[A/N: Alas my baby has come to an end. I have to say this is some of my favorite work and I hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I have. Thanks again to Hoya94, Zara and Lex for the beta help.]

EPILOGUE

HELLO, GOODBYE

The first hues of the dawning sun pinked the deep azure of the Hapan sky as Colonel Jagged Fel guided his clawcraft toward the particular portion of the landing zone reserved for Vanguard Squadron. The battle for supremacy in the Hapan System had been won late in the evening, and his volunteer band of pilots had more than done their part to earn that victory. Jag had missed flying with them, but he felt no less pride in their accomplishment, especially for his friend Shawnkyr, who had proven she was a worthy commander in her own right. So several hours earlier, Jag had ordered Vanguard Squadron back to the planet for a much-deserved rest, leaving mop-up duties to some of the Hapan units.

Lining up with the last open berth, the point in a pyramid formation, the standard Chiss arrangement, Jag could not help the beginnings of a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. In leaving him the position of honor, his best friend had offered Jag a sort of peace offering after their falling out only a day earlier.

Only a day earlier. Jag wondered if that could possibly be right. In the time since Jag had squared off with his second-in-command, he had snuck into the Palace, taken on the Hapan who had attacked Han Solo, been shot, endured torture, given up on Jaina and…

With the last thirty feet in his descent left, repulsors firing, Jag nudged his foot rudder and allowed the fighter to spin slowly in a move worthy of an Academy cadet. A move that was only performed once and then never again after a flight instructor, always tall on discipline and short on a sense of fun, leveled swift punishment – kitchen duty to be exact – for using a fighter as a toy. But then Jag had no reason to fear a tall, blue-skinned flight instructor and the grim reproach wielded like a weapon by said instructor. Today, Jag had proven he was more than worthy of command. And if he wanted to spiral through the landing, well that was what he would do.

The final approach may not have met Chiss standards, but the actual touchdown would have scored high marks. If the landing strut indicators did not show full load, Jag might have wondered what had happened to the ground below. The lack of any jolting was a welcome relief. He was not sure how much more battering his body could take.

Jag ran through the post-flight powerdown as a matter of course, then removed his helmet. He hung the black plasteel shell on its hook above his head and groaned as ribs screamed their protest. Perhaps serving as the Fleet commander had been for the best with the condition he found himself in. Jag had endured a lot of suffering as a pilot and soldier, most of it in training meant to harden and numb the mind and body when the need arose, but nothing could have prepared him for the emotional and physical battery he had been subjected to in the last day.

Gingerly, Jag climbed out of his cockpit, then slid along the hull to the ground. His breath left him for a moment before he managed to will away the pain to some deep recess of his mind. Squaring his shoulders, Jag spared one final look at his clawcraft. Satisfied the fighter had sealed itself, he started to step off in the direction of his office. A true bed would have been desirable but sleep was even more so. Jag would simply crash on the couch for a couple hours, saving the wasted time of travelling across the city. That way he could rise early and deliver a status report to the queen.

"The Force was with you today, Colonel Fel."

Jag swept his step around to face the voice. Tenel Ka, wrapped in an ornate cloak, stepped out of the shadows between two nearby fighters. Her fiery red hair was plaited in an intricate pattern, glistening as bright as the crown resting within it. Waiting further back, two royal guards hid conspicuously in the darkness.

Snapping his feet together, Jag managed a formal bow despite the weary aches of his body. "Your Majesty, I am honored by…"

Tenel Ka's upheld hand cut him short. A sort of grin formed on her face. "Please. This queen business is tiresome even in its infancy. Can we just be Jag and Tenel Ka?"

Jag tipped his head. "As you wish, Your…uh, Tenel Ka."

Sweeping her hand upward, she said, "Would you walk with me?"

"Certainly."

They strolled in comfortable silence across the landing zone. Tenel Ka definitely had a destination in mind as she wound among the many silent ships and fighters, many showing fresh plasma scarring from the day's battle. On occasion they would see a technician scurrying from one place to the next, but the queen and her companion were given wide berth because of the stern stares from the trailing guards.

