CSILLA
JANUARY YEAR 1053
Jaina was laying down on her bed feeling particularly sorry for herself as she read the encrypted message from her parents for the thousandth time. She threw the datapad to the side, not knowing why she had even bothered with it; she had long ago memorized the contents by heart.
At first she had eagerly received the message, starved for news of home and her family. But the more times she read it the more she just felt cheated. The letter couldn't capture her father's swagger or her mother's calming presence, and while they had sent news and their love, she felt further away from them than ever. They were all most likely in Hapes now, preparing for Jacen and Tenel Ka's wedding ceremony set to take place tomorrow.
Jaina had desperately wanted to go to Hapes to be there with her twin, knowing how happy he must be to finally marry the woman he loved. But when she had broached the subject with Kyp and Wedge they had been adamant that the risk would be too great. Logically, she knew they were right, she would have to travel through Imperial air space to get to Hapes and the Empire was most likely monitoring the hyper lanes in that vicinity carefully. But that had not made it any easier for Jaina to accept.
In the past few months, her exile had begun to weigh heavily on her, taking a deep emotional and physical toll. She hardly had an appetite anymore and though she always felt tired she dreaded sleep, knowing that was when the nightmares would come. They had started soon after Spike Squadron had left, had become progressively worse and more vivid in the past few months. The nightmares were never exactly the same but all had one common element.
Jag's death.
Every time, Jaina would wake up in an overwhelming panic, unable to disperse her darkest fears. Her anxiety was only made worse by her utter feeling of helplessness, the fact that she felt no control over events happening lightyears away. Could only sit here and wait for news.
The one thing that seemed to be able to distract her for any amount of time was flying Mara's headhunter, where Jaina was able to at least feel some sense of control. Even if Kyp was constantly trailing her like a bodyguard.
But now Kyp was gone. Sent on a mission to the Outer Rim by Commander Thrawn, they expected him to be gone for at least a few weeks. And that meant Jaina was grounded indefinitely.
The door chime for her room signaled she had a visitor.
Jaina lifted her head, calling listlessly, "Come in."
Syal peeked her head around the door with a tentative smile, "Hi Jaina. I didn't mean to bother you. I just wanted to check in to see how you were feeling."
Jaina felt a stab of guilt, knowing that Syal was treading so carefully due to the drastic mood swings that had plagued her as of late. Just another thing she didn't seem to be able to control.
Jaina smiled warmly at Syal, hoping it conveyed how appreciative she really was of everything the other woman had done for her.
"Thanks, Syal, I still have a little bit of a headache but I'm feeling much better than I was earlier," Jaina answered, then hesitated. "I'm so sorry, I know I've been a terrible house guest lately."
Syal walked further into the room, taking a seat on the bed next to Jaina who sat up to make room for the older woman.
"There's no need for apologies, my dear," Syal said, smiling sympathetically. "You have had a lot to deal with these past few months, I just wish there was more that we could do to help. I know it's terribly hard to be away from your family, those you love. But I hope that, in some way, you have come to consider us part of your family. Like we have you."
Jaina was touched by the other woman's words and wished more than ever she could tell Syal the truth. That they were family now, that she was her first daughter-in-law. Instead, she squeezed Syal's hand and smiled at her.
"I do, and I appreciate you saying that. More than you could ever know," Jaina answered.
Syal returned her smile, then patted her hand. "Well, I also came to see if you were sure you didn't want to come with us to Csaus. I feel terrible leaving you here all alone. If you want me to stay-"
"No," Jaina interrupted. "I don't want to ruin your trip, I know Wynn and Myri have been looking forward to it. I'll be fine here by myself for a few days."
"Ok, if you're sure," Syal answered reluctantly. "We're leaving in a few minutes, but please comm me if you need anything at all. It's truly not a bother."
"I will, thank you, Syal," Jaina said, flashing a weak smile.
