Jaina Solo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sticksofthejedi) wrote2013-02-15 07:17 pm
sticksofthejedi) wrote2013-02-15 07:17 pm
Entry tags:
Memory 56
Memory: Blind!Jaina, pacifist!Jacen and the Vong invasion of Duro.
Received: Day 219, night
Form: Memories come in the form of fiery butterflies in small glass boxes. Open the box and you'll receive the memory; the butterfly will fly out and disappear.
Summary: The Yuuzhan Vong take the polluted planet Duro, which New Republic war relief efforts had been routing refugees to. The Solo-Skywalker family does what it can to save who they can, but even Jedi can only do so much; in this we see that a series named "Star Wars" remains about war even when your main characters aren't combat-capable and/or willing.
--
NOTE: Jaina is mostly blind right now, so she's wearing a visor to shield her eyes from intense light and etc.; everything in this memory appears in blurs and blobs of various shapes, sizes and colors. Jaina is also currently rocking the bald look (in fact, all of the Solos are; quarantine procedures from before this part of the book). Jaina's relying on the Force to remain functional, mostly sensing what's where, and who.
Jaina and Aunt Mara Jade are in Mara's ship, the Jade Shadow, blasting off from Duro's surface. Duro is a completely smokey, polluted planet. Mara's piloting, in a Kuati disguise, and Jaina's just finished changing out of a disguise and into a brown flight suit. Mara's reporting to Leia over the comm that there's a Vong agent, Nom Anor, on Duro. They found him because they couldn't feel him in the Force, and Jaina found the spot to press to get his masquer disguiser to disengage. They all realize Nom Anor didn't expect to be able to avoid Jedi much longer, which means whatever plot he's got cooking is almost ready. But the dome is too crowded by war refugees to single him out with scanners. He could be anywhere. Jaina mutters about how they can't always have what they want. Leia's voice starts cutting out from interference, so Mara cuts the conversation off and tries transmitting a simple data packet.
Jaina's sore, and notes that Leia didn't ask how Jaina's doing, even though Leia knows the daughter is partially disabled and just got out of a dangerous situation. "Some women shouldn't have children . . . to her, I'm an inconvenience. 'Winter, take Jaina for a walk.' 'Threepio, tell Anakin a story.' 'Here, Chewbacca, watch the twins.'"
Mara calls her out on the moment of immaturity; Leia's taking care of thousands of refugees, making the planet Duro hope, literally and symbolically. Jaina: "Poor mom. She's got a half-blind, stubborn daughter who can't fight anymore and a son who's afraid to be a Jedi. Good thing Anakin came along." Mara points out Jaina's just got a temporary weakness, and tells Jaina it's okay for a person to take risks for herself, but never to commit others to combat if they've had their fighting edge blunted; Mara's addressing the real thing that's eating at Jaina, which is that with her injury, she's indefinitely placed on leave and no one's asking her to do anything; all through this book Jaina's been feeling like a broken part, shoved aside or discarded. Mara calls Luke next and catches him up, landing at a domed city. They meet up with Luke and Anakin, coordinate a few more details; the agent is Nom Anor, who they thought was dead, and they've learned he'd used a bioweapon on Mara. Luke reports on his end, they found that CorDuro Shipping has been diverting refugee supplies away. There's suspicion SELCORE and other big organizations have been compromised by Vong agents. One possible agent is the man Jaina identifies as Vice-Director Brarun, who Jacen's with. He might be in danger, and she moves to get her twin back, but Luke stops her. Jacen wants to be where he is.
The others compare some more notes and try transmitting to Jedi Master Kenth Hamner, warning him the Vong are probably about to hit Duro. Millions of lives are on the line -- and more, this would be the first planet the Vong take in the galaxy's Core region. Talk finally turns to action, and Jaina complains she doesn't even have a ship -- even half-blind she would like to be piloting in the war. Mara offers to keep her on as co-pilot. Luke and Anakin set out to check in on Jacen. Jaina takes a nap, and narrative calls it being a soldier; quickly and easily falling asleep until action is needed. Mara's on the phone, trying to get the local military to mobilize. Luke and Anakin come back, there's a quick dinner, and Luke decides the time is right to retrieve Jacen. He and Mara will stage a diversion while Jaina and Anakin try sneaking in. Mara seems worried about Jacen's mental state. They hop into hover bikes, but Jaina doesn't get to steer.
