CRASH LANDING


Jag dropped his fighter out of hyperspace, checking for the X-wing and clawcraft on either side. Once secure with the fact that all three fighters had made the jump safely, Jag eased forward on his stick. Almost immediately, his comm began to crackle with static; a weary voice followed.

"This is Lieutenant Jaina Solo of Rogue Squadron, aboard the Yuuzhan Vong frigate Trickster. The ship is under New Republic control. There are no Yuuzhan Vong aboard. Repeat, this is not an enemy ship. Hold your fire."

Jag was about to click his comm when Kyp's voice beat him to the punch. "Relax, Trickster. We're here to see you safely down."

The gall of the Jedi immediately spurred a flare of dark emotion in Jag's gut. He reminded himself that Kyp was used to leading his own squadron. The reminder did little to assuage the feeling. Jaina's cold response fueled the fire anew as the trio of fighters closed in on the pirate ship merged awkwardly with the coral frigate.

"Kyp Durron. You might as well turn around right now. I wouldn't follow you out of an ocean if I were drowning."

Kyp, who did not seem to know quite when to quit, pursued the matter. "Hear me out before you open fire. Your parents are on Hapes, in the refugee center. I told the princess I'd bring you back. Now, you could send me back to Leia empty-handed, but we all know what path a vindictive spirit might take you down."

Jag could practically feel the venom flow through the channel as Jaina spit back at the Jedi. "Don't you use my family in another of your tricks – if they're really on Hapes at all."

Jag had heard enough. He was not about to let Kyp fan the fire any further. It was obvious Jag had inadvertently opened some old wounds by allowing Kyp to accompany him on the mission. He was beginning to regret ever agreeing to the Jedi Master's involvement. "This is Colonel Jag Fel, Lieutenant Solo. I have seen your mother on Hapes, and the request for an escort came directly to me from landing control. Kyp Durron is speaking the truth, and flying under my command."

Jaina sounded confused as she spoke and rightfully so, Jag imagined. "Under your command? Don't believe it." Any hopes of a happy reunion were dashed by Jaina's next comment as she stomped all over his pride. "If Kyp can twist a Jedi's thoughts, he can make you think anything he wants."

So much for saving the day, Jag. You appear as undesirable as the Jedi Master. "Thank you for your concern, but I hope I'm not quite so weak-minded as that." Jag regretted the glacial tone of his voice instantly. Obviously, the poor girl had been through quite an ordeal, expecting she would jump at the sound of his voice after all this time and all she had been through was a bit preposterous.

He imagined her brown eyes blazing with her fiery retort. "So do I. Suit yourself. But while you are watching my back, keep an eye on your own." The open comm line clicked off, indicating Jaina had ended the conversation.

Jag was troubled by the idea that Jaina found one of her fellow Jedi so untrustworthy. Suddenly, he had additional concerns beyond getting Jaina to Hapes and then planetside safely in that collage of ships. Jag felt a growing need to keep a watchful eye trained on Kyp. The whole ride back to Hapes was filled with troubled speculation about the latter. What terrible harm had Kyp Durron inflicted on Jaina to drive her to such a pointed distrust for the man? Jag felt he better find out to ensure he did not make the same mistake.

Once on final approach to Hapes, the first concern was out of Jag's hands. He watched as the coral frigate - still attached to the pirate ship - began its descent into the atmosphere, lumbering and lurching in an awkward tango. The two ships seemed to twist in unimaginable contortions until Jag was sure they would break apart. Suddenly, the two ships separated. At first, Jag thought the ships had broken apart under the strain, but as the coral vessel righted easily, he could tell that it was sealed at the point of separation.

The pirate ship did not fare as well, spiraling slowly toward the ground. The pilot pulled out of the spin seconds before impacting the ground. The ship rose in a sweeping turn, then slowed to a hover as the repulsor engines kicked in. First the cargo ship, and then the frigate analog, came to a rest on the landing dock.

Jag, having watched the scene with bated breath, eased his clawcraft toward his original berth, some distance away. Shawnkyr stayed tucked in beside him; Kyp blasted forward with out so much as a by-your-leave.

