CHAPTER 20 – The Gift

Padme was lying on the bed in her apartment, high in the sky of Coruscant. The windows had been darkened to prohibit the bright light of day from filtering in. Her body was wrapped around a pillow, trying to alleviate the pain assaulting her stomach. Suddenly, the door to the room slid open, and her beloved Anakin was rushing to her side.

"I feared something was wrong when you did not appear at the Senate today." He dropped to the bed. "Chancellor Palpatine has me working furiously. I came as soon as I could. "

Padme moaned as he caressed her forehead. Anakin's eyes closed in concentration, and some of her discomfort subsided. She whispered an appreciative, "Thank you."

Anakin opened his eyes and smiled down at the woman he loved, who was uncurling from her fetal position. "Is your stomach bothering you again?"

Padme nodded.

"You're working yourself too hard. The stress must be giving you an ulcer with all this unrest in the Senate. The Chancellor assures me he is diligently working to end the war with the dissident factions so things can get back to normal."

Padme eased over on her back and propped herself up against a pillow resting on the backboard. "Chancellor Palpatine is no closer to finding an end to this war than he was the first time he made that promise."

"If the Senate would not question his decisions at every turn, the road would be quicker, I assure you."

Padme's stomach was too delicate to renew her argument with Anakin, so she bit her tongue. Anakin might be a Jedi, but he was naïve to the workings of the government. He was unable to fathom why everyone could not agree to agree. It was an argument they danced round and round on an increasing basis.

Anakin must have sensed her consternation because his face softened. "I will not trouble you with such talk anymore today. Shall I call for a physician?"

Padme smiled appreciatively as she placed a hand on his arm. "No, I am already feeling better thanks to you. I am sure this will pass, too."

Padme used her grip on Anakin's arm to pull herself over to the edge of the bed. She went to rise, and suddenly, the world swam around her in a crazy kaleidoscope of colors. She felt the warmth of Anakin's arm just as her legs gave out. In one swift movement, she was back on the bed.

As the world came back into focus for her, Anakin spoke. "I am getting a physician."

Padme clutched his arm desperately. "No, there will be whisperings in the Senate. I am positive it is just lack of a good meal."

"Then let me examine you to be sure there is nothing of major concern."

Padme settled into the bed and nodded her consent. As Anakin fell into the Force, his face assumed its mask of concentration. Starting at her head, Anakin passed a hand over Padme's body. His hand traveled slowly until stopping at her abdomen. Padme watched Anakin as his face puckered in concentration. Then his eyes flashed open, piercing into her.

"Padme."

Padme's face blanched with fear. "What is it, Anakin?"

Anakin's eyes closed until they were merely slits. "How could you let this happen?"

Padme had not expected the harshness of her husband's voice. "What happen?"

Anakin rose abruptly and walked a few paces away before he spun to face her. "You are carrying a child."

Padme's hand went to her stomach instinctively, as she shook her head in disbelief. "No, it can't be true. I took every precaution." She pushed herself up so she was sitting on the bed. She cringed at the rage burning in her husband's eyes. "You have to believe me, Anakin. I didn't want this to happen as much as you."

Padme said the words, but instantly regretted them. How could she say that about something formed from the love she shared with her husband? This pregnancy was untimely but not unwanted.

Her thoughts spun with all the implications brought forth by this revelation. Everything would have to change and sacrifices would have to be made. She could not deny the child simply because of her own selfish motives. This child, her child, was innocent of all blame.

Padme watched Anakin run through the same gamut of emotions, before his face softened, and he came to her. He sat down on the bed and rested his hand on her stomach, threading his fingers through her fingers.

"Anakin, we'll find a way to make this work."

All Anakin could manage was a nod.

The beeping of Trick's alarm brought Jaina out of her dream and into the reality of her X-wing's cramped cockpit. The lines of hyperspace swirled around the canopy in an eerie dance, moving to the beat of the astromech's call. Jaina wiped the sleep out of her eyes with her gloved hand.

"Got it, Trick. I'm awake. Thanks."

The alarm ceased, and the droid tooted a reply.

Jaina checked the interface. "No, I guess that didn't sound very grateful. Sorry, I'm not a morning person."

Trick whistled back.

"Okay, so it's the middle of the night. I'm not a wake-up in general type of person. How does everything look?"

Trick's reply was far from succinct.

Jaina waited patiently for him to finish his diligent list of system checks.

"Looks great, up to Goddess standards. Trick, I want you to record my recollection of the dream I just had and download it to my datapad for later. Start recording in three, two, one, mark…" Jaina explained, in is much detail as she could remember, the dream as it had occurred. She preferred to write it down, but this would have to do.

As she continued with the recording, Jaina reached up and tapped the holo unit affixed to her cockpit displays. A holo, one Trick had taken of Jaina and Jag, appeared. It was only a few hours old and brought back a flood of memories. Jaina smiled at the loving couple before reaching up and tapping the unit to turn it off.

