-Darkness-

Jaina did well choosing Kyp's wedding band, he thinks. It's rectangular stones set in a dark metal, stones that seem dark grey until the light hits them. Then they glow with brilliant blues and greens and yellows in flashes, reminding him of lightsabers in the pitch of night.

It's a reminder to himself that even when things seem their blackest, there's light to be found. It's a good metaphor for himself.

The library at Theed University is reluctant to give them any materials on Palpatine, made reticent because of his origins on Naboo. When the librarian learns they're Jedi, though, he relents and gives them access to the restricted archive.

So here they sit, going through bound books of flimsi and parchment as well as datapads as loaded with files from the central computer. Kyp doesn't think he's seen so many actual books in his life.

"This is so archaic," he mutters, as he carefully turns a page. "Look how fragile this is."

Next to him, Jaina looks up from her datapad. "Yeah. What if it gets wet?

"I think it has," her husband says. "These pages are stuck together."

Kyp gives up on trying to pry them apart. He shuts the book and leans back in his chair. "How are you doing with copying those files?"

"Almost done. Can you get scans of any of that?"

"Already done, except for this one I can't open. I'm afraid I'll destroy it." He flexes stiff and sore fingers, rubs the scar that runs across the back of his left hand. He's had it a good fifteen years; he got it the same day Luke was severely injured by a Yuuzhan Vong amphistaff. Bacta hadn't done much against the Vong poison and subsequent infection, but he hadn't lost his hand.

Jaina reaches over, lays her hand over his. "I don't get it," she says. "This Palpatine was one of the worst people in the galaxy, and yet, people loved him. They practically worshipped the guy 'til he announced he was a Sith Lord. How does someone hide that much darkness for so long without it leaking out?"

He turns his hand under hers, laces their fingers together. "I have no idea. All the Sith I've ever met, it just tainted everything around them, like a spreading oil stain. Even Ben's girlfriend."

"Abeloth," Jaina says, and they both shudder.

"I don't know how Palpatine hid it so well," Kyp continues. "But it still outed in the end. It always does. I want to find who his master was, how he fell. They may have been following the rule of two, but they had to start somewhere. Trace back far enough, we may be able to find Kesh, or that Mortis Monolith, or this Darth Krayt guy."

She nods distractedly and goes back to the stack of materials in front of her. So does he.

After a while, he glances over at Jaina, engrossed in her reading. A lock of hair has slipped free from her ponytail, falling across her forehead, and he reaches over to tuck it behind her ear. She looks up and smiles, and his breath catches. Kyp still remembers the first time he looked at her and saw her as a woman, the gut-clenching realisation that he wanted her. He still can't believe she's his wife now.

Not just his wife. The mother of his child. It's become habit the last few days to touch the tiny life through the Force, to marvel in the little thrum of its heartbeat like the wings of a tiny bird he saw on Yavin once. They're having a baby. Everything's changing so quickly, and he's never been more terrified or excited in his life. Fifty-one years old, and he feels like he did the day he set foot on Coruscant for the first time. He's had no idea where life was going to take him, but the possibilities had been endless.

"You think it's a boy or a girl?" he asks.

"Too soon to tell," she says. "I don't mind either way."

"Same here."

Kyp leans over, places his hand low on her belly. They're alone in the archive, no one near to see him do it. Jaina rests her hand on top of his, briefly going back to her skimming of the text before she gives up.

Her stomach rumbles audibly. "Well, I think we're finished for today. I'm tired and the baby wants food."

He pulls her into his lap before she can fully stand. "You're my light," he tells her. "Against the darkness."

Jaina runs her fingers through his hair. "And you're mine."

Kyp kisses her tenderly.

Her stomach growls again, and she laughs.

"Okay, I really need something to eat. Let's go. I want food, some time in a deck chair, and to have my way with you at least twice. Not necessarily in that order."

"I think I can swing those things."

"Oh, you'd better."