15.
The others were long gone by the time Ahsoka came and got Jaina out of her morning meditation. It was just as well. She didn't need the distraction. She hadn't seen anyone but Ahsoka since leaving the tower last night. They were already asleep when she'd returned, except Ahsoka, who was waiting for her. She had filled her in on more of the details of her test today, and Jaina was able to go to bed with a clear head and calm emotions.
Sleep had come, but it had been fitful. She eventually gave up and had been meditating in her usual spot on the platform ever since. Now, she was sitting next to Ahsoka, riding out to the training area. The morning's meditation had left her calm, focused, and ready for whatever was about to happen. They pulled up to the entrance and Ahsoka stopped the speeder.
Jaina steadied herself and climbed out. Ahsoka stayed where she was, and quickly gave her a rundown of the rules she needed to follow. The others would be using their blasters, set on the lowest setting, and Jaina had her lightsaber. Other than ensuring she didn't seriously hurt or accidentally kill anyone, she had a lot of leeway in what she was allowed to do. She was pretty sure the others did as well.
She watched Ahsoka drive off, towards the far end of the area, then knelt down. Closing her eyes, she reached out into the Force, trying to sense where the others were. They were easy to find. Anxiety gave three of them away, and Jaina had spent so much time with Sabine she could sense her presence easily from a distance. Smiling to herself, she opened her eyes, stood back up, and slowly walked farther into the training area.
The initial attack came from above. Sabine roared into view, immediately opening fire. Jaina's lightsaber was up in an instant, easily deflecting the shots. She gave herself over to the Force, acting on her instincts and allowing it to guide her actions. Sabine was only a distraction, however, and she sensed Emry moving in behind her.
Time seemed to slow down, and Jaina saw Emry's shots before they happened. Sending two well-aimed deflections back at Sabine—along with a strong push through the Force to buy herself some time—she whipped her saber around, sending Emry's shots directly back at her. The shots hit their mark: one slammed into her shoulder and the other into her leg, sending her reeling.
Emry lost her grip on her blaster, and as it fell, Jaina pulled it to her. It flew into her outstretched hand, and she immediately dove to her right. A barrage of blaster fire from Sabine scorched the ground where she had just been standing. She rolled and was back on her feet a second later, her lightsaber in constant motion as Sabine's onslaught continued.
One of the main rules was that if Jaina was able to get close enough that she could effectively use her lightsaber against them, then they were to cease their attack. The same rule applied if she was able to hit them with blaster fire. This way, no one got hurt—at least not seriously—and it would more accurately mimic a real-world battle. However, Jaina had to follow the same rules. If she was hit with blaster fire, or if they were able to successfully simulate a kill shot on her, the test was over.
Emry was now out, and Jaina turned all her attention to Sabine, who was sending as many blaster bolts her way as she could. Jaina noticed that, even though she was flying back and forth, she was gradually moving backward as well. It was forcing her to walk forward, and she quickly realized Sabine was trying to walk her into a trap. She could sense General Syndulla and Rex moving into positions on either side of her. She needed to take out Sabine before they could get set and spring the trap.
Jaina sent the next two shots back at her, along with three of her own from Emry's blaster. Four of the five shots found their target: two crashed into Sabine's jetpack, disabling it, and the other two found a home where Sabine's armor wasn't. Jaina had gotten lots of practice aiming for the parts of Sabine's body that weren't covered in armor, and she took full advantage of that now.
Sabine cursed as she started to fall, and Jaina stretched her hand out, slowing her so she didn't crash into the ground. It suddenly became very quiet; Jaina deactivated her lightsaber and closed her eyes. There. General Syndulla was closer to her than Rex was, but they were both hidden amongst the cover of the rocks. She saw the attack before it happened; at the very last second, she leapt as high as she could into the air, angling herself towards General Syndulla's position.
