A/N: Here's the deal, since I've already started writing about
Valin/Cherith, a lot, I figured this was a good place to start writing "The
Sweetest Thing". I still want to write them 3 yrs, later, which I will do.
The following chapters, I took from 'I'd Miss You Still', and posted them as the first chapters to 'The Sweetest Thing'.
Summary: While dealing with her growing feelings for Valin, Cherith, the oldest daughter of Jag and Jaina, must also deal with being an older sister as well and her own Jedi training...
The Sweetest Thing
Chapter 1, Post #1
by obi's girl
Valin ran a hand through his black hair as he walked into parent's apartment. His mother was preparing a late dinner. He smiled at her and then sat at the counter. "Is your father still at the memorial?" she asked.
"I guess. I don't know. Cherith and I left early. There was a matter that needed to be settled," he said.
Not too long after he said that, his little sister appeared. Jysella took the stool beside him, struggling at first to climb the stool before Valin reached over and helped her up. "I saw you and your girlfriend today..."
Valin rolled his eyes and blushed, as Mirax looked curiously at her daughter and son. "Cherith is not my girlfriend, Jy,"
"Jysella, stop teasing your bother," Mirax said, glancing at Valin again. If she had a Force power, she'd reach into her son's mind. She looked at Jysella, "Jy, why don't you clean your hands?"
The girl rolled her eyes and jumping down from the stool and smiled, "Fine, you want to get rid of me. I can take a hint,"
"Jysella," Valin warned, waving his hand in a Jedi mind trick fashion, "Leave, little sister,"
She shrugged and turned, walking to her room. Mirax looked at her son and sighed, "Cherith. That's Jaina and Jag's teenage daughter, right?"
Valin rolled his eyes, "Yes mom,"
"And Jaina returned, what, wasn't it a week ago?" He nodded, prompting her continue. "That means Cherith's only been alive a week, although, in theory, she's fourteen years old, right?"
"Yes, mother. That's what it means,"
Mirax shrugged, returning to her cooking, "A week. You've known the girl a week, and already, you have a serious crush on your best friend. You have guts, Valin," As she said that, Corran returned. He smiled at his wife and took the stool beside Valin. "Corran, did you know about Valin and Cherith?"
Corran raised an eyebrow, "That he has a crush on her? Of course, I do. He asked me for advice on that matter."
"And what did you tell him?"
Corran looked at his son and then his wife. He was afraid if he repeated what he said to his son, Mirax wouldn't agree with him. "I told him to just be her friend, and that their time hanging out together wasn't a date, or didn't qualify as one anyway,"
A second after that, Jysella darted out of her room but fell short and frowned when her father took her chair. She turned and looked at her brother, "Date? You went on a date with a girl? With one you barely even knew?"
"All right, will you guys stop it? This is no big deal. Cherith and I are just friends. We talked about it and we both decided we're just friends," Valin explained, "End of story!"
"Wait a minute. When did you hang out with Cherith?" Jysella asked.
Valin rolled his eyes again, "Three days ago. After I met her in the gym,"
"Jy, what do you know?" Corran asked.
"Wes Janson has blue hair, tips of blue paint are all over his bangs," she said and Valin giggled, and then frowned when his father glared at him. "Busted," Jy whispered.
Valin moaned, "It wasn't my fault. Cherith said she really hadn't explored the base too much so we did, and covered the entire Wraith squadron in blue paint. Splat right on top them. Janson just happened to be in the area,"
Corran smiled and looked at his wife, "Ya know, I was wandering why Wes' bangs were a little blue while I was at the memorial..."
"Enough from you three. Dinner's in five minutes," Mirax announced and turned again . As Corran went into their room, Jy smiled at her brother and made a kissy face. Valin growled at her and she ran off into her room.
~~
"Thanks Kyp for the advice," Cherith whispered as she leaned over and hugged her Master. He smiled, kissed her cheek as she backed away and he stood up. "You leaving now?"
He shrugged, "Have to. As the adult, I have to be the responsible one and make out a lesson for tomorrow. But don't worry, you can sleep in a little bit."
Cherith nodded, "Sleep. How long can I sleep in?"
"Two or three hours," he guessed.
She nodded again and then smirked, giggling, "You're not going to work on exercises? You're going to play hooky for two/three hours with Sera!"
"No, I'm not," Kyp mumbled, looking down at his feet like a boy and then rolled his eyes, "Yes, I am. You don't mind sleeping in awhile longer? I'll come and get you when I'm ready,"
"Not a problem, Kyp," she said and jumped off the bed, showing him out. As they started to leave, Cherith drew back from the door and Kyp looked at her quizzically. "My grandparents are outside, and my Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara are here too."
Kyp moaned. Mara. After all these years, Mara still didn't like him and if they tried to leave together, and Mara saw him, well, she'd kill Kyp or worse. "Your family knows I'm you're Master, right?"
"Well, sort of. My mom and my dad know, but I never got around to telling my grandparents and grand Uncle," Cherith cried, "Come on," she said and led Kyp to the main room.
But Kyp pulled her back, "Wait a minute, you're just gonna take me and waltz out there, in front of your aunt, who hates me and wants me dead?"