Luke starts his diversion by arguing with someone on a stage trying to raise anti-Jedi sentiment; Anakin improvises and goes to get into a mock-fight with Luke, the two Jedi dueling and drawing everyone's attention. Jaina slips in, letting her twin bond guide her to Jacen. He compliments her on her hair, and she returns the jab, knowing he's also currently bald. Jacen offers her a cold dinner, while she's obviously attempting despite being mostly-blind to recon some escape routes. He notes where the only guards are, and she answers they weren't impressive; she incapacitated them on the way in (it isn't onscreen, but probably stunned them on the way in, considering she's carrying several blasters set to stun). Jacen suspects their only real job had been to let Brarun know if Jacen tried leaving. He says he isn't going until he sees Brarun and talks to him.
Jaina: Are you even marginally aware of what's going on around you?
Jacen: How about you? How's the vision coming back?
Jaina: Well, for one thing, I'd forgotten how big your nose and chin are getting. Listen. Aunt Mara and I just exposed a Yuuzhan Vong agent down at Gateway, and he nearly killed us both. And Uncle Luke just found connections between your precious vice-director and the Peace Brigade.
Jacen: That's why Brarun's anxious to get a Jedi in custody? Because the Peace Brigade has figured out that the Yuuzhan Vong want to neutralize us?
Jaina: Give the boy a medal. And meanwhile, you're just sitting here, blind to it all. Aren't you listening to the Force at all? Can't you tell? Something's about to happen. Again.
Jacen: Actually, I . . . decided to stop using it. Completely. Uncle Luke challenged me, and I . . . I'm tired, Jaina. If I can't fight darkness with darkness, then maybe I can't fight violence with violence. I just feel like I'm . . . waiting for something to happen.
Jaina: What's going to happen is another invasion, Jacen. And you're coming with me, whether you want it or not.
Jacen: You'd make me come with you?
Jaina: [drawing a blaster set to stun] You may want to set yourself up as a tragic hero, but it isn't going to happen. Yes, idiot brother. I would make you come.
Jacen eventually agrees to go, and she hands him the blaster, then draws a second. He says he's got a hover pod from someone they can use to get away, as the distraction outside finally fails with a demonstrator opening fire on Luke. Jaina starts leading Jacen out another way, but they hear someone coming in an emergency stairwell; Jacen checks his blaster, but Jaina simply leaps over the stairwell's banister, and manages to stun two of three Duro guards on the way down to the bottom of the stairwell, heading straight out the door. Jacen has to go down the stairs like a normal person, since he's avoiding using the Force, and he stuns the third guard on the way. He shows Jaina to the hover pod; they take off.
Jacen's in no position to argue, so this time Jaina does get to take the driver's seat. She claims she can see all right, but Jacen has to inform her that three pods marked with security logos are falling into pursuit. Narrative: Fortunately, there was little early evening traffic. She catches Jacen up on the plot, but he's still worrying about her piloting. Jacen borrows her comm link and talks to Mara to coordinate action. Mara, Luke and Anakin are dropping off the radar since people are riled up. Jacen suggests Jaina should try to get out of their pursuit's line of sight, put the pod on autopilot and bail. She responds sarcastically, but admits there's no better options at the moment, so she pops the hatch and orders him out. They jump, and she's just fine; Jacen has some trouble without the Force, but manages. He asks if she's okay.
Jaina: I'm not the idiot who's refusing to use the Force.
Jacen: How well can you really see?
Jaina: I flew, didn't I?
Jacen: Yeah, you did. Pretty well.
Jaina: All right. We're going to be Duros for a while.
