Title: The Lost Order Part One
Author: Megan
Rating: PG-13
Special Note: This story is kind of Alternate Universe in origin. It may end here or it may become a series. Send me feedback on what you'd like to see. Also, the summary is at the end of the story due to an immense spoiler. If you have not read the most recent Vong series, don't read the summary or the story. It will spoil everything for a certain group of fans.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize in this story. They belong to a genius that is now working on a second movie.
Dedication: To fans of a certain character who is no longer with us. May he rest in peace and reside in our fan fiction for eternity.
The base was quiet for once. The meeting had just ended and Gavin watched the skies. He had just offered his troops an option. They could continue to serve the President of the New Republic or they could do what so many others had done in the past: go rogue. Everyone had listened to Gavin's story and decided to support him. Not since Wedge had flown had Rogue Squadron lived up to its name. Now Gavin was wondering if he had done the right thing.
With the Vong so close to so many strategic places, would Rogue Squadron's choice mean death for the Republic? Gavin sighed. He wanted to be right. He had to be right. Or it would mean losing most of his team. Fourteen men and women had just told him they would die to support him. But would they still feel that way a week from now? A month?
Gavin was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Corran approach him from behind. The older man looked at the leader of the Rogue pilots and reached out with the Force. He could sense that Gavin was doubting himself and his decision. That he was afraid he would doom the pilots to a certain death. Corran decided to speak.
"You can't make the decision for them."
Gavin didn't turn around. He simply nodded to his former colleague.
"I know. But… What do I do if this is it? Fe'y'la won't let us go easily."
Corran stepped up next to Gavin. "That's a guarantee. He needs fighters to continue defending his kingdom."
"So he can throw them in the face of the Jedi?"
Corran grimaced, "I know you don't agree with what he's doing. He does have a point though. Many people don't trust us. They haven't in a long time."
Gavin spun toward the Jedi Master. "That's the first mistake the Republic made. They should look at the past and see that the Old Republic trusted you."
"They also can't help but see the Empire. They see Vader and the Emperor. And even now, they can't forget all of the mistakes we made. Caridia…"
Gavin shook his head. "That was a mistake. Kyp didn't know what he was doing."
"But that doesn't matter to enough people. You're right. Kyp was inexperienced. He was affected by his past. But now all we have is an uncertain future. The President would like to see us all dead."
"And that's why I can't stand by and watch. These pilots are the only family I have left. I swore to many other families that I would protect and lead them. And I can't see myself allowing Fe'y'la to tell me that one of my pilots must be let go because of what she can do."
Corran looked up at the dark sky. "Jaina would understand."
"I won't do it. My family has always supported the Jedi. I can't turn my back on them now. Especially when one of them is someone close to me. Jaina is a good pilot. She is a friend. I won't abandon her. Not during this genocide."
"Tradition isn't everything, Gavin."
"This isn't about tradition! It doesn't matter that every single squad has had a Jedi in it. It doesn't matter that most of the greatest pilots we had were Jedi. What matters is that Fe'y'la is making the biggest mistake of his life. He's abandoning the Jedi. He's turning on them because of a political agenda that goes back for years."
Corran fingered his lightsaber on his belt and he thought about his next words. "Gavin, the Rogue Squadron may have made a bigger mistake this evening than any the President has made. The Jedi have always supported the New Republic. Now you are asking us to accept that you would rather see it fall then our deaths."
"It's not that. I've made my decision. And so has my team. We will leave here in the morning. Sticks has too many friends here who care about her. After everything she has gone through in the last year, I can't ask her to walk away and lose everything."
"Then I can't change your mind."
Gavin smiled, "Never. It's done now. And it ends here. Come morning, Fe'y'la won't know what hit him."
The two men silently watched the moon move across the sky. The Rogue Squadron had finally returned to their old base on Dantooine. And now they would leave it for a temple on Yavin 4. It was time to protect what so many had benefited from: the Jedi Order.
**************
The morning broke on Dantooine as all of the previous mornings had. The grass was dewey and the sky a bright blue. Jaina stood on the highest balcony and leaned over the railing. She hadn't gone to the meeting last night. Luke had begged her not to. He didn't want Gavin to think that he had Jedi support in this decision. But when the meeting had ended, all of the female pilots had come into the large barracks assigned to them and saluted Jaina.
It was clear then that Corran had failed to convince the pilots to stay with the Republic. Jaina blinked back tears. So much had changed in the last year. She had lost so much. Certain losses she wished she could forget; others haunted her happily. She looked at her small commlink. It had beeped this morning to alert her of a message. It had been her brother Anakin.
"So you came back and want to make up? I don't think so."
Jaina wiped her eyes and tried to forget about her father. She was so angry with him. He had simply left six months ago and everyone in the family had been left to news about him from indirect sources. Now he was back and supposedly apologetic. Jaina, however, had no intention of forgiving him anytime soon. She turned around to enter the observation lounge and saw Gavin standing in the doorway of the balcony.
"So, you heard?"
Jaina nodded, "I told you not to do it. That Luke didn't want you to do it."
"I've figured a way past that. I'll tell him that we feared for our droids and decided to side with the Jedi."
"He won't believe you, sir."
Gavin smiled at his youngest pilot. "I know. I have to try though. You weren't there last night… At dinner I mean."
"He asked me to avoid the whole thing. I agreed. I thought it would make sense."
"Only to you. Everyone thought you had taken off and left."
Jaina smiled into the bright suns. "I'm still here. Besides, where would I go?"
"Home?"
Jaina smirked, "Over my dead body. Home disappeared a year ago. It changed too much."
"Fine. Yavin then?"
"No. That never was home. It was a dumping ground. A place to be left behind."
Gavin stepped forward and put his hand on Jaina's shoulder. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."
"You'll find out. When do we leave?"
"In an hour. Get your stuff packed."
"Do we have to stay at the main temple?"
"No. Corran is arranging a separate place for us."
"Good. I don't want to see anyone right now."
Gavin looked at the commlink in her hand. "Trying to avoid something?"
"Someone actually."
Gavin nodded. "I don't think he's there, Jaina. I would have heard something by now. Corran knows how upset you are. He wouldn't make you see him."
"Maybe he doesn't know."
"You'll have to face your father sometime, Jaina. It would hurt more if you put it off any longer."
Jaina blinked, "Like it matters at this point. I got a message last night, too. It was New Alderaan's new governor."
"What did he want?"
"The Vong are getting closer. He estimates a few weeks and they'll be in orbit."
"What are you going to do?"
"I've sent a message to Tenneniel. I'm going to ask her for protection. Mom has left most of the royal stuff to me lately. She hates it."
Gavin chuckled, "You don't exactly like it either."
"Yeah, but until something better comes along, I do what I have to do. And if that means turning New Alderaan over to Hapes, I will do it."
"How do the people feel about that option?"
Jaina groaned, "Most of them don't mind. The other 20% want me to step down as acting viceroy. They want the governor to decide. I'm tempted to let them have their way."
Gavin looked closely at Jaina. Her face showed the strain of the war and the heartache it had caused her so far. "So do it. Leave them be."
"I can't. Mom hasn't felt right about being a ruler since she found out about Luke and her dad. I may not be a hereditary ruler, but I don't want to leave them. I have been able to go there on my vacations. There I can tell everyone to leave me alone and they do. They've cared so much about my brothers and me. They have always supported my mother. They've even forgiven her what happened to Alderaan. They have given so much to me and I can't tell them I can't give back."
"Go and get packed. Maybe while we're on Yavin a solution will come to you."
Jaina pulled away from Gavin's grip and moved toward the door. "I hope so."
**************
Tyris watched her friend pack her clothes into her bag. She noticed Jaina trace her hand across a small box and place it at the bottom of the bag.
"What's that? You've never told anyone."
Jaina smiled at her friend. "It was a gift from a friend of mine on Yavin. She thought that if she was to be condemned to be a ruler for the rest of her life, then I should be, too. She gave me this." Jaina pulled the box back out of the bag and opened the top carefully. Sitting amongst the red material lining the box was a beautiful tiara.
Tyris whistled, "It's gorgeous."
"I know. I've never worn it. I've never felt right about it."
"Why?"
"It should be my mother's."
Tyris smiled, "Maybe she saw something in you that you didn't. Maybe she knows you're destined for it."
"Then do me a favor Tyris. Shoot me."
Tyris laughed and helped her friend continue packing. She folded the few civilian clothes that Jaina had set out and then moved on to the Rogue uniform.
"Tyris, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, dearie."
"Why did you agree with Gavin?"
Tyris set the uniform down on the bed and walked around to stand next to her friend. She hugged her tightly. "Because you're my friend. And because I don't like it that the Republic is condoning an indirect genocide of the Jedi. They want the Vong to kill you all."
Jaina stepped back from the hug and tried to smile. "And you think sixteen of us will make a difference?"
Tyris shook her head. "It's not sixteen anymore, honey. Gavin told us that the group of fighters that the Durron man resurrected will join us."
"Kyp's joining us? I thought he was against any Republic forces assisting the Jedi."
Tyris shrugged her shoulders. "That's just what Gavin told us. I don't know what made him change his mind. So, what are you going to do first when get to Yavin."
Jaina winked, "I actually have a stop to make first. Gavin knows I'll be a little late. I have to pick up something for Luke. He couldn't get away to get Mara anything for her birthday so he asked Talon to do it. I have to go pick it up."
"What did he get her?"
Jaina laughed. "I have no clue. I just hope it doesn't bite."
Tyris blinked back tears of laughter. She helped Jaina pack the rest of her stuff and then grabbed her own bag. The two women walked down to the main landing pad and shook hands before going to their respective ships.
"I'll see you in a few, Tyris."
"Same here, Sticks."
Jaina lugged her bag higher on her shoulder and walked to the south corner of the landing area. Her X-Wing was glowing with the shine of the newly cleaned. The pit crew must have finally had time last night, Jaina thought. She nodded to the crew officer who was holding her helmet. He helped her toss the bag into a secure part of the small cargo hold and handed her the helmet.
She watched him prep her droid for the flight. She then waved at him and got into the cockpit. She pulled her helmet on and lost herself in the talking she could hear over the open channel. Everyone was reporting ready as Jaina shut herself off from the outside world and took hold of her control stick. She calmly notified the control station that she was ready to go. She looked at the scrolling text on her translation screen and smiled.
Rain was telling her that the station had allowed her sixth place in the take-off queue. Jaina tried to look back at her droid. "Thanks Rain. Let's move."
Rain beeped an affirmative and powered up the ship. Jaina maneuvered into the queue line and waited for her turn. Finally, the fifth ship lifted off and Jaina pulled forward to lift off as well. She pulled back on her control stick and felt the ship rise through the sky. Jaina took a minute to look down at the dwindling surface of Dantooine. She blinked back her tears and set a course for Nar Shaadaa.
**************
The trip lasted about six hours and Jaina was ready for it to end. She cleared with the control tower for a landing in the northern sector of the moon. She then took a few seconds to dispatch a message to Shug Ninx. The few times she had flown here with her father he had always watched the Falcon for them. Now she waited for a response. Rain beeped to alert her to her text screen.
Shug said he was waiting for her. Jaina smiled to herself and sighed with relief. After six hours in the X-Wing, she was about ready to open the airlock into space for the few seconds of stretching room it would provide before she couldn't breathe. Rain asked if she could change course to arrive at Shug's warehouse and Jaina gave her the thumbs up. Jaina watched as the city-like moon flew by her cockpit.
She had always liked Nar Shaadaa. She was glad that Talon was hiding out here for the time being. He'd never turn her away. He had a soft spot for Mara that extended to Mara's errant Jedi pupil. She also was looking forward to seeing Ghent and his newest inventions for slicing.
She took control from Rain for the landing and set the ship down softly. She then opened her cockpit and took her helmet off. She looked around the small hangar and spotted a man walking toward the ship. She managed to climb out of the ship and drop to the floor in time to see him remove her bag from the cargo hold.
"Hey, Shug."
The man raised his green hands in a wave of sorts and motioned toward the droid. "You gonna need her?"
"Nah. Rain will be fine."
Shug moved the bag into a more comfortable position on his shoulder and took Jaina's arm in his. As they walked toward Shug's office, he tried to make small talk.
"I was wondering if I could borrow her for a job. I don't know how long you're gonna be here, but…"
"You know I can't say no to you Shug. What's the gig?"
"A ship came in for repairs but the pilot is so damn paranoid with the war and everything that he locked out the computer pretty good. I need an astromech to break in."
Jaina opened the office door and sat down in the seat in front of the desk. She watched Shug set her bag down and then sit on the corner of the desk.
"Break in? What's in it for me?"
Shug laughed loudly, "You really are your mother's daughter. She is one damn fine negotiator."
Jaina smiled and motioned toward the ship. "I'm only gonna be here long enough to pick up something for Luke. Then I have to get to Yavin. It'll probably take a couple of days."
Shug nodded. "I'll watch it for yeh. I just need to get into the computer on that ship so it won't take that long."
"That's okay. Use her if you need to. Rain likes you. Remember?"
Shug smiled at his friend's daughter. "Yeah. Listen. I heard a nasty rumor."
"Yes, he's back Shug. Anakin told me he's back."
"You don't seem too excited."
Jaina frowned, "I just don't want to get my hopes up. He could still be the gigantic idiot he's been for the past year."
