Chapter Twenty-Four: The Pieces of an Old Life

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"Wedge Antilles," a voice drawled. "How long, exactly, do you plan on ignoring me?"

The general looked up to see Jaina Solo leaning against the doorway. "Excuse me?"

"I've been around for almost two months, and I still haven't been told to debrief, or show up for some military meeting."

"There was no reason to contact you."

"Yeah, we're only at war," she retorted sarcastically.

"The Queen Regent will not use our forces in the defence of Hapes, and after our more recent battle at Coruscant…"

"How much did we put into it?" Jaina asked, straightening anxiously.

"It wasn't the Death Star, but we needed that victory." Wedge regarded her for a moment, then waved her into the room. "Close the door behind you, Colonel."

She sat without waiting for permission, and Wedge marked the action with a raised eyebrow. "Take a seat, why don't you?"

She smirked, reminding Wedge of other beings' attempts to describe how Jaina had changed. "She's just…different," most had finally, helplessly, settled upon.

"So," Jaina said brightly, breaking into his thoughts, "what are we doing, other than crawling around, trying to get some of the Hapans' scraps?"

"Our attack on the Imperial Palace was part of a double-pronged attack," Wedge began slowly. "The grand-scale battle drew the Empire's attention, while we darted in elsewhere."

"What was the other target? Did it work?"

Again, he considered her before responding. "I can't and won't answer either of those questions."

Jaina's spine stiffened. "Am I wasting my time, trying to pick up the pieces of my old life?" she demanded coldly.

"You just came back from the dead and the Empire," he stated bluntly. "Rumour has it, you also brought Onyx back with you. Even if the last two did not compromise you, I doubt the Jedi have completely mastered rehabilitation after death."

She swallowed hard. "I'm well enough to fly, General Antilles. If I need to, I will undergo the physical testing required."

"Do you mean to say you want me to throw your parents' only remaining child back into battle…again?"

"Can you afford to do otherwise?" she snapped in return, crossing her arms over her chest insolently. "With all due respect, sir, I'm not the daughter of your friends right now; I'm a veteran fighter you need back in the ranks."

The fire he had been looking for was back, but… Wedge sighed. Well, she was probably right. After five years, no one could afford anything without Imperial credits or a lucky sabacc card up their sleeve. "Do your parents know you're here?"

Jaina seemed to change before his eyes again, and she swung her feet up onto Wedge's desk. "Dad does. Mom was a little preoccupied."

He pushed her feet off the edge of his table and leaned forward. "I'm not putting you back in the skies until Leia's child is born. No dangerous missions, Solo."

Reluctantly, she nodded.

"Come back in two hours. Your mission information will be in the usual slot."

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"Got everything?"

Jaina threw her bag up into the cockpit of her X-wing. "I'm only going for a few days, Cerasy. It's not like I need that much."

Her currently red-haired friend leaned against the fighter ship, one hand resting on the blaster that was holstered near her hip. "Got your blasters?"

Jaina smirked. "Three I'll admit to."

"You did practice your aim, right?" Cerasy checked, eying her friend dubiously. "You've gotten pretty used to plain saber-fighting, and with your blade out of commission—"

"We can do target practice later," Jaina laughed, knowing perfectly well what Cerasy's motivation was. "Meanwhile, I'll be fine or disgraced. My father is Han Solo, after all…"

Her father threw Jaina a bag of power cells as he came up beside the two women. "And don't you forget it, kid. Miss a shot by accident, and you're grounded."

"Where's Mom?"

Han squeezed Jaina's shoulders affectionately and nodded to the hallway on the opposite side of the hanger. "She's coming – hadta talk to one of those politician types; they tracked her all the way down here, apparently."

"Mom shouldn't be working now," Jaina muttered peevishly. "She only has a month left…"

Han chuckled. "Getting your mom to stop is like trying to outshoot me – dangerous and foolish. She'll be fine, sweetie."

