Chapter Eleven

"Stop fiddling with your clothes."

"They're uncomfortable, Dad." Ben tugged at the collar of his shirt. "This cravat is itchy. I don't understand why we couldn't just wear our formal Jedi robes."

Looking right, then left, Luke tipped his head, indicating a quiet alcove along the resort's boardwalk. It was nearly sunset, and an ever-increasing number of guests strolled along the waterfront to take in the magnificent sight. Together, father and son slipped out of the public pathway. Luke settled onto the bench, and Ben followed his lead.

Upon sitting, Ben instantly rose to adjust his jacket. His father watched the whole thing, exuding that maddening Grand Master visage.

"Ben, we aren't wearing our Jedi robes because we're attending as Jaina's uncle and cousin."

"Who happen to also be, you know, Jedi."

For all his appearance of calm, Ben detected the subtle set to his father's mouth. "Yes, but I don't think Jaina needs that particular reminder today."

"But Jaina's a Jedi, too. More, she's the Sword of –"

Luke's upheld palm silenced the rest. "Yes, she is." He glanced down, studying the lightsaber clipped to his belt. Robes or not, the weapons were always with them. "I just get the feeling Jaina needs her uncle, and not the Jedi Grand Master, to celebrate with her. I'm not sure it's time for us to revisit that part of our relationship yet."

"Is she mad at you or something?"

"Mad? I don't think so. Disappointed? Probably. And if I were in her shoes, I'd probably feel the same way."

"You didn't do anything wrong. It was Jacen –"

"I'm not sure that's true." His father inhaled a long, slow breath. "Even before Jaina faced Caedus, I knew she would need guidance and support should she come out the other side. I knew this from experience, from my own failings with Jacen."

"Wait, wait. What happened to Jacen wasn't your fault."

"Oh, Jacen certainly made his own choices. But the more I think about it, the more I realize all the things I could have done differently, for him and for many of the other young Jedi I've trained. Jaina has always been the fighter, the doer, but also the one driven by her emotions. When she struggled with the dark side on Hapes, Kyp was there to guide her back, and afterward I came to see that her stumble was merely a blip. If Jaina had only a slight misstep, I guess I let myself become confident Jacen would be the same way, stay on the straight and true without extra guidance."

"It's understandable you would think that way. Jaina has always been a bit of a loose cannon."

"That's your former Master talking, son."

Ben's chin drew back, and he blinked. What he'd said was true, wasn't it? During the Killik crisis, Jaina had defied the Grand Master. Recently, she had faced court-martial for disobeying an order. Jacen's order, he reminded himself. And what about all the stories of the mayhem Jaina had created at the Jedi Academy…

Stories he had been told by Jacen.

"If you think about it," his father said, "I probably was considered a bit of a loose cannon back in the day myself. I'm sure General Dodonna was ready to bust me right out of the Rebel Alliance for turning off my targeting computer on the Death Star trench run, but it proved to be the right thing to do. Right because the Force told me so. Through the course of her life, your cousin has not always done what her superiors expected of her, but I think she's tried hard to do what the Force expects of her."

Ben mulled it over, trying to separate what he knew of Jaina personally from what he had been told over the years by others. A vivid memory blazed in his mind – a chaotic scene onboard the Falcon. The ailing freighter half torn apart, Ben bent on executing Jacen's orders. Even as Jacen rained deadly fire down on them. Through it all, Jaina had followed her father's instructions, trying to save the ship and them all. She had cautioned Ben to do the right thing…

"Jacen, he did what you expected and you rewarded him with favor, with me. And Jaina, she did what was right, even when it meant losing respect in the eyes of the people she loved."

"Yes." Luke rose and walked across the alcove so his back was to Ben. He sighed deeply. "She warned me."

"About?"

"Letting Jacen train you. At the time, I chalked it up to sibling rivalry."

Ben stood, and walked to his father's side. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jacen fooled everyone."

"Except his twin. What if I had listened? Would that have made a difference? Would your mother still be alive? Would Jaina not have had to strike down her own brother?"

"Dad." Ben tugged his father around, then grabbed both shoulders. "Stop this. Stop torturing yourself. Mom would throttle you for it, you know."

This brought a rueful smile to his father's lips. "And I would have loved every second of it."

He might have protested the unwelcome mental image that conjured, but Ben's attention had been diverted beyond his father, to a short distance away where a petite woman leaned over the boardwalk railing, staring out over the water.

