The Path of Dreams

~Chapter 26~

Lower Corellian Line of Battle, Mon Calamari

Jaina had never seen a battle this hectic since the Vong War. There were now two fronts, three if you count the flanking action Jag’s fleet was trying to do to the GA Third Fleet. The GAG taskforce had been taking a beating. But now, with the destruction of Revenger and the arrival of the Third, the Corellian Fleet and particularly the Bothans were struggling. Jag’s fleet was helping, but they really hadn’t been that affective—yet.

Her squadron had been ordered to support the rear line and was heading in that direction. Soon they arrived and began to attack a cruiser and its wing of fighters. She was actually pleased with her squadron, despite their greenness and some of their cockiness, they were fighting rather well. So far they had been in several fights and she had only lost one pilot.

She was shooting at an attacking GA X-wing when she felt Zekk’s anxiety in the battle meld and more strongly through their personal bond. Though she sent him strength, he didn’t acknowledge her. She could sense that he was using all of his concentration to fight, which worried her. She shot at another fighter who was begging her wingman, when she tried to remind herself that Zekk was an excellent pilot and had made it through tough battles before. But the nagging concern was still there.

Then it hit her. She screamed as the surprise and blinding pain came to her through the Force. She immediately felt the empty spot where he had always been. That warm comfort was gone. He was gone.

Jaina reached out through the Force. She was so distracted by what had happened she never heard her R-9 squeal at her. The laser hit her shields and she instinctively flipped her fighter over onto the starboard S-foil and banked hard. The enemy who had taken the shot at her was hit by her wingman’s torpedo and exploded. She and the Corellian flew through the expanding fire ball as it was beginning to fizzle out.

“Lead, you okay?” sounded the concerned voice of her wingman.

Jaina tried to clear her throat of the thickness there by swallowing, but it wouldn’t go down. Finally, she choked out, “I—I’m fine. Thanks, Two.”

Then she reached out again. Zekk!!

Nothing. Suddenly, the truth settled onto her and with it came a crushing pain, as she felt the other Jedi in the meld also react to the sudden loss. She quickly pulled out of the meld, just as Valin and Jessi did.

Zekk was dead.

NO! Her heart screamed. “No! He can’t be,” she whispered.

And she knew it was her fault. She hadn’t loved him enough. She was holding onto a fantasy that never could be. She had been pushing him away and she knew it hurt him like nothing else could.

She didn’t remember firing her laser cannons at the enemy ships that crossed her path or the evasive maneuvers she completed, but she must have been working on instinct and led by the Force as her heart shattered. She had lost her best friend, the man she was supposed to marry, and maybe have a family with. He was her first girlhood love, her last mature love.

She had decided to give up on Jag. She had wanted to tell Zekk before they launched that she was finally willing to give him her complete heart. But now he was gone and she hadn’t told him. Again, he hadn’t let her. He simply kissed her with a tender passion and told her to tell him when they came back, but his smile assured her that he somehow knew and that was enough for now. They would have later.

Because he always came back.

But not this time there would be no later.

He was gone.

Forever…

Her tears clouded her vision and her chest hurt from the anguish in her heart. Then the pain began to turn to something else. Anger. Harsh, terrible anger.

So many lives had been lost during this horrible war. So many families torn apart. Even now she felt her aunt and uncle reach for her with concern and their love, she assumed that they were on the Anakin Solo—the enemy’s ship. She didn’t reach out to them; she was too focused on the reason for her growing rage. The one person who caused all this. The one person she needed to stop before he took someone else she loved away. She had to destroy the Sith Lord that had once been her brother.

“Jacen, I hate you!”

With those words she made her decision. She really had no clear idea of what she was going to do; she just knew that she had to do something.

She shot her quad lasers at other GA X-wing, hitting its shields and taking them out. She sensed the pilot’s anxiety as she hit the ship again, this time it exploded. After flying through the relative top of the blast field, she saw that the path before her was clear. With her resolve set, the cruiser venting atmosphere and escape pods, and the wing of enemy fighters gone, she hit her comm.

