Jacen stared in despair at the scene in his apartment.
Glass littered the floor, making it impossible to make any movement at all without watching your step.
There wasn't a thing left on the small table next to the sofa that wasn't smashed, the pieces strung all over the ground.
Acrid smoke hung in the air, rising from a fist-sized hole in the comm system.
The images painted crudely on the wall had smeared and run, leaving behind a sense of pure hatred and malice.
He didn't even want to venture into the bedrooms.
A noise behind him made him whirl, pulling his blaster out its holster.
Tenel Ka stood behind him, her eyes wide.
"Sorry." Jacen apologized, slumping in relief as he holstered the blaster.
"What happened?" She whispered, staring at the destruction around her.
Jacen attempted a smile. "This? Oh, I was just practicing my aim.
Tenel Ka appeared not to hear him.
"No, actually, someone wanted to send a message." Jacen sighed grimly.
"Who would do this?" Tenel Ka asked fiercely, her eyes piercing him.
Jacen shrugged. "You're guessing is as good as mine.
Tenel Ka narrowed her eyes at him. "You are an awful liar, Jacen Solo.
Jacen sighed. "Yeah, I've been told that before." he scuffed the floor with his toe. "Yuuzhan Vong.
Tenel Ka said something in her own language that sounded distantly like a curse.
"Yeah. My thoughts exactly." Jacen replied.
"We should clean up." Tenel Ka said finally.
Jacen nodded and picked his way through the debris to the kitchen. "You don't have to help, Tenel Ka, really. You didn't come to spend your vacation cleaning up the leftovers from someone's grudge against me.
Tenel Kay's look of annoyance was the most distinct expression Jacen had seen her wear in all his life.
"Do not attempt to prevent me from working." She ordered.
Jacen said nothing more.
"This has happened before?" Tenel Ka asked quietly as she swept the glass shards into a pile.
"Not really." Jacen opened a trash container and dumped a couple of smashed holocubes into it.
"JacenÉ" she reproached. "That is not the whole truth, is it?
"No, not really." Jacen admitted.
"I see." She said. "Where are Sieren and Keil?
"With Tahiri." Jacen quelled his anger as he put a holoflatscreen that Anakin had given him four years ago in with the other smashed articles.
"Ah. Aha.
Jacen smiled in spite of the situation. He turned and looked at the slashed cushions on the sofa. "Stars and galaxies, why did they have to ruin everything?" he muttered.
Tenel Ka looked at him in sympathy. "I am sorry, Jacen.
Jacen ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not your fault.
"no." tenel Ka agreed.
Jacen dumped her pile of glass into the trash. " I hesitate to even go into the bedrooms." He sighed, going over to the door to his room and pushing it open.
Tenel Ka debated between leaving him alone and following him.
The former was winning until she heard the crash.
"Jacen?!" she jumped, dropping the bag and moving quickly to the door.
He was standing at the edge of his bed, his entire body shaking in what she thought was fear.
Until she saw him clenching his fists.
"Jacen?" she asked gently, coming up behind him.
He was staring at a holo print of him and the children, all three of them grinning from ear to ear.
"This isn't fair." He said, his voice hard. "They can haunt me all they likeÉ maybe I deserve it. But when they bring my family into itÉ" he stabbed his fingers at the print, marred by the white dripping image of Yun-Yammka, the slayer. "They can't do that. I'll kill every last one of them before I let them touch Si. And Keil's just a baby for star's sake!" his voice rose. "What do they want with a baby?!
Tenel Ka lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Jacen.
"I know." Jacen was quiet. "Let's finish here and go get the kids.
"you never answered my question." Tenel Ka stated as they walked side by side down the hallway.
Jacen sigh4ed. "I sure can't pull anything over on you, can I?
Tenel Ka simply looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
"No." he smiled. "I guess not.
"Your wisdom is profound." Tenel Ka stated.
Jacen burst out laughing. "I must be losing it. I think I just heard the great Queen Mother Tenel Ka Chume Djo crack a joke.
"Silence yourself." Tenel Ka ordered, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.
"All those years were not wasted!" Jacen crowed triumphantly. "Wait Ôtil Jaina hears about this.
Tenel Ka's look was one of horror. "You would not.
"No?" Jacen looked at her.
"No." she stated emphatically. "And we have digressed.
Jacen groaned. "Did anyone ever tell you that you were TOO focused?
"Yes, but do no attempt to change the subject.
Jacen sighed. What was the question again?
"This. Has. Happened. Before." She emphasized each word.
Jacen was silent for a moment. "Not exactly." He said finally. "I've been getting threats for a while.
"From whom?" Tenel Ka demanded.
"I wish I knew." Jacen stuffed his hands in his pockets. "A lot of people dislike me.
"This is not a fact." Tenel Ka protested.
