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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Part V

"He'll push and push, you'll hurt her more and more… until either you're broken or she is. And if she breaks first, Brakiss will tell you to kill her- because if you kill Jaina, you will never be redeemed, your own soul will be so far shattered and you'll become exactly what Brakiss wants from you."

He tried to drive Jacen Solo's infuriated, earnest voice from his mind, but the effort was futile as he sat in the chair by the desk, hands gripping the sides of his head, staring wide-eyed at the still-unconscious girl on his bed. The med droids had cleaned her up as much as possible, and he had draped her in a thick blanket, but there had been no change in her consciousness. He honestly couldn't tell if it was due to her injuries, due to efforts of her brother to keep her unconscious to protect her from her own pain and horror, or whether she'd simply had enough and, Force or no Force, had sunk into a place so deep that she would not emerge without outside assistance.

"Can't you see that it's you that Brakiss is playing here?"

"Do not blame me for your sister's poor decisions."

He growled and tried desperately to keep the voices at bay.

"Me, Zekk? Your actions have always been your choice, I merely… present you with your options."

Her choices, his choices… Jacen was wrong, he didn't answer to Brakiss… not like that, anyway. And Jaina…

"Don't you see that Brakiss is using you?"

"It's you who has willingly joined me."

Of course it had never been her choice- the choice had never been implied, he had manipulated her into accepting something that made her uncomfortable- per Brakiss' orders- until she was doing it without being told to, without being forced to. That wasn't a choice, that was simple duplicity. Much as last night, he'd forced her to 'choose' to willingly sleep with him…

With a groan, he stood and crossed to the bed, sitting gingerly next to her small form. Never, in the years he had known Jaina, had she looked so vulnerable as in this moment, as he slowly drew the blanket down her bare shoulders and ghosted his fingers over a red welt on her back. How had that happened? He couldn't even remember what he had used to cause such a mark, and his eyes darted quickly around the room for a likely suspect of a weapon before he cast his gaze back to the girl beside him. "Jaina…" he murmured softly, closing his eyes.

She twitched and whimpered; he drew his hand away as if burned.

Resting his head back in one hand, he just watched her for several minutes while he tried to understand his own inner turmoil.

"The anger you feel isn't really yours, Zekk, surely you can see that…?"

He had never intended on hurting her; not like this. Hell, he had decided the first time her confronted her that he had no interest in her sexually- she had been too… listless, had simply closed down at the prospect of his assault on her… so what had changed, between then and last night, and between the outset of the night and its conclusion?

"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. You haven't failed me yet."

How had he been so instantly distracted from his analysis, that Jaina Solo would not be affected by their continued efforts against her? He thought back, to the disappointment in Brakiss' eyes when he had dejectedly declared that the Solo twins were a lost cause, that Zekk had failed to convert one of them or the other to the dark side…

And it hadn't even taken a second thought to know what he had to do, as he had thought about Jacen's entreaties to leave Jaina alone, that she was too… young. He knew that his weakness would lay in a different sort of violation of her body than Brakiss and Tamith Kai had considered, but that didn't have to mean a violent one. His plan had been well-contrived, a grim satisfaction stemming from her predictable bowing to his pressure, her willingness to play along in their little charade to save herself- or Jacen, he couldn't be sure- from the pain of him forcing her.

And then he had done it anyway.

"Jaina Solo doesn't cry; not for anyone."

"What about two days ago, Zekk? Did she cry for you then?"

He had finally seen Jaina Solo cry, and it was entirely his doing.

"He'll push and push, you'll hurt her more and more… until either you're broken or she is."

"You gave me your word, Zekk!"

What if it broke them both?

X-X-X-X

She fought against the pressure for a long time, but her mind was weakening. A vague part of her wondered idly how that was possible, that her mind would be too weak to remain unconscious, but the thought slipped away through her own apathetic mood. It was with great reluctance, therefore, that she acknowledged the slow and painful return to consciousness, as much as she just wanted to stay asleep…

"Jaina…" was the voice in her mind? "Jaina, you have to wake up…"

She twitched and mumbled vaguely to herself, trying to push the other presence away, but it latched on to her vague awareness and wouldn't relent. "Jaina!"

That was a voice she knew. Right?

