CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Great job on the mission, Jacen," Luke's quarter-size hologram said. "Make sure your sister hears that too."

"I'll be sure to tell her, um, later."

"I'd appreciate that. I suppose I can tell her myself when she reports in later."

"Oh… Right! Yes, you can."

"In fact, I was surprised to hear from any of you. Isn't it well into the night there? And you had a rough day and all?" It was hard to read expressions over the holocomm, but the tone and inflection to his uncle's words definitely revealed some degree of concern. Or perhaps it was the red ale still at work? That stuff just made everything seem…fuzzy and overblown.

"Jacen?"

At the sound of his aunt's voice – she had slipped into the holo at some point – he snapped back to here and now. "Huh?"

"Are you all right?"

Out of the recorder's sight, Jacen pinched himself. "Yeow!" A little too hard.

"Jacen?" Luke asked this time.

Batting away an imaginary bug, Jacen made light of his exclamation. "Just one of those Vikovan skeeters. Got me on the leg. I'm fine." He glanced up to find two disbelieving faces staring back at him. "Really. I'm fine."

"Must be some big bloodsucking insects on Vikova," Mara noted with a hint of sarcasm.

Jacen flashed a lopsided grin. "Oh, you have no idea how big, Aunt Mara. They'll suck the life right out of you given the chance."

"No doubt," Mara said, sharing a conspiratorial smirk with Luke.

Jacen scrambled to regain control of the conversation. "So how's Ben? Jaina said he's enjoying the motimouse I gave him."

When Mara crossed her arms and the infamous Jade scowl appeared, Luke intervened. "Ben's great. Best we leave discussion of Snuggles for another day."

Already afraid even to make eye contact with his aunt, Jacen had to agree with Luke's assessment. This is going badly, he thought. Maybe I'd best get to the point and be done. "So you'll be happy to know, Aunt Mara, that the Shadow didn't see a moment's action, and is in perfect order."

"Considering I lent her to you merely as a transport ship, I would certainly hope not." The arms never came uncrossed. And while Jacen knew intuitively that Mara wouldn't have batted an eye if either he or Jaina had needed to fly the Shadow in battle, he still squirmed under her scrutiny.

"Not even a micrometeor dent on the hull on the way here," Jacen offered meekly.

"Good," Mara snipped, "or you'd have been rubbing it out on your return tomorrow."

Jacen tried to smile, but he wondered if it looked more like a grimace. He glanced to Luke for help, and found all his uncle could offer was a quick shrug. Red ale or not, Mara in a mood was unmistakable. Somewhere along the line, his aunt had forgotten that women were supposed to be inscrutable.

The way Jacen had it figured, Jaina was either going to hug him or kill him after all this. What difference was one more raving mad Jedi female in the equation going to make?

Jacen dove in head first. "So about tomorrow –"

"You are planning to bring my ship back tomorrow." Mara's arms uncrossed – a good sign. Until the hands went to the hips – a bad sign.

"Well, not exactly."

"Not exactly?" The hands flew in the air. "What does not exactly mean?"

Luke placed a calming hand on Mara's shoulder. "Perhaps their mission is not completed –"

"Oh, it is." No sooner were the words out of Jacen's mouth than he realized the grave miscalculation. Blast that red ale! Quick! Think, Jacen. "It's for something else. But I can't tell you what."

"You can't!"

Jacen was sure there was steam coming from Mara's ears. Okay, that's definitely the red ale. "Well…" He dropped his voice to a whisper. "It's for a rescue mission."

"Who needs rescuing?" Suddenly Mara remembered the inscrutable part, because Jacen couldn't tell if she was softening or not.

"We've been trying to keep it under wraps," Jacen said theatrically, leaning even closer to the holocam. "Still are actually. In fact, I'm kind of exposed so I don't want to talk too much about it."

"That doesn't answer –"

"Jacen," Luke interrupted with all the serene patience of a Jedi Master, "just tell us as much as you can."

Jacen knew his uncle would pay for the intervention later, so he had to oblige. With something. Fast. "Well, there was this, um, problem with the Vikovan leader…An assassination attempt. Right! Things got a bit hairy around here… what with the murders… and the, um, you know… hostage…" Jacen glanced around furtively. "Someone prominent, unfortunately."

