Chapter 8

The clawcraft made a slow, smooth descent into the landing bay. It settled down gently with out a hint of turbulence, so effortless that it almost seemed to float. Jaina smiled. Only a pilot as good as Jag could make a fighter dance like that.

She found herself growing more and more impatient as he went through his shutdown sequence. She missed him terribly, and was eager to see him alive and well. The canopy to the snubfighter popped open, and her husband climbed out. She hurried to the ladder as he descended. He had no sooner let his boots hit the ferrocrete than she had wrapped him in a fierce hug. He chuckled as he returned her embrace. "Happy to see me?"

Jaina backed away and followed through by punching him soundly on the shoulder. "You had me worried sick! I shouldn't even be speaking to you."

He frowned. "What?"

"You know exactly what. Telling your mother you're coming home and not me. She wouldn't tell me why you were coming back so soon. I didn't know if you were hurt, or maimed, or coming back in a body bag…"

Jag laughed. "She wasn't supposed to tell you anything. I guess she let the coming home part slip and then decided she shouldn't divulge anything else."

Or she just wanted to punish me, Jaina thought. "Why wasn't I supposed to know?"

He shrugged. "I was just going to surprise you. I have to go back in two weeks, though."

Jaina's heart sunk. "No. I don't want to go through this again."

"Sorry."

Jaina felt like weeping. And she had been so relieved. How many times was she going to have to endure this. "If that's the way it has to be I would have rather you not come home at all." She saw the sting of her words immediately. "Oh, Jag. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

"I know," he said, but the happiness had faded from his countenance. "I know this has to be rough on you."

Jaina just nodded.

Jag sighed. "Come on. Let's go home."

"What are these?" Jag asked.

Jaina looked up from where she sat on the couch. "What are what?"

Jag waved a stack of papers addressed to him in the air.

"Oh, those," Jaina said. "I'm not sure. I was told to that I wasn't to read them because they were confidential. They came a few days after you left."

"Hm," Jag said, flipping through the enveloped flimsiplast documents. He took a seat on the couch beside her. Finding the one that he wanted, he tore the seal and began to scan its contents. Jaina could feel his mood shift drastically in the Force.

"What? What's wrong?"

"There's been another murder with the same kind of characteristics as Shawnkyr's. I'm supposed to report to the lab to review the details."

"You're leaving already?" Jaina asked, disappointed.

Jag shrugged helplessly. "I have to take care of this. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you when I get back."

Jaina continued to pout as he got ready. He turned to her as he put on his coat. "I'm sorry, Jaina." She didn't answer. He left.

Jag looked at the draped body. He was seeing far too many of these lately. It was covered from head to toe with a white sheet, so he had no way of distinguishing the gender. Still, it pained him to know that one of his fellow soldiers had been slain like Shawnkyr. He knew the grief that their family must be going through. He pitied them.

"How were they killed?" he asked the scientist.

"A blaster wound to the back of the head seems to be the cause of death. Afterwards the murderer tried to dispose of the body in the furnaces, though. Luckily, one of the worker droids saw the perpetrator throw the body in and retrieved it before it could be completely incinerated. The burning is severe, however, and we have not yet been able to identify them."

Jag gave the scientist a skeptical look. "There have been no missing persons reports?"

"Of course there have. There is at least one every day, but most turn out to be accidents or runaways. None of them have checked out with this individual."

"Are there any links with this death and Shawnkyr's except for the fact that both were shot?" Jag questioned.

The doctor shook her head sadly. "Nothing. We might have been able to match the blasters, but the burning this one received prevented any chance of that. We're at a loss."

Jag fumed in silence. He wanted this predator caught and punished, and soon. He didn't think he could stand for another victim. "Any motives or links?"

" None as of yet, but we're still working on that one. It might be our only hope of catching this maniac."

Jag let out a long breathe. This was the last thing he needed to be dealing with. In times like these he would turn for Shawnkyr for support. Now he had no one. All he had was his anger to fuel him. He would carry on until her death was properly avenged. "Do the best you can. I know that we can crack this. The problem is whether or not we can do it in time."

"I feel like even though we meet obstacles, we grow closer everyday."

Jag nodded. "This guy can't hide forever."

Jaina was still on the couch when he got home, but she was asleep. He sat down in the chair across from where she lay and studied her for a moment. She looked far younger when asleep, like the innocent teen she was. He hated that she had to go through this.

When he had left over a month before, he had thought of nothing but her while he waited out the hyperspace ride in his clawcraft. That night had been different. It had changed them. He hadn't been given the chance to find out how. He wasn't sure he wanted to. What he did know was that he had seen her for the first time as more than an obligation. That scared him.

