Disclaimer: I own none of this. This all belongs to the George Lucas and
other folks/companies who are not me.
Callista walked up the ramp and onto the Jade Shadow, ignoring the people gathered around the ship. She only knew one of the several people out their and that person was occupied with their family and friends. Callista almost couldn't believe her luck. She was being transported to Shelter by Mara Jade. Surely something on this trip would expose the fact that Jade was not what she pretended to be. Even if no one else saw it, Callista would find the proof she needed. She had been even more delighted when she had heard that Jaina and her squadron were escorting them. Things were going perfectly for her, even better than she could have hoped.
Callista entered the room where Mara had instructed her to leave her belongings and begin to put everything away in the allotted spaces. A short rap on the doorjamb startled her and she whirled around to find Jaina standing in the door way.
"Is everything acceptable, Lady Callista?" She asked politely, but Callista could see that she was only asking because someone had instructed her to.
"Yes, thank you, Jaina," she said in a sympathetic voice, "I know you don't want to come, but I'm glad you are. This well be an excellent opportunity for you to further you force skills and receive proper training."
As she had expected, Jaina's eyes narrowed and flashed dangerously at the insult to her training and by extension, her instructor. Stepping forward in a manner that could only be called threatening, Jaina practically growled, "Callista the only reason I'm going on this mission is because I don't trust you and if you do try anything, know this. I and the other Jedi on Shelter will do anything necessary to stop you."
As she turned and walked away, Callista couldn't help but smile, Jaina was reacting just as she had hoped she would.
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Mara heard Callista come aboard and a few moments later the raised voices of her conversation with Jaina, but she ignored it, confident that her niece could take care of herself and too focused on the man that was watching her as she put away her own belongings. It was unusual for them to fight like this, with their time together filled with painful silences. Still Mara couldn't leave, especially not when she was going to see their son, with things still like this.
So she walked over to stand in front of her husband, who was leaning casually up against the wall and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll send you holos as soon as possible," she said, changing the topic to something that they could actually agree on.
He put one hand on her hip and raised the other to brush a piece of her red- gold hair out of her face. "I wish I could go with you," he said softly.
"I wish you could, too, Farmboy," she said wistfully. "It would be nice to have all of us together again."
He looked down slightly and when he looked back up to meet his wife's brilliant green eyes, he was suddenly serious. "Mara, I don't want to fight about this and I know you don't want to take Callista, but the Council thinks this is the best choice and so do I with a few reservations."
"Well, I don't agree with the Council," she bit out more harshly than she had intended because she softened her voice. "Listen, Luke, we both know we disagree on this subject. There's nothing more to say bout this." She paused and when she looked back up at him, he could see the vulnerability that she only showed around him. "I don't want to loose you over this, Luke, or to Callista, for that matter. I love you," she added. "Please don't do this to me Luke."
Finally realizing how much this whole situation with Callista was upsetting his wife, he pulled her closer to him. Gently he opened their force bond and let the love he felt for her, no matter how much they argued or disagreed, shine through. Not even ex-girlfriends or Sith lords could change that.
Leaning down, he kissed Mara, trying to show her, remind her, what he felt. When she pulled away from him, he said quietly, "Mara, I love you and I love Ben, more than anything else in the universe. Please, never doubt that.'
The smile that graced her face was brilliant. "I love you too," she said softly and then added, "Well at least I'm taking my competition with me," her usual sarcasm firmly in place.
"But you have no competition, Mara," Luke added quickly, "How could anyone compete against you, much less hope to win."
Mara smiled reassured by her husband's teasing words as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit. "C'mon Skywalker, let's go before you get too sappy and I'm forced to kill you."
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Jaina Solo was spending her last few minutes on Mon Calamari surrounded by the pilots that would be flying with her and maintenance personnel making various last minute inspections of the x-wings. She watched the hustle and bustle with an air of distraction, only breaking her silence now and then to shout an order at a passing being.
She was brought violently back to her present surroundings when a man wearing a flightsuit in nauseous clashing shades of neon yellow and green, came swaggering up to her. Bowing with such exaggeration that Jaina wasn't sure how he kept his balance, Wes Janson greeted her with his usual melodrama.
"May your most strikingly handsome servant bow before you oh most ravishing, glorious Goddess?"
"It seems like already are, Janson," she said harshly, not in the mood for him at the moment.
He looked around, mock astonished for a moment and then said with a cheerful smile. "It does appear that way, Goddes."
