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Author	Topic: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
Lady_Jedi_Carenix Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 3/14/05 4:29pm Subject: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	Title: Later Author: Lady_Jedi_Carenix Timeframe: post TUF, AU-ish Characters: J/TK, J/Z Genre: short story Keywords: Jacen, Tenel Ka, CRPA Challenge Summary: Plot has Jacen and Tenel Ka on New Alderaan to determine the planet’s next royal family while Senator Barret Nyeb creates problems with the negotiations. Mush is mostly J/TK, with a smattering of J/Z. Notes: March CRPA Challenge This is a semi sequel to my February CRPA Challenge, “To See You Again” where Jacen is blind and Tenel Ka is pregnant. CC is appreciated. ******************************************************* Going blind was the best thing had ever happened to Jacen. Well, maybe not the best thing; a certain pregnant red-headed Queen Mother had earned the title for the best thing ever for Jacen. Ever since the incident that took his eyes, Jacen’s life had taken a turn for the better. Once there was a hostile Hapan populace against the idea of a foreign male coming in and being worthy of marrying their Queen Mother; now there were a grateful people who looked the other way when their Queen Mother announced her impending marriage to the male who had given his eyes to save her life. In fact, hardly anyone batted an eye at the announcement shortly after the ceremony that the Queen Mother had conceived a child. Several representatives within the Consortium had expressed concerns over the next Hapan heir being a male. These concerns were quieted, or more accurately intimidated, away through Jacen’s unflinching pronouncement that the Queen Mother’s child was in fact going to be a daughter. Few of Tenel Ka’s political opponents felt comfortable around the Jedi, who wore headbands of differing colors wrapped around his missing eyes. There were many who swore that Jacen could see them and he was just conning people into believing he was blind. Jacen often turned his head to follow movement like a person who could see would normally do, and he would point out details like someone had a food stain on their shirt when they walked past him. This had a very unnerving effect on people, so much so that the representatives Jacen had been sure of would have fought against the Queen Mother marrying Jacen had all received “personal” visits from the blind Jedi. Afterwards, the representatives stayed very meek for several days before they returned to their normal haughty selves. His blindness, then, created an interesting paradox that allowed him to live rather comfortably in a normally female dominated society. On the one hand, there were those women who believed the marriage to be nothing more than an act of pity from their Queen Mother since he was now helpless. A few more shrewd women who believed he was helpless also came to the conclusion that the marriage had been a political maneuver designed to prevent the Alliance or the Jedi from taking revenge on the Hapes Cluster for the incident that cost Jacen his eyes. Women who believed in the Jacen being helpless train of thought left him alone, content that he presented no real danger to the Hapes Consortium and could be eliminated with ease should the need arise. The other school of thought made Jacen smile wickedly. Those that knew his previous to the incident and interacted with him afterwards quickly found themselves greatly intimidated by his presence. How that happened exactly Jacen still wasn’t sure, but he did his best to encourage the notion that in compensation for losing his eyes, his Force abilities had vastly improved. Those who were intimidated or uncomfortable around him also left his alone, and neither group were brave enough to speak derogatory comments to his face. True, the court abounded with gossip of what those who were afraid of him thought, but he had yet to meet anyone with the chops to actually say anything to him. In truth, his Force abilities had improved somewhat, but more due to the fact that he now had the time to meditate and experiment. His Uncle Luke had given his blessing for Jacen to take time off from active Jedi Knight duties, and with several months of practice Jacen had learned to use the Force as a substitute for his eyes. As a result, Jacen was far more attuned to his surrounding environment, and moved with far more grace than he had when he could see. In fact, using the Force as his navigational and seeing system allowed Jacen to “see” much farther than he normally could with just his human eyes, and this had allowed him to conveniently bump Tenel Ka or duck to avoid an assassin’s blaster bolt several times. Knowing that he had saved his and Tenel Ka’s life from being so attuned to his environment in using the Force to “see” helped to make Jacen feel more comfortable with himself and his lack of eyes. An unfortunate side-effect of using the Force in this manner was that while