He wondered what he would have thought of her under different circumstances. Would they have actually gotten along? Possibly. He liked to think so. Jag wasn't one for flights of fancy, but when it came to Jaina he found himself constantly reverting to the what ifs. He supposed that he could have gotten worse. She was mind-numbingly stubborn and self-willed, but that made her oddly refreshing. He had never met anyone like Jaina Solo before.

He had worried while he was away. He had worried mostly about what would become of her if he didn't return. He doubted that the Chiss would see it as a reason to send her home. She had been given to them, and they didn't intend to return her for fear of offending the New republic.

She stirred in her sleep, and a few seconds later her eyelids fluttered open. She turned her head to look at him. She smiled that lopsided smile that was so characteristically her and then rubbed her eyes sleepily. "How did it go?" she asked.

"No substantial leads."

"Ah, well. You'll find them sooner or later. I know you will."

Jag smiled at her praise. "I hope so."

"Payton came by while you were gone," Jaina said suddenly.

"Who?" Jag asked.

"Payton. Touri's brother."

"Oh, yeah. What did he want?"

"He didn't know you had come home."

Jag frowned, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Jaina sighed, and looked uncomfortable. "I've hung around with him a lot while you were gone. He was coming to eat dinner with me."

Something about the way se said that gave Jag an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach, one he was not accustomed to and had no idea what it was from. "Oh," was all he could think to say. Finally he managed, "You could have let him stay. I would have liked to have met him."

Jaina looked surprised. "Really?"

"Why not?" Jag shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "I could thank him for taking care of you while I was gone."

Jaina snorted derisively and rolled off the couch. She stood and looked down at him playfully. "Do I need taken care of?"

Jag smiled. "Everyone needs someone to take care of them once and a while."

Jaina crouched beside his chair and rested her chin on the arm. Her face was still playful but there was no mistaking the seriousness in her amber eyes. "Are you my someone, Jagged Fel?" she asked, but the question seemed to be more directed at herself than at him.

He grinned softly, a slight tweaking at the corner of his mouth, but that was his only answer.

"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," his mother insisted. "If you take my advice you will watch that man very carefully."

Jag sighed at the hologram of Syal Antilles Fel. "I trust that Jaina would never do that," Jag insisted.

"Every woman has her faults. Jaina is a sweet child, but she's been put in a situation where her judgment may be less than adequate."

Jag shook his head. He would deny the possibility until proven otherwise, but could not kill the niggling doubt placed in his mind, no matter how hard he tried. He supposed he would just have to try harder. "Still, I believe that those are not her intentions."

"Many things happen that are not intended," Syal said.

"Goodbye, Mother," Jag said, tired of the warnings.

"Listen to what I'm saying. Will you at least do that?"

Jag nodded a curt affirmation, then cut the connection. He sat back in the chair. After a few seconds of considering her words, he banished them from his mind. He wouldn't believe it.

"Ready?" Jaina's voice called from outside the bedroom.

"Yeah," Jag said, then stood and walked into the living area. She already had her coat on and was waiting for him at the door. She smiled as he neared.

"How was Syal?"

Jag shrugged. "Same as always," he said evasively.

Jaina raised one brow but asked nothing further. She waited patiently for him to put on his coat, then they exited the building. Outside their speeder was waiting. Jag slid in behind the pilot's controls and started it up. In a matter of seconds they were on their way.

"I'm hungry," Jaina commented.

"That's good, since we're going to eat," Jag replied. Jaina rolled her eyes, and Jag laughed.

They were soon at the tapcafé where they were to meet Payton. Jag got out first, then opened the door for Jaina and helped her out. Inside it was crowded and busy, but they soon found Payton waiting for them. He was a tall man, brown hair and blue eyes, handsome. They shook hands, but there was no mistaking the smirk behind his eyes. Jag stiffened, and felt suddenly a little protective. He did not like this guy.

"I want to thank you for keeping Jaina company while I was away," Jag said anyway as they sat.

Payton shrugged it off. "It was nothing so admirable. I enjoy spending time with her."

Jag tried to suppress a frown. "Still, I am in your debt."

Payton smiled. "Forget it. Nothing so ceremonial."

Jag didn't press again.

"So, Jag, when do you have to ship out again?" he asked as the drink were brought.

Jag eyed him carefully. "A while."

Payton laughed. "Okay."

