CHAPTER 35 - Stay

Luke and Mara walked along the streets of Theed at a steady clip. The treaty signing would begin shortly, and both had been invited to attend. The Jedi Masters exuded excitement at the prospect of peace. Luke was the only person who could understand the sacrifices Mara had made for the war effort, and vice versa.

Mara turned and smiled at her husband, knowing his thoughts. "How soon will the children be able to come to Naboo after the treaty signing?"

Luke tried to stay unemotional despite himself. "Wedge says the worldships will depart shortly after the ceremony and head for the Bimm system, where they agreed to settle. Mirax has sent word to Booster with the details. I am sure he will be here as soon as he deems safe."

Mara chuckled. "That would be seconds after the Yuuzhan Vong depart. He will be more the happy to rid his ship of the Jedi terrors, as he likes to call them."

Luke allowed a grin to sneak past his defenses. "It will be great to see Ben again."

"I am afraid I won't recognize him."

"Sure you will, he'll be the one causing the most trouble, just like his mom."

Mara slugged Luke in the arm. "Are you calling my son a momma's boy?"

"I call it like I see it…" Luke halted in mid-sentence as Mara froze in place. "Mara?"

A whisper escaped her lips, but she was somewhere else. "Jaina." She snapped out of her state as quickly as it overtook her. She looked into Luke's blue eyes and uttered a single word. "Tahiri."

Mara blasted off at a run, heading for the Palace. Luke caught her in a few strides. In their bond he felt the growing sense of dread welling up from the depths of her soul. Moments later they broke into the vast expanse of the square in front of the Palace. Luke let the Force guide his steps, calling it to him, reaching for Tahiri.

A flash of light caught their attention. A figure could be seen flying through the air, sailing over the railing of the Palace Promenade, then dropping to the level of the square, a considerable fall. Mara instantly recognized the figure as none other than Nom Anor. She ignited her lightsaber at a dead run, barking at Luke as she did.

"You take care of Tahiri; he's all mine!"

Luke glanced sideways at Mara and offered a nod. As Mara brought her weapon down to bear on the stunned former executor, Luke made a running leap, using the Force to aid the effort, and managed to grab the balcony railing Nom Anor had just shot over. It was a simple matter for Luke to pull himself up and over.

With no time to spare, Nom Anor managed to extend the amphistaff he kept hidden in his clothing. The weapon sparked as Mara's lightsaber smashed down on it. She ripped her lightsaber away, then leveled blow after blow. Nom Anor was not a skilled warrior but he did have size and strength to his advantage. Mara had a desire to end his destruction as hers.

The red-headed Jedi brushed aside the amphistaff with a sweeping stroke. With his guard down, she landed a hitch-kick to Nom Anor's chin. The force of the blow snapped his head back, and Nom Anor stumbled. While he was still defenseless, Mara whipped around, landing a spinning kick to the side of his head. This time Nom Anor fell; his amphistaff skittered across the ground.

Mara closed on Nom Anor, noticing then that he was missing his eye implant. A momentary thought for Tahiri flashed through her mind, but Mara found the young female Jedi in the Force easily. Tahiri was confused but very much alive. Nom Anor backed away, dragging himself on his hands until there was no room left to move. He was pinned to the wall bordering the square.

Now that Nom Anor stood before her defenseless and cornered, striking him down seemed the work of the Dark Side, but Mara had trouble banishing the desire. In her moment of indecision, Nom Anor, ever the opportunist, struck. A tiny durasteel blade fell from his sleeve and into his hand, a concession to the trappings of the infidels. He dove at her, thrusting the blade at her mid-section.

Mara was quick though. She sidestepped the blade and trapped his arm with her own. Her other hand, still grasping the lightsaber, spun it around in her grip. The humming blade of light sliced cleanly through Nom Anor, exiting out his backside. The knifeblade in his own hand dropped from his relaxing fingers as the look of defeat washed across his face. Mara kicked the offensive creature away, yanking her lightsaber at the same time. She never gave him a second look as she walked away.

The sight of Jag bursting into the usually quiet laboratory brought all work to a halt. Chiss scientists and technicians stopped where they were, leaving experiments and computer programs to fend for themselves. Danni, who was hidden in the back studying a datapad, rose from her seat and approached him.

Danni smiled. "Back so soon, Jag." Her face fell as she recognized the strained expression marring his features. He had harbored a serious nature ever since Jaina's collapse on Naboo, but there was something different in his eyes now – desperation. "What is it?"

Jag closed the distance between them while he explained his sudden return. "When I got back to the estate, Jaina had collapsed. Jacen says we are losing her. I want you to give her the serum."

"We haven't finished testing it. There could be some side-effects we have not discovered. It could be risky."

Jag grabbed Danni by the shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Danni, do you think I would ask if we had any other choice?"

Danni looked away from Jag. She clamped down on her tumultuous emotions that had gone from a soaring high to a new low in one moment. Danni had worked tirelessly to find a cure. She was sure they had found one, but she was also terrified of the consequences if she was wrong. Danni knew Jag would never risk it if he had a choice. Danni would never forgive herself if she failed. Danni had only her pride to lose; Jag stood to lose everything.