She shrugged, "Well, there isn't a door in here. The main room is the only way,"
"Cherith," he said, "If you need to, you can sleep in all you want tomorrow," She smiled at her Master as they both exited her room. All heads turned to her and Kyp. Mara especially, glared at Kyp.
"Hi guys," Cherith cried, "Sorry Valin and I left early but there was something we had to take care of."
Mara's green eyes narrowed to Kyp, "And Durron? What is he doing here? I mean, he's not Valin Horn," Kyp started to laugh and retort something but gulped instead as Mara's green eyes bore into him.
"Kyp just stopped by to see if I was okay," she said and then turned to her Master, "Thanks again for the advice," and added mentally through their bond, I'll see you tomorrow.
Kyp smiled and then bowed before quickly making an exit. Once he was gone, Leia cleared her throat and Cherith turned to her. "Cherith honey, we need to talk to you about something. It's about your parents...
"My parents? What about them?"
Leia looked at Han, and then at her brother and sister-in-law. "They're gone. They've been missing for awhile. Han and I just assumed Jaina moved back into Jag's apartment but Jag wasn't there, even,"
"I know," she said, "That's why Valin and I left early with Uncle Wedge and Grandpa Fel. They told me what happened to them, but don't worry, grandma. They'll be here tomorrow if not tonight."
"What do you know about this, Cherith?" Han asked, "Where did they go? What happened?"
She shrugged, "Dad kidnapped mom and took her to Naboo for one week, and if at the end of one week..."
"She didn't fall in love with again, he'd leave her alone," Han finished and snickered, "I pulled that little stunt on your grandma."
Cherith frowned and sat down on the couch next to her Uncle Luke, "Are relationships always taken care of this way, if talking fails?"
Luke laughed, "It's more of the Solo side, Cherith. Skywalker side tends to be more reasonable and your mother is definitely a Solo,"
"Ya think they'll be okay?"
"Your mother is a Jedi Knight and a kick-ass pilot, and your father is a smart pilot too, so yes, I think they'll be okay," Luke surmised.
~~
Sera Fey`lina grunted, sitting in the conference room. Not too long after Kyp dropped her off at her apartment, Gavin called and asked her to meet him as soon as possible. Now, Gavin was talking quietly with Wedge Antilles in the corner. Well, to Sera, it seemed like they were quietly arguing more than talking. She cleared her throat and gestured they both sit down. "Do you mind telling me what this is about?"
"Jaina's situation has been compromised..." Gavin started.
"But we're not completely sure about it," Wedge added.
Sera looked at both of them and her eyes narrowed. She knew what they were going to say next, but she wanted to hear it from them first. When Antilles didn't say anything, Gavin continued. "Rumors have been spreading throughout the inner core about Jaina's resurrection from the dead. The Vong haven't really been paying attention to the rumors, but now, news has reached Coruscant and the Vong are panicked."
Fey`lina frowned and looked at Wedge, "Do they know about Cherith?" she croaked.
He shrugged, "Possibly, but we're not sure. But the Vong are aware Jaina's alive, or at least open to the possibility,"
"Have you talked the Solo family about this? Han and Leia deserve to know if their daughter and granddaughter is in danger,"
"Well, they're not. Not Jaina anyway," Wedge mumbled and looked Sera in the eye, "Jaina's not on planet. She hasn't been here for a week, Jag too."
Sera smirked and crossed her arms, "I know. I was with Kyp at the memorial. He picked up from Cherith that she was worried about something...Where did you send Jag and Jaina?"
Wedge shrugged again, "Naboo, but they should be back soon. Sera, the reason we asked you here is to clarify if the Vong do know if Jaina is alive. We need you to go to Coruscant and spy around,"
"You want me to go to Yuuzhantar. It isn't Coruscant anymore, Antilles. It hasn't been Coruscant for a long time," Sera mumbled, "What you're asking me to do, it's suicide..."
"But we need the intel, Sera," Gavin pushed, "We need to know if the Vong know the truth about Jaina...and Cherith. If they do know, well, they might come back to finish the job and we can't let that happen,"
Sera stood up from the table and paced the room, "Will I go alone, or will a team cover me?" she whispered.
Wedge looked at Gavin before replying, "No. No team. Just you. You can handle it, Sera. You're a trained spy, you can do this. Once you know what you need to know, you'll be gone,"
"Or I'll be gone!" she cried, "I know I was trained for this, but I have a really bad feeling about this mission," Sera paused and huffed, "Give me 24 hours to prepare?"
"Fourteen hours," Gavin corrected, "You leave in fourteen hours, and you can't tell Kyp Durron. This mission is highly classified." Sera didn't say anything as she left the conference room.
tbc
The Sweetest Thing
Chapter 1, Post #2
Jaina fidgeted as she walked into Larissa's room. Jag was waiting outside with, well, she would say her luggage but she didn't really bring luggage with her. Jaina toyed with the blue ring on her finger, her wedding ring and then stopped, fingering her jappor snippet instead. This was her grandmother's necklace, she mused as she walked into the room.
