CHAPTER 2 – The Truth Comes to Light

Jaina brought her fighter down through thick cloud cover, which made visibility poor.  This was to her advantage to some degree, since the pursuing skips were flying just as blind as she was. Unfortunately, the grayish-white water vapor logged the air all the way to the ground.  For this reason, Jaina never had a chance to scope out her landing site as she forced her sluggish craft through a haphazard series of turns to further throw off the Vong pilots.

The craft jolted suddenly as it hit the tops of unseen trees.  The collision slowed her snubfighter abruptly, dropping its altitude quicker with every snap below.  Jaina struggled to keep the nose elevated and the fighter from flipping end over end.  She was not sure if it was control over the stick or her will exercised in the Force that was doing the job, but she was thankful for the fighter's responsiveness to this point.

Suddenly, the craft lurched to the left as a tree snagged the bottom wing. Already weakened from plasma damage, it sheared off. The sound of ripping metal echoed in her ears. Jaina knew there was nothing left but the inevitable crash and sunk herself into the Force, protecting her body as best she could. She found a peaceful haven inside herself as chaos consumed the small world around her cockpit.

The deafening roar of the X-wing plunging through the planet's dense undergrowth gave way to an unnerving silence that stifled the air as it came to a sudden stop.  Jaina started to sigh with relief, knowing that she had made it down in one piece, when her body began wracking in pain as her lungs expanded against her ribs. Using her skills to quell her pain, Jaina reached out to the source and found two cracked ribs and several more beginning to bruise under her crash webbing.

Slowly, she allowed her mind to drift throughout her body, searching for further injuries and quieting the pains that began screaming from all over.  She pushed back the fog that had started creeping into the back of mind.  Cracked collar bone.  Bruised knee.  Big laceration under the helmet.  Not bad considering, she thought to herself.

Jaina knew she needed to get out of the fighter and as far away as possible.  The skip pilots would put down as near as they could figure to where she crashed and begin looking for her.  Jaina closed her eyes and took several cleansing breaths in through her nose, out through her mouth, pushing the pain out of her body.  When she felt confident enough to do so, she reached up to remove her helmet.

Blood trickled down her forehead from the hairline, across her right eyebrow and down the side of her face.  Paying no mind to it, Jaina reached up to pull herself out of the cockpit.  Halfway out, the pain renewed its attack on her senses, her breath gasping in agony.  The world was spinning in a wild dance around her.

Jaina, fight, she ordered herself.  Jaina knew she needed to move.  Every instinct told her so.  She grabbed the Force and willed her body to do her bidding.  As Jaina pushed her way up again, her body lost its fight against the pain, and the blackness consumed her.

**********

Jag sat in one of the conference rooms overlooking the hangar bay.  He had a stack of reports in front of him, but he was having trouble focusing on their content.  Jag kept thinking about the moment he would get to be alone with Jaina.  Those thoughts had consumed him for the past several days, just as they did now.  With every fiber of his being, he longed to taste her lips, smell her hair, or simply hold her in his arms.

Their separation had been awkward following the fall of Borleias.  They had both been sent their separate ways without a chance to say goodbye or state their intentions toward each other.  Their brief time together at Ylesia had not permitted such opportunities either.

While patrolling the Hydian Way, Jag had plenty of time to think about his intentions.  Despite the prospect of war, maybe because of it, Jag needed to tell Jaina the depth of his feelings for her, to tell her that she brought meaning to his life.  It was important to him that she knew.  Especially since he understood how war could leave him with so much regret – regret for things he had not said to Davin and Cherith.  Things he knew they understood, but still wished he had said anyway.

Jag was not sure if Jaina grasped the true extent of his feelings.  He did not know the depth of hers, but he chose not to regret.  He chose to push past his tendencies to hide behind his cocky arrogance.  Jag chose to show Jaina who he truly was – a man totally in love with her.

Jag glanced at his chrono, and then looked back at the hangar.  Twin Suns Squadron had been expected back over half an hour ago. Even though there could be a thousand reasons why they were late, he began to panic, visualizing all the negative possibilities.  A small pit of dread had seeded in his stomach and grew with every passing moment, reasons that would cause him to regret.

Just as Jag pushed away his negative emotions, X-wings began funneling through the bay doors.  Jag stood up and walked towards the transparisteel window, watching as they settled in one by one.  He knew Jaina would be the last one in, as always, so she could be the first one out.  That was just the way she was.  It was one of the reasons he had grown to love her.

