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The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): COMPLETE
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oldjedinurse
Registered:
Oct '03
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Date Posted:
1/15/07 3:11pm
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 9th!!
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Third. 
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"I don't want to live in a world where I have to eat sugar-free sugar cookies."
Ikkaku, Hosaka, Kawabata
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Tahi
Registered:
Jun '02
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 1:19am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 9th!!
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Oooh - your speculation is very, very interesting, Lex. I like your portrayal of Soontir a lot. 
The message on the small display screen was a single word. Door.
“Would it kill them to say please?”
Jag retrieved his neatly folded pants from the chair and pulled them on. He didn’t bother with a shirt or boots, or even buckling his belt, before treading slowly to the door. It slid open with a quiet whoosh. Fortunately the corridor illumination was dimmed, so the light assaulting his eyes wasn’t overwhelming.
Waiting in the hallway was a lithe blonde woman about a head shorter than Jag. She saluted crisply. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important, sir.”
He shrugged. “Sleep is overrated.”
Loved the way you embedded so much of Jag's personality in the little details in that passage.
I had a giggle at the fact Soontir figured out who his son was with.
I tend to get a bit lost with all the complexities of Chiss politics mainly becasue I am way behind in my pro-fic reading, but I'm still enjoying the intrigue described here. ( I still haven't read Survivor's Quest either, which I believe had some useful info on Thrawn etc. Bad me.)
Soontir is rather delicious in this - looking forward to more. 
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jedi_princess18
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 3:28am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 9th!!
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I loved this! Soontir is deliciously sneaky- I got the sense this was just the beginning of his plan..... 
And J/J were so sweet! 
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Would it help if I got out and pushed?
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Darth_Lex
Registered:
Nov '02
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 7:34am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 9th!!
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TKL: I hate when a good snuggly sleep gets interrupted.
Yeah, Soontir needs a good  for that one! 
Great job of getting us to feel or really remember that.
Thanks. I think after losing two (three?) siblings already at this point, Jag would get that feeling of dread every time a call comes from home… 
How very Thrawn like...
Exactly.  And if he built the entire Empire of the Hand in secret, you know Thrawn was nothing if not patient.
Do we get this part too?
I suppose I could be persuaded to write a missing scene… 
Chimpo: 
OJN: 
Tahi: Loved the way you embedded so much of Jag's personality in the little details in that passage.
Thanks!  The little details are the most fun to write, because you can drop hints for people who are reading carefully. 
I tend to get a bit lost with all the complexities of Chiss politics mainly becasue I am way behind in my pro-fic reading, but I'm still enjoying the intrigue described here.
Well, if it’s any consolation we’re pretty much done with the Chiss politics. Now that I’ve got the Ascendancy into the Empire of the Hand, it’s pretty much Imperial politics from here on out – on the Fel side, even if the GA folks haven’t a clue.  
( I still haven't read Survivor's Quest either, which I believe had some useful info on Thrawn etc. Bad me.)
 No worries. The only piece from SQ you really need to know for this story is that SQ reveals the name “Empire of the Hand” for the Fel & Parck operation (based at the Nirauan fortress from VOTF, at least initially) to maintain Thrawn’s legacy in the Unknown Regions.
jedi_princess18: I got the sense this was just the beginning of his plan.....
That’s about right.
Thanks again for all the great replies, everyone!
Posting momentarily. 
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The Good News (LOTF: Invincible missing scenes) http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28505708/p1 "Jag's cool. It's not arrogant if you can back it up." - Troy Denning "Just remember who you are." - Jag to Jaina
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Darth_Lex
Registered:
Nov '02
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 7:39am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 9th!!
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CHAPTER THREE
32 ABY, Jaina Solo’s twenty-third lifeday
Bolis Island, Maramere
The roar of the swoop bike engines was deafening. Jag leaned forward, hunching further into the turn, throwing the full momentum of his body’s inertia into a tight arc around the sharp curve in the narrow canyon. The walls of rock soared far above him, sailed past him in a brown blur. There was no time to process his surroundings, to prepare for the next move. There was only time to react.
His pursuer was getting closer. Too close.
His fingers twitched on the handlebars, and out in front of him the control vanes shifted ever so slightly. The swoop bike raced even closer to the cliff face. His elbow and knee barely escaped a bruising from the rough outcroppings along the stone.
It would save him a second or two. And he needed every second he could –
Whhh-RRRUUUUMMMMM.
Sand and pebbles splattered against Jag and the metal of his bike as the other swoop tore past him – above him. For the instant it took her to pass him, her swoop bike defied gravity, its repulsorlift engines repelling not against the canyon floor but the rock wall opposite him. She rode so far up the cliff face he thought she was actually going to attempt a barrel roll – until Jaina swung her bike back low again, hopelessly ahead of him, a swirling cloud of dust filling the canyon in her wake.
