"Master" Brackiss


"So, Jasa," General Jaina Solo leaned into the comm link, "How's your arm and nose?" Jacen had been hurt in a botched assassination attempt at the zoo he worked at on Hapes.
"Fine. Thank Uncle Luke for the healing trance." Jacen grinned at his sister.
"You bet. How's the Mrs.?"
"Tenel Ka? Oh, you know Tee. She's fine. She won't let me go back to work though."
"Jacen," Tenel Ka Chume Djo Solo's voice cut through the comm's conversation, "You will NOT be going back to work until I decide that the zoo has been investigated to my satisfaction."
"Awwwww... But, Tee..." Jacen whined.
"No!" The Hapean princess was firm with her command. "Absolutely not! You will stay here and heal completely!"
"Alright, alright!" Jacen looked to his sister pleadingly. Jaina grinned and said in a voice like a narrator.
"Yes, friends, another mighty Solo man has fallen victim to the horrible fate of: Marriage. And don't think they haven't endured the pain and suffering of henpecking and whipping. And don't think that they don't enjoy every minute of i-"
"Jaya? Cool it." Jacen didn't like that comment too much. "I need to get a drink. I'll be back." Jacen kissed his wife on the cheek and headed for the kitchenette in Jacen and Tenel Ka's wing of the palace on Hapes.
"Tee? You really should let Jasa go back to work. He loves it at the zoo."
"No, friend Jaina. Jacen stays here."
"But, Tee, it wasn't like he was murdered."
"No, but assassination attempts are something totally normal. I don't mind those as much.'
"But wasn't the... uhh... accident, a botched assassination attempt?" The warrior girl considered this for a moment before answering.
"Umm..The attack did not go by the rules. I do not wish to discuss this any longer."
"Tee," Jaina was growing impatient with her friend, "You know you're wrong. And just because you just realized it doesn't mean that you can't change your opinion."
"I'm sorry, friend Jaina. Jacen remains here with me. NOT at the zoo until it is investigated."
"Fine. Well, I gotta go! Bye! Say bye to Jacen for me!"
"Alright. I will. Goodbye, my friend."

Jaina ended the transmission and sat back in her chair. She rubbed the scar on her chin that she had earned in a cantina bottle fight, and that now perfectly matched her father, Han Solo's. She had been very drunk when a kid had started telling Jaina that the only reason that her father had become a General was because he was 'screwing the Chief of State'. That had been the last straw for Jaina. She had tackled him and put him in the hospital on a respirator. Then, two days ago, she was checking her holo messages, when she saw one from Brackiss.
Brackiss was the Sith lord who had captured Zekk and turned him to the Dark Side so many years ago. He said in his transmission that he had sent that boy to anger Jaina. Now, he claimed, he knew Gain's capability for anger. And, he thought she would make and excellent candidate for the Shadow academy. Even though she had escaped before. The message had chilled Jaina, but she still refused to tell Zekk. Even though the two weren't married yet, they were living together and shared almost everything. Everything in fact, except why she had been having nightmares since the message. She had been having violent nightmares about Brackiss and his Dark Jedi, but, for obvious reasons, refused to tell the former Dark Jedi anything about them. Even when they became so violent that they woke Zekk up. And not much could wake Zekk up. He questioned her about them, but she just lied to him. She told him she'd be fine. But in reality, she wondered if she would.

That question was answered a few days later. Zekk had gone to the store to get some milk. Jaina called her brother, and for the first time, told someone about her message from Brackiss. Jacen was shocked. Jaina was very frightened.
"Jaya," Jacen asked, "Does this mean that he knows where you live?"
"Probably not. My holo number is posted on the Rogue Squadron roster. My address isn't."
"So, he doesn't know where you live?"
"Jacen, He doesn't know where I live. But, he does know... Oh Gods!"
"What Jaya?"
"The Imperial Palace. He knows where our parents, our little brother, and right now, our aunt, uncle, three younger and one baby cousins are!"
"Oh no!" Jacen sighed. "I'll tell Tee to call them."
"Oh thank you."
"You're welcome.

As they talked, Jaina's call waiting beeped. She answered it and found what she'd feared for over a month.
Brackiss stood on a room, sitting in a chair.
"I've found your hiding place, Jaina Solo." Brackiss sneered. Jaina switched the comm back to Jacen and told him to turn on his 3-way and listen in and to add visual too. Jacen obeyed and Jaina returned talking to Brackiss.
"I must say, that I am quite impressed with your anger, General Solo." Brackiss, who apparently, didn't know that another person was listening. "You have good possibilities."
"I'll never join you and your legion of evil monsters." Jaina snarled.
"Oh, I think you will."
"And why is that?"
"Because I have some leverage which concerns you. Are you missing anything, or anyone?" Brackiss tempted his fingers and leaned back in his chair. Jaina racked her brain. All of a sudden it occurred to her.
"Zekk! He's not back from the store yet. I thought he was taking a long time... You bastard! What did you do to him? I demand to know!"
"I really don't think that you are in the position to be making demands right now, Solo. I, however, am. I thought the traitor might give me aid in negotiation."
"Realizing that you are a creep does NOT make Zekk a traitor. It makes him smarter than you." Jaina was really getting angry now!
"Oh good. Anger. That's an improvement!"
"Shut up! Where's Zekk?"
"He's with me, of course. Fair play."
"You don't know the meaning of fair, Brackiss."
"Maybe not, Solo. But, he's your fiancé!" Brackiss grinned. He had the upper hand now and he knew it. "Now, maybe now you'll agree to meet me."
"Only if you let me talk to him."
"Zekk? Of course. That is, whenever he's conscience."
"Whenever he's WHAT?!? How long will that take?"
"Well, we cannot be sure about how hard the force lightning hit him-"
"The WHAT?"
"-And then there's the VERY heavy duracreet block. It was dropped on his head."
"On his head?!"
"Yes, Force cushioned of course. I cannot afford to lose Zekk. Oh, he's coming around now..." Brackiss called to his guards who ushered a VERY bedraggled Zekk over to the comm.
"Zekk!" Jaina's heart leapt to her throat. Zekk was bloody and bruised. His shirt was torn and hung on barely by a few threads, which were in pretty bad condition themselves. Jaina started to cry, but held back the tears.
"Jaina," Zekk couldn't believe he was seeing her. She was so beautiful. And now, thanks to his stupid decision, she was going to suffer so much. She didn't deserve this. "This is all my faul-"
"No Zekk," Jaina whispered, "It's not your fault. It's mine."
"Jaina?"
"What?" Jaina bit her lip.
"I love you." Jaina did start to cry now.
"Oh gods Zekk. I love you too! I- I-"
"Take him away!" Brackiss ordered his guards. Jaina watched as Zekk was dragged, unable to even walk on his own two feet, out of the room. She couldn't help wonder of this was the last time she'd ever see him.