Saga - ST Awake And Arise (K/J, Finn/Rey) Post-TFA [Ch 9 up 2/21/16!]

He nodded. “Your twin, this Jacen. You said he was killed by some Sith Lord?”

Jaina looked down. She swallowed the lump in her throat and focused for several moments on examining the shielding around the hyperdrive. As far as she could tell so far, aside from the shape of the nacelles, the interlocking S-foils, the laser cannon, and the astromech mount, it was still pretty close to a T-65. “Kinda. I didn't want to mention it to Leia, especially after learning about Kylo Ren.”

Poe’s dark eyes searched her face. “Jacen was the Sith Lord.”

After a moment, Jaina nodded. “He killed Luke's wife, Mara, and took the name Darth Caedus.”

Poe boosted himself up, crouching just behind the cockpit. “You had to kill your brother,” he stated, keeping his voice low. “You said you defeated Caedus, but if he was your twin-”

“Yeah. I did. I had to kill my own twin. Happy?”

Poe shook his head. “Not in the slightest. I'm sorry, Jaina. That isn't something anyone should have to do.”

I am glad that Poe is who he is: a darling. He handled the entire situation very well.

I wonder what they will find on Yavin 4.

 

You'll need to keep reading to find out!

 

For you and some other brilliant fan fic authors I will stay on a bit longer. I do not want to miss this and be able to comment.

 

It'll be a bit before I can post th next chapter. I'm sick and don't have much stamina for writing at the moment.

 

Please get better soon! Health first! And RL!

 

--Chapter Eight--

A hike of a good hour brought them through a jungle that hadn't seen humans in well over thirty years. They detoured briefly when they spotted an old TIE fighter, but the Imperial pilot who'd crashed in it was dead inside the cockpit, long-since turned to bone.

“He survived in our reality,” Jaina said. "Qorl."

“And tried to kill you.”

“Well, yeah.”

They reached the edge of a glassy lake, one with a small island in the middle of it. On that island stood a small temple, of black obsidian, with a statue of equally dark stone standing before it. It rose in sharp spikes, not in steps like the Massassi temples elsewhere.

“Ah, shavit,” Kyp muttered. “He's here. I don't think he's awake, but he's here. I can feel him.”

Jaina took his hand, laced her fingers through his. “He lost last time.”

“To more than two Jedi.”

“They were untrained. We’re not, Master Durron.”

He looked over at her, his anxiety instantly calmed by the confidence and love on her face. She hadn't said it yet, but it was there in her eyes.

“We can't do anything while he's asleep,” he said after a moment. “So we have to wait until he wakes on his own, or we have to rattle his cage.”

“Let's wait first, explain to Leia and Poe, and do what we can to prepare first. The stronger we can get Poe before making a move, the better.”

“I wish Luke were here,” he said after a moment. “Our Luke. I don't know this Luke, what he's like. Especially after twelve years in isolation.”

“I know. But you and I are pros at defeating Sith. It's what we do. Come on. This place is creeping me out.”

----------

“Exar Kun?” Leia repeated, frowning.

“Yes. He's … A long-dead Sith Lord whose spirit managed to linger here,” Kyp told her. “Back home, we defeated him years ago, but he's still dormant here. He preyed on new trainees, fed their anger and in turn fed on them. He killed one of my fellow students, Gantoris, before the rest got together and destroyed him. Jay and I can probably handle him on our own, but we wanted to warn you that he's here. Our training Poe might get his attention.”

“I won't let him corrupt me,” Poe said.

Jaina tipped her head, sizing him up. “No, you seem nicely stable. No hidden anger or other issues. Everyone else he targeted, they were more vulnerable. But he’ll try. He’ll offer quicker ways, easier ways. He’ll lie and tell you that we're holding you back, that we're jealous of your potential.”

Kyp nodded, remembering. “He'll probably tell you that the Light is weak, that the Dark is stronger, better. It's true that the Dark can make you feel more powerful, but it isn't true. Anger, hate, fear, all negative emotions fuel certain Force abilities, and strong emotions give a boost in the moment. So it does seem easier. But it also drains you, takes away from your life force and from your body.”

Leia's eyes narrowed. “It sounds like you speak from experience.”

“Some,” Kyp admitted. “I was one of the students Kun went after. I was angry with the Empire for my parents, for my brother. Actually, anger doesn't begin to cover how much I hated them. I was young and stupid and felt Luke didn't know what he was doing. Kun nearly killed me, possessed me and tried to use me to kill Luke. He failed. Han helped me get free.”

He hadn't had to tell them any of that. He still wasn't going to say anything about Carida. There was no point in it. That he still carried the weight was enough.

“And you're sure you can handle him now?” Leia asked.

“I'm hopeful. To say confidently that I'm sure I can would be incredibly stupid. I know my abilities. I know Jaina's, and I know that we've both faced temptation and resisted. He'll test us, and he'll do his best to fight us. We may need your help. We'll probably need Poe's help when it comes to it. But neither of us are broken teenagers anymore, and we're stronger together.”

The general sighed. “Train him. If this Kun wakes up, I want to know everything. Don't say it's Jedi business and keep me in the dark.”

Jaina shook her head. “Of course. You'll know what we know. He might target you, but he'll probably go after Poe. Poe's younger, more . . . not vulnerable, necessarily, but malleable.”

"I'm not a kid," Poe said. "I'm an adult."

She gave him a pointed look and said, "So was Darth Caedus."

He fell silent.

"We'll get settled in at the Temple of the Blue Leaf Cluster," Kyp said, "and we'll start Poe's training tomorrow."

"Are you sure you don't want rooms here?" Leia asked.

"We'll make do," he said.

She looked skeptical, then said, "Take a mouse droid, at least. You'll probably need it."