Jaina wrapped up her journal entry as she noticed the countdown clock nearing the drop time. "End of recording. Okay, Trick. Let's get ready. Time to real space in five," Jaina tugged on the glove of her stick hand. "Four." She touched the bump in her flight suit where the clawcraft pendant rested. "Three." She took a deep breath "Two." And let it out. "One." Her hand reached for the hyperdrive controls.

A field of stars flashed into existence over the haze of Bimmisaari's atmosphere, directly ahead in her viewport. Jaina's tactical display lit up with twelve Twin Suns contacts, including a shuttle known as Twin Suns Thirteen for this mission, tucked in behind the point of the V formation. Her squadron was nestled behind and above Vanguard Squadron and in front of and below Spike Squadron.

Jaina reached out in the Force quickly in the calm before the storm. She found Kyp instantly, calmly waiting the battle to unfold. The other Twin Suns Jedi, Lowie and Tesar, were alert and confident, as were the four other Twin Suns regulars. Jaina did not know enough about two of the Wraiths, Kell Tainer and Face Loran, temporarily assigned to Twin Suns, but she was confident in their abilities. Piggy was already a flurry of calculations, and Sharr was in his usual zone before any dogfight.

Tucked behind the formation of X-wings in the shuttle, Zekk, Tahiri and Danni were all focused on the task at hand. Farther out was Jacen, deep in the battle meld on the Ralroost, the command ship for this mission. Other minds crossed hers: Luke, Mara, her mother and father, and countless more she could identify.

Before withdrawing, Jaina reached for Jag. He was all business, back to his unflappable demeanor and unshakable resolve she had grown to expect and rely on. There was not even a hint of the awkward fear for her that had troubled him over the last week. All he exuded was complete faith in her. Until that moment, she did not realize how much she had come to count on his steadfastness to anchor her in times like these. Reluctantly, she let him go and returned her attention to the looming battle.

Twin Suns Squadron was streaking down into the atmosphere while above the fleet was engaging the smaller Peace Brigade battle ships and commencing the individual raids to wrestle command of the refugee ships from their captors. A mix of A-wings and B-wings and even some old TIE fighters were vectoring up from the planet's surface. Jaina spoke over the squadron frequency.

"Twin Suns, keep your eye on the objective. Our orders are to get to the ground ASAP. Let Spikes and Vanguards handle the incoming fighters."

Twelve comm clicks responded. Twin Suns was well into the atmosphere by the time they were intercepted by the Peace Brigade fighters. Other than maneuvering to avoid target locks, all of the Twin Suns pilots maintained their track to the Peace Brigade base. Jaina's squadron relied on the faster, more maneuverable clawcraft to pick off their assailants. Ahead, Jaina could see the blue flash of ground-based ion cannons.

"Twin Suns, heads up. We have defensive fire from the ground." Jaina keyed the command frequency. "Twin Suns is going to put down at the drop zone designated Prime. Expect initial target identification in five minutes. Vanguard Lead, Spike Lead, once we are down let me know if those ion cannons are a problem, and we'll see about knocking them out."

Jag's voice came back in its usual arrogant tone Jaina had grown to love. "Twin Suns Lead, you worry about getting us plenty of targets; we'll worry about the ion cannons."

Jaina double clicked the comm before switching back to her squadron frequency. "Twin Suns, proceed to primary landing zone. All contact is to be by the numbers from here on out. Let's take it in low and fast."

Jaina sensed the focus of her squadron as they responded by clicks of their respective comms. Defensive ground fire buffeted the air all around her ship. The Twin Suns X-wings followed Jaina's lead and dropped down below Vanguard and Spike Squadrons, so they were skimming the treetops of the forest surrounding their target.

Vanguard Squadron formed up and matched the move to create an advance screen. Spike Squadron continued to harass the Peace Brigade fighters. The landing zone was approaching quickly. Tiny figures were visible scurrying across the clearing. Some even futilely leveled blasters shots at the incoming Galactic Alliance fighters.

Jaina never let off the throttle until she was almost directly over the landing zone. She pulled up on the stick, kicking her repulsors to full power as she did. Trick squealed in alarm as the ship plummeted to the ground. Kyp was at her side matching her move for move. The other Twin Suns pilots, not nearly as aggressive as Jaina and Kyp tended to be, were still landing as she and Kyp leapt from their fighters, brandishing lightsabers.

The assault shuttle piloted by Zekk was last to land, settling down almost directly in front of the entrance to their intended target, the enormous refugee processing compound. Jaina swatted away several blaster shots as she ran toward the next nearest X-wing. It took only seconds for the four Jedi pilots to form a running screen following the Wraith squadron alumni and their fellow Twin Suns pilots to the entrance.

