Well, here it is!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Fourteen
Luke stood in the gym, his back against a wall, watching his niece train in hand-to-hand with his wife. Considering the fact that Jaina was fighting against Mara Jade, former Emperor's Hand, she was doing very well.
"Faster, Jaina!" Mara said. "I know you can do better!" She threw a punch at Jaina's head.
Jaina brought up an arm to block it. "It's. as fast. as I can go," she panted, sweat dripping from her face.
"Use the Force!" Mara commanded. She feinted at Jaina with one arm, then brought up the other in a right hook that connected solidly with the side of her face.
Jaina fell to the floor, rubbing her jaw. "Master, that's the thirteenth time you've hit me in the past ten minutes," she said. "I'll never be able to beat you."
"And what if you meet a Vong and don't have your lightsaber?" Mara asked, hands on her hips. "Are you just going to say, 'Oh, I don't have my lightsaber, you win'?"
"No, Master," Jaina sad, grimacing. "But that's different."
"How?" Mara demanded, standing over her niece.
"They're the enemy. You're my aunt." Jaina got to her feet.
"That's your problem, Jaina. When we run through these exercises, you can't see me as your friend. Visualize me not as your aunt and master, but as the enemy. Otherwise, how will you ever learn?" She took up a fighting stance once more. "Again. And this time, use the Force. Let it flow through you."
Jaina took a deep breath, then faced Mara once more. Luke could feel the steely determination radiating off her as she brought her arms up. She nodded her head sharply. "Again."
The two Jedi circled each other warily, their eyes locked. Mara moved in to attack first, throwing a series of lightning punches at her niece's midriff. Through the Force, Jaina sensed the attack coming in time to block them. Mara then dropped to the ground and swept her leg at Jaina's, trying to bring her down. Jaina used the Force and propelled herself above Mara's leg, landing a short distance from her aunt. Mara leapt back to her feet and lashed out at Jaina with her foot. In a blur of motion so quick Luke couldn't see it, Jaina grabbed her ankle before it could connect and flipped Mara to the padded floor.
Shaking his head in amazement, Luke stepped away from the wall. "Mara, I hate to say it, but I think you've finally met your match."
Jaina grinned up at him. "Thanks, Uncle Luke," she said. "But I don't think so. Aunt Mara beat me thirteen times, and I only beat her once."
"Still, not many people have the right to say that they beat Mara Jade in hand-to-hand combat," Luke said, offering a hand to his wife.
"I'm not that old yet, Skywalker," Mara said, ignoring his hand and flipping herself upright. "Good job, Jaina," she said. "But I know you can still do better."
Shaking her head, Jaina said, "I'll let you beat me up some other time. Right now, all I want is a cold shower and some food."
Smiling, Luke led his wife from the room. "See you later, Jaina," he called back over his shoulder.
Once they were out of sight, Jaina dropped wearily to the floor and leaned her head against her knees. "Why did I have to be the one with a slavedriver for an aunt and Jedi Master?" she groaned, then got up and left the gym.
************************
That evening, Jaina had dinner with her parents at their quarters. Her mother had let the food synthesizer prepare the meal this time, as Han had refused to eat any food she cooked after the pastry episode.
After dinner, they lingered on in the Solos' living area, reaffirming their familial ties over glasses of Corellian brandy. Jaina basked in the love that surrounded her here, love that she had almost lost forever. Although it was late and she had squadron maneuvers early tomorrow, she couldn't bear to tear herself away.
A chime sounded from her parents' bedroom notifying them that they had a new message. Chuckling over a story Jaina was telling about Sharr and Piggy, Han got up and went to answer it. Jaina and Leia sat in companionable silence, sipping their brandies.
Then, the peace of the Solos' suite was shattered. "JAINA SOLO, WHAT IN ALL THE CORELLIAN HELLS DID YOU DO WITH THAT SITHSPAWN?!?!?!" Han roared from the bedroom.
Hastily putting their glasses down on the nearby table, Jaina and Leia rushed to the bedroom where Jaina stopped still in shock. "Oh, Sith," she muttered, her face blazing red. For there on the holoprojector screen was a holo of Jaina and Jag kissing passionately in a turbolift. Jaina recognized it as the night about a standard week ago when Jag had taken her on their first date.
Leia rushed over to her husband. "Breathe, Han," she said, gripping his shoulders.
