* Misunderstandings *
Jaina watched thankfully as her brother slowly sat up. "Are you ok?"
Still dazed from the attack, Jacen manage to speak. "Is he gone? Did he hurt you?"
"Oh, Jacen. You've been in your rooms too long. This is Feng. He's the one who helped Kyp save me from the world ship. From Tsavong Lah. He means us no harm, only help." She consoled him. Jaina turned her head toward the alien across the room. Feng was on his knees with his head bent to the ground.
Jacen followed her gaze towards the Yuuzhan Vong. Her hand lingered on his shoulder then slowly lifted up as she stood and strolled over to Feng.
Her heart ached for Feng's. Dropping to her knees, she grasped both of his clawed hands gently. "It's ok. You did not know."
"But he is your kin." His words were cracked and soft.
"I hold nothing against you. He will be fine. Both of you just did not know."
At the comment, Feng looked up in her eyes. "Forgive me. I am in your debt."
"Not in friendship. There is no debt to be paid." Jaina noted. She did not believe in debts, forgive and forget was the way to go. Her mind lingered on to Kyp. Sith, if it was not for that belief, she doubted they would be what they were at the moment.
Jacen was suddenly at her side. Jaina felt her presence was intrusive so she excused herself to the kitchen.
Moments past till either of the males spoke.
Jacen was the first to speak. "I'm sorry, I did not know you were…"
The Yuuzhan Vong cut him off. "Your sister is precious. If I were her brother, I suppose I would have done the same too. Possibly more." Feng paused. "Her presence is priceless in itself. I admire and am honored to have faced such kinship between siblings."
The Jedi Knight smiled. He felt wisdom flow from Feng, yet understanding. He reached out a hand to help the Yuuzhan Vong to his feet. They both studied each other for a while.
"You look a lot like your sister in age."
"We are twins."
This caused the Yuuzhan Vong's eyes to widen in shock. Just then Jaina came back with a small smile on her face, glad that the two had made up. The grin faded as her eyes crossed to his. "What is it?"
"Uh… nothing. I better get going." Feng excused himself.
Jaina frowned and grabbed his forearm. "Wait, you were going to tell me something. What was it?"
Feng looked at her then to Jacen, then back to her again. There was a glint of something she hadn't seen in his eyes before but he interrupted the revelation as he spoke. "Maybe later. Enola tub uoy llet ll`i esimop i." He added in his own tongue, then departed.
***
Jaina watched dumbfounded as Feng walked away from her. He was keeping something from her and it hurt to think that he was. Why, Jaina did not know. She turned to her brother who gently put an arm around his sibling.
"I'm sorry Jaina, I…"
She waved off the apology. "I'm glad you've met each other finally. You know… he's been on board for nearly a week."
"Really?"
"But you would not have known that since you've been spending all your waking hours with Tahiri." She giggled.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Jacen asked offended.
She gave him a sympathetic tone in her voice. "You two have been hiding something… what is it?"
Already heat was flaming on Jacen's cheeks. "What are you talking about?"
Jaina only grinned. "Oh, nothing…" her voice trailed off. With that she strolled out the room determined to put her thoughts of Feng aside.
***
Jaina had been jogging down the hallway feeling more than ready to talk to someone. She turned the corner and saw a familiar black jumpsuit. Strangely enough, he had not been wearing his cape, but just seeing Kyp again made her heart jolt.
He was walking away from her, but Jaina began to dash towards him. Once she caught up with him, he heart her coming up, but before he could lay eyes on her she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him eagerly with passion.
With her lips on his she could feel him melt so close to her body. It was a first, and Jaina felt a successful grin pass her face as she pulled away from him. Looking up into his eyes she blinked back, afraid she had been seeing things, but realized she was not.
Quickly she pulled back from him startled.
The look on the other man's face was streaked with surprise. His cheeks were turning a deep crimson. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through his black hair. His mouth opened to say something, but all that came out was one word.
"Wow," he breathed barely coming out as a whisper.
Embarrassment flooded Jaina's cheeks. Never in her entire life had she felt like such an idiot. "J-jag!?! I… uh…"
"Y-you've changed you're greeting since the last time I've seen you." Jagged Fel tried to help her out as well as himself from saying the wrong thing.
"I'm so sorry." Jaina apologized.
"No… it was great!" His answer took back both of them and Jag felt like kicking himself. "I…I mean—umm… so how has life been treating you?"
"Uh… fine I guess. You?"
The Chiss pilot opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out as he gave her a once over and was unable to hold back the sheepish grin from his lips. "G-good."
Just then the familiar clicking of boots walking down the corridor broke the uncomfortable silence hanging between the two young adults.
