Post 2

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"Bout time you got here kid." Kyp heard as he walked up the ramp into the Falcon. He found Han sitting in a pile of wires, sparks flying around him from a welding gun. Sometimes, he wondered if the man broke something on the ship just so he could fix it. It was amazing the thing was still flying. At this point, it had to be held together by Solo luck alone.

Leaning against the bulkhead, Kyp crossed his arms in front of him and smiled. "I had to take a shower first. Next time I'll just show up and see how long you can handle it."

"Kid, I've been around Tauntauns. Anything else smells like roses." Han threw back. Kyp frowned as he thought of how much Han had aged in the last few years. The Corellian had always hid his age well, but it was starting to catch up with him. It had started when Chewie died and had only gotten worse when Jacen had started his descent into darkness. Now, with only one child left, two when he counted Kyp, the master found himself wondering when Han would simply
give up. He'd been through more than most people and was still kicking. How much could one man put up with, no matter how great he was?

"You gonna stand there and think heavy thoughts all day or you gonna help me?"

Kyp chuckled and walked over to see what he could do. "What are you doing exactly?" The younger man asked as he squatted down to peer into the panel. He winced as he heard his knees emit small popping noises.

"I added a new weapons array. Now I'm trying to attach the security grids to it." Han told him as he started to push some of the wires back into the hole in the wall.

"But you just replaced the weapons a year ago?" Kyp asked confused.

Han turned and gave him the Solo grin. "Yeah, but Booster gave me a new one."

Kyp rolled his eyes. "Great. I'm not sure I want to know. Where did he get it from?"

"Some new design out of the Kuat yards. It's a modified Ion cannon."

His mouth dropped open and Kyp was sure it hit the floor. "You have an Ion cannon on the Falcon?!"

"Yep." Han smiled proudly. "Installed it myself."

"Han, those are for capital ships and star destroyers. Why didn't you just get some new turbolasers?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Remind me to not fly with you until you fire it. I don't want to be on it when it overheats your core."

"Watch it kid. You know better than to insult the Falcon. Now hand me that hydrospanner." Han worked quietly for a moment, which for him was a miracle, as Kyp tried to put the panel he had obviously already finished back together. As they worked side by side they both fell into a natural rhythm.

"When are you going to get your hair cut?"

"What?" Kyp asked confused. He had been so immersed in what he was doing he wasn't sure he had heard Han correctly.

"Your hair. When are you gonna cut it?"

"I like my hair like this." Kyp said as he went back to what he was doing.

"It's too long."

The younger man had let his hair grow out in the last few years, not for any particular reason. Just because he felt like it. His raven locks interspersed with gray fell to just below his shoulders. He usually left it tied back so it wouldn't get in his way. Han was always giving him grief about cutting it, but he just ignored him and left it, knowing the older man was just ribbing him.

"Whatever, Dad."

Han chuckled and they went back to work in silence. It didn't surprise Kyp that a few hours passed before they knew it.

"So, how's the kid doing?" Han asked quietly when they took a break finally.

"Which one? Mine or yours?"

The Corellian chuckled and finished off his drink. "Yours."

"Jag's fine. He's been working a lot of classes for Luke lately. You know how he is, jumping into his work when he has something on his mind."

"Good." Was Han's only comment. Kyp smiled and went back over to finish with the panel he had been working on. Han had always tried to act nonplussed when he asked about Jag, but Kyp knew he genuinely liked him and was sorry for how things had turned out between him and Jaina.

Five hours later, they had finally finished with all the work. Han apparently was taking advantage of having someone there to help him since Jaina was always too busy and Leia…well she just didn't get it when it came to his ship. She tried, Force love her, and that was enough. Kyp was putting the tools away in their compartment when he heard Han walk up behind him.

"You're coming over for dinner tonight, right?" He asked as he wiped his hands on a rag.

"I was planning on it. Unless you're going to uninvite me." Kyp joked.

"Not on your life kid."