Shug stood up and pulled Jaina from her chair. He pulled her out into the hangar and in front of the small window that showed the skyline of the moon. "I know him well, Jai. He's sorry. I'm sure that he wants to hear from you."
"I'll give mom a call when I get to Talon's."
Shug blinked in surprise. "You're going to see Talon!?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I have some equipment he needs. You want to shuttle it?"
Jaina thought about it and then nodded. "Sure. Where's the transport?"
Shug pointed to the small cargo shuttle in the corner. Jaina turned and hugged her friend and then walked toward the shuttle. She tapped in Shug's access codes and the doors slid open. She stepped inside and weaved her way around boxes to get the pilot's area. She sat in the main chair and brought the shuttle to life.
She programmed the doors to open and then sat back as the shuttle exited Shug's warehouse. She took the controls and headed for the southern tip of the northern hemisphere. She looked around and spotted a landing pad covered in purple paint. The paint had chipped a little, but she knew that color anywhere. Jaina opened the comm channel and waited for acknowledgment from the office.
"Identify yourself and your ship please."
Jaina recognized the voice. She responded, "I don't know the name of this piece of junk or what crap I'm smuggling in, but I do know its for Talon Karrde."
Jaina heard a chuckle on the other side of the channel. The voice answered her quickly, "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. For now, the ship's name is garbage scow and you're the Hapan Queen."
"Nope. My friend holds that title. I'd rather not lay claim to it."
The voice crackled a bit. "Set down on the pad, Jai. You know the drill."
Jaina smiled as she shut off the comm channel and concentrated on a smooth landing. She normally never had problems, but for some reason, Talon's landing pads were always tilted which could cause problems if one was not careful. Ghent had told her that the tilted pad was one of his security measures, but Jaina couldn't see how it helped. All it did was aggravate every single pilot that ever landed on them.
The ship settled a little roughly on the pad and Jaina powered down the shuttle. She checked the cargo quickly before leaving the ship through the main doors. She spotted a small group making their way toward her so she waited for them. As they got closer, Jaina recognized three of the five people. What's Booster doing here, Jaina wondered. She was ripped from her thoughts when Ghent came forward and grabbed her in a bear hug.
"Stop! Stop! I can't breathe!"
Ghent's laughter rang in her ear and he let her go. Talon came next and ruffled her hair gently. He smiled at his favorite Jedi and nodded toward the shuttle. Booster had begun to enter the cargo area and instructed the two crew officers to remove the boxes carefully.
Talon grinned, "So, stopped at Shug's, didja?"
"Yeah. He had some stuff for you so I thought I'd bring it over."
Ghent smiled, "We're glad you did. You picked a great day, too."
Jaina gasped. She had nearly forgotten. She looked up at Talon and winked. "Happy Birthday!"
Talon smiled as Jaina gave him a hug. She reminded him so much of the Mara he once knew. "Thanks, girl. Ghent's right though. Party's tonight. That's why Booster's here."
"Great! I'm always up for a good party."
Talon watched Booster arrange the cargo on the grav lifts and turned back to Jaina. "That's good. Take this." Talon handed Jaina a small bag. "Go find yourself something nice and pretty. And buy yourself a good book, too, girl."
Jaina tried to push the bag back at him, but Talon simply walked away. She sighed in mock frustration and then glared at Ghent. He laughed and took Jaina by the arm. "Follow me, Jai. We'll give his purse such a headache that he'll never force it on you again." Ghent pulled her into the small hangar bay and then toward a small speeder.
Ghent helped Jaina into the speeder and then jumped into the driver's seat. He powered up the vehicle and then took off at top speed. He flew in between other speeders and seemed to be trying to crash the speeder into anything he could find. Jaina held on tightly and watched the world flash by. She was one of the few people who could tolerate Ghent's driving. Talon had let him drive once and swore he'd never get into another speeder with Ghent.
Jaina looked at Ghent and shouted, "You know, you should've gone out for the squadron!"
Ghent swung his eyes off the skylanes and winked. "Never! I like the open air not some stuffy cockpit!"
Jaina felt the speeder slowing down and she looked slightly below them to the left. A small shop was standing alone on an abandoned strip. Ghent set the speeder down and jumped out. He turned to help Jaina only to find that she had followed his lead.
"Here it is."
Jaina looked around, "Okay. Lead on."
Ghent took Jaina's hand and escorted her to the shop. The doors opened as they approached and Jaina saw that the inside was nothing like the outside. The walls were a rich lavender and the curtains which appeared to be green from the outside were really a deep violet. She turned around slowly looking everything over.
Ghent left Jaina standing near the entrance and went looking for Skeeter. He found the ex-slicer sitting at the counter in the back of the shop. "Hey Skeeter! Wake up you fool! Thieves! Fire! Death! Destruction!"
Skeeter slowly lifted his head and looked up at Ghent. "Go to hell, man."
Ghent laughed and dropped the bag on the counter. Skeeter seemed to wake himself up quickly. He opened the bag and smiled widely. "Talon sent you?"
"Yeah." Ghent pointed toward Jaina who was looking over the bookracks. "She needs a dress for the gala tonight."
"Gala, huh?"
"More like an over grown dinner party done Karrde style."
Skeeter grabbed Ghent's shoulder and steered him toward a rack on the left side of the shop. "I got just the thing."
Ghent called out for Jaina who quickly grabbed a book file and walked over. She noticed that the shop owner was staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably.
Ghent whispered, "Don't worry. He's just checking for a size."
Jaina whispered back. "He could just ask."
"Nope. That's not Skeeter's style."
The two stopped their conversation when they heard a loud cough. Jaina looked up to see Skeeter holding up a yellow dress with small stones attached to the hem. Ghent whistled in appreciation. He turned to Jaina for her opinion.
"What do you think?"
Jaina stepped forward to touch the material. It was smooth and seemed luminescent. She reached toward the hem and looked at the jewels. She gasped.
"They're…"
Skeeter finished for her. "Gallinore crystals. I think this one is just the thing for a brunette with deep chocolate eyes like yours."
Jaina smiled cautiously at Skeeter and stepped back into Ghent. Ghent put his hand on her shoulder and nodded to Skeeter who took the dress to the counter. Ghent guided Jaina to follow Skeeter and waited with her while he wrapped the dress. Ghent noticed the book file in Jaina's hand and took it. He dropped it on the counter and addressed Skeeter.
"We'll take that, too."
Skeeter looked at the title. "That's a good one. I've not been able to keep it on the shelf. Everyone likes it."
Jaina nodded in agreement. This had been the first shop she had found it in. She was pleasantly surprised when Skeeter handed her the wrapped box and a small bag. He gave a mock bow and shook Ghent's hand. "Hope to see you again, miss."
Jaina turned and smiled at Skeeter. "I'll recommend this to my buddies on the squad. You've got some good books here."
Skeeter beamed with pride. "Thanks."
**************
Jaina came into the lobby of the small yet plush house that Talon kept on Nar Shaadaa. She looked into the mirror near the door and fixed her hair. She had pulled it back and was frustrated with her efforts. Pieces kept falling out. She nearly jumped when someone hugged her from behind.
"Leave it. I like it."
"God, Ghent, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Don't do that. You're lucky I wasn't packing."
Ghent smiled and squeezed her tighter. "Ah. You wouldn't hurt me. You like me too much."
Jaina smiled at his reflection in the mirror. "Don't bet the farm on that one."
Ghent laughed and let Jaina go. She spun around for his take on the dress. He clapped politely and then motioned toward the dinner area. "Allow me, madam."
Jaina winked at him and allowed him to escort her to the main table. Ghent pulled out a chair for her next to Booster who nearly dropped his glass when he saw her. She smiled and ruffled his hair like he and Talon loved to do to her. Booster turned to Talon on his right and whispered, "If only I were 50 years younger."
Talon chuckled and looked past him to see Ghent take the chair on Jaina's left. He had to admit. He always looked at Jaina as a grease monkey. Someone who hated to clean up and look nice. She was just like Mara in that respect. But they both looked amazing when they did get cleaned up. Talon smiled at Jaina who waved at him.
Talon watched the guests as the dinner got underway. Booster had been the one to suggest a respectable dinner party for his birthday celebration. Talon noticed that people were having fun, and he was glad he had agreed to Booster's idea. Two of the other four tables were filled with his slicers and crew from his ship, the Wild Karrde. The two middle tables were filled with acquaintances he had made during the last five years as a respectable information broker.
After the main course, Talon stood up amid applause to thank his guests for coming. He bowed to the band from his table and announced the dance floor open. He sat back down and started talking to Booster. He looked up for a brief moment and noticed Ghent had pulled Jaina to the dance floor. He pointed them out to Booster. "I think you're not the only one who wishes he were a little younger."
Booster nodded slowly. "Are you going to tell him, Talon?"
Talon felt his head droop a little. "I want to, but I don't want to lose him. He's a good slicer. He's been my right hand man since Mara left to marry Luke."
"He's also more than that, Talon. He deserves to know."
"I just don't know how to tell him."
Booster clapped his friend on the shoulder. "You just sit him down and tell him. If I know him, he'll be shocked but happy. And if I know you, you'll survive it if I don't know Ghent as well as I think I do. But keeping it a secret is only going to make it worse if it comes out later. He'd rather hear it from you. I mean, look at that poor girl."
Talon shifted his eyes back to Ghent and Jaina. His gaze settled on his favorite girl. "He's back you know. Mara sent me a message."
Booster nodded, "Corran mentioned something. I just hope he realizes it's not going to be easy."
Talon sighed, "She's not about to forgive him. That's why she's here. She'd rather be hanging around us fuddy duddies than making up with her father."
Booster tried to lighten the mood. "At least something positive came out of it. She graced your party didn't she?"
Talon smirked. He noticed then that he could see Ghent leaving the dance floor. He caught the slicer's attention and motioned for the empty seat on his right. Ghent hustled to the table and dropped into the seat. He grinned as he watched Jaina dance with another slicer she knew.
"What's up, boss?"
Talon inwardly shuddered at the name Ghent used. "Go get Mara's gift for me. I want to get my girl's opinion on it."
Ghent smiled eagerly. "Sure. I'll be right back."
Booster watched Ghent stand up and go into the lobby. He turned to face Talon. He saw the look on his face. "What?"
"Tonight, Booster. I'll tell him tonight."
"Good. But why not tomorrow or…"
Talon interrupted Booster quickly as he saw Jaina approach the table. "That way he can go to Jaina if he needs to talk to someone. She's leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Booster nodded and stood up to pull Jaina's chair out for her. She smiled at Booster and sat down. She turned to look at Talon. "So, what did you get Mara?"
"Ghent is getting it right now. I wanted your opinion on it."
"Okay." Jaina looked over the crowd and spotted Ghent making his way back to the table. He was carrying a medium size wooden box. "There he is."
Ghent set the box in front of Jaina and sat next to her. She looked at the intricate latch that kept the box closed. It was gold and was comprised mostly of leaves. She touched the latch and opened the box. Inside, nestled in a bed of green velvet, was a medium sized crystal. Jaina gasped.
Ghent leaned forward, "What's wrong?"
Jaina turned to Talon. "Where in the hell did you get this?"
Talon looked at her in shock. "I got it from one of my suppliers. It actually came in today with the stuff you brought from Shug. Why?"
Jaina picked up the crystal and set in front of her. She touched the sides and watched as a misty figure appeared above the crystal. She smiled at the image. "Do you have any idea what this is?"
Booster got up and stood behind Jaina's chair. He leaned forward to get a better look. "No. Should we?"
Jaina chuckled, "Your son-in-law would. This is a holocron."
Ghent looked confused, "A what?"
Realization dawned on Talon's face. "I bought a holocron."
Ghent and Booster merely stared at Talon. They looked at Jaina for an explanation. She smiled. "It's a Jedi holocron. It holds the memory engrams of a knight or master. It is meant to be a tool of knowledge. Everything that the knight or master knew about their life and the time in which they lived can be accessed by another Jedi. My mother found one years ago. This is amazing."
Talon watched as Jaina touched the holocron again. The figure above the crystal bowed to her. "Who do you think it is?"
Jaina shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think Mara will be upset if I ask it a few questions before I give it to her."
Ghent agreed. "I would think not. It would save her some time."
Jaina touched the holocron a third time and watched the figure disappear. She picked up the crystal and placed it back inside the box. She closed the top of the box and sat back in her seat. She thought about this new development. She didn't recognize the figure which wasn't surprising. Luke had managed to find some Jedi records but they were a drop in the bucket when one thought about what the Emperor had destroyed.
She looked at Talon. "I can't wait until tonight!"
Talon tried to smile at his girl. She turned back to the party and began talking to Ghent. He knew that as much as Jaina was anticipating tonight, he was dreading it with every fiber of his being. Talon took a swig of his drink and sighed. Only a few more hours, he thought. Only a few more.
**************
Jaina opened the door to the hallway quietly. She could hear shouting near Talon's room. She stepped into the hall and shut the door to her suite quickly. She crept down the hall and found Talon's door was standing open. She recognized both of the voices. Ghent and Talon have never argued, she thought.
She stepped closer to the open door and tried to listen. She began to catch snippets of the argument. She recognized the first voice as Talon's.
"I wanted to let this go! But Booster was right! You need to know!"
Ghent slammed his hand into the desk. "Booster knows!? How could you tell him something like this! You should have told me years ago!"
