Chapter 6
By the time Jaina came out of the shower, Kyp was gone. She dressed in the clothes she had worn the night before. When she left Zekk she really had not thought about anything else except getting away. She would go over to the apartment later to pick up the rest of her things. She thought about waiting for Kyp but quickly dismissed that as a bad idea. No need to rub salt into Zekk's already wounded heart. However, she wasn't looking forward to the confrontation and was trying to avoid it as long as possible.
Besides she wasn't sure where she was going to live. As much as she wanted to stay with Kyp, she knew that wasn't a good idea. She really did not care what people thought of her for leaving one man's bed for another, but Kyp would be the one blamed for her sudden change in heart. It always seemed that way even if he had done nothing to encourage her move. For this reason she was more worried for Kyp's reputation than her own. He had worked very hard to polish some of the old tarnish off his image. And actually was becoming a respected member of the Jedi Council. Hobnobbing with the Chief-of-State, indeed. There was a time when he wouldn't even been allowed in the same room with the head of the Galaxy. But she still had no idea where she would stay and may have to stay with him under the pretence of only friendship for a few days.
She looked out the large windows as she sat on the edge of the bed pondering this. They filled the outside wall of the rather sizable bedroom of the apartment. She watched the streaming traffic outside. Coruscant was becoming almost as crowded as it had been before the invasion. The city didn't encompass the entire planet yet but within a few more years it would. Jaina was glad that laws were enacted to guide the rebuilding even if it slowed it down. Despite the destruction and loss of life the Yuuzhan Vong raged on the planet, they had developed several beautiful areas. The Western Sea on the edge of the city was one of Jaina's favorite retreats and the Green Park was a beautiful place of wildlife and vegetation. Not to mention the warmer climate that was caused by the moving of the planet closer to the sun.
The sun was warm as it filled the room from the windows that were on either side of the dresser. The windows had a tinting function and it was set on its mildest. She knew that it would be next to impossible to find another apartment in the growing city. But where would she go? The only other option she had open was to move in with her parents. She sighed, and thought, But I'm not ready to face them. And it had nothing to due with Kyp. She felt like she had failed them in the worst way. She had become part of something that caused a war. She had disappointed them in so many ways. She wondered if they could ever forgive her. She wondered what they would say about her sudden engagement to her best friend and the break up with her lover.
She looked around the room and couldn't help but smile. Kyp Durron's bedroom, who would have ever thought she would be pondering sharing this space with him? The room was plainly furnished with the bed and side tables taking up the middle of one wall; the desk and comm unit was on the opposite wall; the fresher, closet and doorway leading out was on the remaining wall. The walls were panted a soft almond color and were bare. The comforter was a darker shade of tan and almond stripe. The furnishings were a mix of light wood and panted plastics and metals. She wondered if Kyp, who had spent most of his adulthood in the cockpit of an X-Wing, picked the colors and furnishings. Somehow she could imagine that he did. They seemed to suit him. She set about busying herself with straighten the bedroom and then went out to the living area.
She had been at Kyp's apartment a few times but never really looked around, now his domain interested her like never before. She stepped down the single step from the entryway, which had led to the bedroom and a second smaller 'fresher, into the living area. The area was basked in sun light from the three large windows that made up the outside wall. Along the wall adjacent to the bedroom, was an entertainment center with low shelving on either side. The furnishings were simple: a dark green repulser couch with a low table before it and two old fashioned stuffed chairs in a dark tan at either end of the table. At the other end of the room was a round light wood table with four chairs around it. Again the walls were painted a soft almond tone and were all but bare. She couldn't help but think that Kyp had good taste, but she didn't know why that would surprise her because Kyp had always dressed impeccably. Why would his taste in décor be any different?
She walked into the dining area and looked at he large holo of the Jedi Code. Regardless what people thought, Kyp was proud of being a Jedi and felt that he tried his best to follow the Code. It was a replica of the ones that hung in the Council Members' offices. As her stomach growled she realized that it had been a while since she had eaten. She turned and stepped up into the kitchen—and was suddenly very surprised.
