A/N: Whew! Finally made it… hope you've enjoyed the ride, and don't forget to let me know how you liked it! :-)

Epilogue

He stayed on the shuttle, waiting for a crew from the med bay to come and retrieve Vulcor, and then came slowly behind the hover-gurney, emerging into the massive hangar bay as the last of the Jedi were leaping down from their cockpits… and half-expecting Wedge Antilles to appear to clap him in binders again and haul him away.

If that was Wedge's plan, it wasn't well-executed. In fact, no one seemed to be paying him any mind at all, and that was fine with him. He contemplated slinking out of the hangar, unnoticed, and finding somewhere to try to sleep for about a week straight… but as he sought an exit strategy, he felt a gentle nudge in the Force, and turned to see the whole Skywalker-Solo-Fel clan gathered around the pads where Luke and Mara had just landed.

Leyla was hugging her great-aunt and uncle, but her head swiveled around and she caught Kyp's gaze and grinned, scrambling out of Luke's arms and heading quickly over. "Kyp!" she called, smiling broadly, and Jaina stood and watched her run over with a wry expression on her face. Kyp thought he sensed some sort of amused warning from Jaina, but couldn't tell what it was before Leyla was leaping up into his arms.

He caught her and smiled. "Hey, princess."

"I'm not a princess."

"Well, you're pretty like a princess," he teased.

She grinned. "I'm glad you came back."

"I told you I would. And have you been good?"

"Yes!" she protested. "Just like I told you I would!" Her expression turned suddenly serious and she eyed him somberly. "But I want to tell you something, Kyp."

His lips quirked, bemused. "Go ahead, sweetie."

"You don't have to pretend anymore."

He stared. "Pretend what, Leyla?"

She looked hesitant. "Mommy and daddy said that it was okay if I told you I knew everything…"

Kyp froze for a moment before lowering her to the ground and kneeling in front of her, so there would be no danger of dropping her. "Leyla," he said shakily, "what are you talking about?"

"You don't have to pretend not to be my father anymore." She shot a glance back at Jaina and Jag. "But they said I can still call you Kyp if I want," she finished quietly.

For a half minute, he just stared at her wide eyes and earnest expression, completely at a loss. He shot a glance over her head at Jaina and Jag, who seemed mildly amused by his dumbfounded expression. Tearing his gaze back to Leyla, he saw that she was starting to look worried, and he smiled and took her little hands in his. "Of course you can," he said. "You can call me whatever you want." She brightened again. "But sweetheart… how did you find out?" A familiar, almost guilty expression crossed her face. He grinned and shook his head. "Leyla, did you find out because of the memory trick that Wrynn taught you?"

She nodded. "It was an accident. And I was really confused at first and didn't understand until I did it a few more times… and then when mommy and daddy got here, I asked them about it. Mommy promised that she wasn't mad, but Uncle Wedge seemed to be a little bit… are you mad?"

Kyp fought back a laugh, envisioning Wedge's face during that conversation. "Don't be silly, sweetheart, of course not. But let me ask you this- are you?"

"What?"

"Are you mad or upset that I never told you?"

"Oh," her little brow furrowed in concentration. "No. Maybe a little when I first found out," she amended, and Kyp made a mental note to ask Jaina for the full details of that conversation later. "But daddy said you just wanted me to be happy and that you wanted to tell me one day anyway, right?"

"That's right."

"And," she continued, "if everyone knew, then you wouldn't have found me!"

Chuckling softly, Kyp pulled her back up into his arms and headed over to the group where the rest of her family was gathered. Wedge was there now, and he eyed Kyp with a highly calculating expression that Kyp chose to ignore. Instead, he approached Jaina and Jag who were both beaming at him, a highly unusal sight for the stoic Chiss-raised colonel.

Kyp set Leyla down, and Jaina immediately drew him into a tight hug. "Thank you," she mumbled against him. "We owe you so much."

"Nah," he said. "You know I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

She pulled away and smiled, leaning up to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Yes, I do- which is why you'll make a terrific father."

"Yeah," he snorted, "thanks for the warning on that one."

"Hey," Jag said, shaking Kyp's hand warmly and clapping him on the back, "you got as much warning as we did. And poor Wedge… looked like he was about to faint on the spot."

Kyp glanced over again at the general who was shaking his head. "Well, Durron," he said. "nothing is ever simple with you, is it?"

"I reckon not."

"Just one question," Wedge tilted his head curiously. "Did you summon the Jedi squadrons and the Second to the aid of the Fourth?"