"The Hapan people will be forever indebted to you, Jag. And I will be most of all."

Jag kept up the rhythmic cadence of his step as he pondered a response. Initially, as he had flown up to meet the secret Hapan fleet hidden in the Transitory Mists, Jag had wondered why Tenel Ka had given him command. He was a starfighter commander by nature, not a fleet officer. Of course, a basic understanding of fleet tactics had been ingrained into him early on and the principles of engagement were similar, fleet protocols operating on a much grander scale obviously. But he had soon realized his appointment had nothing to do with his skill set and everything to do with Tenel Ka needing someone in command whom she could trust implicitly. And with that realization came a heavy burden.

Thankfully, Jag's training had served him well. He had not failed Tenel Ka's faith.

"I was happy to serve, happy to have been asked to serve."

Tenel Ka stopped, and Jag turned to face her. "It is nice to know I can still count on friends as my responsibilities increase. It makes my burden easier."

"It is nice to know I have a friend here in the Known Regions. Growing up among the Chiss did not lend itself to friendships beyond the camaraderie of those I served with. I have wondered if I would be accepted."

"You have more than one friendship in the making, my friend."

Her gray eyes shifted away. Jag followed her gaze until his eyes stopped at the sight of a small Hapan freighter. He spotted the small figure of a woman sitting on the edge of the lowered ramp, her legs pulled into her chest and her chin on top of her knees. Even in the dim light of morning he would have known Jaina anywhere.

"She wanted to leave, but I restricted all non-military traffic until dawn. My friend underwent many changes today, most for the better. She needed time to rest and regroup. Master Durron needed time to heal as well before they headed out on their next journey. She waits for him now. I am going to say farewell to my friend before he arrives. I thought you might like the chance to do the same."

Jag nodded mutely.

Tenel Ka placed her hand on his arm. Jag tore his gaze away from the Hapan freighter and met his new friend's solemn stare. "May the Force be with you, Jag, as you continue your fight. We, the people fighting for the New Republic, are lucky to have you as an ally. You may not think one man can make a difference, but as a Jedi I know better. You will make a difference."

"I don't know where I will go from here. I may have to return to the Unknown Regions. As it is I have overstepped my mandate," Jag answered flatly. They were the words he should have said, but they sounded hollow in his own ears.

Tenel Ka offered a rare wistful smile. "You will stay and fight because it is what is right, for you." Jag flapped his mouth in protest, but the queen asserted herself. "You are a man ruled by the heart, not the dictates of others."

Her hand moved from his arm to rest solidly against the plane of his chest, directly over his beating heart. Tenel Ka shut her eyes for a moment as if she were taking in the whole of his being in the simple action. After several heartbeats, she opened them again and tipped her head. "Farewell, Jag."

Before Jag could reply in kind, Tenel Ka had spun on her heel and marched off proudly, her head held high. The best he could figure that was the way she had wanted it to be.

As the queen closed the distance to the Hapan freighter, Jaina remained curled up on the ramp. Not until Tenel Ka reached the ship did she give any indication of noticing the queen's arrival. Jaina unfolded her legs slowly and rose. Even standing, Jaina somehow looked smaller, like she took up less space than her usual bold personality, which tended to outshine everyone around her. In that moment, some piece of Jag wanted to cross the distance and wrap Jaina into himself, to give her back whatever it was she had lost over the course of the day.

His mind naturally drifted back to that unfinished thought from before. He had given up on Jaina at some point in the last day, but as the battle had raged across the Hapan system, Jag had found his thoughts had turned to her of their own accord. He had done his job, but always in the back of his mind, he had managed to monitor of the battle waged by the Trickster coral frigate with Jaina at the helm.

What she had done was pure genius coupled with pure madness, right until the moment when it appeared as if the frigate was a loss. Out of nowhere Kyp Durron had sacrificed his fighter to intercept the plasma volleys meant to finish off Jaina. Jag knew undeniably then that he, too, would have given as much, if not more, to keep her safe.