/____________________________________\

"I'll get it!" Jaina announced as she left the fresher and jogged down the hall towards her parents front door. A grin came to her face as she realized who it was. Smacking the door open she pulled her cousin into the room and proceeded to hug the life out of him. Ben was now taller than his cousin and his aunt, but really that wasn't saying much. Gone was the freckled, youthful face and in its place was a maturity that Kyp sometimes found bothered him.
Ben had grown up way too fast, but then again, most Jedi children did.

Kyp looked up from setting the table and shook his head. Poor kid. Hadn't even been planetside 20 minutes and Jaina was going to kill him.

"When did you get here? How's uncle Luke? Is he coming back soon?" She shot off questions at Ben as he looked over to Kyp for help. The Jedi master just smiled at him and went back to setting the table. "Traitor." Kyp heard the young man whisper under his breath and he just laughed.

"Jaina, leave Ben alone. At least let him say hi to everyone." Han chastised his daughter as he came into the room with a platter of food. "You can maul him later." Ben sent a grateful look to his uncle as he walked over towards the table with Jaina trailing after him. A few minutes later, Leia came into the room and they all sat down. As the food was passed around, Leia took the initiative and started the conversation back up.

"So Ben, how's your father?"

The young man finished chewing then smiled at his aunt. "He's great."

Han looked up, surprised. "Great?"

Ben nodded enthusiastically and returned to his food. When no one said anything else, he looked up and found them all staring at him. "What?"

"Your dad's great?" Han repeated his question.

Now the young Jedi was confused. "Is he not supposed to be?" He asked slowly.

"It's just that he hasn't been great since…" Leia stopped herself from going any further. Even after all this time it hurt to think of Mara.

Putting his utensils down next to his plate, Ben took a drink of his blue milk and cleared his throat.

"Dad is fine guys. He's actually been doing so much better in the last six months. I can't explain it. I'm not saying he doesn't have his bad moments, but he's happy again. As happy as he can be with mom gone."

Everyone slowly resumed eating and Ben chuckled to himself. "He's talking about naming some more masters too."

Kyp raised an eyebrow at this and Ben smiled at him. Luke had mentioned that issue about a year ago, but hadn't brought it up since then. At least not with him and Coran. They did need some more masters though. The council could always use them as well as the students.

"Anyone in particular?" Han asked.

"A couple you might be familiar with." Ben said with a smirk, not offering any more information.

"Like?" Leia asked expectantly.

"Well, Zekk's name has come up. And Tenel's of course."

"And?"

Ben laughed. "And Jaina's."

Jaina nearly choked on the bite she had just taken. Kyp reached over to thump her on the back and tried to keep from laughing. Han didn't try. He roared with laughter and Leia smacked him. Rubbing his arm and throwing her a hurt look he looked back at his nephew.

"That all?" He asked, still chuckling.

"For right now. Those are the only ones that he's sure about. There might be a few more."

"You ok, Goddess?" Kyp asked Jaina as she took a drink and tried to stop her eyes from watering. She nodded and he turned back to his own plate, a grin plastered on his face.

"All I have to say is it's about time." Han mumbled.

/____________________________________\

Kyp and Jaina walked the first part of the way back to the temple in silence. It wasn't too late yet, the sun hadn't set all the way and the chill hadn't started in the air. Stealing a glance at Jaina, Kyp cleared his throat.

"There's a smash ball game on tomorrow night. You wanna come over and watch it?" He asked his friend, even though he knew what she would say.

"I can't." Jaina told him quietly. He felt her close herself off from him and clenched his jaw. She'd been subdued since Ben had made the announcement at dinner. Kyp found himself agreeing with Han that it had taken Luke long enough to make the decision on those three becoming masters. They should have been five years ago, but with everything that had happened during the war he wasn't really surprised it had been pushed aside.

"Why not?" He pushed, not feeling very charitable at the moment for some reason. Maybe he was just tired of her doing this. Closing everyone out.

"I just can't, Kyp."