Han stared at Jaina, his face red, and started hyperventilating. Leia shook him. "Han, what's wrong?" she asked impatiently. "You knew about them already!"
Han sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "Yes, but knowing about it and SEEING HIM WITH HIS KRIFFING TONGUE DOWN HER THROAT are two very different things!" he yelled. He collapsed onto their bed and leveled a finger at Jaina. "I want you to go get loverboy and bring him here. He and my blaster are gonna have a nice, long chat. And just imagine, if Wes Janson hadn't sent this to me, I'd have never known that MY DAUGHTER was BEING VIOLATED in a TURBOLIFT!!!"
"Wes sent that to you?" Jaina breathed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I am sooo going to kill him."
"Do that after you bring Junior here," Han warned "And if you don't, I'll just go to him and beat him up twice as bad!"
"All right, Dad," Jaina said, miffed. "I don't see why you're so upset over a little kiss!"
" 'A little kiss'? 'A LITTLE KISS'?!?!" Han jabbed a finger at the holoproj that was still playing the image of Jaina and Jag locked in a passionate embrace. "THAT is not 'a little kiss!' "
"Jaina, just do as your father says and go get Jag," Leia said. "I'll calm your father down."
Thanks, Mom, Jaina mouthed, then turned and left her parents' suite.
************************
Jaina stalked down the corridor, still smarting from her recent embarrassment and cooking up creative ways to kill Janson. Blasting him with Force lightning is too Dark Side-ish, she mused. And impaling him with my lightsaber is too quick. Hmmm. what about roasting him over an open fire, and every time he's nearly dead pull him out and dump him into bacta, then do it all over again? I like it.
She snapped out of her reverie when she noticed she was in the Twin Suns hallway. Striding over to Jag's door, she punched in the access codes and walked in without knocking. She flipped on the lights and turned to his bed. "Jag, we've got a prob." She trailed off as her eyes took in his bare, muscled chest, then traced down the length of his nearly unclad body. As her gaze slid lower, Jaina clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter as she caught sight of his tasteful choice in sleepwear. He was wearing black boxers with little green aliens all over them
Still half asleep, Jag squinted at the light. "Wha. JAINA!" he snapped awake at the sight of her standing by his bed. He grabbed for the blankets and hastily covered his lower body. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he muttered, his face red.
"Ummm. er. sorry," Jaina stuttered, blushing as well, but unable to tear her eyes away from his body.
"Do you mind leaving so I can put on some pants?" Jag prodded when Jaina didn't move.
"Oh. yeah," Jaina said, blushing even redder. "I'll. er, be outside." Turning, she quickly exited the room and shut the door. She leaned her hot forehead against the cool wall outside Jag's room. Too much brandy, she reasoned. Or maybe not.
Her thoughts trailed off as the door opened and Jag exited, now wearing pants and a black muscle shirt. "What was so urgent that it couldn't wait till morning?" Jag asked, the traces of a blush still staining his cheeks.
"We kinda have a situation on our hands," Jaina said, her face still red.
"What kind of a situation?" Jag asked, stifling a yawn.
"Remember last week when we went to the tapcaf?" Jaina asked. At Jag's nod of acknowledgment, she continued. "Remember the turbolift ride?"
"How could I forget?" Jag asked, grinning.
"Well. I said there wasn't a holocam in it, right?" She licked her lips. "Well, as it turns out. Janson had one installed earlier, and he. caught us in the act, so to speak."
"So?" Jag was still a bit groggy and wasn't thinking straight. "What's that got to do. oh. OH!" he exclaimed, realization dawning. "Sithspit!"
"Yeah," Jaina said. "He sent it to my parents, and now my father wants to see you."
Jag launched into a whole string of expletives that would have made even Han wince. They started down the corridor back to the Solos' residence. "How did he take it?"
"Not good." Jaina took a deep breath as they reached her parents' quarters and turned to Jag. "Don't worry, my mother won't let him hurt you." Jag sighed in relief, then blanched as Jaina continued, "Bad."
He gulped and straightened as Jaina keyed in the codes. When they entered the suite, they were met by Leia and a slightly less irate Han Solo emerging from the bedroom. Slightly less irate. "Son," he said gruffly, "I'd like to talk to you in private."
