A Soft Place to Fall (Sequel to Embrace of Pain)
By Amithyst Sey Blade
PG-13
Intent: Angst & Sci-fi
TimeLine: After Rebirth. starts at Embrace of Pain and continues to this
one (A Soft Place to Fall)
Message to readers( I had to retype this silly sequel so many times cause I
either lost it on the disk, forgot to save it, or my brother go a hold of
it. SOOO. in turn. this story has been revised and parts added ya'll better
read it! ( plus, I was telling the truth when I said Embrace of Pain
ended., b/c A Soft Place to Fall is now beginning. mwwahahahahaha!
* Anywhere but Here *
His feet pounded unforgivingly down upon the hard metal floor of the Errant Venture. Each step felt as if a lightsaber was stabbing him repeatedly in the heart. Kyp did not know where he was going. He just kept forcing himself to run faster and faster down the corridor. For some reason it seemed longer than usual.
Kyp held his breath as he ran. Maybe it would stop the pain, he mused, but he knew that very well it would not. Nothing would. His brain was so numb at the shock of seeing-
He rubbed his temples to forget the thought. Slowly, he came to a stop. Breathing, he tried to taken in what he had seen, but the fact still was too early for him.
A crying entered his ears. It was faint, but distinct. Frowning, he opened himself to what was crying. Turning to his left, he saw he was standing right outside the Skywalker's personal quarters. He blinked in surprise. Had he actually run the entire length of the ship?
The child's cry persisted. Without thinking, Kyp took a step towards the door, placing his hand on the access panel. It glowed a bright yellow. As the door opened, he had a sudden feeling of déjà vu, but refused to let that paralyze him.
The room was dark. Stepping cautiously in, Kyp waited for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he saw the faint outline of a woman swaying back and forth. In her arms, she held the whimpering child. Obviously, it was not working. He smiled at Mara Jade, silently laughing at her.
Mara Jade, of all people, he would not have pictured her as a mother.
Shaking his head back and forth, the dark haired Jedi Master walked towards the new mother. "Do you want m-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kyp found himself dazed lying on the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him and everything seemed to hurt ten times more than before. So far, his night was not going well. Nor did he expect it would get any better.
Lights flooded down upon his pathetic form and straight into his eyes. His hands tried to block the sudden brightness but it was too late. Now his head was throbbing even harder.
"Kyp!?" A surprised voice exclaimed. Ben's cries continued to go on. "What in Vong space are you doing here?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was an, "Ow." His response and tone sounded so feeble he could have sworn Ben had stopped crying and giggled at him.
Mara laughed lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. Luke went out to go see Danni Quee and the others in the lab. When you came in, I did not recognize you and. my motherly instincts kicked in."
"Motherly instincts indeed." He took in a deep breath. "What did you hit me with?"
"Well, I kinda kicked you."
"Nice one." He credited her. Rolling on his side, he sat up on his butt and began to rub his jaw. "Just don't make me a regular for target practice."
She laughed. Through the Force Kyp could tell she was more open to him now, but not that much. Though it was more so than usual. "So, lurking one, why are you in my quarters?" Ben began to cry again.
Slowly, pushing himself onto his feet, Kyp brushed his presence against Ben's, and he settled down. His green eyes watched the child. "I was. just passing by and heard Ben crying. And I was just wondering if you'd like me to take care of him for a while."
Mara frowned at him. "Really?"
"Yes, really." Right now, Kyp needed something to do. The last time he had held Ben, he felt at peace and so did the child. It would get his mind off Jaina, and give Mara a much-needed break. "I don't mind watching Ben at all."
"Well," he felt her begin to say no. Almost instantly, Ben started up his wailing again, this time much louder.
Out of impulse, Kyp reached out for Ben. The newborn moved his arms in his direction, like he wanted to go in Kyp's arms. Mara gapped at what she saw, but kindly let her son into the other Jedi Master's care.
His little body curled in his arms, finding the perfect spot of comfort. Ben's cries ceased, but his eyes, big round and blue, stared up into Kyp's with wonder.
"Wow."
Kyp looked up at Mara and saw the same expression of amazement on her face. Her arms crossed, and one went up to cover her mouth as if she were thinking.
"I never thought. of all people."
"I was thinking the same about you too."
A smile crept on her face, her eyes focused on Ben. "Life's miracles, I guess."
"You get some sleep Mara. We'll be fine." Mara nodded half listening to him, half thinking of sleep. She yawned, covering her mouth sleepily with her hand as she walked to the bedroom where the sleeping quarters was. The creak of the manual door filled the silent living area. Kyp noticed Mara had left her door half open.