When Cerasy left for a minute, Han leaned in closer. "Play nice with your mom, okay, Jaina? She doesn't have it easy right now, but she's trying. You need to give her space."

"I am," Jaina retorted. "Won't several systems be far enough away?"

"That's not what I meant, princess."

Before he could say more, the landing bay was busy with friends come to see her off. Aarylia, who had pried herself away from Jaina long enough to train with Tiran, raced up and grasped Jaina's hand tightly.

Gryq Harif, Krista's brother and Jaina's partner for the mission, brightened when he saw Tayra Lam not far behind the crowd. "Fifteen minutes until departure, Solo," he called before running to say goodbye to his fiancée.

"I see the munchkin's firmly attached," Cerasy mused, raising an eyebrow at Jaina and Aarie. "But where's Tiran? I told him to be here…"

Jaina's own eyebrows went up; Tiran was listening to Cerasy now, was he? "Cerasy, is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

The bounty hunter smiled innocently. "We lasted five minutes," she said cryptically.

As Cerasy spoke, Tiran dragged himself forward. "Solo," he greeted warily, blue eyes resting on Aarie, checking for emotional turmoil.

Jaina smiled weakly. They had been friends once, but theirs had always been a rocky relationship. It'll just take a little longer, she told herself encouragingly. "If it isn't the grimy mechanic," she teased, trying to keep the atmosphere light. When the intensity in his gaze failed to lessen, Jaina sighed. "Look, Tir, I'm sorry. I wasn't a pleasant person to be around immediately after…well, you know. I thought it would be better to heal on my own first."

"Please," Cerasy interrupted. "Why should you apologize, Solo? If Lee-droy isn't big enough to—"

And they were off. Jaina could only gape in amazement as Cerasy and Tiran – both of whom had confessed to crushing on the other – began arguing and insulting each other like no tomorrow. When she finally managed to drag her gaze away, she saw Aarylia smirking in a way that reminded Jaina of Tiran. "I will never understand these two," the Jedi Knight offered, stunned.

Aarie shrugged and laughed. "Master Tir always beats himself up afterwards, but at least they'll never lose the spark."

"How can you lose a forest fire?" Jaina agreed with a shake of her head.

Garik's hand brushed her elbow. "Solo, your mother's waiting."

She turned at his voice, then sighed before smiling. "Aarie, why don't you and Garik check and make sure the ship's ready?" The girl squealed happily and dragged Garik away before the diplomat could protest and remind everyone of his lack of savoir-faire in mechanics.

Before her mother could waddle across the landing bay (gracefully, of course; she was a princess), Jaina strode forward. "Are you alright?"

"Be strong enough to support a whole other life, and be treated like an invalid," Leia grumbled, shaking away Jaina's attempts to support her. "I wish I could have forgotten about this part of pregnancy."

Jaina flushed. "Births have gone badly because of overworking before," she defended lamely. It was more Sanar's dread than Jaina's, who knew everything was progressing well.

"Overworking is not seeing my daughter off before she taunts death again."

"It's only recon, Mom."

"You'll be in Imperial space."

"Everywhere is Imperial space," the young woman argued. "That's why I'm going."

"Promise you'll be safe."

Jaina hugged Leia. "I'll be back before my brother – or sister – is born," she promised. "Try not to worry."

Leia squeezed tighter for a moment before letting go. "I always worry, but especially when one of my loved ones won't promise to be safe. I know my family too well, Jaina."

Her daughter chuckled. "It's half you, Mom," she teased.

"That's half the cause of my anxiety, sweetie." Leia glanced over Jaina's shoulder. "Gryq is waiting for you."

With a last hug for her mother, and several more goodbyes, Jaina swung into her cockpit. Buttons were flashing, her astromech was texting frantically, and Jaina laughed. Tiran will have to teach Aarie how to work a ship. Garik will never be able to.

It was good to be alive.

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Any comments would be appreciated :)

.Tjz