She glanced to Jag. "There are some side-effects we have found, all of them possibilities. Nothing is certain though. I don't want you going into this blind."

"What are they?"

"Well, there is a chance that when the nano-organisms start to die they will inflict serious harm, maybe even kill Jaina or the baby. It is kind of their own defense mechanism. We haven't had a chance to find a way to counteract it. There is also a possibility of some serious birth defects inflicted on the fetus."

"Like what?"

"I can't say for sure, but the programs are showing a likelihood of some detriment to the development of some brain functions, or such things as blindness or a loss of hearing. We haven't run enough simulations to be sure if these are minimal risks or true concerns. I am only telling you possible outcomes. I can't be sure of anything. That is why we need more time."

"She is going to die if we don't do something now."

Danni sighed; her shoulders slumped in defeat. She had been so proud of her accomplishments; she was so close to solidifying the cure. She turned her back to Jag and walked away, ending in front of the refrigeration unit. Danni opened the glass front and pulled out a vial of red liquid. She held it firmly in her grasp as she closed the unit and fastened the sealing lock.

Danni traveled the short distance back to Jag, then stuffed the vial in a medical bag. "All right, let's pray this works."

The flash of white-hot light that blasted past Tahiri blinded her with its intensity. The heat from it singed the hair on her arms as she held them up to shield her burning eyes. Her danger sense turned her focus, one assailant was gone, another, the source of the bolt of energy, was hidden somewhere behind her.

Tahiri spun around, bringing her lightsaber up in a high guard. She blinked as some vision returned to her eyes. Reaching out with her other senses, just as she had been taught as a Jedi initiate, Tahiri reached for the second attacker. Or was it an ally, this person who had just saved her? Her danger sense told Tahiri to beware.

A familiar awareness assaulted her mind, probing her as she opened to the Force. There was a moment of recognition between the two, and then a blast of pure rage pummeled her physically, sending her flying through the air. Another invisible hand plucked her out of the air and gently lowered her to the ground.

The strength of the blast had knocked the air right out of Tahiri's lungs. She lay on the floor struggling for a breath. She tried to remember what had passed, how she had come to be in such a state, but her mind was a numb blur. Images flashed around in a flurry of sights and sounds, distorted memories. They grew more crazed as her brain cried out for oxygen.

Suddenly, a soothing hand touched her shoulder, and another supported her head. Air surged back into her lungs. Tahiri gasped and sputtered until her body was satisfied with her lungs' intake. A low voice soothed her ears.

"Jaina, are you all right?"

Jaina? Why is Luke Skywalker calling me Jaina? Her vision started to clear. Tahiri could make out the outline of the Jedi Master leaning over her. Her brows furrowed in confusion. A sudden sense of clarity shot into her brain as if Luke had sent her a thought. Her purpose and task became clear. She was masquerading as Jaina. Tahiri tipped her head slightly in acknowledgement and stifled the question on the tip of her tongue.

Tahiri was just as much a fighter as Jaina; she struggled to get to her feet. Her body attempted to comply, but Tahiri ended flat on her back again. Footsteps approached, Tahiri turned her head. Her vision was good enough to allow her to make out Kyp running in their direction. Luke placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder to keep her down.

Kyp dropped down beside her, looking to Luke. "What happened?"

By the time Danni and Jag arrived at the medical facility, Jaina was already hooked to a myriad of machines and monitors; some reported vital signs, others delivered intravenous fluids. She was curled on her side as if she were folding into a ball and disappearing right before their eyes.

Jacen sat next to the medbunk, a grim expression of concentration washed across his face. Jacen looked ten times more tired and strained than when Jag had left him earlier to settle Jaina in at the medward. There was some relief apparent to Jacen's features when the pair stepped in the room. Soontir and Syal stood in the corner, trying to stay out of the way and offer comfort to a visibly distressed Briaun.

Jacen spoke to Jag. "Dr. Tarado will be here shortly; he is reviewing the data forwarded from the lab." He turned his attention to Danni. "Do you have the serum?"

Danni opened her medical bag and drew out the vial of red liquid. Jacen eyed it; then nodded. In her hands was Jaina's last hope. Jacen could not even imagine the possibility of living without his sister. For the first time, Jacen realized the agony Jaina had endured after Myrkyr, believing she was left in this galaxy alone, unable to touch the one person who had been there from the beginning, from the womb.

The gathering was strangely silent as if no one had the courage to face the possibility of life without Jaina. After an awkward pause, Jacen asked Danni the question on everyone's mind. "After she gets the serum, how long until we know if it is working?"

Danni shuffled on her feet, her eyes gave Jacen the courtesy of a direct answer. "It will take almost twenty-four hours for the serum to completely kill the nano-organisms. If she makes it through that time, she should be free and clear." Danni seemed to halt in mid-thought.

Jacen knew there was more. "And the baby?"

Danni looked down. "I truly can't say."

Kyp's lungs were on fire despite his draw on the Force. He had felt Tahiri's alarm only a minute before and had covered an impossible amount of ground since then. He was still cursing himself for not being there. He could not imagine why his wristchrono had lost an hour, but he was beginning to think it was not an accident.

Rounding the long curve of the Palace Promenade, Kyp saw Luke huddled over Tahiri, now disguised as Jaina. The sight caused a tight knot to twist in his gut. It was his duty to protect her, just as it had been his job to protect Jaina. He was failing miserably on all counts.