She concentrates on using a mind trick to make people think they're just some more Duros in the city bustle. She can feel in the twin bond Jacen being guilty about piggybacking on her Force use. They find a private shuttle Jacen has access to. While Jaina flies, he calls Leia, who guesses that Jaina's flying; she promptly asks Jaina how many passengers can squeeze in and if it's hyperspace-capable. Leia gives them instructions to land at a main entrance/exit to the city to load up refugees. When they get there, they meet up with Leia, who's been shaved, too. No small talk; just start loading up and get off world. A young hutt named Randa says he doesn't think the Vong are coming. Jaina's staying if Leia's staying, but before the argument can get into full swing, a Vong fleet pops out of hyperspace and registers on a nearby sensor display. Shields start going up, and the Duro Defense Force broadcasts orders to take shelter and not attempt flight. Instead, Leia orders everyone to start piling into the evacuation ships. Leia asks how Jaina's eyes are and without waiting for an answer tells her to run a comm unit; Jaina bites back an argument and drops into the unit's chair before pointing out that on the system, three of the habitats are still unshielded. Sabotage -- including their own city. "We're ground zero." Leia sends Jacen to get Han.
Jaina manages to modify the equipment she's at to display more of the space around Duro, getting a better "look" at what's going on. She wants back in a fighter. The Vong broadcast a message "offering peace" for surrender; they haven't transmitted on Republic channels before, which Leia notes is dismaying because the Vong might have figured out how to listen in on their communications, too. Ships start comming Jaina's station, telling her they're coming back since if they continue they figure they'll get destroyed; she thinks it'd be better to keep outbound, but tells them open spaces to set back down. Duro's defense force is falling back without fighting. On the equipment, it looks like Mara's ship is flying out to oppose the enemy; Leia says it's grim to pit two X-Wings and the Shadow against a fleet. Vong landing craft are entering the planet's atmosphere. The enemy broadcasts another message, claiming no interest in Duro's orbiting cities, only the planet surface. Surrender, etc. Luke, Mara and Anakin ignore Duro comm messages telling them not to fight; they engage while Vong ground forces begin deploying.
With the Vong on the ground and enemy fighters strafing strategic and/or symbolic targets, they have to evacuate the command center. Leia, Jaina, Jacen and an alien named Olmahk (little grey ninja bodyguard for Leia) have met up and are leading several civilians through a deserted run-down district. Jaina's ability to work around her blindness finally lapses for a moment; she trips on some rubble, scraping hands and knees, and Jacen helps her back up. She insists she's fine. They duck into a structure, where Han's waiting with some volunteers; apparently they've been creating an escape tunnel with some digging equipment. Leia says there's five big hauler ships still intact; they could get two thousand refugees out on them. Some volunteers are going to spread out in the tunnels and see who they can round up. Jaina tells them to be careful -- Nom Anor might still be about, setting up traps.
Leia's going to go back to the admin center for something; Jaina gets the idea of what Leia's up to and insists she'll go, and for a moment, it's like they're conspirators and sisters, instead of mother and daughter in a strained relationship. Jacen decides to go, too. Jaina explains they're going to get a mining laser set up as an improvised weapon against the Vong, and asks if that's too violent for Jacen; he admits it's a rescue and defense, so as long as he's not using the Force, he'll go with it. Olmahk volunteers to operate it, since its position will be given away immediately and fall under attack; he sees it as his duty to Leia, who he calls Lady Vader. Leia says okay but the twins feel she plans to fire it herself anyway; Jacen gets a funny feeling and suggests negotiating, and the Solo ladies are just. NO. THAT DOESN'T WORK. And he shouldn't try it, either. They set out.
The party starts ninjaing across cityscape under attack, doing things like climb between walls chimney-style to avoid Vong warriors. Leia almost shoots one to try rescuing someone she knew, but she realizes the person's already dead, so doesn't give away their position. They can see hundreds of refugees rounded up and under guard, and equipment is being destroyed and piled up.
Jaina: Remind you of anything?
Leia: Rhommamool, and a pit full of droids. We've got to get those people out of there.
Jaina: With what?
Leia: Just help me get the mining laser up here. They still haven't shut down the main power plant.
Jaina: What about lifting something out of that pit and using the Force? And just dropping it on them? They wouldn't have a clue where we are.
Leia: We could smash them, or we could try to get some prisoners released.
