Title: Love's Sweet Promise
Author: Flowerlady
Timeframe: Legacy era
Characters: K/J, J/S, J/TK, Z/D, Valin, Bunches of OC's
Genre: AU, Romance, Angst, Drama
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary:Just over 25 years after the end of the Swarm War the children of Kyp and Jaina, Valin and Tahiri, Zekk and Danni, Jacen and Tenel Ka, and Jag and Shawnkyr find themselves exploring the possibilities of finding love while a great disturbance is threatening the 25 year peace of the GFFA.
This is sequel: The following stories lend to the dynamics that are presented in this piece. However, one does not need to read these to understand Love's Sweet Promise:
Always Have, Always Will: novella length, the romance of Kyp Durron and Jaina Solo, all other parings mentioned.
To Love Thy Friend: series of 4 related vignettes, the romance of Jagged Fel and Shawnkyr Nuruodo
The Strength to Go On: vignette spanning 26 years, the romance of Valin Horn and Tahiri Veila, foreshadows events laid out in Love's Sweet Promise
A/N: For everyone to understand Love's Sweet Promise, some things need to be explained. This is an AU of what could happen during or just after the Legacy Era. Which means there is no Dark Jacen in this. This came about because he married Tenel Ka just after the Swarm War and not only raised Allana but had another child, a son. Jaina and Kyp married nearly a year after a mission that almost killed Kyp and they have four children. Zekk, who at the beginning of AHAW is living with Jaina following their return from the Unknown Regions, eventually marries Danni Quee and they have a son. Also, important to know is that Valin Horn and Tahiri Veila married during AHAW and have a son and a daughter. Finally, Jag Fel was rewarded following the Killik war and made a Fleet Admiral of the CEDF and married his life long friend Shawnkyr Nuruodo and they have a son and a daughter.
Character List: listed in families with ages at time of story opening.
The Durron Family:
Kyp Durron (age 67), Jedi Master
Jaina Solo-Durron (age 54), Jedi Master
Zeth Durron (age 24), Jedi Knight
Anakah Durron (age 24), Jedi Knight
Meri Leia Durron (age 22), Jedi Knight
Liam Han Durron (age 19), Jedi Apprentice to Ben Skywalker
The Nuruodo-Fel Family:
Jagged Fel (age 55), Admiral, Supreme Commander CEDF
Shawnk'yr'nuruodo-Fel (age 53), General CEDF
Cle've'nuruodo-Fel (age 25), Fleet Captain CEDF
Charith Nuruodo-Fel (age 23), Commander CFDF, liaison to GFFA
Mif'lori'noruodo-Fel (wife to Cleven) (age 25), Commander CEDF
The Horn Family:
Valin Horn (age 50), Jedi Master
Tahiri Veila Horn (deceased)
Terrik Horn (age 24), Jedi Knight
Cassie Horn (age 22), Jedi Knight
The Royal Family of Hapes:
Tenel Ka Chume D'jo (age 53), Former Queen Mother Hapes
Jacen Solo-D'jo (age 54), Prince Consort
Allana Chume D'jo (age 27), Queen Mother Hapes
Bail Solo D'jo (age 25), Jedi Knight, Prince of Hapes
Rodtic Le'Dole D'jo (age 32) Prince Consort to Allana
The Quee Family:
Zekk Quee (age 56), Jedi Master
Danni Quee (age 59), Magister of Zonama Sekot
Marko Quee (age 25), Jedi Knight
The Tainer Family:
Doran Tainer (age 51), Jedi Master
Jysella Horn-Tainer (age 45), Jedi Master, Administrator Jedi Academy
Hope Tainer (age 15), Jedi Apprentice to Valin Horn
The Skywalker/Solo Family:
Ben Skywalker (age 36), Jedi Master
Julith Farlander-Skywalker (age 37), Healer, Jedi Master
Luke Skywalker (age 81), Grand Master of the Jedi
Mara Jade Skywalker (age 80), Jedi Master, retired
Leia Organa Solo (age 81), Jedi Master, retired
The Barrett Family:
Pader Barrett (age 47), Admiral, GFFA Third Fleet Commander
Syal Antilles-Barrett (age 46), Chief-of-State GFFA
Padmé Barrett, Queen Violletta (age 20), Queen of Naboo, niece of Pader
Lina Doglan, (age 42), Dealer of Antiquities, one-time mistress of Pader
Beth Doglan, (age 12), daughter of Lina and Pader
The Darklighter Family:
Gavin Darklighter, (age 72), Supreme Commander of GFFA
Jayme Darklighter, (age 52), GA Ambassador to Chiss Ascendancy, married to Wynessa Fel
Gabe Darklighter, (age 40), Colonel, Rogue Squadron Commander
Love's Sweet Promise
Prologue
Zaria (Chiss Space) (62 ABY)
The Galaxy was at peace. And it had been for nearly thirty years, since the end of the Swarm War. The Chiss, the Imperial Remnant, the Hapans, even the Hutts to some extent, all belonged to the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. It was the first time in the modern history of the galaxy that such unity was found. However, there was a blemish on the peacefulness of the Galaxy, a blemish that didn't seem to be going away and that seemed bent on bringing an end to the unity.
