Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Author's note: Sorry for the delay, everyone. I've been having difficulties with fanfiction.net lately. I'm going to start trying to post regularly on Monday's and Friday's so tune back in Monday for more.
Jag could feel the muscles in his hand weakening from exhaustion and from the damage that Callista had inflicted on his nervous system. He clenched the blaster more tightly in his grip, refusing to give in to the weakness of his body.
Jacen seemed to be changed, different from the person that had tried to kill his twin sister, but Jag still didn't trust him- not with Jaina and especially not with the power that Jacen now wielded so casually.
Jacen stared at him and his wold defiance and laughed. With an almost negligent slap, Jacen knocked the blaster out of his hand. Jag's reflexes were a fraction of a second slower than normal, but he still responded quickly. Even as Jacen was knocking the blaster out of his hand, Jag responded by landing a solid punch to Jacen's face.
Jacen responded with two brutal blows to Jag's midsection as if Jag's punch hadn't even hurt him. In an instant it had turned into a fast moving brawl, a flurry of exchanged blows.
"Stop." The word seemed to make the air around them vibrate with power. Both men obeyed the command instantly and against all of their instincts. The air pressed down at them, forcing them back away from one another. Everything trembled with tension as the two men face each other, still waiting for the fight to resume.
Mara stepped boldly between the two of them, her hands spread out from sides, using the Force to keep Jacen and Jag apart. "Jacen." The young man didn't even blink as he continued to stare fiercely at Jag.
Mara's eyes snapped with anger, despite her weakened condition. "We don't have time for this." Her words slashed through the air like the sharpest of vibroblades. "Jaina needs medical attention almost as much as I do and we have to get off of this planet before she can receive the care that she needs. If you're both fighting because you love her, then shouldn't one of you step aside before you lose her for good?"
"He tried to kill her, Mara. I won't let that happen."
"Jag," the word was soft, a mere whisper, but it caught the intensely focused Colonel's attention immediately.
It made him look away from Jacen without a second of hesitation. He turned his back on his opponent and dropped down beside Jaina, pressing a kiss on the hand that he quickly clutched in his. "Darling," he whispered softly, the old term of endearment coming quickly back to his lips.
Her lips twisted into a small smile for him alone and then she tried to rise into a sitting position. Jag gently but powerfully pushed her back, not allowing her to get up. Frustration and irritation flashed in her eyes, but she didn't try to do anything else for the moment.
"You have several broken ribs, Jaina. You don't need a punctured lung."
"Then let Jacen carry me."
Jag's reply was instant. "No. I don't trust him, Jaina. Not with you."
"Do you trust me?" Her voice was low and soft, but not was any false pretenses.
"Yes," again the reply was instantaneous.
"Then trust me when I say that Jacen will not harm me. Or you." Even through the pain that she was feeling and the distracting sensations that the Force was flooding her with, Jaina felt his disbelief. "He didn't use his lightsaber," she said quickly, as if that explained it all.
Her eyes left Jag's, but her thumb continued to caress his hand where their fingers were laced together. She looked up at Mara. "Can you finish this? Are you-"
Mara cut her off before Jaina's voice could falter. "Of course I can, Jaina. I will get us off of this planet." Her words carried an unspoken promise.
Jaina rose from where she was laying, carefully pushing herself up on her elbows, superceding Jag's protests. "Promise me that you won't die," her voice was challenging, demanding the response that she sought. "Swear to me on Ben's life that you won't sacrifice yourself for this mission-"
"Like Anakin sacrificed himself." It was Jacen who completed the thought in a rare display of their unique bond.
Mara's eyes, like Jag's, flickered back in forth between them. "I promise that I will follow the will of the Force."
Jaina met her aunt's gaze intensely, searching for something in Mara's eyes until she was satisfied with what she saw. She nodded at Mara and relaxed back into Jag's supporting embrace. She glanced at Jacen, then. "Can you get us out of here?"
"Yes." Her brother's reply was blunt. At least that much had changed about Jacen.
Her grip on Jag's hand tightened fractionally as Jag started to protest. Leaning carefully on Jag, shifting her weight nd her body precisely, Jaina rose to a standing position beside him. Like Mara she drew the Force around her closely to support her and guide her. With deliberate purpose she opened her bond with Jacen. She savored their mental closeness for a moment. It wasn't as if something she had lost had been returned to her, it was as if a gaping wound had been healed and returned to its perfect whole state.
Can you help Mara, the thought flowed effortlessly from one mind to the other.
I can. Even through their mental connection, Jacen was keeping their conversation short and blunt. As reassuring and open as their Force bond was, he was also blocking her out in some ways. It was startling and unsettling and it forced Jaina to wonder just how much Jacen had changed.
Her reply, however, reflected none of her worries about her twin. She was keeping things from him as well. Thank you, Jasa.
His response wasn't words, but a wave of sensation. It wrapped around her in a familiar and comforting mental embrace. The wordless message brought a smile to her face and gave her unexpected streght. It washed her doubts away and soothed her fears. She spoke aloud this time, for Jag and Mara's benefit. "Lead the way, brother dear."