Ending with that, Jacen decided he technically hadn't lied to his aunt and uncle, yet he wasn't quite sure how much further he could push it. So he held his breath, and waited. In the meantime Luke looked to Mara, and she back to him in turn. There was an unspoken exchange before Mara tipped her head ever so slightly.

"And you believe use of the Shadow is necessary to accomplish your objective?" Luke asked.

Jacen simply nodded, afraid to say more.

Luke clutched Mara's hand. "Well, then we trust you, Jacen."

Mara took up where Luke left off. "If you say this is important, then I don't see how I can deny you."

With a low, muffled hiss Jacen's breath left his lungs, but he was careful to conceal any telltale signs over the comm. "Thanks, Aunt Mara."

She shook a finger, and arched an eyebrow. "I better not regret this, young man."

"Oh. You won't." This time Jacen couldn't help the revealing hint of a grin. Damnable red ale at work. "I promise. Um, so…do you think I could have the next week's codes?"

"The next week's!" Mara practically shot off the seat like a rocket. Like a rocket! Jacen felt a snicker about to erupt at the mental image of Mara's head atop a rocket shooting into space. Even as it welled deep in his core, his aunt continued on, blabbing about how long and for what reason. When the first guffaw stalled in his mouth – only due to some immeasurable Jedi control – Jacen figured he'd better get a grip. With some degree of concentration he focused on Mara's words as they grew in intensity and volume. "And exactly what kind of rescue –"

"Shhhh!" Jacen waved one hand and held a silencing finger from the other over his lips. After Luke aided him by yanking Mara back to sitting, Jacen continued in a hushed tone, "No mention of rescue. Like I said, I'm not sure who I can trust."

Finishing with his best imitation of a young Jedi in dire circumstances, Jacen could only wait. Mara did nothing to lessen his dilemma either, shifting uneasily in her seat and muttering intently. After some time, Jacen found himself squirming in place, crossing his arms, crossing his legs. Bantha brains! I must look like Ben with piranha beetles in his pants.

He stilled, and waited some more.

Thankfully, not more than a few seconds later Mara reached forward and her arm disappeared past the holocam range. "Sent."

A blinking light on the communicator confirmed that she had done just that. Jacen punched a succession of keys and a second later a datacard popped from the console. "Thanks, Aunt Mara. You're the best."

"So I've been told," she answered wearily. Luke wrapped an arm around her and kissed her neck.

With every intention of making a hasty goodbye, Jacen started to rise. That was until Mara said out of the blue, "One last question, kiddo."

Jacen felt sweat form on his brow instantly. "Um…yeah?"

"Why didn't you just ask Jaina for the codes? She knows every rotation there is on the Shadow."

Think fast, nerfherder, or you're rancor roast. He smacked a palm to his forehead, and in that instant the truth also saw fit to smack him there as well. Literally. His one thought was, Tell them the truth. "Oh, right! Of course! I can't believe I forgot to mention that."

"Mention what?"

"Um, well…you see…Jaina's unavailable. She's already left, in fact."

Luke sat forward first. "Left for –"

Jacen waved his hands to ward off any questions. "But it's all good! She and Jag are going to spend some time together these next couple of days. Like we all hoped."

"Jaina's just going to hand over her Jedi obligations and run off with Jag for a couple days?" Mara asked incredulously.

"Exactly," Jacen said with a grin. "Neat, huh?"

Mara tipped forward and peered through the holocam with eyes so cool Jacen thought she was actually face to face with him. "Who kidnapped your sister and –"

"No one!"

"– left an insane woman in her place, Jacen Solo?"

Jacen swallowed, hard. Stupid red ale! "Not insane at all, Aunt Mara. Really. She just needs some time to, um, be alone with Jag. Like we all wanted for them when she came here. I've got it all under control while she's away. I promise."

He could tell Mara wasn't the least bit convinced, but fortunately a sharp rapping on the doorframe broke the tension. Jacen glanced toward the sound, to where Jag stood just beyond holocam range. Quickly he turned back to the shimmering blue image. "My team's here. Got to go! Thanks, Aunt Mara. Bye, Uncle Luke."

Before either could protest Jacen slapped the transmission button, ending the comm. Then he flopped back in his formchair and ran a hand through his wayward locks. "Whew," he said with a dramatic sigh. "That was close."

Jag stepped into the room. "Did you get it?"

"Man, you can't get anything by Mara," Jacen exclaimed. "I'd swear she knew exactly what I was up to."

"I am sure she is quite the mind-reader. But did you get it?"