Jag preceded him into the bedroom. When Jaina tried to follow, Leia restrained her. "It's for the best," she whispered. "Men have a lot of issues to work out, and they'd prefer to do it without our interference. although," she added, with a twinkle in her eye, "Things would be so much simpler if they did listen to us." She led Jaina to a couch and they both sat down.
Jaina twisted her hands nervously in her lap. What is Dad saying? Will Jag not like me any more because I have such a weird father? Will he think I'm worth all this?
"Of course he will," Leia murmured reassuringly, picking up on Jaina's thoughts. "He loves you."
Several minutes later, a triumphant Han entered the room, followed by a shaken and subdued, but still intact, Jag. "We understand each other perfectly," Han said, clapping Jag on the shoulder.
Jag winced. "Perfectly," he echoed, half-heartedly.
Jaina quickly jumped in. "Well, it's really late, and Jag and I have squadron stuff early tomorrow," she said. "So, goodnight, and thanks for dinner, Mom!" She hustled Jag out of the Solo quarters and back to the Twin Suns barracks before her father could change her mind and carve Jag up into itsy-bitsy pieces with a blunt vibroblade. "So, what'd my dad say?"
Jag made a face. "Nothing that should be repeated in polite society," he said. "The gist of it was, I keep my hands off of you, he lets me live. I agreed."
"What?!" Jaina stopped and stared at him in shock.
Jag grinned and continued. "But what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?" He put his arms around her.
"Right," Jaina agreed, her eyes sparkling. "My, my, Colonel. You've turned into quite the sneaky rebel."
"It's the company I keep," Jag returned playfully. "There's this Rebel pilot that's had this amazing influence on me."
"And who would that be?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.
"Guess," Jag said, the word a whisper against her lips. He kissed her gently and pulled away soon.
"Has my father really scared you that badly?" Jaina asked impishly. "Can't even kiss me decently anymore?"
"Is that a challenge?" Jag demanded, and brought his lips down forcefully onto hers without waiting for a response. Jaina was swept away by his passion. Usually, she had to be the one to initiate closer contact. Not so tonight. Maybe I should get Dad to talk to him more often, Jaina thought wryly, before she completely lost the ability to think. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Fourteen
Luke stood in the gym, his back against a wall, watching his niece train in hand-to-hand with his wife. Considering the fact that Jaina was fighting against Mara Jade, former Emperor's Hand, she was doing very well.
"Faster, Jaina!" Mara said. "I know you can do better!" She threw a punch at Jaina's head.
Jaina brought up an arm to block it. "It's. as fast. as I can go," she panted, sweat dripping from her face.
"Use the Force!" Mara commanded. She feinted at Jaina with one arm, then brought up the other in a right hook that connected solidly with the side of her face.
Jaina fell to the floor, rubbing her jaw. "Master, that's the thirteenth time you've hit me in the past ten minutes," she said. "I'll never be able to beat you."
"And what if you meet a Vong and don't have your lightsaber?" Mara asked, hands on her hips. "Are you just going to say, 'Oh, I don't have my lightsaber, you win'?"
"No, Master," Jaina sad, grimacing. "But that's different."
"How?" Mara demanded, standing over her niece.
"They're the enemy. You're my aunt." Jaina got to her feet.
"That's your problem, Jaina. When we run through these exercises, you can't see me as your friend. Visualize me not as your aunt and master, but as the enemy. Otherwise, how will you ever learn?" She took up a fighting stance once more. "Again. And this time, use the Force. Let it flow through you."
Jaina took a deep breath, then faced Mara once more. Luke could feel the steely determination radiating off her as she brought her arms up. She nodded her head sharply. "Again."
The two Jedi circled each other warily, their eyes locked. Mara moved in to attack first, throwing a series of lightning punches at her niece's midriff. Through the Force, Jaina sensed the attack coming in time to block them. Mara then dropped to the ground and swept her leg at Jaina's, trying to bring her down. Jaina used the Force and propelled herself above Mara's leg, landing a short distance from her aunt. Mara leapt back to her feet and lashed out at Jaina with her foot. In a blur of motion so quick Luke couldn't see it, Jaina grabbed her ankle before it could connect and flipped Mara to the padded floor.
Shaking his head in amazement, Luke stepped away from the wall. "Mara, I hate to say it, but I think you've finally met your match."