Talon groaned. "I thought I was doing what Carla wanted. She never wanted you to know about this… About me. That's why she left in the first place."
Ghent growled, "Does everyone know? Hell! Did Mara know?"
Talon shook his head. "She never knew. I wanted to trust her… to tell someone. I just couldn't take that risk. Not when you could find out about it."
"And were you just going to not tell me? What changed your mind, Talon? Tell me!"
Jaina entered the lobby and stood on the outside of Talon's office door. She was curious at what had gotten Ghent so upset. And why it involved his mother, Carla.
"I didn't want to hurt you. I had no idea what Carla had told you. I didn't know how you'd react."
Ghent jumped up from his seat and rushed toward the door. He shoved it open and heard a thump from the other side. He pulled the door closed again and looked at Tal… his father. "Did you hide someone outside the door?"
Talon shook his head, "No."
Ghent carefully pushed the door open and found he could only crack it. He pushed a little harder and watched as a hand fell into the light from the office. He looked at the hand and yelled. "Jai!"
Talon looked at the base of the door and Ghent pushed it open further. He saw Jaina slumped in the doorway. She must have been right outside the door, he thought to himself. Ghent picked Jaina up and set her on Talon's desk. The two men looked at her as she opened her eyes and blinked several times. She moaned.
"That hurt."
Ghent carefully helped her sit up. He looked frantic. "Are you okay? What were you doing out there?"
Jaina looked at the slicer. "I heard fighting. I came to see what was wrong. I was worried."
Ghent dropped his head to his chest and plunked into the chair he had just vacated. Talon looked at his… son and sighed. He took Jaina's hand in his and turned her head so she would look at him. "There's something you should know about this fight, my girl. I've told Ghent some news that I should have told him a long time ago. I…"
Jaina interrupted, "What does his mother have to do with this? You know how much he misses her."
Talon nodded, "I know. I told him that a long time ago I knew his mother. And that she left here because she didn't like what I did for a living. She didn't want our son to grow up here. But…" Talon looked at Ghent. "He did anyway."
Jaina looked from Talon to Ghent. She slipped off the desk and stood in front of Ghent. She dropped to her knees and hugged him. She could feel him sobbing against her. She watched as Talon circled them. He stopped and placed his hand on Ghent's shoulder. She heard Ghent whisper to her.
"What should I do?"
Jaina pulled back. "Don't make the same mistake everyone thinks I've made. Don't hate him. You can be angry; just don't hate him. This was the best he could do."
Ghent nodded and looked up at Talon. He tried to smile. Talon squeezed Ghent's shoulder and reached out for Jaina's hand. He pulled her up from the floor and nodded toward Ghent. "He has some time saved up. Maybe he could go with you. Seeing Mara… Spending time with the two of you… It might be good for him."
Talon turned to look at his son. "What do you think?"
Ghent nodded slowly, "I just need some time, Talon."
"I understand, Ghent. Everything and everyone will still be here when you get back."
Jaina took this moment to help Ghent from the chair. He started to follow her out the door before turning around and walking up to Talon. He looked Talon over and then hugged him. She could see that Talon had tears in his eyes. She waited patiently for Ghent to step away from Talon and she held out her hand. Ghent took it and let her lead him back to his suite. She kissed him on the cheek.
"We leave at 1400."
Ghent nodded. "I'll be there. But didn't…"
"I think Talon will loan us a ship. My Wing can stay with Shug for a while. Gavin won't mind too much."
Ghent smiled warily and walked into his room. He shut the door and Jaina walked back down the hallway to her room. She thought to herself as she opened her door. Ghent is going to need some time. Talon's right, she whispered to herself as she climbed into bed. Mara and I may be just what he needs.
**************
In the previous night's activities, Jaina had forgotten about the holocron. She didn't think about it again until she had stowed her gear in the ship Talon was loaning her. She quickly rummaged through the stuff that Talon had packed for her. She found the box and removed it from the bag carrying other gifts. She then checked the small cargo area and went to the cockpit. Ghent was sitting in the navigator's seat. He looked up at her and smiled.
Jaina was relieved that he was feeling a little better. He had been sullen during breakfast. And she knew that it had bothered Talon greatly. Now he was chipper and excited about going to see Mara. He motioned to the chair next to him. "The control office is ready when we are."
Jaina sat in the chair and placed the box in a secure alcove near her. She powered up the ship and opened the communications channel. She heard a beeping from behind her and she turned around. Rain was strapped into the alcove near the repair kit. She smiled at her droid and looked at Ghent.
He shrugged, "Shug had a pilot bring her about an hour ago. He thought she might come in handy."
Jaina nodded. "Gavin won't be as upset. That's for sure. Let's go."
Gavin notified the control office as Jaina began her lift off. When the ship had made orbit of the moon, she set a course for Yavin. She turned back to Rain and stood up. She untied the droid and escorted her to the pilot's chair. She strapped the droid in again and turned to Gavin.
"I'm going to look at that holocron. Rain should be able to handle anything. Call me if you need me."
Gavin nodded at his friend and pulled out a book file. He relaxed in his chair and began to read.
**************
Ghent woke to the frantic beeping of the droid next to him. He looked at his screens and called Jaina. He looked at the planet below them. He couldn't believe that he had slept during the whole trip to Yavin. He settled the ship in orbit and noticed that Rain had calmed down a little. He looked at the droid.
"You sure are nervous, aren't you?"
Jaina entered the cockpit and giggled. "It's because Rain's never landed before. I let her fly, but she's too afraid she'll crash if she tries landing."
Gavin winked at the beeping droid. "Don't worry, Rain. She used to be nervous, too."
Rain beeped appreciatively as Jaina untied her from the seat. Jaina looked at Rain and left her unsecured for the landing. She could hear Rain's worried beeps behind her as she began her descent. "It's okay, Rain. You won't go rolling away. I promise."
Gavin laughed and watched as the main citadel came into view. He saw that the landing pad was covered with a couple of X-Wings and several small figures. "What's going on?"
Jaina took a brief look and then turned back to the controls. "Gavin wanted to pay for our upkeep. He's teaching some of the students that are still here about ships and navigation. Personally, I think he likes teaching."
Gavin nodded as the ship settled into an empty area of the landing pad. He stood up and stretched. "Did you find anything out about that holocron?"
Jaina spun in her seat. "Definitely! I found out who the figure is. It's a younger version of Luke's first master. It looks like Obi Wan set this up before the first death star."
"But he looks younger than what Luke and your mom described."
"I know. I think he may have set it up during the glory days of the purge. Maybe he feared that the Emperor would destroy records. He probably wanted someone at some point to know about what the Jedi used to be like."
"I think your uncle's gonna have a heyday with this one."
Jaina smiled, "If he can wrestle it away from me that is."
The two exited the cockpit and grabbed their bags. Jaina placed the holocron in her bag and grabbed Talon's gift bag. Gavin picked up his equipment kit and opened the cargo doors. He followed Jaina off the ship and noticed that no one was waiting for them. He looked around and saw the class that Jaina's boss was teaching.
Jaina waved at Gavin who nodded back. She then grabbed Ghent's hand and pulled him toward the main citadel. They got on the first elevator they could find and took it to the fourth level. Jaina led the way out of the lift and walked down the hallway. She stopped in front of a large door and hit the call switch. Ghent stood back and leaned against the wall.
Jaina hit the call switch again and the door opened. Someone yelled from inside. "I don't want to hear it! Go away now, Luke!"
Jaina smirked at Ghent. "Sounds like Luke did something wrong."
Ghent chuckled and followed Jaina into the suite. Someone was bent over the desk in the corner. Jaina walked toward the desk and pinched the sleeping figure. Ghent laughed out loud as Mara's head shot up from the desk and she looked wildly around the room. Jaina smiled at her aunt.
"So when did you record that message?"
"When he left this morning."
Jaina dropped her bags on the couch and took Ghent's stuff from him. Mara looked at Ghent and got up from her seat. She wrapped her arms around Ghent and squeezed hard. "I've missed you, Ghent. What are you doing here?"
Ghent looked at Jaina for support. She nodded at him and he answered, "Talon and I need some time apart. I thought I'd come see you."
Mara frowned, "What did he do?"
Ghent looked at his friend and predecessor. "He told me the truth. He told me that he was married to my mother. That I'm his… Son."
Mara couldn't hide the surprise from her face. "Are you okay?"
Ghent nodded. "I'm getting there. I decided that spending some time away from him would help me be objective about the whole thing."
"Then I'm glad you came. I kicked my loving husband out this morning for being obnoxious. I think we should have a pity party."
Jaina interrupted, "What did Luke do?"
Mara smiled at her niece. "He's just being weird. I said I felt dizzy and he got.."
Jaina interrupted, "Mara, you just got better. You can't blame him for worrying. We nearly lost you."
Mara nodded. "I know. But I have had enough of everyone treating me like a glass doll."
Ghent winked, "Everyone?"
"Don't ask, Ghent." Mara frowned at her friend. "Let's go get some dinner. I want to avoid contact with a certain person right now."
Ghent nearly choked. "You are that mad at Luke?"
Jaina stood up and leaned over the desk. She peered into Mara's eyes and searched for the identity of this person. She smiled when she broke through and turned to face Ghent. "Nope. It's not Luke. She just wants to be sure I don't run into my father."
Ghent's mouth drew into a thin line. "He's here?"
Mara simply nodded her head.
**************
Leia stood looking at the parade ground from her balcony. She felt arms wrap around her shoulders and she smiled. It felt so good to be together again. She missed Han so much during these last six months. He had come back a week ago begging forgiveness. He had promised Leia he would start over. And he had. He had just spent the morning with Anakin.
"So how did it go?"
Han chuckled, "He was a little moody at first. But I think we're going to be okay."
"Good." Leia turned in her husband's arms. "And what about Jacen?"
"We're doing dinner tonight. But for some reason he wants to wait until later. I can't think of why."
Leia sighed. She had always hated that Luke could know things about her because they were twins. It also seemed to bother her daughter when Jacen did the same thing. She turned back to the parade ground and pointed to a small corner of the landing pad. "Look."
Han grinned, "It's one of Talon's."
"Yes. Ghent got here half an hour ago. He wasn't alone."
"Did Talon come, too?"
"No." Leia turned to look at her husband. She took his hands in hers. She tried to keep her voice calm. "Jacen wants to go to dinner late because Mara wants to go early."
Han looked puzzled. "I thought Mara and I were doing pretty good."
"You are. But, Han, it's not Mara that Jacen's worried about. Ghent came with Jaina."
Han pulled back from his wife. He walked closer to the railing of the balcony. He looked down and sighed. "She doesn't want to see me?"
"I would think that Jacen's request of a dinner time would answer that question. Gavin also came to see me while you were out with Anakin. He said that Jaina had requested to stay in the Rogue citadel. She's not staying here."
Han shook his head. "Why did this happen, Leia? Where did I screw up so badly that this is happening?"
Leia wrapped her arms around her husband and held him while he cried. "I don't know, Han. Maybe soon she'll come around."
Han frowned, "She won't. Jacen is proving that for her."
"Don't blame him. He just doesn't want to hurt either of you."
"I don't care that she may never speak to me again. I just want to know that she doesn't hate me. Because Luke is right. All it takes is one thing. And I won't lose her to her grandfather."
Leia closed her eyes. She knew Han's fears well. But what Luke had said years ago had lately come back to haunt her. She shuddered unconsciously and Han reached out to touch her cheek. "What's wrong, Leia?"
"It's nothing. I was just thinking of something Luke had said a long time ago to me. About Jaina."
Han caressed Leia's cheek. "What?"
"He told me one day that she was the one. That she would be the most like my father."
Han frowned. "Why didn't you ever tell me this?"
"I didn't want to believe him. I think that's why he agreed to Mara teaching Jaina. He wants to be sure someone will see it if it happens. Mara would know it."
Han nodded. "I just don't want it to happen."
Leia smiled at her worried husband. "I honestly think she's stronger than that. And look at how she handled Kyp and Zekk. She actually fought Zekk. And look at what she and Jacen did when Kyp was trying to kill Luke."
Han smiled back at his wife. He heard the doorbell beep. He turned to go into the living area. Leia followed him. He opened the door and stepped back. Leia gasped. Jaina looked into the room and frowned.
"Mom. How are you?"
Leia smiled uneasily, "I'm fine. Your fat…"
"I know." Jaina turned to look at her father. "Ghent talked me into at least coming to say hello."
Han nodded. He wanted so much to hug his daughter, but she had set herself in a defensive position. He decided to act quickly. "Jaina, honey, I need to say something to you."
Jaina nodded, "We can do dinner if you want. I just blew Mara off. She's going with Ghent. They need some time to talk."
Leia jumped on the opportunity. "Why is Ghent here?"
Jaina's face pulled tightly into a nervous look. "Talon told him some stuff. He wanted to get away for a while. He's a little upset with Talon right now."
Leia hugged her daughter. "Anything we can help with?"
Jaina nodded her head. "You and Luke might be able to help. You'll have to ask Ghent though. I only had permission to tell Mara."
Han chuckled, "What did Talon do this time?"
Jaina glared at her father. "He told Ghent some stuff about his family. It's not a big deal."
