Prologue Part II
"Kriff it! Someone needed to be watching him." 35 year old Jaina Solo muttered as she leapt into her X-Wing. She quickly went through pre-flight before taking off after her way-ward brother. She followed his signal to the planet of Hapes.
"SITHSPAWN!!" She yelled, slamming her fist against the control panel, when she realized where Jacen was going. She quickly landed as far away from his ship as possible in the Fountain Palace docking bay. She raced after his Force signature until he disappeared from her ability to detect him. So she homed in on Queen Mother Tenel Ka's presence, which was where he'd be headed. She followed it to the Throne Room, as she neared she could hear the crashing and smell the ozone that were products of a lightsaber duel. She got there and found an unconscious Jake and Darra on the floor outside. She slipped her own lightsaber from her belt and stepped towards the door. Only to be bowled over by a flash of Force energy as her brother left the room at a swift jog. Her first instinct was to follow him, until she heard a low moan from inside. She dashed through the large double doors to find Tenel Ka lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the floor. Two 5 year old children were standing in the shadows, frozen in place by the scene in front of them. Jaina slid to her knees at her friend's side.
"No…" She whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks for the first time in years. She didn't even notice as the blood began to seep through the thick fabric of her flightsuit.
"Friend Jaina…Take the children, hide them from him…Keep them safe for me." Tenel Ka gasped, she was loosing blood quickly.
"What are you saying? You'll survive; help'll be here soon, you'll make it." Jaina answered, refusing to face the truth. Tenel Ka reached up and slapped her across the face.
"Do not be a fool Jaina; you know I will not be able to hang on long enough. Not at this rate of blood loss." She said firmly. Jaina's cheek stung but she hardly noticed.
"And give Allana this." She said, gently removing the gort eggshell necklace from her neck. She handed it to Jaina who choked as she felt the smooth pieces of shell beneath her fingers. The life faded quickly from the Queen Mother when she allowed herself to let go. The doors burst open to reveal a very upset Prince Isolder just as Jaina lifted Tenel Ka from the floor.
"Who did this?" Isolder asked, looking like he had just been stabbed in the back.
"The man I once called my brother." Was Jaina's succinct reply, her shields back in place. She looked at the children in the shadows.
"Take the kids; put the girl in my X-Wing and take care of the boy for me, for Tenel Ka." Jaina said, her voice hitching at her friend's name. She carried Tenel Ka to the med-bay where she told her part of the story, she then alerted them to the wounded body guards outside the Throne Room before leaving. She used the Force to easily leap into the cockpit of her X-Wing, once there she solemnly put the necklace around Allana's neck before taking off. The girl was crying softly and Jaina lifted her into her lap, there they fell asleep on the long trip to Correlia.
