Chapter Fourteen
{[Five Hours Later]}
Jaina sat slumped against the side of the Falcon's hull. She had put a pain reliever against her broken ribs, and it had started to kick in about an hour before. All around her there was crying, laughing, and merriment. This was the first time her parents had seen Anakin in seven years, and they were full of questions. However, Jaina had questions of her own. "Hey Dad, how did you know we were in the arena?"
Han smiled, clapping Anakin on the back. "Anakin sent a transmission when the guards weren't looking."
Anakin shrugged. "It actually worked."
Leia smiled. "We followed a locator that he stole. It all worked out."
Jaina laughed quietly. "So that explains it. I was wondering where the reinforcements came from."
Han, Leia, and Anakin laughed.
Jaina laughed also, but quietly. Little Dannon had fallen asleep in her lap shortly after they had jumped into hyperspace. Now, the little boy's dark hair was ruffled and a slight trickle of saliva dribbled onto Jaina's shirt. But she didn't mind. Jaina wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
"What did you do all the time you were being held prisoner?" Han asked his youngest son, a lopsided grin on his features. "I see you have a tan, so they couldn't have kept you in the dungeon all the time."
"They had me pilot a podracer." Anakin answered eagerly.
Leia raised an eyebrow. "A what?"
"Podracer." Anakin answered. "It's a race, and to win you had to complete three laps around a track ahead of the others and not crash."
"I'd bet you'd be good at that." Jaina said, a grin gracing her tired features.
"You bet I was." Anakin put his hands on his hips. "I'm supposedly the only human who can do it."
Han laughed. "A Solo in the cockpit and you can't go wrong."
"So how's the war going?" Anakin asked, his voice taking on a serious tone.
"It's over." Leia smiled. "The Vong were driven out in the battle of Verrenth."
Anakin's eyes became large, and his mouth opened slightly. "Over?" He paused, letting it sink in. "This means we have to celebrate!"
"Better believe it!" Han replied. "Not to mention that we contacted Tahari shortly after we got your transmission. She'll meet us at Coruscant."
It was going on so fast and Anakin looked like he might explode. "Really?"
Leia nodded. "Oh yes, she was ecstatic when she heard-" Leia would have gone on, except she felt a small hand tug at the corner at her skirt. Looking down, Leia gazed into Shallin's small and innocent face.
The little girl looked up at her with uncertain caution. "Water?"
Leia felt like she was frozen to the steel plating of the Falcon's hull. "You're thirsty?"
Shallin nodded.
Jaina carefully laid Dannon down beside her in the blankets that had been yanked off the ship's bunks, and got up. Walking over to her mother, Jaina rested a hand on her shoulder. "Shallin, this is your grandma."
Shallin's eyes darted from Jaina to Leia, then back to Jaina. "Grandma?"
Jaina smiled. "Yes, grandma. She'll take you to get a drink, okay?"
Eyes wide, Shallin nodded again. "Okay."
Leia held out her hand, still feeling like she was dreaming. With only a second's hesitance, Shallin took Leia's hand, and together, they started walking toward the ship's galley.
Jaina smiled, turning back to where she had been sitting. However, she couldn't help but overhear her mother's conversation.
"Are you hungry too?" Leia asked as they walked away. "Han and Jason have a sweet tooth that wont quit, I'm sure there are some cookies or candy somewhere in this rust-bucket." There was a pause. "Alright, cookies it is. Let's go and find some."
Laughing quietly, Jaina again sat down next to Zekk and the quietly snoozing Dannon. Zekk had drifted off about an hour before, and it intrigued Jaina to look at both Dannon and Zekk asleep. Dannon was very much like Zekk in many respects, with the same forehead and lips, and not to mention the jet black hair. Sighing, Jaina took the blankets and folded them over her little boy. Tattoine was a very warm planet, and she could see the goose bumps on Dannon's skin. After all, space was cold.
Soon, Jaina would also fall asleep within the safety of the Falcon's hull. She fell asleep listening to the joking and laughing of her father and little brother's voices. Finally everything was right, and through the Force, Jaina knew that the future would be very bright indeed.
TO BE CONCLUDED!