He had not given up on her. His faith had only been shaken. The ties that bound him to Jaina were unquestionable and powerful. He held no sway over his heart in the matter.

And that was the one fact he was learning to accept. His heart truly was capable of simply more than pumping blood; it was certainly able to assert a driving force behind his decisions and wrestle with his brain if the occasion arose.

Growing up, Jag had tried to rectify the man his father was most of the time and the man his father was around his mother. He knew his father had been a man of the land and that circumstances beyond his control were what led him to become the most revered fighter pilot in the galaxy. But the man underneath would not have been much different were he an agriduster pilot or a TIE fighter jock. Soontir Fel was Soontir Fel, driven to excel, a force to be reckoned with.

Although General Baron Soontir Fel could take off his military mantel and become a father to Jag and his siblings, there had always been some of that rigidity and structure welded into the relationship with all his children. Jag's father loved his children like he approached everything, with discipline and fervor. But there was another man that Jag had only seen glimpses of, a private man.

Jag never failed to notice the softness and air of serenity that seemed to wash over his father the moment his mother stepped into a room. There was a look in his eye that until now had been indefinable. Yet Jag was certain he had entertained that same soothing calm only days before when he had held Jaina in his arms.

It was an odd sensation he had experienced. It had taken all the bloodshed and hardship experienced early in Jag's short life and smoothed out the sharp edges, which never stopped digging into his soul. Davin and Cherith's deaths had opened deep wounds Jag never thought would mend, and they never would he supposed. But with Jaina cradled to his body, their deaths hurt less, the ache dulled and was replaced by hope and something else, something completely new and wonderful.

Probably one of the best things to come from all these eye-opening, life-defining realizations was that Jag was forming a better understanding of his father. That softening in the General's cold eyes was no longer foreign because Jag was sure, even as he watched Jaina wrap her friend in a hug, that his eyes were undergoing much the same transformation.

Just then, the two friends parted, and Jaina held something out to the queen. Tenel Ka waved away the offering and instead pointed in Jag's direction. Jaina's gaze swept in the path indicated by Tenel Ka's outstretched hand until her eyes locked into his. And though some forty paces separated Jag from Jaina, he was certain he could read those brown depths and the sadness buried within them.

On a subconscious level, Jag registered Tenel Ka's departure. On a conscious level, he registered the movement of his feet, more because he could make out greater detail in her delicate features with each passing step than because of the knowledge that his feet were actually moving. The odd part was that time passed in slow-motion and quicker than imaginable until he was standing before her.

"Hello, Jaina."

"Hey."

Jaina's eyes were watery, and a single tear slipped past when she blinked. With the back of her hand she batted it away and giggled over a sniffle. Jag could not find the words to ask what exactly it was that troubled her, so he simple raised his hand and traced the tear's track with his thumb. Her eyes closed halfway, and she turned her cheek into his palm for an instant. Then she backed away.

"I'm sorry." Jaina waved after the direction of Tenel Ka's exit. "I guess saying goodbye was harder than I thought."

"You do not have to apologize to me."

Jaina crossed her arms self-consciously across her chest, her shoulders were held close to her ears. "Yes, I do actually." She shuffled her feet and glanced down to watch them. "I've acted like a real jerk to you." She met his gaze and shrugged her shoulders even higher. "There's a reason I am not a diplomat. I am sure I have done nothing to improve Chiss relations."

"I think Chiss relations are doing just fine. It is another relation I am more concerned about."

"And what exactly is that?" she asked curiously.

"You and me."

"Oh."

"You see I cannot say I have had a lot of friends growing up on Csilla, well not human friends at least, and I am not sure exactly how this all works, but I thought maybe…"

"We could be friends?" Jaina finished hesitantly.

"Yes."

Jaina uncrossed her arms and wound her hands together at waist level. "I don't have a lot of friends either. Tenel Ka has been one of my best friends, and I did a fine job of almost screwing that up. And Zekk, he's a friend, but sometimes it's hard to be his friend because he wants more than I could ever give. And there's Lowie, but he wouldn't care if I stole another Suncrusher…" Her rambling abruptly trailed off, and Jaina dropped her hands to her side. "I would like that…to be your friend."