Jaina walked through the empty Fel estate, the hallway seeming much longer than she remembered. As she reached the end of the hall her eyes were drawn to a door she had never noticed before but she felt something pushing her towards it. Waving her hand in front of the scanner, she opened the door and took a hesitant step through. The room was pitch black and as she took another step she heard the door slam behind her. She whirled around then blinked her eyes trying to adjust to the dark space, gain some sense of her surroundings.
"Jaya, you shouldn't be here," a familiar voice warned.
"Ani," Jaina gasped hopefully, stumbling forward in shock. "Anakin, is that you?"
The room fell silent, no sign of her younger brother, and Jaina felt a tear slip down her face. He had left her once again. Then suddenly she saw a flash of light to her left. Spinning, she saw her mother and father watching her.
"Mom, Dad! Did you see him?" Jaina asked. "Did you see Anakin?"
Leia frowned at her as her father looked on grim-faced.
"Jaina, you are a royal Princess of Alderaan," Leia intoned chidingly. "You must be prepared to make sacrifices."
With that, both Leia and Han turned to walk away.
"Wait, where are you going? Don't leave me, please. Everyone else has already left me," Jaina called pleadingly.
Han gave one last look over his shoulder before the two disappeared back into the darkness.
"I promise, I'll come back for you," Jag's voice suddenly called from the deep corner of the room.
"Jag," Jaina called uncertainly, as she moved to where the voice had come from. "Jag, are you there?"
As Jaina got closer to the source, the room suddenly illuminated and she was horrified to see Jag on his knees, chained to a wall, dirty and beaten.
Jag looked up, his eyes locking on Jaina as he smiled tiredly, "Don't forget me."
Jaina tried to go to Jag, to help him remove the heavy chains that bound him but an invisible grip held her back and she was frozen, unable to reach her husband.
She watched in helpless terror as Jag turned away from her, his face suddenly arrogant and defiant. Jaina's gaze followed his and she watched Zekk emerge from the shadows, a vibroblade in his hand, a sinister smile on his face.
"You crossed me and now I am going to take away the person you love most. Just the way I did with your brother," Zekk snarled at her, as he lifted the vibroblade, aiming for Jag's rib cage.
"No!" Jaina screamed, "Please, no!"
She fought wildly to free herself but was unable to overcome the powerful hold that kept her locked in place as she watched the vibroblade find its mark, plunging into the heart of her husband.
Suddenly she fell forward on her hands and knees, the phantom arms finally releasing her as Zekk disappeared back into the shadows. Sobbing, she crawled over to her husband. Her hands were soon stained red as she pressed them to his chest in a fruitless attempt to staunch the bleeding. White-faced, Jag turned to her with sorrowful eyes.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, Princess," Jag whispered hoarsely before his eyes closed and his lifeless body slumped forward, falling into Jaina's arms.
"No, no," Jaina cried frantically. "You can't leave me, Jag. I need you!"
Suddenly Jag's body disappeared from her arms and she was left in total darkness.
"You are all alone, Jaina Solo," Zekk's voice taunted, though Jaina could not pinpoint where it came from. "You have nobody to protect you now."
Jaina woke up with a gasp, desperately trying to reorient herself. She slowly recognized that she was back in her bedroom at the Fel estate. But despite the warmth of the room she felt incredibly cold. The house was eerily empty with everyone gone, reminiscent of the nightmare landscape she had just escaped, and Jaina felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness engulf her.
She should have gone with the Fels and Antilles to Csaus, at least she would not feel so cut off. So alone.
She could still follow them there, it was only a short jump through hyperspace to the planet. When Kyp had left for his mission she had promised him she would not take the headhunter out until he came back. But in all honesty, how much danger would she really be in? If the Empire had known she was in Chiss Space, surely they would have tried to capture her before this? And she would not be anywhere near Imperial Space where she might be recognized. It was one quick jump, in the safety of Ascendency controlled air space. What could possibly go wrong?
