Bondmates and Soulmates

Chapter 3: Surrenders

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with. –Mark Twain

Coruscant

'The entire ceremony had gone off wonderfully.' Jaina thought to herself. The Hutt henna-wood tables had been decorated in midnight blue and silver Saccorian silk. The Firroran figment lights were elegantly shaped in the center of the table. Their rainbow-hued glow dancing merrily off of the Salairian china and Telosian silver. Jag had cut an impressive figure in his Chiss Home Defense Force finery. So had she, in her gleaming white Republic dress uniform, which she had hastily removed after the Honor Guard had retired the colors. She now wore a simple yet elegant dress of russet Corellian cotton; more because it was keeping her cool than the fact it was an absolute beautiful thing, especially on her. It swished quietly as she walked.

"Something wrong sweetheart?" Han asked her as he guided her back to their table.

"No, I had just wanted to dance with Jag, that's all."

Han still heard the disappointment ringing in her voice. "Don't worry, he probably just stepped out for a breath of fresh air. Besides," he seated her and started toward Leia, "he isn't the kind of guy to ditch his date." He gave her a wink and led Leia to the dance floor.

Seconds later she felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't jump; she knew it was Jag. "Especially when she looks this stunningly beautiful." She stood to give him a hug. In the instant she turned, a spotlight came on and Jag went to one knee in his black Chiss dress uniform, he hadn't changed like she had. The entire ballroom fell silent. "Jaina Solo, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She just stood there and blinked. Barely noting that at the foremost edge of the crowd were her parents and most of her former squadron mates. That split second ended and she smiled, pulling him to his feet. She framed his face with her hands and kissed him deeply. "Well duh." She whispered as their lips parted.

He smiled back and kissed her in return. The watching crowd roared in response as he clasped the traditional engagement locket around her neck. Han and Leia gathered each other closer. At least one of their children was about to find a little happiness.

Hapes

Zekk shuddered in relief as they landed at the royal palace. Not only did they not find out that Jacen was aboard the craft, the Hapans hadn't even noticed when the man had jumped ship in late decent. Though how they could have missed a falling object in the atmosphere confused him.

"You're awfully nervous about this Zekk." Tahiri put in fidgeting herself for the view of all the buildings. She may have had her psyche repaired, but she was still uneasy in the presence of all the technology of the republic.

"Could say the same thing for you, but even after all of this time you're still not used to things are you?"

"Can't say for sure that I ever will be Zekk, but I do try." She paused when she saw someone off in the distance. "That would be the welcoming committee. Let's go."

Zekk looked at Trenio. The boy had a questioning look on his face. "What, like it or not young man, she is in charge of this mission."

"Not that master, why didn't you tell her of your visitor?"

"She doesn't need to know. Besides if the Force is with us, he won't be caught." He patted the boy on the shoulder and led him out of the ship.

The sun was still high outside the palace. It backlit the coming entourage making it impossible to tell who was coming. The group of Jedi did not have long to wait to find out the answer though. Apparently there had been something that came up that required Tenel's attention, their suspicions had been confirmed by the Prince in the next minute.

"The Queen Mother sends her regrets at not being able to greet you personally. But something of great importance has come up and she will be detained. Most likely until the beginning of this evenings festivities." Vecsu apologized. He even wondered what it was in the first place. It was odd that she did not say as to why it was she had been held up.

"Tonight will be fine. She has not insulted anyone here." Tahiri stated.

"That is good then, if you do not mind following me, I will show you to your quarters." He turned and led them on without awaiting an answer.

"He's a little rude, don't you think master?" Trenio sent to Zekk.

"Yes, well that might have something to do with the fact that he is part of the opposition to us being here."

"In other words, 'Watch your back' right?"

Zekk smiled with the last. The only outward indication that he gave his trainee that he'd pleased the master.

He'd been lost in the gardens for what seemed like forever before he finally was able to sneak his way past all of the guards. The door was just opening when he slipped in unnoticed and opened that one door in his mind that he had locked so tightly. Jacen could tell the moment that she'd sensed his presence. Her spine appeared to straighten, imperceptibly to those around her, but all to noticeable to him.

The moment between her noticing him and her dismissal of her attendants with a wave of her hand and a "Tell them I am sorry for not meeting them, but there is something that I have just remembered that I must take care of." He surveyed the room. It was elegantly appointed. Not at all something that he would of thought she'd have agreed to, but apparently she had an image to uphold. He was so busy contemplating all the silks, jewels, and master crafted artwork in the room to notice the little girl that was ushered out by one of the maids. He wasn't so preoccupied to not notice when she reached over and casually pressed a button.

"You may come out now Master Solo, no one will be able to spy on us now." She turned to stare directly at his position near the door. She looked none too pleased to see him.

