Chapter One
Jaina sat by the window, looking at the amazing metropolis that was Coruscant. Speeders whizzed by at dizzying speeds, and Jaina slowly reached out with her Jedi senses, searching through the teaming masses of life. It was a good, exercise, her Uncle Luke told her. Life was the Force, and so to get a better understanding of the Force you must understand life itself. There were so many personalities, individuals, just within a few kilometers that Jaina couldn't possibly number them all. She loved Coruscant.
Her home was plush and extravagant, nothing less than what would be expected of the children of the Chief of State. Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo didn't live with Jaina and her brothers though—that is, when they were actually on the planet. They had their own suite, several blocks closer to the Senate Hall. Her Uncle Luke had always been the primary caregiver in Jaina's life, along with Winter and See-Threepio. She rarely spoke with her parents, and saw them even less. The only communication between the parents and their children was the occasional instructions or rules, or another wave of money.
Luke Skywalker was a good uncle to Jaina. She loved him dearly, and knew that she was probably better off out of the limelight anyway. That still didn't keep out the hurt sometimes. Sure, she got presents on holidays and her birthday, but she missed the perfect family unit portrayed in the holodramas.
Not that Jacen and Anakin weren't wonderful. She loved her brothers more than she could say. They all got along splendidly, and sometimes Jaina marveled that she was so selfish as to wish for more in her amazingly wonderful life.
As she scanned the city with her mind, Jaina felt her uncle approaching. He was a Jedi Master of great power, and could be felt even in the abundant flow of life on Coruscant. She wasn't surprised at all when a knock echoed off her door. "Come in," she said jovially. She knew before he ever stepped inside that something was wrong. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
He sighed deeply, looking more troubled than Jaina could ever remember seeing him in all her sixteen years. "May I take a seat?" he asked, avoiding her questions.
"Of course," she said, throwing a mess of clutter off a spare chair. Jaina's room was covered in mechanical parts and snubfighter models. She had great aspirations to one day be a pilot. She had even gone so far as to try out for Rogue Squadron. She had not yet been informed as to whether or not she had made the cut.
Luke began with a wearied sigh. "I'm not sure how to tell you this. I want to start by saying I gave everything I had to try to convince your parents otherwise, but it's of no use. We have no choice."
"Uncle Luke, you're starting to scare me," Jaina whispered.
"Do you know of the problem with the Chiss?"
"Yes," Jaina said cautiously. The Chiss and New Republic had been in a Cold War of sorts for the past several years. Some were beginning to say that only an utterly binding promise from each side would ever guarantee peace and safety.
"Your mother has just negotiated a deal that will put an end to the fighting. It is one approved by both sides, and one that demonstrates a complete show of faith by both sides."
"That's wonderful! But…how does that affect me?"
Luke looked unhappier by each second that passed. "You are the deal, Jaina."
"What?" she asked, aghast. "What are you talking about?"
"The Chiss see marriages as a binding alliance, not a profession of love. If Han and Leia surrender their only daughter to the Chiss it demonstrates that they are putting complete faith in them," Luke explained.
Jaina was speechless. Was he trying to tell her that her parents had sold her off like some slave girl? "They want me to marry a Chiss?"
"There is a Baron there, a Soontir Fel. He has three sons. They have negotiated for you to marry the middle son as a symbol of faith."
Jaina sat back, stunned. "No. No, I won't do it. I'm not going off to Force-knows-where to marry a complete stranger! This is barbaric!"
"I agree," Luke said. "But I tried everything Jaina. Even Force persuasion. There's nothing we can do."
Jaina felt tears forming in her eyes. An utter sense of helplessness descended upon her. "No!" she cried. "No, Uncle Luke, don't make me!"
He gathered her comfortingly into his arms, trying to shush her. He sent soothing thoughts through the Force until they permeated the room. When she finally found a sense of calm Jaina sat up and wiped her face. "When…when are they making me leave?"
"Day after tomorrow," he said softly.
Jaina collapsed into another fit of tears and this time couldn't be silenced.
She stood at the bottom of the boarding ramp, trying to put on a brave face. "Go over all this with me one more time," she said.
Her twin, Jacen, held the datapad up and surveyed its contents for the umpteenth time. "You'll arrive at Csilla in about five days. Two days after that you get married in a small private ceremony. You won't have the big, official wedding until you come back here next year."