As the wedding guests settled in their seats for the history making ceremony, there were many whispers as to what was being done about the pirates that had been terrorizing the Trade Routes and hyperlanes for the past five years. The pirates, which had been linked to the murder of a prominent Jedi Master and several of the bride's Intelligence Branch colleagues, seemed to be unstoppable in their slave and spice running. Although, that wasn't the only thing that concerned the military and government officials who gathered on the temperate Chiss planet of Zaria for the wedding of Cle've'nuruodo-Fel to Mif'lori'noruodo, it was the increasing military build up that the pirates were gathering. Dro'godda was becoming strong and many wondered if they could be stopped and what would be wrought by the attempt. And they wondered just who the heroes that stopped them could possibly be.
However, as the bride and groom came together before the golden robed Chiss magistrate, neither of them were concerned about the pirates they had been chasing for the past two years. They didn't even think about Dro'godda as the catalysis that brought them together. All they thought about was one thing—their love and the sweet gifts it promises to all who truly find it.
X
"I, Cle've'nuruodo-Fel, take you, Mif'lori'nuruodo as my wife."
"I, Mif'lori'nuruodo, take you, Cle've'nuruodo-Fel as my husband."
CEDF Supreme Commander, Admiral Jagged Fel sat beside his wife and listened to the soft words of the simple Chiss wedding vows that were spoken between his son and the daughter of one of Jag's best generals and Fleet Admirals. She was an attractive Chiss woman of good family and was a member of the Chiss Intelligence Branch. Cleven was making a good match and even though he was half human, her parents had been the ones to contact Jag regarding the possible alliance. They knew the advantages of marrying into the Fel family. Besides, Cleven was proving to be more of a command genius than his father had at a similar age; for, at age twenty-five he was already a fleet captain for over two years. The family joke was that was what came about when Fel, Antilles and the genes that helped create Grand Admiral Thrawn mixed. Shawnkyr's paternal grandfather had been one of Thrawn's brothers.
However, the good Chiss alliance was not what warmed the admiral's heart. He was happy because his son and his bride were in love, as much as Jag had been, and still was, when he had married his mother, which for the Chiss wasn't as important as the alliance itself. Jag reached over and found Shawnkyr's hand and held it. She squeezed his hand and met his eyes. He could tell she was desperately trying to keep the tears he saw there from falling. He knew she would be abashed to ever give into the emotion he knew she was feeling. Cleven, after all, had been her first born and the closest to her of their two children. That he was the most Chiss of the two was what Jag's brother Cem always said. However, Jag realized the truth. She didn't quite want to let him go yet. He also knew that that thought bothered her pragmatic Chiss mind because to her those thoughts were irrational. But then again, most Chiss hadn't confronted the hardships they had to raise their family. Besides the underlying prejudice they had always encountered, out of five pregnancies she only had two go to term. The first one was lost to the stress of trying to hide their relationship, the other two to genetic incompatibility. Jag squeezed her hand back and smiled his slight smile that most people who did not know him would have missed, letting her know he felt the same way. He didn't like getting old either. However, he often teased Shawnkyr that his humanity wore off on her as much as her Chissness did on him.
A few moments later the Chiss magistrate announced them joined in the alliance of marriage, and after the traditional old Cheunh words were translated into Basic applause broke out from the 100 or so non-Chiss guests which was followed by more subdued acknowledgment from the Chiss guests of the assemblage of over 500. Jag and Shawnkyr joined the bride's parents in the reception line and accepted the congratulations of their guests. As the line finally began to dwindle down some, he came face to face with his cousin, GFFA Chief-of-State Syal Antilles-Barrett, her husband GFFA Third Fleet Commander, Admiral Pader Barrett and his uncle and aunt Wedge and Iella Antilles.
"Well, Jag, Shawnkyr, congratulations. It was a beautiful wedding," Wedge said as he took his nephew's hand. "Thank you for inviting us. I've always enjoyed Cleven's stoic comments during his visits with us." The old general looked at his great-nephew and smiled, "He was always trying to educate me on how great a command genius Thrawn was."