Zekk and Tahiri had already eliminated the Brigaders at the entrance by the time Jaina and the others arrived. Danni waited for the screen of Twin Suns Jedi to make her move to the front doors. Kell Tainer, toting some odd shaped fire thrower, quipped at the blonde Jedi Tahiri as his long legs took him to the lead of the charge through the front doors.

"Look, Auntie Tahiri is taking all our fun away."

Face's retort was cut short by the snap of Jaina's voice. "Numbers, gentlemen."

The veteran pilot bit back his playful banter and returned to business. Obviously Wedge was playing a cruel joke on the Wraiths, by sticking them with the single-minded Jedi princess. The fifteen members of the ground team commandeered the large, vaulted foyer to the main building of the processing compound. Several dead Brigaders sprawled across the floor; no overt resistance was to be found.

Jaina assessed the situation quickly and then began issuing orders. "Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen, you're a go on the Vong technology sweep."

Zekk, Tahiri and Danni nodded before breaking into a run heading in the suspected direction of the Vong implant research lab based on intelligence provided by Iella. Kell and the other Wraiths offered Tahiri a silent wave goodbye as she jogged past.

"Three, Nine and Eleven, you're with Five in Team Two. Take the east wing. Four and Twelve, you are with One and Two down the west wing. Eight and Ten, you have your pet project, one east, one west. Six, Seven, you'll stay here and keep an eye on our ships. We'll send prisoners back this way so we don't accidentally blow them up." She glanced at her wristchrono. "Our Chiss friends expect targets in under two minutes."

All heads nodded in understanding. "Alright, let's go."

Each group split off down their respective paths. Jaina and Kyp led Laytar Pheer, Twin Suns Four, and Sharr down the western corridor while Lowie and Tesar headed east with Piggy and Brance Wartrue. Kell brought up the rear of Jaina's Team One, deciding to stick with the them until he needed to venture off to complete his individual mission.

Jaina pulled up and motioned for the others to hug the wall. Around the corner, a squad of twelve Peace Brigade soldiers stood guard in front of a pair of doors. With a series of hand signals, Jaina indicated for the others to wait while the two Jedi eliminated the threat. By the time Sharr had made it to the corner, the Jedi had eliminated half of the squad.

Kell reached around the corner and picked off one Brigader with a blaster shot just as two other Brigaders fell from deflected blaster shots. Jaina leapt up and took out another soldier with a deadly kick to the head just as Kyp charged and sliced through the remaining two. Sharr stepped out from the cover of the corner with a smirk.

"This is too easy with a pair of Jedi."

Kyp gave the Wraith a look of disdain as he kicked aside a body blocking the door. Jaina appreciated Kyp's attitude. Neither of them enjoyed taking any life, no matter who they were. It was a cold reality that some lives would be sacrificed to protect thousands of others. Somehow, amassing kills in a cockpit isolated them from the cold truth of what they did on a daily basis. The mounting body count before them was a wake-up call to what this war truly meant.

"Twelve, you have your first target."

Jaina and Kyp activated the doors and strode into the midst of an apparent control center. A couple of desk jockeys held their hands over their heads as the team walked in, blasters and lightsabers at the ready.

"Four, take care of escorting our guests out. I don't think they will want to be here when the Chiss come through."

Laytar proceeded to round up the prisoners and ushered them out of the control center.

"Twelve, you got this?"

Sharr nodded as he worked at setting a beacon. Jaina and Kyp headed back to the doors when Kell appeared back from a brief excursion.

"You guys good? I found a way out."

Jaina waved him on as she reached for her beeping comlink. The tall man took off down the corridor at a jog, before disappearing around a corner.

"One, here."

A series of growls and roars came back. Jaina clicked the comm twice before switching frequencies.

"Twin Suns Lead to Vanguard Lead. First three targets are online. Give us one minute to clear the playing field."

"Vanguard Lead copies, one minute to target."

Sharr came shooting out of the room just as Laytar returned from the direction of the front entrance to the compound, now free of his prisoners. Jaina started down the hall at a jog.

"Let's go. Team Two is one up on us already."

Wedge stood in front of the tactical holo of the Ralroost, monitoring the battle with an impartial eye. Across from him, on the other side of the display, Jacen Solo sat immersed in a semi-trance, or what the Jedi called the battle meld. On occasion, he would share information with the Bothan Admiral Kre'fey or relay information back to the other Jedi. A communication officer spun in his chair and addressed the admiral.

"Sir, Vanguard and Spike Squadrons are commencing their initial strafing runs. Twin Suns is proceeding to acquire new targets."

Admiral Kre'fey queried the officer. "Any word on the acquisition of Vong technology?"

"No, sir."

Jacen provided the answer the officer was lacking. "Danni found the lab right where it was expected. They are returning to the shuttle with a couple armfuls of useful items."

