Chapter Nineteen

She just left. That was all. He sat there, baring his soul to her, telling her his true feelings, and she had just left. He told her he loved her, and kissed her with such passion--but Jaina didn't say anything meaningful in return. Just that she had to go, her time was almost up. She left him sitting there, all alone and in pain, and she was stupid enough not to say anything.

Jaina wanted to cry she was so mad at herself. She couldn't believe what she had just done. As she made her way quickly back through the catacombs of the palace, the only thing on her mind was "What is wrong with you?" And though she wanted to cry, the tears wouldn't come.

She didn't know why they wouldn't come. Was it because, deep inside, she wasn't truly upset with herself for not saying it back? Was it because in her heart she knew she didn't love him? No, that wasn't it. Because, deep inside, she was positive she loved him. She was so certain of it that she would do anything for Ganner. But at the same time, there was that sense of something else, something different, hiding deep inside as well...

"Whoa, there, Solo. What's the rush?" Lehada held out his hand as Jaina nearly ran smack into the Jedi, who was strolling along in the opposite direction.

"Oh, I, uh--nothing," she replied, catching her breath.

Lehada raised an eyebrow but didn't press her. "Ok then. I see you're heading back from your visit. How's Rhysode?"

Jaina's heart ached for him at the mention of his name, and this time Lehada noticed. She felt her cheeks going red.

"What is it? You got a thing for him?" he asked.

"What?!" Jaina exclaimed, then said sternly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Good then," Lehada said, moving closer to her and putting an arm around her waist. "Then it's ok if I do this," he added, and kissed her firmly on the lips.

Jaina almost forgot to stop him. Coming to her senses, she pushed the Jedi away. "It will never be ok for you to do that," she snapped, and moved in the other direction.

Lehada tried not to smile at how fired up she was. He knew then that something was indeed going on between her and Rhysode. But he also sensed the reluctance Jaina had when she began to pull away--almost as if she wasn't sure she wanted to.

'This could get interesting,' he smirked to himself.

"What could get interesting?" Jaina asked, turning around, and Lehada was taken aback. "Oh, come on, you didn't think you were the only one around here who could read people's thoughts, did you, Lehada?"

Lehada smiled a wicked grin. "If you only knew what I was thinking right now."

Jaina punched him hard in the shoulder and stuck out her tongue. "Ok, stop this nonsense," she said. Remembering his original question moments before, she added, "We need to get him out of there."

"I know," Lehada replied. "They're...up to something."

Jaina nodded. "There's no reason for them to keep him here," she said, but stopped herself from saying more. Lehada knew why.

"Come on, let's head back to the suite," he said. 'So no one can hear us,' he added through the Force.

Jaina nodded, and followed Mat back to the suite they were now sharing...which, in itself, could not be a good thing.

* * * * *

The two Jedi sat discussing the situation in the largest room of the suite--a room they had checked nine times to make sure it wasn't bugged. Lehada sat stretched out, sipping some kind of native drink, while Jaina sat stiffly on the edge of her chair, her mind clearly on edge as well.

"So why the hell are they doing this?" she asked him bluntly.

"I'm still not sure of the whole situation," he replied. "But I have some ideas I've gathered in my...research."

"Shoot," Jaina said, eager to get to the bottom of this.

"Ok, something is going on between this moon and Najeme VI. That we already know. But what it is is a different story. That woman you heard talking--her name is Kilea Johannsen. She's called the Doja-something-or-other--it's like a mayor. Steffman is her right-hand-man."

Jaina nodded, and asked, "So any idea as to what's going on between this place and the Najeme?"

"They're trying to get the moon to rejoin with them. Now, they apparently parted--not peacefully, mind you--about fifty standard years ago. The strange thing about it is that I can find no reason for this moon to want to be independent from Najeme. According to the records, everything was going just fine, and then suddenly--boom! All hell broke lose. So this place had something that either the Najeme wanted, or that they didn't want the Najeme to know about. "

"They're hiding something," Jaina repeated. "That's why they left, and why they don't want to go back."

"Probably. And then there's the conversation you overheard. They were very concerned about the New Republic, and especially the Jedi, being here. But they didn't seem to mind the original idea that you were with the Peace Brigade. Now, usually conflicts like this are dealt with between worlds unless a bloody war breaks out and the Republic has to step in. But it's almost as if they're scared that the New Republic will find out what this thing is and they won't like it or something. And then the Najeme have blocked all communications from the moon--but who would the people on this rock be wanting to communicate with if not the Republic? And why are the Najeme offering a reward to the people who find us? You said yourself that that guy who caught you said we were the ones who 'escaped the Najeme.' But the Najeme what? The Najeme people? Or the Najeme Assault, or Mission, or something along those lines?"

Jaina sighed. "I have no idea," she said softly, and then, "and how does Ganner fit into all this?"

"Well, they obviously don't want him out poking around here. But at the same time, why treat him so badly? If they don't want to upset the New Republic and they're treating you so well, why do that to the Jedi? Don't they know we're in the same league?"

"Unless the thing that's out there is something that only a Jedi would recognize," Jaina said, eyes widening.

"Exactly," Lehada said, and uncrossed his legs. "So what is this thing they're hiding, that they don't want the Najeme, the Republic, and especially the Jedi, to find?"