Cleven who was about a half dozen centimeters taller than his father stepped over and shook Wedge's hand and smiled, making him look like a pale blue version of his father. "Now, Great-uncle, I could not very well talk about you, after all, you know how great you are." Cleven had always been interested in the famous members of his family and tried very hard to learn from them. He and Wedge had been very close over the years, in fact, Jag always thought it ironic that his uncle was closer to Jag's children then he was to Jag or his siblings.
Wedge chuckled, "Leave it to a Chiss to put things into perspective." As he took the delicate hand of Florin to shake it, he said to them both, "Congratulations to you both." Then turning to the beautiful young woman who was standing beside her brother, he winked at her and said, "Well, Cherith, you're next to get married, I suppose."
She laughed and said, "Oh, not for a while I think, Great-uncle." Then she leaned forward and as she looked at Jag, smiled and whispered just loud enough for him to overhear, "Although, I do have quiet the number of admirers that Dad does not know about."
Jag smiled at the exchange. Cleven and Cherith were as much at ease with humans as they were with Chiss. He admired his children; they both had difficult childhoods that caused them to learn to rely on each other and their family, both the Chiss members as well as the human, but they were also strong and self-reliant. They had to learn how to be both Chiss and human and actually pulled it off. Although, Cleven was more reserved and more stoic than his sister, Cherith took after the human side of Jag too much. She sometimes let her emotions get the best of her along with her over abundant human pride. However, most of her Chiss comrades and superiors could overlook that because at age twenty-three she was the best pilot most of them ever seen not excluded her father and grandfather.
As he looked at his son and daughter, he took in their physical appearance. They really seemed to be a mix of human and Chiss traits. Both of them had inherited their mother's complexion, although they were both several shades paler than even the lightest of most Chiss. They both had black hair but it was not the blue-black that Shawnkyr's was, it was fine and feathery like hers, but was more human in color, closer to Jag's own. However, the most intriguing aspect was their eyes. They both had human eyes with dark blue-violet colored irises, which Soontir Fel insisted were the same color as his mother's. Accepting well wishes from his cousin and her husband, he watched his children and couldn't help the feeling of pride that swelled in his heart.
X
The formal Chiss reception was finally over and all the guests that were left were family, both human and Chiss. Cleven looked around and saw his new father-in-law and mother-in-law, his father, his uncle Cem and Admiral Pader Barrett in a conversation. No doubt about the latest pirate activity in the sectors between the Imperial Remnant, Chiss space, and the GA proper. He sighed; he had been patrolling those areas for the past two years and still couldn't figure out where they were hiding. That definitely was not the conversation he wanted to join even if he wasn't heading back to his wife.
He located Florin who was speaking with his grandmother Merel and some other Chiss who were related to Florin. He frowned, he had only let her alone two minutes to get them drinks and now he would have to face his grandmother. He had actually wondered if she would even come to his wedding, but not to attend would have been bad politically; after all, Jag Fel was the Supreme Commander. He never cared much for the seemingly cold Chiss scientist who was his mother's mother. She disliked his father if for no other reason then because Jag was human and she barely tolerated Cleven and his sister. However, as he watched Florin, he realized she was enjoying the conversation, so he decided to move in the opposite direction and ran into his sister, spilling some of the wine he carried onto her gown.
"Cleven!" Cherith seethed quietly in Cheunh and glared at her older brother. "Can you be anymore clumsy? You ruined my dress." She brushed at the red liquid stain on the full skirt of her pale yellow shimmersilk gown.
He looked at her and apologetically said, "I am sorry, Cherith. I did not see you behind me." Then he smiled and held out the glass he slopped the wine from, "You look like you could use this more now than Florin. Take it."
She let her delicate features soften and took the glass. Cleven had to admit besides his wife, his sister had to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. He watched as she lifted the glass to her lips and sipped the fine Chiss wine. She was dressed in a pale yellow gown with sapphire blue accents, which now, thanks to his carelessness, also sported a bright red splash on the front of the skirt. Her black hair was piled high in an elaborate array his aunt Wyn had somehow accomplished. He could admire his little sister's beauty, who looked like a pale blue, black-haired version of their ex-holostar grandmother, but he also knew not to let her looks lull him into thinking she was weak. She could, after all, out fly him in a heart beat, or just cut him in two with her sharp tongue.
Before, she had the chance to use her wit on him he snickered and said, "Just what were you doing behind me anyway?"
"I was coming to tell you my news." Suddenly, she forgot all about the dress. "Come, let's go out to the balcony." She then turned and he could do nothing but follow. He looked longingly at his wife who seemed still content in her conversation then he turned and followed his sister out of the reception hall of the resort where his wedding had been held.