Jag watched as ten X-wings landed, and pilots began climbing out of their ships.  He looked past the hangar doors, willing the last two X-wings to appear before his eyes.  All that met his eyes was empty sky.  The feeling of dread reignited like a blazing fire within him as Jag watched Colonel Celchu walking hurriedly over to the Wookiee, Jaina's second-in-command.

Although he willed his feet to move, Jag was powerless to do so.  For he knew the truth without hearing it, Jaina Solo had not made the return trip home.

**********

"Jaina.  Jaina," the voice called to her like a beacon in a sea of darkness.

Jaina blinked her eyes against the brilliant light streaming on her face.  She turned to the voice hovering over her.  Her vision still blurred, Jaina thought she made out the face of her mother.

"There you are, my darling."

Jaina blinked again putting her hand to her head where the cut had been, noticing it was gone.  She put her hand down to her ribs; they felt fine, too.  She turned to the voice as she sat up slowly.

"Mother?"

"No dear, I am not your mother," came the reply.

Jaina's vision came into focus on the face of a beautiful woman with lovely brown hair framing a familiar pair of burdened brown eyes.  The woman was older than Jaina by a few years, but possessed a grace beyond her years as she smiled down at her.

Jaina looked past the woman and noticed she was on a bed in the middle of an elegantly decorated room – a room, Jaina imagined, fit for royalty.  The linens were of the finest shimmersilk.  Furniture throughout was crafted from the rarest of wood in extravagant fashion.  The curtains, framing the immense windows, were made of a luminescent material and billowed in the breeze.  The sounds of songbirds and running water filled the air.

Jaina blinked again, trying to focus her thoughts as she studied the woman's face.  There had been no indications on her scans of civilization as she had entered the planet's atmosphere. Nor did she remember sensing any advanced life forms through the Force.  Jaina could not believe she was still on the planet where she had crashed.  Questions began crowding her mind, filling it up.  Before she could ask them, the woman spoke.

"No, dear. You are not on the planet. You are in that place between time and space."

Jaina gazed at the woman, absorbing her words, thinking of how familiar her presence felt.

"Am I…," Jaina paused, unable to form the word.

"No, you are not dead. It is not your time to go."

"Are you dead?"  Jaina blurted out, then silently cursed her foolish remark.

The woman smiled at her, and Jaina smiled back.  She felt like she had known this woman her whole life.

"So like him in many ways."  The woman reached out and cupped Jaina's face in her hands.

"Yes, Jaina.  I passed away long ago.  I have waited so long to speak to you, wished so many times I could hold you, but not being Force sensitive like Ani I was limited in the role I could play in your lives."

Jaina looked in those brown eyes and saw her own eyes reflecting back at her, and the women's identity struck her like a thunderbolt.

"Grandmother?"  The words came out like a whisper begging the truth.

"I am your mother's mother, wife to Anakin Skywalker.  You have come back to my home, back to where it all began."  The beautiful woman, her grandmother, folded Jaina in her arms, and Jaina felt the warmth of true love flow through her.  Tears streamed down her cheeks, not tears of sadness, but tears of pure joy.

"I am Padmé," she breathed into Jaina's hair.  Jaina was sure it was the most beautiful name she had ever heard.  Padmé pulled away from Jaina and began wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Do not cry, child. There is little time."

"I don't understand.  Why are you here?  Where am I?"  Jaina could not get the questions out as quickly as they formed in her mind.

Padmé held her fingers to Jaina's lips, silencing her.

"You have crash landed on my old home planet, Naboo, the place of my birth and death, where my spirit resides.  That is why I can come and speak to you."

The woman looked away quickly like something distracted her and then looked back, taking Jaina's hands in hers.

"Time is our enemy I fear.  So listen carefully.  It is the will of the Force for me to speak to you. It has brought you here to me for the time is right.  You are correct in your belief that you are not the one to bring a new vision to the Jedi Order, but your role to fulfill is just as important, for you will carry the galaxy and the Jedi into the future that awaits.  My son was right when he called you the Sword of the Jedi.  That is your destiny."

Jaina interrupted, overwhelmed by what she was hearing.  "Grandmother, I have so many shortcomings in the Force, surely there are others more capable.  Jacen…"

Padmé shook her head.