To his relief, Kyp saw Tahiri struggle to rise. She fell back to the ground as her body seemingly failed. Tahiri turned her head to face the approaching Jedi Master. It took mere seconds for Kyp to reach the pair. Luke placed a hand on Tahiri's shoulder, trying to keep the young woman down. Kyp leaned over, supporting his weight by pulling on his pants as his body struggled to regain some much needed oxygen with rapid breaths.

"What happened?"

Luke spoke. "Nom Anor attacked her, but someone or something got to him first. A blast of energy sent him soaring over the railing just as he was about to strike."

Kyp panted. "Where's Nom Anor?"

A female voice answered. "Dead."

All three glanced up to see Mara standing on the railing where she had obviously jumped from below. One smooth move later, she was standing on the ground beside them. Mara met her husband's concerned blue eyes. "It wasn't like he didn't have it coming."

Luke frowned. "Just don't sound so happy about it."

Mara shrugged. "I can sleep with myself; I didn't kill him in cold-blood. He honestly left me no choice. For this once, he made life easy for me." Mara changed the subject, speaking directly to Tahiri. "What knocked him over the rail? Did you see Nom Anor and go all Sithy? That was one heck of a bolt of Force lightning." Her question hinted at sarcasm, but there was concern there as well.

Tahiri shook her head and pointed to an alcove across from the balcony. "It came from over there. I couldn't see anything; the lightning was so close it blinded me. There was someone hiding in the shadows."

Kyp shot straight up. "Zekk! If it was force lightning, it had to be Zekk." Just as quickly he knelt down next to Tahiri. "Which way did he go?"

Tahiri blinked slowly as she thought. "I don't know that it was him. I tried to stretch out in the Force. Just as I touched the person, or whatever it was, I was hit with a blast that nearly knocked me over the rail. If it wasn't for Luke, who knows where I would have landed."

Kyp met Luke's stare. "It has to be Zekk. He was stalking Jaina and stumbled into Nom Anor's assassination attempt. He saved her, and when he discovered the truth about who she…" Kyp motioned to Tahiri. "…really was, he tried to kill her."

Luke responded. "That could be, but I didn't see anyone. I was more concerned with saving Ta…um, Jaina. By the time I had her down, there was no one to be found. I can't say I sensed Zekk or anyone for that matter."

Agitation trickled into Kyp's voice. "It couldn't have been anyone else. You know it is hard to read people once they have turned to the Dark Side. We have to go after him."

Mara was the voice of reason. "If you can't read the Dark Side, how do you intend to find him?"

"I can't sit here and do nothing."

Luke disagreed. "Yes, you can. You have a duty to escort Jaina to the treaty signing."

Reminded of the guilt he felt for his failures to date, Kyp could not argue against performing his duty. "Then what are you two waiting for? Go find Zekk. We'll be fine."

Mara replied. "We have to be at the treaty signing, too."

Kyp stood. "Then you can take her. I will find him."

Luke stood and blocked Kyp from leaving. "No, we are all going to the treaty signing. I will call Kenth and have him organize a search for whoever this mysterious attacker is."

"We have a chance to end this once and for all, to make it safe for Jaina to come back."

Luke held firm. "This treaty signing is the most important thing right now. It is what Jaina fought for and necessary for the healing to begin across the galaxy. We can't go chasing ghosts and risk losing everything we have all fought for. If Zekk is out there, he will show his face again."

Kyp knew in his head that Luke was right. He had learned a lot about duty and honor over the last two years. One thing Kyp did know was Jaina would be spitting mad at him if he jeopardized the treaty signing. He nodded his acquiescence. Even as he did so, Kyp had the distinct feeling they would all come to regret this decision in the future, and Kyp more so than anyone else.

The mood in the room was subdued. Jaina had been given the serum eighteen hours earlier. Not much had changed since then. The only reason anyone in the room knew she was still alive was the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor, beeping every couple of seconds.

Jag sat on one side of the medbunk. He had stayed in the same position since the doctor had administered the serum. One of his hands was wrapped around Jaina's hand; his other absentmindedly rubbed her cheek. Occasionally, he would glance up to check a monitor or eye Jacen across the medbunk.

Jaina's twin was lost somewhere deep in a meditative state. His bodily functions were minimized so all his energy could be focused on Jaina. Every passing hour seemed to draw a little more vitality out of Jacen's features, like he was aging before their eyes.

Danni sat quietly with a datapad in her hand, monitoring information flowing from the lab in continuous updates. Soontir sat ramrod stiff in a chair against the far wall, well out of the way, with Syal nestled into one arm and Briaun flopped over his lap from the other side. Rane had worn a path in and out of the room, trying to be helpful by seeing to everyone's needs.

Jag was the first to notice the steady decrease in the cadence of the heart monitor. He stiffened in the chair as he turned around to check the display. The beats per hour had dropped significantly from what it was only minutes before. As if a mirror of Jag's fears, Jacen's eyes shot open. He pulled his sister's hand closer, white knuckles straining as his fingers closed in a vice grip.

Jacen's voice cracked with strain when he finally spoke. "Jaya, don't you do it. Don't you leave me."

