Disclaimer: Lucas owns Star Wars. Not me. Although in my opinion, he should at least take the time to read the books coming out . . .
A/N: HAH! In an apology to taking so long with the last chapter, here's the next one, and it's loooong by the standards this story's setting!
Chapter VI: A Love that Bars the Gates of Death
Mist swirled, and blurry, fuzzy figures solidified as Jacen fought off unconsciousness. His body was on it's last reserves and although the healing trance was keeping him alive he was dangerously thin. The insufficient atmosphere, combined with poor health, was more than enough to make him want to fall right back into his healing trance.
Then the figure leaning over him cleared, and lent him strength to fight it off. He reached up and pulled her down, embracing her with all his strength. She returned the hug wholeheartedly.
"That's the second time you've done that to me, Friend Jacen, and this time was worse than the last! Can you stand?" Tenel Ka asked suddenly, noticing she was holding him up. Jacen feebly shook his head.
"It's the atmosphere – he can hardly breathe," Sannah pointed out, and Tenel Ka slipped her own breather off and put it on Jacen. In less than a minute he had brightened considerably.
"I think if we take turns sharing breathers, we can get back to the Rock Dragon in one piece," Zekk suggested. "Stupid of us not to think to bring another. C'mon, Jacen, up we go!" Zekk and Tenel Ka supported Jacen as they made their way back to the ship, taking longer than they had on the way there due to constantly switching breathers. The only one who couldn't was Sannah, so she ran ahead to see if she could find one to bring back for Jacen.
When the troupe finally made it back to the Rock Dragon, Sannah closed the ramp behind them. Tenel Ka and Zekk were beginning to stumble under Jacen's reduced weight, so Lowie hauled him up and brought him to the infirmary with Zekk and Tenel Ka close behind. Uldir and Sannah left the reunited quartet for the cockpit, to see if Anakin had come up with their next destination yet.
Meanwhile, the four friends were enveloped in a huge, somewhat furry pileup. Everyone seemed to want to talk at once, including Em Teedee.
"You gave us quite a scare, Master Jacen – "
"How did you get down here? And away from the Vong?"
Lowie growled his own chastisement, which Em Teedee didn't even bother translating; everyone in the room knew Wookiee.
Jacen and Tenel Ka were silent, so wrapped up (literally!) in having each other back that they hardly realized anyone else was in the room. Jacen buried his head in Tenel Ka's long hair, too exhausted to care how much he was leaning on Tenel Ka. She shook her head once and pulled back, although Jacen was still leaning against her to keep his torso upright. At least I'm sitting. Standing goes under the category 'not fun'.
"How did you find me?" he croaked, his voice harsh from not having been used.
For a moment no one answered, then Zekk muttered the answer.
"What?"
"ANAKIN!! We've been following the instructions of your dead brother, alright?! Apparently when Anakin died he scared the seven hells out of the previously-dead Jedi because he wasn't supposed to be dead. So a dozen or so of them got together with Uldir, rounded us up, and we came to get you. If Uldir can get our next destination out of Anakin, we're going to find your sister who, in case you hadn't noticed, has turned to the Dark Side!" Zekk said all this very quickly and ended about an octave higher than Jacen though his voice should be able to go.
Jacen blinked.
"You're taking instructions from Anakin."
Lowie barked an affirmative.
"Indeed. In fact, he led us to you. Without Master Anakin's directions, we believed you dead," Em Teedee informed him.
"Sithspawn," Jacen muttered, falling away from Tenel Ka to lie on the bed. Then something occurred to him. "Where's Tahiri? I'd think she wouldn't miss this for – well, actually, I can't think of anything she'd want more than having Anakin back."
The comment sparked more nervous glance exchanges. Jacen narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think I'd been gone that long! What happened to Tahiri?"
Sannah cleared her throat from the doorway. "She regressed. She's about eleven, at the Academy with Anakin – who is conveniently visiting his family on Coruscant. Tionne sent a message with an update; they're brining her back up through the years so it doesn't seem as if Anakin's been gone for long." Sannah shrugged at the horrified look in Jacen's eyes. "Uldir got the coordinates from Anakin – Jaina's on Carratos."
"Oh, my! That's right on the edge of the territory the Yuuzhan Vong have taken!" Em Teedee squealed.
"C'mon, Uldir wants everyone strapped in before he gets into the asteroid field. Can you handle Jacen, Tenel Ka?"
"I believe that is within my capabilities."
Jacen nearly laughed aloud as the others left the room. Tenel Ka, handle him? No one better. Slowly propping himself up on his elbows, he stared at Tenel Ka through bars of too-long hair. "Anakin?"
"This is a fact."
"And how many people know you're running around a Vong-infested galaxy on the orders of a dead seventeen year old Jedi?"
"Mara Jade."
Jacen blew his overgrown bangs out of his eyes for the ten seconds before they fell back. He didn't have the energy to pull them out of his eyes again, no matter how annoyed he was that the obstructed his view of Tenel Ka. He had a reply ready when the comm unit on the wall crackled to life.
"Tenel Ka, could you call up here when you have Jacen strapped in? We're about ready to go up here, so that leaves our invalid in the back to wait for."
Tenel Ka nodded out of habit, although Jacen was the only one who could see her. "Affirmative, Uldir." the comm unit crackled off. "Come on, my friend. Unless you wish to use the full-body bed restraints you need to be in a chair."
Jacen groaned as he let his legs drop over the side of the bed, stumbling until Tenel Ka reached to support him. He leaned most of his weight on her even for the few steps to the chair, remembering similar situations from the past. Bespin, Ryloth, and what seemed like a dozen other places where one or the other had to be helped around for days. Always at each other's side.
"You have no idea how glad I am to see you," he whispered tightly, cocking a Solo grin. "When – when I thought I'd never see you again . . ."
Imposing emerald eyes stared up at him from her position kneeling on the floor. "Your heart bottomed out, whatever you'd eaten last turned inexplicably to stone, the blood rushed out of your face, your eyes widened and for a moment your mind went blank. When you finally worked up the nerve to think again, the only thought was 'no'."
Jacen blinked. "How . . ?"
"You have done this to me twice, Jacen Solo, and neither time did I appreciate it. However," she favored him with a rare, small smile. "I will not say that I am not overjoyed to have you back."
Neither of them was quite sure how they ended up with their arms wrapped around each other, holding them for all they were worth. When Jacen felt something wet on his shoulder, he was astounded to realize Tenel Ka was crying – almost as hard as he was! Still, he managed to choke ut what he wanted to say.
"I missed you so much, I couldn't let myself die, couldn't not while there was a chance that I might be found, and brought back – back to you! I'd already lost everything else: Anakin, Jaina, but you held on, as you always had, and never let go!"
She pulled back to look at him, hair down to his earlobes and brandy-brown eyes that lidded in synch with her own when she kissed him. "I was close indeed to seeking Jaina out and joining her. Vengeance called me as it never has, for you, for your brother, for – for those who have gone before us. But laughter, Jacen, your chosen weapon, does not fit well in the robes of a Nightsister."
"Tenel Ka? I . . . I can't imagine life – or death – without you. I . . ." he paused, apprehensive.
Tenel Ka smiled wholeheartedly and murmured "I love you, too," before kissing him again.