Jaina stood overlooking the city below. There was much hustle and bustle, as refugees forlornly prepared to depart. Many people had demanded to know her reasoning behind ordering these people to leave, but the answer was simple. The refugees would attract the Vong, and more of them than she could hope to defeat. The Hapan fleet was still somewhat crippled.
Through the Force she felt a strong presence behind her. "Greetings, Ta'a Chuume," she said in a very formal tone.
"Your majesty, you have made a good choice. You are ensuring the lives of millions here in the Hapes Cluster. The Vong no longer have any reason to show themselves here."
"Indeed." Jaina knew very well that these people would be picked off ship by ship, either as they attempted a dangerous journey to another planet or when the Vong destroyed that planet. Despite this, she felt strangely empty. No emotion or pity for the refugees passed through her heart. Instead, she viewed their presence as a nuisance, one that was finally being taken care of.
The queen turned and went to her quarters without another word to the former queen mother. She sat in a very cushioned chair and drew her knees up to her chest. It had been so long, so long since she had seen any of them. Her parents had been sent from diplomatic mission to diplomatic mission. The other young Jedi had pointedly avoided the Hapes Cluster ever since Jaina had been crowned. But it was just as well. They would only lecture her on idiotic ethical concerns.
Jaina pulled her thoughts inward, focusing on her anger. "I hate them all," she murmured, giving the feeling power and strength. She let the dark emotions wash over her. Whatever it was Luke called the dark side felt so much more....potent than the silly idea of light.
After a while she got up, legs cramping. She changed from her royal dress to a simple, black flightsuit. She hurried from the palace, wanting only solitude. This was the first time she had managed to escape that place without an armed escort. Curse Isolder and Ta'a Chuume for ordering the security never to let her leave alone. "I am the queen of Hapes, they are not," she growled to herself. Since she first arrived on the planet after the disaster at Myrrkyr, she had been well aware of the Ta'a Chuume's attempts to manipulate her. "Let that old hag think she won, but she hasn't."
Another thing Jaina knew to be true was that her so-called mentor would remove her from the picture as soon as the young woman's reign was inopportune. There had already been protests that Tenal Ka, Isolder's daughter, should have been crowned instead. Once enough time had passed, Ta'a Chuume would begin to agree with them.
Jaina laid out her plans with grim resolve. There was only one thing to do.
*********
Ta'a Chuume was growing impatient. It had been more than ten minutes since she had summoned Jaina. A queen the girl may be, but she still had much to learn about the expectations of the position. When at last her protégé arrived, the former queen sent the young woman a somewhat cold smile. "You realize that it does not speak well for a queen to keep people waiting long?" Jaina returned the expression with one of her own, a falsely sweet smile of triumph.
*********
Jaina hurried down the corridor, hands still damp from washing them. It had taken longer than she thought it would to get back here. One of her advisors tried to stop her to discuss the refugee situation, but she quickly shook him of with a casual, "I need to speak with Ta'a Chuume."
At last she rounded the corner to the former queen's chambers. She took a few seconds to smooth her hair back in place before entering. "You summoned me?" she asked before the older woman was within view.
Her air-shattering scream brought guards running. "What happened?" one of them demanded as he burst through the door. He stopped short at the sight of Ta'a Chuume lying on the floor, a long cruel knife shoved under her rib cage. She was dead.
Fake, but adequately convincing, sobs racked Jaina's body. She felt someone take her by the elbow and pull her back into the corridor. She lowered herself into a chair by the wall, tears streaming from her eyes. "Fetch Prince Isolder!" someone shouted.
Unseen by the guards, Jaina's tears turned to laughs.
*********
The sun had set by the time Jaina returned to her quarters. All in all, it was a very productive day. Not only were the refugees out of her hair, so was Ta'a Chuume! She smiled at herself in the mirror and hummed as she painted her nails. When she realized what she was doing, the queen almost laughed out loud. It just went to show how pleased this had made her. She never painted her nails. "Ta'a Chuume would be so proud of me," she whispered, holding her hand up to the light.
There was not a doubt in her mind that the murder of the former queen could be traced back to her, but she hadn't finished playing her cards yet. After all, the people would take a while to realize a Jedi would do such a thing. However, she had no reason to take any chances.