he focused on “seeing” he sometimes missed when people were talking to him, creating a small but persistent rumor that he had gone deaf as well as being blind. All things considered, Jacen was enjoying this relatively peaceful moment in his life. What he enjoyed the most, though, was that his blindness gave him the excuse to stay close to Tenel Ka and their growing child. He knew he was being selfish, and he meditated often to clear his mind, but the ability to curl up beside Tenel Ka everyday and feel their child banished all thought of returning to active duty as a Jedi Knight. In fact, he preferred to spend as much time as he physically could next to his child. Tenel Ka had commented that in some ways he was closer to their child than she was, and Jacen understood that her comment was not one of her rare jokes. He often felt sympathy pains and could comfort Tenel Ka very effectively based on how he was feeling that day. He had to admit some small feeling of gratitude to the universe that once Tenel Ka’s pregnancy became well known, the attempts on her life lessened. Perhaps there was some honor, some decency among the political elite to not kill an expectant mother. Or perhaps the real truth of the matter was that Tenel Ka’s opponents believed her marriage to a blind man would ultimately make her weaker, and thus open an opportunity for her removal at a time convenient for them. Whether the Hapan people were grateful for his actions in saving the Queen Mother or merely biding their time to make their move, Jacen didn’t care; he had gotten his foot in the door and now slept in the Queen Mother’s bed without worry of scandal. Not that the threat of scandal had really stopped them before, but it was nice to have his relationship with Tenel Ka be a legal one so that no one had the right to separate them. Of course, the thought of someone trying to forcibly remove Jacen from Tenel Ka’s side made him smile; between the two Jedi, they could move a Star Destroyer, and even if they had not been Jedi, Jacen greatly respected his wife’s prowess as a warrior to know that if she did not want Jacen taken away from her, there was precious little in the galaxy that could make that happen. You do not kriff with a pregnant half-Dathomir half-Hapan Jedi-warrior red-head; all of these traits lead to a strong woman who has the ability to inflict great pain if she does not like you Jacen mused, his smile turning into a grin. Jacen felt his left hand being squeezed. A familiar, welcome female voice whispered in his ear, “You are smiling, my Jacen.” “Just thinking of you,” Jacen whispered back, returning the squeeze. “Ah. Ah-ha,” Tenel Ka satisfied voice drifted into ear again. “How were you thinking of me?” If Tenel Ka did not years of controlling her reactions, the look on Jacen’s face would have made her blush furiously. As it was, a faint pink hue did surface on her cheeks. Jacen reached out to brush the right side of her face. “Hmm, your face feels a little warm,” he said innocently. “Now how could that have happened?” An irritated cough interrupted before Tenel Ka could respond. Both Tenel Ka and Jacen turned their heads towards a New Alderaan Senator, Juroden Denan. “I think it is wonderful that the Queen Mother of Hapes and her consort—“ “Husband,” Tenel Ka corrected. “—and her husband still enjoy flirting with each other. As we are in a bit of a crisis, could we please stay focused on the matter at hand?” Juroden asked, straining to keep his voice calm and civil. Tenel Ka tilted her head to the side, her hand resting causally on her extended abdomen. “I have yet to hear a good reason for this ‘crisis’ that you claim is in effect.” As Juroden launched into a long-winded explanation that was more for the New Alderaan Senate than it was for the Queen Mother and her husband, Jacen thought dourly to Tenel Ka People have been trying to claiming royal ancestry in a bid to take the role as New Alderaan’s royal family; no one can agree who has the most legitimate claim because no one faction has the power to topple the others. Ah. Ah-ha. They do not admit this to themselves? Tenel Ka thought back. Jacen pointed discreetly at the next speaker, Genya Kirra. “Might I remind everyone here that the Kirra’s are the closest living blood relatives to the Organa’s and that this entire debate is pointless?” Genya pointed out haughtily. “Hah! Second cousins at best!” Juroden snapped back. “You cannot make a better claim!” Genya growled, jumping to his feet. Juroden rose to his feet and the two Senators prepared to square off in a heated argument. “STOP!” Jacen commanded, also standing. The two Senators eyed each other, evincing hatred of each other in their body language. Even without eyes, Jacen looked at one Senator and then the other, until both slowly sat under the power of the Jedi’s eyeless gaze. In a softer voice, Jacen declared, “As the son of Leia Organa Solo, I was invited here to help the New Alderaan Senate reach a resolution as to which family has the most legitimate claim to being the planet’s