They plan a Force trick with the twins working together -- working together to hit the Vong with something big enough to distract them a while -- but Jacen objects, saying it's a critical moment and he doesn't dare misstep. Jaina's mad, tells him to help or get out of the way, calls him a deserter. Finally, Jaina just asks Leia to lend her some support and they'll do what they can by themselves. Leia was reluctant to help with the Force work herself because she's only half-trained, but she agrees. Jaina draws on Leia to boost her power, picking up a giant mining droid opposite of where the refugees are. The refugees start jumping up; Jaina smashes five warriors, and refugees scatter. Jaina rolls on her back, panting; Leia tells her she did well, and Jaina smiles, glad to earn approval for being useful, then sarcastically snipes at Jacen: "Thanks so much."
If they go down three stories, they'll finally get to the mining laser. Leia tells them she's on point for the mission, so if anything happens they should run. The kids are her hope for the future. Jaina's in no mood for self-sacrificing talk -- just tells her they've got work to do. When they get to the room with the laser, it looks like someone managed to use it to vaporize a few people before the room ended up clearing out. They're shown an escape tunnel, and start moving on the laser itself, when a Vong warrior pops in, attacking. Olmahk takes him; a second Vong runs in after; Leia tries slamming the door on it, but the Vong gets an arm in first, and simply grabs her, slams her against the door and knocks her out.
At first, the twins obey, fleeing down the tunnel. Jacen takes Jaina's hand, and she tries to yank it free; he insists they go back. "What? Hello. Duro to Jacen. She sent us away. She's getting real good at that."
It doesn't feel right, according to Jacen. She can go on and warn the rest of the family, he'll go back no matter what. Jaina feels Luke reaching for her in the Force: she lets him know they're going back for Leia. Luke sends her the impression of someone tapping a sort of morse code on a wall. Jaina finally finds a place to tap out some code and catch Leia's attention; Leia is in Vong captivity with hutt Randa, now. Leia spells out where she is, the Vong's plan to take out the orbital cities and proceed further into the galaxy's Core. She wants Jaina to go warn others, but no; they actually argue in morse code for a bit before Jaina finally sends back "OK."
Jaina just comms Mara, who it turns out is now meeting with Duro's defense fleet admiral. She tells the admiral Leia's been captured and has learned the Vong are going to destroy the cities, and CorDuro Shipping is definitely working with the Vong. She urges military to aid in evacuating and try to get the cities out of orbit -- and to carry out an aerial strike on their position. The Vong warmaster is there, and taking him out will hurt their plans. There's noise over the comm link; someone just shot at Mara and got arrested for his trouble. Jaina leaves to go back for Leia. But while she's away, Jacen tries moving in; Leia, being only half-trained, assumes the approaching presence is Jaina, and is telling Jaina to get out in the Force.
Jaina finally catches up in time to see Leia in captivity, Randa dead, and Jacen trying to hold the Vong off with his saber and using telekinesis to create a vortex of office furniture as a defense. She comes in, saber on as he finishes incapacitating -- not killing -- the warmaster. Jacen lifts Leia, and tells Jaina she'll have to defend them, because he'll be concentrating on slowing Leia's bleeding. Jaina leads them out, saber ready but mostly just using the Force to figure out where to go. She stops every now and then and attempts to read a map on a data pad, which is not going great. She ends up swimming through a drain hole; they get to a point in the flowing water where they're accessible if a ship can come pick them up, but they have to hold on. She's calling for pickup; Han gets over there as fast as possible because it's his family, even though there's four enemy fighters on his tail.
Han's going back to flying, and Jaina starts applying fancy sci-fi bandages to Leia's wounds and putting a thermal blanket around her, and hooking her into an IV. When Leia comes around, she admits Jacen did the "hard part" when Leia thanks her, but Leia insists she did the harder thing: Jaina might have been mad to be ordered away, but she went and delivered the message to Mara before coming back. Jaina makes a face, kisses her on the cheek, then tells her to lie still. Leia's trying to press on with her worries, but passes out soon. Jacen gives Jaina a worried look.
Jaina: There's a sedative in that drip. Otherwise she'd roll down, crawl to the quad guns, and bleed to death.
