CHAPTER 26 – Visions of the Future

"Lead, maybe it would be better…"

Jaina flipped off her headset in a fit of hormone-fueled anger. "Trick, filter out all calls from Two. I don't want to hear any more from him today, not over the regular channels or directed through you. Got it?"

Trick whistled woefully as Jaina banked her X-wing hard, turning onto the tail of a nearby skip. She laid down a trail of stutter fire, which was absorbed into the void of its dovin basal. Without thinking, she pushed down and hard on the stick and caught the skip in a counter-maneuver. Her laser fire ignited some more coral while a volley from Kyp, who had doggedly stuck on her wing, ripped through the pilot's canopy.

Trick beeped at Jaina as she turned about to seek out another target. A quick glance at the interface set her off. "Trick, you tell Bi that I'm not accepting messages from him on Kyp's behalf either!"

Trick tweeted back inquisitively.

"No, you can't talk to Bi either, or I'll space you!"

Trick's reply was an insulted blat.

The rest of the battle was a blur as Jaina wrestled to contain her overeager emotions. The one sure thing about pregnancy was it heightened her sensitivity to everything. Jag had maintained a calm, confident air around her. No matter what the circumstance, he filtered out his fear and concerns so all she saw was his steely resolve. On occasions, he had insisted softly on one matter or another, but he had been her rock for the last few weeks despite the demons she was sure he was wrestling.

Kyp, on the other hand, had been acting like a Ruffan hen waiting for her eggs to hatch. He may have agreed in theory with Jag about letting her fly, but his heart obviously had a different opinion. He was constantly fussing at her, questioning her decisions, quick to offer unwanted suggestions. He had even gone so far as to issue orders without consulting her. Sparring with Kyp was effective as practicing with a remote set on beginner mode. Jaina was beginning to think of Kyp as more of a hindrance than a help.

Jaina glanced at her control. The tactical display was now devoid of any enemy targets. Once again Twin Suns had thwarted an attack on a refugee convoy. Jaina settled back in her crash couch and prepared herself for another long ride in the confines of her cockpit.

Finally back in the hangar on Mon Calamari, Jaina crawled out of the cockpit. Her legs, which had taken to cramping during long trips, were unwilling accomplices in her decent down the ladder. At the bottom, Kyp was already waiting for her.

In spite of the agitation rolling off him for being rightfully ignored for the balance of the mission, he set a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jaina's aches eased immediately, but she still shrugged off the aid.

"Leave me alone, Kyp."

"Jaina, I just…"

Jaina pivoted to face Kyp, her eyes ablaze. Her voice caught the attention of every being in the hangar, including Tycho, who was heading over to escort Jaina to their debriefing.

"You just what? Want to question every decision? Issue orders without consulting me? If you're so eager to be in charge, get your own squadron!"

Kyp, already agitated, was eager to jump into the fight feet first. "In case you forgot, I had my own squadron."

"Well, go back. No one is asking you to stay. If you think I am so incompetent, don't lower yourself to fly under me. Personally, I think I have done fine so far, but the way you're acting lately, you'd think I was a Flight Officer out of the training lines. I'd rather do it without you than put up with this everyday!"

The spite in her words silenced a retort from the green-eyed Jedi momentarily. Unexpectedly a stream of words bubbled out. "You couldn't do it without me. You need me."

The crack of her palm against his cheek was a surprise even for the Jedi Master. The pain seared through his skin and down to his very soul, leaving him utterly speechless. By the time Kyp gathered his wits, Jaina was halfway across the hangar joining Tycho to head for the debriefing room. Kyp touched his cheek where Jaina's anger at his perceived betrayal burned like a hot brand.

By the time Jaina made it from the debriefing to her room, the burning anger at Kyp had been superceded by the intense agony accompanying the cramping of her calf muscles. It was a battle of mind over matter to drag her body from headquarters to the door of her apartment.

Jaina practically fell through the front door, collapsing against the wall with one hand while the other grabbed her right calf, the worst of the two. She half-stumbled half-walked until reaching the table and slumped into a chair. Jaina was in the middle of rubbing on the cramp with her thumb when the door adjoining to Kyp's room slid open. Jaina sat up abruptly.

"Not now Kyp. I don't have the energy to fight with you. I'm tired and want to go to bed." Kyp did not speak; he simply walked into the room. Jaina spun in her chair so she was facing the silver-maned Jedi. "Did you hear me? I said go away."