She looked around for Padme, but no one was in the room. After determining no one was there, she turned to leave but stopped short when she faced Padme. Jaina wasn't sure what to say, staring at her. It was weird. Throughout the whole week, she'd been close to her grandmother but never once suspected her silent handmaiden was related to her. If she looked closely, Jaina could see her own mother in her grandmother's eyes.
Padme smiled, "You wanted to talk to me, Jaina?"
"Oh yes," she mused and laughed to herself, "Jag and I were talking, and we would love it if you would come back with us to Borealis,"
"Thank you, Jaina...I was afraid you weren't going to say anything. I'd actually been thinking about going with you, too,"
Jaina grinned, "Really? I know it's a dangerous time for my family..." After seeing the frown on her grandmother's face, Jaina stopped rambling, "They'd love to see you," she said simply.
Padme smiled and sat down on her bed, "I'd love to see them too," she mused, "When do you and Jag plan on leaving?"
She shrugged, "In awhile,"
Padme smiled and touched the jappor snippet around Jaina's neck, "I remember when he gave this to me. He was just a boy, and I was a simple handmaiden. Well, not exactly a simple handmaiden. I was Queen of Naboo at the time, but during the Trade Federation blockade, I slipped back into the role of Padme, the handmaiden." She stopped and looked at Jaina, who frowned, looking down at the floor. "Jaina, what is it?"
"I'd never realized before how much was lost about our family. I'm a part of one of the most legendary families in the galaxy, but I never knew about any of this,"
"I used to carry a big wardrobe with me whenever I'd travel, but that was when I was somebody important," Padme explained, "So, we can leave anytime." Jaina nodded, walking silently out of the room as her grandmother followed in tow.
~~
Sera fidgeted as she stood there, impatiently waiting for Kyp answer the door. She didn't really need to pack anything, just some food and some supplies. Fourteen hours and counting, this is how much time she was given to prepare for the mission to Coruscant. Finally, Kyp answered but when he did, he'd just woken up from sleep. Sera smiled a little when she saw he had no shirt but loose pants.
"Sera, what is it? It's late..."
"I know," she said, "But I needed to see you. Can I come in?"
He shrugged and moved aside as the Jedi Master went to grab a shirt from his dresser and sat down beside Sera. "What's this about? Why did you have the need to see me so late at night?"
Sera smiled, staring into his eyes, "You know I love you, right? That I'm deeply in love you, Kyp,"
"I know," he said, almost in a nonchalant way, "Is that why you came? To profess your undying love for me or is there another reason for this visit?"
She frowned and looked down at her hands, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I'm due to leave on a secret mission in another eleven hours. I'm going to Coruscant, Kyp,"
"Coruscant? Why? Are you going alone?" he demanded.
"I am going alone. The reason, well, the reason is classified. I just wanted to let you know in case you decided to stop my place and found it empty, and wandered where I was," she reasoned, leaning closer, "The other reason I stopped by is because I don't think this mission will be an 'in and out' job. I might be on Coruscant for along time, and I wanted to see you in case I..."
Kyp frowned and stopped her with a kiss, hugging her, "Don't say die, Sera. You're coming back."
She shrugged and whispered into his ear, "I don't know Kyp. I'm going in alone, no one to back me...I know I'm a Jedi Knight but I haven't been one for a long time and I don't know what will happen if they find me and I don't know how to fight them,"
He could sense the fear in her voice, in her touch but he still reassured her, "You'll be okay,"
Sera pulled away from Kyp and then leaned towards him again, kissing him passionately. Between kisses, she tugged at his shirt and Kyp threw it off, drawing her back onto the bed....
tbc
The Sweetest Thing
Chapter 1, Post #3
Cherith moaned, tossing to the right side of her bed as she checked the chrono on her table for the fifth time. Midnight still, she thought, I could have sworn it was a lot later now. She her parents were safe and on their way home, but she couldn't sleep. Finally, Cherith pushed her blankets aside and hopped out of bed, dressing into a shirt and pants and grabbed her boots.
She breathed quietly as she walked out of her room and into the main room and out of the apartment. Once she as in the hallway, Cherith breathed a lot easier and head for the gym. Too worried and anxious to sleep, a little exercise she was sure would help get her mind off her parents.
Very few pilots occupied the hallway, she noticed but that was mostly because everyone was asleep. She passed Horn quarters and for a minute, contemplated asking him to join her but decided not and continued walking. Or I could just walk around the base, she thought, walking is good exercise.
Not many places were open. The lounge which usually be filled with pilots during the day would be very empty now, but it was a 34 hour lounge so it was probably still open for business. Cherith paced herself as she rounded a corner and stopped seeing Sera Fey`lina leave Kyp's quarters. Sera looked at the door for a minute, checked her watch and turned to leave. It was then Cherith stepped forward.
"Cherith?! What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Sera asked, alarmed at first to see her than not to surprised.
Cherith shrugged, "I was worried about my parents, so I decided to go for a walk to clear my head," she remembered Sera checked her watch earlier and smiled, "Where are you going?"
"Me? Just away for awhile," Sera said, "There's a small matter I have to take care of, but could do me a favor while I'm gone? You're friends with Kyp, could you watch him for me? Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?"
