Jaina leaned her head back against Jag's shoulder, ignoring the pain in her
ribs. They had been travelling through the mottled realm of hyperspace for
almost four hours now and her injury was beginning to bother her because of
the lack of movement. Aside from that, she was quite comfortable sitting on
Jag's lap, the restraints a tight fit against both of their bodies. She was
firmly pinned against him but Jaina didn't mind. She was enjoying the
intimacy of the cozy, cramped confines of the cockpit.
Jag, however, was not.
She grinned slightly as he grunted against her ear. Every time she shifted on his lap, even just a little, Jag made a noise of discomfort. His left arm was looped underneath hers and resting on her lap while his right hand was on the controls of the ship.
They had barely spoken a word since leaving Drognan. Jag had expertly guided them to safety, bringing the ship out of the planet's orbit opposite of their point of entry. They had not encountered any proximity or ion mines and once they made the jump to hyperspace, the realization that they were returning to Borleias hit her like a ton of duracrete.
Closing her eyes, Jaina reached out and touched Jag's presence. He was retreating within himself, re-building his defences so they would be in place once they returned to Borleias. Perhaps she should be doing the same thing so that when they arrived it wouldn't hurt so much once they had to walk away from each other and go back to the way things were before they left for Kesna.
They had talked a little in the last four hours. They discussed possible military tactics against the Vong. They talked about planets and systems that were not affected by the war but in danger of becoming another victim of the enemy. Jag explained the workings of the Chiss parliament in a little more detail. Every topic they covered was routed in combat strategies or political encounters.
She wanted to talk about them.
Jaina rested her gloved hand on his arm, felt Jag's surprise. He had been deep in his own thoughts and her touch startled him. She grinned. "Jag?"
"Yes?"
"Talk to me."
"About what?"
"I don't know. Anything." She gently began caressing her fingers along his arm, feeling the warmth of his skin underneath the material. "Tell me how your parents met."
He paused and Jaina wished she could see through his helmet. She wanted to see his pale green eyes, lose herself in the sparkle that settled there when he talked about his family. "They met at a celebration on Coruscant. My father was being given a commendation and my mother was one of the guests." She touched on a faint tinge of humour. "She arrived as someone else's date but by the end of the night, she was being escorted home by Father."
"Was it love at first sight?"
"Yes. At least for my father. He asked my mother out several times before she finally said yes. She was a little nervous about dating a TIE pilot. Not because of what he did, but because of what could happen to him."
Jaina smiled. "Did they date for a long time before they married?"
She felt Jag's head move as he shook his head. "No. They were married within a year." He hesitated briefly then brought his left arm up to wrap around her waist. Jaina sighed, contented. She never thought the trip back to Borleias could be so comfy. "How did your parents meet?"
"In a garbage masher on the Death Star." Jaina snorted.
"Really?" His surprise was endearing.
"Uh-huh. Mom, Dad, Uncle Luke, and Chewie almost became pancakes but Artoo and Threepio rescued them. Mom and Dad had a love-hate relationship for a long time before they finally gave in to their feelings. They shared their first kiss in the stomach of a space slug."
"I don't think I want to hear that story."
Jaina smiled at Jag's disgusted laugh. "When was your first kiss?"
"Now, *that's* a story you don't want to hear."
"Why? What happened? Did you miss her lips?"
"No. It was just...embarrassing."
"It couldn't have been that bad. Please?" She turned her head toward him, smiling sweetly at his masked face. "I promise I won't tell anyone."
He hesitated then nodded. "Okay, but you absolutely cannot tell another living soul. You're not even allowed to think it around your fellow Jedi, got it?"
Jaina squeezed his arm. "I promise."
"All right." His head leaned back against the seat, his arm tightened around her waist. "I was thirteen and my parents were having a party for some visiting Imperial officers. One of the guests was an old friend of my father's." He hesitated and Jaina sensed a rush of humiliation wash over him. "My mother had asked me to show one of the guests to the 'fresher and I was glad to leave the party for a few minutes. I was bored out my of mind."
