Chapter 13

Two hours later Kyp and Jaina were outside the door of the Solo's apartment. Kyp was carrying Jaina's belongings; he shifted the larger bag when it began to slide from his shoulder and griped the handle on the one he had lent her a little tighter. He looked over at Jaina when he felt her calling the Force to her in a calming breath. She met his gaze and gave him a nervous smile, "You ready?"

"Nope," Kyp turned back to the door and followed Jaina's lead by using a calming technique. He really was anxious all of a sudden. "But it's too late to turn back now. Your mother sensed us."

A moment later the door opened with a still beautiful Leia Organa Solo, Princess of Alderaan, former Chief-of-State of the New Republic and current Jedi Advisor to the GFFA, standing there, her face full of concern. She shifted her intense chocolate gaze from her daughter to Kyp causing him to swallow but he relaxed some when she smiled and beckoned them to enter. She tightly hugged Jaina once they were inside. When she broke it a moment later she held her daughter at arms length and looked her straight in the eye. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Jaina had explained to her parents when she called them that she broke up with Zekk and asked if she could move in with them for awhile. She told them that she went to Kyp's because she wasn't sure where to go. Kyp wasn't completely sure what all Jaina had disclosed to them but Kyp suddenly had the uneasy feeling they got the completely wrong idea as to why Jaina left Zekk.

Jaina smiled, "No, Zekk didn't harm me." She then hugged her father who came up beside her mother.

"That's good because I'd have blasted him to the other side of the Galaxy if he did." Han Solo released his daughter and turned to Kyp who was sitting the bags by the hall that lead back to the bedrooms. Kyp jumped when Han laid his hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Kid, for looking out for my little girl. I'm glad she has a friend like you."

Kyp smiled weakly, "Um—I'm glad I'm here for her." He looked pleadingly back at Jaina.

She met his gaze and said, "Mom, Dad, I think you should sit down. There's something I didn't tell you when I called."

Han and Leia exchanged worried glances then turned their attention to Jaina. Leia said, "Alright, baby, you know you can tell us anything." Kyp felt the nudge in the Force that Leia probed Jaina with and could see the concern in her eyes. Jaina sent to him through the same bond in the Force that allowed him to feel Leia's probe, Great, she thinks I'm pregnant.

Kyp could barely keep the shock from his expression as he sent back, They have no idea about us. I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

After they were all seated each pair sitting opposite each other on the Solos' couches, Jaina took a deep breath and plunged. "I left Zekk because I realized I no longer loved him. I broke his heart but I can't live with him any longer. I will always consider him a friend but nothing more." She let them absorb that then swallowed, "I'm in love with someone else."

Han leaned forward and squinted, "Jaina, hasn't Jag Fel hurt you enough. He tried to kill you and besides, I thought I heard from Wedge he married that Chiss commander he was friends with."

Kyp felt his heart sink. Han didn't even consider him a suitor for Jaina. This definitely was not going well. He couldn't believe with all of the conversations he had with Han about Jaina the older man hadn't figured it out.

He suddenly felt a probe from Leia and he became very aware of her carefully watching him. She laid her hand on her husband's arm and said in her calm but strong voice, "Han, I don't think it's Jag Fel she's talking about."

Han looked at her, "Then who else—" Sudden realization dawned on him and he whipped his head around to stare at Kyp, "You!"

Kyp swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat; this was not the reaction he was hoping for, at least not from Han. He also knew Han Solo was most dangerous when he was surprised. Jaina sent him a nudge of reassurance.

Jaina went on to confirm, "Yes, I realized that I love Kyp. I think I've always loved him. As terrible as it may seem Jag and Zekk were only substitutions because I never thought I could be with him. And because I was afraid of my feelings for him." She reached over and laid her hand on his which was tensely lying on his lap. He took it into his and held it.

Han jumped to his feet and Jaina and Kyp followed suit. "That fear should have told you something, Jaina. You're a Jedi. Now you tell me you're in love with Kyp Durron?" Han looked at Kyp and said, "No offence, Kid, but you are all wrong for my daughter. I won't allow this."

"Daddy!" Jaina sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. Kyp tightened the grip on her hand to bolster her and himself.

Kyp stared at his oldest and one of his dearest friends and quietly said, "Han, I realized I've done some terrible things in my past. Things that will haunt me for the rest of my life. But I love Jaina. I always have. She is the best thing that could ever have happened to me."