Cherith wasn't sure how to respond as she was reading Sera's emotions at the same time. She was worried, fearful about something but she blocking as most Jedi do. "Sure, I can do that," she finally said and Sera relaxed.
"Thank you so much," Sera cried and checked her watch again, "I have to go now. Cherith, don't worry so much about your parents. They'll be home before you know it," she smiled and as she turned, Cherith caught her checking her watch again before she started to jog off. Once Sera was gone, Cherith continued on her trek.
She wasn't exactly sure how large the base was and it probably wasn't a good idea to wander too far from the apartment so she settled for the lounge, which was still open. The bartender was barely awake as she sat down on one the counter stool. "Kid, if you're gonna stay here awhile, I'm about ready to close," he said. He looked more closely at the girl and frowned, "Shouldn't you be in bed? It's late."
"Bartenders are good for talking," she said, "Can I ask you something?"
He shrugged, wiping the counter, "Go ahead but please make it short, I want to sleep,"
"There's this boy I met a week ago, and I'm best friends with him but things have changed between us. I asked my Master about what I should do --- ,"
"Master? You're a Jedi?"
Cherith nodded, "I asked him what I should do but I'm still confused. We're still good friends but now I have these weird feelings for him, not the kind of feelings a friend should have for a friend,"
He nodded, "How old are you, kid?"
"Fourteen. My friend's sixteen,"
"Then I think you should take your Master's advice and don't worry about it. Your time will come princess when you can worry about boyfriends. You're too young for that now. Now, that I've dispensed my advice I was supposed to give, I need to lock up and you need to go, well, whenever it is you need to go," he said and turned around, shutting off the kitchen lights.
~~
Once she was kicked out of the lounge, Cherith opted to go the gym and just relax there...maybe still morning. She found a nice spot on the mats and laid down, staring at the ceiling. It wasn't as comfy as her own bed, but there was a lot of equipment around so if she ever got bored, she could just grab something to do.
"My time will come," she mused, staring at the ceiling, "Damn you, Valin Horn, you've really screwed up my life!" Cherith cursed and sat up, not really looking for anything in particular and jumped when she saw Qui-Gon's ghostly form.
He smiled, Couldn't sleep?
She shrugged, "You were a Jedi Knight at one point... Can you give me advice about relationships?"
Qui-Gon laughed and paced around before settling down next to Cherith, They're never easy. I know I've been very quiet these last couple days, but I have been watching you and I do know about your dilemma,
"Good! You can help me then,"
In the Old Order, love was forbidden for a Jedi for obvious reasons. But the Old Order has been nonexistent for a long time now...
Cherith waved her hand, "No lecture please. Just solid advice is all I'm looking for,"
Don't rush in and to quote the bartender, your time will come princess, Qui- Gon said, Now, about your parents...There is something I must warn you about,
"Don't say they're dead. I would have known if something happened to them,"
They're dead, and I would have known too but it's something else. You've already met your other grandfather, Soontir Fel but your... Before he could finish, Cherith heard her grandmother Leia call her through the Force to get to the apartment and go to sleep.
"Sorry, grams wants me in bed," she cried and jumped up, "Actually, I am feeling more tired now...What was it you were going to say?"
He nodded, Don't worry about it. You need your sleep.
~~
Sera Fey`lina snuck into the bay, hoping Darklighter or Antilles wasn't around. She was a half and hour late for departure, but Sera didn't really care. She needed to see Kyp before leaving...Sera stopped dead in her tracks, thinking about him.
When she saw him and left so suddenly, it felt she was saying goodbye for real and that she wouldn't be coming back. But Sera knew she would. Despite what she told him, she knew she'd come back. She always did.
"Sera?"
She twirled around, facing Gavin, "Wedge couldn't make it, so I'm the only one that will be giving you a debriefing."
"I'm sorry if I'm late, Colonel but I had to see Kyp before leaving..."
"Don't worry about it, Sera. I'm late too, but I'm just glad you didn't back down at the last minute. We need to know if the Vong know for certain if Jaina and Cherith are alive," he said and pulled out a small chip from his pocket, "There's an underground movement on Coruscant already..."
Sera took the chip in her hand and looked up at Gavin, "Underground movement? What does that mean?"
"Resistance, Sera. They'll be the ones that will be providing safety for you. You'll meet with their leader, code name, 'The Dark One.' He'll tell you what you need to know. They have a small network of spies, but they get the job done,"
"So, I won't actually encounter Vong on this trip, will I? I'll just be sneaking around this under ground?" Sera asked and smiled, "That makes me feel a lot better. For a moment, I thought I'd actually have to dig some information from a Vong warrior. My language is a little bit rusty,"
He shrugged, "Hopefully, you won't run into any Vong and just be in the underground. But since you're rusty on your language, you should work on some phrases -- just to be cautious,"
Sera grunted and smirked, "I'm always careful, Darklighter. In and out, I got it," she said before jumping onto her ladder and climbing up to her cockpit and starting up all systems.
"And Sera, may the Force be with you," Gavin said and smiled hopefully. She smiled back at him before prepping her controls. Gavin stood back as the x- wing, 'Wild Cat' rose from the ground and shot out from the bay.