Settling into the designated space for his clawcraft, Jag caught sight of the two Hapan officials who had originated the request to bring in the Yuuzhan Vong frigate. They were not exactly what Jag hoped to deal with at the moment, and a seldom-used profanity slipped past his lips. The anticipated delay the two men would cause forced him to quicken his power-down procedure.

In his haste, Jag flipped the weapons system safety by accident. The lasers and torpedo launchers jumped to life, sighting up to dead ahead of the clawcraft. As Jag cursed his own ineptness, the officials, now on the receiving end of thousands of terrajoules of firepower, scurried out of range.

The unexpected result actually formed a grin on his lips. Jag was thankful he was still hidden behind the anonymity of his helmet as the weapons powered off for a second time. Out of the corner of his eye, Jag caught the piercing glare of Shawnkyr already emerging from her cockpit. Jag completed the remainder of the power-down uneventfully, tugged off his helmet and brushed a gloved hand over his short hair.

It took mere seconds to release the canopy and scramble to the ground. Jag straightened his flightsuit before marching over to the Hapan officials. Shawnkyr joined them while the taller Hapan addressed Jag.

"Colonel Fel, we are grateful for your assistance today."

Jag tipped his head in acknowledgement. "It was the pleasure of the Chiss to be able to assist the Hapan government."

The shorter official, a squat man who had obviously indulged his appetites, bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet. "Would your presence here on Hapes be indicative of future aid on the part of the Chiss?"

Shawnkyr glared down at the man with her fiery eyes. "Colonel Fel and I are here solely as scouts for the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, not to fight your war."

Both officials frowned, the taller one replied. "That is unfortunate; we are terribly undermanned with our earlier losses in the war. Your experience would have been most helpful as we try to unite the varied forces coming into the Cluster from Coruscant. I fear history ensures we will be the next target for the Yuuzhan Vong advance now that we have allowed refugees into the system."

Jag frowned in turn. "My colleague is correct that we are here in a scouting capacity, but as long as we are on Hapes accepting your hospitality, I do not see any reason we cannot assist in patrols."

The mood of the officials rebounded, the pudgier fellow moved forward like he could hug either one of the pilots. Their stern stares halted the man in his tracks. He stuck out a hand instead. "Any pilots you can recruit, we will gladly outfit. Please let us know what your requirements are, if any."

The man probably would have rambled on, but Jag had places to go. "You will be hearing from me. If you will excuse us, I should check on the crew of the frigate analog."

Jag spun on his heel; Shawnkyr was barely a step behind as he headed directly for the frigate analog's berth. She spoke to him in their native Chiss tongue as long legs allowed her to catch him. "Why would you agree to render aid without express consent from the CEDF?"

Jag trudged on, never offering his second the courtesy of a sideways glance. "What I propose does not conflict with our directive and still allows us to offer our assistance where it is greatly needed. Our actions could only help the Chiss' standing among the New Republic. We cannot afford to be blind to the threat the Yuuzhan Vong pose to our own region of space and the need to ally ourselves against this foe."

Shawnkyr stopped. "The Chiss do not care how outsiders perceive us nor will we require the New Republic, or Imperial Remnant for that matter, to help protect what we have held strong for centuries. You are thinking like a human, not a Chiss."

Jag spun on his heel so he stood boot to boot with the taller pilot. "In case you forgot, I am human, but I have the heart of a Chiss. In accepting me, the Chiss have already accepted help from an outsider."

"You have proven your worthiness, and I am proud to call you a brother-in-arms, Jag. I cannot say the same for the members of the New Republic I have met."

Jag started back in the direction of the frigate. Shawnkyr matched him stride for stride. "You should reserve judgment. Maybe some of them will prove worthy of your respect."

The snap in his voice stifled a response as the frigate came into view. A pair of uniformed Hapans were escorting a repulsor sled out of the entrance to the vessel. A familiar voice halted Jag's approach.

"I wouldn't go over there just yet, Colonel."

Jag turned to see Kyp coming out of the shadows of a parked fighter. His eyes lacked the usual troublesome sparkle. Jag glanced back and immediately recognized the sled carried a body draped in a sheet.

