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Reconciliation
By : LexiLupin
Category: Star Wars (All) > AU - Alternate Universe
Views: 3594 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars; I make no money.
Chapter List
- 1-Reconciliation
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 5-Part 5
- 6-Part 6
- 7-Part 7
- 8-Part 8
- 9-Part 9
- 10-Part 10
- 11-Part 11
- 12-Part 12
- 13-Epilogue
- 2
- 3
- 4
Part III

Brakiss spoke loudly over the whirring of several practice remotes, as Zekk spun and danced, avoiding and deflecting the laser bolts. “I think you’re letting the girl grow too complacent,” he commented, watching his darkest knight with approving eyes.

“I thought…” Zekk panted, “that the idea… was to rile up her brother…”

“Hm,” Brakiss pondered, “true. And he certainly showed yesterday that the arrangement is getting to him, I don’t believe he has displayed that much emotion throughout the entire duration of his stay here with us. Nevertheless,” his eyes were thoughtful, “we don’t want to make it too easy on her.”

A quick parry and two-step sent three more bolts zinging away. “They are both resilient to physical pain,” Zekk muttered, closing his eyes as he stepped across the path of another remote and swung the lightsaber at mid-chest height. “With his suppression cuff removed, I see little use in wasting my energy beating her; she merely shuts down while he focuses on alleviating her pain.” He paused as he closed down his lightsaber, the remotes swinging away to the far side of the room to shut down. “She seems much more susceptible to overreaction at his suffering; perhaps our arrangement was… backwards?” Green eyes darted once towards his master, but Brakiss was thinking, paying little outward attention to his apprentice.

“Perhaps then,” the older man finally said, “you are not being resourceful enough in your… treatment of the girl. If she doesn’t respond to pain… see how she responds to discomfort.”

“Discomfort?” Zekk queried slowly.

“She is growing complacent,” Brakiss repeated. “Change her routine; put her on edge, make her uncomfortable. Her brother will obsess over it without knowing a cause, and her own defenses will suffer. After all, her ability to draw into her own mind is only as strong as her will to do so… she does not have the luxury of using the Force to pull herself into a trance.”

Zekk turned his lightsaber over in his hand unconsciously, thinking. “Has Sol… Jacen demanded of you to see her?”

Brakiss chuckled. “Yes, I paid him a visit last night. I’m considering his request, it could prove… useful.”

X---X---X---X

“What the hell is this?”

Zekk glanced up from a datapad, a light sneer already playing across his features, and Jaina realized that he had long expected the question. “That would be a nightgown.”

She just stared for close to a minute, mouth working silently as she struggled for words. “A nightgown,” she deadpanned. “No; a nightgown is a respectable piece of clothing which one’s own family could see them in. This,” she held up the bunched up material, “is a too-short, too-silky, too-sleeveless, too… sluttish… scrap of cloth that I will most certainly not be wearing.”

“Sure you will.”

“Thanks, but no,” she growled. “I’ll just take the same thing I’ve been wearing, you know, the last four nights?”

His eyes darkened. “Sorry; laundry day.”

“Laundry… why you…” she sighed heavily and then let off a frustrated scream before retreating back to the refresher, slapping the door control behind her. He just watched the door in dark amusement until she reemerged two minutes later, bathrobe still cinched tightly around her waist. Sensing his frown, she smiled sarcastically. “Rules never said that I couldn’t wear it under the robe.”

Zekk stared at her and realized that Brakiss had been right; she was too sure of herself, maybe he had been mistaken about the uselessness of inflicting pain on her. No matter… he had all the time he needed to fix that. With a low rumble in his throat, he swiftly stood from the desk and glided over to her. She backed up against the nearest wall, in the corner where she had been preparing to settle down to sleep. His hand came around her neck, applying just enough pressure to be threatening, but not enough to restrict her air.

“I would appreciate,” he murmured against her ear, one hand slowly reaching for her waist, “if you would not push me any further.” Her breathing was stilted and ragged as his hand slid down her throat, almost caressing her while his other hand loosened the sash at her waist. “I’m really not in the mood…” he gripped one of her wrists firmly while he slowly pulled the edges of the robe apart. “There,” his tone was low and dangerous, and he turned her around to face the wall, bringing both hands to her shoulders and slipping the bathrobe deftly down her arms. “Not so bad now, hm?”

She shuddered as his hands ghosted across the thin material at her waist as he pulled the robe away. Regaining her composure although red and embarrassed, she turned and opened her mouth… and a fast slap shocked her into submission.