Jacen wiped a palm down his face, still mulling the conversation over in his mind, and that look. He could swear Mara saw right through him. "She has to know…something," he muttered to no one in particular.

"I guess that means no," Jag huffed, flopping into a chair across from Jacen.

"Huh?" Straightening abruptly, Jacen realized what Jag had said.

Jag did not look dejected, though. Instead a mischievous glint lit his eyes. "I guess I'm just going to have to steal your aunt's ship."

No doubt. Jag still had the red ale sickness. The corners of Jacen's mouth curled. Until today, he hadn't known the pompous Imp had it in him. Perhaps Fel's Corellian blood was finally asserting itself.

"Not if you know what's good for you. The Shadow has a series of rotating operating codes. Enter the wrong code, and it means big trouble."

Jag waved off the warning with a swat of his hand. "There has to be away around it. Besides, it's probably some tale Mara told you and Jaina to keep you from borrowing her ship."

Initially that idea didn't seem utterly ridiculous. Jacen furrowed his brows and pondered the thought – for all of two seconds. "No. They're real. We're talking about the woman even Luke Skywalker – the greatest Jedi ever – fears."

His honesty seemed to chase the conspiratorial Corellian right out of Jag, and the poor man slumped forward to bury his head in his hands. "Great. So I have Jaina locked up in your Aunt's ship, which I can't use, and a gazillion credits worth of ysalamiri that I have to feed."

"Could be worse."

"Right, because when she wakes up Jaina is going to hate me."

"Yeah. My sister is going to be steamed for sure."

"Thanks for the moral support."

"Hey, Jag," Jacen said. When the poor man looked up from his miserable lament, Jacen tossed him the datacard, which had been hidden in his hand all along. "Catch."

Even with reflexes dulled by the red ale, Jag snatched the flying object from the air. He glanced curiously from the datacard to Jacen and back again. "What is this?"

"She said yes."

Nothing registered immediately on Jag's face.

Jacen stomped his foot, and then pointed at the datacard. "The codes. Those are the codes."

Jag's jaw dropped for only a second. "You nerfherder!"

Jumping to his feet, Jacen scooted toward the door. "You sound like my sister."

Jag hopped up and followed Jacen into the long deserted corridor of the Polar Wind. "And that's bad?"

"No, not really…" Jacen shook his head, then pondered exactly how he felt about that. The next moment he found his arm wrapped around Jag's shoulder in a brotherly sort of way. "You know, Fel, you're all right. I should trust my sister's instincts more often."

"So you didn't like me? At first?"

"Did you like any of Wyn's boyfriends?"

"My sister will never be allowed to have boyfriends," Jag said very seriously.

"Right." Jacen winked before taking his arm back so they could pick up the pace. "Even an army of Fels can't stop that. In fact, I'd venture to guess your sister Wyn is in complete control of the Fel men."

"Much like your sister."

Rounding one last corner, the two men emerged into the Chiss cruiser's auxiliary hangar. Jacen stared across the floor at the Jade Shadow, only then realizing the momentous event in which he was intricately involved. "Yeah, like my sister." He sighed. "She's usually right, though. She told me once that Mara was a big pushover. After tonight, when she let me take the Shadow despite her suspicions, I realized my sister always knew Mara a little better than I did. And she was right about you. There isn't a better guy in the galaxy for her."

Jag stopped where he was. "You think so?"

"I know so," Jacen said, drawing up beside his partner-in-crime. "Don't doubt it for a second, Jag. My sister for some insane reason thinks she's meant to suffer, that it's our lot in life. But when I see her with you, she's truly happy. It's a feeling in her heart that no words can describe. Ultimately she may hate me for this, but it's a chance I'm willing to take, to prove to her once and for all that being a Solo doesn't exclude us from everything else. We just have to do things a little differently, is all."

Jag snorted. "Differently. I would say kidnapping your sister is definitely differ-" The chiming of Jag's comm cut his remark short. He snatched the pestering device from his belt and scanned the comm codes quickly. "Ktah!"

"What?"

"It's her again."

"Who?"

Jag arched an eyebrow.

"Ah," Jacen said. "The arrogant fool of a woman. What's Chirpy Chirp want now?"

"To meet or… something. She has tried to contact me three times since we flew back up here."

"Have you talked to her?"

