When the Millennium Falcon arrived at Hapes, the ragged old freighter had a royal honor guard waiting for it. A full squadron of elegant Miy'til fighters escorted them through a gauntlet of sleek Nova cruisers and down into the atmosphere toward the royal palace. When they disembarked they were greeted by almost a hundred Hapan guardswomen, all in crisp uniforms, standing at attention on either side of the berthed vessel. And waiting for them at the landing ramp: Uncle Luke is his dowdy brown Jedi robe, Zekk and his bride-to-be Taryn in the trim dark uniforms of Hapan guards, tall red-haired Tenel Ka looking almost comfortable in her royal robes, and finally Allana Solo Djo at her mother's side.
Allana rushed forward to hug her grandparents, leaving Jaina and Jag to go and greet Zekk, Taryn, and Tenel Ka. Jaina hugged Tenel Ka warmly, and Jag shook Taryn's hand with the formality he never learned to get rid of. When they turned on Zekk, Jaina saw him stiffen up even more: Five years back they'd both been bitter suitors for Jaina's affections, and while that contest had ended happily for all parties, Jag still looked unsure of how to act. He was thus taken by surprise when Zekk grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into a back-slapping bear hug. The women, even Tenel Ka, giggled at the sight.
Jaina then went to shake Taryn's hand, saying, "Congratulations. It's been a long time coming."
"That is has, Solo." The Hapan woman smiled with aristocratic grace, though Jaina saw a stiffness there. Maybe she was less comfortable with her fiancé's old flame than Zekk.
Jaina turned on Zekk, from whom Jag had just disengaged. She looked him up and down and gave an honest smile. "Congratulations. It's about time."
"Thanks," Zekk smiled and extended a hand.
She reached out, took it, and with only slight hesitation they both went in for a hug. He was a full head taller than her and she rested her forehead against his chest as he gave her a warm pat on the shoulder-blades. All the confusions and tension that had marked their relationship seemed gone now, leaving only a friendship that had lasted more than half a lifetime.
"I'm very pleased to see all of you here," Tenel Ka said as they pulled apart. "And I'm sure Allana is pleased to spend more time with her grandparents."
"Probably not half as glad as Mom and Dad are to see her," Jaina sidled next to her old friend. The group watched Luke, Han, and Leia standing around the girl as she chattered away. She was almost nine years old now, and she'd started to stretch out into awkward adolescence. She had her mother's rich red hair, all right, but something in the shape of her face and her posture remarked on her father.
"I'm impressed with the honor guard. I haven't had one of those in a while," Jagged said, stroking the trim black beard he'd let grow, the one Jaina had hated at first but gradually warmed to.
"The former Chief of State of the New Republic and guardians of my daughter?" Tenel Ka cocked a red eyebrow. "Not to mention my oldest friend and her husband? An honor guard is the least I could do."
"I'm flattered," Jag bowed slightly. "It just looks a little incongruous against, well, that." He waved a hand at the Falcon.
"Don't let my Dad hear that," Jaina poked him in the ribs.
"Yep," Zekk nodded. "I doubt you want to walk all the way home."
"Oh, don't worry, I've long ago worked out how to deal with the in-laws. So, where are the other Jedi? I expected there to be a nice Force-user convention for this wedding."
Tenel Ka said, "Quite a few already arrived with Master Skywalker. They're helping prepare for the ceremony."
"Ah, setting up the main hall? Putting up tables and the like? I can imagine Force-users are good at that sort of thing." He glanced sideways at Taryn. "Sometimes they make you feel like the little kid left out of playtime, but they're good to have by your side."
The Hapan woman smirked. "I've already noticed, yes. They've already almost completed preparations for the wedding."
Zekk draped a long arm across Jag's shoulders. "That means tonight we celebrate."
"Ah, your one last night of freedom?" Jag looked up at him. "Tell me, just what do Jedi do at bachelor parties?"
"My friend, you're about to find out."
"Me?" Jag gaped, and looked at Taryn, Tenel Ka, and Jaina. "Well, I'm, ah, quite flattered you want me to, ah, accompany you on the eve of your wedding. But what will the, ah, ladies be doing?"
"I've already made arrangements," Taryn crossed her arms over her chest.
"Have you now?" Jaina asked. She wondered just what constituted a fun night for a girl like Taryn.
"Indeed," said Tenel Ka, quite serious. "And I request your presence not just as a friend, but as Queen Mother of the Hapan Consortium."