She walked over to a small end table in the lounge of her apartment. Deftly picking the lock, she sorted through its contents until she came across a small leather book. She flipped through it, carefully studying the handwriting. "What a fool," she murmured, "doing all of this by hand." She picked up a pen and turned to a blank page. She thought for a few seconds before writing.
"Ta'a Chuume has become quite the thorn in my side. She has corrupted almost the entire palace. I do not want her influence to extend over Jaina. I have no questions about what must be done. I must rid myself up her."
Jaina skipped a few lines and continued.
"At last it is done. What a thrill, stabbing that old witch. I would say she should be sorry she ever crossed me, but it's rather hard for a dead woman to feel sorrow. At last she is gone. And the best part? At the moment of her death she knew it was I. I could see the fear in her eyes. May her black bones rot in the most stinking hole imaginable."
Jaina smiled at this. The words had come from her heart.
"They'll never suspect me. There is some servant somewhere I can blame this on. I have triumphed, you hag!"
The young queen's smile widened. She closed her husband's book and slid it back into the table. Security would want to search the entire palace for evidence. She would sigh at the disturbance of her routine and agree. The guards would apologize profusely and tell her that it was merely a precaution, that they hated to bother her in her emotional state.
Returning to her room, she shot the mirror a lopsided Solo grin, immensely proud of herself.
*********
Some weeks later, Jaina reclined on a bench, letting the sun shine down on her face. Things were going well. The investigation of Ta'a Chuume's death had ended as soon as they found the confession written in Isolder's writing. The prince had been duly executed. Jaina had cried many tears when it was discovered and again when he was killed. She had sent a long and seemingly heartfelt message to Tenal Ka, telling why the other Jedi's father had died.
As far as Jaina was concerned, there was only one downside to having a deceased husband. It was just becoming summer, and black was oppressive in such heat.
"Begging your pardon, ma'am." Jaina looked up as a servant came in sight. "I hate to bother you, but he said it was important."
"Who?"
"The Jedi Kyp Durron."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Kyp was the last person she wanted to see right now. "Very well, show him in," she sighed nevertheless. The Jedi Master entered, his expression holding no warmth. Jaina set hers to be equally cold.
"Greetings, Master Durron."
"I hope you will excuse me if I choose to skip pleasantries, your highness." His tone was sarcastic. "Why did you do it?"
"Why did I do what?"
"You know very well what I mean."
"I do not." She waved a hand at the servant, dismissing him. Kyp grinned savagely. "Ah ha, you do, or else you wouldn't have sent him away. Tell me, Jaina. Why did you kill her?"
Jaina's face went pale with rage. "How dare you accuse me of murder!"
"Face it, Jaina. You were never very good at lying."
"Go away, Kyp. I don't want to talk to you."
"You're evading the question. Fine. But you will answer when you are ready, I assure you." He turned to leave.
"Damn you Kyp!" Jaina shouted. Her lightsaber flew to her hand and snapped to life. The purple blade cast an eerie light over the low stone walls. Kyp stopped and turned his head. "You don't want to do that, Jaina. Trust me."
"Now answer my question of why."
"Because you know I can beat you easily in sparring."
"How about in a duel?"
At that, he turned all the way and carefully eyed the violet blade. "I will not fight you to the death."
"But I will." She lunged forward. Kyp weapon flashed up fast enough to block the attack, but he still stumbled back a few steps from the impact. Jaina slashed again and again, not giving him a chance to do anything but block. At last he got an opening, but by the time he struck Jaina wasn't there. She sprang away, light as a cat, and motioned him forward.
His face grim, he accepted the challenge and ran at her. She twirled around and met his attack with a clean parry. She gave him a rather wicked smile; she could see in his eyes he thought she was weaker than this. His eyes narrowed and he pressed harder, but Jaina still whirled away with ease. "You're mocking me," he growled. Jaina dodged his next strike by leaping over his head and behind him. As he turned to meet her, she plunged her blade at him.
Kyp gasped. Jaina could feel his pain through the Force. She drove her lightsaber deeper into his abdomen and whispered in his ear, "Yes, I killed her, just as I've killed you, Kyp Durron." She shoved him to the ground. As he fell the blade burned its way through his chest cavity, leaving a smoking line and cauterized flesh.
Jaina extinguished her weapon and reattached it to her belt. She bent down and pulled Kyp's out of his hand. "A nice trophy," she told the fallen master, "to commemorate the occasion." She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up onto the low wall. A simple push dropped him into the ravine below.
