Title: The Lost Order Part Two
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. And to another character who is no longer with us... Damn Troy Denning!
Leia ran through the corridors of the main citadel to find her sons. She had already tried the dining room. Tenel had mentioned that she had seen them leaving about ten minutes earlier. She took a corner too fast and ran into a very surprised Kam Solusar.
"You okay, your Highness?"
Leia pulled herself up and smiled nervously. "I was trying to find Jacen and Anakin. Do you know where they are?"
Kam nodded, "I just saw them upstairs looking for you. Why?"
Leia apologized as she ran for the lift. "I can't right now, Kam. Maybe later."
Leia waited impatiently for the lift to arrive. It finally appeared to reveal another Jedi Knight, Tionne. The pale woman smiled at Leia and stepped back to allow her room to enter the lift.
Tionne watched her friend as she punched in her destination. "Leia? Are you alright?"
Leia leaned back against the wall. "Have you seen Kyp lately?"
Tionne shook her head, "Why?"
"He attacked Zekk. Luke and Mara stopped him, but he got away." Leia started to cry and Tionne touched her friend's arm. "He tried to get away. Jaina stopped him in the hangar bay. He's dead."
"What happened?"
"Luke said he had turned. He could feel it. Zekk said he could feel it, too. Jaina found him in the hangar and jumped him. He… She killed him. Oh, Tionne, I…"
Tionne hugged Leia tightly. She whispered in her ear, "It's okay. Jaina will be fine. Did she get hurt?"
Leia shook even more as she sobbed. "He… Her arm… Zekk managed to get Jaina her lightsaber. But Kyp still hurt her."
Tionne pulled back to look into Leia's eyes. "Come on. Let's find the boys and Han. Then we'll go down and see Jaina."
Leia cringed, "But that's not all. It wasn't Kyp. I don't know how, but Luke had Clighal check him. It's not him."
Tionne tried to smile. "Then I'll find Kam after we get you back down to Jaina. We'll look for Kyp. The sense that Luke and Zekk picked up may be wrong. Especially if it wasn't Kyp."
Leia stiffened as the lift came to a halt. Tionne stepped out of the lift only to find that Leia was still leaning against the wall inside the lift. Tionne tried to put Leia at ease.
"Do you want me to get Jacen and Anakin?"
Leia nodded her head slightly. "I can't… Jacen… I just can't."
"Okay. I'll be back."
Tionne walked down the hall to the Solo's rooms. She tapped the door signal and waited for one of the boys to open the door. When the door opened, she was looking straight at a furry wall. Tionne tilted her head upward to look at Lowie.
"Are the boys here?"
Lowie grunted something that Tionne hoped was an answer of some sort. She could see that Lowie wasn't wearing Emtedee. She followed him inside the room. Han was camped out on the couch watching the holonet for the most recent news report. She sat down next to him.
"Han, I need to tell you something."
Han looked at Tionne and shut off the holonet. He called his sons who had already appeared in the doorway. "Go for it, Ti."
Tionne smiled as Han used the nickname that Kam has given her years ago. "Leia was on her way up here to tell you but she couldn't leave the lift."
Han's eyes turned dark. "What happened?"
"Well, we're not sure who it was exactly, but someone who looked and acted like Kyp attacked Zekk. Your brother-in-law and Mara stopped him, but he ran away. He was trying to fly off."
Jacen came closer and looked at his former Jedi History teacher. "Is Jaina okay?"
Han's head shot up to look at his eldest son. He turned back to Tionne who tried to reassure him. "Kyp tried to leave, Han. Jaina jumped him before he could get to his ship. She killed him. And he apparently hurt her, too."
Han sighed, "Where's the real Kyp?"
Anakin laughed uneasily. "Do you think it was one of those suits?"
Tionne knew what Anakin was talking about. She frowned, "We don't know. It could have been a Vong. But if it was, we need to find Kyp. He may be hurt."
Han nodded. He turned to his sons. "Jacen, go with your mother to see Jaina. Find out what you can about this man she killed. You know how to operate those skin suits." Jacen nodded and left the suite. Han then turned to his youngest son. "You and I are going Kyp hunting."
Anakin smiled, "Goody."
Tionne looked at Han as he stood up. "I'm going to find Kam as soon as I check in with Luke. We'll help look, too. I think even Kirana is here."
Anakin nodded, "Tenel is here. Kirana has to be. Isolder won't let her go anywhere without Kirana now."
Tionne stood up and followed Han, Anakin, and Lowie out. She walked toward the lift and saw Jacen was hugging his mother. She could hear him whispering to her. Han looked scared for his wife. Tionne took his hand in hers. "She'll be fine, Han. Just find Kyp. He can tell us what happened."
**************
Tenel stood quietly, listening to the sounds of the forest. She looked to her left as some odd sense came upon her. She stepped forward and threw her net. Kirana avoided the net and lunged at Tenel. The girl ducked and rolled to her right. She grunted in pain as Kirana's staff hit her side. Tenel took her own staff and struck forward. Kirana used Tenel's momentum to throw the girl off balance.
Tenel hit the ground and tried to block Kirana's staff. She threw out her left arm and batted the wood away. She propped herself up and used her own staff to knock Kirana off her feet. A groan from the older woman signaled an end to the match.
"No more sparring." Kirana moaned. "You'll kill me yet."
Tenel pulled herself up from the ground and settled her staff in the crook of her left arm. She reached out with her left hand and pulled Kirana up from the forest floor. Kirana looked over her student closely. She saw blood near her shoulder.
"Where did you get this?"
Tenel tilted her head to get a good look at the stain. "I do not know. I did not see any blood during my search."
Kirana crouched down and looked at the forest floor. She could see thin trails of blood leading away from the direction of the citadel. She motioned to Tenel and began to follow the trail. The two women had been walking for twenty minutes when Tenel felt something grab her ankle. Kirana turned and saw her student swing her staff at her right foot.
A small groan signaled a hit. Tenel stepped away from the area and looked at the leaves and wood cluttered around what had grabbed her. She moved a leaf carefully to reveal a bloody hand. She called out for Kirana who had continued searching around the small clearing.
"There is someone here."
Kirana ran forward and watched Tenel pull back debris from the figure on the ground. She recognized her friend before Tenel did. Kirana dropped next to the man and turned him over. His shirt was torn in several places and his forehead was covered in blood.
"Kyp?"
The man groaned and tried to focus his eyes. "Who…"
"It's Kirana. We will bring you back to the citadel."
"No!" Kyp tried to roll away from Kirana only to find Tenel blocking his escape. "Vong is here. Jumped me. Has a suit."
Tenel looked up in shock. She estimated Kyp's weight and figured correctly that Kirana could carry him. She tightened her grip on her staff and took off into the trees. Kirana watched Tenel run toward the citadel. She took Kyp's arm and sat him up. He blinked through the blood in his eyes.
"Can you stand?"
Kyp used Kirana to pull himself to a standing position. He wobbled slightly. "I think so."
Kirana gripped his right arm and circled her left arm around his waist. She lifted slightly and she and Kyp set out toward the praxeum.
**************
Luke was sitting quietly in the Infirmary. Clighal had treated Jaina's injuries. She had suffered a broken rib and had only superficial burns on her arm. He looked at the body lying in front of him. It looked like his friend and former student, Kyp Durron. But he knew now that it couldn't be. Even if Kyp had fallen to the Dark Side, he would never have hurt Jaina. He would never have raised his lightsaber to kill her. And that is what this man had done. The real question was about the weapon itself.
Luke examined the lightsaber in his hand. He knew it was Kyp's. He looked up as a green figure ran through the room. He waited and watched as Tenel turned and approached him. She gulped quickly for air and looked at the body on the bed.
"That is not him."
Luke nodded, "I know. Kam and…"
"Kirana and I found him in the forest."
Luke looked up in surprise. "Is he alright?"
Tenel shook her head. "He was semi-conscious. Kirana is bringing him here. He claimed he was attacked by a Vong."
Luke squinted his eyes and stood up. He walked toward the man on the bed and touched behind his ear lightly. Instantly the man's skin began to pool and slither away from him. It fell to the ground to the left of the bed. Luke examined the man's face closely. Never before had he seen a Vong with so much ritual damage as this one.
Tenel kicked the skin on the floor. It looked dead. She picked it up and looked at Luke. He nodded toward the small bacta tank in the corner.
"It would be good to save it." Luke mumbled. "We may need it in the future."
Tenel settled the skin in the tank as Kirana half-carried, half- dragged Kyp into the room. Luke quickly helped Kirana lay Kyp on a bed. He then called for Clighal. The Mon Calamari Jedi ran into the room while one of the two medical droids at the citadel helped Jaina into the room. She looked warily at Clighal as she tried to assess Kyp's condition.
Luke stepped up to his niece and put his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and tried to breathe deeply.
