Disclaimer: Well, one more time maestro! "I do not own Star Wars, New Jedi Order, Zekk, Jaian Solo, Jagged Fel or any other copy righted material used in this story. I am making no money from this story, this is purely for entertainment. Also, the song Leave belongs to Match Box 20… Please do not sue, I've nothing to sue for unless you want a broken Navy pen or a dust bunny."
Author's Note: This story takes place during the end of Rebel Stand on Borelais. Please read and review (sorry update took so long).
Leave
By: X-wing Day
Lando Calrissian threw, as always, a very memorable party… Or at least it was memorable to those who were not so drunk that they could not remember their own names. There were drinks, a "dance floor", live music provided by a cobble together band and brave karaoke singers. The large, normally empty hanger housing the event was alive with the music and the happy feeling of partygoers. A make shift stage up front by the "dance floor" was the main attraction as Lando introduced each "victim" personally.
Zekk sipped his brandy as he watched the people celebrating around him. His mood was dark to saw the least and celebrating was the last thing he wanted to do. After a moment he started to scan the crowd with his emerald gave, not knowing why… Then he felt it. Felt her. Jaina Solo. He looked to the main entrance to see her enter the hanger on the arm of a man with short dark hair and bright green eyes. Cornel Jagged Fel, he realized as they started into the room.
Zekk knew he'd lost her, had known since Hapes really, but that only increased his pain. The fact that she wouldn't even speak to him as a friend hurt even more deeply. He drained his drink in one pull and was about to leave when a new idea accrued to him. He turned instead deeper into the room and began toward the front.
Jaina had been able to feel Zekk's eye's on her as she entered the room and could even feel his pain through the Force. She had tried to shut it out as she spoke to Jag, Talking over how to improve the Twin Suns. She had tried not to think of how her old friend's pain had more than doubled when she appeared…
"WE HAVE OUR NEXT VICTIM!" Lando called excitedly from stage with his best lady-killer smile in place. "His name is Zekk and the song title is Leave. It's old so a lot of you kids might not know it." With that Lando stepped off stage and a make shift spotlight was focused onto a 22-year-old young man in dark blue clothes with a long, dark ponytail and sharp emerald eyes. If that wasn't enough to confirm his identity, Jaina could make out the hilt of his light saber hanging at his belt.
As the women in the room began to die down their shouts of appreciation music started to play. The band picked up an old tune Jaina had never before heard. Zekk stepped forward, microphone in hand, and began to sing.
"It's amazing, how you make your face just like a wall. How you take your heart and turn it off, how I turn my head and lose it all." His emerald eyes locked on Jaina's brown ones from across the room, over the heads of the crowd now gathering at the stage. He seemed to take no notice of the young women who were trying to get his attention near the stage.
Jaina became uncomfortable and turned away, toward Jag, but the song and Zekk's voice were still there.
"It's unnerving, how just one move puts me by myself. There you go just trusting someone else. Now I know I put us both through hell…" As she looked back at Zekk she saw expression turn from one of anger to one of regret in an instant, matching what the song brought to mind of those times. Matching what the lyrics made both remember about saber battles, bounty hunting and long times with no word.
"I'm not saying there wasn't nothing wrong, I just didn't think you'd ever get tired of me. I'm not saying we ever had the right to hold on, I just didn't wanna let it get away from me." Zekk strode to the edge of the stage, every movement showing defiance. He shifted his gaze over the crowded room finally landing it on the women at the foot of the stage. "But if that's how it's gonna leave, straight out from underneath, then we'll see who's sorry now. If that's how it's gonna stand, when, you know you've been depending on, the one you're leaving now, the one you're leaving out." Zekk suddenly strode back away from the edge, his gaze locking on Jaina again.
"It's aggravating, how you threw me on, and you tore me out. How your good intentions turn to doubt, the way you needed time to sort it out…" Zekk's posture seemed to melt into sadness and resignation, even his voice carrying the impression of it.
"Tell me is that how it's going to end, when you know you've been depending on the one you're leaving now, and the one you're leaving out…" The spot light shut off leaving the stage dark, the music stopped and cheers broke out across the hanger.
"What was that about?" Jag whispered in Jaina's ear as the cheering finally started to die down.
"I, uh, don't know." Jaina answered, eyes following Zekk's form disappear into the crowd around the stage.
"Really?" Jag sounded a little surprised though it was hard to detect. "It looked like he was singing to you."
"Me?" Jaina finally looked turned to face Jag again. "I don't know why he would, we haven't even spoken since Anakin's funeral. Oh, look it's Kyp. I need to speak with him."
Jaina strode off toward the jedi master, leaving Jag in her wake. Jag focused his green eyes toward where Zekk had disappeared but there was no sing of him. Jag would never admit it to Jaina but he was actually a bit jealous of Zekk. He got the distinct impression they'd been more than friends…
AN: Let's just call that my way of explaining why Jag doesn't seem to like Zekk.
