part one, two and three!
by Divinity
Description: After graduation, Jacen gets a new girlfriend. It's not Tenel Ka. Tenel Ka, after avoiding Jacen as much as possible decides to go home to Hapes. That means accepting some consequences.
rated: PG for now due to two swear words.
spoilers: none I can remember.
takes place: sometime after the YJK books, but take into consideration Vector Prime is nonexistent as a place where this story is going. I didn't like that book at all (yet I crave the second one with a passion)
ages: I'm going with 17 for Tenel Ka, 16 for the twins, and 16 for Tria
disclaimer: These characters, minus Tria (she's mine! all mine! Ha!), belong to their original authors, George Lucas, any other person they belong to et cetera. I'm making no profit off of this. I don't think I could ever make a profit off of this (kinda sad, huh?) Sue me and I'll sue you back!
Let the insaneness begin!!
***
It wasn't as if she should even care if Jacen had a girlfriend now. He was pretty popular at the Academy. Most of the girls even talked about him in the girls' showers. She had known before that it was only a matter of time before he realized how adored he was.
She had just hoped it would happen after she left the Academy.
If anything, she realized, she should be happy for him. Yet, it was pretty hard to be happy for him when she was the one that wanted to be the girl in his embrace.
Dammit!! she thought in annoyance.
There was a rustling in the bushes across the river. Startled, Tenel Ka jumped up into a battle position, waiting for whoever was there.
Jacen and Tria burst through the bushes, laughing their heads off. Probably at one of Jacen's jokes, she mused silently.
"Oh, hey, Tenel Ka. How are you?" Tria asked sweetly, still smiling at the joke or whatever it had been.
"I'm doing fine."
Jacen greeted her also, but wouldn't believe her lie about feeling fine. He stepped on a few unsubmerged rocks to get to the Tenel Ka's side.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's nothing, really. In fact, I should go. I've wasted precious packing time staring into the water like an old woman. Excuse me," she said hastily and turned to leave. Jacen stepped in front of her. "Please, my friend, let me pass."
"Packing time? Where are you going?" he asked.
"I'm going home to Hapes tomorrow morning. For good."
"You're going home?" he asked, surprised and shocked.
"I believe that is what I said, Jacen."
In his stunned disbelief, he barely noticed her brush past him.
***
The packing only took a half an hour and it all fit into one nice little box. Tenel Ka had called her mother, told her of her desire to return home and then dealt with the assault of questions.
"Dear, I know you've graduated, but it seems to me a decision you're not too sure about," her mother said.
"Mother, I need to return home. I am no longer needed here, and because of the new students space is becoming limited. I need to move on," she said softly as not to alert anyone passing in the hallway.
"You know what will happen when you return?" the queen asked.
"I must marry within six months. I know. But I have delayed it too long with the excuse of my Jedi training. I will not hide under excuses any longer."
Her mother sighed, looking defeated.
"If it is what you desire, my dear. You know we will always welcome you home with open arms. When should I expect you?"
"I will leave tomorrow morning. If I'm not home by the end of the week, then something's gone wrong. I'll call otherwise," Tenel Ka said.
"Very well. Good-bye, my daughter."
"Good-bye, mother."
***
Part Two: the next morning
"Tenel Ka, you can't leave," Jacen said, bursting into her room. He had thought over for an hour the entire situation, and he had decided to convince her to stay.
"And why not?" she asked, looking up from her datapad. "It is my right to leave anytime I please."
"I remember you once saying that when you went home, you'd have to marry within 6 months. You can't do that."
"It is merely a consequence I will have to face. It is better sooner than later, you know." She gave him an inquiring look. "Why should it bother you?" she asked.
"Because you're my friend and it...it isn't right," he said lamely.
She shrugged. "It is tradition. It has been for centuries. I would have dealt with it later in life, I just chose to deal with it now."
Jacen stood at her doorway, not saying a word. He looked terribly troubled, but accepted her decision.
"Who will you marry?" he asked.
"Truthfully, I do not know," she said, shutting down the datapad and standing. "Probably some Hapan noble or a political marriage. It makes no difference to me."
"That is so wrong!" he declared.
"It is tradition. I've accepted it. Why can't you?" She sighed, and picked up a single bag. "I must be going, Jacen. I'm expected home."
They walked together to the landing pad where the Rock Dragon awaited.
Jaina approached them at the ship.
"She checks out fine. I've already prepped her for flight for you. I hope you don't mind," Jaina said.
"Not at all, Jaina."
"I wish you'd consider staying. It won't be the same without you," Tria said, joining the small group.
"I will keep in touch with you all when I can. Good-bye, my friends," Tenel Ka said, trying to make the fare-wells short. Everyone said their short good-bye's and watched as she entered the ship.
In minutes the Dragon had cleared for departure and Tenel Ka was gone.
***
Part Three: 5 1/2 months later.
