Part Seven: The Plan

Chapter 25

Kyp made his way through the main Academy classroom building heading to a confrontation he wasn't sure he was necessarily ready for—the meeting with his son's principle Force skills teacher, Jedi Knight Zekk.

He stepped out of the lift and nearly turned around to go back, but this was important, he kept telling himself. He needed to do this for Stefen. The boy had been attending classes for nearly a month now and he was showing amazing skill. However, he didn't have the arrogance that one would expect and too often seen from a latent beginner; instead, Stef had a great reverence for the Force itself, which Kyp knew from watching some of Stefen's friends, who exhibited the same sort of care, that it could have only come from one source—his teacher.

Kyp slowly stepped one painful step after another down the wide corridor to the room he was looking for. He took another calming breath and walked in. What made this so difficult was the fact that he knew this conversation would not just be about Stef, that it would, more likely than not, be dominated by Jaina Solo.

Zekk felt the Jedi Master long before he saw him walk through his door. Stefen had told him to expect Kyp sometime over the next day or two, but now that it was apparent, he was not sure how to proceed. He turned from the shelf where he was putting away the small polished stones that the students had been practicing with, drew himself up to his full height and took his own calming breath.

For a brief moment the two men who so deeply loved the same woman stared at each other until Kyp finally broke the uneasy silence, "Knight Zekk."

Zekk continued to coldly gaze at the other, "Master Durron, what can I do for you?"

Kyp swallowed hard, "I came by to mention that I will be going to Coruscant for the next two weeks and just wanted you to know that Stefen will be staying with the Skywalkers."

Dryly, Zekk responded, "Yes, Stef had informed me. Seems he and Ben Skywalker and Jysella Horn have become quite fast friends." Zekk turned around and continued in his task of putting the stones way. "Oddly, they remind me of Jaina, Jacen and me when we were their age."

If Zekk had meant the last to be a barb or not, Kyp couldn't tell, the Jedi had his shields as tight as he could possibly make them, but his sadness in his tone was unmistakable. "Well, lets hope they have a better way of it than any of us had."

Zekk turned again at the Master's calm response. He eyed him up again and then swallowing more of his pride than he really wished to, said, "Stef said that you were going to move completely back to Ossus?"

Kyp stepped away from the other man and walked toward the window on the side of the classroom, without turning he said, "Yes, it will be easier if I'm permanently here for Stefen and," now Kyp turned and glared at Zekk, "my other child."

Zekk didn't flinch at the harsh tone, instead he countered with a tone just as harsh, the moment of truce gone, "Yes, but don't you think it would be much easier if you would at least speak to the baby's mother?"

Kyp instantly bristled, "Whether I speak to Jaina or not isn't any of your damned business."

Zekk took a step toward the Jedi Master and looked down at him, he was several centimeters taller than Kyp, "Look, Kyp, I know Jaina hurt you—"

Kyp stepped back and seethed, "What the hell do you know of it? It wasn't you that she left for not one but two other men. All the while, she claims to have been in love with me from the beginning."

Zekk decided that he couldn't back down and regardless of his own pain; he despised seeing Jaina in so much pain. She had been avoiding him since Kyp came back, saying that it was better if neither Kyp nor anyone else saw them together. Especially, since the secret of her pregnancy was leaking out, if for no other reason than she was nearly half way through it and was showing. She no longer could hide her expanding waist under balky robes or flightsuits a few sizes larger. However, with Jaina's unexpected and obviously secretive pregnancy, the rumor also was circling that Zekk was the expectant father.

The very first time that he over heard that whispering, he nearly laughed out loud. Fate truly had a cruel sense of humor, for only four months ago they had wanted everyone to think the baby was his. Now that Zekk relinquished all claim, everyone decidedly came to their own conclusions, without ever a word mentioned outside of family.

"What do I know of it, you ask?" Zekk took a deep breath and in a deadly calm voice, "I stood by for the past twelve years and watched the woman I loved with another man, whom she loved and would have married if things would have been different."