next royal family. I have heard both of your claims; if you would give me the evidence of your family ancestry, I will review it and give a recommendation to the Senate within a few days.” A few more days of this and I would declare a Hutt royalty jus to get out of here Another Senator jumped to his feet, and Jacen nearly groaned aloud. Barret Nyeb was the leader of the New Alderaan separatist faction who wanted to create a monarchial system with several royal families and also have representation in the Galactic Alliance Senate separate from the regular New Alderaan delegation. Knowing how much the man loved to talk, Jacen sat down; waiting for Barret to shut up was like waiting for rain on Tatoonie. “Why should we listen to anything that spurious brat has to say?” Barret spat in distaste. “Hey! My parents are married, thank you very much,” Jacen interjected, not offended but he felt he did need to defend his parent’s honor. Not even acknowledging Jacen had spoken, Barret rambled on, “He shouldn’t even be considered royalty! His mother may have been Princess but she was adopted, and his father is nothing! There isn’t a single drop of royal blood in him!” “Poor dad. I guess they never heard the King of Corellia story,” Jacen murmured to his wife. “Behave,” Tenel Ka said softly. Jacen whimpered. “But I don’t like to behave,” he teased. “Later,” she said, still serious but her mouth quirked slightly. Jacen would have teased more except he realized that for once, Barret had stopped talking and was now tapping his foot impatiently. “If you are done playing footsies with your wife—“ Barret began exasperatedly. “Footsies?” Jacen asked innocently, his head tilted to the side. Tenel Ka lightly slapped him on the chest as a mischievous look grew on his face. “He’s the one that suggested it!” Jacen pointed out in his defense. She wanted to roll her eyes. “Males.” Turning a wicked grin to his wife, Jacen raised an eyebrow. “Now that suggests other things too. I thought you wanted me to behave.” “SOLO!” Barret screamed, his face flushed red from anger at being ignored. The Senator’s angry look, however, was no match for the icy chill that radiated from Tenel Ka. “We do not like raised voices,” Tenel Ka intoned, her eyes as hard as durasteel. Somewhat to Jacen’s surprised, she stood and took his hand. “Once the Senate has learned how to properly address the Queen Mother of Hapes and her royal husband and contain the hubris of its Senators, we will return to the negotiations. Until then…” Tenel Ka moved with a grace that belied her pregnancy, with Jacen following closely behind her as she held his hand firmly. Once outside the Senate Hall and closely guarded with the Queen Mother’s guards, Jacen whispered to her in gentle concern, “Are you feeling alright?” Tenel Ka shook her head. “I am…feeling very tired.” Seeing the concerned look on Jacen’s face, she quickly explained, “Not because I carry our child; I know we have just barely arrived but I already tire of the political games.” Jacen made a face. “Ah, you mean Barret’s demands for Hapan money to fund his political faction? It is ironic—on the one hand, he tries to discredit my claim as Alderaan royalty but with the other hand he tries to bully my wife into giving him—no sorry, New Alderaan—money because of my obligations as Alderaan royalty.” Jacen sighed. “No matter the outcome—my status as royalty or not—he still wins.” “This is not a fact,” Tenel Ka said with a firm shake of her head. “I will not be bullied as you said.” Jacen grinned broadly. “As if there was any doubt.” When they reached their personal hovercab, Jacen helped Tenel Ka climb inside. “As soon as they give me some evidence for their ancestral claims, I’ll make my recommendation within the day and we can get out here,” Jacen said soothingly. A bare smile appeared on Tenel Ka’s face, though it went away as soon as she realized he could not see it. “My Jacen, you do not—“ “Smile,” Jacen said softly. Tenel Ka looked at Jacen in surprise. “What?” “I don’t need eyes to feel your smile.” Tiredly, Tenel Ka rested her head on Jacen’s shoulder. “I forget that sometimes you see better than I do,” she murmured, a small smile returning to her face. Jacen breathed in his wife’s scent as his fingertips gently brushed across her lips. He let out a frustrated sigh. “I wish that I could see the resolution to this New Alderaan mess. Who knows, maybe Barret has a point and I don’t really have a leg to stand on for making the decision—“ “You are the King of my heart. That is enough royalty for me,” Tenel Ka interjected, lifting her head to look at Jacen. A slow grin spread across Jacen’s face and he made a small sound of contentment. Feeling flirtatious, he wrapped his arms around Tenel Ka and drew her closer to him. “Hello, Queen of my universe,” he purred. “Some days I feel that big,” Tenel Ka responded seriously, running her hand over her abdomen. “Hmmm. You know you are beautiful,” Jacen continued to purr, stroking Tenel Ka’s stomach as well. “I do not feel beautiful.” “Then I am