Disclaimer: Same as always.
Notes: I know it's been a while, but here it is, another chapter. As always, enjoy!
Jaina lay on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling. She had left the lecture hall nearly four hours ago, but hadn't closed her eyes for more than the time it took to blink. Though she was bone weary, she was afraid to fall asleep, afraid of having another vision. So, she had stared at her ceiling, trying to divine the secrets of the universe from the sound-absorbing tiles.
She wasn't having much luck in this endeavor when a knock on her door made her nearly jump out of her skin. She took a couple of calming , deep breaths before getting out of bed and pulling a robe on over her pajamas. She walked across the room, disengaged the lock mechanism on the door, and pushed the button that opened the door.
"Come on in, Uncle Luke," Jaina said, stepping out of the way so that the Jedi Master could enter. As as soon as he was in the room, the door swoosh ed shut behind him, darkness engulfing the room. "Lights: level one." The lights came on dimly, just enough so navigating the room wasn't hazardous.
"I hope I didn't wake you," Luke said, taking a seat on one of two chairs salvaged from an attacked ship. Jaina sat in the middle of the bed, facing her uncle.
"No, I wasn't asleep," she answered. "I was just laying here." She looked at Luke for a moment, silent. "I'm scared to go to sleep, or meditate for that matter."
Jaina felt Luke's probe as he spoke. "What's wrong? Why are you scared?"
"I had a vision last night," she started. "That's why I was up at an ungodly hour. I went for a walk and found Jacen in a meditation chamber. We talked, he fell asleep, and I tried meditating. The vision came again, and I saw Anakin there. He told me that the fate of the galaxy rested on when I told you all about Jag and I being married. That's why Jag was heading for the pilot's lounge so early. We were going to talk about it. I guess that really has no relevance now."
"Tell me about your vision," Luke persisted, looking intently at Jaina. "Why are you scared of having another one?"
Jaina tore her gaze away from her uncle's and recounted her vision to him in full detail, leaving nothing out. She told him of the wedding holos, the holos of her family, and of Anakin's warning to her. "That's not what I'm scared of, though. I'm scared of the pain. It hurt so much; I felt like I was dying. I don't ever want to feel that again." Jaina felt tears forming and pooling in her eyes. She looked down at her hands, could see them shaking. She tried to will them to be still, but to no avail.
Luke noticed and moved from his perch on the chair to sit across from Jaina on the bed. He took her shaking hands in his steady ones. "It's okay to be afraid. Just don't let it consume you. That leads to the Dark Side. I know you know its dangers, so I won't preach to you. I just want to let you know that your family loves you, and we would hate it if you fell again."
Jaina couldn't keep the tears back anymore. They made tracks down her cheeks, and dripped from her face onto the bedspread, leaving tiny, dark spots. She began to sob and Luke pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her close. She sobbed into his chest, his shirt absorbing her tears. He rocked her gently, side to side, and stroked her thick hair in an effort to calm her, but he offered no words. After a while, her sobs and tears stopped, but she still clung tightly to her uncle.
"Feel any better?" he asked, still stroking her hair.
"Yes," Jaina answered truthfully. "I guess I've been needing a good cry for a while now."
Luke pulled back slightly so her could see his niece's face. "But this isn't the reason that I came here."
"No, I figured it wasn't," Jaina said, scooting back so that her back was against the headboard of the bed. She patted the bed beside her, gesturing for Luke to join her.
Luke got himself comfortable and then turned his head to look at Jaina. "Kam and I have been discussing the situation that you're currently in, namely, you're an apprentice, and you're married. And, according to Jedi mandate, apprentices are not allowed to marry.
"Even though you're been with the Rogues, away from Mara, for almost four years, you are still technically her apprentice. I'm hoping you see the problem here." Jaina nodded mutely. "Kam and I have come up with a solution. After Jag comes out of bacta, I will officially announce your Knighthood.
"I want you to realize one thing, though. I'm not doing this because you're my niece and have gotten yourself into a sticky situation. I'm doing this because you deserve it. Traveling to Myrkr to destroy the voxyn queen was your final trial. When I announce your Knighthood, I'll also announce that of all of the survivors of that mission."