Watching her leave, Gavin frowned and whispered, "Good luck Fey`lina."
tbc
The following chapters, I took from 'I'd Miss You Still', and posted them as the first chapters to 'The Sweetest Thing'.
Summary: While dealing with her growing feelings for Valin, Cherith, the oldest daughter of Jag and Jaina, must also deal with being an older sister as well and her own Jedi training...
The Sweetest Thing
Chapter 1, Post #1
by obi's girl
Valin ran a hand through his black hair as he walked into parent's apartment. His mother was preparing a late dinner. He smiled at her and then sat at the counter. "Is your father still at the memorial?" she asked.
"I guess. I don't know. Cherith and I left early. There was a matter that needed to be settled," he said.
Not too long after he said that, his little sister appeared. Jysella took the stool beside him, struggling at first to climb the stool before Valin reached over and helped her up. "I saw you and your girlfriend today..."
Valin rolled his eyes and blushed, as Mirax looked curiously at her daughter and son. "Cherith is not my girlfriend, Jy,"
"Jysella, stop teasing your bother," Mirax said, glancing at Valin again. If she had a Force power, she'd reach into her son's mind. She looked at Jysella, "Jy, why don't you clean your hands?"
The girl rolled her eyes and jumping down from the stool and smiled, "Fine, you want to get rid of me. I can take a hint,"
"Jysella," Valin warned, waving his hand in a Jedi mind trick fashion, "Leave, little sister,"
She shrugged and turned, walking to her room. Mirax looked at her son and sighed, "Cherith. That's Jaina and Jag's teenage daughter, right?"
Valin rolled his eyes, "Yes mom,"
"And Jaina returned, what, wasn't it a week ago?" He nodded, prompting her continue. "That means Cherith's only been alive a week, although, in theory, she's fourteen years old, right?"
"Yes, mother. That's what it means,"
Mirax shrugged, returning to her cooking, "A week. You've known the girl a week, and already, you have a serious crush on your best friend. You have guts, Valin," As she said that, Corran returned. He smiled at his wife and took the stool beside Valin. "Corran, did you know about Valin and Cherith?"
Corran raised an eyebrow, "That he has a crush on her? Of course, I do. He asked me for advice on that matter."
"And what did you tell him?"
Corran looked at his son and then his wife. He was afraid if he repeated what he said to his son, Mirax wouldn't agree with him. "I told him to just be her friend, and that their time hanging out together wasn't a date, or didn't qualify as one anyway,"
A second after that, Jysella darted out of her room but fell short and frowned when her father took her chair. She turned and looked at her brother, "Date? You went on a date with a girl? With one you barely even knew?"
"All right, will you guys stop it? This is no big deal. Cherith and I are just friends. We talked about it and we both decided we're just friends," Valin explained, "End of story!"
"Wait a minute. When did you hang out with Cherith?" Jysella asked.
Valin rolled his eyes again, "Three days ago. After I met her in the gym,"
"Jy, what do you know?" Corran asked.
"Wes Janson has blue hair, tips of blue paint are all over his bangs," she said and Valin giggled, and then frowned when his father glared at him. "Busted," Jy whispered.
Valin moaned, "It wasn't my fault. Cherith said she really hadn't explored the base too much so we did, and covered the entire Wraith squadron in blue paint. Splat right on top them. Janson just happened to be in the area,"
Corran smiled and looked at his wife, "Ya know, I was wandering why Wes' bangs were a little blue while I was at the memorial..."
"Enough from you three. Dinner's in five minutes," Mirax announced and turned again . As Corran went into their room, Jy smiled at her brother and made a kissy face. Valin growled at her and she ran off into her room.
~~
"Thanks Kyp for the advice," Cherith whispered as she leaned over and hugged her Master. He smiled, kissed her cheek as she backed away and he stood up. "You leaving now?"
He shrugged, "Have to. As the adult, I have to be the responsible one and make out a lesson for tomorrow. But don't worry, you can sleep in a little bit."
Cherith nodded, "Sleep. How long can I sleep in?"
"Two or three hours," he guessed.
She nodded again and then smirked, giggling, "You're not going to work on exercises? You're going to play hooky for two/three hours with Sera!"
"No, I'm not," Kyp mumbled, looking down at his feet like a boy and then rolled his eyes, "Yes, I am. You don't mind sleeping in awhile longer? I'll come and get you when I'm ready,"
"Not a problem, Kyp," she said and jumped off the bed, showing him out. As they started to leave, Cherith drew back from the door and Kyp looked at her quizzically. "My grandparents are outside, and my Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara are here too."
Kyp moaned. Mara. After all these years, Mara still didn't like him and if they tried to leave together, and Mara saw him, well, she'd kill Kyp or worse. "Your family knows I'm you're Master, right?"
"Well, sort of. My mom and my dad know, but I never got around to telling my grandparents and grand Uncle," Cherith cried, "Come on," she said and led Kyp to the main room.
But Kyp pulled her back, "Wait a minute, you're just gonna take me and waltz out there, in front of your aunt, who hates me and wants me dead?"