The way she said his name told him how pleased she was to see him. She wasn't and he couldn't get through her mental shielding, even through their bond, to see if she were just acting or not. "Tenel I…"

Her eyes narrowed. "That's Queen Mother to you, Master Solo. The Force has blessed you up until this point in your trip. You will leave before I am obligated to call the guards and have you thrown in prison for your transgression."

He was surprised enough that she interrupted him. Let alone the fact that she had just basically stated that she'd like him to stay. If he was reading the way she said obligated properly, he figured that he had a little time. "How long." He lipped at her while moving in the shadows at the edge of the room.

She tilted her head slightly to indicate he should stop moving. "This is a terrible breach of protocol. The wishes of the Hapan government were clear on the matter of you and your family entering this system. You jeopardize the relationship between our two great civilizations with your presence here." Somewhere during her little speech the door cracked open.

"Are you in need of assistance, your Highness?" came the voice of one of the guards.

"No I am fine." All the unspoken things were apparent to all. Tenel had scrambled the "security" devices planted in the main chamber of the room. Someone thought that she was up to something and was keeping extra eyes on her. "That will be all, Laris."

As soon as the doors closed, she turned to him. "We haven't long love. My private quarters are directly behind you. They haven't managed to bug those, yet…"

He smiled in relief that she had just been putting up a front. He slipped through the door. He noted that this room seemed much more Tenel's taste. Simply furnished and decorated with colors that was easy on the eyes.

She unscrambled the various listening devices and cameras. Then she followed him into the private room.

"She had barely closed the door before he was next to her. She collapsed with relief into his arms. "You have no idea the amount of maneuvering I have to do daily. I am just relieved that you were not detected."

"What do you think that I am going to be caught, please." She silenced him with her finger gently placed across his lips.

"Jacen, we can't. It isn't fair to either of us. Plus I am a married woman. I'm already taking enough heat by just allowing Tahiri and Zekk on world. If I were to compromise my position any more in Vecsu's eyes he'd have me brought up on charges so quickly…"

It was his turn to silence her. He did so with a kiss. It started off as a mere brushing of his lips against hers. That was enough to cause the breath to catch in her throat. The second sweep buckled her knees. When he finally crushed his lips against hers, most of her careful shielding broke and he was flooded with all the emotions he had missed over the past six years.

He was overwhelmed at first. Then slowly he sorted through the joy and pain and revulsion and so much else. There was something else there and as soon as he neared it she pulled it back into hiding. Too slow to stop him from getting inkling, but fast enough to protect an identity.

She regained her ability to stand when she realized what she had almost revealed to him. Not that it stopped his coming insight. But it would protect the identity of their daughter a little longer.

"Why didn't you just come out and tell me?" He asked as he sank to his knees.

"I did Jacen, did you not receive my letter?"

"Yes but…"

"No but's, you just did not read into it as I had intended. This is another thing that Vecsu can not find out about."

His look of resigned acceptance pained her. "Can I see her?"

"No." He'd known the answer before he asked but felt like it he needed to ask anyway. There was a little more that she wasn't saying. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was though.

When he finally looked up to meet her eyes, his look was one of muted anger. "You let me get here and you're telling me that I can not see my child. It's bad enough that I can't even tell my family the news, but to go through the rest of my life with never having contact with her."

She held back a small snigger. He didn't realize how much he looked like a subject begging for mercy right then. Or maybe he did, she steeled her gaze. "I'll admit, Jacen, I let you this far for my own selfish reasons. I had to see you again. Not from afar, not when I'm on business, I had to see you up close and in person," she reached down and hauled him to his feet, "so that I could touch you." She cupped his cheek with her hand. "The longer I am here the more the past slips from me. I had to be certain that you were real once more." Then she kissed him lightly. Turning, she stepped away.

Before she got one step away he grabbed her in a fierce hug. "How can you lose the past?" The question didn't seem silly to him until he said it. He knew first had what it was to lose everything that you ever were. His time in enemy hands during the war did that to him.

Her sad smile could be seen in the simple mirror on the wall opposite them. "I had hoped that taking charge here would be simple. That proved to be the worst assumption that I had ever made. There are those that are so suspicious of Jedi that in the first week of my reign there had been at least two attempts on my life per day. I've had to change in ways that are…difficult to adjust to. There are many days when I wonder if the light has been totally ripped from this system or if it begins to shy form me for my actions." She turned and looked into his eyes. The sadness that shone in them was a physical blow to him. "Our daughter brought a small piece of the brightness we had back to me."

He pulled her close then. Resting her red curls on his shoulder, he held her while she cried. His independent warrior woman had just admitted something that he'd never thought possible. She was afraid.

And so he stood there and held her until she silenced the pain. When she finally looked up at him, he wiped away the remnants of her tears. This time when he kissed her, he felt her surrender to him.