Disclaimer: I'm still not George Lucas. Unfortunately.

A/N: Darksidesparkles- thanks!

Part VII

Eighteen Months Later

The word peace rolled strangely around his head. It was foreign, unusual, out of the ordinary…

He spoke it aloud a few times. It still sounded odd.

More than four years of abhorrent bloodshed, trillions of sentient beings killed, dozens of planets destroyed, hundreds of species extinct or endangered… and now…

It was simply over.

In four years, Kyp Durron had changed beyond imagining. He had gone from a rash, proactive, arrogant young man without a care in the world to a thoughtful, hesitant Jedi who was more concerned with the integration of the surviving Yuuzhan Vong into the galaxy than with killing them. Though, he supposed, most of those changes had been wrought in the latter half of the war alone.

Kyp had lost two apprentices during the war; one, to the Vong, and Miko had died nobly in an act of self-sacrifice in an effort to protect others. The other… well, he'd lost Jaina through his own self-righteousness and later to his lack of discipline, self-control…

The war saw Kyp's stumble back towards the dark side, and without the spirit of a Sith lord to blame. It was more awakening that way, he supposed; he had no choice but to acknowledge his own failings, learn from them, make himself into a better person, a better Jedi for them.

And he thought he'd done a reasonable job so far. It was true, for months he had clung to the Skywalkers' guidance, was nervous and afraid of journeying out on his own again… but something about that day on Mon Calamari had changed him, and he didn't think he'd ever truly understand why. It had been a simple exchange; Jaina had offered her forgiveness, unlooked for, and simply walked back inside, leaving Kyp to his distraught wonderings of what had just transpired.

When Luke appeared a few minutes after Jaina disappeared, Kyp couldn't bring himself to ask if he'd sensed his turmoil, or if Jaina had tipped him off. But the Jedi master had sat silently with him for several minutes until Kyp spoke up.

"She just… forgave me. Just like that."

"Don't squander it, Kyp. Jaina's given you a gift; use it well."

His voice rose as he grew more upset. "She didn't know what she was doing. She doesn't understand, doesn't even know the worst of my transgressions…"

"Kyp," Luke's voice was firm. "She did know; she does understand. Jaina knows what you did, what you tried to do when you went to her aboard the Mon Mothma. She knows, and she's forgiven you."

Kyp paled and his breath came in shallow gasps. "You- you knew? And you took me back anyway?"

"I took you back all those years ago when you were just a scared teenager; I can't let my personal feelings for my family interfere with my interpretation of proper judgment. I wasn't going to abandon you to the dark side because it was my niece you hurt."

And somehow… knowing that the worst of his sins had been laid bare before the head of the Jedi Order and that despite it all, he had not been forsaken… somehow, he'd found the strength to absolve himself of his own failures and finally move on. Jaina- the woman he had loved- had forgiven him for everything; it had been time that he do the same.

Now, as he stood in the shadows of the trees on Zonama Sekot, his thoughts turned toward Jaina Solo- eventually to be Jaina Fel, he supposed- and he sighed. In the year and a half since their short encounter on Mon Calamari, he'd seen her only once, during the pre-assault debriefing prior to the final battle to take back Yuuzhan'tar and reclaim it as Coruscant. Despite a lengthy absence from New Republic space, she and Jag had made it for the final show. There had been a fiery determination, and a keen protectiveness to her, and he admired her all the more for it.

He also grudgingly admitted, as he flew in the same squadron with Jagged Fel, that he was a decent pilot and fighter.

His reverie was interrupted and the crowd assembled began to hush as Luke Skywalker and the Yuuzhan Vong priest, Harrar, approached the plinth where they would make a small address to begin the conclave. It was sunset.

"Friends," Luke spoke softly, but used the Force to carry his voice. "We stand here this evening on the brink of a new era. Our way of life has been threatened, our faith shaken, and our willingness to stand together tested… but we have come through, and will be the stronger for it.

"I stand here now with High-priest Harrar to open this conclave, at the bidding of Sekot. Many of our numbers are still arriving, and the formal ceremonies will not begin until the day after tomorrow. For now though, enjoy the newfound freedom of peace. Everyone who has converged on Zonama Sekot has come with the understanding that we are all among friends.

"So please- reacquaint yourselves with old friends, don't be afraid to forge friendships anew as we begin this journey towards making the galaxy a safe place for ourselves, our children, and their children to come. Speaking of whom…"

A shuttle flew overhead and could be seen descending in a field some distance away. "Booster Terrik and the Errant Venture have graciously retrieved our younglings and children." Luke smiled. "Volunteers are shuttling them down now, so they may be witnesses to the extraordinary events that are to unfold here in the coming days, weeks, and months."

Formalities were observed; Luke and Harrar shook hands and spoke in low tones while the crowd dispersed into smaller, mingling groups. Kyp remained separated, observing and smiling wistfully at the unhurried, completely natural happiness that permeated the air.

Then the first speeder arrived from the shuttle pad.

