Chapter 5
The Twin Suns scrambled over to the hanger. Gavin stood on a cargo crate, and the rest of the pilot's in Rogue Wing were gathered around him. "The CSA has attacked Mon Calamari. We just got word. We're being sent in on the 'Roost, along with the Mon Mothma, Rebel Dream, and Elegos A'kla. Jaina, your mother was on Wayland at the time of the attack, so she's okay. Shortly after the attack, the Corporate Sector Authority pulled out. Their exit vector was most likely to a system called Mytus VII. Captain Solo has told us that it's devoid of life except for an Authority prison called Star's End, which he and Chewbacca destroyed many years ago." We're heading to a planet called Kamar. The our scouts show that the indigenous species of the Kamar were wiped out by the CSA to put an end to their cult worship of water." Several of the pilots chuckled.
Anakin looked over the group as General Darklighter continued. There were only three Jedi in the whole wing, himself, Jaina, and a man of about eighteen, Requiem, they called him. Anakin guessed it was a nickname for Reqninz. They boy had joined the fighter corp at fourteen, when good pilots were at a premium. He had studied under Kam Solusar in the Maw for a while before Kam wore thin and let the boy go to Borleias.
Jaina was worried about her parents, and Requiem wasn't showing any motion, even in the Force. Anakin felt shock, worry, and anger rolling off of the other pilots.
"Alright then?" General Darklighter finished. "You've got fifteen minutes before liftoff. Pack your things."
***
The trip to Kamar gave Anakin time to work on his lightsaber. He had gotten the parts from Luke at the Temple. They occasionally dropped out of hyperspace and went on X-wing patrol, but that didn't happen very often.
He spent the rest of his time simming against the rest of the wing, continuing his informal TIE fighter school.
When they arrived at Kamar, the Mon Mothma deployed a prefabricated garrison and the techs began building a hanger facility. For the time being, Rogue Wing was based on the Ralroost.
Anakin was spending all of his time working on his lightsaber when he wasn't on patrol. Finally, a week after the small fleet had arrived at Kamar, Anakin stood in the 'Roost's gymnasium, holding the hilt of his lightsaber.
It was shaped like the one he had lost at Endor, but a silvery metal rather than black, like the old one. It did not look like someone had stuck it in an oven and left it there too long, but like someone had scraped all the charring off and repainted it silver. In fact, the two lightsabers were exactly the same except for coloration.
Anakin pressed the activation stud and watched the pure silver blade spring up with a snap-hiss. He swung it around a little bit, then he deactivated it and pulled out his comlink. "'Suns Nine to Lead. If you are not occupied at the moment would you please report to the man exercise room? Thank you." And he waited.
***
Jaina was in the pilot's lounge with Jag, when the comlink beeped.
"'Suns Nine to Lead. If you are not occupied at the moment would you please report to the man exercise room? Thank you," came her grandfather's voice.
"I'll be right there." She switched the comlink off.
"Your grandfather?"
"Yeah."
"Sithspit," said Jag. "We get so little time together and...oh forget it. I'm being selfish. You'd never met him before a few weeks ago. Sorry."
"That's alright." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and got up. "I'll see you at evening meal."
***
Jaina walked into the gym and saw her grandfather waiting, wearing the black flightsuit he had gotten on the Planet Slayer. He was holding something. A lightsaber.
"You finished it."
"Yes," he replied. "I'm sorry for interrupting you and Colonel Fel."
Jaina looked shocked for a moment and then she smiled. "Did you want me to duel?"
"Yes. I have. It had been a long time since I fought someone with a lightsaber. Nearly thirty years. It was your Uncle."
"I know. He's told us the story a million times."
"Any, I wanted you to be the first to duel me, not some droid. What happened on that SSD doesn't count. It wasn't my lightsaber." He ignited the blade, and Jaina followed. "Tell me if I'm going to hard on you."
Jaina raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'll be easy prey?" she asked as they circled.
***
"Hey! Come quick!" yelled a gunnery officer as he burst into the main cafeteria. "Colonel Solo Fel is dueling Captain Starkiller!" He pressed a button on the remote he held, and the holo-projector in the middle of the cafeteria switched from one of Wolam Tser's documentaries to the surveillance camera's view of the gym. As the battle began to heat up, so did the attitude in the cafeteria. There was furious gambling, with just about everyone present placing a bet on the outcome.
Shouts of, "I'll give you three to one on Fel! A hundred credits!" and, "I'll take that bet!" rang out all over the room. At the back of the cafeteria, Jag and Gavin watched carefully, evaluating both combatants' performances.
"It's Jaina," said Jag, even though he felt otherwise. He didn't want to face the wrath of his wife, especially while Jaina's adopted 'uncle' Wes Janson as Colonel Celchu's XO down on the base, which was nearing completion. Janson was a notorious prankster and Jag knew she would get some help from him if she learned Jag had bet against her.
So he sat back and watched.
***
Perspiration ran down Jaina's forehead as she parried yet another blow. Anakin was sweating as well, but he kept firing off attacks, keeping Jaina off her guard.
As Anakin swung again, Jaina flipped back and inhaled, then she came forward in a furious assault, not relenting she moved her blade in for the killing blow, and Anakin jumped over her and had his lightsaber at the back of her neck before she had finished the move. "I win."
Both deactivated their lightsabers and shook hands. "Now if you'll excuse me, I ought to take a shower," he said, wiping sweat from his face. "You probably should too. I'll see you tomorrow Jaina."
She nodded and they exited the gym, each heading for their quarters, exhausted from their fight. Jaina took a look at her chrono. The fight had lasted a full hour.
***
Back in the cafeteria, the winners were dividing the pool among themselves and gloating at the losers. Jag smiled. Knowing Jaina, she would run the 'winners' in her squadron ragged when she found out who had bet against her. Same old Jaina.