Jaina felt tears forming in her eyes. To keep them from coming out she used the Force to cut off the ducts to her tear glands. Anakin and Luke stood nearby, talking softly. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you, Jacen," she whispered softly.
He pulled her into a comforting embrace. "I'll always be here for you, Jaina."
"Yeah," Anakin chimed in, coming to drape an arm over his sister's shoulder. "If they do anything to you, you just call and we'll come break you out, right Jace?"
Jaina laughed in spite of herself. Luke came to join their huddle. "We're all here for you Jaina. And it may seem cliché, but Anakin's offer stands with me as well. I don't care what the Court says. If things go badly we'll come after you. That's a promise."
They all embraced, their emotions easily palpable in the Force. Jaina finally withdrew, knowing it was time to go. All her belongings were already stowed in the cargo area. A droid fluent in Chiss was being sent as well so that it might tutor her on the voyage there. As she departed, there was no need for any more words from anyone. She could read their emotions, and that spoke louder than any words.
"May I have another drink?" Jaina asked, carefully, trying to pronounce all the foreign words correctly. Chiss was a simply language, but the dialect was hard to master. She had picked it up rather easily, but her instructor droid's lessons were becoming increasingly difficult.
"How are you today?" the droid said. The object was for the droid to say a phrase and for Jaina to repeat it in Chiss. Jaina repeated phrase after phrase, then repeated them all several times again. Finally the droid gave her a break, and Jaina collapsed thankfully.
The ship's crew was indifferent and silent, bringing her what she needed when she needed and then leaving her alone. She almost preferred it that way, but missed companionship. At this time the last thing she wanted to be doing was studying a foreign language. She wanted to bask in her misery. She was being married off to a complete stranger. She didn't even know his name! How could her parents do this to her? She felt tears forming, but stubbornly willed them away.
She missed her family. Not her parents, but Jacen, Anakin, and Uncle Luke. If everything went as her parent's had scheduled it she wouldn't see them for another year. She was alone in enemy territory. The only person she could rely on was herself.
She sighed defeatedly. It wasn't fair. She was too young to be married. And she wanted to live! She wanted to be a fighter pilot! She wanted to explore the galaxy, administering truth and justice as a Jedi Knight like her uncle. It wasn't fair that she would never have the life she wanted to live.
Worst of all was that she would be tied to some pathetic little man who couldn't even find himself his own wife. She imagined a scrawny little man with beady eyes and thick rimmed spectacles. She shivered. The thought was enough to make her consider jumping the pilot and commandeering the ship. But she couldn't do that. It wasn't out of any respect for her parents or the Senate, but for the welfare of the galaxy. If sacrificing her freedom meant guaranteed peace for her people then she would be a willing sacrifice. What was her one life compared to that of billions upon billions of others? Nothing.
She contemplated many things during the voyage. She thought about her family, and how she could somehow accomplish her dreams anyway. Was there any rule that said she couldn't join a fighter squadron in the Ascendancy? Maybe she should do that. It would be the perfect way to spite them all. She also resolved firmly to have nothing to do with the useless man they were planning to make her marry. They would not get the satisfaction of watching her suffer. She would live her own life. She refused bear this guy any children. She would deprive her parents of grandchildren. If she had to suffer, so would everyone else who caused her misfortune.
Csilla was a large planet, and just looking at it made her shiver. It was covered in glaciers and frozen oceans. Even the land was a giant block of ice. As the ship made its descent into atmosphere Jaina felt her nerves go on edge. Who would be there to greet her? Would her future husband even have the courtesy? She didn't know.
They were instructed to land in a large, empty docking bay. Jaina looked herself over in the mirror one final time before braving her new home. She had been thoroughly instructed in how to dress and behave. She had an impression to make. She wore long billowing navy blue dress pants and a loose tunic to match. She had pulled her hair back and pinned it in an intricate design on the top of her head. She looked much more formal than she would have preferred. In real life she would have worn a flight suit and left her hair down. She probably wouldn't have even cleaned the dirt from under her fingernails. But she knew the consequences of such actions, and so headed the advice that had been given to her.
As it turned out, only a group of Chiss in perfectly starched and pressed uniforms awaited her. "Welcome, Jaina Solo. We are here to guide you to your new home," one said without introduction in accented Basic.
"Basic is not necessary" Jaina said flippantly in Chiss. Their countenances didn't change, but she felt their shock in the Force.
"Very well" the Chiss replied. "Follow us."
