Chapter Twenty-nine
"The Yuuzhan Vong have fallen at Barab I. A small group of special agents infiltrated the slave camps, recruited the aid of other slaves and sabotaged the encampments. The Chiss sent back-up forces to aid the slaves with overtaking the Vong. Analysts say that without the aid by the slaves, the Vong wouldn't have fallen, nor would Barab I even be considered a target," the voice called over the speaker hanging in the waiting room of the medical ward.
Jaina hadn't been paying attention to the news anchor drone on. Despite the war, media companies still pressed on. Many lacked the equipment to produce video, but audio was still available, and easier to broadcast. After the Worldship exploded, Jaina had searched for Kyp's X-Wing. When she had found it, it was missing the foils and the cockpit had a large hole in it. Kyp's flight suit was all that was keeping him alive. He'd been in the bacta tank for three days now. She and the other surviving members of the Dozen took turns waiting for Kyp to be removed from the tank.
Right before the Worldship had exploded, it had sent a message. It was still being decoded, as far as Jaina knew. She heard various theories about why it was in the system. Some said it came there to die by taking out as much of the enemy as possible. Others said it was trying to surrender. The weakened state of the Worldship increased the discussions regarding how thinly stretched the Vong really were.
Jaina had no theories. She knew the Vong were lacking in supplies. At this point, she was more concerned about Jag and Kyp. Jag had sent her a message telling her they had succeeded and he was fine, but she would feel better when she actually saw him
The medics believed they would be able to save Kyp. There was some concern that he would have difficulty waking up.
"Heard anything?"
Jaina turned to face Jacen and took the cup of caf he offered her. He had arrived that morning from Yavin IV. After he had given Danni the seeder samples, he told Jaina everything that had happened. He had offered to sit with her in the waiting room.
"Not yet."
"When are Syal and Myri bringing the kids by?" he asked as he sat down next to her. Davin and Ani were staying with their second cousins that day.
Jaina glanced at the chrono on the wall, "Any time now. They'll be happy to see you, especially with Jag being gone."
"I heard talk that the GA and Empire aren't exactly thrilled that the Chiss backed up Barab I," Jacen commented.
Jaina scoffed, "The politics of the situation make little difference if we don't win. No one has given Jag enough support. This all would have happened much faster if they had."
Jacen tipped his head in agreement. Jaina opened her mouth to speak, but instead jerked up. She could sense the children approaching. Jacen caught on a moment later. She set her cup down on an end table next to her chair.
Syal and Myri entered the waiting room. Ani's eyes grew wide in excitement and broke away from Myri's grasp. She ran over to Jacen and threw her arms around his legs, squealing, "Unca Jacen!"
He pulled her up on his lap. Jaina smiled as she listened to Ani jabber on in excitement. She turned to Syal and Myri, who had walked over to her. Davin sat down next to the table. Jaina asked, "How were they?"
"Good," Myri stated simply. "Mom stopped by with lunch, so they've eaten."
Jaina thanked the girls as they left the waiting room. She felt Davin tap her arm as he said, "Mommy, is Kyp still hurt?"
"He's still in the bacta tank," she said.
"When can he get out?"
"Soon, I hope."
Davin nodded, "He's going to wake up today."
Jaina's brow crinkled in surprise. She hoped Davin was right, but wondered how he would know. It could be just a child's hope, but the conviction in his eyes and voice told her otherwise. Davin was very observant. He tended to see what was going on behind the scenes. He was also very aware of people's emotional, mental and physical state. He wasn't empathetic like Jacen; instead, he used the information more like pieces of a machine or equation. The intensity in which he stated his observations reminded Jaina of Anakin.
"Why was the Worldship here?" Davin asked after a moment. Jaina had managed to keep most of the details of the war from he and Ani's ears, but some were unavoidable. Davin knew how Kyp had been hurt.
"We're not sure," Jaina answered slowly.
"It was sick."
"The Yuuzhan Vong ships can become sick like any other living organism."
"Maybe it was trying to find a new home for the Vong inside," he guessed.
"Maybe," Jaina murmured. She glanced back up at the speaker mounted on the wall. The announcer had moved on from Barab I to an attack on a supply convoy to Sullust. She sat, like millions around the galaxy, waiting in a medward waiting room listening to the news while waiting for a friend.