They had probably hoped to catch her off-guard by simultaneously firing on her from both sides, but instead, they ended up shooting at each other. While their attention was focused on ducking from their friendly fire, Jaina was able to see exactly where General Syndulla was. She sent a salvo of blaster fire down onto the general as she landed on top of one of the rocks above her.
The general ran for cover and Jaina hopped down, setting out after her. Syndulla darted between the rocks, using them as cover, firing off shots at Jaina as best she could. Jaina easily avoided them as she calmly followed her. She knew this training area better than the general did; these rock formations had become a sort of second home to her.
Rounding a corner, she found herself face to face with Syndulla's blaster and only just got her lightsaber up in time before she opened fire. The general had nowhere to go, and Jaina slowly backed her up until she was pressed against the rock. Having had enough, Jaina stretched her hand out and reached through the Force, forcing the general's blaster hand against the rock. She held it there while she brought her saber up and then swung it down, stopping only inches from the general's head.
Syndulla gave her a half-smile, conceding her defeat, and Jaina released her. She was turning back around when she sensed him. Rex had followed them, trying to sneak up on her while she was preoccupied with the general. She couldn't see him—yet—but she knew he was about to break his cover and open fire. Jaina stayed where she was and took up a defensive position in front of the general.
Her first instinct had been to leap out of the way, but that would leave Syndulla exposed. Three seconds later, Rex came charging around one of the rocks, firing rapidly and accurately. Jaina blocked them all and saw Rex's eyes widen as he realized the general was still standing behind her. His charge faltered, and Jaina took advantage of his momentary distraction to send a push through the Force, throwing him sideways into one of the rocks.
The impact jarred his blasters loose and they clattered to the ground. Wasting no time, Jaina lunged at him, bringing her lightsaber down hard and fast. Again, she stopped the blade just inches from his head. She could feel his frustration, but it melted away after a few seconds. He gave her a wide smile, and Jaina deactivated her saber and helped him to his feet. Now came the hard part.
Without a word, she took a deep breath and jumped, flipping back into the open training area. Looking down to the far end, she could see Ahsoka waiting for her. A very small part of her wanted to try and find Emry, but she forced that urge away and focused on her master. She set Emry's blaster down on the ground and walked towards Ahsoka.
When she got within ten meters of her, Jaina bowed and Ahsoka did the same. Their sabers ignited simultaneously, and both immediately slipped into their fighting stances. They may have dueled only just yesterday, but this felt much different. This mattered a lot more, to the both of them; Jaina knew Ahsoka wasn't going to hold back on her today. She needed to stay as focused and as calm as possible if she was going to have a chance to finally beat her master.
Determined to let Ahsoka strike first, Jaina waited longer than she'd ever had and was finally rewarded for her patience. Ahsoka darted forward, her lightsabers coming at her from both sides. Jaina deflected one, ducked away from the other, and immediately went on the attack. Early on, she'd shown a natural preference for the same form her master used, and she'd gotten very good at being able to instantly switch from defending to attacking.
Ahsoka easily blocked Jaina's strikes and countered again. It went on like this for a while, both of them refusing to give an inch to the other, but they eventually started to tire. Both were giving it everything they had, and the intensity of the duel was rapidly wearing on them. Jaina was starting to get frustrated and she could sense Ahsoka was as well. The fatigue and frustration were beginning to lend themselves to mistakes, and when Ahsoka made a small one, Jaina saw her opening.
She swatted Ahsoka's sabers away and sent a strong push through the Force, knocking her off balance and back a few meters. Immediately, she leapt at her master and brought her saber crashing down. Ahsoka barely had time to get her sabers up before Jaina was on top of her. Their blades locked together, and they pushed as hard as they could, trying to break the deadlock.
For a moment, they stared at each other through the blades. Anger sparked inside Jaina as she realized she may have just blown her only chance to win. Ahsoka's face was calm, and with a strength Jaina didn't realize she had, she pushed Jaina away from her, breaking their sabers apart. Her master then jumped backward, putting some space between the two of them.