"Excellent." The Bothan turned to Wedge. "How else can we hurt our enemy today, General? All but two infiltration teams have been successful in overthrowing the crews of the transports, the destruction of the Peace Brigade compound has begun and we may have found some more ways to defeat our enemy with the acquisition of the Vong technology."

Wedge, who he did not share the Bothan's joy at waging war, could only manage a half-hearted attempt at a smile. "The day's not over, sir."

Jag jerked his clawcraft around to come up on the tail of a Peace Brigade A-wing. This type of craft was one of the quickest and most nimble around, but it was not a match for his modified TIE. It only took a few seconds to get the Peace Brigade vessel lined up in his targeting brackets.

The other pilot banked and spun in an attempt to provide a difficult target. His predictability was his undoing. Every other bank was starboard and down. The pilot spun and before he could bank, Jag was turning his ship to starboard. He caught the A-wing in a flurry of laser fire as the craft crossed through Jag's path.

As Jag flew out of the blaze of fire left in the wake of the A-wing's destruction, he spared a glance at his tactical display. There were fourteen enemy fighters remaining of the three original squadrons defending the base. The comm crackled alive with his favorite voice.

"Twin Suns Lead to Vanguard Lead. First three targets are online. Give us one minute to clear the playing field."

Jag reached forward and dialed up his timer before responding. "Vanguard Lead copies, one minute to target." He switched to his squadron's channel to continue. "Vanguard Squadron form up, we have 55 seconds to commence our first run. Spike Squadron be prepared to follow-up on the next set of targets that come online."

Jag maneuvered out in a broad sweeping turn to line up on the targets identified on his heads-up display, one on the west wing of the compound, two on the east wing. He quickly calculated his distance to target and approach speed in order to reach the objective at precisely the time given by Jaina, no sooner, no later, and eased forward on the stick slightly.

"Vanguard Three and Five, arm torpedoes. You're with me on the first pass. Your wingmates will fly cover. Seven, Nine and Eleven, you get clean up duty. Make sure those targets are completely eliminated."

As Jag made his approach, he could just make out the controlled burn Kell Tainer and Face Loran were charged with, stretching out in the dense forest to either side of the processing facility. The beginnings of the Yun-Harla emblem could be made out through the smoke. Jag smiled inwardly for a moment. Jaina would be tickled when she realized the operation was named for the 'Trickster's Scar' the Galactic Alliance would leave behind in the surrounding forest to taunt the Yuuzhan Vong when they arrived later.

Jag brushed the distraction aside and focused on the task at hand, with one ear attuned to the comm in case the ground forces called off the run for some reason or another. The shock waves created by the ion bursts began buffeting the ship as Jag's targeting reticule locked onto one of the targets. The drop site was approaching quickly as he made some adjustments to compensate for the turbulence.

Just as Jag triggered the firing mechanism, releasing his torpedo, a blue flash engulfed Vanguard Two, who was between Jag and the ion cannons. Jag watched the torpedo streak to its mark as his crippled wingmate dropped from the sky. Jag vectored away from the base in a slow banking turn, one eye watching as Vanguard Two, who failed to respond to hails, crashed into the forest and exploded into a ball of fire.

Over the comm, Jaina's voice burst through, cutting off any sullen thoughts creeping into his mind following the loss of a comrade-in-arms. "Spike Lead, four more targets await your arrival."

Shawnkyr responded. "Acknowledged Twin Suns Lead. One minute from your mark."

Jaina's reply was short, "Mark," and then the comm was filled again with the usual squadron chatter.

Jaina scanned deeper into the vast refugee processing facility as the ground beneath her rocked with the concussions of detonating torpedoes. She glanced at Kyp as he felt the same thing she did. Ahead was a mass of life forms. They did not appear to be hostile; rather they were fearful, their emotions spiking with every blast.

Just then, Sharr popped through an adjacent door, leading from a large bay used for housing refugees at one time. "Done. Call in another one, Lead."

Jaina nodded and broke into a jog, trying to catch up to Kyp who was already ahead. It was a short trip before he pulled up in front of a pair of doors similar to the ones they had just left behind. He nodded to Jaina, both recognizing this as the place housing the cluster of life signs.

Kyp extinguished his lightsaber, and Jaina followed his lead. He swiped at the door control, but it did not respond. Closing his eyes, Kyp let the Force guide him through the workings of the mechanism. Moments later, the doors slid open.

Jaina walked through and let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the large bay. Inside, staring back at her, were hundreds of refugees of every imaginable origin. The air stunk of poor sanitation and disease. A lone Kandaran came forward and clutched her arm.

"Help us, please."

Jaina sent a reassuring brush out through the Force to encompass all the beings as she spoke. "You're safe now. The Galactic Alliance will provide transport off the planet and take you to a new home."

