CORUSCANT SPACE
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
Kyp ran through the plan with the men in his extraction team, wanting to go through it one more time before they jumped out of hyperspace.
"Right, just remember, our job is to get to planetside and extract Commander Fel," Kyp reminded them. "The others will distract any opposition we run into in the air and then cover us on the ground until we reach the Palace. Then we're on our own."
The men with Kyp shook their heads grimly in understanding. They were by far the smallest team that had left Naboo but were also the most mission-critical. Kyp had hand-selected the men around him, chosen them for their abilities and past experience in covert-op missions. Cem had begged to be part of the team, but between Kyp and Wedge, they managed to convince him he would do more good flying with the air assault. Having one Fel in Imperial hands was enough and Kyp planned on moving quickly and quietly, would have no time to babysit.
The plan they had hatched in the short time they had been on Naboo was simple. They decided to take advantage of the fact that the Empire was sending away most of the Imperial army for the peace conference with the Vong. They had then managed to secure details around the planetary defense plans for the feast, thanks to some careless slips by a few disgruntled Moffs who had too much to drink. The information had conveniently found its way to some of Cem's Imperial cohorts.
They learned the Vong would be managing aerial defense for Coruscant in place of the Imperial fleet and Kyp found himself once again questioning the Emperor's sanity. It was decided that Gavin would lead the forces that would act as bait, drawing off the Vong forces and distracting them from the real objective. This force would also include the pilots from Spike Squadron, who Kyp had been pleasantly surprised to see still on Naboo.
Cem had confided that Jag's second, Shawnkyr Nurodo, had ignored orders from her CEFD superiors to return to Chiss space. And even more shocking, the rest of the squadron had backed her up, apparently unwilling to leave their commander to his fate. It was very unusual for the Chiss to disregard direct orders, went against everything they stood for as a culture, and was truly a testament to Jag's leadership abilities.
While the Vong were being suitably distracted by a formidable force, Kyp and his group would quietly land on the planet and make their way to the Imperial Palace. Kyp knew the layout well from his days as a spy and was confident he could navigate them to find Jag. He was familiar with Jovan's hidden passageways and was fairly certain that Jovan would not have thought to update the guards' rotations or security codes since he had been made. Jovan had no idea how much he had really learned during his time there, Kyp thought smugly.
The hard part would be getting Jag out without sounding the alarm. Kyp had to imagine the young man was well guarded, and while he believed he could get to Jag without being discovered, he was less optimistic about their chances of getting back out. That was where Wes Janson and Corran Horn came in, the two men leading the forces the would cover their departure.
Two more Imperial Commanders Jag had somehow turned to his side, these men had quickly followed in Darklighter's footsteps. By the time Kyp and Wedge had gotten to Naboo, they had already arrived with their squadrons to pledge their allegiance to the Fels, offering their support in freeing Jag from the false Emperor. They weren't the only Imperials who had shown up on Naboo, and Kyp had been impressed that the reserved young Colonel had been able to sway so many men to his side. Wedge had not been surprised and had confided in Kyp that he believed the time to put a Fel on the throne was coming. And quickly.
Assuming, of course, Jag survived that long.
Kyp also had a secondary mission while in the palace, though nobody was privy to that but himself and Wedge. And that was keeping his ears and eyes open for any news about Jaina Solo.
Iella Antilles had been just as busy as her husband since Jaina had gone missing, brushing off her long latent spymaster skills and tracking down any leads she could find. Eventually, she had come across the record of a headhunter matching the same description as the one Mara had loaned Jaina. One that had recently been sold in the Mid-Rim. While the headhunter wasn't exactly a rare ship, Iella had followed a hunch and after a lot of digging had been able to trace it back to one man.
Boba Fett.
The headhunter had been sold part and parcel with an old CC-7700 frigate, Iella had informed them grimly. One fully equipped with a gravity well projector. Wedge and Kyp had exchanged concerned looks, all signs seeming to indicate that the bounty hunter had been able to capture Jaina somehow. Everyone knew that Fett was on the Empire's payroll. They had to assume she was now in their control.
The silver lining, if there was one, was that meant that it was entirely possible Jaina was also on Coruscant. It was probably too much to hope for, that Jag and Jaina would be in the same place. They would never make his life that easy, Kyp thought wryly. However, he was hopeful that he would be able to at least find a lead on where Jaina could be and knew once he freed Jag he would have a very eager accomplice.
He did not let himself even think about the unspoken fear that hung heavy in the air, that they could possibly be too late. No, Jag was too stubborn to let the Emperor win, Kyp told himself firmly. Not for the first time.