The conversation continued, mostly between Payton and Jaina with Jag interjecting a comment now and then. Mostly he observed, looking for the suspicious behavior his mother had warned him against. He saw none, on Jaina's part at least, except a casual friendship.

"Well," Payton said as they finished, "it was very good to get to meet you, Colonel."

"Likewise," Jag said, and shook his hand again.

"Well," Jaina asked when he was gone, "what do you think?"

"He seems friendly enough," Jag said.

"So," Jaina continued carefully, "you don't care that I'm friends with him?"

"No," Jag said. Then, "Why should I?"

Jaina shrugged. "Just something your mother had said. Come on, let's go home. I'm tired."

"I'm right behind you," Jag said as he followed her out the door.

"So, I was thinking," Jaina began as she sat down with a plop on the couch beside Jag.

"Uh-oh," he said, laying the datapad he was reading down.

Jaina rolled her eyes. "Come on. This is a good one."

"Okay," Jag said overdramatically. "Go ahead."

Jaina smiled. "You put me on that waiting list for a squadron to pick me up, right?"

Jag nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"And we both hate wondering what's going on with the other while you're off fighting, right?" she continued.

Jag eyed her dubiously.

"Well," Jaina said, "why don't I just join your squadron?"

Jag was quiet for a minute, trying to come up with some sort of answer and a reason to back it.

"What?" Jaina asked. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Jag hesitated. "I'm just not sure it's the best idea."

"Why?"

"For one, mine is a very elite squadron, and you are a green pilot. I don't want to be accused of nepotism."

"You won't be if I try out like everyone else," Jaina argued.

"Second," Jag continued, "I don't think our relationship can handle anymore bumps. I don't think you would enjoy taking orders from the man you were forced to marry."

Jaina sat up a little straighter. "In a marriage, no. But when you're my superior officer, when we're nothing but commander and pilot, I don't have a problem with it."

Jag gave her an ambiguous look.

"Come on, Jag, please. It would solve so many of our problems. We won't have to be separated by wars ever again. I can look at you every day and know that you're okay. You can't tell me that that wouldn't prove a load off of your mind."

She was right on that count, at least. Maybe she had something going, there. It was something to consider, at any rate.

"You don't even have to make it an order. Just put my name on the list of people you are considering and I'll make sure there's no logical way for you to refuse," she promised.

Jag sighed in defeat. "Okay."

She smiled triumphantly and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you, Jag. You won't regret it, I promise."

Somehow, he believed her.

Jag had let her come to work. She spent most of the day running sims against his pilots, and smoking most of them. Even though he said nothing, Jaina could tell he was proud. If nothing else, she had proved a good distraction for the pilots while he finished catching up on his paperwork. Most of them crowded around the simulator pods and watched the monitors to see who could beat the 'outsider'.

As Jag let them go for the day Jaina sat down tiredly on the edge of his desk. "So, where to for dinner?"

"You mean you're not going to whip up a delicious three course meal from scratch and have it ready by the time I get home?" Jag asked humorously, not even looking up from his work.

"Sure," Jaina said. "You know what a wonderful cook I am," she smirked. Her first and last attempt at cooking had ended in nothing more than a smoke-filled apartment.

Jag looked up then. "How about we just order in? I don't feel like going out."

"Okay," she said, sliding off the desk. "I guess I can—"

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Jag said. To the surprise of them both, it was Payton.

"Hi, guys," he said.

"Hey," Jaina said, wondering what he was doing.

"I was just wondering if you all would like to join me for dinner."

Jaina looked at Jag. The look he gave her back was decidedly negative. She turned back to Payton. "Actually, we had just decided to eat in. Sorry. Maybe some other time."

He looked disappointed, and Jaina felt bad. "That's okay," he said. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Okay," Jaina responded.

"Well, you handled that a lot better than I thought," Jag commented.

"He's nice and everything, but now that you're back I really don't feel like hanging out all the time like he wants to. This is the third time in as many days he's asked me to do something. I just can't anymore. I'm too busy."

Jag turned off his datapad and stood. "That's understandable. You have nothing to feel bad about."

"I guess not. That doesn't make it easy though."

"If it was, you wouldn't be such a sweet person."

Jaina levitated. Sometimes one just needed to meditate, and practicing her Jedi skills at the same time was a bonus. She was at the Spike Squadron fitness area, alone. Jag would pick her up in about ten minutes, but until then she just wanted to center herself.

She had found a calm in the last few days that had been previously lost to her. It was the calm of knowing yourself. Since Jag had returned, all her previous doubts had faded away. She still didn't know what would have happened during different circumstances, but she knew now that Payton just didn't complete her the way Jag did. She was never as at ease, never so sure of herself and her place in the universe than when she was with Jag. Payton just didn't do that for her. The knowledge was filling.

