Chapter Three!
(A.N. Wow! I didn't think I'd get NEARLY these many reviews! Thanks guys! I'll update as much as possible)
Tyanna had a looked at her grandmother with worry. "What happened next?" She whispered.
Jaina shrugged. "We chased after them of course. For three years in fact."
"What about the war?" Tyanna sat beck in her chair.
"We considered our children's safety more important. But eventually I had to return to lead the Jedi Fleet."
Tyanna pulled her long black hair over her left shoulder. "What about Grandfather?"
Jaina sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "He never stopped, or rested, or looked back."
"How long?"
Jaina rubbed her cold hands together. "Four years. I hardly saw him over that time. And we became distant."
"How DID you ever learn where my mother and uncle was?"
"One of our close friends named Tenil Ka. Do you remember her?"
Tyanna bit her lip. "She married your brother, Jason. Right?"
"Yes. She heard through endless lines of smugglers, pirates, and all-around good fellas that there was a spice-lord named Yurric had our children. He had kept them all those years as some sort of a trophy. Like two dangerous creatures he had captured." Jaina sighed, closing her eyes.
"What did you do?"
Jaina paused. "Regrouped. And I have to tell you it was strange. The oddness only intensified when we set off."
***(((THE LIGHTNING RODE)))***
Jaina glanced up as Zekk walked in from the main cockpit.
"We're in hyperspace, and we'll be there in about twelve hours." Zekk paused, looking down at her. Then, giving up that she'd say anything, he sighed rubbing his left temple. "I'm going to get some sleep."
Jaina watched him leave, then made herself follow him. She needed to talk, but it felt so odd. He was acting like a complete stranger. "Where have you been lately?" She asked as they stepped into the sleeping quarters.
Zekk sat on a bunk, looking up at her tiredly. "Lately?" He lay down, his back to her. "Kessle. Spice Mines. Any other questions?"
Jaina's jaw had dropped. Her children had been in spice mines? However, since Zekk hadn't found them, they had left before he had got to them. So they couldn't have stayed too long. "No." She whispered hoarsely.
"Good." Zekk replied. "Now be quiet. I'm tired." Zekk motioned toward the light-switch was, and instantly the room was dark.
Jaina folded her arms. Well, he wasn't helping. That was for sure. Quietly, she slipped onto the bed beside him.
"There's another bunk you know." Zekk mumbled.
"I'm your wife, what are you worried about?" There was a pause, and if Jaina hadn't heard his irregular breathing she would have guessed he was asleep. She reached out, rubbing his back. Through the Force she felt him shudder.
"What are you doing?" He asked, through his weariness fearing that a secret might be discovered.
"Your back is tense." Jaina answered. Now, she knew just what he was hiding. Zekk's ribs stood out even through his sweatshirt. Whatever he'd been doing lately, it certainly wasn't eating. She ran her fingers up, touching the back of his neck and feeling that he had a high temperature.
"I'm sorry." Zekk whispered.
His statement was startling, and Jaina paused. "For what?" Her voice was gentle, and barely a whisper.
"It was my fault." Zekk answered, a shudder going through him.
Jaina knew just what he was talking about, but this was the first time he had ever talked about it like this.
"No." Jaina said. "Zekk, you didn't." She nudged him, and he turned to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her close. Jaina felt the years that they had been apart dissolve, and she sighed with relief. However, she couldn't help but notice that he was incredibly thin. He was still strong, but wiry and starved. Suddenly, she wished she hadn't left him alone. "I should have stayed." Jaina whispered.
Zekk didn't say anything. He only held her tighter.
"I can still feel them." Jaina whispered, thinking about the twins. "I can hear them laughing and playing."
"You are stronger than I am Jaina." Zekk mumbled. "I can only hear their echoes."
Jaina grimaced, closing her eyes and rubbing his back. She rested her head against his chest. He wasn't well. "Go to sleep." She whispered, nudging his consciousness gently with the Force. "Zekk, you need to sleep."
He shuddered again, drawing in a deep breath. Then, he relaxed into steady breathing. Jaina looked and saw that he was asleep. Leaning up, she kissed him softly, brushing some hair out of his face. Then, she closed her eyes, and in minutes fell asleep. She knew Zekk needed to get better very soon. Anyone who could keep her children hidden for so long from her and Zekk, would have to be very smart. She had a feeling that they would both need all of their strength.
(((()))))********(((()))
Tyanna nodded, wondering just how she had never heard this story before. Perhaps it was too painful for her mother to tell it? Or was it simply buried in her grandparents memories like a sad story never wanting to be told. "Was Yurric smart, like you suspected?"
Jaina nodded. "Oh yes. Sadly. But I have learned since then never to second- guess my own hunches."
"What was the matter with Grandfather?"
Jaina licked her incredibly dry lips, feeling a familiar pain in her heart. "A strange form of cancer. He picked it up in the Spice mines. It left him alone most of his life, but eventually returned when he was older."
"Was it harder than usual to rescue them?" Tyanna asked.
Jaina nodded. "Yes. Harder than anything else I remember."
-To BE CONTINUED!
(Next chapter going to be full of action!)
