge of bursting into tears.
"Because," Jaina said softly. "Because Uncle Chak needs him to come with him. Don't you want Uncle Chak to get better?"
She nodded and sniffled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why don't you go get back in the speeder?" Jaina suggested. Throwing Jag one last look, she let Jaina set her down and walked sullenly across the landing pad.
Jag watched her go sadly. "I wish I could take her with me, let her see Csilla."
"She will, one day," Jaina said. "But I fully expect Csilla to be a dangerous place. They haven't forgiven us for running off those years ago. They still think it was a mistake."
Jag looked at her sadly. "Was it?"
Jaina gave him a reassuring look. "No. Jag, I know things always haven't been easy, and I'm not the easiest person to live with...but I love you. And that will never change."
He kissed her, careful of the bulge of her stomach. "I'll never stop loving you," he promised. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone. I'll miss you the whole time."
"I will," she said, kissing him one more time. "And you watch out for you. Don't expect a warm welcome or an easy return."
"Don't worry about me. I'm taking the Valorous, after all."
"Okay. I love you," she repeated.
"And I love you."
"Chak," she said to her brother-in-law, whom she probably wouldn't see for some time, "you take care as well. We'll miss you."
"I will," he smiled. "Come on, Jag. Let's get this over with. I have a family to meet."