The heartbeat slowed. Rane scurried from the room, calling for Dr. Tarado or anyone who could assist. Soontir squeezed an arm tightly around his wife as his daughter roused from the activity. The trio watched helplessly.

Jacen closed his eyes, trying to concentrate and will his lifeforce into Jaina. A tear leaked out between his tightly held lids and streamed down his cheek. His voice begged to be heard.

"Jaya…Jaina?"

Jag watched helplessly, stunned into a numb mindless state. His worst fears and ultimate nightmare were taking place before his eyes. He was sure Jaina's chest had not risen in at least the last ten seconds. Suddenly it rose, higher than any breath before; then it fell with a shudder. It was at that moment Jacen cried out.

"NOOOOOO!"

The room erupted in chaos. Danni pulled Jag away as Rane ran into the room with Dr. Tarado and a team of Chiss medical technicians on his heels. Jacen was too stunned to notice as one large blue-skinned humanoid shoved him aside. No one paid any heed to Soontir and Rane pulling the women from the room, Syal fighting her husband the whole way. There was no helping hand to slow Jag's descent as his knees gave way, and he slid down along the wall, ending in a heap on the floor, his hands hiding his eyes from the awful sight.

Only Jacen stood back and watched as one Chiss ripped Jaina's medical gown open and exposed his sister for all to see and another twisted her head back and rammed a tube down her throat. Only Jacen watched as they pumped her chest until ribs cracked with a sickening sound, trying to force blood through her heart. Only Jacen saw Jaina's body jump involuntarily as energy surged from electrodes placed on her exposed skin in an effort to jump start her heart.

This was not how his sister deserved to die, lying on a medbunk with tubes and machines attached to her. Jaina was life and freedom; she was born a fighter. Yet, Jaina's body had failed her in this fight. There was no dignity in her death, just more senseless destruction of her frail body.

Jacen had fought the nano-organisms as they made one last ditch attempt to kill his sister. Sensing the effects of the serum, they had focused their attack on her heart and lungs. Her blood pressure had dropped, and her lungs had begun to fill with fluid, the sack around her heart swelled with liquid making the simple effort of pumping exhausting.

The baby was safest then, so Jacen had worked at helping her heart pump and clearing her lungs, but it was never fast enough. Other parts of her body were already healing, free of the attack, but the dying nano-organisms were dogged in their attack of her most vital organs until finally Jaina's body told her it was time to go. She had touched him then, just a fleeting brush, but Jacen knew it was goodbye.

Jacen cursed his own inability; he cursed the Force for failing his sister. As soon as he did, he wished he had never considered such terrible things. Jaina was going to the Force, and she was taking her baby with her. Her body arched again as another surge of energy raced through, but Jacen knew her heart had no strength left. He could feel her leaving, in moments she would be gone, but he was not willing to accept it.

Suddenly, Jacen raced forward and began pushing and pulling Chiss away from the bed. There was nothing gentle about his actions as he cleared those that would attack her body like some speeder in need of a push-start. Jacen knew then that if Jaina was to go she was not going without a fight. Only this time the fight would have to be his alone.

Jacen fell on Jaina, covering her tiny form. He found the tendril of the Force, leading his sister home. He stretched and strained and pushed his ability beyond anything he knew possible or understood until he caught hold of her lifeforce. Then Jacen dug in and refused to let go. A mere second later, he appeared as lifeless as Jaina, his body limp and his eyes rolled back into his head. Jacen Solo was gone.

Luke sat silently in his chair, half-listening to the conversation among the informal gathering of Jedi in the new Council Chambers. Various ideas concerning the new Jedi Headquarters on Naboo were being hashed out now that the treaty signing was over and things had begun to settle down in anticipation of the reconstruction. Luke chided himself for not paying attention.

For some reason, his thoughts kept wandering back to Tahiri, who had departed in Jaina's X-wing mere hours after the treaty signing. He had harbored concerns about the young woman being alone after such a traumatic experience and especially since no one was certain of the identity of the second assailant, even though everyone, including Luke, was beginning to agree with Kyp's assessment that it was Zekk. Tahiri had insisted she would be fine, and Luke had no right to stop her. Actually, some compulsion told him, Tahiri still had some important role to play in Jaina's recovery.

"You better pay attention, Farmboy, before they start turning to you for an opinion."

Luke stifled an urge to jump as he felt at the moist heat of Mara's breath in his ear before turning to meet her sparkling green eyes. She was lacing her fingers with his own as he grinned back. Luke lowered his eyelids in acknowledgement, then turned back to focus on the conversation when from across the room a cry loosed.

"NOOOOOO!"

The room erupted in chaos. Jedi jumped from their seats as chairs and loose objects began flying in every direction, hurled around the room by a powerful energy. Luke would have reacted, but his own agony eclipsed everything as it ripped out his heart. Beside him, Mara remained motionless, her nails digging into his skin, experiencing her own private pain.

She had felt it, too; Mara felt the same empty void in the Force, the implosion of a life into nothingness. Jaina was gone.