Han put his hands into the air in surrender. "Fine. I'll shut up now. But I will accept your dinner invitation." He stepped forward and opened the door to the hallway. He held it open for Jaina. After she walked into the hall, Han gave his wife one more look. She smiled brightly at him. Han sighed and followed Jaina to the lift.
**************
The dining hall was filled. The south tables were playing host to the students who still attended the academy. Jaina looked at the diminished numbers and sighed. Han whispered to her, "It's because the Vong want to kill the Jedi. Most of the parents pulled their kids out. It's really bothering your uncle."
Jaina turned to look at her father. She frowned, "Did he try to keep them here? Going out there isn't going to keep them safe. They'd be safer here with Luke and the other teachers."
"I know. I trust Luke. But a lot of people don't thanks to Fe'y'la."
"Why is he doing this? I thought he just wanted mom's job. Why is he hurting Luke now?"
"I don't know." Han found seats for them at one of the north tables. "I wish I knew. The kid doesn't need this right now."
Jaina responded, "What do you mean?"
"He's been feeling kind of crummy since this whole thing started with Fe'y'la. And then he got some sort of a message from Admiral Pelaeon. He said something about some prison they found on Byss. It was underground."
Jaina's head popped up in surprise. "Who was in it?"
Han took a drink from his coffee cup. "Don't know yet. Pelaeon and his crew are opening it up tomorrow. They found some computer locks and they want to be sure that no one booby trapped the prison itself."
"What could have been that important?"
Han shrugged his shoulders as Lowie sat next to him. "Let's just hope it's not more clones. I don't think I could handle another one."
Lowie growled his agreement. Jaina smiled at her friend. As much as Han had tried to escape Lowie and Lumpy when Chewie died, they had still latched onto him, insisting that they fulfill Chewie's life debt to Han. She looked around the dining room and spotted a familiar figure near the main doors.
"Is it alright if I go see someone? I promise I'll come back to listen to whatever you have to say."
Han smiled and nodded his head. He had no clue what Mara may have said to his daughter, but it looked like she was taking it to heart. He turned to Lowie and the two began discussing repairs to the Falcon.
Jaina wove her way through the crowds of people and came up behind the man. He seemed taller than the last time she had seen him. She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around. She smiled as he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
He set her down and looked her over. "You look good."
Jaina blushed slightly, "You're the same old idiot."
Anakin joined the two and slapped the man on the back. He shook his hand and smiled. "It's good to see you again, Zekk. We need to hear some good stories."
Zekk laughed, "I'm afraid I don't have any good ones. I've been trying to avoid my friends in the guild."
Jaina was shocked. "What's wrong?"
"Fe'y'la's put out feelers. He's hired some of the guild members to keep tabs on me. Probably hoping he can make it look like an accident."
Anakin shook his head, "This is getting worse. It's got to stop soon. The next step he could take would be to break contact with Hapes. And if he does that, the New Republic will have lost it's biggest military support. Luke says that Pelaeon is refusing to give any aid to Fe'y'la. He doesn't agree with the way we're being treated. Of course, from the Imperial standpoint, it's more of a how-dare-you-try-to-abandon-the-Vaders kind of thing."
Jaina bristled at the mention of her grandfather. "Pelaeon wouldn't be that stupid to base his refusal on that."
Anakin smiled indulgently at his older sister. "You forget dear sister that you are his heir and I am his namesake. That's enough for any Imperial to feel they have a say in the whole matter."
Zekk watched Jaina shake her head. "I am not going to accept what Pelaeon has designated me. I am not Vader's heir."
"Don't worry about it, Jaina." Zekk put his arm around Jaina's shoulders. "It can't be that bad."
Jaina pulled away from Zekk with a pained look on her face. "That bad? Think about what you did. Think about what Kyp did. I don't want to be my grandfather's heir, within the Empire or without."
Zekk and Anakin watched Jaina march off to sit with Han and Lowie. Anakin tried to alleviate the tension. "At least she's talking to dad now."
Zekk blinked. He had thought Jaina had forgiven him for what had happened. But it looked like she wasn't even close. He looked around the room nervously. Anakin saw Zekk's reaction to Jaina's statement. He grabbed Zekk's arm. "Don't worry about, man. She's just got a lot going on right now."
"I thought it would be different this time, Anakin."
Anakin winked at Zekk. "She hasn't changed much, Zekk. She's still the same girl you left here five years ago. You still have a chance."
Zekk shook his head in defeat. "I think I blew my chance when I stayed at that academy. And if I didn't blow it then, I certainly did when I came back here to kill you all."
Anakin watched Zekk leave the dining hall. He then turned to look at his sister. Lowie had left the table and it looked like Jaina was listening to what their father had to say. He sighed loudly. He smiled faintly when Jacen came upon him.
Jacen grinned, "What's your problem?"
"Jaina. Who else?"
"What did she do?"
Anakin looked at his older brother. He hated it that Jaina seemed so self destructive. "She just blew off Zekk."
"So?"
"He came back to tell her everything."
Jacen looked surprised. "Oh."
"I don't know what to do. You can tell their both miserable unless they're here together."
Jacen put his hand on his brother's shoulder. The slight height difference could be seen as Jacen looked up slightly. "Jaina's stubborn. She needs to fall before she can admit she's wrong."
Anakin sighed, "I just hope she figures out this thing with Zekk before he finds greener pastures."
Jacen chuckled, "I don't think there's much danger of that happening. He's had five years and he's still hooked on her."
Anakin decided to turn the tables on his self righteous brother. "Speaking of which… How's Danni?"
Anakin could hardly believe the look on his brother's face. His brown eyes were wide and his smile had become more of a slit.
"What!"
**************
Zekk walked as quickly as he could away from the dining hall. He had had absolutely enough. If Jaina couldn't forgive him for his mistakes, then why the hell did she pretend to? Zekk wasn't looking where he was going and ran into a nearly immovable object. He fell to the floor and jumped back up, ready to defend himself.
Instead of a raging Dark Jedi hovering over him with a drawn lightsaber, Zekk found Kyp Durron. Kyp held out his hand. "Long time no see, Zekk."
Zekk nodded his head and quickly shook Kyp's hand. He tried to get around the pilot quickly, but Kyp blocked his way. Kyp grinned at Zekk's discomfort. "Where you going in such a hurry?"
"Anywhere but here. Get out of my way Durron."
Kyp chuckled, "In case you don't remember, I have some seniority around this place. Maybe you'd better answer my question. You seem a little too agitated to fly anyway."
Zekk grimaced. He couldn't stand Kyp. Since he had come back to the Light Side of the Force, Kyp had treated him like a co-conspirator. Zekk may have done some horrible things to the students at the academy, but he had never destroyed a whole world. And he hated that Kyp treated him like he had done something as bad as that. "I don't have any business with you."
Kyp looked at the young bounty hunter closely. "Could this have anything to do with her Royal Highness who arrived this afternoon?"
Kyp knew he had hit the nail on the head with that guess. Zekk's hands clenched into fists and he pulled himself into a more stiff posture. "Jaina is none of your business, Durron. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
Kyp shoved his hand across the hall to the wall, effectively blocking Zekk's escape. "Ah, but Jaina is my business. You know how close Han and I are. Jaina is like a sister. Maybe it would do you some good to be a little nicer to me."
Zekk growled his next word's. "You're sounding a little too evil for my tastes, Durron. I suggest you keep up whatever act you've been using for the past eighteen years. If you're not careful, someone might guess you still took some pride in destroying Caridia."
Zekk was totally unprepared for what happened next. He was standing, ready to fight Kyp one minute; the next he was on the floor with a bleeding lip. He looked up to the man towering over him.
"Take it back now, Zekk!"
Zekk shook his head and prepared to stand up. "Never! We all know it! You liked what you did! You enjoyed it!"
Zekk's scream echoed down the empty hallway as Kyp grabbed him by the collar of his flight suit and yanked him into a standing position. Zekk used the momentum of the pull to throw his fist into Kyp's face. A crack could be heard as blood started coming out of Kyp's nose. Kyp roared in anger and lunged for Zekk. Zekk tried to ready himself for the blow when he noticed that Kyp was suspended in mid-air. Zekk looked at Kyp's face and noticed a hint of surprise.
Zekk turned around to find Mara Jade Skywalker staring at the two of them. From the look on her face, Zekk figured that she was the one holding Kyp in the air. She blinked and Zekk heard a loud thump and a groan from behind him. Mara stared at the men and shook her head. She began to yell, "I thought I was done cleaning up after the two of you! What the hell was this about?"
Zekk noticed the lack of response from Kyp and decided to try and explain the situation away. All he needed was to be locked up for fighting. He was so busy thinking of a plausible story that he hadn't noticed the shadow that had come up behind Mara. Zekk looked up and began to speak.
"We were simply..."
The shadow interrupted. "I don't want to hear it. I could hear it down the hall. Zekk, I know you've always had doubts about Kyp's loyalty. I won't tolerate it anymore. And Kyp..."
Kyp grimaced at his name.
The shadow continued, "I thought I knew you better than this. You are over thirty years old. And now you pick fights with young men half your age? I've half a mind to believe Zekk's claims."
Kyp growled and sprang forward to protest. The shadow sprang forward as well and became Luke Skywalker. "Don't try it, Kyp. It would not help your cause."
Kyp clenched his fists tightly. He had never before wanted to hurt his former master so much. Now it was all he could do to restrain himself.
Luke sighed sadly, "You haven't changed, Kyp. And I thought by now you would have. Anger is only going to allow another like Kun to use you again. Or it may even eliminate your need for such a soul by making you just like him. You've turned your life around, but it hangs on the same thread that my physical safety does at this moment."
Kyp blinked and squeezed his fists tighter. He wouldn't grace Skywalker with a reply.
"The anger you feel now is what is fueling you in this war. Miko would not want this."
At the mention of his dead student, Kyp lunged forward towards Luke. He reached out to grab his throat but stopped in the nick of time as Mara's lightsaber caught under his own throat. He turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Don't even move," she growled. "I think your body might miss its head."
Zekk watched the display with quiet shame. He should never have let himself be provoked by Kyp. He also knew he shouldn't have egged him on. The discussion was at a standstill. Kyp's hands were still outstretched toward Luke's neck. And Mara's lightsaber was still mere centimeters from Kyp's throat. But Kyp's next words changed everything.
Kyp looked Luke in the eyes and growled at Mara. "Prove you could beat me. Prove that you weren't a bad choice. Prove you're nothing like me."
Even Luke was shocked at the challenge. In his heart he now knew that he had lost Kyp a second time. Exar Kun had stolen him eighteen years ago. But know Kyp had made his own choice. He looked his former student in the eye and tried to reason with him.
"Kyp, now is not the time for this. We can talk this out."
Kyp yelled, "I'm done talking! Talking and planning got Miko killed! And now it will end!"
Zekk leaped forward as Kyp kicked out at Mara. She fell away and hit her head against the wall. Zekk grabbed Kyp from behind before he could grab hold of Luke. Luke pulled out his lightsaber and attempted to block Kyp from further injuring Mara in his struggle to throw Zekk. Kyp however slammed his back against the wall and knocked the wind out of Zekk. He fell to the ground and gasped for air.
Kyp ran in the opposite direction as Luke came to help Zekk to his feet. The two men ran after Kyp with their weapons drawn. Zekk stopped for a moment halfway to their destination to grab his second blaster from the holster on his right side. Luke took the lead as the two men entered the hangar bay. They could hear Kyp's feet slapping against the perma-concrete as he made his way toward the only vessel in the bay. Luke called out for him to stop.
Zekk noticed a movement on the balcony level of the hangar bay. He pulled Luke to a stop and pointed toward the movement. Luke watched closely. He knew Zekk thought it might be someone who would help Kyp, but he knew otherwise. He pulled Zekk to the side and Kyp ran into the open to the small ship on the other side of the bay.
Zekk watched as the figure dropped the twenty feet from the balcony to tackle Kyp to the ground. Luke turned from the action as he heard footsteps behind them. Mara took up a spot next to Luke. She touched her forehead lightly and grimaced. Her lightsaber, once Vader's own, was lit. The figure fighting Kyp was blocked by supply boxes.
It took Zekk a moment to realize that Kyp had managed to wrestle the lightsaber away from the knight. He heard a loud gasp as Kyp punched out with his fists. Zekk decided to take his chance. He ran forward and ignored Luke's calls. He ran for the lightsaber that Kyp had thrown away. He grabbed it and used his force talents to levitate it to the figure crouched in front of Kyp.
Kyp lighted his lightsaber and brought it above his head to drive it through the injured Jedi. Zekk sped up his levitation and managed to get the saber into the knight's hands just in time. He could hear Luke yell out and saw the lightsaber blade protruding from Kyp's back. He also noticed the glow of Kyp's lightsaber stuck through the knight's arm. Zekk noticed that Kyp was slipping to the side and he pulled together all of his power to force the saber's switch to close. The beam disappeared and a cry was heard in the hangar.
Luke ran forward and dropped next to knight as Mara checked Kyp. She said, "He's dead, Luke. She killed him."
Zekk came forward and looked over Luke's shoulder. He blinked back tears of relief as Luke picked Jaina up off the floor. She cried out as her arm hit Luke's chest. Mara took Zekk's arm and pulled him along behind the Jedi Master and his only niece. Zekk hadn't realized that the knight had been Jaina. He thanked whatever gods watched over him that he had been able to shut Kyp's lightsaber off in time.