"Jaina?" Ben hadn't seen his cousin since the medward on the Healing Seas, and at first he thought his eyes might be deceiving him. The woman, wearing a fashionable red dress, her curly locks of hair drawn back away from her face, appeared remarkably whole. No scars on her back where the dress scooped down, no signs of the disfiguring injury to her face.

The woman smiled, and he was certain his eyes had not deceived him. "Ben!"

Meeting in the middle of the boardwalk, they embraced. Jaina pulled back first. "You clean up nice, Ben Skywalker. Your mother would be proud."

"Uh, thanks." He fought a rising blush, unsuccessfully. "You look…um, beautiful."

"And a charmer on top of the looks." Jaina playfully rubbed Ben's hair. "The women of the galaxy won't know what hit them."

"Not if everyone keeps tossing my hair like a two-year-old, they won't," he muttered.

"Ben, don't grow up too fast," Jaina said, her smile distant and a little sad. Finally, she noticed his father waiting in the shadows of the alcove. "Uncle Luke."

She walked over to him and held out her arms. The hug certainly lacked the enthusiasm she had shared with Ben. Luke stepped back to a respectful distance. "Congratulations, Jaina. I was pleasantly surprised when your mother commed with the news."

Jaina chuckled. "You mean pleasantly shocked like everyone else."

Luke shook his head. "You deserve this. Happiness."

"Thanks." Jaina smiled appreciatively, but Ben saw it again, that hint of sadness.

He wondered if things would ever be right for Jaina after all she had lost. Then some happy news for her popped into his mind. "You know, they were just talking about you at the last Coun– Ow! Dad!"

His father only smiled angelically, feigning innocence over the Force smack that had nearly cracked the back of Ben's skull. "I'm sure Jaina doesn't want to be bothered with boring Jedi business. She has much more exciting things ahead in her immediate future."

Rubbing the back of his head, Ben couldn't see how sharing the news that Jaina had been nominated for promotion to Master would impinge on her wedding plans, but the throbbing ache told him he'd better raise that issue with his father later. "You are the wise one as always."

"Things are well?" Jaina asked.

"Well enough, considering. Oh! Before I forget." Luke moved as if reaching for a pocket, but missed. Apparently he wasn't as used to these clothes as he led on. He tried again, digging into the outside pocket of his suit jacket. "I have something for you."

He withdrew a necklace, the ice jewels studded along its length sparkling in the rays of the setting sun, and held it out. Jaina stared, slackjawed. When she gathered herself, she tentatively stretched her fingers out to caress the necklace. Luke pushed his hand toward her.

"It's yours."

Jaina snatched her hand back, holding it across her chest. "I can't. It… It should stay with you. Or Ben."

"I'm not going to wear that," Ben said.

"Nor would I," Luke added. "Please, Jaina. Mara always meant for you to have it. The first time we came here…" Luke swallowed. "When Mara was going to stand with you, she brought it then. You were like the daughter she never had."

Blinking a lot, Jaina sniffed. "I don't know what to say."

Luke smiled. "You could say, 'I'll take it.'"

Holding out her hand, Jaina allowed Luke to place the necklace on her palm. Fingering the strand of ice jewels, she mouthed, "Thank you."

"You don't have to wear it tomorrow," Luke added. "We just wanted you to have it regardless."

"Of course I'll wear it tomorrow. It's perfect for my dress." She wiped the back of her hand under her left eye. "Kriff, there I go again."

"Girls are supposed to cry at weddings," Ben offered helpfully.

Despite the tears, Jaina flashed a trademark Solo half-grin. "Not enough to fill the Maramere ocean." She sniffed once, straightening her posture. The serene bearing of a Jedi washed across her face. "Okay. I'm better. I just hope I don't get used to the idea of being given these wonderful gifts. I did the same thing when Jag's mom gave me an amurzinth crystal for my new lightsaber and I nearly –"

"What happened to your old one?" Ben asked.

"It's gone."

"Gone?"

Jaina ignored Ben's question and looked to Luke instead. "I'm building a new one. I was having trouble with the emitter's redundant phase lock out wiring. Maybe some time I could have a look at Mara's?"

"Certainly." Luke smiled at Ben. "How about now?"

Snapping the lightsaber from his belt, Ben held it out to Jaina. "Here you go."

"Oh… I didn't expect." She wrapped her fingers around her former master's weapon and tipped her head. "She would have liked that you use her blade. Do you mind if I open it?"

"Nope. It's not like you're going to break it or something."