She heard the sound of the door swooshing open. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Jag waiting for her. But the person in the doorway was not Jag, but Payton.

Jaina extended her legs until they touched the floor, then stood on her own two feet. "Payton," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you."

"Can it wait? Because Jag's going to be here any minute—"

"That's what I came to talk to you about," he cut her off. He moved to where he stood over her, almost an intimidating posture. Jaina felt slightly uncomfortable. "What has he said t make you ignore me since he's come home?"

"What?" Jaina asked, incredulous. "He hasn't done anything. I've just been so busy—"

"Ktah!" he spat. "I know better. You don't have to lie, Jaina. You can tell me."

"Tell you what?" Jaina asked, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

"Tell me how you feel."

Jaina almost laughed. "Payton, if you're thinking that I'm in love with you—"

"I'm not thinking," he said. "I know. I can see it in your eyes."

Jaina was appalled. "How dare you try to tell me what I feel—"

Her protests were cut off as he grabbed her suddenly and kissed her forcefully, running his tongue down her throat. Jaina was so shocked and revolted that for a minute she couldn't even move, didn't know what to do. She then she shoved him away, using Force-amplified strength to pry him off of her. Before she could reach for her lightsaber, intending nothing less than castration, she saw something in the corner of her vision.

Jag.

He his eyes were wide with shock, his face pale with anger and hurt. Jaina felt her heart melt into the floor, knowing what he must have seen. "Jag, no," she began, taking a step forward, but he had already turned and left. "Jag!" she screamed, her heart shattering like transparisteel. But he was gone.

"It's okay, he needed to know," Payton said from behind her. Jaina spun on him, her lightsaber ignited and held under his throat before he ever knew what was coming.

"Know what? He already knew that you were a spineless, nerf-smelling mynock. If you weren't such a pitiful waste of time I would cut your lewd tongue from your mouth." With that she extinguished the blade and ran from the building to find her husband.

He wasn't at home. He wasn't at his parent's. He wasn't at the office. She had no idea where he could be, and every moment that went by drew her a little closer to insanity. She couldn't believe what had happened, and her anxiety was so great that she must have burst into tears five different times. It grew worse and worse as the hours went by. Some time around midnight she heard the door open.

She jumped from the bed and ran out of the room, but pulled up short as she entered the kitchen. He looked terrible, and didn't even look up as she entered, just continued to slowly take off his coat. "Jag, let me explain…"

"There's nothing to explain," he said softly. He scooted past her into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of liquor, fixed himself a shot and downed it, unfazed.

"Yes, there is," she insisted.

"No, there's not," he replied, then finally looked up and met her gaze. The pain she saw there made her want to weep. "You never made me any promises. I have nothing to expect of you."

"But I did make a promise! Our wedding vows were promises, and I haven't broken, them, Jag, I swear it! It wasn't my fault. He kissed me!"

Jag snorted derisively. "It's okay, Jaina. Really. You don't have to defend yourself to me. I understand, I really do."

"What do you understand?" she snapped.

"I understand that just because we were force to marry each other doesn't mean we have a claim on each other. I have no right to tell you what to do, or expect anything from you."

Jaina was growing more frustrated by the minute. "But I didn't do anything!" she insisted.

Jag held up one hand to silence her. "Jaina, if you love Payton then I have no right to stop you from being with him just because you were forced to marry me."

"Ugh! Are you not hearing what I'm saying?" she asked as he turned and headed for the bedroom. "I don't love Payton! I love you!" she realized immediately what she had said and gasped at her own words, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth. Jag stiffened, the muscles in his back tensing.

"What?" he asked, turning partially to look at her over his shoulder.

"I said I love you," she said, incredulous. She loved him.

She loved him.

The realization hit her like a duracrete wall. She didn't know what to do, what to say. So she just stood and stared, wondering when the hell this had happened. She was so wrapped up in her own astonishment that she was caught completely off guard when he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.

She gasped in shock and pleasure, and slid her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. His hands moved along her back, one resting in between her shoulder blades and the other at the small of her back. His tongue parted her lips gently, and she felt giddy at the sensations rippling through her. She hadn't even realized that they had moved until she felt the wall press against her back. He moved his lips then, letting them trail down her neck to her collarbone. She sighed in delight, then ducked her head, drawing his mouth back to hers. Suddenly he lifted her from the ground and into his arms, and carried her into the bedroom.