She was delighted to see his face break out into a smile upon seeing her, even if that smile was just as quickly stifled. She had learned early on in their friendship that he didn't approve of public displays of affection. When his time came to formally greet her, he would do so with a stiff nod and perhaps a tight handshake-but that was all. It didn't bother Jaina; just the knowledge that the affection was there at all was enough for her. She would carry that quick smile with her for the rest of the day, until they could find time to be alone later.
"Jaina." Her mother stepped over to enfold her in a right, warm hug. Since Anakin's death, her mother's embraces had become more frequent and were delivered with more passion than ever before. It was almost as though every time she saw either Jacen or Jaina these days, she was overcome with relief.
Her father's large hand ran through her hair, stopping at her shoulder to squeeze gently. "Good to see you, kid," he said with a wry smile.
"You too, Dad." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. The prickliness of his chin, the scent of his unkempt hair, and the sight of his lopsided smile-the familiarity of these simple aspects of her father brought with it a sense of comfort she had always felt around him. For all her mother's efforts, Han Solo still had a slightly disreputable air. Jaina had been told by some that she had inherited a portion of that, while her twin brother had gotten their mother's thoughtful nature.
"Where's Jacen?" she asked, taking a step back from both of them.
"Your uncle Luke has him working on something else," her mother explained. "He'll meet you when we're finished."
Jaina caught Jag's eye and was completely thrown for a second when he winked at her. For the second time that day she felt a blush forming, so she turned away, looking for a distraction in the Intelligence operative standing before the luminous star charts.
"Belindi, isn't it?" Jaina said, searching her memory. She stepped over to the woman and extended a hand.
The woman gave a single, respectful nod. "Belindi Kalenda, that's right," she said. "Chief Omas has asked me to coordinate an operation involving your parents- and you, if you're willing."
"And that's where I check out," Kyp said.
"You're leaving?" Jaina asked, surprised.
He nodded, shrugging, the flickering lights from the map painting his features with an assortment of colors. "My job was only to escort you here, I'm afraid," he said with exaggerated disappointment.
Jaina smiled at this. "The great Kyp Durron reduced to being a delivery boy, eh?" she teased. "Who'd have thought? And to think, you once offered to take me on as an apprentice, too! Glad I didn't take that route."
"You're a funny girl, you know that?" he said in return. "For a Solo, that is." He didn't give her chance to respond. "But listen, if you feel like catching up later, why not stop by at the Ocean's Floor cafe for a drink? Bring young Jag here along, too. He can show you the way." He offered a mock salute before turning to leave. Then, at the door, he faced her again. "And if you like, I'll make a few inquiries about Tahiri for you," he said more seriously.
She smiled her appreciation at him. "Thanks, Kyp," she said softly.
When he was gone, Belindi Kalenda quickly summarized the mission for Jaina's ben efit. The others stood by patiently, interjecting a few words here and there to help clarify certain aspects of the plan. It sounded simple enough travel the open hyperlanes fixing communications links and reminding the locals that they were still part of a galactic civilization. Jaina was sure it wouldn't be so easy in practice, though. The Yuuzhan Vong, by mining the major hyperspace routes, had left some areas isolated for as long as two years. No one knew with any certainty just what was happening inside such regions, but there had been rumors of local despots seizing control while attention was focused elsewhere. It was probably safe to assume that, in some places at least, their welcome wouldn't really be heartfelt.
She loosened the tabs on her flight uniform and participated in an hour or so of discussion regarding the mission objectives. There would be numerous opportunities to coordinate with local governments and such organizations as the Smugglers' Alliance along the way, although it was difficult to plan for anything in advance with so little known for certain about most areas.
At one point an orderly brought some refreshments for them raw pointer fish cuts and lampfish tongue, along with tall glasses of chilled Calamarian water. Although she was hungry, Jaina only picked at the salty comestibles while she listened to her parents debate the best way to structure the mission itself. There was no bitterness or anger to the argument; they simply disagreed over the details and weren't afraid to say so. In the end, though, it was Leia whose opinion made the most sense, so Han backed down without acrimony. Where once he might have taken offense at the suggestion that the falcon wouldn't be enough to ensure the safety and success of the mission, now he just shrugged and let common sense rule.
