[A/N: This chapter contains the scene used for the Best Romance Category excerpt in the Summer 2003 Fan Fiction Awards.  Enjoy!]


CHAPTER 6 – Truth and Consequences

Jaina brushed her wet hair back into a high tail and gave herself a once over in the mirror before exiting the refresher.  She picked up her utility belt, which had been draped over the chair in her sparse quarters, and fastened it around her waist.  As she clipped her lightsaber onto her belt, Jaina felt a tingling in her mind announcing her brother's presence at the door as sure as if she could see him.  Using the Force, Jaina activated the door.

"Come in, Jace. Here to check on your patient, I presume?"  Her tone was as light as her mood.

"I just came from seeing Mom and Uncle Luke.  They are quite a pair, scanning all the information downloaded from Artoo.  They have been at it for hours."

"I know.  Who would have thought Artoo had the truth in him all along."

"The Force works in mysterious ways."  Jacen crossed over to the bed against the back wall and sat down.  "So where are you off to?"

"I am going to turn my report into Wedge and ask to return to duty."

"Are you sure you're ready to do that?"

"I feel great.  Those couple of healing trances did the trick.  Nothing like a good crash to fix you right up."

Jacen's face became long, displaying his concern.  "Jaina, I really think…"

"Jacen, stop.  You can't keep worrying about me every moment of every day.  I'm a big girl.  First one out, remember?"  She walked across the room as she spoke and sat on the bed next to her twin, taking his hand in hers.  "You can't be my savior all the time.  Besides, I don't feel like I did before Ebaq.  I'm not figuring the odds until my death anymore.  I'm all right."

Jacen squeezed her hand.  "I thought I felt a change in your attitude when you got back from Naboo.  It wouldn't happen to do with some stuck-up fighter pilot would it?"  They both laughed at the memory of Jacen's initial reaction to his sister's revelation concerning Jagged Fel.

"It does.  I love him, and he loves me.  We can't be open about it.  We know and those close to us know.  That's enough for now.  It does give me a reason to make it to the other side of this war."

"Well, I don't know if I will change my opinion about the man, seeing he is stealing my sister and all, but I am glad you're happy."  He leaned over and kissed Jaina on the cheek.  "Tell Fel that one wrong move, and he has a Jedi twin brother to answer to."

"Get in line.  Wait until Dad finds out."

Jacen flashed his famous lop-sided Solo grin at the thought.  "Make sure I am there for that."  He patted Jaina on the leg and then rose from the bed.  "I know better than to try to get you to slow down.  Can't fault a guy for trying.  I guess I'll get going then," he said, heading for the door.

"Jacen," Jaina called after him.  Jacen turned to face his twin as she followed him the short distance to the door.

"Yes?"

"About Jag.  Let me tell Mom and Dad."

"Not a problem.  Jag is too good a pilot to lose to Dad's wrath.  For the sake of the war effort, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Jace.  You are the best twin brother a girl could ever have."  Jaina returned the classic Solo grin before her brother turned and left the room.

She ran back to the refresher to review her appearance and decided she still looked a little pale.  Not wanting to give Wedge any reason to deny her request, Jaina lightly applied some makeup to add color to her face before heading out of the room.

Walking briskly from the barracks to the headquarters, Jaina used the time to organize her thoughts.  She tried to anticipate any arguments Wedge would give her about returning to duty so soon.  Most people would take a week or more to recover from such injuries, but Jaina was a Jedi.  She hoped he would understand her desire to get back in the fight.

Jaina's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar tingle in the Force.  She spun on her heel and spotted Jag, dressed in a flightsuit, leaving an office and heading away from her down the hall.  There were other officers and pilots in the area, so Jaina drew herself up and put on her best Goddess airs.

"Colonel Fel, may I have a word with you?"

Jag turned and offered Jaina a dignified nod, his face betraying no emotion.  He stepped back to the office door and motioned for Jaina to come inside.  She marched down the hall and swept through the door.  Jag followed her into the room, and at last they were alone.  Jaina walked over to the desk in the center of the room, noting the stark organization before her.  She turned to face Jag as she spoke, perching on the edge of the desk.

"I am glad I caught you. I was on my way to see Wedge about returning to duty."