She needed to get out of this empty house, get a change of scenery before she truly went crazy. Jaina knew there was a spare speeder she could use to get to the hangar and she could comm Wedge once she landed in Csaus, get a lift from there.
It would probably be better to comm him after she landed, she thought wryly. Knowing Wedge, he would worry unnecessarily the whole time or, more likely, try to come back and get her himself. And that was the last thing Jaina wanted, to be even more of a burden on the family than she already was.
Jaina got out of bed with a confident decisiveness she hadn't felt in a while and went to pack a small bag for the trip.
CHISS SPACE
JANUARY YEAR 1053
Jaina leaned her head back against the headrest of her seat as she entered hyperspace, knowing she had a few hours until she arrived at her planned exit vector on Csaus. Suddenly feeling ravenous for the first time in weeks, she reached for a ration bar in her pack.
Just as she had fished out a bar from her flight bag, she felt the entire fighter shake violently. Lines marked the sky as the fighter exited hyperspace well before her instructed jump point. Jaina dropped the meal bar turning back to her navicomputer in alarm.
As soon as she dropped out of hyperspace, her fighter started drifting towards a large CC-7700 frigate that had appeared before her. Jaina frantically tried to relay instructions to the nav, even as she realized with a sinking feeling that it was futile. Her weapons were non-responsive as well, Jaina noted quickly.
It appeared she had lost all power and control of her fighter. There were not many pirates out in Chiss space but Jaina had heard stories of how they laid in wait across hyperspace lanes. They were known to use gravity well projectors to generate an interdiction field, allowing them to pull their prey out of hyperspace. It was then easy enough to catch the unsuspecting targets in a tractor beam, capturing their quarry with little effort required.
Unfortunately, it seemed as if she had fallen into one of their traps and there was little she could do to fight her way out of it. Her only hope was that they would not recognize her, could be bought off with a simple promise of ransom.
It looked like she was going to have to ruin Wedge's vacation after all.
Jaina waited impatiently as she heard the doors to the docking bay open. As soon as her headhunter had been pulled into the frigate she leaped down from the cockpit, determined that she would face her abductors head-on. While Jaina had never personally dealt with pirates, she knew from her father's stories that you couldn't show even the slightest bit of fear. So she waited for them by the door, hands on hips, cocky Solo grin firmly in place. She wished she had thought to bring a holdout blaster with her, just in case, but it was too late for regrets now. She would just have to make do with her wit and charisma.
The airlock opened allowing someone to step out and the smirk fell from her face as she recognized her captor. She knew now her Solo charm would not be any help here. Recognizing the distinctive Mandalorian armor- mostly green although the color was hard to distinguish, what with it being badly battered and covered in marks from weapon fire- she knew she was in trouble. This man was no ordinary space pirate. He was one of the Empire's most feared bounty hunters.
Boba Fett.
Jaina's eyes widened in fear, knowing Fett would not be swayed with a hefty ransom offer; who could outbid the Empire after all? Her mind whirled, trying to find a way out of this situation. What was he even doing this far in the Unknown Regions?
Jaina's feet started moving back towards her headhunter without thought, her instinct for fight or flight kicking in, knowing the latter was the more attractive option. Then two stormtroopers appeared behind Fett, blasters raised and pointed in her direction and she froze. So much for escaping.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Princess," Fett's emotionless voice came through his helmet. "You and I both know there's no escape."
"My parents will pay you double what the Empire is paying," Jaina pleaded, knowing it was useless but refusing to give in just yet. "You don't have to do this, we can work something out."
"I doubt it," Fett answered impassively. "I don't think you fully comprehend just how badly your fiance wants you back."
"How did you even know I was here, that I would be traveling this hyper lane by myself?" Jaina asked desperately, still trying to delay the inevitable.
"The Empire has known you were on Csilla for quite some time. It was easy enough to plant a tracker on your headhunter, wait for the right opportunity," Fett answered matter-of-factly. "I honestly thought we would be out here longer, but it seems the famous Solo luck has deserted your family as of late."
