*** Part 3 ***
*************************In the hanger bay**********************
Jaina worked on her X-Wing. The old Rebellion-Class fighter needed a tune- up. She was up to her elbows with oil and other lubricants. Her hands were dirty from engine fluid and space dust. It was amazing how an X-Wing mortex heat ventilator could get so clogged, and what could clog it. A minute ago Jaina guessed she'd pulled out the remains of a six-legged creature that had decided to make the mortex ventilater it's home.
Jaina stood up, stretching. She was perched on the nose of her X-Wing with it's outer plating and shielding removed. Crouching down again she peered into the ship's engines. She had been working hard on it since breakfast, and she guessed she was getting somewhere.
Suddenly she looked up and saw Zekk walking past in a X-Wing jumpsuit, helmet in hand. "Hey!" Jaina yelled out, and Zekk swerved on his heels looking up. "Where are you off to?"
"I'm going on a mission." Zekk answered as he walked up to Jaina's disemboweled ship.
Jaina looked down at him curiously. "I didn't know about any mission." Jaina said doubtfully.
"Actually," A voice said from the other side her X-Wing, "You never heard about it because I never wanted you to hear about it." Within seconds Jaina recognized the voice, it belonged to the rouge Jedi Kyp Durron. In a minute he was standing next to Zekk, flight suit on and helmet in hand.
Jaina looked from Durron to Zekk. "I'm flattered." She snarled, glaring at Durron. "But now I do remember this mission. Uncle Luke says that if you carry out this strike on those tankers you could endanger the entire fleet, and base." To Jaina's surprise Durron smiled.
"Not if we have good pilots, enough fire-power, then we can take them out." he said.
Jaina rolled her eyes. "What do you think you'll accomplish?" She demanded.
"Evening out the playing field." Durron replied, and would have continued if Jaina hadn't silenced him with a raised hand.
"Even the Vong know that their tankers don't just disappear. Even if you pulled it off with no survivors, or no eye-witnesses, the Vong are smarter than that!" Jaina was getting more and more upset, and Durron was getting even more stubborn.
And Zekk was getting uptight. He didn't want to get in the middle of an argument between his commander and his best friend. Too late....
Durron glanced at the young Jedi Knight that stood silently on his right and rested a hand on Zekk's shoulder. "Well," he said, "I think you give the Vong too much credit, and I've got the pilots. So we can pull this off, even without your help."
Jaina paused and looked at Zekk, and jumped down off her X-wing. As soon as her boots hit the concrete she looked up into Zekk's eyes intensely. "You're going huh?" Somehow she hoped he had changed his mind in the last five minutes. To her dismay he nodded. Jaina shook her head then gestured at Kyp, "Would you follow him into hell if he said it was for any reason or that he needed you?" She demanded.
Zekk shrugged. "A couple of times I have. But I've always come back."
Jaina stood in shock glaring at her friend. There was Zekk's brash overconfidence. The truth was she didn't believe in what Durron wanted to do; putting the base at risk was not on her to-do list. The other truth was that over the past few days she had gotten close to Zekk, even closer than she wanted to admit, and if something went wrong she would want to be there to help.
Jaina looked at Durron and folded her arms over her chest. "I'll go too, if you want. But my X-Wing is out of commission and I'd need to borrow one." It wasn't comfortable with her any other way, and she knew Durron knew she was a good pilot.
What Kyp also was aware of was that Zekk was a great pilot, and was Jaina Solo's only match at the controls of an X-Wing. IF he had to choose between Jaina or Zekk.... he would choose Zekk. The young man had loyalty which was greater than anyone else in his squadrons. "I'm sorry." Durron said, "I've got enough pilots already." Jaina glared daggers at him, but he ignored her. "Come on Zekk." Kyp said. "We launch in five minutes." The rouge Jedi walked off.
Jaina sighed, then glanced up at Zekk. "You sure you want to do this?"
Zekk looked at her, "We can pull it off."
Jaina watched as Zekk gave her a wary sidelong look. She cold feel he was uncomfortable- but she could also feel that he had made his mind up and there was nothing changing it. There was nothing she could do to change his mind. She sighed again, "Than May the Force be with you."