***
Wedge Antilles had been strolling down the hallway when he spotted his nephew and Jaina Solo talking. Gratitude washed over him. Smiling warmly he wrapped two friendly hugs around the younger people.
"Well, what are you two love birds doing?" he joked lightly.
Both Jaina and Jag looked at each other for a moment and tried to laugh but felt the heat rising onto their cheeks.
"We just ran into each other," Jag shrugged off his uncle's arm catching Jaina's eye. He could see the embarrassment glow on her face and did his best to stall and to give her time to calm down. "So what are you up to?"
The pilot turned toward his nephew and smiled. "Looking for the two of you actually. I just got back from talking with Luke and he was telling me that he was planning to create another squadron. And he was thinking if possibly you two would be the leaders."
Jaina's eyes rose in surprise, forgetting all about what had transpired seconds before. "A double lead regiment?"
Wedge nodded. "That's right. These past weeks will you've been in recovery we have been setting up the dimensions for the team, but we both decided that you two were the most responsible and level headed pilots around. Not to mention the best. So what is it going to be?"
The Jedi Knight turned towards the Chiss pilot and shrugged. "You up for it?"
Frowning at her, Jag raised an eyebrow. "I'm up for anything you are."
"Then yeah. You can count us in." Jaina answered for both of them.
"Great. You two had better start practicing soon. We need to have our best pilots in sync with one another before we round up the rest. Well, I am starved. See you lovebirds later." He was gone before either of them realized. Jag nonchalantly watched his uncle disappear down the hallway. Turning back towards her, he saw Jaina no longer was standing with him.
Glancing around quickly to see where she went, he saw her walking down the corridor. He paced himself and caught up with her. His hand grabbed her forearm, causing her to come to a halt.
"What?" she questioned, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Where do you think you are going?"
Risking a look at him, Jaina answered. "If you think that I'm going to sim with you now you've got to be crazy." She tried to continue one her fixed path, but Jag's hold was firm and solid keeping her from taking a step.
"Fine. I'm crazy." Jag remarked.
Jaina took in a deep breathed in. "Please… I just need a few hours of rest." She begged.
Thinking for a moment, Jag nodded. "Alright." He said. "How about dinnertime then? No one will be using the machines and by then you should have had caught up on your lack of sleep."
Having not much of a choice, Jaina sighed. "Good." With that, he released her arm. "Later Jag," she called out over her shoulder.
"See you tonight."
Jaina watched thankfully as her brother slowly sat up. "Are you ok?"
Still dazed from the attack, Jacen manage to speak. "Is he gone? Did he hurt you?"
"Oh, Jacen. You've been in your rooms too long. This is Feng. He's the one who helped Kyp save me from the world ship. From Tsavong Lah. He means us no harm, only help." She consoled him. Jaina turned her head toward the alien across the room. Feng was on his knees with his head bent to the ground.
Jacen followed her gaze towards the Yuuzhan Vong. Her hand lingered on his shoulder then slowly lifted up as she stood and strolled over to Feng.
Her heart ached for Feng's. Dropping to her knees, she grasped both of his clawed hands gently. "It's ok. You did not know."
"But he is your kin." His words were cracked and soft.
"I hold nothing against you. He will be fine. Both of you just did not know."
At the comment, Feng looked up in her eyes. "Forgive me. I am in your debt."
"Not in friendship. There is no debt to be paid." Jaina noted. She did not believe in debts, forgive and forget was the way to go. Her mind lingered on to Kyp. Sith, if it was not for that belief, she doubted they would be what they were at the moment.
Jacen was suddenly at her side. Jaina felt her presence was intrusive so she excused herself to the kitchen.
Moments past till either of the males spoke.
Jacen was the first to speak. "I'm sorry, I did not know you were…"
The Yuuzhan Vong cut him off. "Your sister is precious. If I were her brother, I suppose I would have done the same too. Possibly more." Feng paused. "Her presence is priceless in itself. I admire and am honored to have faced such kinship between siblings."
The Jedi Knight smiled. He felt wisdom flow from Feng, yet understanding. He reached out a hand to help the Yuuzhan Vong to his feet. They both studied each other for a while.
"You look a lot like your sister in age."
"We are twins."
This caused the Yuuzhan Vong's eyes to widen in shock. Just then Jaina came back with a small smile on her face, glad that the two had made up. The grin faded as her eyes crossed to his. "What is it?"
"Uh… nothing. I better get going." Feng excused himself.
Jaina frowned and grabbed his forearm. "Wait, you were going to tell me something. What was it?"
Feng looked at her then to Jacen, then back to her again. There was a glint of something she hadn't seen in his eyes before but he interrupted the revelation as he spoke. "Maybe later. Enola tub uoy llet ll`i esimop i." He added in his own tongue, then departed.
