You Get Me-Chapter 3
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Jacen found his twin sister right where he guessed she would be--- in a flight simulator. He alerted her through the Force that he wanted to speak with her as soon as she finished her latest practice run.
Sure thing, bro, she shot back to him right before blasting through the three remaining coralskippers on her screen. Soon enough the cockpit popped open and Jaina Solo hoisted her petite frame out, landing gracefully on the deck. As she pulled off her helmet, Jacen noticed how disheveled her hair was and chuckled. She never was one to bother with her appearance, and she didn't need to. Her innate cuteness and air of unflappable confidence still managed to turn a few heads even if a few hairs were out of place.
Once she drew nearer, however, he noticed something different. Even though they had just celebrated their twentieth Lifeday, the lines around Jaina's eyes made her look nearly ten years older. Both of them had experienced enough life for a fifty year old in less than half the time. Immediately, he wondered how old he looked, and his hand shot up to rub the scraggly beard on his chin. For the last year in captivity with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jacen hadn't paid much heed to his looks. The last thing a Vong wanted to accomplish was to look 'attractive', so mirrors and personal grooming products were nonexistent. However, one of the first things he had done once he returned was to take an extremely long, extremely hot shower. Cleanliness was a good thing even though he could probably do with a shave.
"I agree," Jaina stated as she walked up to him grinning, "you do need to shave. You're beginning to bear a striking resemblance to a scruffy looking nerfherder."
"Funny," he muttered flatly trying not to smile back.
"I can't help it. I was born this way," she added jokingly. "So, what's up? What did you need to talk to me about?" She slid her arm through his, and he patted her hand. It felt good to have her next to him, his other half.
"How much time do you have?" he asked. "I have a lot on my mind."
"For you, dear brother, I have all the time in the world." Although she said it teasingly, he knew she was being truthful. Finding one another again had brought them both closer than they'd ever been before. The last few weeks hadn't given them much alone time. Jaina and her squadron had been sent on a short mission, and Jacen had split his time between debriefing meetings with officials, visiting Vergere, and spending time with his parents. Leia couldn't seem to hug him enough, as if constantly reassuring herself that he was indeed alive and well.
Jaina offered her room, and they set off arm in arm. Jacen mentally sorted through the list of topics he'd written in his mind. It was overwhelming, so he just picked a starting point.
"Um, how about Jag Fel?" he began. Jaina nudged her elbow into his side. "Ow! That wasn't necessary," he scolded. "So, it's true? You two are an item?"
He noticed the faintest blush on her cheeks and knew the answer before she spoke it. "I guess," she acquiesced. "At least I think so. He's kind of hard to read sometimes."
"Has he kissed you?" Jacen continued as he studied her reddening face. She wouldn't look at him or say anything. "Well, your silence has answered that question."
"Next topic of conversation."
Jacen snickered and received another elbow in his ribs. "Okay! Okay!" he surrendered. "No more teasing you about your new boyfriend. Tell me about Anakin's funeral." The lighthearted mood instantly vanished. Jaina glanced up at her brother, now taller than just a year ago, and struggled to hold back the tears forming in her large brown eyes.
"I-I don't remember much," she admitted, hanging her head. "That was a bad time for me." They had reached her room and went inside. Jaina proceeded to tell Jacen of her near fall to the dark side after Anakin's death while he listened intently holding her hand and offering a hug every now and then.
"So, Kyp helped to pull you back?" he finally asked when she finished her story. "Kyp Durron?"
Through a sniffle, Jacen heard a chuckle. Apparently, he wasn't the first one to question the accuracy of her story.
"Yeah, it was Kyp. He's actually been really great through all of this, believe it or not. The war has changed him. it's changed all of us."
"Very true. very true," he added wistfully.
"Well, there's the lowdown on my big adventure. What about yours? What happened while you were gone?"
Jacen breathed in deeply and held it for a few seconds as he pondered her question. Slapping his knees, he exhaled and tried to figure out where to begin.
"It started in a bubble." For the next two hours, Jaina sat enthralled by all that her brother told her, not knowing that he had withheld some of the more disturbing details. At some points she wept. At others she felt the rage swell up within her at the thought of all her brother had endured. When he finally finished, she sat speechless unable to move.
