Disclaimer: Star Wars isn't mine.
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"Where
is she?" Han demanded. He had been trying to get ahold of Jaina
for some time now. She wasn't answering her quarters or her comlink.
Aeria grinned. She knew where Jaina was. She was with the Colonel, of course. Aeria didn't say anything, though.
"I left a message last night. She'll call us when she gets a chance," Leia told him, hiding a smile. Watching her husband yell at a comm unit was rather amusing.
"When she gets time? This is important! What could she possibly be doing right now anyways?" Han ranted.
Aeria couldn't resist, "Have you tried Colonel Fel?"
"If he knows what's good for him he won't be anywhere near my daughter at this time in the morning!" Han stated.
"He might," Leia said, "They may be in the mess."
Han nodded and made the call. There was no answer, "They better be."
Leia chuckled. The door chimed and Jacen walked in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Aeria. His brow furrowed, "Who are you?"
"I see you got the message, Jacen. What time did you return?" Leia asked, hugging him.
"0500," he answered, not taking his eyes off Aeria. He concentrated, then eyes grew wide, "You're-you're my sister!"
Aeria nodded, "In the flesh."
"How?" Jacen asked his parents in disbelief.
"We'll explain once Jaina gets here," Leia told him.
"If she ever gets here," Han muttered.
Leia gave him a look, then introduced Aeria, "Jacen, this is Aeria. Aeria, Jacen."
Jacen shook her hand, "Wow, this is weird."
"You have no
idea."
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"I have to go. Mom really
wants to talk to me," Jaina told Jag that morning as she pulled
on her boots.
Jag remembered what Leia had to talk to her about, "You better get giong then."
Jaina looked at him suspiciously, "You know, don't you."
Jag nodded.
"Why haven't you told me?" she stood up and faced him.
"I promised I wouldn't," Jag explained.
Jaina sighed, "Is it bad?"
"No."
Jaina nodded, "I'll head over there now."
"If you need me for anything, comm me," Jag told her.
"Jag..."
"I can't tell you, Jaina," he kissed her gently, then said, "I love you."
Jaina kissed his cheek then left. She hurried to where her parents were staying. Jag's tone had worried her. He had fogotten about whatever it was last night, not surprisely. They had both been occupied, to say the least.
Jaina shook her head. Her parents knew her and Jag were together, but that's it. She had to stop her train of thought before it got her in trouble.
The door opened, "Jaina! How are you?"
"Fine, Mother. What's going on?" Jaina asked without preamble.
Leia let Jaina in. Sitting on the couch was a young woman with shoulder length brown hair and brandy brown eyes. Jaina clenched her jaw, "Who is this?"
"Your sister, Aeria," Han answered.
"My sister?"
Han nodded.
"How?"
"After your father was put into carbonite, I found out I was pregnant. The Alliance was going through the worst period of the war. We had been moving base to base almost every few weeks. I knew I could not have a baby on the base. It would be too dangerous. With the help of Luke, Chewie, Lando, and a few others, I decided it would be best to put my daughter up for adoption," Leia looked at him for support, "I told your father after the Battle of Endor. I didn't want to do it, but I knew I had to give her up. A few months after Endor, your father and I tried to find her, but we never did."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Jaina asked hotly. She couldn't believe this. She felt betrayed. If she and Jacen had been born at an "inconvient time," would they have been given up? What about Anakin?
"We didn't want to get your hopes up," Han explained, "I knew that you all would want to find her. We never gave up looking, but it was looking pretty hopeless."
"How did they find you?" Jacen asked Aeria.
Aeria, who had already had from Leia last night why she had been given up and forgiven her, responded, "Jag found me in a cantina. I told him my name and it peeked his interest. I think it was my resemblance to you, Jaina."
Jaina's eyes narrowed. Her parents had lied to her all these years. What about Anakin? He never knew about Aeria and it was too late now. They would never know eachother. Jaina now had another family member she could lose. She had no real love for Aeria, but her parents did.
"Jaina?" Leia said, a worried look on her face.
"Nothing. I have
to go," Jaina left in a hurry. This was too much to process. Her
mother had given up a child because it was inconvienet. Jaina had
always had a hard time with her mother. Leia had hardly been around.
She and her brothers had been passed on all the time. Now she had
some new sister that had been passed off for her whole life. Jaina
would never give up a child. Mara didn't. She managed just fine.
Jaina had promised herself years ago that when she did have children,
she would always be there for them. Jaina wasn't going to be her
mother.
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"Well, that went better than
expected," Han stated. Jacen had offered to take Aeria on a tour
of the base after Jaina had left.
"She's mad at me," Leia sank down on the couch, "I can feel it."
Han sat next to her, "Give her time."
"She's right, Han," Leia admitted, "she feels resentment towards me. It was so strong. She didn't have to say anything. I can tell she's mad."
Han hugged her tightly, "Let her think for awhile. You two do need to talk, but not now. She needs to cool off."
Leia nodded. She stood up. It was time to tell Luke and Mara.
