When Jacen finally left the gray in-between place, he was in a tank of bacta. In the translucent blue fluid, he was left in the medical swimsuit and with a breathing tube. Didn't stop him from panicking.
He could feel Snoke's presence, right outside the glass, and knew that he could reach in and touch him. He was a ghost. He could do whatever he wanted, damn the consequences.
And yet. . .
For the first time since Snoke had started showing up in their dreams, he felt his connection to Jaina, stronger and brighter than ever. Then he realized why. She was there, on Vjun!
Jaina—
Then the connection cut again, and Snoke laughed. The cruel sound echoed in Jacen's ears, as his neck went cold.
"Your sister is here," Snoke murmured. "Excellent. This is only the beginning."
Jacen struggled in the bacta tank, but he was only thrashing about in liquid. He couldn't even talk. His heart raced. No, no, not my sister, leave her alone, do whatever you want to me, but don't hurt Jaina!
"Your loyalty to your sister is admirable, Solo," Snoke said. "It will make you and your sisters excellent soldiers. With you and Kyp Durron leading the charge, Vader's cause will be unstoppable!"
Jacen felt some light within trying to break into his brain, but it wasn't Jaina. He knew their connection instinctively. He wanted to fight whatever wanted it, but he remembered what Rey told him.
Breathe. . . Just breathe.
When his eyes flashed open again, both he and Snoke were astonished.
In front of Snoke stood the translucent blue figure of Anakin Skywalker.
"This is not my cause," Anakin snarled.
Kyp kept a tight grip on Jaina's arm, as he tried to look like the darkness-consumed boy he was only a few minutes prior. Already, he wondered how he could have ever been so out of his damn mind. It made no sense.
He wondered if Kylo Ren had felt like that, at a time. If the people Snoke recruited to burn down his home felt that way. For the first time since the fire, he realized that he had empathy for the ones who did it. They were no longer monsters in the night, mere phantoms of a childhood.
"Whoa, where are you going, Durron?" An Acolyte in black stopped him.
Kyp forced Jaina to step forward a little. "I need to take the prisoner to Snoke. She's proved to be. . . Insolent. Un-compliant, that is, to the Supreme Leader's wishes."
Right on cue, Jaina thrashed just enough to look like she really was trying to escape, but not enough to really hurt Kyp.
Focus, Durron! He had to mentally remind himself to not think about his infatuation towards Jaina Solo.
"Don't get yourself into trouble, Durron," said the Acolyte, flinching as Jaina thrashed about.
"I won't," he replied evenly. He put his free hand on his lightsaber, and Jaina went stiff at the same time as the Acolyte. "Come on."
As soon as they were in a hallway, Jaina leaned into his ear. "That was close."
"Tell me about it." Yet Kyp had a hard time wiping the grin from his face. He knew he shouldn't have been smiling. He knew this wasn't going to work. He was terrified. . . Yet. . .
"Keep it together!" Jaina hissed as they heard footsteps clack down the hallway.
They managed to ascend a staircase before entering the chamber that used to be Vader's medcenter.
Jacen watched, helplessly, as Anakin and Snoke began fighting, in some weird Force-thing. At the same time, the blast doors slid open, and Jaina and Kyp ran in, lightsabers a-blazing.
With a single gesture, Jaina shattered the glass. Jacen freed himself from his mask, and Jaina tossed to him her lightsaber. Kyp pulled a blaster off of his person and threw it to Jaina.
The indigo blade had a foreign element to it, Jacen could feel it. But he could overlook that.
"What's the plan now?" Jacen nodded towards the Force-Ghosts locked in battle.
"Run," Kyp said.