A swell of murmurs spread throughout the room like a wave cresting.

"Twin Suns Lead to Vanguard Lead. I need a call for transport for approximately four hundred refugees from the second bay west side."

There was a pause while Jag relayed the message to the Ralroost. "Copy, Twin Suns Lead. Transport in ten." Kyp speaking into his comlink held two fingers up to Jaina. "Confirming, transport in ten. Vanguard Lead you have three more targets. I repeat, three…"

Shawnkyr's voice broke in. "Vanguard Lead, Spike Lead. Transport will not make it down with those ion cannons still operational. Request Spikes be reassigned to combat ion cannons."

"Spike Lead, proceed, but be careful."

Kyp leaned over to grab Jaina's attention. "Zekk and Tahiri have completed their mission and request to assist."

Jaina held up her finger to Kyp as she keyed her comlink. "Spike Lead, we can handle the two southern batteries by the landing zone with a ground assault."

Kyp took that as a cue and called back to Tahiri to issue their new assignment.

"Spike Lead confirms. Twin Suns will eliminate southern two ion cannon batteries in a ground assault."

Jaina double clicked her comm and then went about the daunting task of rounding up a few hundred scared, cold and hungry refugees for transport. Somehow, fighting a squad of Peace Brigade soldiers with one hand tied behind her back and blindfolded seemed a whole lot easier.

Jag led the Vanguards on a wide sweep around the Peace Brigade compound. On Shawnkyr's recommendation, he had let Spike Squadron take a run at the ion cannon batteries before he began the strafing run. Jag had decided to take the western target on this run.

As the clawcraft closed on the compound, the southeastern battery was already silent, and both northern batteries were occupied with the assault of Spike Squadron. The southwestern battery tracked Jag's arc through the sky, even though he was still well out of range to be effective. Shawnkyr's voice cracked in the comm.

"Vanguard Lead, where is your wingman?"

"Lost him in the first pass."

"Spike Five is closest. He will come around to cover for you."

Jag winced; Spike Five was Rane. The flashes of ion fire were closer still as Jag juked and twisted evasively. For some reason, this gunner seemed exceptionally good at predicting his moves.

"Negative Spike Lead. I can handle it."

Jag caught a glimpse of a black blur flash by his canopy. "Too late Vanguard Lead. Spike Five has got your back."

Jag inhaled sharply as his tactical display showed Spike Five shadowing him. "Alright, watch this guy; he's good."

Rane double clicked in acknowledgement, already immersed in his own dance with the gunner. The torpedo drop zone approached, and Rane, as any good wingman would, put himself between the ion cannon and Jag, so that he could hold steady long enough for a shot. Jag released his torpedo and eyed it all the way to its target – a clean hit.

Rane was slightly lower and behind, so Jag did not see the blue ion bolt light up his brother's ship. When the trailing clawcraft failed to climb with him, Jag knew something was wrong.

"Vanguard Lead to Spike Five."

Nothing.

"Vanguard Lead to Spike Five."

Jag inverted his clawcraft by rolling over to port and watched helplessly as Rane's clawcraft plummeted to the ground. The cold grip around Jag's heart intensified, squeezing out his breath, as the damaged craft crashed through the trees, stopping in a clearing beyond the forest. Miraculously, it did not erupt in flames. Jag righted his clawcraft and dropped toward the ground at break neck speed.

"This is Vanguard Lead. Spike Five is down. Send support craft. Vanguard Nine, I relinquish command to you."

It took considerable Force influence to keep hundreds of frightened refugees under control and moving in an orderly fashion toward the back of the bay to await the transport. Jaina was grateful Lowie and Tesar had joined the effort after Team Two completed their sweep of the east wing. It was difficult enough work for four Jedi; it had been nearly impossible for two, even if one was a Master.

A sudden cold grip of terror stopped Jaina in her tracks. It was not her own, but it affected her like it was. Kyp was beside her almost instantly.

"Jaina?"

She pulled her eyes, widened by fear, up to match his gaze. "It's Jag. Something has happened."

"To him?"

"No, but he needs me."

Kyp motioned for the other two Jedi to take charge as he ushered Jaina to the door. "Let's go."

Jaina ran next to Kyp, trying to make a deeper connection with Jag, but he had slammed a door on his emotions, making him all but unreadable. The return trip out of the compound seemed endless. When they finally reached the front entrance, Jaina's comlink beeped.

Jaina activated and breathlessly responded. "Twin Suns Lead."

Her hope to hear Jag's voice was cut short by the efficient clip of Shawnkyr's call. "Spike Lead to Twin Suns Lead. There is still one active ion cannon in the southwest corner. It needs to be disabled before the transport can land."

Jaina exchanged a hopeless look with Kyp. Kyp was remiss to leave her, but they were short on options. "Go to Jag, I'll take care of it."