Kyp knelt down in front of Jaina, then took her right calf in his hand. She tried to pull it away, but he found the pressure point on the cramped muscle through her flight suit. Her leg stopped involuntarily as she groaned from his expert application of pressure. Moments later the muscle released. Free from the pain, Jaina found her voice. She yanked her leg back as she brushed Kyp off.

"I don't need you. I'll be fine without you."

As she tried to pivot away in the chair, Kyp turned his attention to her left calf. His fingers found another knot of rebellious muscle. He spoke as he separated the twisted muscles with his fingertips. "I need you. You're my partner until the end, my best friend. I think I am so scared to lose you that I've done more harm than good over the last couple of weeks."

Jaina grimaced as the calf muscle protested the assault of his fingers. Her words came out in a hiss. "I'd be inclined to agree."

He finally looked up from his ministrations, and Jaina's heart fell at the sight of the angry palm print on his cheek. Her fingers reached out to caress the spot. The touch was more than Kyp thought any man could bear.

"Oh, Kyp. I'm sorry."

"I think that was my line."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry."

Jaina's hand shot from his cheek down to her back, which decided it needed attention as well. "Oww!"

Kyp stood, sweeping Jaina up in his arms as he did, and walked over to the couch. He sat down, depositing her next to him. Kyp crossed his legs as he faced Jaina, her back to him and her legs stretched along the balance of the couch's length. He splayed his hands across the small of her back and fell into the Force.

Kyp had to drag Jaina's weary mind with him, convincing her body to relax in spite of itself. Her breathing slowed to match his. When Kyp finally felt her body give in, he worked his fingertips along either side of her spine. Jaina groaned, then spoke.

"Kyp."

"Huh?"

"I do need you."

Kyp smiled ruefully. "Not really, but I am glad I can be of some help."

"Mmmmhuh, just don't stop."

He could feel her muscles starting to soften and her mind answering the call of sleep. Jaina curled down on the couch so her head was resting on one of his knees, and her back still in reach. Minutes later, Jaina was sleeping soundly.

Confident her back was no longer in need of attention Kyp brought his hand around so it touched her waist, his fingers extending down along the growing swell of her abdomen. Unlike Jaina's life force, which seemed to diminish ever so slightly as the weeks passed, the baby grew stronger and stronger, a supernova in the Force. It awed him that a life was being nurtured inside the woman he loved.

Although Kyp shared her joy, it stung to the depths of his soul that he would never know the love of a child. Even more so, he feared Jaina and Jag would never know the love of their own child. Kyp questioned the Force as he did often, but it was fickle about foretelling the future.

Unlike times before, a scene erupted before his eyes. A field of tall grass decked with wild flowers spread out in every direction, framed by waterfalls as far as the eye could see. Across the green plain ran a small girl, brown hair streaming out behind her, flowers in her hair. She spun and her vibrant green eyes danced with a smile. Another smaller child – a boy – ran to her, tackling the girl in the grass. They rolled, a tangle of legs and laughter. Both came to a stop, and the smaller child popped to his feet, his hair curly and as chocolaty brown as Jaina's.

"I see she forgave you already."

Kyp snapped back to the reality of Jag grinning down at him. "You heard?"

Jag walked over to the table and dropped a few loose datachips and his datapad on top. "Who hasn't? Actually, I am surprised it took her this long."

Kyp started to chuckle and stifled it when the movement caused Jaina to stir. He placed his palm over her forehead, took a few calm breathes, and Jaina was deep in a healing trance a few heartbeats later. He turned his attention back to Jag.

"So I've had this coming, and you didn't warn me."

Jag shrugged as he leaned over to scoop Jaina into his arms. He peered down at Kyp. "You had to come to an understanding on your own. I cannot make you find your peace with this." Jag left him for a moment to lay Jaina down on the bed. He came back out of the bedroom after spreading a blanket over her body. "So did you find your peace or did she just slap it into you?"

Kyp smiled as he rose. His insight from the Force offered the most peace he had felt in some time. The future was never set in stone, but the course they were on now seemed to be the right path for Jaina. "A little of both I suppose. Goodnight Jag."

"Goodnight Kyp."