*Well it's sure closed further than she might have had before. She would not even have it with Ben in my arms in the room alone. * The new trust between the woman and him gave him a sense of hope. Alright, so, his heart had been broken, shattered, and tossed aside like it nothing. He still he had-
Something. Ben made a giggling sound bringing the Jedi Master from his deep thinking. And it clicked.
"It's you," he whispered. Tears began to form up in his eyes. "Your what I still have, Ben. Your aunt may not be mine, but. I'm here for you."
Ben's giggles quieted and Kyp began to sway back and forth. Soon his tiny eyes began to droop in sleep. Emotions flooded Kyp. He began remembering the past. His mother. And a faint far away tune that always was in his heart. He began to hum the soft melody, rocking the Skywalker child in his arms. It was not long until Ben fell asleep, and shortly later, began snoring.
***
All he could do was gape at his daughter. When he first had found Jaina on the floor passionately kissing Durron in just her robe, and Kyp with no shirt; that had been a shock. Now he saw his daughter at it again, yet with a different man. This one. Fel.
"Han, I think we should go." Leia said softly. He didn't move to acknowledge her words. Before he took a step into her quarters, the door whooshed shut in front of his face.
"Open it up Leia."
"No." she said firmly.
Now, she got his attention. He turned and saw her somber face looking at him. Her eyes were soft yet commanding. "Let it go, Han. She's growing up."
"I won't have my only daughter going around kissing men like she was a Twi'lek dancer from Tatoonie."
"HAN!" Leia's voice raised. "I can't believe you just said that! This is your daughter we're talking about!"
He raised his arm, pointed at Jaina's room. "Did you or did you not see what was going on in that room?"
Folding her arms, she glared at her husband. "I think you're the one who was not seeing things straight."
"Then what in the name of Palpatine was going on?"
"Han, something is wrong with Jaina-"
"I think we've established that fact. Getting it on with every man on this- "
"Let me finish!" she raised her voice. The volume caught Han off guard. He pressed his lips together until they were turning white. "Thank you. As I was saying. ever since Jaina and Kyp got together, things were going well. Besides the fact you caught them in that situation, all things were going smoothly. Then Jag showed up."
Frowning, Han tried to grasp what his wife was telling him. "Whoa, hold up. What are you saying, princess?"
"I know Jaina had a thing for Jag the first time they met. It was obvious that Jag admired her as well, but she forgot about him, about how much they clicked and moved on. Few months later, Kyp breaks her trust. She is taken from us. He saves her and her old crush on him reopens. And she sees who he really is. Then Jag, comes back in her life and she remembers."
"She's in love with both of them?"
The brunette mother nodded slowly. "She knows she's playing with fire. And it's already spread."
It suddenly occurred to the rebel hero that Kyp was not with them. He spun around to see if he was just leaning against the wall. "W-where did Kyp go?"
Leia shrugged. "He needed to get away Han. Needed his privacy."
"So what are we going to do about Jaina?"
"Nothing."
Han faced her. "Oh, no. You're not going to let me sit out on this battle. We're going to end this nonsense now."
Taking a step closer, Leia caressed Han's arm. "This is her problem. If she needs our help, she'll come to us. Until then, it's up to her."
"I can't believe your taking this so well."
"I'm not. I'm just remembering what I went through." She laid her other hand on his chest. "Come on. I think there is a meeting we're suppose to be at."
A pained expression crossed his face. "Does work ever end?"
"Not for the Solos."
"That's what I thought. What about Jaina?"
Pulling him away from Jaina's room, they strolled down the hallway. "There's nothing we can do. Jag's with her."
"Can we at least find Cilghal and ask what happened before we go to this meeting?"
"I don't think that would be a problem. The meeting is with her."
***
Tahiri clung onto Jacen's hand as they entered the laboratory. She was shaking, and Jacen did his best to sooth her. The last time she had been in the room, she watched as they took Anakin's body off the life support machines. Even though he already had been brain dead, the reality was still earthshaking. Her right arm encircled his left and she leaned on his arm for support.
The lab was dim, and quiet except for the sound of machines running tests and analyzing attained creatures taken from already Vong taken over worlds.
"Tahiri. Jacen. I'm over here."