Tahiri was driving it; Valin and Jysella Horn were in the back with another youngling Kyp did not know, and he watched Corran and Mirax Horn rush forward to take their children in their arms. Rather than turn around and ferry the next bunch, however, Tahiri jumped out of the speeder, eyes wide, and addressed a nearby group of Jedi including Zekk, Lowbacca, and Tesar Sebatyne; her words, however, carried far across the hushed wood.

"Jaina and Jag are coming in the next shuttle… they have a baby!"

Shock and wonder flooded the Force; Kyp closed his mind off and shut his eyes.

It certainly explained the extended absence since he'd seen her last after her knighting ceremony, the reason neither of them rejoined their old squadrons, the unannounced, sudden engagement that had caught her whole family by surprise…

Smiling sadly, Kyp turned to leave the clearing. He was vaguely aware that Luke was looking for him, but he brushed aside the other's concern with a touch of his mind and kept walking. There were still some things he wasn't quite ready to face.

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

Fate wouldn't let him hide, however.

Lying flat on his back, as the last rays of golden sunlight filtered through the windows of the half-constructed, half-natural building that served as his small abode during his time on Zonama Sekot, a tap at the door frame jolted him from his self-pitying musings. He sighed.

"Go away, Master Skywalker," he called half-heartedly. "You can get into my head tomorrow all you want."

"Kyp." He sat up and turned so fast it nearly gave him whiplash. He stared, uncomprehendingly, at the diminutive, hooded and cloaked figure in his doorway, the stiff, somewhat tense man at her side with a large bundle in his arms.

His voice caught in his throat. "Jaina," he choked. "What… why are you here? The party's back that way," he pointed half-heartedly through the trees to the east.

"Kyp," her voice was soft, as though attempting to soothe him, "there's someone I want you to meet."

He attempted a dry smile. "Sorry, but I've already met Jag," he said weakly, eyeing the man with that damned swath of blankets in his arms. Jaina quirked a brow and seemed to fight against rolling her eyes. She turned to her fiancé- Kyp fought from scowling as he merely thought the word, and he mentally cursed these damned people for intruding on his misery, cursed Jaina for flaunting her happiness that, once, he had envisioned would be with him and not some upstart whelp from the Unknown Regions… and then he let it go and sagged visibly, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths. "What do you want, Jaina?"

When he opened his eyes again, she was carefully maneuvering the bundle from Jag's arms. His eyes narrowed slightly as she approached him- Jag drifted into the background a bit- but his curiosity could not be curtailed, and he peered down at the sleeping face framed by dark curls.

"Kyp," Jaina said slowly, "I want you to meet Leyla Solo."

She was beautiful; Kyp had to give her that. He smiled tightly. "Not Leyla Fel?" he asked, a little more snidely than he'd intended, but Jaina replied with a simple 'no.' The child stirred and yawned, and Kyp couldn't help but smile wistfully as her little pink tongue stuck out ever so slightly and her tiny little pearly teeth flashed in the dim light.

And then he frowned. The hair and the teeth… "How old is she?" Even wrapped up in blankets, it was obvious that little Leyla was older and bigger than Kyp had anticipated. Maybe Jaina had been more than a little pregnant when they met on Mon Calamari, perhaps she'd been masking it. The thought gave him a pang.

"Just over a year and a half," Jaina said softly. "Around twenty months." He looked up in confusion. "She's still a little small for her age," Jaina continued, voice low and raw with emotion, "but she's very strong in the Force… like her parents."

"You mean like her mother…"

And then it clicked.

"No." Kyp backed away in horror, knocking over a chair and making a horrendous racket that quickly woke Leyla the rest of the way. "No, no, no, no…"

"Kyp!"

"No…" Kyp muttered. "You can't… I… dear lord, what have I done?" he whispered. Backed completely in a corner, he leaned against the wall, gasping, eyes wide. Perhaps reacting to the earlier noise, or perhaps reacting to the distress in the Force, Leyla began crying softly. Jaina stroked her face for a moment before handing the mass of blanket and child back to Jag, who retreated to the doorway and set to work calming the unsettled baby.

"Take it back."

"What?"

"I just… you're happy with Jag, and I'm happy that you're happy, so if we just pretend that you never came here tonight, we can go back to how things were…"

"How were things, Kyp?" Jaina frowned. "I… I guess I thought…" she trailed off and sighed. "Never mind. I'm sorry. Uncle Luke thought you were ready, that you could handle it."

"Master Skywalker knew about this?" he demanded, appalled. "Who else? Has the entire galaxy been conspiring against me as one big joke, to teach me a lesson for everything I've done wrong?"

She kept her voice low but fierce. "For your information," she hissed, "my uncle is the only person outside of this room who knows. My own parents and twin only found out an hour ago that I have a child, and that was by accident. Cilghal will suspect her parentage, but won't know for sure; Kam and Tionne didn't even ask when we took Leyla to Shelter a month ago, they just assumed she was mine and Jag's!"