failing in my duties,” Jacen responded seriously. “It is not your du—“ Tenel Ka began, then stopped when Jacen reached out with his right hand to touch her lips. Through the Force or even simply following the sound of her voice, Jacen knew exactly where her lips were. Still, he enjoyed reaching out to touch her, confirm that she was there, before leaning in to kiss her. The tips of his fingers gently traced the outline of her upper then lower lip. He could feel her make-up rubbing off onto his fingers but he didn’t care. Her warm breath tickled the inside of his palm. Jacen reached out with his left hand, and starting at the skin directly below her right ear, he ran the backs of his fingers down the right side of jaw line. He gently stroked her lower lip with his right thumb, and Tenel Ka moaned softly. “Do not tease me, my Jacen,” she whispered, her eyes closed and her heart pounding. Finally he leaned in closer. His mouth softly brushed against hers, not quite a kiss as much as a probative touch. His left hand curled around the back of Tenel Ka’s head as he kissed her hard, fiercely, passionately. Tenel Ka made a small noise of surprise, not expecting such a strong kiss from Jacen. She quickly returned the kiss, her hand firmly gripping the front of Jacen’s shirt to prevent him from pulling away. Needing air, their lips parted and Jacen rubbed his cheek against Tenel Ka’s. His left hand stroked her hair, and Tenel Ka leaned forward, putting her nose on the collar of Jacen’s shirt where she could smell a faint trace of Corellian cologne. He whispered into her ear, “Do you feel beautiful now?” Tenel Ka leaned back to look at his face, at the band that covered his eyes. While his eyes were no longer there, Tenel Ka would have sworn she could see Jacen’s warm brandy brown eyes looking back at her. “Fact,” was all she could say before Jacen kissed her again. **************************************************** Reviewing the family trees and the evidence of the Denan’s and Kirra’s claims to royal ancestry in their guest quarters, Jacen wanted to scream. It is as if they handed pens to a bunch of Ewoks and said ‘Draw lines and make squiggly notes wherever you want!’ he thought in frustration. Tenel Ka placed a kiss on the back of her husband’s neck. “It is time for our meeting with Barret.” “Do we have to?” Jacen groaned. She raised an eyebrow. “We agreed to deal with all the factions as fairly as possible. That would include Barret.” Rising to his feet, Jacen tossed the datapad onto the growing pile. He stretched and muttered, “Maybe I ought to just say, ‘Here! Divide up New Alderaan and give everyone a little piece!’ Maybe then people will be happy!” Tenel Ka pointed him in the side. “Dividing New Alderaan into moieties will only compound the problem.” Jacen grinned sheepishly as he ran a hand through his mussed brown hair. “You are right; it was silly of me to even suggest it.” Tenel Ka led the way to the door. Jacen didn’t need the help but he enjoyed the excuse to hold his wife’s hand. “You are tired of the political games as I am. That is why I called for help.” Walking out the door to their waiting hovercab and guards, Jacen tilted his head to the side as he asked, “Help? Who would you call for help?” Tenel Ka gave him a mysterious smile. “You will see.” Jacen raised an eyebrow at the comment but decided against making a comment as they had already established he was not blind, merely eyeless. Arriving at the Senate Hall, Jacen nearly jumped for joy as he sensed who was waiting for them. Bounding out of the hovercab, he hugged his sister and warmly clasped Zekk’s shoulder. “Jaina! Zekk! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see some friendly faces around here!” Jacen exclaimed, grinning. Zekk shifted a little uncomfortably as he looked at his friend. He had not seen Jacen since the accident, and the new look was definitely strange for Zekk. Putting that aside, Zekk smiled back at Jacen and said, “Tenel Ka called Jaina for some help on this whole New Alderaan mess thinking that the Solo twins together would be a hard team to ignore.” Jaina’s squeal of delight attracted both men’s attention as she rushed over to Tenel Ka who had emerged from the hovercab. “Congratulations Tenel Ka! May I hug you?” Tenel Ka raised an eyebrow. “You are my sister-in-law, Goddess. You do not need my permission to hug me.” Jaina carefully embraced Tenel Ka before they walked over to the men. Jaina punched her brother in the arm as she demanded, “Why didn’t you tell me? I knew you two got married but—“ “I wanted you to see for yourself,” Jacen said with a genuine smile. Zekk walked past the Solo twins to extend his congratulations to the Queen Mother. As they talked quietly, Jaina watched her brother’s expression. Guessing what was on her brother’s mind, Jaina laced her fingers with Jacen’s. “Would you like to see?” she asked softly. A lump forming in his throat, Jacen nodded, unable to speak. Opening their bond, Jacen felt a little disoriented as he looked at the world through Jaina’s