Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Author's note: About the monday/Friday update schedule. I was able to update daily on this site for a while because I already had these updates posted on another site. Now I've pretty much caught up so you get the updates as I have time to write them.

Something else. One of Kyp's lines in here is very similar to a classic line in ESB. I noticed it after I had written it, but it worked and I couldn't think of anything else, so it stayed. Just wanted to mention that.

Jaina Solo jerked to consciousness with a loud yell as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her securely.

"Jaina, Jaina, it's okay. Relax, Goddess. You're safe. Everything's okay." It took a moment for the deliberately calm voice to register in Jaina's mind.

"Kyp," she breathed his name like a sigh of relief. She immediately stopped struggling against him, but didn't relax in his arms. She couldn't relax, not yet. Not while there was still so much that she didn't know. The question foremost in her mind tumbled quickly off of her lips. "What- How are you alive? I saw the explosion. I saw Shimrra destroy your x-wing."

He placed a hand gently over her lips and smile. "It's okay, Jaina. I'm here now." In her relief at seeing him, she missed the strange emphasis that he had placed on his words. "When you get back," he said slowly, "I don't want you to blame yourself for this, Jaina. This was my choice and despite the consequences, I don't regret it."

"What choice, Kyp? What are you saying?"

He shot her a wry grin, almost like the Kyp of old. "Search your feelings, Jaina. You know the truth. There was no way that anyone could have made it past Shimrra's creation."

Her eyes flashed, full of anger and denied emotion. "No. Not you, Kyp." A tear escaped her eyes and trickled slowly down her cheek. "I need you, Kyp," she said imploringly. "I need your guidance and support."

He shook his head, growing more serious. "You don't." He said firmly. "You'll be fine now, Goddess. You have Fel. He will be there for you as long as you let him. Jacen is back. You can help one another heal the damage done by this war."

"You are my partner- no one can replace you."

"No one will, Goddess," he reassured her solemnly.

"Kyp," her voice trailed off, leaving her words unspoken. There was so much she wanted to say to him.

thankyouIloveyouwhydidyoudothisIhateyouyouchangedmylifethankyou

"I know, Goddess," he said quietly, meeting her brown eyes with a hint of apology. He shrugged pragmatically. "I have less people to miss me, Jaina. No parents to mourn the loss of another child or no person to mourn the loss of a significant other," he looked at her pointedly and a hint of mischieviousness shown through in his eyes. "It's better this way, Goddess, and besides," he added, "I have a feeling that the galaxy may still need your help." He took a deep breath and held a hand out to her, sensing her continued misgivings. He needed her to accept this. "I can see you're not convinced. Let me show you something."

She looked at him skeptically, but placed her hand in his without hesitation. The moment their hands connected, Jaina gasped loudly. She was, she realized, seeing this as Kyp did and it was nothing she had ever imagined or experienced. The Force was every where, every thing and every one. It truly encompassed all things, regardless of dark or light. It was more than she could grasp. The usual comforting sense of security that she felt when the Force was flowing through her was nothing compared to this.

In the next instant, it was gone. She blinked futilely several times, until she could focus solidly on Kyp again. "That was..." she faltered for words to describe the experience.

He nodded in understanding. "I have to go soon," he said not hiding the slight edge of regret in his voice. His demeanor suddenly lost the calm, quiet feel that he had displayed since she had been there. Kyp stared at her now with intense focus, looking more like the Jedi Master who had been her partner than the changed man she had been speaking to. "Promise me something, Goddess." He didn't wait for her to speak. "Promise me that you won't push Fel and your family away again because of this." He smirked, "Live for both of us and," he paused looking at her speculatively, "trust yourself, Jaina. You have some great destiny. The Force has a plan for you, Goddess, one that could determine the fate of the Galaxy. I've sensed that about you for years. Embrace it, don't fight it."

He sketched a mocking half-bow at her as he had so many times before and said, "Good bye, Goddess." In the next instant, Kyp Durron, Jedi Master, was one with the Force.

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It was the noises that woke her, the familiar sounds of a hyperdrive in use and the hum of mechanical technology. She recognized her immediate surroundings almost instantly- she had been in enough med bays through the years, after all- but Jaina continued to lie there. She had woken gently, hazily, but it hadn't taken long for the realities of her world to come back to her. She reached quickly into the Force, hoping desperately that it had all been a nightmare, searching for someone. Someone, she realized a moment later, that she would never find. The sudden sense of Kyp's utter absence and the realization of his death, drained her and left her feeling so incredibly alone.

Kyp had been her best friend, her mentor and her sometimes protector, although she would never admit that she truly needed to be protected at times.

"Welcome back, Colonel Solo," a tired voice cut into her thoughts.

She looked blankly at the Imperial medic, a stiff and slightly balding man that looked exhausted beyond endurance. He looked at her without really seeing her. "Your injuries weren't too severe and a day in bacta healed them easily. We were only keeping you until you woke." He handed her a clean uniform, switched off the monitors on the med bunk and turned to walk out without another word.