The blind fury of the room would not allow Luke the privilege of grieving. Jedi were flying in every direction, unable to stifle the power of one very distraught Jedi Master – Kyp Durron. Reluctantly, knowing only he could possibly match the sheer strength of Kyp, Luke left his wife's side and fought against the powerful flow that pushed everything and everyone away. Debris and pieces of furniture flew by, but Luke continued forward.

It required every ounce of Luke's skill and experience for him to master the enormous power flowing from Kyp. Finally, Luke was looking directly into the face of agony. The silver-maned Jedi had his eyes shut, tears slipped past like water breaking through a cracked dam.

Luke willed strength into his voice despite the weakness in his heart. "Kyp."

The chaos continued.

"Kyp."

No response.

Another voice came from behind Luke. "This isn't how Jaina would want you to mourn her." It was Mara.

Everything stopped at once. Objects fell to the floor where they were, then silence engulfed the room, save the sobs of one Jedi. Kyp dropped to his knees, and Mara slipped past Luke to kneel down before him. She placed a hand on Kyp's cheek. He opened his eyes, so they were green meeting green.

"She's gone."

The harsh reality of his words broke Mara's resolve. She sprang to her feet and was running from the room before either man realized what had happened. How could she help Kyp if she could not come to terms with the truth herself?

As Jag collapsed against the wall, he realized the monitor was now silent - no sound, no rhythm, nothing, no life. A team of Chiss surrounded his wife while everyone else in the room fled – everyone that is but Jacen. Jaina was here on Csilla- alone with only her husband and her brother. She was alone because Jag had taken her from the family she loved more than life itself. He had promised to protect her; he had failed.

Jag's ears buzzed with some strange white noise and his head pounded. He strained to hear the monitor over the noise, but the sound never came. Jag willed Jaina's body to fight, but as the medical staff began to assault her lifeless body, he could not stand the sight. His legs buckled, and Jag slid down the wall, ending in a heap on the floor.

Jag had no desire to go on. He held his breath, unwilling to take any more if Jaina was not there beside him. His wretched body revolted after some time and inhaled of its own accord. Jag cursed his lack of will and his body's desire to live despite himself. He slammed the heels of his fists into his eyes to push away the tears. Jag pressed harder and harder until the pain was so intense that it overpowered the buzzing in his head.

Nothing could take away the knowledge that Jaina was gone, that all was lost.

Beep.

Jag's head flew from his hands. He batted away the tears so he could see.

Beep.

The sound came again. The Chiss medical team was trying to get near the medbunk, but something was holding them back.

Beep. Beep.

Jag jumped to his feet. Jacen was sprawled across the medbunk, his limbs splayed at odd angles as his legs hung from the far side and his torso covered Jaina, lying perpendicular across the bed. Jacen's head fell limp against the mattress.

Beep. Beep.

The invisible wall crumbled, and the Chiss closed on the twins. Jag raced after them. Before they could touch Jacen, Jag was grabbing one and then another, shoving them away, all the while shouting.

"Don't touch him! Leave him! He's saving her."

Jag practically leapt over the bed to push another Chiss away. He looked like a crazed Wookie guarding his hunting prize. Soontir raced into the room as the Chiss moved closer to a man they believed distraught with grief, irrational in his behavior. Jag never stopped shouting through it all.

Soontir pushed easily through the cautious Chiss medical team, all still rubbing stiff and bruised limbs, and eased beside his son. He held a hand out to signal the others to keep their distance as the other hand grasped Jag's shoulder.

"Son, be quiet." He shook Jag's shoulder.

Jag was still talking, more for his own benefit than the others. "Don't touch him! Leave him."

"Jagged, shhhh…" Soontir was quieter now, his arms encircling Jag, one and then the other.

"She's alive." Jag practically whispered as he slumped against the strength of his father.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Dr. Tarado spun and faced the monitor. With all the commotion, not one of the Chiss medical staff had heard the sounds of the monitor. Miraculously, Jaina's heart was pumping again. Dr. Tarado knelt down and picked up a medscanner, dropped in the tussle. He approached the bed warily, but Jag was lost in sobs of relief somewhere under Soontir's arms. A quick scan of both Jacen and Jaina's bodies revealed a strange fact. Their hearts were beating in time; their breaths were one. Dr. Tarado knew little about Jedi, but he had a distinct impression that no one but Jacen Solo was going to save the young woman lying on the bed before him.

Luke trudged up the incline of the cobblestone road leading to the Solo home with feet as heavy as his heart. Mara had fled the Council chambers; Luke knew where she was going. He had to go there, too, but Luke also understood Mara well enough to know she needed to grieve in her own way. So he had slowly made his way across the city toward his sister's home.

Topping the rise of the road, Luke spotted Han unloading bags of landscaping material from his speeder onto a small repulsor sled. Leia had turned her energies to the house renovations after Jag had taken Jaina away. Obviously, the garden was the next victim of her need to find solace in the busy work of her hands.

It was apparent to Luke that his brother-in-law had no idea of the terrible truth awaiting him. Luke envied the bliss of ignorance; for a moment he wished he were as blind to the Force as Han was. In mid-toss, the aging Corellian caught sight of Luke approaching along the road.

"Hey, kid. You're here a bit early for dinner."