Even though Jag might have felt Jaina was rushing her return, he refrained from voicing his concern.  "I am sure he will welcome you back with open arms."

Jaina tried to get a sense of Jag through the Force and met a barrier as strong as durasteel.  She had no idea what he was thinking or feeling.  Jaina was disappointed that she did not sense any excitement about seeing her, like she felt for him.

"I have a lot to tell you," she said excitedly.  Jag began walking toward her very slowly, his green eyes hard-locked on her brown ones.  Jaina paused for a moment, then continued.  "You said in your note your father is here on Mon Calamari to negotiate Chiss involvement.  Have you seen him?"

Jag was standing right in front of her now, so Jaina had to tip her head up.  He nodded his response, his eyes drinking her in.

"This is so great for the war effort."

Jag was leaning closer and closer. "Yes, it is."  His breath was warm on her face.  Her eyes searched his.  "You had a lot to tell me."  He encouraged her to continue.

Jaina was so excited about her news; she proceeded, not questioning his behavior.  "Oh yeah.  When I was on Naboo –  that is the name of the planet where I crashed – I had a vision of my mom's mother.  She was a Senator during the…time of…"  Jaina's speech slowed as Jag leaned down to kiss her neck. "…the old…Republic …from Naboo."  Then she gasped as he sucked on her right earlobe.

"I'm still listening," he breathed in her ear before his lips met her neck again, traveling down it slowly, laying kisses as he went.

Jaina struggled to focus on her thoughts.  "Well…it turns out…she used to own…uh, Artoo." Jaina moaned in delight.  "Uncle Luke's droid…are you listening?"

As Jag tugged on the zipper to her jumpsuit, he repeated her words, watching his hands work all the while.  "It turns out she used to own Artoo, Uncle Luke's droid."  He repeated as he pushed her collar open, exposing the right collarbone.

"Artoo had…all this data…"  Jaina inhaled from the sensation coursing across her skin as Jag traced his lips from her collarbone to her shoulder.  "…about my grandmother and grandfather…it was amazing."

"Amazing."  Jag's breath tantalized her skin where it was moist from his kisses.  Jaina giggled knowing he was not talking about the discovery her family had recently made.  Jag picked his head up and took in the sight of her.  Then he pressed his lips to hers.  The strength of the kiss caused Jaina to gasp, opening her mouth to his tongue.  He tasted the sweetness that was her mouth, probing and caressing.  Jaina brought her hands to Jag's shoulders as he took her hips and pulled her to him.  Their kiss was passionate and demanding until they had to break for air.  Their chests pushed together as they caught their breath.

"Wow," was all Jaina could manage to say.

"Sorry, I'm just short of time.  I have a patrol in a couple of minutes.  I was trying to multitask."  He smiled down at her, passion clouding his eyes.

"And I thought you weren't very excited to see me."  Jaina grinned at him.  "I missed you."

"I missed you, too."  He took a deep breath, his usual reserved demeanor returning to his face as he did.  "I really have to go. I'm late as it is."

Jaina still had so much to say, but he was already stepping away from her, collecting his control.  She felt his regret before his barriers were erect.  "I will try to find you when I get back.  I'll have a couple hours before I have to go to dinner at the Antilles'."

"Just comm me."  Jaina tried to hide her disappointment with a small smile.

"Sorry.  Got to go."  He motioned for her to pull up the zipper of her jumpsuit, blew her a kiss and ran out the door.

"Bye," Jaina called after him with a sigh.  She recalled the memory of their kiss as she sank back to sit on the desk again.

"Stang!"  Jaina remembered something important she forgot to tell Jag.  She had wanted to say it since Naboo, but circumstances kept getting in the way.  Not wanting to wait any longer, Jaina leapt from the desk and dashed down the hall toward the hangar.

When she reached the flightdeck, Jaina raced to Jag's clawcraft and sprang up the ladder.  Jag was just putting on his helmet and pulled it back in surprise.  "Lieutenant Colonel Solo, what is it?"

Jaina grinned at his feigned serious demeanor.  "I forgot to tell you something."  She panted from the exertion of running to the hangar.  Jag's brow furrowed until Jaina leaned close enough so that only he could hear.  "I forgot to tell you I love you."

