Chapter Three
It was a hunk of junk, all right. Jaina discovered that within moments. She attempted to maneuver the large ship though realspace and could barely get the large craft turned around. Plus, the cruiser's lasers packed hardly enough firepower to fry an Ewok.
"Get us out of here," she said through her teeth. "Fast."
Jacen shook his head. "I can't. It's going to be a few more minutes."
"Shields are low," Ganner added. "Not like it matters..."
"No comments from the peanut gallery," Jaina snapped back. "I'll get us out of this." She paused. "Rhysode, take Lehada and Kamik-Ir to the gun turrets and make yourselves useful."
Ganner nodded as he and Lehada scurried out of the room. Best to do what the young woman wanted, they each thought. Do not want to get in a Solo's way.
Jaina turned back to the controls, steadying herself as the ship rocked and bucked below. "What the hell do they want?" she pleaded.
"Well, Jaina, there are a few billion credits worth of equipment onboard...and people know about the mission, probably," Jacen whispered.
Jaina shot him a look that could have frozen Tatooine. "Right, uh, I'll shut up now and let you take care of things," he muttered.
"Thanks," she replied. She dipped the ship forward. "If we can just outmaneuver them until we can make the jump..."
Shots from the three Jedi manning the guns bounced off the enemy ship, causing no visible damage. Jacen squinted out the window as Jaina continued to fly like only a Solo can, dodging blasts as best she could and doing a very good job of keeping the ship in one piece.
"Funny, it looks like there were markings on the ship at one time," he mumbled to himself, as he looked back down at the figures his computer was flashing. "Two minutes 'til jump," he added.
Jaina nodded. "It looks like the writing's been blacked out," he observed. "Not the way pirates usually do it. Maybe if I try I can figure out what it used to--"
Suddenly, a large blast rocked the ship. "Uh oh," Jaina said. "Even Dad couldn't have avoided that one. Shields are down. Get us out of here!"
"There's still thirty sec--"
"Now!" Jaina said, as she punched the controls herself. The pinpoints of stars turned into white blurs.
"All right, now," Jacen said, leaning back into his seat. "Let's just hope the calculations were correct and didn't need any more revising...and that the ship can survive the trip after such a beating..."
Jaina looked at her brother. "We'll be fine," she assured him. She leaned back into her chair, letting her shoulders finally relax, her muscles retracting after being so tense.
"I know," he replied. "I trust you."
They sat in silence for a moment, surveying the damage. "You'd think that if the New Republic could spend billions of credits buying farming equipment, they could at least spend more than twenty credits on the ship they were sending it in," Jaina commented.
"Yeah," Jacen said, giving a little smile. He fell silent again.
'What is it?' Jaina probed with the force.
Jacen shook his head. "Nothing," he answered aloud. "Just something weird about that ship..."
"I'm sure it was nothing," Jaina added.
"Yeah, you're right," he returned. He looked at his sister, who closed her eyes wearily, clearly shaken by the past few minute's events. "You should go rest," he said. "We won't be there for several more hours."
Jaina smiled. "Thanks. I think I'll be all right, though." She yawned loudly. "Actually...a nap sounds good right about now."
Moments later, Ganner returned to the cockpit.
"Hey," Jaina said, standing up. "Take over for me, will ya?"
Ganner nodded, moving past her to sit in the pilot's seat.
"I'm going to take a nap. Wake me if you need your asses saved again."
Both men shook their heads. "Sleep well," Jacen added.
"Thanks," she said, and left the room.
* * * * *
Jaina woke several hours later to the beeping of the doorbell to the room. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Come in," she said wearily, brushing her hair back out of her eyes.
"Jedi Solo," Kamik-Ir said, bowing her head. "Master Rhysode wishes me to inform you that we shall be arriving in-system in approximately one standard hour," the small, blue skinned Jedi said softly, barely audible over the constant hum of the engines.
"Thank you," the young woman smiled in response. Kamik-Ir turned to leave, her green Jedi robe swooshing against the metal floor. "Wait--" Jaina halted her, holding up her hand.
"Yes, Jedi Solo?" Kamik-Ir asked.
"Please, call me Jaina," she said, patting the mattress next to her. "Have a seat," she prompted.
"Oh, I have much to do," the other Jedi responded, shaking her head.
"Please, for a moment," Jaina responded. The blue female warily took a seat. She was not used to this kind of interaction, with this kind of high ranked Jedi knight.
"I realized that I hardly know you," Jaina said. "And I wanted to change that."