Did that matter? Did she care? She gave the mental equivalent of a shrug and tried to force her way deeper into her own mind, where she didn't have to care about voices and pain and piercing emerald eyes…

Piercing emerald eyes? That thought gave her pause, and the presence latched firmly to her hesitation. "Jaina, wake up, please." With a painful sigh that pressed against bruised ribs, she forced her eyes open, and found the green ones from her memory peering back at her. She started and frowned. "Jaina," the voice sounded… relieved? "Come on, get up and get dressed."

She blinked once or twice… and then closed her eyes and let her mind drift again, sinking away to a place where breath itself was not a chore, where every inch of her body didn't scream in pain.

Why was she in so much pain?

The question woke her a little more and she tried once more to focus on those eyes. Familiar, but displaced somehow… like they didn't belong here. For that matter- where was here? Another pressure pressed against her mind, and she scowled mentally before sighing and letting the warm thoughts of her twin brother drift over her.

Where was Jacen, anyway?

"Jaina," the voice snapped her back to the moment, "please. You need to get dressed, there isn't much time."

"Time?" she asked carefully, voice croaking and straining against unused vocal cords and her dry throat.

More of the face came into view as she focused more clearly. "Yes," he nodded encouragingly, apparently heartened by her ability to speak at all. "We don't have much time. I have to get you out of here before Brakiss kills you."

That sounded… inconvenient. But the prospect of going anywhere sounded even more so, so she just set her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth as she wriggled her body against the thick blankets and soft sheets…

A sharp pain bit into her arm and her eyes shot open angrily. "Stim-shot," emerald-green-eyes explained, tossing the used spring shot canister across the room onto a desk. Her mind started to clear a little, and she became vaguely aware of her brother's confusion and… anger, perhaps, and then the two presences pressing in on her mind began to fight for control, and she brought a hand up to clutch her forehead.

"Get out of my head," she whined.

With an abruptness that surprised even her, both presences pulled away and ceased their battle- and suddenly, everything cleared up a lot. She blinked in confusion up at Zekk, frowned, and then sent him flying across the room out of pure reflex as she scrambled across the bed to cower against the wall, fighting a fresh wave of pain and willing the Force to relieve her of some of it…

The Force…

The cuff was gone from her wrist. She sensed Jacen probing against her thoughts and emotions, and she understood foggily that he had been trying to keep her in a healing trance or some such while Zekk had simultaneously been attempting to force her awake.

Figures.

"Jaina," the latter person in question stood and slowly approached the bed, "I know, I'm the last person you want to see right now, and that's fine, you won't have to see me much longer. But I really need you to get dressed so we can go and get your brother and Lowbacca."

She studied his face in fearful confusion, heart wrenching apart at the sight of his earnest, emerald eyes, eyes that were so much like the boy who was gone now, the boy who had turned into the Second Imperium's prize student…

"No."

He blinked a few times. "Jaina, I want to get the three of you out of here. Brakiss is determined that I kill you before morning, this is your only chance of escape."

"Why don't you just kill me then, if that's what Brakiss wants?"

"Because that's not what I want," he snarled, and she recoiled. "Come on," he reached for her arm, "we don't have time for this."

"Let go!" she shrieked. He did and backed away. Once satisfied, she slid forward and touched her bare feet gingerly to the cold floor. Zekk tossed her a black robe, and she stood, shedding the blanket away from her body as she unfurled the cloth. Zekk flushed and turned away, reaching for another injection canister, and Jaina let out a barking laugh that held no amusement. "Now it bothers you to see me naked," she muttered. "Great priorities."

"Jaina…"

She stopped him with a deadly glare as she smoothed the robe over her bruised form. "Well," she snapped. "Let's go see Brakiss and get this whole 'killing me' thing over with, shall we?"

His face contorted in an unreadable expression. "Jaina," he pleaded, "I'm not going to kill you."

"Oh?" she stopped at the doorway, waiting for Zekk to key in the release code. "Why should I believe that? Do you… give me your word?"