"It wasn't him." Luke soothed.
"I… I know. It's just…" Jaina stammered.
"It's still scary. It'll be alright." Luke pulled back and noticed Mara come into the Infirmary. She smiled and looked at Jaina. "Do you want to go with Mara?"
Jaina looked over her shoulder and saw her master standing in the doorway. "Sure. I brought Talon's…"
Luke smiled eagerly, "What did he get her?"
Jaina sighed. "I was hoping to keep it to myself, but… It's a holocron."
Luke's smile broadened. "Where did he find it?"
"Some trader. He thought it was a holo-frame."
"Who is it?"
"Honestly, I have asked it. And what it told me is kind of…"
Luke chuckled, "Unbelievable?"
Jaina smiled, "Yeah. He says he's Obi Wan."
Luke's mouth opened in surprise. He couldn't believe that Ben would have made a holocron and then not told him. "Did you give it to her yet?"
"No." Jaina mumbled. "I was hoping I could play with it a little first."
Luke smiled indulgently at his niece. "Alright. But I want to give it to her tomorrow night."
Jaina winked and turned to leave. Mara put her arm around Jaina's shoulders and led her from the room. Luke turned back to the scene before him. Clighal was giving orders to the droid that had brought Jaina in. She looked at Luke.
"It looks like he took quite a blow to the head. His hand was broken. With a good rest and a trance or two, he should be alright."
Luke nodded and stepped toward the bed. "Was he awake?"
Kirana and Tenel nodded. Kirana was the one who spoke. "He alerted us to the fact that a Vong may have…"
Tenel looked up at her master. "The Vong has already been captured. He is dead."
Luke frowned. "Jaina killed him. He would have killed her if not for Zekk. I'm concerned about this identity issue."
Kirana and Clighal looked at each other in confusion.
Luke continued, "Mara and I heard the argument between Zekk and the Vong. The Vong knew a lot about Kyp's past. He also knew quite a bit about Zekk's past. Someone else may be here."
Tenel shook her head. "There are other possibilities."
Luke sighed, "I know. Someone on Yavin could be assisting the Vong." He looked at Kyp's body on the bed. His chest was moving up and down as he breathed. "That would mean we have a Dark Jedi in our midst. And I'd like to keep that possibility from becoming public. It would only hurt those who have been…"
Kirana nodded. "People like Zekk and Kyp."
Luke dropped his head to look at the floor. He then looked back at Kyp. "And Mara."
**************
Jaina followed Mara into her room at the Rogue Citadel. Her aunt took a seat at her desk while Jaina dropped herself into her self-forming chair.
Mara tried to occupy her niece's mind. "So tell me… Did dinner go well?"
Jaina blinked. In the excitement she hadn't thought about her promise to her father. "I wanted to see Zekk. I got angry and figured it would be better to avoid the whole discussion. Dad understood. He doesn't want me mad at him."
Mara thought of her errant brother-in-law. She, like everyone, had felt a great loss at what happened nearly a year ago. But she had seen what Han's need to escape had done to Leia and the children. "It will be okay."
"I know. I just wish none of this past year had happened."
Mara knew that Jaina was thinking about all of the bad things. She still felt a little hurt though.
Jaina sat up in shock. "Oh, Mara! I didn't mean…"
"I understand. You were talking about your dad and Chewie. Not me."
Jaina felt tears coming to her eyes. "It's just that everything this past year has been so… Chewie… And then dad's running away… and then nearly losing you."
Mara stood her ground. "If your father hadn't run away, I wouldn't be better. He never would have brought that medicine or whatever it was back. And I'd still be dying. And maybe, somehow, Chewie could see all of this. Maybe he could see that something bad had to come before something good."
Jaina nodded. "Chewie would've died for any of us. Even you."
"Maybe that's what he did."
Jaina wiped her eyes and looked at her night stand. The holocron was in plain sight! She had to hide it before Mara saw it. Luke would kill her.
"Uh, Mara!"
Mara focused on Jaina. "What?"
"Can you get me a drink? My throat…"
"No problem. I'll be right back."
Jaina watched her aunt leave the room. Jaina took the holocron and went out to her small balcony. She heard loud laughter and looked to the left. Tyris' room was next to hers and she could tell that Tyris was entertaining some of the pilots in her room. Jaina thought for a moment and remembered that it was Sabacc Night. She smiled at the commotion and set the holocron on the balcony's wide railing. She activated it.
The figure she had seen at Talon's party appeared. She had asked general questions of the figure later that night to find out who he was. And the problem lay in who he claimed to be. Normally, a holocron was made by an older master in order to preserve historical data. This holocron was made by a young Jedi who claimed to be Obi Wan Kenobi. Jaina heard her aunt come back into the room and call out for her.
Jaina called back, "I'm feeling tired. I think I'm going to go to bed."
Mara answered, "Okay. I left your water on your night stand. Good night."
Jaina waited until she heard the door close before she began to investigate the holocron further. She watched the figure shimmer in the late night air. She touched the side of the holocron and noticed a small door opened near her thumb.
The figure motioned with his hand to the pad revealed by the door. "Access can only be granted to one who passes the test."
Jaina was puzzled. She moved her finger over the small pad. She pulled her finger back quickly when she felt a pin prick against her skin. The holocron glowed softly for a few seconds before the young figure faded away to be replaced by another young Jedi. She thought this man looked familiar but she couldn't place him.
The new man spoke forcefully. "Access granted."
Jaina decided to find out what had just happened. "Where did the first guardian go?"
The blond man answered, "He is the guardian for the security measure. He can be recalled by asking for him by name."
Jaina thought about the arrangement of this holocron. "This isn't a holocron, is it?"
The man smiled, "It is. And it is not. No other holocron has this design."
"Why not?"
The man motioned to the small pad that still showed on the side of the crystal base. "This holocron was designed for one sole purpose. It can only be accessed with a genetic sample."
"What information do you guard?"
The man's eyes twinkled. "We guard technical data on two droids."
Jaina ran her fingers through her brown hair. She closed her eyes and thought for a minute. "What kind of droids?"
"The schematic information that we hold locates an extra memory chip in two specific droids. The information in the memory chips is the droids' true memory. Access to this information can only be granted to the genetic descendant of their owners."
Jaina looked at the finger that brushed the pad. "Do I qualify?"
"Yes. You are a genetic descendant of both owners."
"Who are you?"
The man smiled. "The limited amount of technology in this design cannot allow me to identify myself in relation to your genetic sample. However I can tell you that I am one of the owners. My name is…"
Jaina whispered, "Anakin."
The man nodded, "I am a Jedi Knight. My master created this holocron to allow access to my droid in the future. I am conscious within this holocron. Please tell me who you are."
Jaina stared at the figure. Her grandfather looked a lot like her uncle. She should have seen it before. "I am Jaina Solo. I am also a Jedi Knight. You would be my grandfather."
The figure nodded slowly. "We did not believe it would take this long to find this holocron. We hoped that one of my…"
"Children?"
"Yes. We hoped one of them would find it."
Jaina wanted to place the timing of this holocron. "Do you have children?"
"In the future I must. Now I do not."
Jaina pondered the statement for a moment. That would mean that Anakin had not yet turned. He also had not yet had Luke or Leia. Which placed the holocron at nearly fifty years of age. "The droids you spoke about… Can you identify them?"
"Yes. One is an astromech droid. Another is a protocol droid."
Jaina decided to lighten the mood by being funny. "Couldn't be Threepio or Artoo."
The figure nodded quickly. "That is correct."
Jaina nearly knocked the holocron from its perch on the railing. She had been joking. It couldn't be. "Which droid do you own?"
"I built Threepio."
Jaina quickly shut the holocron off. Someone had to be playing a trick on her. She went back into her room and searched for her repair kit. She left the holocron on her bed and left the Rogue Citadel at a dead run. She reached the main citadel and went to the hangar. She avoided the blood spot in the south corner and went to the nearest worktable. She put her kit down and then went in search of Threepio.
**************
"No! I will not be quiet. Mistress Jaina was injured. She should not be awake at this hour."
Artoo beeped angrily at the protocol droid. Jaina snickered loudly. She looked at the astromech droid. "If Luke could only hear your language."
Artoo beeped proudly and made a zerbert sound at Threepio. The protocol droid turned to Jaina. "I don't understand, Mistress Jaina. I just completed a maintenance check a week ago. The next one is not scheduled for another month."
Artoo beeped defiantly.
Threepio reeled in shock. "I will not allow you to accuse me of being a defunct piece of machinery. You are…"
Jaina interrupted, "Boys, let's not go into this now. If it would make you feel better, Artoo can come, too."
Threepio glared at his counterpart. "Feel better? He'd probably turn my head around like that walking carpet did years ago."
Artoo beeped sadly and rolled closer to Jaina who patted him on his dome. "I know Artoo. We all miss him."