Zekk smiled at her, glad that she wasn't going to try to change his mind. "You too, Jaina."
Jaina flashed him a solo grin, "Just make sure you come back in one piece."
Zekk laughed, "I wont be long." Quickly, he turned away, following his commander and headed for the other side of the hanger. Jaina was obviously upset, but Zekk knew she wouldn't think the worse of him afterwards. When he caught up to Durron he asked, "You know you're making even more of an enemy out of her?"
Kyp nodded, "Better to have an enemy here than up in my squadron, questioning every command I make."
Zekk understood. Jaina was strong spirited and held to her own beliefs. In a battle situation her doubts could go through the rest of the squadrons and put more lives at risk than before. It just wasn't worth it. Even though Jaina was a great pilot.
Jaina watched as the X-Wing taxied out of the hanger and each lifting off into the cool afternoon sky. Each take-off was precise, and perfect. They were excellent pilots, every one of them. She sighed as climbed back onto the nose of her X-Wing. Good hunting, she thought, and may the Force be with you....
************************* Later in the Skywalker Quarters**************************
"Aya! Aya!" Ben screamed as he ran around the tastefully furnished Skywalker quarters. The three year old was full of energy today.
"Good grief." Mara said as she watched her son literally bounce off the walls. "He's got a lot of his father in him." Jaina laughed. "So," Mara said, "Where's your friend?"
Jaina looked at her aunt, "Who?"
Mara tried to grab Ben as he zipped past but missed. "Oh, Chekk, Pekk, Sekk...." she tried to remember the name.
"Oh," Jaina said, "You mean Zekk." Mara nodded and Jaina grimaced. "He's off somewhere on a mission with that bantha fodder Kyp Durron."
Mara eyed Jaina and then laughed. "You know what that means right?" She asked as she snagged Ben by the coller.
Jaina nodded, "I've got a good idea, and it's what that guy is." Mara shrugged and tried to wipe off some breakfast from Ben's face.
Jaina could see that the couches had suffered greatly from Ben's energy levils, because the canvas that covered them were worn and in some places. She pitied Mara bush remembered when she jumped on the couches and in a way envied her little cousin.
"Could you do me a favor?" Mara asked.
"Yeah, what?" Jaina answered.
"Could you take Ben to the play-ground again for me? He's driving me crazy."
Jaina laughed, "Sure she said, "Imagine that, a fully trained Jedi...babysitting. I wonder if I'll do well on this dangerous assignment."
Mara nodded, "Yeah," She said, "Just wait until you have your own, and then you'll really be humbled."
********************************* Later in the Park*******************************
Jaina watched from the bench as Ben and two other Jedi children played. He made friends fast, faster than she had when she was younger. But some things don't change even when it was wartime.
Looking around Jaina noted that just a few days ago she had been reunited with Zekk in this same park. It seemed like that awkward moment had happened a million years ago. Now it seemed like they hadn't ever really been separated. Strange how that worked out. But there were certain differences in him, which were impossible to ignore. He was taller than he had been before, and his chin had become a little more square. The boyish qualities she remembered in him almost all gone and forgotten. Then, a peculiar realization come to her, she...was now a woman. Although she had been doing things that were to be expected by a twenty year old at the age of seven, she just realized it. Earlier she had never really thought about her age, but when she saw Zekk, and how much he'd matured and grown she had to compare. Jaina looked out over the park and holograffic sky. Strange how things had kept going in their nautural course, even though she had forgotten it over the past five years.
Suddenly, the foundations of the base shook and the lights flickered. Jaina felt a deep disturbance in the Force... Something had gone wrong.
The children sensed it and froze. Jaina's heart skipped a beat, and Ben ran up to her. "Aya! Aya!" Jaina scooped up her little cousin, and noticed he was shaking. Something had gone terribly wrong, even Ben felt it.
"Let's go." Jaina ran for the command center. "Find your parents!" she yelled over her shoulder at the other kids. She needed to get to Mara or her Mother. Then she needed to get to her X-wing. The base was obviously under attack! TO BE CONTINUED! (yeah I know- not much action, but If I included it it would be a HUGE chapter.)
