Jaina Solo jolted awake, her sheets a tangled nest around her, salt water
moistening her cheeks, and her mouth open in a soundless scream. The
nightmare that had plagued her constantly for so long had once again
repeated itself.
She had been in the jungles of Yavin 4 again. And she had once again been fleeing some mysterious danger that threatened her physically, and also hovered on the brink of removing her of her very sanity. The dream had started out as it had before, as it had every night for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a month or so.
When she'd first had the dream, she had brushed it off as another one of the nightmares she had endured since the day she had failed to save one of her closest friends from darkness. But this dream had been different. While the others replayed the events of her failure, this dream was fabricated of things that had never happened and were unlikely to happen in the future.
This nightmare came again and again, occurring more often as time passed. It always ended the same way, but every time it was more potent, giving Jaina a greater sense of primitive terror every time she ran through the dark jungle, a chilling sense of fear every time she faced the dark presence that hunted her, and a horrible sense of loss every time she saw her brother fall.
Tonight, however, had been different. The nightmare had not ended when her brother fell, but had continued. She had turned to face the dark being that had hunted her like one of the predators that made the jungles of Yavin 4 so dangerous. But the one enemy had then stepped aside to let another take his place, this new danger wore a terrible face that was at once red as blood and dark as the chasm that had claimed her brother.It's eyes almost seemed to glow red, and inspired a strong urge to flee. It's face was one that she would not soon forget, and she viewed the apparition with fear, knowing instinctively that she would see it again. The figure had reached out it's gloved hand as if to caress her. Her dream self had recoiled and she had finally awakened from her nightmare.
But what truly frightened her was that Jedi weren't supposed to have dreams- -they had visions. She felt her twin brother's fast approaching presence and schooled her emotions into a more serene state, knowing that her distress was the cause of the worry that was flowing from him through their twin bond. He stopped outside her door, and said, "Jaina?"
She could feel his concern, but remained silent. "What is it? I know you can hear me, so it's no use pretending that you're asleep." Jaina kept still and quiet, knowing that he would eventually go back to bed, as he had in the other times her distress had disturbed his rest.
"All right, Jaya," Jacen said, sounding disappointed. "But when you decide you want to talk, you know I'm here for you." She listened to his retreating footsteps, and waited until she knew that he was asleep before she let herself think about her dream. Or, if it wasn't a dream, her vision.
She had been in the jungles of Yavin 4 again. And she had once again been fleeing some mysterious danger that threatened her physically, and also hovered on the brink of removing her of her very sanity. The dream had started out as it had before, as it had every night for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a month or so.
When she'd first had the dream, she had brushed it off as another one of the nightmares she had endured since the day she had failed to save one of her closest friends from darkness. But this dream had been different. While the others replayed the events of her failure, this dream was fabricated of things that had never happened and were unlikely to happen in the future.
This nightmare came again and again, occurring more often as time passed. It always ended the same way, but every time it was more potent, giving Jaina a greater sense of primitive terror every time she ran through the dark jungle, a chilling sense of fear every time she faced the dark presence that hunted her, and a horrible sense of loss every time she saw her brother fall.
Tonight, however, had been different. The nightmare had not ended when her brother fell, but had continued. She had turned to face the dark being that had hunted her like one of the predators that made the jungles of Yavin 4 so dangerous. But the one enemy had then stepped aside to let another take his place, this new danger wore a terrible face that was at once red as blood and dark as the chasm that had claimed her brother.It's eyes almost seemed to glow red, and inspired a strong urge to flee. It's face was one that she would not soon forget, and she viewed the apparition with fear, knowing instinctively that she would see it again. The figure had reached out it's gloved hand as if to caress her. Her dream self had recoiled and she had finally awakened from her nightmare.
But what truly frightened her was that Jedi weren't supposed to have dreams- -they had visions. She felt her twin brother's fast approaching presence and schooled her emotions into a more serene state, knowing that her distress was the cause of the worry that was flowing from him through their twin bond. He stopped outside her door, and said, "Jaina?"
She could feel his concern, but remained silent. "What is it? I know you can hear me, so it's no use pretending that you're asleep." Jaina kept still and quiet, knowing that he would eventually go back to bed, as he had in the other times her distress had disturbed his rest.
"All right, Jaya," Jacen said, sounding disappointed. "But when you decide you want to talk, you know I'm here for you." She listened to his retreating footsteps, and waited until she knew that he was asleep before she let herself think about her dream. Or, if it wasn't a dream, her vision.