"Spike Lead, Twin Suns Two will handle it."

Jaina allowed her connection with Jag to guide her feet. She weaved among the trees surrounding the Peace Brigade base. The light ahead grew brighter as the trees thinned. Jaina broke into a clearing and halted at the sight of a downed clawcraft. It did not have the markings left on Jag's ship from his time in Twin Suns.

Jag was on top of the canopy, trying to pry it open. As Jaina approached at a run, she felt his panic mounting with the flames licking around the engines and up the sides of the ship. She jumped up in a Force-assisted leap to land beside Jag. His face was more relieved than startled to see her there.

"Stand back, Jag."

Jaina lit her lightsaber and sliced it through the canopy. A couple swift strokes later, she was able to rip the canopy open with a blast of the Force. The flames were beginning to consume the ship as Jag dropped into the cockeyed cockpit. Jaina felt Jag's pain as the heat of the ship's skin burned his hands.

She manipulated the flames to keep them at bay as best she could while Jag unbuckled his unconscious brother and passed him to her. Jaina grabbed Rane under the arms and tugged, using the Force to help hoist him over her shoulder, no small feat for a woman her size. She jumped off the ship with Rane as Jag climbed out of the cockpit.

Jaina did not wait, rather started towards the edge of the clearing now that she was no longer controlling the fire. Jag came up behind her at a run and took his brother from Jaina. Her danger sense alerted, and she let Jag ease past her. Jaina braced herself, setting a Force shield behind her just as the clawcraft exploded. The shield kept most of the flying shrapnel from hitting any of them but was ineffective against the strength of the blast itself, which threw their bodies like rag dolls.

Jaina rolled through her landing, coming up to her feet beside the fallen brothers. Jag, unable to absorb any of the shock, lay by his lifeless brother, struggling to catch his breath. Jaina knelt down by Rane and scanned his body with the currents of the Force. The paramount concern was a lack of heartbeat and breathing; other blunt force trauma injuries could be dealt with later.

As Jaina rested her hand over Rane's heart, Jag crawled over next to her, silently looking to her for any signs. Jaina sent a pulse of energy to Rane's heart and waited. There was no response, so she pumped his unresponsive heart and inflated his empty lungs, willing his body to function.

Jag watched as Rane's chest rose and fell in an unnatural manner. The severity of the situation pierced through him just as the breeze of a support shuttle's repulsors announced its arrival. Jaina knew help was on the way, but she pushed on, sending another pulse to Rane's heart. She paused again and waited for a three count.

Before she could manipulate his organs again, the beat came. The sound of the shuttle impacting the ground could be heard, and then, there was another beat and another. The hissing of air sucking into vacant lungs followed. Jaina spared Jag a glance.

"His heart is beating, but he needs medical help now. I don't know how much more I can do."

Jag turned to the Chiss field medic approaching from the shuttle. He barked something in Chiss, and the medic responded pointing at the shuttle. Jag faced Jaina. "He'll help you. I'll go get the repulsor sled so we can move him."

Jaina turned back to Rane as Jag departed. The field medic knelt down in Jag's place and took a scanner out of his bag. Jaina addressed him as the blue-skinned humanoid ran the device across Rane's body.

"Broken ribs here and here." She directed his attention with a point of her finger. "Broken leg, there. Internal bleeding from an artery near the spleen. I'll try to do something about the bleeding. Can you take care of the rest?"

This Chiss medic nodded as his fiery eyes flashed. Jaina closed her eyes and dropped back into the Force, attempting to squeeze off the artery and control the leakage of blood into the body cavity.

Kyp leapt onto the roof of the processing facility and almost came down on top of Tahiri, who was coming from the eastern battery. The sight of Kyp landing on the roof halted Tahiri in her tracks.

"What's wrong?"

"The southwest cannons were still firing less than a minute ago."

Tahiri broke into a run in the direction of the battery. "I hope something didn't happen to Zekk."

The two Jedi ran in silence until they reached the walls of the battery, scaling up from the rooftop. Kyp ignited his lightsaber and leapt up the twenty-foot wall. Tahiri followed behind. Zekk spun around brandishing his lightsaber as he heard the two Jedi land on the battery's wall. At the sight of them, he extinguished his weapon and slapped it on his belt.

"All taken care of."

Tahiri shut off her lightsaber. "Problems?"

"There were more resistant than I anticipated."

Kyp still held his lightsaber in his hand as he eyed the fallen men. He turned his wary eye to Zekk. "Just two, losing your touch, Zekk?"

Zekk shrugged and walked into Kyp's path as the Master approached the two dead Brigaders sprawled on the floor. "Better get going."

Kyp's gaze returned to the dead bodies. Neither of them was showing the characteristic smoke of a fresh lightsaber strike, nor did they have the fresh odor of charred flesh. Kyp was about to take a step closer when a pulse of fear coursed through him. He spun to face the others.