Threepio diplomatically tried to apologize. "Mistress Jaina, I didn't mean to call him a walking carpet."
"It's okay Threepio. It's how you remember him. I think even mom called him that.."
Artoo beeped loudly. Threepio translated, "He wants to get this over with. He suggests nailing my mouth shut."
Jaina smiled at the astromech. "I don't want to damage his gold plating. Besides, I'd only have to remove his vocal program."
Artoo rolled quickly after Jaina whistling to himself. Threepio sighed and followed the two to the hangar bay. He noted that no one else was present to conduct the maintenance test.
"Mistress Jaina, where is…"
Jaina motioned Artoo to the side. "It's okay. I got mom's permission to do it myself. I couldn't sleep. Nightmares."
Artoo beeped mournfully. Jaina answered him, "Not Chewie. I just can't get over killing… Well, not Kyp, but…"
Threepio finished for her. "Someone who looked like Master Kyp."
"Exactly."
Jaina began to pull Threepio's main access panel apart. She examined the memory chips she could locate. They all were the primary memory chips. She knew she needed to find one that was a secondary storage chip. She moved some wires aside and looked closer. While she searched, she could hear Artoo and Threepio arguing about some silly point of fact.
She tried to focus on the job at hand. She blinked and saw a glitter amidst the wires near Threepio's main power source. She reached in and pulled out the chip. She examined it and decided that it must be the one she was looking for. She then found an open port in Threepio's memory panel. She plugged the chip in and stepped back. Artoo beeped in fear as Threepio shut down. Jaina walked over to stand at Artoo's side. She patted his dome in comfort.
"He'll be fine. He's loading a memory chip."
Artoo beeped a question and Jaina answered. "It won't hurt him. You know… For someone who loves to give him a hard time, you sure get worried about him."
Artoo beeped rudely at Jaina.
She laughed, "Of course you're a worrywart. Threepio wasn't wrong on that one."
Jaina sat down next to Artoo and closed her eyes. She wanted to wait the few hours that the chip needed in the hangar. There was less chance of being caught.
**************
Zekk wandered through the first floor of the citadel. It was early morning and very few people were up yet. He looked at the pale sun through one the small windows in the kitchen. He thought about what happened the night before. He had already been to the Infirmary to see Kyp. The older man had been awake since around midnight. He was somewhat lucid and recognized Zekk. So Zekk had told him what happened with the Vong.
Kyp had been so scared when he heard about Mara. He looked around the room and begged for news that she was okay. Then Zekk told him about Jaina. Kyp had closed his eyes and groaned. He thanked Zekk for saving her life and asked if Han was mad at him for letting this happen. Zekk and Kyp had talked for hours before Clighal finally sent Zekk packing.
Zekk smiled as the sun filled the room. He grabbed a cup of caf and continued on his way. After thirty minutes he found himself outside the hangar. He decided to check on the Lightening Rod. He opened the doors and nearly tripped over Artoo.
"Artoo! What are you doing in here?"
The astromech beeped solemnly.
"What in the…" Zekk noticed the tools strewn about the repair area. He went closer to the table and saw that pieces of Threepio were laid out neatly in piles. He turned to Artoo. "Who did this?"
Artoo beeped excitedly and began to move toward a dark corner near Zekk's ship. As Zekk got closer he found Jaina sound asleep on the concrete floor. He stood and looked at her. She looked like she had been leaning against something that had moved from her side. Zekk looked at Artoo.
"Was she leaning against you?"
The droid beeped quietly and rolled forward to settle near Jaina's sleeping form. Zekk walked over and sat next to Jaina. His movement caused her to roll over onto her back. She groaned quietly. Zekk watched her for a few minutes before whispering to Artoo.
"Has she been okay?"
Artoo beeped an affirmative answer.
"Did she take Threepio apart?"
Artoo turned his dome from side to side and beeped plaintively.
Zekk looked around the room and saw Threepio propped up against the wall near the table. The droid looked like it was downloading information.
Zekk reached out and touched Jaina's cheek lightly. "What did you do?"
Artoo beeped and rolled away to watch Threepio.
Zekk pulled his knees up to his chest and settled against the wall. His eyes continued to be focused on Jaina. He wished that she could forgive him. He hadn't meant to come here and destroy everything. He knew he had made a mistake five years ago, and he was still paying for it. Zekk whispered in the silent hangar.
"Jaina, forgive me."
**************
A loud sound caused Jaina to open her eyes. She sat up and looked at where she had left Threepio. He was wobbling on his feet. She started to stand up when she felt someone grab her hand. She turned to her right and saw Zekk sitting against the wall. He smiled at her and winked.
Jaina stood up. "What are you doing here?"
"My ship is in this hangar."
"So get on it and leave."
Zekk chuckled, "That would be too easy. What did you do to your dad's favorite droid?"
Jaina had moved over to look at Threepio who was still trying to keep his balance. "I found an extra memory chip. I plugged it in last night. It's taken this long for him to download the information."
Zekk whistled in respect. "Lots of memory on that chip."
Jaina replaced the main panel and checked Threepio over one more time. "I know."
"What's on it?"
Jaina jumped as she heard Zekk's voice come from over her shoulder. She stepped back and bumped into him. He stepped to the side as Jaina glared at him. "I don't know yet. I think it might be something special."
Zekk looked at Jaina with interest. "Special?"
"It's none of your business."
Zekk stepped forward and grabbed Jaina's arm. She tried to pull loose, but he held on tightly. "You were glad to see me."
"Note the past tense verb."
"Funny. What's wrong?"
Jaina said loudly, "Nothing. So just leave me alone."
She had stood up on her tiptoes to stare him straight in the face. Zekk glared right back at her before letting her arm go. He took the same tone of voice. "Or what?"
Jaina was at a loss. "Or I'll…"
Zekk reached out and managed to throw Jaina off balance. She retaliated by using her elbow to rearrange his face. The two fought for a few minutes before Zekk gained the upper hand. He tripped her to the ground and used his body to pin her to the floor. She tried to pull her arms loose before she turned to look at him.
"Just get a life, Zekk."
Zekk smiled down at Jaina. She tried to pull away from him, but his body held her in place. "I want to make it my business."
"You're just nosy."
Zekk shook his head. He took a deep breath and tried to summon some courage. "You don't understand."
"Understand what? That you're a jerk. That you proved Brakiss wrong."
Zekk looked surprised. "What in the hell are you talking about?"
Jaina glared up at Zekk. "He told me that I was your weakness. I'm sure. If I were, I could have gotten out of this a long time ago. You just like being mean to me."
Zekk blinked. He had known what Brakiss had thought. Hell, he had trained Zekk to protect him from Jaina. He had never known that Brakiss had told Jaina about that. He became flustered. "I didn't know he told you that."
Jaina sighed, "He did. So get over it and let me go."
Zekk looked into Jaina's eyes and said, "No."
Jaina shrieked, "What!?"
"Not until you listen to what I have to say."
He had let his guard down and Jaina decided to take advantage of it. She threw her right leg up to build momentum and managed to flip the two of them over. She pinned Zekk's hands above his head. "You're starting to sound like my father."
Zekk groaned as his head started to throb from the bump he had just received. "Trust me. This is NOT a good time to think about your father."
"And why not?"
"Because I…"
Jaina sighed, "Out with it. What in the hell do you have to say to me that's so important?"
"I want us to start over."
Jaina released her grip on Zekk's hands. She backed up and sat on his legs. Zekk sat up and rubbed his head. She watched him carefully. "You what?"
"I want a chance. That's all. Brakiss was right."
Jaina's mouth dropped open. She looked around the hangar for Artoo and Threepio. Zekk tried to smile, "They left when we started fighting. They won't be far away."
Jaina frowned, "I didn't ask you. And what do you want a chance to do? Fix things? Change the past?"
"No. I want a chance to do this everyday."
Jaina was puzzled at what Zekk was talking about. She closed her eyes and started to speak. "What would this b…"
Jaina's eyes popped open. She saw Zekk's face a few centimeters from her own. He was kissing her. She pulled back and rolled away from him. He sat still and waited.
"What the hell were you doing?"
Zekk shrugged his shoulders. "Even if I never get to do that again, it was worth the bump on my head."
Jaina looked at her friend. "What are you talking about?"
Zekk stood up and reached out for Jaina's hand. She didn't pull away but she did fall into a defensive stance. "Would you like to join me for dinner later tonight?"
Jaina was speechless. She looked into Zekk's eyes and tried to find a reason to say no. She couldn't find one. "Okay."
Zekk smiled. "Good. I'll see you later then. Oh, and I'd fix Threepio soon. Your mom might get upset. He is her droid after all."
Jaina watched Zekk leave the hangar bay. She turned to see Artoo and Threepio come back into the hangar. She sighed heavily. Now she had no excuse. She had to tell Zekk. Tell him that she was in love with him.