"His path is no less important, but it is very different still from yours.  I know you have struggled against the shadow of Anakin Skywalker. You have struggled in his footsteps."

Jaina looked down, ashamed that her grandmother knew the truth, knew her weakness.

"Do not feel shame for you fought back, and now your time in the shadow is over.  The love of those around you and your own strength pulled you into the light.  I am not here to share in your past, but rather your future.  Just as you are part Anakin Skywalker and shared some of his path in life, so too you are part of me, and will share some of my path as well.  But where mine was a lonely path, yours will not be.  You will have love to pull you through - no matter what, believe in love - for in your strength lies the end of the suffering.  Just as my Anakin brought suffering to the galaxy, his heir will bring it to an end."

Padmé leaned forward and embraced Jaina, holding her granddaughter to her chest.  After planting a sorrowful kiss on the top of Jaina's hair, she pushed the young woman out to arms' length and looked in her eyes.

"Now it is time for you to go.  Danger lurks.  He will come for you.  Until then, fight."

"No, don't go. Don't leave me.  There is so much I need to know," Jaina cried sensing Padmé's presence dimming.

"There is no more time.  Tell your mother and Luke that I love them and am so very proud.  Tell them the truth has always been with them."  As she spoke, Padmé touched Jaina's forehead. Jaina was momentarily blinded and felt herself falling back onto the bed.

Jaina blinked, her vision obscured by a thought, but she could not focus on it.  Padmé's face was pulling away from her, becoming smaller and fainter, blackness closing around her.  She smiled at Jaina as she spoke, her words like an echo far away.

"Remember Jaina.  The truth is in me.  The truth is in Anakin Skywalker.  The truth is in our home."  And then all that remained was the black stillness of the night.

**********

Jag watched as Colonel Celchu left the hangar, followed by Lowbacca and the rest of the Twin Suns pilots.  He knew they were probably heading for a briefing room, and Jag needed to be there. As much as he dreaded it, he needed to hear the truth.

Heading out of the conference room, Jag jumped into a lift and pushed the button to take him down to the hangar level.  He pushed the button again when the lift door did not close quickly enough.  Finally, the door acquiesced, and the lift headed down.  At the proper level, Jag squeezed out of the lift as it opened, brushing past ground crew waiting to enter.  He jogged across the hangar toward the hallway Colonel Celchu had taken with the Twin Suns pilots and avoided looking toward the Twin Suns fighters sitting in the bay, not wanting to be reminded of what was missing there.

As he entered the hallway Jag came to an abrupt halt, the sound from behind stopping him in his tracks.  The familiar hum of an X-wing fighter was like music to his ears.  Jag turned on his heel, a small grin forming on his lips, but as quickly as it came, the smile was gone.  To his dismay, the landing X-wing did not have the distinctive running voxyn markings that adorned Jaina's craft.

Jag watched the fighter land, a sickening feeling welling in his stomach.  Visions of Jaina lying helpless, an exploding ship, Yuuzhan Vong carving at her flesh, all flashing before his eyes.  He forced the thoughts out of his mind.  He did not know what had happened to Jaina, but such thoughts would not improve her fate.  Action might though. Jag knew the pilot exiting the X-wing in front of him had the answers to his questions.

As Brance Wartrue leapt from his X-wing and headed toward the command center, Jag Fel stepped in front of him.  Brance was so focused on getting his report to someone who could help Jaina Solo that he nearly ran into the man blocking his path.

"Lieutenant, report," Jag demanded before Brance could maneuver past him.

Brance paused for a moment, startled by Jag's sudden appearance, not familiar with the ranking officer before him. Jag's commanding air of authority and strict demeanor, coupled with Brance's military training, forced the lieutenant to assume the colonel had been sent to gather any pertinent information.

"Sir, Twin Suns was pulled out of hyperspace by a Vong mine.  Lieutenant Colonel Solo destroyed the mine, allowing the squadron to escape.  Damage to my fighter delayed our jump to hyperspace.  Lead took a hit for me.  She ordered me back and attempted to land on a nearby planet."

"Is that your flight data, Lieutenant," Jag queried the pilot, pointing at the datacard in his hand.

"Sir. Yes, sir." Brance handed the datacard to Jag, who immediately inserted it into his datapad, pressing buttons and scanning the information.

"How bad was the damage to Colonel Solo's X-wing?" Jag questioned, his eyes never leaving the datapad.