Jaina worked on her X-Wing. The old Rebellion-Class fighter needed a tune- up. She was up to her elbows with oil and other lubricants. Her hands were dirty from engine fluid and space dust. It was amazing how an X-Wing mortex heat ventilator could get so clogged, and what could clog it. A minute ago Jaina guessed she'd pulled out the remains of a six-legged creature that had decided to make the mortex ventilater it's home.
Jaina stood up, stretching. She was perched on the nose of her X-Wing with it's outer plating and shielding removed. Crouching down again she peered into the ship's engines. She had been working hard on it since breakfast, and she guessed she was getting somewhere.
Suddenly she looked up and saw Zekk walking past in a X-Wing jumpsuit, helmet in hand. "Hey!" Jaina yelled out, and Zekk swerved on his heels looking up. "Where are you off to?"
"I'm going on a mission." Zekk answered as he walked up to Jaina's disemboweled ship.
Jaina looked down at him curiously. "I didn't know about any mission." Jaina said doubtfully.
"Actually," A voice said from the other side her X-Wing, "You never heard about it because I never wanted you to hear about it." Within seconds Jaina recognized the voice, it belonged to the rouge Jedi Kyp Durron. In a minute he was standing next to Zekk, flight suit on and helmet in hand.
Jaina looked from Durron to Zekk. "I'm flattered." She snarled, glaring at Durron. "But now I do remember this mission. Uncle Luke says that if you carry out this strike on those tankers you could endanger the entire fleet, and base." To Jaina's surprise Durron smiled.
"Not if we have good pilots, enough fire-power, then we can take them out." he said.
Jaina rolled her eyes. "What do you think you'll accomplish?" She demanded.
"Evening out the playing field." Durron replied, and would have continued if Jaina hadn't silenced him with a raised hand.
"Even the Vong know that their tankers don't just disappear. Even if you pulled it off with no survivors, or no eye-witnesses, the Vong are smarter than that!" Jaina was getting more and more upset, and Durron was getting even more stubborn.
And Zekk was getting uptight. He didn't want to get in the middle of an argument between his commander and his best friend. Too late....
Durron glanced at the young Jedi Knight that stood silently on his right and rested a hand on Zekk's shoulder. "Well," he said, "I think you give the Vong too much credit, and I've got the pilots. So we can pull this off, even without your help."
Jaina paused and looked at Zekk, and jumped down off her X-wing. As soon as her boots hit the concrete she looked up into Zekk's eyes intensely. "You're going huh?" Somehow she hoped he had changed his mind in the last five minutes. To her dismay he nodded. Jaina shook her head then gestured at Kyp, "Would you follow him into hell if he said it was for any reason or that he needed you?" She demanded.
Zekk shrugged. "A couple of times I have. But I've always come back."
Jaina stood in shock glaring at her friend. There was Zekk's brash overconfidence. The truth was she didn't believe in what Durron wanted to do; putting the base at risk was not on her to-do list. The other truth was that over the past few days she had gotten close to Zekk, even closer than she wanted to admit, and if something went wrong she would want to be there to help.
Jaina looked at Durron and folded her arms over her chest. "I'll go too, if you want. But my X-Wing is out of commission and I'd need to borrow one." It wasn't comfortable with her any other way, and she knew Durron knew she was a good pilot.
What Kyp also was aware of was that Zekk was a great pilot, and was Jaina Solo's only match at the controls of an X-Wing. IF he had to choose between Jaina or Zekk.... he would choose Zekk. The young man had loyalty which was greater than anyone else in his squadrons. "I'm sorry." Durron said, "I've got enough pilots already." Jaina glared daggers at him, but he ignored her. "Come on Zekk." Kyp said. "We launch in five minutes." The rouge Jedi walked off.
Jaina sighed, then glanced up at Zekk. "You sure you want to do this?"
Zekk looked at her, "We can pull it off."
Jaina watched as Zekk gave her a wary sidelong look. She cold feel he was uncomfortable- but she could also feel that he had made his mind up and there was nothing changing it. There was nothing she could do to change his mind. She sighed again, "Than May the Force be with you."