Jaina sat down on the side of the sparring mat, her legs sprawled out before her and her weight back on her hands as she carefully studied Kyp spar with Valin. Sweat dripped from her temples, sliding down her cheeks. Her body glistened from head to toe from her earlier match with Kyp.

Jaina wiped her face with a towel and then dropped it on her lap when she noticed Corran crossing the edge of the mat to her position. It was probably unnecessary, but Jaina had become self-conscious of the slight bulge in her abdomen. Corran sunk to a cross-legged position beside her, keeping his trained eye on the match.

"Hello, Corran. You want to have a go?"

Corran grimaced. "With you, not today. I just stopped by to see how Valin was faring."

Jaina studied Valin as he worked his way out of a corner Kyp had maneuvered him into. She was pleased he had learned his lesson from days past. She smiled then addressed Corran. "He's improving daily. It's an honor he asked me to be his Master. I hope I can do him justice."

Corran grabbed Jaina around the shoulders. "You already have. Valin is flourishing, and he absolutely idolizes you."

Jaina blushed. "It doesn't seem like it when he rolls his eyes at the prospect of working on meditation trances instead of sparring."

Corran chuckled. "He never was one to sit still, even as a baby."

Jaina drew her gaze away from the battle to address Corran directly. "I was surprised to hear you came back to fly with the Rogues and didn't stay on Naboo with the Defense Force like most of the other Jedi."

Corran matched Jaina's gaze. "Mirax and I have other priorities."

Jaina turned her attention back to Valin and Kyp. "Family." Corran simply faced forward as well. Jaina queried him after the cracking of lightsabers dimmed. "Why didn't you keep training him yourself?"

"Because he doesn't need me. He needs someone who will push him past his capabilities. Parents tend to see their children as just that – children. We don't want them to be independent. It symbolizes the loss of the one thing you value the most."

"Which is?"

"The unconditional love of your child, who needs you for their survival."

"He still loves you and needs you, just in a different way."

Corran smiled. "But he needs you more. It's a matter of survival. You can push him to grow as a Jedi, to be his best, to be able to survive on his own."

Jaina moaned as Kyp scored a hit on Valin with a low drive directly at his midsection, while Valin's lightsaber was kicked out to the side unable to offer protection. "Okay, if you don't want to train him, then how about some friendly advice."

"Shoot."

"If I were training a Jedi with TK, I would tell them to try a forward flip over the drive, but in Valin's case that's not an option."

Corran jumped to his feet in a lithe move that belied his age. "How about I show you?"

Jaina tipped her head as she climbed to her feet. Corran removed his robe as Jaina motioned for Valin to join her. Her apprentice smiled politely at his father, disappointed at his own shortcomings. Corran patted his son on the shoulder reassuringly before striding to the center of the mat. Kyp grinned mischievously.

"Going to show your son how it's done?"

"No, I am going to show a Jedi with TK there is always another way."

Kyp advanced first, setting up a series of moves to duplicate the sequence Valin had met his 'end' with. Just as Kyp made the winning thrust aimed at Corran's midsection, his guard knocked away from his body, Corran performed an agile cross step. Kyp's lunge missed its mark, and Corran had his weapon back up to protect his body with the Master at a positional disadvantage.

Kyp saluted Corran with his lightsaber. Both Jedi extinguished their weapons, before heading over to Valin and Jaina. Jaina observed the silent exchange between father and son. Corran had been right to not train his son. With her, Valin seemed to accept criticism. Simply having his father demonstrate the technique had elicited strange emotions – fear, probably of disappointing his father, self-loathing and even a hint of anger.

Jaina playfully punched Valin in the shoulder trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, that was more for my benefit than yours. Your dad just wanted to show me how much more I have to learn."

Valin glanced over at Jaina, a hint of a grin teasing his lips. "Really?"

The look in his eyes told Jaina he would believe anything she told him. "Really." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder as the two older Jedi arrived in unison. "I'd say you and I could take them any day."

Kyp eyed Jaina warily as Valin straightened up excitedly. "Let's do it."

"Not today." Valin frowned. "If we beat them now, the old geezers will cry they were too tired." Jaina thumbed at Kyp. "Especially that one over there. We'll let them rest up and take them fresh one day."

Valin grinned. "I can't wait."

Corran eyes sparkled. "Come on son. Your mother's been dying to feed you right. She says you're looking a little skinny for a Corellian kid."