Frustrated and angry, she glared at Ahsoka. Then, unable to hold back any longer, she charged at her. She was going to win this fight, one way or another. Anticipation surged through her when she saw Ahsoka deactivate her sabers. She had no idea why she'd done it, but she didn't care. All she saw was a clear opening for a final strike.
As soon as Jaina got within range, she leapt into the air and brought her blade down as fast and as hard as she could, already tasting the sweet thrill of victory. But at the last second, Ahsoka spun out of the way and delivered a kick that caught Jaina squarely in the chest, sending her flying backward. She expertly rolled out of it, but as soon as she was back on her feet, she was met with an extremely violent push through the Force that lifted her into the air and sent her flying backward again.
The ground was unforgiving when she finally slammed into it. Her head bounced, and white spots immediately clouded her vision. The impact sent all the air rushing out of her lungs, and her lightsaber skidded away as she lost her grip on it. She gasped and writhed, trying to get her lungs the air they desperately needed.
Before she could recover, Ahsoka had landed in a crouch over her, her lightsabers crossed over her neck. Her lungs were finally starting to fill back up with air, and she took deep, gulping breaths, scowling at Ahsoka. Ahsoka scowled right back, not giving her apprentice an inch. Finally, she felt recovered enough to try and pull her lightsaber to her. She still didn't want to concede that the fight was over.
She flung her arm out to her side and opened her hand. Ahsoka responded immediately by stepping down, hard, on Jaina's arm. Her grip tightened on her sabers, and she lowered them ever so slightly towards Jaina's neck. They were close enough now Jaina could feel the heat from them. Ahsoka then uttered the first word that had been spoken between them in the last hour.
"Don't." The warning was clear, and Jaina got the message. She froze, not daring to move again.
Ahsoka had the same look on her face that she did the day Jaina had lost control and attacked Sabine. When she was ready to do whatever it took to keep Sabine safe from her. She quickly realized Ahsoka was treating this the same way, not wanting her to lose control again and hurt their friends. The realization was sobering and the fight instantly went out of her.
Jaina could feel the others' fear and confusion as they slowly moved in closer to them. Ahsoka didn't move or let her up, and Jaina never let her eyes stray from her master as she fought the anger boiling inside her. She put all her focus into her breathing, using it to calm herself. After a few very long and very tense minutes, the anger drained away completely and she found her balance again. Ahsoka's hands shifted on her sabers, indicating she'd felt the change.
"Ow," Jaina said, smiling wryly. Ahsoka gave her a small smile back and deactivated her sabers. She helped Jaina to her feet and immediately looked her over from head to toe.
"Are you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned.
"More or less, yeah," Jaina replied. "Probably going to be sore for a few days, but nothing like last time."
Ahsoka nodded, and her face took on the look it always did when she was about to lecture her apprentice.
"Now you understand why it's so important that you always stay calm and focused, no matter what happens. You lost because you let your frustration and anger get the best of you. As a result, you lost focus. How quickly did the fight change once you let your anger control your actions?"
"Very, very quickly," Jaina conceded, hanging her head.
"Exactly," Ahsoka said. "In a real fight, that could've proven deadly."
"Yes, Master," Jaina said, feeling completely defeated. She thought she'd done so well, too. All it took was one mistake to unravel everything. Maybe she wasn't as ready as Ahsoka thought she was.
"However…" Ahsoka said slowly. Jaina looked up, seeing Ahsoka's face had softened and she was now smiling. "You proved yourself today. This wasn't an easy challenge, but you handled it very well. I'm proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself."
"Does this mean I passed?" Jaina asked, cautiously excited. Ahsoka nodded and Jaina beamed at her. Then her face got serious.
"Thank you," she said, bowing respectfully to Ahsoka, "for everything you've done for me. I don't know where I'd be without you."