She winked at him and jumped off the ladder before he could fathom a response.  Jag returned the helmet to his head while the cockpit closed.  As Jaina backed away, he saluted her, and she saluted back.  As the clawcraft rose from the floor, Jaina realized all was right in her world.  Now if she could just convince General Wedge Antilles to get her back in the sky.

**********

General Wedge Antilles scrolled through the information on his datapad, scanning sim statistics and squadron updates.  One of his assistants tapped on the open door.  Wedge looked up to acknowledge the interruption.

"Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Solo requests a moment of your time."

"Send her in, Sergeant."

The enlisted man disappeared, and Jaina Solo glided into the room.  Wedge motioned with his hand at the seat across from his desk, as the door slid shut behind her.  "Please have a seat.  How are you feeling?"

"I feel great, sir.  I would like to return to flight status as soon as possible."

"Anxious to get back in the cockpit?"

"The sooner the better."

"I understand completely.  If you feel up to it, I won't stand in your way."

Jaina exhaled.  "Thank you, sir.  At the risk of breaking an order, may I ask about Twin Suns?"

Wedge smiled at the young lady in front of him, quite impressed by the devotion to her squadron.  "They are riding escort with the Rebel Dream to and from the Hapes Cluster.  I sent Colonel Taggert as temporary Lead until we knew your status."

"Then they are in good hands.  Colonel Taggert is a fine commander.  Probably best I didn't go to Hapes anyway."

Wedge was inclined to agree, knowing Jaina's history.  "The Force works in mysterious ways," he replied.

"I have my report from the crash for your review."  Jaina handed the datacard across the desk.

"That was fast."

"I had a little help."

Wedge put the pieces together and grinned.  "I see.  Colonel Fel is pulling double duty, trying to entertain his entire family and writing reports for you; sounds like true love."  His smile turned mischievous.

"You don't say, sir," Jaina offered back.  "Did you say entire family?  Is your sister here as well?"

"Syal is here as well as Rane and Briaun."

Jaina looked a bit shocked to learn that the entire Fel clan was on Mon Calamari.  "You must be so excited to have them here.  I can't even imagine how wonderful that must have been to see your sister again."

"I am very happy they are all here.  Maybe you can come to dinner one night and meet Jag's parents."

Jaina waved her hands in front of her.  "I might have to decline. General Baron Soontir Fel sounds a little too intimidating for my taste."

Wedge chuckled at the thought of Jaina Solo intimidated by anything or anyone.  "This from the daughter of Han Solo and former apprentice to Mara Jade Skywalker.  Soontir is not as bad as some say."  Jaina raised an eyebrow at her commanding officer in disbelief.  "You would get to meet the famous Wynssa Starflare.  Syal would absolutely love you."

"I will take it into consideration." Jaina paused, pondering her next words, her expression becoming serious again.  "Sir, are you all right with the idea of me having a relationship with your nephew."

"I couldn't be happier for you and Jag.  Any bright spot in this blasted war is a blessing.  I am truly relieved though that you have chosen to keep it under wraps.  It is a sound decision for all involved."

"That means a lot to me."

Wedge glanced at the chrono on the wall.  "I have a meeting in five minutes, so let me get back to business.  I have the mechanics preparing a new X-wing fit for a Goddess to replace your old one.  I will have you take over Colonel Taggert's squadron and relieve Jagged from his double duty."

"I am sure Jag will be grateful," she affirmed.

"I am doing it for my sister's sake, not his.  She is dying to see more of him.  While we are on the subject of the Goddess, I want you to talk to Iella before making any more plans to perpetuate the ruse.  Iella seems to feel that now would be a good opportunity to
sit on the charade for a while.  She can elaborate on her plans further."

"I'll do that."  The look of disappointment in her eyes did not escape the general.  "Will that be all, sir?"

"I believe so."

Jaina stood and offered Wedge a salute before about-facing to head out of the room.

"Jaina," Wedge called after her.

She turned back to face him. "Yes, sir."

"Don't scare off all Taggert's pilots before he gets back."

"I will try, sir," she answered with a wicked grin.

"What is it your Uncle Luke always says?  Do or do not.  There is no try."

Jaina threw a jaunty salute, turned and exited the office as Wedge Antilles' laugh trickled from the room.

