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            This fic was originally posted on theforce.net, where I go by the screenname of SaberBlade.  If you recognize this, don't worry, it isn't plagiarized; I'm simply reposting it here also.

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            General Disclaimer:  Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and the characters belong to their respective authors.  Anything you don't recognize is mine; please respect my muse.  I don't intend any infringement with this fic; it was created because I have an abiding love for Star Wars and a wish to share my interpretation of it with the world.

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            Details:

            Name: Whole

            Time Frame: Post-NJO

            Pairing: Kyp Durron and Jaina Solo

            Rating: PG to PG-13

            Post: Chapter 7 of ?

            Story Status: Work in Progress

            Notes: There is a prequel, Broken, which can be found both on this site and on theforce.net.  I recommend reading it before this fic, though it isn't technically needed.  This story starts a few hours after Broken ends.

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            As always, reviews are appreciated.

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Jaina's cheek itched.  Keshli was a good healer; the four cuts no longer stung like mad.  The skin had knit itself together; the deep cuts were now no more than rapidly healing scar tissue.  She preferred the fast Force-healing to bacta; she preferred the scars to scabs and still-bleeding cuts.

            But they itched.

            She crossed her arms deliberately and did her level best to push it from her mind.  Keshli understood a bit better now.  It had been worth it.

            But they still itched, blast it.

            The door to the room slid open; Mara entered and made her way to the couch.  "They've just finished," she informed them, flopping onto the couch with all appearances of exhaustion.  "And your son," she said, making the word a complaint, "is possibly as stubborn as his father."

            Jaina's mother, to whom the remark had been addressed, allowed herself a faint smile.  "And here I thought Jaina had gotten all of Han's charm."

            "Oh, trust me, Jacen has plenty of his charm," Mara said.  "They'll be out in another few minutes, and then the holostations will show the final statements.  And then we'll finally be able to go relax."

            Jaina laughed.  "Relax?  Are you sure you still remember how?"

            Mara opened her eyes just long enough to glare at her.  "Quiet, youngling.  I'm inclined to dislike you because you're his twin."

            "That bad?"  Jaina wondered what Jacen and Mara had argued over.  "That must have been some disagreement.  Who won?"

            Mara sounded disgruntled.  "Me.  Eventually.  But it was harder than it should have been."

            Jaina made a mental note to congratulate her twin.  Holding out against their aunt was a real accomplishment.

            Han reached out and made sure the viewer was ready to receive the final statement.  "Anything interesting decided?" he asked, but his tone told her that Han had no hope that something interesting had occurred.  Not in politics, at least.

            Mara actually smiled.  To Jaina's eyes, she was all too pleased with herself.  "Oh yes," she said.  "Several interesting things."

            "And you're not going to tell us what," Han finished glumly.  "What's the use of a spy on the High Council if she doesn't tell us a thing?"

            It was only a few minutes later when the door slid open once more and Luke and Kyp entered the room.  Luke went immediately over to Mara and Leia; Kyp glanced around the room, and then focused on her.  Jaina felt herself tense and forced herself to relax as he crossed the room to stand before her.  He frowned and brought a hand up to trace the healing cuts on her face; the itch vanished, replaced with a surge of heat from where his fingertips touched her skin.

            "What happened here?" he asked.

            He had noticed.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keshli's pale blue lekku twitch in panic.  "I hit something sharp about an hour ago," she said.  It wasn't a lie; she was just carefully omitting full details.  Keshli calmed.  "Don't worry.  Your apprentice is a talented healer."

            Kyp's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he turned his attention to Keshli.  "Then I take it you two get along well enough," he said.  "That's good.  It'll be useful."

            Keshli looked confused.  "Useful for what?"

            That small, infuriatingly superior smile spread across Kyp's face.

            "Oh, no, you don't, Durron," Jaina said, poking a finger against his solid chest.  "You know something we don't."

            "Don't I always?"  He turned back to her, and something inside twisted when he focused that smug smile on her.  "And I suppose you think I'm going to tell you."

            The urge to do something- anything- to wipe that grin off his face was growing larger by the second.  "Yes."

            Kyp considered for a long moment, then bent down toward her.  Jaina could feel his warm breath along her cheek, and couldn't keep her eyelids from lowering.  Then, "No," he said, very softly, right into her ear, and pulled back, still grinning.

            She groaned, rocked back on her heels, and turned to the one person paying them any attention.  "Keshli, help me out here."

            The Twi'lek girl looked as though she hadn't decided if she was confused or simply horrified by their behavior.  Her mouth opened, shut, and opened again before she finally managed a single syllable.  "Um."  Her red eyes flitted from Jaina to Kyp and back again, and the girl looked more confused than ever.  "How?"

            Jaina was saved the trouble of a reply by the appearance of the Galactic Alliance seal on the wall; the final statement was about to be played. 