"No, you just won't." Kyp responded harshly. "I swear if you two were any more stubborn…"

Jaina said nothing as they continued their walk home. Even though she still worked for the military part time she technically wasn't an officer anymore. She had taken up residence in the temple, but Kyp knew she would rather have been anywhere else. As long as it wasn't around Jag.

"Maybe if you would stop trying to force something that wasn't meant to happen, we wouldn't have this problem." She threw back at him. "Jag and I are over Kyp. Have been for a long time. You apparently are the only one that has problems accepting that."

"Whatever." He said as he shook his head and told himself not to get angry. It wasn't his future he was watching disappear, but it still irked him. If any two people were meant to be together it was those two. They were just too stupid to see it.

"Why do you always bring this up?" She whispered as they approached the temple.

"Why can't you forgive yourself?"

Jaina stopped as her foot hit the first step and turned to gape at him. "What?!"

"Let's face it, you're the one with the issue. You can't forgive yourself for what you did to Jag and how things ended between the two of you."

"Jag doesn't want me back Kyp. Any love he had for me was erased on Tenupe. I did something unthinkable to him." She said, her voice raised in anger. Kyp wasn't sure if it was at him or herself.

"Are you sure about that? Have you asked him? Have you even tried to find out?" The master narrowed his eyes as he stepped closer to her. "You want to know what I think?" He asked her quietly.

"No, but you're going to tell me anyway." Jaina retorted bitterly.

"You're scared."

The young woman laughed and turned to walk up the stairs, but Kyp followed closely behind.

"You're scared that he will actually take you back. You're scared that he still loves you." He told her back as she walked wordlessly down the hall towards their rooms. Gently, Kyp reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her flight. Because that's what it truly was. She was running away. Something she was good at when it came to her feelings.

Anger lined her visage as he turned her to face him again. He searched her eyes for a moment and saw the pain she tried to keep hidden from everyone. Kyp saw glimpses of it sometimes, but Jaina was so used to stuffing her own pain deep down in some hidden place, that she didn't even realize when she did
it.

"The Sword of the Jedi has finished its job Jaina Solo. Just remember this." His voice softened and he pulled her into his arms. "Every sword, when it's not in use, needs a scabbard to rest in and be protected. It can't be brandished indefinitely. Give yourself a chance to be happy for once. Even if you think you don't deserve it." Kyp kissed her forehead, then headed down a branching hall leaving her staring after him.

/____________________________________\

Jag was sitting on the couch when Kyp walked in. He looked up and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You're home early." the younger man commented as he sat up straighter and turned the holonews down. "Everything ok?"

Kyp just shook his head in disgust and rolled his eyes as he walked over to sit next to Jag. Resting his head in his hands he took a deep breath, and looked over at his friend.

"She drives me nuts sometimes."

Jag chuckled. "You don't say. I think it's a Solo trait."

Kyp sat back and regarded his friend. Jag was an enigma to most people. There wasn't much about his friend that surprised him anymore, but every once in a while something would pop up. The former Chiss pilot didn't let many people close and probably wouldn't have let Kyp and Jaina get that way if it hadn't been required. He had shared a few things with Kyp in the past few years though. Things about his family and his life growing up. Showed sides of himself that other people rarely got to see. Kyp thought that was probably why they were so close now.

Their relationship had gotten to the point that no questions were taboo anymore, but he had never really cornered Jag on what exactly he felt about Jaina anymore. He knew there were still feelings there, but didn't know how deep they ran. Maybe it was time to find out.

"Can I ask you a question?" Kyp said as he turned his gaze forward. He saw Jag nod in his peripheral vision and jumped into the fire.

"What exactly is keeping you from just walking up to Jaina and smacking one on her?"

"Besides my pride?" he finally answered the master.

"Yeah."

Sighing, Jag turned the holonet off, but kept staring at the place where the news had previously been. He took a few moments before answering. Kyp wasn't in a hurry though.

"My heart can't handle her running again. From me, or anyone else." He told him quietly, then got up and walked out of the room.

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