Looking away from him, she mentally reminded herself that Jedi were supposed to remain calm in all situations and the getting upset with Janson would only make him worse. "Why are you here, Wes," she asked in resignation.
He smiled his scary smile and said with his perpetual cheer, "Well I couldn't let you and Colonel Fel leave without a proper send off now could I?"
Something in his voice sounded entirely too helpful and interested in her wellbeing and it immediately set off warnings in her head. "Tell me what you did, Wes," she commanded desperation and anger warring in her voice.
Wes shook his head and wrapped a casual arm around her shoulders and began to lead her to the center of the large docking bay. Jaina didn't even bother to brush off his arm. To her surprise she saw her parents standing there with Kyp Durron.
"Mom, Dad," she said carefully, and then turned to face Kyp. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Kyp, but he simply shrugged as much out of the loop as she was. Wes had managed to slop away while she greeted her parents and Kyp, but he reappeared at her side as she noticed a crowd beginning to join them.
***I have a bad feeling about this,*** she sent Kyp, through the force. His attempt at mental reassurance wasn't all that reassuring.
"Ladies and Gentlebeings," Wes called out loudly, breaking into her silent exchange, "As most of you know, our very own Great One, the Goddess Jaina Solo, is leaving us for another assignment. Gather around as we give her a send off worthy of the Goddess Yun Harla, from beings who embody deception. They're short, they're furry, they're cute and they can take out stormtrooper battalions with rocks. Straight from the towering forests of Endor, I present you with the national band of the Ewoks."
As he finished speaking the crowd burst in to cheers and laughter and Han and Leia moved to positions on either side of their daughter, laying a hand on her arm that looked like a gesture of sympathy. In reality, it was to prevent Jaina from charging at Wes and doing serious bodily harm.
In growing horror, she watched as a small group of about a dozen Ewoks appeared in front of her on a makeshift stage and began what appeared to be a song and dance routine. To her surprise and further horror, they not only seemed to be singing in basic, but the song appeared to be custom tailored for this performance.
Jaina Solo, she's the Sword of the Jedi And a glorious Goddess She started as a Rogue and now 'Suns follow her lead And with her heart in song, she slays the Vong She flies without fear To save those near and dear
Jaina's face was turning red, whether from anger or embarrassment at Wes's very public prank, it wasn't quite clear. Kyp's suspicious coughing fit wasn't helping her temper any, either.
Fortunately for Jaina and Wes Janson for that matter, the Ewoks song was cut abruptly short, but an authoritative shout.
"All right, Janson, that's enough," Mara Jade Skywalker called out loudly as she walked towards them, Luke only a step behind her, "Tell them to stop. I'm leaving now, so I need Jaina and her pilots."
Jaina shot a thankful smile at her aunt as the Ewoks stopped immediately. She shot an imperious glare out at the heartily laughing crowd that sent the nearest people into immediate silence and then headed towards Wes with a malicious grin on her face.
Wes was already scrambling through the crowd when Mara spoke again, this time to her niece. "Not now, Jaina, we need to go." She smiled appeasingly and there was a glint of humor in her eyes. Jaina wasn't sure if it was at her own expense of Wes's. "It's okay," she added menacingly, "It can wait until we get back. You know what they say, revenge is best served cold."
Jaina nodded, but for a moment it seemed as if she were still contemplating going after him. Then she turned away and said sharply to the crowd, "Okay break it up people, I'm sure you all have duties elsewhere."
The majority of the crowd began to move away. Turning back to the people who remained, she saw only her pilots and her parents. Internally she grimaced at the thought of how bad that little stunt had been for discipline and then said firmly, "Well you heard the Jedi Master, get in your cockpits."
They all complied quickly with a few stifled snorts and coughs that she was fairly certain really weren't snorts of coughs at all. She quickly hugged her mother, without meeting Leia's eyes and mumbled her farewell quickly before she turned to her father, not in the mood for anything Leia might have to say.
She hugged her father, who murmured a quick, "Hang in there, Kid. I love you," in her ear, before she walked towards her x-wing. Today had not gone well. There had been her confrontation with Callista and then Janson's prank. Fortunately, Callista didn't seem to have heard it which Jaina was infinitely thankful for.
Without a backwards glance, Jaina climbed gratefully into the cockpit and pulled on her helmet, content to focus on the mission for the moment and not think about facing whatever Jag and Kyp's reaction was. The last thing Jaina heard before her cockpit snapped closed was Janson's voice in her ear, "I'll be waiting for your return. Oh and yub, yub, Goddess."
