Jaina Solo stared out the window of her quarters at the scorched landscape surrounding the old biotics building which was currently being used as a New Republic military base. This planet used to be beautiful, once upon a time, she thought to herself. Now, it's just another casualty of war, like Sernpidal and Ithor. If she stretched her sight to its limits, she thought that she could see vegetation on the far horizon, but she couldn't be sure.
Her comlink began to beep and Jaina dug it out of her pocket. She flicked it on with her thumb and held it up to her mouth. "Solo here."
"It's Dad," Jaina heard through the tiny device. Her father's voice was very tinny. "Wedge wants you down here in the main conference room ASAP. Something big is going down."
A lump of dread began to form in the pit of Jaina's stomach. Her father's tone of voice gave Jaina the distinct impression that something very bad was either happening or going to happen soon. "On my way," she replied, taking care to keep all emotion out of her voice. She thumbed off the comlink and grabbed her jacket as she fairly sprinted out the door.
Jaina arrived at the conference room in record time. She pushed her hair out of her face, which had been left down from its customary braid. The young pilot entered and sat down next to Gavin Darklighter and the other squadron leaders. In a matter of minutes, everyone else had arrived and were seated throughout the large room. Wedge Antilles began the briefing.
"Okay people, we have a situation. Early this morning, sensors picked up another worldship at the edge of the system." As the general spoke, a hologram came online behind him, showing the location of this new Yuuzhan Vong vessel. "We have reason to believe that this is the Warmaster's worldship." Wedge paused, looking around the room. He nodded to Jaina, who had her hand raised.
"Not to be disrespectful, but how do you figure that?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"First of all, the worldship that we believe houses the Warmaster disappeared from orbit around Coruscant last night. We can only guess at how fast a ship like that could move through hyperspace, but our scientists feel certain that this is the same worldship that left Coruscant. Secondly, ever since the Jedi strike team has returned from Myrkr, we've known that the Vong were after you, Great One. We've made it no secret that you're here. It makes sense that the Warmaster would come after you personally.
"And thirdly," Wedge paused, making eye contact with Jaina, "you mother has informed us that your brother is definitely aboard that ship."
Jaina's eyes widened in shock. Jacen had reached out to their mother, but had not done the same to his own twin? Jaina felt betrayed. She knew it was irrational, knew that Jacen was probably only trying to keep her from flying off alone on some half-cocked rescue attempt, but it still hurt that he hadn't even reached out to let her know that he was alive.
Wedge was still speaking. "I want everyone on standby alert. We know that the Vong will strike, but we can't anticipate when. Individual squadron leaders and ship captains will receive their orders within the hour. Dismissed." Jaina rose along with everyone else, but stopped when Wedge called out to her. "Great One, I'd like to speak with you if I may."
She moved against the flow of people to the head of the room. Her parents, Lando and Tendra Calrissian, Tycho Celchu, and Wedge and Iella Antilles were sitting around the huge table there. Jaina seated herself in the only empty seat, directly across from Wedge.
"There are two things I need to know," Jaina said, her tone colder than winter on Hoth. "One: why I wasn't told of this beforehand; and two: that I'm included in the strike team that's no doubt being formed to rescue my brother."
"You should watch your attitude, Lieutenant," Wedge bit out sternly. "In here, you're not a goddess. You can and will be disciplined for insubordination."
"Understood, sir," Jaina replied, not in the least bit cowed, but seemingly so.
"Good," Wedge said, his tone more like Jaina was used to. "As to the first part, you weren't told because we didn't want you flying off to try to single-handedly rescue Jacen. If you're captured along with Jacen, then we lose. The Vong would get a morale boost with the twin sacrifice and we would lose two Jedi, one of whom is a veteran fighter pilot, which we've been sorely lacking recently.
"As to the second part, if all goes according to plan, you won't even be in-system when we press the attack."
