Jaina Solo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sticksofthejedi) wrote2011-11-09 01:50 am
sticksofthejedi) wrote2011-11-09 01:50 am
Entry tags:
Memory 18
Memory: Zekk and Jaina almost get romantic, but Jacen kills the mood.
Received: Day 96, morning
Form: party blower, 4/5 uses
Summary: Teenage Jaina and the other Young Jedi Knights help Zekk repair his broken down bucket of bolts ship, the Lightning Rod so Zekk and Raynar can go try and solve a galactic crisis by themselves. This is an incredibly stupid idea, so Jaina's taking the opportunity to plug Em Teedee into the ship and set up a tracking signal so she can follow him in Tenel Ka's ship. Zekk explains how he's trying to put his bad boy past behind him and just wants Jaina, her family, and his father figure to be safe. They have an emotionally charged hug and then ceiling Jacen interrupts before they can do anything like get into kissing.
--
ZEKK HAD NOT expected it to be so easy, especially not after the debacle in the Senate hall.
"What?"
"I said, `Of course.' When do we leave?" Raynar answered. Zekk had anticipated several tedious meetings with Aryn Dro Thul, explaining why her son should accompany him on the dangerous quest to find Borran Thul. Zekk already knew how to find the fugitive, since he had placed a tracer on Thul's ship a week ago, but he had no reason to believe Borran Thul would willingly return with him, or even listen to reason. That was why Raynar had to come along. The Alderaanian boy clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing up and down the length of the battle-scarred Lightning Rod. His bootsteps echoed in the large repair bay.
"I can be ready in a few hours, if that's not too long," he said with an eager expression. Zekk shook his head and tapped a hydrospanner against the ship's hull. "It'll take me at least that long to finish here. Less than that if Jaina can help us-and if I know Jaina, wild gundarks couldn't keep her away."
As it turned out, Jaina also recruited her twin brother, as well as Tenel Ka, Lowie and his sister Sirra, and of course Em Teedee. In addition, she offered to accompany Zekk and Raynar on their rescue mission to serve as navigator, copilot, or anything else they might need.
"No, Jaina," Zekk told her in a gentle but firm voice. "Raynar's one of two people in the galaxy that Boman Thul is likely to trust. I need him with me, but I'm not risking anyone else."
Jaina tried to hide her hurt by turning toward the navigational console and double-checking Em Teedee's connections.
"Run the usual diagnostics, Em Teedee," she said. "And don't forget the special ones I asked for."
"Certainly, Mistress Jaina," the little droid replied. "But do you believe it's absolutely necessary to-"
"Just do it, Em Teedee," Jaina broke in with an edge of impatient urgency. Then she turned back to Zekk. "I understand exactly how dangerous this situation is. Whether you find Raynar's father or not, you're probably on the Diversity Alliance's most-wanted list by now. And you're definitely considered fair game for bounty hunters, since you turned against them and helped Bornan Thul escape before."
A pair of Wookiee voices bellowed from the cargo bay, and Jaina yelled back, "I think Tenel Ka and Jacen have the sealant patches. They're outside working on the hull."
Zekk placed his hands on Jaina's shoulders, shook her gently.
"There's a chance Raynar and I won't make it back. He has to go, and so do I-but I won't put you in that kind of danger."
Jaina looked past him out the cockpit viewports, pretending an interest in the Sorosuub ion skimmer that had just cruised into the docking bay. What gave Zekk the right to decide whether or not she could put herself in danger? Her hands clenched and unclenched a few times.
"If that plague gets loose, none of us will be safe anyway," she pointed out, still trying to make him see reason. "There's a lot at stake, and everyone's taking risks. Lusa and Sirra and Uncle Luke are all going on the inspection team headed for Ryloth. They'll all be in danger. So will you. You'd stand a much better chance of coming out of this alive if I came along, you know."
A long silence stretched between them.
"I don't know if you can understand this," Zekk said at last. He pulled her closer to him-a move that surprised Jaina. His voice was tight with emotion. "I made some choices back when I joined the Shadow Academy-the wrong choices. I was willing to put the whole New Republic at risk just to prove to myself that I was as good as you and your family. All I managed to prove to myself was how wrong I was.
"I came close to killing you once, because Brakiss had convinced me-or I had convinced myself-that you thought I was unworthy. Now the New Republic is in jeopardy again, and I'm one of the few people who can do something about it." He gave a mirthless laugh. "Funny thing is, this time I don't feel like I have anything to prove. I just need to know that you're safe, that your family's safe, that old Peckhum's safe. I want to make sure that humans, Wookiees, and all other species are safe from anyone who rules by murder and hate... or because they have something to prove." Zekk pulled back, and his emerald eyes bored into Jaina's. "I'm going to try to save Raynar's father. But if I can't, I'll do whatever I can to keep the galaxy safe-whether it means blowing up his ship, or my ship... or everything."
Jaina sensed the fierce determination in Zekk. Her eyes filled with tears, and she tried to blink them away. Yes, she understood. She understood only too well, and she knew there would be no changing Zekk's mind. She unclenched her fists, slid her arms around his back, and squeezed him tightly.
Jacen's upside-down face appeared in one of the side viewports. He dangled from the roof of the Lightning Rod, making faces at his sister, and pointing to where Raynar and Lusa stood in front of the ship, also sharing a goodbye embrace. Jacen's upside-down eyebrows raised and lowered comically.
"Well then," Jaina said, somewhere between a laugh and a choke, "what are we waiting for? We have a ship to get ready for its most important flight ever. You got everything we need, Em Teedee?"