Kamik-Ir smiled. "Ahh, Jedi So--excuse me, Jaina. I see." She folded her hands. "There is not much to know," she continued. "I am from Crion, a small planet in the outer rim."
Jaina nodded. "Tell me about your family."
Kamik-Ir smiled. "Yes, I have family," she replied. "Several clan sisters and brothers. At last count, there were forty-seven of us!"
Jaina smiled, and the healer continued. "We are all of the clan Ir," she added. "But I am the only Jedi among them."
Jaina began to ask another question when footsteps approached the door. Mat Lehada entered the room. "Ah, I'm sorry to disturb you two, but I need Kamik-Ir's help in the back with one of the machines."
Kamik-Ir stood as Lehada left the room. "I must be going then. Thank you, Jaina, for allowing me to tell you of myself."
"My pleasure, Kamik-Ir," she replied, standing up to leave as well.
"No, the pleasure is mine," the Jedi responded. "And please, call me Kamie. All of my friends do."
Jaina smiled as Kamik-Ir left the room. 'Uncle Luke would be proud," Jaina thought as she made her way back up to the cockpit.
"Hey," her brother smiled as she entered the front of the ship.
"Hey," she nodded back, noticing that Ganner has disappeared somewhere. "Where's Rhysode?"
"Went to change," Jacen responded. "Which I suggest you do as well."
Jaina looked down at her brown, wrinkled flight suit and smoothed out a crease that had formed from sleep. "Huh. Guess this doesn't look too Jedi-ish," she muttered, smiling.
"Yeah, it doesn't. Except," he added, "we're not supposed to look like Jedi either."
Jaina smirked and scrunched up her nose. "Oh yeah," she remembered. The New Republic had requested, with approval from the Jedi Council, that the members of the team dress as diplomats rather than Jedi when they first arrived on Najeme III. No one was sure what the response might be to five Jedi landing on such a terrified planet.
"Well," she sighed, standing again. "I guess I had better go put on the robes of a diplomat." She stuck out her tongue. "I am not going to like dressing like Mom."
Jacen smiled. "Wait 'til you see what I have to wear. I look so much like Dad it's scary!"
Jaina tosouled her twin's sandy brown hair and smiling left the cockpit.
* * * * *
Jaina returned several minutes later, to Jacen's surprise. His sister had never been one for taking a long time to get ready. She usually just threw on whatever was clean. When she returned, he realized why it had taken her so long.
"Is this better, Jace--" she said loudly, stopping short when she noticed that her brother had been joined by Lehada. Mat's eyebrows raised at the sight of the young woman.
Jaina was wearing a form-fitting burgundy jumpsuit that showed every curve of her body, and a thin silver belt that held her lightsaber. Over the jumpsuit she wore a sleeveless white and silver embroidered jacket that hung to the floor, had a large turned down collar, and was open in the front, exposing the jumpsuit. Jaina had tamed her usually wild brown hair by putting it up into a large bun that wrapped around the back of her head. Wisps of brown curls framed her face.
"Princess Leia Organa," Lehada said, standing and bowing.
"Shut it," Jaina returned, brushing past him and taking the pilot's seat again.
"Ooh, touchy," Lehada returned.
Jacen rolled his eyes at the Jedi. "I'm going to go change, Jaina. Be back for the landing."
Jaina nodded and watched her brother leave. Lehada took the copilot's seat next to her and leaned back, crossing his feet up on the dashboard of the ship.
Jaina glared at him; he just scoffed at her. "It's not your ship," he said arrogantly.
"Yeah, but I'm driving," she responded.
He sat up a little higher but didn't remove his feet. "Oh yeah, I forgot. The almighty Rogue Squadron member--"
He noticed her wince a little when he said that, so he stopped. It was obviously a difficult subject for the young Jedi. "I, uh...never mind," he said, turning away.
Jaina fought back a smile. So he noticed, she thought. Maybe he did have some sensitivity in him. Maybe.
"Why are you on this mission, anyway?" she asked sharply, changing the subject.
He shrugged. "Why are you on this mission?"
It was a good question. Jaina considered it for a moment, and then replied, "I guess I don't really know."
Lehada sat up, finally taking his boots off the console. "I know why," he said, pointing and shaking his finger at her. "You want to save the universe."
Jaina laughed then. It was a good, full laugh, one she hadn't had in a very long time. "I wish," she smiled.
He smiled back, then looked away. "If only..." he whispered.
There was a beeping from the console: it was time to prepare for landing. "I guess it's time," he said after a moment, as Jaina adjusted some controls and Jacen returned to the cockpit.
"Yeah," Jaina replied softly. "Time to save the universe."