Kyp snorted, "Well, I spent that same twelve years feeling the same. But I guess you won favor with her in the end. I mean you did spend two years as Joiners, sharing everything."

"Yes, I joined my mind to hers to help the Killiks, only to discover, she could never love me," Zekk all but spat, the calmness slipping away. "She still loved Fel, but she also loved another. It wasn't as strong as her love for Fel but it was there, under the surface. I'm not even sure if she knew it existed." Zekk paused after hearing Kyp's sharp intake of air, and then gave him a humorless smile, "Yes, Kyp, you. I've never even told Jaina that I discovered it. I'll admit," he chuckled bitterly and turned away from Kyp this was more painful than he had ever imagined it could be, "I wanted her. I wanted to make her forget Fel and you. I wanted to take her and show her how much I loved her. I wanted to claim her as mine. But seducing someone who also knows all of your secrets isn't easy. She never once gave into me, saying that it would only do us harm and strain our friendship." He turned back to find Kyp staring at him and with the look on the older man's face, he let a sad smile tug at his lips, "You see, at least you had that chance and from it you crated a child."

Kyp finding his voice he chillingly said, "A child you were willing to steal."

At this Zekk deflated more than even before, he turned away from Kyp and sat against one of the student work tables and looked out the window. Quietly he admitted for the first time even to himself, "Yes. Yes, I wanted the baby. I hoped that it was Fel's; I wanted to take Jaina and keep her safe and make her happy. I would have gladly raised the baby as my own and Jag Fel would never have known that he had a child." He looked at Kyp who was glaring at him with something akin to murder in his hard green eyes. Zekk swallowed and looked back out the window, "But I also was willing to step aside if Jaina wanted me to. I tried to help her figure out the father's identity. I even spent hours trying to find you." He looked at Kyp again and this time met his gaze and held it. "I would do anything to make Jaina happy, Kyp, anything, even step aside so she can be with the one she truly loves."

Kyp, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with Zekk's confession, maybe because it rang too painfully close to home, sniffed and turned away, he had had enough, "Well, I'm not you. I can't forgive her for what she did."

Zekk stood and said to the back of the Jedi Master who he once would have considered a friend, "Then your son with Jaina will suffer, Jaina will be miserable and so will you."

Kyp stiffened his back and headed towards the door, but Zekk's final quiet statement brought him to a complete halt, "If you truly love her Kyp, you know what a uniquely special thing she really is. She's a goddess, and if you stop letting your pride and stubbornness rule your heart, you'll realize just what you are willing to throw away."

Kyp said nothing, nor did he look back at the Jedi Knight he simply kept on until he reached the lift, there he shuddered. He never realized he and Zekk had so much in common.

X

Zekk made his way to the hanger bay where Jaina taught her classes. After his run in with Kyp, he decided that if nothing else he would be Jaina's friend. He had promised that to her and it was time he started acting like the friend that he claimed to be.

He watched from a distance as she finished up with the three students, all older Apprentices who had decided to become pilots. One of them was Jysella Horn and the other two were Bothans that Zekk didn't know. After she dismissed them, she began to put the equipment they had used away. Jysella offered to help but Jaina smiled and sent the girl away.

Zekk moved from the shadows and said as he came up behind her, "I've decided that you need a friend and I refuse to stand by and watch you suffer any more."

Jaina turned to face him and smiled, she had been avoiding Zekk nearly as much as he had been avoiding her, "Hello, Zekk."

They stood there just gazing at each other for a moment, neither of them quite knowing what to say next. Finally, Zekk smiled and made an arching motion over his own abdomen, "You are really beginning to pop out there."

Jaina burst out laughing, that was exactly something she would have expected Zekk to say. She laid her hand on her belly and said, "Yeah, he's getting big. Master Cilghal says he is progressing well. He's also been quite active lately, likes to keep me up late while he practices gymnastics. At least I'm not retching anymore." As she said this she wrinkled her nose in an expression of disgust. At that Zekk also laughed.

