Disclaimer: Same as always.
Notes: Wow, two updates in two days. That's a record for me. Anyways, you asked for it, so here it is. I now present to you Chapter 6!! Enjoy!
Jaina hunched down over Jag so that her forehead rested against his, her face buried in his hair. Her tears flowed down her cheeks and were absorbed by her husband's hair.
In her training at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Jaina had learned basic healing techniques. She opened herself to the Force and tried to apply them to Jag now, but her mind was too clouded, her emotions too strong. She couldn't concentrate enough to do any good.
Time seemed to stop of Jaina. It no longer had any meaning to her. The only thing that mattered was that Jag didn't die. The rest of the universe seemed to fade away leaving only a crying Jaina and a dying Jag.
Therefore, it could have been seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, or even decades later when Jaina was pulled away from Jag. She tried to protest, but found that she couldn't. Her body and mind were too numb with grief to try to put up a fight. She could do no more than watch as Tahiri used to Force to lift the slab of ceiling, or wall, off of Jag. Once to debris was clear of him, Taesa moved in, the Force concentrated around her. She kneeled down next to the prone pilot, letting her hands come to rest on his chest. Jaina felt her trying to stabilize Jag.
Taesa spoke to Tahiri, who in turn spoke into a comlink. She got a reply, repeated it to Taesa, who seemed satisfied with the answer. She let her eyes drift half shut as she tried to shut out her surroundings to be able to concentrate.
Jaina felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, and turned to look at who had pulled her away from Jag for the first time. Kyp's green eyes were slightly groggy, but held more worry than anything else.
"He'll be okay," he tried to reassure Jaina, but she knew better. He was just as worried and uncertain as she was.
"He promised me that he would never leave me," she told the Jedi Master quietly. "On Borleias, after the Vong almost got him. He promised me."
"And he's going to keep that promise," Kyp stated firmly. "I know Taesa. She's good at what she does. She won't let him die."
"He promised me," Jaina repeated, choking up so much that she couldn't speak anymore. Kyp became a shapeless blur of colors. Jaina's legs didn't seem to be able to support her weight anymore. She started to collapse, but was caught by Kyp before hitting the floor. She collapsed in his embrace, sobbing into his chest.
Kyp murmured incoherent, consoling things to Jaina as her tears soaked to front of his shirt. She was vaguely aware of her parents and everyone else watching them. She felt more than heard Kyp give them some explanation for her behavior. He told them that she would explain later.
Jaina pulled back from Kyp and turned to look at her parents. She felt Kyp close behind her, ready to catch her if she started to collapse again. "No, I'll explain now," she said. "You want to know why I'm acting like this? Because I love Jag. I love him. He's the one that kept me from going and trying to rescue Jacen all by myself. He gave me a reason to live after Anakin died and when I still thought Jacen was dead. I would kill myself with grief if Jag died."
By this time, the little Chanda Fan healer, Telki, had arrived with a repulsor stretcher and various life support machines. Taesa her hands back from Jag and levitated him up onto the stretcher. Tahiri picked up Telki and deposited her on Jag's legs so she could work on him while en route to the small medical bay. As Taesa pushed the stretcher down the corridor, Jaina heard her spouting medical jargon to her fellow healer.
As Jaina followed after them, she could feel everyone's stares on her back. They were worried about her, she could feel, which made her angry. They should be worried about Jag, not her. Unbidden, her uncle's mantra rose to her attention: Anger is of the Dark Side.
Right now, I could care less about the Dark Side.
"When did she grow up so much?" Jan asked his wife. "When did she become an adult?"
"A long time ago," she answered, watching their daughter's receding back. "Back when she first joined the Rogues; when her first friend died." Leia watched, worried, as she felt Jaina struggle with her anger. Don't give in again, Jaina. It's not worth it.
A crowd had started to gather, but was held back by some of the older Jedi. It parted to let Jacen through. He looked at the rubble, surprise and worry written all over his countenance. "What happened here?" he asked, turning to Luke.
"There was some sort of explosion," he answered his nephew. "Jag was caught in it. He's on his way to the medical bay. Taesa thinks he'll be okay."
Leia reached out to feel her son's reaction to the news and had to use all of her diplomatic training to keep her surprise off of her face. Jacen had barriers up like she'd never encountered before. They were higher and stronger than even Jaina's had been in the past few months. She couldn't even read his surface thoughts or emotions. He definitely didn't want anyone to know what he was thinking or feeling.