(A.N. Wow! I didn't think I'd get NEARLY these many reviews! Thanks guys! I'll update as much as possible)
Tyanna had a looked at her grandmother with worry. "What happened next?" She whispered.
Jaina shrugged. "We chased after them of course. For three years in fact."
"What about the war?" Tyanna sat beck in her chair.
"We considered our children's safety more important. But eventually I had to return to lead the Jedi Fleet."
Tyanna pulled her long black hair over her left shoulder. "What about Grandfather?"
Jaina sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "He never stopped, or rested, or looked back."
"How long?"
Jaina rubbed her cold hands together. "Four years. I hardly saw him over that time. And we became distant."
"How DID you ever learn where my mother and uncle was?"
"One of our close friends named Tenil Ka. Do you remember her?"
Tyanna bit her lip. "She married your brother, Jason. Right?"
"Yes. She heard through endless lines of smugglers, pirates, and all-around good fellas that there was a spice-lord named Yurric had our children. He had kept them all those years as some sort of a trophy. Like two dangerous creatures he had captured." Jaina sighed, closing her eyes.
"What did you do?"
Jaina paused. "Regrouped. And I have to tell you it was strange. The oddness only intensified when we set off."
***(((THE LIGHTNING RODE)))***
Jaina glanced up as Zekk walked in from the main cockpit.
"We're in hyperspace, and we'll be there in about twelve hours." Zekk paused, looking down at her. Then, giving up that she'd say anything, he sighed rubbing his left temple. "I'm going to get some sleep."
Jaina watched him leave, then made herself follow him. She needed to talk, but it felt so odd. He was acting like a complete stranger. "Where have you been lately?" She asked as they stepped into the sleeping quarters.
Zekk sat on a bunk, looking up at her tiredly. "Lately?" He lay down, his back to her. "Kessle. Spice Mines. Any other questions?"
Jaina's jaw had dropped. Her children had been in spice mines? However, since Zekk hadn't found them, they had left before he had got to them. So they couldn't have stayed too long. "No." She whispered hoarsely.
"Good." Zekk replied. "Now be quiet. I'm tired." Zekk motioned toward the light-switch was, and instantly the room was dark.
Jaina folded her arms. Well, he wasn't helping. That was for sure. Quietly, she slipped onto the bed beside him.
"There's another bunk you know." Zekk mumbled.
"I'm your wife, what are you worried about?" There was a pause, and if Jaina hadn't heard his irregular breathing she would have guessed he was asleep. She reached out, rubbing his back. Through the Force she felt him shudder.
"What are you doing?" He asked, through his weariness fearing that a secret might be discovered.
"Your back is tense." Jaina answered. Now, she knew just what he was hiding. Zekk's ribs stood out even through his sweatshirt. Whatever he'd been doing lately, it certainly wasn't eating. She ran her fingers up, touching the back of his neck and feeling that he had a high temperature.
"I'm sorry." Zekk whispered.
His statement was startling, and Jaina paused. "For what?" Her voice was gentle, and barely a whisper.
"It was my fault." Zekk answered, a shudder going through him.
Jaina knew just what he was talking about, but this was the first time he had ever talked about it like this.
"No." Jaina said. "Zekk, you didn't." She nudged him, and he turned to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her close. Jaina felt the years that they had been apart dissolve, and she sighed with relief. However, she couldn't help but notice that he was incredibly thin. He was still strong, but wiry and starved. Suddenly, she wished she hadn't left him alone. "I should have stayed." Jaina whispered.
Zekk didn't say anything. He only held her tighter.
"I can still feel them." Jaina whispered, thinking about the twins. "I can hear them laughing and playing."
"You are stronger than I am Jaina." Zekk mumbled. "I can only hear their echoes."
Jaina grimaced, closing her eyes and rubbing his back. She rested her head against his chest. He wasn't well. "Go to sleep." She whispered, nudging his consciousness gently with the Force. "Zekk, you need to sleep."
He shuddered again, drawing in a deep breath. Then, he relaxed into steady breathing. Jaina looked and saw that he was asleep. Leaning up, she kissed him softly, brushing some hair out of his face. Then, she closed her eyes, and in minutes fell asleep. She knew Zekk needed to get better very soon. Anyone who could keep her children hidden for so long from her and Zekk, would have to be very smart. She had a feeling that they would both need all of their strength.
(((()))))********(((()))
Tyanna nodded, wondering just how she had never heard this story before. Perhaps it was too painful for her mother to tell it? Or was it simply buried in her grandparents memories like a sad story never wanting to be told. "Was Yurric smart, like you suspected?"
Jaina nodded. "Oh yes. Sadly. But I have learned since then never to second- guess my own hunches."
"What was the matter with Grandfather?"
Jaina licked her incredibly dry lips, feeling a familiar pain in her heart. "A strange form of cancer. He picked it up in the Spice mines. It left him alone most of his life, but eventually returned when he was older."
"Was it harder than usual to rescue them?" Tyanna asked.
Jaina nodded. "Yes. Harder than anything else I remember."
-To BE CONTINUED!
(Next chapter going to be full of action!)