"You know the Ascendancy will be looking for me, they will find you before we even leave Chiss space," Jaina bluffed, trying hard to exude confidence she didn't feel.
"I think not. Antilles won't be back for at least a few days, the turncoat Durron for weeks, and by the time anyone realizes you are missing it will be far too late," Fett answered, and Jaina's heart fell. "I told you, we have been watching you for a while. Do you really think I would not be aware of where your protectors were? This is far from my first hunt, Jaina Solo."
"How could I forget, all have heard of the Empire's tame Mandalorian, after all," Jaina mocked angrily, knowing she was well and truly trapped. Lashing out in anger helped to cover her growing fear. "Tell me, how does it feel knowing you are seen as nothing more than the Emperor's well-kept lapdog?"
"There's the fire I expected from Leia Skywalker's daughter. Unfortunately for you, it won't help any," Fett answered, signaling for the troopers to move towards Jaina.
As the troopers grabbed Jaina's arms, she instinctively sought to fight them off.
"You will never get away with this, Boba Fett," Jaina snarled. "You or the pretender and his murderous nephew. I swear you'll regret the day you laid a hand on a Princess of Alderaan. When they fall, you're going to fall with them."
"Stun her," Fett instructed the stormtroopers. "If she's anything like her father, she doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut. And I would prefer a quiet ride back to Imperial space."
Jaina instinctively tried to pull away from the stormtroopers but there was nowhere to go, and the last thing she saw was the stormtroopers' raised blasters before her world went black.
CORUSCANT
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
Jag quickly finished his check-down and jumped out of his clawcraft, waiting for his brother to do the same. He had left Shawnkyr to lead Spike Squadron and the defense of Naboo, opting to bring his brother with him for his status report to the Emperor and the Moff Council. It would be a good experience for him to see firsthand the politics of the Empire at work. And Jag would at least have someone to share the distasteful burden with.
While he waited, Jag looked around the busy hangar for a familiar face. This was the first time he had been back on Coruscant in almost a year, having stayed on the frontlines after returning from Chiss space three months ago.
He reflected that, perhaps for the first time, he was actually looking forward to his report with the Moff Council. The momentum of the war had swung drastically in the past three months, suddenly favoring the Empire over the Vong invaders. Kyp's insight on how to disable their yammosks paired with the new stealth clawcrafts Jag commanded had proved to be a devastating combination against the foreign warriors. Not only had the Imperial forces not lost a single planet since implementing the new battle tactics, but Jag felt confident they were now in a position to start taking back the planets that had been conquered. And with only minimal casualties to their forces.
Jag had also just received word from the CEFD that Commander Thrawn was taking steps to initiate other weapons they had amassed to further weaken the enemy, putting the information Kyp had brought back to good use.
The tide of the war was starting to turn, Jag felt it, and part of him was looking forward to rubbing his victories in the smug faces of the Moffs.
Just as Cem reached him, Jag saw Commander Darklighter cutting quickly through the crowd, making a beeline for where the Fel brothers now stood. As Darklighter got closer, Jag noted the older man's angry countenance and worried frown with growing uneasiness. Commander Darklighter wasn't one to broadcast his emotions and the fact that he was doing nothing to hide his obvious displeasure was not a good sign. Jag sighed, bracing himself for bad news.
"Colonel Fel, thank the Force you're here," Darklighter said in a low voice as he approached the younger man. "You need to hear what the Emperor is planning. Now."
Darklighter gestured for the Fels to follow him, then strode off in the direction of the military conference rooms, not even waiting to check that they were behind him. Jag exchanged a look with his brother, raising an arched eyebrow.
"Looks like this might be a more eventful trip than we originally expected," Jag said blandly, before following the Imperial Commander out of the hangar.