She shrugged, "Well, there isn't a door in here. The main room is the only way,"
"Cherith," he said, "If you need to, you can sleep in all you want tomorrow," She smiled at her Master as they both exited her room. All heads turned to her and Kyp. Mara especially, glared at Kyp.
"Hi guys," Cherith cried, "Sorry Valin and I left early but there was something we had to take care of."
Mara's green eyes narrowed to Kyp, "And Durron? What is he doing here? I mean, he's not Valin Horn," Kyp started to laugh and retort something but gulped instead as Mara's green eyes bore into him.
"Kyp just stopped by to see if I was okay," she said and then turned to her Master, "Thanks again for the advice," and added mentally through their bond, I'll see you tomorrow.
Kyp smiled and then bowed before quickly making an exit. Once he was gone, Leia cleared her throat and Cherith turned to her. "Cherith honey, we need to talk to you about something. It's about your parents...
"My parents? What about them?"
Leia looked at Han, and then at her brother and sister-in-law. "They're gone. They've been missing for awhile. Han and I just assumed Jaina moved back into Jag's apartment but Jag wasn't there, even,"
"I know," she said, "That's why Valin and I left early with Uncle Wedge and Grandpa Fel. They told me what happened to them, but don't worry, grandma. They'll be here tomorrow if not tonight."
"What do you know about this, Cherith?" Han asked, "Where did they go? What happened?"
She shrugged, "Dad kidnapped mom and took her to Naboo for one week, and if at the end of one week..."
"She didn't fall in love with again, he'd leave her alone," Han finished and snickered, "I pulled that little stunt on your grandma."
Cherith frowned and sat down on the couch next to her Uncle Luke, "Are relationships always taken care of this way, if talking fails?"
Luke laughed, "It's more of the Solo side, Cherith. Skywalker side tends to be more reasonable and your mother is definitely a Solo,"
"Ya think they'll be okay?"
"Your mother is a Jedi Knight and a kick-ass pilot, and your father is a smart pilot too, so yes, I think they'll be okay," Luke surmised.
~~
Sera Fey`lina grunted, sitting in the conference room. Not too long after Kyp dropped her off at her apartment, Gavin called and asked her to meet him as soon as possible. Now, Gavin was talking quietly with Wedge Antilles in the corner. Well, to Sera, it seemed like they were quietly arguing more than talking. She cleared her throat and gestured they both sit down. "Do you mind telling me what this is about?"
"Jaina's situation has been compromised..." Gavin started.
"But we're not completely sure about it," Wedge added.
Sera looked at both of them and her eyes narrowed. She knew what they were going to say next, but she wanted to hear it from them first. When Antilles didn't say anything, Gavin continued. "Rumors have been spreading throughout the inner core about Jaina's resurrection from the dead. The Vong haven't really been paying attention to the rumors, but now, news has reached Coruscant and the Vong are panicked."
Fey`lina frowned and looked at Wedge, "Do they know about Cherith?" she croaked.
He shrugged, "Possibly, but we're not sure. But the Vong are aware Jaina's alive, or at least open to the possibility,"
"Have you talked the Solo family about this? Han and Leia deserve to know if their daughter and granddaughter is in danger,"
"Well, they're not. Not Jaina anyway," Wedge mumbled and looked Sera in the eye, "Jaina's not on planet. She hasn't been here for a week, Jag too."
Sera smirked and crossed her arms, "I know. I was with Kyp at the memorial. He picked up from Cherith that she was worried about something...Where did you send Jag and Jaina?"
Wedge shrugged again, "Naboo, but they should be back soon. Sera, the reason we asked you here is to clarify if the Vong do know if Jaina is alive. We need you to go to Coruscant and spy around,"
"You want me to go to Yuuzhantar. It isn't Coruscant anymore, Antilles. It hasn't been Coruscant for a long time," Sera mumbled, "What you're asking me to do, it's suicide..."
"But we need the intel, Sera," Gavin pushed, "We need to know if the Vong know the truth about Jaina...and Cherith. If they do know, well, they might come back to finish the job and we can't let that happen,"
Sera stood up from the table and paced the room, "Will I go alone, or will a team cover me?" she whispered.
Wedge looked at Gavin before replying, "No. No team. Just you. You can handle it, Sera. You're a trained spy, you can do this. Once you know what you need to know, you'll be gone,"
"Or I'll be gone!" she cried, "I know I was trained for this, but I have a really bad feeling about this mission," Sera paused and huffed, "Give me 24 hours to prepare?"
"Fourteen hours," Gavin corrected, "You leave in fourteen hours, and you can't tell Kyp Durron. This mission is highly classified." Sera didn't say anything as she left the conference room.
tbc
The Sweetest Thing
Chapter 1, Post #2
Jaina fidgeted as she walked into Larissa's room. Jag was waiting outside with, well, she would say her luggage but she didn't really bring luggage with her. Jaina toyed with the blue ring on her finger, her wedding ring and then stopped, fingering her jappor snippet instead. This was her grandmother's necklace, she mused as she walked into the room.
She looked around for Padme, but no one was in the room. After determining no one was there, she turned to leave but stopped short when she faced Padme. Jaina wasn't sure what to say, staring at her. It was weird. Throughout the whole week, she'd been close to her grandmother but never once suspected her silent handmaiden was related to her. If she looked closely, Jaina could see her own mother in her grandmother's eyes.
