Chapter 6: Goddess of Yavin Academy

Everyone in the gymnasium was seated waiting for Coach Durron to start.

"All right, welcome. Before we start tryouts for this year, I'd like to introduce you to your captain…" He smirked. "National champion, freshman year; second place international championship, sophomore year; very nearly international champion, junior year; please join me in welcoming back our beloved captain from last year…"

The excitement was building all around Jag; obviously, this guy was well liked. With a quick look at the manic smile on Jacen's face, Jag almost thought it was him that was captain, but no, Jacen would have told him.

"All hail the Goddess, Miss Jaina Solo!" Everyone cheered. Zekk, Lowie, and Tesar slapped Jaina's back as she got up to join Coach Durron on the floor. All around Jag, people were bowing as she walked down the bleachers. Jacen cheered loudest for his twin sister, the smile never leaving his face. And as everyone cheered and hooted and bowed, Jag sat there completely confused by this turn of events. Jaina Solo. Jaina Solo? An international champion – not just that, but she'd be the one to decide if he would ever compete this year.

"Oh, Great One." Coach Durron gave her an exaggerated fancy bow and handed her a clipboard. They shared a few private words, giving the crowd enough time to settle down and Jag enough time to collect his thoughts. It wasn't true; it was a nightmare. Jaina Solo was just standing there, not even smiling. Had Jag been the one to be announced as captain, he'd break his solemn façade and do cartwheels for joy, but she didn't even care. She was being worshipped, and she was bored by it. If there had been any part of him that didn't loathe her, it did now. He was so supersaturated with hate for her that he didn't think he could stand it, and Jacen couldn't wipe that stupid smile off his face!

"Everyone, listen up." She didn't shout it, but the crowd heard her and was silenced immediately. "All those from last year's first string are on again." Jacen, Tenel Ka, Zekk, Lowie, Tear, and Anakin got up and joined Jaina and Durron on the gym floor. "For those of you that don't know, this is the best friggin' team in the country. We have three spots available for this year. Practices are every week day for two hours and Saturdays for four. You get on this team then you come to all of them unless working it out with Kyp or me beforehand. I don't cut second string, but if you ever want to get time in, you have to be at practices as well. You have five minutes to dress out before we start tryouts." Jag got up with everyone and followed the guys to the locker room.

"Jag, listen," Jacen said as the two got redressed into workout clothes. "My sister despises you, but she's a perfectionist when it comes to fencing. If you're good enough for the team, she won't let her personal feelings get in the way."

Jag had to doubt Jacen. Jaina was obviously not someone who could just disregard how she felt about a person. "I hope you're right."

"Trust me, I am. I mean you were gonna be captain at your old school weren't you?"

Jag frowned, he didn't remember telling Jacen about that. "How did you…?"

"I mentioned you to Kyp one night at dinner. He said he's heard of you."

"One night at dinner?"

"Sure my parents have him over for dinner at least one night a week." So that's how she did it, Jag mused. Her parents made friends with the coach, and all the rumors about her must be just that, rumor, hype, something that money and power and family name could buy. The two finished and walked out of the locker room. "Good luck," Jacen called over his shoulder as he ran over to his sister and enveloped her in a congratulatory hug. She barely even hugged back.

Jag didn't get it. Jacen never seemed to try to be close with Jaina; they had different friends, opposite personalities, and separate lives, yet Jacen was happier for his sister captaincy than he would have been for his own.

Tryouts went well for Jag, he easily beat most of his competition. Tenel Ka won by several points when he sparred with her, and Jacen destroyed him, but he beat Raynar and Zekk – he took special pleasure in beating Zekk three times – among other vying for the coveted positions on the famous team.

He had wanted to see Jaina fence, see if she was as good as everyone hyped her up to be, but she didn't spar with anyone. Instead she and Coach Durron walked around, clipboards in hand, jotting down notes on the short matches.

"You want a ride to your house?" Jacen asked as they were walking out of school.

"No thanks, I got my own."

"Okay, cool, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay." Jacen and their friend's piled onto Jacen's boat and sped off for Coruscant.

During lunch the next day, Jaina slept across Lowie's and Zekk's laps with her book bag under her head as a pillow. Jag heard all about the party for Jaina that lasted until the Presidential Palace security broke it up at four AM; it seemed as though everyone in the junior and senior classes, plus a few sophomores and freshmen, had something to say about how awesome it was, everyone except Jag.

"Hey, Danni," Jacen waved to a girl as she walked by.

"Oh, hi, Jacen. So, I heard you had a party last night."

"Oh yeah, it was pretty awesome."

"Well, that's nice." She smiled at him and walked off. As Jacen and Anikan recounted the story of how Raynar had gotten so drunk that he had jumped into the pool with all his clothes on, Jag watched as Danni went and sat at her table. Maybe Jag wasn't the only one who hadn't been considered for the guest list after all. Even conservative Jacen, "holy-than-thou" Raynar, and shy Tekli had hangovers that morning, but Jacen's supposed friends like Jag, and now Danni – who Jag guessed was not a friend of Jaina's either – hadn't even been considered for the guest list to the greatest party of the year – yet another reason to detest Jaina Solo, the Goddess of Yavin Academy.