Discliamer: I don't own any of it!
A.N.-Sorry guys on the LONG wait for this fic to be updated!! I finally got the next chapter to one of my betas, and was able to get it done. I've been spending a lot of time working on both of my websites, more chapters on fics, tons of schoolwork, and other such things. DRL really hates me these past couple of weeks! Anyway, the long-awaited next chapter of WADTD. Don't forget to review!
Chapter Two
When Angels Deserve to Die
That night, sleep did not claim Jag easily. It was quite possible the reason for his temporary insomnia could be the reality that he was sleeping in a co-pilots chair he believed was designed with Ewoks in mind; or the more sensible fact he couldn't get that Solo girl off of his mind. She haunted him in his dreams every night. The day was worse, she was physically there; and when she wasn't she was in his mind. It was driving him to insanity, as if being around Rebels hadn't already done the trick.
He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling of his quarters. He had been laying there for at least two standard hours by this time, just tossing and turning. The ship itself still had another day and a half before they reached the remote planet of Myrkyr. They hadn't been told why the Republic wanted or needed it, just that they had to get it. Jag didn't exactly care why, he just didn't want to loose anyone. The world was still Vong-occupied, and even though he knew Jaina's brothers had killed the voxyn queen Jag still held an uneasy feeling about it.
After deciding sleeping was not something he was going to do tonight, he got up and walked towards the entertainment room onboard the ship. One thing about Booster Terrik, you could never be bored on one of his ships. He left no detail out, and for once Jag was thankful for all of the extra equipment. The room itself was by far the largest area on the vessel; it held a bookcase, a holoboard, and some other things that Jag didn't know what purposes were.
He threw himself into one of the repulsor chairs, holding his head in his hands. He began to dread the next day.
'It's been less than thirty standard hours, and I haven't slept since we left the Errant Venture. The Force is not with me tonight.' Jag thought, running a hand over his face. He didn't know what to do, he was bored but he wouldn't do anything in fear of waking up the rest of the crew. This was going to be one long night.
"So Kell was right, you don't sleep. What are you, invincible?" Jaina mocked. From the look on his face, Jag didn't know that she had been there.
"How do you always manage to creep up on me? You've done it twice since this mission has begun, meanwhile my siblings haven't been able to do it most of their lives." He said, ignoring the fact that she was mocking him just moments before.
"My father's a scoundrel, my mother's a politician and my uncle is a Jedi. Do you honestly think I don't know how to steal, lie, and be sneaky?" Jaina retorted, raising an eyebrow. "And didn't you ever learn never to answer a question with a question? It's not proper, you know." The laughter was evident in her face, the lopsided grin the Solos were known so well for was threatening to plaster itself on her face, and her deep brown eyes held a certain amount of mischievousness that had been absent since he had known her.
"You know how I feel about manners and politics. Both of those rank up there with apologizing to the Vong on my list." Jag retorted, his voice full of seriousness.
"Personally, I would love to agree with you. It would be excellent if I could forget about the politics of this war, and the décor most representatives demand although they don't deserve it. But growing up in the public eye, you can't help but be the perfect children, born to the perfect family. Manners and politics were sort of instilled in my brothers and me from a very young age. My mother made sure of that." She said, smiling at the memory of herself and Jacen arguing with Threepio about their etiquette lessons. Threepio never learned not to argue with Jaina, she always ended up winning their debates by turning him off.
"I believe this is the first time you've talked willingly about your family in my presence. If I may ask, why do you act as if you are ashamed of them?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't take the question the wrong way and have a repeat of Hapes.
"I am not ashamed of them, in fact I love my family more than anything else in the galaxy, but we are not the perfect family as everyone believes us to be." Jaina answered, looking downwards at the floor. Her family was one topic that she tried to avoid at all costs, she was mentally kicking herself for letting herself talk about them. The issues her family had were no one else's business other than their own. This was not Jag's place to be asking questions.
"Yet you-"Jag was quickly cut off by Jaina's abrupt interruption.
"Please, drop the subject of my family. It is not something I wish to discuss." She said, hoping he would take the hint.
He nodded his head once, not exactly sure what to say in response. The two sat there in complete silence, only the light ticking from the chrono and the sound of Sharr's snoring disturbing the tranquility of the ship. It was Jaina who spoke next.
"You want to know how my brothers got captured, and why I dread going back to Myrkyr." It was more of a statement than a question. Jag's eyes widened; it was the truth. He had heard stories, rumors really, about what happened on the first mission to Myrkyr, but he didn't know what the truth really was. He had wondered about it, but was too afraid to ask her.
"Anakin was captured first; he was hit by an amistaff trying to protect me. My other brother, Jacen, grabbed me and pulled me towards safety. By the time I had pulled away from Jacen and ran back to Anakin, he had been taken by the Vong." Her eyes filled with tears, but none escaped the cavity of her eye. She swallowed before continuing.
"Jacen was covering for us as we were making our way to the transport. Twelve Jedi were on that mission, only five returned. My brothers became another Jedi casualty of the Vong, another statistic to the New Republic. It's been months, but I don't know if either are dead. My mother insists they aren't, but hundreds of other Jedi claim they're gone. I, myself, don't know for sure. Both of them are blocking me. I haven't felt their presence since Myrkyr, and I'm not sure if I'll ever feel it again." She finished sadly. A lone tear made its way down her face leaving a glossy trail in its wake.
Jag didn't know how to reply to that. He hadn't expected that response, especially from someone who was usually so jovial like the usual Jaina was. The two sat in stillness, neither one willing to break the comfortable silence, until the ships' morning hours.
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A.N.-Hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully I should be able to get another chapter up soon. I'm trying to keep all of them a respectable length, but also keep everyone's attention, so hopefully the next chapter will turn out like this one. Anyway, please, Review, go to my websites (links in Bio), e-mail me, whatever. Just please let me know what you think of this! Much appreciated, -Raven