“I believe I told you that the door was to always remain open,” he snapped, tone abruptly shifted. He gripped the back of her neck tightly and shoved her forward to the middle of the room before driving her to her knees and landing a sharp kick against the ribs of her left side. Reflexively, she cried out before cutting the sound off in abrupt determination that he would derive as little satisfaction from her pain as possible. “I am so tired,” he growled, “of putting up with your petty defiance.” As an almost afterthought, he cuffed her hard across the head before stalking to the bed.

“Lights off,” he snarled, plunging the room into blackness. Jaina remained, paralyzed, kneeling on the floor for a minute before gathering the presence of mind to crawl back to her corner where she curled, shivering, into the thin blanket Zekk had provided.

But she wouldn’t cry.

X---X---X---X

Jacen followed Brakiss with impatient obedience, amazed that it only took a day for Brakiss to agree to his request to see Jaina. His gut was twisted in uneasiness and he wasn’t entirely sure why… Jaina had seemed distraught the night before, but her distress was not accompanied by an inordinate amount of pain, save one infuriating moment when Jacen suspected she was slapped, perhaps.

Maybe he could convince her that this was stupid, that her entire ‘agreement’ with Brakiss was pointless… though whether Brakiss would agree to return them to the same cell was another matter entirely. Regardless, Jacen felt he had to try, he couldn’t bear sensing her anxiety and not being able to see her, to comfort her, especially now that she couldn’t really reach out to him in the Force.

The route through the battle station was complex, and it surprised Jacen mildly that they would keep their prison cells so far apart in the massive ship. Then though, as they approached a door, it slid open and a tall, dark figure stepped through and turned- Zekk.

“Master,” he acknowledged Brakiss courteously before eyeing Jacen with something akin to surprise. “You’ve brought a visitor?”

“He did ask so politely,” Brakiss smirked and motioned Jacen ahead. The wide-eyed Jedi trainee shot a last, loathing glare at Zekk before stepping forward, expecting to find himself in a comparable, small cell similar to his own…

And was, instead, highly surprised- until realization sank in and he just stared in horror, knowing now that his sister was held so far away because she wasn’t in the detention center at all- they’d been forcing her to stay with Zekk, in his own private quarters.

Suppressing his anger with effort, Jacen rushed forward to where his sister’s prone form was curled in a protective ball on the bed across the room. A sizeable bruise stood out against the pale skin of her cheek, and he thought he glimpsed some purplish marks on her neck, though the blanket was drawn almost up to her chin so he couldn’t be sure. With a sad sigh, he brushed a piece of hair from her face, and she twisted in the blanket, trying to extract an arm. “Shh,” he murmured, pressing against her shoulders- which only made her struggle harder. “Jaina…”

Her eyes shot open. “Jacen?” she croaked, looking around in dazed confusion. “What…?”

“Brakiss actually brought me to see you, if you can believe it,” he murmured lowly. “I’m sure he’s playing something, but I don’t care, I had to see how you were.”

She groaned as she sat up, finally having unraveled herself partway from the blanket. “Where’s Zekk?” she frowned.

“He, ah…” he was distracted by her state of dress, “he’s outside with Brakiss… Jaina, what are you wearing?”

Going abruptly red, she yanked the blanket back up to her neck and huddled forward, hugging her knees. “Don’t ask,” she muttered. “It was not my first- or any- choice of sleep attire,” she gestured meaningfully at the bruise on her face and he winced, restraining himself from returning to the hallway and confronting Zekk right there.

“Jaina,” Jacen leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers and taking her hand, “you have to get Brakiss to stop this… it was a very noble thing and all, offering to take my place, but I can’t stand it…”

“What?” she snapped listlessly. “You’d rather see both of us back in the cuffs?” she held up her forearm and grimaced.

“I’d rather see my sister not be dolled up like some Hutt’s dancer for the sick amusement of Brakiss and Zekk!” he contested hotly, and quickly regretted it when her face fell and she looked away, embarrassed or ashamed- or both. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Hot tears stung at her eyes. “He’s only doing it to get at you,” she said, “and it’s working. He only made me wear this… this thing last night, and I bet it was because he knew Brakiss was bringing you here this morning. He doesn’t even make me… make me sleep in the bed with him,” she finished softly. “He must have moved me when he sensed you coming.”

“He hurts you,” his voice broke. “I can feel it, every time.”

She sighed. “And? He’d be doing that anyway, and if not him, then Brakiss.” She took a deep shuddering breath. “Look, Jacen… I can’t stand it anymore than you, but knowing that you’re not being hurt… it makes it tolerable. As long as one of us is free of these damned bracelets, that one can help the other, and try to maintain a connection with Uncle Luke, we know he’s looking for us. If we go back to how they were going to do things… we lose that. Can’t you see why this is better?”

Tears ran down his face, but he nodded reluctantly. “But there must be another way.”

“Sure,” she grinned, though the smile did not reach her eyes. “You figure out a way to get us out of here.”