Wedge marched into the squadron commander's briefing all business. His usually stern expression marked by deep circles under his eyes. Everyone in the room fell silent as the general strode over to the podium. The feeling in the air was one of anticipation. Wedge surveyed the room, making sure everyone was accounted for. Once satisfied, he began.

"I'll make this short. I've got other meetings to get to." He swallowed. "Intel has determined the move for a new home world is imminent. Based on recent activity in several regions we have narrowed it down to a couple of possibilities. The Galactic Alliance Defense Force has decided to up the ante by giving them a reason to pick one over the others."

His gaze stopped at Jaina briefly. "The long and short of it is all but a handful of squadrons will be setting out for Naboo over the next two days. You'll get your assignments from Tycho at the end of the briefing. Get your affairs in order ladies and gentlemen; the big one is about to begin. That's all. We'll have a more in depth briefing on Naboo."

The room started to buzz with nervous excitement as the meeting began to break up. Wedge scanned the room, looking for someone in particular.

"Colonel Fel, a moment of your time."

Jag stopped in his tracks and eyed his uncle curiously. His gaze followed Jaina out of the room. True to their ruse, she walked out without a spared glance back.

"Yes, sir."

Wedge walked out of the room, his back an indication he meant for Jag to follow. Jag gathered his belongings and jogged out the door to catch Wedge. A short walk later both men were in the confines of the general's office. Wedge went behind the desk, taking his seat in the high backed chair. He motioned to the vacant chair across from him. Jag sat and waited for his uncle to speak.

"Jag, I need you to be straight with me because there is a lot riding on this plan we are cooking up."

Jag shifted forward in his seat. "Certainly, does this have to do with the various tactics I outlined in my report about the cloaked fighters' capabilities?"

"No, although they have been useful so far, and we will discuss them further at a later time. This has to do with Jaina."

Jag sat back in his chair warily. "Don't you think you should be asking her that?"

"Probably, but she has too much invested to be objective. You know her better than anybody and can be objective in regards to her safety."

"We all have a lot invested in this."

Wedge shifted uncomfortably, then folded his hands on the desk. "What I need to know is whether or not Jaina can give this one hundred percent."

"I would think she has proven…"

"Before you answer Jag, you need to know what we are proposing. You see, Jaina is the bait. We are going to flaunt her presence on Naboo until they don't have any choice but to come after her."

Jag did not flinch, not even a trace of emotion crossed his face as Wedge studied it carefully. "That is the way she wants it."

Wedge parted his hands and laid them flat on the desk. "Listen Jag. I know you have been writing her reports; your style is unmistakable. Tycho says Kyp debriefs more often than she does these days. I'm concerned there is something here the three of you aren't telling me."

Jag smiled. "How much more secretive can we get than a clandestine marriage? And you know about that."

Wedge smirked. "You got me there."

"Uncle, Jaina is tired. She's got two new pilots, a new apprentice, a new husband and a lot riding on her shoulders with this Goddess business. Kyp and I are helping out where we can. As Jaina says, she is getting good at delegating."

Wedge's stance visibly relaxed. "That's all I needed to hear. Are you going to be okay with this?"

"If we have a chance to bring this bloody war to a close, I'm all for it, the sooner the better. I would like to offer one more suggestion for your Goddess charade – a little something Father and I cooked up over dinner before I left Csilla."

Wedge leaned forward excitedly. "This I have got to hear."

Danni dispensed several drops of specially prepared solution into the sample of Jaina's blood. Danni was grateful she and Cilghal had obtained a new batch from Jaina just a short while earlier. The nano-organisms were a difficult weapon to study simply because they lasted only an hour or so outside the body. After that, they self-destructed. Danni had chosen to focus on the mechanism they used to produce their degradation; Cilghal was trying to find the specific trigger for their destruction.

Ever since learning about Jaina's condition, Danni had spent every free moment studying the bioweapon. So far, her attempts had turned up little information of use. Danni was not sure why she had taken the task so intensely to heart, other than she felt a connection to Jaina through her growing friendship with Jacen Solo.

Danni watched anxiously as the solution dispersed through the blood. This solution was a marker for a specific enzyme Danni had found in other Yuuzhan Vong technology that had proven to be fatal to other living Vong organisms. If the enzyme were present, the solution would turn from yellow to green. This was the closest she had to a lead so far.

"Come on. Come on."