He held the bike on track, and flew through it. The goggles kept the debris out of his eyes, but his mouth and nose weren’t so fortunate.
“Pthtbpt!” he spat, trying in vain to expel the grit. He couldn’t afford to lift a hand to wipe his lips. Not yet.
They burst from the canyon mouth onto a dusty hillside. Beneath the slope spread a broad, green meadow that shone brightly in the afternoon sun. Jag squinted through the waning plume of dust behind Jaina and emerged over the grass to see her swinging the heavy end of her bike through a shallow arc to slow it.
He matched her move. A moment later they sat side by side, swoop bikes humming between their legs as they hovered in place.
Jag tore off a glove and rubbed away the sand from his mouth. Then he glowered. “Good to know you’re willing to almost kill me just to win a race.”
“Gimme a break.” She rolled her eyes. “You were never in any danger.”
“No, but that’s hardly the point.”
“What is the point, then?”
“I had the lead. It wasn’t worth that crazy risk to beat me.”
“Why not?”
Tugging the glove back on, he laughed. “Every once in a while you could let me win, you know.”
“Oh, Jag,” she said, shaking her head.
“What?”
“How empty a victory would that be?”
“I don’t know. Let’s give it a try and I’ll tell you.”
She frowned, for a long moment saying nothing. Then she grinned. “Last one back to the room,” she crowed, slamming the throttle of her swoop bike, “has to give a backrub!”
Jag watched her zoom away, and sighed. The swoop bikes had been his idea. He should have known better than to think she’d want to do anything but race them. Maybe next time he’d take her to the opera. Throttling up his bike, he chuckled. What was the point? If she set her mind to it, Jaina could find a way to make anything competitive.
Still, he wasn’t going to give up on getting that backrub just yet…
********
Two hours later, Jag stood at the wide window of their room atop the resort’s luxury tower. Forty stories below stretched a ribbon of pristine white sand along the edge of a sea so purely blue it looked more magical than real. The beach and the water had been their haven the past four days, an escape from the draining reality of diplomacy and liaising, negotiations and investigations, warlords and smugglers.
He hadn’t felt this refreshed in months. He was going to have to find a way to get her to agree to something like this more often. She needed it even more than he did.
After a long, deep breath Jag appraised himself in the reflection. He hadn’t worn his black dress uniform in several years; his public appearances were almost always in a diplomatic or commander’s capacity for the CEDF, and the old Household Phalanx technically didn’t even exist separately any more. He was mildly surprised it still fit. To this day, though, Jaina still talked about how handsome he had looked on the Tafanda Bay the first time she had ever seen him.
Assuming she ever finished getting ready in the ‘fresher.
He chuckled, and gazed once more over the shimmering sea.
“What’s so funny?” she asked from behind him.
He spun on a heel. “Nothing.”
Jaina wore a slim red dress that flaunted every curve of her petite figure. The plunging neckline was matched only by a narrow slit running from her ankle nearly all the way to her right hip. A thin gold chain held a pendant at the base of her throat, twinkling gems of red, black, and clear crystal set in a unique design – his gift to her a year ago today. Her hair hung long and loose around her thoroughly massaged shoulders, framing her perfect face in a tumble of brown tresses.
She looked striking. Stunning. Amazing. Gorgeous.
Breathtaking.
Literally. Jag had to remember to breathe.
She stepped carefully from the refresher door, bounding on her tiptoes past the disheveled bed toward the open door of the closet. “You were laughing at how long it was taking me.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Liar.” She turned her back to him just long enough to slip on her shoes. Then she turned around again, an eyebrow raised dubiously. “Am I right?”
He held up his hands defensively. “Okay. Maybe a little.”
She giggled, and paced the short distance to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gazed up at him. Her brown eyes sparkled with happiness and contentment. Her smooth skin still glowed, her features accentuated with a faint rosy flush of sated bliss. Her lips, full and as red as her dress, spread into a wide, angelic smile.
“I love you, Jag,” she whispered, squeezing him tight.
He stretched down to kiss her forehead. Once, tenderly. “I love you, too, Jaina.”
She released him and stepped back. “You ready for dinner?”
“For the last hour.”
She swatted him on the arm, then took his hand and led him toward the door.
********
Dusk fell over the ocean in the distance as they walked hand-in-hand through the lush garden terrace at the base of the tower. The aroma of countless flowers filled the air around them, and the soft sea breeze carried the gentle songs of the birds.
“Thank you for this. All of this.” Jaina weaved her fingers into his. “I needed it. More than I care to admit, probably.”