Her crew stayed behind to unload her belongings. A few Chiss were left to bring them to Jaina later as well. She followed the greeting party into the labyrinth of icy halls. She was surprised at how warm it was, but knew it must be some kind of advanced technology. They made their way to another outdoor landing pad, went to a hovertaxi, then piled in. The ride through the open fields of snow and ice was silent. A few minutes later the valley they were traversing opened up to a great citydale. Tall buildings lined its conurbation, and speeders buzzed back and forth in the air above them. Jaina marveled at the sight. It was beautiful.
She hated it. She hated it because it seemed to mock her beloved Coruscant and all its splendor. She hated it because the people who had stolen her life away lived here. She resolved solemnly to never love Csilla, no matter how beautiful it was.
They took her through the city, leading the hovertaxi on a winding path until they reached a plushy residential section. They called the driver to a stop in front of a large apartment complex. "Your future inlaws have purchased the entire second floor for you," the Chiss seeming to be in charge said. Jaina simply nodded. No expression of gratitude.
They exited the taxi and the Chiss unlocked the door to the building. Inside a was a large, elaborate staircase. It was quaint, Jaina thought, to not have a turbolift, but considerably inconvenient. She was glad her suite was only on the second floor. The Chiss started to lead her up the stairs but Jaina stopped them with a wave. "I can take it from here, thank you," she said, tiring of talking in Chiss. They looked puzzled and a little miffed, but Jaina simply used the Force to pull the entrance codes from their leader's mind. She turned dismissively and made her way up the stairs.
On the second floor she came to a door. She entered the access code and the door slid open. Inside was a sprawling living room from one end of the building to the other. It was lovely but sparsely furnished. That would have to change. Farther back the floor raised perhaps a tenth of a meter. On the upraised area there was a spacious kitchen and breakfast corner. Behind that she saw three doors that lead to what must be the bedrooms and refresher.
She spent the next hour and a half inspecting her new home. The master bedroom had a shaggy carpet that Jaina sunk up to her ankles in when she walked. The bed was one of the largest she had seen, and hovered perhaps a fourth of a meter off the ground by repulsorlifts. There was a walk-in closet, large enough for four of Jaina's wardrobes. The 'fresher was well-lighted and had two showers and an enormous bathtub. The guest bedroom was not quite as richly decorated, but pleasant nonetheless.
She hated the apartment too. It was nothing to what she had at home, high-quality as it was. She decided firmly to buy all new things. It was her house, after all. If she was going to be forced to live in it, she was at least going to decorate it to her own liking. She paced about the place for a few more minutes, imagining what she was going to change, when she noticed the message recorder in the living area. It was flashing that she had a call. She went over and pressed the blinking button.
"Miss Solo?" a female voice said.
"Yes," Jaina said tentatively.
"This is Colonel Fel's secretary. He has instructed me to inform you that if you so wish you can meet him for dinner tonight at 2000 hours at the..." she trailed off in a series of Chiss words that translated roughly to 'The Fantasy'. Jaina scowled. She didn't want to have dinner with this guy. She wanted nothing to do with him. But she knew that turning him down would hardly be the diplomatic way to start things off. She sighed defeatedly.
"Of course," she said as pleasantly as she could manage. They cut the connection, and Jaina sat back with a frown. She wanted to call her uncle and brothers, but knew she didn't have the time. It was already 1800 hours. She needed to unpack and change. She tried as she did so to try to put on a more positive outlook. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad…
The Fantasy turned out to be quite justly named. Inside the restaurant was fashioned into the perfect illusion of a balcony at night on some tropical planet. The balcony was stone and the there was an intricately carved rail running along the outside edge. From there it seemed to drop off into a sea that lapped against the posts holding the veranda up. The sea appeared to stretch for miles into the distance, and you could clearly see the white reflection of a moon on its surface. The ceiling was just as grand. It was gently domed and appeared to be the perfect image of a night sky, complete with pinprick stars and a harvest moon. The illusion clearly started at the guardrail, because that Jaina could touch and look down at the 'ocean' below. It was so realistic she could smell the salty air and feel the soft spray on her face when she went too near. If she hadn't known that the entire planet was under ice she would have completely believed that this was a terrace overlooking the deep.