The dark Jedi gave him a mock salute and left his body for the birds to pick clean.
Through the Force she felt a strong presence behind her. "Greetings, Ta'a Chuume," she said in a very formal tone.
"Your majesty, you have made a good choice. You are ensuring the lives of millions here in the Hapes Cluster. The Vong no longer have any reason to show themselves here."
"Indeed." Jaina knew very well that these people would be picked off ship by ship, either as they attempted a dangerous journey to another planet or when the Vong destroyed that planet. Despite this, she felt strangely empty. No emotion or pity for the refugees passed through her heart. Instead, she viewed their presence as a nuisance, one that was finally being taken care of.
The queen turned and went to her quarters without another word to the former queen mother. She sat in a very cushioned chair and drew her knees up to her chest. It had been so long, so long since she had seen any of them. Her parents had been sent from diplomatic mission to diplomatic mission. The other young Jedi had pointedly avoided the Hapes Cluster ever since Jaina had been crowned. But it was just as well. They would only lecture her on idiotic ethical concerns.
Jaina pulled her thoughts inward, focusing on her anger. "I hate them all," she murmured, giving the feeling power and strength. She let the dark emotions wash over her. Whatever it was Luke called the dark side felt so much more....potent than the silly idea of light.
After a while she got up, legs cramping. She changed from her royal dress to a simple, black flightsuit. She hurried from the palace, wanting only solitude. This was the first time she had managed to escape that place without an armed escort. Curse Isolder and Ta'a Chuume for ordering the security never to let her leave alone. "I am the queen of Hapes, they are not," she growled to herself. Since she first arrived on the planet after the disaster at Myrrkyr, she had been well aware of the Ta'a Chuume's attempts to manipulate her. "Let that old hag think she won, but she hasn't."
Another thing Jaina knew to be true was that her so-called mentor would remove her from the picture as soon as the young woman's reign was inopportune. There had already been protests that Tenal Ka, Isolder's daughter, should have been crowned instead. Once enough time had passed, Ta'a Chuume would begin to agree with them.
Jaina laid out her plans with grim resolve. There was only one thing to do.
*********
Ta'a Chuume was growing impatient. It had been more than ten minutes since she had summoned Jaina. A queen the girl may be, but she still had much to learn about the expectations of the position. When at last her protégé arrived, the former queen sent the young woman a somewhat cold smile. "You realize that it does not speak well for a queen to keep people waiting long?" Jaina returned the expression with one of her own, a falsely sweet smile of triumph.
*********
Jaina hurried down the corridor, hands still damp from washing them. It had taken longer than she thought it would to get back here. One of her advisors tried to stop her to discuss the refugee situation, but she quickly shook him of with a casual, "I need to speak with Ta'a Chuume."
At last she rounded the corner to the former queen's chambers. She took a few seconds to smooth her hair back in place before entering. "You summoned me?" she asked before the older woman was within view.
Her air-shattering scream brought guards running. "What happened?" one of them demanded as he burst through the door. He stopped short at the sight of Ta'a Chuume lying on the floor, a long cruel knife shoved under her rib cage. She was dead.
Fake, but adequately convincing, sobs racked Jaina's body. She felt someone take her by the elbow and pull her back into the corridor. She lowered herself into a chair by the wall, tears streaming from her eyes. "Fetch Prince Isolder!" someone shouted.
Unseen by the guards, Jaina's tears turned to laughs.
*********
The sun had set by the time Jaina returned to her quarters. All in all, it was a very productive day. Not only were the refugees out of her hair, so was Ta'a Chuume! She smiled at herself in the mirror and hummed as she painted her nails. When she realized what she was doing, the queen almost laughed out loud. It just went to show how pleased this had made her. She never painted her nails. "Ta'a Chuume would be so proud of me," she whispered, holding her hand up to the light.
There was not a doubt in her mind that the murder of the former queen could be traced back to her, but she hadn't finished playing her cards yet. After all, the people would take a while to realize a Jedi would do such a thing. However, she had no reason to take any chances.
She walked over to a small end table in the lounge of her apartment. Deftly picking the lock, she sorted through its contents until she came across a small leather book. She flipped through it, carefully studying the handwriting. "What a fool," she murmured, "doing all of this by hand." She picked up a pen and turned to a blank page. She thought for a few seconds before writing.