            The newscaster was talking in the background, explaining what everyone already knew- that with President Omas's return from his tour of the rebuilding worlds, the High Council had been convened.  Her aunt had made enough room for her uncle to join her on the couch; Han had simply pulled her mother down onto his lap.  Jaina pushed Keshli onto the couch next to her father and then crammed herself between Keshli and the armrest.  Kyp, wisely, didn't even try to find a space on the overcrowded couch; he half-sat on the couch's backrest, leaning against the frame.

            Jaina wondered if anyone else noticed his hand smooth through her hair as he settled.

            The newscaster faded out, only to be replaced by a wide shot of the High Council.  President Omas began the holotransmission with a rather long speech that Jaina tuned out automatically.  She had heard enough speeches serving escort duty for Cal Omas on his tour; she didn't need to listen to another one.  With Kyp's warm presence so close behind her, it was hard enough to concentrate. 

            Then the holocam shifted to her uncle, and she forced her thoughts away from Kyp's fingers at her back to her uncle's words.

            " . . . many important decisions," he was saying. 

            "Camera always adds a few years," Han told Luke pityingly, and the couch shook as Mara reached out to hit her brother-in-law. 

            Jaina smothered her laughter and turned her attention back to the taped broadcast. 

            "Among the decisions made today, we confirmed that the Jedi will continue to aid in the reclaiming of Coruscant.  Several worlds have asked for our help, and most of them will receive what help we can."  He looked down at his notes.  "Jedi Knight Masllii'iis has been appointed ambassador to his world; we have recommended that the Senate vote to include him on the party sent to his homeworld of Alliin'aain."  He looked back up.  "Admiral Kre'fry has asked for our aid in tracking the Insh'shilan pirates.  Four of our Jedi, including Master Kyp Durron and his Dozen, have been reassigned for that pursuit."

            Jaina leaned back and craned her head nearly upside-down so she could glare up at him.  "So I'm stuck with you for a while longer," she said, keeping her voice light and teasing, all too aware that her family was watching her reaction.  But a weight had lifted off her chest.  They had more than a few days.  Kyp wasn't leaving again.  He'd still be with her.

            He must have understood her relief, because he moved his hand and tugged at the ends of her hair.  "You're going to have to learn to live with me," he informed her.  "But you're ignoring the broadcast.  Pay attention."

            She rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen.  Luke was still talking, though now he had stood.  " . . . requested to retire from the Council, I agreed.  We let her go with our thanks for her wisdom while she was with us, and hope that she now has the time to pursue her neglected work."  Her uncle paused.  "While Cighal's loss is great, we have unanimously voted in her replacement, and are pleased to welcome Jedi Knight Jacen Solo to the High Council-"

            Han's whoop of surprise drowned off the rest of Luke's words, and Han bounded up and shut off the screen.  "Jacen? Jacen went into politics?"  He frowned down at his wife.  "I always knew he took after you."

            Leia ignored her husband's rant and turned to her brother.  "Luke?" she asked tentatively.

            Luke shrugged.  "Jacen has already shown a better understanding of the Force than most Jedi can ever hope to achieve.  When Cilghal asked to return to her studies, the choice was obvious."

            "Jacen," Han repeated.  "In politics."  He sounded a bit stunned.

            Jaina leaned back slowly.  She had once told Jacen that it was her dream to be on the High Council someday.  She had never questioned the role of the Jedi like he had; she had never abandoned the Force over philosophical matters.  He had never fallen into darkness.  For all those reasons and more, she supposed, Jacen was the perfect choice to succeed Cighal.

            She could feel his pride through their twin-bond, and sent back a quick burst of congratulations.  He reached for her, and within the pride there was a myriad of emotions: fear of failure, resignation at more duties, apprehension at taking what she had wanted, joy that he was recognized . . .  She smiled- it was impossible to stay angry with him for long- and sent back her amusement.

            "Jaina?"  Mara's voice was soft; Jaina blinked and centered herself.  Everyone, even the awkwardly out-of-place Keshli, was staring at her.

            "Well," Jaina said, and let her smile grow.  Mara had known of her ambition to join the High Council; so had Kyp.  They would need reassurance that she was not jealous.  "I suppose this would be the time to release all the blackmail holos I've been storing up.  You know, give the media a chance to assess Jacen from all angles, so to speak."

            Her father burst into laughter and reached out to tousle her hair.  "That's my girl," he said.

            "Dad, I'm in dress uniform," she reminded him, patting her hair back into place. 

            "All the more reason to mess you up.  And you," his gaze lifted and focused on Kyp.  "You're going to keep her safe, understand?"

            She couldn't see Kyp's face, but she felt his amusement.  "If you insist."

            "Dad!  I'm only a general- don't you think I might be smart enough to keep myself safe?"

            Han considered her for a long minute.  "Well," he conceded, "you're smarter than your brother, at least."  He shook his head, still perplexed.  "Jacen in politics," he muttered, looking down at his wife.  "I'm sure this is all your fault."

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Thanks!

-Keth

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