Jaina glanced at Jag, who looked just as nervous with Zekk's arm around his shoulder.
"Well," she said, "I guess we have no choice."
Tenel Ka's severe scowl lapsed into a smile. "Wonderful. I knew I could count on you, friend Jaina."
-{}-
If they were trying to be inconspicuous, they were failing miserably. Apparently Zekk had picked the place: some messy cantina located aboard Junction Station, an exchange and refueling site located on the rim of the Hapes system. Tenel Ka had taken great steps to open up the Hapan Consortium to the outside world, but foreign traffic onto the homeworld was strictly regulated, which meant most of the commerce with outside traders took place at Junction. From what Jag could tell, the station was owned by the Hapan government (hence the surpulus of armed women police at all the airlocks and checkpoints) but the facilities were rented out to non-Hapan profit-seekers like the surly Aqualish who owned this cantina. It was an interesting setup, one which Jag had considered implementing in the Empire before things got crazy with Jedi outcasts, ancient Force abominations, and Imperial attempts toward democracy.
This cantina was a place where nobody would recognize an off-duty Hapan guardsman, a Jedi Knight, or even an ex-Imperial Head of State (the beard threw people off; it was half the reason he'd grown it, over his wife's objections). However, when you threw them all together in the same booth, they tended the stand out. Especially if one of the Jedi was a giant Wookiee and the other was a Barabel.
They'd been in the bar for maybe an hour or so and Tesar and Lowbacca were already getting rowdy. Jag didn't know what they'd ordered, but something that could have gotten two oversized Jedi intoxicated that quickly would have probably knocked him dead. So he was content drinking some Hapan ale which, surprise-ingly, reminded him a little of old Bastion stout. Yet another way in which the Empire and the Hapans might not be so different after all. He decided to compare notes with Tenel Ka at some point.
He gave a yelp as Zekk dug a sharp elbow into his side. The tall, dark-haired Jedi barked over the din, "Well, what are you looking so glum about, shorty? The ale no good?"
"The ale is quite satisfactory," Jag said. "And I am not short."
Zekk cocked an eyebrow.
"I am not." Jag repeated. Shorter than Tesar and Lowie and Zekk, he'd admit, but not short. A good head taller than Jaina, for example. It wasn't his fault he was stuffed into a booth with giants.
"Well, this is my party," Zekk said, "Contribute, will you? Tell us some stories about the Chiss. They must throw great parties."
Lowbacca let out a big huffing laugh, and Tesar bore his big sharp fangs. "Yesss, tell us about your people, Fel. How did you celebrate after a great hunt?" His tail, sprawled to one side across the cushions, twitched eagerly.
"The Chiss were never ones for celebration, I'm afraid. Nor the Empire."
"Oh, come on now," Zekk said, "Everybody thinks Jedi were all stoic and stiff, but we know that isn't true."
"Well," Jag pondered, "How about this? As pilots for the Chiss, you got special status if you became an ace with five combat kills. Now, whenever a pilot became an ace, we would go to his or her bunk before they returned to base and cover it with snow."
"Snow?" Tesar hissed. "I do not understand."
"Well, it's an old Chiss tradition. There's lots of snow on Csilla, after all." Jag was wondering why he was telling this story in the first place, other than that it seemed like a good idea at the time. It also may have been the ale talking. "Anyway, the point is, once the pilot returns to his or her bunk, he or she will find the whole thing a cold, soggy mess and have no choice but to sleep in it."
"That's kriffing awful," Zekk frowned. "How was that fun?"
"It was rather fun if you were one of the ones who got to sleep in a dry, warm bed that night," Jag said.
Lowbacca howled a query.
"Well, yes, it does sound mean, but the point was to not let the pilot get too cocky." Jag said. "It tells him or her, basically, you might be an ace, but you're not so hot." He paused. "Literally."
Silence, across the table.
Eventually Zekk shook his head. "And I thought the Hapans were no fun."
"Are they truly no fun?" Tesar hissed. "Tell us, what is it like working in the company of so many beautiful femalez all the time?"
Lowbacca growled something, then woofed with laughter at his own joke,
"It is..." Zekk began, then stopped. He frowned, shook his head, laughed at something in his head, then said, "You just have to be careful."
"Ah, careful in what way, old friend?" Jag gave the man in nudge. "You're the only man on the job, right? The ladies must be very... competitive toward you."