"That's good," Jacen said, relief in his tone. Leia got the distinct impression that the relief was an act, though, and that he was anything but relieved.
But why would he do that? Leia wondered. He might not like Jag, but he wouldn't wish him dead. Would he? Leia had to admit to herself that she didn't know her son anymore. His experiences with the Vong had changed him; he wasn't the same person he had been six months before. But could he have changed so much?
"Kyp, you know the base better than anyone else here," Mara was saying while holding Ben protectively. "Is there anything around here that could have exploded like this?"
"Not to my knowledge," he answered. "There's nothing below us but maintenance tunnels. Right above us is the lightsaber training room. On both sides of the corridor are personal quarter. I don't think that anyone's assigned to them."
"So this had to have been deliberate," Luke surmised, his brow furrowed. "Someone on the base is a traitor."
"Whoa, kid, hold on a second," Han said, turning to look at his brother-in-law. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions here?"
"It's the only explanation, Han," Leia said, coming to her twin's defense. "I'm not getting much insight, but something sinister is definitely going on here, that much I can sense."
By this time, most everyone had left to either get a little more sleep or to get ready for the day, except for the small group gathered around the blast spot. They all looked around at each other warily. It was unthinkable that one of them was able to do this sort of thing. Leia could feel the suspicion and paranoia growing with each passing moment. Leia gazed at her companions, knowing that they could never kill someone in cold blood, but her gaze always came back to rest on Jacen.
Jacen was in Vong captivity for months. They could have broken him, implanting something in his head to make his do this, a little voice in Leia's head nagged. You never had him checked for Vong implants. Because of that, you might have just brought about the end of the Jedi.
Shut up! Leia commanded the voice. Jacen would never be broken. He's too strong. He could never do this. I know my son.
Are you sure? the little voice asked. Would you bet your life on it? What about all the people on this rock? What about the galaxy?
Leia knew the answer to that. As she looked at the puzzle that was her son, she hoped that the little voice wasn't right. If it is, then I've just condemned the galaxy to destruction.
Ooh, another cliffhanger! So, you like my little twist? I hope so. Now, leave me a comment or two, and I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP. Thanks!!
Notes: Wow, two updates in two days. That's a record for me. Anyways, you asked for it, so here it is. I now present to you Chapter 6!! Enjoy!
Jaina hunched down over Jag so that her forehead rested against his, her face buried in his hair. Her tears flowed down her cheeks and were absorbed by her husband's hair.
In her training at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, Jaina had learned basic healing techniques. She opened herself to the Force and tried to apply them to Jag now, but her mind was too clouded, her emotions too strong. She couldn't concentrate enough to do any good.
Time seemed to stop of Jaina. It no longer had any meaning to her. The only thing that mattered was that Jag didn't die. The rest of the universe seemed to fade away leaving only a crying Jaina and a dying Jag.
Therefore, it could have been seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, or even decades later when Jaina was pulled away from Jag. She tried to protest, but found that she couldn't. Her body and mind were too numb with grief to try to put up a fight. She could do no more than watch as Tahiri used to Force to lift the slab of ceiling, or wall, off of Jag. Once to debris was clear of him, Taesa moved in, the Force concentrated around her. She kneeled down next to the prone pilot, letting her hands come to rest on his chest. Jaina felt her trying to stabilize Jag.
Taesa spoke to Tahiri, who in turn spoke into a comlink. She got a reply, repeated it to Taesa, who seemed satisfied with the answer. She let her eyes drift half shut as she tried to shut out her surroundings to be able to concentrate.
Jaina felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, and turned to look at who had pulled her away from Jag for the first time. Kyp's green eyes were slightly groggy, but held more worry than anything else.
"He'll be okay," he tried to reassure Jaina, but she knew better. He was just as worried and uncertain as she was.
"He promised me that he would never leave me," she told the Jedi Master quietly. "On Borleias, after the Vong almost got him. He promised me."
"And he's going to keep that promise," Kyp stated firmly. "I know Taesa. She's good at what she does. She won't let him die."
"He promised me," Jaina repeated, choking up so much that she couldn't speak anymore. Kyp became a shapeless blur of colors. Jaina's legs didn't seem to be able to support her weight anymore. She started to collapse, but was caught by Kyp before hitting the floor. She collapsed in his embrace, sobbing into his chest.
