~ Okay, I realized after posting my announcement about this being the last
chapter that there was so much that I want to write in this final chapter
that I will have to break it up into parts. So here is part one of the end
of "Whisper". (P.S. Thanks to all of those who sent me ideas for names!
They have been a huge help to me!) ~
Chapter 25: A Means to an End: Part I
Zekk landed the Kyria in the nearest Hapan dock with little resistance from the Hapan officials. Which was surprising considering that they had landed without clearance. Jaina jumped out of the ship as soon as the ramp was opened. She sprinted through the corridors of the Hapan palace, hoping to find some sign that her family was there.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The quintet of escapees finally broke the surface sometime around daybreak. They were all wet and hungry, but were, for the most part, holding up well. Except for Jag. His condition had steadily worsened through the course of the night. His body temperature had dropped to a dangerously low level. The only reason he had stayed somewhat stable for this long was due to the tremendous amount of energy Jacen was feeding into his body. But he could no longer sustain both himself and Jag. Jacen was growing weaker with each minute that he had to support Jag's life force.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina broke through the door of the Grand Audience Chamber. Ta'a Chume, not Tenel Ka, sat on the throne at the head of the room. Jaina seethed with anger.
"Traitor," she growled savagely.
"I am no traitor, young Solo." The queen replied. "If anyone is the traitor, it is you. After all, you are the one who left your husband for another man, are you not?"
Jaina glared daggers at the older woman. "First of all," she said, "the name is Solo-Fel, and secondly, I would never leave my husband for another man. You see, I seem to remember you thinking that I was a younger version of you, but I'm not a back-stabbing, conniving bitch, so I don't see how that's really possible."
Jaina lunged at the former queen. The Scarlet Guard immediately took up a defensive stance around the throne. Jaina did not have the time or patience to deal with them, had she really wanted to. She quickly dispelled half the Guard with Force-lighting.
Jaina, what the Sith are you doing!? Jacen said in her mind.
Taking care of an old problem. Don't worry about it. Jaina cut off the connection from her brother and slammed up her mental guards.
The Vong may have tortured Jacen, she thought, but I've been put through enough by this woman.
The other half of the Guard came charging toward Jaina, blasters drawn. Jaina singled out one member and quickly dispelled him with a powerful roundhouse kick. The other members of the Guard hesitated in their onslaught, looking uncertainly at one another.
"Fools! What are you waiting for? She cannot hurt you!" Ta'a Chume screamed.
"Yes, I can." She said, using the Force to support her words.
"Yes, she can," the Guards echoed.
"You will not win." Jaina said, again using the Force.
"We will not win." They echoed.
"You must leave now."
"We must leave now." And the Guards turned and walked out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Tenel Ka looked at her fiancé. His posture was sagging heavily. She knew he was tired, that he could not keep this up for much longer. But she knew that there was a med bay very near to where they had emerged. They group trudged along, desperately hoping that they would soon awake from this nightmare, and Tenel Ka hesitated in her steps. She could see the med bay! She sprinted forward, leaving the group behind. She ran as fast as her weary body could carry her, but it didn't feel fast enough. She pushed herself faster and faster until she thought her body was going to give out on her, and then, she reached the doors to the med bay.
"We need assistance right away!" she yelled. But the building was empty.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina advanced on the now helpless Ta'a Chume. The former queen showed none of the fear that Jaina could feel coming from her, but there was no doubting that Ta'a Chume was scared. She knew what Jaina was capable of. Jaina was, after all, the granddaughter of Anakin Skywalker, better known to the masses as Darth Vader.
"Let's get one thing straight, young Solo," the queen spat, "You cannot hurt me. You know this. I know this. So what do you hope to gain by the little escapade of yours?"
"Vindication, Ta'a Chume. Something that you might know a little bit about. You see, I may not be able to hurt you, but I can "detain" you. I can make you wish that I was hurting you. You've tried to manipulate the wrong person." And with a flick of her wrist, Ta'a Chume was suspended mid-air. Jaina looked up at the vulnerable, floating queen. "Now you get one thing straight, Ta'a Chume. You are no longer in control of the Hapes consortium, Tenel Ka is. And she will rule from now on, without any further attempts on her life or the lives of those she cares about, whether you want her to or not. There are only two options available for you. One, that you support you granddaughter in her monarchy. Or two, that you don't and you die an agonizingly horrific death. The choice is yours alone. I cannot guarantee that the second option will come out if you follow through with the first. I can only guarantee that you will not have the power anymore. I will see to that."
Ta'a Chume said nothing to this. She only remained floating in the air, silent and scheming.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Tenel Ka ran back to the group.
"There is no one in the med bay, but the equipment is there. There are three full bacta tanks and all enough food and materials to last us for a few weeks. That should be sufficient time for both Jag and Jacen to recover."
"Recover?" Jacen asked. "Why should I need to recover?"
Leia looked incredulously at her eldest son. "Jacen, whether you think you need it or not, you could definitely use a couple days in the bacta, and a healing trance as well."
