*Jaya.
The room was bathed in candlelight. Deep red drapes lined the farthest wall, preventing the evening light from invading their surroundings. The table, once in the middle of the room, was against the wall near the double doors. Platters of food were neatly arranged, carafes of wine and other liquors sat on the chest on the other side of the doors. The chairs were draped in the same material as the curtains, and were lined up next to the table, the sixteen seats forming a semi-circle. Smaller, more durable chairs were scattered around the perimeter of the room. The cold stone floor had been polished and closely resembled the dove gray colour it had once been.
Jaya.
She smiled at the people gathered in the dining hall. The space seemed almost too small for everyone but no one commented on the cramped quarters; everyone wore smiles and laughed. There wasn't a face she didn't recognized: her mother and father, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, and baby Ben. Wedge and Iella stood near the table, examining the delectable goodies while Syal and Myri giggled in a far corner with their cousins, Inez and Reina. Kyp, Ganner, Corran, and several other Jedi were near the windows talking privately, each one dressed in their Jedi robes. Syal smiled up at her husband, gently wiped a bit of cream from the corner of his lip. Soontir laughed, his voice rich and deep, filling the room. Tenal Ka and Lowbacca were deep on conversation, however the warrior queen managed to pause long enough to turn and smile at the man on her arm. Jacen smiled and she sensed his joy as if it were broadcast from the highest mountains.
Jaya.
Soft music began to play, drowning out the voices. She blushed and turned away from the fire. Jag smiled at her from the opposite end of the room, handsome in his formal dress uniform, his hair short and neat. Picking up the hem of her dress, she returned his smile and slowly crossed the room. She felt all eyes turn toward them, heard the whispers of her mother, Mara, and Syal.
Jag held his hand out to her, the smile on his face the most beautiful sight she'd even seen. Placing her hand in his, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist, his palm flat against her back. She rested her other hand on his shoulder then followed his lead as he led her through the steps of the intricate waltz. As they circled the little area designated the dance floor, she noticed both mothers dab tears away from their eyes, heard the fathers laugh at a joke one of them had said. One of the flowers that had been entwined in her hair fell away when Jag brought her down in a low dip. She laughed as he scooped her up and continued with the dance, saw Myri pick up the red flower and put it her hair.
Jaya.
Unshed tears filled her eyes, her joy becoming greater than she thought possible. Glancing over Jag's shoulder, she looked toward the double doors. The spirit form of Anakin was smiling.*
Jaina blinked a few times, slowly coming out of her sleep. The smile she had worn in her dreams remained on her face now as she thought about the events she had been lost in. Everyone was so happy and full of life. Jag had never looked more handsome to her and seeing Anakin brought tears to her eyes. It was the most wonderful dream. She hated that she woke up.
Pushing herself up a little in the bed, Jaina leaned back against the plush pillows. The med-ward was quiet, the occasional sound of footprints passing outside her room drew her gaze to the door. She folded her arms across her chest, pausing briefly to wipe away a tear.
*Maybe it wasn't a dream. I could feel the emotions of everyone there. I could almost reach out and touch Jag, feel his skin as our hands joined. A wave of hope rushed through her. A vision. A vision of my future with Jag...*
"Hey, princess. Mind if I come in?"
She looked over at the door, smiled faintly as her father entered the room even before she replied. "Hi, dad."
He pulled up a chair next to the bed, leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "How do you feel?" Han asked, sitting down on her right.
"Much better. I'm not sore anymore but I'm still really tired." As if to accentuate that remark, Jaina yawned.
"Well, you won't have to stay here much longer. I saw Cilghal on my way here and she's going to come and check on you in a few minutes." Han leaned back in the chair, both hands flat on his lap. He studied her pensively and Jaina caught a fleeting curiosity lingering among his concern and love for her. She wondered about that. "So, where's your mother?"
"She had to talk to Iella about something but she said she'd be right back." She felt uncomfortable around her father and for a moment she tried to figure out the reason for that. Then, it hit her. Before she had left for Kesna she had treated him rather harshly. She had made a promise to herself that she would try and straighten out the damage done to their relationship. She loved her parents too much and with everything that has happened recently, she needed them now more than ever.
Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Jaina turned slightly to face Han, drawing her knees up in front of her. "Dad, I'm sorry for the way I behaved before we left for Kesna. I know that I've been difficult lately---"
"Jaina, it's okay. I know you've been through a lot, we all have, and I understand that some things that were said and done were so in anger and pain. Let's not talk about that right now, okay? We'll talk about later, when your mother's here." She nodded and Han continued. "Besides, I'm more interested in how you and Fel survived on Drognan for four days."
Jaina blushed and looked down at her hands. This wasn't exactly a discussion she wanted to have with her father. "There really isn't much to tell. The place was deserted and it lacked modern-day technology. We had to make do with what little resources we had."
"So, what did you eat?"
"Jag had a few rations bars that we shared and he found some canned soup. It didn't taste that good but we managed."
"What about warmth? You said that the house was old and made of stone. Lots of cracks in the foundation, I would think."
Jaina struggled to keep the blush from growing brighter. "Jag kept a fire going and he used two of the curtains as blankets." She neglected to tell him the part about Jag keeping her warm with his body, fearing that neither she or Jag would survive that revelation.
Han tapped his fingers on his lap, his stare still intent. "Did you have any running water or did you have to melt snow and use that?"
Why all the questions? Jaina curled her fingers around the fabric of the blanket and shrugged. "There was a 'fresher there, dad. The shower didn't work but Jag got the faucets in the sink working and we washed up that way."
Her father nodded thoughtfully, a speculative gleam in his eyes. "Sounds to me like Fel took good care of you."
She couldn't hide the grin that touched her lips. "Yes, he did."
"I just came from seeing him."
Jaina turned her attention to him, wide-eyed. "You did?"
"Yeah. I thanked him for saving your life and taking care of you." The infamous Solo grin crossed his face. "You know I don't say 'thank you' often, so I hope Fel enjoys that while it lasts. He won't be hearing it again anytime soon."
Jaina smiled. It was good to hear her father sounding like his old self again. "I bet he was surprised to see you."
He sat up in the chair, his stare hardening. "Yeah, to say the least. Kid reminds me a lot of his father. Loyal, honourable, trustworthy...but he can't lie worth a damn."
She blinked, stunned. "What do you mean?"
"C'mon, Jaina. Maybe everyone else believes your little ruse, but not me. Your mother and Luke may be Jedi but I think I know you better than anyone." Han rose from the chair and glared down at her. Jaina flinched under that stare, one she had seen many times when she, Jacen, and Anakin would get into trouble. "Fel didn't miscalculate anything. He was covering for you."
Shame washed over her followed immediately by a wave of guilt. "Dad, I can explain---"
"I don't care!" He snapped, his voice harsh. "I can't believe you were going to let him lie for you!"
"It wasn't my idea!" she argued, her tone almost matching his. "Jag suggested it and I didn't want to go along with it at first---"
"Well, you sure didn't stop him from lying to us and altering his flight data, which I'm guessing he did also, right?" Han waited for her reply but all Jaina could do was look away. She sensed his disappointment like a vibroshiv through her gut. "Fel may have thought he was doing you a favour, Jaina, but I think he did more harm than good. You're not a little girl anymore. You've got to take responsibility for your actions---"
"I have been doing that for longer than I can remember!" she argued. "So what if Jag covered for me? It didn't do any harm---"
Han stared at her, incredulous. "You don't get it, do you?" Running a hand through his graying hair, he paced the room and stopped near the door. "It's not the whole lying thing that bothers me. It's the fact that you disobeyed his orders in the first place. You let your stubbornness guide your actions and that almost got you killed."
Jaina swatted at a tear that suddenly stained her cheek, her gaze locked on her father. He was more adept at shielding his emotions from her than Jag was and his words saddened her. When she spoke, her voice was soft and shaky. "I was hurt and angry and I admit that it was wrong of me to go off on my own. I apologized to Jag and he forgave me."
Han let out a long breath. "Jaina, honey, you're missing my point." His tone had dropped, the disappointment she had sensed faded. "You're going to be commanding Twin Suns once you walk out of this med-ward and if you're going to lead them, you have to know how to follow orders too. It's a two- way street and you've got to learn to draw the line between personal feelings and professional gain. If you hadn't disobeyed Fel's orders you *both* could have gathered information for Wedge about Kesna. Instead, you not only almost got yourself killed, you almost got Fel killed too. Have you thought about it that way?"