Padme smiled, "You wanted to talk to me, Jaina?"
"Oh yes," she mused and laughed to herself, "Jag and I were talking, and we would love it if you would come back with us to Borealis,"
"Thank you, Jaina...I was afraid you weren't going to say anything. I'd actually been thinking about going with you, too,"
Jaina grinned, "Really? I know it's a dangerous time for my family..." After seeing the frown on her grandmother's face, Jaina stopped rambling, "They'd love to see you," she said simply.
Padme smiled and sat down on her bed, "I'd love to see them too," she mused, "When do you and Jag plan on leaving?"
She shrugged, "In awhile,"
Padme smiled and touched the jappor snippet around Jaina's neck, "I remember when he gave this to me. He was just a boy, and I was a simple handmaiden. Well, not exactly a simple handmaiden. I was Queen of Naboo at the time, but during the Trade Federation blockade, I slipped back into the role of Padme, the handmaiden." She stopped and looked at Jaina, who frowned, looking down at the floor. "Jaina, what is it?"
"I'd never realized before how much was lost about our family. I'm a part of one of the most legendary families in the galaxy, but I never knew about any of this,"
"I used to carry a big wardrobe with me whenever I'd travel, but that was when I was somebody important," Padme explained, "So, we can leave anytime." Jaina nodded, walking silently out of the room as her grandmother followed in tow.
~~
Sera fidgeted as she stood there, impatiently waiting for Kyp answer the door. She didn't really need to pack anything, just some food and some supplies. Fourteen hours and counting, this is how much time she was given to prepare for the mission to Coruscant. Finally, Kyp answered but when he did, he'd just woken up from sleep. Sera smiled a little when she saw he had no shirt but loose pants.
"Sera, what is it? It's late..."
"I know," she said, "But I needed to see you. Can I come in?"
He shrugged and moved aside as the Jedi Master went to grab a shirt from his dresser and sat down beside Sera. "What's this about? Why did you have the need to see me so late at night?"
Sera smiled, staring into his eyes, "You know I love you, right? That I'm deeply in love you, Kyp,"
"I know," he said, almost in a nonchalant way, "Is that why you came? To profess your undying love for me or is there another reason for this visit?"
She frowned and looked down at her hands, "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I'm due to leave on a secret mission in another eleven hours. I'm going to Coruscant, Kyp,"
"Coruscant? Why? Are you going alone?" he demanded.
"I am going alone. The reason, well, the reason is classified. I just wanted to let you know in case you decided to stop my place and found it empty, and wandered where I was," she reasoned, leaning closer, "The other reason I stopped by is because I don't think this mission will be an 'in and out' job. I might be on Coruscant for along time, and I wanted to see you in case I..."
Kyp frowned and stopped her with a kiss, hugging her, "Don't say die, Sera. You're coming back."
She shrugged and whispered into his ear, "I don't know Kyp. I'm going in alone, no one to back me...I know I'm a Jedi Knight but I haven't been one for a long time and I don't know what will happen if they find me and I don't know how to fight them,"
He could sense the fear in her voice, in her touch but he still reassured her, "You'll be okay,"
Sera pulled away from Kyp and then leaned towards him again, kissing him passionately. Between kisses, she tugged at his shirt and Kyp threw it off, drawing her back onto the bed....
tbc
The Sweetest Thing
Chapter 1, Post #3
Cherith moaned, tossing to the right side of her bed as she checked the chrono on her table for the fifth time. Midnight still, she thought, I could have sworn it was a lot later now. She her parents were safe and on their way home, but she couldn't sleep. Finally, Cherith pushed her blankets aside and hopped out of bed, dressing into a shirt and pants and grabbed her boots.
She breathed quietly as she walked out of her room and into the main room and out of the apartment. Once she as in the hallway, Cherith breathed a lot easier and head for the gym. Too worried and anxious to sleep, a little exercise she was sure would help get her mind off her parents.
Very few pilots occupied the hallway, she noticed but that was mostly because everyone was asleep. She passed Horn quarters and for a minute, contemplated asking him to join her but decided not and continued walking. Or I could just walk around the base, she thought, walking is good exercise.
Not many places were open. The lounge which usually be filled with pilots during the day would be very empty now, but it was a 34 hour lounge so it was probably still open for business. Cherith paced herself as she rounded a corner and stopped seeing Sera Fey`lina leave Kyp's quarters. Sera looked at the door for a minute, checked her watch and turned to leave. It was then Cherith stepped forward.
"Cherith?! What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Sera asked, alarmed at first to see her than not to surprised.
Cherith shrugged, "I was worried about my parents, so I decided to go for a walk to clear my head," she remembered Sera checked her watch earlier and smiled, "Where are you going?"
"Me? Just away for awhile," Sera said, "There's a small matter I have to take care of, but could do me a favor while I'm gone? You're friends with Kyp, could you watch him for me? Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?"
Cherith wasn't sure how to respond as she was reading Sera's emotions at the same time. She was worried, fearful about something but she blocking as most Jedi do. "Sure, I can do that," she finally said and Sera relaxed.