"Come on Threepio. Let's find out what you remember now."
**************
Gavin looked over the landing pad outside the Rogue Citadel. Most of the X-Wings were out and being serviced by the mechanics based out of the main citadel. The Rogue mechanics wouldn't arrive for another week. Gavin continued walking outside and turned in the direction of the main citadel. He heard someone come up behind him.
Tyris stepped up next to her commander and walked with him. When they arrived at the landing pad at their destination, Tyris finally spoke. "So what did she do?"
Gavin smiled. Ever since Luke had come last night to tell Gavin about Jaina's incident in the hangar, every Rogue pilot had been interested in how she was doing. She had finally proven herself to the pilots and now they were anxious to make sure she was okay. "She's fine. She killed a Vong spy."
Tyris chuckled, "I knew she had it in her. I heard she got a broken rib."
Gavin nodded, "And some pretty ugly burns on her arm. She apparently hasn't decided if she wants to treat her arm to prevent a scar."
Tyris followed her commander into the hangar of the citadel and looked around for Jaina. Word was that Sticks was fixing a droid in the hangar. She motioned to the table, "I thought that was over…"
Gavin frowned. "She moved it. Luke thinks that it was too close to the blood."
"Ouch. Is she really okay?"
"She hasn't gone back to the Infirmary. She told Luke she was too busy. We think she doesn't want to see Kyp."
Tyris watched her friend move around the protocol droid and whispered, "I wouldn't want to look at the guy I killed either."
"She didn't kill him."
"I'm sure she knows that."
Gavin and Tyris watched Jaina for several minutes. She had finished tinkering with the droid and was now sitting on the floor of the hangar listening to it. She had pulled herself into a ball and was leaning against the wall.
Gavin walked over and sat down next to Jaina. He saw her turn to look at Tyris out of the corner of his eye. "What's he talking about?"
Jaina focused back onto Threepio. "He's telling me what's on the chip. Something about previous owners and the Old Republic."
Tyris giggled, "As interesting as this sounds, we must leave. Remember. Your test flight is tomorrow."
Jaina nodded as Gavin and Tyris left the area. She turned to Artoo and looked for any signs of life. Before Gavin and Tyris had come in, she had found Artoo's chip and plugged it in. She made sure he wasn't overloading before going back to Threepio. "Okay Goldenrod. What were those coordinates again?"
**************
Anakin paced his room. Seven hours! Seven more hours and this whole thing would go bust. He had seven hours until his final test, and they were most likely the longest seven hours of his life. Anakin picked up a data pad and began to read it over. He knew all of the answers. He knew the techniques. If only they'd just start the test now. Anakin tossed the data pad onto his bed and sat down in his only chair. He'd just have to wait it out.
The door announced that someone wanted to speak to him. Anakin sighed and stood up. He opened the door to find his aunt there. Mara smiled at her nephew. Luke had already accused her of having favorites. If she did, her favorite was definitely Anakin. He had saved her life after all.
"Hi."
"Aunt Mara?"
Mara tilted her head and laughed. "Can I come in or are you going to make me stand in the hallway?"
Anakin stepped back quickly and nearly tripped over his tool kit. He blushed as Mara laughed and he joined in. Mara took a seat in the chair and looked up at her nephew. She had never seen his namesake without his dark mask, but she knew he had to look like him. At least that's what Luke swore. And he would know. He had seen Anakin after he died. But only twice.
"I was talking to your uncle and…"
Anakin stood nervously.
Mara continued. "We decided to let you take the test early."
Anakin let out a deep breath and smiled.
"However, there will be some ground rules. If you go early, no droids."
Anakin nodded. He didn't need Artoo anyway. "And?"
"No assistance from outside sources. Like for example, your sister and brother."
Anakin smiled. Mara must have overheard him joking with Jacen earlier about having them pick him up during the test. "I promise."
"And one more thing… No investigating things that aren't part of the test. Am I clear?"
Anakin smiled, "Crystal."
"Get your gear and move it then. Your uncle's waiting."
Anakin grabbed the bag he had packed hours before and ran out of his room. He knew his aunt would lock his door. He got on the nearest lift and waited impatiently for it to deposit him on the ground level. Anakin then took the first hallway on the left and ran to the end. He opened the door and entered the hangar. He could see his uncle standing by the Falcon.
Anakin yelled, "I'm here!"
"I can see that. I also can hear it." Luke chuckled. His nephew was so eager to take his final test and graduate. His sister and brother had taken their last tests nearly two years ago. Because of the war, Anakin's had to be put off until this year. And as soon as he completed the test, Anakin could approach a master about private training. Up until now, Luke had been acting as Anakin's private tutor. Now he would have to find one of his own.
"We don't have all day, Anakin. However, if you would like to wait another…"
Anakin shouted, "No way! I'm ready."
"Good. Let's go." Luke pointed the teen in the direction of the Falcon's boarding ramp.
Anakin shifted nervously, "I thought Zekk said we could take the Lightening Rod."
Luke realized what was going on immediately. "I prefer the Falcon. It is your father's as well. If we break it, he can't kill us. Zekk would."
Anakin shuffled his feet and looked at the ramp. The very same ramp that his father had hung off of a year ago. The same ramp that was supposed to have saved Chewie. He blinked back tears.
Luke reached out and put his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "The past can't be changed, Anakin. But your future is not to avoid this ship. It's time you fly it again."
"I don't think I can, Luke."
Luke looked at the ramp and took a deep breath. He had talked with Mara and they had decided that if Anakin would not fly the Falcon, he would not graduate. "Think hard, Anakin. Would Chewie want you to be afraid to fly?"
Anakin got defensive, "I'm NOT afraid to fly! It's that I don't want to fly this piece of junk!"
Luke sighed. "If you won't fly the Falcon, we won't go."
"Fine! We don't go!"
Anakin grabbed his bag from the ground beside him and stormed out of the hangar. Luke watched his nephew and groaned. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Anakin spun around as he got to the door. "I do! I guess I just won't graduate!"
Luke turned away from his nephew and tried to hold back his anger. He needed to have a clear head. He tried to clear his mind of the test itself. His mind drifted to his sister's fractured family. Jaina was still reticent to trust her father. Han was still apologetic and defensive. Leia refused to discuss anything about Han that happened during the last year. Anakin wouldn't go near the Falcon. Jacen seemed to be the only one who had some sense of reality.
He hated to see his sister's family fall apart after all these years. He knew how much Han was loved by his children and wife. Luke thought back to the night after Chewie's death. When Jaina had come to him sobbing, he had tried to help. But he had made it worse by suggesting she go find her father and talk to him. Luke opened his eyes and screamed into the empty hangar, "Come back you damn wookie!"
**************
Jaina quickly rolled Artoo up the boarding ramp of the Lightening Rod. She could hear her uncle scream. She thought about going to see if he was alright before she realized that she needed to get the droids set up on the ship. She was going to dinner tonight like planned. And then she'd tak… borrow Zekk's ship to go to the coordinates that Threepio had given her. She locked Artoo in Zekk's cabin. She knew he was staying at the school and wouldn't come back to his room for anything.
Jaina then went down to the boarding ramp to bring Threepio on board. He was waiting patiently for her. She took his arm and led him through the ship. She stopped outside the cockpit and debated hiding him in there before settling on the refresher next door. She locked the refresher door and then exited the ship.
She had one more droid to hide before everything was said and done. She needed to find somewhere in the school to hide Rain while she was gone. As she stepped off the boarding ramp, a deep voice came from behind her.
"And where exactly do you think you're going with the Rod?"
Jaina turned and groaned as she looked Zekk in the eye. "A short trip. I promise. I just need to check some coordinates that I got from Threepio."
"With MY ship?"
Jaina could barely hear her own whispered response. "Yeah."
"I don't think so. At least not alone."
"Like it's YOUR decision."
"It is."
A deep voice called from the hangar doors. "I don't think so, Zekk." Kyp Durron entered the hangar and watched the two younger Jedi. He noticed that Jaina grew skittish as he approached. "Where do you think you're going?"
Jaina spun around and growled in anger. She didn't need this right now. "Nowhere. I was thinking about a day trip. That's all."
"You're lying." Kyp folded his arms across his chest. "Try again."
Zekk couldn't help but smile. Even when he and Kyp hadn't got along, he was never worried about Jaina being with him. Kyp always took on an older brother roll. One that he knew Jaina despised.
"Threepio and I wanted to go to some coordinates. That's all."
"Give us a little more." Kyp nodded slowly. "You WERE stealing someone's ship."
"No." She shouted.
Zekk watched as cargo crates started to rise off of the floor. He reached out and pushed them down. "Calm down, Jaina. It's no big deal."
"Hardly." Kyp snorted, "You want to go somewhere? Fine. But you're gonna have some babysitters." He smiled wickedly. "Us."