After another moment he said gently, quietly, "You know people are beginning to realize that you're pregnant."

Jaina's light hearted mood shattered, she turned from him and stared at the X-wing before her. Zekk came up behind her and laid his hand on her shoulder but she jerked away saying, "I know. They also are whispering that you are the father."

Zekk nodded even though Jaina couldn't see him, "Yes. But that doesn't surprise you, does it? I mean we were trying to make it look like we were a couple."

She turned to look over her shoulder at him, her brandy eyes pleading, "What am I going to do, Zekk? If I announce that Kyp is the father, well…" she let the sentence fade and turned away again, "I don't even want to think about it. Maybe I should pull a Tenel Ka and refuse to tell anyone who the father is."

Zekk sighed and turned her to look at him. As sternly as he could muster he said, "Jaina, don't be ridiculous. Tenel probably has her reasons for hiding the identity of the father of her baby, and they're probably because it's someone the Hapans wouldn't approve of. You don't have any reason to hide his identity except for your own stubborn pride." He watched as Jaina's brown eyes flashed with anger but before she could retort he went on, "I know this hurt you. I know that you love Kyp and I know that Kyp is being a typical Hutt about the whole thing. But you need to also be willing to fight for him, if that's truly what you want," he ended with a raised brow.

Jaina swallowed and said softly, her moment of anger gone, "Yes, of course it is. I love him, but he—he can't forgive me and I don't know how to make him to."

Zekk moved his hand from her upper arm where he was still holding her to brush his fingers over her cheek; he couldn't stand to see so much pain in her eyes, "Jaina, first, you need to admit that he is your baby's father. Secondly, you fight for him. Fight past his stubbornness and your own. But remember that I will always be here if you ever need a friend." With that he placed a gentle kiss on the cheek he had just caressed and hurriedly left.

X

In the shadows, behind another X-wing, Jysella Horn curiously watched and listened to the entire scene. She smiled as Knight Zekk moved away, so, he was an unlikely ally. After Stefen told her of what he knew about his father, Jaina Solo, Knight Zekk and a man named Jag Fel, she easily filled in the many gaps with what she thought occurred. Stefen had rolled his eyes at her and said she watched way too much HoloNet. Well, maybe she did, she thought, but they had two weeks before Master Durron returned, two weeks to set a plan in motion. I love this; it's more exciting than my favorite holodrama. She thought this as she rushed off to find her new best friends and co-conspirators, Stefen and eleven year old Ben Skywalker.

XXX

Chapter 26

"So, have you decided on any names yet?" Mara asked Jaina as she brought her a cup of Chandrila tea.

She handed it to Jaina who took it and said, "Thank you. No, I really haven't given his name much thought." Jaina wondered why she hadn't as she sipped the hot, sweet/tangy tea. Maybe it was because I wanted his father to have some say in the matter, she thought bitterly.

Mara sat down on the couch across from her niece, she studied her and nodded, "I'm actually not surprised but I couldn't help but wonder. I guess you and Kyp haven't talked about it?"

Jaina shook her head and quietly said, "I haven't spoken to Kyp."

Then she sipped her tea and finally as she sat the mug down on the low table before her she asked, "Jaina, you haven't spoken to Kyp since his return?"

Jaina sighed deeply, somehow she new this was coming. First Zekk, then her father and mother before they left on a mission, and now her aunt, they all wanted to know the same question. She sat her mug down across from Mara's and answered, "No. We have been mutually avoiding each other. But I know he inquired about the baby before he left for Coruscant. Tekli told me when I had my check-up yesterday."

Mara smiled and her green eyes twinkled with a slight amusement. She never thought she would be telling her niece this, "Jaina, I think Kyp Durron will be a wonderful father. Actually, I think he is a wonderful father. He absolutely dotes on Stefen." She chuckled at the memory of the father and son when Kyp said his good-byes when he dropped the boy off with Mara and Luke before his departure for Coruscant. It actually amazed her how close they had become in such a short time. But then, Stefen Boaden was a great kid.