Tugging the blond Jedi Knight along, Jacen round the corner to the back lab finding Danni Quee in a swivel chair leaning over what looked like an unconscious scaly lump. It rose up and down as it were breathing, but no nostril or mouth appeared to be anywhere. Simply, it went up and down slowly. Fat, plump and glossy, the blob moved up and down rhythmically.
"What is it?" Jacen asked curiously. He never had seen anything like it. It looked like almost a drop of dew because of its shiny appearance. His childhood inquisitiveness twitched to feel what the strange object felt like.
"I don't know what to call it. One of the field specialists flew it in today. I think it was the Wraiths." Danni replied mechanically. Her focus was not really on the young adults, but the creature before her lying in a petri dish. It was just around the size of one's pinky finger. "I've been mesmerized by this object's capability to look aquatic, yet reptilian from a desert; I still cannot figure out what to categorize it as."
Without a word, Tahiri let go of Jacen's hand and advanced on the alien form. Peering closer she narrowed her deep eyes. They closed as she opened herself to the Force and the twisted Yuuzhan Vong mind she still had.
Silently, Jacen watched. Danni took her focus off the blob and looked at Jacen inquisitively. He just shook his head, having no explanation for Tahiri's behavior.
Tahiri drove herself deeper into the Force and mind. She had been practicing for days to accent her focus on the connection of Yuuzhan Vong she had. Somehow she was able to tap them into the Force. Wither it was from the shaping that still was within her, or the Yuuzhan Vong were capable Force beings was unknown. What ever it was, it was working.
The scientist and Jedi Knight watched with curiosity as her pale hand stretched over the blob, inching closer to touch it.
Instantly, Tahiri's eyes opened wide. She flew back into Jacen, knocking them both to the floor. The sound of breaking glass and papers scattering filled their ears.
Danni jumped off her seat. She rushed to help the two. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Jacen pushed himself slowly up. Tahiri was on top of him. He checked to see if she was ok. Nothing seemed to be broken, but she was shaking only looking up. "Tahiri?"
A glint sparked in her pupil and he saw her come back out of the trance. Her eyes went glossy, and a tear fell down her cheek. "That thing." she said quivering. Her head turned to Danni. "Get the Yuuzhan Vong who saved Jaina in here."
She nodded and when to her desk. After dialing a few numbers she turned to them. "He's already on his way. I'll take care of the mess."
Now sitting up against the wall, Jacen pulled Tahiri closer to him and just held her. He stroked her arm. "What happened?" he whispered caringly into her ear.
Tahiri did not answer. Leaning her head back she took a deep breath, trying to forget it just for a moment.
Jacen decided against pressing with more questions. Instead, he began to rock her side to side as he would a child.
* Anywhere but Here *
His feet pounded unforgivingly down upon the hard metal floor of the Errant Venture. Each step felt as if a lightsaber was stabbing him repeatedly in the heart. Kyp did not know where he was going. He just kept forcing himself to run faster and faster down the corridor. For some reason it seemed longer than usual.
Kyp held his breath as he ran. Maybe it would stop the pain, he mused, but he knew that very well it would not. Nothing would. His brain was so numb at the shock of seeing-
He rubbed his temples to forget the thought. Slowly, he came to a stop. Breathing, he tried to taken in what he had seen, but the fact still was too early for him.
A crying entered his ears. It was faint, but distinct. Frowning, he opened himself to what was crying. Turning to his left, he saw he was standing right outside the Skywalker's personal quarters. He blinked in surprise. Had he actually run the entire length of the ship?
The child's cry persisted. Without thinking, Kyp took a step towards the door, placing his hand on the access panel. It glowed a bright yellow. As the door opened, he had a sudden feeling of déjà vu, but refused to let that paralyze him.
The room was dark. Stepping cautiously in, Kyp waited for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he saw the faint outline of a woman swaying back and forth. In her arms, she held the whimpering child. Obviously, it was not working. He smiled at Mara Jade, silently laughing at her.
Mara Jade, of all people, he would not have pictured her as a mother.
Shaking his head back and forth, the dark haired Jedi Master walked towards the new mother. "Do you want m-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kyp found himself dazed lying on the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him and everything seemed to hurt ten times more than before. So far, his night was not going well. Nor did he expect it would get any better.
Lights flooded down upon his pathetic form and straight into his eyes. His hands tried to block the sudden brightness but it was too late. Now his head was throbbing even harder.
"Kyp!?" A surprised voice exclaimed. Ben's cries continued to go on. "What in Vong space are you doing here?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was an, "Ow." His response and tone sounded so feeble he could have sworn Ben had stopped crying and giggled at him.