TBC
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. And to another character who is no longer with us... Damn Troy Denning!
Leia ran through the corridors of the main citadel to find her sons. She had already tried the dining room. Tenel had mentioned that she had seen them leaving about ten minutes earlier. She took a corner too fast and ran into a very surprised Kam Solusar.
"You okay, your Highness?"
Leia pulled herself up and smiled nervously. "I was trying to find Jacen and Anakin. Do you know where they are?"
Kam nodded, "I just saw them upstairs looking for you. Why?"
Leia apologized as she ran for the lift. "I can't right now, Kam. Maybe later."
Leia waited impatiently for the lift to arrive. It finally appeared to reveal another Jedi Knight, Tionne. The pale woman smiled at Leia and stepped back to allow her room to enter the lift.
Tionne watched her friend as she punched in her destination. "Leia? Are you alright?"
Leia leaned back against the wall. "Have you seen Kyp lately?"
Tionne shook her head, "Why?"
"He attacked Zekk. Luke and Mara stopped him, but he got away." Leia started to cry and Tionne touched her friend's arm. "He tried to get away. Jaina stopped him in the hangar bay. He's dead."
"What happened?"
"Luke said he had turned. He could feel it. Zekk said he could feel it, too. Jaina found him in the hangar and jumped him. He… She killed him. Oh, Tionne, I…"
Tionne hugged Leia tightly. She whispered in her ear, "It's okay. Jaina will be fine. Did she get hurt?"
Leia shook even more as she sobbed. "He… Her arm… Zekk managed to get Jaina her lightsaber. But Kyp still hurt her."
Tionne pulled back to look into Leia's eyes. "Come on. Let's find the boys and Han. Then we'll go down and see Jaina."
Leia cringed, "But that's not all. It wasn't Kyp. I don't know how, but Luke had Clighal check him. It's not him."
Tionne tried to smile. "Then I'll find Kam after we get you back down to Jaina. We'll look for Kyp. The sense that Luke and Zekk picked up may be wrong. Especially if it wasn't Kyp."
Leia stiffened as the lift came to a halt. Tionne stepped out of the lift only to find that Leia was still leaning against the wall inside the lift. Tionne tried to put Leia at ease.
"Do you want me to get Jacen and Anakin?"
Leia nodded her head slightly. "I can't… Jacen… I just can't."
"Okay. I'll be back."
Tionne walked down the hall to the Solo's rooms. She tapped the door signal and waited for one of the boys to open the door. When the door opened, she was looking straight at a furry wall. Tionne tilted her head upward to look at Lowie.
"Are the boys here?"
Lowie grunted something that Tionne hoped was an answer of some sort. She could see that Lowie wasn't wearing Emtedee. She followed him inside the room. Han was camped out on the couch watching the holonet for the most recent news report. She sat down next to him.
"Han, I need to tell you something."
Han looked at Tionne and shut off the holonet. He called his sons who had already appeared in the doorway. "Go for it, Ti."
Tionne smiled as Han used the nickname that Kam has given her years ago. "Leia was on her way up here to tell you but she couldn't leave the lift."
Han's eyes turned dark. "What happened?"
"Well, we're not sure who it was exactly, but someone who looked and acted like Kyp attacked Zekk. Your brother-in-law and Mara stopped him, but he ran away. He was trying to fly off."
Jacen came closer and looked at his former Jedi History teacher. "Is Jaina okay?"
Han's head shot up to look at his eldest son. He turned back to Tionne who tried to reassure him. "Kyp tried to leave, Han. Jaina jumped him before he could get to his ship. She killed him. And he apparently hurt her, too."
Han sighed, "Where's the real Kyp?"
Anakin laughed uneasily. "Do you think it was one of those suits?"
Tionne knew what Anakin was talking about. She frowned, "We don't know. It could have been a Vong. But if it was, we need to find Kyp. He may be hurt."
Han nodded. He turned to his sons. "Jacen, go with your mother to see Jaina. Find out what you can about this man she killed. You know how to operate those skin suits." Jacen nodded and left the suite. Han then turned to his youngest son. "You and I are going Kyp hunting."
Anakin smiled, "Goody."
Tionne looked at Han as he stood up. "I'm going to find Kam as soon as I check in with Luke. We'll help look, too. I think even Kirana is here."
Anakin nodded, "Tenel is here. Kirana has to be. Isolder won't let her go anywhere without Kirana now."
Tionne stood up and followed Han, Anakin, and Lowie out. She walked toward the lift and saw Jacen was hugging his mother. She could hear him whispering to her. Han looked scared for his wife. Tionne took his hand in hers. "She'll be fine, Han. Just find Kyp. He can tell us what happened."
**************
Tenel stood quietly, listening to the sounds of the forest. She looked to her left as some odd sense came upon her. She stepped forward and threw her net. Kirana avoided the net and lunged at Tenel. The girl ducked and rolled to her right. She grunted in pain as Kirana's staff hit her side. Tenel took her own staff and struck forward. Kirana used Tenel's momentum to throw the girl off balance.
Tenel hit the ground and tried to block Kirana's staff. She threw out her left arm and batted the wood away. She propped herself up and used her own staff to knock Kirana off her feet. A groan from the older woman signaled an end to the match.
"No more sparring." Kirana moaned. "You'll kill me yet."
Tenel pulled herself up from the ground and settled her staff in the crook of her left arm. She reached out with her left hand and pulled Kirana up from the forest floor. Kirana looked over her student closely. She saw blood near her shoulder.
"Where did you get this?"
Tenel tilted her head to get a good look at the stain. "I do not know. I did not see any blood during my search."
Kirana crouched down and looked at the forest floor. She could see thin trails of blood leading away from the direction of the citadel. She motioned to Tenel and began to follow the trail. The two women had been walking for twenty minutes when Tenel felt something grab her ankle. Kirana turned and saw her student swing her staff at her right foot.
A small groan signaled a hit. Tenel stepped away from the area and looked at the leaves and wood cluttered around what had grabbed her. She moved a leaf carefully to reveal a bloody hand. She called out for Kirana who had continued searching around the small clearing.
"There is someone here."
Kirana ran forward and watched Tenel pull back debris from the figure on the ground. She recognized her friend before Tenel did. Kirana dropped next to the man and turned him over. His shirt was torn in several places and his forehead was covered in blood.
"Kyp?"
The man groaned and tried to focus his eyes. "Who…"
"It's Kirana. We will bring you back to the citadel."
"No!" Kyp tried to roll away from Kirana only to find Tenel blocking his escape. "Vong is here. Jumped me. Has a suit."
Tenel looked up in shock. She estimated Kyp's weight and figured correctly that Kirana could carry him. She tightened her grip on her staff and took off into the trees. Kirana watched Tenel run toward the citadel. She took Kyp's arm and sat him up. He blinked through the blood in his eyes.
"Can you stand?"
Kyp used Kirana to pull himself to a standing position. He wobbled slightly. "I think so."
Kirana gripped his right arm and circled her left arm around his waist. She lifted slightly and she and Kyp set out toward the praxeum.
**************
Luke was sitting quietly in the Infirmary. Clighal had treated Jaina's injuries. She had suffered a broken rib and had only superficial burns on her arm. He looked at the body lying in front of him. It looked like his friend and former student, Kyp Durron. But he knew now that it couldn't be. Even if Kyp had fallen to the Dark Side, he would never have hurt Jaina. He would never have raised his lightsaber to kill her. And that is what this man had done. The real question was about the weapon itself.
Luke examined the lightsaber in his hand. He knew it was Kyp's. He looked up as a green figure ran through the room. He waited and watched as Tenel turned and approached him. She gulped quickly for air and looked at the body on the bed.
"That is not him."
Luke nodded, "I know. Kam and…"
"Kirana and I found him in the forest."
Luke looked up in surprise. "Is he alright?"
Tenel shook her head. "He was semi-conscious. Kirana is bringing him here. He claimed he was attacked by a Vong."
Luke squinted his eyes and stood up. He walked toward the man on the bed and touched behind his ear lightly. Instantly the man's skin began to pool and slither away from him. It fell to the ground to the left of the bed. Luke examined the man's face closely. Never before had he seen a Vong with so much ritual damage as this one.
Tenel kicked the skin on the floor. It looked dead. She picked it up and looked at Luke. He nodded toward the small bacta tank in the corner.
"It would be good to save it." Luke mumbled. "We may need it in the future."
Tenel settled the skin in the tank as Kirana half-carried, half- dragged Kyp into the room. Luke quickly helped Kirana lay Kyp on a bed. He then called for Clighal. The Mon Calamari Jedi ran into the room while one of the two medical droids at the citadel helped Jaina into the room. She looked warily at Clighal as she tried to assess Kyp's condition.
Luke stepped up to his niece and put his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and tried to breathe deeply.
"It wasn't him." Luke soothed.
