A/N: Ah- the fresh scent of a new story. :-D
Some notes of interest: this is a continuation of an ongoing AU featuring Kyp and Jaina and their daughter, Leyla. Having said that, Jaina and Jag are married, and the history between Jaina and Kyp is convoluted and the topic of earlier stories. So, as background, I suggest checking out (in this order and all found on this site):
1. An Informal Apprenticeship – rated M
2. Innocence – rated M
3. Betrayal, Forgiveness, Redemption – rated T
4. Against All Odds – rated T
5. New Beginnings – rated T
These cover a period from midway through the Yuuzhan Vong war (circa 26 ABY) through this story, set circa 43 ABY. This set is AU starting from the end of the first story (basically), which details the relationship between Jaina and Kyp just before he uses her to destroy a Worldship at Sernpidal. This sets up part 3, where we see Kyp slide back towards the dark side after losing Jaina.
Part 2 is a one-shot look at the early part of Jaina and Jag's relationship
Part 4 starts five years after the Yuuzhan Vong war is over, and centers around Leyla being kidnapped.
Part 5 is set another four years after that, and is more of a drama/angst piece than the others, as Jaina and Jag encounter marital troubles which are compounded through Jag's work and Leyla beginning her studies at the Jedi Academy.
So here, we have part 6, I suppose- Reciprocity
-a note about this story: towards the end, it's a bit… dark. Darker than my other dark stuff, at least I think. Just a warning though.
Disclaimer: Recognizable material belongs to Lucasfilms and assorted authors of the Star Wars EU. I just like to play deity to fictional beings. 0:-)
Prologue
For two years, he had been waiting for the opportunity to present itself. Two years of staying quiet and unobtrusive in the galaxy, drawing no attention to himself… just sitting, watching, listening, and waiting. It was what he had always been best at- before one horrible misjudgment had cost him everything.
No, not everything. He still had his life.
And as he scanned the report from his most loyal asset, he again saw the threads weaving apart, but ready to be sewn together, ready to be manipulated to suit his purpose. And it was a simple purpose this time, a simple need that drove him to remain vigilant so that, when the perfect opportunity arose, he would be ready to strike.
It was a simple need, but a crucial one. One that tore at his every fiber, one that had afforded him years of painful patience, one that now focused him with an almost clinical awareness of how to acquire that one, simple, crucial need.
Vengeance.
X-X-X-X
As Corellian head of state, in his own palace in the capital city of Coronet on the most populous and important of the five worlds of the Corellian system, it did not seem an unreasonable expectation to Thrackan Sal-Solo that he be kept generally informed of who was coming and going from his palace, and it was certainly not unreasonable that he be informed of peoples coming in and out of his private office suite.
And so, when he entered, not only the office suite, but his personal office itself, to find someone already sitting there waiting for him, he was more than a little disgruntled- and mildly alarmed. His eyes flashed angrily, but the man opposite him- in his chair, no less- simply smiled slowly and held up his empty hands, in what Sal-Solo supposed to be a demonstration of good faith.
"How did you get in here?" he demanded.
"All in good time, my good man," the man murmured in a low, oily voice that set Sal-Solo's teeth on edge. "Suffice it to say that I have an… intriguing… proposal for you, but one that would be best, shall we say… kept off the books."
There were a number of important matters on Thrackan Sal-Solo's mind; some of them professional, some personal, some illegal for that matter- and nowhere, in any of these considerations, did he factor in a strange man, who was more like than not crazy, sitting in his office, in his chair, offering him crackpot proposals. "And what makes you so arrogant as to believe that I have any interest in your… proposal… when you won't even tell me who you are?"
The mysterious man smiled thinly. "Who I am… that matters not. For all intents and purposes in this galaxy, I am no one."
"Then I daresay you'll find it challenging to leave a message with my secretary on your way out."
He continued as though Sal-Solo had not spoken. "However… what I lack in identity, let me assure you, I can make up for in other useful areas."
"And just what is it that you're trying to sell me today, Master Nameless?"