Jaina grinned up at him. "Thanks, Uncle Luke," she said. "But I don't think so. Aunt Mara beat me thirteen times, and I only beat her once."
"Still, not many people have the right to say that they beat Mara Jade in hand-to-hand combat," Luke said, offering a hand to his wife.
"I'm not that old yet, Skywalker," Mara said, ignoring his hand and flipping herself upright. "Good job, Jaina," she said. "But I know you can still do better."
Shaking her head, Jaina said, "I'll let you beat me up some other time. Right now, all I want is a cold shower and some food."
Smiling, Luke led his wife from the room. "See you later, Jaina," he called back over his shoulder.
Once they were out of sight, Jaina dropped wearily to the floor and leaned her head against her knees. "Why did I have to be the one with a slavedriver for an aunt and Jedi Master?" she groaned, then got up and left the gym.
************************
That evening, Jaina had dinner with her parents at their quarters. Her mother had let the food synthesizer prepare the meal this time, as Han had refused to eat any food she cooked after the pastry episode.
After dinner, they lingered on in the Solos' living area, reaffirming their familial ties over glasses of Corellian brandy. Jaina basked in the love that surrounded her here, love that she had almost lost forever. Although it was late and she had squadron maneuvers early tomorrow, she couldn't bear to tear herself away.
A chime sounded from her parents' bedroom notifying them that they had a new message. Chuckling over a story Jaina was telling about Sharr and Piggy, Han got up and went to answer it. Jaina and Leia sat in companionable silence, sipping their brandies.
Then, the peace of the Solos' suite was shattered. "JAINA SOLO, WHAT IN ALL THE CORELLIAN HELLS DID YOU DO WITH THAT SITHSPAWN?!?!?!" Han roared from the bedroom.
Hastily putting their glasses down on the nearby table, Jaina and Leia rushed to the bedroom where Jaina stopped still in shock. "Oh, Sith," she muttered, her face blazing red. For there on the holoprojector screen was a holo of Jaina and Jag kissing passionately in a turbolift. Jaina recognized it as the night about a standard week ago when Jag had taken her on their first date.
Leia rushed over to her husband. "Breathe, Han," she said, gripping his shoulders.
Han stared at Jaina, his face red, and started hyperventilating. Leia shook him. "Han, what's wrong?" she asked impatiently. "You knew about them already!"
Han sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "Yes, but knowing about it and SEEING HIM WITH HIS KRIFFING TONGUE DOWN HER THROAT are two very different things!" he yelled. He collapsed onto their bed and leveled a finger at Jaina. "I want you to go get loverboy and bring him here. He and my blaster are gonna have a nice, long chat. And just imagine, if Wes Janson hadn't sent this to me, I'd have never known that MY DAUGHTER was BEING VIOLATED in a TURBOLIFT!!!"
"Wes sent that to you?" Jaina breathed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I am sooo going to kill him."
"Do that after you bring Junior here," Han warned "And if you don't, I'll just go to him and beat him up twice as bad!"
"All right, Dad," Jaina said, miffed. "I don't see why you're so upset over a little kiss!"
" 'A little kiss'? 'A LITTLE KISS'?!?!" Han jabbed a finger at the holoproj that was still playing the image of Jaina and Jag locked in a passionate embrace. "THAT is not 'a little kiss!' "
"Jaina, just do as your father says and go get Jag," Leia said. "I'll calm your father down."
Thanks, Mom, Jaina mouthed, then turned and left her parents' suite.
************************
Jaina stalked down the corridor, still smarting from her recent embarrassment and cooking up creative ways to kill Janson. Blasting him with Force lightning is too Dark Side-ish, she mused. And impaling him with my lightsaber is too quick. Hmmm. what about roasting him over an open fire, and every time he's nearly dead pull him out and dump him into bacta, then do it all over again? I like it.
She snapped out of her reverie when she noticed she was in the Twin Suns hallway. Striding over to Jag's door, she punched in the access codes and walked in without knocking. She flipped on the lights and turned to his bed. "Jag, we've got a prob." She trailed off as her eyes took in his bare, muscled chest, then traced down the length of his nearly unclad body. As her gaze slid lower, Jaina clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter as she caught sight of his tasteful choice in sleepwear. He was wearing black boxers with little green aliens all over them
Still half asleep, Jag squinted at the light. "Wha. JAINA!" he snapped awake at the sight of her standing by his bed. He grabbed for the blankets and hastily covered his lower body. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he muttered, his face red.
