Chapter Thirteen
Tahiri had taken Jacen to her quarters and she sat down. "Okay, Jacen. We're alone. What do you want to tell me?"
"Well, first there's something that I want to give you. I think you deserve to have it more than anyone." Jacen pulled a metal box out from a pocket and gave it to Tahiri. "Open it."
Tahiri took the box and when she opened it, she let out a small cry, and her hand went over her mouth. She put her hand in the box and pulled out a lightsaber. "This is-this is Anakin's lightsaber. How did you get this?"
"I retrieved it shortly after an interrogation with a Yuuzhan Vong. It was the lightsaber I used to escape…shortly after speaking with Anakin."
Tahiri had been staring at the lightsaber, but looked up quickly at Jacen. "What do you mean you spoke to Anakin? He died almost a year ago."
"I know, but do you remember hearing the stories of Jedi Masters after dying, coming back as spirits? That's what Anakin did for me. And he asked me to give you a message."
Tahiri jumped to her feet and ran up next to Jacen and looked up at him. "What did he say?"
"He said, 'I'll love you until the universe seizes to be. And that one day, you'll find another who will love you. Take it.'"
Tahiri began to cry and put her arms around Jacen. He didn't really know what else to do, so he just put his arms around her.
Chapter Fourteen
Jacen approached the door to Jaina's quarters and knocked on the door. "Jaina? I really think that we should talk." Jacen received no comment. "Jaina? I'm sorry for what I put you through."
Within seconds, Jaina's door hissed open and she glared at him for a beat before she slapped him hard in the face. "You're sorry for what you put me through? You can't possibly comprehend the hell I went through. I thought that I had lost both of my brothers. I thought I lost the person who knew and understood me almost as well as myself. I can't even put into words the pain you put me through!"
Jacen held a hand up to his cheek. "Your pain? Jaina...I'm sorry for you went through. I don't blame you if you never forgive me, but understand this. Whatever you went through, I experienced at least ten times worse! I want you to try and imagine something. Imagine everyone thinking that you're dead. You hear everyone crying, you feel their pain, you hear them crying out to you. But you can't speak to them. If you do, they'll do something that'll kill them. To yearn so badly to reach out to them to end their suffering and your own, but to not be able to. Imagine being dead...and having to feel guilty for it! That pain has been my existence for almost a year. And while your pain got better as time went on, my wounds never healed! What I did, I did all for you and for the Jedi. If I was wrong, then I guess it wasn't my first mistake. I'm sorry, Jaina."
Jacen turned around and began to walk away. He was suddenly stopped by Jaina spinning him around and hugging him. I'm sorry, Jacen. I don't know how you escaped the Yuuzhan Vong, I'm just glad you were able to.
Well, I had a little help...from Anakin.
Jaina pulled back from Jacen and looked up at him. "What? How could Anakin help? We both saw him die. We all had his funeral pyre."
"You should know as well as any of us that death isn't the end. I had pretty much accepted that I was going to die, and Anakin came to me. Like when Master Obi-Wan came to Uncle Luke. There were a lot of things that he taught me. First, he wanted me to give you his love. What he taught me was what it meant to be a Jedi."
"Anakin's been telling you for years what he believed it meant to be a Jedi. All of that explaining is part of what got him killed."
Jacen shook his head. "It was different this time, Jaina. He told me that when a Jedi dies, they become enlightened and understand everything. He learned what it means to be a Jedi, and taught me what I most needed to learn. I believe I'm a much stronger Jedi Knight because of him."
"You have to tell this to the Jedi Council!"
"I know. And I have another story that the Council needs to hear. We also have to find a home for hundreds of former Shamed Ones."
Before Jaina could even answer, Luke came up to both of them. "Jacen, if you're ready now, the Council is waiting for you."
-----------------------------------------
Jacen was standing in the center of twelve of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. Directly in front of him, was his uncle, Master Skywalker. To his right was Mara Jade Skywalker. To his left, was Kyp Durron. Other Jedi that made up the Council were: Streen, Corran, Cilgal, etc.
Kyp cleared his throat. "Jacen, it's a great relief for all us to see that you haven't died and were able to escape Yuuzhan Vong imprisonment. Master Skywalker has explained to us how we all thought you died. And told us why you decided to do this. Now we're ready for the details of your escape."
"I understand, Master Kyp. Just so it's clear, I have a lot to say."
Mara smiled and set her chin onto her hand. "That's why we're here, Jacen. And we're all comfortable. Start from the beginning."
