Well, here it is...
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Chapter Five
Jaina hummed as she tinkered with her X-Wing in the hangar bay. Messing around with machines had always relaxed her and taken her mind off difficult situations. Force knows I need a distraction now, she thought. I keep thinking about Jag.
She sighed and wiped her hands on an already greasy cloth. Why does he hate me so much? She checked the gauges and discovered that she needed more cooling fluid. Popping the engine cover, she stuck a rubber hose in and began pumping coolant into the appropriate tank. Humming tunelessly, she patted the fuselage of her ship affectionately. Once she finished refilling, she removed the hose and was about to put it up when she heard a voice.
"Jaina?" It was Jag. Startled, Jaina swing around, hose in hand, and caught Jag across the face with it.
"Oh, Sith," she muttered venomously, her face crimson. "I-I'm really sorry, Jag. You just startled me, I-"
Jag, one hand clamped to his face, waved off her apologies and left the hangar without another word. Jaina watched him leave, then slid down to sit on the floor and cradled her face in her hands. Why do I have to be so clumsy whenever he's around? she thought angrily. Why can't I be myself? Why can't he see something in me besides a bumbling idiot?
She was so wrapped up in her shame and anger that she didn't notice when someone entered the hangar.
"Jaina?" Kyp knelt in front of the distraught young woman and stroked her hair. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, Kyp," Jaina said, raising her stricken face. "Kyp!" She burst into tears, sobbing and clutching at his shirt.
Kyp took her into his arms "It's okay, Solo," he said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll go away, eventually."
Jaina shook her head against his shoulder. "It'll never be better," she sobbed. "He hates me!"
Kyp rolled his eyes. Not again, he thought. What is this going to take? Palpatine back from the grave?? "Tell me about it," he suggested. "What happened?"
Jaina swallowed. "Well, I was in here fixing my ship, and I was pumping coolant into the radiator. And-and Jag startled me, and I turned around and accidentally smacked him in the face with the hose!" Bursting into a wave of fresh tears at this narration, Jaina clutched Kyp tighter.
Kyp struggled to keep a straight face as Jaina's tears soaked his shirt. If she keeps this up, all my shirts will be ruined from too much exposure to saline solutions, he thought wryly. There's gotta be a sign on my forehead. "I'm sure it'll be okay," he said soothingly.
Jaina sat up abruptly. "Why do people always say it'll be okay?" she demanded. "It won't, it won't!"
Kyp held his hands up defensively. "Okay, it won't," he said. "You're right. Jag will never forgive you, he'll have a scar the size of his ego- wait, scratch that-nothing's that big. Okay, he'll have a scar the size of his face, and you'll die an old maid because every guy in the universe will be afraid to come near you for fear that you'll beat them to death with a rubber hose!"
Jaina stared at him, then began laughing. "No matter what happens you always make me laugh," she said. "You're my best friend, Kyp." She leaned against him once more.
"And you're mine too, Jaina," Kyp replied. After a few moments, his stomach rumbled and they both laughed. "What say we blow this kiddy stand and go get some. Well, whatever the substitute for food is on this base?"
Jaina chuckled. "Okay, Kyp." Standing up, she pulled Kyp to his feet. She laughed when she heard his knees pop. "Getting old, Grandpa Kyppie?"
Kyp lightly smacked her bottom and grinned when she squealed. "Old or not, I can still whip your tush sparring."
Jaina stuck her tongue out at him. "Promises, promises," she called over her shoulder. "Race you to the mess hall!" Taking off, she sprinted for the door.
"Not fair!" Kyp called after her. When she didn't stop, he slammed the door of the hangar bay shut with the Force. Jogging up to meet her, he said, "We'll start on three, okay? One, two-" He opened the door and sped through it. Jaina raced after him, easily passing him after the first few seconds. Force, she's in good shape! Kyp thought, as he watched her run through the corridors without tiring.
Arriving at the mess hall panting for breath, he grimaced as his side cramped. "Jaina," he ground out, "We're never, ever racing again."
Jaina grinned, her face devoid of sweat and her breathing normal. "Why not? Right now, I feel like a good, solid twenty kilometer run!"
Kyp leveled a finger at her. "You do that, you do it alone."
Jaina giggled and shook her head. "Come on, old man," she said "Our meal awaits."
Kyp followed Jaina into the mess hall and took his place in line. Looking around the room, he nearly choked when he saw Jag. The younger man was sporting a large red welt on the side of his face. From Jaina's indrawn breath, he knew she had seen it too.
Jaina's lower lip began to tremble. She'd never been so humiliated in her entire life!
Kyp spotted the telltale quiver. "Buck up, Solo," he said quietly. "Relax. Everyone probably thinks he walked into a tree or something." Under his breath, he added, "Force knows he's oblivious enough to pull something like that off."
Jaina turned to face him with a glare. "I heard that!" she said. "Why do I have to keep reminding you, Kyp? You get me mad, I have connections. My father blew up two Death Stars, my uncle is the head of the Jedi Order, and my mother is former Chief of State." She paused. "And if you think you can take all of them on, well, just remember, I have an aunt too."
Kyp paled visibly at the mention of Mara. "I-I'll keep that in mind."
"Good." Turning back to the server droid, Jaina asked, "Which would you recommend: the green plastic-looking meat or the gray mush?"