“Two? Lead here, copy?”

“Two here, Lead.”

“You have the squad, Lieutenant. I have some business that I need to finish.”

“Commander Solo?” was his incredulous response.

She pursed her lips and announced to the entire squad, “Commander Solo here, you are now under the command of Lieutenant Gibbens. May the Force be with you, Solo out.” She never waited for comm clicks of affirmation or more questions from her second in command. She simply pulled away from the battle that was beginning to whine down and headed back into the line of Corellian capital ships.

She didn’t get very far before her comm beeped. She sighed and knew who it would be. She was breaking so many military regulations and codes that it wouldn’t have taken the CorSec academy trained lieutenant to contact Jaina’s commander.

She used her chin to hit the mike. “Solo here.”

“Jaina, what the kriff are you doing?” the voice was that of her commander and her father.

“Zekk's dead and I’m doing what should have been done a long time ago.”

“Zekk's.. .dead?" Han may not have chosen Zekk for his daughter, but he never really disliked him either.

“Yes, he's gone," her voice about broke, but she quickly recovered and went on, "Dad, I know what Jacen has become.”

There was a long pause before Han responded, “Yeah, well, I think we all know that he’s crossed the line.”

She sighed, saying, “He’s more than just ‘crossed the line’, Dad. He’s a Sith.”

“Jaina, you can’t be sure of that. I think he’s become a Dark Jedi like Barkiss or something, but a Sith?”

“Dad, think about everything that’s happened. Lumiya has been around since the beginning of this war. Who better for her to get her clutches into than my confused, Vong-warped brother who already was treading a dangerous path since probably before the Swarm War?”

There was silence for a moment then quietly he asked, “Jaina, what are you going to do?”

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting the Force fill her. When she opened them, it was with conviction. “I’m the Sword of the Jedi. I know now what my destiny is.”

“Jaina?”

