The rest of the trip to Csilla was uneventful, which allowed Jacen to continue contemplating whether or not he did the right thing in turning both Garis and Danni down. Sitting in the pilot seat, he remained utterly silent and unmoving until the hyperdrive counter beeped to let him know that it was time to drop out of light-speed.
Minutes after the Solo Quest dropped out of hyperspace and subsequently docked in the underground city of Cshanalla, the YT-1300's boarding ramp lowered and Jaina was the first one to run out and hug the expectant Jag. The two of them followed up their embrace by kissing each other as Jag's family watched from behind him and Jacen and Garis watched from behind Jaina at the foot of the ramp.
When Jaina and Jag were done, the former fished in her pocket and produced the rings that Jacen returned to her. Jag slipped on his own ring while Jaina did the same for hers.
"So I guess the wedding's back on?" Jag asked with a flirtatious grin.
"You know it," Jaina replied. "Same time, same place." She then turned away to face her brother, still waiting with Garis. "Oh, and, Jacen, before we say goodbye, I have to ask, when are you going to tell Mom and Dad that you got Danni Quee knocked up?"
Jacen grimaced as Garis looked at his idol in surprised confusion. Jag and his family, meanwhile, mimicked Garis's state.
"I guess you peeked in on the conversation through our twin bond?" Jacen asked his sister.
"Sorry about that, but I was rather curious," Jaina said. "You can remind me about violating your privacy via empathic connection later. Right now, I'm interested as to how you're going to broach the subject to our parents."
"Why should I?" Jacen asked. "They really don't need to know. Danni and I had our agreement, and there's really no reason why anyone else should get involved in this matter."
"Fair enough," Jaina replied evenly. "But, tell me, Jacen, for a Jedi, why are you so apt at dodging responsibilities nowadays?"
"Oh, because I turned down Danni's offer to help raise our child, and because I turned down Garis's offer to train him, too?" Jacen argued. "You know, since I've returned from my sojourn, I've done some pretty good things so far."
"Yeah, saving Raynar, helping catch Nom Anor, preventing Aunt Mara from killing him, taking down the True Victory Party while protecting Nom Anor, delivering him to Zonama Sekot, and especially saving me from PTSD," Jaina acknowledged. "Fine, you got a good argument there. In fact, that actually makes you turning both Danni and Garis down a little more reprehensible, if you ask me."
"Really?" Jacen asked as he crossed his arms. "Why?"
By now, the Fels and even Garis were growing a little awkward in their attitude.
"Because you haven't realized yet that your sojourn is over," Jaina explained. "It was over the minute you decided to help Raynar. Now you're back, and because you've made those decisions to adopt those responsibilities, Jacen, you have a moral obligation to yourself to do all that you can with your powers. You know it as well as I do, because of what we experienced in that mnemotherapy session, that you could never experience that state of oneness when you killed Onimi ever again."
"But I did," Jacen pointed out as he uncrossed his arms, letting them drop back to his sides. "I did it with you."
"Yes, we did," Jaina agreed. "Yet that was just a reliving of that same experience; you can't replicate it as a new event for yourself. And you've learned a lot of things in your travels since then, all the while knowing that you could only be the best, yet still striving for more.
"Jacen, as much as I know that you want that, and as bad as it might be for me to say this, but you have to settle for the best that you can be as you are now. You're a Master now, and you know it in your heart; all you need is just for Uncle Luke to make that official for public record. I know that you feel as if you must follow his word that you must do what's best for yourself, or what you think is best for yourself, but you know what? You're not doing it yet, and deep down, your conscious is telling you that you're not really living up to your full potential."
Jacen raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me what I should do, huh? What if I decided that I wanted to forgo any possibility of being a Master and return to Zonama and Danni to raise our child?"
"Jacen, if you do that, you'll at least be making some kinda personally responsible decision as a Jedi," Jaina said. "So make one: either agree to a position on the Jedi Council, or go be with Danni and help her raise your child."