Danni thrummed her fingers on the counter top waiting for a sign. She let out a moan after a minute of waiting. Her prayers went unanswered, and Danni was back to square one. Danni watched as the organisms went about their business attacking the blood cells, their only target of opportunity. She was so sick of the Vong, sick of losing everyone to their evil onslaught. Danni batted the petri dish off the microholoimager in disgust.

"Shavit!"

"Troubles?" A male voice startled the usually mild-mannered scientist.

Danni spun to address the intruder, her green eyes blazing amidst a sea of blonde curls. She halted at the sight of Jacen standing in the doorway with two sets of swimming fins in his hand.

"Jacen!" She sounded more surprised than she would have liked.

He walked over to the failed experiment resting on the floor. Jacen placed the fins on a counter, then knelt down to pick it up. Danni rushed over to help him, picking up pieces right out from under his grasp.

"Careful, that's dangerous. You need gloves to handle it."

Jacen handed over the remaining pieces, and Danni snatched them before scurrying across the room to the disposal unit. Jacen followed her. "I guess your experiment wasn't cooperating."

Danni watched the disposal unit finish its cycle, unable to look into his brown eyes. "Unfortunately, it was not."

Jacen glanced over at the vial of blood on the counter. "Is this another Vong bioweapon you're working on?"

Danni turned and eyed the vial before gathering all the parts of the experiment as she spoke. "I really can't talk about it."

"Oh, sorry. I just thought if it was a Vong organism I might be able to lend some help with my Vongsense."

Danni put the items on a far counter, frowning as she did. That very thought had crossed the scientist's mind on several occasions. "I'll extend your offer to Cilghal."

Jacen's interest was piqued. "Cilghal is in on this too? Is someone infected with this thing?"

Danni raised an eyebrow then looked away quickly to fuss with the holoimager.

"I know. You can't say. Let me know if you change your mind." Jacen watched the blonde woman as she nervously fluttered around the room. She was usually calm and confident. It was obvious something was bothering her.

"Jacen, is there something you wanted?"

Jacen walked over to pick up the fins on the counter. "Yeah, I wanted to see if you had time to visit Mester Reef."

Danni smiled politely, imagining if Jacen knew the truth he would stay in the lab with her until they found an answer to Jaina's predicament. "I would love to, but I have so much to do."

Jacen puckered his lips in disappointment. "I understand. I finally got a day away from the 'Roost and decided to spend it planetside. I have such fond memories of our time spent at the reef. I thought it would be fun to go one last time."

Danni grinned. "One last hoorah before the big push."

"Something like that."

Danni mulled a thought and then ran with it. "Why don't you ask Jaina?"

The corner of Jacen's mouth turned down. "The thought had crossed my mind, but she's so busy these days, I would hate to impose on her time."

Danni walked over and put her hand on Jacen's arm. "Opportunities we have with our loved ones are so few. Seize every moment you have before you lose them forever."

Jacen reached up with his hand and grasped hers. "When did you get so wise… and serious?"

Danni smiled. "This war seems to do that to people. We all grow up faster than we need to."

The sparring room was alive with the crackle of lightsabers crashing into each other. Mara stood in the doorway admiring the two separate battles taking place. On one side of the room, Octa sparred with Valin while on the other side Kyp was engaged in a heated battle with Jaina. In mid-swipe, Jaina yelled over at Valin.

"Don't let her get you flat on your feet! It's all about the footwork."

Mara smirked as she recalled similar moments in years gone by when she had done much the same thing with Jaina. Valin, to his credit, took the words to heart. His footwork was quicker and lighter. Mara watched as Jaina, with her attention divided, misjudged a leap over Kyp's sweeping leg and fell to the floor in a tremendous thud.

Instead of continuing on, as he usually would, showing no mercy for his opponent, Kyp rushed to Jaina's side. She was already jumping to her feet. Jaina beat Kyp off with her hand.

"I'm fine."

Jaina went back to her fighting stance and reignited her lightsaber. Kyp walked away, picking up a towel. Jaina snapped at his back.

"Kyp get back over here. We're not through!"

Kyp faced her. "Yes, we are."

Mara quietly observed the silent battle of wills which overpowered the clashing lightsabers from the other battle still in full swing on the mat. Jaina broke the stalemate by turning to squawk at her apprentice.

"Valin, watch your weak side!"