Kyp turned to evaluate the data points appearing on the central computer as they broke atmosphere, smiling grimly. Darklighter's task force was certainly doing their part, had wasted no time in harassing the Vong defense force. And drawing their attention away from Kyp's planned flight path.
"Alright, boys," Kyp said. "Now or never. Let's bring her down."
CORUSCANT
FEBRUARY YEAR 1053
Kyp slipped out from one of the hidden passageways that ran through the Imperial Palace, tugging his newly acquired stormtrooper uniform into place. He had split up his men, hoping to cover more ground. The quicker they could be in and out, the better. He effortlessly inserted himself in the stream of soldiers in the main hallway, listening carefully to the men's idle chatter as another part of his brain meticulously planned his next move. Kyp knew there was a turbo-lift that went straight down to Jovan's dungeon at the end of the hallway, and he was pretty confident that was where he would find Jag. Kyp eyed the distance carefully. Just a few more feet...
"So come on, tell me. Who's this important visitor of Lord Zekk's? The one that he has hidden away in his guest suites? And why has no one ever seen them?" one of the stormtroopers questioned the soldier next to him.
"I am unable to mention names, on pain of death," the other stormtrooper said sternly, then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Although I can say, that the lady in question is a member of royalty. One that has been missing for quite a while now."
Kyp's head jerked up suddenly, and he momentarily forgot about the turbo lift he has been tracking towards.
"Princess Jaina Solo?" The second stormtrooper questioned excitedly. "No way! Is she as pretty in person as she is on the holos?"
"Keep your voice down," the first stormtrooper admonished, as he looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. Kyp averted his gaze, and the stormtrooper seemed satisfied. "And I only saw her for a second when she first arrived. Lord Zekk and the Lady Serena are the only ones who have entered her room since she's been here. But, from what I've seen she's even prettier…"
Kyp stopped listening to the gossiping stormtroopers, busy evaluating the information he had just gotten and revising his original plan. He just hoped that Zekk was occupied elsewhere, otherwise his stealth rescue plan would be anything but.
Jaina paced back and forth in her small room like a Nexu cat. After Zekk had left, it had taken a while for her to get her body back under control, to be able to think beyond the horror she had experienced. But her thoughts had eventually turned to Jag. At first, she had recoiled from the thought of facing him after what Zekk had done to her. But she knew she owed it to her husband to fight the overwhelming despair that had overtaken her, the desire to just give up. She used thoughts of Jag to push away the memories of what had just happened to her. She could deal with them later, right now she needed to focus. It didn't look like anyone was coming to her rescue, so she would just need to rescue herself.
Jaina looked down at her current outfit and grimaced. Once she had resolved not to lose hope, to find a way out of this predicament, she had first taken a nice long shower. Just standing under the scalding water, trying to wash away the memory of Zekk's touch on her skin. After that, she had considered getting back into her bloody and torn flight suit. Even that would be better than wearing the flimsy excuse for a dress Serena had brought to her. However, when she finally exited the refresher, her pilot suit was nowhere to be found so she had finally given up and slipped into the distasteful shift dress.
Now she was working out her next move. Thanks to Serena, she knew the door was locked from the outside. But her dirty clothes had mysteriously disappeared and food had arrived in the room throughout the day. So someone had to be coming in and out of her room, even if it was just Serena. A plan started to formulate, and she found herself waiting impatiently for the Imperial blonde to return.
She was pretty certain she could overpower Serena, the other woman was tall but Jaina doubted she had any combat training. Jaina was a pilot- not a warrior- but she knew a few moves her dad had taught her for emergencies. Then she would just have to convince the guards outside that she was Serena so they would let her out. Hopefully, the awful woman would be wearing that cloak she had worn the last time, Jaina thought. That would be invaluable in pulling off the charade.
As Jaina's mind continued to race, planning wildly, she heard the vacuum seal of the door pop. She froze at the sound, her eyes darting suddenly towards the entrance.
Jaina tensed in anticipation as the door opened and quickly shut again, allowing a lone stormtrooper to enter the room. Concerned that a trooper would not be as easy to subdue as the Moff's daughter, Jaina decided her only option was to take advantage of the element of surprise. And pray that the Force- or at least her Solo luck- was with her.
As the trooper took a hurried step towards her, Jaina dove for the blaster hanging from his belt. She felt a grim sense of satisfaction when the trooper only jerked back in surprise, allowing her to easily grab the blaster and aim it at his head in one swift movement.
"Whoa, hold on," the trooper said, holding his hands up in the air. "I mean that was a slick move, but let's not get too trigger happy."
Jaina's eyes narrowed suspiciously, gun still leveled at the trooper's head. Something about the tone was so familiar...
"Take off your helmet," she ordered.
