Title: Changing Course
Chapter: Chapter Three
Author: bactaqueen
Author's e-mail:
Category: New Jedi Order, Alternate Universe
Keywords: Kyp Durron, Jaina Solo, NJO
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: New Jedi Order up to Rebel Stand
Summary: Jaina Solo had a tough road back from the Dark Side after the death of her brother. In the process, according to canon, she earned Colonel Fel. But what if she hadn't? What if Kyp Durron was her redemption?
Disclaimer: "Star Wars" copyright George Lucas. Characters copyright respective owners. No profit is being made and no infringement is intended. Characters and situations inspired by the Enemy Lines duology, written by Aaron Allston, and in some cases, the situations have been modified for the purposes of this story. Again, here, no profit is being made and no infringement is intended.
Changing Course: Chapter Three
The Maw. It stretched before them as one of the galaxy's few true wonders, with the Pit part of the infamous Kessel Run. The Maw was a roughly spherical arrangement of black holes, neutron stars, and main sequence stars. The black holes, though technically invisible to the naked eye, were marked by swirling nebulae of space debris. Gas and dust and even light whirled in an imitation of the galaxy itself, a cosmic whirlpool.
Once the gravity of one of those black holes caught something, it never escaped.
Strapped into the copilot's seat in the cockpit of the Prize, Jaina Solo gaped openly at the view. She'd heard stories about the Maw, mostly from her father, and Chewbacca, and Lando, but she'd never seen the cluster for herself.
Kyp elbowed her gently in the side. "C'mon, Solo. You act like you've never seen space before."
Jaina glanced at him, then shrugged. "Not the Maw," she confessed.
Surprised, Kyp's expression opened up. "You've never flown it, either, have you?"
Jaina arched an eyebrow. "That was a stupid question," she deadpanned.
He winced. "You're right. I just figured Han would have brought you out here already. You know."
She thought briefly of her father and felt momentary joy at the prospect of seeing him again. These days, where her mother was, he was; one good thing would come out of this little journey. She smiled, then shook her head. "He did promise we'd come out and make the Kessel Run once I was old enough, but there hasn't been time."
Kyp nodded solemnly. "One more thing we can blame on the Yuuzhan Vong."
"Yeah."
They flew in silence for a distance, Master and Apprentice busied with their own thoughts and responsibilities. Kyp's hands moved expertly over the controls, and Jaina focused her attention on sensor sweeps. Kessel was under enemy control, and though they'd encountered no resistance thus far, Jaina didn't want to be surprised. She didn't like surprises.
Kyp said, "It should be Han in the Falcon, but it's me in the Prize. What do you say we test our Master-Apprentice bond and navigate the Maw together?"
Jaina glanced from her view screens back up to Kyp, looking calm and just a little too smug. Her gaze shifted to the forward view port and she hesitated. "Dad isn't a Jedi," she said slowly. "He's certainly no Jedi Master."
"I am. And I'm offering. We have nothing if we can't trust each other, Jaina. You've been shielding since we left Hapes."
"So have you," she countered.
Kyp shrugged. "I've kept myself open to you. I'm shielding things I've always shielded."
Jaina considered. "Dad's going to miss one more first," she murmured.
She was startled when Kyp's hand slid over hers and he squeezed gently. "They did the best they could, Jaina. And what are you complaining about? You turned out all right. They're proud of you." But there was a flash of pain in his eyes.
She wanted to tell him that his parents would be proud of him, too. But she didn't. Instead, she said, "Yeah. Let's do it."
Kyp smiled faintly, then turned his gaze back to the forward view. "You don't have to drop all your shields," he said. "Just let me in."
Some part of Jaina rebelled. Lowering her shields and connecting with another person was exactly what had gotten her into trouble, didn't she remember? And even letting Kyp in just a little was dangerous.
But how could she start back if she didn't trust him at all?
She found Kyp staring at her, and she mustered a smile. What's the worse that could happen? Jaina lowered her shields.
His presence didn't slam into her. She was always surprised by how subtle he could be. Tentative tendrils stretched out to meet hers. They entwined, locked, and meshed. Suddenly, the galaxy seemed a lot broader.
Hold the controls, came the order, and it took Jaina a moment to realize that Kyp hadn't spoken aloud. Reach for the Maw, he went on.
Jaina stretched out, and so did Kyp. She felt him as completely as she could feel herself; his elation at flying-really flying-again; his apprehension at flying directly into the Maw; the stinging pain that came with the memories both the Maw and Kessel conjured.
Jaina spared a moment to brush against his mind and give some wordless reassurance. He brushed back, grateful.
He piloted the freighter toward the Maw. Jaina heard the hum and whine of the engines, felt the working parts within the ship. She took the time to explore the Maw and all its energy in the Force.
Beautiful, isn't it? came his question.
But dangerous.
Most beautiful things are. There was a pause, and then, What do you think? Shall we plot a new course or use one of the safe ones?
Jaina considered. Where's the fun in the safe ones?