“I love you, Dad.” With those words, she closed the connection.

~~~

Hotel La’Forle, Vincent, Krylon

They stumbled into the hotel room, entangled in each others arms and devouring each others lips. He had been aching for her ever since Jacen gave him leave to come to Krylon. Now she was finally giving him exactly what they both wanted.

He still felt like a novice at the art of love. Besides the holos he had been privy to, he had spoken with a few of the younger men whom he served with, those he considered close friends. Surprisingly, no one laughed at him, if anything they were surprised. With the high profile of media coverage Valin Horn’s trial received and the mud his family—Jys’s family—had been dragged through, most of Ben’s peers become familiar with the beautiful Jedi Knight Jysella Horn. Ben actually found himself envied that he was her boyfriend.

However, those candid conversations with his closest friends in GAG, really didn’t prepare him for this: their second time and their first time as man and wife. He wanted to make this the perfect night that she deserved.

Her dress fell to the dark carpet and he could do nothing but stare at her. “Do you like?” she said and giggled shyly, as her face turned a pretty shade of crimson. “Bani insisted that I wear this. Although, since she is a Falleen, I’m not sure why she’d need something like this.”

He let his lust filled eyes feast for a moment over her body. The last time they had been together she hadn’t worn a bra and her panties had been functional, not things meant to be sexy. Right now, with her hair hanging unbound and only dressed in a creamy, tiny, lacy bra and panties, Jysella was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. And it was doing unbelievable things to his body.

“Jys…” he breathed and ran his hands down from her shoulders to gently touch the soft mounds of her perfect lace covered breasts. “You’re so beautiful.”

She smiled and blushed, but her hands were not idle, she too was feeling the urgent need to consummate their vows. With shaky hands she undid the brass buttons of his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders.

She smiled up at him and nervously said, “Ben, I want to do what you had wanted that first time.”

“What was that?” his breathing was coming fast. He had wanted to make love that first night visiting with her, the night he proposed, but somehow she managed to find the strength to stop. She begged him not to be upset, but she wanted to wait until they were married before being so intimate again. He acquiesced, though he had to relieve himself in the shower before crawling in bed beside her. It had been nearly impossible to fall to sleep with her lying beside him. But for her, he would do anything.

She didn’t look away as she said, “You know. What you wanted the morning after I came to you.”

“Oh, that, ” was his surprised response and the mere thought of what he had suggested, made his already throbbing member twitch even more. She grinned up at him seductively as her hands pushed his shirt up and he quickly pulled it over his head, dropping it to the floor. He moaned softly as she caressed down his defined chest, stopping to tease the dusky points of his nipples.

Her gaze remained locked to his as she moved her hands from his chest to the belt of his pants. She undid the belt and then the closures of the bark trousers. She didn’t break eye contact until she pushed his clothing off his hips. She let out a small gasp as his engorged manhood sprang free from its prison.

Blushing, he grinned lopsided and quipped, “He’s happy to see you.”

She smiled back and replied huskily, “And I’m happy to see him.”

He groaned as she took hold of his cock with both hands. Though her touch was soft and gentle, just knowing that she was touching him was nearly enough to send him over the edge. Even that first time, he hadn’t been this excited. But then had been a surprise and an utter mystery, and happened after an emotional blow—Jys telling him that his parents wanted to send her away after her Knighting. This time, he had several days to think about making love with Jysella and knowing how wonderful it had been.

She slowly began to stroke him, while they locked gazes again. She slid down onto her knees before him and grinned wickedly. Then she did the most unbelievable thing—she kissed the head of his cock and licked the precum from it.

“Jys!” he groaned loudly, feeling his body grow ridged in anticipation and his knees grow weak. “Kriff…”

She giggled and said, “We’ll get to that later.”

He smirked back. “You better believe we will.” Then he pulled her up to her feet. Before she could protest, he swept her up into his strong arms and carried her to the bed.

She let out another girlish laugh as he tossed her onto the soft mattress. But before he could take control of their union, she flipped him over onto his back on the big bed.
Looking down into his face, she snickered, “I wasn’t done yet.”

She kissed his lips and then found his ear. Whispering, she said, “I want you to cum in my mouth.”

She then moved away to look at him. He gazed at her, amazed. How did she get so knowledgeable? She wasn’t like this the last time.

Reading his thoughts through their bond, Jys stroked his cheek and blushed as she said, “I borrowed a holobook and seen a holo or two.”

“Oh.”

“I want to try out some of the things I’ve learned. One of those things is…Well, I think you’ll enjoy it,” she finished with a coy smile.

He didn’t reply because he really wanted to find out what she had in mind. Of course, he had suggested this the morning after they took each others’ virginity, but he never expected her to be the one to initialize it.

He watched captivated as she licked the head of his penis again. Then she tongued his sensitive sack; finally, she stroked that velvety appendage up his underside, making sure she lingered on the ridge under his head.

“Uhhhh…” his moan was long and tense. He wasn’t sure he’d ever last long enough for her to actually get him inside her mouth. Just then, he felt her engulf his cock about halfway. “Oh, kriff…” He opened his eyes and watched as more of him disappeared inside that wonderful orifice. Then she pulled up on him clear to the tip, licked it, and then sucked him down again and again, picking up the pace. Each time her tongue stroked the sensitive ridge and over the head, and on the downward thrust, her mouth sucked. Finally, she had him completely inside and down her throat, while her hand gently caressed his taunt sack. With each bob, the tip hit the back of her throat and it would constrict around him.