Han glared at him and said dangerously, "Kyp, I'm not talking about Carida. I've been your friend for years but Jaina is my daughter. You say that you have always loved her but yet you used her and betrayed her. You have left her when she could have used a friend. I appreciate that you helped her back from turning to the Dark Side but you left her when she needed a friend after her break up with Fel. I don't want her to be hurt because you decide things are too hot for you and you bail."

"Han, I left her after she broke it off with Fel because she rejected my advances. I thought that was what she wanted."

"Daddy! Stop this!" Jaina stepped between the two men Kyp knew she loved most in her life. The tears were wet on her cheeks, "Kyp has been there when I've needed him the most. That's what counts!" She stared up at her father, "I plan to marry Kyp no matter what you say. Maybe I was wrong to come," she turned to Kyp and pulled on the hand she still held, "Let's get out of here."

"Whoa! What's this about getting married?" Han turned his hard gaze from his daughter to Kyp.

"I asked her to marry me." Kyp never took his eyes from Han's, "When the time is right."

"Oh, no you won't."

Jaina tugged on Kyp's hand again but he didn't move. This wasn't in the least how he expected this to go but if they left now he would never be accepted by them.

"Han, honey, stop this," Leia stood and calmly said. Kyp suddenly felt like he had an unlikely ally. "Jaina is capable of making her own decisions. She isn't a child any longer. Besides, I've known about Kyp's feelings for Jaina for a long, long time and know they are sincere." Kyp stared at her agape. She only smiled, "I've known since Borlieas that Kyp had feelings for her."

"What?" Han turned his fury on his wife. "And you let it turn into this! I thought you couldn't stand Kyp. Besides, that brings up something else. She may not be a child but he still is too old for her."

She reached out and laid her hand on his arm again. "I thought it odd how Kyp who despised authority allowed himself to be placed under Jaina's command at Borlieas. Then I caught a look that passed over his face as he watched Jag Fel and Jaina at the celebration after the battle."

Leia turned her gaze to Kyp, her eyes so similar to Jaina's it was unsettling, then she smiled, "You looked like you had your heart ripped in two. I have to admit the thought that you harbored feelings for my daughter scared me to death. I was glad that you were reassigned. But especially, since her return, you have shown her the utmost respect and nothing but friendship—," Leia's smile grew brighter as she added, "—and love towards her."

Han stared at his wife, disbelief in his expression and tone, "You're okay with this? But he's still what?— fourteen, fifteen years older than she."

Leia chuckled, "And you're almost eleven years my senior, Han Solo. That didn't stop you or distract from us being happy. Come on, Han, Jaina may have inherited her father's stubbornness and piloting abilities, but she clearly inherited her mother's attraction to rogues and scoundrels."

Finally, Han's face softened just a little as he looked down at her. After a moment he nodded as he turned to Kyp. He pointed his finger in Kyp's face and said his voice low and threatening, "Okay. But if you ever hurt her you will wish I'd left you on Kessel."

X

Kyp leaned against the door frame of Jaina's new room. He was still holding a mug of caf that Leia served after lunch. After Han and Jaina calmed down, Leia invited Kyp to stay for lunch which she had planed after receiving Jaina's call earlier that morning. They began eating in tense silence but then Leia asked about Kyp's recent mission and he told her, Han and Jaina what he had presented two days before to the Chief-of-State and Intel. Afterwards as C-3PO cleared the dishes, they sat around the table discussing what the Moorex could be up to and what the ramifications could be if nothing is done about the seemingly military buildup of the pirate organization.

Kyp watched Jaina from the door as she unpacked. He could hear Han and Leia in the other room talking quietly, no doubt about their daughter's new and somewhat surprising relationship. He grinned at the prospect of what those two will be like as in-laws. Han who was his oldest friend disliked the idea of Kyp Durron as a perspective son-in-law. While Leia, who had always disliked Kyp for his disagreements with Luke and for what she believed to be his lack of remorse over some of the things he'd done in his past, believed Kyp to be the only man who could make Jaina happy. The irony wasn't lost on Kyp.

He stepped further into the room and chucked. Jaina turned from the closet where she just hung some clothes. "They're still at it," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, never thought Dad would be so against us." The hurt was clearly evident in her voice.

"Or that your mother would sing my praises," he said as he ran his hand through his hair.

She smiled, "That too." She walked over to the bed and sat down beside him.

Their eyes met and he chuckled, "Well, like I said this morning, I kinda expected your father to have something to say about us. I just wasn't expecting Han to be so—so opposed to us; actually, I was expecting that from your mother."