"What?!" Jaina demanded. "There's no way—"
"You have another assignment of critical importance," Wedge spoke over her protests. "We have reason to believe that the Vong might try to navigate the Maw. If they do, they'll most certainly stumble upon the Jedi safehouse located there. Your assignment is to take Twin Suns Squadron and protect Shelter," Wedge stated. "I know that you would rather be here to help your brother--"
"Damn straight."
"--but if you get caught, the Vong have won," he continued, without missing a beat. "This is for your protection as well as his."
Outwardly, Jaina seemed mostly calm, but inside, she was seething. They weren't taking away her command, but they were putting her out of the fight and away from Jacen. If her mother was right, and Jacen was alive, Jaina was the person with the best chance of saving him, but they were sending her to protect a bunch of black holes.
"As soon as you get Jacen back, or get any information about him, you had better rotate me back here, or there will be hell to pay," Jaina told the general icily before getting up storming out.
"That went well," Han said into the silence that followed his daughter's melodramatic exit.
"How do you figure that?" Tycho asked, unconsciously repeating the phrase Jaina had used earlier. "She all but threatened us."
Leia turned to regard her fellow Alderaanian. "At least she didn't turn back to the Dark Side and kill us all where we sit," she told him. "She only threatened us. Be grateful." Her voice was now commanding and full of venom.
"Grateful. Aye, ma'am," Tycho said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'll be going now. I'm sure there's something that I need to be doing...somewhere." The colonel retreated quickly.
"Leia, dear, I think you've scared the poor man off," Han said into the silence that ensued.
"Han, your powers of observation are astounding," Lando said, absently rubbing his hands together.
"I would shut up if I were you, Lando, unless you want everyone to know about that time on Nal Hutta--"
"Alright! I'm shutting up."
Wedge watched the entire exchange in silence. "Anyway," he stated after they had finished, "I know Jaina's angry for more reasons than the fact that I'm sending her to the Maw. Anyone have any ideas why?"
"I know why," Leia told him. "She's upset because Jacen reached out to me and not her. She feels that she should have sensed him as soon as he entered the system, no matter what. The bond between twins is stronger than the one between mother and child, and yet she remained oblivious to him. She might know that Jacen is only trying to protect her, but that doesn't stop her from being angry."
"Can I rely on her to follow my orders?" Wedge asked. "Because if I can't, I'll have her put under house arrest at Shelter, and put Jag or Kyp in charge of the squadron."
"She'll listen," Han said. "But you had better be ready to shift some people out there because when Jaina comes back, she won't be coming alone."
"Who..." Wedge began, but trailed off as realization dawned on him. "Jag. They're inseparable."
"Attached at the hip is a better term," Lando said, smirking. "You should've seen them at my party a couple nights ago. Sat by the keg all night and got trashed. Left together, too."
Before Han could respond to Lando's comment, Tendra spoke. "If that's everything, then I have business to attend to." Wedge nodded and the tall woman got up to leave. Lando hastily tried to follow his wife, but Han caught his arm.
"That kid do anything to my daughter?" he demanded of his long-time friend.
"Nothing that I saw," the dark-skinned man replied. "You'll have to talk to the kid about what happened after they left."
Han nodded and let go of Lando, who beat a hasty retreat. I'm gonna have a nice long talk with that kid.
"Don't kill Jag," Iella beseeched him. "He's my nephew, and I'm rather fond of him. Besides, I'd get stuck with the paperwork that would have to be done. You wouldn't inflict that upon me, would you?"
"Don't worry, Iella, I won't kill him," Han promised the Intelligence agent. Just severely wound him.
Jag Fel was doing routine maintenance on his clawcraft when he felt a tap on his shoulder. This startled him, but he tried not to let it show. The young pilot turned around to come face-to-face with his uncle. Wedge Antilles and Jag's mother, Syal, were brother and sister, but hadn't seen each other in years. In fact, Jag had only met his famous uncle less than two years ago.
"General." Jag saluted smartly to the shorter Corellian. Wedge returned his salute, and Jag fell into a formal military stance.
"I'm here as your uncle, Jag," Wedge stated. "Let's speak on equal terms, but not here."
"Then where?" Jag asked, puzzled by his uncle's strange behavior.