The mission, Jaina was told, would be comprised of one fighter squadron, the Millennium Falcon, and a re-commissioned Lancer-class frigate called Pride ofSelonia under the command of a Captain Todra Mayn, recently relegated to less active duties after being injured at Coruscant. Mayn would defer to Leia and Han in all matters regarding the mission, as would the leader of the fighter squadron. There didn't seem like much else left to decide upon, except, perhaps, for where exactly the mission would proceed first of all. Jaina felt as though there was little she could contribute. Jag, too, was quiet for the better part of the discussion, although she had no doubt that he was paying as close attention to everything that was being said as she was. The three people doing the talking, Belindi Kalenda and Jaina's parents, didn't seem to notice that their more youthful audience was remaining silent.
After several minutes spent discussing the relative benefits of Antaf 4 and Melida/Daan, Jaina leaned across the screen and broke in. "Is there any particular reason that I'm here?" She kept the frustration from her tone as best she could. "It just seems to me that I have very little part to play in this plan of yours."
Leia looked at Han, who backed away from the screen with a gesture that implied the answer was obvious. "You're here because we want you here," he said.
Jaina had learned to mistrust any nonchalance her father displayed. It usually meant that he was uncomfortable about something.
"Why?" she pressed.
"Because we need a military escort," her mother explained. "That fighter squadron has to come from somewhere."
"Why Twin Suns, though? There must be others you could take."
"That's true, sweetheart," her father said. "But-*
"Don't 'sweetheart' me, Dad," she cut in irritably. "There's something you aren't telling me."
"Listen to what we are telling you," Leia said, taking a step toward her daughter. "This mission is important, and we want the best pilots accompanying us."
"But I have work to do herel There are the new pilots to train, new simulators to program. The war isn't going to stop just because you're off on a jaunt to reunite the galaxy, Mom. I can't just dump everything and leave!"
"Your training work will continue during the mission," her mother said calmly, moving in to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm proposing to allow Lowbacca to form his own squadron with the pilots you've trained. The gaps left in Twin Suns you can make up from Chiss Squadron. There's still a lot to learn from each other."
"Yes, but-"
"What are you afraid of, Jaina?" her father joined in, moving to Leia's side. "The war's still going to be there when you get back. That much, at least, I can promise you."
Feeling set upon, she turned to Jag for support, but he just shrugged helplessly. For a split second she felt a rush of anger at him, too, but she knew that was ridiculous. He would never side against her out of spite; if he was backing her parents now then it was only because he believed they were right.
"Don't be too hard on your parents," Belindi Kalenda said, shifting awkwardly on the far side of the flat display. "This was my idea."
Jaina asked Jag, "I take it you'll be staying here, then?"
"Actually, no," he said. "I'll be going along with you."
She turned to her parents, then looked back at Jag. "As part of Twin Suns?"
"It's not the first time, and probably won't be the last."
"We like the idea of having two experienced squadron leaders," her father said, "especially with a mix of Chiss and your pilots in the air. This way we can have one leader groundside with us at all times, while the other remains up in orbit to keep an eye on things."
Jaina sighed in defeat.
Deep down, she knew it made good tactical sense, but she still didn't like it. She couldn't shake the feeling that her parents weren't telling her the whole truth. Part of her felt as though they were doing this to give her a rest, but weren't prepared to say so because they knew the reaction they'd receive. And if that was the case, they were right. The idea of being put out to pasture was offensive to her in the extreme.
But whatever their true motives were for wanting her along, the fact was that she was going. The only saving grace in all of this was the fact that Jag was going along also, which meant that they'd at least be able to spend more time together...