She had been seated at a table near enough that she could hear the synthetic crashing of waves but didn't get wet. Of all the marvels she had seen on Csilla, this took the cake. She told herself that it was nothing not done on hundreds of New Republic worlds, but couldn't fool herself into believing she wasn't impressed. She even reminded herself that she was supposed to hate everything about the Chiss. It was useless, because she had loved this placed the moment she set foot inside. She thought it was probably because it was the one place that in any way resembled home.
She had decided to wear a small black dress. It was simple and classic, not overdone as most things her mother had selected for her were. Jaina still felt highly conspicuous in it, but that couldn't be helped. She was the only human in the whole place. Of course she drew a few stares, but she held her head high, reminding herself who she was.
About then she was growing more than a little perturbed. First, this guy had such a pitiable lack of a spine that he had to get his parents to arrange for someone a galaxy away to marry him; then he doesn't even have the courtesy to greet the woman whose life he has uprooted when she arrives; on top of that, he has the audacity to invite her too dinner and then be late.
Upon meditating at his numerable failings she grew angrier and angrier at her predicament. She had half a mind to just up and leave right then—
Someone cleared their throat behind her. She had been studying the phony ocean, and turned around to see who was intruding on her solitude.
And almost fell out of her chair.
Standing behind her was undoubtedly one of the handsomest men she had ever seen. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his attire unable to hide the sinewy muscularity about him. Ruggedly handsome, with features that were strong and would have been attractive to any female humanoid. His green eyes had depth and intelligence, compassion and tenderness. The scar running from his eyebrow up into his hairline gave him just the right touch of imperfection to make him seem real. It took a great deal of effort on Jaina's part to keep her jaw from dropping.
He gave her a shallow bow at the waist. "Miss Solo, I presume?" he asked when he straightened. Jaina only managed to nod.
Finally she recovered enough to say, "Colonel Fel?"
He nodded curtly. "Forgive me for being late. I was delayed."
Jaina looked at him skeptically. What an odd thing to say; he gave no explanation at all, yet seemed to think his answer was more than appropriate. Remembering her manners, she said, "Would you like to sit?"
He seated himself across from her. There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally he asked, "Do you like the apartment?"
Jaina hesitated. "It was kind of you to have it ready," she said diplomatically. "It will suit nicely." Eventually.
He shrugged, noncommittal. "I had nothing to do with it, really. My parents purchased and furnished it. I haven't even seen the inside."
Jaina tried to suppress a scowl. His parents had bought it and he hadn't even cared enough to go look at it? "I'm really more impressed with the restaurant," she said, looking around.
"The Fantasy is one of the few extravagancies on Csilla. Most of the planet is built for efficiency only," he commented.
"So I noticed," Jaina mumbled quietly.
Before he could respond the server appeared. He handed each of them a menu. Jaina surveyed the contents, trying to decipher any of the Chiss meals that looked anything like something she had ever eaten. Finally she settled on a very Republic-like dish of nerf steak and protato. Started to tell the server what she wanted, but Colonel Fel was already speaking for her. He was ordering for them both in Chiss. He thinks I can't speak Chiss! She realized suddenly.
"…and—" he was saying, then threw her a quizzical look, "Miss Solo will have
the—" And he doesn't know my name!
"It's Jaina," she said softly. "And if you don't mind, Colonel, I am quite capable of ordering for myself."
He gave her a shocked and inquiring look, then gestured in a way that seemed to say 'go ahead then'. Jaina turned to the blue-skinned Chiss and told him what she wanted, then let the Colonel order for himself. Wait! she realized. I don't know his name either!
When the server left he said, "I apologize. I didn't realize you would be so well equipped."
He's testing me; trying to see how much I know! "It's fine. And, by the way, I was never told your name either."
"It's Jagged, er, Jag. Jag will suffice," he said.
"Jag," she said in Basic, mulling the sound around in her mouth before finally deciding it suited him.
They spent most of the rest of the night in silence. They ate quietly, and Jaina did her best to try to forget he was there and just enjoy the restaurant. She anxiously awaited for him to finish so that they could leave. But after he was done he made no move to leave, but stared at the ocean and the moon. It was then that he broke the silence.
"Have you been informed of the schedule for the next few days?" he asked, all business.
"No," she said. "I assumed I would be able to do as I wished until day after tomorrow."
He ran a hand through his hair in such a way that made him seem wearied. Impulsively, Jaina reached out to touch him with the Force. He was a jumbled mixture of anxiety and resentment, despair and anger. It was enough to make her recoil, but gave her sudden insight into his own situation.