Jag walked through the fallen camp with his father. The Vong that had been captured, or surrendered, were under the close-guarded watch of the Chiss. The Chiss and freed slaves were in the process of destroying evidence of the Vong's occupation. Jag had not assisted with the deconstruction process, however. The planet hadn't undergone any Shaping; in most areas, it was still habitable. The wildlife and tunnels were only dilapidated where the encampments had been located. Jag was working on the necessary measures to bring the surviving Barabels back to their home planet. He sent a message to the Jedi in the Hapes Cluster to be forwarded to Saba Sebatyne and her Wild Knights. The Chiss government had already begun the necessary reconstruction efforts, but they felt that the native species should assist and eventually take over the process. Jag split his time between helping the planet and aboard his father's Star Destroyer.
The smaller camps had already been destroyed, as well as the structures of the larger camps. Jag adjusted his night vision goggles as he surveyed the areas. Because of the high radiation levels, most of the work was done at night. The Chiss had radiation suits, but the dangers were still present.
"Everything is progressing at an excellent pace," Soontir stated.
"Better than we hoped," Jag agreed.
"The freed slaves will be taken to Nirauan tomorrow morning," Soontir stated. "When will you return?"
Jag frowned as he responded, "I'm not sure. Two Barabel refugee groups contacted me. They will arrive within the next three days. I received a message from Telma stating all the teams have left. I need to leave in the next forty-eight hours."
"Have you heard from Jaina?" he asked.
"Yes, a dying Worldship jumped to Bespin. It exploded, injuring Kyp," Jag explained.
"You're heading back when we are done here, I take it," his father said knowingly.
Jag nodded in confirmation. He would have left that morning, or technically sunset, had his father not asked him to come down to the planet with him.
"Did she say anything else about the Worldship?"
"No," Jag answered. He and his father paused their conversation to step over a fallen chunk of damatek.
"Your success here will push the Galactic Alliance into action," Soontir stated.
"It's hardly my success."
"As the leader of the operation, it becomes your success. If this had failed, it would have been your failure," Soontir countered.
"True," Jag agreed. "Though the Provisional Council has shown little confidence in this whole operation."
"The Worldship may change their minds, or sway them," he said. They continued to their destination: the remains of the main Shaper laboratory.
"Not much is left," Jag observed as they poked through the wreckage.
"Unfortunately," Soontir commented. "Nothing of value."
They worked together to move a piece of the shelter away. Underneath were various busted storage containers. Drawings were on some of the canisters. Jag recognized the outline of a vornskr, the creature from Myrkr that Master Shaper Yal Phaath had created from a voxyn from. The voxyn cloning tissue was long destroyed, and the project abandoned. The image on the canister probably meant nothing; perhaps a note for a Shaper or information about life in this galaxy. It didn't matter.
Jag and Soontir stepped away from the useless pile of debris. Jag lit a flare he had in his utility belt and threw it on the pile. It quickly caught fire, destroying the image and the rubble around it. Jag watched with a slight satisfaction as it burned.
"Daddy!" Ani screeched as she raced toward Jag. He caught her as she reached his legs. She threw her arms around his neck as she planted a messy kiss on his cheek. He couldn't remember such an exuberant greeting from his daughter before. It warmed his heart considerably to see her react in such a way.
"Welcome back, Jag," Jacen called as he walked up to him. "Jaina and Davin are on their way."
"Davin and Mama are in a meeting," Ani told Jag.
Jag raised an eyebrow at Jacen. "A meeting?"
Jacen shrugged, "I have no idea. I've had Ani all afternoon."
"We found Ruggers!"
"Rodents from Endor," Jacen explained before Jag could ask. "A couple found their way onto a refugee ship. I have been collecting them when I'm around."
Jag glanced down at Ani. She seemed excited about the rodents. "Where are you keeping them?"
"Don't worry, none of them are at your place," Jacen said with a laugh. "Jaina would never let me hear the end of it."
Jag's response was cut off by Jaina and Davin entering the hanger. Ani wriggled down from his arms and hurried over to her brother. She grabbed his hand, "Guess what Unca Jacen and me did today?"
"Just a minute, Ani," Davin told her with the patience of an elder sibling. He moved away from her to hug his father.
After releasing Davin, Jag finally turned to Jaina. She grinned as she slid he arms around his waist, "I have some good news for you."