Mara laughed lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. Luke went out to go see Danni Quee and the others in the lab. When you came in, I did not recognize you and. my motherly instincts kicked in."
"Motherly instincts indeed." He took in a deep breath. "What did you hit me with?"
"Well, I kinda kicked you."
"Nice one." He credited her. Rolling on his side, he sat up on his butt and began to rub his jaw. "Just don't make me a regular for target practice."
She laughed. Through the Force Kyp could tell she was more open to him now, but not that much. Though it was more so than usual. "So, lurking one, why are you in my quarters?" Ben began to cry again.
Slowly, pushing himself onto his feet, Kyp brushed his presence against Ben's, and he settled down. His green eyes watched the child. "I was. just passing by and heard Ben crying. And I was just wondering if you'd like me to take care of him for a while."
Mara frowned at him. "Really?"
"Yes, really." Right now, Kyp needed something to do. The last time he had held Ben, he felt at peace and so did the child. It would get his mind off Jaina, and give Mara a much-needed break. "I don't mind watching Ben at all."
"Well," he felt her begin to say no. Almost instantly, Ben started up his wailing again, this time much louder.
Out of impulse, Kyp reached out for Ben. The newborn moved his arms in his direction, like he wanted to go in Kyp's arms. Mara gapped at what she saw, but kindly let her son into the other Jedi Master's care.
His little body curled in his arms, finding the perfect spot of comfort. Ben's cries ceased, but his eyes, big round and blue, stared up into Kyp's with wonder.
"Wow."
Kyp looked up at Mara and saw the same expression of amazement on her face. Her arms crossed, and one went up to cover her mouth as if she were thinking.
"I never thought. of all people."
"I was thinking the same about you too."
A smile crept on her face, her eyes focused on Ben. "Life's miracles, I guess."
"You get some sleep Mara. We'll be fine." Mara nodded half listening to him, half thinking of sleep. She yawned, covering her mouth sleepily with her hand as she walked to the bedroom where the sleeping quarters was. The creak of the manual door filled the silent living area. Kyp noticed Mara had left her door half open.
*Well it's sure closed further than she might have had before. She would not even have it with Ben in my arms in the room alone. * The new trust between the woman and him gave him a sense of hope. Alright, so, his heart had been broken, shattered, and tossed aside like it nothing. He still he had-
Something. Ben made a giggling sound bringing the Jedi Master from his deep thinking. And it clicked.
"It's you," he whispered. Tears began to form up in his eyes. "Your what I still have, Ben. Your aunt may not be mine, but. I'm here for you."
Ben's giggles quieted and Kyp began to sway back and forth. Soon his tiny eyes began to droop in sleep. Emotions flooded Kyp. He began remembering the past. His mother. And a faint far away tune that always was in his heart. He began to hum the soft melody, rocking the Skywalker child in his arms. It was not long until Ben fell asleep, and shortly later, began snoring.
***
All he could do was gape at his daughter. When he first had found Jaina on the floor passionately kissing Durron in just her robe, and Kyp with no shirt; that had been a shock. Now he saw his daughter at it again, yet with a different man. This one. Fel.
"Han, I think we should go." Leia said softly. He didn't move to acknowledge her words. Before he took a step into her quarters, the door whooshed shut in front of his face.
"Open it up Leia."
"No." she said firmly.
Now, she got his attention. He turned and saw her somber face looking at him. Her eyes were soft yet commanding. "Let it go, Han. She's growing up."
"I won't have my only daughter going around kissing men like she was a Twi'lek dancer from Tatoonie."
"HAN!" Leia's voice raised. "I can't believe you just said that! This is your daughter we're talking about!"
He raised his arm, pointed at Jaina's room. "Did you or did you not see what was going on in that room?"
Folding her arms, she glared at her husband. "I think you're the one who was not seeing things straight."
"Then what in the name of Palpatine was going on?"
"Han, something is wrong with Jaina-"
"I think we've established that fact. Getting it on with every man on this- "
"Let me finish!" she raised her voice. The volume caught Han off guard. He pressed his lips together until they were turning white. "Thank you. As I was saying. ever since Jaina and Kyp got together, things were going well. Besides the fact you caught them in that situation, all things were going smoothly. Then Jag showed up."
Frowning, Han tried to grasp what his wife was telling him. "Whoa, hold up. What are you saying, princess?"