The smile widened. "Sell? Nothing. My services shall come free of charge; indeed, I only wish to help you achieve that which is just beyond your grasp."
"And that would be…?"
"Power, Chief Sal-Solo. I can help realize your dreams, can manipulate those who stand against you in ways you never imagined. I can make you the force to be reckoned with in this part of the galaxy, one that dares stand alone against the Galactic Alliance, once you've stopped playing your ridiculous war-games on your sister world."
Sal-Solo tensed instinctively; his involvement with the confederation was known to only a few, and even his support from the Centerpoint Party was kept strictly under the table. "Let's say these things are truly within your capabilities," he allowed slowly. "I refuse to believe that anyone would do all of that for nothing in return."
"Oh," he chuckled dangerously, "I will get something in return; but it is something that I cannot get from you, my good sir. Rather… it will be accomplished concurrently with your own achievements. In fact- it is a mutually beneficial goal to us both."
The politician's eyebrows quirked skeptically. "Is that so? And just what is this 'mutually beneficial goal'?"
Dark eyes glittered. "Vengeance, Master Sal-Solo. Vengeance against one who has cost us both everything."
"Everything?" the brows furrowed in mock-polite confusion. "I am hardly destitute, as you can see. Who do you imagine has so grievously wronged me?"
In a flash, making Sal-Solo start and take an involuntary step backwards, the other man was up and out of the chair, coming around the desk and circling the alarmed occupant of the office. "Your pride is your weakness," he hissed, and Sal-Solo reflexively brought his hand to rest on his blaster; nevertheless, he couldn't even see that the other man was armed. "You sit now as a king of kings, ill-content to simply be the head-of-state however, always searching and yearning for more- you want it, you want her job, but the people love Prime Minister Saxan, don't they?"
He came back around in front of the still man and looked him straight in the eye. "And yet, for all your discontent, you were nothing ten years ago, you were in prison fifteen years ago, mocked and made a spectacle of for all the galaxy to see, ruined for simply trying to cut your losses, for trying to save what lives you could in the face of a ruthless invasion…
"Who did that to you, Chief Sal-Solo? Who was it that condemned you to years of prison in a labor camp on your own planet? Who threatened to destroy, in a single moment, all that you worked hard to create, everything you earned in a life that started from nothing?"
Sal-Solo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you propose I assassinate Traest Kre'fey?" he asked sardonically. "Or just take on the whole Galactic Alliance fleet single-handedly?"
"No!" the other man bit vehemently. "No! Kre'fey ran an operation; who executed it on the ground? Who physically put you in binders and loaded you into the prisoner transport ship? Who?"
The head of state's expression hardened. "It cannot be done."
The smile was back, with an edge of cruelty to it. "Ah, but of course- he's family now, isn't he?"
He scoffed. "Because my self-righteous smuggler-hero of a cousin's equally self-righteous Jedi-daughter decided that a war was a perfect time to dally with older men and didn't know when to say when? Hardly."
"Indeed," was the lowly murmured reply. "Then you won't object to the exacting of revenge against the father of her bastard child?"
"It cannot be done," he repeated, this time was an air of warning.
The cruelty was gone from his expression and his voice, and was replaced with a no-nonsense efficiency. "That will be for me to determine, my dear sir. Fortunately, our two goals are not mutually exclusive; in achieving one, we will achieve both."
"How very reassuring," Sal-Solo snarled. "Now, I think you've wasted enough of my time this morning-"
"I've compiled a point-by-point breakdown of how we will achieve our ends," the man cut him off and tossed a datacard down onto his desk. "By all means, look it over, take your time. I'll be in touch."
He headed for the door as Sal-Solo spluttered behind him. "Wai- hold on just a moment! Are you at least going to tell me who in blazes you are?"
The man in the doorway paused, hand hovering over the release panel. "I'll be in touch," he repeated quietly. "If, at that point, you find merit in my proposal… then we will discuss other such irrelevant points as who I am."
X-X-X-X
A/N: Next chapter, we'll get into the bulk of the plot, which is mostly Kyp and Leyla stuff. Stay tuned. ;-)