Jacen takes a laser turret on the Falcon, and Jaina goes to co-pilot for Han. They manage to fight free of the Vong fleet; it's the best the Solo-Skywalkers can do, fleeing into hyperspace.
Received: Day 219, night
Form: Memories come in the form of fiery butterflies in small glass boxes. Open the box and you'll receive the memory; the butterfly will fly out and disappear.
Summary: The Yuuzhan Vong take the polluted planet Duro, which New Republic war relief efforts had been routing refugees to. The Solo-Skywalker family does what it can to save who they can, but even Jedi can only do so much; in this we see that a series named "Star Wars" remains about war even when your main characters aren't combat-capable and/or willing.
--
NOTE: Jaina is mostly blind right now, so she's wearing a visor to shield her eyes from intense light and etc.; everything in this memory appears in blurs and blobs of various shapes, sizes and colors. Jaina is also currently rocking the bald look (in fact, all of the Solos are; quarantine procedures from before this part of the book). Jaina's relying on the Force to remain functional, mostly sensing what's where, and who.
Jaina and Aunt Mara Jade are in Mara's ship, the Jade Shadow, blasting off from Duro's surface. Duro is a completely smokey, polluted planet. Mara's piloting, in a Kuati disguise, and Jaina's just finished changing out of a disguise and into a brown flight suit. Mara's reporting to Leia over the comm that there's a Vong agent, Nom Anor, on Duro. They found him because they couldn't feel him in the Force, and Jaina found the spot to press to get his masquer disguiser to disengage. They all realize Nom Anor didn't expect to be able to avoid Jedi much longer, which means whatever plot he's got cooking is almost ready. But the dome is too crowded by war refugees to single him out with scanners. He could be anywhere. Jaina mutters about how they can't always have what they want. Leia's voice starts cutting out from interference, so Mara cuts the conversation off and tries transmitting a simple data packet.
Jaina's sore, and notes that Leia didn't ask how Jaina's doing, even though Leia knows the daughter is partially disabled and just got out of a dangerous situation. "Some women shouldn't have children . . . to her, I'm an inconvenience. 'Winter, take Jaina for a walk.' 'Threepio, tell Anakin a story.' 'Here, Chewbacca, watch the twins.'"
Mara calls her out on the moment of immaturity; Leia's taking care of thousands of refugees, making the planet Duro hope, literally and symbolically. Jaina: "Poor mom. She's got a half-blind, stubborn daughter who can't fight anymore and a son who's afraid to be a Jedi. Good thing Anakin came along." Mara points out Jaina's just got a temporary weakness, and tells Jaina it's okay for a person to take risks for herself, but never to commit others to combat if they've had their fighting edge blunted; Mara's addressing the real thing that's eating at Jaina, which is that with her injury, she's indefinitely placed on leave and no one's asking her to do anything; all through this book Jaina's been feeling like a broken part, shoved aside or discarded. Mara calls Luke next and catches him up, landing at a domed city. They meet up with Luke and Anakin, coordinate a few more details; the agent is Nom Anor, who they thought was dead, and they've learned he'd used a bioweapon on Mara. Luke reports on his end, they found that CorDuro Shipping has been diverting refugee supplies away. There's suspicion SELCORE and other big organizations have been compromised by Vong agents. One possible agent is the man Jaina identifies as Vice-Director Brarun, who Jacen's with. He might be in danger, and she moves to get her twin back, but Luke stops her. Jacen wants to be where he is.
The others compare some more notes and try transmitting to Jedi Master Kenth Hamner, warning him the Vong are probably about to hit Duro. Millions of lives are on the line -- and more, this would be the first planet the Vong take in the galaxy's Core region. Talk finally turns to action, and Jaina complains she doesn't even have a ship -- even half-blind she would like to be piloting in the war. Mara offers to keep her on as co-pilot. Luke and Anakin set out to check in on Jacen. Jaina takes a nap, and narrative calls it being a soldier; quickly and easily falling asleep until action is needed. Mara's on the phone, trying to get the local military to mobilize. Luke and Anakin come back, there's a quick dinner, and Luke decides the time is right to retrieve Jacen. He and Mara will stage a diversion while Jaina and Anakin try sneaking in. Mara seems worried about Jacen's mental state. They hop into hover bikes, but Jaina doesn't get to steer.