Kyp shot a guilty glance at Mara who rolled her eyes. "Yes."

Wedge sighed. "Oh, alright. I'll get the charges dropped, I think the… unusual explanation and mitigating circumstances will be more than enough for the judicial board."

"I appreciate that," Kyp said sincerely.

"Does that mean Kyp doesn't have to go back to jail?" Leyla asked, eyes bright and excited.

Wedge grinned sardonically down at her. "No, honey, he doesn't."

"And…" she hesitated. "Are all of the bad people gone?"

Kyp nodded wearily. "You bet. I promise. And Vulcor's going to make it; Wrynn hurt him, but they're already taking care of him, he should be ship-shape in a week or so."

"What about the others?" there was a faint tremor in her voice.

Luke leaned down and addressed her softly. "Well, Leyla, they chose not to surrender and attacked instead. I'm afraid that we had no choice but to kill the ones who did, though one of the apprentices- Tahlia- chose to come with us instead."

Leyla seemed to take a minute to process that, and then rounded on Kyp. "I told you that Uncle Luke was going to have to kill Wrynn to stop him from being an emperor!"

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Jaina and Jag entered the med bay, Leyla walking between them and holding their hands. It had been five days, and soon, they would reach orbit around Coruscant and finally go home. But first, they had a visit to make.

They found the right room and knocked once before entering. The single occupant, a young, sandy-haired man, looked up and straightened in surprise, a soft smile touching his face when he saw Leyla, though it faded slightly when he realized who the two with her were. Jaina studied his appearance, as well as his aura in the Force, and found a man with many regrets, but little anger or despair. Physically, he looked good, and only a faint pinkish tinge to his skin indicated the amount of time he still spent in bacta, repairing external and internal damage from Wrynn's assault.

"Vulcor!" Leyla exclaimed delightedly, standing beside his bed, straining to peer up over the railing. "You're alive!"

Jag suppressed a snort beside her and Jaina just shook her head. For his part, Vulcor didn't seem to mind the abrupt greeting. "I am," he acknowledged somberly. "Thanks to Master Durron. I never thought I'd see you again, Leyla," he smiled, "but I'm very glad that you've made it back to your parents." He shifted his gaze up at the two of them and bit his lip, anxious. "I can't even begin to express my own shame over what we… what my people… did to your family…"

"Please," Jaina held up a hand. "From what Kyp has told us, you have easily made up for any share of the blame that might have been yours. And Leyla tells us that you were very kind and caring to her, in a place where she had no one… and we thank you for that."

Vulcor looked hesitant to ask. "What is to become of me now? I truly appreciate the care I've received here but… I have nowhere to go, no family…"

Jaina nodded and took up a seat in a chair next to the bed. "That's actually what we came to talk to you about. Master Skywalker- you know of him?" Vulcor nodded. "He has extended an invitation for you and Tahlia to live and study at his academy on the planet Ossus, with dozens of other Jedi trainees. He recognizes, of course, that your training is already advanced… but he feels it will be a good healing process for you both, after what you've been through."

Vulcor nodded slowly. "That sounds… nice. More than I ever wished for, to be honest."

Leyla grinned. "And if you're still there in a couple of years, maybe we can be students together when I come to really learn how to be a Jedi."

"I'd like that, Leyla."

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Two Months Later

Jaina Solo-Fel returned from a meeting at the Jedi temple in the early evening, easing her speeder into their private berth in the hangar of their new apartment building- which was, conveniently, only a short distance away from Kyp's, giving Jaina a sense of extra security when it came to Leyla.

It had been two months, and life was returning to normal. On some levels, the galaxy was still reeling from the incredible complexity of the scheme, the longevity of it… yet another of Palpatine's resurfaced ploys to destroy all that they held dear. But once again, they had prevailed, and life had returned to its usual state of relative simplicity.

Relative- because she was a Solo, a Skywalker, a Fel… a Jedi Knight, wife of a diplomatic envoy, daughter to a politician, niece to the head of the Jedi order… and all of those things invariably affected what others might consider normality; for Jaina and Jag, for Jacen, Han, and Leia… that was just the way that things had always worked, and always would.

As she exited the turbolift on her floor, Jaina reflected fondly on the ever-stronger bond between her and Jag, between her and Leyla… and the budding relationship between Leyla and Kyp, as he slowly felt out what it was to be a father figure to her, and she gradually came to view him as such. Part of Jaina wondered if he regretted not allowing himself this five years ago… but she knew what he would say- that things might have worked out very different- and badly- in the recent crisis if he had not done what he did.