**********

Syal Fel surveyed the site before her, and her heart swelled with joy.  Her family sat at one table in the Antilles' apartment, sharing stories and laughter along with a delicious meal.  She could never ask for more in her life.  No, that was not true, if only Davin and Cherith could be here, too, then it would be perfect.  But this was a joyous occasion, and those thoughts could be saved for another time.

To Syals's left, at one end of the table, sat her brother Wedge.  It seemed so strange to be near him again, but so comfortable, like they had never been separated by vast amounts of time and space.  Occasionally, Syal would reach over to touch her brother, just to remind herself this was all true.

Across from Syal sat Rane, her fourth born child.  He was growing into an exceptional young man, so like his brother Jag, except in appearance.  He had blonde hair like his mother and his father's dark penetrating eyes that she had always loved.

Iella Antilles was seated to Rane's left.  Syal was beginning to see that Wedge's wife was a confident, intelligent woman.  Nothing less than she would have hoped for her brother.  As dinner progressed, Syal also determined Iella was an amazing cook.

Jag sat next to his mother, with Briaun at his other side.  Briaun, the youngest, insisted on sitting next to her brother.  She was a female version of Jag, with long raven hair and emerald eyes that sparkled when she was happy.  Briaun was only a young child when Jag had left for the academy, but she idolized him as only a baby sister could.

Soontir Fel sat at the other end of the table dominating the conversation, interrogating Jag and Wedge about various military matters.  "Jagged, I thought you would like to know that Major Nuruodo returned with the Chiss envoy.  She is Rane's commanding officer now."

Jag appeared happy to hear that his friend was back; he had been sad to see her leave after Borleias.  Her skills had been sorely missed.  "You are lucky to have such a fine commander, Rane.  There is none better in my opinion.  I will have to find an opportunity to visit her.  Perhaps, I can arrange for our two squadrons to sim together."

Rane jumped at the idea of simming with his older brother.  "I am sure Major Nuruodo will not deny herself the chance to put you in her scopes, Brother."

Everyone at the table laughed, except the Baron.  Soontir Fel's face became suddenly serious, like the suggestion brought a dark thought to his mind.  "I meant to ask you, Jag, about something Major Nuruodo included in a report from Borleias, something you did not seem to mention in any of yours that we received."

"What is that?"  Jag's interest was piqued.

"According to the Major's report, you had a close call on one occasion.  Was it as dire as her report implied?"

Wedge wiped his mouth with his napkin in an anxious reaction as the rest of the table fell silent.  Jag glanced at his uncle, looking for guidance.  Wedge fielded the question.  "The Yuuzhan Vong decided to lay a trap for Jag's squadron.  Jagged took exceptional measures to ensure Twin Suns could escape and got caught in a pretty bad furball."

Syal grabbed her son's arm.  "Were you hurt, dear?"

*********

Jag gave his mother a reassuring pat. "No, Lieutenant Colonel Solo and Master Durron came back for me.  It all turned out fine."  Jag used the memory of his first kiss with Jaina that same day to fuel a smile despite the dread building in his stomach.  He did not like the direction the conversation was taking.

Soontir Fel was not about to let the matter rest, however.  "According to Major Nuruodo, Lieutenant Colonel Solo endangered the whole squadron in the first place, needed you to save them all, and then disobeyed orders to go back for you."

Wedge stiffened in his chair.  "Lieutenant Colonel Solo could not have foreseen the nature of the trap.  None of us could have imagined the Yuuzhan Vong would commit an entire force to capture one individual. Besides, technically Lieutenant Colonel Solo does not receive orders as the Trickster goddess, so she could not have disobeyed any to go back for your son."  Jag knew the second point was basically a shading of the truth, but agreed it was a necessary argument when facing General Fel.

Rane questioned his uncle's explanation.  "What one person would the Yuuzhan Vong try so hard to capture?"

Iella chose to answer.  "They wanted to capture Jaina Solo.  She is a twin and a Jedi, both highly desirable as a sacrifice to their gods."

Soontir pressed the matter.  "Major Nuruodo reported that she mocks their gods, pretending to be their Trickster goddess, using Twin Suns Squadron as a tool in the charade.  Wedge, do you really think that course of action wise?  I mean, you put an inexperienced pilot in charge of a squadron, and then taunt the enemy with her theatrics and Jedi tricks."