Jacen stared at his mother. "No, I don't need any time in the-"
"Quick," said Han as he picked up Jacen's limp form while Tenel Ka grabbed Jag's body into a Force grip, "let's get them both into the bacta."
Chapter 25: A Means to an End: Part I
Zekk landed the Kyria in the nearest Hapan dock with little resistance from the Hapan officials. Which was surprising considering that they had landed without clearance. Jaina jumped out of the ship as soon as the ramp was opened. She sprinted through the corridors of the Hapan palace, hoping to find some sign that her family was there.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The quintet of escapees finally broke the surface sometime around daybreak. They were all wet and hungry, but were, for the most part, holding up well. Except for Jag. His condition had steadily worsened through the course of the night. His body temperature had dropped to a dangerously low level. The only reason he had stayed somewhat stable for this long was due to the tremendous amount of energy Jacen was feeding into his body. But he could no longer sustain both himself and Jag. Jacen was growing weaker with each minute that he had to support Jag's life force.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina broke through the door of the Grand Audience Chamber. Ta'a Chume, not Tenel Ka, sat on the throne at the head of the room. Jaina seethed with anger.
"Traitor," she growled savagely.
"I am no traitor, young Solo." The queen replied. "If anyone is the traitor, it is you. After all, you are the one who left your husband for another man, are you not?"
Jaina glared daggers at the older woman. "First of all," she said, "the name is Solo-Fel, and secondly, I would never leave my husband for another man. You see, I seem to remember you thinking that I was a younger version of you, but I'm not a back-stabbing, conniving bitch, so I don't see how that's really possible."
Jaina lunged at the former queen. The Scarlet Guard immediately took up a defensive stance around the throne. Jaina did not have the time or patience to deal with them, had she really wanted to. She quickly dispelled half the Guard with Force-lighting.
Jaina, what the Sith are you doing!? Jacen said in her mind.
Taking care of an old problem. Don't worry about it. Jaina cut off the connection from her brother and slammed up her mental guards.
The Vong may have tortured Jacen, she thought, but I've been put through enough by this woman.
The other half of the Guard came charging toward Jaina, blasters drawn. Jaina singled out one member and quickly dispelled him with a powerful roundhouse kick. The other members of the Guard hesitated in their onslaught, looking uncertainly at one another.
"Fools! What are you waiting for? She cannot hurt you!" Ta'a Chume screamed.
"Yes, I can." She said, using the Force to support her words.
"Yes, she can," the Guards echoed.
"You will not win." Jaina said, again using the Force.
"We will not win." They echoed.
"You must leave now."
"We must leave now." And the Guards turned and walked out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Tenel Ka looked at her fiancé. His posture was sagging heavily. She knew he was tired, that he could not keep this up for much longer. But she knew that there was a med bay very near to where they had emerged. They group trudged along, desperately hoping that they would soon awake from this nightmare, and Tenel Ka hesitated in her steps. She could see the med bay! She sprinted forward, leaving the group behind. She ran as fast as her weary body could carry her, but it didn't feel fast enough. She pushed herself faster and faster until she thought her body was going to give out on her, and then, she reached the doors to the med bay.
"We need assistance right away!" she yelled. But the building was empty.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina advanced on the now helpless Ta'a Chume. The former queen showed none of the fear that Jaina could feel coming from her, but there was no doubting that Ta'a Chume was scared. She knew what Jaina was capable of. Jaina was, after all, the granddaughter of Anakin Skywalker, better known to the masses as Darth Vader.
"Let's get one thing straight, young Solo," the queen spat, "You cannot hurt me. You know this. I know this. So what do you hope to gain by the little escapade of yours?"
"Vindication, Ta'a Chume. Something that you might know a little bit about. You see, I may not be able to hurt you, but I can "detain" you. I can make you wish that I was hurting you. You've tried to manipulate the wrong person." And with a flick of her wrist, Ta'a Chume was suspended mid-air. Jaina looked up at the vulnerable, floating queen. "Now you get one thing straight, Ta'a Chume. You are no longer in control of the Hapes consortium, Tenel Ka is. And she will rule from now on, without any further attempts on her life or the lives of those she cares about, whether you want her to or not. There are only two options available for you. One, that you support you granddaughter in her monarchy. Or two, that you don't and you die an agonizingly horrific death. The choice is yours alone. I cannot guarantee that the second option will come out if you follow through with the first. I can only guarantee that you will not have the power anymore. I will see to that."
Ta'a Chume said nothing to this. She only remained floating in the air, silent and scheming.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Tenel Ka ran back to the group.
"There is no one in the med bay, but the equipment is there. There are three full bacta tanks and all enough food and materials to last us for a few weeks. That should be sufficient time for both Jag and Jacen to recover."
"Recover?" Jacen asked. "Why should I need to recover?"
Leia looked incredulously at her eldest son. "Jacen, whether you think you need it or not, you could definitely use a couple days in the bacta, and a healing trance as well."
Jacen stared at his mother. "No, I don't need any time in the-"
"Quick," said Han as he picked up Jacen's limp form while Tenel Ka grabbed Jag's body into a Force grip, "let's get them both into the bacta."