She couldn't argue with that viewpoint.

As she walked into the apartment- still mildly unfamiliar, but growing on her- she frowned. Something felt… different. A sense of anticipation drifted from the other room, and Jaina smiled, realizing that Jag was waiting for her. She walked into the bedroom and quirked a brow.

"My… don't you look dashing tonight?" He truly did, in a grey suit that evoked images of his military uniform, his facial hair shaved and trimmed, leaving a goatee that made him look distinguished and older than his twenty-seven years. "What's the occasion?"

He swept over to her and pulled her flush against him. "The occasion, fair lady," he leaned down and ghosted his lips across her ear, "is that I am taking you out to dinner."

"Oh?" She glanced around, noticing the lack of a familiar presence in the apartment. "Where's Leyla?"

"Spending the night with Kyp."

"Oh…" Jaina's brow furrowed slightly.

Jag frowned and tilted her face up. "I didn't think you'd mind," he said slowly. "I wanted to surprise you."

"No," she assured him, "it's just… I still hate being away from her for more than an hour or two at a time," she admitted ruefully.

He nodded and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I know; but you know that, if anyone will be protective to the point of absurdity, it'll be Kyp."

"Yeah," she gave him a cocky grin, "when she's older, the two of you will be lining up to interrogate her boyfriends…"

He scowled. "What makes you think she'll be allowed out of the apartment anymore once she turns thirteen or so? We could keep her locked up until she's about, oh… thirty?"

She smacked his arm playfully. "Fine, fine… dinner then. What should I wear?"

"Ah," he produced a hangar, "I bought something for you."

For a full minute, she stared. "Jag," she breathed. "It's beautiful." The dress was a long, flowing, shimmering silver, modestly cut as she liked, but with a low back and bare shoulders- provocative enough, in its own way. "How did you ever find it?"

"A Corellian never reveals his secrets."

"My mother helped you pick it out then." He scowled and she laughed lightly, reaching up and giving him a lingering kiss. "Give me ten minutes."

Three hours later, they walked arm-in-arm back into the apartment after a long, romantic meal at an exotic restaurant with more food selections from more worlds than Jaina could keep track of- indeed, some of them, she'd never even heard of. Afterwards, they'd walked along a promenade, watching the glimmering lights of the city traffic above and below them until it started to get late and chilly, and he had walked her back to their speeder with an arm draped warmly around her bare shoulders.

Now, back home, she leaned against him, both sipping idly at champagne, and she tried to remember the last time they had spent an evening to themselves. They had been few and far between, that was for sure. "This is nice," she murmured, snuggling back against him, taking a sip. "We should plan spontaneous romantic nights out more often."

He laughed. "Only as often as I can steal your mother away to help me shop for gifts for you. And to tell the truth, this was planned… for a couple of weeks, anyway."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Jaina, there's something I want to talk to you about…"

She tilted her head up to look at his face. "Wining and dining me like a business client, Colonel Fel?" she smirked. "How delightedly sneaky." Her expression grew serious. "What's on your mind?"

"Well…" he took a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot since… well, since we got home two months ago, really. About us, and Leyla, and life... It's true that we never planned on being parents so early in life- obviously. But against all odds, things worked out so well for us, with Leyla, with the war ending when it did, and with Kyp… And now that Leyla's almost eight, and we've been through what we have and come out stronger for it… and she'll be going to the academy in just a couple of years…"

"Jag?" Jaina turned and looked at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. "You're rambling, honey. What are you trying to say, exactly? You want to leave Coruscant? Go back in the military? Lock Leyla in her room until she's thirty?"

He met her gaze with soft eyes and a smile so gentle and warm she thought her heart would burst. "What I'm trying- and failing, obviously- to say, is that… I think we should have another one."

Three beats passed. "Another what?"

"Another… what do you think? I think it's time that you and I gave Leyla a little brother or sister- this time, on our terms." She stared at him, and he continued doggedly ahead. "It's just, when we got married… at first, we didn't talk about it, because we already had Leyla, and we were so young that we knew she would be enough to keep our hands full… and now, almost six years later, we still haven't talked about it and…" he hesitated, "I like the idea of me and you… creating a new life…"

Jaina continued to stare at him, and he cringed slightly, wondering if he'd been wrong to do this now, while the wounds from Leyla's kidnapping were still so fresh. But then, something flickered in her eyes, and a slow smile spread across her face. She clambored up onto his lap, setting down her champagne flute and sloshing it almost over the sides, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think," she whispered, "that it's a marvelous idea."