eyes. Under Jacen’s control, the eyes swept the area until he saw his wife. Her hair was slightly messed from the wind and other activities, her face looked very drawn and tired, and she was looking very obviously pregnant. Jacen gave a low whimper and clutched Jaina’s hand for support. To finally see Tenel Ka again through real eyes and not just Force sense was enough to make Jacen tremble with joy. Tenel Ka looked over and met Jaina’s gaze. Wait she corrected herself, looking closely into those brandy brown eyes and understanding it was not Jaina who openly stared at the Queen Mother. Jacen sighed happily as his wife sauntered over to the Solo twins. Tenel Ka stopped in front of Jaina and raised an eyebrow. “Friend Jaina, if you continue to look at me in that way I may just have to kiss you,” Tenel Ka said, her voice serious while mischief sparkled in her eyes. Jaina heard Tenel Ka and was startled enough to break off her connection to her brother. Jacen, however, had already let go to put his hand in the air as he bobbed up and down on his feet. “Oh! Oh! Pick me! I’m the Solo twin that’ll appreciate it! Pick me!” he cried excitedly, knowing he was acting like an idiot but not really caring. Tenel Ka eased past Jaina to stop in front of Jacen, causally resting her hand on her stomach. “You desire my kiss, husband?” she asked, her voice low and sultry. Jacen flashed a lop-sided grin. “We haven’t got time for anything else,” he teased, looking and sounding very much like a young Han Solo. “This…is not a fact,” Tenel Ka admonished. She pulled out her comlink to call Barret. “Senator Barret Nyeb, we regret to inform you that we are not feeling well, and will need to rest for most of the afternoon.” Barret’s voice crackled back from the comlink, “Ah, Queen Mother of Hapes, I would not wish to cause you or your child undo stress. Please rest; I am sure your husband can fill you in on the details later—“ “Our child will be a Jedi child. When we are not feeling well, we need our husband, and our husband becomes very displeased should he not be there when he is needed. Do we have an understanding?” Barret Nyeb sputtered for a moment, “But we are in a crisis—“ “Which is why the daughter of Leia Organa Solo has come to help the negotiations,” Tenel Ka replied smoothly. “What?!” Barret’s outraged voice came through loud and clear. Frowning, Jaina took the Queen Mother’s comlink. “Do you have a problem with a woman taking over the negotiations, Senator Nyeb?” “Ah, you would be Jaina Solo, yes?” Barret’s voice betrayed his nervousness. “Of course I have no problem having another Solo help if that means we will reach a resolution on the situation faster.” “Good! My companion and I will be seeing you shortly,” Jaina responded cheerfully, turning off the comlink before Barret could protest. Zekk raised an eyebrow. “Companion?” “Well, you certainly aren’t my husband…” Jaina teased “Not for want of trying,” Zekk injected. “…yet,” Jaina finished. Zekk stood silent and Jacen couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Thank you Jaina, for your help,” Jacen said with a smile. He turned to Tenel Ka. “And very smooth, my love.” Tenel Ka sniffed. “There is no shame in using everything at one’s disposal for a successful negotiation,” she said seriously. Her voice became much softer and huskier as she eyed Jacen. “We are not feeling well. Is there a Dr. Solo in the house?” A wicked grin spread on Jacen’s face. He reached out and touched her extended abdomen. “I believe I qualify.” Tenel Ka brought her hand up to caress the side of Jacen’s face, feeling part of his smile. She moved her hand to grasp Jacen’s left hand and moved his fingers close to her mouth. Tenel Ka rested his fingers on her chin and slowly smiled. Jacen moved his finger tips to feel her lips, her smile, and his heart pounded with joy in his chest. “We are ready for our examination,” Tenel Ka softly teased. Still holding Jacen’s left hand, she guided him to their hovercab. Zekk and Jaina watched the married couple leave. “I pray to the all-powerful Force that should I ever get a woman pregnant, I get one like Tenel Ka,” Zekk said, somewhat in shock as he stared after the departing Jedi. Jaina smacked him on the arm. “C’mon, we’ve got work to do if we’re taking over their job.” Zekk sighed. “And what about us? I guess it was too much to hope for a vacation where we actually went on a vacation,” Zekk remarked sadly. “Later,” Jaina responded with a wink. With a spring in his step, Zekk happily followed Jaina. ******************************** Stopping by the married couple’s quarters later that day, Zekk knocked politely on the door. “Are you two dressed?” Zekk asked. “Hmm, let me look—“ Jacen responded. Zekk heard a feminine giggle and stared at the door. Did I just hear Tenel Ka…giggle? The door opened with Tenel Ka standing in the doorway and Jacen’s arms wrapped around her from behind. “Hello, friend Zekk. Did you come to report on the negotiations?” Jacen nibbled on the back of Tenel Ka’s neck as Zekk spoke, “It appears