Jacen was silent for a moment. "Goodbye, Jaina." He turned to head back up the ramp, Garis following.
"The wedding's next month, two days," Jaina called. "Have a safe trip." Her tone was utterly neutral as she said those last four words.
.
After the Quest was back in hyperspace, Garis, in the copilot seat, turned to Jacen and said, "So what have you decided on, Jacen?"
Jacen looked at the younger man with something resembling resignation.
"I think I'll choose being a Master, Garis," Jacen said.
"So... does that mean...?"
"Yes, Garis," Jacen answered. "If Master Luke permits it, I'll be your Master. And I think it's obvious that he'll permit it."
Garis's fairly blank expression brightened into a glowing smile. "That's great. Really, that's great, Jace- Uh, I mean, Master Solo."
Jacen smirked. "Well, if you're going to be my apprentice, Garis, I suppose I should start teaching you some of the techniques I've learned. Particularly when it comes to making chemical compounds. But we'll start off light; we'll have you do some healing emollients first."
"Very well," Garis said.
"But before we do that, let's lay down a ground rule," Jacen said. "One: don't call me Master Solo until after I've actually been officially promoted to that title. Second, after I am promoted to that, you'll only call me that on formal occasions, such as when we're around other Masters or Jedi we don't have a rapport with as a duo. When it's just the two of us, then you can still call me Jacen."
"Understood, Jacen," Garis said.
Jacen gave the old Solo grin. "Good. Now, we got another couple o' hours or so before we have to hurry back here and drop out for a course recalculation. So let's head into my cabin so you can start on your training."
"Yes, Jacen," Garis said as he stood up to follow his Master to his quarters.
.
Following the Solo Quest's return to Denon a day later, Jacen and Garis were met by the former's parents in the Jedi Temple's hangar bay. They were both smiling at Jacen.
"Come on, Jacen," Han said. "Your Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara want to see you."
I wonder if you'd be smiling like that after learning about Danni and me, Jacen thought. He kept that hidden from both his mother and Garis, lest the latter wonder why he was hiding it from Leia; of course, Jacen knew that the younger man was smart enough to find out for his own without revealing, but Jacen still felt that he had to be cautious. He wasn't sure if he wanted to reveal to his parents that he impregnated Danni. Evidently, Jaina, for all her violating his personal privacy and the audacity to tell him what he should do with his powers, at least had the decency to not tell their mother and father that they were going to be illegitimate grandparents.
Once Jacen and Garis joined them, they all turned and headed for the exit of the hangar that would take them into the rest of the Temple.
A couple of minutes later, they all reached a set of double doors which Han opened. Jacen could see nothing but darkness inside.
"Go in, Jacen," Leia said.
Nodding and smiling at the others for what would be the last time as a Jedi Knight, he turned and walked in. When Leia closed the door behind him, Jacen was temporarily bathed in complete darkness.
But that darkness only lasted for five seconds before the entirety of the room was lit up by blue and green lightsabers in a circle around him.
Jacen grinned in pride as he looked out to the Masters that surrounded him; Kyle Katarn, Saba Sebatyne, Kenth Hamner, Tresina Lobi, Kyp Durron, Octa Ramis, and even the Masters Solusar, Kam and Tionne, who normally bore responsibility for the Jedi Academy on Ossus, were present. And rounding all of them out were, of course, Jacen's aunt and uncle, Mara and Luke.
And Luke stood directly ahead of Jacen, his green lightsaber raised in a horizontal arc just as all of the other Masters held their weapons. The most powerful Master in the room, rivaled only by Jacen, approached the soon-to-be youngest member on the Council.
When Luke finally reached Jacen, he said, "Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, you are hereby recognized for not only your skills, abilities, and powers in the Force, but also for the great deeds that you have committed in the short span of your life so far. However, it does not end there; no, your knowledge, the knowledge that you have accumulated from your sojourn, which was spearheaded by your oneness with the Force that ultimately ended the Yuuzhan Vong War, has made this Council see that you would be a valuable Master.