Jaina frowned, fought another tear. She had acknowledged that she was irresponsible, had apologized to Jag. She knew that he had taken damage while coming to her rescue but until now, she hadn't fully realized that she had indeed put his life at greater risk than necessary. She would have to apologize yet again when she saw him next.
Han nodded at her silence. "I'll take that as a 'no'. Look, I'm not going to say anything. This is something that you and Jag have to work out. I'm hoping that you'll do the right thing and at least tell Wedge the truth."
"Is everything okay in here?"
Leia stepped into the room, carrying a glass of water. She paused, kissed Han's cheek then walked over to the bed and set the glass down on the table.
"Everything's fine." Han said, placing his hands on his hips. "Jaina and I were just having a little talk."
Leia smiled then leaned over and kissed Jaina. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"
"Tired." Jaina leaned back against the pillows again. She wanted to get away, escape this conversation and deal with it when she was well-rested.
"You'll be out of here soon enough and we'll get you settle into your quarters." Her mother took up the seat Han had vacated while her father remained standing at the foot of the bed. Her stare passed between the two. "So, are either of you going to tell me what was going on in here?"
"We were talking about Fel." Han said, glancing briefly at Jaina. "I just came from seeing him. Had to thank him for getting her back safely."
Leia reached out and touched Jaina's hand. She could feel the joy and love from her mother as if it were as bright as a supernova. She felt shame for treating her so poorly. "I'll have to thank him as well. I imagine he's just as tired as you are."
"It was a long flight back." *And a rather comfortable one, too.* She blushed and looked away.
There was a moment of silence before Leia spoke again. "Jaina, I know that this may not be the time or place, but I think you and I need to talk about Jacen and Anakin. There are things I want---"
"Mom, can we do this later? I'm really tired and I've talked enough about Anakin and Jacen over the last four days---"
"You've talked to Jag about your brothers?" Leia asked, surprised.
Jaina sensed shock from her father as well and that brought a faint grin to her lips. "Yes. Jag and I talked about Anakin and Jacen and he told me about his siblings who've died. We got to know each other really well on Drognan. We talked about a lot of things."
"That's not all you did, I hear." Han said. His voice was light and his eyes sparkled with amusement.
Leia turned to her husband. "What do you mean?"
This time, Han almost laughed. "Didn't she tell you? Jaina and Fel swapped spit a few times."
"Han!"
"What?"
"Dad!"
"WHAT?"
Mortified, Jaina shoved herself out of the bed in one fluent motion. She stalked around the bed, stopping directly in front of Han. Embarrassed and angry, she glared at him. "Jag told you?"
"Not willingly. I think I scared it out of him."
Leia came up on his other side. "Han, what did you do to him?"
Han shrugged his shoulders in defiance. "I didn't do anything! I didn't break any limbs and he still has all his teeth!" He took two long strides backward, an action that brought him closer to the door. "I can very intimidating when I want to be and Fel just blurted it out."
Jaina threw her hands up and turned away, her face hot. "I can't believe this! Dad, how could you?"
"Hey, it's not my fault the kid can't keep secrets."
Leia stood staring at Jaina and she could almost feel her mother's gaze. She sensed curiosity and elation flow through her. "Jag kissed you?" Her voice was wistful.
Sighing heavily, she turned to face her parents. Her mother looked hopeful, her father...well, she couldn't figure out what his expression meant. Playing on that, she smiled sweetly. "Yes, Jag kissed me. Although, I kissed him first."
Han winced, shaking his head. "I *did not* need to know that!"
Before anymore could be said on that subject, Cilghal, the Mon Cal Jedi and medic, came into the room. Her lips twitched into a smile as she bowed her head to the elder Solos. "I would like to examine Jaina once more before she is released. If you don't mind leaving us?"
"Gladly." Han said, already half-way out of the room.
Leia leaned over and kissed Jaina's cheek. "We'll be waiting outside."