“Time’s up,” they looked up and saw Brakiss eyeing them disdainfully from the doorway. “Come, young Jacen; you will be late to your morning lessons.”

After a tight, desperate hug, Jacen stood and slowly departed the room, shooting Jaina a last, anxious glance before the door slid closed.

“Was your visit… satisfactory?” Brakiss’ tone was far too innocent, and Jacen clenched his teeth.

“Quite,” was his stilted reply, and Brakiss was surprised that he didn’t demand the immediate release of his sister back into his own meager protection.

Perhaps Zekk was too soft on the girl after all, despite his assurances.

X---X---X---X

Relieved but supremely bored, Jaina was deposited unceremoniously back in the detention wing that night with no explanation. That was fine- it was certainly preferable to spending her days and nights in Zekk’s ‘care.’ Nevertheless, she missed Jacen’s company, and wished that she had been permitted to return to the small cell they had shared. For now though, she knew he wasn’t being harmed and that made it worth it.

Three days passed with no outside contact; only meals were deposited three times a day through a small door in the wall, and Jaina picked at them disinterestedly, knowing that starving herself would be of no help when Jacen figured out a way to escape. It was while she was gnawing thoughtfully on a bland piece of nerf strip that the door slid open for the first time since she’d arrived, and she spat out the food in surprise just before the tall, dark figure stepped through.

“Charming,” Zekk glanced condescendingly down at her. “Get up.” She did so, wondering if she had gotten too excited earlier at the fact that her body was being allowed time to actually heal. Only her ribs were tender now, and one of her cheeks was sensitive to a light touch, but otherwise, she felt better than she had in weeks. “Come on.”

She hesitated only briefly, and he impatiently seized her arm in a firm but non-bruising grip before starting off down the corridor, the thunk of his boots reverberating off of the surrounding walls. Comparatively, Jaina made little noise as she was pulled along beside him, stocking feet silent against the cold floor. “Nice trip?” she asked sarcastically as he pushed her ahead of him into his room.

“A productive one,” he replied smoothly and ambiguously, as though daring her to ask for further information and betray her interest at his absence during the past three days. Biting the inside of her cheek, she remained silent and standing in the center of the room, clenching her fist in nervousness, though concealing the gesture beneath the folds of her long, black robe. “Get ready for bed,” he waved her generally in the direction of the refresher and turned to his own wardrobe, shedding his over-the-top cape as he went.

Jaina watched him with lingering eyes before turning back to the other door and palming it open. Instinctively, she reached for the controls on the other side of the door and then hesitated… and decided that it just wasn’t worth getting him angry so soon. Sighing, wondering how he’d managed to completely take the fight out of her just by being gone, she retreated into the far corner and grabbed the waiting stack of clothing that he usually left out… and was relieved to see that the nightgown had been traded in for something similar to her initial pajamas.

When she slowly walked back out into the bedroom, she half-turned to retreat to her usual corner- and stopped, seeing Zekk applying bacta salve to a burn below his right elbow. Unconsciously scanning his bare torso, she saw several bruises, an angry red welt below his ribcage, and another burn or two curving away around the front of his body. “Productive indeed,” she muttered quietly, wrenching her gaze away from a sight that would have horrified her before Zekk turned into this dark, cruel shadow of his former self.

He spared her a derisive glance over one shoulder. “Ah,” he held up a finger, setting down the salve and turning to face her. “Not tonight.”

Cocking a brow in faux-polite confusion, Jaina just stared. “Sorry?”

With a fast move, he was by her side and grabbing her shoulders, turning and steering her across the room. “You’ve been healing so nicely in my absence,” he murmured close by her ear; she tried to pull out of his grip and he just tightened it painfully. “I’d hate to see you jeopardize that by returning to the cold, hard floor…”

“I’ll take my chances,” she bit, heart thudding suddenly. “Unless you plan to sleep on the floor tonight?” she smiled sweetly and he actually chuckled- a sound that had once been so much warmer and friendlier.

“Don’t be so purposely obtuse,” he spoke softly in her ear, making her flinch. “It doesn’t suit you. Come now- I’ll even let you choose your side of the bed.” She didn’t move, and he circled around to peer into her face, cold, deadened eyes masked in a mocking softness. “You don’t sleep well on the floor, hm?” he brushed a hand over the still-fading bruise on her cheek. “The bed is much more comfortable, it’s spacious…”

“That is so beside the point,” she muttered, pink and avoiding his eyes.

He gripped her chin in one hand, pulling her gaze back towards him. “I’m making it the point,” he hissed softly. “Now stop stalling and go to sleep.”