"With pleasure," the trooper answered as he lifted his helmet off, shaking out his long black hair, marked with subtle streaks of gray.
Jaina gaped at the smug face before her, "Kyp!?"
"At your service, Princess," Kyp said with a small bow, before eying her up and down with a smirk. "Nice outfit, by the way. Jag's gonna be even happier to see you then I thought."
Jaina's eyes lit up, "Is Jag with you, then?"
"No," Kyp answered. "Actually I'm here to rescue him. Funny enough, I just found you by accident. Worked out pretty well, actually."
"Wait, what do you mean, here to rescue him," Jaina interrupted him. She suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"Well, it's kind of a long story and we do have a schedule to keep. But long and short of it is, Jag's in Jovan's dungeon and I'm here to spring him," Kyp said casually, "Well, with some help."
Jaina felt her legs go weak, would have crumbled to the ground if Kyp's reflexes hadn't been so quick. Kyp helped steady her then guided her over to sit on the bed in the corner.
"Jaina," Kyp asked with concern. "Are you ok? Let me comm one of the other men, we'll get you out of here-"
"Jag is here?" Jaina interrupted urgently, her eyes wide with horror. "What have I done? Zekk- does he know Jag is here?"
Jaina remembered how she taunted Zekk about her marriage to Jag. His parting threat to make her a widow...
"I don't see why he wouldn't," Kyp said slowly. "He's hand and glove with the Emperor and Jag was arrested days ago. Jaina-"
"I told Zekk and-" Jaina shuddered, "By the Force, he's going to kill him."
Jaina turned haunted eyes on Kyp. Her grip on his hand tightened painfully as she jumped up from the bed, pulling him after her.
"Kyp, we have to go," Jaina said desperately, "We have to find Jag. Now."
"Maybe it would be better if we get you back to the ship-" Kyp started carefully.
"No," Jaina answered adamantly. "I need to find my husband. Now are you going to help me or what?"
Kyp nodded, figuring arguing with her was just a waste of time at this point. She seemed like she had some basic defense training at the very least. And in all honesty, he felt more comfortable keeping her where he could see her. Last time he had left her alone she had gotten herself kidnapped, so he planned on keeping a close eye on her until he could safely pass her back into Jag's care.
Kyp pried the blaster out of Jaina's hand and put his helmet back on, "You ready?"
Jaina nodded wordlessly.
Kyp knocked on the door and it suddenly opened from the other side. When the trooper guarding the door saw Kyp standing there, he moved forward to greet him. Before the trooper could take another step, Kyp lifted his blaster with lightning speed and the trooper fell to the ground.
"Come on," Kyp called to Jaina as he leaned over the trooper's prone body.
Jaina quickly shook off her momentary shock and strode out of the room to Kyp's side. He straightened up, handing her the blaster he had taken from the other trooper.
"I'm assuming you actually know how to use one of these?" Kyp asked.
"Yeah, my dad made sure we all knew how to handle a blaster," Jaina answered.
"Keep your eyes open. Stay close. And stay behind me at all times. I tell you to run, you run. Got it?"
Jaina nodded once.
"Good," Kyp answered turning towards the hallway. "Now let's go get your boy."
"Jag, you promised," the little girl said, a petulant frown on her face. "You can't go back on your promise."
Jag took a hesitant step closer to the young girl from his memories. Her hands were placed on her hips, big brown eyes imploring him.
"Jaina?" He asked, reaching a hand down to her unsteadily.
The young girl changed, shifted to a young woman, bewitchingly beautiful. She looked just as he remembered from their wedding. Dressed in her simple white dress, hair decked with wildflowers. Only instead of the blinding smile, she had worn that day, her face was heavy with sorrow.
"You promised you would come back for me," the woman said desolately. "You promised you would keep me safe."
"I'm so sorry, Jaina," Jag responded, his voice cracking in despair. "I never meant to break my word. I-"
The world suddenly shifted and Jaina disappeared. Jag felt a sharp pain in his ribs as he took a deep breath. Black turned to gray, as he tried to force his eyes open.
"Get up, sithspawn," a voice snarled, "You're not dying until I let you."
Jag blinked slowly, trying to get his bearings. He somehow had the foresight to tighten his stomach muscles just before a fist slammed into it, but the blow still knocked the air out of him. Struggling to catch his breath, he fought the urge to just let go and plunge back into darkness. It was only the thought of Jaina that kept him from giving in to the sweet oblivion.
"Come on, Fel," the voice mocked. "You disappoint me. Even your wife showed more fight than you. Although, as I told you, it didn't really do her any good. Wait until you hear my plans for her tonight-"
Those words were enough to prod Jag into action as he somehow managed through willpower alone to overcome the pain. He lifted his head to glare at the man in front of him. The man who had hurt the person who meant more to him than anything in the galaxy. The center of his universe. Jag ignored the discomfort he felt as his sudden movement caused the metal collar to dig into his neck, the hatred that gleamed in his eyes sustaining him through the pain.