Ben watched as Jaina triggered the hidden mechanism only a few people knew about. The casing seal released, and Jaina peeled back the cover. Freeing the crystal from its housing, she pulled it out to reveal the inner workings of the weapon. Her careful scrutiny showed a true appreciation for the masterpiece his mother had created. Tracing the lines of wiring, Jaina mouthed some thoughts to herself, then suddenly looked up at Ben.

"Can you hold it for a second?"

"Uh, sure."

As Ben took back his halved hilt and the exposed crystal, Jaina drew up the skirt of her dress. Before he could turn away or shout his embarrassed protest, she had drawn out a lightsaber of her own. "Glad I brought this."

In a matter of seconds, Jaina had it opened and began comparing the two weapons. "Okay. I see it. I think I've got it now. Thanks, Ben."

Luke had watched Jaina scrutinize her handiwork without a word. "May I?"

"Oh." Jaina hesitated, then held out her lightsaber. "Sure."

Luke studied the interior only briefly. Ben thought his father was about to suggest something, but then he simply smiled appreciatively as he closed the hilt. With a flick of his thumb, Jaina's blade hummed to life. A few masterful twirls sent the silver blade humming in the early evening air.

"Beskar, right?"

Jaina nodded.

Double-handing the hilt, his father slashed a high-to-low blow to an imaginary foe, then held the pose in silent contemplation. "I like it. Smooth, lightweight. Well-balanced."

During the course of his inspection, the vibrant spectacle had drawn a crowd of onlookers from all along the boardwalk. Ben detected small spikes of alarm in the Force, but mostly genuine awe at the sight of the Jedi Grand Master putting on an impromptu demonstration. "Uh, Dad?"

Thrust back suddenly into reality, Luke straightened and closed down the blade. With a jaunty salute, he acknowledged the crowd. "Jedi business. Nothing to see here."

That seemed to allay any concern. As the visitors withdrew, one individual shoved between the rest. A man of average size in formal civilian attire, Ben might have mistaken him for a random guest in the dimming light – if not for the shocking white streak that shot up through his hairline. "Jag! Did Jaina perfect her new lightsaber alignment on your beard?"

Jag's severe, almost earnest expression, softened. His eyes, which had been trained on his bride-to-be, lost their hard lock. And he actually grinned. "She did. She claims the wayward bounty hunter look wasn't becoming of an Imperial officer."

"I did no such thing!" Jaina remarked in mock outrage. Stepping forward, she planted a tender kiss on his lips. "But I have no complaints."

She drew back, studying him. "You alright?"

"Yes." He nodded as if he were reassuring himself with his answer. "It was just the lightsaber…"

"We were comparing handiwork," Luke noted, passing the beskar hilt back to Jaina.

"Why in the name of all that is holy are you carrying your lightsaber?" Jag asked her.

She shrugged. Luke chuckled. "Old habits die hard, Jag."

"Under the pillow, I can understand. But under that dress? In a secure resort, amid a few hundred of the sharpest tactical minds and strongest warriors in the galaxy?" Jag wrapped his arm around Jaina. "For once, it's time to let everyone else do the worrying, right?"

Ben's father pursed his lips, shaking his head. "Oh, I don't know. You can never predict when the vicious Wedding Demon will make its appearance."

"No fair," Jaina said, laughing. "As I recall, your wedding –"

"Was the happiest day of my life," Luke concluded.

"Uh huh. And this is just my little extra layer of security to ensure we have the exactly same end result." With a wink, Jaina hitched up her skirt and clipped the lightsaber back to her garter.

When she finished, Jag grabbed her by the shoulders. "Promise me I will not find that lightsaber under your wedding dress."

Jaina flashed a mischievous grin. "I promise something else will be missing."

"Too much information," Ben howled. Even his father was blushing. "Dad, perhaps we should leave the bride and groom to debate the wedding day attire all by their lonesome."

"Excellent idea." Luke threw his arm around Ben. "We'll see you at the rehearsal?"

Jaina and Jag, thoroughly engrossed in each other, offered a mutual, barely recognizable affirmation. The sad expression Ben had seen earlier was forgotten as his cousin leaned into her future husband. And as the pair locked lips in the dawning moonlight cast over the Maramere ocean, Ben felt for the first time in his life what he could only describe as pure bliss.

The sensation was fleeting, though, as another emotion pierced his young heart. Beside Ben, his father's step flagged, and just for a second his shoulders hunched. For a moment, Ben thought some rapid onslaught illness was about to double him in two.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"It just…" Luke inhaled a ragged breath. "I suddenly realized I will never feel that way again."