Chapter 14
Three weeks later…
A soft beeping sound penetrated the dark abyss that plagued Jacen Solo for weeks. His eyes opened sharply and saw the welcoming soft tones of the ceiling of Cilghal's medical centre. He sat up slowly and was greeted with his mom's face.
"Hey there, Sleepyhead," Leia Organa Solo said. "Welcome back to the Land of the Living."
Astro bounded onto the bed and started licking his face, but he pushed the Vornskr off.
"Down, Astro, down!"
Jacen waved a hand over his body and all scanning equipment flew off like magnets affected by a sudden reversal of polarity. He jumped off the bed and used the Force to pull his robes towards him from the nearby closet.
"Hi, Mom," Jacen said. "I need to see Uncle Luke immediately. Are the others okay?"
"The other who?" Leia asked, startled by his abruptness.
"The other Jedi in the meld," He dressed quickly, as if seeing his mother for the first time in five years was unimportant to him.
"They're fine. Some had some headaches for a couple days, but they're okay now. Wait, Jacen!" Leia cried. "Cilghal should check you out before you go. You've been unconscious for three weeks!"
"Three weeks in a healing trance, eh? I'm getting sloppy," Jacen said pulling his outer robe on. "And I'm sure she's checked me out many times over the last while. I'll catch up with you later." He reached out to sense the location of his lightsaber, then called it to his hand with an Ang-Tii technique. A second later it popped into existence. He clipped the lightsaber to his belt on his way out of the medical centre, leaving his very confused mother behind. Astro followed him out with his tail wagging.
Astro raced after Jacen with his ears flopping with each bound and the canine equivalent to a grin plastered to his face as Jacen rushed through the halls towards Luke's office nearly at a sprint, dodging students, Knights, and Masters alike. Jacen felt slightly drained by his reduction in physical activity due to lying in bed for three weeks, so he called on the Force to compensate and keep him from running into anyone. There was no more time to lose with three weeks lost already. Before he lost consciousness he tried to implant the locations into the minds of the other fifty Jedi, but only succeeded in planting all the parts of those memories in everyone's minds, scattered randomly like grains on a field. Both he and Sekot knew going into this that severe trauma to the brain would be unavoidable, a small fact that was left out of Jacen's initial report, and had planned a way to restore his damaged mind. Part of their plan also consisted of ways to protect the other Jedi, something Jacen was glad had worked.
Jacen reached Luke's office and could sense his former Master inside. He knocked softly at the door and waited to be invited in. Luke's face appeared a moment later with a look that suggested his eyes were deceiving him.
"Jacen!" Luke exclaimed. "I didn't realize Cilghal had released you."
"She didn't," Jacen responded. "I woke up and came straight here. There is no time to lose."
The Jedi moved into Luke's office and took their appropriate chairs. Astro curled up at Jacen's feet, growling softly at the chair leg.
"I suspect you haven't found the Sith yet and are coordinating a galaxy wide search like originally planned."
"Yes," Luke said, slightly startled by the sudden debriefing by someone who was unconscious until just five minutes ago. "We have found only trace evidence to suggest the Sith are out there. The attack on your mom was the most conclusive of evidence so far."
"They're definitely behind the Mandalorian expansion in Hutt Space," Jacen said. "Their main base is on Nar Shadda. They also have auxiliary bases on Keldabe, Mandalore, Nar Kreeta, and Yavin 4."
"You remembered!" Luke said with obvious surprise. "We didn't think you would regain consciousness again, much less remember the location of the Sith bases." He started writing the names on a sheet of flimsy.
"There is more," Jacen warned. "I can recall an abandoned planet in the Unknown Regions that Soora used for training for several years. I can point it out on a map, but no names are coming to me. Also, the Sith are behind the resource dumping to try to destabilize the Republic by making the Jedi look bad. Both the Sith and Mandos are looking to restore their former glory by taking over the Republic through political subterfuge. Their goal is to replace us and the current military as guardians of the Republic, and that position to rule by force."
"That confirms Leia's suspicions. You remembered all that?"
"That, and the secret ingredient to Fizzy Pop drinks," Jacen said wryly. "I made a... an acquaintance with a high-ranking Mandalorian a couple years back. He isn't exactly sympathetic towards the Jedi, but I doubt he would start a war with us. I would like to try getting some information from him."
"I will have to clear it with the Council, but that sounds like a good idea. Who is he?"
