Disclaimer: see the first chapter
The Celebration: Part Three
Jag sat there in the briefing room, idly drumming his fingers on the durasteel table top. 'Usually, I'd love to do this sort of stuff, but that Solo girl…Got to focus, Jag! The fate of these people depends on you! Gotta keep telling myself that over and over and over again…' he thought.
"And so, that is the information we have. Colonel Fel, do you have any ideas?" the voice of the Hapan commander interrupted his train of thought, startling him out of his reverie.
"Huh? Oh, I, er, yes. I have a plan. Do I need to present it, or can it be loaded into your datapads for later review?"
The Queen Mother Tenel Ka glanced at him slyly. Her cool gray eyes locked with his pale green ones, and Jag felt she could see right through him. 'She is a Jedi, too.' he reminded himself. Her lips quirked upwards in the slightest hint of a smile, and she nodded sharply towards him. 'She knows why I want to leave.' Jag observed.
"Colonel Fel, you don't need to present your tactics to us, we can study them off the datapads." Tenel Ka said calmly.
"I have a simulator version prepared, too. If you want, I'll have it installed on the sims here at your base." offered Jag. After a moment and everyone received Jag's plans, Tenel Ka dismissed the room, but she asked Jag to stay.
"Colonel Fel, I never got the chance to thank you. Because of your efforts, Hapes stands strong right now. I can only hope we remain this way in the future." Tenel said.
"You are most welcome." Jag replied.
Tenel Ka regarded him for a moment, then graced him with a rare smile. "I know you want to get back to Jaina," she commented," So I will not keep you any longer."
Jag grinned, and gave her an extremely deep and formal bow. Tenel Ka nodded, and left the room. Jag followed suit, and went to go find Jaina.
* * *
'He's got to understand, I'm not the same Jaina that I was when we were attending the Academy!' thought Jaina, watching Zekk's retreating form. She walked over to where some of her squadron mates were sitting. She dropped down into a repulsorchair, and sighed heavily.
"What's wrong, Jaina?" asked Cariista Dentar, Rogue Nine.
"I know that sigh," said Nika, "It's one of her problems-with-her-love-life sighs. I know one when I hear one."
Jaina laughed in spite of herself. "How did you know?" she asked Nika.
"Experience." Cariista put in. "She's had plenty of those sighs before."
Nika glared at her. "Shut your face, 'Riista."
"Well, anyways, back to Jaina, who was just going to explain what's wrong in her love life." Said 'Riista.
"Love life? What love life?" Jaina asked.
"Aha! That's the problem!" cried 'Riista triumphantly.
"Cariista! Be nice!" said Nika.
"Yeah, Riista! Be nice! Ok, you guys really want to know?" Jaina asked. She almost burst out laughing at their eager expressions, nodding their heads enthusiastically. "Zekk wants to be a part of my life, like I wished he was at the Jedi Academy. And, I don't want him to be a part of it, you know?" Both women nodded.
"I hate that!" proclaimed Nika. "Then they follow you everywhere, just like baby banthas!"
"Exactly my point." Jaina sighed heavily.
"What's wrong, Lieutenant?" inquired a voice from behind. Jaina whirled in her seat to face the speaker.
"Jag!" she exclaimed.
"Told you I'd find you. Dance with me?" he asked. Jaina glanced back at her friends, who were both sitting there with gaping mouths.
"If she won't dance with you, I will!" said Nika. Cariista clamped a hand firmly over her mouth, elbowing her hard in the side, and smiled sweetly at the couple. "Go on, Sticks, we won't miss you!" Nika glared at Riista, rubbing her side, as the two pilots walked over to the dance floor.
"Wow. He's fine. I dunno what's her problem, saying she has no love life. If I had a fine guy like that asking me to dance, I'd have one heck of a love life!" exclaimed Nika.
* * *
After dancing for awhile, Jaina made a poor attempt to stifle a yawn, but Jag noticed. He grinned mischievously. "Am I boring you again, Lieutenant?" he inquired.
"No, Colonel, you know that," Jaina replied, "C'mon, you've got to be exhausted, too! Don't you ever sleep?"