The man's sudden, impersonal treatment seemed to shock Jaina into some semblance of her usual behavior. "Hey, Doc, wait!"

The man paused but didn't turn to face her. "Yes, Colonel?"

There were so many questions that Jaina wanted answered, but this man was obviously not her best source of information. She quickly decided on the question weighing most heavily on her mind. "Where are the people who were brought in with me, Master Jade Skywalker, Colonel Fel and Jedi Solo?"

The medic finally turned to face her. "In the past day and a half, Colonel, I've had over 150 injured patients in here, brought in by the dozens. Some people are from different ships or military services, not to mention the prisoners from that planet. I don't have the time to keep up with my patients much less your friends."

Jaina glared angrily, but the man had already walked away. As she pulled on a fresh uniform, Jaina swayed slightly to her frustration and sank back against the bunk.

"Jaina?" The voice was achingly familiar. She winced as she turned so quickly to face Jag that her still tender ribs protested.

"Jag!" She was so relieved to see him that she forgot about military dignity, his aversion to public displays of affection and her own dislike of showing any weakness in public and quickly embraced him.

His arms wrapped around her tightly, simply glad that they were both still alive. She pushed back from his embrace slightly, but didn't move from his arms. He reached a hand up to her face, gently stroking her cheek and then leaned down to kiss her tenderly. It was a kiss full not of passion, but of love and grief. She pulled away from the kiss slowly and reluctantly.

Beside her, she could feel Jag struggling, looking for words to voice the unspeakable. "Kyp," he began and then faltered. He didn't want to be the one to give her this news.

"I know," she said with more vehemence than she had intended. They let a silent moment pass between them.

"Will you be okay?" Jag asked her quietly and she was glad for the way that he had phrased the question.

She was most certainly not fine at the moment, but in time.... Kyp had made her promise that she would be okay eventually and she didn't intend to break that promise. She nodded slowly against his chest. "I know this will sound strange," she said as they slowly began to walk, "But Kyp made me promise to keep living and not just survive." She turned slightly to look into his pale green eyes. With uncharacteristic emotional honesty, she added, "But it simply seems so hard at times. Help me?"

It was a request that Jag had never heard Jaina make before. It was an admission of vulnerability that surprised him, but didn't make him think any less of her. "Always."

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Despite their injuries and all that they had lost, Jain and Jag found themselves in a deserted conference room quickly catching up on the logistics of their situation. They were the leaders of this Insider's mission.

It was, however, a very informal conference, as Jaina sat next to Jag, her fingers laced comfortably through his, while Jag caught her up.

"Mara is still in a bacta tank. The med droids said that she was due for at least another day of bacta therapy and then her progress would determine what they tried next."

Jaina's worry and concern showed clearly on her face. "She'll be fine, though?"

"They think so eventually. She was badly injured. The med droids said that was she did shouldn't have been possible for a human to survive."

"It wasn't," Jaina admitted, "Not without using the Force the way that she did." She paused and then added, "We'll need to contact Uncle Luke as soon as we reach Bastion. He'll already know, but it will help Mara to know that he's on his way."

Jag nodded, squeezing her hand gently and wishing he could offer her something more in the way of reassurance. "I had also prepared a small statement to be sent to your parents, notifying them that your brother was returning with us, in case you hadn't woken up by the time we left hyperspace, but you can contact them yourself now, if you wish." His words were strangely formal as he spoke.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, managing her largest smile since she had woken, "I think Jacen and I will probably talk to them together."

He didn't comment and instead picked up the first in a stack of datapads that they needed to go over, but she didn't miss the hesitation in his eyes.

"What," she asked forcefully, but gently, "What's wrong?"

He met her gaze unflinchingly, but with a hint of caution. He was well aware of both of their stubborn natures and quick Corellian tempers. It could be a volatile combination even at the best of times. "I don't trust Jacen." He had expected her to react quickly and furiously, protective of her brother. "He has too much power," Jag continued, "Power that we know nothing about and his mental condition isn't stable. He tried to kill you, Jaina and he almost succeeded. He's been tortured and played with by Shimrra for years. He should be out of his mind now."

"He's better now." Her words held only a small fraction of the defensiveness that he had expected. "Somewhat. I know it's hard for you to believe, but some of that damage has already been healed. That's why he didn't kill me." She looked into his eyes, hoping that he could see how much she wanted him to believe her. "I know he's changed," she added, "And so have I. I don't know how much he has changed yet, but something tells me that he will be okay." She paused to emphasize her next words. "He's my twin, Jag. I can't not trust Jacen. I have to help him as much as I can, but I will promise you that I will be careful."

It wasn't the answer that Jag had wanted but it was honest and more of a concession from Jaina than he had hoped for. "Thank you."

She leaned in closer to him and he met her lips without hesitating, drawing her into a deep kiss.

An exclamation of unbridled rage jerked them apart.

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