"Let me guess. Your first kiss was in the 'fresher with one of the Imperial's daughters, right?"
"Well, not exactly. She was quite drunk and once we got to the top of the stairs, she threw me up against the wall and planted one on me. I thought she was going to suck my face off."
Jaina laughed, the picture in her head forming instantly of a younger Jag being accosted by a girl. "That's not embarrassing! That's funny! Was the girl older than you?"
Jag sighed. "Yes. Much older."
"How old?"
"I don't know exactly, but if I had to guess, I'd say probably around forty."
She choked on the last laugh. Without thinking, Jaina half-turned quickly on his lap, facing him. There was a sharp intake of breath followed by a string of expletives she never heard used together before. "What?"
"She was the wife of one of the guests." When he spoke, his voice was strained. "It didn't get any better when Inez came upstairs and saw us. She ran back down yelling, 'Jagged's kissing some old woman!'."
Jaina stared at him, disbelieving. Although she couldn't see his face beneath the helmet, Jag's stare was focused straight ahead. "What happened then?"
"Mrs. Troga stumbled down the stairs telling everyone that I had grabbed her but no one believed her. I was still at the top of the stairs, up against the wall. I couldn't move, I was so stunned. I remember hearing my mother hollering at her and General Troga had to carry her out of the house. Father came up after me and when I turned to look at him, I imagine he looked just as stunned as I was. I slowly walked to the 'fresher and closed the door. Then, I scrubbed my face so hard I could have peeled my skin off. It was just awful. Needless to say, the party was over."
She didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to laugh. The other part felt sympathy. It must have been terrible for him. "Jag, that's..."
"Disgusting?"
"Very." She squeezed his arm in comfort.
"I bet your first kiss was much better than that."
"I'm sure most people's first kisses are better than *that."*
"Thank you. That makes me feel better."
Jaina grinned. "My first kiss was with Zekk. It was just a little kiss on the lips. Nothing more." *And certainly nothing like the way you kiss me.*
"Well, at least you have a nice memory of your first kiss. I'm forever tormented with the image of giant red lips coming in for the kill."
This time, she couldn't hold back and she laughed, playfully elbowing him in the stomach. Jag huffed in exaggerated pain, sitting up gently in the chair. "I hope that's not how you see me when I come in for the kill."
If she could describe the feeling she sensed in him now, she'd have to say she felt him smile. "Not at all. I see nothing but beautiful brandy-brown eyes and alluring full lips. I could lose myself in your kisses."
She blushed and was thankful the lighting in the cockpit was dim. Did Jag know that he had that affect on her? Jaina remained facing him, resting her head against his shoulder. Her arm came up and draped across his upper chest. "Jag?"
"Yes?"
"Before we left, you said there may come a time when we could be separated and if that happens you'd find a way back to me. That if we felt the same way then that we do now, we'd continue our relationship."
His arm shifted, drawing her closer. "I said that, yes."
"I don't want to wait that long to explore our relationship." Sensing his surprise and his rebuttal to her comment, Jaina quickly continued. She had to say this, had to let him know that waiting and wondering were not good enough for her. She didn't want the war dictating her life with him; it had already taken too much from her.
"After what we went through on Drognan, I can't imagine things going back to the way there were before. I don't want it to. I want to be able to see you, spend time with you. We don't have to tell anyone about us right away. We can just take this time to continue getting to know each other and when we're comfortable enough with the way things are going, then we can tell our families and friends." She turned her head up to his, wishing desperately that she could see his face. "I don't want a time to come where I'm left wondering about what might have been."
He sighed heavily. He wrestled with the same emotions she did. The fear of being separated by either duty or death. The need to be loved, to love in return. The hope of a future together if they survived the war. Regret that they hadn't stayed on Drognan just one more day.
"I thought that if we distanced ourselves from each other it might make things a little easier when we have to head into a fight. I thought that if we put our relationship on hold we might be able to focus our minds and hearts on the fight and not spend time worrying about the other." His masked head came down a little to rest against hers. "I was wrong about that. I don't want to be away from you."