“I…can’t hold…it!” He grabbed her hair and began to thrust his hips in time with the bobbing of her head. “Jys…I’m gonna come!”

Then he exploded. He never had an orgasm this intense before, not even that first one inside her was this blindingly good. She continued to suck him, almost as if she was milking him. Then she stopped and he opened his eyes to meet hers.

Breathless, he managed a short laugh and pulled her over him. “That was amazing. My first blowjob. Thank you, Mrs. Skywalker.”

“I read that men like that a lot.”

“I can vouch and say that I certainly do. But…uhh…you didn’t have to swallow it.”

“Oh, but I wanted to,” she sexily said and leaned down to kiss him. Ben wasn’t too sure if he wanted to kiss her, but soon changed his mind, once her lips were on his. He could taste a salty tang on her tongue and knew that it was him. Deciding that it wasn’t too unpleasant, he began to kiss her back with relish.

After the kiss broke, Ben pushed her back on to the mattress and came to lie beside her. He kissed her again as his hands stroked her silky skin. He fumbled with the clasp in the valley between her breasts until it opened. He held his breath as he bared her flesh to his ravenous gaze. Her breathing was coming hard as she watched him intently. He leaned over, taking her right nipple and began to suckle it, while he worried the other with his thumb and fingers.

Threading her hands into his hair, she moaned and slightly arched her back, pushing her ample breasts into his hungry mouth.

After several moments, he moved down her creamy, taunt skin of her belly. Nipping, licking and kissing. She tasted so good; her skin was a mix of saltiness and sweetness. And he knew he’d never get enough of her. He finally came to the edge of her lacy panties. Lifting himself up slightly, he locked gazes with her as he hooked his thumbs under the sides of the lace. She moaned in anticipation as he slowly pulled them over her hips, bearing her womanhood to her young husband.

Ben was instantly engulfed in her tangy sent, which did nothing but make his head spin with desire. She spread her knees apart, allowing him clear access to her treasures. He sensed her nervousness, but she was also extremely exited. She wanted to experience the same types of pleasure she had just given him.

He smiled as he touched her soft, dark curls. She moaned again and he watched as she let her eyes drift shut. He quickly returned his attention to her sex, touching and spreading the folds to uncover the silky, wet delights hidden within. She groaned and twisted her head from side to side as he gently ran his forefinger over her swollen clit, down to the opening of her vagina. He smiled as he fingered the opening, exploring her in a way he was too shy to do the last time, and she bucked her hips, trying to take his finger into her.

Finally, deciding he wanted to taste her, he licked his lips and leaned in for his first taste. She was salty and unbelievably sweet. Her nectar ran from her opening, coating the finger that still caressed the opening. Her hands went into his hair, and fisted into it, pulling, but not hurting.

“Ben…” she breathed over and over as she thrashed on the pillows.

He continued to lick and suck on the growing swelling of her clitoris, enjoying the flavor of her, knowing that he would never get enough of this. No wonder they called sex dessert!

He picked up his pace of licking and sucking and added another finger into her opening. She was tight, but she bucked against his fingers and her muscles were beginning to pull them into her of their own accord.

“Oh…oh…Ben…!” she called out again and again. Then suddenly she became perfectly still, ridged, but only for a second. “BEN!” she screamed as the quakes and quivers of her orgasm came crashing down on her. She thrashed and screamed his name again. When she settled he stopped his ministrations and pulled himself over her.

Smiling, he waited for her to open her eyes. She laughed breathlessly and gasped, “That…was…unbelievable.”

He laughed as he positioned himself over her. He wanted inside her now. “We aren’t finished yet,” he whispered in her ear.

She grinned and wrapped her arms around him. “I hoped not.” She then pulled her legs up and around his waist, pulling him to her. Their eyes met and Ben reached down to help guide himself into her. They gasped as they met and joined, consummating their union as husband and wife. They didn’t move at first, only gazed at each other, letting their love fill the bond between them. No words needed uttered now. They were as one body, one soul and one mind.

He slowly began to move and she followed him, and within moments they were again riding the waves of purest ecstasy.

He held her close as her head rested on his shoulder. As her breathing calmed, she tried to shift away from him, but he stopped her, holding her tighter. She met his gaze when he tenderly brushed the damp tangle of her raven hair from her face as he breathlessly whispered, “I—I don’t want this to ever end.”

She smiled and gently laid her hand on his cheek. “I’m your wife now, Ben, it never will.” She then leaned down and kissed him. Pulling away, she smiled again and said, “I love you, husband.”

“I love you, wife.”

He held her as she leaned over his chest, meeting his gaze intently in the low light of the rented room. He had surprised her by bringing her here to one of the better hotels in Vincent for their first night together as husband and wife. They had left the apartment after they all shared a ryshcate that Jysella had backed. Ben had eaten the traditional Corellian celebratory cake several times in the past, but nothing had ever compared to Jys’s ryshcate.

But then, nothing could ever compare to Jysella Skywalker. He immediately loved thinking of her as that. It just felt so right. It had been an incredible day and an even more amazing night, he thought as she laid her head back onto his chest. Her breathing slowed as he felt her drift off to sleep while she still lied over him and wrapped in his arms. This was right where she belonged, and this was exactly where he belonged.

And, as he too let sleep take him, he knew that he would do everything and anything in his power to keep her from danger, from the war, and from all the dragon of his dreams represented.

