Chapter 44
Jacen shifted in his seat, feeling out of his element. Danni looked little better, her blond curls tussled in their usual manner and green eyes darting nervously. He hadn't wanted to come, and didn't think they wanted him there, either, his mother included. She kept throwing him anxious looks, and turned when he tried to meet her gaze. "I wish Jaina would have let us come. I wanted to check on Uncle Luke, too," he whispered to Danni. The brilliant young scientist had been reluctant to attend, especially with so many notable people present, but he had insisted. At least he would have one person he could feel comfortable around.
She leaned over closer to him, but kept her eyes fixed on the speaker, a Quarren senator. "I thought you said they were all alive."
Jacen licked his lips nervously. "Alive yes, but in what health I don't know. He felt okay, but from this distance I can't be sure. And then there's that message; I can't believe Anakin would do that when he didn't have to."
She opened her mouth to reply, then shut it quickly as the attention in the room switched suddenly to Jacen. "Did General Fel leave you any instructions in this matter?" Grand Admiral Pellaeon asked.
"Uh," Jacen fumbled, leafing through the sparse notes Jaina had left him, "let's see...what were we saying again?"
The Admiral sighed in agitation and the rest of the room attempted to hide their amusement. "Did she tell you anything specific about where to plan our attack?"
"The Maw?" he said, and no one managed to completely hide their chuckles except Leia.
"We all know it's in the Maw," she snapped, irritated. "We were hoping for specific positions so that our own fleet won't be sucked into a black hole."
Checking his notes again frantically, "I don't think Jaina has enough astronomic knowledge of the gravitational pull and physics that would allow us to pinpoint a particular point in space—"
"I guess that means we need to get some star charts," she mumbled. "Admiral, can you commission at team of astronomers to—"
"Danni's an astronomer," Jacen interjected proudly, and was immediately elbowed sharply in the ribs for his disclosure. "What?" he whispered.
"Isn't that wonderful," a Moff smirked. "Now, there's a very credible scientists on Yaga Minor..."
"But she's a great scientist—ow! What?!"
She grabbed his shirt roughly, pulling him close, "Jacen Solo, the last thing I want is to get involved in this huge political mess."
"I'm sorry," Pellaeon said. "I'm sure Miss Quee is very studious. We were just hoping for someone a little more...practiced."
At this Jacen felt her emotions take a drastic turn, shifting to offended. He laid a cautious hand on her arm, warning her to not say something she would regret.
"We have star charts on hand," Pellaeon continued, sliding a datacard into the main projector. A map of the huge mass of black holes appeared over the individual holoprojectors, and dimensions scrolled over their screens. "Now, in the third quadrant there's a pocket of—"
"It'll never work," Danni interrupted softly.
"Why not?" Leia asked, indignant.
Danni stood slowly, all hesitation evaporated in the heat of her anger. She went to the main projector in the center of the table and jabbed a finger at the area he had spoken of. "The largest cluster is over here," moving her finger slightly to the left, "and would have a greater pull in that direction. The whole battle would seem like it was in a world's atmosphere. You need to calculate the exact size and dimensions of each void, then find every section of open space. Entry and exit vectors need to be found, the dividing line that if you cross there's no going back, and you need to mathematically map out the entire safe zone. Then if all that clears out you need to test the pocket itself and calculate the pull of each black hole on your position. There can't be more pull in one direction than another. If the area doesn't match that then you have to find another and start all over again."
There was silence. Jacen had to hide his smirk behind his hand, loving the expression on all their faces. With a smug, self-satisfied air Danni returned to her seat, throwing him a wink as she did so. She was wonderful, he thought for the thousandth time. Without ever raising her voice, without speaking a word of admonishment, she had managed to disparage some of the rudest, most self-important people in the galaxy. Some people, like Jaina, had no qualms about speaking their mind and picking apart even the most respected of beings; but it took a very different kind of person to do it with style.
"Well," Pellaeon broke the stillness at last. "Since it seems you have more than enough knowledge on the procedure for such a venture, how would you like to be made commanding officer over a team of scientists, strategists, and architects that will be sent to the Maw to prepare for our last stand?"
The shuttle's ramps hissed open in a sinister way, if landing strut compressors could be called sinister. Steam roiled up from the bottom of the ship, and Jaina thought it rather melodramatic. "Is there no way to fix that?" she asked Jag as they debarked, gesturing at the rising gases.
He shrugged. "I'd never noticed."
"It's driving me crazy," she snapped, wondering why she had just now noticed it too.
"I'll talk to the designer," Jag promised. They finally hit the deck of the Roughshod, Jaina's usually soft strides thundering through the hangar as she marched purposefully towards the lone figure waiting for them.
Anakin smiled sheepishly as she approached, but Jaina's expression was anything but amused. Without a word of acknowledgment she jerked quickly, her right arm swinging with the intent to wipe the smirk off his face. Anakin ducked and would have gotten out of the way, but Jag had caught her arm long before then, snatching her cocked elbow as she drew back.
Unfortunately for Jag, she was in no mood to be hindered. Her anger was immediately transferred to him, having no other outlet. She spun promptly, aiming to do to him as she had planned to do to her brother. He ducked, the blow glancing off his left shoulder instead of his chin, and before she could get another chance Anakin had recovered and trapped both arms behind her back.
"I can beat the kriff out of you without hands, Anakin Solo, don't think I can't!" she yelled, irate.
"I believe you, trust me," he said in all seriousness. "Just here me out a minute, Jay. Don't make a scene out here in the open, you could ruin everything."
Jaina took a few deep, calming breathes and looked around. She had already drawn many stares, the looks behind them torn. They were unsure whether the tussle was in earnestness or jest, and if they should come to their general's aid. Several stormtroopers shifted their rifles to different shoulders restlessly, eyeing the threesome with an uncertain air. Slowly, very slowly, Jaina let the tenseness in her arms and shoulders loosen, relaxing in his grip.