Luke had forgotten his sister had called earlier to invite Mara and him to dinner, along with Wedge and Iella Antilles. He could not summon a reply to his lips. Luke tried over and over to think of something to say; his face distorted with the process of fighting back his own sorrow. The devastation worn on Luke's face caused Han to stop what he was doing, a fifty pound bag hanging in his arms.

Suddenly, Han dropped the bag, its contents spilling all over the road, and ran up the steps to the house. Luke followed Han as he dashed through the open door, winding along a maze of rooms until exiting out onto the back patio.

Kneeling in the dirt of the rose garden, Mara was holding up the prostrate form of Leia as she sobbed in little hiccoughs. Han halted in his tracks, then looked over his shoulder at Luke. The sight of Leia on the ground had forced tears to well in Luke's blue eyes. All the crying he had held at bay fought to the surface.

Han tore his gaze away and ran to his wife's side, dropping to his knees. The terrible fear gnawing at his gut refused to let him ask for the truth, but as Leia struggled to free herself from Mara's embrace, clawing her way into Han's arms, her words told a terrible tale.

"Oh, Han…she's gone."

The rest was lost to sobs and sniffles. Han might not have heard anyway with the howl of agony escaping his lips as he clutched his wife to his chest and rocked them both into a mindless oblivion.

Tahiri climbed down out of the cockpit of Jaina's snubfighter and was immediately surrounded by a mob of Chiss pilots. The hangar was empty save the twelve clawcraft of Vanguard Squadron. She recognized their markings, and the pilots who had flown those fighters to escort her down to the surface of Csilla.

Jag had been conspicuously absent when the squadron had met her upon arrival to the system. The sight of a squadron of clawcraft sweeping down on her had been intimidating, especially when the friendly voice she had expected never materialized. In Jag's place, Tahiri would have expected Rane, but he was nowhere to be found either. Now Jag's fighter sat parked in the back corner of the hangar, unused.

So far nothing had gone as expected. When she had last spoken to Jag on the Trickster's Sword, the plan had been for Tahiri to arrive on Csilla, still masquerading as Jaina, for a public display to throw off those who were unaware of Jaina's presence or condition. As far as most were concerned, Jaina Solo had left Naboo and flown to Csilla to meet her husband on this very day. Instead neither Rane nor Jag had met her, and Tahiri found herself surrounded by blue-skinned gargantuans with fiery eyes staring down at her from every direction.

Even worse, Tahiri knew something terrible had happened to Jaina and Jacen while she was locked in a hibernation trance during the long trip through hyperspace, but exactly what she was unsure. All Tahiri did know was that she could not feel either of them in the Force, at least not in the sense she was used to. She had an inkling of their presence, yet they were so faint they were easily missed, like pebbles at the bottom of a pond.

One of the Chiss stepped forward and addressed Tahiri. "Welcome. I am Lieutenant Hiza Orundar of Vanguard Squadron. I regret that neither Colonel Fel nor any of his family could be here to meet you."

Tahiri glanced up at the Chiss pilot, she recognized as the one who had addressed her over the comm earlier, with a concerned look in her eyes. "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?" The assumed identity of her friend Jaina gave the young woman confidence to interrupt him.

"I am not at liberty to discuss anything at this time, but I will take you to someone who can."

Tahiri raised a palm upward. "Lead the way."

Hiza offered a curt bow before spinning on his heel and marching out of the circle of Chiss pilots. Tahiri followed closely behind. It was a short walk to a speeder waiting at a nearby exit. Despite the parka Tahiri was offered, the bite of the air took her breath away when she stepped outside. Tahiri jumped in the speeder and sunk deep into the seat, trying to find some warmth where there was none. The cold air made the ooglith masquer constrict, causing severe pain stretching from the tip of her head to the base of her neck where it attached.

Once the doors were closed and Tahiri was alone in the driver's compartment with Hiza, she faced him. "Do I have to keep up the pretense of being someone I am not or is the charade over?"

He glanced over after spinning the speeder on its repulsors and nudging the vehicle forward. "You will not be compromising anything where we are going by removing your disguise. I believe you may be more comfortable as yourself, Tahiri Veila."

Hiza returned his focus to the winding road rising up before the speeder, while Tahiri started on the painful task of removing the ooglith masquer. Several minutes later, Tahiri was again herself and secured in the passenger seat. A feeling of warmth permeated up from floor heaters, but they did nothing to dispel the shivers of dread running along her spine. She glanced up from fastening her restraints to see a city rising up along snowy ridges left behind by the slow moving glacier visible farther down the valley.

Entering the city, Hiza sped through the streets, dodging slower moving vehicles and making several aggressive moves through traffic. If he were not a Chiss, Tahiri would have imagined the accomplished pilot was showing off, but there seemed to be an urgent air to his actions. Tahiri studied the Chiss out of the corner of her eye. There were no outward signs indicating worry, nor could she discern anything overt in his sense in the Force, but this did not sway Tahiri from her belief that something had gone horribly wrong.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the speeder banked down an alleyway and slid to a stop before a large building forged of brushed durasteel. Tahiri climbed out of the passenger door at the same time as Hiza emerged from the driver's side. They were not at a main entrance, but some sort of docking platform configured for larger delivery vehicles. Rane stepped out of the door, addressing the Chiss first.