Wedge replied, annoyance tainting his voice.  "The tactics appear to have been effective to this point. Lieutenant Colonel Solo is a distinguished pilot in her own right, and she had the benefit of the best support team to guide her.  She always deferred to Jagged and Kyp Durron, both experienced commanders, for guidance.  I have the utmost confidence in her abilities as a squadron commander."

At this point, the old animosity between Wedge and Soontir began to flare.  "I read the report from the other day.  Your pet project, Jaina Solo, and I quote her, took an inexperienced pilot in an aggressive run against a Vong mine, resulting in damage to his craft."

Wedge interrupted, "And got shot down putting her vessel between him and the enemy."

"And her lack of judgment was rewarded by you sending my son, who you already demeaned by putting him as Twin Suns Three, on a solo mission to save her."

Jag had remained silent during the entire exchange, somewhat disheartened by the betrayal he felt from Shawnkyr.  He was used to verbal assaults from his father.  It was the main reason he had learned to develop his steely exterior.  When insults where thrown his way, Jag used his cocky arrogance as a shield, but that was not possible when the insults were thrown at the woman he loved with all his heart.  Rage began to boil in his veins.  As Soontir leveled the final insult at his uncle's expense, Jag lost his control.

"Father, enough!"

Wedge motioned with an open palm to his nephew to keep his cool.  "It's all right, Jag."

"No, you should not have to bear the blame for the events of two days ago."

Soontir interjected, "No, Lieutenant Colonel Solo should."

"Soontir."  Syal shot her husband a warning glare.

"No, it was entirely my fault. I chose to go after Lieutenant Colonel Solo on my own.  Uncle Wedge was unaware until after I had left."

Soontir Fel was caught off-guard by the admission and redirected his anger at his son.  "What would possess you to do a stupid thing like that?  Did you feel that you owed her for saving you at Borleias?  There is a limit to loyalty, Jagged Fel.  I cannot comprehend what would drive you to make such a fool hardy decision."

Jag was visibly enraged, his face flushed and his fists balled on the table.  Everyone was staring at him, waiting for a reply.  Jag had spent his whole life being perfectly blunt in any situation; he was not about to change.  He pushed away the anger and rediscovered his resolve that had been his comfort for so many years.

"I did it because I am in love with her. And I would appreciate it, Father, if you would reserve your opinion of Jaina until you have actually met her."

The room was blanketed by a stunned silence following the admission, and only the tinkling of utensils on plates could be heard.  Syal finally broke the tension, addressing her husband.  "I do not think Jagged will be the first or the last man to do something out of character for love.  It appears Wedge and our son have an understanding about Jag's decision.  I think we should respect that as his commanding officer."

"An understanding to deceive me it appears," Soontir growled back.

Syal affected her voice to reflect the displeasure she felt for her husband.  "No Soontir, you chose to hear what you wanted to hear.  Wedge told you Jagged offered to help, that was all."

The Baron was not used to or comfortable with harsh sentiment from his wife.  Soontir appeared to consider arguing, but his anger was stifled by the disappointment in his wife's eyes.  Syal turned to Jag.  "I wish we had known about your relationship before now. I t sounds like Jaina is an important part of your life."

Jag smiled back at his mother.  He could tell she was genuinely happy for him.  Jag knew his mother would find Jaina to be the truly wonderful woman he had fallen in love with.  "Jaina and I have had to work out our relationship.  It has been complicated by the Trickster charade she has to keep up.  We really cannot be open about our feelings except with a few close friends.  It's not something you just announce in a hololetter home."

Syal noted the disappointment in her son's eyes as he talked about the struggles in their relationship.  "True love has a way of working its own magic, Son."

"I have to believe that it will."

Briaun, who had silently observed the entire conversation, touched her father's arm and commented with all the innocence possessed by her youth.  "Mommy always says you did some silly things for her at one time."

The Baron's face softened as he smiled at his daughter and then his wife, reminded of decisions he had made for both their sakes so long ago.

**********

Jaina walked under her new X-wing, which was bearing a bright new Twin Suns logo, dragging her hand along the underside as she went.  She admired the newness of the craft, no history apparent on the skin, to the touch or the eye.  Jaina went to the ladder and climbed up to the cockpit, inhaling the aroma of the virgin interior.