At that moment, the door burst open, and an angry Mon Calamari rushed in. "Jacen Solo! Why are you out of the infirmary?"
"I'm fine, Cilghal," Jacen said soothingly. "I had to make a report..."
"I'm the one who says if you're fine or not!" She said angrily. "Back you go. Sorry, Master Skywalker, but I need to run more tests on him."
"Not a problem, Cilghal," Luke said. "I have to speak to the Council now, anyway. I'll get back to you after the meeting, Jacen."
-! #$%^&*()
An hour later Luke and Jaina came to the infirmary to see Jacen and report on the Council's decision. Han and Leia were already there, continuing Cilghal's criticism about him leaving the infirmary. Eriana was also there, rolling her eyes as much as Jacen did. She alone knew the full extent of his healing abilities and how useless being there was. Astro was lying on the bed at Jacen's feet, intently licking a worn chew toy and growling at his own paw if it got too close to his mouth's toy. Jacen mostly ignored everything going on until his uncle and sister entered the room.
"Well?" Jacen asked, sitting up attentively.
"The Council has authorised you and your crew to pursue this contact of yours to determine what the Mandalorian threat amounts to," Luke said. "And…"
"Jaina and her apprentices are coming too, to keep an eye on me and make sure I don't end up back in this bed for," he turned to look at his parents, "no good reason."
"Jacen!" His mom exclaimed.
"Look, we went over this a hundred times. I. Am. Fine." Jacen let his annoyance seep into his words. "Cilghal will have the results of her scans in a minute when she walks through that door, and then I can get out of here and back to work. The healing trance I used was specifically designed to restore myself to full health after severe trauma to the brain and restore any damaged memories. I imprinted my memories elsewhere, and used them to restore my mind while I was entranced."
"You what?" Every member of his family asked at once.
Before anyone could say anything more, Cilghal entered the room and tossed a folder full of flimsy on the bed. "He's fine," Jacen jumped off the bed before Cilghal could continue and started to pull his robe back on. "His brain fully repaired itself somehow. As I told you over the last three weeks, I can't explain it, but I don't see any sign that any damage occurred, physically or otherwise. His body has repaired itself in a way I have never seen before, even with that vicious Vornskr keeping him from our care!"
Astro perked up and glared at Cilghal, but did not make a noise. If Cilghal could have guessed, the Vornskr looked offended.
"He didn't hurt anyone, did he?" Jacen asked.
"No," Cilghal replied. "But he wouldn't let anyone near you for almost a day! We even tried sedating him with tranquilizer darts."
"Bad idea," Jacen replied. "Vornskrs are immune to most toxins, especially Astro. You're lucky he didn't attack without me to calm him. But thank you for your care, Cilghal. Jaina, we're leaving as soon as you and your apprentices are ready. I was able to pick up my contact in the Force while I was being yelled at, but he'll be on the move soon.
"Master Luke, thank you, and I will keep you apprised on the mission. I'll see you all when we all get back."
He left the infirmary with his robes trailing behind him from the speed of his brisk stride, followed by Eriana and Astro. Jaina blew out a sigh and smiled at her parents.
"Well, it looks like I should get going. 'Later."
"Jaina," Han stopped his daughter with a hand on her shoulder. "Keep an eye on him for us."
Jaina turned around and hugged him. "That's what the big sister's for."
She hugged her mom and left the room in search of her apprentices. The four adults were left in the room alone.
"When did that kid grow up?" Han asked nobody in particular. "Seven years ago he couldn't even decide which way to hold a blaster, and now it looks like he's running the Jedi Order."
"He's just used to doing things his own way and making decisions himself," Luke explained, hiding his hurt at Han's comment. Han's infamous skill at pointing out the painfully obvious was obviously unhindered by his age. "Actually, he reminds me of a certain smuggler who got roped into helping an illegal alliance of rebels a few years back."
"Hey, I never told any Jedi Masters what they should be doing!"
"Except for Obi-Wan," Luke said.
"What about Luke and Tresina?" Leia asked.
"And Kyp, Corran, Jaina…?" Cilghal continued.
"Uh…yeah. Except them."
-! #$%^&*()
From the Private Journal of Jedi Master Jacen Solo
=With comments by B. Wrarm, Jedi Librarian=
=Approximately 35 years after the Battle of Yavin, Three Weeks after The Sekot Search=
It worked.
Wow.
And I'm alive.
Bonus.
=Pause=
I'm hungry.
=End=