Jag was looking at her with a mixture of cautiousness and hurt, wounded at her attempt to strike him. Jaina felt a tiny pang of remorse, but was still too angry to be very sorry. "Why would you send me such a terrible message?" she hissed as he release his grip on her.
Anakin's expression was sorrowful, regretful even. "I'm sorry, Jaina. I had to do it, it was necessary for the Yuuzhan Vong to accept Nen Yim willingly—"
"What?"she yelled. "You let her go?"
"Shh," he said hurriedly, trying to calm her. "Come on, I'll take you to Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara, they can explain things better."
"Why couldn't they meet us here?" Jag asked.
"They're dead, remember?" Anakin smiled, then motioned for them to follow.
Jaina chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, trying to decide which of them to kill first. "So you're telling me that you let the most valuable piece of Intel we've gathered in this war so far go back to the Vong with all our secrets, then sent me a message saying you're all dead?"
"Jaina, honey, you're not listening to what we're saying," Mara explained placatingly.
"No, I think I am," she snapped. "How could you do this to me? You had no right! She was a prisoner of war, and you are in no way connected to this Empire!"
"Jaina, calm down," Jag tried soothingly.
"I will not! Why aren't you as upset about this as I am?"
"Because," he said softly, taking her by the shoulders, "I'm listening to their reasons, and they're valid ones. What they've done will help the war effort, not hurt it."
She jerked out of his grasp, tears forming in her eyes. "No one's hearing what I'm saying!"
"Jaina," he sighed attempting to reason with her.
Suddenly she burst into tears, running from the room in a flood of weeping. Confused and frustrated, Jag sat heavily into a chair, looking helplessly at his inlaws. "What's going on with her? Not ten minutes ago she could have taken the head off a Gammorrean with her bare hands, and now she's in there crying like her heart's been ripped out. I just don't know what to do any more."
Luke chuckled softly and sat down beside him. "It's a pregnancy thing, don't worry about it. Yesterday Mara was ready to shoot me because I left the hot chocolate mix out on the counter. Literally, she had her blaster drawn and everything."
They all laughed at this, even Mara, who smiled thinly but not without humor. "I hope she comes out of it soon," Jag sighed. "I think part of it is that she hasn't been sleeping well. Her hand is really giving her trouble, it's swelling something awful, every time she goes to sleep."
"I have the same problem with backaches," Mara explained, rubbing her protruding tummy. "All I can say is to be understanding. We may seem crazy, but at the time everything seems completely real. Cut her some slack. You'd be cranky if you had another person growing in your uterus, too."
Jag sat down slowly, cautiously, hoping that by now her anger had faded at least somewhat. Jaina turned to look at him and smiled, and a bit of his nervousness faded. "Are you feeling better?" he whispered, watching the stars out the viewport with her. The room had been specially made for this purpose, so that they could sit and watch the planets and suns while they worked. He had been told that it had been one of Nen Yim's favorite places while staying with them.
"Much," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I had a little talk with Hanna."
"Did you?" he returned, his vocalization colored with amusement.
"Mmhmm," she replied. "We decided that I needed to be a little more patient with everyone." She was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry I've been on this emotional rollercoaster lately. I just can't help it. And it probably won't end today. So, I'm apologizing now for all the whining I've done, and all the hateful things I've said, and all the things I'm going to do before Hanna decides to grace us with her presence."
Jag felt the last vestiges of uneasiness roll away, but he was still confused. "And you just came to this conclusion? You're all better, so quickly?"
Jaina sighed impatiently. "I can't help what irrational/hormonal Jaina says. You'll just have to put up with her and be thankful when I come back to my senses. Only seven more months of this, anyway."
Jag groaned in self-pity, but was cut short as the hatch to their sanctuary slid open, revealing Anakin in the doorway. "Jacen's on the Holonet transceiver, he has something important to tell us all."
"How long are you both going to be there?" Luke asked his eldest nephew.
"As long as it takes. Probably close to nine or ten months," Jacen answered, his image flickering over the transceiver.
"So they really put Danni in charge?" Jaina asked, shaking her head. "I guess sending you to that meeting was a good thing after all."
"For everyone else, maybe," Jacen answered. "I don't think Danni's too happy about it though. She would have rather stayed out of it all, but they kind of pushed her into it."
"I can understand that," Luke said. "For someone who hasn't grown up in a military family, these things can be a little overwhelming."
"If you need anything, just let us know," Jag said. "Tell Danni we can have anything she needs shipped there within a few days. Take all safety precautions, don't skimp."
Jacen smiled gratefully. "I don't think you need to worry about her doing her job right."
"We trust you both, Jacen," Mara interjected.
"Be safe, brother," Anakin added. "You still owe me a hundred creds from that last sabaac game."
Jacen laughed lightly. "You got it. I love you all."
"We love you, too," Jaina said for them all. The connection flickered and faded, leaving them alone once again on the Roughshod.
"This is going to be a boring few months," Mara droned at long last.
"Why?" Jaina questioned.
"In case you haven't noticed, Cilghal, Luke and I are unofficially, officially dead. We haven't left our quarters since Nen Yim left, and we won't until the Maw project is done."
Jaina shuffled her feet on the carpet, feeling tired. The life she had led for over a year seemed like it would never end. She just wanted the war be over, for Jag to have his brother back, and for she and Mara to have their babies safely in their arms. Was that so much to ask?
"I hope Nen Yim was received well," Cilghal muttered. "Our hopes are pinned on her."
"Whatever the Force wills," Luke whispered. "We can't expect anything other than that."