Jaina stared at her aunt, incredulously she said, "I can't believe you just gave Kyp a compliment."

Mara laughed, "Yeah, well, sometimes even Kyp Durron can do something right." She picked up her cup and took a sip, after setting it back on the table she became serious again. She pinned Jaina with a meaningful gaze and continued in a slightly stern tone, "Jaina, you need to talk to him. He deserves to be apart of his child's life even if he can't forgive you. However, you need to make the first move. You really hurt him, Jaina." Another statement Mara Jade Skywalker couldn't believe she just made. She really was getting soft in her old age.

Jaina swallowed and looked down at her hands that were instinctively rubbing over the burgeoning roundness. She could feel her son through their bond and she knew her aunt, just as Zekk and her parents had been, was right. She needed to talk to Kyp. Eventually, she looked back up and said softly, "I know I hurt him. Hells, I hurt myself with the stupid things I've done. And I've hurt our son; he may never know what a complete and loving family is like. Not the way—not the way we could have been if I hadn't—hadn't went to Jag." Jaina felt the tears on her cheeks and they burned her eyes with their bitterness. She had been such a fool. How could she not have realized what she really felt for her old Master, her best friend?

Mara then took a deep breath, "You know he will be back in a few days?"

Jaina nodded her head, "Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out what to do. He would never come to me."

"So, you go to him. Really, Jaina, you of all people should know how stubborn he is. Where has your backbone gone, your fight? You need to get into his face and show him that you are sorry and that you wish to have another chance. And not let him see it any other way." Then Mara threw up her hands and stood up. She turned away from Jaina exclaiming, "I can't believe I'm telling my niece to go after Kyp Durron. What is this galaxy coming to?" She said to no one in particular.

Jaina couldn't help it, even in her anguish she laughed, "Yes, I'm wondering that too. Even my parents have told me the same thing."

X

Kyp lifted the glass and threw back the contents, swallowing the amber liquid. It had been a rough day. Cal Omas was trying to cause trouble among the Jedi again, but fortunately, the nine members of the Council, who were present along with Luke, Mara and Kam via a secure HoloNet connection, refused to give quarter to him. Kyp was surprised that even Corran Horn refused to take the bait the Chief of State was trying to feed them and eventually Kenth Hamner put Omas in his place. Kyp was visualizing the Chief's face when a voice cut into his thoughts.

"So, you needed a few of these too."

Kyp Durron turned to watch as Jagged Fel sat down beside him. The service droid moved over to him and he placed an order for brandy. Finally, Kyp over came his initial shock and said through gritted teeth, "What the kriff do you want?"

Jag accepted the glass from the droid and motioned for Kyp to follow him to a table in the corner of the Mid-Level bar. The Chiss ambassador really didn't know what prompted him to approach the man he at onetime would have called friend. However, as he watched him down his second whisky, Jag couldn't retain his curiosity any longer. He had just recently returned to Coruscant for another meeting with the GFFA and after he inquired about Jaina, he found out that she had moved to Ossus, but it was the latest HoloNet gossip that made Jag curious. The report was that Kyp Durron had a teenage son. Now, that was something that even in Jag's pragmatic mind, made him wonder. But that wasn't the only reason he wanted to talk to the Jedi Master, he wanted to thank him, because if Jaina hadn't fell in love with him Jag would have made never let her go, which would mean he would never have found what was right under his nose the entire time.

After they both sat down at Jag's table, Jag took a sip of the dark brandy and then met Kyp's hard green eyes, "It's been a while, Master Durron."

Kyp swallowed, hard. What the kriff am I doing sitting with Jag Fel? he thought. Finally he said, his voice low and dangerous, "Yes, too bad you didn't stay dead."

Jag truly was taken aback he never expected that, but then maybe he did. "Kyp, I don't know what is going on, but I just wanted to find out how Jaina is doing. We—emmm didn't leave things on a good note."

