Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or Star Wars.
Welcome! I'm very excited to be posting the first chapter of A Time to Heal, the sequel to my first story As Time Goes By. Thanks to Zealit, Calli1, InsaneJediGirl, and Kt for their reviews to the final chapter. Now for all of you newbies that wandered in here, I don't think you actually have to read the first one in order to completely make sense of this one, but if you want to then that's great! Now I am proud to present…
A Time to Heal
Dramatis Personae
Jaina Solo Fel- female Jedi Knight, pilot; 20
Jagged Fel- male pilot; 22
Jacen Solo-male Jedi Knight; 20
Tenel Ka Djo- female Jedi Knight, Queen of Hapes; 21
Tahiri Veila- female Jedi Knight; 17
Luke Skywalker- male Jedi Master; 49
Mara Jade Skywalker- female Jedi Master; 47
Han Solo- male pilot; 58
Leia Organa Solo- female diplomat; 49
Cem Fel- male pilot; 18
Wynssa Fel- female; 16
Valin Horn; male Jedi apprentice; 15
Kyp Durron- male Jedi Master; 34
Syal Antilles Fel- female; 45
Soontir Fel- male Imperial Baron; 59
Corran Horn- male Jedi Knight, pilot; 47
Mirax Horn- female trader; 46
Jysella Horn- female Jedi student; 11
Wedge Antilles- male pilot; 49
Iella Wessiri Antilles- female pilot, NRI; 48
Syal Antilles-female; 15
Myri Antilles- female; 12
Ta'a Chume- female former Queen of Hapes; 68
Min'tan- male courtesan; 25
Queen Marishka- female ruler of Naboo; 17
Drake Hamsond- male pilot; 20
Ryoo Daltame- female; 58
Layne Daltame- female; 28
Ben Skywalker- male Jedi student; 3
Landon Skywalker- female; 3 months
Menley Solo- female; 1
Grace Solo- female; newborn
Anya Fel- female; newborn
After a seemingly endless struggle, the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, which lasted for years, is now over. What was left of the New Republic has begun to rebuild, making the still beautiful and undestroyed world of Naboo the new center of government. For the second time in her life, Leia Solo is helping to lead the reconstruction of the galaxy after a tragic war.
Luke and Mara Skywalker have just celebrated the birth of their second child, a girl named Landon, three months before. Jaina Solo and Jagged Fel have been married for over a year now and are trying to find a place to settle down together. Wynssa Fel is still dealing with the events of the previous year, and has yet to talk to her parents or press charges against her attacker. She has begun to form a shaky new friendship with Valin Horn.
Tahiri Veila and Cem Fel have remained friends and he continues to help her with raising her young daughter, Menley, while Jacen Solo continues to court the Hapan queen Tenel Ka in secret but she still refuses to marry him…
Chapter 1
Jacen Solo stood on the balcony of the Queen's chamber in the Fountain Palace on Hapes, watching the early morning sunrise. Hands clasped behind his back, he was in a meditative state; thinking about his life up to this point and where the Force would lead him next. Inside the room behind him, he could hear his lover stir slightly.
He and Tenel Ka had more or less been together since their academy days, but it wasn't until after he escaped from the Yuzzhan Vong that they became serious about each other. But even though the two had spent the last year together, she still seemed reluctant to marry him.
Although Jacen understood her reasoning, he still couldn't get passed the fact that she was not willing to commit herself to him for life. She said it was for him; she didn't want him to have his freedom taken away by marrying the Queen of a matriarchal society. But lately, he was beginning to have his doubts.
Feeling Tenel Ka's presence join him out on the balcony, Jacen turned his head to face her. "Good morning," he murmured to the beautiful woman before him.
Noting the sadness in his voice, Tenel Ka placed a hand on his shoulder and asked in concern, "What is wrong, my love?"
With a sigh, Jacen turned to completely face her and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "Tenel Ka, do you really love me?"
Slightly taken aback, Tenel Ka retracted her hand as if she had been stung. "What makes you ask something like that?"
"Because if you did, then you wouldn't be ashamed of me like you are."
"Ashamed of you? You think that just because I haven't agreed to marry you yet, I am ashamed of you?"
"Why else have you not even acknowledged publicly that we are together? For Sith's sake, your grandmother speaks openly about the fact that she is looking for a proper consort for you, but you refuse to come out and say that you spend most of your nights in bed with a Solo!"
Hurt, all she could manage was a soft, "Jacen…"
"Listen Tenel Ka, I don't know what to do or say anymore. I love you and I'm willing to give up everything for you if you'd let me. But for some reason or another, you keep holding back." Walking into her bedroom, Jacen began to gather up his things. "All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you, but I can't wait around forever!"
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. To Naboo maybe, to help my parents set up the government there. Wherever my life takes me."
"Jacen, please don't leave me again."
Stepping over to her, Jacen looked deep into Tenel Ka's eyes. "Then give me a reason to stay."
Unable to say the words, Tenel Ka closed her eyes as Jacen walked away. His hand was already on the door, ready to exit, when she cried, "What if I go with you?"
In another room buried deep within the confines of the Fountain Palace, two pairs of eyes silently watched the scene unveiling before them. Former queen Ta'a Chume was not happy about what she saw. Over a year ago the devious woman had had her granddaughter's room bugged with microphones and cameras so that she could keep tabs on the new queen's plans and actions. But what she had discovered was that the young woman was having a secret affair with her Jedi friend Jacen Solo.
Determined to not allow another Jedi to join the royal family, Ta'a Chume had been working on a secret agenda of her own. Turning to her devoted servant and one of many courtesans, she said, "Min'tan, we can not allow my sorry-excuse-for-a-Queen granddaughter to marry that Jedi brat. I will not allow it! Not after the way his sister disgraced this family and the entire Hapes cluster! No Solo will ever again be allowed to rule Hapes. I have a plan."
Thank you for reading! As always, any type of feedback is great, so please drop me a review. The only way a writer can improve their skills is for someone to comment on their work. Constructive criticism only please. (No flames, thanks.)