Author: Megan
Rating: PG-13
Special Note: This story is kind of Alternate Universe in origin. It may end here or it may become a series. Send me feedback on what you'd like to see. Also, the summary is at the end of the story due to an immense spoiler. If you have not read the most recent Vong series, don't read the summary or the story. It will spoil everything for a certain group of fans.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize in this story. They belong to a genius that is now working on a second movie.
Dedication: To fans of a certain character who is no longer with us. May he rest in peace and reside in our fan fiction for eternity.
The base was quiet for once. The meeting had just ended and Gavin watched the skies. He had just offered his troops an option. They could continue to serve the President of the New Republic or they could do what so many others had done in the past: go rogue. Everyone had listened to Gavin's story and decided to support him. Not since Wedge had flown had Rogue Squadron lived up to its name. Now Gavin was wondering if he had done the right thing.
With the Vong so close to so many strategic places, would Rogue Squadron's choice mean death for the Republic? Gavin sighed. He wanted to be right. He had to be right. Or it would mean losing most of his team. Fourteen men and women had just told him they would die to support him. But would they still feel that way a week from now? A month?
Gavin was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Corran approach him from behind. The older man looked at the leader of the Rogue pilots and reached out with the Force. He could sense that Gavin was doubting himself and his decision. That he was afraid he would doom the pilots to a certain death. Corran decided to speak.
"You can't make the decision for them."
Gavin didn't turn around. He simply nodded to his former colleague.
"I know. But… What do I do if this is it? Fe'y'la won't let us go easily."
Corran stepped up next to Gavin. "That's a guarantee. He needs fighters to continue defending his kingdom."
"So he can throw them in the face of the Jedi?"
Corran grimaced, "I know you don't agree with what he's doing. He does have a point though. Many people don't trust us. They haven't in a long time."
Gavin spun toward the Jedi Master. "That's the first mistake the Republic made. They should look at the past and see that the Old Republic trusted you."
"They also can't help but see the Empire. They see Vader and the Emperor. And even now, they can't forget all of the mistakes we made. Caridia…"
Gavin shook his head. "That was a mistake. Kyp didn't know what he was doing."
"But that doesn't matter to enough people. You're right. Kyp was inexperienced. He was affected by his past. But now all we have is an uncertain future. The President would like to see us all dead."
"And that's why I can't stand by and watch. These pilots are the only family I have left. I swore to many other families that I would protect and lead them. And I can't see myself allowing Fe'y'la to tell me that one of my pilots must be let go because of what she can do."
Corran looked up at the dark sky. "Jaina would understand."
"I won't do it. My family has always supported the Jedi. I can't turn my back on them now. Especially when one of them is someone close to me. Jaina is a good pilot. She is a friend. I won't abandon her. Not during this genocide."
"Tradition isn't everything, Gavin."
"This isn't about tradition! It doesn't matter that every single squad has had a Jedi in it. It doesn't matter that most of the greatest pilots we had were Jedi. What matters is that Fe'y'la is making the biggest mistake of his life. He's abandoning the Jedi. He's turning on them because of a political agenda that goes back for years."
Corran fingered his lightsaber on his belt and he thought about his next words. "Gavin, the Rogue Squadron may have made a bigger mistake this evening than any the President has made. The Jedi have always supported the New Republic. Now you are asking us to accept that you would rather see it fall then our deaths."
"It's not that. I've made my decision. And so has my team. We will leave here in the morning. Sticks has too many friends here who care about her. After everything she has gone through in the last year, I can't ask her to walk away and lose everything."
"Then I can't change your mind."
Gavin smiled, "Never. It's done now. And it ends here. Come morning, Fe'y'la won't know what hit him."
The two men silently watched the moon move across the sky. The Rogue Squadron had finally returned to their old base on Dantooine. And now they would leave it for a temple on Yavin 4. It was time to protect what so many had benefited from: the Jedi Order.
**************
The morning broke on Dantooine as all of the previous mornings had. The grass was dewey and the sky a bright blue. Jaina stood on the highest balcony and leaned over the railing. She hadn't gone to the meeting last night. Luke had begged her not to. He didn't want Gavin to think that he had Jedi support in this decision. But when the meeting had ended, all of the female pilots had come into the large barracks assigned to them and saluted Jaina.
It was clear then that Corran had failed to convince the pilots to stay with the Republic. Jaina blinked back tears. So much had changed in the last year. She had lost so much. Certain losses she wished she could forget; others haunted her happily. She looked at her small commlink. It had beeped this morning to alert her of a message. It had been her brother Anakin.
"So you came back and want to make up? I don't think so."
Jaina wiped her eyes and tried to forget about her father. She was so angry with him. He had simply left six months ago and everyone in the family had been left to news about him from indirect sources. Now he was back and supposedly apologetic. Jaina, however, had no intention of forgiving him anytime soon. She turned around to enter the observation lounge and saw Gavin standing in the doorway of the balcony.
"So, you heard?"
Jaina nodded, "I told you not to do it. That Luke didn't want you to do it."
"I've figured a way past that. I'll tell him that we feared for our droids and decided to side with the Jedi."
"He won't believe you, sir."
Gavin smiled at his youngest pilot. "I know. I have to try though. You weren't there last night… At dinner I mean."
"He asked me to avoid the whole thing. I agreed. I thought it would make sense."
"Only to you. Everyone thought you had taken off and left."
Jaina smiled into the bright suns. "I'm still here. Besides, where would I go?"
"Home?"
Jaina smirked, "Over my dead body. Home disappeared a year ago. It changed too much."
"Fine. Yavin then?"
"No. That never was home. It was a dumping ground. A place to be left behind."
Gavin stepped forward and put his hand on Jaina's shoulder. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad."
"You'll find out. When do we leave?"
"In an hour. Get your stuff packed."
"Do we have to stay at the main temple?"
"No. Corran is arranging a separate place for us."
"Good. I don't want to see anyone right now."
Gavin looked at the commlink in her hand. "Trying to avoid something?"
"Someone actually."
Gavin nodded. "I don't think he's there, Jaina. I would have heard something by now. Corran knows how upset you are. He wouldn't make you see him."
"Maybe he doesn't know."
"You'll have to face your father sometime, Jaina. It would hurt more if you put it off any longer."
Jaina blinked, "Like it matters at this point. I got a message last night, too. It was New Alderaan's new governor."
"What did he want?"
"The Vong are getting closer. He estimates a few weeks and they'll be in orbit."
"What are you going to do?"
"I've sent a message to Tenneniel. I'm going to ask her for protection. Mom has left most of the royal stuff to me lately. She hates it."
Gavin chuckled, "You don't exactly like it either."
"Yeah, but until something better comes along, I do what I have to do. And if that means turning New Alderaan over to Hapes, I will do it."
"How do the people feel about that option?"
Jaina groaned, "Most of them don't mind. The other 20% want me to step down as acting viceroy. They want the governor to decide. I'm tempted to let them have their way."
Gavin looked closely at Jaina. Her face showed the strain of the war and the heartache it had caused her so far. "So do it. Leave them be."
"I can't. Mom hasn't felt right about being a ruler since she found out about Luke and her dad. I may not be a hereditary ruler, but I don't want to leave them. I have been able to go there on my vacations. There I can tell everyone to leave me alone and they do. They've cared so much about my brothers and me. They have always supported my mother. They've even forgiven her what happened to Alderaan. They have given so much to me and I can't tell them I can't give back."
"Go and get packed. Maybe while we're on Yavin a solution will come to you."
Jaina pulled away from Gavin's grip and moved toward the door. "I hope so."
**************
Tyris watched her friend pack her clothes into her bag. She noticed Jaina trace her hand across a small box and place it at the bottom of the bag.
"What's that? You've never told anyone."
Jaina smiled at her friend. "It was a gift from a friend of mine on Yavin. She thought that if she was to be condemned to be a ruler for the rest of her life, then I should be, too. She gave me this." Jaina pulled the box back out of the bag and opened the top carefully. Sitting amongst the red material lining the box was a beautiful tiara.
Tyris whistled, "It's gorgeous."
"I know. I've never worn it. I've never felt right about it."
"Why?"
"It should be my mother's."
Tyris smiled, "Maybe she saw something in you that you didn't. Maybe she knows you're destined for it."
"Then do me a favor Tyris. Shoot me."
Tyris laughed and helped her friend continue packing. She folded the few civilian clothes that Jaina had set out and then moved on to the Rogue uniform.
"Tyris, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, dearie."
"Why did you agree with Gavin?"
Tyris set the uniform down on the bed and walked around to stand next to her friend. She hugged her tightly. "Because you're my friend. And because I don't like it that the Republic is condoning an indirect genocide of the Jedi. They want the Vong to kill you all."
Jaina stepped back from the hug and tried to smile. "And you think sixteen of us will make a difference?"
Tyris shook her head. "It's not sixteen anymore, honey. Gavin told us that the group of fighters that the Durron man resurrected will join us."
"Kyp's joining us? I thought he was against any Republic forces assisting the Jedi."
Tyris shrugged her shoulders. "That's just what Gavin told us. I don't know what made him change his mind. So, what are you going to do first when get to Yavin."
Jaina winked, "I actually have a stop to make first. Gavin knows I'll be a little late. I have to pick up something for Luke. He couldn't get away to get Mara anything for her birthday so he asked Talon to do it. I have to go pick it up."
"What did he get her?"
Jaina laughed. "I have no clue. I just hope it doesn't bite."
Tyris blinked back tears of laughter. She helped Jaina pack the rest of her stuff and then grabbed her own bag. The two women walked down to the main landing pad and shook hands before going to their respective ships.
"I'll see you in a few, Tyris."
"Same here, Sticks."
Jaina lugged her bag higher on her shoulder and walked to the south corner of the landing area. Her X-Wing was glowing with the shine of the newly cleaned. The pit crew must have finally had time last night, Jaina thought. She nodded to the crew officer who was holding her helmet. He helped her toss the bag into a secure part of the small cargo hold and handed her the helmet.
She watched him prep her droid for the flight. She then waved at him and got into the cockpit. She pulled her helmet on and lost herself in the talking she could hear over the open channel. Everyone was reporting ready as Jaina shut herself off from the outside world and took hold of her control stick. She calmly notified the control station that she was ready to go. She looked at the scrolling text on her translation screen and smiled.
Rain was telling her that the station had allowed her sixth place in the take-off queue. Jaina tried to look back at her droid. "Thanks Rain. Let's move."
Rain beeped an affirmative and powered up the ship. Jaina maneuvered into the queue line and waited for her turn. Finally, the fifth ship lifted off and Jaina pulled forward to lift off as well. She pulled back on her control stick and felt the ship rise through the sky. Jaina took a minute to look down at the dwindling surface of Dantooine. She blinked back her tears and set a course for Nar Shaadaa.
**************
The trip lasted about six hours and Jaina was ready for it to end. She cleared with the control tower for a landing in the northern sector of the moon. She then took a few seconds to dispatch a message to Shug Ninx. The few times she had flown here with her father he had always watched the Falcon for them. Now she waited for a response. Rain beeped to alert her to her text screen.
Shug said he was waiting for her. Jaina smiled to herself and sighed with relief. After six hours in the X-Wing, she was about ready to open the airlock into space for the few seconds of stretching room it would provide before she couldn't breathe. Rain asked if she could change course to arrive at Shug's warehouse and Jaina gave her the thumbs up. Jaina watched as the city-like moon flew by her cockpit.
She had always liked Nar Shaadaa. She was glad that Talon was hiding out here for the time being. He'd never turn her away. He had a soft spot for Mara that extended to Mara's errant Jedi pupil. She also was looking forward to seeing Ghent and his newest inventions for slicing.
She took control from Rain for the landing and set the ship down softly. She then opened her cockpit and took her helmet off. She looked around the small hangar and spotted a man walking toward the ship. She managed to climb out of the ship and drop to the floor in time to see him remove her bag from the cargo hold.
"Hey, Shug."
The man raised his green hands in a wave of sorts and motioned toward the droid. "You gonna need her?"
"Nah. Rain will be fine."
Shug moved the bag into a more comfortable position on his shoulder and took Jaina's arm in his. As they walked toward Shug's office, he tried to make small talk.
"I was wondering if I could borrow her for a job. I don't know how long you're gonna be here, but…"
"You know I can't say no to you Shug. What's the gig?"
"A ship came in for repairs but the pilot is so damn paranoid with the war and everything that he locked out the computer pretty good. I need an astromech to break in."
Jaina opened the office door and sat down in the seat in front of the desk. She watched Shug set her bag down and then sit on the corner of the desk.
"Break in? What's in it for me?"
Shug laughed loudly, "You really are your mother's daughter. She is one damn fine negotiator."
Jaina smiled and motioned toward the ship. "I'm only gonna be here long enough to pick up something for Luke. Then I have to get to Yavin. It'll probably take a couple of days."
Shug nodded. "I'll watch it for yeh. I just need to get into the computer on that ship so it won't take that long."
"That's okay. Use her if you need to. Rain likes you. Remember?"
Shug smiled at his friend's daughter. "Yeah. Listen. I heard a nasty rumor."
"Yes, he's back Shug. Anakin told me he's back."
"You don't seem too excited."
Jaina frowned, "I just don't want to get my hopes up. He could still be the gigantic idiot he's been for the past year."