"Ah, that got your attention, didn't it?" Zekk drawled. "Good. The Emperor ordered that I kill you tonight and I will. Slowly, so you suffer. You'll regret making a fool out of me before you die."
Zekk sent a vicious kick into Jag's chest, and he doubled over in pain as he felt another rib crack. Zekk laughed maliciously as he pulled a vibroblade from his boot, grabbing Jag by the hair with his other hand, forcing him to look up.
Then Zekk felt, rather than heard, a movement behind him. He spun around in time to witness the two guards at the door fall to the ground. Zekk glanced at the two guards still in the cell with him, gesturing towards the doorway. The men nodded and quickly moved towards the spot where their comrades had fallen, blasters raised, ready to engage the attacker.
Zekk sighed, turning back to Jag, "It looks like I'll have to make this quicker than I would have liked."
Zekk lifted the vibroblade and aimed for Jag's chest, determined to see the other man die.
Jag closed his eyes, knowing this was the end. He once again saw a vision of his wife, tears running down her face.
"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, Jaina," Jag whispered, eyes still closed. Wanting Jaina's to be the last face he saw, even if it was just a figment of his imagination.
Jaina followed hard on Kyp's heels as he shot the two troopers in the doorway, stepping cautiously into the dank, dark cell behind him. Another two troopers came around the corner, engaging Kyp in a firefight. Jaina hardly noticed though. Her gaze was drawn to the dirty beaten man in the corner, weighed down with chains.
And the monster who stood over him with a vibroblade aimed at his chest. Jaina felt a chill run down her spine. She had seen this exact moment before; it had haunted her for months. Only this time, she was not going to wake up in her bed on Csilla, knowing it had just been an overactive imagination. This was all too real.
Then Jaina heard her husband whisper her name and her heart almost broke. There was no way she was going to let this end the way it did in her nightmares. She would make sure Jag had the chance to keep all of his promises to her.
At that moment, Zekk raised the vibroblade, intending to strike Jag a killing blow.
A blow that never came.
The vibroblade dropped from Zekk's hand, and then he fell to his knees, eyes wide open in surprise, before slumping to the ground by Jag's feet. Jaina stared at the blaster she still held raised, swallowing hard. Her hands started to shake and she dropped her arms to her side awkwardly. Kyp, who had managed to deal with the remaining guards, rushed over to Jag and quickly freed him from the chains that bound him.
With great effort and a little help from Kyp, Jag pulled himself upright, gasping from pain and lack of breath. He slowly stumbled over to Jaina, who was still frozen in the middle of the cell. Jag stopped a few feet away from her, staring at her in heavy silence, his green eyes boring into her brown ones.
"Jaina," he finally breathed, whispering her name as if it were a fervent prayer.
With a sob, Jaina dropped the blaster to the floor and flung herself into Jag's arms. He pulled her closer to him, stroking her hair and murmuring soothing words, ignoring the shooting pains plaguing his entire body.
"Jag, I'm so sorry," Jaina cried into his chest. "This was all my fault-"
"Jaina, love, none of this was your fault-"
"But you don't know-" Jaina hesitated then lowered her voice, biting her lip. "You don't know what happened… what Zekk did to me..."
"I know what happened, Princess," Jag answered softly, though his voice was laced with barely controlled anger. "The bastard bragged to me about it, told me every painful detail. If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should never have left-"
"No, Jag," Jaina insisted. "You don't understand. I told him about us. I wanted to hurt him, it was the only way I could think to do it. But I had no idea you were here. And then he told me I couldn't belong to a dead man... He was going to kill you because I told him you were my husband!"
Jag tried to calm her down, stroking her cheek soothingly, gently pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"No, sweetheart," Jag said firmly. "He was going to kill me either way. Even if you hadn't said anything. I promise you, none of this was your fault. That couldn't be further from the truth."
Jaina's arms tightened around Jag's neck as she buried her head into his chest, needing to feel him near her. Needing constant physical proof that he was alive and safe. That she was safe. Jag gently pulled her closer to him again and kissed the top of her head tenderly.
"I hate to break up such a touching reunion," Kyp interrupted suddenly. "But we are in the middle of a rescue mention, so maybe it's time we finish breaking you two out of here, hmm? There are quite a few people out there who are gonna be excited to see you. Both of you."
"Right," Jag nodded crisply, as he carefully disengaged from Jaina, though he kept her hand firmly in his. "This is your operation, Durron, so what's the plan?"