"Jace," her voice began to break, "I'm. I'm so sorry." She threw her arms around her brother and cried--- for his pain, for her pain, and for the pain both knew was yet to come.
"It's going to be okay, Jaya," he soothed as he held his sister to him and smoothed her hair back. "Whatever happens. it's going to be okay. We can do this. We can do whatever it takes. That's what Anakin knew, and it's what Ganner figured out in the end."
Jaina's giggle was muffled in her brother's embrace. "Ganner," she chuckled. "Did Vergere really have a vision that he would be remembered as some giant hero?--- 'the' Ganner?" She pulled away and wiped her tears with her shirtsleeve.
Jacen snickered lightly. "Yeah. Can you believe it?" She grinned widely as she shook her head from side to side.
"Not really," she admitted.
"I know how you feel, but what he did. it saved my life. Ganner is a hero, just like he always wanted."
Again a serious tone settled between them, and a few awkward moments of silence passed before Jacen spoke again. "What about Tahiri?" he asked. "How has she been?"
"Tahiri?" Jaina replied and then shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
"You guess?" Jacen arched an eyebrow. "Does she talk to you?"
"Not really," Jaina admitted, "but then I'm not around much. She seems okay though. It's not like she's still bursting into tears at the mere mention of Anakin's name like she did for a while there. She was a mess for about a month or so, just like the rest of us. Now, though, she acts fine." "Hmm.," Jacen mumbled, deep in thought.
"What's that mean?"
"Just thinking. I'm a little worried about her. I'm sensing something's wrong, but I don't think she'd let on if there were. Anakin was her best friend. They were inseparable. Heck, she was almost like a part of our family. If she's not bonding with anyone else, well. that concerns me."
Jaina narrowed her gaze. "What are you going to do?"
"Just be available," he explained. "Let her know she has a friend. We all need a good friend, and since everyone except me has duties right now, I figure that friend will be. me."
Jaina snorted at his lopsided grin. "Lucky girl," she teased before clobbering him with a pillow.
Jacen found his twin sister right where he guessed she would be--- in a flight simulator. He alerted her through the Force that he wanted to speak with her as soon as she finished her latest practice run.
Sure thing, bro, she shot back to him right before blasting through the three remaining coralskippers on her screen. Soon enough the cockpit popped open and Jaina Solo hoisted her petite frame out, landing gracefully on the deck. As she pulled off her helmet, Jacen noticed how disheveled her hair was and chuckled. She never was one to bother with her appearance, and she didn't need to. Her innate cuteness and air of unflappable confidence still managed to turn a few heads even if a few hairs were out of place.
Once she drew nearer, however, he noticed something different. Even though they had just celebrated their twentieth Lifeday, the lines around Jaina's eyes made her look nearly ten years older. Both of them had experienced enough life for a fifty year old in less than half the time. Immediately, he wondered how old he looked, and his hand shot up to rub the scraggly beard on his chin. For the last year in captivity with the Yuuzhan Vong, Jacen hadn't paid much heed to his looks. The last thing a Vong wanted to accomplish was to look 'attractive', so mirrors and personal grooming products were nonexistent. However, one of the first things he had done once he returned was to take an extremely long, extremely hot shower. Cleanliness was a good thing even though he could probably do with a shave.
"I agree," Jaina stated as she walked up to him grinning, "you do need to shave. You're beginning to bear a striking resemblance to a scruffy looking nerfherder."
"Funny," he muttered flatly trying not to smile back.
"I can't help it. I was born this way," she added jokingly. "So, what's up? What did you need to talk to me about?" She slid her arm through his, and he patted her hand. It felt good to have her next to him, his other half.
"How much time do you have?" he asked. "I have a lot on my mind."
"For you, dear brother, I have all the time in the world." Although she said it teasingly, he knew she was being truthful. Finding one another again had brought them both closer than they'd ever been before. The last few weeks hadn't given them much alone time. Jaina and her squadron had been sent on a short mission, and Jacen had split his time between debriefing meetings with officials, visiting Vergere, and spending time with his parents. Leia couldn't seem to hug him enough, as if constantly reassuring herself that he was indeed alive and well.