"Hiza, I want to thank you on behalf of my family for taking the time to escort Tahiri here." Hiza dipped his head courteously before fading back toward the speeder. Rane turned to Tahiri, gesturing to the door with a sweep of his hand. "Please, come in from the cold. We need to hurry."

As Tahiri climbed the steps to the loading door, she noted the grim lines etched in Rane's face and the heavy cloud subduing his usually light nature. The utter sadness in his demeanor actually caused Tahiri to falter in her step. Tahiri reached out in the Force, trying to connect with Jaina or Jacen. She found their lifeforces close by but barely there.

Tahiri gasped, then stumbled up the remaining steps. She sped past Rane and into the sterile white halls of a medical facility. She only had to run past two doors before reaching the room she was seeking. Tahiri burst into the room, startling a Chiss standing by a monitor. Jag bolted out of a chair situated by the medbunk.

It was the sight on the medbunk that stunned the young Jedi. Jacen was sprawled across Jaina's body in an awkward arrangement. Both twins appeared as devoid of life as Anakin's body when Tahiri had tended to him on the return from Myrkyr. Tears welled in her eyes. She forced her gaze back to Jag, who had walked over to her.

"What happened?"

Jag's voice was hoarse. "Jaina started succumbing to the nano-organisms. We had to try the serum Danni developed, but Jaina was too weak. She…she…"

The confident voice of Soontir Fel finished for his son. "Her heart stopped."

Tahiri spun to face the speaker. Danni stood behind the Fel family patriarch with Syal and Briaun seated in a series of chairs further back. Tahiri instinctively looked to Danni, a familiar face in a sea of strangers. The blonde scientist stepped out of Soontir's shadow to address the Jedi.

"Jaina was almost home free; she only needed to last for a few more hours but the strain on her heart and lungs were enormous. I think she died, but Jacen did something and her heart started. He's been in that position ever since. We have been careful not to disturb them. It's as if they are connected somehow."

Tahiri eyed the twins over her shoulder. Her eyes squinted as she assessed the situation. Tahiri faced Danni once more. "That was best. Jacen is the only reason Jaina is connected to her body. They are not in this plane though. I feel them like you might see someone in a dense fog. It's all fuzzy."

A plea came from Jag. "Can you save them?"

Tahiri faced the man who had shared a love with Jaina that Tahiri could only remember in her dreams. She knew his pain better than anyone did. Tahiri tried to smile, but the knot of dread in her stomach dampened the effort. Tahiri was possibly going to a place she had prayed to visit for months after Anakin's death at least that was what she suspected. She would only make it there if Jacen had enough foresight to leave her a roadmap to follow. Now that Tahiri had come to terms with her loss, it was the last place she ever wanted to go.

"I will try. I won't promise you anything, Jag, but if anyone can fight her way out of something like this, it would be Jaina."

The hope brought some composure back to Jag's voice. "What do you need us to do?"

Tahiri climbed onto the end of the medbunk, dropping into a cross-legged position from which she could touch both Jacen and Jaina. She glanced back up at Jag. "Pray."

With that, Tahiri's eyes slammed shut and her face washed with a mask of concentration. A minute later, Tahiri was completely immersed in a deep trance. The room's occupants settled back to wait and do as she asked. No one prayed harder than Jag.

Jacen strolled along the branch as if he were on the ground not high up in the canopy of a tree over the floor of the Yavin 4 jungle. In one swift motion, he jumped off his feet and ended sitting on the branch next to his sister.

"Hey, Jaya. I found another crystal snake over there. Do you think you could fix that containment field on the cage in my room so I can bring it back?"

"I don't think he realizes where he's at?"

Jacen looked up at the sound of Jaina's voice to see her whispering to their younger brother seated on her other side. Jacen grinned. "Hello, Anakin. When did you get here?"

Anakin flashed back a mirror of his brother's lopsided Solo grin. "I've been here all along."

Jacen's brows furrowed, then a light of understanding seemed to dawn across his face. It did not take long for Jacen to recognize Anakin was not the twelve-year-old from the Jedi praxeum but rather the young man who had led the mission to Myrkyr and died there. "And where exactly is here?"

Anakin chuckled. "Same old Jacen, always needing the answers to everything." Jacen started to protest then shut his mouth and stared down at the jungle floor. "The question should be - what are we going to do with the two of you now that you are here?"

Glancing back up to speak, Jacen noticed Anakin was now between the twins. All he could manage was, "Neat trick."

"It's not a trick. Nothing is as you understand it in this plane."

Jacen peered around Anakin at Jaina. "Unfortunately, here is not where we should be."

Jaina refused to meet her twin's gaze. "I'm tired of fighting, Jace. It's nice here."

Jacen frowned. His voice held some scorn as he replied. "Surely you don't mean that. There are so many reasons to fight…"

Anakin placed a hand on Jacen's shoulder. "When you fight as hard as Jaina has, the peace here can be very inviting. It's up to her to decide what to do now. You can hold her between life and death only for so long, but you can't force your will on her."

Jacen snorted. "No one ever could, but I'm not leaving her either way."

Jaina shot a wary eye at her brother. "Jacen, that's not fair."

"It's not? I suppose leaving everyone that loves and needs you – me, Jag, Mom, Dad, your daughter – is?