"No." Suddenly a worried expression slid across Jag's usually somber features. "This could be bad. Now that Ambassador Chu'itha has told me the importance of Vikova, maybe I shouldn't –"

Jacen grabbed Jag by the elbow and started tugging him toward the Shadow. "Nope. No changing your mind now, flyboy. You're leaving. Now."

"But I really –"

"I'm not kidding, Jag." They already were at the bottom of the boarding ramp. Jacen was tempted just to shove Jag in and slam the ramp closed behind him. "Get onboard. Now."

Jag scowled. "This could be important. Look, I can get Shawnkyr to run interference for me. Just let me just go make one quick comm."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know… Go check on Jaina or something."

Jacen reached out and snatched Jag back before he got two strides away. "No. Not a chance. There are ysalamiri in there, and I can't even tell you how creepy they are. Oh, and something else… what could it… oh, right! My probably homicidal sister, if she's awake. I'm not going anywhere near her either. Especially if I don't have the Force."

"You really think she'll be that angry?"

Jacen shrugged, and shoved Jag toward the ramp. "Guess you'll find out shortly."

"I promise just the one comm and then I'll –"

"Nope, we'll have none of that, I'm afraid." With another shove, Jacen sent Jag stumbling halfway up the ramp. "You've already bound and gagged my sister on my aunt's ship, which, in case it wasn't entirely clear to you earlier, I'm not rightfully borrowing for you. Who are you more afraid of? Jaina and Mara or a few million Chiss?"

Finally, Jag smiled – just a little. "Well, if you put it that way…"

"Besides, if you ask me, the Chiss are much too sneaky with all this political intrigue stuff."

"If you only knew…" Suddenly Jag rushed back down the ramp and boxed Jacen on the shoulders. "I've got it!"

"What?"

"You could go meet Iliana!"

"Why?"

"To buy me time."

"If you think my sister is going to come around in a couple of hours, you've got another think coming, Jag."

"No, no. Just buy me enough time to get away, that's all. I'll need some time to get Jaina to agree to some formal announcement about the two of us, but once I do I'll be able to come back without having to worry about Iliana, or the Chiss for that matter. They would never dare challenge an alliance like that." If Jacen didn't know better, he'd have thought Jag was convincing himself as he talked. "Last thing before I go to comm silence I'll transmit a message to Shawnkyr, telling her that Jaina and I have gone off on some clandestine reconnaissance of Achebian space. That will buy me a couple of days at least."

Jacen didn't like where this was going. "And I'm the lucky one who gets to break the news to Iliana."

"Why not?"

"You ever heard the expression, 'don't shoot the messenger'? Because, yeah, I don't think Iliana has."

"You're overreacting. Besides, she'll be too surprised to be angry."

"She will?"

"You didn't let me finish my plan, Jacen." Jag pointed across the hangar. "She'll be expecting me, because you'll be flying my clawcraft down to the planet."

"Blaster bolts! Are you kriffin' kidding me?"

"No joke." In one hand Jag held up the datacard with the Shadow's codes while he stuck the other into his pocket for a moment, right before he slapped another datacard into Jacen's hand. "Fair trade, don't you think?"

"You realize this means I'll have flown your clawcraft first, right? If you thought Jaina was going to be angry before, she's going to really be ripe when she gets wind of this."

"Leave that to me," Jag said with a certain set that made Jacen squirm. "I am sure I can make it up to her."

Jacen waved his hand. "Uhuh. I don't want to know."

"Didn't think so." Jag clasped Jacen's hand and shook it firmly. "May the Force be with you, Jacen."

"May the Force be with you, Jag." Jacen watched Jag hustle up the ramp, then spun on his heel and strode quickly toward the safe-zone stripe on the docking bay's floor.

"Hey, Jacen."

He spun back to see Jag's face peering through the half-closed ramp. "Yeah?"

"I owe you one."

Jacen smiled and tipped his head just as Jag disappeared from view. He paced over and stood behind the red line. Not five seconds later the repulsorlifts fired, and the Jade Shadow slowly began to rise from the floor. Jacen couldn't see through the cockpit's viewport, but he could sense the pilot looking his way.

He unclipped his lightsaber handle from his belt and lifted it to his head, and snapped Jag a salute of good fortune. The Shadow waggled an almost imperceptible farewell, then swung around on its axis and headed toward open bay doors and the stars of space beyond.

Jacen looked down at the lightsaber in his hand. "So… You ready?"