Tahiri had taken Jacen to her quarters and she sat down. "Okay, Jacen. We're alone. What do you want to tell me?"
"Well, first there's something that I want to give you. I think you deserve to have it more than anyone." Jacen pulled a metal box out from a pocket and gave it to Tahiri. "Open it."
Tahiri took the box and when she opened it, she let out a small cry, and her hand went over her mouth. She put her hand in the box and pulled out a lightsaber. "This is-this is Anakin's lightsaber. How did you get this?"
"I retrieved it shortly after an interrogation with a Yuuzhan Vong. It was the lightsaber I used to escape…shortly after speaking with Anakin."
Tahiri had been staring at the lightsaber, but looked up quickly at Jacen. "What do you mean you spoke to Anakin? He died almost a year ago."
"I know, but do you remember hearing the stories of Jedi Masters after dying, coming back as spirits? That's what Anakin did for me. And he asked me to give you a message."
Tahiri jumped to her feet and ran up next to Jacen and looked up at him. "What did he say?"
"He said, 'I'll love you until the universe seizes to be. And that one day, you'll find another who will love you. Take it.'"
Tahiri began to cry and put her arms around Jacen. He didn't really know what else to do, so he just put his arms around her.
Chapter Fourteen
Jacen approached the door to Jaina's quarters and knocked on the door. "Jaina? I really think that we should talk." Jacen received no comment. "Jaina? I'm sorry for what I put you through."
Within seconds, Jaina's door hissed open and she glared at him for a beat before she slapped him hard in the face. "You're sorry for what you put me through? You can't possibly comprehend the hell I went through. I thought that I had lost both of my brothers. I thought I lost the person who knew and understood me almost as well as myself. I can't even put into words the pain you put me through!"
Jacen held a hand up to his cheek. "Your pain? Jaina...I'm sorry for you went through. I don't blame you if you never forgive me, but understand this. Whatever you went through, I experienced at least ten times worse! I want you to try and imagine something. Imagine everyone thinking that you're dead. You hear everyone crying, you feel their pain, you hear them crying out to you. But you can't speak to them. If you do, they'll do something that'll kill them. To yearn so badly to reach out to them to end their suffering and your own, but to not be able to. Imagine being dead...and having to feel guilty for it! That pain has been my existence for almost a year. And while your pain got better as time went on, my wounds never healed! What I did, I did all for you and for the Jedi. If I was wrong, then I guess it wasn't my first mistake. I'm sorry, Jaina."
Jacen turned around and began to walk away. He was suddenly stopped by Jaina spinning him around and hugging him. I'm sorry, Jacen. I don't know how you escaped the Yuuzhan Vong, I'm just glad you were able to.
Well, I had a little help...from Anakin.
Jaina pulled back from Jacen and looked up at him. "What? How could Anakin help? We both saw him die. We all had his funeral pyre."
"You should know as well as any of us that death isn't the end. I had pretty much accepted that I was going to die, and Anakin came to me. Like when Master Obi-Wan came to Uncle Luke. There were a lot of things that he taught me. First, he wanted me to give you his love. What he taught me was what it meant to be a Jedi."
"Anakin's been telling you for years what he believed it meant to be a Jedi. All of that explaining is part of what got him killed."
Jacen shook his head. "It was different this time, Jaina. He told me that when a Jedi dies, they become enlightened and understand everything. He learned what it means to be a Jedi, and taught me what I most needed to learn. I believe I'm a much stronger Jedi Knight because of him."
"You have to tell this to the Jedi Council!"
"I know. And I have another story that the Council needs to hear. We also have to find a home for hundreds of former Shamed Ones."
Before Jaina could even answer, Luke came up to both of them. "Jacen, if you're ready now, the Council is waiting for you."
-----------------------------------------
Jacen was standing in the center of twelve of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. Directly in front of him, was his uncle, Master Skywalker. To his right was Mara Jade Skywalker. To his left, was Kyp Durron. Other Jedi that made up the Council were: Streen, Corran, Cilgal, etc.
Kyp cleared his throat. "Jacen, it's a great relief for all us to see that you haven't died and were able to escape Yuuzhan Vong imprisonment. Master Skywalker has explained to us how we all thought you died. And told us why you decided to do this. Now we're ready for the details of your escape."
"I understand, Master Kyp. Just so it's clear, I have a lot to say."
Mara smiled and set her chin onto her hand. "That's why we're here, Jacen. And we're all comfortable. Start from the beginning."