The chronometer sounded softly in the cockpit, alerting them that the trip was nearing its end. There was so much left that she wanted to say to him. Now, there was no time.
Jag's defences were back in place and the wall around his thoughts and feelings once again became impenetrable. However, his heart was open to her and Jaina basked in the glow of his love.
He adjusted his arms through hers, commanding a firm hand on the controls. She leaned back against him again, doing her best to stay out of his way while he prepared to make the reversion to realspace.
Within seconds they emerged in the Pyria System, Borleias greeting them as if it were a beacon guiding them home. Jaina noticed from her awkward view out of the cockpit there were a number of squadrons on patrol in the space around the planet. She was thankful they didn't revert from hyperspace into the middle of a battle.
"Borleias Control, this is Vanguard One, requesting permission to land."
There was a burst of static over the ship's internal comm and the familiar voice of Colonel Tycho Celchu filled the cockpit. " Vanguard One, this is Borleias Control. You've been cleared for landing at grid Three-One." There was a short pause. "Colonel Fel, where is Lieutenant Solo?"
"She's right here with me, Control." Jag's voice was unemotional and calm.
*I miss the Jag I knew on Drognan already.* It was a silly thought, one that brought about a surprising sadness in her.
"I see." Jaina could almost see Tycho's bewilderment. "Okay. Welcome back, One."
Jag replied with a double click, ending the transmission. He angled the ship toward the planet and headed toward Borleias at a leisurely pace.
A familiar presence flooded her mind and Jaina fought back the smirk that wanted to surface. The presence was filled with humour and curiosity.
*Well, well, well. If this isn't a cozy little scene.*
*Shut up, Kyp.*
*Nah. I don't think so. Not this time. This is too good an opportunity to pass up.*
Jaina groaned and noticed the X-Wing approach at the same time she heard Kyp Durron's mental laugh. Before she could warn Jag, Kyp's voice came over the comm.
"Look who decided to come back!"
"Master Durron." She felt Jag nod his head in acknowledgement.
The X-Wing took up position alongside the Clawcraft, matching speed with it. "What happened to Jaina's ship?"
"We exited hyperspace in the middle of a mine field and she took some damage." He had told her earlier in the trip that he had altered his flight data to correspond with the story he planned on telling those who asked about what happened. She still wasn't happy that he was covering up for her mistakes, but Jag was insistent and she didn't have the strength to argue with him.
"She crashed?" Kyp asked, incredulous.
"Yes. The mind field was laced with proximity and ion mines which were cloaked. It was difficult to manoeuvre."
The was a short pause, followed by a tsk, tsk. "Female pilots. Give them a ship and the first thing they do is crash it."
"Kyp!" Jaina shot up as far as she could and instantly regretted it. Not only did her ribs hurt, but Jag jerked underneath her sudden movement and once again he cursed loudly, this time in a dialect she didn't know.
Jaina could almost see Kyp's sympathetic grimace. "What language was *that?*"
"A pained one." Jag deadpanned.
"Sorry." Jaina managed to grant him an apologetic look.
"That must have been the most uncomfortable trip ever."
"Yes, it was, although if Lieutenant Solo didn't squirm so much I might have been able to enjoy it."
"I wasn't referring to her squirming." Kyp snorted. "I was referring to her weight. Your legs must be killing you, Fel."
"Will you stop it, Kyp!" Jaina slammed her fist down and glared out the cockpit toward the X-Wing.
"Dammit, Jaina!" Jag's arm came up around her waist, pulling her hard against him. The action startled her. "Stop moving and don't use me as a punching bag!" She glanced down and noticed her fist had landed squarely against his inner thigh.
"I'm sorry!" she replied, both embarrassed and angry.
*I guess I don't have to ask how things went while you were away.*
Jaina remained silent as Borleias began to fill the cockpit. *When you get out of that ship, buddy-boy, I'm going to be waiting. You are so dead.*
*Promises. Promises.* She heard his mental laugh again, watched the X-Wing turn and head toward a squadron of E-Wings on patrol. Folding her arms across her chest, she grinned. It's good to see you, Kyp.
