Disclaimer: I'm tired of writing these things, see the previous chapters.
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Her words echoed strangely in Jag's ears. When he had first begun to think of Jaina as more than a friend or colleague, he had been very conscious of the competition that Kyp represented. It wasn't the fact that Kyp had been the only other man that liked Jaina, because most of the eligible males had been interested in her; it was the fact that Kyp had the force. Jag was well aware of the bond that could form between Jedi couples and it was one thing he couldn't offer Jaina. It had almost surprised him when Jaina had chosen him and not Kyp.
He realized he had been silent for a long moment, when he saw the beginnings of a very worried look on Jaina's face. He reached a hand out to her and said gently, but firmly, "Jaina, I care about you, very much and I don't care about the fact that you have skills I don't, not unless that matters to you."
Jaina' shook her head in response, smiling in relief as she did so. "No, you know my father isn't force sensitive, either," she gave a rueful laugh, "and sometimes I think he's the sanest one in the family!"
With that issue out of the way, Jag took the opportunity to ask the question that had been nagging at him. "Do you have a problem with the fact that my father's an Imperial Baron and I will inherit that title if I survive this war?"
To his surprise, Jaian answered immediately. "As the granddaughter of Darth Vader, I don't think I have any room to throw stones about that." She shrugged, "It might not make my parents that happy, but I don't really care."
Their eyes locked and they shared a look whose intensity surprised them both. As Jaina met his mesmerizing green eyes, both of them were reminded of the moment, they had shared in the deserted hangar bay above Chad. As they sat facing one another on the small couch, Jaina was forced to consider the true nature of her feelings for Jag. She realized something, now that frightened her. She loved Jagged Fel. She was in love with him. The thought sent a jolt of adrenaline through her veins that only doubled her urge to run far away as quickly as possible. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't allowed. What had she been thinking? She couldn't care about Jag, not like that. It was a liability and she couldn't afford another liability.
Almost as soon as her minor freak out began, it was over, ended by the one constant in Jaina's life, duty. "Colonel Solo," purred a generic military voice over her comm. link. "Please report immediately to conference room five."
"Acknowledged," Jaina said automatically. "Jag, I..." she trailed off. Her recent epiphany had thrown her emotions into a jumble of feelings that it was impossible for her to express.
Seeming to read her mind or at least, sensing her confusion, he raised one hand and placed a finger gently on her lips. "Shh. It's okay, Jaina. Just go," he added gently, "We'll talk later."
She managed a weak but genuine smile and a small nod before she walked out of the door.
________________________________________________________________________
When Jaina walked into the room, she was surprised to see a lone Lieutenant standing stiffly at the back of the room.
"Lieutenant," she questioned, trying to hide her confusion, "I was under the impression that there was going to be a meeting here."
"No, Ma'am," he gulped nervously, obviously an officer fresh out of training, "I mean not to my knowledge, Colonel. I was asked to deliver your orders to you, Ma'am."
Taking the datacard he held out, Jaina looked at it and quickly entered her access codes. "Who actually issued these orders, Lieutenant," she questioned as she began skimming through them.
"I received the order to bring these to you from General Antilles, ma'am, but I was under the impression that this was being done at Master Skywalker's request."
Jaina nodded and then said dismissively, "Thank you, Lieutenant."
The calm controlled nature of her words belied what she was really thinking. These orders weren't what she wanted or quite frankly what she thought was necessary for the war effort. Not only would these orders involve her in something she had been trying to avoid, but they would also take her out of the action, and taking a break was something her family had been nagging her about since the battle at Ebaq 9. These orders looked like Callista's dream come true.
[b]Colonel Solo, take half of Twin Suns Squadron. Your new assignment is to escort the [i]Jade Shadow[/i] to Shelter and then provide Mara Jade Skywalker, Lady Callista and the Shelter officials assistance with anything they deem necessary.[/b]
Her orders were short, to the point, and the last thing in the galaxy that Jaina wanted to do. There was only one thing to do about it though and that was to go straight to the source.
Five minutes later, Jaina once again knocked patiently on the door to the Skywalker quarters. Furious with her uncle, she walked past Mara, with only a nod of acknowledgement as she made her way towards Luke. She threw the datacard with her orders down on the table.
"Why Twin Suns?" She demanded without preamble. "Callista's spent the last few days harassing me and I don't want anything to do with or with her."