A series of bleeps and whistles woke Jaina out of her trance.  She looked to the astromech droid seated in its socket, performing diagnostics on the new fighter.  It was an R2 unit, exactly as she requested.  Jaina had an unconscious bias, developed from years of listening to her uncle list the merits of the R2 unit versus other astromech models that had come and gone.  It was years of tagging along with Artoo that allowed Jaina to acknowledge droids as a pilot's counterpart, as if they were sentient.

"Hello there. Are you my new co-pilot?"

The droid squeezed out an affirmative as it spun its white dome.

"How's the ship look?"

She turned to the interface screen in the cockpit as the R2 answered in a series of toots and bleeps.  Data scrolled across the panel in rapid-fire succession, only Jaina's Jedi abilities allowed her to keep up with it.

"Looks good, but the laser alignments could benefit from some adjustments Cappie - he was my old droid - calculated after some time fighting the Vong."  Jaina reflected for a moment on the loss of her droid friend and his namesake before that.

The droid responded with an inquisitive whistle.

"No, I'll do it myself."  Jaina pointed at her coveralls.  "See, I came prepared to work on a couple adjustments on my own.  My father always says there is nothing like working on your own ship to settle the mind."

A low moaning whistle followed as if the droid agreed.  Jaina opened the access hatch behind the cockpit and took a small multi-tool out of her pocket.  She then started making the desired adjustments.

Jaina spoke to the droid as she worked, "Do you have a name?"

She recognized the whistled response as a negative.

"Can I give you a name then?"

Her new droid bleeted excitedly, spinning its dome top.

"Okay.  Let's see.  I named my last droid after a friend but that didn't turn out well.  I am playing the Trickster goddess.  How about Trick?  That should really get the tattooed ones fired up."

A series of happy toots answered.

"I'm glad you like it.  Trick it is.  I hope you know what you are in for.  Well, maybe it's better you don't."

**********

Across the hangar bay, Jag could see Jaina hanging over the side of her X-wing working in an access hatch.  After the events of dinner earlier in the evening, she was a sight for sore eyes.  Even dressed in stained coveralls and her hair pulled back in a loose tail, Jaina was a vision of beauty.  Her hand slipped on the tool she was using, and it fell to the ground.  A string of Corellian curses coursed from her mouth as she sat up on the back of the craft, shaking the sting out of her hand.

Jag approached the X-wing and picked the tool off the ground.  "You dropped this."  He held it up to her.

At the sound of his voice, Jaina spun around, and a smile lit her face as she wiped away a tendril of hair with the back of her grease stained hand.  "Hello, Colonel Fel.  How did dinner with the family go?"  Her voice remained professional, but she could not manage to erase the smile from her face as she attempted to maintain an unattached appearance.  Jaina reached down to take the tool, and Jag let his hand brush hers as they passed the multi-tool, sending shivers along his arm.

"As well as can be expected."  He looked around to see if anyone was in earshot.  "I told them about us.  Father would not get off Uncle Wedge's case about sending me after you."

" I understand, you couldn't stand by and let that happen.  Your parents were bound to find out sooner or later," she assured him.  "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. Later though."  Jag offered her the little smile he reserved for her alone, trying to convince Jaina that everything was fine.  "I was going to sim for a while."

Jaina knew Jag well enough to understand simming was his way of working out his frustrations, a relief valve for a man who hid his emotions behind a wall.  Asking her to sim was his way of asking her to be there for him.

"Sure. Let me finish up here, and I'll meet you down there as soon as I can."

"New fighter not up to your standards?"

"Just a few modifications here and there.  Twin Suns comes home tomorrow so I want to get this done."

"So how long?"

"I will meet you there in half an hour, and we can vape skips to your heart's desire."

Jag looked up at her with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I was thinking more along the line of vaping some TIE Interceptors." He turned and walked away.

**********

Jaina watched Jag go, admiring the view.  She wondered what could have happened at dinner between Jag and his father to warrant such a response. Something in her gut told Jaina that meeting Soontir Fel was not going to be an enjoyable experience for either one of them.

**********

END OF CHAPTER 6
TKL/jj00