CHAPTER 7: "FRIENDSHIP CAN DEEPEN INTO LOVE IN ANY SITUATION"
Luke and Mara stood with Han and Leia on the bridge of the Hapan Dragon, listening to Prince Isolder arguing with Archon Beed Thane over the comlink.
"No, we cannot stand down, for Sith's sake, we just had a Vong attack. What do you think we're gonna do, go home and sit in front of the holoproj?"
Thane's reply was cut off as Isolder snapped off the comlink. He walked over to the four.
"What are we going to do about this?" he asked, his expression conveying his concern.
Wedge Antilles walked onto the bridge. "We've picked up Jaina and Jagged's signals. Do you want to go pick them up?" he asked.
Leia thought for a long moment." No, I have a feeling right now isn't the best time." The others looked at her strangely, but she could not explain. She didn't know herself. It was only one of those "crazy Jedi things".
The two pilots, one Imperial, the other New Republic, sat in the grasses beside the fighter craft, still in a tight embrace. For a long moment, neither spoke, unable to say anything to break the sudden rapport that had been established by this simple gesture.
Finally, Jaina stirred from the thoughts that had kept her attention, and spoke. "I'm sorry", she said quietly.
Jagged felt a deep surprise at this, and pulled away from her slightly. "What for?" he asked, looking at her expression.
She avoided his gaze, instead turning her face to the sky. "For saying what I did. It's not your fault, and I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. You're probably one of the only people who knows what this is like, I suppose." She said this last with great difficulty, finding it hard to accept the situation.
Jagged wasn't surprised at that. He had been the same, when his brother had been killed.
"Look, I've been where you are at the moment, and I don't blame you for how you're dealing with this, in a way. You've got nothing to apologize to me for." He looked towards their fighters for a moment, then added, "Perhaps, though, the thing you should be doing is realising what your actions could do to the people you love, and also, yourself."
"What do you mean?" Jaina asked warily, her interest spiked by the sudden dark tone of his voice. The voice of experience…
"I reacted like you did, and I went after the people who had killed my brother. In the process, my other brother was also killed." He was silent for a moment, and then went on. "If I hadn't done what I did, then he would still be alive. I learnt the hard way. Are you going to make the same mistake?"
She stared at him for a long moment, unable to imagine the burden that was on him. "How did you get through it?" She asked.
Jagged smiled bitterly "I didn't, but I learnt to cope, and realize that my brothers would not want me to sit around in grief, or to rampage around the galaxy reaping revenge for them either." He stood, and walked away from her, and she sensed him hesitate. "I had people who I loved, who were there for me, making sure I never lost sight of who I was, deep in my heart. People who I saw had worth in them, and made me see the worth I have in me, despite everything else." He glanced at her, and then quietly added, "People like you."
Any reply that Jaina might have been able to make was stopped by the sound of a shuttle approaching. She simply settled for giving him a puzzled look.
Luke and Mara stood with Han and Leia on the bridge of the Hapan Dragon, listening to Prince Isolder arguing with Archon Beed Thane over the comlink.
"No, we cannot stand down, for Sith's sake, we just had a Vong attack. What do you think we're gonna do, go home and sit in front of the holoproj?"
Thane's reply was cut off as Isolder snapped off the comlink. He walked over to the four.
"What are we going to do about this?" he asked, his expression conveying his concern.
Wedge Antilles walked onto the bridge. "We've picked up Jaina and Jagged's signals. Do you want to go pick them up?" he asked.
Leia thought for a long moment." No, I have a feeling right now isn't the best time." The others looked at her strangely, but she could not explain. She didn't know herself. It was only one of those "crazy Jedi things".
The two pilots, one Imperial, the other New Republic, sat in the grasses beside the fighter craft, still in a tight embrace. For a long moment, neither spoke, unable to say anything to break the sudden rapport that had been established by this simple gesture.
Finally, Jaina stirred from the thoughts that had kept her attention, and spoke. "I'm sorry", she said quietly.
Jagged felt a deep surprise at this, and pulled away from her slightly. "What for?" he asked, looking at her expression.
She avoided his gaze, instead turning her face to the sky. "For saying what I did. It's not your fault, and I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. You're probably one of the only people who knows what this is like, I suppose." She said this last with great difficulty, finding it hard to accept the situation.
Jagged wasn't surprised at that. He had been the same, when his brother had been killed.
"Look, I've been where you are at the moment, and I don't blame you for how you're dealing with this, in a way. You've got nothing to apologize to me for." He looked towards their fighters for a moment, then added, "Perhaps, though, the thing you should be doing is realising what your actions could do to the people you love, and also, yourself."
"What do you mean?" Jaina asked warily, her interest spiked by the sudden dark tone of his voice. The voice of experience…
"I reacted like you did, and I went after the people who had killed my brother. In the process, my other brother was also killed." He was silent for a moment, and then went on. "If I hadn't done what I did, then he would still be alive. I learnt the hard way. Are you going to make the same mistake?"
She stared at him for a long moment, unable to imagine the burden that was on him. "How did you get through it?" She asked.
Jagged smiled bitterly "I didn't, but I learnt to cope, and realize that my brothers would not want me to sit around in grief, or to rampage around the galaxy reaping revenge for them either." He stood, and walked away from her, and she sensed him hesitate. "I had people who I loved, who were there for me, making sure I never lost sight of who I was, deep in my heart. People who I saw had worth in them, and made me see the worth I have in me, despite everything else." He glanced at her, and then quietly added, "People like you."
Any reply that Jaina might have been able to make was stopped by the sound of a shuttle approaching. She simply settled for giving him a puzzled look.