Anakin wrapped an arm around each of his siblings and pulled them in close so he was in a twin sandwich. "Just like old times, huh?" Both Jacen and Jaina shrugged at the admonishment. Anakin glanced up to the blue sky filtering through the canopy of the tree. "The sun is still high. We've got a while. Why don't we talk about anything but the subject on everyone's mind?"

So the three Solo siblings fell into the easy banter of their childhood, when life was simple barring an occasional kidnapping threat or New Republic crisis. They laughed and talked and slapped each other on the back. There was a lot of smiling and hugging. For a short period of time, everything was the way it was supposed to be.

Anakin was the first to notice the blonde-haired female walking along the jungle floor below. Jacen and Jaina immediately followed his eyes when he fell silent and his gaze locked on the sight below. One glance at Anakin made it clear that his love for Tahiri had only grown. Jacen recognized his brother's feeling of exhilaration.

Jacen broke the silence. "Look, there's Tahiri. Let's call her up."

Anakin halted Jacen's effort to summon Tahiri by grabbing his brother's wrist. "Leave her."

Jacen shot Anakin a puzzled stare. "Why? She obviously came for us. It will be her chance to see you one last time."

"No, that is exactly what she never wanted to do."

"I don't understand."

"You couldn't. Tahiri loved me enough to let me go. Coming here is taking a step in the wrong direction. She needs to keep moving on, not dwelling on what might have been."

Jacen turned to face Anakin. "Why do you say we couldn't understand?"

"Because you haven't let me go. Not you." Anakin faced his sister. "Not you either."
Tahiri was now at the base of the tree, staring up at the three Solo children. Anakin could not help but stare back down. "That's why she is down there and you are up here."

Jaina asked the question both twins wanted answered. "How are we supposed to let you go? You're our brother?"

Anakin smiled wistfully. "You have to learn to not regret." He looked to Jacen. "You can't go over and over in your head the last fights we had. They were just differences of opinion, that's all. You were the one I entrusted with the mission at the end. You were the one who finished what I started." He faced Jaina. "And you have to stop replaying the moment I took the amphistaff for you. I would do it over and over and over. It will always end the same. There was nothing else I could do. My death was what had to come to pass."

Tears were streaming down Jaina's face. Anakin brushed one away with his thumb. "You know that pain you feel when you think of me? That will be the pain many more will feel if you don't go back and fight for your life. I know it will be hard to punch back through to the land of the living and it will hurt unimaginably so because your body will fight your will, but everyone will be there for you. Once you get back, it will all be worth it. The hurt will go away, but if you stay here their hurt will never leave."

Jaina nodded with a sniffle.

"Don't lose the love of your life like I did. Go to Jag. Have a family. Live. Love."

Jaina weeped a reply as she wrapped her arms around Anakin. "I want to live. I don't want to leave Jag. I want this baby more than anything."

Anakin squeezed her tight then pulled back, so he was at arm's length. Looking in her eyes, he spoke with confidence and determination. "Then go to Tahiri. She'll take you home. It won't be easy to get back, just keep reminding yourself of that love and don't ever look back."

Jaina leaned over and kissed Anakin on the cheek. He nodded before Jaina shut her eyes. The next second Jaina was on the jungle floor, hugging Tahiri. Anakin turned to his brother. Jacen smiled.

"Thanks for doing that."

"She didn't have any other choice really, not when you love someone like she loves Jag. It will be hard for her though; I know you will help her. Jag can help, too. Tell him that."

"I will." Jacen pursed his lips. "I hope I find a love like that some day, one like you had with Tahiri and Jaina has with Jag."

Anakin grinned. "You will. Don't try so hard."

"I always thought it was Tenel Ka, but now I see it's not."

"No, her calling was somewhere else, but you should make peace with that and with her. Only then can you move on."

Jacen chuckled. "When did you get so wise?"

"When you hang around with Yoda and Ben for long enough, it starts to rub off."

"Does Yoda really say There is no try, only do or do not?"

Anakin rolled his eyes. "All the time."

Both men laughed. When they stopped, there was an uneasy silence. Jacen spoke first.

"I better get going, huh?"

Anakin glanced up to the sky again. The sun was disappearing toward the horizon. "Yes."

Jacen took a deep breath and started to close his eyes. Anakin's voice forced Jacen to open his eyes once again. "Jacen, did you ever give Tahiri that kiss for me?"

Jacen looked as guilty as when he was caught with the snake in the dining hall at the Jedi praxeum. "No. I'm sorry."

"It's important. She is waiting for that to move on. Don't forget."

"I won't. I promise."

"Won't it hurt if she finds someone else to love?"

"No, it's want I want for her – to share love and have a family. It will never replace what we had. I want the same thing for you."

"Thanks. Do you want me to tell Tahiri anything?"

"No, she knows."

"Okay."

Jacen wrestled Anakin into a fierce hug. In this position he closed his eyes. When Jacen opened them back up, he was standing with Jaina and Tahiri.

The blonde Jedi was holding Jaina's hand; she took Jacen's hand as well. The trio started walking away from the tree, when Tahiri stopped and glanced over her shoulder. For one second she stared up at the tree. Anakin blew Tahiri a kiss. She smiled then turned back to her friends and walked away.

End of Chapter 35
TKL/h94