"Follow me," Wedge said. Jag did as commanded. The two men didn't speak at all while in transit. Suddenly, they stopped and Jag was surprised to find them outside Wedge and Iella Antilles' personal quarters. Wedge entered the access code and preceded Jag into the room. The older man sat down in a chair in a small conversation circle in the corner of the room. Jag followed and sat down across from his uncle, wondering the whole time about the general's behavior.
Once Jag was settled, Wedge began. "Two weeks ago, Jaina and Kyp defied orders to save you from the Vong. Afterwards, when you and I were discussing it, I told you that I would get my answers later. I think that today, I might have been granted an answer."
"Might I ask: an answer to what?" Jag asked.
Wedge locked his brown eyes on his nephew's green ones. "An answer as to why Jaina defied orders, why you came in her place to speak with me, why you didn't want her to be reprimanded."
"And what did you find, sir?" Jag asked, reverting to formal speak as his anxiety level rose.
"Something that I'm sure you both know, but haven't admitted to yet," Wedge answered elusively. He regarded his nephew for a moment before continuing. "You really love her, don't you?"
The matter-of-fact way in which Wedge spoke caught Jag off-guard, and this time he couldn't hide his surprise. He was sure that his shock was evident on his face and in his eyes. It took the young man a moment to regain his voice. "Yes," he answered his uncle quietly, averting his eyes. "Yes, I do."
Wedge regarded the younger man for a few more silent moments. Finally, he spoke. "Look, I know that you're not comfortable discussing this with me. To tell you the truth, I'm not all that comfortable with it, either. But I do have a little advice for you. Talk to Jaina. Don't put it off, because if you do, you might never get the chance."
Jag nodded as he stood. "Thank you, Uncle," he said before moving across the room and exiting the older man's quarters.
Before the door swished shut, Jag was sure he heard his uncle say, "Good luck, Fel. You're gonna need it."
Jaina stared out across the barren landscape of Borleias. After the briefing in the conference room, she had needed to clear her head, so she had headed up to the roof of the biotics building. She now found herself leaning against a heating unit that protruded from the roof.
Suddenly, she felt nostalgic. She missed her old life: her training on Yavin 4, being with her friends all the time, the childish innocence they had all seemed to possess. She missed her brothers so much that she felt it as a physical pain in her gut.
She sighed deeply. I wish that Anakin and Jacen and I had been on better terms before Anakin died, she thought. Jacen, why are you blocking me out? I thought we were closer than that. Please, if you can hear me, let me know that you're alive! The young woman sat silently, hoping for some flicker in her heart or the Force, signifying that her twin had heard her. She was sorely disappointed when her plea was met with emptiness. The place that Jacen had occupied in her heart was still empty.
Jaina turned back to survey the black and barren landscape. Soon, however, she felt a strong, familiar presence in the Force. She leaned around the heating unit and saw Jag Fel standing by the door to the roof. Jag saw her, and smiled his small, secret smile as he headed towards her.
Jaina's stomach began doing flip-flops. She tried to will it to stop, but was having no success. It seemed like every time that she saw Jagged Fel, her body started acting all weird on her.
Jag slid down to sit next to Jaina, but didn't turn to look at her. Instead, he regarded the landscape. "It's a pity that we had to vape the planet itself," he said. "It really was quite beautiful. Now it's only ashes."
Jaina turned to look at Jag, surprised. This wasn't the overconfident pilot that she had met Ithor and had known ever since. This was a different Jag, the real Jag, the one that she had only seen bits and pieces of. But, she noted, I've seen more of this Jag lately than the old one.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Jaina spoke, "Is there a reason you came up here to see me?"
Almost reluctantly, it seemed, Jag nodded. "I had a talk with my uncle earlier," he said, still looking out at the horizon. "It was very interesting and enlightening."
"What did you talk about?" Jaina blurted after Jag provided no further information.
Jag took a moment to answer, but when he did, his answer started Jaina. "Us," he said. "You and me. Our feelings specifically."
