5 years.

Frozen in carbonite. For 5 years.

And in those five years, the entire galaxy had gone to hell in a decorative handbasket. Lana Beniko had yet to tell him exactly how, but they did just stop a city from exploding and then crash a spaceship into a swamp, so Jameson gave her some time to get her bearings. To say nothing of his need for bearings. Thank the force Lana's new boyfriend (she said he wasn't, but he totally was) Koth had found an old crashed starship they could hide in. Jameson needed a rest. His head fell into his hands and didn't leave for at least two hours.

His mind immediately jumped to Kira. T7, in the short exchange they managed before he had to run off, said that he had no idea where Kira was. He knew she was alive (he'd have felt it if she was dead) but wherever she was was so far away that he couldn't get any reading on her. And Lana had no idea either, even after 5 years and a small army of spies.

Jameson dropped from his seat to his knees, assuming a meditative position. Koth, meanwhile, was helping Lana and HK move some equipment into the room. "Really? I know it's been a long day, but now isn't the time for a nap."

"He isn't napping, Koth," Lana corrected. "He's reaching out through the force."

"What's he looking for?" Koth asked.

"Not what, who," Jameson said, furrowing his brow. "And I would appreciate it if you two gave me some peace and quiet."

"Apologies," Lana replied. She and Koth returned to moving the equipment, while HK became distracted by a herd of cute, innocent, explodable bunnies.

Jameson reached out for Kira through the force. With anyone else, this would've been futile, but Jameson and Kira shared a connection deeper than just Master and Padawan. And that connection was still there. It was faint, but it just needed some waking up. Jameson felt for her, focusing on all the things he remembered about his wife. The scent of her hair; tatooine desert lilies mixed with korriban black roses, a combination that always danced across his senses. Her wonderful laugh whenever he mocked an enemy or playfully balked at authority. Her incomparable wit and sarcasm, able to turn any situation humorous when she needed to. And yet, nothing. Absolutely nothing. The connection was there, but something was keeping him from going all the way through. The more he tried, the more frustrated he became.

Koth broke him from his concentration by placing a bowl of crudely cooked food in front of him. "You've been at it for an hour, man," he said. "Whoever you're looking for, I think they'd prefer you eat." Jameson wanted to return to meditating. Five years, he needed her to know he was alright. But he just couldn't resist the smell of boiled gruel any longer. Half a decade without a meal made even Koth start to smell like a full course feast. "Don't even think about it." Wait, could he read his mind? "No, but I can see you drooling. Now eat your gruel like the rest of us."

Jameson ate quietly, and remained quiet through most of the night. He would cycle between going back to reaching out for Kira, and pacing the room in frustration. Lana eventually dragged him out of the ship to look for more supplies to get it up and running again. During which she informed him of what had been happening while he was gone. The Republic and the Empire were still around, but had been significantly defanged. Rather than unite against the new found common enemy, however, they turned to striking at each other from the shadows. Meanwhile the "Eternal Empire" bled the galaxy dry of resources and credits, keeping everyone divided and angry at the wrong people to maintain the illusion that the galaxy didn't have a new lord and master.

And somewhere in this mess was his crew, his family. It was a relief at least to know T7 was alive and well, and Jameson was confident that he could take care of himself, even in the Zakuul capital. Unfortunately, the rest of his family were still out there somewhere. And the fact that he couldn't get any kind of bead on Kira's energy wasn't doing his nerves any favors. Lana assured him again that her spies would find her, and Jameson believed her, but that did nothing to stop his doubt.

They returned to the starship, successful in their supply run, to find Koth had gotten several of the rooms on the ship up and running again. The hallways hummed and crackled with life, light filled the rusted and messy corridors, and old worker droids shook and sparked back to life. "Now then," Koth said to his new ramshackle crew. "Let's get this place cleaned up." The droids saluted, and then three of them fell apart. The rest got to work. Koth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, better than nothing."

"Koth," Lana said as she and Jameson walked in. "We found the supplies we need."

"Think this'll be enough?" asked Jameson.

Koth smiled up at Jameson. "Friend, gimme an afternoon, it'll be like she never crashed at all." Koth's smile then dropped and his hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Also, I uh, got the holomail system on this ship up and running. Wanted to do you a favor, so I logged in your name-crappy password by the way-and, well…"Koth stepped aside and gestured to the holomail terminal behind him. "You want to look at it."

Jameson looked between Koth and the terminal before slowly making his way over to it. Koth hurried Lana out of the room. "We should leave him be for a sec," he told her. Jameson sat on a nearby broken vent shaft and pressed the activation button for the terminal. The terminal flickered and sputtered to life, bringing up five years' worth of mail for him. Spam, MIA reports, messages from various allies in the republic and even the empire, but one stuck out to him more than any of them. A message from Kira. From four years ago.

FROM: Kira

SUBJECT: I know you're alive

Happy anniversary. As of today, you've been missing for a whole year. You beat your old record from the emperor's fortress. Everyone's given you up for dead except me. Thing is, I'd feel it if you died. The connection we made is too strong to just break apart. I've spent hundreds of hours meditating—trying to find you. All I get is a big nothing where you used to be. That can't be right.

Did you find him out there? Did you fall to him again? Sometimes, I dream that you're standing in my doorway, but you're not you anymore. You're him.

Everything's gone wrong since you left. The Republic is giving up to the invaders. Nobody can tell me what happened to Master Satele. The jedi order is dying and I can't save it. I couldn't even keep our crew together.

You have to come back.

Jameson didn't know when he started crying, but he only noticed it after he had read the last word. Four years ago she was still convinced he was alive, but what of now? Was she even still alive? Such questions and many more raced through Jameson at top speed, as his emotions spiraled out of control.

After several minutes of weeping, he got control of himself, took a deep breath, and stood up. He closed the terminal and pulled his hood over his head. Lana and Koth, T7 and HK, they were counting on him. He needed to be the leader they needed, or all of this would be for nothing. So, he turned around, and walked back out to find his new comrades. Silently, he vowed to find Kira, no matter what.

I'm back Kira, he thought to himself, I'm back.