that the Kirra’s have the best claim for being the next royal family hear on New Alderaan.” Zekk paused and tapped his foot for a moment while Tenel Ka tried to bite her husband back. Noticing that Zekk was waiting, Jacen and Tenel Ka both flushed slightly. “Sorry about that,” Jacen mumbled. “You were saying?” Zekk laughed and continued, “As I was saying, the Kirra’s have the best claim, besides you and Jaina, so there’s going to be a banquet tonight, which is partly in their honor and partly out of relief that the whole mess has been decided on.” Jacen nodded, thoughtfully. “I see.” He reached for the door control. “Well, thank you for your help—“ “You and Tenel Ka are expected to attend the banquet,” Zekk pointed out. “Why? My banquet is already here,” Jacen growled, nibbling on Tenel Ka again. “I am not food,” Tenel Ka stated firmly. That didn’t stop her from trying to bite at Jacen again. “Oh, but I am?” Jacen teased. Zekk groaned, wanting to hide. “Maybe you two shouldn’t go to the banquet. I’m almost not sure you’d be able to keep your clothes on the whole time.” “Oh, no! They are not getting out of going to the banquet,” Jaina’s voice drifted over Zekk’s shoulder. It was only then that Jacen noticed both Jaina and Zekk were dressed up in evening finery. Zekk even matched for once, and Jacen knew he had to have had Jaina’s help getting dressed. Possibly even getting undressed he mused, turning his head towards Zekk as a curious expression came over Jacen’s face. Noticing Jacen’s scrutiny, which was made all the more eerie from the lack of eyes, Zekk coughed and moved to the side to let Jaina come forward. “If I have to go, they have to go to,” Jaina said firmly. Tenel Ka nodded. “It is fair. We will be ready to go momentarily.” With a disappointed sigh, Jacen nodded his agreement. The door closed, leaving Jaina and Zekk outside. Zekk glanced at his chrono. “Any bets on when they’ll actually come out?” Jaina laughed and was about to reply when her danger sense flared. Jumping to the side, a blaster bolt took out a chunk of duracrete where her head had been. Diving for cover behind the Queen Mother’s hovercab, both Jaina and Zekk cursed vehemently at having left their lightsabers in their quarters in a show of respect to the no weapons policy of New Alderaan. “We will extirpate the cursed Organa line once and for all!” a masked gunman declared. Following the sound of his voice, Jaina peaked above the hood of the hover cab and Force-grabbed the blaster out of her assailant’s hand. She gave the gunman a cocky smile as she was about to grab his now floating blaster when Zekk grabbed her and knocked her to the ground, mere seconds before a flurry of blaster bolts filled the space Jaina had been occupying. “We’re outnumbered,” Jaina said with a surprised pant. “Really? I had no idea,” Zekk panted back. Jaina grabbed at the hovercab’s door but it was locked. “Where did the blaster that I tried to grab go?” Jaina demanded. “Ah, sorry, I was a little more focused on saving your life than I was on the blaster,” Zekk shot back. “Well, that’s just great! You saved me from being shot in surprise to being shot by a firing squad when they capture us!” Jaina exclaimed in irritation as she felt the half a dozen gunmen move forward and just about encircle the hovercab. Just as Zekk was about to claim he would never let anyone hurt Jaina, even if he had to use the Darkside to do it, the door to the Queen Mother’s quarters opened. There in the doorway stood Jacen dressed in black and white Corellian evening finery with a walking stick in hand. Tapping the stick forward, he walked out. “Jaina? Zekk? I heard some strange noises; is everything alright?” Jacen said as he continued to tap his way forward toward the hovercab. “Make a sound and your lover dies! We have a sniper!” the gunman closest to Jaina hissed. Zekk’s eyes widened as Jaina hesitated; she knew that they would kill her, but if there was a chance they wouldn’t kill Zekk… The five other gunmen signaled quietly among themselves and moved like wraiths to encircle Jacen. They grinned as he continued to tap forward, seemingly oblivious to their presence. Man One stood in front of Jacen, men Two and Three stood on his left, man Four stood on his right, and the fifth gunman moved behind him. It was going to be like shooting a wompa rat in a box. Jacen’s walking stick tapped the foot of Man One. “Say goodbye, Jedi!” the gunman sneered, raising his blaster to Jacen’s temple. That when everything happened at once. The gunman pulled on the trigger— and Jacen wasn’t there. The fifth gunman standing behind Jacen fell screaming in pain— The walking stick embedded in Two’s eye, and Three went down instantly from a sharp kick to the temple. A swift kick the balls from Jaina sent the gunman guarding her down and the sniper prepared to take his shot— Four tried to shoot Jacen but he was moving too fast, inhumanely fast, and Four ended up taking down Two but the sniper’s head jerked back as a blaster bolt hit him squarely between the eyes. One came