He didn't want her anymore than she wanted him. He hadn't volunteered to pledge his life to a stranger. He hadn't been asked if he wanted to be bound to a woman he didn't and seemed that he could never love. He was as hopelessly constrained as she.
It did nothing to soften Jaina's resentment towards him.
He pulled a datapad from his jacket and handed it to her. She turned it on and scrolled through the contents. She would be free until the next night, and then she was supposed to have dinner with his family. The next day the ceremony would be at 1300 hours at the Justice Hall. There would be no reception. They day after that Jag's life went back to normal, meaning he would be given assignments and duties as usual. Jaina could do whatever she wanted, which she knew roughly translated to mean 'don't draw attention to yourself and keep your mouth shut'.
She didn't tell him she was going to register for a fighter squadron. She didn't tell him she had beat the Rouge Simulator twice, or that the day before she had left her home word had come that she had made the cut. She didn't tell him that she would die before she was shut inside and ignored all the time like a well-secreted embarrassment. She didn't tell him that no one—especially his family—was going to tell her what to do with her life. She didn't tell him anything. She just passed the datapad back without comment while inwardly she seethed.
They left soon after that. He gave her a ride back to her apartment in his speeder. She sat in silence, looking at the soft snowflakes as they fell. It was ridiculously cold outside, but under the ferrocrete were powerful heating elements that made it capable to walk for short distances without anything but a few layers without getting hypothermia. These heaters weren't enough to beat Mother Nature, however, and the temperatures were so extreme that the snow easily accumulated on the ground and short pedestrian walkways that weren't covered. All she did was pray over and over that this was some cruel nightmare that she would soon wake up too.
At length they came to her apartment. He pulled the speeder to a gradual stop, then got out and came around to open her door for her. It was all she could do to murmur her thanks. As she ascended the stairs he said, "Just call my office if you need anything. My secretary will take care of it."
Jaina didn't turn for fear that she would burst into tears. She palmed open the door and hurried quickly inside.
The door chime sounded. Jaina opened one eye, but other than that didn't move a single muscle. She waited for it to sound again to make sure it was real. The massive bed was heavenly soft, and she had finally managed to cry herself to sleep in it. She had slept soundly since. With her one roving eye she looked at the chronometer hanging on the wall. It was 0600. She moaned. Who in their right mind was up at this time of morning?
It chimed again. Grumbling, she swung herself angrily out of bed. She called her robe to her and put it on, securing the sash tightly. She padded across the soft carpet of her bedroom, through the kitchen, and into her living room. She stood on tiptoes to peek through the opening at whoever was so rudely interrupting her rest.
She should have known.
With a sigh she palmed open the hatch. Jag Fel bowed slightly to her. Behind him were several stern-looking Chiss carrying boxes. "I hope I didn't wake you," he said in a tone that gave no indication to the fact that he meant what he said.
Jaina rubbed her eyes hard with the heel of her hands. "What are you doing here?" she asked, but yawned loudly in the process.
"I have brought my belongings to unpack so they will be here after the wedding."
It was the first time either of them had mentioned the forthcoming nuptials. Jaina eyed him closely. "At 0600 in the morning?"
"I will be…preoccupied the rest of the day. May I come in?" Jaina moved aside to let him and the Chiss file in. Wordlessly—and without permission, she noted—they moved around the apartment, unpacking box after box and arranging the items in appropriate areas. Jaina was too tired to argue or even be miffed. She went to make herself a pot of caf.
"Would any of you like some caf?" she offered. All the Chiss shook their heads. "Colonel?"
He had been arranging stacks of datacards on a shelf. "What?"
She waved a steaming cup of caf in his direction, then raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Yes, please," he said, then went back to his task.
Jaina poured him a glass. "How do you like it?"
"Black," he answered. Figures, she thought. She shuffled across the large living room and handing him the steaming mug. "Thank you," he said, then returned to ignoring her. That was fine with Jaina. She went and sat on the couch and flipped on the Holonet and sipped her own cup. She wasn't going to let them think she was bothered by their brazen intrusion. To her surprise, her Uncle Luke appeared on the screen.
"—cannot support this decision," he was saying.
The nosy Sullustan reporter continued to follow him down the street, even though he was obviously done talking to her. "But Master Skywalker, do you not think this is the best course of action in gaining peace? And how can you oppose such a decision when it was so overwhelmingly approved by the Senate?"