"It doesn't matter though; I would marry you anyway, regardless of what they say." She reached out and placed her hand on his thigh and looked into his eyes. Kyp could have lost himself in that intense gaze. A moment later she went on to say, "What do you think the Council will do with the information about the Moorex?"

Kyp took a sip of the cooling caf and sat the cup on the bedside table. Then he met her eyes again taking her hand into his, "I don't know if the Jedi will do anything. We really have to wait for the government. It isn't our place to act."

Jaina stared at him agape, "What have you done to the man I love? Because that is the last thing the Kyp Durrron I know would say."

Kyp laughed and squeezed her hand, "I'm a changed man. Isn't that what your mother said?"

"Yeah, but don't change too much. I fell in love with the rogue." She smiled back than said, "No, seriously what will the Jedi do?"

Kyp looked away and took a deep breath before looking back at her. "Actually, I'm going to propose that we work with Military Intel and send a team into Geonosis to knock out the factories. I plan to present my plan tomorrow at the Council meeting."

She searched his face and finally said, "You're planning to be on that mission aren't you?" Then angrily she asked, "When were you going to tell me any of this?"

Kyp looked down at his lap at the hand he held and realized she deserved to know. He had been planning this since before he got back and hadn't even told her what his mission was about. He had a lot to learn regarding letting her into his life and he knew it. As much as he regretted it, he knew she had become his partner and would want to go with him. He didn't want her to but he realized if their roles would be reversed he'd want to be beside her. He finally looked at her and said, "I'm sorry, Jaina, we just never brought it up. But, yes, I'm planning to be on any mission to Geonosis, since it will be my idea. I don't really have a complete plan worked out but what ever we do the strike team will need to be small."

"I will be on that team, Kyp. If you go, I go," Jaina responded, her tone defiant.

"No, Jaina. It will be too dangerous."

"Kyp, I won't let you go without me. I'm your partner, remember? You once asked to be my wingmate if I ever need one. Well, you need a wingmate and who better than me? I can't let you go alone. If something happened to you and I was here," she shook her head and he watched as a tear escaped the corner of her eye. She sent him an intense gaze that caused him to shudder, "it would kill me."

Kyp took her into his arms and hugged her tightly as he murmured, "Alright, we can discuss this later."

She pulled away from him her face red with anger and her eyes glazed with tears, "No, Kyp, you will not put me off. I will be on this mission." Then her features softened and she leaned back against him, "I don't have a good feeling about this. I—it's like I need to be there with you. If I'm not something terrible is going to happen."

Kyp held her for a long time before finally saying, "Okay, Goddess, I'll recommend you for the mission." Something about the way Jaina said that last sent a chill through him. He would never be able to explain it but somehow he knew she was right. After several more moments he pulled away from her and said as he gazed hard into her eyes, "But you have to promise me you won't do anything crazy."

"Of course not." She laid her head back down on his chest and tightened her arms around his neck as she murmured, "Unless, it saves your skin." After a long moment she faced him again and said, "I love you."

"I know," he whispered and bent his head and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Kyp broke it and said his voice husky, "I'd better be going." But instead of releasing her he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. When the need for air ended the kiss, he whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver, "I love you, my beautiful Goddess, I always have and I always will." He let her go, picked up the mug from the table and stood. He touched her face not wanting to let her go. "I'll call you tomorrow after the meeting. We can have lunch together."

She nodded and stood, and then while taking his hand she said, "I'll walk you out."

X

He said his farewells to the Solos and he and Jaina walked hand in hand to the garage where his speeder was parked. She turned into his embrace as they stopped before the closed cockpit vehicle. She leaned into him and kissed him; afterwards, she smiled and said, "I'll miss you tonight."

He grinned lopsidedly and quipped, "I'll need to remember to remind you of that after we've been married for a while and you throw me out of our bed after a fight."

She rolled her eyes at him, "Fine, I take it back, I won't miss you."

He opened the hatch and snickered. He moved away from her and got into the speeder. She reluctantly let go of his hand and moved away. He said, "Too late, Goddess, but I know you will." He winked at her as the hatch closed. Then she heard in her head as Kyp sent through the Force to her while the speeder lifted off the hanger floor, Because I'll miss you.

Within minutes Kyp's speeder was absorbed into the constant flow of traffic. She began to walk slowly back to her parent's home when a sudden feeling of dread chilled her to the core. She found herself looking into a vision of a laughing half human, half machine face who stood over a too still Kyp with a lightsaber in his metal hand.