back out of his shock to shoot at Jacen Zekk rolled and swept the legs out from beneath gunman One— Jacen retrieved his walking stick --and standing over gunman One, Jacen poked him with his stick. “Let me guess; you’re from Nyeb aren’t you? Barret never did like the idea of only one royal family being in power,” Jacen said with confidence. “I will never talk,” gunman One spat. “But for the murder of my guards, you will die,” Tenel Ka informed gunman One before Jacen slammed down with his walking stick, sending gunman One into unconsciousness. Feeling relieved that no one she cared about had gotten hurt, Jaina swept the area with her Force senses to see if there were any more gunman. As the Queen Mother’s next rotation of guards arrived and took the surviving gunmen into custody, Jaina flushed with embarrassment. “I guess there was no sniper,” she murmured. Louder she began to apologize to her brother, “Jacen I am so sorry I didn’t cry out but they said there was a sniper—“ “Fact,” Tenel Ka said with a nod. Blinking, she looked at the Queen Mother in surprise. “But I didn’t sense anyone—“ “He is dead.” It was only then that Jaina noticed that Tenel Ka had a blaster in hand. “That’s not the blaster I grabbed earlier, is it?” Jaina asked, curious. Tenel Ka shook her head. “No. It is my own personal blaster. I never used to have one but with my condition…,” she paused for moment, searching for the right words, “…I would do anything to protect my child. If having a blaster means the difference of life or death for my child, then I will gladly use it.” “But they were threatening me and Jacen—“ “To end the Organa line once and for all. Even with you and Jacen dead, that stills leaves your mother and my child,” Tenel Ka pointed out. Anxious guards surrounded the Jedi. “I suppose we had best go back to my ship before the guards order an orbital assault of New Alderaan,” Tenel Ka said with a sigh. “We’ll stay here to tie up the loose ends,” Zekk said, and Jaina agreed with a nod. Jacen grinned. “Stay out of trouble, you two; this blind man won’t always be there to save your skins.” “Take your own advice,” Jaina shot back, sticking her tongue out at him as Jacen and Tenel Ka were escorted to a secure shuttle. Once safely inside, Jacen wrapped his arms around Tenel Ka and told her in a husky voice, “We could have been killed today, you know.” Raising an eyebrow, she gave him a hungry look. “I know.” He waggled his eyebrows as he gave her a wicked lop-sided grin. “Feeling rather randy today, my Jacen?” Tenel Ka commented, her voice innocent while her eyes spoke volumes otherwise. “You can only get pregnant once,” Jacen purred. With a mock sigh, Tenel Ka rested her forehead against Jacen’s. “What am I going to do with you, my persistent husband?” “I have a few suggestions.” The tips of her lips quirked upwards. “Would they include the bedroom?” Jacen replied with his wife’s oft used phrase. “This is a fact.” “Ah. Ah-ha. So what are we waiting for?” Needing no eyes to find their room on the shuttle, Jacen led the way with a happy Tenel Ka holding his hand. -----signature----- “Yes, yes, I know, random, clumsy, etcetera, etcetera; but some times you just need to make a lot of indiscriminate damage." - Zekk Link to J/TK fanfic in bio JC twin to TheEmperorsHand Retired Lightside Jedi Master, Knight of Fan Fiction
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Neo-Paladin Registered: Dec '04	Date Posted: 3/14/05 5:01pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	I liked what you did with the characters in this one. They seemed a family in the realest sense of the word. Lots of the dialogue had me laughing out loud too. -----signature----- Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar. Edward R. Murrow
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ZebulaNebula Registered: Feb '05	Date Posted: 3/14/05 6:17pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response) - Date Edited: 3/14/05 6:18pm (1 edits total) Edited By: ZebulaNebula
	Way cool. Blind Jacen is interesting. This fic flat out rocks. Although in a way Jacen acts a bit like Geordi LaForge from Star Trek: The Next Generation, he's very believable. And disabilities do have a way of changing one's perspective . . . Not that I'm disabled, but I have spent a fair amount of time with those who are. And Jacen & Tenel Ka are such a cute couple, but we all knew that . . . -----signature----- I Jedi mind-trick pushy salespeople ... "You do not want to sell me jewelry/beauy products/shades/whatever." They can take our lives, but they will never take our FREEDOM! Feeling down? Have a mint.
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SilSolo Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 3/15/05 4:36am Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	How did Jacen go blind? -----signature----- http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27517284/p1/?11 Like this quick sketch: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/32848083/ ? Then commission me. Prices are negotiable.