Kyp strode over to the side of the room, nodding to Mara as he neared. Jaina followed, breathing fire. She eyed Mara, but offered her no acknowledgement other than the eye contact. The two Jedi toweled off side by side, neither speaking

Mara addressed Jaina. "If you still want to work off that mean streak, I would be happy to oblige."

Jaina looked to Kyp then back to Mara. The red-haired female did not miss the unspoken struggle. Jaina opened her mouth to speak, fire burning in her eyes, and shut it just as quickly. Kyp stood rigid in anticipation. Jaina forced a polite smile.

"Thanks, but no. Kyp's right. We've been at it for a while."

Kyp's shoulders relaxed visibly; relieved he would not have to fight Jaina. Mara absorbed it all. "Just thought I would offer." Kyp walked away, heading for the lockers without a word.

Jaina watched him go before speaking to her aunt. "I'd better get cleaned up, too."

Mara squinted her eyes, deep in thought. "Is everything alright?"

Jaina flashed her Solo grin. "Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"No reason. I figured with everything coming to a head you might be experiencing a little stress."

Jaina crossed her arms, dangling the towel from her hand. "Nope. I'm ready to get on with it. When are you leaving?"

"Blackmoon and the Dozen leave tomorrow morning. Luke and I will take the Jade Shadow. And you?"

"We leave tomorrow evening, Tycho said something cryptic about hitching a ride."

Mara reached over and hugged Jaina unexpectedly. Jaina held off a little. Warning bells sounded in Mara's mind; Jaina was always the one to show her affection whole-heartedly. Still clutching her niece, Mara spoke. "Be safe."

Jaina replied. "I will. Same to you." Jaina pulled away first, afraid to be too close.

"If you need anything, Jaina, please ask. You know Luke and I would do anything for you."

"I love you, too, Mara." Jaina grinned and then walked away, calling to the other Twin Suns pilots, still in the thick of sparring. "Practice is over kids. Let's get cleaned up." Octa and Valin disengaged, both heaving and dripping with sweat. "Time to take it to the Vong."

On impulse, Mara reached for Jaina in the Force, probing her niece as she did when Jaina was an apprentice. Mara instantly felt guilty for the action. The guilt faded to surprise when her probe bounced off a hardened shell. Jaina's step faltered. Mara braced, thinking the young woman would turn around to confront her. Instead, Jaina resumed her walk like nothing had happened.

The twelve X-wings of Twin Suns Squadron blasted out of the atmosphere in a tight formation. Jaina spared a glance out the canopy at the azure beauty of Mon Calamari, wondering if she would ever return. The planet had become her adopted home recently; she was going to miss it. Kyp's voice came over her headset. The volume indicated it was routed through Trick.

"Where are we headed?"

"I don't know quite yet. Tycho said we would know it when we saw it."

Octa's voice came through on the squadron frequency. "Lead, this is Five. Large unidentified vessel bearing eight-two-seven.

Jaina eyed her tactical display, then stared out the transparisteel at the looming vessel.

"Lead, Four here. It looks like a SD but it appears closer than my tactical sensors indicate."

"Four, Two. That's because it's a Supe."

The squadron frequency fell silent as Jaina imagined all eleven pilots sitting with their mouths agape. "This is Lead. Let's go have a look."

In a smooth turn, the entire assembly of snubfighters corrected course to head straight for the Super Star Destroyer's location. As it grew to enormous proportions before them, excited chatter sparked across the comm.

"Never seen one up close."
"I wonder which one it is?"
"Could be it's staying here when we leave."
"Maybe it's going with us to Naboo."

A voice, distinguished by its stilted Basic, broke through the chatter on the command frequency. "Trickster's Sword hailing Twin Suns Lead."

Jaina keyed the comm, sure she had misheard. "Come back."

"Trickster's Sword hailing Twin Suns Lead."

She had heard right. "This is Twin Suns Lead. Go ahead."

"You are cleared for landing in the main hangar bay, follow the beacons directly in."

"Twin Suns Lead copies." She switched over to speak with the squadron. "All right kids. We found our ride to Naboo." Cheers erupted mixed with excited chatter. Jaina snapped to her command voice. "Tighten it up Twin Suns. Let's make a flyby of the Trickster's Sword before we land."