*You too, kiddo. Welcome back.*
"Glad you made back." Kyp was saying. "I'll see you two later."
"Thank you for the escort. Take care, Master Durron."
The descent into Borleias' atmosphere was uneventful and within minutes they approached the biotics building. The landing grid was just behind it and Jaina sensed the presence of those waiting for them before she saw them.
The Clawcraft hovered briefly and Jaina looked down at the gathering. Wedge and Iella were there with the girls, as well as Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, who was holding baby Ben, her mother and father. She sensed the same emotions pass from each adult. They were concerned and curious about their arrival in the one ship. She touched on something stir within her father but she couldn't decipher what it was.
Jag set the ship down gently, the engines powering down. Jaina wondered just how much the waiting party could see from their position outside the ship.
"Good thing the viewport's tinted." Jag said, taking his helmet off. His hair was plastered to his head. "Your father would probably kill me if he saw us like this."
Jaina grinned, removing her helmet as well. "Don't worry. I'd protect you from him."
Jag smiled and her heart skipped a beat. She savoured the image of him, knowing that these moments of emotion were going to become rare now that they were back. He leaned around her and shut down the rest of the ship's systems. The cockpit grew dark, the light from outside creating a dim glow around them. "We better get out there and greet our adoring fans."
"Jag, wait." Jaina shifted on his lap, gently this time, and faced him. Placing a hand on his cheek, she drew his gaze to hers. "I just want one more moment with you." Her gloved fingers traced the outline of his jaw then stopped against his chin, preventing him from moving. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
She thought he was going to pull back, stop the kiss because of where they were. He didn't though and she sighed softly into his mouth as he opened his lips to hers. His tongue traced her lips gently before slipping into her mouth. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he were taking in as much of her as he could, enough to last him until he was able to kiss her again.
Jag broke the kiss, his eyes heavy with love and longing. "That probably wasn't a good idea." he said, amused.
"Why is that?" she asked, breathless.
He reached up to pop the access hatch. "Because your face is flushed and now I *know* your father is going to kill me."
Jaina laughed and kissed his cheek. She carefully drew herself up and with a little help from Jag, she climbed up through the hatch. She blinked against the blinding glow of the sun, then looked down at everyone. She carefully stepped around the access hatch and eased herself down the side of the ship.
Her mother was the first one to reach her. "Oh, Jaina!" Leia cried, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"I'm fine, Mom." She hugged her briefly then repeated the gesture with the other members of her family. Wedge, Iella and the girls came over and embraced her as well.
"What happened to you out there? We were worried when only Jag's ship exited hyperspace." Han wrapped an arm around Jaina, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"We had a run-in with a mine field. I crashed and there was a storm. We had to wait for it to pass before we could leave."
"See, Wedge? I told you everything was going to be okay." Luke smiled at his friend.
"Jaina suffered broken ribs in the crash. I did the best I could with a med- pac, but she should be checked out." Jag appeared from the cockpit and sealed the hatch while he spoke.
"Jaggie!"
Myri Antilles ran over to the ship, waving her arms up at him. Jaina turned and watched as Jag jumped down from the ship, scooped his cousin up in his arms, and spun her around in circles. She giggled, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"Hey, squirt! Did you miss me?"
"Of course! Daddy's been too busy to play dolls with me!" He stopped spinning but didn't put her down. Myri reached a hand up and brushed the white lock of hair away from his face. "You're still going to play with me, right?"
"Absolutely."
Everyone started talking at once. Ben was happily playing with Mara's hair while Leia grilled her about what happened. Luke and Han were talking quietly next to her. Syal ran to her cousin and hugged Jag then asked him why his ship was damaged. Iella took Myri from Jag's arms, pausing long enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed then turned to his uncle. Wedge smiled and folded Jag in his arms. Instead of looking uneasy as he had in the past, he welcomed his uncle's embrace with the same sincerity it was given.