Shug stood up and pulled Jaina from her chair. He pulled her out into the hangar and in front of the small window that showed the skyline of the moon. "I know him well, Jai. He's sorry. I'm sure that he wants to hear from you."
"I'll give mom a call when I get to Talon's."
Shug blinked in surprise. "You're going to see Talon!?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I have some equipment he needs. You want to shuttle it?"
Jaina thought about it and then nodded. "Sure. Where's the transport?"
Shug pointed to the small cargo shuttle in the corner. Jaina turned and hugged her friend and then walked toward the shuttle. She tapped in Shug's access codes and the doors slid open. She stepped inside and weaved her way around boxes to get the pilot's area. She sat in the main chair and brought the shuttle to life.
She programmed the doors to open and then sat back as the shuttle exited Shug's warehouse. She took the controls and headed for the southern tip of the northern hemisphere. She looked around and spotted a landing pad covered in purple paint. The paint had chipped a little, but she knew that color anywhere. Jaina opened the comm channel and waited for acknowledgment from the office.
"Identify yourself and your ship please."
Jaina recognized the voice. She responded, "I don't know the name of this piece of junk or what crap I'm smuggling in, but I do know its for Talon Karrde."
Jaina heard a chuckle on the other side of the channel. The voice answered her quickly, "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. For now, the ship's name is garbage scow and you're the Hapan Queen."
"Nope. My friend holds that title. I'd rather not lay claim to it."
The voice crackled a bit. "Set down on the pad, Jai. You know the drill."
Jaina smiled as she shut off the comm channel and concentrated on a smooth landing. She normally never had problems, but for some reason, Talon's landing pads were always tilted which could cause problems if one was not careful. Ghent had told her that the tilted pad was one of his security measures, but Jaina couldn't see how it helped. All it did was aggravate every single pilot that ever landed on them.
The ship settled a little roughly on the pad and Jaina powered down the shuttle. She checked the cargo quickly before leaving the ship through the main doors. She spotted a small group making their way toward her so she waited for them. As they got closer, Jaina recognized three of the five people. What's Booster doing here, Jaina wondered. She was ripped from her thoughts when Ghent came forward and grabbed her in a bear hug.
"Stop! Stop! I can't breathe!"
Ghent's laughter rang in her ear and he let her go. Talon came next and ruffled her hair gently. He smiled at his favorite Jedi and nodded toward the shuttle. Booster had begun to enter the cargo area and instructed the two crew officers to remove the boxes carefully.
Talon grinned, "So, stopped at Shug's, didja?"
"Yeah. He had some stuff for you so I thought I'd bring it over."
Ghent smiled, "We're glad you did. You picked a great day, too."
Jaina gasped. She had nearly forgotten. She looked up at Talon and winked. "Happy Birthday!"
Talon smiled as Jaina gave him a hug. She reminded him so much of the Mara he once knew. "Thanks, girl. Ghent's right though. Party's tonight. That's why Booster's here."
"Great! I'm always up for a good party."
Talon watched Booster arrange the cargo on the grav lifts and turned back to Jaina. "That's good. Take this." Talon handed Jaina a small bag. "Go find yourself something nice and pretty. And buy yourself a good book, too, girl."
Jaina tried to push the bag back at him, but Talon simply walked away. She sighed in mock frustration and then glared at Ghent. He laughed and took Jaina by the arm. "Follow me, Jai. We'll give his purse such a headache that he'll never force it on you again." Ghent pulled her into the small hangar bay and then toward a small speeder.
Ghent helped Jaina into the speeder and then jumped into the driver's seat. He powered up the vehicle and then took off at top speed. He flew in between other speeders and seemed to be trying to crash the speeder into anything he could find. Jaina held on tightly and watched the world flash by. She was one of the few people who could tolerate Ghent's driving. Talon had let him drive once and swore he'd never get into another speeder with Ghent.
Jaina looked at Ghent and shouted, "You know, you should've gone out for the squadron!"
Ghent swung his eyes off the skylanes and winked. "Never! I like the open air not some stuffy cockpit!"
Jaina felt the speeder slowing down and she looked slightly below them to the left. A small shop was standing alone on an abandoned strip. Ghent set the speeder down and jumped out. He turned to help Jaina only to find that she had followed his lead.
"Here it is."
Jaina looked around, "Okay. Lead on."
Ghent took Jaina's hand and escorted her to the shop. The doors opened as they approached and Jaina saw that the inside was nothing like the outside. The walls were a rich lavender and the curtains which appeared to be green from the outside were really a deep violet. She turned around slowly looking everything over.
Ghent left Jaina standing near the entrance and went looking for Skeeter. He found the ex-slicer sitting at the counter in the back of the shop. "Hey Skeeter! Wake up you fool! Thieves! Fire! Death! Destruction!"
Skeeter slowly lifted his head and looked up at Ghent. "Go to hell, man."
Ghent laughed and dropped the bag on the counter. Skeeter seemed to wake himself up quickly. He opened the bag and smiled widely. "Talon sent you?"
"Yeah." Ghent pointed toward Jaina who was looking over the bookracks. "She needs a dress for the gala tonight."
"Gala, huh?"
"More like an over grown dinner party done Karrde style."
Skeeter grabbed Ghent's shoulder and steered him toward a rack on the left side of the shop. "I got just the thing."
Ghent called out for Jaina who quickly grabbed a book file and walked over. She noticed that the shop owner was staring at her. She shifted uncomfortably.
Ghent whispered, "Don't worry. He's just checking for a size."
Jaina whispered back. "He could just ask."
"Nope. That's not Skeeter's style."
The two stopped their conversation when they heard a loud cough. Jaina looked up to see Skeeter holding up a yellow dress with small stones attached to the hem. Ghent whistled in appreciation. He turned to Jaina for her opinion.
"What do you think?"
Jaina stepped forward to touch the material. It was smooth and seemed luminescent. She reached toward the hem and looked at the jewels. She gasped.
"They're…"
Skeeter finished for her. "Gallinore crystals. I think this one is just the thing for a brunette with deep chocolate eyes like yours."
Jaina smiled cautiously at Skeeter and stepped back into Ghent. Ghent put his hand on her shoulder and nodded to Skeeter who took the dress to the counter. Ghent guided Jaina to follow Skeeter and waited with her while he wrapped the dress. Ghent noticed the book file in Jaina's hand and took it. He dropped it on the counter and addressed Skeeter.
"We'll take that, too."
Skeeter looked at the title. "That's a good one. I've not been able to keep it on the shelf. Everyone likes it."
Jaina nodded in agreement. This had been the first shop she had found it in. She was pleasantly surprised when Skeeter handed her the wrapped box and a small bag. He gave a mock bow and shook Ghent's hand. "Hope to see you again, miss."
Jaina turned and smiled at Skeeter. "I'll recommend this to my buddies on the squad. You've got some good books here."
Skeeter beamed with pride. "Thanks."
**************
Jaina came into the lobby of the small yet plush house that Talon kept on Nar Shaadaa. She looked into the mirror near the door and fixed her hair. She had pulled it back and was frustrated with her efforts. Pieces kept falling out. She nearly jumped when someone hugged her from behind.
"Leave it. I like it."
"God, Ghent, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Don't do that. You're lucky I wasn't packing."
Ghent smiled and squeezed her tighter. "Ah. You wouldn't hurt me. You like me too much."
Jaina smiled at his reflection in the mirror. "Don't bet the farm on that one."
Ghent laughed and let Jaina go. She spun around for his take on the dress. He clapped politely and then motioned toward the dinner area. "Allow me, madam."
Jaina winked at him and allowed him to escort her to the main table. Ghent pulled out a chair for her next to Booster who nearly dropped his glass when he saw her. She smiled and ruffled his hair like he and Talon loved to do to her. Booster turned to Talon on his right and whispered, "If only I were 50 years younger."
Talon chuckled and looked past him to see Ghent take the chair on Jaina's left. He had to admit. He always looked at Jaina as a grease monkey. Someone who hated to clean up and look nice. She was just like Mara in that respect. But they both looked amazing when they did get cleaned up. Talon smiled at Jaina who waved at him.
Talon watched the guests as the dinner got underway. Booster had been the one to suggest a respectable dinner party for his birthday celebration. Talon noticed that people were having fun, and he was glad he had agreed to Booster's idea. Two of the other four tables were filled with his slicers and crew from his ship, the Wild Karrde. The two middle tables were filled with acquaintances he had made during the last five years as a respectable information broker.
After the main course, Talon stood up amid applause to thank his guests for coming. He bowed to the band from his table and announced the dance floor open. He sat back down and started talking to Booster. He looked up for a brief moment and noticed Ghent had pulled Jaina to the dance floor. He pointed them out to Booster. "I think you're not the only one who wishes he were a little younger."
Booster nodded slowly. "Are you going to tell him, Talon?"
Talon felt his head droop a little. "I want to, but I don't want to lose him. He's a good slicer. He's been my right hand man since Mara left to marry Luke."
"He's also more than that, Talon. He deserves to know."
"I just don't know how to tell him."
Booster clapped his friend on the shoulder. "You just sit him down and tell him. If I know him, he'll be shocked but happy. And if I know you, you'll survive it if I don't know Ghent as well as I think I do. But keeping it a secret is only going to make it worse if it comes out later. He'd rather hear it from you. I mean, look at that poor girl."
Talon shifted his eyes back to Ghent and Jaina. His gaze settled on his favorite girl. "He's back you know. Mara sent me a message."
Booster nodded, "Corran mentioned something. I just hope he realizes it's not going to be easy."
Talon sighed, "She's not about to forgive him. That's why she's here. She'd rather be hanging around us fuddy duddies than making up with her father."
Booster tried to lighten the mood. "At least something positive came out of it. She graced your party didn't she?"
Talon smirked. He noticed then that he could see Ghent leaving the dance floor. He caught the slicer's attention and motioned for the empty seat on his right. Ghent hustled to the table and dropped into the seat. He grinned as he watched Jaina dance with another slicer she knew.
"What's up, boss?"
Talon inwardly shuddered at the name Ghent used. "Go get Mara's gift for me. I want to get my girl's opinion on it."
Ghent smiled eagerly. "Sure. I'll be right back."
Booster watched Ghent stand up and go into the lobby. He turned to face Talon. He saw the look on his face. "What?"
"Tonight, Booster. I'll tell him tonight."
"Good. But why not tomorrow or…"
Talon interrupted Booster quickly as he saw Jaina approach the table. "That way he can go to Jaina if he needs to talk to someone. She's leaving tomorrow afternoon."
Booster nodded and stood up to pull Jaina's chair out for her. She smiled at Booster and sat down. She turned to look at Talon. "So, what did you get Mara?"
"Ghent is getting it right now. I wanted your opinion on it."
"Okay." Jaina looked over the crowd and spotted Ghent making his way back to the table. He was carrying a medium size wooden box. "There he is."
Ghent set the box in front of Jaina and sat next to her. She looked at the intricate latch that kept the box closed. It was gold and was comprised mostly of leaves. She touched the latch and opened the box. Inside, nestled in a bed of green velvet, was a medium sized crystal. Jaina gasped.
Ghent leaned forward, "What's wrong?"
Jaina turned to Talon. "Where in the hell did you get this?"
Talon looked at her in shock. "I got it from one of my suppliers. It actually came in today with the stuff you brought from Shug. Why?"
Jaina picked up the crystal and set in front of her. She touched the sides and watched as a misty figure appeared above the crystal. She smiled at the image. "Do you have any idea what this is?"
Booster got up and stood behind Jaina's chair. He leaned forward to get a better look. "No. Should we?"
Jaina chuckled, "Your son-in-law would. This is a holocron."
Ghent looked confused, "A what?"
Realization dawned on Talon's face. "I bought a holocron."
Ghent and Booster merely stared at Talon. They looked at Jaina for an explanation. She smiled. "It's a Jedi holocron. It holds the memory engrams of a knight or master. It is meant to be a tool of knowledge. Everything that the knight or master knew about their life and the time in which they lived can be accessed by another Jedi. My mother found one years ago. This is amazing."
Talon watched as Jaina touched the holocron again. The figure above the crystal bowed to her. "Who do you think it is?"
Jaina shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think Mara will be upset if I ask it a few questions before I give it to her."
Ghent agreed. "I would think not. It would save her some time."
Jaina touched the holocron a third time and watched the figure disappear. She picked up the crystal and placed it back inside the box. She closed the top of the box and sat back in her seat. She thought about this new development. She didn't recognize the figure which wasn't surprising. Luke had managed to find some Jedi records but they were a drop in the bucket when one thought about what the Emperor had destroyed.
She looked at Talon. "I can't wait until tonight!"
Talon tried to smile at his girl. She turned back to the party and began talking to Ghent. He knew that as much as Jaina was anticipating tonight, he was dreading it with every fiber of his being. Talon took a swig of his drink and sighed. Only a few more hours, he thought. Only a few more.
**************
Jaina opened the door to the hallway quietly. She could hear shouting near Talon's room. She stepped into the hall and shut the door to her suite quickly. She crept down the hall and found Talon's door was standing open. She recognized both of the voices. Ghent and Talon have never argued, she thought.
She stepped closer to the open door and tried to listen. She began to catch snippets of the argument. She recognized the first voice as Talon's.
"I wanted to let this go! But Booster was right! You need to know!"
Ghent slammed his hand into the desk. "Booster knows!? How could you tell him something like this! You should have told me years ago!"