~~~

Command Salon, Anakin Solo

Luke and Mara entered the Command Salon of their nephew’s ship and they stopped to watch as Jacen dispensed orders. Mara looked over at Luke and leaned in to quietly say, “I’m having déjà vu here and it’s not a good thing.”

Jacen was dressed in the black fatigue uniform of GAG, which he also had introduced to the all those under his command, whether they belonged originally to the 51st Infantry or to the Navy. Besides the uniform, he also wore the command cape of black. With his back was to the Jedi Masters, Luke shuddered at the impression Jacen made.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Jacen took that moment to turn around and look at them. Luke reached out to get a read on him, but he couldn’t get past the Jacen’s shields. He actually couldn’t feel anything from the younger man.

But Jacen didn’t keep his displeasure from his expression. Scowling, he moved toward the Masters.

“What are you doing here?”

Luke let the Force fill him with as much calm as he could and replied, “Jacen, we need to talk.”

Jacen gave a harsh short laugh. “Now isn’t exactly the best time. I am trying to run a battle.” As if to prove his point, the ship shuddered slightly under them as the Intrepid got another lucky shot past the Anakin’s shields. Jacen turned from his aunt and uncle, dismissing them. Heading toward the weapons officer, he called out, “Colonel Keys, increase the firing on the Intrepid! If they are getting through our shields, I’m sure we are getting though theirs. Also, divert more power to the forward shields.”

“Yes, Sir,” the older man responded. Luke couldn’t help but feel the man’s displeasure in his commander, or his fear of him. He looked at Mara and knew she sensed the same thing.

Nodding to each other, they moved further into the command area and directly behind Jacen on the command platform. He didn’t sit in the chair; instead, he stood at the railing and stared down at the tactical display. The younger man looked up from the hologram that represented the battle, and curtly said, “I told you, now isn’t the time for discussion.”

“Jacen, we are not leaving until you’ve spoken to us,” Luke replied.

Finally, Jacen looked over at Shevu, who stood speaking with the comm specialist, “Colonel Shevu, you have the bridge. I will be in the auxiliary command.”

Lon acknowledged his commander, but before the older man got his sentence completely formed, Jacen pivoted on his booted heel, glaring at Luke and Mara. “You have ten minutes.”

They followed Jacen into the smaller control room where Jacen quickly dismissed the two Bith technicians at the displays. Once the door was closed, Jacen turned again and demanded, “Your time started the moment I left the salon.”

Luke swallowed and simply stated, “Jacen, I am recalling you to return back to Coruscant immediately after the battle.”

Jacen’s face turned from scowling to disbelief as he said, “I take my orders from the Chief of State.”

Luke stared hard at him and reminded, “But as a Jedi Master you take your orders from me. And you are, first and foremost, a Jedi.”

Jacen smiled but it never reached his eyes, they were cold amber stones. Luke suddenly realized they almost seemed lighter than he’d remembered Jacen’s eyes to be. “May I ask why I’m being brought in?”

Mara tensed, saying, “We think you’ve crossed the line, Jacen. We want to help you.”

“You want to help me? You can help me best by not interrupting my command on an extremely important battle. You can help me by supporting my ideas on the Council. If the Jedi were more involved in this war, we could stop it. As of this moment, the enemy has more Jedi fighting than the GA does.”

