Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Lucasfilm, Ltd. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.
Author's note: Mariko: I'm glad the last chapter wasn't confusing, I wasn't sure. Firey: I'm really trying to post new chapters, but RL includes finals right now and my computer has been down for two weeks, so I'm sorry for the delay. Mara Jade: I'm glad you liked it. Sticks: Yes I am sithly, thank you for the..er inspirational song and I hope this is soon enough. Also thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers. I'm now over fifty thanks to you guys!

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Almost a standard day later, it was finally over. The small group of survivors were exhausted and all of them would need at least a short dip in a bacta tank, Jaina especially. She had been on the front line the entire time, leading the charge. Dozens of Vong had fallen at her hands, but not in vengeance. It was simply what must be done. As the small-bedraggled group was helped aboard the transport ship that would take them up to the Star Destroyer that had brought their reinforcements, Jaina stood alone.

She was always alone, she reflected, as she walked proudly aboard, but it was all a lie. The proud mask as well as the fact that no one was helping her aboard was simply apart of the Goddess act, after all a Yuuzhan Vong Goddess wouldn't need help, or be injured for that matter and Jaina was injured. She was covered in deep amphistaff lacerations and was pale from blood loss and toxins from the Vong weaponry. She was also quite sure that her arm was broken where an amphistaff had crashed down on it. She would have been dead from blood loss if nothing else, if their reinforcements hadn't shown up when they did. Lowbacca and Tahiri's supporting force grips were the only things keeping her standing.

She waited impatiently as the transport vessel rose and then sent our a probing tendril of force energy in an attempt to see if any of her family or colleagues were waiting for her in orbit. Either Kyp or Jag and sometimes both accompanied her on these missions, normally. However, this time both had been reassigned. Missions had come up at the same time as hers that were so vitally important that their experience had been required. She hadn't seen either of them in almost a month and a half and she missed them greatly, both personally and professionally.

She barely restrained herself from shrieking with joy, despite her injuries, as she sensed Jacen aboard the Star Destroyer. Despite having kept in almost constant contact with Jacen before this mission she hadn't seen him in person for quite a while. These days Jacen spent most of his time helping his long time fiancé, Queen Mother Tenel Ka of Hapes to protect her consortium from the Vong as well as organizing the movements of the rest of the Hapan forces on loan to the Galactic Alliance. Jacen's presence here could be a good sign. He might even have news about Jag.

The moment her exhausted soldiers stepped off of the transport, they were swarmed by medics and loaded onto anti-grav sleds and repulsor chairs to be taken down to the infirmary. The moment the hangar bay was empty, Jaina let her Goddess façade drop, almost falling to the floor from exhaustion, pain and sheer physical weakness. A pair of strong arms caught her, though and she relaxed as the familiar, comforting and healing touch of her twin brother's mind enveloped hers.

"Jacen," she murmured weakly as her twin brother picked her up gently and started carrying her out of the hangar bay.

"It's okay, Jaya," he said gently, "Just relax. We have a bacta tank set up in your quarters and Jag well be there when we get there. We'll put you in a healing trance as soon as you see him."

"Jag," she whispered still questioning what her brother had said.

"He's here, Jaina," Jacen repeated reassuringly, not feeling jealous of the attention Jaina was giving Jag, but happy that his sister had found someone that loved her that much.

The moment that Jaina entered her temporary quarters in Jacen's arms, Jag was there, lifting her from his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and despite her injuries leaned up to kiss him. "Love you," Jaina muttered as she pulled back from Jag.

"Sith," he murmured cradling her protectively, "What happened to you, Jaina?" Jag's concerned voice was the last thing she heard as unconsciousness surrounded her.

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When she woke up, confused and disoriented, Jaina found herself on the bunk in her quarters. Not the unfamiliar quarters that she had briefly inhabited while she was in the bacta tank, but the quarters she shared with Jag aboard Pride of a Goddess. It wasn't her ship per se, but it was the ship she and her squadron were based off of and where many Jedi, including her family made their permanent homes.

She started to roll out of the bunk, but stopped when she felt an arm wrapped around her. Instead of frowning in irritation at the impediment to her motion, Jaina smiled widely and relaxed. The time she had spent with Jag recently had been all too little, Jaina reflected as she stretched slightly, realizing that she did that all of her injuries seemed to be healed.

She sighed as she remembered the condition she had been in when she got there. Jaina didn't like to worry Jag or her family like that, but in their line of work it was inevitable. She was well aware of the fact that every time she saw a friend or family member it could very well be the last time she ever saw them.

As Jag's arm tightened around her, and she felt him start to wake up, her dismal thoughts left abruptly. "I love you, Goddess."

Jaina smiled and rolled over to face her boyfriend of over six years. Despite the brief rough patch they had run into early in their relationship, Jaina and Jag had been solidly together since their brief sojourn on Csilia. Yet, despite the long term nature of their relationship, they had yet to formalize their status as a couple. Jaina's family had even teased them that it was simply Jaina's stubbornness and desire to outdo Leia that was prompting them not to get married. After all Han and Leia had been a couple for close to a decade before they married.

Jaina pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind; she was perfectly happy with what she had. "Well," she said playfully, "you certainly know how to make me wake up in a good mood."

He leaned in to kiss her. "It was my pleasure, Jaina."

She laughed at his melodrama and then curled further into his arms. "I missed you, Jag," she murmured into his chest.

"I missed you, too, Darling."

"We'll have to go on our next mission together." Jag smiled. The thought of Jaina going on another mission right now, after she had just returned from an almost fatal one, was not pleasant, but spending time with Jaina was something worth smiling about no matter what the circumstances were.

They were interrupted by the loud and impatient chirping of Jaina's comm. link. Jaina groaned as she used the force to pull it towards her. She hated it with a passion when their brief moments of peace and happiness were interrupted, but she had gotten used to the interruptions more and more as her status as a Jedi, a military officer, and a Yuuzhan Vong Goddess began to carry more weight.

Jag laughed lightly at her grimace, but turned serious again as he waited to hear who was on the comm. link. Tekli's high pitched Chandra-Fan voice greeted Jaina formally, but not Jedi to Jedi. It was instead the tone of healer to patient. Jaina rolled away from Jag and got up off of the bunk in the quarters they were sharing and began to rummage through all of the storage units looking for appropriate clothing, even as they continued talking.

"Okay, Tekli," Jag heard Jaina say into the comm. link, "I'll be down there within the hour to pick up the reports." She paused and Jag could her Tekli's voice, but not what she was saying exactly. Then he saw Jaina nodding in response, even though Tekli couldn't see her.

"It's just the standard forms right?" She asked then although Jag knew Jaina already knew the answer from her expression. After a few quickly exchanged pleasantries, Jaina flicked the comm. link in her pocket and turned to face Jag who was now standing behind her.

She smiled at him and put her arms around her neck. "The Goddess must go retrieve her medical records because as everyone knows a Goddess wouldn't have medical records because she's a Goddess."

Jag laughed but then grew serious and asked with quick concern, "Jaina are you sure you're okay?"

Jaina smiled again and this time it was genuine not teasing. "I'll be fine, Jag," she said warmly, "I'm always fine when I'm with you."