***
Jaina watched dumbfounded as Feng walked away from her. He was keeping something from her and it hurt to think that he was. Why, Jaina did not know. She turned to her brother who gently put an arm around his sibling.
"I'm sorry Jaina, I…"
She waved off the apology. "I'm glad you've met each other finally. You know… he's been on board for nearly a week."
"Really?"
"But you would not have known that since you've been spending all your waking hours with Tahiri." She giggled.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Jacen asked offended.
She gave him a sympathetic tone in her voice. "You two have been hiding something… what is it?"
Already heat was flaming on Jacen's cheeks. "What are you talking about?"
Jaina only grinned. "Oh, nothing…" her voice trailed off. With that she strolled out the room determined to put her thoughts of Feng aside.
***
Jaina had been jogging down the hallway feeling more than ready to talk to someone. She turned the corner and saw a familiar black jumpsuit. Strangely enough, he had not been wearing his cape, but just seeing Kyp again made her heart jolt.
He was walking away from her, but Jaina began to dash towards him. Once she caught up with him, he heart her coming up, but before he could lay eyes on her she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him eagerly with passion.
With her lips on his she could feel him melt so close to her body. It was a first, and Jaina felt a successful grin pass her face as she pulled away from him. Looking up into his eyes she blinked back, afraid she had been seeing things, but realized she was not.
Quickly she pulled back from him startled.
The look on the other man's face was streaked with surprise. His cheeks were turning a deep crimson. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through his black hair. His mouth opened to say something, but all that came out was one word.
"Wow," he breathed barely coming out as a whisper.
Embarrassment flooded Jaina's cheeks. Never in her entire life had she felt like such an idiot. "J-jag!?! I… uh…"
"Y-you've changed you're greeting since the last time I've seen you." Jagged Fel tried to help her out as well as himself from saying the wrong thing.
"I'm so sorry." Jaina apologized.
"No… it was great!" His answer took back both of them and Jag felt like kicking himself. "I…I mean—umm… so how has life been treating you?"
"Uh… fine I guess. You?"
The Chiss pilot opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out as he gave her a once over and was unable to hold back the sheepish grin from his lips. "G-good."
Just then the familiar clicking of boots walking down the corridor broke the uncomfortable silence hanging between the two young adults.
***
Wedge Antilles had been strolling down the hallway when he spotted his nephew and Jaina Solo talking. Gratitude washed over him. Smiling warmly he wrapped two friendly hugs around the younger people.
"Well, what are you two love birds doing?" he joked lightly.
Both Jaina and Jag looked at each other for a moment and tried to laugh but felt the heat rising onto their cheeks.
"We just ran into each other," Jag shrugged off his uncle's arm catching Jaina's eye. He could see the embarrassment glow on her face and did his best to stall and to give her time to calm down. "So what are you up to?"
The pilot turned toward his nephew and smiled. "Looking for the two of you actually. I just got back from talking with Luke and he was telling me that he was planning to create another squadron. And he was thinking if possibly you two would be the leaders."
Jaina's eyes rose in surprise, forgetting all about what had transpired seconds before. "A double lead regiment?"
Wedge nodded. "That's right. These past weeks will you've been in recovery we have been setting up the dimensions for the team, but we both decided that you two were the most responsible and level headed pilots around. Not to mention the best. So what is it going to be?"
The Jedi Knight turned towards the Chiss pilot and shrugged. "You up for it?"
Frowning at her, Jag raised an eyebrow. "I'm up for anything you are."
"Then yeah. You can count us in." Jaina answered for both of them.
"Great. You two had better start practicing soon. We need to have our best pilots in sync with one another before we round up the rest. Well, I am starved. See you lovebirds later." He was gone before either of them realized. Jag nonchalantly watched his uncle disappear down the hallway. Turning back towards her, he saw Jaina no longer was standing with him.
Glancing around quickly to see where she went, he saw her walking down the corridor. He paced himself and caught up with her. His hand grabbed her forearm, causing her to come to a halt.
"What?" she questioned, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Where do you think you are going?"
Risking a look at him, Jaina answered. "If you think that I'm going to sim with you now you've got to be crazy." She tried to continue one her fixed path, but Jag's hold was firm and solid keeping her from taking a step.
"Fine. I'm crazy." Jag remarked.
Jaina took in a deep breathed in. "Please… I just need a few hours of rest." She begged.
Thinking for a moment, Jag nodded. "Alright." He said. "How about dinnertime then? No one will be using the machines and by then you should have had caught up on your lack of sleep."
Having not much of a choice, Jaina sighed. "Good." With that, he released her arm. "Later Jag," she called out over her shoulder.
"See you tonight."