Getting there alive. An image of Kyp's wry smile accompanied his reply.
She shook her head. With Kyp Durron in the pilot's seat? Let's make a new one. I want to witness this firsthand.
Do you flatter all the boys like this, Solo?
She gave a mental chuckle. Only the ones I like.
Not only did it stretch before them, but it stretched around them. The freighter's gravity sensors had gone haywire and insisted that they must be at the very center of a star and that their destruction was imminent. The external sensors had screamed because the debris around the first black hole was so heavy, they hadn't been able to tell the difference between a dust particle and an asteroid. The navicomp had insisted that they go back to the jump point and be sure they knew where they were.
Jaina had cut off all unnecessary systems. The lights throughout the ship had been dimmed to emergency level. The temperature settings had been lowered. It was cooling off, but both she and Kyp were so lost in the Force and their task neither noticed.
You feel that there? he asked, sending a spike of interest toward a swirling arm of gas and dust. That's new. Really new.
Or maybe you just haven't flown this course before, she suggested.
If we get caught up in a duel of wits, who's going to fly this ship?
Are you telling me you can't fly and think at the same time, Master?
Kyp did not reply.
As they moved deeper into the Maw, Jaina felt more acutely the effects of the unstable gravity. Before entering, Kyp had dialed the inertial compensator down to give them both a better physical feel for the ship and the course while ensuring that they would both survive.
They rounded a black hole, and the freighter bucked and strained, even as Kyp accelerated past it and straight toward another. Jaina felt the irresistible pull of too much gravity, then nothing out of the ordinary, then something else pulling in another direction.
See? Even telepathically, Kyp was cocky. Easy.
Jaina rolled her eyes.
A feeling that must have been laughter met her exasperation. She saw the star fill the view port. A pulsing orb of white-hot power, it practically sweated heat and energy. Pure energy. Jaina felt a rush on her senses, and then they were past it, skimming close to another black hole, leaving a visible ion trail to mark their passage.
The first sense of the Jedi base came as a tingling sensation at the back of her mind. A lot of Force potential gathered into a very small space. Then Jaina sensed familiar presences-Clighal, Lowbacca.
The network of spherical living capsules, landing platforms, and a huge hexagonal main station looked ungainly and unlovely. Once in sight of the Jedi base, Jaina reactivated the communications systems and their transmitter. They were hailed almost immediately by a friendly female voice.
"Welcome, Master Durron. We've been expecting you." The voice rattled off a string of numbers and military alphabet, then, "You've been directed to docking bay thirty-eight. We'll be waiting. Control out."
"Thank you. Durron out." Kyp flicked a few switches and said to Jaina, "You take us in. I'm exhausted."
"Age getting to you, Durron?" She took the controls and shot him a smug look.
"Just fly the ship, Solo."
She chuckled.
Jaina set the freighter down in bay thirty-eight, slot eleven. Before she'd even completed the power-down sequence, the bay doors opened up and into the docking bay rushed the welcoming committee. As she checked off systems, she scanned the oncoming crowd for familiar presences; she searched for two specific people. She found neither.
She sent Kyp a question mark and got a shrug in return. With a sigh, Jaina lowered the boarding ramp and the loading ramps, then signed off on the journey log. She unbuckled herself from the copilot's seat and followed Kyp out of the cockpit and down the boarding ramp.
Her boots had scarcely touched the deck when she heard a triumphant Wookiee's bellow. Jaina had time to catch a glimpse of ginger fur before she was gathered up by strong, long arms and crushed in an embrace of greeting.
"It's good to see you, too, Lowie!" she grunted.
Her friend bellowed again and squeezed once more before dropping her. He started speaking to her in Shrii-wook, barking and grunting. Jaina listened intently but finally had to raise her hands in surrender.
"You're going to have to slow down," she said with a smile and a chuckle.
As if suddenly realizing who she was, the young Wookiee peered curiously at her. His gaze shifted to Kyp and then back to her, and he barked a gentle question.
Jaina sighed. She'd known it would come-having to explain herself to her closest friends, having to explain Kyp. "How about we talk after we get this stuff unloaded?" she suggested. "I promise to tell you everything," she finished, before he could protest.
He considered it, then barked his agreement.
Jaina smiled warmly. "Thanks."
She hadn't realized how much she'd missed Lowie until then; she hadn't realized how much a part of her life he was. As Jaina turned to face Kyp and the rest of the welcoming committee, she felt safer and more confident knowing that Lowbacca was standing behind her, willing to back her up. She plastered a smile on her face and greeted the new Jedi.
"Good to see you," one rugged-looking Jedi Master Jaina didn't know said, coming forward to shake her hand. "We've heard a little about what you did on Hapes. Good work."
Jaina accepted his grip and said, "Thank you."
Kyp glanced from her to Lowie and nodded once. "I'll deal with the unloading," he offered. "You've got friends to catch up with."
She heard something just a bit darker in his tone and shot him a curious look. His face was expressionless, and she was meant to believe she'd imagined it.