Jaina was vaguely aware that she was being guided away from the landing grid toward the biotics building. She noticed her father take a quick look over his shoulder at Jag, his expression impassive. She tried to get an idea of what he was thinking about her arrival back on Borleias but Han's thoughts were closed to her. She looked back over her shoulder toward the reunion at the Clawcraft. Jag was talking to Wedge and just as she was about to look away, he glanced in her direction and smiled.
Jag, however, was not.
She grinned slightly as he grunted against her ear. Every time she shifted on his lap, even just a little, Jag made a noise of discomfort. His left arm was looped underneath hers and resting on her lap while his right hand was on the controls of the ship.
They had barely spoken a word since leaving Drognan. Jag had expertly guided them to safety, bringing the ship out of the planet's orbit opposite of their point of entry. They had not encountered any proximity or ion mines and once they made the jump to hyperspace, the realization that they were returning to Borleias hit her like a ton of duracrete.
Closing her eyes, Jaina reached out and touched Jag's presence. He was retreating within himself, re-building his defences so they would be in place once they returned to Borleias. Perhaps she should be doing the same thing so that when they arrived it wouldn't hurt so much once they had to walk away from each other and go back to the way things were before they left for Kesna.
They had talked a little in the last four hours. They discussed possible military tactics against the Vong. They talked about planets and systems that were not affected by the war but in danger of becoming another victim of the enemy. Jag explained the workings of the Chiss parliament in a little more detail. Every topic they covered was routed in combat strategies or political encounters.
She wanted to talk about them.
Jaina rested her gloved hand on his arm, felt Jag's surprise. He had been deep in his own thoughts and her touch startled him. She grinned. "Jag?"
"Yes?"
"Talk to me."
"About what?"
"I don't know. Anything." She gently began caressing her fingers along his arm, feeling the warmth of his skin underneath the material. "Tell me how your parents met."
He paused and Jaina wished she could see through his helmet. She wanted to see his pale green eyes, lose herself in the sparkle that settled there when he talked about his family. "They met at a celebration on Coruscant. My father was being given a commendation and my mother was one of the guests." She touched on a faint tinge of humour. "She arrived as someone else's date but by the end of the night, she was being escorted home by Father."
"Was it love at first sight?"
"Yes. At least for my father. He asked my mother out several times before she finally said yes. She was a little nervous about dating a TIE pilot. Not because of what he did, but because of what could happen to him."
Jaina smiled. "Did they date for a long time before they married?"
She felt Jag's head move as he shook his head. "No. They were married within a year." He hesitated briefly then brought his left arm up to wrap around her waist. Jaina sighed, contented. She never thought the trip back to Borleias could be so comfy. "How did your parents meet?"
"In a garbage masher on the Death Star." Jaina snorted.
"Really?" His surprise was endearing.
"Uh-huh. Mom, Dad, Uncle Luke, and Chewie almost became pancakes but Artoo and Threepio rescued them. Mom and Dad had a love-hate relationship for a long time before they finally gave in to their feelings. They shared their first kiss in the stomach of a space slug."
"I don't think I want to hear that story."
Jaina smiled at Jag's disgusted laugh. "When was your first kiss?"
"Now, *that's* a story you don't want to hear."
"Why? What happened? Did you miss her lips?"
"No. It was just...embarrassing."
"It couldn't have been that bad. Please?" She turned her head toward him, smiling sweetly at his masked face. "I promise I won't tell anyone."
He hesitated then nodded. "Okay, but you absolutely cannot tell another living soul. You're not even allowed to think it around your fellow Jedi, got it?"
Jaina squeezed his arm. "I promise."
"All right." His head leaned back against the seat, his arm tightened around her waist. "I was thirteen and my parents were having a party for some visiting Imperial officers. One of the guests was an old friend of my father's." He hesitated and Jaina sensed a rush of humiliation wash over him. "My mother had asked me to show one of the guests to the 'fresher and I was glad to leave the party for a few minutes. I was bored out my of mind."
"Let me guess. Your first kiss was in the 'fresher with one of the Imperial's daughters, right?"
"Well, not exactly. She was quite drunk and once we got to the top of the stairs, she threw me up against the wall and planted one on me. I thought she was going to suck my face off."