Zekk smiled at her, glad that she wasn't going to try to change his mind. "You too, Jaina."
Jaina flashed him a solo grin, "Just make sure you come back in one piece."
Zekk laughed, "I wont be long." Quickly, he turned away, following his commander and headed for the other side of the hanger. Jaina was obviously upset, but Zekk knew she wouldn't think the worse of him afterwards. When he caught up to Durron he asked, "You know you're making even more of an enemy out of her?"
Kyp nodded, "Better to have an enemy here than up in my squadron, questioning every command I make."
Zekk understood. Jaina was strong spirited and held to her own beliefs. In a battle situation her doubts could go through the rest of the squadrons and put more lives at risk than before. It just wasn't worth it. Even though Jaina was a great pilot.
Jaina watched as the X-Wing taxied out of the hanger and each lifting off into the cool afternoon sky. Each take-off was precise, and perfect. They were excellent pilots, every one of them. She sighed as climbed back onto the nose of her X-Wing. Good hunting, she thought, and may the Force be with you....
************************* Later in the Skywalker Quarters**************************
"Aya! Aya!" Ben screamed as he ran around the tastefully furnished Skywalker quarters. The three year old was full of energy today.
"Good grief." Mara said as she watched her son literally bounce off the walls. "He's got a lot of his father in him." Jaina laughed. "So," Mara said, "Where's your friend?"
Jaina looked at her aunt, "Who?"
Mara tried to grab Ben as he zipped past but missed. "Oh, Chekk, Pekk, Sekk...." she tried to remember the name.
"Oh," Jaina said, "You mean Zekk." Mara nodded and Jaina grimaced. "He's off somewhere on a mission with that bantha fodder Kyp Durron."
Mara eyed Jaina and then laughed. "You know what that means right?" She asked as she snagged Ben by the coller.
Jaina nodded, "I've got a good idea, and it's what that guy is." Mara shrugged and tried to wipe off some breakfast from Ben's face.
Jaina could see that the couches had suffered greatly from Ben's energy levils, because the canvas that covered them were worn and in some places. She pitied Mara bush remembered when she jumped on the couches and in a way envied her little cousin.
"Could you do me a favor?" Mara asked.
"Yeah, what?" Jaina answered.
"Could you take Ben to the play-ground again for me? He's driving me crazy."
Jaina laughed, "Sure she said, "Imagine that, a fully trained Jedi...babysitting. I wonder if I'll do well on this dangerous assignment."
Mara nodded, "Yeah," She said, "Just wait until you have your own, and then you'll really be humbled."
********************************* Later in the Park*******************************
Jaina watched from the bench as Ben and two other Jedi children played. He made friends fast, faster than she had when she was younger. But some things don't change even when it was wartime.
Looking around Jaina noted that just a few days ago she had been reunited with Zekk in this same park. It seemed like that awkward moment had happened a million years ago. Now it seemed like they hadn't ever really been separated. Strange how that worked out. But there were certain differences in him, which were impossible to ignore. He was taller than he had been before, and his chin had become a little more square. The boyish qualities she remembered in him almost all gone and forgotten. Then, a peculiar realization come to her, she...was now a woman. Although she had been doing things that were to be expected by a twenty year old at the age of seven, she just realized it. Earlier she had never really thought about her age, but when she saw Zekk, and how much he'd matured and grown she had to compare. Jaina looked out over the park and holograffic sky. Strange how things had kept going in their nautural course, even though she had forgotten it over the past five years.
Suddenly, the foundations of the base shook and the lights flickered. Jaina felt a deep disturbance in the Force... Something had gone wrong.
The children sensed it and froze. Jaina's heart skipped a beat, and Ben ran up to her. "Aya! Aya!" Jaina scooped up her little cousin, and noticed he was shaking. Something had gone terribly wrong, even Ben felt it.
"Let's go." Jaina ran for the command center. "Find your parents!" she yelled over her shoulder at the other kids. She needed to get to Mara or her Mother. Then she needed to get to her X-wing. The base was obviously under attack! TO BE CONTINUED! (yeah I know- not much action, but If I included it it would be a HUGE chapter.)