Jaina stared at her uncle a moment before speaking. "You don't know how much this means to me," she said, her voice quiet and full of emotion.
"I think I have an idea," he told her, just as quietly. "You watched your brother die, and thought the other one died. For months you thought you were the only Solo child left. You fell in love, and broke every rule the Jedi have to be with him. Then your twin comes back. Your surviving family is finally all together again. And now, your childhood dream is coming true. Am I right?"
Jaina nodded, then threw her arms around Luke again. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "I love you , Uncle Luke," she said, and Luke could feel her smile.
"I know," Luke said, throwing their family's oft used phrase at her. Jaina smacked him in the back of his head lightly, and he smiled. "I love you, too."
She pulled back from him and pushed his shoulders lightly. "Now, leave. I'm tired, and i want to get some sleep."
"What about your visions?" Luke asked, getting up. He stood next to the bed and looked down at his niece.
"I don't care anymore," she answered. She pulled off her robe, threw it across the room. She climbed under the covers, shifting until she was comfortable. "If one come, it comes. If one doesn't, all the better. I just have to trust in the Force."
Luke nodded, then leaned down and kissed Jaina on the forehead. "Sleep well," he told her quietly, heading toward the door. He opened the door and was about to step through when Jaina's voice stopped him.
"Give Aunt Mara and Ben my love," she called. Luke nodded, then stepped into the corridor, the door shutting behind him, leaving Jaina alone. "Light: off." They shut off, leaving the only illumination in the room from the bedside chrono. Jaina glanced at it: 13:57. Then, she rolled onto her side, her back to the chrono, and settled down into the old-fashioned mattress. She closed her eyes and was almost immediately engulfed by sleep's welcome embrace."
Note: I just finished Rebel Stand yesterday, and it was great! If you haven't read it yet, you need to. But, because I've already come so far with this story, I'm just going to ignore that book, and all other books after it. This is now officially a true Star Wars AU. Anyways, leave me a comment or two. Thanks!
Notes: I know it's been a while, but here it is, another chapter. As always, enjoy!
Jaina lay on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling. She had left the lecture hall nearly four hours ago, but hadn't closed her eyes for more than the time it took to blink. Though she was bone weary, she was afraid to fall asleep, afraid of having another vision. So, she had stared at her ceiling, trying to divine the secrets of the universe from the sound-absorbing tiles.
She wasn't having much luck in this endeavor when a knock on her door made her nearly jump out of her skin. She took a couple of calming , deep breaths before getting out of bed and pulling a robe on over her pajamas. She walked across the room, disengaged the lock mechanism on the door, and pushed the button that opened the door.
"Come on in, Uncle Luke," Jaina said, stepping out of the way so that the Jedi Master could enter. As as soon as he was in the room, the door swoosh ed shut behind him, darkness engulfing the room. "Lights: level one." The lights came on dimly, just enough so navigating the room wasn't hazardous.
"I hope I didn't wake you," Luke said, taking a seat on one of two chairs salvaged from an attacked ship. Jaina sat in the middle of the bed, facing her uncle.
"No, I wasn't asleep," she answered. "I was just laying here." She looked at Luke for a moment, silent. "I'm scared to go to sleep, or meditate for that matter."
Jaina felt Luke's probe as he spoke. "What's wrong? Why are you scared?"
"I had a vision last night," she started. "That's why I was up at an ungodly hour. I went for a walk and found Jacen in a meditation chamber. We talked, he fell asleep, and I tried meditating. The vision came again, and I saw Anakin there. He told me that the fate of the galaxy rested on when I told you all about Jag and I being married. That's why Jag was heading for the pilot's lounge so early. We were going to talk about it. I guess that really has no relevance now."
"Tell me about your vision," Luke persisted, looking intently at Jaina. "Why are you scared of having another one?"
