Chapter Two
Two years later

"Jaina, get you and the kids to the Shelter. Please."

Jaina awoke with a start, covered in a cold sweat. She wished it was a nightmare, but it wasn't. It was reality. Almost four years ago, Jag had disappeared. Jaina wanted to believe he was still alive. She truly thought she could still feel flashes from him.

Jaina rubbed her eyes and remembered the past. Wedge had arrived at the Shelter and told her Jag was gone. She'd stayed at the Shelter until she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Jaina knew she had to take her children somewhere safe. Too many people knew where the Shelter was.

After the Yuuzhan Vong began pushing the Chiss borders, the Chiss were forced to integrate with the other governments. The war was at a standstill; neither side was gaining. Jaina had left the Shelter with her two children and flew to Csilla. She had to beg for a landing clearance. When she was finally allowed to land, she had to tell her in-laws that their son was presumed dead. Syal and Soontir Fel insisted Jaina stay with them. Jaina had agreed. She had to keep her children safe.

Jaina sat up and stood. She got out of bed, walked over to the closet and pulled out some clothing. She had about twenty minutes to shower and dress before the children woke up.

"Mama! Mama!" two voices called as Jaina walked into the hallway later. She opened the door next to her own. Davin was bouncing on one bed while Ani bounced on the other.

"Settle down, you two. Davin, go get dressed," Jaina admonished. Davin stopped jumping and hopped to the floor. He went over to the chair at the base of his bed and grabbed his clothes.

Jaina picked Ani up from the bed. Her curly brown hair was a mess. Jaina sat down and began to comb out the tangles.

"Mama, today Davin starts school, right?" Ani asked.

"Yes."

"When can I go to school?" Ani asked.

"In a couple years," Jaina answered. She gently moved Ani from her lap, "Get dressed. We have a busy morning."

Davin Fel stood stiffly against his mother's legs, her hand on his shoulder. He stared at the room in front of him. Two dozen children, mostly Chiss but a few human, were roaming around the room with their parents. His mother gently nudged him forward.

"Go on, Davin. It's time. I'll be here to pick you up later."

Davin nodded as his mother moved to stand in front of him. She knelt down and gave him a hug.

"I'm not scared," he told her, lifting his chin.

His mother smiled sadly at him, "I know. I love you."

She hugged him once more and left the room. A pretty blond woman was calling all the students over to a rug. His grandmother had found this school for him to attend. Most of the children were from military families from the Chiss, Empire and Galactic Alliance.

The teacher introduced herself and asked each child to tell everyone about his or her family. Davin listened some of his new classmates talked.

"Davin, your turn."

David stood up, "My name is Davin Fel. I live with my mommy, my Grandpa Soontir, Grandma Syal and my little sister Ani. My daddy is dead. I have four uncles and two aunts, but some of them are dead. I have more grandparents, Han and Leia."

Davin sat back down. He sat still and listened to the rest of the kids talk. His Uncle Cem told him that Davin acted a lot like his father. Davin only had a few memories of his father. He remembered his dad playing spaceships with him. He remembered his dad reading to him. He remembered his dad hugging him goodbye, kissing his mother and running to his Clawcraft. That was the last time he'd seen him.

Ani had never met their father. She was born two months after their dad disappeared.

Davin heard his teacher call for attention. He stood up quickly. He knew how important it was for him to learn everything he could at school. Smart people helped keep people safe. He knew he was smart. His mother and grandmother had already taught him how to read and write. His mother taught him and his sister how to use the Force.

Davin sat down at his small desk. He was going to learn everything he could so he could help his mother and family keep Ani safe.

The shouts of Yuuzhan Vong slavers could be heard from inside the slave dormitory. Twenty-three beings from all parts of the galaxy were scattered in the small room, each exhausted. A Yuuzhan Vong dropped a tray with food and water inside the door. Two beings, a human male and a Twi'lek female, walked over to the tray and distributed the rations.

Yuuzhan Vong slave ship collected two million slaves from various battles and raids over the past five years. The slaves had been broken up into groups. Some were used for testing biological weapons; others were implanted with slave seeds and forced into hard, mindless labor. Another group was saved for shaping, interrogation and infiltration. Members of this group were brainwashed, shaped and broken. Most of the slaves had been killed or died on their own. A significant amount had taken their own lives early on. The twenty in this particular barrack were an unusually strong group. The impromptu leaders, the man and the Twi'lek, found ways to counteract the slave seeds. The Twi'lek, a former scientist, discovered ways to prohibit the seed from fully developing. Had the Twi'lek wanted to, she could have become a Jedi.

"Telma, she's not looking good," a man from Bespin called to the Twi'lek. He was crouched over a Selonian female. The Selonian was lying on her stomach. A large gash on her right side was oozing with pus. Bioluminescent fungus has crawled into the gash and entered her bloodstream, slowly poisoning her. Several hard coral pieces had sprouted from her spine in the past 48 hours.

The Selonian slowly pushed her up from the floor enough to address the Twi'lek, "Kill me now. Thiss one will die anyway."

The Twi'lek nodded. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence. A bloody injury on this world, whatever it was, was more often than not a death sentence. Very few had managed to fight off the fungal infection. One only succeeded by amputating the infected hand. Ironically, the Yuuzhan Vong saw this as a sign that the woman was worthy of an honorable death. She was removed from the camp and never seen again.

"Tell me when you're ready," Telma said.