Not even opening his eyes, Luke retained his meditative pose. He didn't respond to Jaina and the silence began to drag out. Jaina knew what he was doing. It was a common teaching practice at the Jedi Academy used for young trainees. The silence unnerved them and drained them of their anger. Within moments they would begin to fidget.
Jaina was almost insulted that he was using that tactic on her. "Fine," she said calmly and turned away from him, "but I'm starting to think Kyp had a point. You really are turning into an old hermit won't do anything."
Luke's head snapped up at that, hurt by his neice's comment. "You don't know the whole picture, Jaina. You're still young, yet. Some things are revealed only through age and experience that you have yet to gain."
The words surprised Jaina and only added fuel to her indignation. Her Uncle had always taught his students that all Jedi were equal and to question, not simply, blindly accept. "I might not be the most philosophical Jedi, Uncle Luke, but I see enough of the picture to know that despite having skills we need, Callista is leaning at least a little bit towards the Darkside and you want to send her to Shelter with all of the Jedi children including your own son!" Her voice was incredulous and she turned to look at her aunt.
At the mention of Ben, Mara had paled and Jaina could see the tension that flowed through her veins.
"Jaina," Luke said standing, looking older than she had ever remembered him looking before, "I know this is hard for you, but Shelter is the only location secure enough for Callista's safety from the Vong. And, as for the security of the students, I'm not yet convinced that Callista is a threat, but if she is the presence of the other Jedi there should ensure their safety." He sighed in what Jaina realized was exhaustion. "This will go ahead with or without your participation, Jaina, but I would happier if you consented. It is the will of the force."
Jaina locked eyes with her uncle for a moment and then turned to look at Mara. "What do you say about this Mara?"
The look in her eyes, clearly told Jaina that Mara was conflicted about this, but she replied steadily if slightly enigmatically, "Jaina, I want you with me. I don't trust Callista," her eyes flicked towards Luke and Jaina heard what she left unsaid. [i] 'Not like Luke trusts her'[/i] "What she's teaching is important and we need to at least give her a chance."
Jaina's feelings about the subject were so intense that a bad feeling didn't even begin to cover it. Still she nodded. Her objections had been noted and as a Jedi and a Solo there was no way that she was walking away from this. "Fine," she said shortly, "but if anything happens, this was not my idea." Jaina walked out of the room, leaving behind a tense, uncomfortable silence that Luke and Mara were thankfully unused to.
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Her words echoed strangely in Jag's ears. When he had first begun to think of Jaina as more than a friend or colleague, he had been very conscious of the competition that Kyp represented. It wasn't the fact that Kyp had been the only other man that liked Jaina, because most of the eligible males had been interested in her; it was the fact that Kyp had the force. Jag was well aware of the bond that could form between Jedi couples and it was one thing he couldn't offer Jaina. It had almost surprised him when Jaina had chosen him and not Kyp.
He realized he had been silent for a long moment, when he saw the beginnings of a very worried look on Jaina's face. He reached a hand out to her and said gently, but firmly, "Jaina, I care about you, very much and I don't care about the fact that you have skills I don't, not unless that matters to you."
Jaina' shook her head in response, smiling in relief as she did so. "No, you know my father isn't force sensitive, either," she gave a rueful laugh, "and sometimes I think he's the sanest one in the family!"
With that issue out of the way, Jag took the opportunity to ask the question that had been nagging at him. "Do you have a problem with the fact that my father's an Imperial Baron and I will inherit that title if I survive this war?"
To his surprise, Jaian answered immediately. "As the granddaughter of Darth Vader, I don't think I have any room to throw stones about that." She shrugged, "It might not make my parents that happy, but I don't really care."
Their eyes locked and they shared a look whose intensity surprised them both. As Jaina met his mesmerizing green eyes, both of them were reminded of the moment, they had shared in the deserted hangar bay above Chad. As they sat facing one another on the small couch, Jaina was forced to consider the true nature of her feelings for Jag. She realized something, now that frightened her. She loved Jagged Fel. She was in love with him. The thought sent a jolt of adrenaline through her veins that only doubled her urge to run far away as quickly as possible. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't allowed. What had she been thinking? She couldn't care about Jag, not like that. It was a liability and she couldn't afford another liability.
Almost as soon as her minor freak out began, it was over, ended by the one constant in Jaina's life, duty. "Colonel Solo," purred a generic military voice over her comm. link. "Please report immediately to conference room five."
"Acknowledged," Jaina said automatically. "Jag, I..." she trailed off. Her recent epiphany had thrown her emotions into a jumble of feelings that it was impossible for her to express.