"You do? I mean, really?"

Her lips met his in a slow, thorough, deep kiss. "Yes," she breathed against him. "I do. Should we get started right away?"

"Hm?"

Grinning coyly, she took the glass out of his hand and set it down before taking his hand and coaxing him to his feet. She turned and walked slowly towards the bedroom, glancing over her shoulder at him as she reached up to unfasten the straps of her dress that tied behind her neck. Eyes darkening in anticipation, he followed her.

And- just this once- they were both thrilled to have Leyla out of the apartment for the night.

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Kyp woke up suddenly, not entirely sure why. There was no noise, no disturbance in the Force… and then he felt it.

Just a little disturbance in the mind of a certain little girl in the next room.

Blinking sleep out of his eyes, he swung his legs out of bed and stood, calling on the lights dimly. The door to his bedroom was already opened a crack, and he pulled it open just a bit further to peer out at Leyla, not wanting to necessarily wake her if she was just having a nightmare.

She was awake though, and sitting upright on the makeshift sofa-bed, he knees drawn in close to her chest. Her eyes swiveled around when she sensed him watching. "Oh… hi, Kyp." Her voice was soft and somber.

"Hey," he stepped fully into the room. "Can't sleep?"

She shrugged and heaved a sigh. "I was… but then I woke up and…" she trailed away and looked down.

He thought he understood. "Sort of scary, waking up in a new place for the first time, huh?" Her eyes rose again to meet his and he thought she looked a bit relieved that he understood. He crossed over to the sofa and sat on the opposite end where he could turn and look at her. "Do you want to go home?"

Hesitating only a moment, she shook her head adamantly. "No," she murmured. "Just… can you stay with me for a little bit?"

Smiling softly, he fought back a yawn and nodded. "Of course, sweetheart."

Immediately satisfied, she scrambled across the couch and curled up next to him. He put an arm around her tiny shoulders and used the Force to tug her abandoned blanket over, draping it across her. She giggled and rested her head against his side. "Kyp," she said quietly, "I'm glad I'm here. And next time, I won't be scared, I promise."

"I know you won't," he grinned ruefully at the brave and serious girl. "But if you were, that'd be okay too."

She seemed to mull that over for a moment before abruptly changing the topic. "How's Vulcor? And Tahlia?"

"Luke tells me that they're doing really well at his academy," he assured her. "And guess what? Zekk is out there visiting Ossus now, but when he comes back, they might come for a visit to Coruscant."

"Good," Leyla said firmly. "Vulcor told me that he's never been here; I don't think he believed me when I said how big everything is." She paused. "Are Zekk and Tahlia dating?"

He grinned. "Yes, sweetie, I do believe they are."

"Like you and mommy used to?"

He coughed and started, remembering the way Jaina and Jag had tried to explain to Leyla about Kyp being her father. "Uh… sort of."

Her brow furrowed. "Does that mean they're going to have a baby?"

"Probably not," he muttered. "And if they do, it probably won't be for a very long time."

"Oh." He could sense her deep in thought for a while before she spoke up again. "Kyp? Are you sad that mommy married daddy instead of you?"

Out of the mouths of babes…

He sighed and decided that an honest answer would be best. "I used to be, a long time ago. But not anymore. Your mommy and daddy love one another very much, in a way that your mommy and I never did; they were always meant for each other."

Her confusion was palpable. "Then why did you and her have a baby?"

Despite himself, he couldn't help but grin. "You'll understand when you're older." And it was true… one day, a long way away, she would understand, would know that it had never been Jaina's choice, that the dark side had twisted Kyp, made him so delusional that he thought that, by tricking her and hurting her, she would come back to him. But also that, against all odds… Leyla was loved and adored by her real parents and her adoptive father, that she had been the center of Jaina and Jag's universe since the minute she was born.

Leyla's breathing deepened, and a gentle probe of the Force told Kyp that she was slowly drifting to sleep once more. He contemplated moving her and then gave a mental shrug, settling himself deeper into the sofa and leaning his head back, letting his own eyes drift closed once more. "Goodnight, Leyla," he whispered, not entirely sure if she was awake at all to hear him.

She was. "Goodnight, daddy…"

And then she was asleep. Eyes closed, head resting against the back of the sofa, Kyp let a slow smile spread across his face as a gentle warmth tickled at his heart.

Fin

A/N: Again, I'd really like to know how you've enjoyed the story, so reviews are appreciated. :-)

Cheers!

*~Lexi~*