The comm fell completely silent. Jaina was grateful for the quiet as she guided the squadron in a looping pass to sweep across the bow of the immense ship. They climbed along the dorsal section, rising up to make a close pass by the bridge. They were close enough to make out the blue-skinned bridge officers.

Valin commented. "Guess we know where it came from."

Once past the command bridge structure, Jaina peeled off in a starboard rollover and was followed by the Twin Suns fighters on her side of the formation. Kyp matched her maneuver to the port side, taking his half of the dozen fighters with him. The two halves reunited on the underside of the Super Star Destroyer. Approaching the main hangar bay, the massive outline of the Yun Harla symbol could be made out along the smooth surface of the ship's underbelly.

It was obvious that Command was taking the whole Goddess charade to a new level. Jaina suddenly felt the weight of the war weighing heavily on her shoulders. The same feeling rolled off her pilots in waves. The gravity of the undertaking was defined by that colossal symbol.

"Twin Suns. Tighten up to the Swarm formation. We are going into the bay together."

Jaina sensed the nervous energy coursing between the pilots. Taking twelve snubfighters straight up into the main hangar through the ship's belly would be a tricky feat with no room for error. She expected no less than perfection from her pilots at any given time. If they could not pull this off, they should not be flying in Twin Suns to begin with.

The formation formed quickly, fighters nestled wingtip-to-wingtip and nose-to-tail. Jaina activated her thrusters and in a display of skill, all twelve X-wings rose in unison. Although the maneuver was impressive, the display in the hangar was no less stunning.

The twelve Twin Suns craft, hovering in the tight formation, faced a bay filled with rows upon rows of uniformed personnel – some Chiss, some Galactic Alliance. The mere numbers were mind-boggling.

Jaina gathered her wits and clicked her comm. "Let's park them nice and pretty boys and girls."

Two at a time, the formation broke. Each pair glided forward on repulsors, rotating one hundred eighty degrees and lowering to the glossy floor. Jaina and Kyp were last. Once settle on the hangar floor, Jaina inhaled deeply. Her canopy rose as she finished the post-flight check. She climbed out of the cockpit to find her pilots already on the ground by their respective ladders, standing at attention. They seemed to understand the importance of the moment.

Once on the ground, she tipped her head, and the squadron formed up behind her in two columns, Kyp at her side, but a half step behind. From one corner of the enormous hangar, a group of uniformed officers strode her way. At the point was a tall Chiss officer dressed in black, accompanied by Wedge in formal uniform.

Amid the contingent of military higher-ups walked Jag, looking as handsome as ever. Jaina had to fight her own desire to stare at his handsome face. The group came to a halt with the Chiss admiral directly in front of Jaina. He offered her a formal bow. Straightening, his fiery eyes met hers. Jaina sensed some reluctance on the Chiss' part just before he spoke.

"Welcome aboard Jaina Solo. The Trickster's Sword is at your service."

From Jag's perspective, in the doorway to the expansive bedroom suite of the Super Star Destroyer, Jaina appeared to be exactly what the pilots of old described as an angel on the moons of Iego. She stood in front of the viewport, facing the swirling lines of hyperspace. A shimmering white nightgown clung to her body, her form outlined beneath the sheer material. Brown hair cascaded in gentle curls off her shoulders and down her back.

Jag leaned against the doorframe admiring the still beauty as if she were a sculpture in the museum to be treasured for eternity. From her profile, he could tell she was meditating so he kept to himself. These were the few times his wife seemed at peace these days. Her face did not look so strained. The lines left by the illness were softened by her connection to the web of life.

Her eyes opened, and Jaina smiled as she faced him, her voice came as a sultry whisper. "Hello, Colonel Fel."

Jag merely offered his subtle grin, invisible to most, precious to Jaina. She started to move, but stopped when he held up a palm. Jag crossed the room as he spoke. "Hello, Mrs. Fel."

Jaina grinned mischievously. "Isn't that still in negotiations?"

"Oh, I forgot. I think we left off about here."

He brought his right hand up to her cheek as his head lowered until their lips touched in a tender kiss. Then his lips peeled away to trace a trail down from her pulse point to the ridge of her collarbone. Jaina threw her head back; Jag supported her weight willingly as she leaned farther and farther back allowing him better access.

Jag kissed his way back up to her mouth before parting her lips with his tongue, eager to taste her love. After a breathtaking dance in each other's mouths, he straightened up, pulling her with him. Jaina planted a kiss on his chest while her arms wrapped around his waist. He felt the touch through his shirt, and it warmed his heart.

