Disclaimer: Star Wars and all related names and characters are property of
George Lucas. This story is purely for entertainment purposes; I am making
no money off of writing this.
Her thoughts were in turmoil. As soon as one though started to form, another would take its place, faster than lightspeed, only to be replaced just as suddenly. Everything was just one big blur. Nothing made any sense anymore.
But one thought stuck out in her mind: Anakin and Jacen were dead. She had failed to protect them. She was the oldest; it was her job to protect her brothers. Granted, Anakin was the leader of the strike team, but it was still her job to look out for her little brother. She was a failure, plain and simple.
Thoughts of revenge streaked though her mind like lightning through the sky. She couldn't bring her brothers back, she knew that, but she could make the Vong regret the day they ever chose to invade her galaxy. No matter what, she would make the Vong pay for every decision that they had ever made throughout the course of this damned war.
All of her life, she had been told to be wary of the dark side. She had seen first hand what it had done to Kyp. She had been there to witness Zekk's fall from grace. She had always sworn to herself that she would never be that weak.
Revenge was the epitome of the dark side.
And, right now, Jaina didn't care.
The young woman looked around at her surroundings, as if just becoming aware of where she was. The forest was dark and empty at this time of night. Anakin's funeral pyre had burned down. All that was left was cooling ashes. Everyone had already left.
Except Jaina. She had stayed, had needed to stay. She had told everyone that she wold return to the palace shortly. That was almost five hours ago.
The sun would be rising soon, she knew. Hapes wouldn't stay dark forever. Soon, it would come back to the light, ready to begin again with a clean slate.
Jaina knew she was slipping. She cold feel it in her bones. She was entering her twilight period, but unlike Hapes, she wasn't sure if she would ever come back into the light. The light was too painful; she couldn't hide her pain in the light. She couldn't hide her weaknesses in the light. And if she was to survive this war, she could show no vulnerabilties. She needed to be strong. She couldn't let dawn come. She needed to keep herself in perpetual darkness, if she was to survive.
She needed to be one with the dark.
The dark sky began to lighten, centered around a spot on the eastern horizon. Jaina resolutely turned her back on the rising sun, vowing that she would never again look upon the sky with wonder and awe and loving. From now on, the sun was her mortal enemy, in league with the Vong. The darkness was her friend now. Her twilight period was ending. Soon, she would enter her eternal night.
Not wanting to be questioned about where she had spent the night, Jaina began to walk back to the Palace, so she could be there before everyone awoke. She did remember Kyp's offer of the landspeeder, but didn't use it. She would own no one a favor, not anymore.
As the sun rose, Jaina's own shadow suddenly appeared on the ground in front of her. Taking this as a portent of the future, she held her head higher, striving to be more like the most feared man in the galaxy, trying to be like the last Dark Lord of the Sith. Trying to be more like her grandfather.
She would take a lesson from Darth Vader. She would kill with no remorse. She would be ruthless, aloof, above the dealings of ordinary men. She would be the Vong's worst enemy. She would make them pay.
Jaina Solo, fomer Jedi apprentice, smiled ferally in anticipation.
Her thoughts were in turmoil. As soon as one though started to form, another would take its place, faster than lightspeed, only to be replaced just as suddenly. Everything was just one big blur. Nothing made any sense anymore.
But one thought stuck out in her mind: Anakin and Jacen were dead. She had failed to protect them. She was the oldest; it was her job to protect her brothers. Granted, Anakin was the leader of the strike team, but it was still her job to look out for her little brother. She was a failure, plain and simple.
Thoughts of revenge streaked though her mind like lightning through the sky. She couldn't bring her brothers back, she knew that, but she could make the Vong regret the day they ever chose to invade her galaxy. No matter what, she would make the Vong pay for every decision that they had ever made throughout the course of this damned war.
All of her life, she had been told to be wary of the dark side. She had seen first hand what it had done to Kyp. She had been there to witness Zekk's fall from grace. She had always sworn to herself that she would never be that weak.
Revenge was the epitome of the dark side.
And, right now, Jaina didn't care.
The young woman looked around at her surroundings, as if just becoming aware of where she was. The forest was dark and empty at this time of night. Anakin's funeral pyre had burned down. All that was left was cooling ashes. Everyone had already left.
Except Jaina. She had stayed, had needed to stay. She had told everyone that she wold return to the palace shortly. That was almost five hours ago.
The sun would be rising soon, she knew. Hapes wouldn't stay dark forever. Soon, it would come back to the light, ready to begin again with a clean slate.
Jaina knew she was slipping. She cold feel it in her bones. She was entering her twilight period, but unlike Hapes, she wasn't sure if she would ever come back into the light. The light was too painful; she couldn't hide her pain in the light. She couldn't hide her weaknesses in the light. And if she was to survive this war, she could show no vulnerabilties. She needed to be strong. She couldn't let dawn come. She needed to keep herself in perpetual darkness, if she was to survive.
She needed to be one with the dark.
The dark sky began to lighten, centered around a spot on the eastern horizon. Jaina resolutely turned her back on the rising sun, vowing that she would never again look upon the sky with wonder and awe and loving. From now on, the sun was her mortal enemy, in league with the Vong. The darkness was her friend now. Her twilight period was ending. Soon, she would enter her eternal night.
Not wanting to be questioned about where she had spent the night, Jaina began to walk back to the Palace, so she could be there before everyone awoke. She did remember Kyp's offer of the landspeeder, but didn't use it. She would own no one a favor, not anymore.
As the sun rose, Jaina's own shadow suddenly appeared on the ground in front of her. Taking this as a portent of the future, she held her head higher, striving to be more like the most feared man in the galaxy, trying to be like the last Dark Lord of the Sith. Trying to be more like her grandfather.
She would take a lesson from Darth Vader. She would kill with no remorse. She would be ruthless, aloof, above the dealings of ordinary men. She would be the Vong's worst enemy. She would make them pay.
Jaina Solo, fomer Jedi apprentice, smiled ferally in anticipation.