Jaina was too dumbfounded to say anything. She just sat there, staring at Jag, pleading with her eyes for an explanation. Jag reached out and grabbed her hand, their fingers seeming to automatically intertwine. Jaina looked down at their hands, then back up at Jag, only to find his face mere centimeters from hers. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, she was kissing Jag again.
This kiss was different from the one in the conference room, different from the one in his room. It was deeper, more passionate, full of all of the feelings that they had tried to suppress. Jaina never wanted the moment to end.
Suddenly, she heard faintly, I love you, Jaina, and realized with a start that she had heard Jag's thoughts. Her shock was great enough that she broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against Jag's, their noses almost touching. Jag wasn't Force-sensitive, yet she had heard his thoughts clearly. Even Uncle Luke had trouble reading the surface thoughts of non-Jedi but she had heard Jag's as though he had whispered it in her ear.
"I love you too, Jag," she whispered before reclaiming his lips with her own. When they broke apart, Jaina asked, "Was your uncle right? About us, I mean?"
Jag chuckled softly. "Yes. He figured it out before anyone else did. Before we did. I'm going to have to thank him for his insight." He put his arms around her and pulled her towards him so that Jaina was leaning into his chest. He rested his chin on her head.
"Your uncle is sending us to protect the Jedi Shelter," Jaina told him after a few moments of silence. "He doesn't seem to think that I can handle being here fighting the Vong while my brother is so close. He thinks that I'll go off and get myself killed while trying to save him."
"I know our orders," Jag said. "Apparently, Colonel Celchu knew that you wouldn't want to talk about them, so he had them transmitted to Kyp and me. We've already told the rest of the squadron."
Jaina nodded and leaned farther into Jag's embrace. "I feel like in leaving I'm abandoning Jacen. He's my brother; I need to do everything possible to save him. I'm the oldest. I'm supposed to look after him. I failed with Anakin. I don't want to fail again." Her voice hoarsened as tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She blinked rapidly, willing away the tears.
"I know how you feel," Jag told her quietly. "My little sister died in my place. I've always felt that I should have gone out there instead of her. I've felt guilty about it ever since. At first, I felt like I had somehow let her down. But then I realized something: she made her choice. I couldn't have changed her mind. Even if I had tried, she still would have gone and taken my place. Whatever happens to Jacen, you need to realize something. He chose to go back and kill the voxyn queen. He made his choice; you couldn't have changed his mind. Whatever happens now are just the consequences of that action."
Jaina took all of this in silently. "I know, but it just doesn't seem fair, or right," she said after a moment, craning her neck around to look at Jag
"Nothing about war is right or fair," he replied, kissing her forehead before continuing. "But if it weren't for this war, we might never have met. We wouldn't be sitting here together like this right now."
"I guess some good does come from war," the young Jedi replied with a smile as she turned her face back to the view of the empty landscape. "It did bring my parents together, after all."
Out of nowhere, her comlink began to beep insistently and she reluctantly disentangled herself from Jag's embrace. She pulled the device out of her pocket and thumbed it on. "Solo here."
"It's Kyp," the Jedi Master's voice came tinnily across the channel. "General Antilles has moved up our departure time. We're outbound in one hour."
"Copy," Jaina replied. "I'll be down there in a half hour. Solo out."
"Out," Kyp replied before Jaina shut the device off.
The young Jedi turned to her companion. "We'd better get going. I still have to pack, and because it's an extended mission, I actually have to packsomething. Can't go unprepared."
"Have to be prepared," Jag agreed. He stood and pulled Jaina to her feet next to him. They walked across the roof, to the door, and took the stairs down to the barracks level. Jag walked Jaina to her quarters and glanced to each side to make sure they were alone before giving her a quick kiss. "See you in the hangar," he said, heading towards his own room.
Jaina waved at his retreating back, and entered her quarters, fairly floating through the entrance. Her mind was up in the stars, and her heart was in Jag's hand. She wasn't sure where exactly their relationship was headed, but she was ready for the ride. With a smile, she began to pack what few meager possessions she had, her mind nowhere near her current mission but on the man just down the hall.