The Selonian grunted, "Now. Get it over with."

The other occupants of the room barely flinched as they heard the crack of dying alien's neck. Two approached the body and moved it to the side. Everyone watched in silence, some muttering prayers, as the two moved the body to a far wall. The body would be destroyed by morning by whatever life form arrived first, drawn in by the smell of dead flesh.

Jaina stood in the lobby of the education wing of the military base with Syal and Ani. Ani let out an impatient sigh as she leaned against her grandmother's legs. They were waiting for Davin. He'd been a student at the school for a month.

"Mama, he needs to hurry up!" Ani said, "Unca Jasa is going to be here any minute!"

Jaina smiled softly at her daughter, "Be patient."

Ani sighed again. Jacen Solo was coming to Csilla with data for the Galactic Alliance military personal stationed there. He was scheduled to land in the next twenty minutes. Ani was determined to be the first person to greet her beloved uncle.

Davin appeared in the lobby. Ani rushed over and snatched him hand while scolding, "You're so slow, Davin!"

"Sorry, Ani," he apologized as they approached Jaina and Syal, "Hi, Mommy. Hi, Grandma. Guess what!"

"What?" Jaina asked, grabbing Davin's hand and leading the children from the lobby toward the door.

"We're having a family day at school. People in our family can come in and see stuff we've done and watch our play," Davin explained.

"That sounds like fun," Jaina answered. She opened one of the back doors of her speeder. Ani scrambled inside. Jaina buckled her in her safety seat.

"Will you come, Mommy?" Davin asked as he buckled himself into his chair. He was so excited that he could do it by himself.

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Will you, Grandma Syal?"

"Yes, dear."

"Is Uncle Jacen almost here?" Davin asked.

"Yes, we're on our way to the spaceport now," Jaina answered. About ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking area at the spaceport. She and Syal unloaded the children, despite Davin's protests that he could do it himself, and walked toward the hanger bay where Jacen's shuttle had landed.

"There's the Sunrider!" Davin squealed, tugging on Syal's hand.

"Wait, Davin," Syal scolded softly, "The ramp hasn't lowered yet."

Davin and Ani waited impatiently as the boarding ramp of Jacen's ship lowered. It met the floor of the hanger bay with a clang. Ani tried to pull away from Jaina, but couldn't escape her grasp. It wasn't until Jacen was halfway down the ramp that Jaina and Syal released the children's hands.

Davin and Ani raced towards their uncle. Jacen caught them as they reached the ramp. He scooped both children up in his arms. Ani showered Jacen with kisses while Davin starting asking Jacen questions.

Jaina took Davin from Jacen's grasp when he reached her. She put him on the floor, and then hugged her brother. Ani was still latched to his chest.

"Hello, Jaina."

"Hi, Jacen."

"Unca Jasa! Are you staying with us?" Ani asked excitedly.

"Yes, sweetie, for a few days," he told his niece. Ani squealed and hugged Jacen tightly.

"Let's go! I got a new game we can play and stuff to show you…"

Jacen sat on a couch in the Fel's den, feet propped up on the coffee table. Jaina sank down next to him, curling her legs underneath her. Ani and Davin were finally asleep. They had insisted on Jacen reading them a story before going to bed.
"How are you, Jaina?" Jacen asked.

Jaina said, "The new piloting simulations I've been working on are working out well. Davin is doing well with school, no surprise there. Ani –"

"No , Jaina," Jacen interrupted, "How are you?"

"I'm…here, I guess. I feel like I should be doing more to end the fighting, but I can't leave Davin and Ani. They already lost their father," Jaina responded after a moment. "I can't leave them."

"Everyone understands. You're doing more than enough by training pilots to effectively fight the Yuuzhan Vong," Jacen responded.

Jaina shrugged off his comment and asked, "How are you?"

"The same. Keeping busy," he responded.

Jaina groaned to herself. Jacen wanted her to talk about everything going in her life, but he refused to open up. After he'd escaped the Vong, he had stayed with Jaina for a while to recover. He had a difficult time talking to anyone, except for little Ani. The two of them bonded quickly. Jacen seemed to find some peace with his niece and she seemed to sense what he needed. He'd left six months later to work with Tahiri Velia and Danni Quee on developing and identifying Vong technology.

"Ani and Davin seem to be doing well," Jacen commented after a moment.

"They are. Davin adjusted to school quickly. He's caught on pretty quickly to everything," Jaina shook her head sadly as she said; "I shouldn't be surprised. He's practically a clone of his father."

"Does he still dream about Jag?" Jacen asked.

"Yes," she said quietly, "I hope he never stops."

Jaina stood up and faced the window. She wrapped her arms around herself. She glanced at Jacen and said," Ani has no idea what Jag was like. She doesn't ask often and I think when she does, it is because of Davin. It breaks my heart, Jacen."

Jacen stood up and walked over to her. He tentatively wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her gaze not leaving the snowy landscape.

"He's still alive," Jaina said quietly, "I know he is, but I don't dare tell the children. It's easier for them to believe he's dead. I don't want to get their hopes up."

Jacen nodded, "That's the smart thing to do."

Jaina closed her eyes. Jacen had seen a ship similar to the one that took Jag grown in a field on Coruscant. He told her that the slaves were then split up into various groups. Some were based on planets; others aboard worldships.

"I never knew Jagged Fel, but if what I've heard is true, he'll find his way back to you."