Jaina laughed, the picture in her head forming instantly of a younger Jag being accosted by a girl. "That's not embarrassing! That's funny! Was the girl older than you?"
Jag sighed. "Yes. Much older."
"How old?"
"I don't know exactly, but if I had to guess, I'd say probably around forty."
She choked on the last laugh. Without thinking, Jaina half-turned quickly on his lap, facing him. There was a sharp intake of breath followed by a string of expletives she never heard used together before. "What?"
"She was the wife of one of the guests." When he spoke, his voice was strained. "It didn't get any better when Inez came upstairs and saw us. She ran back down yelling, 'Jagged's kissing some old woman!'."
Jaina stared at him, disbelieving. Although she couldn't see his face beneath the helmet, Jag's stare was focused straight ahead. "What happened then?"
"Mrs. Troga stumbled down the stairs telling everyone that I had grabbed her but no one believed her. I was still at the top of the stairs, up against the wall. I couldn't move, I was so stunned. I remember hearing my mother hollering at her and General Troga had to carry her out of the house. Father came up after me and when I turned to look at him, I imagine he looked just as stunned as I was. I slowly walked to the 'fresher and closed the door. Then, I scrubbed my face so hard I could have peeled my skin off. It was just awful. Needless to say, the party was over."
She didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to laugh. The other part felt sympathy. It must have been terrible for him. "Jag, that's..."
"Disgusting?"
"Very." She squeezed his arm in comfort.
"I bet your first kiss was much better than that."
"I'm sure most people's first kisses are better than *that."*
"Thank you. That makes me feel better."
Jaina grinned. "My first kiss was with Zekk. It was just a little kiss on the lips. Nothing more." *And certainly nothing like the way you kiss me.*
"Well, at least you have a nice memory of your first kiss. I'm forever tormented with the image of giant red lips coming in for the kill."
This time, she couldn't hold back and she laughed, playfully elbowing him in the stomach. Jag huffed in exaggerated pain, sitting up gently in the chair. "I hope that's not how you see me when I come in for the kill."
If she could describe the feeling she sensed in him now, she'd have to say she felt him smile. "Not at all. I see nothing but beautiful brandy-brown eyes and alluring full lips. I could lose myself in your kisses."
She blushed and was thankful the lighting in the cockpit was dim. Did Jag know that he had that affect on her? Jaina remained facing him, resting her head against his shoulder. Her arm came up and draped across his upper chest. "Jag?"
"Yes?"
"Before we left, you said there may come a time when we could be separated and if that happens you'd find a way back to me. That if we felt the same way then that we do now, we'd continue our relationship."
His arm shifted, drawing her closer. "I said that, yes."
"I don't want to wait that long to explore our relationship." Sensing his surprise and his rebuttal to her comment, Jaina quickly continued. She had to say this, had to let him know that waiting and wondering were not good enough for her. She didn't want the war dictating her life with him; it had already taken too much from her.
"After what we went through on Drognan, I can't imagine things going back to the way there were before. I don't want it to. I want to be able to see you, spend time with you. We don't have to tell anyone about us right away. We can just take this time to continue getting to know each other and when we're comfortable enough with the way things are going, then we can tell our families and friends." She turned her head up to his, wishing desperately that she could see his face. "I don't want a time to come where I'm left wondering about what might have been."
He sighed heavily. He wrestled with the same emotions she did. The fear of being separated by either duty or death. The need to be loved, to love in return. The hope of a future together if they survived the war. Regret that they hadn't stayed on Drognan just one more day.
"I thought that if we distanced ourselves from each other it might make things a little easier when we have to head into a fight. I thought that if we put our relationship on hold we might be able to focus our minds and hearts on the fight and not spend time worrying about the other." His masked head came down a little to rest against hers. "I was wrong about that. I don't want to be away from you."
The chronometer sounded softly in the cockpit, alerting them that the trip was nearing its end. There was so much left that she wanted to say to him. Now, there was no time.
Jag's defences were back in place and the wall around his thoughts and feelings once again became impenetrable. However, his heart was open to her and Jaina basked in the glow of his love.