Luke starts his diversion by arguing with someone on a stage trying to raise anti-Jedi sentiment; Anakin improvises and goes to get into a mock-fight with Luke, the two Jedi dueling and drawing everyone's attention. Jaina slips in, letting her twin bond guide her to Jacen. He compliments her on her hair, and she returns the jab, knowing he's also currently bald. Jacen offers her a cold dinner, while she's obviously attempting despite being mostly-blind to recon some escape routes. He notes where the only guards are, and she answers they weren't impressive; she incapacitated them on the way in (it isn't onscreen, but probably stunned them on the way in, considering she's carrying several blasters set to stun). Jacen suspects their only real job had been to let Brarun know if Jacen tried leaving. He says he isn't going until he sees Brarun and talks to him.
Jaina: Are you even marginally aware of what's going on around you?
Jacen: How about you? How's the vision coming back?
Jaina: Well, for one thing, I'd forgotten how big your nose and chin are getting. Listen. Aunt Mara and I just exposed a Yuuzhan Vong agent down at Gateway, and he nearly killed us both. And Uncle Luke just found connections between your precious vice-director and the Peace Brigade.
Jacen: That's why Brarun's anxious to get a Jedi in custody? Because the Peace Brigade has figured out that the Yuuzhan Vong want to neutralize us?
Jaina: Give the boy a medal. And meanwhile, you're just sitting here, blind to it all. Aren't you listening to the Force at all? Can't you tell? Something's about to happen. Again.
Jacen: Actually, I . . . decided to stop using it. Completely. Uncle Luke challenged me, and I . . . I'm tired, Jaina. If I can't fight darkness with darkness, then maybe I can't fight violence with violence. I just feel like I'm . . . waiting for something to happen.
Jaina: What's going to happen is another invasion, Jacen. And you're coming with me, whether you want it or not.
Jacen: You'd make me come with you?
Jaina: [drawing a blaster set to stun] You may want to set yourself up as a tragic hero, but it isn't going to happen. Yes, idiot brother. I would make you come.
Jacen eventually agrees to go, and she hands him the blaster, then draws a second. He says he's got a hover pod from someone they can use to get away, as the distraction outside finally fails with a demonstrator opening fire on Luke. Jaina starts leading Jacen out another way, but they hear someone coming in an emergency stairwell; Jacen checks his blaster, but Jaina simply leaps over the stairwell's banister, and manages to stun two of three Duro guards on the way down to the bottom of the stairwell, heading straight out the door. Jacen has to go down the stairs like a normal person, since he's avoiding using the Force, and he stuns the third guard on the way. He shows Jaina to the hover pod; they take off.
Jacen's in no position to argue, so this time Jaina does get to take the driver's seat. She claims she can see all right, but Jacen has to inform her that three pods marked with security logos are falling into pursuit. Narrative: Fortunately, there was little early evening traffic. She catches Jacen up on the plot, but he's still worrying about her piloting. Jacen borrows her comm link and talks to Mara to coordinate action. Mara, Luke and Anakin are dropping off the radar since people are riled up. Jacen suggests Jaina should try to get out of their pursuit's line of sight, put the pod on autopilot and bail. She responds sarcastically, but admits there's no better options at the moment, so she pops the hatch and orders him out. They jump, and she's just fine; Jacen has some trouble without the Force, but manages. He asks if she's okay.
Jaina: I'm not the idiot who's refusing to use the Force.
Jacen: How well can you really see?
Jaina: I flew, didn't I?
Jacen: Yeah, you did. Pretty well.
Jaina: All right. We're going to be Duros for a while.