"Sleep? What is this 'sleep'?" asked Jag mock-seriously. Jaina shook her head, laughing. "You are sad." she stated.
"If I'm sad, what does that make you?" he asked.
"Tired!" Jaina exclaimed. Jag chuckled. "Shall I escort you to your quarters, Lieutenant?"
"Now that would be nice." Jaina took his offered arm, and they made their way to the turbolifts across the bay. Jaina heard someone call out to her in the Force- Cariista. 'Go, Jaina!' she thought. 'Shut up, Riista!' Jaina thought back. She could almost hear her friend's laughter tinkling in the background. They stepped into the turbolift car, and Jaina said, "Pilot's barracks.", and the car began to move. She yawned again, and rested her head on Jag's shoulder.
"What's the local time, anyways?" she asked him.
"I really don't know," he confessed. "Late?"
"Works for me." replied Jaina. They rode the rest of the way in silence, and walked down the halls quietly. Jaina fished out her datapad. "Number 2144b." she informed Jag.
"Should be around here somewhere," he said, "Ah, right here." Jag pointed. They stood in front of the doorway for a moment.
"So, I guess this is good night, Lieutenant?" Jag whispered.
"I guess so, Colonel." Jaina stared into his green eyes, her heart skipping a beat. Jag reached over, and tipped her chin up. He leaned over and kissed her softly, gently, slowly. The world seemed to stop and disappear altogether for the few moments. He broke the kiss, and stroked her cheek lightly, and then turned and headed down the hall.
"Jag, wait!" Jaina was surprised she could find her voice after that kiss. He turned around to face her, looking slightly puzzled.
"C'mere." she said. He strode over to her, and Jaina reached up and took his face in her hands, and kissed him, hard. His eyes widened for a moment, but then he relaxed into the kiss, and wrapped her in his strong arms. Jaina deepened the kiss, and ran her fingers through his jet-black hair. They had to break for air, and then Jaina stepped away, smiling slightly.
"Good night, Colonel." she whispered, and then she went into her quarters.
* * *
once again, any and all comments are appreciated!! Thanx for all the feedback so far!!
The Celebration: Part Three
Jag sat there in the briefing room, idly drumming his fingers on the durasteel table top. 'Usually, I'd love to do this sort of stuff, but that Solo girl…Got to focus, Jag! The fate of these people depends on you! Gotta keep telling myself that over and over and over again…' he thought.
"And so, that is the information we have. Colonel Fel, do you have any ideas?" the voice of the Hapan commander interrupted his train of thought, startling him out of his reverie.
"Huh? Oh, I, er, yes. I have a plan. Do I need to present it, or can it be loaded into your datapads for later review?"
The Queen Mother Tenel Ka glanced at him slyly. Her cool gray eyes locked with his pale green ones, and Jag felt she could see right through him. 'She is a Jedi, too.' he reminded himself. Her lips quirked upwards in the slightest hint of a smile, and she nodded sharply towards him. 'She knows why I want to leave.' Jag observed.
"Colonel Fel, you don't need to present your tactics to us, we can study them off the datapads." Tenel Ka said calmly.
"I have a simulator version prepared, too. If you want, I'll have it installed on the sims here at your base." offered Jag. After a moment and everyone received Jag's plans, Tenel Ka dismissed the room, but she asked Jag to stay.
"Colonel Fel, I never got the chance to thank you. Because of your efforts, Hapes stands strong right now. I can only hope we remain this way in the future." Tenel said.
"You are most welcome." Jag replied.
Tenel Ka regarded him for a moment, then graced him with a rare smile. "I know you want to get back to Jaina," she commented," So I will not keep you any longer."
Jag grinned, and gave her an extremely deep and formal bow. Tenel Ka nodded, and left the room. Jag followed suit, and went to go find Jaina.
* * *
'He's got to understand, I'm not the same Jaina that I was when we were attending the Academy!' thought Jaina, watching Zekk's retreating form. She walked over to where some of her squadron mates were sitting. She dropped down into a repulsorchair, and sighed heavily.
"What's wrong, Jaina?" asked Cariista Dentar, Rogue Nine.