"Bad, sir. I am not sure it was worthy to land – two engines out and part of one wing was vaped," he paused not wanting to voice what he needed to say. "There were still two skips left."

Jag looked up from his datapad, a cool stare glaring from his green eyes.

"I tried to stay, but Lead ordered me back. I gave the Vong something to think about before jumping as ordered, sir," Brance added quickly.

"Lieutenant Colonel Solo is an excellent pilot and a Jedi.  If anyone can land an X-wing with that much damage, I am sure it would be her," Jag stated forcefully, not sure for which man's benefit, his or the lieutenant's.

Jag removed the datacard, having successfully copied the flight records. He handed the card back to Brance. "You did the right thing, Lieutenant.  Now get this information to Colonel Celchu immediately.  You will find him in the debriefing room with the rest of your squadron.

"Sir?"  It came out more as a question, Brance just realizing he had not reported to the proper authority.  Before Brance came to his senses, the colonel had turned and was headed away at a run.  Brance hurried toward the hallway that would take him to the debriefing room.  He looked back to the hangar before entering the hallway and saw the colonel swinging into a clawcraft.  By the time Brance Warture had reached his destination, the clawcraft was breaching the hangar doors.

**********

Wedge Antilles sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples with his forefingers, taking several deep breaths.  Colonel Tycho Celchu had just briefed him on the status of Twin Suns Squadron – namely the predicament of Jaina Solo, his hold-daughter.

Wedge was accustomed to losing pilots, not comfortable but accustomed.  Jaina Solo was not lost, not yet, just missing in action with another pilot.  They both had not made the jump back after taking on a Yuuzhan Vong mine.  Of course, this was not something he wanted to tell his dear friends.  Han and Leia Solo had lost so much already with their youngest son Anakin and Han's best friend Chewbacca dying on account of this war.  So Wedge was determined to know the truth one way or another before contacting them.

"Tycho, I know Twin Suns will want to go, but they were scheduled to turn around and ride along with the Rebel Dream as an additional escort for the Chief of State's trip to the Hapan Cluster.  Do we have any other available support?  If we don't send Twin Suns along with the Rebel Dream, people will start suspecting something."

"Blackmoon Squadron is escorting supply ships to the Jedi Shelter, Jacen Solo is with them," Tycho started, but was interrupted by the beeping of Wedge's comm.

"Whoever this is, it will have to wait," Wedge barked into it.  He motioned for Tycho to continue.

"Rogues, Wild Knights and the Aces are out on assignment," he paused as the comm beeped again.

Wedge slammed his hand on the comm button.  "Can't this wait?  I am in the middle of something," he shouted with more force than before.

"Sir, I am afraid it can't," replied the voice of a flight control officer.

"What is it?"

"We have an unidentified Destroyer-class vessel inbound.  It is not responding to hails."

Wedge took a moment, wondering what more could happen to raise the stress level of this day.

"I will be there momentarily," he said into the comm.  Wedge stood and looked at his friend, matching his grim expression.  "Let's think this one through on the way."

Tycho followed Wedge out the door, matching his step stride for stride.

"With all those squadrons out, I only have four left on planet.  Two of those being Colonel Fel's."

"Both of them are down for repairs until tomorrow.  So you are essentially saying we have two squadrons left."

Tycho nodded in agreement.  Both men were silent as they hurried through the halls toward the control room.

Wedge broke the silence.  "What about Kyp Durron? I know he doesn't answer to our chain of command officially, but wouldn't he go after Jaina if we asked?"  Wedge stopped just outside the control room to finish his thought, wanting to end this conversation before entering into the next complication in his life.

Tycho faced Wedge.  "I am sure he would in a heartbeat.  That is the great thing about answering to no command structure.  Last thing I heard, the Dozen was protecting refugee ships running out of the Corellian Sector."

"All right then.  Get a hold of him."  With that Wedge squared his shoulders, turned and stepped through the control room doors.  He strode over to the flight control officer.  "Status, Lieutenant."

"Still no response to our hails, sir.  I have been running the ship through our database, and still no match.  I'll try again."  The controller opened a communication line.  "Unidentified vessel.  You are entering Mon Calamari space protected by the Galactic Alliance Defense Force.  Please identify yourself."

