~ Okay, some of the questions will be answered in this chapter. You will
have all of the answers by the end of the story. ~
Chapter 21: Why Can't You Understand This?
Jag Fel was thrust into a tiny prison compartment.
So much for having the best confinement facilities, he thought dryly.
He looked around the dimly lit room. In the shadows, he could make out two male figures.
"Hello?" he called to them.
"Jag? Is that you?" Jacen Solo stepped from the shadows. Han was right behind him, blaster drawn in case of an attack. Jag observed the irate elder Solo and the blaster trained on him.
"Wait a minute, there's no need for weapons," Jag said, nervously. "Whatever you were probably told is wrong. Please just let me speak before you shoot."
Han kept the blaster trained on his son-in-law. "So talk. We're not going anywhere."
Jag tried to swallow down the lump in his throat. "Well, sir," he began, "I'm not exactly sure about what happened last night. All I know is that this morning when I awoke, I was expecting Jaina to be right beside me, only she wasn't. I searched for her, but she was nowhere to be found in our bridal suite. I was about to search through the palace when I spotted a piece of flim on the floor. It was a note from Zekk, telling me that he had taken Jaina. I went to the throne room to see if Tenel Ka could help me, but she wasn't there. Instead, I found Ta'a Chume. She's the one who orchestrated this whole thing. She accused Tenel Ka and myself of treason and had me thrown into this cell."
Han lowered his blaster. "That sounds better than the story we were told."
Jag eyed them curiously. "And what was that?"
Han sighed, wearily. "Never mind. That's for a different time. What we need to focus on right now is finding a way to get out of here, then rescuing Leia, Tenel Ka, and Jaina, overthrowing Ta'a Chume and then blasting the hell of this rock."
"Think we could stop for a cup of caf somewhere? I'm starved!"
Jag just shook his head as they sat down to work. At least the Solo men could keep their sense of humor.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Leia and Tenel Ka sat in their own cubicle, directly adjacent to the one that Han, Jacen, and Jag were in, plotting their own escape. Luckily for Leia and Tenel Ka, the Queen mother had the prison cubicles renovated since Ta'a Chume's reign. The passages known only to the Royal family had been removed, and new ones, known only to Tenel Ka, had replaced them. Tenel Ka ran her hand along the wall, feeling for the knob to trip the switch. She found it and applied the necessary pressure to trip the switch. The wall swung open to reveal Jacen, Jag, and Han sitting on the floor.
"Men." Leia said dryly. "Can't live with and can't get them to plan good escapes."
Tenel Ka allowed her usually stoic face a small smile. "Fact."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina sat in her cubicle aboard the Kyria. She knew that she couldn't get out using the door. She could handle one guard, but not two at the same time. And especially not when she was as sore as she was. She knew that she and Jag shouldn't have made love as many times as they did, but they couldn't help themselves. Each touch had been a new experience. And they had wanted to experience it all. But now, though she didn't regret it, she wished she wasn't so sore. It really didn't help that Zekk had managed to cut off her Force powers again. How he did that, she'd never know, but she was sure that the methods were not exactly Light side material. The door opened to her compartment, revealing Zekk in the doorway.
"What do you want now?" she spat.
"The same thing I've always wanted, Jaina: you."
"Sorry, I'm taken," she said, waving her wedding ring in his face.
"That cheap piece of metal means nothing to me. Jaina, I know you love me. I'm sorry that I had to resort to such desperate measures to get you to see this, but you must understand-"
"No, you understand this, Zekk. I don't love you. I will never love you, especially not now. The fact that you had to 'resort to desperate measures' just shows me how pathetic you really are. If you really loved me, like you say you do, then you'd respect my decision to be with Jag. I love him! He's my husband, for Force's sake! Why can't you understand this?"
Zekk sat listening to Jaina's tirade. He knew that she was right, but he didn't want to believe her. He couldn't give up hope on them yet.
"Jaina," he said, quietly, "you're the only woman I have ever loved. You are the only woman I will ever love. Why can't you understand this?"
"Because I don't love you, not like that." Jaina said, tenderly. "You were my best friend for the longest time, Zekk. Then you deserted me. Jag came into my life and he filled the void that you left better than you had ever filled it. I feel complete when I'm with him. I don't feel like that with you. Please try to understand. If you really love me, you'll let me go."
"I can't." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "I can't."
"No, you won't. There's a big difference."
Zekk turned his back to Jaina. Then he turned and left her alone once again. Only this time, it was he who felt confused and angry.