"I… I know. It's just…" Jaina stammered.
"It's still scary. It'll be alright." Luke pulled back and noticed Mara come into the Infirmary. She smiled and looked at Jaina. "Do you want to go with Mara?"
Jaina looked over her shoulder and saw her master standing in the doorway. "Sure. I brought Talon's…"
Luke smiled eagerly, "What did he get her?"
Jaina sighed. "I was hoping to keep it to myself, but… It's a holocron."
Luke's smile broadened. "Where did he find it?"
"Some trader. He thought it was a holo-frame."
"Who is it?"
"Honestly, I have asked it. And what it told me is kind of…"
Luke chuckled, "Unbelievable?"
Jaina smiled, "Yeah. He says he's Obi Wan."
Luke's mouth opened in surprise. He couldn't believe that Ben would have made a holocron and then not told him. "Did you give it to her yet?"
"No." Jaina mumbled. "I was hoping I could play with it a little first."
Luke smiled indulgently at his niece. "Alright. But I want to give it to her tomorrow night."
Jaina winked and turned to leave. Mara put her arm around Jaina's shoulders and led her from the room. Luke turned back to the scene before him. Clighal was giving orders to the droid that had brought Jaina in. She looked at Luke.
"It looks like he took quite a blow to the head. His hand was broken. With a good rest and a trance or two, he should be alright."
Luke nodded and stepped toward the bed. "Was he awake?"
Kirana and Tenel nodded. Kirana was the one who spoke. "He alerted us to the fact that a Vong may have…"
Tenel looked up at her master. "The Vong has already been captured. He is dead."
Luke frowned. "Jaina killed him. He would have killed her if not for Zekk. I'm concerned about this identity issue."
Kirana and Clighal looked at each other in confusion.
Luke continued, "Mara and I heard the argument between Zekk and the Vong. The Vong knew a lot about Kyp's past. He also knew quite a bit about Zekk's past. Someone else may be here."
Tenel shook her head. "There are other possibilities."
Luke sighed, "I know. Someone on Yavin could be assisting the Vong." He looked at Kyp's body on the bed. His chest was moving up and down as he breathed. "That would mean we have a Dark Jedi in our midst. And I'd like to keep that possibility from becoming public. It would only hurt those who have been…"
Kirana nodded. "People like Zekk and Kyp."
Luke dropped his head to look at the floor. He then looked back at Kyp. "And Mara."
**************
Jaina followed Mara into her room at the Rogue Citadel. Her aunt took a seat at her desk while Jaina dropped herself into her self-forming chair.
Mara tried to occupy her niece's mind. "So tell me… Did dinner go well?"
Jaina blinked. In the excitement she hadn't thought about her promise to her father. "I wanted to see Zekk. I got angry and figured it would be better to avoid the whole discussion. Dad understood. He doesn't want me mad at him."
Mara thought of her errant brother-in-law. She, like everyone, had felt a great loss at what happened nearly a year ago. But she had seen what Han's need to escape had done to Leia and the children. "It will be okay."
"I know. I just wish none of this past year had happened."
Mara knew that Jaina was thinking about all of the bad things. She still felt a little hurt though.
Jaina sat up in shock. "Oh, Mara! I didn't mean…"
"I understand. You were talking about your dad and Chewie. Not me."
Jaina felt tears coming to her eyes. "It's just that everything this past year has been so… Chewie… And then dad's running away… and then nearly losing you."
Mara stood her ground. "If your father hadn't run away, I wouldn't be better. He never would have brought that medicine or whatever it was back. And I'd still be dying. And maybe, somehow, Chewie could see all of this. Maybe he could see that something bad had to come before something good."
Jaina nodded. "Chewie would've died for any of us. Even you."
"Maybe that's what he did."
Jaina wiped her eyes and looked at her night stand. The holocron was in plain sight! She had to hide it before Mara saw it. Luke would kill her.
"Uh, Mara!"
Mara focused on Jaina. "What?"
"Can you get me a drink? My throat…"
"No problem. I'll be right back."
Jaina watched her aunt leave the room. Jaina took the holocron and went out to her small balcony. She heard loud laughter and looked to the left. Tyris' room was next to hers and she could tell that Tyris was entertaining some of the pilots in her room. Jaina thought for a moment and remembered that it was Sabacc Night. She smiled at the commotion and set the holocron on the balcony's wide railing. She activated it.
The figure she had seen at Talon's party appeared. She had asked general questions of the figure later that night to find out who he was. And the problem lay in who he claimed to be. Normally, a holocron was made by an older master in order to preserve historical data. This holocron was made by a young Jedi who claimed to be Obi Wan Kenobi. Jaina heard her aunt come back into the room and call out for her.
Jaina called back, "I'm feeling tired. I think I'm going to go to bed."
Mara answered, "Okay. I left your water on your night stand. Good night."
Jaina waited until she heard the door close before she began to investigate the holocron further. She watched the figure shimmer in the late night air. She touched the side of the holocron and noticed a small door opened near her thumb.
The figure motioned with his hand to the pad revealed by the door. "Access can only be granted to one who passes the test."
Jaina was puzzled. She moved her finger over the small pad. She pulled her finger back quickly when she felt a pin prick against her skin. The holocron glowed softly for a few seconds before the young figure faded away to be replaced by another young Jedi. She thought this man looked familiar but she couldn't place him.
The new man spoke forcefully. "Access granted."
Jaina decided to find out what had just happened. "Where did the first guardian go?"
The blond man answered, "He is the guardian for the security measure. He can be recalled by asking for him by name."
Jaina thought about the arrangement of this holocron. "This isn't a holocron, is it?"
The man smiled, "It is. And it is not. No other holocron has this design."
"Why not?"
The man motioned to the small pad that still showed on the side of the crystal base. "This holocron was designed for one sole purpose. It can only be accessed with a genetic sample."
"What information do you guard?"
The man's eyes twinkled. "We guard technical data on two droids."
Jaina ran her fingers through her brown hair. She closed her eyes and thought for a minute. "What kind of droids?"
"The schematic information that we hold locates an extra memory chip in two specific droids. The information in the memory chips is the droids' true memory. Access to this information can only be granted to the genetic descendant of their owners."
Jaina looked at the finger that brushed the pad. "Do I qualify?"
"Yes. You are a genetic descendant of both owners."
"Who are you?"
The man smiled. "The limited amount of technology in this design cannot allow me to identify myself in relation to your genetic sample. However I can tell you that I am one of the owners. My name is…"
Jaina whispered, "Anakin."
The man nodded, "I am a Jedi Knight. My master created this holocron to allow access to my droid in the future. I am conscious within this holocron. Please tell me who you are."
Jaina stared at the figure. Her grandfather looked a lot like her uncle. She should have seen it before. "I am Jaina Solo. I am also a Jedi Knight. You would be my grandfather."
The figure nodded slowly. "We did not believe it would take this long to find this holocron. We hoped that one of my…"
"Children?"
"Yes. We hoped one of them would find it."
Jaina wanted to place the timing of this holocron. "Do you have children?"
"In the future I must. Now I do not."
Jaina pondered the statement for a moment. That would mean that Anakin had not yet turned. He also had not yet had Luke or Leia. Which placed the holocron at nearly fifty years of age. "The droids you spoke about… Can you identify them?"
"Yes. One is an astromech droid. Another is a protocol droid."
Jaina decided to lighten the mood by being funny. "Couldn't be Threepio or Artoo."
The figure nodded quickly. "That is correct."
Jaina nearly knocked the holocron from its perch on the railing. She had been joking. It couldn't be. "Which droid do you own?"
"I built Threepio."
Jaina quickly shut the holocron off. Someone had to be playing a trick on her. She went back into her room and searched for her repair kit. She left the holocron on her bed and left the Rogue Citadel at a dead run. She reached the main citadel and went to the hangar. She avoided the blood spot in the south corner and went to the nearest worktable. She put her kit down and then went in search of Threepio.
**************
"No! I will not be quiet. Mistress Jaina was injured. She should not be awake at this hour."
Artoo beeped angrily at the protocol droid. Jaina snickered loudly. She looked at the astromech droid. "If Luke could only hear your language."
Artoo beeped proudly and made a zerbert sound at Threepio. The protocol droid turned to Jaina. "I don't understand, Mistress Jaina. I just completed a maintenance check a week ago. The next one is not scheduled for another month."
Artoo beeped defiantly.
Threepio reeled in shock. "I will not allow you to accuse me of being a defunct piece of machinery. You are…"
Jaina interrupted, "Boys, let's not go into this now. If it would make you feel better, Artoo can come, too."
Threepio glared at his counterpart. "Feel better? He'd probably turn my head around like that walking carpet did years ago."
Artoo beeped sadly and rolled closer to Jaina who patted him on his dome. "I know Artoo. We all miss him."