She concentrates on using a mind trick to make people think they're just some more Duros in the city bustle. She can feel in the twin bond Jacen being guilty about piggybacking on her Force use. They find a private shuttle Jacen has access to. While Jaina flies, he calls Leia, who guesses that Jaina's flying; she promptly asks Jaina how many passengers can squeeze in and if it's hyperspace-capable. Leia gives them instructions to land at a main entrance/exit to the city to load up refugees. When they get there, they meet up with Leia, who's been shaved, too. No small talk; just start loading up and get off world. A young hutt named Randa says he doesn't think the Vong are coming. Jaina's staying if Leia's staying, but before the argument can get into full swing, a Vong fleet pops out of hyperspace and registers on a nearby sensor display. Shields start going up, and the Duro Defense Force broadcasts orders to take shelter and not attempt flight. Instead, Leia orders everyone to start piling into the evacuation ships. Leia asks how Jaina's eyes are and without waiting for an answer tells her to run a comm unit; Jaina bites back an argument and drops into the unit's chair before pointing out that on the system, three of the habitats are still unshielded. Sabotage -- including their own city. "We're ground zero." Leia sends Jacen to get Han.
Jaina manages to modify the equipment she's at to display more of the space around Duro, getting a better "look" at what's going on. She wants back in a fighter. The Vong broadcast a message "offering peace" for surrender; they haven't transmitted on Republic channels before, which Leia notes is dismaying because the Vong might have figured out how to listen in on their communications, too. Ships start comming Jaina's station, telling her they're coming back since if they continue they figure they'll get destroyed; she thinks it'd be better to keep outbound, but tells them open spaces to set back down. Duro's defense force is falling back without fighting. On the equipment, it looks like Mara's ship is flying out to oppose the enemy; Leia says it's grim to pit two X-Wings and the Shadow against a fleet. Vong landing craft are entering the planet's atmosphere. The enemy broadcasts another message, claiming no interest in Duro's orbiting cities, only the planet surface. Surrender, etc. Luke, Mara and Anakin ignore Duro comm messages telling them not to fight; they engage while Vong ground forces begin deploying.
With the Vong on the ground and enemy fighters strafing strategic and/or symbolic targets, they have to evacuate the command center. Leia, Jaina, Jacen and an alien named Olmahk (little grey ninja bodyguard for Leia) have met up and are leading several civilians through a deserted run-down district. Jaina's ability to work around her blindness finally lapses for a moment; she trips on some rubble, scraping hands and knees, and Jacen helps her back up. She insists she's fine. They duck into a structure, where Han's waiting with some volunteers; apparently they've been creating an escape tunnel with some digging equipment. Leia says there's five big hauler ships still intact; they could get two thousand refugees out on them. Some volunteers are going to spread out in the tunnels and see who they can round up. Jaina tells them to be careful -- Nom Anor might still be about, setting up traps.
Leia's going to go back to the admin center for something; Jaina gets the idea of what Leia's up to and insists she'll go, and for a moment, it's like they're conspirators and sisters, instead of mother and daughter in a strained relationship. Jacen decides to go, too. Jaina explains they're going to get a mining laser set up as an improvised weapon against the Vong, and asks if that's too violent for Jacen; he admits it's a rescue and defense, so as long as he's not using the Force, he'll go with it. Olmahk volunteers to operate it, since its position will be given away immediately and fall under attack; he sees it as his duty to Leia, who he calls Lady Vader. Leia says okay but the twins feel she plans to fire it herself anyway; Jacen gets a funny feeling and suggests negotiating, and the Solo ladies are just. NO. THAT DOESN'T WORK. And he shouldn't try it, either. They set out.
The party starts ninjaing across cityscape under attack, doing things like climb between walls chimney-style to avoid Vong warriors. Leia almost shoots one to try rescuing someone she knew, but she realizes the person's already dead, so doesn't give away their position. They can see hundreds of refugees rounded up and under guard, and equipment is being destroyed and piled up.
Jaina: Remind you of anything?
Leia: Rhommamool, and a pit full of droids. We've got to get those people out of there.
Jaina: With what?
Leia: Just help me get the mining laser up here. They still haven't shut down the main power plant.
Jaina: What about lifting something out of that pit and using the Force? And just dropping it on them? They wouldn't have a clue where we are.
Leia: We could smash them, or we could try to get some prisoners released.