Spinning away, he sent a Force-shove her way, pushing her backwards onto the bed. For a long minute, she just sat there, staring at his back while he continued to tend his injuries, shivering- though she didn’t think it had much to do with the temperate of the room. Finally, with a deep, resigned breath, she yanked the top-most blanket from the bed and wrapped herself up in it before sidling to the far side and curling up, body pressed as tightly against the wall as possible.

When Zekk approached the bed ten minutes later, she tensed and willed her breathing to even, waiting…

He merely snapped for the lights to go out and slid under the blanket, turning over to face away from her, and maintaining as much distance from the small, shivering girl as possible.

X---X---X---X

The next two nights, the same procedure was repeated, with Zekk smacking her across the face the second night when she tried to sleep on the floor. On the third night, she didn’t even attempt it, and just shot a glare at him as she stepped out of the refresher. He was already in the bed that time, eyeing her challengingly; she just looked down and stepped to the edge of the bed, hesitating briefly and steeling herself before sliding under the blanket and curling onto her side, perilously close to the edge.

Behind her, she could sense Zekk’s dark amusement at her behavior but she ignored him; though she tensed as she felt his eyes boring in to the back of her head, and it took her a very long time to fall asleep.

As she drifted lazily into wakefulness the next morning, her first thought was that it had all been a dream, that she was in her own comfortable bed on Coruscant, or even in her small but cozy quarters in the Jedi temple on Yavin IV. The illusion didn’t last long.

There was a light pressure at her hip, and she frowned, blinking her eyes several times to clear them of the haze of sleep… and then she was biting back an exclamation and careening backwards. The hand resting at her hip wrapped around her waist instinctively, dragging her back from the edge of the bed, before Zekk withdrew it sharply and backed away towards the wall, face retreating from where it had been entirely too close to hers upon waking.

They lay frozen like that for several seconds before Jaina scrambled from the bed, seized her black daily robe from the desk across the room, and disappeared into the refresher, closing the door behind her.

This time, Zekk did not reprimand her.

X---X---X---X

“How go things with the girl?”

Brakiss strode alongside his dark apprentice, reflecting on the duration of the Solo twins’ captivity with relative frustration. In six weeks, they showed almost no progress towards abandoning Skywalker’s foolish principles and embracing their full powers in the Force, powers that would have enabled them to long-ago escape the less-than-strict confines of their imprisonment. The wookiee had proven slightly more promising, but Tamith Kai still insisted that she needed more time with him, and Brakiss wondered how much time they truly had.

Zekk laughed lowly. “Seeing her struggling to fight, forcing herself to pick her battles… it is a most satisfying experience, my master. I have her wound so tight that she can hardly tell when it might be worth angering me to contradict my orders.”

“And when she does?”

“She is reprimanded properly,” his darkest knight assured him.

Brakiss nodded. “Good, good…”

They continued walking for a few minutes before Zekk spoke up again, almost hesitantly. “You seem… distracted, master.”

“Hm,” the older man murmured. “True; the time will soon come for us to go against Skywalker’s pathetic academy, and I had rather hoped to have made more progress with the Solo twins before then. I am beginning to fear though, that the cause is lost. As you said yourself, they are unfazed by pain and suffering, and the boy is not giving in to his distress as much as I’d hoped. It seems to me that they will not be broken.”

“My lord,” Zekk spoke haltingly, “I suggested once before that their positions be reversed, that the girl will prove more adaptable if the brother is made to suffer, not the other way around.”

His mentor eyed him calculatingly for a long moment. “You are… uncomfortable… hurting the girl?”

“No!” his green eyes widened. “Not at all, master; I just feel that better progress could be made by pursuing a different avenue.”

“Ah,” Brakiss smiled dangerously, “you misunderstand the ultimate goal here.”

“My lord?”

“The girl is far too unpredictable; even if she were to give in to her anger, she could not be trusted for long. No, I have abandoned the idea of turning them both- but the boy… he would have proved a great asset. He is strong, in control, thoughtful but a fast-actor… no, Knight Zekk, I decided long ago that Jacen Solo would be my target in this little… experiment. His sister just became the means to an end.”

Zekk blinked a few times. “Then… you planned this from the first time you had me confront her?”

Brakiss’ eyes widened in delightful innocence. “Me, Zekk? Your actions have always been your choice, I merely… present you with your options. It is no matter though- the quest has failed, and we must accept-”

“No,” Zekk broke in quickly before averting his gaze downwards. “My apologies, master- but I haven’t failed you yet. Jacen Solo will be yours, and the girl will yet prove instrumental to his turning, I will stake my position on it.”

“I know you will, Zekk,” Brakiss murmured softly, approvingly. “You haven’t failed me yet…”
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Reconciliation	By : LexiLupin Category: Star Wars (All) > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3594 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars; I make no money.

Reconciliation