Threepio diplomatically tried to apologize. "Mistress Jaina, I didn't mean to call him a walking carpet."
"It's okay Threepio. It's how you remember him. I think even mom called him that.."
Artoo beeped loudly. Threepio translated, "He wants to get this over with. He suggests nailing my mouth shut."
Jaina smiled at the astromech. "I don't want to damage his gold plating. Besides, I'd only have to remove his vocal program."
Artoo rolled quickly after Jaina whistling to himself. Threepio sighed and followed the two to the hangar bay. He noted that no one else was present to conduct the maintenance test.
"Mistress Jaina, where is…"
Jaina motioned Artoo to the side. "It's okay. I got mom's permission to do it myself. I couldn't sleep. Nightmares."
Artoo beeped mournfully. Jaina answered him, "Not Chewie. I just can't get over killing… Well, not Kyp, but…"
Threepio finished for her. "Someone who looked like Master Kyp."
"Exactly."
Jaina began to pull Threepio's main access panel apart. She examined the memory chips she could locate. They all were the primary memory chips. She knew she needed to find one that was a secondary storage chip. She moved some wires aside and looked closer. While she searched, she could hear Artoo and Threepio arguing about some silly point of fact.
She tried to focus on the job at hand. She blinked and saw a glitter amidst the wires near Threepio's main power source. She reached in and pulled out the chip. She examined it and decided that it must be the one she was looking for. She then found an open port in Threepio's memory panel. She plugged the chip in and stepped back. Artoo beeped in fear as Threepio shut down. Jaina walked over to stand at Artoo's side. She patted his dome in comfort.
"He'll be fine. He's loading a memory chip."
Artoo beeped a question and Jaina answered. "It won't hurt him. You know… For someone who loves to give him a hard time, you sure get worried about him."
Artoo beeped rudely at Jaina.
She laughed, "Of course you're a worrywart. Threepio wasn't wrong on that one."
Jaina sat down next to Artoo and closed her eyes. She wanted to wait the few hours that the chip needed in the hangar. There was less chance of being caught.
**************
Zekk wandered through the first floor of the citadel. It was early morning and very few people were up yet. He looked at the pale sun through one the small windows in the kitchen. He thought about what happened the night before. He had already been to the Infirmary to see Kyp. The older man had been awake since around midnight. He was somewhat lucid and recognized Zekk. So Zekk had told him what happened with the Vong.
Kyp had been so scared when he heard about Mara. He looked around the room and begged for news that she was okay. Then Zekk told him about Jaina. Kyp had closed his eyes and groaned. He thanked Zekk for saving her life and asked if Han was mad at him for letting this happen. Zekk and Kyp had talked for hours before Clighal finally sent Zekk packing.
Zekk smiled as the sun filled the room. He grabbed a cup of caf and continued on his way. After thirty minutes he found himself outside the hangar. He decided to check on the Lightening Rod. He opened the doors and nearly tripped over Artoo.
"Artoo! What are you doing in here?"
The astromech beeped solemnly.
"What in the…" Zekk noticed the tools strewn about the repair area. He went closer to the table and saw that pieces of Threepio were laid out neatly in piles. He turned to Artoo. "Who did this?"
Artoo beeped excitedly and began to move toward a dark corner near Zekk's ship. As Zekk got closer he found Jaina sound asleep on the concrete floor. He stood and looked at her. She looked like she had been leaning against something that had moved from her side. Zekk looked at Artoo.
"Was she leaning against you?"
The droid beeped quietly and rolled forward to settle near Jaina's sleeping form. Zekk walked over and sat next to Jaina. His movement caused her to roll over onto her back. She groaned quietly. Zekk watched her for a few minutes before whispering to Artoo.
"Has she been okay?"
Artoo beeped an affirmative answer.
"Did she take Threepio apart?"
Artoo turned his dome from side to side and beeped plaintively.
Zekk looked around the room and saw Threepio propped up against the wall near the table. The droid looked like it was downloading information.
Zekk reached out and touched Jaina's cheek lightly. "What did you do?"
Artoo beeped and rolled away to watch Threepio.
Zekk pulled his knees up to his chest and settled against the wall. His eyes continued to be focused on Jaina. He wished that she could forgive him. He hadn't meant to come here and destroy everything. He knew he had made a mistake five years ago, and he was still paying for it. Zekk whispered in the silent hangar.
"Jaina, forgive me."
**************
A loud sound caused Jaina to open her eyes. She sat up and looked at where she had left Threepio. He was wobbling on his feet. She started to stand up when she felt someone grab her hand. She turned to her right and saw Zekk sitting against the wall. He smiled at her and winked.
Jaina stood up. "What are you doing here?"
"My ship is in this hangar."
"So get on it and leave."
Zekk chuckled, "That would be too easy. What did you do to your dad's favorite droid?"
Jaina had moved over to look at Threepio who was still trying to keep his balance. "I found an extra memory chip. I plugged it in last night. It's taken this long for him to download the information."
Zekk whistled in respect. "Lots of memory on that chip."
Jaina replaced the main panel and checked Threepio over one more time. "I know."
"What's on it?"
Jaina jumped as she heard Zekk's voice come from over her shoulder. She stepped back and bumped into him. He stepped to the side as Jaina glared at him. "I don't know yet. I think it might be something special."
Zekk looked at Jaina with interest. "Special?"
"It's none of your business."
Zekk stepped forward and grabbed Jaina's arm. She tried to pull loose, but he held on tightly. "You were glad to see me."
"Note the past tense verb."
"Funny. What's wrong?"
Jaina said loudly, "Nothing. So just leave me alone."
She had stood up on her tiptoes to stare him straight in the face. Zekk glared right back at her before letting her arm go. He took the same tone of voice. "Or what?"
Jaina was at a loss. "Or I'll…"
Zekk reached out and managed to throw Jaina off balance. She retaliated by using her elbow to rearrange his face. The two fought for a few minutes before Zekk gained the upper hand. He tripped her to the ground and used his body to pin her to the floor. She tried to pull her arms loose before she turned to look at him.
"Just get a life, Zekk."
Zekk smiled down at Jaina. She tried to pull away from him, but his body held her in place. "I want to make it my business."
"You're just nosy."
Zekk shook his head. He took a deep breath and tried to summon some courage. "You don't understand."
"Understand what? That you're a jerk. That you proved Brakiss wrong."
Zekk looked surprised. "What in the hell are you talking about?"
Jaina glared up at Zekk. "He told me that I was your weakness. I'm sure. If I were, I could have gotten out of this a long time ago. You just like being mean to me."
Zekk blinked. He had known what Brakiss had thought. Hell, he had trained Zekk to protect him from Jaina. He had never known that Brakiss had told Jaina about that. He became flustered. "I didn't know he told you that."
Jaina sighed, "He did. So get over it and let me go."
Zekk looked into Jaina's eyes and said, "No."
Jaina shrieked, "What!?"
"Not until you listen to what I have to say."
He had let his guard down and Jaina decided to take advantage of it. She threw her right leg up to build momentum and managed to flip the two of them over. She pinned Zekk's hands above his head. "You're starting to sound like my father."
Zekk groaned as his head started to throb from the bump he had just received. "Trust me. This is NOT a good time to think about your father."
"And why not?"
"Because I…"
Jaina sighed, "Out with it. What in the hell do you have to say to me that's so important?"
"I want us to start over."
Jaina released her grip on Zekk's hands. She backed up and sat on his legs. Zekk sat up and rubbed his head. She watched him carefully. "You what?"
"I want a chance. That's all. Brakiss was right."
Jaina's mouth dropped open. She looked around the hangar for Artoo and Threepio. Zekk tried to smile, "They left when we started fighting. They won't be far away."
Jaina frowned, "I didn't ask you. And what do you want a chance to do? Fix things? Change the past?"
"No. I want a chance to do this everyday."
Jaina was puzzled at what Zekk was talking about. She closed her eyes and started to speak. "What would this b…"
Jaina's eyes popped open. She saw Zekk's face a few centimeters from her own. He was kissing her. She pulled back and rolled away from him. He sat still and waited.
"What the hell were you doing?"
Zekk shrugged his shoulders. "Even if I never get to do that again, it was worth the bump on my head."
Jaina looked at her friend. "What are you talking about?"
Zekk stood up and reached out for Jaina's hand. She didn't pull away but she did fall into a defensive stance. "Would you like to join me for dinner later tonight?"
Jaina was speechless. She looked into Zekk's eyes and tried to find a reason to say no. She couldn't find one. "Okay."
Zekk smiled. "Good. I'll see you later then. Oh, and I'd fix Threepio soon. Your mom might get upset. He is her droid after all."
Jaina watched Zekk leave the hangar bay. She turned to see Artoo and Threepio come back into the hangar. She sighed heavily. Now she had no excuse. She had to tell Zekk. Tell him that she was in love with him.
