Here is chapter 8, I hope you all enjoy. Hopefully this one will be a little shocking! Hugs and kisses to Jedi-Master-Mouf and jedicaro for their reviews. They were very much appreciated and you can always do it again!

Chapter 8

The mourning after the funeral Tahiri remained in her bed for hours just thinking about what would happen next. She had no where to go, no one to see, nothing to live for. Once again she began to finger the small knife she had stolen.

Suddenly Tahiri felt the prescence of someone outside her room. "Who's there?" she called out.

"Mara and Luke. Can we come in?"

Once Tahiri found out who was at her door, she reluctantly rose from the bed and put the knife back in her pocket before going to let the two Jedi Masters in.

"What can I do for you?" she questioned as Luke and Mara Skywalker entered her small room.

"We just wanted to talk to you about something Tahiri," responded Luke.

"I'm listening," she spoke as she sat back down on the corner of the cot.

As Mara sat down on an old chair by the table, she said "Look, we both know that you are still really young and legally you are a minor and can not be allowed to live on your own yet. The day that you came to the Jedi Academy when you were nine years old was the day you became under our care. Since you had no living relatives, we became your legal guardians, and now that you are no longer at the academy we can't just let you go off and live unattended yet, not until you are at least eighteen."

"What are you saying?" asked Tahiri.

Luke spoke up from his place behind Mara, "Were trying to say that we want you to come live with us, wherever it is that we will be living next. You need some type of adult guidance in your life still."

"We would like to adopt you," Mara blurted quickly.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, we are. We think it would be the best thing for you and us."

"But what about Ben. You guys already have your hands full with one kid, you don't need another."

"But that's part of it. You could be like a live in babysitter and big sister."

"I don't know. I think I'm old enough to take care of myself. After all, I was old enough to go on the Myrkr mission and risk my life."

At this Luke spoke up again, "And I was probably mistaken in allowing you to go on that mission. I'm sorry for that, but now we want to make it up to you. Please come stay with us."

Tahiri sat there for a minute without saying anything. "I'll think about it," she finally spoke.

After the funeral all of Jaina's anger began to build. She was constantly bitter towards her friends and family. Even towards Jag, whom just a few days before she had been almost giddy about spending time with him. She knew she liked him a lot, but was to angry with herself and her life that she could not keep herself from biting back at him. A few days later her parents, aunt and uncle, and most of the other jedi left Hapes. She hardly even acknowledged their departure.

Around two weeks after arriving on Hapes, Jaina had a rather disturbing conversation with Ta'a Chume. The former Queen Mother suggested that she marry Prince Isolder, Tenel Ka's father. The suggestion was both ludicrous and appealing at the same time. While she could never see herself marrying the father of one of her closest friends or being a queen, the idea of having the power to really make a difference was what caught her attention.

The rest of the day was a confusing blur. Jag Fel disappearing, with her and Kyp to eventually find him. Her realization of the feelings that she had been developing for him. The death of Queen Mother Tenneniel Djo and having to see her friend deal with the grief resulting from the murder of her mother.

But what happened last, at the end of the day, was the most confusing and nauseating event of all. After the death of the Queen Mother had been confirmed, there was a press conference held by Ta'a Chume and Isolder to announce what would happen concerning the next ruler of the Hapan system. Both Jaina and Tenel Ka arrived at the public meeting together, after having left the scene of the Queen's murder.

As the pair walked towards the stage where the Royal family stood, the crowd split to let them through. By the time they reached the front, Ta'a Chume had handed the Queen's tiara to Isolder in order for him to present it the future queen. At that moment it hit Jaina that if Isolder offered her the crown, she would be unable to refuse him because of the humiliation it would cause the Royal family.

Jaina gradually began to panic, her breathing became faster. As she saw Isolder's eyes move towards her, she began to slowly step back. But there was no where to go. She had walked directly into Ta'a Chume's trap.

Isolder gradually began to descend down the steps of the stage towards where his daughter and Jaina Solo now stood. He looked over at Tenel Ka but knew what he would see: the eyes of a warrior. His daughter had always been firm in her beliefs as well as in her rejection of her crown. She had never planned on being a queen and still wasn't up for the idea; she was a Jedi and that was enough for her.

Turning from his daughter, Isolder faced the young Jaina Solo. With a guilty feeling nipping at his conscious, Isolder bent down on one knee before the entire congregation of Hapans, as well as many news cameras.

"Jaina Solo, will you marry me?"

Surprising? I hope so.