"We need to get to Jaina, now!"

The infiltrator could not believe his luck. It had taken a week of cautious plotting and maneuvering to establish an identity within the Chiss task force. The Chiss were fanatically tight on their security protocols; the only place he could find a hole was as a medical technician, held in low regard among the military-oriented race.

He had chosen the Chiss because they were known for shunning outsiders, but at the same time, were still participating in the offensive against his People. The infiltrator determined this the best opportunity to garner information that would restore the faith of his superiors, who currently sought to punish him for his failings on behalf of The People. Among the Chiss, there was little risk of discovery at the hands of the Jedi, who had an uncanny knack for identifying his kind despite the ooglith masquers.

As he exited the support shuttle, the infiltrator came upon a man and woman leaning over the fallen pilot. He was surprised to see that none of them were Chiss; only the woman wore a Galactic Alliance uniform, though. The man turned and told the infiltrator they would require a repulsor sled. He pointed to the shuttle and told the man to retrieve it so he could attend to the wounded man.

The black-haired man rose and ran past him to the shuttle. The infiltrator walked up next to the woman, dropping his bag next to her. As he knelt down and reached into the bag for the scanner, the woman began speaking.

"Broken ribs here and here." The infiltrator ran the scanner along the injured pilot's body, confirming the diagnosis. "Broken leg, there." Again she was correct. "Internal bleeding from an artery near the spleen." The infiltrator stopped his scan suddenly. There was only one way she could know all that; she was a Jedi.

She looked at the infiltrator and continued. "I'll try to do something about the bleeding. Can you take care of the rest?"

He nodded, stunned that here before him was none other than Jaina Solo, the infidel, and she did not seem to realize he was her sworn enemy. The Trickster impersonator turned back to the fallen pilot and closed her eyes, falling into a Jedi trance. He was not sure how long his luck would hold, so he plotted furiously.

Here before him was a path to redemption. He could kill Jaina Solo and win back the approval of the Overlord. Even if he died here, he would die with honor, but death was never part of his plan. The infiltrator made his choice quickly, while he still the had the advantage. Reaching into the medical bag, he found the amphistaff hidden there. With a snarl of satisfaction glued to his face, the infiltrator brought it down in a death-dealing blow.

Jaina fell into the Force, allowing it to guide her to the torn artery deep within Rane's body. Applying deliberate pressure, she pinched off the blood vessel, staunching the flow. Reaching further into the tendrils of the Force, Jaina called on the healing pathways of Rane's body to concentrate on the injured artery.

Something around her was wrong. Where the Force should have been flowing to her from the life around her, there was an obstruction. Jaina's danger sense ignited in a warning bell as she focused on the blockage. It was right beside her. Jaina's eyes flickered open and caught the slash of an object just as she swung her shoulders away.

Jaina tried leaping up to bring her legs under herself but was knocked down in mid-leap. The Chiss medic was on top of her slashing his weapon as she frantically deflected blows. In the fury of the struggle, Jaina realized it was an amphistaff. She reached for her lightsaber in the Force, but it was not on her belt.

The attacker brought down his weapon across her windpipe, and Jaina caught it with her hands outside of his. With a strength aided by sheer weight, the infiltrator bore down, cutting into her air supply, trying to crush her windpipe beneath the weapon. His hands were so close to her neck she could feel them.

Jaina swung her legs up and caught one around his neck. Before she could use it to twist him off, a pain seared through her neck. Her opponent used her body's revulsion to the pain to free himself from the leg lock. He leered over her, pressing the amphistaff with renewed strength, buoyed by the knowledge that no matter what the outcome of this battle his success was inevitable.

Even if he died today, Jaina Solo would die at his hand, for into her neck he had injected the newest Yuuzhan Vong bio-weapon, assured to be undetectable by the Force sensitive Jedi. Jaina Solo would not be able to save herself from the terror he had unleashed into her body like Mara Skywalker had, for this bio-weapon was completely Yuuzhan Vong.

The nano-organism had been shaped to wreak havoc on the body of its victim, little by little, mimicking minor illnesses, until each system was degraded enough to cause total body failure. It would be too late to stop it, once anyone realized what was going on. Mara Jade would watch her apprentice die, a just punishment for surviving her own brush with a Yuuzhan Vong bio-weapon.

Jaina looked into her adversary's eyes and saw victory there, but she did not panic. Help was on the way. The Chiss impersonator's sneer disappeared in a flurry of black. Jaina's breath came back to her as Jag knocked the assailant off, rolling in a tangle of bodies. Jaina jumped to her feet, scanning for her lightsaber, which had probably been knocked off in the blast.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jaina kept an eye on Jag. She knew he was skilled at hand-to-hand combat, but the Yuuzhan Vong was still armed with an amphistaff, leaving Jag at a serious disadvantage. Jaina found her lightsaber and called it to her hand. She broke into a run, heading for the fight when the warrior smashed the amphistaff up into Jag's chin, throwing him off balance. The assailant thrust his amphistaff headlong at Jag.