"But most importantly, above all else, you have given the New Jedi Order its own voice with the Unifying Force. With this ideology, in spite of whatever individual doubts that members of this Council may hold against it, the Unifying Force has shown us that we must continue to strive against our own imperfections, and at times learn to live with them, in our never-ending quest to do good for the galaxy. And, on a more personal level, Jacen, I owe you my life when you used the knowledge that you acquired from Vergere to heal me from the poison of the Yuuzhan Vong's false Supreme Overlord.
"But this whole ceremony may very well be for nothing if you say no, Jacen. And we are all prepared for that. So, do you accept a position as Master?"
With only a few seconds of hesitation, Jacen said, "I accept the position as Jedi Master."
"Then, henceforth, you will be Jedi Master Jacen Solo."
As Luke said this, he lowered his blade first near Jacen's right shoulder, then lifted it to hover near his left shoulder. Luke then withdrew the blade from his nephew and deactivated the lightsaber at the same time as every other Master in the room, once again casting them all in complete darkness.
That darkness, however, was once again vanquished as the normal lights were flicked right back on, and every Master in the room clapped for Jacen's new position as Jedi Master. A few seconds later, the doors opened, and Han, Leia, and Garis walked in, with Leia rushing in to hug her son in cheer. Han held back and waited for his wife to withdraw before she said, "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Jacen! And I'm so glad that you didn't turn it down."
"Me, too, Mom," Jacen replied.
"Congrats, kid," Han said as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "And like your mother said, smart move not turning it down."
By now, the applause from the Masters died out completely, and they filed out of the room.
"Thanks, Dad," Jacen responded. "I figured it might finally be a good idea to actually put some responsibility into the Order that I helped bring the Unifying Force into."
"It's too bad that your sister couldn't be here, though," Leia said. "We tried to get her on commlink, but you know how it is with communications in the Unknown Regions."
"Yeah, even the Esfandia relay station gets some hiccups here and there," Han followed.
"It's not a problem," Jacen said. "During this time, Jaina was here with me; she felt this happen in our renewed twin bond. She was here in spirit more literally than figuratively."
"I wish the same could be said for Anakin," Leia said with regret in her tone. "He could have been a great Master, too."
Han gently pulled his wife in for a comforting hug at the memory of their lost son.
"I'm sure he would have," Jacen agreed with his own tinge of sorrow. "But he'll always be here with us in one way or another. So, wherever he is, I'm sure he knows about my promotion here."
"I think so, too, Jacen," Leia said.
"Yeah, me, too," Han followed.
There was a brief silence between the four of them - including Garis, who respectfully stood back from the family gathering - before Jacen said, "Uh, Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you."
"Oh, yeah?" Han asked. "What is it?"
"Well, it may sour the mood that we had going on with me being a Jedi Master and all, but..."
"But what?" Han asked, his cheery demeanor now becoming concerned.
"Well, do you remember Danni Quee?"
.
Even with his Force-senses alerting him to any potential danger, Luke was still surprised as Han barged into his office just as he was sitting down in his desk.
"Luke," Han said once he firmly placed his hands on his brother-in-law's desktop, "you take Jacen's rank of Master away right now!"
"Han, please," Leia said as she finally came into view over her husband's shoulder.
Han held up his hand in front of his wife, not taking his eyes off Luke. Leia sighed in irritation as her husband continued ranting.
"Recall all the Masters right this instant, go back into that room, and reverse the whole thing until Jacen's a Knight again." Then, without missing a beat, he said, "Actually make him into an apprentice again, because what he did after delivering that slime Nom Anor to Zonama Sekot was one of the dumbest things that a teenager could do, never mind a full-grown man!"
"Han, this is ridiculous," Leia interjected.