"I have no further comment," he said calmly, but Jaina could tell he was flustered. He headed towards a parked hovertaxi.
"But Master Skywalker, we only wish to gain insight as to your opinion on such a monumental verdict—"
He whirled on the tiny alien. "If you did not already have an idea as to how I feel then you wouldn't be trying to provoke me. I bid you good day." He climbed in the hovertaxi and sped off quickly. The perturbed holojournalist turned to face the holorecorder and brought the microphone to her mouth.
"Well, there's the insight on the upcoming union from Master Luke Skywalker. Thank you, Galun, back to you."
As the dashing Twi'lek anchorman appeared Jaina switched it off, disgusted. She hated that Uncle Luke was being hounded by the media because of this. Jacen and Anakin were probably getting it even worse. She sighed and downed the last of her drink. She turned and found that Jag and his subordinates were finishing up. When done Jag came to stand before her. Jaina didn't stand, but looked at him expectantly.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Miss Solo. I hope we weren't too intrusive. I guess I'll see you tonight at 1800."
Jaina nodded but didn't reply.
"If you have any questions, or need anything, just comm my secretary," he said again. When it became obvious that he would get nothing further from her he bowed again and left. Jaina sighed in relief when they were gone. She got up then and went to inspect the items they had left behind. There were lots of holos and datacards, all filed neatly. The largest item was a flowform chair that molded to fit your shape. It had been placed in front of the holoplayer. Men, Jaina thought. They all have their favorite chairs.
What she found most interesting of everything was his wardrobe. She had never shared a closet with anyone, and found his clothing quite intriguing. There was row after row of hanging identical uniforms. Then there were a few non-militaristic garments that must be what he wore off duty. There was three pair of boots, several flight-suits, and the drawers of the dresser had been filled with socks and undergarments. Those she didn't inspect expect to know they were there. To avoid any run-ins she moved most of her delicates to a separate cabinet all together. They may be married but that didn't mean they had to act like it.
Satisfied, she dressed and left to go shop for new furnishings.
Jaina ran an admiring hand across a silky cream wedding gown. Her mother hadn't packed a wedding dress, because the ceremony would be so informal. No doubt she would have some extravagant designer product when Jaina returned home the next year for the public ceremony.
That left the decision of what she would wear to Jaina. She had toyed with the thought of wearing a pair of greasy mechanic overalls, but couldn't bring herself to do it. No use in adding kindling to the fire. The dress she saw in front of her was plain, no adornments or lace or ribbons. It was long sleeved and formfitting to the waist where it flared only slightly before falling to right above the ankles. Or, that's where it was supposed to fall. Jaina's petite stature made it brush the ground when she walked. She pulled it off the rack and examined the price. She would have flinched, but shrugged instead. It wasn't her money. Let her mother foot the bill. Tossing it over her arm, she moved to the veils.
She hadn't found any furniture to suit her tastes anywhere, and so decided to leave the apartment as it was. In the back of her mind she actually planned to be absent from the place most of the time anyway. She even contemplated renting her own place on the side and letting the Colonel have the other all to himself. There had been nothing in the deal that said she had to live with him.
A small cap that would fit on the crown of the head caught her eye. It was the same color as the gown and had a short, simple one-layered veil that fell only to her collarbone. She picked it up and placed it on her head, then examined herself in the mirror.
She looked terribly plain in it. Perfect, she thought in private amusement. She threw it over the dress and took them both to the clerk. To her surprise, it was a female human, not much older than herself. She was looking at a magazine and chewing gum, and didn't notice Jaina standing there until she cleared her throat. When she looked up her eyes grew wide. "You're," she stammered, "You're that girl, aren't you? The one from the Republic who's going to marry that fine-looking colonel! Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" she jumped from her repulsorchair and ran around the counter to embrace Jaina. "I've been waiting for years to find another human friend!"
"Are you the only one?" Jaina asked cautiously.
"In the tricity area." Her countenance grew a little sad. "Well, there used to be another. Cherith Fel was my best friend, until the accident. Now she's gone and me and my parent's are the only one's left. Besides the other Fel kids, of course. But Wyn's way too young to have any fun with like Cherith." She beamed suddenly. "But now I have you! Oh, I'm sorry, I must be scaring you to death. I'm Vyqtouria. Call me Touri. What's your name again? I must have heard it a million times, but can't remember for the life of me."
"Jaina," she said, taking Touri's proferred hand.