{[Five Hours Later]}
Jaina sat slumped against the side of the Falcon's hull. She had put a pain reliever against her broken ribs, and it had started to kick in about an hour before. All around her there was crying, laughing, and merriment. This was the first time her parents had seen Anakin in seven years, and they were full of questions. However, Jaina had questions of her own. "Hey Dad, how did you know we were in the arena?"
Han smiled, clapping Anakin on the back. "Anakin sent a transmission when the guards weren't looking."
Anakin shrugged. "It actually worked."
Leia smiled. "We followed a locator that he stole. It all worked out."
Jaina laughed quietly. "So that explains it. I was wondering where the reinforcements came from."
Han, Leia, and Anakin laughed.
Jaina laughed also, but quietly. Little Dannon had fallen asleep in her lap shortly after they had jumped into hyperspace. Now, the little boy's dark hair was ruffled and a slight trickle of saliva dribbled onto Jaina's shirt. But she didn't mind. Jaina wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
"What did you do all the time you were being held prisoner?" Han asked his youngest son, a lopsided grin on his features. "I see you have a tan, so they couldn't have kept you in the dungeon all the time."
"They had me pilot a podracer." Anakin answered eagerly.
Leia raised an eyebrow. "A what?"
"Podracer." Anakin answered. "It's a race, and to win you had to complete three laps around a track ahead of the others and not crash."
"I'd bet you'd be good at that." Jaina said, a grin gracing her tired features.
"You bet I was." Anakin put his hands on his hips. "I'm supposedly the only human who can do it."
Han laughed. "A Solo in the cockpit and you can't go wrong."
"So how's the war going?" Anakin asked, his voice taking on a serious tone.
"It's over." Leia smiled. "The Vong were driven out in the battle of Verrenth."
Anakin's eyes became large, and his mouth opened slightly. "Over?" He paused, letting it sink in. "This means we have to celebrate!"
"Better believe it!" Han replied. "Not to mention that we contacted Tahari shortly after we got your transmission. She'll meet us at Coruscant."
It was going on so fast and Anakin looked like he might explode. "Really?"
Leia nodded. "Oh yes, she was ecstatic when she heard-" Leia would have gone on, except she felt a small hand tug at the corner at her skirt. Looking down, Leia gazed into Shallin's small and innocent face.
The little girl looked up at her with uncertain caution. "Water?"
Leia felt like she was frozen to the steel plating of the Falcon's hull. "You're thirsty?"
Shallin nodded.
Jaina carefully laid Dannon down beside her in the blankets that had been yanked off the ship's bunks, and got up. Walking over to her mother, Jaina rested a hand on her shoulder. "Shallin, this is your grandma."
Shallin's eyes darted from Jaina to Leia, then back to Jaina. "Grandma?"
Jaina smiled. "Yes, grandma. She'll take you to get a drink, okay?"
Eyes wide, Shallin nodded again. "Okay."
Leia held out her hand, still feeling like she was dreaming. With only a second's hesitance, Shallin took Leia's hand, and together, they started walking toward the ship's galley.
Jaina smiled, turning back to where she had been sitting. However, she couldn't help but overhear her mother's conversation.
"Are you hungry too?" Leia asked as they walked away. "Han and Jason have a sweet tooth that wont quit, I'm sure there are some cookies or candy somewhere in this rust-bucket." There was a pause. "Alright, cookies it is. Let's go and find some."
Laughing quietly, Jaina again sat down next to Zekk and the quietly snoozing Dannon. Zekk had drifted off about an hour before, and it intrigued Jaina to look at both Dannon and Zekk asleep. Dannon was very much like Zekk in many respects, with the same forehead and lips, and not to mention the jet black hair. Sighing, Jaina took the blankets and folded them over her little boy. Tattoine was a very warm planet, and she could see the goose bumps on Dannon's skin. After all, space was cold.
Soon, Jaina would also fall asleep within the safety of the Falcon's hull. She fell asleep listening to the joking and laughing of her father and little brother's voices. Finally everything was right, and through the Force, Jaina knew that the future would be very bright indeed.
TO BE CONCLUDED!