"Hardly," Zekk chuckled. "Not when they know I'm with Taryn."
"Ahhh..." Tesar nodded. "The female of the species iz often quite protective of her mate. Az it should be."
"Yes, and especially Taryn, I think."
Lowie growled a question.
"Well, it's not them that has to be careful," Zekk said, "It's me." He paused. "Not that I would ever, ever do anything behind-"
"Of course," Jag said, "Say no more."
Lowbacca gave an affirmative roar.
Jag looked across the table at the Wookiee. "I'm sorry if I missed something, but Lowbacca, are you-"
The Wookiee roared again, and puffed his furry chest our proudly.
"I had no idea!" Jag said. "Congratulations! I'm sorry I missed it!"
Lowbacca waved away his apologies and added something else in a low groan, something Jag couldn't quite pick up above the din.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Jag leaned forward a bit.
Zekk clapped him on the shoulder and sat him back down. "Lowbacca here's going to be a father."
"Sithspawn!" Jag gaped. "Congratulations! Does Jaina know yet?"
The Wookiee shook his head.
"All right, I'll let you tell her." Jag said.
Zekk looked to Tesar. "What about you, my friend? Any news on the mating front?"
Tesar's tail thumped against the leather seating. "Ah, it iz too soon to say. I have yet to take mate, but I have been feeling, shall we say, eager lately. I hope to find a breeding-partner soon, if I can find the time."
"Well, good luck my friend." Jag raised a glass. "It is a hard course to fly, but worth it in the end."
Lowbacca roared and raised his glass across the table. Zekk tinkled his glass against Jag's, and the two men's eyes met and held. Then Zekk smirked and said, "The best hunt of all, isn't it?"
"Quite," Jag said, and downed the rest of his stout in one go.
"Ah, we seem to be finishing our drinkz," Tesar said. "I am quite willing to fetch another round."
Jag requested ale, Zekk requested Churban brandy, and Lowie asked for more of the same, whatever it was. Tesar wobbled a bit as he stepped out of the booth. His tail swung drunkenly back and forth as he walked for the bar. Zekk started to ask Lowie about his mate while Jag watched the less-than-sober Barabel Jedi approach the bar.
"So I have to ask," Jag said, "What is this like, being a Jedi?"
"What's what like?" Zekk asked.
Jag gestured to Tesar leaning over the counter, barking orders at a timid-looking Kubaz bartender. "What is it like having the Force when you are mildly inebriated? I've always wondered, but Jaina refuses to tell me."
Zekk and Lowie looked at each other, then started to laugh.
"What?" protested Jag. "I am legitimately curious. It's something I've always wondered about. Now don't make fun of me, I'd really like to know. Really."
Suddenly there was a loud crash, and all eyes in the bar went exactly where Jag hoped they wouldn't: A big one-eyed Abyssin, sprawled across the floor, shattered glass sprayed in front of him. Behind him, looking a little sheepish, was Tesar, trying to tuck his tail out of the way.
The Abyssin scrambled to his feet. "You tripped me! You kriffing tripped me, you stupid lizard!"
"Perhaps you should watch where you are going!" Tesar bore his teeth, which should have warned off any sane or sober creature. The Abyssin, however, was clearly not the latter and maybe not the former, so instead of walking away he balled one hand into a black brick of a fist and swung it right at Tesar's snout. Tesar took the punch with ease, then sent his tail cracking whip-like across the Abyssin's legs, knocking him down again.
By that time, one giant Yuzzem and two Trandoshans had lumbered to their feet. Lowie was already charging out of the booth, and Zekk wasn't far behind.
Tesar, Lowie, and Zekk were all taller than Jag by a head, at least. All those aliens were over twice his mass.
If he were smart, Jag would abandon his comrades and get out of his place before station security came up and arrested all of them the night before Zekk's wedding.
"Oh, sithspawn," he said, and charged in after them.
-{}-
"So tell me," Trista flashed Jaina a winning smile, "What do you think our menfolk are doing right now?"
"Knowing our menfolk? Probably telling war stories." Jaina shrugged and took a sip from whatever cocktails the chefs had prepared.
The Queen Mother of Hapes couldn't exactly go out and party like the boys were apparently doing, but she could certainly throw one of her own. Jaina had been worried Taryn might try something more wild for her last night of freedom, but instead they were having a cozy, private meal for the four of them. Round after round of dishes came, always served by the most exquisitely handsome men. Taryn always greeted them with the most winning smiles, too. Jaina hoped Zekk could handle her, but he seemed to be doing fine so far.