Chapter 21: Why Can't You Understand This?
Jag Fel was thrust into a tiny prison compartment.
So much for having the best confinement facilities, he thought dryly.
He looked around the dimly lit room. In the shadows, he could make out two male figures.
"Hello?" he called to them.
"Jag? Is that you?" Jacen Solo stepped from the shadows. Han was right behind him, blaster drawn in case of an attack. Jag observed the irate elder Solo and the blaster trained on him.
"Wait a minute, there's no need for weapons," Jag said, nervously. "Whatever you were probably told is wrong. Please just let me speak before you shoot."
Han kept the blaster trained on his son-in-law. "So talk. We're not going anywhere."
Jag tried to swallow down the lump in his throat. "Well, sir," he began, "I'm not exactly sure about what happened last night. All I know is that this morning when I awoke, I was expecting Jaina to be right beside me, only she wasn't. I searched for her, but she was nowhere to be found in our bridal suite. I was about to search through the palace when I spotted a piece of flim on the floor. It was a note from Zekk, telling me that he had taken Jaina. I went to the throne room to see if Tenel Ka could help me, but she wasn't there. Instead, I found Ta'a Chume. She's the one who orchestrated this whole thing. She accused Tenel Ka and myself of treason and had me thrown into this cell."
Han lowered his blaster. "That sounds better than the story we were told."
Jag eyed them curiously. "And what was that?"
Han sighed, wearily. "Never mind. That's for a different time. What we need to focus on right now is finding a way to get out of here, then rescuing Leia, Tenel Ka, and Jaina, overthrowing Ta'a Chume and then blasting the hell of this rock."
"Think we could stop for a cup of caf somewhere? I'm starved!"
Jag just shook his head as they sat down to work. At least the Solo men could keep their sense of humor.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Leia and Tenel Ka sat in their own cubicle, directly adjacent to the one that Han, Jacen, and Jag were in, plotting their own escape. Luckily for Leia and Tenel Ka, the Queen mother had the prison cubicles renovated since Ta'a Chume's reign. The passages known only to the Royal family had been removed, and new ones, known only to Tenel Ka, had replaced them. Tenel Ka ran her hand along the wall, feeling for the knob to trip the switch. She found it and applied the necessary pressure to trip the switch. The wall swung open to reveal Jacen, Jag, and Han sitting on the floor.
"Men." Leia said dryly. "Can't live with and can't get them to plan good escapes."
Tenel Ka allowed her usually stoic face a small smile. "Fact."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina sat in her cubicle aboard the Kyria. She knew that she couldn't get out using the door. She could handle one guard, but not two at the same time. And especially not when she was as sore as she was. She knew that she and Jag shouldn't have made love as many times as they did, but they couldn't help themselves. Each touch had been a new experience. And they had wanted to experience it all. But now, though she didn't regret it, she wished she wasn't so sore. It really didn't help that Zekk had managed to cut off her Force powers again. How he did that, she'd never know, but she was sure that the methods were not exactly Light side material. The door opened to her compartment, revealing Zekk in the doorway.
"What do you want now?" she spat.
"The same thing I've always wanted, Jaina: you."
"Sorry, I'm taken," she said, waving her wedding ring in his face.
"That cheap piece of metal means nothing to me. Jaina, I know you love me. I'm sorry that I had to resort to such desperate measures to get you to see this, but you must understand-"
"No, you understand this, Zekk. I don't love you. I will never love you, especially not now. The fact that you had to 'resort to desperate measures' just shows me how pathetic you really are. If you really loved me, like you say you do, then you'd respect my decision to be with Jag. I love him! He's my husband, for Force's sake! Why can't you understand this?"
Zekk sat listening to Jaina's tirade. He knew that she was right, but he didn't want to believe her. He couldn't give up hope on them yet.
"Jaina," he said, quietly, "you're the only woman I have ever loved. You are the only woman I will ever love. Why can't you understand this?"
"Because I don't love you, not like that." Jaina said, tenderly. "You were my best friend for the longest time, Zekk. Then you deserted me. Jag came into my life and he filled the void that you left better than you had ever filled it. I feel complete when I'm with him. I don't feel like that with you. Please try to understand. If you really love me, you'll let me go."
"I can't." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "I can't."
"No, you won't. There's a big difference."
Zekk turned his back to Jaina. Then he turned and left her alone once again. Only this time, it was he who felt confused and angry.