“You’re welcome. I had a wonderful time, too.”
A small smile on her face, she glanced up at him. “I haven’t enjoyed my lifeday this much in a long time.”
He smiled back. “Then I did my job.”
“You did great.” She squeezed his hand. “It was perfect.”
They walked along the stone path until they reached the edge of the terrace. Before them were the low, rolling dunes, and beyond that the smooth beach and the tiny waves gently crashing to shore. The last orange rays of the setting sun held back the approaching night.
“I don’t want to go back,” Jaina said quietly after they had stood there for a moment.
Jag squeezed her hand. “Then don’t.”
She shook her head, blew out a sigh. “It’s not that easy. I can’t just walk away from my duties. I can’t abandon all that I’ve fought for.”
He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Not all of it, maybe. But you don’t have to do everything yourself, Jay.”
She leaned into him. “I know. But…”
He waited. When she didn’t say more, he ran his hand up and down her arm. “But what?”
“It’s just…” She took a shuddering breath. “Everyone’s counting on me. I can’t let them down.”
“You won’t.” He reached over with his free hand and tipped her face up so she was looking into his eyes. “You need to take care of yourself, Jay. You can’t do any good if you run yourself into exhaustion.”
She nodded mutely. She didn’t look away when he let his hand down.
“You don’t have to solve every crisis. You don’t have to capture every warlord.”
“You’re right. It’s just…”
“You’re the best?”
“Well, yes.” She frowned. “That sounds awfully arrogant, doesn’t it?”
He chuckled. “It’s the truth.”
“Yeah.” She sighed. Deeper this time, and sadder.
He knew why. Jag squeezed her shoulders again. “I wish Jacen were back to help you, too.” He kissed the top of her head. “You’re an amazing woman, Jaina, but not even you can go on carrying the work of two Jedi Knights yourself.”
She took both his hands in hers. “I have to do what I can. It’s…”
He knew she didn’t want to say it. “It’s your destiny?”
She nodded. Her eyes were wet. She stepped into him, pressing herself along him, resting her face against his chest, all without releasing his hands. “Don’t leave me, Jag. Don’t ever leave me.”
He untangled their fingers and wrapped his arms around her back. “I won’t,” he whispered into her hair. “I promise.”
Her shoulders rose and fell in his embrace. Then she trembled, and the tears began to flow. She cried in his arms, mourning unspoken loss, weeping for a void in her heart so deep he wondered if his love would ever be enough to fill it. Her body shook with sobs, and her embrace grew more desperate with each one.
Without a word Jag scooped Jaina into his arms. For once she didn’t struggle, but only wrapped her arms around his neck and let her head collapse on his shoulder. The tears slowed as he carried her to their room, but beads of sorrow trickled down her face even as they undressed in the dark in silence, even as they crawled into bed, even as he pulled her close and wrapped himself around her from head to toe.
He caressed her back and stroked her hair. He held her tight and kissed away her tears. Only when her body could cry no more did Jaina finally drift off to sleep. Even then the whimpers and shudders still came, banished only by a loving embrace or tender kiss.
Jag stayed awake until morning, warding off her tears – and her nightmares.
********
Chapter Four (33 ABY) next week…
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The Good News (LOTF: Invincible missing scenes) http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28505708/p1 "Jag's cool. It's not arrogant if you can back it up." - Troy Denning "Just remember who you are." - Jag to Jaina
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Flowerlady
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 9:25am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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I am really enjoying this...Great J/J moments...
Jag should know that Jaina would never let him win...
The ending with Jaina breaking down was so sad. She definitely has a destiny few others would ever want to touch...
Wonderful...I can't wait until next week for the next chapter. 
FL 
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I used to dream of Kyp or Jag, now it's Edward Cullen...I blame Cyn and Saber.. Master to DanaeMariSkywalker, JediMasterArmada and PHGS_Weyr
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TelannaTani
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 10:30am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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:faint:
Beautiful.
Hopefully I'll have more later.
Voz
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Callsign: "Voz"
Padawan to BigFatty
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Chimpo_the_Sith
Title: FanForce CR
FF Poland
Registered:
Mar '03
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 11:06am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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So now we are having the happy J/J times. Looks like next post might be a proposal from Jag and next one will probably be the ( temporary ) end of their relationship and Killik crisis will start.
Jaina racing with Jag is so like her. Give Jaina something that flies and is fast and you are sure to lose whole day on racing or flying
Way to go Lex. And I'm still seconding TKL's idea
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"I actually like Jaina/Jag best. Because they're such an imperfect fit, unstoppable force vs. unmoveable object, they challenge each other more and make one another cooler." Aaron Allston
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Solo_and_Fel
Registered:
Apr '04
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 11:22am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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“Every once in a while you could let me win, you know.”