She still hadn't talked much with Taryn, and wasn't sure what she's say if they did. Mostly she chatted with Trista, and was regaled by various stories of Hapan palace intrigue and covert missions. Taryn mostly talked with Tenel Ka, and Jaina was pleased to see how easily her old friend was smiling nowadays.
After the third or fourth round of food, Jaina and Tenel Ka excused themselves to go for a walk, leaving the Zel sisters to giggle between themselves. The two of them walked out across a balcony overlooking one of the palace guardians. Jaina knew some bodyguards were lurking in the shadows; she could feel them in the Force.
"They know to keep out of earshot," Tenel Ka said, hooking her one arm into Jaina's. "It's taken a while, but now that Zekk and Taryn are in charge of security, I'm almost starting to feel safe in my own home."
It was a joke, if Tenel Ka told jokes, which was a rarity. Mostly it seemed a sad statement about the kind of life she'd been living here for over a decade.
Jaina had felt sad for her friend when we forced to take the Hapan throne after her mother's murder. Tenel Ka had always preferred the life of a Dathomori huntress to a Hapan noble, but in the end had found herself locked in a place she never wanted, with no friends except for the occasional Jedi visitor. In her loneliness she had sought to rekindle an old love, and that, too, had ended in tragedy.
Despite it all, here she was now, smiling gently as they walked across the balcony, taking in the warm night air and listening to the melodious calls of birds in the garden.
"You seem happy now," Jaina observed cautiously.
Tenel Ka tilted her head. "Do I?"
"You do. For a while..." Jaina trailed off. Never mention Jacen, not to her parents, especially not to his old love. "It must be good having Zekk and Taryn around. Do they help with Allana?"
"They do," Tenel Ka nodded. "I think Zekk likes it more than Taryn. He has a father's instinct, I think."
"Zekk?" Jaina laughed. "Well, maybe. He can be a little... over-protective sometimes."
Her mind flicked back to the time he had tried courting her. After his youthful brush with the Dark Side, Zekk had, more than any Jedi she knew, clung to all the lofty, noble ideals. Were it not for those scars left by the Shadow Academy, his aggressive righteous-ness would have made him seem naïve.
Tenel Ka said, "It is good having them around, Zekk especially. It is good to have another Jedi to train with, and to remind me of the old days." Her lips went flat, and something sad came into her eyes, that same sad look Jaina saw on her parents and they must see on hers. But then Tenel Ka smiled again and said, "Allana is going to be a great Jedi. I'm going to miss her."
"Miss her?" Jaina asked. "Is she going to Shedu Maad soon?"
"Some day, and whenever that is, it will be too soon."
"Have you talked with Uncle Luke about it?"
"I have spoken with Master Skywalker. He is pushing, as gently as possible, for Allana to go to Shedu Maad within a year or two. He means well, of course."
"Of course."
The two of them looked out over the garden. Jaina looked up at the stars and thought back to another night on Hapes, long ago, when she and Jag Fel had been invited to a ball hosted by Queen Mother Ta'a Chume, and Kyp Durron had come and snuck her out to see her brother Anakin's funeral. That was half a lifetime ago, Jaina thought with awe and sadness. Sometimes she forgot things about Anakin: his smile, his mannerisms, the habits that used to annoy her teenage self. She tried to cling on to them, but after so long they were slipping away. It seemed the opposite of Jacen, who seemed to linger in her thoughts, no matter how she tried to deny his memory.
"Are you happy, Jaina?" Tenel Ka asked softly.
Jaina was showing too much, either on her expression or in the Force. She got her face and feelings under control and said, "Yes. Are you?"
"I am," said Tenel Ka, and Jaina knew she meant it.
"Funny," Jaina gave a little laugh. "All this time I wondered what being happy feels like. Turns out it's pretty nice. But a little boring."
"Have you thought about starting a family?"
This was Tenel Ka speaking, so she certainly wasn't joking. Jaina said, "A little bit. But I don't think I'm that bored yet." And she thought of other parents: hers, who had lost two sons; Luke, who had lost his wife; Tenel Ka herself, who had watched the man she loved destroy himself. No, she did not want to think about parenthood any time soon.
If Tenel Ka sensed her thoughts, she didn't pry. Instead she gave Jaina's arm a gentle tug and leg her back toward the dining room, where they could hear the Zel sisters' chatter.