"Don't feel like you have to." she replied curtly. Still humiliated, Jaina didn't say a word as the other Jedi performed her examination. After she got some much needed rest and a good hot shower and some food, she'd have to pay Jag a little visit and scold him for allowing his normally calm and cool composure for faltering in front of Han Solo
The room was bathed in candlelight. Deep red drapes lined the farthest wall, preventing the evening light from invading their surroundings. The table, once in the middle of the room, was against the wall near the double doors. Platters of food were neatly arranged, carafes of wine and other liquors sat on the chest on the other side of the doors. The chairs were draped in the same material as the curtains, and were lined up next to the table, the sixteen seats forming a semi-circle. Smaller, more durable chairs were scattered around the perimeter of the room. The cold stone floor had been polished and closely resembled the dove gray colour it had once been.
Jaya.
She smiled at the people gathered in the dining hall. The space seemed almost too small for everyone but no one commented on the cramped quarters; everyone wore smiles and laughed. There wasn't a face she didn't recognized: her mother and father, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, and baby Ben. Wedge and Iella stood near the table, examining the delectable goodies while Syal and Myri giggled in a far corner with their cousins, Inez and Reina. Kyp, Ganner, Corran, and several other Jedi were near the windows talking privately, each one dressed in their Jedi robes. Syal smiled up at her husband, gently wiped a bit of cream from the corner of his lip. Soontir laughed, his voice rich and deep, filling the room. Tenal Ka and Lowbacca were deep on conversation, however the warrior queen managed to pause long enough to turn and smile at the man on her arm. Jacen smiled and she sensed his joy as if it were broadcast from the highest mountains.
Jaya.
Soft music began to play, drowning out the voices. She blushed and turned away from the fire. Jag smiled at her from the opposite end of the room, handsome in his formal dress uniform, his hair short and neat. Picking up the hem of her dress, she returned his smile and slowly crossed the room. She felt all eyes turn toward them, heard the whispers of her mother, Mara, and Syal.
Jag held his hand out to her, the smile on his face the most beautiful sight she'd even seen. Placing her hand in his, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist, his palm flat against her back. She rested her other hand on his shoulder then followed his lead as he led her through the steps of the intricate waltz. As they circled the little area designated the dance floor, she noticed both mothers dab tears away from their eyes, heard the fathers laugh at a joke one of them had said. One of the flowers that had been entwined in her hair fell away when Jag brought her down in a low dip. She laughed as he scooped her up and continued with the dance, saw Myri pick up the red flower and put it her hair.
Jaya.
Unshed tears filled her eyes, her joy becoming greater than she thought possible. Glancing over Jag's shoulder, she looked toward the double doors. The spirit form of Anakin was smiling.*
Jaina blinked a few times, slowly coming out of her sleep. The smile she had worn in her dreams remained on her face now as she thought about the events she had been lost in. Everyone was so happy and full of life. Jag had never looked more handsome to her and seeing Anakin brought tears to her eyes. It was the most wonderful dream. She hated that she woke up.
Pushing herself up a little in the bed, Jaina leaned back against the plush pillows. The med-ward was quiet, the occasional sound of footprints passing outside her room drew her gaze to the door. She folded her arms across her chest, pausing briefly to wipe away a tear.
*Maybe it wasn't a dream. I could feel the emotions of everyone there. I could almost reach out and touch Jag, feel his skin as our hands joined. A wave of hope rushed through her. A vision. A vision of my future with Jag...*
"Hey, princess. Mind if I come in?"
She looked over at the door, smiled faintly as her father entered the room even before she replied. "Hi, dad."
He pulled up a chair next to the bed, leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "How do you feel?" Han asked, sitting down on her right.
"Much better. I'm not sore anymore but I'm still really tired." As if to accentuate that remark, Jaina yawned.
"Well, you won't have to stay here much longer. I saw Cilghal on my way here and she's going to come and check on you in a few minutes." Han leaned back in the chair, both hands flat on his lap. He studied her pensively and Jaina caught a fleeting curiosity lingering among his concern and love for her. She wondered about that. "So, where's your mother?"
"She had to talk to Iella about something but she said she'd be right back." She felt uncomfortable around her father and for a moment she tried to figure out the reason for that. Then, it hit her. Before she had left for Kesna she had treated him rather harshly. She had made a promise to herself that she would try and straighten out the damage done to their relationship. She loved her parents too much and with everything that has happened recently, she needed them now more than ever.
Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Jaina turned slightly to face Han, drawing her knees up in front of her. "Dad, I'm sorry for the way I behaved before we left for Kesna. I know that I've been difficult lately---"
"Jaina, it's okay. I know you've been through a lot, we all have, and I understand that some things that were said and done were so in anger and pain. Let's not talk about that right now, okay? We'll talk about later, when your mother's here." She nodded and Han continued. "Besides, I'm more interested in how you and Fel survived on Drognan for four days."
Jaina blushed and looked down at her hands. This wasn't exactly a discussion she wanted to have with her father. "There really isn't much to tell. The place was deserted and it lacked modern-day technology. We had to make do with what little resources we had."
"So, what did you eat?"
"Jag had a few rations bars that we shared and he found some canned soup. It didn't taste that good but we managed."
"What about warmth? You said that the house was old and made of stone. Lots of cracks in the foundation, I would think."
Jaina struggled to keep the blush from growing brighter. "Jag kept a fire going and he used two of the curtains as blankets." She neglected to tell him the part about Jag keeping her warm with his body, fearing that neither she or Jag would survive that revelation.
Han tapped his fingers on his lap, his stare still intent. "Did you have any running water or did you have to melt snow and use that?"
Why all the questions? Jaina curled her fingers around the fabric of the blanket and shrugged. "There was a 'fresher there, dad. The shower didn't work but Jag got the faucets in the sink working and we washed up that way."
Her father nodded thoughtfully, a speculative gleam in his eyes. "Sounds to me like Fel took good care of you."
She couldn't hide the grin that touched her lips. "Yes, he did."
"I just came from seeing him."
Jaina turned her attention to him, wide-eyed. "You did?"
"Yeah. I thanked him for saving your life and taking care of you." The infamous Solo grin crossed his face. "You know I don't say 'thank you' often, so I hope Fel enjoys that while it lasts. He won't be hearing it again anytime soon."
Jaina smiled. It was good to hear her father sounding like his old self again. "I bet he was surprised to see you."
He sat up in the chair, his stare hardening. "Yeah, to say the least. Kid reminds me a lot of his father. Loyal, honourable, trustworthy...but he can't lie worth a damn."
She blinked, stunned. "What do you mean?"
"C'mon, Jaina. Maybe everyone else believes your little ruse, but not me. Your mother and Luke may be Jedi but I think I know you better than anyone." Han rose from the chair and glared down at her. Jaina flinched under that stare, one she had seen many times when she, Jacen, and Anakin would get into trouble. "Fel didn't miscalculate anything. He was covering for you."
Shame washed over her followed immediately by a wave of guilt. "Dad, I can explain---"
"I don't care!" He snapped, his voice harsh. "I can't believe you were going to let him lie for you!"
"It wasn't my idea!" she argued, her tone almost matching his. "Jag suggested it and I didn't want to go along with it at first---"
"Well, you sure didn't stop him from lying to us and altering his flight data, which I'm guessing he did also, right?" Han waited for her reply but all Jaina could do was look away. She sensed his disappointment like a vibroshiv through her gut. "Fel may have thought he was doing you a favour, Jaina, but I think he did more harm than good. You're not a little girl anymore. You've got to take responsibility for your actions---"
"I have been doing that for longer than I can remember!" she argued. "So what if Jag covered for me? It didn't do any harm---"
Han stared at her, incredulous. "You don't get it, do you?" Running a hand through his graying hair, he paced the room and stopped near the door. "It's not the whole lying thing that bothers me. It's the fact that you disobeyed his orders in the first place. You let your stubbornness guide your actions and that almost got you killed."
Jaina swatted at a tear that suddenly stained her cheek, her gaze locked on her father. He was more adept at shielding his emotions from her than Jag was and his words saddened her. When she spoke, her voice was soft and shaky. "I was hurt and angry and I admit that it was wrong of me to go off on my own. I apologized to Jag and he forgave me."
Han let out a long breath. "Jaina, honey, you're missing my point." His tone had dropped, the disappointment she had sensed faded. "You're going to be commanding Twin Suns once you walk out of this med-ward and if you're going to lead them, you have to know how to follow orders too. It's a two- way street and you've got to learn to draw the line between personal feelings and professional gain. If you hadn't disobeyed Fel's orders you *both* could have gathered information for Wedge about Kesna. Instead, you not only almost got yourself killed, you almost got Fel killed too. Have you thought about it that way?"