Her thoughts were distracted by the buzzing of her comlink. Turning away from the meeting, she pulled it from her uniform belt clip and raised it to her lips. Before she could even say a word, however, the panicked and choked-up voice of Tahiri issued from the small gadget in her hand. "Jaina?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Jaina saw her mother's eyes widen in surprise.
"Tahiri, where are you?" Jaina asked, already reaching out into the Force in search of the girl. She was nearby, and for that, at least, Jaina was thankful. "You said you wanted to see me. You said it was urgent." "Jaina, I'm so sorry. I was-I-he-" Jaina was struck by a powerful psychic pain emanating from the girl-a pain so great that it had spilled over into the world around her. She attempted to offer comfort to Tahiri through the Force, extending herself so that she could mentally embrace her and ease her torment. But the emotions were too intense-too raw. "Tahiri, what's wrong? What's happened?" "It's Anakin."
"Anakin? What about Anakin?" "He-" Again Tahiti's voice ceased in midsentence. It was almost as though something was stopping her from speaking. Then, all of a sudden, the words burst free from her "He's trying to kill me, Jaina. Anakin wants me dead!"
The accompanying sensation of distress broadcast through the Force peaked, then abruptly disappeared. At the same time, the comlink signal ceased.
"Tahiri? Tahiri?" Jaina reattached her comlink to her belt and faced her mother, who was rubbing her forehead in obvious discomfort. "You felt it?" she asked.
Leia nodded in confirmation. "She's in trouble, Jaina."
Jaina didn't need her mother to tell her that. Even those not Force-sensitive could have figured it out just from the sound of Tahiti's voice.
She turned to Kalenda and said, "We need a trace on her comlink-and fast."
The Intelligence officer nodded and turned away to speak into her own comlink.
Jaina's father came up and put a reassuring hand on his daughter's shoulder. "It'll be all right, honey."
She nodded, but wasn't convinced.
"Tahiri's been missing for almost two weeks now," Leia said. "She didn't respond to Luke's call for a meeting of the Jedi. We didn't know where she'd gone or what she was doing."
"She called me." Jaina winced, remembering the pain she had just felt radiating from Tahiri's mind. She should have made more of an effort to contact the girl as soon as she arrived. She might have been able to prevent it- whatever it was that had happened.
"I have a location," Kalenda said shortly. "Lane eighteen-A, level three. I've sent someone to investigate."
"Do you know the way?"
"Yes, of course."
"Take me." Jaina was on her way to the door before the woman had time to respond. If there was one thing Jaina had learned about command, it was that you didn't give people the opportunity to argue-especially in emergencies.
The security officer took charge as soon as they left the conference room. Jaina was close on Kalenda's heels, with her parents and Jag not far behind. Moving with rapid steps through the wide corridors of the city, weaving naturally through the bustling crowds, Kalenda led them up a level and across several high and arched thoroughfares. Jaina resisted urging the woman to go faster. If Tahiri had already moved on from the source of the transmissions, then running wasn't going to change anything. Instead, Jaina reached into the Force to try and find the girl; to reassure her, help her ... But she was unable to feel her anywhere, and that only heightened her concern.
Kalenda's comlink squawked. Still walking, she listened for a moment, then, after half a dozen steps, she faced Jaina. "What does your friend look like?"
Jaina pictured the young Jedi in her mind. "Human, blond hair, green eyes, a little shorter than me."
"I think they've got her," Kalenda said. "Security has found someone answering your friend's description near the site of the last transmission. A medical team is on the scene."
Jaina felt a chill run through her. "Medical team? Why? What's wrong? Is she-?"
"We're almost there," Kalenda said. "It's just up another couple of levels. Here, climb onto this."
The security officer commandeered a passing hover-taxi, quickly speaking her clearance and authority codes to the droid operating it.
"This will be quicker," she said. "The lanes tend to get more congested the higher up you go." The narrow vehicle rocked as they all clambered in.