Kyp stared at him and then bitterly laughed, "What sleeping with her not good enough for you?"

Jag stiffened. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all, he thought. "Kyp, I will admit that happened but trust me when I say it was anything but 'good' at the time. And let's leave it at that. Jaina was pretty upset when I left her. I don't even know how she made it back to the Temple. I was so upset I crawled into a bar and didn't leave until my lieutenant come and found me. By then it was mid morning." Jag paused and took another draw on his brandy. He straightened his back some. It was starting to hurt again.

Kyp saw the wince on the younger man's face and could feel his sudden spike of pain through the Force. Then he remembered what Jaina had said about his injuries which prompted him to ask, "So, what happened to you? You here on some Chiss business?"

Jag looked up at him with a grimace, "Yes, I'm the ambassador to the Remnant and since the Remnant is part of the GA it looks like I may end up becoming the ambassador to the GA as well. But to answer your first question: My spine is part metal and wires which my body hasn't and won't completely accept. I live in constant pain, my only relief comes from a little blue pill that prevents most of the pain but also keeps me as grounded as a Hutt." Then he lifted the glass and took a long draw.

Kyp stared at the younger man, he could feel the pain and misery that surrounded him, but what Kyp couldn't believe was how embittered he was. No, Jaina had been right about one thing, Jag Fel wasn't the same as he once was. All Kyp could think of saying was a lame, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Now it was Jag's turn to laugh bitterly, "Yeah, I'm sure you are. Didn't you just wish I had remained dead?"

Kyp didn't answer and another silence engulfed them. After Kyp drained his glass he was starting to stand up; however, Jag's words stopped him cold, as the younger man stared into his half empty glass of brandy, he said, "So, are you and Jaina together now? Somehow it didn't surprise me that she would choose you; I think she had always loved you."

Kyp settled himself again, swallowing he said, "No, we aren't together."

Jag looked at him and dryly said, "You can't forgive her for being with me, can you?

"No." Kyp simply replied as he glared at his adversary.

Jag shook his head and gave the older man a hard glare back, "Then you are a fool, Durron. She may not be perfect or even the same woman she once was but I know how much she means to you. You two always had such a close bond. I was very jealous of that."

Kyp's anger was beginning to bubble over, "No, I can't forgive her. If it's any of your damned kriffin' business. But I think if she would have done to you what she has done to me, you wouldn't be able to forgive her either regardless of any bonds you may have."

Jag let a slight sly smile touch his lips but it never touched his eyes, "Don't be so sure. It was your name she called out while we—" Jag didn't finish the sentence; he knew he didn't have to but he did add, "So you see, friend, in away she cheated on me as well."

Kyp stared at him, "She what?" He remembered their night together then, a night he had been trying to forget for months. He remembered how good they were together, the passion that exploded like a supernova between them. She had clung to him at its height and practically chanted his name as if it was a sacred prayer then screamed it at the pinnacle. She had enjoyed it as much as he had. He had hoped that she would have fallen in love that night with him but then reality set in the next morning when he over heard her words to the man sitting across from him. As he realized what the Chiss captain was saying, Kyp somehow felt an odd empathy towards him. Damn, Kyp thought, sometimes I really wished I wasn't a Jedi. He then looked away from Jag and sighed, deciding to drop that painful subject but added another to the fire, "Jaina's pregnant."

At the sudden burst of emotion from the younger man, Kyp looked over at him and couldn't help but genuinely smile at the stunned and somewhat frightened expression on his face. "Oh, don't worry he's not yours. He's mine, but Zekk tried to claim him."

"Zekk?" Jag nearly choked on the word, not fully recovered from the shock of hearing that Jaina was pregnant. For the briefest of moments Jag thought his heart had stopped, but it had nothing to do with Zekk, the worst thing that could happen to him right now was to find out he was going to be a father and even worse if the mother was Jaina Solo.