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Callista walked up the ramp and onto the Jade Shadow, ignoring the people gathered around the ship. She only knew one of the several people out their and that person was occupied with their family and friends. Callista almost couldn't believe her luck. She was being transported to Shelter by Mara Jade. Surely something on this trip would expose the fact that Jade was not what she pretended to be. Even if no one else saw it, Callista would find the proof she needed. She had been even more delighted when she had heard that Jaina and her squadron were escorting them. Things were going perfectly for her, even better than she could have hoped.
Callista entered the room where Mara had instructed her to leave her belongings and begin to put everything away in the allotted spaces. A short rap on the doorjamb startled her and she whirled around to find Jaina standing in the door way.
"Is everything acceptable, Lady Callista?" She asked politely, but Callista could see that she was only asking because someone had instructed her to.
"Yes, thank you, Jaina," she said in a sympathetic voice, "I know you don't want to come, but I'm glad you are. This well be an excellent opportunity for you to further you force skills and receive proper training."
As she had expected, Jaina's eyes narrowed and flashed dangerously at the insult to her training and by extension, her instructor. Stepping forward in a manner that could only be called threatening, Jaina practically growled, "Callista the only reason I'm going on this mission is because I don't trust you and if you do try anything, know this. I and the other Jedi on Shelter will do anything necessary to stop you."
As she turned and walked away, Callista couldn't help but smile, Jaina was reacting just as she had hoped she would.
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Mara heard Callista come aboard and a few moments later the raised voices of her conversation with Jaina, but she ignored it, confident that her niece could take care of herself and too focused on the man that was watching her as she put away her own belongings. It was unusual for them to fight like this, with their time together filled with painful silences. Still Mara couldn't leave, especially not when she was going to see their son, with things still like this.
So she walked over to stand in front of her husband, who was leaning casually up against the wall and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll send you holos as soon as possible," she said, changing the topic to something that they could actually agree on.
He put one hand on her hip and raised the other to brush a piece of her red- gold hair out of her face. "I wish I could go with you," he said softly.
"I wish you could, too, Farmboy," she said wistfully. "It would be nice to have all of us together again."
He looked down slightly and when he looked back up to meet his wife's brilliant green eyes, he was suddenly serious. "Mara, I don't want to fight about this and I know you don't want to take Callista, but the Council thinks this is the best choice and so do I with a few reservations."
"Well, I don't agree with the Council," she bit out more harshly than she had intended because she softened her voice. "Listen, Luke, we both know we disagree on this subject. There's nothing more to say bout this." She paused and when she looked back up at him, he could see the vulnerability that she only showed around him. "I don't want to loose you over this, Luke, or to Callista, for that matter. I love you," she added. "Please don't do this to me Luke."
Finally realizing how much this whole situation with Callista was upsetting his wife, he pulled her closer to him. Gently he opened their force bond and let the love he felt for her, no matter how much they argued or disagreed, shine through. Not even ex-girlfriends or Sith lords could change that.
Leaning down, he kissed Mara, trying to show her, remind her, what he felt. When she pulled away from him, he said quietly, "Mara, I love you and I love Ben, more than anything else in the universe. Please, never doubt that.'
The smile that graced her face was brilliant. "I love you too," she said softly and then added, "Well at least I'm taking my competition with me," her usual sarcasm firmly in place.
"But you have no competition, Mara," Luke added quickly, "How could anyone compete against you, much less hope to win."
Mara smiled reassured by her husband's teasing words as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit. "C'mon Skywalker, let's go before you get too sappy and I'm forced to kill you."
________________________________________________________________________
Jaina Solo was spending her last few minutes on Mon Calamari surrounded by the pilots that would be flying with her and maintenance personnel making various last minute inspections of the x-wings. She watched the hustle and bustle with an air of distraction, only breaking her silence now and then to shout an order at a passing being.
She was brought violently back to her present surroundings when a man wearing a flightsuit in nauseous clashing shades of neon yellow and green, came swaggering up to her. Bowing with such exaggeration that Jaina wasn't sure how he kept his balance, Wes Janson greeted her with his usual melodrama.
"May your most strikingly handsome servant bow before you oh most ravishing, glorious Goddess?"
"It seems like already are, Janson," she said harshly, not in the mood for him at the moment.
He looked around, mock astonished for a moment and then said with a cheerful smile. "It does appear that way, Goddes."