Jaina frowned, fought another tear. She had acknowledged that she was irresponsible, had apologized to Jag. She knew that he had taken damage while coming to her rescue but until now, she hadn't fully realized that she had indeed put his life at greater risk than necessary. She would have to apologize yet again when she saw him next.
Han nodded at her silence. "I'll take that as a 'no'. Look, I'm not going to say anything. This is something that you and Jag have to work out. I'm hoping that you'll do the right thing and at least tell Wedge the truth."
"Is everything okay in here?"
Leia stepped into the room, carrying a glass of water. She paused, kissed Han's cheek then walked over to the bed and set the glass down on the table.
"Everything's fine." Han said, placing his hands on his hips. "Jaina and I were just having a little talk."
Leia smiled then leaned over and kissed Jaina. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"
"Tired." Jaina leaned back against the pillows again. She wanted to get away, escape this conversation and deal with it when she was well-rested.
"You'll be out of here soon enough and we'll get you settle into your quarters." Her mother took up the seat Han had vacated while her father remained standing at the foot of the bed. Her stare passed between the two. "So, are either of you going to tell me what was going on in here?"
"We were talking about Fel." Han said, glancing briefly at Jaina. "I just came from seeing him. Had to thank him for getting her back safely."
Leia reached out and touched Jaina's hand. She could feel the joy and love from her mother as if it were as bright as a supernova. She felt shame for treating her so poorly. "I'll have to thank him as well. I imagine he's just as tired as you are."
"It was a long flight back." *And a rather comfortable one, too.* She blushed and looked away.
There was a moment of silence before Leia spoke again. "Jaina, I know that this may not be the time or place, but I think you and I need to talk about Jacen and Anakin. There are things I want---"
"Mom, can we do this later? I'm really tired and I've talked enough about Anakin and Jacen over the last four days---"
"You've talked to Jag about your brothers?" Leia asked, surprised.
Jaina sensed shock from her father as well and that brought a faint grin to her lips. "Yes. Jag and I talked about Anakin and Jacen and he told me about his siblings who've died. We got to know each other really well on Drognan. We talked about a lot of things."
"That's not all you did, I hear." Han said. His voice was light and his eyes sparkled with amusement.
Leia turned to her husband. "What do you mean?"
This time, Han almost laughed. "Didn't she tell you? Jaina and Fel swapped spit a few times."
"Han!"
"What?"
"Dad!"
"WHAT?"
Mortified, Jaina shoved herself out of the bed in one fluent motion. She stalked around the bed, stopping directly in front of Han. Embarrassed and angry, she glared at him. "Jag told you?"
"Not willingly. I think I scared it out of him."
Leia came up on his other side. "Han, what did you do to him?"
Han shrugged his shoulders in defiance. "I didn't do anything! I didn't break any limbs and he still has all his teeth!" He took two long strides backward, an action that brought him closer to the door. "I can very intimidating when I want to be and Fel just blurted it out."
Jaina threw her hands up and turned away, her face hot. "I can't believe this! Dad, how could you?"
"Hey, it's not my fault the kid can't keep secrets."
Leia stood staring at Jaina and she could almost feel her mother's gaze. She sensed curiosity and elation flow through her. "Jag kissed you?" Her voice was wistful.
Sighing heavily, she turned to face her parents. Her mother looked hopeful, her father...well, she couldn't figure out what his expression meant. Playing on that, she smiled sweetly. "Yes, Jag kissed me. Although, I kissed him first."
Han winced, shaking his head. "I *did not* need to know that!"
Before anymore could be said on that subject, Cilghal, the Mon Cal Jedi and medic, came into the room. Her lips twitched into a smile as she bowed her head to the elder Solos. "I would like to examine Jaina once more before she is released. If you don't mind leaving us?"
"Gladly." Han said, already half-way out of the room.
Leia leaned over and kissed Jaina's cheek. "We'll be waiting outside."
"Don't feel like you have to." she replied curtly. Still humiliated, Jaina didn't say a word as the other Jedi performed her examination. After she got some much needed rest and a good hot shower and some food, she'd have to pay Jag a little visit and scold him for allowing his normally calm and cool composure for faltering in front of Han Solo