Talon groaned. "I thought I was doing what Carla wanted. She never wanted you to know about this… About me. That's why she left in the first place."
Ghent growled, "Does everyone know? Hell! Did Mara know?"
Talon shook his head. "She never knew. I wanted to trust her… to tell someone. I just couldn't take that risk. Not when you could find out about it."
"And were you just going to not tell me? What changed your mind, Talon? Tell me!"
Jaina entered the lobby and stood on the outside of Talon's office door. She was curious at what had gotten Ghent so upset. And why it involved his mother, Carla.
"I didn't want to hurt you. I had no idea what Carla had told you. I didn't know how you'd react."
Ghent jumped up from his seat and rushed toward the door. He shoved it open and heard a thump from the other side. He pulled the door closed again and looked at Tal… his father. "Did you hide someone outside the door?"
Talon shook his head, "No."
Ghent carefully pushed the door open and found he could only crack it. He pushed a little harder and watched as a hand fell into the light from the office. He looked at the hand and yelled. "Jai!"
Talon looked at the base of the door and Ghent pushed it open further. He saw Jaina slumped in the doorway. She must have been right outside the door, he thought to himself. Ghent picked Jaina up and set her on Talon's desk. The two men looked at her as she opened her eyes and blinked several times. She moaned.
"That hurt."
Ghent carefully helped her sit up. He looked frantic. "Are you okay? What were you doing out there?"
Jaina looked at the slicer. "I heard fighting. I came to see what was wrong. I was worried."
Ghent dropped his head to his chest and plunked into the chair he had just vacated. Talon looked at his… son and sighed. He took Jaina's hand in his and turned her head so she would look at him. "There's something you should know about this fight, my girl. I've told Ghent some news that I should have told him a long time ago. I…"
Jaina interrupted, "What does his mother have to do with this? You know how much he misses her."
Talon nodded, "I know. I told him that a long time ago I knew his mother. And that she left here because she didn't like what I did for a living. She didn't want our son to grow up here. But…" Talon looked at Ghent. "He did anyway."
Jaina looked from Talon to Ghent. She slipped off the desk and stood in front of Ghent. She dropped to her knees and hugged him. She could feel him sobbing against her. She watched as Talon circled them. He stopped and placed his hand on Ghent's shoulder. She heard Ghent whisper to her.
"What should I do?"
Jaina pulled back. "Don't make the same mistake everyone thinks I've made. Don't hate him. You can be angry; just don't hate him. This was the best he could do."
Ghent nodded and looked up at Talon. He tried to smile. Talon squeezed Ghent's shoulder and reached out for Jaina's hand. He pulled her up from the floor and nodded toward Ghent. "He has some time saved up. Maybe he could go with you. Seeing Mara… Spending time with the two of you… It might be good for him."
Talon turned to look at his son. "What do you think?"
Ghent nodded slowly, "I just need some time, Talon."
"I understand, Ghent. Everything and everyone will still be here when you get back."
Jaina took this moment to help Ghent from the chair. He started to follow her out the door before turning around and walking up to Talon. He looked Talon over and then hugged him. She could see that Talon had tears in his eyes. She waited patiently for Ghent to step away from Talon and she held out her hand. Ghent took it and let her lead him back to his suite. She kissed him on the cheek.
"We leave at 1400."
Ghent nodded. "I'll be there. But didn't…"
"I think Talon will loan us a ship. My Wing can stay with Shug for a while. Gavin won't mind too much."
Ghent smiled warily and walked into his room. He shut the door and Jaina walked back down the hallway to her room. She thought to herself as she opened her door. Ghent is going to need some time. Talon's right, she whispered to herself as she climbed into bed. Mara and I may be just what he needs.
**************
In the previous night's activities, Jaina had forgotten about the holocron. She didn't think about it again until she had stowed her gear in the ship Talon was loaning her. She quickly rummaged through the stuff that Talon had packed for her. She found the box and removed it from the bag carrying other gifts. She then checked the small cargo area and went to the cockpit. Ghent was sitting in the navigator's seat. He looked up at her and smiled.
Jaina was relieved that he was feeling a little better. He had been sullen during breakfast. And she knew that it had bothered Talon greatly. Now he was chipper and excited about going to see Mara. He motioned to the chair next to him. "The control office is ready when we are."
Jaina sat in the chair and placed the box in a secure alcove near her. She powered up the ship and opened the communications channel. She heard a beeping from behind her and she turned around. Rain was strapped into the alcove near the repair kit. She smiled at her droid and looked at Ghent.
He shrugged, "Shug had a pilot bring her about an hour ago. He thought she might come in handy."
Jaina nodded. "Gavin won't be as upset. That's for sure. Let's go."
Gavin notified the control office as Jaina began her lift off. When the ship had made orbit of the moon, she set a course for Yavin. She turned back to Rain and stood up. She untied the droid and escorted her to the pilot's chair. She strapped the droid in again and turned to Gavin.
"I'm going to look at that holocron. Rain should be able to handle anything. Call me if you need me."
Gavin nodded at his friend and pulled out a book file. He relaxed in his chair and began to read.
**************
Ghent woke to the frantic beeping of the droid next to him. He looked at his screens and called Jaina. He looked at the planet below them. He couldn't believe that he had slept during the whole trip to Yavin. He settled the ship in orbit and noticed that Rain had calmed down a little. He looked at the droid.
"You sure are nervous, aren't you?"
Jaina entered the cockpit and giggled. "It's because Rain's never landed before. I let her fly, but she's too afraid she'll crash if she tries landing."
Gavin winked at the beeping droid. "Don't worry, Rain. She used to be nervous, too."
Rain beeped appreciatively as Jaina untied her from the seat. Jaina looked at Rain and left her unsecured for the landing. She could hear Rain's worried beeps behind her as she began her descent. "It's okay, Rain. You won't go rolling away. I promise."
Gavin laughed and watched as the main citadel came into view. He saw that the landing pad was covered with a couple of X-Wings and several small figures. "What's going on?"
Jaina took a brief look and then turned back to the controls. "Gavin wanted to pay for our upkeep. He's teaching some of the students that are still here about ships and navigation. Personally, I think he likes teaching."
Gavin nodded as the ship settled into an empty area of the landing pad. He stood up and stretched. "Did you find anything out about that holocron?"
Jaina spun in her seat. "Definitely! I found out who the figure is. It's a younger version of Luke's first master. It looks like Obi Wan set this up before the first death star."
"But he looks younger than what Luke and your mom described."
"I know. I think he may have set it up during the glory days of the purge. Maybe he feared that the Emperor would destroy records. He probably wanted someone at some point to know about what the Jedi used to be like."
"I think your uncle's gonna have a heyday with this one."
Jaina smiled, "If he can wrestle it away from me that is."
The two exited the cockpit and grabbed their bags. Jaina placed the holocron in her bag and grabbed Talon's gift bag. Gavin picked up his equipment kit and opened the cargo doors. He followed Jaina off the ship and noticed that no one was waiting for them. He looked around and saw the class that Jaina's boss was teaching.
Jaina waved at Gavin who nodded back. She then grabbed Ghent's hand and pulled him toward the main citadel. They got on the first elevator they could find and took it to the fourth level. Jaina led the way out of the lift and walked down the hallway. She stopped in front of a large door and hit the call switch. Ghent stood back and leaned against the wall.
Jaina hit the call switch again and the door opened. Someone yelled from inside. "I don't want to hear it! Go away now, Luke!"
Jaina smirked at Ghent. "Sounds like Luke did something wrong."
Ghent chuckled and followed Jaina into the suite. Someone was bent over the desk in the corner. Jaina walked toward the desk and pinched the sleeping figure. Ghent laughed out loud as Mara's head shot up from the desk and she looked wildly around the room. Jaina smiled at her aunt.
"So when did you record that message?"
"When he left this morning."
Jaina dropped her bags on the couch and took Ghent's stuff from him. Mara looked at Ghent and got up from her seat. She wrapped her arms around Ghent and squeezed hard. "I've missed you, Ghent. What are you doing here?"
Ghent looked at Jaina for support. She nodded at him and he answered, "Talon and I need some time apart. I thought I'd come see you."
Mara frowned, "What did he do?"
Ghent looked at his friend and predecessor. "He told me the truth. He told me that he was married to my mother. That I'm his… Son."
Mara couldn't hide the surprise from her face. "Are you okay?"
Ghent nodded. "I'm getting there. I decided that spending some time away from him would help me be objective about the whole thing."
"Then I'm glad you came. I kicked my loving husband out this morning for being obnoxious. I think we should have a pity party."
Jaina interrupted, "What did Luke do?"
Mara smiled at her niece. "He's just being weird. I said I felt dizzy and he got.."
Jaina interrupted, "Mara, you just got better. You can't blame him for worrying. We nearly lost you."
Mara nodded. "I know. But I have had enough of everyone treating me like a glass doll."
Ghent winked, "Everyone?"
"Don't ask, Ghent." Mara frowned at her friend. "Let's go get some dinner. I want to avoid contact with a certain person right now."
Ghent nearly choked. "You are that mad at Luke?"
Jaina stood up and leaned over the desk. She peered into Mara's eyes and searched for the identity of this person. She smiled when she broke through and turned to face Ghent. "Nope. It's not Luke. She just wants to be sure I don't run into my father."
Ghent's mouth drew into a thin line. "He's here?"
Mara simply nodded her head.
**************
Leia stood looking at the parade ground from her balcony. She felt arms wrap around her shoulders and she smiled. It felt so good to be together again. She missed Han so much during these last six months. He had come back a week ago begging forgiveness. He had promised Leia he would start over. And he had. He had just spent the morning with Anakin.
"So how did it go?"
Han chuckled, "He was a little moody at first. But I think we're going to be okay."
"Good." Leia turned in her husband's arms. "And what about Jacen?"
"We're doing dinner tonight. But for some reason he wants to wait until later. I can't think of why."
Leia sighed. She had always hated that Luke could know things about her because they were twins. It also seemed to bother her daughter when Jacen did the same thing. She turned back to the parade ground and pointed to a small corner of the landing pad. "Look."
Han grinned, "It's one of Talon's."
"Yes. Ghent got here half an hour ago. He wasn't alone."
"Did Talon come, too?"
"No." Leia turned to look at her husband. She took his hands in hers. She tried to keep her voice calm. "Jacen wants to go to dinner late because Mara wants to go early."
Han looked puzzled. "I thought Mara and I were doing pretty good."
"You are. But, Han, it's not Mara that Jacen's worried about. Ghent came with Jaina."
Han pulled back from his wife. He walked closer to the railing of the balcony. He looked down and sighed. "She doesn't want to see me?"
"I would think that Jacen's request of a dinner time would answer that question. Gavin also came to see me while you were out with Anakin. He said that Jaina had requested to stay in the Rogue citadel. She's not staying here."
Han shook his head. "Why did this happen, Leia? Where did I screw up so badly that this is happening?"
Leia wrapped her arms around her husband and held him while he cried. "I don't know, Han. Maybe soon she'll come around."
Han frowned, "She won't. Jacen is proving that for her."
"Don't blame him. He just doesn't want to hurt either of you."
"I don't care that she may never speak to me again. I just want to know that she doesn't hate me. Because Luke is right. All it takes is one thing. And I won't lose her to her grandfather."
Leia closed her eyes. She knew Han's fears well. But what Luke had said years ago had lately come back to haunt her. She shuddered unconsciously and Han reached out to touch her cheek. "What's wrong, Leia?"
"It's nothing. I was just thinking of something Luke had said a long time ago to me. About Jaina."
Han caressed Leia's cheek. "What?"
"He told me one day that she was the one. That she would be the most like my father."
Han frowned. "Why didn't you ever tell me this?"
"I didn't want to believe him. I think that's why he agreed to Mara teaching Jaina. He wants to be sure someone will see it if it happens. Mara would know it."
Han nodded. "I just don't want it to happen."
Leia smiled at her worried husband. "I honestly think she's stronger than that. And look at how she handled Kyp and Zekk. She actually fought Zekk. And look at what she and Jacen did when Kyp was trying to kill Luke."
Han smiled back at his wife. He heard the doorbell beep. He turned to go into the living area. Leia followed him. He opened the door and stepped back. Leia gasped. Jaina looked into the room and frowned.
"Mom. How are you?"
Leia smiled uneasily, "I'm fine. Your fat…"
"I know." Jaina turned to look at her father. "Ghent talked me into at least coming to say hello."
Han nodded. He wanted so much to hug his daughter, but she had set herself in a defensive position. He decided to act quickly. "Jaina, honey, I need to say something to you."
Jaina nodded, "We can do dinner if you want. I just blew Mara off. She's going with Ghent. They need some time to talk."
Leia jumped on the opportunity. "Why is Ghent here?"
Jaina's face pulled tightly into a nervous look. "Talon told him some stuff. He wanted to get away for a while. He's a little upset with Talon right now."
Leia hugged her daughter. "Anything we can help with?"
Jaina nodded her head. "You and Luke might be able to help. You'll have to ask Ghent though. I only had permission to tell Mara."
Han chuckled, "What did Talon do this time?"
Jaina glared at her father. "He told Ghent some stuff about his family. It's not a big deal."