Looking away from him, she mentally reminded herself that Jedi were supposed to remain calm in all situations and the getting upset with Janson would only make him worse. "Why are you here, Wes," she asked in resignation.
He smiled his scary smile and said with his perpetual cheer, "Well I couldn't let you and Colonel Fel leave without a proper send off now could I?"
Something in his voice sounded entirely too helpful and interested in her wellbeing and it immediately set off warnings in her head. "Tell me what you did, Wes," she commanded desperation and anger warring in her voice.
Wes shook his head and wrapped a casual arm around her shoulders and began to lead her to the center of the large docking bay. Jaina didn't even bother to brush off his arm. To her surprise she saw her parents standing there with Kyp Durron.
"Mom, Dad," she said carefully, and then turned to face Kyp. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Kyp, but he simply shrugged as much out of the loop as she was. Wes had managed to slop away while she greeted her parents and Kyp, but he reappeared at her side as she noticed a crowd beginning to join them.
***I have a bad feeling about this,*** she sent Kyp, through the force. His attempt at mental reassurance wasn't all that reassuring.
"Ladies and Gentlebeings," Wes called out loudly, breaking into her silent exchange, "As most of you know, our very own Great One, the Goddess Jaina Solo, is leaving us for another assignment. Gather around as we give her a send off worthy of the Goddess Yun Harla, from beings who embody deception. They're short, they're furry, they're cute and they can take out stormtrooper battalions with rocks. Straight from the towering forests of Endor, I present you with the national band of the Ewoks."
As he finished speaking the crowd burst in to cheers and laughter and Han and Leia moved to positions on either side of their daughter, laying a hand on her arm that looked like a gesture of sympathy. In reality, it was to prevent Jaina from charging at Wes and doing serious bodily harm.
In growing horror, she watched as a small group of about a dozen Ewoks appeared in front of her on a makeshift stage and began what appeared to be a song and dance routine. To her surprise and further horror, they not only seemed to be singing in basic, but the song appeared to be custom tailored for this performance.
Jaina Solo, she's the Sword of the Jedi And a glorious Goddess She started as a Rogue and now 'Suns follow her lead And with her heart in song, she slays the Vong She flies without fear To save those near and dear
Jaina's face was turning red, whether from anger or embarrassment at Wes's very public prank, it wasn't quite clear. Kyp's suspicious coughing fit wasn't helping her temper any, either.
Fortunately for Jaina and Wes Janson for that matter, the Ewoks song was cut abruptly short, but an authoritative shout.
"All right, Janson, that's enough," Mara Jade Skywalker called out loudly as she walked towards them, Luke only a step behind her, "Tell them to stop. I'm leaving now, so I need Jaina and her pilots."
Jaina shot a thankful smile at her aunt as the Ewoks stopped immediately. She shot an imperious glare out at the heartily laughing crowd that sent the nearest people into immediate silence and then headed towards Wes with a malicious grin on her face.
Wes was already scrambling through the crowd when Mara spoke again, this time to her niece. "Not now, Jaina, we need to go." She smiled appeasingly and there was a glint of humor in her eyes. Jaina wasn't sure if it was at her own expense of Wes's. "It's okay," she added menacingly, "It can wait until we get back. You know what they say, revenge is best served cold."
Jaina nodded, but for a moment it seemed as if she were still contemplating going after him. Then she turned away and said sharply to the crowd, "Okay break it up people, I'm sure you all have duties elsewhere."
The majority of the crowd began to move away. Turning back to the people who remained, she saw only her pilots and her parents. Internally she grimaced at the thought of how bad that little stunt had been for discipline and then said firmly, "Well you heard the Jedi Master, get in your cockpits."
They all complied quickly with a few stifled snorts and coughs that she was fairly certain really weren't snorts of coughs at all. She quickly hugged her mother, without meeting Leia's eyes and mumbled her farewell quickly before she turned to her father, not in the mood for anything Leia might have to say.
She hugged her father, who murmured a quick, "Hang in there, Kid. I love you," in her ear, before she walked towards her x-wing. Today had not gone well. There had been her confrontation with Callista and then Janson's prank. Fortunately, Callista didn't seem to have heard it which Jaina was infinitely thankful for.
Without a backwards glance, Jaina climbed gratefully into the cockpit and pulled on her helmet, content to focus on the mission for the moment and not think about facing whatever Jag and Kyp's reaction was. The last thing Jaina heard before her cockpit snapped closed was Janson's voice in her ear, "I'll be waiting for your return. Oh and yub, yub, Goddess."
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