Kyp now chuckled, his announcement thoroughly rattled Jag, "Yeah, Zekk. I had left after she went off to be with you. I went to Dreyer for a while then to Tatooine and I hid my presence from Jaina. She had gone to Ossus to be with Zekk, there she discovered she was pregnant but couldn't, or at least she claims she couldn't, feel which one of us was the lucky daddy." The grin grew bitter as he continued, "Zekk decided he'd step in and claim the prize. They broke their engagement the day that I came back with Stefen."

Jag shook his head, he couldn't believe what he heard, "She was pregnant with your baby but she went to Zekk?"

"Yeah," Kyp suddenly needed another drink, he flagged down a service droid and ordered another whisky, Jag also ordered another. This must have been affecting him too. "Although, in some sort of twisted way, I'm bginning to see why he did it. Hell, he loves her as much as we do."

Green eyes met green eyes then and both men swallowed. Jag then said, "Did. I did love her but not any more. I still care about her and wish her the best. But it was a memory that I loved, it was the Jaina who through herself into endless battle. The brave, beautiful Jaina who led by great example, but that Jaina I think was lost long before the Swarm War." He paused then as the droid delivered their drinks and they both took a draw from them. "I went back to Csilla after seeing her the last time. I was pretty beat up. I couldn't believe I had held on to her for so long. It took Kyrn to set me straight again." Jag then let a smile light up his face, a real smile and Kyp felt his immense happiness, "Shawnkyr and I have been seeing where things go for us. She had been my best friend since we were kids. I'm hoping to ask her to marry me when this mission is over."

Kyp smiled, "Congratulations, I guess. No wonder you looked like I just shot you in the gut when I said Jaina was pregnant."

Jag laughed, "Well, that would have complicated things some. I'm going to have a hard enough time convincing the Chiss that I'm a good alliance for Kyrn. A child would have made things nearly impossible for us. And speaking of children, I hear you have a son."

Kyp nodded and raised a brow, "The HoloNet, I assume?" Jag laughed and nodded. Kyp smiled, "Yes, his name is Stefen. He's almost fifteen and had lived on Tatooine with his mother. I didn't realize he even existed," Kyp's voice finished on a sad note even though he was still smiling.

Jag then looked at the Jedi Master and said deadpan, "I would think that reason enough to be with Jaina now."

Kyp swallowed the last of his drink, "You know, I'm getting tired of the reasons for my estrangement with her telling me that I should get over it and move on."

"I'm going to assume you mean Zekk and me." Kyp's stoic expression affirmed it. He nodded and smiled, "Well, then maybe you should listen to us."

XXX

Chapter 27

"So, you really think this will work?"

Jysella looked up from her datapad where she was putting the finishing touches on her brilliant plan. "Stef, you just get Target One to the designated meeting area and let me worry about the rest."

Ben looked over at Stef who didn't look any more convinced than he was. "Jys, why do you keep saying 'designated meeting area' and referring to Master Durron as Target One and Jaina as Target Two? For Force sake, it's us you're talking to; we know that you mean the hanger conference room and who we are dealing with."

She rolled her eyes, put the pad down and looked at her younger friend, who sat to the right of her on the bench, and said dramatically, "Because, that is what all secret agents call their meeting places and the people they are watching." She sighed, "Don't either of you ever watch the HoloNet. Geez!"

Stef, who was sitting on Jysella's other side on the same bench, and Ben looked at each other and shrugged, then Stef said to Jysella, "Yeah, but not much. When I was home, I was too busy with the cantina to have time to watch it and here Dad doesn't like me watching it and neither do the Masters Skywalker."

"Well, Mom and Dad don't like me watching it too much either," she admitted but then she looked from Ben to Stef and went on to add, "but I've learned so much from what I do see."

Stef actually found himself falling into Jysella's bright grey eyes and suddenly he wondered at the feelings she could illicit in him when she looked at him like she was now. His mouth was as parched as if he was wondering the Tatooine waste lands. He swallowed and forced his eyes away from hers. What is it about her?

