~Sorry it took so long to post this. Writer's block. But I did get it done!
So here's the second part of the last chapter. There should be one more
part coming. I think I've go that much left. ~
Chapter 25: A Means to an End: Part II
Jaina stood in the Grand Audience Chamber, watching Ta'a Chume float above her.
This is quite amusing, Jaina thought.
And then the black hit her. Her mind was engulfed in a black haze. She didn't know what was happening, she only had one thought in her mind.
Jacen!
* * * * * * * * * * *
Han carried Jacen into the deserted med center. He knew that he had to move quickly. Time was running out for both Jacen and Jag. As he rounded the corner, he saw the bacta tanks that Tenel Ka had spoken of. He craned his neck back around him to catch his wife's eye, seeing Tenel Ka with Jag's floating form behind her. Tenel Ka was never one to express her emotions, at least facially, but Han couldn't help but see the desperation on her face. Her fiancé and best friend was slipping away, as was another close friend of hers. Han turned himself around fully to face his future daughter- in-law.
"Jacen's a fighter. You know this. He would never have survived this long if he wasn't."
Tenel Ka pursed her lips into a thin, determined line. "Fact."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina's grip on Ta'a Chume faltered, but was immediately recovered.
"Just what do you think you are trying to prove?" The former queen demanded.
Jaina struggled to focus her sight. "I'm not trying to prove anything at thing moment. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with my brother."
Ta'a Chume's interest peaked. Jacen was the one who was going to be producing the next heir to the Hapan throne. If something was wrong with him, she had every right to know.
Jaina picked up on the monarch's thoughts. She gritted her teeth and tried to speak through them.
"You have no right to know what happens with Jacen," she spat.
"I do believe that he will be the father of my future grandchildren, the ones who will one day rule in my place. I have every right to know."
Jaina eyed Ta'a Chume warily. "Fine. If you really want to know, you'll get me directions to every med center in a ten kilometer radius."
The queen nodded solemnly. "For the good of Hapes, not for you."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Han and Tenel Ka worked at getting Jacen and Jag hooked up to the various monitors and machines associated with the bacta tanks while Leia calibrated the actual tanks to hold Jacen and Jag. Han had to admire the young queen. If it had been Leia lying in front of him, he knew that he wouldn't be faring as well as Tenel Ka was.
Unbeknownst to Han, Tenel Ka was an emotional storm inside. She was going to lose Jacen. She couldn't let that happen. Jacen was her best friend. He was her future. He was the only man she had ever loved. And she was determined that she would have a life with him.
Jacen?
Tenel Ka?
Tenel Ka blew a slight sigh of relief. Yes, dear Jacen, it is me. How are you feeling?
Jacen hesitated, not wanting to worry Tenel Ka. She knew him too well though.
You are not well.
No. I'm not. I guess I can't try lying to you, love.
No, you cannot. Do not even entertain that idea again.
Jacen chuckled lightly. I won't. Tenel Ka, I need your help.
Anything, love.
I need you to support Jag. Jaina needs him.
Tenel Ka flared with anger. And what about me? I need you, Jacen.
I will be fine, Tenel Ka. I still have enough strength to survive this. Help Jag. He needs it more. All I need is your help with one other thing.
Anything.
Help me into a healing trance. I will be fine from there.
Tenel Ka sent Jacen a smile. Relax and heal then, love.
Jacen relaxed and Tenel Ka eased him into a healing trance.
You had better come back to me, Jacen, she thought, and she leaned over and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina secured Ta'a Chume in the throne room. She then posted guards outside the doors and made sure that they would not let anyone but her back inside.
Jaina set out in the direction that Jacen was directing her in. She wound through the passages of the Palace, searching for her family anywhere. But her efforts had no avail. She couldn't find her family anywhere. She left the palace, breaking into a run. She knew that things were worse than what Jacen was letting on. She could feel that her mother, father, and Tenel Ka were all in fairly good condition. Jacen had slipped into a healing trance, but she could still get directions from following his presence. And Jag-
Jag had steadily gotten worse. Jaina absentmindedly caressed her stomach, thinking of her babies. Jag didn't know about their children yet. Jaina wanted to tell him, but she wanted to see him to tell him. Jaina knew that she had to reach her husband soon. From what she could sense, he had been stabilized, but he was in dire need of a healing trance. And Jaina was the only one who had a strong enough connection with him to do that.
Jaina tried to push the negative thoughts out of her head as she raced through the market. She needed to concentrate on following the direction that Jacen was pushing her in.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jacen concentrated on his connection with his sister. He knew that he should be focusing on healing himself, but he knew that if Jaina didn't find them soon, she would lose Jag. So, instead of focusing all of his energy on himself, he set aside a little part dedicated to guiding Jaina's path. For all accounts, it was working. He could feel Jaina nearing the med center. She only had a little farther to go to reach them.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina pushed out of the crowded market and toward the hangar bay. Jacen was directing her here, but she knew that there wasn't an active med center nearby. She scanned the buildings near the hangar, trying to get a lock on Jacen's position, and finding it a relatively easy thing to do. But where she had located them was what concerned her. They were in an abandoned med bay. Her stomach knotted with dread. Based on the reports of the med centers that Ta'a Chume had given her, this particular med center was not supposed to be operational. Jaina felt a spike in fear from the two little lives nestled in her womb. Immediately, she pushed down her trepidation. She reached out to her children, feeling them reach back. She surrounded her babies in a cocoon of love and security.
Everything will be alright, she sent to them. She knew they could not answer back, but she felt that they understood her. Satisfied, she resumed her trek to the abandoned med center. She pushed the doors open, still searching for any signs of inhabitancy.
"Hello?" she called.
Silence greeted her.
She tried again, using the Force to project her voice. "Hello?"