Kyp Durron's kitchen was rather large. It was open to the dining area with a counter island separating the two spaces. The appliances along the wall were state of the art. On the counter beside the caf machine sat a plate with two pastries on it. Under the plate was a piece of flimsy written in the bold, blocky hand she immediately recognized as Kyp's.
Goddess,
You will never know how happy you have made me last night. I am
looking forward to our life together. And yes, it will be anything but
boring.
I love you, I always have and I always will.
Kyp
She smiled and blushed knowing Kyp must have read her thoughts earlier. She hadn't even sensed his probe. She knew Luke and Mara, and Jacen and Tenel Ka had that kind of bond and the thought that she and Kyp did thrilled her. She folded the scrap of flimsy and placed it into her pocket, it would get her through the rest of the day.
Jaina then poured a mug of caf and picked up the plate of pastries. She headed back into the living room and curled up on the couch. She picked up one of the pastries and looked at it skeptically, she had never seen any like these before but she shrugged and took a bite. The flavor surprised her. It was light and fluffy and had a spicy sweetness to it she recognized as cinnamon a rather rare spice from Chandrila. She wondered where Kyp had found such a delightful creation. She ate the other one and then sat the plate down to pick up her mug.
She sat the mug down again after taking a sip of the hot, dark liquid and looked up at the wall. On either side of the entertainment center above the shelving were the emblems of the Twin Suns and Kyp's Dozen Squadrons. She couldn't help but to be transported back to her youth and to the war that stole it away from her.
She looked at he emblem of Kyp's Dozen and remembered the time before the first contacts, before Chewy died at Sernpidal, before Kyp lost his entire squad in the first battle including his first apprentice, before the destruction and the horror that brought about the death of Anakin and before her fall to the Dark. She remembered the sixteen year old girl that bragged to the Jedi Master Kyp Durron about beating his record at Lando's Folly and how she felt when he looked her over from head to toe. And she remembered the thoughts that she had about how handsome he really was.
She then looked at the emblem of her squadron, The Twin Suns and shuddered at a sudden thought. How obvious the reason seemed now that a young, up and coming Colonel and an experienced Jedi Master would willingly put themselves under the command of an inexperienced lieutenant who was only a Jedi Apprentice and who had to be treated like a goddess. She smiled and wondered how many others had figured out the reason why they would do that.
She looked back down at the mug and reached to pick it up when her eye caught a worn old holocube. She moved and picked it up instead, her interest piqued. She turned it over in her hand and then hit the activate switch. The first image totally astonished her.
She found herself staring at the image of a three year old girl with dark brown hair and eyes with her pudgy arms tightly around the neck of a startled seventeen year old black haired, green eyed boy. She was surprised that Kyp Durron would possess holos of her when her own mother didn't have very many. They had been destroyed in the destruction of Coruscant. She chuckled and went to the next holo. This one was of a six year old Jaina riding the shoulders of Kyp with her arms splayed wide. She remembered the image and the events around it. She had coerced him into playing X-Wing with her. She had felt so tall there on his strong shoulders. The other holo was of the first Jedi class of Yavin Four. Then there was one of Miko Reglia, Kyp's first apprentice who was the first Jedi victim of the Yuuzhan Vong. The next one was taken at Borleias and pictured her sandwiched between Jag Fel and Kyp. The last one pictured Jaina sandwiched between her two Masters at her Knighting Ceremony. Mara Jade Skywalker had her arm wrapped tightly around her waist while Kyp lightly rested his hand on her shoulder. She remembered the pride and tenderness in that touch from him and thought it as being odd at the time. Now she completely understood— he had loved her.
She hit the switch that would allow the images to cycle through and sat it back on the table. She picked up the cold cup of caf and drank its contents without really tasting it as she watched the flickering images cycle through twice. She remembered these times and others with Kyp and made a startling discovery. I have always loved him. That's why when he betrayed my trust it hurt so much. That's why I never wanted him to leave me. How could I have missed it? Zekk was right, he and Jag were both substitutes for the man I really wanted but never thought I could.