Commander Darklighter wasted no time, turning to face Jag as soon as all three of them were in the small conference room he had chosen, the door shut firmly behind them.
"A treaty has just been approved with the Vong and was passed about an hour ago. I only found out about it by chance, they are still keeping it relatively quiet. But the gist of it is, the Emperor plans to cede the remaining Outer Rim planets that have not yet fallen and even a few mid-rim planets as part of the deal," Gavin said grimly.
"What?" Jag asked incredulously. "Why in the blazes would he do that? We have finally discovered their weaknesses, have a real chance of winning this war! I'm assuming he's read the reports?"
"He claims this is the only way to bring peace to the Core and save millions of lives. Apparently, he has been negotiating with the Vong leadership for some time, was already planning on making this Sith's deal months ago," Gavin spat. "All while sending good men to die in defense of planets he meant to hand over to the Vong, anyway."
"Is he on spice?" Jag asked angrily. "I knew he was a cowardly piece of bantha poodoo but I never took him to be a complete idiot! The Vong will never be content with just those planets, will see our offer as proof of our vulnerability. The Vong don't respect diplomacy, they only respect a show of force. We will be handing them the perfect launchpad to push further into the system. We might as well just invite them right into the heart of Coruscant!"
"I agree, it is pure madness," Gavin answered bleakly. "The Emperor is planning to solidify the agreement with the Vong leaders in just a few days at the Imperial Palace. And worse, he plans to send the majority of the Imperial army off-planet as a show of good faith, keeping only his household guards."
"You can't expect me to believe that the Moff Council agreed to that," Jag scoffed in disbelief. "They may be a bunch of xenophobic obnoxious politicians, but they do have a healthy sense of self-interest and what's more, self-preservation. They must know this will only lead to disaster!"
"Some of the Moffs did put up an argument, most are concerned about how this move could be a potential threat to their own hold on power. But the Emperor was clear that he would suffer no objections, and the weak-minded sleemos are too afraid to go up against him," Gavin scoffed.
"And Grand Admiral Pellaeon, where is he in all this?" Jag demanded.
"The Admiral tried to convince the Emperor to reconsider, but Jovan is adamant that this will happen and dismissed his concerns. Pellaeon has removed himself to the Outer Rim for the time being, distancing himself from this foolish decision, but it is the most he can do without defying direct orders," Gavin answered.
Jag resisted the urge to roll his eyes, a previously uncharacteristic habit he had picked up from Jaina. While Jag understood more than most the importance of following orders, the chain of command, he also recognized there were times when an individual might have to go against that for the greater good. And this was definitely one of those times.
"It doesn't seem like there is any way to stop it, anything anyone can do," Gavin continued bitterly.
Jag thought of all the good men who had been lost trying to hold back the Vong invaders, sacrificing their lives to protect the galaxy. All the poor people who had been brutally killed or enslaved on the planets that had fallen to the vicious enemy.
And what would happen to the planets that were yielded to Vong control? Would their people also be handed over to be used as mindless slaves? As despicable as the thought was, Jag wouldn't put it past the Emperor.
He couldn't stop thinking about all the suffering that so many in the Empire had undergone already, all the additional pain and loss that would inevitably result from the deal Jovan planned to make. He reflected on his duty as a Fel, the need to uphold his father's legacy.
Soontir had fought and died, risked his life to create a better Empire. And although he had spent the past five years in exile, the Empire was still Jag's home. He knew that he could not stand by and just let this happen. He owed that much to his father's memory.
"Like hell, there's not," Jag answered through gritted teeth, before turning on his heels and exiting the conference room.
"Wait, Jag, where are you going?" Cem called anxiously, exchanging glances with Gavin before rushing out of the room to follow his brother.
Gavin sighed, watching the Fel brothers leave, hoping that the young Colonel would find a way out of this. Grimly, he prepared for the worst, intending to get his own men well away from Coruscant before the hated Vong arrived.