"You're welcome," Ahsoka said, returning the bow. They both straightened up and Jaina noticed the others were now cautiously approaching them.
"So, what's next?" she asked, suddenly eager to find out what else Ahsoka had planned.
"That's up to you," Ahsoka replied. "The rest of the day is yours to do whatever you please." She looked over her shoulder at the others. "Although, I'm fairly certain there's one person who'd like at least some of your time."
She had a knowing look on her face, and Jaina flashed her an embarrassed grin. She glanced around, trying to locate where her lightsaber had ended up, then pulled it to her. She was hooking it back onto her belt when Emry walked up.
"Just a few more things, huh?" Emry said, smirking.
"Yeah, just a few," Jaina said, grinning at her.
"That was—" she paused, trying to find the right words "—incredible to watch." Jaina felt her face flush with embarrassment at the praise.
"Oh, don't make her head any bigger than it already is," Sabine said, playfully punching Jaina in the arm. Jaina tried to return it, but Sabine ducked out of the way.
"Thanks for the assist, by the way," Sabine added. "I appreciate you not letting me crash into the ground. Although," she grumbled, "it's going to take me a solid week to fix this thing." She held up her jetpack and Jaina saw the two blaster shots had caused more damage than she had intended.
"Oops," Jaina said apologetically, "sorry. I'll help you fix it."
"Damn right you will," Sabine replied, chuckling. Her face got serious and she put her hand on Jaina's shoulder. "Well done today. Your clan will be very proud to call you one of their own."
"Thank you," Jaina said solemnly. "I hope I can make them proud one day."
"You will," Sabine said. She looked over as Rex joined them. Jaina noticed that Ahsoka and General Syndulla were discussing something off to the side, away from them. Jaina could only assume it was Rebellion business, and she seriously hoped whatever it was didn't mean that they were leaving early.
Rex clapped her on the back, startling her. "Excellent job," he said, beaming.
"Thanks, Rex," she replied, half-smiling, half-wincing. She was going to be sorer than she had initially thought; she was already starting to feel the effects of her impact with the ground.
"So, what are you up to now?" Emry asked as they began walking towards the entrance to the training area. "Does Ahsoka have anything else planned for you?"
"Nope," Jaina said happily. "She said I'm free to do whatever I want the rest of the day."
"Well, what would you like to do with all that new free time?" Emry asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice. That was a very good question, and Jaina thought about it while they walked. Suddenly it dawned on her. She knew exactly how she wanted to spend the rest of the day.
"I want to go flying," she said, grinning at Emry.
Emry looked taken aback. "You know how to fly?"
"Of course not," Jaina replied. "That's why you're going to fly, and I'm going to sit there and enjoy it." She lowered her voice a little, not wanting Sabine or Rex to overhear her. "You got to see part of my world today…now I want to see part of yours."
Emry looked at her, and, realizing she was being serious, broke into a wide grin. "Okay," she said, then glanced behind them at Ahsoka and the general. "I'll just need to get permission first."
Jaina wasn't sure if the general would grant Emry permission to take her ship out, but she did, and an hour later the two of them were walking into the docking bay where it was parked. Jaina could feel Emry's excitement, and that only increased her own. She was also ecstatic to have the afternoon all to themselves.
Emry fired the ship up and got them into the air, quickly leaving the city behind. She wasted no time, and soon they were zipping over the grasslands, twisting and turning, climbing, diving, and rolling every which way. Jaina had never experienced anything like it before, and it was thrilling. Just as thrilling was feeling the sheer joy radiating off of Emry. She was absolutely in her element, and Jaina was extremely happy she'd suggested this.
At one point, she glanced over and saw Emry's face was lit up with happiness she'd never seen from her before. She had a feeling this was the first time in a very long time she had flown just for the fun of it. Emry eventually slowed the ship, and they lazily flew over one of the mountain ranges. Jaina had no idea where on the planet they were, but she didn't much care.