"Come on Threepio. Let's find out what you remember now."
**************
Gavin looked over the landing pad outside the Rogue Citadel. Most of the X-Wings were out and being serviced by the mechanics based out of the main citadel. The Rogue mechanics wouldn't arrive for another week. Gavin continued walking outside and turned in the direction of the main citadel. He heard someone come up behind him.
Tyris stepped up next to her commander and walked with him. When they arrived at the landing pad at their destination, Tyris finally spoke. "So what did she do?"
Gavin smiled. Ever since Luke had come last night to tell Gavin about Jaina's incident in the hangar, every Rogue pilot had been interested in how she was doing. She had finally proven herself to the pilots and now they were anxious to make sure she was okay. "She's fine. She killed a Vong spy."
Tyris chuckled, "I knew she had it in her. I heard she got a broken rib."
Gavin nodded, "And some pretty ugly burns on her arm. She apparently hasn't decided if she wants to treat her arm to prevent a scar."
Tyris followed her commander into the hangar of the citadel and looked around for Jaina. Word was that Sticks was fixing a droid in the hangar. She motioned to the table, "I thought that was over…"
Gavin frowned. "She moved it. Luke thinks that it was too close to the blood."
"Ouch. Is she really okay?"
"She hasn't gone back to the Infirmary. She told Luke she was too busy. We think she doesn't want to see Kyp."
Tyris watched her friend move around the protocol droid and whispered, "I wouldn't want to look at the guy I killed either."
"She didn't kill him."
"I'm sure she knows that."
Gavin and Tyris watched Jaina for several minutes. She had finished tinkering with the droid and was now sitting on the floor of the hangar listening to it. She had pulled herself into a ball and was leaning against the wall.
Gavin walked over and sat down next to Jaina. He saw her turn to look at Tyris out of the corner of his eye. "What's he talking about?"
Jaina focused back onto Threepio. "He's telling me what's on the chip. Something about previous owners and the Old Republic."
Tyris giggled, "As interesting as this sounds, we must leave. Remember. Your test flight is tomorrow."
Jaina nodded as Gavin and Tyris left the area. She turned to Artoo and looked for any signs of life. Before Gavin and Tyris had come in, she had found Artoo's chip and plugged it in. She made sure he wasn't overloading before going back to Threepio. "Okay Goldenrod. What were those coordinates again?"
**************
Anakin paced his room. Seven hours! Seven more hours and this whole thing would go bust. He had seven hours until his final test, and they were most likely the longest seven hours of his life. Anakin picked up a data pad and began to read it over. He knew all of the answers. He knew the techniques. If only they'd just start the test now. Anakin tossed the data pad onto his bed and sat down in his only chair. He'd just have to wait it out.
The door announced that someone wanted to speak to him. Anakin sighed and stood up. He opened the door to find his aunt there. Mara smiled at her nephew. Luke had already accused her of having favorites. If she did, her favorite was definitely Anakin. He had saved her life after all.
"Hi."
"Aunt Mara?"
Mara tilted her head and laughed. "Can I come in or are you going to make me stand in the hallway?"
Anakin stepped back quickly and nearly tripped over his tool kit. He blushed as Mara laughed and he joined in. Mara took a seat in the chair and looked up at her nephew. She had never seen his namesake without his dark mask, but she knew he had to look like him. At least that's what Luke swore. And he would know. He had seen Anakin after he died. But only twice.
"I was talking to your uncle and…"
Anakin stood nervously.
Mara continued. "We decided to let you take the test early."
Anakin let out a deep breath and smiled.
"However, there will be some ground rules. If you go early, no droids."
Anakin nodded. He didn't need Artoo anyway. "And?"
"No assistance from outside sources. Like for example, your sister and brother."
Anakin smiled. Mara must have overheard him joking with Jacen earlier about having them pick him up during the test. "I promise."
"And one more thing… No investigating things that aren't part of the test. Am I clear?"
Anakin smiled, "Crystal."
"Get your gear and move it then. Your uncle's waiting."
Anakin grabbed the bag he had packed hours before and ran out of his room. He knew his aunt would lock his door. He got on the nearest lift and waited impatiently for it to deposit him on the ground level. Anakin then took the first hallway on the left and ran to the end. He opened the door and entered the hangar. He could see his uncle standing by the Falcon.
Anakin yelled, "I'm here!"
"I can see that. I also can hear it." Luke chuckled. His nephew was so eager to take his final test and graduate. His sister and brother had taken their last tests nearly two years ago. Because of the war, Anakin's had to be put off until this year. And as soon as he completed the test, Anakin could approach a master about private training. Up until now, Luke had been acting as Anakin's private tutor. Now he would have to find one of his own.
"We don't have all day, Anakin. However, if you would like to wait another…"
Anakin shouted, "No way! I'm ready."
"Good. Let's go." Luke pointed the teen in the direction of the Falcon's boarding ramp.
Anakin shifted nervously, "I thought Zekk said we could take the Lightening Rod."
Luke realized what was going on immediately. "I prefer the Falcon. It is your father's as well. If we break it, he can't kill us. Zekk would."
Anakin shuffled his feet and looked at the ramp. The very same ramp that his father had hung off of a year ago. The same ramp that was supposed to have saved Chewie. He blinked back tears.
Luke reached out and put his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "The past can't be changed, Anakin. But your future is not to avoid this ship. It's time you fly it again."
"I don't think I can, Luke."
Luke looked at the ramp and took a deep breath. He had talked with Mara and they had decided that if Anakin would not fly the Falcon, he would not graduate. "Think hard, Anakin. Would Chewie want you to be afraid to fly?"
Anakin got defensive, "I'm NOT afraid to fly! It's that I don't want to fly this piece of junk!"
Luke sighed. "If you won't fly the Falcon, we won't go."
"Fine! We don't go!"
Anakin grabbed his bag from the ground beside him and stormed out of the hangar. Luke watched his nephew and groaned. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Anakin spun around as he got to the door. "I do! I guess I just won't graduate!"
Luke turned away from his nephew and tried to hold back his anger. He needed to have a clear head. He tried to clear his mind of the test itself. His mind drifted to his sister's fractured family. Jaina was still reticent to trust her father. Han was still apologetic and defensive. Leia refused to discuss anything about Han that happened during the last year. Anakin wouldn't go near the Falcon. Jacen seemed to be the only one who had some sense of reality.
He hated to see his sister's family fall apart after all these years. He knew how much Han was loved by his children and wife. Luke thought back to the night after Chewie's death. When Jaina had come to him sobbing, he had tried to help. But he had made it worse by suggesting she go find her father and talk to him. Luke opened his eyes and screamed into the empty hangar, "Come back you damn wookie!"
**************
Jaina quickly rolled Artoo up the boarding ramp of the Lightening Rod. She could hear her uncle scream. She thought about going to see if he was alright before she realized that she needed to get the droids set up on the ship. She was going to dinner tonight like planned. And then she'd tak… borrow Zekk's ship to go to the coordinates that Threepio had given her. She locked Artoo in Zekk's cabin. She knew he was staying at the school and wouldn't come back to his room for anything.
Jaina then went down to the boarding ramp to bring Threepio on board. He was waiting patiently for her. She took his arm and led him through the ship. She stopped outside the cockpit and debated hiding him in there before settling on the refresher next door. She locked the refresher door and then exited the ship.
She had one more droid to hide before everything was said and done. She needed to find somewhere in the school to hide Rain while she was gone. As she stepped off the boarding ramp, a deep voice came from behind her.
"And where exactly do you think you're going with the Rod?"
Jaina turned and groaned as she looked Zekk in the eye. "A short trip. I promise. I just need to check some coordinates that I got from Threepio."
"With MY ship?"
Jaina could barely hear her own whispered response. "Yeah."
"I don't think so. At least not alone."
"Like it's YOUR decision."
"It is."
A deep voice called from the hangar doors. "I don't think so, Zekk." Kyp Durron entered the hangar and watched the two younger Jedi. He noticed that Jaina grew skittish as he approached. "Where do you think you're going?"
Jaina spun around and growled in anger. She didn't need this right now. "Nowhere. I was thinking about a day trip. That's all."
"You're lying." Kyp folded his arms across his chest. "Try again."
Zekk couldn't help but smile. Even when he and Kyp hadn't got along, he was never worried about Jaina being with him. Kyp always took on an older brother roll. One that he knew Jaina despised.
"Threepio and I wanted to go to some coordinates. That's all."
"Give us a little more." Kyp nodded slowly. "You WERE stealing someone's ship."
"No." She shouted.
Zekk watched as cargo crates started to rise off of the floor. He reached out and pushed them down. "Calm down, Jaina. It's no big deal."
"Hardly." Kyp snorted, "You want to go somewhere? Fine. But you're gonna have some babysitters." He smiled wickedly. "Us."
TBC