They made their way to the balcony that overlooked the beautiful valley lake that was completely surrounded by tall forested volcanic mountains. The resort was at the base of Mount Glorious and as children their parents had brought them here for holidays to climb the beautiful mountain. They both knew the mountain held something special for their parents but neither one of them ever knew what. So, they were not surprised when their father a few years ago decided to have a summer home built on the mountain. It had been a reward for defeating the Moorlanians without more than 100 Chiss causalities.
After a moment of taking in the beauty of the out doors and listening to the wonderful song of the birds, Cleven asked, "Are you not going to tell me?"
She smiled and said, "Admiral Barrett and Father has just notified me that I have been chosen to be the new liaison to the GFFA and while there I will be given co-command of Rogue Squadron with Gabe Darklighter."
Cleven stared at his sister. Then he said, "That is wonderful, Little Sister. I wish you well." Then he smiled, "I hope Gabe realizes you will out fly everyone in the GFFA?"
Now it was her turn to stare, Cleven was not one to give praise. "I am sure that he will soon find out," she smiled. "There will also be a Jedi assigned to the squadron. Great-uncle Wedge said that he was one of the best pilots the GFFA has." Her smile grew as she added, "I am anxious to beat that Jedi."
Cleven sobered some and asked, "What are you and a Jedi to do with the Rogues and the Fifth Fleet?"
She only let her smile turn triumphant, "Do what you and yours haven't been able to. Catch those pirates on the GFFA border."
Cleven let the remark go past him and said instead, "Who is the Jedi?" Over the years they had the chance to meet some of the younger Jedi. Mainly the Durrons and Horns but he also knew the Prince of Hapes was a Jedi Knight and considered a better than average pilot.
Cherith raised a delicate eyebrow and said, "I believe it is none other than Zeth Durron." Then with an almost predatory smile she added, "I would very much like to out fly him as you put it. I could never stand his over abundance of Jedi arrogance."
He taken aback, he just stared at his sister and wondered who was going to win that battle. Because from what he could remember of the eldest son of Kyp and Jaina Durron, Zeth Durron was as hard headed as his sister.
X
Naboo
It had been nearly two weeks since their wedding and Cleven and Florin were enjoying the wedding gift of the honeymoon to Naboo the Antilles/ Barrett families gave to them. Syal Antilles' husband was from Naboo which since the Yuuzahn Vong war had become quite the vacation spot. Its warm climate and beautiful cities and natural attractions made it a getaway for many.
They were making their way along the sandy beach of the lake their lakehouse resort was situated. They had gone to the main house for dinner and now were headed back to the small cabin they occupied. Once outside and out of sight of the many beings who were vacationing at the resort, Cleven reached over and took Florin's hand.
She smiled up at him and moved slightly closer to her husband. Cleven watched as the light from Naboo's two moons played in her long hair. Finally, he stopped and stepped before her pulling her into his arms. He looked down into her red eyes and she smiled at him. "Can you not wait until we are safely in our cabin, husband?"
"No," he smiled slightly and moved closer to her, "I have wanted to kiss you all evening." She didn't have a chance to respond as his lips possessed hers. She willing let him deepen the kiss and moaned softly as her arms surrounded his waist.
As they moved away from each other, Cleven heard the sound of foot steps behind him. Florin must have heard them too and quickly stepped away from her husband. The last thing a Chiss wanted was to be caught in such an intimate moment.
"Well, I didn't think you Chiss were much for the touchy feely stuff," said a gruff voice which held a heavy Outer Rim accent. "But then you are only half Chiss, Captain Fel." The voice moved from the shadows and carried a blaster held level at them. "And you, Commander Mif'lori'nuruodo, have spent most of your career rubbing elbows with Tuskr Kre'lar."
Cleven stiffened and assessed the black clad human before him, even his face was covered with a black shield. "Who are you and what do you want?" he commanded his own voice accented and clipped.
He moved closer and looked up at Cleven, "I really don't think you are in a position to ask questions, Captain Fel." He waved his hand and suddenly Cleven and Florin were being held from behind. Cleven looked behind him but it was Florin who identified the beings first.
"Defels." She struggled against the shadow being's strong hold on her, "Let me go."
The Defel holding her only held tighter, leaned in and in a raspy, whispery voice replied, "I don't think so, Commander. You are too valuable to uz."
"Let's get out of here. The boss will be very interested in these two, I think. We will need to thank the Chief-of-State for providing us such a wonderful bargaining chip." He laughed in Cleven's face, his breath putrid, "I'm sure she wouldn't want her Chiss cousin's wrath because his very promising son and new wife were captured during a honeymoon that she gifted." Then he stepped away and with a hard tone. "Step away wraiths, they aren't going anywhere."
Before either of them had a chance to let their military training kick in as they were being released, the human blasted them with stun bolts and the world went dark.
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