"Umm, you didn't happen to bring any food, did you?" Jaina asked, breaking the silence as she felt her stomach growl.
Emry shot her a guilty look. "No, I completely forgot. Are you hungry?" Jaina nodded, and Emry consulted the display in front of her. "Looks like there's a small city not far from here. I have to make a stop anyway, so we'll just go there and find something to eat. Is that okay?"
"Sure," Jaina said, mentally frowning. She had to make a stop? Jaina couldn't recall her saying anything about needing to make a stop before they left. She wondered if this was some sort of Rebellion business and found that that thought made her a little angry.
This was supposed to be a fun afternoon, with just the two of them. Sure, she supported what Emry did for the Rebellion, but that didn't mean she was ready or even willing to be a part of it herself. Especially if it wasn't her choice.
Emry set the ship down on the outskirts, and they walked in silence towards one of the entrances. If Emry had any indication of Jaina's growing anger, she didn't let on as she led the way into the city. It was bustling, as the locals went about their daily business.
Finally, Jaina couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Emry's arm and pulled her into one of the side streets. It was just as busy as the main road, and Jaina pulled her off to the side, against the wall of one of the shops.
"What's this 'stop' you have to make?" she bit out, crossing her arms. A guilty look flashed across Emry's face, and she seemed to shrink back a little but didn't say anything. They weren't going anywhere until Emry answered her, so she tried again.
"What is it? Why won't you tell me?" The longer Emry took to answer, the angrier she was getting. "If this is Rebellion business—"
"I made a bet with Rex and I lost!" Emry blurted out, cutting her off. It wasn't the answer she was expecting, and Jaina just blinked at her. Emry continued, the words rushing out: "I lost and now I owe him the most expensive bottle of whiskey I can find. That's why I had to make a stop."
She was doing everything she could to not look Jaina in the eye. The whole thing was so ridiculous Jaina couldn't help but laugh, and the anger melted away. Emry finally looked at her, the fear in her eyes turning to embarrassment.
"What, may I ask, was this bet about?" she said, and Emry cringed.
"It was about you," she replied with a sigh.
"What about me?" Jaina said, frowning. She watched as Emry's face started to turn red, and she was fidgeting. "Emry…" The warning was obvious in her voice.
"I told Rex it wasn't fair that you had to take on all four of us at once," Emry finally said. "He told me if Ahsoka had trained you half as well as he expected her to, that it wouldn't matter. And then he bet me that you'd beat us easily."
"And you took it?" Jaina asked incredulously. Emry nodded shamefully.
"I can't—" she started to say, then shook her head. "I honestly can't believe you bet against me. I would've thought you'd have more faith in me than that." She wasn't angry, but definitely a little hurt.
"I'm sorry!" Emry exclaimed, and Jaina could tell she was starting to get upset. "Now you see why I didn't want to tell you."
Jaina sighed and decided this wasn't worth ruining their afternoon over. "Well, now you owe me a bottle of whatever I want, on top of what you owe Rex."
Emry gave her a weak smile and nodded. Just then, someone trying to push past Jaina on the busy, narrow street bumped into her, hard. She stumbled and fell directly into Emry, cursing under her breath. Emry grabbed her, stopping her fall; Jaina turned her head and glared at the man. He mumbled an apology as he kept moving, and Jaina just shook her head.
"Sorry," she said, turning back to Emry. She suddenly became very aware that Emry's hands were still on her hips, and they were now standing extremely close to one another.
"It's okay," Emry quietly replied. The intense look in her eyes from the night before was back, and Jaina was immediately struck with the same urge she'd had then. This time, she was determined to act on it. Right as she started to lean in, Emry's wrist comm chimed. Emry flashed her the guiltiest look she'd ever seen, and Jaina silently pleaded with her not to answer it.
"It could be the general," Emry said apologetically, reading her mind. "Yes?" she said, answering it. Jaina rolled her eyes and took a step back as Rex's voice came through.