"Thank you so much," Sera cried and checked her watch again, "I have to go now. Cherith, don't worry so much about your parents. They'll be home before you know it," she smiled and as she turned, Cherith caught her checking her watch again before she started to jog off. Once Sera was gone, Cherith continued on her trek.
She wasn't exactly sure how large the base was and it probably wasn't a good idea to wander too far from the apartment so she settled for the lounge, which was still open. The bartender was barely awake as she sat down on one the counter stool. "Kid, if you're gonna stay here awhile, I'm about ready to close," he said. He looked more closely at the girl and frowned, "Shouldn't you be in bed? It's late."
"Bartenders are good for talking," she said, "Can I ask you something?"
He shrugged, wiping the counter, "Go ahead but please make it short, I want to sleep,"
"There's this boy I met a week ago, and I'm best friends with him but things have changed between us. I asked my Master about what I should do --- ,"
"Master? You're a Jedi?"
Cherith nodded, "I asked him what I should do but I'm still confused. We're still good friends but now I have these weird feelings for him, not the kind of feelings a friend should have for a friend,"
He nodded, "How old are you, kid?"
"Fourteen. My friend's sixteen,"
"Then I think you should take your Master's advice and don't worry about it. Your time will come princess when you can worry about boyfriends. You're too young for that now. Now, that I've dispensed my advice I was supposed to give, I need to lock up and you need to go, well, whenever it is you need to go," he said and turned around, shutting off the kitchen lights.
~~
Once she was kicked out of the lounge, Cherith opted to go the gym and just relax there...maybe still morning. She found a nice spot on the mats and laid down, staring at the ceiling. It wasn't as comfy as her own bed, but there was a lot of equipment around so if she ever got bored, she could just grab something to do.
"My time will come," she mused, staring at the ceiling, "Damn you, Valin Horn, you've really screwed up my life!" Cherith cursed and sat up, not really looking for anything in particular and jumped when she saw Qui-Gon's ghostly form.
He smiled, Couldn't sleep?
She shrugged, "You were a Jedi Knight at one point... Can you give me advice about relationships?"
Qui-Gon laughed and paced around before settling down next to Cherith, They're never easy. I know I've been very quiet these last couple days, but I have been watching you and I do know about your dilemma,
"Good! You can help me then,"
In the Old Order, love was forbidden for a Jedi for obvious reasons. But the Old Order has been nonexistent for a long time now...
Cherith waved her hand, "No lecture please. Just solid advice is all I'm looking for,"
Don't rush in and to quote the bartender, your time will come princess, Qui- Gon said, Now, about your parents...There is something I must warn you about,
"Don't say they're dead. I would have known if something happened to them,"
They're dead, and I would have known too but it's something else. You've already met your other grandfather, Soontir Fel but your... Before he could finish, Cherith heard her grandmother Leia call her through the Force to get to the apartment and go to sleep.
"Sorry, grams wants me in bed," she cried and jumped up, "Actually, I am feeling more tired now...What was it you were going to say?"
He nodded, Don't worry about it. You need your sleep.
~~
Sera Fey`lina snuck into the bay, hoping Darklighter or Antilles wasn't around. She was a half and hour late for departure, but Sera didn't really care. She needed to see Kyp before leaving...Sera stopped dead in her tracks, thinking about him.
When she saw him and left so suddenly, it felt she was saying goodbye for real and that she wouldn't be coming back. But Sera knew she would. Despite what she told him, she knew she'd come back. She always did.
"Sera?"
She twirled around, facing Gavin, "Wedge couldn't make it, so I'm the only one that will be giving you a debriefing."
"I'm sorry if I'm late, Colonel but I had to see Kyp before leaving..."
"Don't worry about it, Sera. I'm late too, but I'm just glad you didn't back down at the last minute. We need to know if the Vong know for certain if Jaina and Cherith are alive," he said and pulled out a small chip from his pocket, "There's an underground movement on Coruscant already..."
Sera took the chip in her hand and looked up at Gavin, "Underground movement? What does that mean?"
"Resistance, Sera. They'll be the ones that will be providing safety for you. You'll meet with their leader, code name, 'The Dark One.' He'll tell you what you need to know. They have a small network of spies, but they get the job done,"
"So, I won't actually encounter Vong on this trip, will I? I'll just be sneaking around this under ground?" Sera asked and smiled, "That makes me feel a lot better. For a moment, I thought I'd actually have to dig some information from a Vong warrior. My language is a little bit rusty,"
He shrugged, "Hopefully, you won't run into any Vong and just be in the underground. But since you're rusty on your language, you should work on some phrases -- just to be cautious,"
Sera grunted and smirked, "I'm always careful, Darklighter. In and out, I got it," she said before jumping onto her ladder and climbing up to her cockpit and starting up all systems.
"And Sera, may the Force be with you," Gavin said and smiled hopefully. She smiled back at him before prepping her controls. Gavin stood back as the x- wing, 'Wild Cat' rose from the ground and shot out from the bay.
Watching her leave, Gavin frowned and whispered, "Good luck Fey`lina."
tbc