Author's note: Sorry for the delay, everyone. I've been having difficulties with fanfiction.net lately. I'm going to start trying to post regularly on Monday's and Friday's so tune back in Monday for more.
Jag could feel the muscles in his hand weakening from exhaustion and from the damage that Callista had inflicted on his nervous system. He clenched the blaster more tightly in his grip, refusing to give in to the weakness of his body.
Jacen seemed to be changed, different from the person that had tried to kill his twin sister, but Jag still didn't trust him- not with Jaina and especially not with the power that Jacen now wielded so casually.
Jacen stared at him and his wold defiance and laughed. With an almost negligent slap, Jacen knocked the blaster out of his hand. Jag's reflexes were a fraction of a second slower than normal, but he still responded quickly. Even as Jacen was knocking the blaster out of his hand, Jag responded by landing a solid punch to Jacen's face.
Jacen responded with two brutal blows to Jag's midsection as if Jag's punch hadn't even hurt him. In an instant it had turned into a fast moving brawl, a flurry of exchanged blows.
"Stop." The word seemed to make the air around them vibrate with power. Both men obeyed the command instantly and against all of their instincts. The air pressed down at them, forcing them back away from one another. Everything trembled with tension as the two men face each other, still waiting for the fight to resume.
Mara stepped boldly between the two of them, her hands spread out from sides, using the Force to keep Jacen and Jag apart. "Jacen." The young man didn't even blink as he continued to stare fiercely at Jag.
Mara's eyes snapped with anger, despite her weakened condition. "We don't have time for this." Her words slashed through the air like the sharpest of vibroblades. "Jaina needs medical attention almost as much as I do and we have to get off of this planet before she can receive the care that she needs. If you're both fighting because you love her, then shouldn't one of you step aside before you lose her for good?"
"He tried to kill her, Mara. I won't let that happen."
"Jag," the word was soft, a mere whisper, but it caught the intensely focused Colonel's attention immediately.
It made him look away from Jacen without a second of hesitation. He turned his back on his opponent and dropped down beside Jaina, pressing a kiss on the hand that he quickly clutched in his. "Darling," he whispered softly, the old term of endearment coming quickly back to his lips.
Her lips twisted into a small smile for him alone and then she tried to rise into a sitting position. Jag gently but powerfully pushed her back, not allowing her to get up. Frustration and irritation flashed in her eyes, but she didn't try to do anything else for the moment.
"You have several broken ribs, Jaina. You don't need a punctured lung."
"Then let Jacen carry me."
Jag's reply was instant. "No. I don't trust him, Jaina. Not with you."
"Do you trust me?" Her voice was low and soft, but not was any false pretenses.
"Yes," again the reply was instantaneous.
"Then trust me when I say that Jacen will not harm me. Or you." Even through the pain that she was feeling and the distracting sensations that the Force was flooding her with, Jaina felt his disbelief. "He didn't use his lightsaber," she said quickly, as if that explained it all.
Her eyes left Jag's, but her thumb continued to caress his hand where their fingers were laced together. She looked up at Mara. "Can you finish this? Are you-"
Mara cut her off before Jaina's voice could falter. "Of course I can, Jaina. I will get us off of this planet." Her words carried an unspoken promise.
Jaina rose from where she was laying, carefully pushing herself up on her elbows, superceding Jag's protests. "Promise me that you won't die," her voice was challenging, demanding the response that she sought. "Swear to me on Ben's life that you won't sacrifice yourself for this mission-"
"Like Anakin sacrificed himself." It was Jacen who completed the thought in a rare display of their unique bond.
Mara's eyes, like Jag's, flickered back in forth between them. "I promise that I will follow the will of the Force."
Jaina met her aunt's gaze intensely, searching for something in Mara's eyes until she was satisfied with what she saw. She nodded at Mara and relaxed back into Jag's supporting embrace. She glanced at Jacen, then. "Can you get us out of here?"
"Yes." Her brother's reply was blunt. At least that much had changed about Jacen.
Her grip on Jag's hand tightened fractionally as Jag started to protest. Leaning carefully on Jag, shifting her weight nd her body precisely, Jaina rose to a standing position beside him. Like Mara she drew the Force around her closely to support her and guide her. With deliberate purpose she opened her bond with Jacen. She savored their mental closeness for a moment. It wasn't as if something she had lost had been returned to her, it was as if a gaping wound had been healed and returned to its perfect whole state.
Can you help Mara, the thought flowed effortlessly from one mind to the other.
I can. Even through their mental connection, Jacen was keeping their conversation short and blunt. As reassuring and open as their Force bond was, he was also blocking her out in some ways. It was startling and unsettling and it forced Jaina to wonder just how much Jacen had changed.
Her reply, however, reflected none of her worries about her twin. She was keeping things from him as well. Thank you, Jasa.
His response wasn't words, but a wave of sensation. It wrapped around her in a familiar and comforting mental embrace. The wordless message brought a smile to her face and gave her unexpected streght. It washed her doubts away and soothed her fears. She spoke aloud this time, for Jag and Mara's benefit. "Lead the way, brother dear."