"Just wanted to make sure you haven't forgotten what you need to bring back with you," he said cheerily.
"Don't worry, I haven't," Emry replied, clearly annoyed. She kept her eyes on Jaina as she spoke.
"Good," Rex said. "Don't forget…the most expensive—" Emry rolled her eyes and shut the comm off before he could say another word.
Jaina gave her a wry smile. "Guess we better get his prize before he calls again. Come on…traitor." She turned to start walking back towards the main road, but Emry grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She slid her hands around Jaina's waist again, and for a second they stared at each other.
Not wanting to chance another interruption, Jaina leaned in and gently pressed her lips against Emry's. She was instantly rocked with an explosion of emotion from Emry, and it mingled with her own. Emry eagerly returned the kiss and gripped her waist tighter, pressing them together.
The world around them melted away as Jaina fell into the emotion of the moment. She wrapped her arms around Emry and kissed her harder, not entirely believing what was happening was real. Eventually, Emry broke away and leaned her forehead against Jaina's.
"I have been wanting to do that for a long time," she whispered, her eyes still closed. Jaina smiled happily and gently kissed her again. Without warning, her stomach growled and Emry laughed as she pulled her head away again.
"As much as I'd love to stay here forever, we should probably get you some food," she said. Jaina gave her a pouty look. Emry laughed again and pulled her in for one more kiss. "Come on," she said, taking Jaina's hand, "this traitor still owes you a bottle of whatever you want."
They made their way to the local cantina, eating until neither one of them could anymore. Bellies full, they lazily worked their way up the main street, stopping occasionally to browse what the local shops and vendors had to offer.
They eventually found the local alcohol shop, and true to her word, Emry bought Jaina whatever she wanted, along with the most expensive bottle of whiskey the shop had, for Rex. Neither one of them was ready to go back home just yet, so they took their time getting back to the ship.
"Where would you like to go now?" Emry asked her, once they were on board.
"I don't know, I'm pretty content staying right here with you," Jaina replied, and Emry rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. Jaina grinned at her. "Honestly, I don't care. Surprise me."
Emry cocked her head, thought for a moment, then grinned back and fired up the ship. Jaina sat back and watched as they climbed through the clouds. However, Emry didn't level them off, and pretty soon they'd broken atmosphere. Her curiosity piqued as they headed away from Lothal, out into space. After a few minutes, Emry slowly turned the ship back around and killed the thrusters, leaving them floating there.
Lothal loomed large through the viewport. Jaina hadn't seen it since the day she'd arrived. It had looked so pitiful back then, the damage caused by the Empire evident all over its surface. But now, the evidence of the regrowth she could feel through the Force was laid out before her.
"It's beautiful," she murmured. And it truly was. What was once brown was now green again, and the skies were clear, free of the smoke that had once clouded the surface.
"I know," Emry said, and Jaina realized she was looking at her.
"I meant the planet," Jaina said dryly, but she was smiling. Emry just chuckled and they both fell silent, taking in the view.
"This is what I love the most," Emry said softly. "Up here, away from everything. It's quiet, peaceful." She snorted. "At least when no one's trying to kill you, it is."
Jaina gave her a sympathetic look but didn't say anything. What could she say? She had no idea what Emry had been through. An idea hit her, and she bent down and rummaged through the bag they'd brought with them from the city. Emry watched her curiously until Jaina pulled out the bottle of alcohol she had gotten her.
She popped the lid, took a drink, then passed the bottle to Emry, who happily accepted it. They sat in silence for a while, slowly passing the bottle back and forth, just enjoying each other's company.
"You should come with us," Emry eventually said, passing the bottle back to her. "The Rebellion could use you."
Jaina grimaced and took a drink. The day had been going so well, too. "Oh, come on," Emry huffed, catching the look on her face. "You can't tell me you haven't thought about it before."
"Actually," Jaina said, looking at her pointedly, "I haven't."