"You sure?"
"Go on." He waved toward the doors. "I can handle this. I think."
"All right."
Jaina and Lowie took off. She followed her friend out of the bay and down one wide corridor to the turbolifts. Lowie barked their destination to the computer and authorized the proper commands. Jaina watched the glowing numbers shift.
She turned to the big Wookiee. "Where are my parents? We came because Mom asked Kyp to bring me..."
Lowie nodded, then explained. Han and Leia had gone to Borleias with the Falcon, Luke and Mara, and the Jedi they were supposed to have brought to the Jedi base. General Antilles was staging a stand in the Pyria system, and he'd called in help from old friends.
Jaina frowned. "Wedge retook Borleias?"
Lowie woofed affirmative.
"Why?"
He shrugged.
The lift doors opened then, and Jaina followed Lowie out into another wide corridor. This one was better lit than the previous and bustled with more activity.
Lowie wanted to know if she was hungry.
Jaina smiled. "Famished. The last time I ate was before we dropped out of hyperspace."
He chuckled and led her into the cafeteria. It was between meals-lunch had just finished-but there was caf and some thick stew that Lowie said was pretty good. Jaina took a bowl, a cup of instant caf, and a hard roll. They found a quiet table away from the entrance.
"Way better than the fare at the refugee camps," she said, plunking herself down into the hard formaplas chair at the low table. "But not as good as the food on Hapes."
She'd been a guest of the royal family, Lowie reminded her as he folded himself into a sitting position across from her.
"Point." She soaked up some of the stew with the roll and took a bite. "So tell me more about Borleias."
He regarded her for several silent moments. Jaina could read the faint puzzlement on his face, could see the concern in his deep eyes. She knew that Lowie was worried about her. But she also knew that he'd take his time about voicing those concerns.
In barks, grunts, grumbles, and growls, Lowie explained General Antilles's recapture of Borleias and his defense of the planet. He didn't really know that much-as back on Yavin 4, news came to the Jedi base with supply runs, and she and Kyp were the first supply run in about a week and a half-but he did know that Han and Leia were involved, as were Luke, Mara, Lando, Rogue Squadron, and all of the forces under Wedge's command. Lowie wasn't sure exactly what the General meant to accomplish, but...
Jaina broke in softly, "Coruscant."
Lowie tipped his head quizzically.
Jaina looked up. "Way back when Rogue Squadron was re-formed, Wedge took Borleias. The Rogues worked from there to capture Coruscant. General Antilles means to hold Borleias as a way to get back to Coruscant. If anyone can do it, he can."
Lowie nodded thoughtfully.
"And if he's got Rogue Squadron on Borleias..." Jaina trailed off, her mind working.
He asked if she was sure she wanted to rejoin the Rogues.
"Yes, of course I-Why?" She peered at the taller Jedi as she realized he had something else in mind. "You've been thinking about something."
Lowbacca nodded once. He proposed that maybe the Rogues didn't need her-maybe the war needed her. The things they learned on Hapes could be a great starting point.
Jaina wrinkled her nose. "I need to fly, Lowie. The Trickster was great for an enemy frigate, and the Prize is just wonderful as far as fat old freighters go. I miss my X-wing."
He suggested that maybe she could do more good if she pursued the goddess thing. Lowie grinned toothily at her and told her that he'd never said she had to give up her X-wing.
Jaina chewed thoughtfully on her stew-soaked roll. Lowie had a point, and his unspoken words didn't go lost on her. He was willing to accept that she was back from the dark, no questions asked. Others may not.
"You've given this a lot of thought." She looked up and met his eyes.
He barked once for yes.
"Tell me what you think. Really."
Lowbacca growled that he thought it had potential. That it deserved to be looked in to. The work they'd done on gravitic signatures alone, he reminded her, should be worth expanding on.
Jaina gave her friend a sly grin. "You're just bored having to wait around inside a cluster of black holes."
Lowbacca's raucous laughter was the answer she needed.
"All right. Let's go tell Kyp-" She didn't miss the flash in his eyes. Jaina said softly, "He's helping me. Right now, he's the best I've got. He's really not so bad." The corner of her mouth quirked up. "Most of the time."
Lowie grunted impatiently, unwilling to listen to any more she had to say about the older Jedi Master. He grumbled something about singing virtues.
Jaina chuckled. "There is nothing song-worthy about Kyp," she assured him.
Lowie shook his head, silently wondering. He told her to go tell Kyp, that they'd leave once the two of them were ready. He also offered her the extra bunk in his quarters, rather than her having to seek out her own.
She smiled. "Sounds great. I'm exhausted, but I want to leave as soon as possible, so I'll go find Kyp." Jaina slid out of the chair, taking her tray with her. She paused a few steps away from the table and turned slightly to find Lowbacca standing. "Thanks, Lowie. For everything."
Then she was gone.
He remained still for several moments longer, staring at the place he'd seen her last. He whined softly. It was good to have her back.