"No, no," Han said as he finally looked back at his wife, "what is ridiculous is Jacen sticking his-"
"Han, calm down," Luke said. "What exactly did Jacen do that should make me reconsider my promoting him to Master?"
"Well, do you remember Danni Quee?" Han asked.
"Well, sure, I do," Luke answered.
"Well, I answered that question with a, 'Yeah.' You know what his answer was?"
Before Luke could make a suggestion, Han interrupted him by saying, "In his exact words, he said, 'Well, uh... I kinda... im-pregnated her.'"
"I see," Luke said. "Well, I'd certainly like to talk to him about that."
"And do what exactly?" Han asked. "Slap him on the wrist? Luke, you can't just let him go around the galaxy knockin' women up! When a man and woman have children, they need to provide for those children! They need to dedicate and sacrifice their lives for those children! You can't just abandon them! I mean, sure, Leia and I weren't always there for the twins and Anakin, but we at least made sure they were safe with Winter or something!"
Luke all but ignored his brother-in-law as he pulled out his personal commlink and dialed Jacen's frequency.
"Yes?" Jacen's voice finally came.
"Jacen, do you have any idea-"
"Han, be quiet," Luke said. "Let me talk to him." He refocused his attention on the commlink. "Jacen, is it true that you impregnated Danni Quee?"
"Yes," Jacen replied in a dull tone.
"And have you made any arrangements regarding this matter?" Luke asked.
"We have," Jacen answered. "She said that she's perfectly capable of raising the child on her own, and that I can visit her and our baby on Zonama at anytime. She also offered to stay with her on Zonama to help raise the child. I accepted to just visit from time to time; besides, now that I'm a Master, I doubt I'd be able to just shirk this responsibility to go and help raise my kid."
"You should, you know!" Han exclaimed. "You should drop that title of Jedi Master and-"
"Han, enough!" Luke interrupted. "Leia, would you please take your husband outside?"
"My pleasure," Leia said as she used the Force to begin dragging him back out. Han didn't say another word; he just fumed as his wife dragged him out the door, and only resumed his ranting once the door to Luke's office was closed.
With no more foreseeable interruptions, Luke returned his attention to his conversation with Jacen again. "Thank you for letting me know about this, along with your parents, Jacen. Unlike your father, I'm willing to let you keep the rank and title of Master, so long as you agree to this term.
"As a Jedi Master, you have certain responsibilities and obligations to the Order now. However, as a father myself, I am more than willing to allow you to see your child from time to time, as you promised Danni. So I will allow you to go to Zonama Sekot once every month. You will choose the time for which you'll be gone, spend your time with Danni and your child, and return to the Order for whatever responsibilities await you. You will, however, have to agree to shirk even that should the Order face any emergency or crisis that requires our collective attention. Do you understand?"
"Completely, Master Skywalker," Jacen replied.
"Very well," Luke said. "Would you like to schedule a time for this month for which you can see Danni?"
Jacen hesitated. "But I already have for this month."
"Indeed, you have. But I'm willing to be generous. Again, would you like to schedule a time for this month for which you can see Danni?"
"Uh... sure," Jacen said. "And I can even continue training Garis- I mean, Apprentice Boric along the way. Would it be okay if I depart back for Zonama today?"
"The sooner, the better, I say," Luke said. "But before you go, would you like anyone else to know about why you would be making these monthly sabbaticals to the Unknown Regions?"
"I think I'll let my father do that for me," Jacen said. "He's pretty much announcing it to the entire Temple already."
Luke couldn't help but smirk as Han seemed to continue in his rant in the corridor outside Luke's office. "Very well. Have a safe trip back to Zonama. And may the Force be with you, Garis, Danni, and your child."
"Thank you, Uncle Luke," Jacen replied. "And good luck getting my dad to calm down before he blows a gasket."
Luke laughed mirthfully as he deactivated his commlink.