Jag exhaled a sigh he had not known existed until the breath left his lungs. And he found that he was doing something rare for him. He smiled, truly smiled. At least that is what he thought he felt. Things were happening way too fast to be sure.

"Good," he said. Then he held out his hand as if to shake on it.

Jaina eyed his hand curiously. Her grin turned on its side, in an imitation of her father's cocky smirk and Jaina stepped forward. Her hands wrapped around his waist, and Jag was frozen in place as she brought her cheek to his chest. When she spoke he felt the distinct vibrations of her voice inside him.

"Friends in the Known Regions can share a hug, especially when one of the friends sort of needs it."

Jag was not sure how long he had stood with his arms held out from his side, but soon enough they found their way around Jaina of their own accord. There was something natural about holding her against him, like she was meant to fit to his body alone.

The moisture of a tear soaked into Jag's flightsuit and seared his flesh. He said nothing. He did close his eyes so he could memorize the feel of her, every curve and nuance burned into his brain to be recalled later. He was not sure if and when there would be a next time. When she spoke again the words were barely a whisper.

"We usually hug when the time comes to say goodbye, too."

Jag refused to let go as more tears spread across the material between them. He placed his chin on top of her brown, freshly shampooed hair and waited until he found his voice again.

"Where will you go?"

"To the Jedi shelter, then to Borleias. Tenel Ka got word that some part of the Fleet that fled Coruscant is making a stand there. I think I can make a difference."

"You will."

"I hope."

Jag pulled away then and stared into Jaina's eyes. She released him and tried to banish the tears. To her, they may have been a weakness; to Jag, they were a gift. His voice was firm as he spoke.

"You will make a difference."

She swallowed and tipped her head. "I will make a difference." Then, she formed a sort of half-hearted smile. "For Anakin and Jacen's sake." She inhaled one deep breath before continuing. "Where will you go from here?"

"Where I can make a difference," Jag answered noncommittally, but he already knew where he was headed.

"You know, I heard General Antilles was running the show on Borleias."

"Really? Mother sent me back with several datacards to deliver to my uncle. Maybe I could bother you to deliver them…"

"Wasn't your father stationed there? On Borleias?"

"Yes, he was. He enjoyed his time on the planet to a point. I recall him speaking highly of the biotics facility." Jag paused, then arched an eyebrow. "I wonder if…No. Probably not."

"You wonder what?" Jaina asked expectantly.

Jag decided he liked that look on her. "I just wondered if my uncle would have use for a squadron of volunteer pilots…"

"You mean Vanguard Squadron?"

"Is there another?"

"No. I mean, I would expect so. Yes, he can always use someone with your talents. You would make a difference for sure." Jaina grinned. "And you could hand-deliver those datacards from your mother."

"She would like that. Still, there are many reasons for me to head back to Csilla."

"Don't go." Her eyes begged more than the words as she pressed on. "There are too few with your skills. We need you. I…"

"Yes?"

"I ne…" Jaina slammed her mouth shut and let out an exasperated grunt.

Jag did not need to hear the words to know what she meant. Someday when she was ready, he would hear them. He was willing to wait until that time. Instead, he chuckled lightly at the beauty of the pout on her lower lip, mostly to deflate an overwhelming need to take that lip between his own. On a whim, he leaned over and placed a feathering of a kiss on Jaina's forehead. When Jag pulled away she was staring up at him, her mouth agape and voiceless.

"That was acceptable among friends? Correct?"

Jaina nodded.

"Good. I thought I had overstepped my bounds for a second." Jag heard the distinct clipping of boots some distance away. He knew instinctively it was Kyp Durron. Jag intended to speak to Kyp separately, away from Jaina, so his time with her was drawing to a close much faster than he had hoped. He pursed his lips, then forced a subtle smile meant for her alone. "I had better go prepare a message to send to my father. He will want to be kept up-to-date on my status."