They plan a Force trick with the twins working together -- working together to hit the Vong with something big enough to distract them a while -- but Jacen objects, saying it's a critical moment and he doesn't dare misstep. Jaina's mad, tells him to help or get out of the way, calls him a deserter. Finally, Jaina just asks Leia to lend her some support and they'll do what they can by themselves. Leia was reluctant to help with the Force work herself because she's only half-trained, but she agrees. Jaina draws on Leia to boost her power, picking up a giant mining droid opposite of where the refugees are. The refugees start jumping up; Jaina smashes five warriors, and refugees scatter. Jaina rolls on her back, panting; Leia tells her she did well, and Jaina smiles, glad to earn approval for being useful, then sarcastically snipes at Jacen: "Thanks so much."
If they go down three stories, they'll finally get to the mining laser. Leia tells them she's on point for the mission, so if anything happens they should run. The kids are her hope for the future. Jaina's in no mood for self-sacrificing talk -- just tells her they've got work to do. When they get to the room with the laser, it looks like someone managed to use it to vaporize a few people before the room ended up clearing out. They're shown an escape tunnel, and start moving on the laser itself, when a Vong warrior pops in, attacking. Olmahk takes him; a second Vong runs in after; Leia tries slamming the door on it, but the Vong gets an arm in first, and simply grabs her, slams her against the door and knocks her out.
At first, the twins obey, fleeing down the tunnel. Jacen takes Jaina's hand, and she tries to yank it free; he insists they go back. "What? Hello. Duro to Jacen. She sent us away. She's getting real good at that."
It doesn't feel right, according to Jacen. She can go on and warn the rest of the family, he'll go back no matter what. Jaina feels Luke reaching for her in the Force: she lets him know they're going back for Leia. Luke sends her the impression of someone tapping a sort of morse code on a wall. Jaina finally finds a place to tap out some code and catch Leia's attention; Leia is in Vong captivity with hutt Randa, now. Leia spells out where she is, the Vong's plan to take out the orbital cities and proceed further into the galaxy's Core. She wants Jaina to go warn others, but no; they actually argue in morse code for a bit before Jaina finally sends back "OK."
Jaina just comms Mara, who it turns out is now meeting with Duro's defense fleet admiral. She tells the admiral Leia's been captured and has learned the Vong are going to destroy the cities, and CorDuro Shipping is definitely working with the Vong. She urges military to aid in evacuating and try to get the cities out of orbit -- and to carry out an aerial strike on their position. The Vong warmaster is there, and taking him out will hurt their plans. There's noise over the comm link; someone just shot at Mara and got arrested for his trouble. Jaina leaves to go back for Leia. But while she's away, Jacen tries moving in; Leia, being only half-trained, assumes the approaching presence is Jaina, and is telling Jaina to get out in the Force.
Jaina finally catches up in time to see Leia in captivity, Randa dead, and Jacen trying to hold the Vong off with his saber and using telekinesis to create a vortex of office furniture as a defense. She comes in, saber on as he finishes incapacitating -- not killing -- the warmaster. Jacen lifts Leia, and tells Jaina she'll have to defend them, because he'll be concentrating on slowing Leia's bleeding. Jaina leads them out, saber ready but mostly just using the Force to figure out where to go. She stops every now and then and attempts to read a map on a data pad, which is not going great. She ends up swimming through a drain hole; they get to a point in the flowing water where they're accessible if a ship can come pick them up, but they have to hold on. She's calling for pickup; Han gets over there as fast as possible because it's his family, even though there's four enemy fighters on his tail.
Han's going back to flying, and Jaina starts applying fancy sci-fi bandages to Leia's wounds and putting a thermal blanket around her, and hooking her into an IV. When Leia comes around, she admits Jacen did the "hard part" when Leia thanks her, but Leia insists she did the harder thing: Jaina might have been mad to be ordered away, but she went and delivered the message to Mara before coming back. Jaina makes a face, kisses her on the cheek, then tells her to lie still. Leia's trying to press on with her worries, but passes out soon. Jacen gives Jaina a worried look.
Jaina: There's a sedative in that drip. Otherwise she'd roll down, crawl to the quad guns, and bleed to death.
Jacen takes a laser turret on the Falcon, and Jaina goes to co-pilot for Han. They manage to fight free of the Vong fleet; it's the best the Solo-Skywalkers can do, fleeing into hyperspace.