This time she heard a faint reply.
"Jaina?"
Stay tuned for the grand finale!
Chapter 25: A Means to an End: Part II
Jaina stood in the Grand Audience Chamber, watching Ta'a Chume float above her.
This is quite amusing, Jaina thought.
And then the black hit her. Her mind was engulfed in a black haze. She didn't know what was happening, she only had one thought in her mind.
Jacen!
* * * * * * * * * * *
Han carried Jacen into the deserted med center. He knew that he had to move quickly. Time was running out for both Jacen and Jag. As he rounded the corner, he saw the bacta tanks that Tenel Ka had spoken of. He craned his neck back around him to catch his wife's eye, seeing Tenel Ka with Jag's floating form behind her. Tenel Ka was never one to express her emotions, at least facially, but Han couldn't help but see the desperation on her face. Her fiancé and best friend was slipping away, as was another close friend of hers. Han turned himself around fully to face his future daughter- in-law.
"Jacen's a fighter. You know this. He would never have survived this long if he wasn't."
Tenel Ka pursed her lips into a thin, determined line. "Fact."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina's grip on Ta'a Chume faltered, but was immediately recovered.
"Just what do you think you are trying to prove?" The former queen demanded.
Jaina struggled to focus her sight. "I'm not trying to prove anything at thing moment. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with my brother."
Ta'a Chume's interest peaked. Jacen was the one who was going to be producing the next heir to the Hapan throne. If something was wrong with him, she had every right to know.
Jaina picked up on the monarch's thoughts. She gritted her teeth and tried to speak through them.
"You have no right to know what happens with Jacen," she spat.
"I do believe that he will be the father of my future grandchildren, the ones who will one day rule in my place. I have every right to know."
Jaina eyed Ta'a Chume warily. "Fine. If you really want to know, you'll get me directions to every med center in a ten kilometer radius."
The queen nodded solemnly. "For the good of Hapes, not for you."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Han and Tenel Ka worked at getting Jacen and Jag hooked up to the various monitors and machines associated with the bacta tanks while Leia calibrated the actual tanks to hold Jacen and Jag. Han had to admire the young queen. If it had been Leia lying in front of him, he knew that he wouldn't be faring as well as Tenel Ka was.
Unbeknownst to Han, Tenel Ka was an emotional storm inside. She was going to lose Jacen. She couldn't let that happen. Jacen was her best friend. He was her future. He was the only man she had ever loved. And she was determined that she would have a life with him.
Jacen?
Tenel Ka?
Tenel Ka blew a slight sigh of relief. Yes, dear Jacen, it is me. How are you feeling?
Jacen hesitated, not wanting to worry Tenel Ka. She knew him too well though.
You are not well.
No. I'm not. I guess I can't try lying to you, love.
No, you cannot. Do not even entertain that idea again.
Jacen chuckled lightly. I won't. Tenel Ka, I need your help.
Anything, love.
I need you to support Jag. Jaina needs him.
Tenel Ka flared with anger. And what about me? I need you, Jacen.
I will be fine, Tenel Ka. I still have enough strength to survive this. Help Jag. He needs it more. All I need is your help with one other thing.
Anything.
Help me into a healing trance. I will be fine from there.
Tenel Ka sent Jacen a smile. Relax and heal then, love.
Jacen relaxed and Tenel Ka eased him into a healing trance.
You had better come back to me, Jacen, she thought, and she leaned over and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina secured Ta'a Chume in the throne room. She then posted guards outside the doors and made sure that they would not let anyone but her back inside.
Jaina set out in the direction that Jacen was directing her in. She wound through the passages of the Palace, searching for her family anywhere. But her efforts had no avail. She couldn't find her family anywhere. She left the palace, breaking into a run. She knew that things were worse than what Jacen was letting on. She could feel that her mother, father, and Tenel Ka were all in fairly good condition. Jacen had slipped into a healing trance, but she could still get directions from following his presence. And Jag-
Jag had steadily gotten worse. Jaina absentmindedly caressed her stomach, thinking of her babies. Jag didn't know about their children yet. Jaina wanted to tell him, but she wanted to see him to tell him. Jaina knew that she had to reach her husband soon. From what she could sense, he had been stabilized, but he was in dire need of a healing trance. And Jaina was the only one who had a strong enough connection with him to do that.
Jaina tried to push the negative thoughts out of her head as she raced through the market. She needed to concentrate on following the direction that Jacen was pushing her in.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jacen concentrated on his connection with his sister. He knew that he should be focusing on healing himself, but he knew that if Jaina didn't find them soon, she would lose Jag. So, instead of focusing all of his energy on himself, he set aside a little part dedicated to guiding Jaina's path. For all accounts, it was working. He could feel Jaina nearing the med center. She only had a little farther to go to reach them.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Jaina pushed out of the crowded market and toward the hangar bay. Jacen was directing her here, but she knew that there wasn't an active med center nearby. She scanned the buildings near the hangar, trying to get a lock on Jacen's position, and finding it a relatively easy thing to do. But where she had located them was what concerned her. They were in an abandoned med bay. Her stomach knotted with dread. Based on the reports of the med centers that Ta'a Chume had given her, this particular med center was not supposed to be operational. Jaina felt a spike in fear from the two little lives nestled in her womb. Immediately, she pushed down her trepidation. She reached out to her children, feeling them reach back. She surrounded her babies in a cocoon of love and security.
Everything will be alright, she sent to them. She knew they could not answer back, but she felt that they understood her. Satisfied, she resumed her trek to the abandoned med center. She pushed the doors open, still searching for any signs of inhabitancy.
"Hello?" she called.
Silence greeted her.
She tried again, using the Force to project her voice. "Hello?"
This time she heard a faint reply.
"Jaina?"
Stay tuned for the grand finale!