"I told you, I need to speak with the Emperor now," Jag repeated, voice low and controlled. "I don't care how busy he is, this cannot wait."
"Fine, but only you," the Emperor's personal guard answered gruffly, turning to point at Cem. "He waits outside."
Jag nodded stiffly, "Fine."
"Jag, I don't think-" Cem started tentatively.
Jag turned to his younger brother sternly, "Stay out here, that's an order."
Cem wanted to argue, but years of ingrained training by the Chiss prevented him from protesting the direct order from a superior, even if it was his brother. Jag barely acknowledged the young man's brisk salute before he stormed into the Emperor's private study. The doors shut behind him as the guards took up their post outside.
"Colonel Fel," Jovan drawled, looking up as Jag entered the room. "There must be some confusion. Your status report is scheduled for later today with the full Moff council. Not now, in my private office."
"You cannot seriously be planning to go through with this," Jag responded, eyes glittering, voice dangerously low.
Jovan purposely took his time reorganizing his tablets on his desk in front of him before turning condescendingly to face the younger man.
"And what could I not possibly be planning to go through with?" Jovan asked, feigning ignorance.
He could imagine all too well why the Colonel was here and was annoyed that the other man had managed to learn of his plans so soon. When he had found out Jagged Fel would be on Coruscant he had taken all precautions to keep news of the peace treaty contained. Fel had been a strong voice for moving more aggressively against the Vong in the past, and Jovan knew he would protest this treaty loudly and passionately. He had enough dissent in the Moff council already without throwing this controversial young man into the mix.
Apparently, however; Jovan had not done a good enough job and somehow Fel had found out. He should have kept the boy in the Outer Rim until the deal was finalized, where he couldn't cause any trouble.
"To sell the Outer Rim planets to the enemy. Sacrifice thousands of lives in a vain attempt to save yourself," Jag answered deliberately. "I will not allow it."
"You will not allow it? Now then, we are becoming high and mighty these days, aren't we?" Jovan answered patronizingly. "You seem to forget, Colonel Fel, it is my Empire to dispose of as I please. Not yours."
"You will not give it away to the Vong!"
"Not even for an assurance of peace? I recommend that you leave the business of governing to those who understand politics. It is obvious you do not have a firm grasp of how statecraft truly works."
"You will do this over my dead body, Jovan," Jag warned, his eyes narrowing to fierce slits.
"That," Jovan answered with a chilling smile, "can certainly be arranged. You are overreaching your position, Fel, risking any diplomatic immunity you might hold, so I warn you to choose your next words carefully. I make the decisions here, with the help of the Moff Council. Not you."
"I can hold the Imperial armed forces," Jag answered, voice as cold as Jovan's smile. "And then we will see who makes the decisions."
"Are you threatening me, Colonel?" Jovan asked, hoping to cover the surge of fear he felt at Jag's words. Based on what his spies had told him, he knew that Jag's threat was no idle boast.
The common soldiers admired the Fel boy, his cool demeanor under pressure, and recalled how similar he was to his famous father. The fighter pilots lauded his impressive flying and whispered that he was the only one who truly cared for his men, his command always losing the smallest percentage of pilots. The other commanders and military leaders of rank had at first been wary of him but had soon come to appreciate his solid grasp of battle tactics and strategies. Respected him as a true Imperial leader, despite being part of the Chiss relief force.
No, it was not empty bravado but a real possibility that Jovan had been concerned about for months. And if he lost the army…
"I will do what I have to if it means preventing you from destroying the Empire," Jag answered heatedly.
"You will have to kill me first, boy," Jovan answer snidely.
Jag's green eyes met Jovan's, cool as a death star, "As you said before. That can certainly be arranged."
Jovan forced himself to ignore the involuntary shiver that went up his spine, adopting a scornful expression.
"And do you really think you could manage to do what your father couldn't?" Jovan taunted. "I still remember the look on his face when he finally got the traitor's death he deserved."