Jacen smiled at her. " Thanks, but you're wrong.
"It would seem that maybe you know more about this than you have said." Tenel Ka reasoned quietly.
"Maybe." Jacen admitted. "I've thought about it for hours, trying to figure out what I missed.
"Some people are evil, Jacen." Tenel Ka stated simply.
Jacen shook his head. "More and more, I'm faced with just how evil this universe can be. How people can hate merely for the sake of hating.
"This is a fact." Tenel Ka agreed softly.
They turned the corner near the single student/master housing.
"It makes me wonder if maybe Vergere was right." Jacen reasoned.
Tenel Ka frowned lightly. "Right how?
Jacen shrugged. "She used to say that Uncle Luke's biggest mistake was having a family. She said family had no place in a Jedi's life.
Tenel Ka continued to frown, silently staring at the ground as they walked. "Jacen, may I ask a question?
Jacen looked surprised. "Sure, I guess.
She hesitated, as if attempting to string the words together. "The life of a Jedi is to live in service, even unto the point of death if necessary, no?
Jacen nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess that about sums it up.
She once again paused. "Then is a man more willing to give his life for a government or cause, or for the lives of his own children?" she risked a glance at his face.
Jacen blinked, then blinked again. "Wow." He said simply. He looked at her with a small smile. "How do you have that uncanny way of setting me straight?
Tenel Ka shrugged. "Do not think I presume to tell you that you are wrong.
"But you think I am." Jacen inferred.
"Jacen, I did not say this." Tenel Ka shook her head.
"Tenel Ka." Jacen stopped her. "It's ok. I'm not going to be offended. Tell me what you think.
Tenel Ka thought for a moment. "Yes." She said finally. "I believe in this your friend was wrong.
Jacen nodded with a smile. "Thank you.
He stopped in front of the entrance to Tahiri's quarters and began to key the security sequence in. "I'm glad she locked it." He muttered.
He finished and pressed the transmit control.
The door swished open, and Jacen suddenly found himself at the point of lightsaber.
Tahiri slumped. "It's you." She breathed, slowly lowering her lightsaber.
Jacen frowned incredulously. "Who did you think it was?
" I don't know!" Tahiri threw her hands up in the air, still holding her now extinguished lightsaber. "You barge in, dump two hysterical children in my lap without so much as word of explanation except Ôlock the door'!" she glared at him. "For all I knew, we could've been under attack by a new wave of Sith or Yuuzhan Vong!" she stabbed a finger at him. "And before you think I'm over reacting, know that it didn't help anything that I couldn't even sense you.
Jacen looked bewildered. "I was in my Vong-sense." He explained.
"Yuuzhan Vong." Tahiri corrected automatically. "And do you mind explaining why?
Jacen's eyes were steadily widening at the inquisition. "Because occasionally I like to view my surroundings with a different point of view." He said carefully.
"Liar!" Tahiri exclaimed, slamming the flat of her hand against the door.
"Where are the kids?" Jacen asked patiently.
"In the back room, but I'm beginning to question your sanity." Tahiri scowled at him.
"Come on, Tahiri." Jacen protested. "I'm quite sane, and you know it. However, that could change if you don't stop acting so ridiculous.
Tahiri crossed her arms. " Ridiculous, huh? Ok, then explain what in the world was wrong earlier.
Jacen opened his mouth, then stopped.
Tahiri waited.
"Ok." He admitted finally. "You win." he leaned against the wall. "Someone trashed my apartment.
Tahiri narrowed her eyes. "Keep going.
"Ei escihinaatte diajyorikks." Tenel Ka said for him.
Tahiri's gaze jerked from Jacen's face to the other girl. "Jei?!
"Would you please not do that?" Jacen rubbed his forehead. He looked at Tenel Ka. "And when did you learn Yuuzhan Vong?
"When being Queen of a solar system required knowing it." Tenel Ka shot back.
"You're the one on trial here, remember?" Tahiri faced him. "You're the one with a lot of explaining to do.
Jacen sighed, muttering something about a conspiracy.
"Yes," he answered finally. "Someone wrote Yuuzhan bong threats on my walls and smashed everything of value that I owned. And then some." He grimaced.
Tahiri's gaze softened. "Why didn't you tell me?
"What, so you could start the inquisition an hour earlier?" Jacen half-glared.
"Jacen, I'm sorry about giving you the third degree." Tahiri apologized. "You had me worried stiff.
"Sorry." Jacen smiled apologetically.
"You have a wonderful way of doing that occasionally." Tahiri said dryly. "Well, you better go get the kids. They may need years of therapy." She shrugged. "But look on the bright side; they could need lifetimes.
Jacen's smile faded. "Let's hope you're wrong." He said softly, walking to the door to the back bedroom.