A/N- Hey! First off a big thanks to my two reviewers. You guys made my day! This chapter is for Garnet Turner and Nike's Zero for their kind comments. You guys are the best!
I also just wanted to say that (since some of you are new readers of mine) English is not my first language. But since I write these in English only (I am absolutely horrible at translating!), there may be some grammatical errors and whatnot. I try to catch them all, but if you want to tell me of any, feel free! Now, onto the fic!
Chapter Two
Zekk quickly threw down the datapad he was holding and ran towards the hangar Jaina's X-wing had been assigned to. He felt a sense of contentment as he watched the voxyn-adorned fighter glide gracefully behind the old, beat up X-wing. As Raynar banked left Jaina kept straight on her path, slowing down as she came. Zekk couldn't help but smile as he watched her set the fighter down gently, as if it were a child. He heard the distinctive whine of the engines powering down.
She opened the cockpit top and climbed out of it. Making her way across the wing, he noticed certain little things about her. She was still amazingly small, but her hair was longer, her skin a little lighter, and her eyes less vibrant; although no less happy to see him.
Gracefully, she stepped off of the fighter and landed almost soundlessly. As soon as she regained her balance, she took off towards him, running at top speed.
"Zekk!" She cried, throwing herself into his awaiting arms. He laughed whole heartedly.
"Hey there, Goddess. Welcome back." He said, lowering her to the floor until her feet touched. "How've you been?"
"Fine." She answered, a little too quickly for his liking. It was obvious that she was lying, but he wasn't about to pry. Looking up at the night sky, it was obvious that a rainstorm that had been brewing on the other side of the moon was becoming stronger as it made its way towards the temple.
"Let's get inside before the storm gets any closer." He said, leading her through the hangar and into the temple.
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Jag lie in his bed, clad in only a pair of black sleeping pants, the sheets strewn about him. He couldn't sleep, and it was beginning to irritate him. In all the years that he and Jaina had shared those quarters, he hadn't had more than a handful of sleepless nights. That's when it hit him.
He couldn't sleep because the one thing that gave him reassurance was missing. It was like a small child trying to sleep without its comfort object.
Realizing that it was futile to keep attempting to sleep when he had to be awake in a few hours anyway, so he pulled himself up to sit at the edge of his bed. The only light in the room were the rays of moonlight filtered into the room by way of the window opposite him. He looked out into the compound of the military facility, which, at this time, was just beginning to become busy again since the shift change.
He glanced at the wall chrono, 'She would have just been leaving for her shift now,' Jag thought. This just brought another wave of mixed emotions, and Jag snapped. Throwing his pillow violently to the wall, he got up and stalked to the refresher unit.
Throwing the handle on the sink towards the "cold" symbol, Jag stood there, his hands clutching either side of the sink. 'You knew that this is what it would come to if you didn't give her some sort of reason. You knew it, but you still let it happen. How could you claim to love her when you're afraid of being with her? You don't deserve her. You never did. You never will.' His mind just kept mocking him, torturing him, pushing him over the edge.
It had been the same thing all night. It was the reason he hadn't slept. It was the reason he was angry, confused, hurt, sad, and lonely. It was the reason that she had left him.
Collecting some of the water in his hands, he splashed it over his face. 'Get a grip, Jag. If she doesn't come to you, go find her.' He thought. 'You love her, that's all that matters. Well… there's always that little problem of her loving you too, but that's her choice. But don't give up on her, Jag. Don't go away, you promised her you wouldn't.'
Taking the advice he gave himself, Jag found a renewed sense of hope and determination. With that, he hauled himself into the refresher and began the routine he carried out every day.
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Jaina had been told that her room from her childhood had not been taken, so she happily jumped at the chance to regain her old accommodations. In her hand she carried the flight bag that she had brought with her, and as she raced up the familiar yet new steps, she remembered how just being at the academy had made her happy. The friends, the lessons, the jungle, the exploration, the memories; it was what she loved about this place, even if it wasn't the exact one from her youth.
She walked briskly down the long corridor, and made a left at the end of it. Doors lined each side, with small windows every few feet. 'They did a good job rebuilding this…' Jaina thought as she rounded the corner. 'The only thing they're missing is the paint stains from the paint war we had.' Jaina smiled as she reminisced.