"Ummm. er. sorry," Jaina stuttered, blushing as well, but unable to tear her eyes away from his body.
"Do you mind leaving so I can put on some pants?" Jag prodded when Jaina didn't move.
"Oh. yeah," Jaina said, blushing even redder. "I'll. er, be outside." Turning, she quickly exited the room and shut the door. She leaned her hot forehead against the cool wall outside Jag's room. Too much brandy, she reasoned. Or maybe not.
Her thoughts trailed off as the door opened and Jag exited, now wearing pants and a black muscle shirt. "What was so urgent that it couldn't wait till morning?" Jag asked, the traces of a blush still staining his cheeks.
"We kinda have a situation on our hands," Jaina said, her face still red.
"What kind of a situation?" Jag asked, stifling a yawn.
"Remember last week when we went to the tapcaf?" Jaina asked. At Jag's nod of acknowledgment, she continued. "Remember the turbolift ride?"
"How could I forget?" Jag asked, grinning.
"Well. I said there wasn't a holocam in it, right?" She licked her lips. "Well, as it turns out. Janson had one installed earlier, and he. caught us in the act, so to speak."
"So?" Jag was still a bit groggy and wasn't thinking straight. "What's that got to do. oh. OH!" he exclaimed, realization dawning. "Sithspit!"
"Yeah," Jaina said. "He sent it to my parents, and now my father wants to see you."
Jag launched into a whole string of expletives that would have made even Han wince. They started down the corridor back to the Solos' residence. "How did he take it?"
"Not good." Jaina took a deep breath as they reached her parents' quarters and turned to Jag. "Don't worry, my mother won't let him hurt you." Jag sighed in relief, then blanched as Jaina continued, "Bad."
He gulped and straightened as Jaina keyed in the codes. When they entered the suite, they were met by Leia and a slightly less irate Han Solo emerging from the bedroom. Slightly less irate. "Son," he said gruffly, "I'd like to talk to you in private."
Jag preceded him into the bedroom. When Jaina tried to follow, Leia restrained her. "It's for the best," she whispered. "Men have a lot of issues to work out, and they'd prefer to do it without our interference. although," she added, with a twinkle in her eye, "Things would be so much simpler if they did listen to us." She led Jaina to a couch and they both sat down.
Jaina twisted her hands nervously in her lap. What is Dad saying? Will Jag not like me any more because I have such a weird father? Will he think I'm worth all this?
"Of course he will," Leia murmured reassuringly, picking up on Jaina's thoughts. "He loves you."
Several minutes later, a triumphant Han entered the room, followed by a shaken and subdued, but still intact, Jag. "We understand each other perfectly," Han said, clapping Jag on the shoulder.
Jag winced. "Perfectly," he echoed, half-heartedly.
Jaina quickly jumped in. "Well, it's really late, and Jag and I have squadron stuff early tomorrow," she said. "So, goodnight, and thanks for dinner, Mom!" She hustled Jag out of the Solo quarters and back to the Twin Suns barracks before her father could change her mind and carve Jag up into itsy-bitsy pieces with a blunt vibroblade. "So, what'd my dad say?"
Jag made a face. "Nothing that should be repeated in polite society," he said. "The gist of it was, I keep my hands off of you, he lets me live. I agreed."
"What?!" Jaina stopped and stared at him in shock.
Jag grinned and continued. "But what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?" He put his arms around her.
"Right," Jaina agreed, her eyes sparkling. "My, my, Colonel. You've turned into quite the sneaky rebel."
"It's the company I keep," Jag returned playfully. "There's this Rebel pilot that's had this amazing influence on me."
"And who would that be?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.
"Guess," Jag said, the word a whisper against her lips. He kissed her gently and pulled away soon.
"Has my father really scared you that badly?" Jaina asked impishly. "Can't even kiss me decently anymore?"
"Is that a challenge?" Jag demanded, and brought his lips down forcefully onto hers without waiting for a response. Jaina was swept away by his passion. Usually, she had to be the one to initiate closer contact. Not so tonight. Maybe I should get Dad to talk to him more often, Jaina thought wryly, before she completely lost the ability to think. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So.