Jysella couldn't help it; she gazed into Stefen's dark green eyes and suddenly felt the fluttering in her stomach again. It was like the feeling she had when she had her inertia capacitor dialed down too far when she was flying her X-wing too fast. It was thrilling and it was frightening. And it was a feeling she found exhilarating. Then she looked away when he did.

Ben, who was oblivious to his friends' distraction, was saying, "Well, I still don't see how this is going to work, Jys."

Jysella turned to look at him from her position between the two boys on the bench in the garden, but it was Stefen who answered, "Yes, it will. They just need to talk to each other and we are giving them the opportune moment to do just that." He looked back at Jysella and added softly, "It has to work."

X

Kyp had arrived back on Ossus two days ago and was still mulling over the conversations he had with both Jag and Zekk. Were they right? Was he being foolish? No! he told himself, she's hurt me too much. I can't let her do it again.

But he was hurting now. He wanted to experience Jaina's pregnancy with her. He wanted to do all the things expectant fathers did; he wanted to feel his son as he grew within his mother's womb. He wanted to love and be loved.

He shook himself to rid his head of the thoughts when his commlink began to beep. He opened it, "Durron."

"Dad," Stefen's voice came over, "hey, could you meet me at the hanger."

Kyp furrowed his brow, "The hanger?"

He thought he heard Stef swallow but his voice betrayed nothing, "Yeah, Ben and I have been playing with the simulators and I wanted you to watch us."

Kyp really didn't want to go to the training area. That was Jaina's domain, but he honestly wanted to see what his son could do in a cockpit. "Okay, sure. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Kyp could almost see the boy smile, "Thanks Dad. You won't be disappointed."

At that Kyp thought, What is he up to?

X

"Pleassse, Jaya, you have to watch me."

Jaina stood from her couch and tweaked her cousin's cheek. She grinned, "Ben, you're so cute when you beg."

Ben made a face and pulled away from her, but he swallowed down his pride and said, "But Jys and I really wanted to you to watch us."

Jaina didn't quite know what was going on but she was more than just a little suspicious and because she was, she was more than just a little interested. "Okay. When is this great showdown going to happen?"

"In ten minutes," Ben tried to hide his relief. He really didn't think Jaina was going to relent and if she hadn't the friends' plans would be all for naught.

She sighed and rubbed her belly, the baby just kicked her again. "Well, I may as well go with you to the hanger." She grabbed her outer robe and stepped toward the door, "Let's go."

X

"Ben said to meet him in the conference room when you got here," Stefen led the Jedi Master down the corridor. He was desperately trying to shield his emotions and intentions from his father. He had been practicing for this for two days with Jys and Ben. He knew his father was suspicious and was trying to figure out what was going on. But he could tell that the mental blocks he was enforcing was only making that wariness even greater.

They reached the conference room and entered, "Ben's not here yet. We'll have to wait for him."

X

Ben was nervous; he really hoped he could pull this off. He felt Jys touch is mind and let him know Stefen and Kyp were set. Now he just had to keep his cousin from sensing the Jedi Master and visa versa. He really hoped he got this right. Jacen had only showed him this technique recently and he wasn't sure he was even strong enough to form the illusion around Jaina. Jys sent him a nudge of encouragement and he smiled, it was working.

However, Jaina sensed his increased concentration, "Ben, is something wrong?"

He forced himself to be calm and hoped he didn't let his grip on the illusion falter, "No. but I do think it's hot in here."

She still looked at him and her expression told Ben that she was anything but convinced. Ben was never so glad to reach the conference room. "We'll meet Jys in here."

And with that Ben led his overly puzzled cousin into the conference room.

"Kyp?"

"Jaina? What are you doing here?"

However, both boys used the moment of utter confusion on the lovers' part to silently slip from the room. As soon as they were free of the door, Jysella smiled as she entered the lock code and sealed the door from the outside.

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