Stopping in front of the familiar door, she entered the code that she had so many times. The door quickly rolled up and granted her access to the salvation she used to call home.
The room itself was a little different, but that wasn't what struck her first. Her eyes quickly went to the door in the corner, or rather, where the door wasn't. 'Well, not everything can stay the same.' She thought. Setting her bag atop the dresser, Jaina walked forward and threw herself onto the bed. It wasn't as comfortable as the one that she had shared with Jag, but it would work.
She curled up on her side, grasped the pillow in her arms, and buried her face in it. She let out all her frustration and sadness into that pillow before sleep claimed her as its own.
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One Day Later, Esseles
Wedge Antilles sat behind a rather large desk with holos and datapads thrown about it. It was the epitome of clutter and chaos. But Wedge just sat there, his hands folded across his stomach, and leaning back in his chair.
He hadn't had very many opportunities during the war to just sit at his desk and think, especially since Janson was usually on the premises. But Wedge had been scheming; he'd sent Janson's squadron, the Yellow Aces, on an escort assignment to Coruscant. The prankster wouldn't be back for a while, much to Wedge's relief.
'You know Wedge; you're getting to be pretty smart in your old age. Hah, maybe what they say about the older you get the smarter you get is true. But then what happened with Janson? Well, I guess there is an exception to every rule…' Wedge thought.
His mental tirade was ended by the sound of the office door opening. Startled, Wedge pulled himself up so he was no longer leaning back in the chair, and removed his hands from his stomach to rest them on the desk. Smiling hastily, Wedge spoke to the person who had disrupted his "quiet time".
"Jag; I didn't expect you at this hour! What can I do for you?" Wedge asked, motioning to one of the overstuffed chairs opposite his desk.
Jag moved hesitantly. "Am I disturbing you, General?" He asked. Wedge shook his head rapidly.
"Nonsense, I've always got time for family. What's on your mind?"
Jag sat down in the chair, his hands firmly gripping the arms of it. "Sir, do you know where Jaina Solo has gone?" He asked forwardly, hoping that he would have at least one ally in his search for her.
Jag knew that his hopes had just been shot down by the expression adorning Wedge's face. "I'm sorry; Jag, but I can't disclose that information. It's confidential." He responded apologetically.
Jag nodded once. "Then can you at least tell me if she's resigned her post?"
Wedge wavered for a moment. "She hasn't resigned her post as far as I know, but she is on leave for an indefinite amount of time."
"Thank you, Uncle." Jag said. He stood up, and snapped off a crisp salute before making his way to the door.
"Jag?" Wedge called after him. He looked Jag straight in the eye, "Don't worry about her, she's safe."
Jag hung his head in sorrow. "I know," was his only response. With that, Jag continued on his path out the door, knowing not much more than he did before.
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Kyp Durron was in his quarters, which were located just across the hall from the one that Jaina used to share with Jag. The one that Jag still resided in. The one that was so close to his quarters that if Jag wanted, he could just walk right in and catch Kyp.
That last fact scared Kyp out of his mind. He'd promised Jaina that he wouldn't disclose her location to Jag no matter what the circumstances were. Kyp knew that he wasn't exactly worthy of her trust after a certain encounter of theirs, but she had trusted him. And he wasn't about to break that.
Pressing the appropriate button on the comm, Kyp waited. After a few tense moments, the familiar face of Zekk appeared on the screen.
"Durron." Zekk greeted him.
"Did she get there?" Kyp asked quietly, taking every precaution available to keep his secret.
"Yes, she arrived about an hour ago." Zekk responded. Kyp nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"How is she?"
Zekk shrugged. "She didn't say much to me, but I know something isn't right. What's going on Durron? What made her come here?" He asked, honestly curious. Zekk knew that he couldn't just ask Jaina, but Kyp was another story.
"I can't tell you that; only she can. I've got things to do. You know how to reach me if anything happens to her." Kyp said.
"And Zekk? If anything does happen to her that was preventable, you better hope that you're seriously injured, otherwise I'll hurt you myself." Kyp threatened, and then terminated the connection.
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A/N- Okay, you know the drill. Please review, it helps me so much. Chapter three is started, and it's already planned in my head, so just keep reviewing and the faster I can get the chapters out. Thanks for reading!