He adjusted his arms through hers, commanding a firm hand on the controls. She leaned back against him again, doing her best to stay out of his way while he prepared to make the reversion to realspace.
Within seconds they emerged in the Pyria System, Borleias greeting them as if it were a beacon guiding them home. Jaina noticed from her awkward view out of the cockpit there were a number of squadrons on patrol in the space around the planet. She was thankful they didn't revert from hyperspace into the middle of a battle.
"Borleias Control, this is Vanguard One, requesting permission to land."
There was a burst of static over the ship's internal comm and the familiar voice of Colonel Tycho Celchu filled the cockpit. " Vanguard One, this is Borleias Control. You've been cleared for landing at grid Three-One." There was a short pause. "Colonel Fel, where is Lieutenant Solo?"
"She's right here with me, Control." Jag's voice was unemotional and calm.
*I miss the Jag I knew on Drognan already.* It was a silly thought, one that brought about a surprising sadness in her.
"I see." Jaina could almost see Tycho's bewilderment. "Okay. Welcome back, One."
Jag replied with a double click, ending the transmission. He angled the ship toward the planet and headed toward Borleias at a leisurely pace.
A familiar presence flooded her mind and Jaina fought back the smirk that wanted to surface. The presence was filled with humour and curiosity.
*Well, well, well. If this isn't a cozy little scene.*
*Shut up, Kyp.*
*Nah. I don't think so. Not this time. This is too good an opportunity to pass up.*
Jaina groaned and noticed the X-Wing approach at the same time she heard Kyp Durron's mental laugh. Before she could warn Jag, Kyp's voice came over the comm.
"Look who decided to come back!"
"Master Durron." She felt Jag nod his head in acknowledgement.
The X-Wing took up position alongside the Clawcraft, matching speed with it. "What happened to Jaina's ship?"
"We exited hyperspace in the middle of a mine field and she took some damage." He had told her earlier in the trip that he had altered his flight data to correspond with the story he planned on telling those who asked about what happened. She still wasn't happy that he was covering up for her mistakes, but Jag was insistent and she didn't have the strength to argue with him.
"She crashed?" Kyp asked, incredulous.
"Yes. The mind field was laced with proximity and ion mines which were cloaked. It was difficult to manoeuvre."
The was a short pause, followed by a tsk, tsk. "Female pilots. Give them a ship and the first thing they do is crash it."
"Kyp!" Jaina shot up as far as she could and instantly regretted it. Not only did her ribs hurt, but Jag jerked underneath her sudden movement and once again he cursed loudly, this time in a dialect she didn't know.
Jaina could almost see Kyp's sympathetic grimace. "What language was *that?*"
"A pained one." Jag deadpanned.
"Sorry." Jaina managed to grant him an apologetic look.
"That must have been the most uncomfortable trip ever."
"Yes, it was, although if Lieutenant Solo didn't squirm so much I might have been able to enjoy it."
"I wasn't referring to her squirming." Kyp snorted. "I was referring to her weight. Your legs must be killing you, Fel."
"Will you stop it, Kyp!" Jaina slammed her fist down and glared out the cockpit toward the X-Wing.
"Dammit, Jaina!" Jag's arm came up around her waist, pulling her hard against him. The action startled her. "Stop moving and don't use me as a punching bag!" She glanced down and noticed her fist had landed squarely against his inner thigh.
"I'm sorry!" she replied, both embarrassed and angry.
*I guess I don't have to ask how things went while you were away.*
Jaina remained silent as Borleias began to fill the cockpit. *When you get out of that ship, buddy-boy, I'm going to be waiting. You are so dead.*
*Promises. Promises.* She heard his mental laugh again, watched the X-Wing turn and head toward a squadron of E-Wings on patrol. Folding her arms across her chest, she grinned. It's good to see you, Kyp.
*You too, kiddo. Welcome back.*
"Glad you made back." Kyp was saying. "I'll see you two later."
"Thank you for the escort. Take care, Master Durron."