Han put his hands into the air in surrender. "Fine. I'll shut up now. But I will accept your dinner invitation." He stepped forward and opened the door to the hallway. He held it open for Jaina. After she walked into the hall, Han gave his wife one more look. She smiled brightly at him. Han sighed and followed Jaina to the lift.
**************
The dining hall was filled. The south tables were playing host to the students who still attended the academy. Jaina looked at the diminished numbers and sighed. Han whispered to her, "It's because the Vong want to kill the Jedi. Most of the parents pulled their kids out. It's really bothering your uncle."
Jaina turned to look at her father. She frowned, "Did he try to keep them here? Going out there isn't going to keep them safe. They'd be safer here with Luke and the other teachers."
"I know. I trust Luke. But a lot of people don't thanks to Fe'y'la."
"Why is he doing this? I thought he just wanted mom's job. Why is he hurting Luke now?"
"I don't know." Han found seats for them at one of the north tables. "I wish I knew. The kid doesn't need this right now."
Jaina responded, "What do you mean?"
"He's been feeling kind of crummy since this whole thing started with Fe'y'la. And then he got some sort of a message from Admiral Pelaeon. He said something about some prison they found on Byss. It was underground."
Jaina's head popped up in surprise. "Who was in it?"
Han took a drink from his coffee cup. "Don't know yet. Pelaeon and his crew are opening it up tomorrow. They found some computer locks and they want to be sure that no one booby trapped the prison itself."
"What could have been that important?"
Han shrugged his shoulders as Lowie sat next to him. "Let's just hope it's not more clones. I don't think I could handle another one."
Lowie growled his agreement. Jaina smiled at her friend. As much as Han had tried to escape Lowie and Lumpy when Chewie died, they had still latched onto him, insisting that they fulfill Chewie's life debt to Han. She looked around the dining room and spotted a familiar figure near the main doors.
"Is it alright if I go see someone? I promise I'll come back to listen to whatever you have to say."
Han smiled and nodded his head. He had no clue what Mara may have said to his daughter, but it looked like she was taking it to heart. He turned to Lowie and the two began discussing repairs to the Falcon.
Jaina wove her way through the crowds of people and came up behind the man. He seemed taller than the last time she had seen him. She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around. She smiled as he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.
He set her down and looked her over. "You look good."
Jaina blushed slightly, "You're the same old idiot."
Anakin joined the two and slapped the man on the back. He shook his hand and smiled. "It's good to see you again, Zekk. We need to hear some good stories."
Zekk laughed, "I'm afraid I don't have any good ones. I've been trying to avoid my friends in the guild."
Jaina was shocked. "What's wrong?"
"Fe'y'la's put out feelers. He's hired some of the guild members to keep tabs on me. Probably hoping he can make it look like an accident."
Anakin shook his head, "This is getting worse. It's got to stop soon. The next step he could take would be to break contact with Hapes. And if he does that, the New Republic will have lost it's biggest military support. Luke says that Pelaeon is refusing to give any aid to Fe'y'la. He doesn't agree with the way we're being treated. Of course, from the Imperial standpoint, it's more of a how-dare-you-try-to-abandon-the-Vaders kind of thing."
Jaina bristled at the mention of her grandfather. "Pelaeon wouldn't be that stupid to base his refusal on that."
Anakin smiled indulgently at his older sister. "You forget dear sister that you are his heir and I am his namesake. That's enough for any Imperial to feel they have a say in the whole matter."
Zekk watched Jaina shake her head. "I am not going to accept what Pelaeon has designated me. I am not Vader's heir."
"Don't worry about it, Jaina." Zekk put his arm around Jaina's shoulders. "It can't be that bad."
Jaina pulled away from Zekk with a pained look on her face. "That bad? Think about what you did. Think about what Kyp did. I don't want to be my grandfather's heir, within the Empire or without."
Zekk and Anakin watched Jaina march off to sit with Han and Lowie. Anakin tried to alleviate the tension. "At least she's talking to dad now."
Zekk blinked. He had thought Jaina had forgiven him for what had happened. But it looked like she wasn't even close. He looked around the room nervously. Anakin saw Zekk's reaction to Jaina's statement. He grabbed Zekk's arm. "Don't worry about, man. She's just got a lot going on right now."
"I thought it would be different this time, Anakin."
Anakin winked at Zekk. "She hasn't changed much, Zekk. She's still the same girl you left here five years ago. You still have a chance."
Zekk shook his head in defeat. "I think I blew my chance when I stayed at that academy. And if I didn't blow it then, I certainly did when I came back here to kill you all."
Anakin watched Zekk leave the dining hall. He then turned to look at his sister. Lowie had left the table and it looked like Jaina was listening to what their father had to say. He sighed loudly. He smiled faintly when Jacen came upon him.
Jacen grinned, "What's your problem?"
"Jaina. Who else?"
"What did she do?"
Anakin looked at his older brother. He hated it that Jaina seemed so self destructive. "She just blew off Zekk."
"So?"
"He came back to tell her everything."
Jacen looked surprised. "Oh."
"I don't know what to do. You can tell their both miserable unless they're here together."
Jacen put his hand on his brother's shoulder. The slight height difference could be seen as Jacen looked up slightly. "Jaina's stubborn. She needs to fall before she can admit she's wrong."
Anakin sighed, "I just hope she figures out this thing with Zekk before he finds greener pastures."
Jacen chuckled, "I don't think there's much danger of that happening. He's had five years and he's still hooked on her."
Anakin decided to turn the tables on his self righteous brother. "Speaking of which… How's Danni?"
Anakin could hardly believe the look on his brother's face. His brown eyes were wide and his smile had become more of a slit.
"What!"
**************
Zekk walked as quickly as he could away from the dining hall. He had had absolutely enough. If Jaina couldn't forgive him for his mistakes, then why the hell did she pretend to? Zekk wasn't looking where he was going and ran into a nearly immovable object. He fell to the floor and jumped back up, ready to defend himself.
Instead of a raging Dark Jedi hovering over him with a drawn lightsaber, Zekk found Kyp Durron. Kyp held out his hand. "Long time no see, Zekk."
Zekk nodded his head and quickly shook Kyp's hand. He tried to get around the pilot quickly, but Kyp blocked his way. Kyp grinned at Zekk's discomfort. "Where you going in such a hurry?"
"Anywhere but here. Get out of my way Durron."
Kyp chuckled, "In case you don't remember, I have some seniority around this place. Maybe you'd better answer my question. You seem a little too agitated to fly anyway."
Zekk grimaced. He couldn't stand Kyp. Since he had come back to the Light Side of the Force, Kyp had treated him like a co-conspirator. Zekk may have done some horrible things to the students at the academy, but he had never destroyed a whole world. And he hated that Kyp treated him like he had done something as bad as that. "I don't have any business with you."
Kyp looked at the young bounty hunter closely. "Could this have anything to do with her Royal Highness who arrived this afternoon?"
Kyp knew he had hit the nail on the head with that guess. Zekk's hands clenched into fists and he pulled himself into a more stiff posture. "Jaina is none of your business, Durron. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
Kyp shoved his hand across the hall to the wall, effectively blocking Zekk's escape. "Ah, but Jaina is my business. You know how close Han and I are. Jaina is like a sister. Maybe it would do you some good to be a little nicer to me."
Zekk growled his next word's. "You're sounding a little too evil for my tastes, Durron. I suggest you keep up whatever act you've been using for the past eighteen years. If you're not careful, someone might guess you still took some pride in destroying Caridia."
Zekk was totally unprepared for what happened next. He was standing, ready to fight Kyp one minute; the next he was on the floor with a bleeding lip. He looked up to the man towering over him.
"Take it back now, Zekk!"
Zekk shook his head and prepared to stand up. "Never! We all know it! You liked what you did! You enjoyed it!"
Zekk's scream echoed down the empty hallway as Kyp grabbed him by the collar of his flight suit and yanked him into a standing position. Zekk used the momentum of the pull to throw his fist into Kyp's face. A crack could be heard as blood started coming out of Kyp's nose. Kyp roared in anger and lunged for Zekk. Zekk tried to ready himself for the blow when he noticed that Kyp was suspended in mid-air. Zekk looked at Kyp's face and noticed a hint of surprise.
Zekk turned around to find Mara Jade Skywalker staring at the two of them. From the look on her face, Zekk figured that she was the one holding Kyp in the air. She blinked and Zekk heard a loud thump and a groan from behind him. Mara stared at the men and shook her head. She began to yell, "I thought I was done cleaning up after the two of you! What the hell was this about?"
Zekk noticed the lack of response from Kyp and decided to try and explain the situation away. All he needed was to be locked up for fighting. He was so busy thinking of a plausible story that he hadn't noticed the shadow that had come up behind Mara. Zekk looked up and began to speak.
"We were simply..."
The shadow interrupted. "I don't want to hear it. I could hear it down the hall. Zekk, I know you've always had doubts about Kyp's loyalty. I won't tolerate it anymore. And Kyp..."
Kyp grimaced at his name.
The shadow continued, "I thought I knew you better than this. You are over thirty years old. And now you pick fights with young men half your age? I've half a mind to believe Zekk's claims."
Kyp growled and sprang forward to protest. The shadow sprang forward as well and became Luke Skywalker. "Don't try it, Kyp. It would not help your cause."
Kyp clenched his fists tightly. He had never before wanted to hurt his former master so much. Now it was all he could do to restrain himself.
Luke sighed sadly, "You haven't changed, Kyp. And I thought by now you would have. Anger is only going to allow another like Kun to use you again. Or it may even eliminate your need for such a soul by making you just like him. You've turned your life around, but it hangs on the same thread that my physical safety does at this moment."
Kyp blinked and squeezed his fists tighter. He wouldn't grace Skywalker with a reply.
"The anger you feel now is what is fueling you in this war. Miko would not want this."
At the mention of his dead student, Kyp lunged forward towards Luke. He reached out to grab his throat but stopped in the nick of time as Mara's lightsaber caught under his own throat. He turned his head slightly to look at her.
"Don't even move," she growled. "I think your body might miss its head."
Zekk watched the display with quiet shame. He should never have let himself be provoked by Kyp. He also knew he shouldn't have egged him on. The discussion was at a standstill. Kyp's hands were still outstretched toward Luke's neck. And Mara's lightsaber was still mere centimeters from Kyp's throat. But Kyp's next words changed everything.
Kyp looked Luke in the eyes and growled at Mara. "Prove you could beat me. Prove that you weren't a bad choice. Prove you're nothing like me."
Even Luke was shocked at the challenge. In his heart he now knew that he had lost Kyp a second time. Exar Kun had stolen him eighteen years ago. But know Kyp had made his own choice. He looked his former student in the eye and tried to reason with him.
"Kyp, now is not the time for this. We can talk this out."
Kyp yelled, "I'm done talking! Talking and planning got Miko killed! And now it will end!"
Zekk leaped forward as Kyp kicked out at Mara. She fell away and hit her head against the wall. Zekk grabbed Kyp from behind before he could grab hold of Luke. Luke pulled out his lightsaber and attempted to block Kyp from further injuring Mara in his struggle to throw Zekk. Kyp however slammed his back against the wall and knocked the wind out of Zekk. He fell to the ground and gasped for air.
Kyp ran in the opposite direction as Luke came to help Zekk to his feet. The two men ran after Kyp with their weapons drawn. Zekk stopped for a moment halfway to their destination to grab his second blaster from the holster on his right side. Luke took the lead as the two men entered the hangar bay. They could hear Kyp's feet slapping against the perma-concrete as he made his way toward the only vessel in the bay. Luke called out for him to stop.
Zekk noticed a movement on the balcony level of the hangar bay. He pulled Luke to a stop and pointed toward the movement. Luke watched closely. He knew Zekk thought it might be someone who would help Kyp, but he knew otherwise. He pulled Zekk to the side and Kyp ran into the open to the small ship on the other side of the bay.
Zekk watched as the figure dropped the twenty feet from the balcony to tackle Kyp to the ground. Luke turned from the action as he heard footsteps behind them. Mara took up a spot next to Luke. She touched her forehead lightly and grimaced. Her lightsaber, once Vader's own, was lit. The figure fighting Kyp was blocked by supply boxes.
It took Zekk a moment to realize that Kyp had managed to wrestle the lightsaber away from the knight. He heard a loud gasp as Kyp punched out with his fists. Zekk decided to take his chance. He ran forward and ignored Luke's calls. He ran for the lightsaber that Kyp had thrown away. He grabbed it and used his force talents to levitate it to the figure crouched in front of Kyp.
Kyp lighted his lightsaber and brought it above his head to drive it through the injured Jedi. Zekk sped up his levitation and managed to get the saber into the knight's hands just in time. He could hear Luke yell out and saw the lightsaber blade protruding from Kyp's back. He also noticed the glow of Kyp's lightsaber stuck through the knight's arm. Zekk noticed that Kyp was slipping to the side and he pulled together all of his power to force the saber's switch to close. The beam disappeared and a cry was heard in the hangar.
Luke ran forward and dropped next to knight as Mara checked Kyp. She said, "He's dead, Luke. She killed him."
Zekk came forward and looked over Luke's shoulder. He blinked back tears of relief as Luke picked Jaina up off the floor. She cried out as her arm hit Luke's chest. Mara took Zekk's arm and pulled him along behind the Jedi Master and his only niece. Zekk hadn't realized that the knight had been Jaina. He thanked whatever gods watched over him that he had been able to shut Kyp's lightsaber off in time.