"Ta'a Chuume has become quite the thorn in my side. She has corrupted almost the entire palace. I do not want her influence to extend over Jaina. I have no questions about what must be done. I must rid myself up her."
Jaina skipped a few lines and continued.
"At last it is done. What a thrill, stabbing that old witch. I would say she should be sorry she ever crossed me, but it's rather hard for a dead woman to feel sorrow. At last she is gone. And the best part? At the moment of her death she knew it was I. I could see the fear in her eyes. May her black bones rot in the most stinking hole imaginable."
Jaina smiled at this. The words had come from her heart.
"They'll never suspect me. There is some servant somewhere I can blame this on. I have triumphed, you hag!"
The young queen's smile widened. She closed her husband's book and slid it back into the table. Security would want to search the entire palace for evidence. She would sigh at the disturbance of her routine and agree. The guards would apologize profusely and tell her that it was merely a precaution, that they hated to bother her in her emotional state.
Returning to her room, she shot the mirror a lopsided Solo grin, immensely proud of herself.
*********
Some weeks later, Jaina reclined on a bench, letting the sun shine down on her face. Things were going well. The investigation of Ta'a Chuume's death had ended as soon as they found the confession written in Isolder's writing. The prince had been duly executed. Jaina had cried many tears when it was discovered and again when he was killed. She had sent a long and seemingly heartfelt message to Tenal Ka, telling why the other Jedi's father had died.
As far as Jaina was concerned, there was only one downside to having a deceased husband. It was just becoming summer, and black was oppressive in such heat.
"Begging your pardon, ma'am." Jaina looked up as a servant came in sight. "I hate to bother you, but he said it was important."
"Who?"
"The Jedi Kyp Durron."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Kyp was the last person she wanted to see right now. "Very well, show him in," she sighed nevertheless. The Jedi Master entered, his expression holding no warmth. Jaina set hers to be equally cold.
"Greetings, Master Durron."
"I hope you will excuse me if I choose to skip pleasantries, your highness." His tone was sarcastic. "Why did you do it?"
"Why did I do what?"
"You know very well what I mean."
"I do not." She waved a hand at the servant, dismissing him. Kyp grinned savagely. "Ah ha, you do, or else you wouldn't have sent him away. Tell me, Jaina. Why did you kill her?"
Jaina's face went pale with rage. "How dare you accuse me of murder!"
"Face it, Jaina. You were never very good at lying."
"Go away, Kyp. I don't want to talk to you."
"You're evading the question. Fine. But you will answer when you are ready, I assure you." He turned to leave.
"Damn you Kyp!" Jaina shouted. Her lightsaber flew to her hand and snapped to life. The purple blade cast an eerie light over the low stone walls. Kyp stopped and turned his head. "You don't want to do that, Jaina. Trust me."
"Now answer my question of why."
"Because you know I can beat you easily in sparring."
"How about in a duel?"
At that, he turned all the way and carefully eyed the violet blade. "I will not fight you to the death."
"But I will." She lunged forward. Kyp weapon flashed up fast enough to block the attack, but he still stumbled back a few steps from the impact. Jaina slashed again and again, not giving him a chance to do anything but block. At last he got an opening, but by the time he struck Jaina wasn't there. She sprang away, light as a cat, and motioned him forward.
His face grim, he accepted the challenge and ran at her. She twirled around and met his attack with a clean parry. She gave him a rather wicked smile; she could see in his eyes he thought she was weaker than this. His eyes narrowed and he pressed harder, but Jaina still whirled away with ease. "You're mocking me," he growled. Jaina dodged his next strike by leaping over his head and behind him. As he turned to meet her, she plunged her blade at him.
Kyp gasped. Jaina could feel his pain through the Force. She drove her lightsaber deeper into his abdomen and whispered in his ear, "Yes, I killed her, just as I've killed you, Kyp Durron." She shoved him to the ground. As he fell the blade burned its way through his chest cavity, leaving a smoking line and cauterized flesh.
Jaina extinguished her weapon and reattached it to her belt. She bent down and pulled Kyp's out of his hand. "A nice trophy," she told the fallen master, "to commemorate the occasion." She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up onto the low wall. A simple push dropped him into the ravine below.
The dark Jedi gave him a mock salute and left his body for the birds to pick clean.