“That isn’t what we mean, Jacen,” replied Luke calmly.

Jacen looked from one to the other and scoffed, but again the feigned humor never reached his eyes, “I understand now.” He moved away from them and Luke suddenly wondered what Jacen would do. He turned toward them and added in a tone laced with disgust, “You think I’ve become a Dark Jedi.”

Luke felt the unease again; he had no delusions that, if Jacen truly felt cornered, the boy he had loved as a son would turn on him and attack. “Yes. That is what we believe.”

Jacen stared at him and then at Mara. Finally, he said incredulously, “I can’t believe that you would think this! What have I done to bring you to this conclusion? I have done nothing that would not be supported by the law, or by several Jedi Masters on the Council.”

Mara was the one to answer him, surprisingly gently, “Jacen, while I was the Emperor’s Hand, I did a great many things that were protected by the law, but that didn’t make them morally right. Even if I had never embraced the Dark Side, my Master had been the epitome of it. The same could be true of you.”

Jacen actually laughed. “I don’t think Chief Niathal can be compared to Palpatine, Aunt Mara.”

“No, maybe not, but Lumiya can,” Luke countered.

Jacen stopped laughing and for a moment he actually looked taken aback. “Lumiya. Yes, she does seem to resurface now and again. However, you forget that I do not know her.”

“So, you can assure us that you have never been in contact with her?”

“Uncle Luke, I assure you that Lumiya means absolutely nothing to me.” Jacen glanced at his wrist chrono and smiled as he sweetly informed, “I’m sorry that this has to be cut so short, but your ten minutes are up and I have a battle to win.” At the door, he turned. “Why don’t you go and find Ben. I can’t afford any techs to prep the Shadow for you, but then I’m sure you would decline the offer anyway.”

With that he was gone and Luke felt more frightened than before.

“I don’t believe him.”