Seeming to read her mind or at least, sensing her confusion, he raised one hand and placed a finger gently on her lips. "Shh. It's okay, Jaina. Just go," he added gently, "We'll talk later."
She managed a weak but genuine smile and a small nod before she walked out of the door.
________________________________________________________________________
When Jaina walked into the room, she was surprised to see a lone Lieutenant standing stiffly at the back of the room.
"Lieutenant," she questioned, trying to hide her confusion, "I was under the impression that there was going to be a meeting here."
"No, Ma'am," he gulped nervously, obviously an officer fresh out of training, "I mean not to my knowledge, Colonel. I was asked to deliver your orders to you, Ma'am."
Taking the datacard he held out, Jaina looked at it and quickly entered her access codes. "Who actually issued these orders, Lieutenant," she questioned as she began skimming through them.
"I received the order to bring these to you from General Antilles, ma'am, but I was under the impression that this was being done at Master Skywalker's request."
Jaina nodded and then said dismissively, "Thank you, Lieutenant."
The calm controlled nature of her words belied what she was really thinking. These orders weren't what she wanted or quite frankly what she thought was necessary for the war effort. Not only would these orders involve her in something she had been trying to avoid, but they would also take her out of the action, and taking a break was something her family had been nagging her about since the battle at Ebaq 9. These orders looked like Callista's dream come true.
[b]Colonel Solo, take half of Twin Suns Squadron. Your new assignment is to escort the [i]Jade Shadow[/i] to Shelter and then provide Mara Jade Skywalker, Lady Callista and the Shelter officials assistance with anything they deem necessary.[/b]
Her orders were short, to the point, and the last thing in the galaxy that Jaina wanted to do. There was only one thing to do about it though and that was to go straight to the source.
Five minutes later, Jaina once again knocked patiently on the door to the Skywalker quarters. Furious with her uncle, she walked past Mara, with only a nod of acknowledgement as she made her way towards Luke. She threw the datacard with her orders down on the table.
"Why Twin Suns?" She demanded without preamble. "Callista's spent the last few days harassing me and I don't want anything to do with or with her."
Not even opening his eyes, Luke retained his meditative pose. He didn't respond to Jaina and the silence began to drag out. Jaina knew what he was doing. It was a common teaching practice at the Jedi Academy used for young trainees. The silence unnerved them and drained them of their anger. Within moments they would begin to fidget.
Jaina was almost insulted that he was using that tactic on her. "Fine," she said calmly and turned away from him, "but I'm starting to think Kyp had a point. You really are turning into an old hermit won't do anything."
Luke's head snapped up at that, hurt by his neice's comment. "You don't know the whole picture, Jaina. You're still young, yet. Some things are revealed only through age and experience that you have yet to gain."
The words surprised Jaina and only added fuel to her indignation. Her Uncle had always taught his students that all Jedi were equal and to question, not simply, blindly accept. "I might not be the most philosophical Jedi, Uncle Luke, but I see enough of the picture to know that despite having skills we need, Callista is leaning at least a little bit towards the Darkside and you want to send her to Shelter with all of the Jedi children including your own son!" Her voice was incredulous and she turned to look at her aunt.
At the mention of Ben, Mara had paled and Jaina could see the tension that flowed through her veins.
"Jaina," Luke said standing, looking older than she had ever remembered him looking before, "I know this is hard for you, but Shelter is the only location secure enough for Callista's safety from the Vong. And, as for the security of the students, I'm not yet convinced that Callista is a threat, but if she is the presence of the other Jedi there should ensure their safety." He sighed in what Jaina realized was exhaustion. "This will go ahead with or without your participation, Jaina, but I would happier if you consented. It is the will of the force."
Jaina locked eyes with her uncle for a moment and then turned to look at Mara. "What do you say about this Mara?"
The look in her eyes, clearly told Jaina that Mara was conflicted about this, but she replied steadily if slightly enigmatically, "Jaina, I want you with me. I don't trust Callista," her eyes flicked towards Luke and Jaina heard what she left unsaid. [i] 'Not like Luke trusts her'[/i] "What she's teaching is important and we need to at least give her a chance."
Jaina's feelings about the subject were so intense that a bad feeling didn't even begin to cover it. Still she nodded. Her objections had been noted and as a Jedi and a Solo there was no way that she was walking away from this. "Fine," she said shortly, "but if anything happens, this was not my idea." Jaina walked out of the room, leaving behind a tense, uncomfortable silence that Luke and Mara were thankfully unused to.