She moves her quarters from the ones she shared with Jag to another area, and her parents assist. As she packs up Jag's things to send to him on Bastion, she finds herself sitting on the floor, surrounded by boxes, holding her hand. She's cut herself on one of the cartons, and red blood wells up across her palm.
"He's not even here and he can hurt me," she says to her mother, as Leia fetches the first aid kit. "Why?"
Leia helps her clean the wound and apply a bacta patch. She's quiet for several long moments, considering her daughter's question. "I don't know," she says finally. "Because you let him? This isn't really him, though, you know that."
Jaina rubs her thumb over the fabric backing of the patch and sighs. "I know. I loved him. I still love him. And I *know* he loves me. But why did he- Why did I let him hurt me so much? Why did I keep taking him back? It should have been clear early on it wasn't going to work."
"Because you love him," Leia says. "But sometimes, love isn't enough. Look at Tenel Ka. She and Jacen loved each other, but that wasn't enough. Jacen loved something else more."
Jaina nods. "And Jag loves the Empire more. I always knew that. I thought I could take second place to it. I mean, my duty to the Jedi . . ."
"I don't think Jag intentionally hurt you, Jaina. He was just raised very differently than you were."
"As nice as that is to hear, it doesn't change that he did."
"I know."
Jaina heaves a sigh and shoves the rest of Jag's things into the cargo container for him. There's surprisingly little of it. Most of his stuff he kept on the Gilad Pellaeon, his Star Destroyer, and then later on his personal craft after he stepped down as Head of State.
Her naked ring finger itches, and she scratches idly at the skin.
"I spent too long on him," she says. "No more. He had seventeen of the best years of my life. He's not getting the rest."