Kyp murmured incoherent, consoling things to Jaina as her tears soaked to front of his shirt. She was vaguely aware of her parents and everyone else watching them. She felt more than heard Kyp give them some explanation for her behavior. He told them that she would explain later.
Jaina pulled back from Kyp and turned to look at her parents. She felt Kyp close behind her, ready to catch her if she started to collapse again. "No, I'll explain now," she said. "You want to know why I'm acting like this? Because I love Jag. I love him. He's the one that kept me from going and trying to rescue Jacen all by myself. He gave me a reason to live after Anakin died and when I still thought Jacen was dead. I would kill myself with grief if Jag died."
By this time, the little Chanda Fan healer, Telki, had arrived with a repulsor stretcher and various life support machines. Taesa her hands back from Jag and levitated him up onto the stretcher. Tahiri picked up Telki and deposited her on Jag's legs so she could work on him while en route to the small medical bay. As Taesa pushed the stretcher down the corridor, Jaina heard her spouting medical jargon to her fellow healer.
As Jaina followed after them, she could feel everyone's stares on her back. They were worried about her, she could feel, which made her angry. They should be worried about Jag, not her. Unbidden, her uncle's mantra rose to her attention: Anger is of the Dark Side.
Right now, I could care less about the Dark Side.
"When did she grow up so much?" Jan asked his wife. "When did she become an adult?"
"A long time ago," she answered, watching their daughter's receding back. "Back when she first joined the Rogues; when her first friend died." Leia watched, worried, as she felt Jaina struggle with her anger. Don't give in again, Jaina. It's not worth it.
A crowd had started to gather, but was held back by some of the older Jedi. It parted to let Jacen through. He looked at the rubble, surprise and worry written all over his countenance. "What happened here?" he asked, turning to Luke.
"There was some sort of explosion," he answered his nephew. "Jag was caught in it. He's on his way to the medical bay. Taesa thinks he'll be okay."
Leia reached out to feel her son's reaction to the news and had to use all of her diplomatic training to keep her surprise off of her face. Jacen had barriers up like she'd never encountered before. They were higher and stronger than even Jaina's had been in the past few months. She couldn't even read his surface thoughts or emotions. He definitely didn't want anyone to know what he was thinking or feeling.
"That's good," Jacen said, relief in his tone. Leia got the distinct impression that the relief was an act, though, and that he was anything but relieved.
But why would he do that? Leia wondered. He might not like Jag, but he wouldn't wish him dead. Would he? Leia had to admit to herself that she didn't know her son anymore. His experiences with the Vong had changed him; he wasn't the same person he had been six months before. But could he have changed so much?
"Kyp, you know the base better than anyone else here," Mara was saying while holding Ben protectively. "Is there anything around here that could have exploded like this?"
"Not to my knowledge," he answered. "There's nothing below us but maintenance tunnels. Right above us is the lightsaber training room. On both sides of the corridor are personal quarter. I don't think that anyone's assigned to them."
"So this had to have been deliberate," Luke surmised, his brow furrowed. "Someone on the base is a traitor."
"Whoa, kid, hold on a second," Han said, turning to look at his brother-in-law. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions here?"
"It's the only explanation, Han," Leia said, coming to her twin's defense. "I'm not getting much insight, but something sinister is definitely going on here, that much I can sense."
By this time, most everyone had left to either get a little more sleep or to get ready for the day, except for the small group gathered around the blast spot. They all looked around at each other warily. It was unthinkable that one of them was able to do this sort of thing. Leia could feel the suspicion and paranoia growing with each passing moment. Leia gazed at her companions, knowing that they could never kill someone in cold blood, but her gaze always came back to rest on Jacen.
Jacen was in Vong captivity for months. They could have broken him, implanting something in his head to make his do this, a little voice in Leia's head nagged. You never had him checked for Vong implants. Because of that, you might have just brought about the end of the Jedi.
Shut up! Leia commanded the voice. Jacen would never be broken. He's too strong. He could never do this. I know my son.
Are you sure? the little voice asked. Would you bet your life on it? What about all the people on this rock? What about the galaxy?
Leia knew the answer to that. As she looked at the puzzle that was her son, she hoped that the little voice wasn't right. If it is, then I've just condemned the galaxy to destruction.
Ooh, another cliffhanger! So, you like my little twist? I hope so. Now, leave me a comment or two, and I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP. Thanks!!