X-X-X-X

Jacen prowled around his small cell, furious… not that this was anything new, he had done little else in the past twenty-four hours, ever since his sister's keening pain had abated enough for him to pick himself up from the floor. He had screamed and raged and sobbed, to no avail… and then he finally had calmed enough to gain some level access to his sister's mind again, and he'd relentlessly tried to take away some of her pain, and he could feel Lowie doing the same from somewhere across the detention center…

And eventually, she'd slipped into unconsciousness, and Jacen threw his efforts into guiding her into a healing trance. He wasn't entirely sure if it had been successful, but her pain had abated, and that was what concerned him in the moment. And then, the next night- just minutes ago- he had felt her slipping out of that trance.

Confused, he had returned to his efforts to keep her unconscious and healing, but it soon became evident that someone else was countering his attempt. Frowning at the vaguely familiar presence, Jacen quickly recognized Zekk and growled furiously before pushing back hard, challenging the dark teen to stay away from his sister, to come after him instead. His goading had apparently gone unnoticed, and he struggled harder, feeling Jaina slowly rise to consciousness, felt her pain returning full-force, felt her confusion…

And then felt her abrupt demand that the two stop waging war in her mind, and he had pulled away quickly, albeit reluctantly. She was awake now, and there was nothing he could do.

For ten or fifteen minutes, he just paced, mulling over his own fury, willing it to abate, to think logically… and then he felt people approaching, and he tensed as the door slid open… revealing the very person at whom his dark thoughts had been directed.

With a growl, he started towards his former friend… and then stopped abruptly, seeing Jaina standing behind and slightly beside him. Something was… off… about her presence, something missing in the way she registered to him in the Force. "Jaina…" he breathed, and her head swung slowly towards him. For a terrified moment, he watched her confused eyes before she blinked and smiled in recognition, starting forward. Zekk held out an arm and stopped her. "You- what the hell have you done to her?" Jacen demanded, trying to gauge whether he could get past the dark Jedi and get to his sister.

Zekk ignored the question. "Come with me," he ordered lowly.

"What?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Zekk muttered to himself. "Just do it, Solo."

When Jacen didn't come forward immediately, he turned and seized Jaina's arm, earning a surprised cry as he pulled her along. As predicted, this jolted Jacen out of inaction, and he rushed forward and pulled his sister out of Zekk's grasp. "Hold on just a minute…"

"Shut up!" Zekk hissed, leading them along down deserted corridors. "You're leaving here, tonight."

"It's true," Jaina murmured close against Jacen's ear, but still loud enough for the other to hear. "He gave me his word." She giggled softly and Jacen frowned down at her, sensing a sudden spike of emotion from Zekk that was difficult to place.

Seeing no reasonable alternative- no alternative at all, save returning to his cell- Jacen followed, keeping a protective arm around his sister who he eyed with concern. "I had to give her a stim-shot and a pain-reliever," Zekk muttered lowly as he peered around a corner. "Apparently the two don't, er… mix, so well."

His swelling of anger made Jaina flinch away from Jacen's grasp, and his heart sank at the sight of her confused, wide-eyed gaze. "I'm sorry, Jaina," he pulled her back to him, keeping his emotions in check.

"Don't be mad," she said earnestly. "That's what Brakiss wants. He thinks you'll join the Shadow Academy when Zekk kills me."

Emerald eyes met brandy-brown ones, and Jacen read a great many things inside those eyes- but not any current intention of harming either of them. With a fast glance at Jaina, Zekk turned and motioned them down another corridor. In just a few minutes, he turned and keyed in a code clearance, and a blast door opened in the wall… revealing a sizeable hangar beyond, with one sleek, impressive shuttle sitting right in front of them.

"Where's Brakiss?" Jaina asked, peering around in intent confusion. Zekk grimaced at her and then looked around, searching for something…

And then a great wookiee bellow sounded through the hangar, reverberating off of the metallic surfaces, and all three of them winced, Jaina covering her ears. "Lowie," she exclaimed, "thanks for staying out of my head tonight…"

The wookiee barked something confused-sounding, and Jacen just shook his head. Two students were walking on either side of Lowie, who still had an electric pulse cuff on one arm, and they looked at Zekk in confusion.

"Knight Zekk," they inclined their heads together. "We brought the wookiee mechanic you requested to repair the shuttle…" the male peered over at Jacen and an awestruck Jaina, who was staring at the shuttle in question. "What did you bring them for?"