There was enough room for only four passengers; Han was forced to stand on the cab's outer footboard and hang on. He had to crouch down slightly when the droid guided the cab into one of the ducts reserved for emergency vehicles. Sometimes, Belindi Kalenda explained, it was the only way to ensure a quick and unobstructed passage to the city's higher levels.
As she sat in the front of the cab, staring vaguely as the damp and craggy walls of the duct raced by, Jaina felt her mother's hand squeeze her arm in reassurance. And while the gesture was appreciated, it didn't really help. The absence of Tahiri in the Force was making her sick with worry.
The cab spat out of the vent into a vast market area. The entire place was in a dome, the sides of which rippled and shimmered with golden water that cascaded gently, and impossibly, down its surface, while hanging from the uppermost section were thick, lush vines that swayed hypnotically in the humid air. Below, the area was heaving with activity as hundreds of individuals went about their everyday business of trading everything from food to parts of old household service droids. Among all the hustle and bustle, though, one section stood out from all the rest. A large crowd had gathered around an area that security officers and droids were attempting to cordon off so that the medical team Kalenda had mentioned could get in.
Unable to negotiate any closer to the scene because of the curious onlookers, the cab came to a halt and all five passengers quickly alighted, with Jaina roughly forcing her way through the crowd that stood between her and Tahiri. A security guard stopped her when she tried to cross the perimeter of the cordoned-off area, allowing her to pass only when Kalenda flashed her ID and instructed the guard to let them through.
Jaina froze when she saw the supine figure being attended to by the two members of the Mon Cal medical team and their MD-5 droid. At first she didn't even recognize her Tahiri had cut her hair short, and she'd lost a lot of weight. There were bags under her eyes and a hol-lowness to her cheeks; her face looked as though it hadn't been washed in days. Worst of all, though, were her arms they were covered in bloody slash marks.
"Is this her?" one of the medics asked.
She wanted to say yes, but the girl lying before her looked like a completely different person from the Tahiri she knew.
As Jaina watched, Tahiri stirred. From an apparent state of deep unconsciousness, she twitched and tried to roll over. The medics did their best to restrain h
er, but she was stronger than she looked. With arms flailing around and her eyes wide and unseeing, she tried to stand up, but was failed by her unsteady legs.
"Anakin?" she screamed. "Anakin!"
Her eyes caught Jaina's the same instant one of the medics stuck a spray hypo against her throat. The hiss of the spray coincided with an jntense surge through the Force, as Jaina felt Tahiri's panic and terror rush into her all at once. Then Tahiri slumped face-forward into the embrace of the droid and the surge faded.
It was only when she exhaled that Jaina realized she had been holding her breath. She felt comforted and warmed by the presence of Jag at her side, but just for once she wished he would forget his ideas about displays of affection in public and simply hold her.
"Is this her?" the medical officer repeated, turning to Jaina now that they had managed to settle Tahiri.
Jaina nodded dumbly in response.
"You don't seem too sure," the officer said.
"No, I'm sure," she said. "That's her. Her name is Tahiri Veila. I don't know what she might have done here, but she's not a criminal. She's a Jedi Knight."
The medic nodded his understanding. "We'll treat her gently, I promise."
Jaina watched on as Tahiri was placed onto a waiting hovercart and carried away.
"Please give us some space," she heard the droid instruct the crowd. "This is an emergency. Please make room."
Jaina backed away, clutching Jag's arm for support. A wave of dizziness rollcu over her. From the other side of the city, she could feel her twin, Jacen, asking her what was wrong, but she didn't have an answer for him just yet. All she knew was the mixed-up jumble of feelings she had received from Tahiri's mind. The incredible, overwhelming sorrow she could understand; she invariably felt the same thing whenever she dwelled on the death of her brother. But below that had been something else-something that Jaina would have thought Tahiri incapable of. It was an emotion she had never felt from the girl before, and its intensity frightened her. But it was there, and it was real.
Star Wars - The New Jedi Order - Force Heretic I - Remnant - Book 17 Page 4