There was silence from the communications center.  Wedge looked from the control officer to Tycho expectantly, who was standing a short distance away, composing a message to forward to Kyp Durron.  The Alderaanian shrugged his shoulders.

The flight control officer listened to another call coming through in his earpiece.  "Sir, General Farlander on the Mon Adapyne requests if we need assistance."

Wedge motioned for the controller to wait, before leaning over to key the communicator.  "Unidentified vessel, this is General Antilles of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force.  You have made an unauthorized entrance into Mon Calamari space.  Please identify yourself or face possible response by force."

There was a moment of silence, and then the speaker crackled.

"General Antilles, please stand by for a holotransmission from the Ambassador for the Chiss Council to the Galactic Alliance."

Wedge started to move toward the holostation, barking orders as he went.

"Tell Farlander to hold off.  You, get a line to the Chief of Staff's office.  I want them up to speed on this.  Tycho, have you gotten a hold of Durron yet?"

Tycho nodded a negative.  "He is unavailable as of yet, but a message has been sent."

"Good enough.  Get hold of Colonel Fel.  We may need his expertise on dealing with the Chiss, now."

Tycho turned to an enlisted man behind him and began dictating orders.  The ensign stood and exited the room promptly, running into Lowbacca and Brance Warture entering through the same doors.  Wedge Antilles was still dispensing orders throughout the room, all the while straightening his suit and running a hand through his hair.

When the holo started to form, the room was crackling with activity as personnel made General Antilles demands come to life.  As Wedge turned to face the holo, a silence blanketed the room and hung in the air for several stunned moments.

Wedge blinked, not believing his eyes.  Before him at half his actual size, but no less imposing, stood a solid block of a man, broad shoulders, a shock of black hair tinged with gray, one dark eye blazing, the other covered with a black patch.  Before the astonishment settled, he spoke.

"General Antilles, I know I am not your favorite person, but I never thought you would resort to blowing me out of the sky."

Wedge took a moment to compose himself, then replied in the same casual manner.

"General Fel, how unexpected. Of course if I you had answered our hails, such threats would have been unnecessary."

"I was just waiting to get your attention," Soontir replied dryly.

Not amused, Wedge decided to cut to the chase.  "To what do we owe this honor?"

Soontir Fel, noting Wedge's impatience, returned to his standard passionless military demeanor.  "The Chiss Council has decided further military involvement may have become prudent at this juncture of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong."  Wedge noticed Tycho heading across the room towards the two Twin Suns pilots, but kept his focus on the holo.  "The Council believes that an arrangement can be made to assist your fight that will benefit both parties.  I am here to discuss terms with the appropriate parties in the new government."

Wedge took all this in for a moment. There was a noticeable tension building in the room, an air of reserved excitement.

"Any assistance from the Chiss Council will be welcomed, General Fel. Please defer to control for landing instructions.  I look forward to seeing you shortly."  Even though he wanted to, Wedge refrained from inquiring about his sister, knowing that there would be a more appropriate moment later.

"As do I, General Antilles. Fel out."

As the transmission faded, Wedge turned to Colonel Celchu, who had come up behind him.  "Sithspawned nerfherder.  He pulled that holotransmission garbage just so he could see the look on my face," Wedge spit out with a chuckle.

"True, but this is good news for the war effort."

"Were you able to raise Colonel Fel yet?  Won't he be in for a shock," Wedge said with a grin.  He noticed that Tycho did not return the sentiment.

"I am afraid we have a problem in those regards."  Tycho paused.

"Well spit it out. My day can't get any more problematic."

"Brance Wartrue made it back to base."

"And Jaina?"

"It seems she had to put down on a nearby planet.  She ordered Lieutenant Wartrue back to base to get assistance.  Her X-wing had taken extensive damage."

"This is all appears to be good news, Tycho. I have utmost faith in Jaina's ability to land a damaged craft.  Durron will get her home.  How does it relate to Colonel Fel?"

"Apparently Jag was in the hangar as Twin Suns Two arrived.  He intercepted Lieutenant Wartrue and was made aware of Jaina's predicament and location.  Lowbacca, here, came to tell me his clawcraft is gone."  Colonel Tycho grimaced as he spoke the words.

Wedge threw his hands up in disgust.  "I was already worried about answering to Han Solo about his daughter, now I have answer to Baron Soontir Fel about his son.  Shoot me next time I say today can't get any worse."

**********

END OF CHAPTER 2
TL/jj