"Special orders from Lord Brakiss," Zekk muttered gruffly, approaching them. "He has something special planned for killing the girl, he wanted the wookiee to see it too…" and with a fast motion, Zekk was clubbing both students in the temple with the butt of his lightsaber. Lowie let out a plaintive howl, and Zekk hastily removed the binders from his arms, as well as the extra cuff, slipping it into his pocket. He used the Force to push both students through the nearest blast door and depressed the button with his mind, sealing the four of them alone in the hangar. "Come on," he muttered, leading them towards the shuttle.

"Hey," Jaina frowned and tugged at Zekk's sleeve. "How come you didn't make Lowie get dressed…?"

"Jaina, he's a wookiee, they don't generally wear clothes. You, on the other hand, would attract a bit of attention were you to stroll about… without any."

She appeared to mull that over. "You didn't seem to mind undressing me last night…" she giggled.

Jacen closed his eyes as his twin inadvertently confirmed for him what he'd been dreading. Lowie let out a roar and pushed Zekk against the hull of the ship, where he clanged his head rather hard, but stared the wookiee down, unfazed.

"Lowbacca," he said, "you can kill me now and then hope that you have time to splice into the ships entry ramp before someone realizes you're here. Or, you can let me open the ship, key in the access clearances to get you into space, and be content with knowing that Brakiss will kill me soon after you're gone."

With a last, teeth-baring growl, Lowie released him and Zekk swiftly strode to the control panel and released the landing ramp. Leading the way into the state-of-the-art craft, he opened the cockpit and sat down at the controls, pressing in clearance codes and hearing the soothing sound of the repulsorjets firing up.

When he turned away from the computer, Lowie was settling himself into the pilot's chair, and Jaina in the co-pilot's. "I probably wouldn't let her fly," he muttered to Jacen. "She's loopy now, and once the meds wear off, she's going to be in a lot of pain."

Jacen nodded tersely. "Whatever Brakiss does, Zekk, it'll be too good for you after this."

A moment of silence greeted this declaration, and Jaina turned around to stare, wide-eyed, at her brother and the dark Jedi-trainee who had hurt her so grievously.

"I know." His eyes met Jaina's ever-so-briefly before he flinched and looked away, back towards Jacen. "I deserve everything he has coming at me. I just…" he trailed away and closed his eyes, as Lowie barked impatiently at them. "You were right, Jacen. About everything. Except it wasn't one or the other- he pushed until it broke us both."

Lowie howled mournfully and looked at Jaina, who was sitting back with a deep look of consternation on her face.

"You're a two-day jump from Yavin," he said quickly. "There's a med bay in the back of the ship, but you should get her to a real medcenter as soon as possible." A shadow crossed his face. "May the Force be with you."

Jacen watched him turn away with a mixture of revulsion and pity on his face. Zekk was almost to the hatch when Jaina spoke up, sounding surprisingly serious after her amused ramblings from earlier. "Wait." Zekk paused, and Jacen wondered if he shouldn't get Jaina settled in the back now rather than later. "If we leave Zekk here for Brakiss to kill him, we're as bad as all of them."

Zekk whirled and met her gaze, green eyes blazing. "I've done too many bad things, Jaina, and most of them to you. When those shots I gave you wear off, you're going to remember that, and you're going to want nothing more than to jettison me out of the escape pod mid-jump."

"Jaina, we need to go…"

"No," her brow furrowed. "Everyone has the chance to come back to the light side, right?" She peered at Jacen earnestly. "Right? Even Brakiss was given the chance by Uncle Luke. Uncle Luke should decide on Zekk's fate. We can't leave him here."

Lowie growled impatiently again, and Jacen huffed a frustration sigh. "Fine," he snapped. "Fine. But only if you put on one of those blasted electric-cuff things."

"It's really not a good idea…"

"Sit down!" Jaina hissed, and Zekk's eyes widened before he complied with a startled look. Lowie let out a bark of satisfaction and the shuttle rose instantly, veering for the hangar opening. Zekk reached over and keyed the access code remotely to open the force-field, and an alarm sounded moments later.

It didn't matter. Jacen was already calculating the hyperspace jump while Jaina was staring around in mild confusion as they shot from the hangar. Two minutes later, as the first ships were launching from the battle station, Lowie pulled back the levers, and the four of them went careening into hyperspace, out of the reach of Brakiss and Tamith Kai.
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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