"I know Jaina had a thing for Jag the first time they met. It was obvious that Jag admired her as well, but she forgot about him, about how much they clicked and moved on. Few months later, Kyp breaks her trust. She is taken from us. He saves her and her old crush on him reopens. And she sees who he really is. Then Jag, comes back in her life and she remembers."
"She's in love with both of them?"
The brunette mother nodded slowly. "She knows she's playing with fire. And it's already spread."
It suddenly occurred to the rebel hero that Kyp was not with them. He spun around to see if he was just leaning against the wall. "W-where did Kyp go?"
Leia shrugged. "He needed to get away Han. Needed his privacy."
"So what are we going to do about Jaina?"
"Nothing."
Han faced her. "Oh, no. You're not going to let me sit out on this battle. We're going to end this nonsense now."
Taking a step closer, Leia caressed Han's arm. "This is her problem. If she needs our help, she'll come to us. Until then, it's up to her."
"I can't believe your taking this so well."
"I'm not. I'm just remembering what I went through." She laid her other hand on his chest. "Come on. I think there is a meeting we're suppose to be at."
A pained expression crossed his face. "Does work ever end?"
"Not for the Solos."
"That's what I thought. What about Jaina?"
Pulling him away from Jaina's room, they strolled down the hallway. "There's nothing we can do. Jag's with her."
"Can we at least find Cilghal and ask what happened before we go to this meeting?"
"I don't think that would be a problem. The meeting is with her."
***
Tahiri clung onto Jacen's hand as they entered the laboratory. She was shaking, and Jacen did his best to sooth her. The last time she had been in the room, she watched as they took Anakin's body off the life support machines. Even though he already had been brain dead, the reality was still earthshaking. Her right arm encircled his left and she leaned on his arm for support.
The lab was dim, and quiet except for the sound of machines running tests and analyzing attained creatures taken from already Vong taken over worlds.
"Tahiri. Jacen. I'm over here."
Tugging the blond Jedi Knight along, Jacen round the corner to the back lab finding Danni Quee in a swivel chair leaning over what looked like an unconscious scaly lump. It rose up and down as it were breathing, but no nostril or mouth appeared to be anywhere. Simply, it went up and down slowly. Fat, plump and glossy, the blob moved up and down rhythmically.
"What is it?" Jacen asked curiously. He never had seen anything like it. It looked like almost a drop of dew because of its shiny appearance. His childhood inquisitiveness twitched to feel what the strange object felt like.
"I don't know what to call it. One of the field specialists flew it in today. I think it was the Wraiths." Danni replied mechanically. Her focus was not really on the young adults, but the creature before her lying in a petri dish. It was just around the size of one's pinky finger. "I've been mesmerized by this object's capability to look aquatic, yet reptilian from a desert; I still cannot figure out what to categorize it as."
Without a word, Tahiri let go of Jacen's hand and advanced on the alien form. Peering closer she narrowed her deep eyes. They closed as she opened herself to the Force and the twisted Yuuzhan Vong mind she still had.
Silently, Jacen watched. Danni took her focus off the blob and looked at Jacen inquisitively. He just shook his head, having no explanation for Tahiri's behavior.
Tahiri drove herself deeper into the Force and mind. She had been practicing for days to accent her focus on the connection of Yuuzhan Vong she had. Somehow she was able to tap them into the Force. Wither it was from the shaping that still was within her, or the Yuuzhan Vong were capable Force beings was unknown. What ever it was, it was working.
The scientist and Jedi Knight watched with curiosity as her pale hand stretched over the blob, inching closer to touch it.
Instantly, Tahiri's eyes opened wide. She flew back into Jacen, knocking them both to the floor. The sound of breaking glass and papers scattering filled their ears.
Danni jumped off her seat. She rushed to help the two. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Jacen pushed himself slowly up. Tahiri was on top of him. He checked to see if she was ok. Nothing seemed to be broken, but she was shaking only looking up. "Tahiri?"
A glint sparked in her pupil and he saw her come back out of the trance. Her eyes went glossy, and a tear fell down her cheek. "That thing." she said quivering. Her head turned to Danni. "Get the Yuuzhan Vong who saved Jaina in here."
She nodded and when to her desk. After dialing a few numbers she turned to them. "He's already on his way. I'll take care of the mess."
Now sitting up against the wall, Jacen pulled Tahiri closer to him and just held her. He stroked her arm. "What happened?" he whispered caringly into her ear.
Tahiri did not answer. Leaning her head back she took a deep breath, trying to forget it just for a moment.
Jacen decided against pressing with more questions. Instead, he began to rock her side to side as he would a child.