"Is that her brother?"

Kyp moved closer, his step heavy. "One of them, I am sure. Whether it is Jacen or Anakin, I do not know."

Jag whipped his head back to face the Jedi Master, shock had found a way to creep into his expression. "I thought only Anakin died?"

Kyp shook his head. "All the Jedi felt Jacen pass. It was right before we went out to bring in the frigate analog."

Something did not add up for the young colonel. "So why was Leia Solo so composed? Does she know?"

Kyp's brow furrowed. "She is a strong woman, but I sense some denial. Leia has accepted Anakin's death, but her heart has not acknowledged Jacen's."

As Kyp spoke, a two-person speeder skimmed past, piloted by a grim Han Solo, his wife at his side. Before the vehicle had stopped, Leia had flung herself out. Her pace faltered until her feet were glued in place. Her attention was focused on the repulsor sled. A bedraggled Jaina emerged from a recess under the coral frigate, while a blonde girl sidled over by the sled, ending near Leia, just as Han came around from the speeder.

Jag watched as the mother wrapped her only surviving child in her arms. Vivid memories flashed behind his eyes of clutching his own mother after bringing home Davin's remains. A lump formed in his throat as festering wounds threatened to open and spill forth anew. He had clung to Syal like a lifeline; Jaina did just the opposite. She bristled, then pushed away, holding her mother at arm's length.

After a brief exchange, both parents moved to the repulsor sled. It was impossible for any of the observers to speak as they watched the proud woman uncover the face of her child. A quiet whisper escaped Kyp's lips.

"Anakin."

Jag knew better than most the pain of losing a sibling. He had lost two, but no amount of imagining could put him in Jaina's place, losing two brothers in the span of as many days, one brother a part of her life from the womb. Cherith had been closer to Jag than any of his other siblings, but even that was not the same.

He found comfort in the thought she, too, had the strength of a loving family to lean against, or so he believed. The tension between the remnants of the Solo family was palpable across the hangar. Even the usually unreadable Jedi gathering around Anakin's bier shifted uncomfortably at the heated exchange.

It was not long before Jaina was strutting away from her parents defiantly. Han Solo took off after his daughter, a mirror of her determination, but his wife stayed him with her hand. Kyp stepped forward on an intercept course. Jaina's glare could have melted an entire glacier on Csilla, but the Jedi Master was undaunted, standing directly in her path.

"Move out of my way, Kyp. I am in no mood for your perfidious ways. Not today, not ever."

Compassion, a rare companion of the green-eyed man, actually resonated in his voice. "Jaina, I know you are overwhelmed by the grief of your loss, but you need to let go of the emotions you are chewing on. I know what they can do to you."

"Those emotions are the only reason I know I am alive. Otherwise I would be a numb shell. The last person I need lecturing me on how to feel is you, Master Durron. I didn't kill my own brothers; I had them ripped right out of my life." Kyp cringed visibly at the verbal barb. "Anakin died saving me, and Jacen…"

Tears brimmed in her eyes. The words choked on her sobs. Jaina swatted the tears from her cheeks like they were hot caf burning her skin. She started to bolt past, but Kyp gripped her arm. She pulled back, dragging Kyp with her. Jaina exhibited considerable strength for such a tiny person. Kyp persisted, tightening his hold and digging in his feet.

"Kyp, let me go." Her words were a plea, filled with despair.

"I just want you to talk to someone. It doesn't have to be me. It could be Luke or Mara or Zekk. They all know what power these emotions have. At least…"

An overwhelming urge to come to Jaina's aid drove Jag forward. He was about to interfere where he was not wanted when Jaina jerked free of Kyp's hold. She stumbled from the force of her own actions, tumbling directly into Jag's arms. He grasped her around the torso and easily righted her.

Jaina caught her breath as Kyp closed in. For a split second, she gazed into Jag's eyes. He found a mirror reflecting all the sadness he had ever known. The deaths of Davin and Cherith rushed back, opening a hole in his soul. Then the connection was broken as a shroud dropped over her eyes, and Jaina was gone from his arms, running as fast as her feet would carry her.