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Lady_Jedi_Carenix Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 3/15/05 3:19pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	Neo-Paladin: I liked what you did with the characters in this one. They seemed a family in the realest sense of the word. I'm really glad that came across; I haven't done any writing with Jaina before so I was a little worried about including her/getting her relationship with Jacen right. Lots of the dialogue had me laughing out loud too. Ah, yes. There were a few lines where I had to be very very careful but just implying certain things makes for fun dialogue. ZebulaNebula: Hey, I don't mind if Jacen's a bit like Geordi; I was just trying to avoid any "Daredevil" comparisons. And, yes, we knew J/TK make a wonderfully cute couple. SilSolo: Danni-Vong spat enzymes into his eyes which ate them (see the link at the top of my story post, "To See You Again", for the full story ). -----signature----- “Yes, yes, I know, random, clumsy, etcetera, etcetera; but some times you just need to make a lot of indiscriminate damage." - Zekk Link to J/TK fanfic in bio JC twin to TheEmperorsHand Retired Lightside Jedi Master, Knight of Fan Fiction
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Amidala_Skywalker Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Jul '01	Date Posted: 3/15/05 3:22pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	The first challenge response! Fantastic! I really liked how it connected to your other story. Blind Jacen was very intriguing! Okay, let me get this straight. The Organas did not assume the throne because the others thought they weren’t true heirs? Why then did they put faith in Jacen and Jacen’s decision for the next royal house? I liked how you put real thought into the back-story. That speaks of lots of time and effort. Great fic, Carenix! Thanks for participating! Ams -----signature----- Amsié, Crest of Handmaidens . ___ TF.N Archive Reviewer ___ Battlestar Galactica is the new way.
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Lady_Jedi_Carenix Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 3/15/05 3:34pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	Amidala_Skywalker: Let's see if I can help explain a bit better-- Barret was trying to get the best of both worlds, so to speak. If he could discredit Jacen and Jaina's claim to royalty, then he might be able to cause enough problems in the Senate to get what he wants (i.e. multiply royal houses recognized instead of just one). However, on the flip-side, if the Senate recognizes Jacen's claim to royalty, then Barret would have the political pressure to force Hapes into giving New Alderaan funds because of Jacen's ties there. It all fell apart when Jaina came into the negotiations because she also has a legitimate claim to royalty; when Jaina made the deciding "recommendation" Barret was screwed since Tenel Ka could then claim that Jacen had nothing to do with the decision, and thus make it much harder to get Hapan money through Jacen. Does that help make things clearer or am I just being more confusing? -----signature----- “Yes, yes, I know, random, clumsy, etcetera, etcetera; but some times you just need to make a lot of indiscriminate damage." - Zekk Link to J/TK fanfic in bio JC twin to TheEmperorsHand Retired Lightside Jedi Master, Knight of Fan Fiction
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Healer_Leona Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 3/15/05 3:45pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	That was quite delightful.. I loved when Jacen and Tenel Ka were in newlywed mode, they were so cute. Better enjoy it while it lasts cause children can change things. LOL! A lovely piece Lady Jedi Carenix. -----signature----- Break away from everybody Break away from everthing If you can't stand the way this place is Take yourself to higher places
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DathomiranAuthor Registered: Jan '05	Date Posted: 3/16/05 1:54pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	Awesome fic! Well written. And you have humor, as always. Nice! Jacen reminds me of Paul from Dune with the whole thing about losing his sight, but that's probably just me 'cuz I'm a Dune fan. You do not kriff with a pregnant half-Dathomir half-Hapan Jedi-warrior red-head; all of these traits lead to a strong woman who has the ability to inflict great pain if she does not like you That was funny. It is as if they handed pens to a bunch of Ewoks and said ‘Draw lines and make squiggly notes wherever you want!’ LOL!! “Companion?” “Well, you certainly aren’t my husband…” Jaina teased “Not for want of trying,” Zekk injected. “…yet,” Jaina finished. Yet? That means I can hope!! “Ah, sorry, I was a little more focused on saving your life than I was on the blaster,” Zekk shot back. Another fantastic line. lol Keep writing! -DA
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Lady_Jedi_Carenix Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 3/18/05 1:36pm Subject: RE: Later (J/TK, some J/Z AU-ish CRPA challenge response)
	Healer_Leona: I loved when Jacen and Tenel Ka were in newlywed mode, they were so cute. Better enjoy it while it lasts cause children can change things Newlyweds have lots of mushy moments, don't they? I'm glad you liked it. DA: I've seen the movie (original and sci-fi remake) but I haven't read any of the Dune books (so I know who Paul is but I don't think I knew he lost his sight...interesting ). Yet? That means I can hope!! There might be some more J/Z in future writing. I think this plot bunny has run its course (pets plot bunny) but depending on how the CRPA challenges go, I just might write a whole series of interlinking one-shots. Keep writing! Until the muse moves out of my head and the plot bunnies stop gnawing at my ankles, I'll do my best to keep things interesting. I have another AU J/TK tale in the works (curteousy of SiloSolo's plot bunny ) that I'll be posting sometime within a week or two. -----signature----- “Yes, yes, I know, random, clumsy, etcetera, etcetera; but some times you just need to make a lot of indiscriminate damage." - Zekk Link to J/TK fanfic in bio JC twin to TheEmperorsHand Retired Lightside Jedi Master, Knight of Fan Fiction
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