Disclaimer: It's George's sandbox, I own nothing, please don't sue me.

"Have you ever asked yourself why you were born with the ability to touch the Force? Why our family and not someone else's? Why the Skywalkers and not the Antilles? And why all of us? Why didn't Jaina take after Dad? Why were all three of Han and Leia's kids born with this ability as opposed to only one or two of us?"~ Anakin Solo in "Fragile" by pregnantpadme

Midnight's Children

23 ABY

The party was in full swing, the drinks were flowing freely, the grownups were telling lame jokes and the kids were nowhere in sight – which usually meant they were up to no good. Lando Calrissian was making a killing at the sabaac table. A golden protocol droid hovered nearby with a tray of hors d'oeuvres; he was largely ignored by the guests.

The Solos' Eastport apartment faced west, offering a breathtaking view of Coruscant's sunset. Today, however, there was no one to enjoy it except an angry fourteen-year-old girl who was scuffing her boots against the railing. The party was being held in her brothers' honor.

She had almost gotten used to having them back. For the past month she, Jacen, Anakin and their friend Zekk had gone exploring every day in Coruscant's underbelly, a region with which Zekk was intimately familiar. It had seemed like old times again. There were no classes to attend, no homework to hand in. The Solo kids were a unit. They did everything together, from sneaking into nightclubs to pounding on the door of the refresher when one or the other of them was taking too long inside. Jaina remembered being ten years old and invincible, flanked by a brother on each side, and how the whole galaxy seemed to lay glittering at their feet.

That all changed when Uncle Luke took Jacen and Anakin to the Academy.

The worst part was that she couldn't even stay properly mad at Uncle Luke. If it had been somebody else running a special school for Jedi that stole her brothers away for seven months out of twelve, Jaina Solo would have raised hell. She would not have rested until she got them back. As a small child, she had been forced to spend enough time apart from her parents that she bitterly resented anyone who tried to break up her family. But what could you do when it was your own uncle's lifelong dream at stake? It wasn't fair to blame Luke for wanting to revive the Jedi Order. It was equally unfair to blame her mother, through whom the genes had passed, or her brothers themselves, who seemed on the whole delighted with Yavin Four. They sensed Jaina's reservations and spoke little of the Academy, but even so she felt a stab of jealousy every time she caught a reference to "Lowie" or "Tenel Ka."

She might have been tempted to blame her father, if it wasn't for the one night when he sat her down and told her very solemnly how thankful he was for her, how alone he had felt in the early days before the twins came along, when it had been just him, Luke, Leia and a boatload of Force-sensitives. "I love your mom and uncle but … It was like being under siege," Han had explained. "I felt so alone. You can't even imagine."

She was pretty sure, now, that she could. She tossed one chestnut brown braid over her shoulder and waited for the stars to come out.

She thought it might be Jacen who found her – it usually was – but she could tell by the sound of the measured tread behind her that it wasn't.

"What are you doing out here?" Luke came to stand beside Jaina, elbows resting on the railing.

"Stargazing," she said.

Luke squinted at the horizon. "Might be a few hours early for that." He paused. "There's ryshcate, if you want it."

"My mom's, or Mirax's?"

"Mirax's. Don't tell anyone but I wouldn't touch your mom's ryshcate with a ten-foot pole."

"Me neither."

They settled into a companionable silence, even as the cloak of dusk settled upon the city. Luke said, "So, you're not happy about your brothers leaving tomorrow?"

"I'll miss you too, Uncle Luke. Honest."

He laughed. "I don't flatter myself that I'm the reason you're out here sulking."

"I am not sulking – " she protested, but he cut her off.

"No, it's perfectly natural. Though as I recall, you didn't seem so upset about it last year."

"Mom and Dad didn't throw the boys a going-away party last year, either."

"True," he said.

Abruptly she tore her gaze from the skyline and turned to him, desperation in her brown eyes. "Can I ask you something, Uncle Luke?"

"Of course, Jaina."

"Would you consider taking on a non-Force-sensitive at the Academy? If it was someone who was serious about peace and justice and helping the galaxy? I mean, not everything you do there is about the Force. You have history and combat training and regular lessons just like any other school. It wouldn't be that different. You could make it work, if you had the right candidate – someone who already knew all about Jedi and wouldn't feel out of place."

Luke sighed. "I thought you liked your new school here."

"I do. That's not the point. Think of all the things I could be learning, all the good I could be doing if I had the same training as Jacen and Anakin! I want to make a difference, Uncle Luke."

"And you will," he assured her. "You will. Being Jedi is not the only way to make a difference. I once had a very illuminating conversation with Mon Mothma. She pointed out that of the two of us, Leia is the one who is widely seen to have squandered her potential by never completing her Jedi training. Leia, who in the course of her political career has probably prevented more wars, saved more lives, and secured the undying gratitude of more planets than I've ever set foot on! It's preposterous. Yet, that seems to be the prevailing public opinion. What you have to understand, Jaina, is that there is more than one way to serve."

She said, "Mom has the option of picking up her training anytime. I don't."

"Jaina. Do you honestly believe that the ability to touch the Force is the only thing you could have possibly inherited from your mother?"

"Everybody says I'm more like Dad."

"That's true as far as it goes," admitted Luke. "You're every iota as stubborn as him. But there's another side to that. It hasn't been easy for Han all these years, adjusting to life with Jedi who half the time are operating on a plane of existence that he has no access to. It grates on him sometimes. But he hasn't let his self-esteem suffer because of it. He knows who he is and he's proud of it. I don't want you to make the mistake of thinking that a Jedi's life is the only template for a meaningful existence, and that you're missing something because you lack the Force. You are perfect the way you were made. You need to explore your own strengths."

Jaina lifted her chin, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Does that mean you don't want me at the Academy?"

"I'm sorry, Jaina. I can't let you live your life in your brothers' shadow."

A low keening wail escaped from Jaina as Luke enfolded her in his arms. She buried her cheek in the rough fabric of his homespun robe. Her words were punctuated by hiccups. "Every" – hiccup – "body" – hiccup – "is going" – hiccup – "away."

He patted her shoulder. "Time was, all the bright kids wanted to run off to the Academy. The Imperial Academy," he clarified.

"You're" – hiccup – "not help–" hiccup "–ing, Un–" hiccup "–cle Luke."

It was some time before the sobs subsided and Jaina spoke again. She said, "Even Zekk is going."

"Is that what's been bothering you, then?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. Last time they went away at least I had Zekk. Now he's leaving me, too." She wiped her tear-streaked face with the back of her hand. "Zekk's always been my friend. Sure, he was friendly with Jacen and Anakin, but not as close as he was with me. I'm afraid … that if he goes off to Academy, he won't want me when he comes back."

"Because you're not a Jedi," Luke supplied.

She shrugged.

"Jaina, who's my best friend?"

"Dad," she replied without hesitation.

"Does that answer your question?"

She shifted slightly and pulled away from Luke. "Maybe. Can you leave me alone for a little while, Uncle Luke?"

"Should I get Jacen?" His blue eyes were concerned.

"No! Force, no. He'll come when he's good and ready. I just need time to process what you said, that's all."

"Okay. But come inside soon, you hear me?" At her reluctant nod of assent he said, "You're a good girl, Jaina. One day you'll make us all proud."

She stood on the balcony for long minutes after that, goosebumps rising on her arms as twilight set in and the temperature grew a few degrees cooler. The stars were not visible – they never were, here where the lights never went out. She waited for her twin to come and call her Jaya and tell her everything was going to be all right. She waited a long time, and in the interim she stood and faced the darkness alone.