"Yes, indeed, Mistress Jaina."
Zekk pressed his cheek against hers. "Thank you," he whispered.
Received: Day 96, morning
Form: party blower, 4/5 uses
Summary: Teenage Jaina and the other Young Jedi Knights help Zekk repair his broken down bucket of bolts ship, the Lightning Rod so Zekk and Raynar can go try and solve a galactic crisis by themselves. This is an incredibly stupid idea, so Jaina's taking the opportunity to plug Em Teedee into the ship and set up a tracking signal so she can follow him in Tenel Ka's ship. Zekk explains how he's trying to put his bad boy past behind him and just wants Jaina, her family, and his father figure to be safe. They have an emotionally charged hug and then ceiling Jacen interrupts before they can do anything like get into kissing.
--
ZEKK HAD NOT expected it to be so easy, especially not after the debacle in the Senate hall.
"What?"
"I said, `Of course.' When do we leave?" Raynar answered. Zekk had anticipated several tedious meetings with Aryn Dro Thul, explaining why her son should accompany him on the dangerous quest to find Borran Thul. Zekk already knew how to find the fugitive, since he had placed a tracer on Thul's ship a week ago, but he had no reason to believe Borran Thul would willingly return with him, or even listen to reason. That was why Raynar had to come along. The Alderaanian boy clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing up and down the length of the battle-scarred Lightning Rod. His bootsteps echoed in the large repair bay.
"I can be ready in a few hours, if that's not too long," he said with an eager expression. Zekk shook his head and tapped a hydrospanner against the ship's hull. "It'll take me at least that long to finish here. Less than that if Jaina can help us-and if I know Jaina, wild gundarks couldn't keep her away."
As it turned out, Jaina also recruited her twin brother, as well as Tenel Ka, Lowie and his sister Sirra, and of course Em Teedee. In addition, she offered to accompany Zekk and Raynar on their rescue mission to serve as navigator, copilot, or anything else they might need.
"No, Jaina," Zekk told her in a gentle but firm voice. "Raynar's one of two people in the galaxy that Boman Thul is likely to trust. I need him with me, but I'm not risking anyone else."
Jaina tried to hide her hurt by turning toward the navigational console and double-checking Em Teedee's connections.
"Run the usual diagnostics, Em Teedee," she said. "And don't forget the special ones I asked for."
"Certainly, Mistress Jaina," the little droid replied. "But do you believe it's absolutely necessary to-"
"Just do it, Em Teedee," Jaina broke in with an edge of impatient urgency. Then she turned back to Zekk. "I understand exactly how dangerous this situation is. Whether you find Raynar's father or not, you're probably on the Diversity Alliance's most-wanted list by now. And you're definitely considered fair game for bounty hunters, since you turned against them and helped Bornan Thul escape before."
A pair of Wookiee voices bellowed from the cargo bay, and Jaina yelled back, "I think Tenel Ka and Jacen have the sealant patches. They're outside working on the hull."
Zekk placed his hands on Jaina's shoulders, shook her gently.
"There's a chance Raynar and I won't make it back. He has to go, and so do I-but I won't put you in that kind of danger."
Jaina looked past him out the cockpit viewports, pretending an interest in the Sorosuub ion skimmer that had just cruised into the docking bay. What gave Zekk the right to decide whether or not she could put herself in danger? Her hands clenched and unclenched a few times.
"If that plague gets loose, none of us will be safe anyway," she pointed out, still trying to make him see reason. "There's a lot at stake, and everyone's taking risks. Lusa and Sirra and Uncle Luke are all going on the inspection team headed for Ryloth. They'll all be in danger. So will you. You'd stand a much better chance of coming out of this alive if I came along, you know."
A long silence stretched between them.
"I don't know if you can understand this," Zekk said at last. He pulled her closer to him-a move that surprised Jaina. His voice was tight with emotion. "I made some choices back when I joined the Shadow Academy-the wrong choices. I was willing to put the whole New Republic at risk just to prove to myself that I was as good as you and your family. All I managed to prove to myself was how wrong I was.
"I came close to killing you once, because Brakiss had convinced me-or I had convinced myself-that you thought I was unworthy. Now the New Republic is in jeopardy again, and I'm one of the few people who can do something about it." He gave a mirthless laugh. "Funny thing is, this time I don't feel like I have anything to prove. I just need to know that you're safe, that your family's safe, that old Peckhum's safe. I want to make sure that humans, Wookiees, and all other species are safe from anyone who rules by murder and hate... or because they have something to prove." Zekk pulled back, and his emerald eyes bored into Jaina's. "I'm going to try to save Raynar's father. But if I can't, I'll do whatever I can to keep the galaxy safe-whether it means blowing up his ship, or my ship... or everything."
Jaina sensed the fierce determination in Zekk. Her eyes filled with tears, and she tried to blink them away. Yes, she understood. She understood only too well, and she knew there would be no changing Zekk's mind. She unclenched her fists, slid her arms around his back, and squeezed him tightly.
Jacen's upside-down face appeared in one of the side viewports. He dangled from the roof of the Lightning Rod, making faces at his sister, and pointing to where Raynar and Lusa stood in front of the ship, also sharing a goodbye embrace. Jacen's upside-down eyebrows raised and lowered comically.
"Well then," Jaina said, somewhere between a laugh and a choke, "what are we waiting for? We have a ship to get ready for its most important flight ever. You got everything we need, Em Teedee?"
"Yes, indeed, Mistress Jaina."
Zekk pressed his cheek against hers. "Thank you," he whispered.