"Hey, I got a letter from Tenel Ka!" Jaina said cheerfully, sitting down next to Zekk. She was holding her datapad, scanning the contents of the letter.
"Well, what does she say?"
"Dear friends, How is everything on Yavin? I've been doing okay here. As it turns out, Hapan Politics are really confusing, so it has been a great challenge trying to figure everything out. I'm being worked into the diplomatic side of ruling more and more. In fact, my schedule has been so busy I can hardly find time to even sleep.
I have a request of all of you. In 2 months I will be marring Lord Deric Kellon, and I would be honored if all of you would come to Hapes for the event."
"Married?! Wow, who'd have ever thought?" Jaina said. "I'm pretty shocked."
"Yeah, me, too," everyone, except Jacen, agreed.
"I'm not," Jacen said.
"Why not?" his sister asked. If anyone should have been shocked, it was Jacen. Everyone knew of the attraction he had possessed for the young warrior princess.
"She told me a while ago that when she returned to Hapes after her studies were complete that she would have to marry within 6 months. It's been about 5 months since she left. I guess it was only a matter of time before it happened," he said.
"Does she write any more?" Tria asked.
"Uh, yeah. Just stuff about when the formal invitations should be arriving, and how that has all of the information on it."
"Maybe we should inform Master Skywalker."
***
Tenel Ka leaned against the balcony railing, a champagne flute in one gloved hand. She looked up at the stars, wondering if her friends were reading her letter. She thought about how so much had changed since she left Yavin 4. When she returned, she was given only a few days of rest before she was thrown into politics. Her parents were happy to see her at first, but as the issue of marriage approached they had this continual expression of sadness on their faces. It really bothered Tenel Ka seeing her parents that way, but it had been her decision. When she tried to talk to her mother about it, her mother said that it was okay to marry at such a young age, and that she supported Tenel Ka's decision.
Now Tenel Ka was having doubts about returning home.
"Are you okay, darling?" came a voice from the balcony doorway. She lazily looked over her shoulder at Deric. He was only a few inches taller than her, with dark, cropped hair, and light eyes. Like all Hapan men, he was very attractive and toned.
"Yes, Deric, I'm fine," she replied casually. She stared down into the bubbling champagne. Maybe it was the drink that was making her dwell on the past.
She felt Deric's presence cross the distance between them. He, too, was carrying a flute full of champagne.
"Are you sure?" he asked, gazing into her eyes. She nodded a 'yes'. "You've been so melancholy lately. It's hard not to think you're having doubts about things."
"I've been thinking. It's been a while since things slowed down enough to offer me that privilege." She sighed, and took a sip from her glass. "I'm worried about my parents," she said, letting him know what was bothering her.
"Why is that? Their Majesties seem fine to me," he commented lightly. He leaned his back against the railing to look at her.
"You haven't known them as long as I have. They are concerned about me."
"Concerned? Is there something to be concerned about regarding you, love?" he asked.
"No. They think that I rushed into marriage too quickly. They believe that I returned home without thinking the consequences through." She shrugged and downed the rest of the champagne.
"Marriage was a consequence, wasn't it?" he asked.
"Yes, it was."
"So, I was a consequence."
"I didn't say that," she insisted. "I had to marry within 6 months. I met with many people, and I chose you."
"Does that mean you love me more than anyone else?"
Tenel Ka sighed. The one thing about Deric she could not stand was his constant questioning of her love.
"It means I found you tolerable," she answered truthfully. "Deric, you know I can't lie to you. And I won't lie to you, but I don't think your questioning of my love will do either of us any good."
He hadn't been listening to the last part. "I'm tolerable?! So, you don't have any feelings for me what-so-ever. I was just the most tolerable candidate!"
Now Deric was angry.
"Deric, please," she pleaded, touching his arm gently. "You only bring this upon yourself."
"It might help a little if I were marrying someone who actually had feelings for me beyond 'tolerable'." He downed his glass. "Excuse me."
Hastily, he walked away.
***
Her message had been short and desperate: Please, come as soon as you can.
And as soon as they could, her friends had assembled in the Lightning Rod and had gotten into hyperspace bound for Hapes.
"It can't be good," Jaina said, breaking the silence in the cockpit. Her and Zekk sat side by side, the only ones awake on the ship.
"I don't even know her that well, and I can feel her distress growing," he commented. "Hell, I didn't even think she had emotions."
"Everyone has emotions. She just hid hers really well." Jaina rested her head in her palm, and looked over at Zekk. "There's something that's really bothering her. She wouldn't talk about it over the comm, probably because her grandmother monitors any transmission made out of the palace. I don't like this feeling. It's not good."
"Yeah, I know, you already said that before."
"How long until we get there?"
"About 2 days. Well, I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep, too, you know," he said, standing.
"I know," she smiled. He kissed her on the forehead left the cockpit.
***
Part 4 coming soon.