There was a fraction of a second where the expression of a frightened, little girl flashed across her face. "What if he tells you to return home?"

"He won't."

"How do you know? Didn't you tell me he was your commanding officer?"

"He is."

"So how can you be so sure he won't just overrule your decision to go to Borleias? He holds no love for your uncle."

"That is true, but there is a distinction you are overlooking. I said I was going to prepare a message to my father." She blinked several times but the light of understanding never ignited in her eyes as they wavered back and forth in concern. Jag gathered her hands into his, noting how truly right that felt. "Okay this is going to probably be a foreign concept to you, but if I report to my father directly at home and not his position in the Syndic, he cannot address me as my commanding officer. As his son, I am beyond the age of submission in Chiss society. He cannot make me do what I choose not to. It is not entirely a forthright way to deal with the situation, but it will allow me the freedom to keep him informed without endangering my plans. Does that make sense?"

Jaina grinned as his words formed a clear idea in her mind. "Perfect sense. Why Jagged Fel, I think you have the makings of a Rebel after all."

"Coming from you, Jaina, I will take that as a compliment."

Jaina's eyes roamed past him. She, too, had noticed Kyp's arrival, and she gently plied her hands from his. She reached into a pocket on her flightsuit and produced a datcard. "Here," she said while shoving the disc into his empty hand. "When I didn't think I would see you again, I prepared a message."

Jag tucked the datacard away in his chest pocket. "Thank you. I promise to read it later." He paused, and the silence was deafening for that moment. "I suppose this is goodbye for now, Jaina Solo."

"Clear skies, Jagged Fel." She had sent him away with an age-old Chiss blessing. They had talked about it on one of those many nights spent strategizing in his office. It warmed his heart that she had remembered.

He stole one last look, then about-faced sharply, steeling back into the disciplined pilot's mind before he lost his composure. Several long, determined steps carried Jag over to where Kyp had chosen to remain unobtrusively while they had said their farewell. Jag drew himself up before the Jedi Master, imparting the man with all the respect he was due.

"I am indebted to you."

Kyp's eyes swept past Jag to where Jaina waited at the base of the ship's ramp. "For saving her?"

"Yes. Today I learned that I may have severely misjudged you."

Kyp snorted. "I'm still the Destroyer of Carida, Jag. I have done terrible things in my life. That fact will never change. You may do right by judging me unfavorably. I certainly wouldn't hold it against you, not from a man with such unwavering standards as yourself."

Jag studied Kyp quickly. Something about the Jedi had changed dramatically since their last parting. Kyp had the look of a man who had finally found a mirror and not liked what he discovered in its reflection. That fact did not change what Jag had to say.

"The Chiss have a saying – A man who learns from his failings is a better man than one who has never failed. For you, I have to believe that is true. And that does not change the fact that I now owe you."

Kyp mouth twisted into a rue smile. "Jag Fel owing me - I like the sound of that."

"I suppose you would."

"I tell you what, we share a mutual concern for my apprentice over there. You go over and give her a reason to look forward to tomorrow, and we'll call it even."

Kyp stuck out his hand, and Jag accepted it. They shook once, then it was Jag's turn to smile. "It is done. So we are even."

"Done?"

"You heard me. If you don't believe me, go ask her yourself."

Kyp's squinting, green eyes drilled right into Jag. "I think I will." He started to stalk off, then paused after only one step. "I'll see you around, Jag."

"I am sure you will.

Kyp looked as if he wanted to question that response. Instead, he strode over to where Jaina waited at the bottom of the ramp. Their conversation was inaudible, but Jag knew by the grin on Jaina's face and Kyp's dumbfounded stare that the Jedi had gotten his answer.

Jag flipped his hand up in a casual wave, and Jaina did the same. Her presence was not so dim anymore. Not larger than life, but definitely brighter. And Jag knew he had something to do with that. As he turned to walk away, Jag knew her upheld palm was definitely not a goodbye, simply a fresh start.

THE END

TKL/zr