"We shall see about Zekk and Taryn," Tenel Ka said, "But at least we have Lowbacca's child to look forward to."
"What?" Jaina gaped. "Lowie's having a kid?"
Tenel Ka blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry! I thought you knew!"
"No! I haven't talked with Lowie in ages!" Jaina found herself grinning. "Lowie with a little wook of his own, huh? Boy or a girl?"
"I think... I will let him tell you." Tenel Ka gave a sly smile, and led her friend inside.
-{}-
It lasted all of a minute before station security came charging in: four Hapan guardswomen with blasters drawn. In the course of that sixty seconds, Tesar had broken a table over the Yuzzem's mouth, Zekk had punched the Abyssin, Lowie had mauled a Trandoshan, and Jag had received a swift punch in the face.
"Oh, bloody hell," Jag ran a hand over his cheekbone. It was going to be bruised tomorrow unless he got a bacta patch on it right away.
"Ah, the cavalry haz arrived!" hissed Tesar.
"We're going to get arrested!" Jag spat.
Zekk held his hands up as the Hapan guards came to meet them. The guards grabbed everyone roughly, by arm or shoulder or collar, and hauled them out of the cantina and down into a service hallway, where they were lined up, hands against the wall. Jag got stuck between Zekk and the Yuzzem, who growled as it stared sidelong at him.
"This is all your fault," Jag snapped at Zekk. "Why did you invite me? You don't even like me!"
"Of course I like you. You're funny."
"Funny?"
Zekk shot him a look. "Was your bachelor party this fun?"
"I didn't get thrown in jail for drunk and disorderly, so no, I guess it wasn't."
"It will be fine, relax," Zekk looked over his shoulder and said, "Can I get something from my pocket, please?"
"Quiet, male," one of the guards snapped.
"You see, this is just a funny misunderstanding-"
She snapped, "According to Guideline 3-B of the Junction Station legal-"
"Oh, for frell's sake," Zekk sighed, something jumped out of his pocket and hovered in the air.
"Jedi!" one of the Abyssins shouted. "They're kriffin' Jedi!"
"Among other things," Zekk said. "Take a look at it, would you please?"
The guard frowned at the identicard floating in front of her, and carefully reached out to hold it. She looked it over, checked it with some sort of scanner, then said, "Let them go."
Zekk took his hands off the wall and turned to face the guard. "Apologies for the mess, Captain. We'll make sure the cantina owner gets reimbursed for any damages."
"Yes, sir," the guard nodded.
"Sir?!" shouted the Abyssin. "Who are these guys?"
Zekk kept his eyes on the guard. "Let's keep this quiet, please."
"Of course, sir." It amazed Jag how quickly the guard snapped to obedience. The Hapans really could teach the Empire a thing about order. She handed Zekk back his identicard and asked, "Sir, should I assume these others instigated the confrontation?"
Zekk sighed as he pocketed the card. He looked over the men still up against the wall, the said, "Let them off with a warning."
"Are you certain, sir?"
"Yes." He leaned in close. "Just hold them until we depart, would you?"
"As you wish, sir. Do you require any medical assistance?"
"Ah, I could use some bacta patches," Jag said. Down the line, Lowbacca gave a low rumble.
"A bit of help, yes," Zekk nodded.
"Very well," said the guard. "I can take your friends to the infirmary."
"Lovely," Zekk turned to his comrades. "Gentlemen, if you'll follow the Captain here."
Jag, Lowie, and Tesar stepped away from the wall. The Barabel was grinning that broad toothy grin, tail twitching in excitement, like he wanted another brawl. The Yuzzem looked light he might have taken him up on it, but another guard snapped, "All right, the rest of you come with us!"
"We didn't do anything!" the Abyssin shouted as the other guards led him away. "We got tricked! Tricked by them kriffin' Jedi!"
He was a drunk, and thug, but Jag had to admit he had a point. As they followed the captain down another set of corridors, he came up alongside Zekk and said, "That was a little bit of an abuse of power, wasn't it?"
"A bit, maybe," Zekk shrugged. "But they did start it, and nobody got hurt."
"Perhaps so," Jag said. "Still, I am not going to tell my wife about this."
"Good," said Zekk, "Neither will I. Though for both our sakes we'd better hope they have fresh bacta patches in stock."
Jag tentatively poked the welling bruise on his cheek, winced, and nodded in silent agreement.