Kyp stared. "Perhaps it's for the best if you let that assumption persist."

Jaina met his gaze evenly before he broke it and turned away. "Kyp," she whispered, "please. I want you to try to understand."

"To understand what?" he demanded loudly. Leyla renewed her crying efforts, and Jag stepped outside with her; Jaina didn't bother telling him that it would do no good, that it was the high-emotions in the Force that were causing her distress. "To understand that my worst fears from more than a year ago have been confirmed, after I'd discounted them for so long, when no one ever said…? To understand that I hurt- I violated- the person in this galaxy whom I cared the most about, and now she's stuck with a child she didn't want…"

"Kyp!" He ceased his tirade and stared. "Look at me; look at that child. Do you think I don't want her? That I don't love her?"

"That's not the point!" he contested hotly. "You didn't ask for her, and I took away that choice in a deranged fit of possessive obsession."

"Yes," she agreed softly. "You did. And I hated you for it. I swore that I'd never forgive you, that I'd never forget, for the rest of my life, how you ruined it. And you know what happened?"

He shook his head, mute.

"My life wasn't ruined. I tried to run away from Jag; he wouldn't let me. He stayed by my side for months while I worked out my anger, frustration, my hatred… and then, the day I gave birth to another man's child, you know what he did? He proposed to me. He's stayed with me as we tried to balance our duties to the galaxy under siege, and to Leyla- who he loves as his own and would die for in a heartbeat.

"Did I ask for any of it? No. But the moment I saw my daughter, I knew I couldn't hate you forever. You did something terrible, yes, and you know that… but out of it, I have a beautiful baby girl and… I'd like her to know her father."

Kyp stared at her blankly for a long time. "That'll never work," he croaked.

Jaina's damp eyes met his and he felt his resolve waver- slightly. "Please, Kyp," she murmured. "You have a family now… don't turn it away. I forgave you when you didn't even ask it of me… surely you can do the same for yourself now?"

She approached him slowly and reached a hesitant hand out to touch his arm. When he didn't recoil, she was encouraged, and wrapped her arms around him lightly.

The dam broke. He pulled her into a fierce hug and buried his face in her hair, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," he gasped, voice breaking. "I don't deserve any of it."

She pushed away and regarded him at arm's length. "You've fought tooth and nail to come back from the edge of darkness; you've defended millions in the galaxy and saved countless lives. You deserve a lot more than fate has handed you. But for now," she smiled gently, "why don't you come and meet your daughter."

It was like a dream as he followed her mutely out into the cool evening air. Jag was kneeling on the ground, an odd look for the usually strictly-postured pilot, and, removed from the bundle of blankets, Leyla stood in front of him and stared around at the forest surrounding the habitation, Jag's hands on her little waist to keep her steady, her small tunic dress blowing in the light breeze.

He couldn't move from the doorway as he saw her little eyes widen with wonder at a noise from some animal beyond the tree line. His breath caught in his throat when the girl turned to Jaina and said, "Mama!" and proceeded to babble at length in completely incomprehensible sounds. Jaina just smiled and picked her up.

"That's right," she murmured, during a break in the chatter.

Kyp frowned bemusedly at Jag who was standing and dusting off his pants. "Can you actually understand anything of that?"

"You kidding?"

He met Jag's eyes, hesitantly at first, but a smile touched the corners of the younger man's lips and he nodded encouragingly. Kyp approached Jaina who was still listening to Leyla tell some completely unintelligible story about what she'd heard or seen in the forest.

Jaina interrupted her daughter gently. "Leyla," she said softly, turning sideways so that the child balanced on her hip was facing him, "this is Kyp. Can you say 'Kyp'?"

She gurgled.

"That's right," Jaina said. "Kyp."

"That sounded nothing like Kyp," he couldn't refrain from pointing out.

"Shut up, Durron," Jaina said pleasantly. "Hold your daughter."

So he did. They looked into each other's faces for a full minute, and Kyp took in her soft, brown eyes and her dark hair, a few shades deeper brown than Jaina's, that hung in soft curls around her face. "Hi, Leyla," he whispered softly, "I'm Kyp." She made an indistinguishable sound. "Yep," he said, "Kyp." He was vaguely aware of Jag laughing quietly in the background, but he didn't care.

Tentatively, he reached out for her in the Force and found her own untrained but instinctive tendrils of curiosity extending towards him. He gasped at the contact and opened himself up more fully, and the girl giggled and babbled in response.

In that moment, he understood Jaina's interpretations of the inane ramblings as he felt raw sensation and emotion in the Force that accompanied every sound and movement. He almost felt bad for Jag, knowing that the other would never be able to communicate on this level with the child, even when she developed her speech abilities better… but then, he thought, maybe he could afford to be selfish. Kyp would never know about the first year and a half of his daughter's life; would never see that first step, hear the first word; would never raise her like a true parent… but this… this was something they would share forever, from any distance.

Leyla stared into his eyes and reached out a small hand and pressed it to Kyp's cheek.

His heart melted.

End Part VII