Jaina tore her gaze away from her uncle's and recounted her vision to him in full detail, leaving nothing out. She told him of the wedding holos, the holos of her family, and of Anakin's warning to her. "That's not what I'm scared of, though. I'm scared of the pain. It hurt so much; I felt like I was dying. I don't ever want to feel that again." Jaina felt tears forming and pooling in her eyes. She looked down at her hands, could see them shaking. She tried to will them to be still, but to no avail.
Luke noticed and moved from his perch on the chair to sit across from Jaina on the bed. He took her shaking hands in his steady ones. "It's okay to be afraid. Just don't let it consume you. That leads to the Dark Side. I know you know its dangers, so I won't preach to you. I just want to let you know that your family loves you, and we would hate it if you fell again."
Jaina couldn't keep the tears back anymore. They made tracks down her cheeks, and dripped from her face onto the bedspread, leaving tiny, dark spots. She began to sob and Luke pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her close. She sobbed into his chest, his shirt absorbing her tears. He rocked her gently, side to side, and stroked her thick hair in an effort to calm her, but he offered no words. After a while, her sobs and tears stopped, but she still clung tightly to her uncle.
"Feel any better?" he asked, still stroking her hair.
"Yes," Jaina answered truthfully. "I guess I've been needing a good cry for a while now."
Luke pulled back slightly so her could see his niece's face. "But this isn't the reason that I came here."
"No, I figured it wasn't," Jaina said, scooting back so that her back was against the headboard of the bed. She patted the bed beside her, gesturing for Luke to join her.
Luke got himself comfortable and then turned his head to look at Jaina. "Kam and I have been discussing the situation that you're currently in, namely, you're an apprentice, and you're married. And, according to Jedi mandate, apprentices are not allowed to marry.
"Even though you're been with the Rogues, away from Mara, for almost four years, you are still technically her apprentice. I'm hoping you see the problem here." Jaina nodded mutely. "Kam and I have come up with a solution. After Jag comes out of bacta, I will officially announce your Knighthood.
"I want you to realize one thing, though. I'm not doing this because you're my niece and have gotten yourself into a sticky situation. I'm doing this because you deserve it. Traveling to Myrkr to destroy the voxyn queen was your final trial. When I announce your Knighthood, I'll also announce that of all of the survivors of that mission."
Jaina stared at her uncle a moment before speaking. "You don't know how much this means to me," she said, her voice quiet and full of emotion.
"I think I have an idea," he told her, just as quietly. "You watched your brother die, and thought the other one died. For months you thought you were the only Solo child left. You fell in love, and broke every rule the Jedi have to be with him. Then your twin comes back. Your surviving family is finally all together again. And now, your childhood dream is coming true. Am I right?"
Jaina nodded, then threw her arms around Luke again. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "I love you , Uncle Luke," she said, and Luke could feel her smile.
"I know," Luke said, throwing their family's oft used phrase at her. Jaina smacked him in the back of his head lightly, and he smiled. "I love you, too."
She pulled back from him and pushed his shoulders lightly. "Now, leave. I'm tired, and i want to get some sleep."
"What about your visions?" Luke asked, getting up. He stood next to the bed and looked down at his niece.
"I don't care anymore," she answered. She pulled off her robe, threw it across the room. She climbed under the covers, shifting until she was comfortable. "If one come, it comes. If one doesn't, all the better. I just have to trust in the Force."
Luke nodded, then leaned down and kissed Jaina on the forehead. "Sleep well," he told her quietly, heading toward the door. He opened the door and was about to step through when Jaina's voice stopped him.
"Give Aunt Mara and Ben my love," she called. Luke nodded, then stepped into the corridor, the door shutting behind him, leaving Jaina alone. "Light: off." They shut off, leaving the only illumination in the room from the bedside chrono. Jaina glanced at it: 13:57. Then, she rolled onto her side, her back to the chrono, and settled down into the old-fashioned mattress. She closed her eyes and was almost immediately engulfed by sleep's welcome embrace."
Note: I just finished Rebel Stand yesterday, and it was great! If you haven't read it yet, you need to. But, because I've already come so far with this story, I'm just going to ignore that book, and all other books after it. This is now officially a true Star Wars AU. Anyways, leave me a comment or two. Thanks!