Jaina leapt forward and slid her lightsaber between them but her stance only allowed her to deflect the blow slightly. The tip of the amphistaff missed its deadly mark but penetrated the flesh of his waist. As quickly as it went in, the amphistaff came out. Jag fell to the ground clutching his side as Jaina, empowered by the outrage for Jag's injury, launched a spinning kick aimed at the warrior's head before he could bring his weapon up to a high guard position. The infiltrator stumbled back from the force of the blow, but recovered quickly.

The kick had dislodged the ooglith masquer, which was now receding to expose his face. Jaina brought her lightsaber down in a slashing move that he countered. They stood across from each other, each bearing down into the other's weapon. Jaina leered up at the face of her attacker and hissed with disgust.

"Nom Anor, I should have known. You know I killed Tsavong Lah; you should be a simple victory."

Nom Anor, certain of his own victory one way or another, decided he would rather be around to gain from it. He broke the lock and leveled some aggressive blows, not to gain an advantage but merely forcing Jaina to step back to regain her balance. Then he spun and fled for the shuttle. The Chiss pilot would be an easy unsuspecting kill, and then he could flee this planet to await Jaina Solo's death and return to Yuuzhan'tar an hero of The People.

Jaina started to pursue Nom Anor, but he had a substantial lead. The ramp to the shuttle was two-thirds closed as Jaina skidded to a stop beside the shuttle. She cursed his cowardice in disgust before reversing her direction. Jaina ran to Jag, lying in the grass still clutching his side. She pushed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he tried to rise. He grimaced but did not utter a sound.

"Let me look at that." Jaina pulled his hand from the wound, which was weeping a generous amount of blood.

Jag grabbed her wrist with his free hand to stop her. He gritted his teeth as he spoke. "I'll be fine. Take care of Rane."

Jaina hesitated for a moment, but the look in his eyes was pleading. "Alright, but you stay put."

As Jaina rose to go to Rane, the Chiss shuttle pushed away on its repulsors. It swooped so low across the clearing; she had to drop and roll to avoid the landing skids as it shot past, racing for space. Jaina came to rest beside Rane and scanned his body. The artery was bleeding again, so Jaina renewed her effort to stop the flow. She steadied her fluttering heart with a few calming breaths when she found it difficult to focus on the task.

It took a minute to stop the bleeding. By then, the down blast of another shuttle ruffled her hair, and Jaina opened her eyes to greet her comrades. Kyp jumped off the ramp before the shuttle set down, followed by Tahiri.

Jaina yelled to Kyp as he approached. "It was Nom Anor. He took off on the Chiss shuttle." Jaina waited as Kyp spoke into his comlink. "Help me get Rane on that sled."

Kyp gathered Rane by the shoulders as Jaina took his feet. Together, the Jedi hoisted the limp form onto the sled. Tahiri came to the head of the repulsor.

"I've got him. Get Jag." Tahiri pushed the sled toward the ramp and was met by Danni as she arrived. Danni used what medical knowledge she had to administer aid to the injured pilot.

Kyp and Jaina turned their attention to Jag, who was struggling to get to his feet. Jaina supported him by the elbow as Jag pushed up. She started for the shuttle and stopped when Jag did not follow.

"Where are you going?"

Jag fronted the bravest face he could manage. "To my ship."

"You're in no shape to fly."

"I don't want to lose my ship."

"I'll fly it. Trick can get mine back."

Jag and Jaina stood locked in a silent battle of wills until Jag dipped his head. Kyp took Jag by the arm and addressed Jaina.

"I'll go up in the shuttle to watch out for Jag… and his brother. Bi can fly my ship back up with Trick. They'll be in droid heaven." He sent Jaina a reassuring brush before turning to escort Jag to the shuttle.

Jaina jogged over to the clawcraft and took a deep breath before launching herself up to one of the wings. Climbing down into the cockpit, Jaina reviewed the controls quickly, trying to recall everything she knew about TIE models, some things appeared the same, others appeared slightly different. Jaina was sure she could muddle through.

As Jaina worked the controls to bring the ship online, she felt her hands begin to shake. The enormity of the situation suddenly weighed upon her. She squeezed her fists shut and bit back her emotions, trying to quell the dark edge she recognized in some of them. Jaina was pleased when they were dispelled easier than usual. As the beat of her heart slowed, Jaina became aware of the dull ache in her neck. She brought her hand up and found a trickle of blood.

As she wiped the blood away Jaina joked with herself, A gift from Nom Anor.

End of Chapter 20
TKL/zr