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So... what did you think??
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Chapter Five
Jaina hummed as she tinkered with her X-Wing in the hangar bay. Messing around with machines had always relaxed her and taken her mind off difficult situations. Force knows I need a distraction now, she thought. I keep thinking about Jag.
She sighed and wiped her hands on an already greasy cloth. Why does he hate me so much? She checked the gauges and discovered that she needed more cooling fluid. Popping the engine cover, she stuck a rubber hose in and began pumping coolant into the appropriate tank. Humming tunelessly, she patted the fuselage of her ship affectionately. Once she finished refilling, she removed the hose and was about to put it up when she heard a voice.
"Jaina?" It was Jag. Startled, Jaina swing around, hose in hand, and caught Jag across the face with it.
"Oh, Sith," she muttered venomously, her face crimson. "I-I'm really sorry, Jag. You just startled me, I-"
Jag, one hand clamped to his face, waved off her apologies and left the hangar without another word. Jaina watched him leave, then slid down to sit on the floor and cradled her face in her hands. Why do I have to be so clumsy whenever he's around? she thought angrily. Why can't I be myself? Why can't he see something in me besides a bumbling idiot?
She was so wrapped up in her shame and anger that she didn't notice when someone entered the hangar.
"Jaina?" Kyp knelt in front of the distraught young woman and stroked her hair. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, Kyp," Jaina said, raising her stricken face. "Kyp!" She burst into tears, sobbing and clutching at his shirt.
Kyp took her into his arms "It's okay, Solo," he said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll go away, eventually."
Jaina shook her head against his shoulder. "It'll never be better," she sobbed. "He hates me!"
Kyp rolled his eyes. Not again, he thought. What is this going to take? Palpatine back from the grave?? "Tell me about it," he suggested. "What happened?"
Jaina swallowed. "Well, I was in here fixing my ship, and I was pumping coolant into the radiator. And-and Jag startled me, and I turned around and accidentally smacked him in the face with the hose!" Bursting into a wave of fresh tears at this narration, Jaina clutched Kyp tighter.
Kyp struggled to keep a straight face as Jaina's tears soaked his shirt. If she keeps this up, all my shirts will be ruined from too much exposure to saline solutions, he thought wryly. There's gotta be a sign on my forehead. "I'm sure it'll be okay," he said soothingly.
Jaina sat up abruptly. "Why do people always say it'll be okay?" she demanded. "It won't, it won't!"
Kyp held his hands up defensively. "Okay, it won't," he said. "You're right. Jag will never forgive you, he'll have a scar the size of his ego- wait, scratch that-nothing's that big. Okay, he'll have a scar the size of his face, and you'll die an old maid because every guy in the universe will be afraid to come near you for fear that you'll beat them to death with a rubber hose!"
Jaina stared at him, then began laughing. "No matter what happens you always make me laugh," she said. "You're my best friend, Kyp." She leaned against him once more.
"And you're mine too, Jaina," Kyp replied. After a few moments, his stomach rumbled and they both laughed. "What say we blow this kiddy stand and go get some. Well, whatever the substitute for food is on this base?"
Jaina chuckled. "Okay, Kyp." Standing up, she pulled Kyp to his feet. She laughed when she heard his knees pop. "Getting old, Grandpa Kyppie?"
Kyp lightly smacked her bottom and grinned when she squealed. "Old or not, I can still whip your tush sparring."
Jaina stuck her tongue out at him. "Promises, promises," she called over her shoulder. "Race you to the mess hall!" Taking off, she sprinted for the door.
"Not fair!" Kyp called after her. When she didn't stop, he slammed the door of the hangar bay shut with the Force. Jogging up to meet her, he said, "We'll start on three, okay? One, two-" He opened the door and sped through it. Jaina raced after him, easily passing him after the first few seconds. Force, she's in good shape! Kyp thought, as he watched her run through the corridors without tiring.
Arriving at the mess hall panting for breath, he grimaced as his side cramped. "Jaina," he ground out, "We're never, ever racing again."
Jaina grinned, her face devoid of sweat and her breathing normal. "Why not? Right now, I feel like a good, solid twenty kilometer run!"
Kyp leveled a finger at her. "You do that, you do it alone."
Jaina giggled and shook her head. "Come on, old man," she said "Our meal awaits."
Kyp followed Jaina into the mess hall and took his place in line. Looking around the room, he nearly choked when he saw Jag. The younger man was sporting a large red welt on the side of his face. From Jaina's indrawn breath, he knew she had seen it too.
Jaina's lower lip began to tremble. She'd never been so humiliated in her entire life!
Kyp spotted the telltale quiver. "Buck up, Solo," he said quietly. "Relax. Everyone probably thinks he walked into a tree or something." Under his breath, he added, "Force knows he's oblivious enough to pull something like that off."
Jaina turned to face him with a glare. "I heard that!" she said. "Why do I have to keep reminding you, Kyp? You get me mad, I have connections. My father blew up two Death Stars, my uncle is the head of the Jedi Order, and my mother is former Chief of State." She paused. "And if you think you can take all of them on, well, just remember, I have an aunt too."
Kyp paled visibly at the mention of Mara. "I-I'll keep that in mind."
"Good." Turning back to the server droid, Jaina asked, "Which would you recommend: the green plastic-looking meat or the gray mush?"
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So... what did you think??