"Well, Jaina, I cannot express in words how happy I am to meet you."
"Do you own this shop?" Jaina asked, looking around. It held a variety of items, from cookware to formal wear. She couldn't imagine the Chiss taking pleasure in such disorder.
"Yep," Touri said. "Mrs. Fel keeps me in business. She's my main customer. Come's in at least every other day. The Chiss don't seem to like my style much, but that's fine with me. I like being different."
Jaina could tell. Her hair had a too-blond look that suggested it was dyed, and her fingernails were long and painted lime green. She wore a leather jumpsuit that was at least a size too small, and a small diamond stud adorned her nose. She presented a look that suggested she rebelled against everything about the Chiss and didn't mind showing it.
Jaina liked her.
"So," Touri said conspiratorially, "is Fel as handsome up close as he is from a distance?"
Jaina wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I want nothing to do with that man."
Touri frowned in confusion. "Why not? Boy, if they had asked me to marry the guy…"
"That's just it. No one asked me if I wanted to marry him. I was told."
"That's terrible! No one gave you a choice?" Touri asked, astonished.
"No."
Touri leaned back thoughtfully on the counter. "That's not how the media is portraying it. They make it sound like you both were happy to do it for the cause. Like it was no big deal, and you volunteered to do it for symbolic reasons."
"Well, it was more like my uncle coming to talk to me, saying 'you're getting married to a stranger this week and have to move off to Chiss space and leave everything behind. Oh, you have two days to pack.' My parents volunteered me for this. I have no control," Jaina sighed, happy to be able to tell someone of her troubles.
Touri snorted derisively. "I would have told them they could take their idea and stick it right up their—"
"It's not like that. I didn't even see them before I left. They didn't even say goodbye. A few suitcases were delivered a few days later with the stuff my mom wanted me to wear, and that's about it."
"Hmm," Touri said. "So, when is the big day?"
"Tomorrow," Jaina moaned.
"You met his parents yet?"
"Tonight."
Touri winced. "Watch out. Syal's a little overprotective, and Soontir acts like he's interrogating someone all the time. I don't think if you act polite and devoted you should have much trouble with Syal, but nothing's to be done about Soontir. Depends on what mood he's in, I guess."
"How is it you know so much about them and so little about Jag?" Jaina asked.
"His little sister Cherith was my best friend, like I said. But she died a while back. She told me everything about them. And Wyn's a real gossip, too. She talks all the time when Syal brings her with her. Cute little kid, really. Smart as she can be; doesn't miss a thing."
"Well," Jaina said, examining her chrono, "I should really get going, if you could ring this up for me."
"Oh, sure," Touri said cheerily, but seemed a little disappointed.
"Thanks for the info. I'm sure it'll come in handy," Jaina said meanwhile.
"No problem. If you need anything, you know where to find me. If there's one thing I know, it's people."
Jaina believed her.
Jaina had just sat down to eat lunch when her comm started going off. She sighed and went to the living area. She depressed the flashing button. "Solo," she said, a little irritated since she had a hunch as to who it was.
"It's Colonel Fel secretary," she said, her voice as stern and hard as ever. "I was calling to make sure everything was going well. I called earlier and you didn't answer."
Jaina's irritations spiked to anger. "Am I not allowed to go shopping when I want?"
"Of course," she said smoothly. "We had just expected that you would want a guide before venturing out on your own."
"You mean someone to keep track of me?" she asked, tired of playing games.
"I'm not sure I understand," she said carefully.
"Sure you don't. Listen, you can tell the colonel that if he wants to talk to me about something, he can call me himself," then she cut the connection.
Jaina had just sat down again when the comm went off. Jaina growled angrily, and stomped back into the living room. She hit the button angrily. "What?"
"Why did you hang up on my secretary?" Jag Fel's voice said, cold with what she supposed was carefully restrained anger.
"Why do you have her do all your dirty work? Listen, if you want to talk to me, you talk to me in person. Don't write me off like another piece of office work."
There was silence for a few moments. Then, "I am sorry you were offended. It's just that my schedule is quite full—"
"I don't give a kriff about your schedule! If I have to marry you, the least you can do is treat me like a wife!" she huffed.
More silence. "I think this is something we should discuss in person, at a later time—"
"Well, I'm here, whenever you decide you want to discuss it." She killed it again. Feeling quite proud of herself, she finished her lunch in peace; she had no longer laid the fork down until her door chimed. She got up to answer it.