Chapter 7

"I've tried other ways," Jacen declared as he appeared in the doorway to the room where Callista rested idly, her hands and feet still bound to the cot. "They don't work."

Callista regarded Jacen for a moment. It hadn't been long since their last talk, but she had been hopeful Jacen would return soon. She hoped his more frequents visits were a sign that she was making progress, and his need to justify himself to her an indication that he would not be lost forever. "Maybe it's not the method that fails. Maybe it's just you."

Jacen glared down at her but didn't respond.

"You seem to have inherited the Chosen One complex. The galaxy needs saving and you think you're the only one who can save it. Maybe you're not."

"You're a nothing but a has-been Jedi. You have no idea what the galaxy needs," Jacen snapped.

"Fair enough," Callista said simply. Jacen gave her a suspicious glare, seemingly surprised and perhaps a bit disappointed that she had given up so easily. He sat down facing the viewport and began going over his datapad.

Callista waited for him to get settled. She stared at the ceiling, she didn't know how long, until she felt the time was right. Then she took a deep breath, hoping Mara was right about Jacen's greatest weakness. "Did you ever make her laugh?"

"What?" Jacen replied turning abruptly around and striding over to her.

"Tenel Ka. I know you were always telling silly jokes to try to get her to laugh."

Jacen was beside her now and Callista was suddenly very aware of the fact that her hands were bound too tightly for her to even raise her arms defensively. She continued quickly. "Because if you couldn't succeed at making one single person laugh, how do you expect to rule an entire galaxy?"

Jacen tilted his head and his upper lip lifted into a snarl. His unnatural eyes came to a deep focus on Callista and seemed to pierce through her, as though he could see through her physical body and straight to her soul. "Don't talk about Tenel Ka."

Callista was unnerved, but forced herself to keep going, trying her best to keep her voice from trembling. "I hear she has a beautiful daughter. It's a shame she'll grow up without a father. Without even aunts or uncles or grandparents."

Jacen held his stare, daring her to keep talking. A muscle in his cheek twitched. Callista swallowed hard and continued. "I bet her father is someone big and important. So big he doesn't have time for her."

Callista stared back into his red-yellow eyes, wishing she could see through them, see what Jacen was thinking. "Too bad—if her father was a simple Jedi Knight he'd be able to watch her grow up. And she wouldn't live her life wondering what it was that her father thought was so much more important than her."

For several moments Jacen remained still, his eyes still locked onto Callista. The only indication of any inner torment was a slight quivering of his lip. Finally he replied, "She'll be fine without a father. Her mother will take good a care of her."

"I'm sure she will be fine," Callista agreed. She was silent for several seconds before adding, "But doesn't she deserve better than just 'fine'?"

Jacen seemed to falter for a moment. He appeared to be gathering his thoughts, but before he responded there was a twitter from his comlink. He flicked it on and was gone from the room in an instant.

She couldn't be certain, but for a moment Callista thought maybe, just maybe, she'd seen a glimmer of brown in Jacen's sithly eyes.