Chapter Twenty-Three: A Lesson in Patience

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After Sanar once again moved in the Force, Jaina tried to find her again – with no success. Although Sanar still read in her mind, an open mental connection was becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Jaina's worry had not greatly dissipated when, hours later, Zekk holo-commed her for what Krista had dubbed "romantic therapy".

"Doctor," he greeted playfully, but his eyes were tired.

She smiled faintly. "You're late."

"Sorry – top secret work for the war effort never learned the courtesy of ending within time constraints."

"I take it you're responsible for the Empire's erratic supplies?"

Zekk grinned. "Maybe." His expression became more serious, however, as he studied her. "What's wrong?"

Jaina gave up on trying to hide her concern. "Sanar's in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

She threw her arms up helplessly. "I don't know – and she doesn't either. But she keeps fading in and out on me. I can barely feel her, which should tell you just how bad it is. She's not blocking, though; we were talking, and then all of a sudden…bam! She was gone. Just like that."

Zekk frowned. "Maybe her new owner…"

"Her brother," Jaina informed him gloomily.

"Maybe her brother has been blocking her, or maybe he keeps Ysalamiri around her."

Jaina was quiet for a moment, biting her lip nervously. "Zekk… It feels like Sanar is dying. I don't want to think that Devnos would do anything permanent to her, but I've felt death before. And…Sanar is close to it."

Zekk swallowed, considering several placating phrases and rejecting them as quickly as they came. Jaina wouldn't stand for lies – not when someone she cared about was in such a precarious state. "How long, do you think?"

"I don't know," Jaina raged, drawing a vicious hand through her hair. "Sanar is in my head, but what's actually going through her mind right now… I'm getting next to nothing."

"Have you had any attacks?" It was a subtle shift in conversation, but Zekk needed time to think out some possibilities.

"One or two…none of them major, and I haven't had one from Sanar in almost a month." She fell into silence, and though, technically, it was wasting their time, Zekk didn't speak. The pangs were starting again, but Zekk hid them. He had chosen to leave, chosen to work for others and not for himself. Being away from Jaina was part of his sacrifice.

But it was getting worse. On Bob, they had barely even needed to speak, being so closely tied. Now…

You chose this. It won't be forever.

Jaina sighed, breaking into his thoughts. "Well, how are things on your end?"

Zekk shrugged. "Oh, normal enough, I suppose." He paused. "Miko Reglia joined the team, did I tell you?"

She laughed. "No, but I shouldn't be surprised… He was the one who warned me about the Rebel attack. I guess he really did turn back. At the time, I didn't know whether or not to believe him…"

"Apparently, he and Krista have been a team for almost half of the war. He was under Onyx's command the entire time, and no one noticed." Zekk snickered.

The tension in her eyes disappeared as Jaina leaned forward. "Well, that's why the Empire is doomed. I predict another year, and then smooth sailing."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that a prediction or a hint from Sanar?"

She scoffed. "Like Sanar cares who wins this war. I haven't a clue – just a hope." Then her expression softened, and Zekk was reminded all over again why he was making this sacrifice.

"Have I told you today that I love you?"

"In my head…yes. Have I?"

He tapped his forehead. "'In my head, yeah'," he echoed.

Her smile grew before she sighed. "You have to go now, don't you?"

"I should probably connect with Krista," he agreed reluctantly. "You know, figure out what we're doing next…that sort of thing."

"Have fun." There was a devilish glint in her eye, unfettered by jealousy, proclaiming that she knew about Krista's flirtation which, although harmless, was really beginning to annoy the recipient.

Zekk groaned. "You're evil, you know that?"

She blew a kiss. "Love you, too, sweetie." Her head slanted to the side, and she spoke to someone, who responded. Turning back to him, Jaina grinned. "Well, you're not the only one who's gotta dash. I have a girl talk to start."

His left eye twitched. "Well, I'll definitely sign off on that…"

She laughed. "Bye, Zekk."

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Krista and Miko looked up when Zekk sat across from them. Almost immediately, Miko went back to studying his reports, but Krista's eyes remained fastened on the dark-haired man before her. "How's Jaina?"

"Worried about a friend."

The girl brightened before she donned a sympathetic expression. "Oh, poor baby. Is she's cheating on you? Let me comfort you."

Zekk rolled his eyes. "The friend happens to be a bitter, female slave that Jaina adopted into her family. And there will be no comforting."

"Just a teensy, weensy bit?"

"No."

Krista's generous lips pouted, and Miko glanced up long enough to look amused. "Fine," she sulked. "Be that way."