The descent into Borleias' atmosphere was uneventful and within minutes they approached the biotics building. The landing grid was just behind it and Jaina sensed the presence of those waiting for them before she saw them.
The Clawcraft hovered briefly and Jaina looked down at the gathering. Wedge and Iella were there with the girls, as well as Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, who was holding baby Ben, her mother and father. She sensed the same emotions pass from each adult. They were concerned and curious about their arrival in the one ship. She touched on something stir within her father but she couldn't decipher what it was.
Jag set the ship down gently, the engines powering down. Jaina wondered just how much the waiting party could see from their position outside the ship.
"Good thing the viewport's tinted." Jag said, taking his helmet off. His hair was plastered to his head. "Your father would probably kill me if he saw us like this."
Jaina grinned, removing her helmet as well. "Don't worry. I'd protect you from him."
Jag smiled and her heart skipped a beat. She savoured the image of him, knowing that these moments of emotion were going to become rare now that they were back. He leaned around her and shut down the rest of the ship's systems. The cockpit grew dark, the light from outside creating a dim glow around them. "We better get out there and greet our adoring fans."
"Jag, wait." Jaina shifted on his lap, gently this time, and faced him. Placing a hand on his cheek, she drew his gaze to hers. "I just want one more moment with you." Her gloved fingers traced the outline of his jaw then stopped against his chin, preventing him from moving. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
She thought he was going to pull back, stop the kiss because of where they were. He didn't though and she sighed softly into his mouth as he opened his lips to hers. His tongue traced her lips gently before slipping into her mouth. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he were taking in as much of her as he could, enough to last him until he was able to kiss her again.
Jag broke the kiss, his eyes heavy with love and longing. "That probably wasn't a good idea." he said, amused.
"Why is that?" she asked, breathless.
He reached up to pop the access hatch. "Because your face is flushed and now I *know* your father is going to kill me."
Jaina laughed and kissed his cheek. She carefully drew herself up and with a little help from Jag, she climbed up through the hatch. She blinked against the blinding glow of the sun, then looked down at everyone. She carefully stepped around the access hatch and eased herself down the side of the ship.
Her mother was the first one to reach her. "Oh, Jaina!" Leia cried, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"I'm fine, Mom." She hugged her briefly then repeated the gesture with the other members of her family. Wedge, Iella and the girls came over and embraced her as well.
"What happened to you out there? We were worried when only Jag's ship exited hyperspace." Han wrapped an arm around Jaina, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"We had a run-in with a mine field. I crashed and there was a storm. We had to wait for it to pass before we could leave."
"See, Wedge? I told you everything was going to be okay." Luke smiled at his friend.
"Jaina suffered broken ribs in the crash. I did the best I could with a med- pac, but she should be checked out." Jag appeared from the cockpit and sealed the hatch while he spoke.
"Jaggie!"
Myri Antilles ran over to the ship, waving her arms up at him. Jaina turned and watched as Jag jumped down from the ship, scooped his cousin up in his arms, and spun her around in circles. She giggled, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"Hey, squirt! Did you miss me?"
"Of course! Daddy's been too busy to play dolls with me!" He stopped spinning but didn't put her down. Myri reached a hand up and brushed the white lock of hair away from his face. "You're still going to play with me, right?"
"Absolutely."
Everyone started talking at once. Ben was happily playing with Mara's hair while Leia grilled her about what happened. Luke and Han were talking quietly next to her. Syal ran to her cousin and hugged Jag then asked him why his ship was damaged. Iella took Myri from Jag's arms, pausing long enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed then turned to his uncle. Wedge smiled and folded Jag in his arms. Instead of looking uneasy as he had in the past, he welcomed his uncle's embrace with the same sincerity it was given.
Jaina was vaguely aware that she was being guided away from the landing grid toward the biotics building. She noticed her father take a quick look over his shoulder at Jag, his expression impassive. She tried to get an idea of what he was thinking about her arrival back on Borleias but Han's thoughts were closed to her. She looked back over her shoulder toward the reunion at the Clawcraft. Jag was talking to Wedge and just as she was about to look away, he glanced in her direction and smiled.