Luke met Mara’s eyes and knew that she spoke the truth for them both.

~~~

Command Salon, Intrepid

The GA Fifth Fleet and the home fleet on other side of Mon Calamari were being neutralized. The Mon Mothma had been boarded by the Hapans and Admiral Cheb was taken as their prisoner along with remaining crew. The battle there was nothing more than a mop-up operation now; it was time to call Krieg’s fleet to this side, letting the Hapans finish up. Jag’s First Fleet did its job and had knocked out the Golan defense platform at the South Pole, but hadn’t been able to launch its drop transport ships to the surface to secure the planet. The battle was no where near won, and wouldn’t be if they couldn’t get to the surface. Mon Calamari wasn’t a friendly planet as the others, such as Bothawui and Dubrillion, had been. Mon Cal would require a large military presence to assure it remained captured.

Jag ordered his friend to pull back, and make a short jump out of system, only to come back into the system behind the Third Fleet. The Second Fleet was to hit them where the enemy was weakening the line the most—the section of line where the Bothans were taking a real beating. Masen Krieg returned Jag’s salute, and with a lopsided smile, said, “Happy hunting, Grand Admiral. Krieg out.”

Jag turned back to the tactical display, and as he glanced to the side, he found Valin Horn staring out the viewport. He didn’t need to be a Jedi to see that the young man was hurting. He had lost his father-in-law, whom he had considered as close as an uncle his entire life, and he had just lost his friend. Jag had to admit he that he too felt sorry for the loss of Zekk. He and the other man had always seemed in competition, particularly over Jaina, but Jag knew he was honorable. And, had it not been for the fact that they had loved the same woman, they could have been friends.

Now, Valin seemed distant and he wondered what the Jedi was going to do. He had taken a real liking to his cousin’s husband. Jag hadn’t known the young Jedi prior to his defection to be with Syal, but he instantly could see that Valin wasn’t like the Jedi Jag did know. He had a level headedness that seemed to be non-existent in Jaina and the Jedi closer to her age. Of course, Jag suspected the reason for that—Valin Horn hadn’t fought in the Vong War. He had been too young then and it ended before he came of age. When he considered what he’d seen during that war, it made Jag shudder to think of just what had happened to the Jedi who had fought in it.

As a laser from the Anakinhit the Intrepid, Jag immediately came out of his reverie. The Intrepid’s captain, who had long ago learned to let Jag run things when he was in the command salon, looked over at Jag who nodded. Captain Lisle ordered the shields to be augmented by more power and to increase the firing on the enemy ship.

Relying on the captain’s judgment, Jag quietly said to the Jedi, “What’s going on?”

Valin looked over at Jag and replied, “I don’t know. Jaina won’t open the meld with me and Jessi. I also feel Masters Luke and Mara Skywalker. I think they are on the Anakin. But they seem—I don’t know—worried.”

Jag looked out the viewport at the battle. The exploding brilliance of starfighters and the flashes of multicolored lights from the laser cannons was actually quite beautiful against the blackness of space and the jewel-like green-blue and white globe of Mon Cal; at least it was until one realized what it all meant.

Jag swallowed, he suddenly didn’t have a good feeling about Jaina cutting herself off from the other Jedi. And he didn’t like that the Skywalkers were on the Anakin. For the past two years, the Jedi had distanced themselves from the war. Maybe, that had changed recently. However, before he could really form a response to Valin, the comm officer called out to him from the pit.

“Admiral Fel,” once Jag turned toward the lieutenant, he went on, “I have a call coming in from General Han Solo—emm, Sir, he is requesting to speak privately with you.”

Jag stared at the young comm officer for a moment. Somehow he knew this would be about Jaina. “Put him though to my comlink, Lieutenant Puliq.” As he headed off the bridge, he said to the commander, “Captain Lisle, you have the bridge.” Jag’s words obviously surprised the captain, because Jag never left the bridge during a fight.

Once in the corridor outside the command salon, Jag flipped his comlink on and answered, “Fel here.”

He could hear the desperation in Han Solo’s voice, something that instantly put Jag on edge. “Jag—emm, Admiral Fel, I’m calling you to ask for your help.”

“General Solo, what’s going on?” Jag’s heart was suddenly in his throat.

After pausing for a moment, the Corellian general blurted, “Zekk’s dead”

Jag wondered why Han Solo would call just to tell him that. “I know. Jedi Horn felt his death.”

If Han heard Jag’s response, he ignored it as he went on in that desperate tone that was so unlike Han Solo. “Jaina is gonna do something crazy. I think she intends to storm the Anakin. She thinks she has to stop Jacen. She’s blaming him for Zekk’s death. For everything actually. I don’t know exactly what she has planned, but—” he paused for a second before finishing, “I know what I’d do. And it ain’t good.”

Jag leaned against the bulkhead and took a deep breath. “Han, what do you want me to do?”

Again Han was silent for a moment, then he said hopefully, “Talk to her. She’ll listen to you.”

Jag didn’t know what to think, but he bristled as he responded, “Why would she listen to me? Haven’t you tried to talk to her? She obviously didn’t listen to you, so she probably—”

Han interrupted him, “Jag, she still loves you. She may have felt something for Zekk, but in her heart she’s always loved you.”

Jag couldn’t stop the sharp intake of air, but he didn’t say anything. Han went on, “I know she put you through hell, kid. But if you ever had felt anything for her you have to stop her. Right now you are the only one who can.”

Jag could hear a father’s fear in Han’s voice, and that more than anything, shook him to his core. Jag knew then that whatever she had planned, he had to intercept her. He couldn’t allow her to throw her life away. He held no fantasies that she still really loved him, but Jag knew that he still loved her and always would.

Resigned, he took a deep breath; as he let it out, he said, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Before Han could respond, Jag severed the call and headed down the corridor to the torbolift. He then called the hangar where his personal TIE Interceptor was stowed and ordered it immediately prepped for flight and a squad of TIEs to be ready for launch. With that done, he called the command salon, and ordered Captain Lisle to continue in command of the Intrepid until his return.