Jaina felt Jag fishing around in his pants pocket, his arm snaking around hers to reach its objective. She pulled away slightly to stare up at him. "What are you doing?"

Jag flashed her a rare genuine full-fledged smile as sweet as fizz pudding. "Getting ready."

Jaina's eyes widened with the excitement she felt coursing through his body. "Ready for what?"

Jag positioned Jaina with a little separation between them. Holding one of her hands in his, Jag knelt down on one knee. "To do this."

"Jag, what are you up to?"

"Shhh."

Jaina wrinkled her brow in bewilderment as she complied. Jag cleared his throat then stared into her eyes.

"Jaina, will you marry me?"

Jaina tugged her hand away, but Jag held it firmly in his grip. "Jagged Fel, I already did." Jag raised a questioning eyebrow as if he seriously expected an answer. Jaina became solemn, sensing his anticipation. "Yes."

Jag grinned at the answer as if he doubted the outcome like an eager suitor unsure of his chances for love. He played with her hand so her fingers curled over his own. His other hand came up to meet them with a ring pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

"I'm glad you said yes. You see I didn't quite do it right the first time." He whispered to her stomach. "Your Mommy deserves better than that." He peered back up to Jaina. "It's still not a wedding band, but I figured an engagement ring was a good place to start." He slipped the gold band onto her ring finger.

Jaina gasped as she splayed her fingers so it sparkled in the light – white, purple, and green beams dancing off the stones. "That looks just like…" Her free hand shot to her mouth. "Sweet Force, Jag! It is, isn't it?"

Jag rose to his feet as Jaina wiggled her fingers in wonderment. "Mother gave it to me. It was meant for Cherith. It is just a guess, but I think she intended for you to have it when she gave it to me. I would look kind of silly weary something that pretty, but it suits you perfectly."

Jaina studied the ring in awe for a few breaths, then balled her hand into a fist as some of the joy bled from her face. She walked away a few steps to face the viewport, folding her arms over her chest. With her back still to Jag she spoke. "I suppose this is a sign of something else."

Jag stepped up behind her and eased his hands around her body, stopping at her abdomen, now starting to swell slightly. There was no doubt that a life resided there. His child was a reality he could touch, not an abstract notion. Jaina stared into his reflection on the transparisteel. She spoke before he could.

"It's time. You wouldn't give me this ring unless you expected me to wear it." Jaina rubbed her fingers down the back of his hands. "It's not like we can hide her much longer either."

Jag dropped his head down to place a tender kiss on Jaina's neck. "Yes. I had hoped you would see it that way."

Jaina rested her head against Jag's firm, broad chest. "Jagged Fel, are you bribing me?"

Jag kissed the top of her head. "I learned years ago from watching my father to never ask for something without offering something in return."

"I like your father." She inhaled deeply, then let out her breath in resignation. "I was thinking about calling it quits before you came in. I can't keep this up much longer; I am tired and miserable constantly. I hate feeling like a quitter, but I'll finish this battle and then step back, even if it's not the end. I can stay on the flagship; maybe help Jacen with the battle melds. I think I am getting better with this Vongsense of mine. Between the two of us we might be able to develop some new tactics…"

Jag spun Jaina in his arms, his eyes mirroring his determination. Jag had learned to pick his battles carefully, so he was set on winning this one. "I think you should disappear for a while. You are going to become a big moving target once the Vong find out. They would like nothing better than to prove your mortality."

Jaina moved her eyes back and forth as she pushed around thoughts. "Where would we go?"

Jag took it as a good sign that she did not dismiss him instantly so he pressed further. "I don't know, but I am sure between everyone we will come up with a plan. Someplace safe for you and the baby."

After absorbing the words, Jaina's mouth dropped open. "You don't plan on coming. You would send me away?"

"Not if there is a chance to put an end to it. If we don't stop it here, your loss will be felt throughout the war effort. I couldn't sit back with the war still open-ended…" He paused. "Not even to go with you. I have to think of our daughter's future first, just like you must."

Jaina fell into Jag's arms, her cheek pressed against his chest. He squeezed her tight against him, holding on for dear life. She moved her head up and down against his shirt, telling her husband that in his infinite wisdom he was right.

End of Chapter 26
TKL/h94