Jaina offered her room, and they set off arm in arm. Jacen mentally sorted through the list of topics he'd written in his mind. It was overwhelming, so he just picked a starting point.
"Um, how about Jag Fel?" he began. Jaina nudged her elbow into his side. "Ow! That wasn't necessary," he scolded. "So, it's true? You two are an item?"
He noticed the faintest blush on her cheeks and knew the answer before she spoke it. "I guess," she acquiesced. "At least I think so. He's kind of hard to read sometimes."
"Has he kissed you?" Jacen continued as he studied her reddening face. She wouldn't look at him or say anything. "Well, your silence has answered that question."
"Next topic of conversation."
Jacen snickered and received another elbow in his ribs. "Okay! Okay!" he surrendered. "No more teasing you about your new boyfriend. Tell me about Anakin's funeral." The lighthearted mood instantly vanished. Jaina glanced up at her brother, now taller than just a year ago, and struggled to hold back the tears forming in her large brown eyes.
"I-I don't remember much," she admitted, hanging her head. "That was a bad time for me." They had reached her room and went inside. Jaina proceeded to tell Jacen of her near fall to the dark side after Anakin's death while he listened intently holding her hand and offering a hug every now and then.
"So, Kyp helped to pull you back?" he finally asked when she finished her story. "Kyp Durron?"
Through a sniffle, Jacen heard a chuckle. Apparently, he wasn't the first one to question the accuracy of her story.
"Yeah, it was Kyp. He's actually been really great through all of this, believe it or not. The war has changed him. it's changed all of us."
"Very true. very true," he added wistfully.
"Well, there's the lowdown on my big adventure. What about yours? What happened while you were gone?"
Jacen breathed in deeply and held it for a few seconds as he pondered her question. Slapping his knees, he exhaled and tried to figure out where to begin.
"It started in a bubble." For the next two hours, Jaina sat enthralled by all that her brother told her, not knowing that he had withheld some of the more disturbing details. At some points she wept. At others she felt the rage swell up within her at the thought of all her brother had endured. When he finally finished, she sat speechless unable to move.
"Jace," her voice began to break, "I'm. I'm so sorry." She threw her arms around her brother and cried--- for his pain, for her pain, and for the pain both knew was yet to come.
"It's going to be okay, Jaya," he soothed as he held his sister to him and smoothed her hair back. "Whatever happens. it's going to be okay. We can do this. We can do whatever it takes. That's what Anakin knew, and it's what Ganner figured out in the end."
Jaina's giggle was muffled in her brother's embrace. "Ganner," she chuckled. "Did Vergere really have a vision that he would be remembered as some giant hero?--- 'the' Ganner?" She pulled away and wiped her tears with her shirtsleeve.
Jacen snickered lightly. "Yeah. Can you believe it?" She grinned widely as she shook her head from side to side.
"Not really," she admitted.
"I know how you feel, but what he did. it saved my life. Ganner is a hero, just like he always wanted."
Again a serious tone settled between them, and a few awkward moments of silence passed before Jacen spoke again. "What about Tahiri?" he asked. "How has she been?"
"Tahiri?" Jaina replied and then shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
"You guess?" Jacen arched an eyebrow. "Does she talk to you?"
"Not really," Jaina admitted, "but then I'm not around much. She seems okay though. It's not like she's still bursting into tears at the mere mention of Anakin's name like she did for a while there. She was a mess for about a month or so, just like the rest of us. Now, though, she acts fine." "Hmm.," Jacen mumbled, deep in thought.
"What's that mean?"
"Just thinking. I'm a little worried about her. I'm sensing something's wrong, but I don't think she'd let on if there were. Anakin was her best friend. They were inseparable. Heck, she was almost like a part of our family. If she's not bonding with anyone else, well. that concerns me."
Jaina narrowed her gaze. "What are you going to do?"
"Just be available," he explained. "Let her know she has a friend. We all need a good friend, and since everyone except me has duties right now, I figure that friend will be. me."
Jaina snorted at his lopsided grin. "Lucky girl," she teased before clobbering him with a pillow.