"That's not possible. His fighter was shot down in the battle," Jag answered stiffly.
"Ah, yes, that is what everyone thinks, isn't it?" Jovan smiled cruelly. "But I promise you, he was still alive when my soldiers found him. Brought him to kneel in front of me in chains."
"He didn't end up lasting must longer than his failed rebellion, either way. The torture he endured proved to be too much. It was convenient at the time, to let people believe he died in battle. We didn't want a martyr on our hands after all," Jovan continued, baiting the younger man. "Very much like the young Solo boy, Anakin, now that I think about it. But you would know all about that unfortunate event, wouldn't you? Seeing as he died from the blade meant for you?"
Jag had listened to Jovan's speak in a state of shocked disbelief, which quickly turned to overwhelming anger. He was filled with a violent white rage at the other man's admissions, the casual way he talked about torturing his father in his final hours. Covering up the brutal deal of Anakin Solo.
Jag remembered his mother's anguish when she learned Soontir was never returning from battle. The regret she felt that his younger siblings would never get to know their father, had to grow up in a foreign galaxy. He recalled the pain Jaina had suffered from the death of her beloved brother, the guilt he had felt when Anakin had died instead of him.
For Jovan to speak of his twisted actions so indifferently, with that self-satisfied smile on his face…
Jag felt his temper snap, wanting nothing more than to destroy this man who had caused so much anguish for the people he loved most.
Jag reached for his blaster, unholstering it from his hip with practiced ease. Action slowed to stillness for Jovan and he reached for the emergency button he kept under his desk, pressing it urgently. He had pushed Jagged Fel too hard and realized it too late.
Like most bullies, Jovan lacked courage, was no fighter. He had no means to defend himself without his personal guards and lackeys. The barrel of Jag's blaster came up and pointed at Jovan's head with deadly accuracy. Even as he prayed he had summoned his guards in time, Jovan started to believe that this would be the end.
Then the Emperor's guards burst into the room, one diving at Jag's arm, causing his shot to go wide. The guards confiscated the blaster quickly, overpowering Jag with sheer numbers, and tackled him to the floor. Knowing there was no point in fighting back, Jag offered little resistance as they cuffed his hands roughly behind his back and pulled him to his feet.
Jovan glanced over to the hole that now marked his wall just inches away, thinking how easily that could have been his head.
"It took you long enough," Jovan addressed the guards drily.
He hoped his feigned nonchalance masked the panic that made his body tremble. Jovan took a deep breath, forcing himself to show none of the fear that was coursing through his body.
"You will pay for this, Fel. The price for treason is death, and the Chiss will not be able to protect you this time," Jovan snarled.
Standing up from his chair, he walked around his desk to stand in front of Jag who stood mutely defiant between two guards, three more shadowing him warily from behind.
"This man is to be placed under arrest," Jovan said sharply, "for the attempted assassination of a Galactic Head of State. His diplomatic immunity is stripped, due to the nature of his crime. Take him down to the palace prisons for now, while I decide what to do with him."
Jovan turned to address Jag directly, "You will join your traitor father in death- eventually. When I am ready to let you. When I have you on your knees, begging for me to release you from this life."
The guards pulled on the stun cuffs they had placed around Jag's wrists, forcing him to exit the room. As soon as they streamed out into the hallway, Cem stepped forward, hand on his blaster. Jag shook his head, warning his brother to stand down, and again Cem reluctantly obeyed his brother's order.
Only this time he did it, not because Jag was his superior, but because he understood that the best thing he could do was avoid drawing attention to himself. Jag's only hope could very well hinge on his ability to get off-planet and get help. And he would have a hard enough time getting off Coruscant now as it was, no need to make it any more difficult.
"I was stupid enough to miss my shot when I had the chance," Jag muttered to his brother as the guards dragged him away, marching him to the small block of prison cells far beneath the palace. The place where Jovan enjoyed providing his enemies with a long agonizing death.