Jag threaded his fingers of his right hand through her hair, cradling the back of her head. He pulled her in to kiss her. She leaned into the kiss, clutching the back of his shirt. She opened her mouth-
"Ew, they're doing it again, Davin. Mama and Daddy are all mushy," Ani giggled, causing Jaina to break the kiss with a laugh.
"Mushy?" Jaina asked as she turned to face Ani.
"Yes, mushy," Ani stated. Jag chuckled and turned Jaina back around, "You said you had good news?"
"Oh, yeah. Wedge told me that everyone was so impressed with the success on Barab I that they want you to push forward. Granted, they aren't happy about the Chiss, at least behind closed doors, but you have the support you needed," she told him. She took his hands in hers. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "You can finally make it happen, Jag."
Jag pulled Jaina to him as he looked over at Ani and Davin. She was talking about her adventure with the Rugger. Soon it would end; one way or another.
Tahiri was not an interrogator.
She couldn't get into people's heads. She couldn't pick apart the hidden clues in their answers. Tahiri simply wasn't qualified for the job presented to her.
Araneya was seated at a table. Tahiri sat across from her. It was like a scene out of a holovid, Tahiri thought. Mara had given her a list of questions to ask, along with various techniques to use.
"So, um, Araneya," Tahiri started. "Where are you from originally?"
Araneya shrugged, "I don't remember. It was a place with sand. I think I lived with…my mother."
"Do you remember how you got to Yavin IV?"
"I remember coralskippers landing. I was chased through the streets, trying to find Mother. I was knocked to the ground by a thud bug, I think. I remember shouting and that's it. I woke up on Yavin IV," she responded quietly, and then asked, "What do you want from me? I don't know anything!"
Tahiri took a calming breath. Mara had told her to expect this type of reaction. "We just want to know what you have been through."
"You have no idea."
"Actually, I do," Tahiri said slowly. She tapped the three vertical lines on her forehead. "These scars come from when I was a prisoner on Yavin IV. The Yuuzhan Vong tried to turn me into one of them."
Araneya's eyes grew wide, "You are the One-Who-Was-Shaped!"
Tahiri nodded, "Yes, I am. Can you tell me anything you observed or heard?"
Araneya closed in eyes in what Tahiri hoped was thought. She spoke after a few minutes, "The Shaper I was with talked about how they needed to grow more ships. Many forms of Vong life were dying, and there weren't enough resources to replenish."
"Thank you, Araneya. That's very helpful," she said. Tahiri truly believed that was all the girl knew.
"What are you doing to do with me?"
"It's not up to me, but I don't see why you have to stay," Tahiri said. Araneya started to twist her hair around a finger. The medics had cut the ragged locks into a short bob.
Araneya tilted her head, "Do you want to crush the Vong?"
"I want the killing to stop," Tahiri responded carefully. "I do not support full annihilation."
"Me either," Araneya said. "My old life is gone. Araneya may not even be my real name. Yavin IV is my home. Master Shaper Lom took care of me."
"Were you his familiar?" Tahiri asked. Araneya's response surprised her. She hadn't heard of such a strong reaction before. Of course, Araneya had been implanted more heavily than anyone she had heard of.
"I suppose," she responded. "You killed him. One of you did and now I am completely alone."
Tahiri wondered if what Araneya was experiencing was similar to what some kidnapping victims went through; they would sometimes fall in love or care for their kidnapper. "We will find you a place to go."
"No you won't," Araneya stated. "You can't find a home for every suffering person. I know the test. I'm clinically crazy. I don't remember much of anything. I want to go back to my Vong masters. I'm not even sure that I'm even sitting here talking to you."
Tahiri picked up the file on Araneya. She hadn't read it before she spoke to her. She didn't think the medical records would matter. She opened the file. Araneya was under psychological medication. The report listed delusions, psychotic episodes, memory loss and self-mutilation.
"Am I a prisoner?" she asked.
"No, at least, I don't think so."
"Anything else?"
"No," Tahiri responded. She stood up and gathered her supplies. Before she walked out the door, she glanced back at Araneya. She was staring blankly at the wall, tapping her fingers rapidly on the table. Araneya look at Tahiri blankly, "Who are you?"
Tahiri shook her head sadly as she left the room. She felt for the woman. Her brain had been permanently altered by Shapers. Tahiri vowed that she would help Araneya adjust, somehow. She didn't want her to suffer as she had.