"I know that sigh," said Nika, "It's one of her problems-with-her-love-life sighs. I know one when I hear one."
Jaina laughed in spite of herself. "How did you know?" she asked Nika.
"Experience." Cariista put in. "She's had plenty of those sighs before."
Nika glared at her. "Shut your face, 'Riista."
"Well, anyways, back to Jaina, who was just going to explain what's wrong in her love life." Said 'Riista.
"Love life? What love life?" Jaina asked.
"Aha! That's the problem!" cried 'Riista triumphantly.
"Cariista! Be nice!" said Nika.
"Yeah, Riista! Be nice! Ok, you guys really want to know?" Jaina asked. She almost burst out laughing at their eager expressions, nodding their heads enthusiastically. "Zekk wants to be a part of my life, like I wished he was at the Jedi Academy. And, I don't want him to be a part of it, you know?" Both women nodded.
"I hate that!" proclaimed Nika. "Then they follow you everywhere, just like baby banthas!"
"Exactly my point." Jaina sighed heavily.
"What's wrong, Lieutenant?" inquired a voice from behind. Jaina whirled in her seat to face the speaker.
"Jag!" she exclaimed.
"Told you I'd find you. Dance with me?" he asked. Jaina glanced back at her friends, who were both sitting there with gaping mouths.
"If she won't dance with you, I will!" said Nika. Cariista clamped a hand firmly over her mouth, elbowing her hard in the side, and smiled sweetly at the couple. "Go on, Sticks, we won't miss you!" Nika glared at Riista, rubbing her side, as the two pilots walked over to the dance floor.
"Wow. He's fine. I dunno what's her problem, saying she has no love life. If I had a fine guy like that asking me to dance, I'd have one heck of a love life!" exclaimed Nika.
* * *
After dancing for awhile, Jaina made a poor attempt to stifle a yawn, but Jag noticed. He grinned mischievously. "Am I boring you again, Lieutenant?" he inquired.
"No, Colonel, you know that," Jaina replied, "C'mon, you've got to be exhausted, too! Don't you ever sleep?"
"Sleep? What is this 'sleep'?" asked Jag mock-seriously. Jaina shook her head, laughing. "You are sad." she stated.
"If I'm sad, what does that make you?" he asked.
"Tired!" Jaina exclaimed. Jag chuckled. "Shall I escort you to your quarters, Lieutenant?"
"Now that would be nice." Jaina took his offered arm, and they made their way to the turbolifts across the bay. Jaina heard someone call out to her in the Force- Cariista. 'Go, Jaina!' she thought. 'Shut up, Riista!' Jaina thought back. She could almost hear her friend's laughter tinkling in the background. They stepped into the turbolift car, and Jaina said, "Pilot's barracks.", and the car began to move. She yawned again, and rested her head on Jag's shoulder.
"What's the local time, anyways?" she asked him.
"I really don't know," he confessed. "Late?"
"Works for me." replied Jaina. They rode the rest of the way in silence, and walked down the halls quietly. Jaina fished out her datapad. "Number 2144b." she informed Jag.
"Should be around here somewhere," he said, "Ah, right here." Jag pointed. They stood in front of the doorway for a moment.
"So, I guess this is good night, Lieutenant?" Jag whispered.
"I guess so, Colonel." Jaina stared into his green eyes, her heart skipping a beat. Jag reached over, and tipped her chin up. He leaned over and kissed her softly, gently, slowly. The world seemed to stop and disappear altogether for the few moments. He broke the kiss, and stroked her cheek lightly, and then turned and headed down the hall.
"Jag, wait!" Jaina was surprised she could find her voice after that kiss. He turned around to face her, looking slightly puzzled.
"C'mere." she said. He strode over to her, and Jaina reached up and took his face in her hands, and kissed him, hard. His eyes widened for a moment, but then he relaxed into the kiss, and wrapped her in his strong arms. Jaina deepened the kiss, and ran her fingers through his jet-black hair. They had to break for air, and then Jaina stepped away, smiling slightly.
"Good night, Colonel." she whispered, and then she went into her quarters.
* * *
once again, any and all comments are appreciated!! Thanx for all the feedback so far!!