“Oh, Jag,” she said, shaking her head.
“What?”
“How empty a victory would that be?”
“I don’t know. Let’s give it a try and I’ll tell you.”
We all know she'll never let him win on purpose.
Although if he did win... she'd say she let him.
He knew why. Jag squeezed her shoulders again. “I wish Jacen were back to help you, too.” He kissed the top of her head. “You’re an amazing woman, Jaina, but not even you can go on carrying the work of two Jedi Knights yourself.”
I've said it before and I'll say it again... Jagged Fel doesn't even need the Force.
He's just good at being intuitive. Plus, you do a great job of writing how good of a team these two make... not just on missions, but just together in semi-"normal" situations.
“Don’t leave me, Jag. Don’t ever leave me.”
He untangled their fingers and wrapped his arms around her back. “I won’t,” he whispered into her hair. “I promise.”
I guess you can argue he held up that promise... at least still at this point.
Another excellent sweet post.
Sigh. I miss them being happy... and together.
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"Hurling black lightning is one thing, but quoting Kyp Durron puts me lower than I ever expected to get." To Suffer & Be Strong: http://boards.theforce.net/Message.aspx?topic=28435487&brd=10477 Check profile for more fics.
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ccp
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Apr '05
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 11:28am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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Padwan to Big Fatty
If someone says, "Have a nice weekend," I never say, "You too." Because I never know if, perhaps, by the time the weekend rolls around, I will have other plans for that person. Come Friday, I may wish to have them slain. - George Carli
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Lyne
Registered:
Aug '06
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 1:46pm
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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I love reading about the time between TUF and Joiner King. It's bittersweet because you know that they will break up.
Can't wait to see what's next.
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obsessedwithSW
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
1/16/07 9:06pm
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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I finally found this again and will faithfully be here on tuesday now that know the routine.
Do we get this part too?
I suppose I could be persuaded to write a missing scene…
Please, pretty please?
Lex you do present J/J as quite an engaging couple. It makes it difficult to see Jaina with anyone else.
Wonderful post! I really enjoyed detail of the swoop race. Lots of fun!
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TKeira_Lea
Registered:
Oct '02
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Date Posted:
1/17/07 5:44am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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obsessedwithSW posted:
Lex you do present J/J as quite an engaging couple. It makes it difficult to see Jaina with anyone else.
He'd better  There are dire consequences otherwise.
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oldjedinurse
Registered:
Oct '03
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Date Posted:
1/17/07 10:29am
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
- Date Edited:
1/17/07 3:53pm (4 edits total)
Edited By:
oldjedinurse
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Read it. Loved it. More later...
oldj
EDIT: More now...
For the instant it took her to pass him, her swoop bike defied gravity, its repulsorlift engines repelling not against the canyon floor but the rock wall opposite him.
This reminded me of Jaina’s Tie-fighter run at Lando’s Folly. Great!
“Pthtbpt!” he spat, trying in vain to expel the grit. He couldn’t afford to lift a hand to wipe his lips. Not yet.
“Gimme a break.” She rolled her eyes. “You were never in any danger.”
“No, but that’s hardly the point.”
 Ego. Fighter pilot. Fel. Solo. All synonyms.
“How empty a victory would that be?”
Good one, Jaina!
Still, he wasn’t going to give up on getting that backrub just yet…
Where do you get your delusions, laserbrain?
He hadn’t worn his black dress uniform in several years… He was mildly surprised it still fit.
Like Jag would ever let himself go…
To this day, though, Jaina still talked about how handsome he had looked on the Tafanda Bay the first time she had ever seen him.
*Sigh*
… her thoroughly massaged shoulders…
ROTFLMAO
“You ready for dinner?”
“For the last hour.”
Worked up an appetite, did you?
“Don’t leave me, Jag. Don’t ever leave me.”
 There's nothing more attractive to a man than a woman who loves him.
Jag stayed awake until morning, warding off her tears – and her nightmares.
My hero!!!
Wonderfully descriptive scenes, Lex. All of this is a little heartbreaking, knowing the awful times they have yet to experience. I’m trusting you to find some good for their future. It's sure to be a terrific ride in your more-than-capable hands.
Outstanding!
oldj
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Ikkaku, Hosaka, Kawabata
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RedGold
Registered:
Nov '04
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Date Posted:
1/17/07 2:02pm
Subject:
RE: The Making of an Emperor (canon speculation NJO-LOTF: Jag & J/J): New Post Jan 16th!!
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Jaina doesn't deserve Jag...
I've said it before, and this just proves it.
ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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