And it was the truth. She'd spent the last eight months in a completely different world than Emry had, where the war was just an afterthought. The only time it had ever crossed her mind, was when she'd think about Emry and what she was doing. But even then, those thoughts were focused more on Emry herself, and not the war.
"Then what's the point of all this training you've been doing if you're not going to use it," Emry said, obviously annoyed. She crossed her arms and stared out the viewport.
Damn. Jaina didn't want to admit it, but Emry had her there. Of course, she knew why she'd been training, but she didn't want to share that with Emry. No sense in worrying her over something that hadn't happened yet.
"Well, just so you know, the general is probably going to formally ask you to join," Emry continued, her voice flat. "I know she wants Ahsoka to come back, and now that you've shown what you can do, I wouldn't be surprised if she asks you both before we leave."
Well, that changed things. Ahsoka had never actually said Jaina's training was over, but she had a sense that the focus of it was about to shift after today. The idea of parting ways with Ahsoka suddenly terrified her. She hadn't realized how much she'd come to lean on her master until just now. The uneasiness she was feeling must have been written all over her face because Emry reached over and grabbed her hand.
"You don't have to decide today," she said gently. "Just, promise me you'll at least think about it?"
Jaina closed her eyes for a second, leaning into the calm of Emry's presence. "I promise," she said, giving Emry a faint smile.
"Good," Emry said, and she yanked Jaina out of her chair and into her lap. "Because I'm not sure I can wait another eight months before I see you again." Jaina couldn't argue with that, and she bent her head and kissed her.
Once again, everything else melted away, and within seconds she'd completely forgotten what they had been talking about. All that mattered was Emry. The kiss intensified, and Jaina's breathing hitched as Emry's hands started to slowly rub up and down her back. The emotions roiling through them both were intense and almost overwhelming.
She slowly kissed down Emry's neck, then back up to her ear, finally making her way back to her mouth. Emry's lips hungrily grabbed hers, and her hands started to tug at the edge of Jaina's shirt, trying to untuck it from her trousers. And then—as if on cue—the ship's comm chimed. They froze, their heavy breathing the only other sound in the cockpit.
Whoever it was, hailed them again, and Jaina groaned as Emry reached over her and punched a button.
"Where are you guys?" Sabine's voice came through the speaker. Jaina could detect a slight hint of annoyance in it. She didn't think they'd been gone that long. Had they?
"Uh—we were—um, just on our way back," Emry stammered, cringing at how she sounded.
Jaina flashed her a mischievous grin and started to quietly kiss down her neck again. She intertwined her fingers with Emry's and forced her hands back against the chair, pinning them there. Emry's body shuddered slightly, and she heard a very soft moan escape from her lips.
"Well, Hera needs her ship back, so get back here as soon as you can," came the reply from Sabine.
"All right," Emry said, the strain evident in her voice. "We'll be back shortly." Jaina released her, and Emry reached over and shut the comm off.
"That was," she said, breathing heavily, "very mean." Jaina grinned and shrugged.
"That was your punishment for betting against me," she replied. She grabbed Emry's face and kissed her, softly this time, before standing back up and going back to her chair. "Take us home, Lieutenant Manewal."
"It's Captain Manewal, thank you very much," Emry stated, smiling as she fired up the thrusters.
"Oh, look at you," Jaina said, chuckling. "And when were you going to tell me you got promoted?"
Emry shrugged. "Right now I guess. It happened a few weeks ago."
"Well, congratulations," Jaina said. "I wish I could've been there." Emry gave her a melancholic look.
"I wish you could've, too," she replied. "But, hopefully, you'll be at the next one?"
Jaina grinned at her. "Absolutely." Emry beamed in response and they fell silent as they reentered the atmosphere and headed home.
Jaina couldn't help but smile from ear to ear at how the day had turned out. Ahsoka had been right after all. The change she'd felt in the Force had most certainly been a positive one.