Just The Thing Jaina Needed
Note: No real spoilers, in case you wanted to read the series. I mean technically, there might be a slight 'scene leak' but it's nothing pivotal to the story. I just wanted to rewrite it this way lol
As Zekk and Jaina stood talking, after a sparring match, Zekk raised an eyebrow, intrigued by something. Jaina turned to look over her shoulder, surprised to see someone in a outfit distantly resembling Anakin Skywalker approaching at a relaxed pace. He was being calculative, like a cat on the prowl. A helmet covered his face.
"Who are-?" her words were drowned out by the hum of a practice saber igniting and whirring through the air, nearly slapping her. Jaina gasped and breathed the whiff of ozone as she hopped back and ignited her own practice saber. Her face took on a scowl. 'I don't know WHO you think you are, but this isn't funny!" she spat the words riled up.
A chuckled echoed from underneath the helmet, and she could tell from the shaking of the figure that he, or she, was laughing at her, which further enraged her. She was strong. How dare whoever this was treat her like she was some padawan.
"I'm here to help you…. Practice." The man in the suit replied, continuing to hold is saber pointed towards her. He wasn't a skilled swordsman, she could tell. Despite herself Jaina could feel her mouth turning up into a grin. Jagged Fel? Was that Jagged Fel trying to pull her leg? Jaina's eyes quickly skimmed the figure, clearly giving him a once over look, and she smiled with self-assurance. "Okay then. Your funeral." She quickly whirled into a wide swipe towards the right arm, which seemed to be his dominant one. It was calculated to throw him off, coming from a difficult angle. In a matter of seconds she'd have him on the ground and show off for Zekk a little. Of course, she'd pretend not to notice she'd be doing it, secretly relishing his attention for her. This might even bring Fel back into line, if it were him inside the armored suit. She'd noticed recently that he'd cooled to her. Perhaps he'd become lovestruck again with a good beat down, and embarrassment.
All these thoughts ran through Jaina's still smiling head, as she drew on the force to quickly slash across Fel's arm and chest. Her face turned to alarm and dismay, however, as the armored man was still standing, unphased completely by the practice blade. Was the setting too low? Did she miss him? Jaina wondered, gasping as, in the follow up, Fel managed to land a strike on her arm just above and behind her elbow, affecting the 'funny bone'. "Uhh!" she let out an involuntary grunt, reeling a bit from the pain of the shock but mostly alarm at actually being hit. She winced as she felt her arm go numb, and tried to shake it out a little, as it hung limp. Jaina was actually now a little impressed by Fel. He had seemed to bear the brunt of her attack just so he could land that blow, sacrificing himself.
"Well, effective, but hardly a practical tactic." She grinned again. "I'd have cut you in half."
"No you wouldn't. This is beskar armor. That's why I'm still standing, if you happened to notice." He flexed a gauntleted hand. The sleeve, she now had time to see, went up to his shoulder.
Jaina's face turned red with irritation again. "You little cheat," she pronounced indignantly. The helmeted head just shook. "All is fair in love and war. If you expect to defeat Darth Kaidis, you'll have to assume he'll pull all the stops in order to kill you."
Jaina actually listened, and nodded understanding, as she spotted uncle Luke nod behind Fel over his shoulder. "Now continue. That's an order. You just lost your arm, and I'm still okay because of the armor."
He could tell she was really irritated now, partly not liking the order he'd given her, and partly feeling like he had cheated. He wasn't playing the game like she wanted, or was he? His doubts were then cleared for sure, as the Jedi counsel approached for a better view of the match, behind him. Luke and the other masters were observing to offer Jaina advice later, when it was over.
"Oh no! This was sooo embarrassing, already." Jaina thought to herself. The fact that a total novice, like Fel could even land a blow on her with a saber was enough to want to crawl under a rug somewhere, but his being a non force user was even worse. It simply should not have happened in any universe. Why were they all teaming up on her like this? It wasn't fair. How was she supposed to keep her nerve?
Jaina knitted her eyebrows fiercely and raised her blade again, albeit shakily, with her one good arm. This time she'd teach him a lesson and make an example of him. The poker ante had been raised too much, already. Fel should never have invited the masters to watch. By now she was seething with anger, and would really make him pay.
"Remember, you can't draw on your anger to fight a sith, Jaina" Luke warned. She began to breathe and circle Fel now, calming herself and looking for an opening to strike. A mischievous smile again began to creep up her face. She was still ever so confident in her abilities.
This time Fel retreated, as Jaina moved, faster than he could see, striking him, trying to force him down by sheer will and muscle, landing blow after blow. Fel hardly had a moment to marvel that he had somehow manage to parry a few of her strikes. It was easier coming from only one hand though.
And, even though Jaina was very fit and strong, for a woman, and even though she was very skilled in the art of the blade, fighting was somewhat of a rhythm, and her strikes were sapping her strength for the moment requiring her to stop and breathe. Fel took the opportunity to press his attack again, stepping in, and using all of his strength to push back her blade and strike the other wrist. Jaina had wrongly anticipated him to strike for her torso, which was the bigger, and more reasonable target, but everything about this fight was putting her off. It certainly was unconventional and went against the norms of lightsaber duels.
As Jaina winced, and felt her other arm go numb, she couldn't help but wonder if somehow she'd been distracted by him too. Fel did concern much of her thoughts and being this close and fighting someone she had an attraction for, although she'd never admit it, might be throwing her off as well. The practice saber involuntarily fell from her hand to the ground. Jaina's mind began to scream at her to shut up and focus as she had begun to also wonder about Zekk's enfluence on the match, but being struck again by the practice saber got her attention again. "Ooh!" Jaina yelped as he struck her center mass. "It's over! You can't-" She half wined, half begged for mercy, crumpeling to her knees. "You can't do this," She began to wimper.
"I'm going to do you the favor someone else hasn't yet." Fel interrupted. He raised the saber and brought it down striking her diagnally one way and then the other, "Foom!-Foom!" toppeling Jaina over onto her side, spasming and jerking from involuntary muscle movements. She had almost passed out by this point, and Zekk's eyes were almost humorously wide as he struggeled over whether he should come to her aid or not.
It was a good thing Fel's face couldn't be seen, at this point, because he was thoroughly enjoying giving Jaina Solo the spanking she so deserved. That it was happening in front of others was the icing on top. Fel knew her well enough that this would really disturb her. He also didn't want to give the counsel the wrong idea. He wasn't going to hurt her permanently physically.
His helmet tilted a little to say over his shoulder so the others could hear, "I'm going to let up now, but give her a few more strokes so she doesn't forget this lesson, anytime soon." Jaina just lay on the ground, eyes closed and groaning with pain. "Whoom!-Whoom!-Whoom!" The practice blade bit down into her again literally bouncing her body off of the ground and probably leaving a few bruises underneath her outfit. With a Jedi like flourish, Fel waved the blade through the air and snapped it off, mock bowing to the masters, and leaving. If eyes could blare a hole through someone, Fel would be dead from Zekk, Luke thought as the young colonel walked away. It had been hard himself not to interfere, but Luke had had to respect his authority in the matter. Despite how humiliating it might be, it would make Jaina a better Jedi, after all, and Kaidis would in fact show no mercy, they must assume.
Jaina managed to salvage some of her dignity, thankfully, by not letting on that she'd wet herself underneath her training outfit; but just as Fel had said, it did help her somehow. She couldn't put her finger on it but somehow she'd learned humility through the beat down, and to take herself a little less seriously.
*** Well, there you have it folks, just what Jaina Solo needed. I probably spelled some people's names wrong and stuff.