She lasted two whole minutes of silence before bouncing high on her plush hover-couch, rocking Miko and sending his reports careening to the floor. She ignored the way her fellow Intel agent shook his head in disapproval. "Where do you want to hit next?" she asked, flipping her hair. "The bank accounts?" Her blue eyes glistened impishly. "You might not even have to be all evilly – just an overprotective lover as I flirt with the managers." She batted her eyes.

Zekk groaned. "Krista…"

The young woman flounced, tossing her hair. "Oh, fine. I know plenty of other, delicious men who will play the part if I ask them…" When Zekk did not look jealous or, indeed, regretful that he had been replaced, Krista reluctantly continued. "So…any comment from you? Yay, cutting off the cash flow? No, I'm out of my mind? Miko?" She nudged the red-haired man, who shrugged, engrossed in whatever he was reading.

"Why are we only hitting the small veins?" Zekk blurted out.

Krista watched his impatience with a careful eye, the first real hint that she sometimes looked at him and saw Onyx. "Brakiss can't stop the small things, and he underestimates their importance. Missing supplies lowers moral. Attacks on the accounts give them debts that need to be paid. At the moment, it's all we can do."

"All you're willing to do, you mean."

Before Krista could speak, Miko looked up, his gaze steely. "You aren't the perfect double agent, Zekk. The important people know you turned back; some of them even know why. We have only as much wiggle room as Brakiss' pride allows."

"I was second-in-command," Zekk retorted. "There has to be something else I can do!"

"Unless you've developed Kyp Durron's ability to wipe away Brakiss' memory," Krista injected, "you could work on calming down. What's with you? Usually you're in the clouds after your evening call."

Zekk sighed, sinking into the couch. "I just want this to be over with."

"It doesn't work that way," Miko snapped. "Don't think that everything is perfect now that Jaina and you have been reunited over your turning and her coming back to life. You screwed up; no one will ever forget that. You can't take the easy way out – the paths you took before sent an entire galaxy tumbling back into a war that should have ended twenty years before."

"You think I don't know that?" Zekk hissed. "Do you honestly believe that I sleep at night, forgetting the murders I committed? There's so much blood on my hands, I can barely make it through the day!"

"If it's too much, then go back to Jaina and wait for your trial."

"I would love to, Miko, really," Zekk retorted, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "At the moment, however, I'm trying to do the right thing."

"More than you can say for the past five years…"

"Miko, stop it!" Krista finally interrupted. "Both of you messed up." She stood, hands on her hips, and glowered at her companions. "Zekk, go call up Jaina again. That'll have to do until the Rebellion is done with you. Miko…" She floundered. "Go talk to somebody you love. Maybe it'll teach you a little humility…" With that, she stomped off. After a moment, Miko followed her out, presumably to get away from his former commander, or to contact someone.

Zekk remained where he was. Being around Jaina had become some kind of fail-safe solution, but she couldn't help when she was a big part of the problem.

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Miko caught up with Krista just before she stuffed an oversized portion of chocolate into her mouth. He let her chew and swallow before he spoke. "What did the higher-ups say about him?"

"About Zekk?" She sighed and brushed some crumbs off her lips. "They want us to monitor him some more – you know, make sure it's not a trap, even though every sign points to his betrayal of the Empire, blah, blah, blah. No skin off my nose. Frustrated Zekk is so – "

"If you say 'sexy'," Miko interrupted dryly, "I'll steal your junk food to comfort my increasingly disturbed mind."

Krista made a face and hugged her candy bar closer to her. "Anyway, our orders are to keep at the edges – cut the bad guys out of the picture, so to speak. At this rate, he'll lose all his relevant information."

Miko shrugged. "I'm still relevant, and I didn't have nearly the same amount of access."

"You also didn't try to kill Brakiss before you left."

"Of course I did," he argued, mock-injured. "What else would you call putting a bomb right next to him? Brakiss just didn't put two and two together. He'll figure it out when he has the time."

"No, he won't," Krista protested, her eyes widening stubbornly. "You're too smart for him."

"Well," Miko said with a long-suffering sigh, "when he does, I suppose I'll have to go into hiding. Brakiss needn't cover up my defection." He looked down, pretending to be disappointed, then peeked up to watch Krista's reaction, hoping.

"What? Hiding?" She sounded panicked. "You're Intel now. I, in my professional capacity, decide when you go."

The red-haired man restrained his grin. "But I'd only jeopardize the mission," he argued impishly. "Surely your professionalism would make you realize that."

If she caught the teasing in his voice, Krista showed no such indication. "You're staying," she sulked, eating more of her "comfort" food.

Miko, on the other hand, smirked and strolled out of the room. This lesson in patience was definitely more interesting than the ones Kyp had provided.

Now he just needed to keep his sanity until it came together. And avoid punching in the faces of her boy-toys.

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Any comments would be appreciated :)

.Tjz