----------

Before the Yuuzhan Vong had destroyed the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, back in the reality that Kyp and Jaina had come from, the north temple hadn't seen a lot of general use. It had mostly been the home of Kam and Tionne Solusar, fellow students of Kyp's from that first class and headmasters of the school once events in the galaxy had called Luke away. Kirana Ti, a Jedi from Dathomir, had also made her home there while training, though she'd eventually gone back to her homeworld to oversee the school there.

Here, the Temple of the Blue Leaf Cluster had seen no use after the Rebellion occupation and had sat mostly empty probably since Exar Kun's reign had ended. Three thousand years was a lot of dust and grime.

“... We could take rooms in the Great Temple,” Jaina said, after scanning the interior of the two floor structure. “I'll bet your old room is still there, even. Everything else looked identical.”

“I want to be away from the distractions,” Kyp said. “We're close enough to eat meals there, but while training Poe, we're going to need some quiet.”

Jaina wrinkled her nose. “Well. It isn't like we haven't had crummy accommodations before. Borleias was pretty rustic.”

“Let's at least get this main room cleared out and some cots set up. Then we'll see about the rest.”

“You think we're going to be here a while.”

His green eyes were serious as he regarded her in the dim interior. “I don't think we're going to make it back to our world, Jaina. I think we're here for good.”

She looked down at the dusty floor. "Yeah. I get the same feeling. I don't want to be here, but . . . The odds of reproducing that wormhole are so . . ."

"I know." Kyp sighed. "You want to get the computer system working, while I . . . do the heavy lifting?"

Nodding, Jaina set her luggage on the floor and retrieved her toolkit out of it. Rowdy trundled over and extended his computer interface arm, beeping to offer his help. Kyp's astromech took himself off to inspect other power ports.

"Wiring seems to have been updated while the Rebellion was here," Jaina said. "Computer is a little sluggish, but it's working."

"That's good."

The Resistance wasn't equipped with beds larger than single-person inflating sleep couches, which amounted to a sturdy folding platform and a durable mattress that expanded from a pack. Armed with pillows and blankets, the Jedi set up two cots and pushed them together to form one larger bed.

As Jaina tinkered with the loaned comm system she was installing, she glanced over to where Kyp was busy layering blankets on the bed. There hadn't even been a question of them sleeping apart. They were together now, and Jaina wanted to keep him close. He was all she had left.

And with the imminent spectre of Exar Kun lurking, she wanted Kyp in sight as much as possible.

“If we were to go back,” he said suddenly, “would it change anything?”

“Change what?”

“Us.”

Jaina looked up to find him watching her, sitting on the edge of the bed, expression guarded. “Sort of. I mean… This wouldn't change. You and me. I've made my choice and even if we did go home, I wouldn't go back on that. But it would change things around us.”

“Your mom would be upset.”

“And Dad would be thrilled.”

Kyp's brows rose in surprise. “He would?”

“Yeah, he's about as fond of Jag as Mom is of you. He just knows not to say anything to her about it. But back when Mom shot Jag down, with the Killik mess, Dad told him he'd always preferred you.”

Kyp grinned.

“Don't let it go to your head,” she warned. “It's always been my choice.”

He sobered. “And you chose Jag.”

“Because he was the safer choice,” she said after a minute. “The less scary one. Closer to my age, more…”

“Stable?”

“Predictable. He had a certain viewpoint, a way of doing things. I could generally see how he'd approach things. I needed something like that when I was younger. You scared the hell out of me.”

“I did?”

Jaina set down her tools and went to him. “From the moment I went and found you, before Sernpidal, I found myself feeling things and thinking things that really unsettled me. It was like being at the top of a really tall building, standing near the railing, and that moment when you think about jumping. Not because you want to kill yourself, but because your brain wonders about what would happen.”

He nodded.

“Jag didn't give me that feeling. I didn't have to wonder ‘what if’ with him. He was the safety of the railing. Yeah, he was cute and I liked him and I will admit, the sex was good.”

Kyp snorted.

“Not as good as with you. But part of me knew that if I took that step with you, if I fell, I'd either fly or I'd die. You had the potential to consume me, and I was nineteen and not anywhere near ready for that.”

“Are you ready now?” he whispered.

Jaina put a knee up on the mattress, leaning in to run her fingers through his hair. She cupped the back of his head and brushed her lips over his. “The moment you kissed me, I went over the railing. Don't let me hit the bottom, even if I've fallen.”

“Never,” he breathed.

She kissed him, lips parting in invitation. He accepted, pulling her to him so that she sat in his lap, facing him. Through the Force, he opened to her, found her there and waiting, letting him know everything she felt.

He dragged his mouth from hers, panted, “Say it, Jaina. I need to hear it.”

Jaina nuzzled him, nose to nose. “I love you.”

Kyp rolled to pin her beneath him, bracing himself on his hands. "I love you, Jay," he breathed. "Whatever happens here, I want you to know that."

"I know, and I've never doubted," she said, and pulled him down.

----------

Jaina woke suddenly, blinking in the dark. Beside her, Kyp jerked in sleep, restless in his dream. She touched his arm, felt his tension and the fear that held him in his nightmare.

She gave him a gentle shake, saying his name. He woke with a start and a gasp.

“It's just a nightmare,” she whispered. “You alright?”

Kyp sat up, saying, “Lights, dim.”

The simple lighting unit responded, bathing the room in low blue-tinted light. Kyp dragged his fingers through his silver-streaked curls and leaned his elbows on his knees.

“I was fighting Exar Kun,” he said after a few moments. “He'd killed Poe and Leia, turned you and me against each other. He wanted to use me, since I've come into all my power, to take my body and go against Snoke.”

Jaina wrapped her arms around him. “That will never happen,” she told him. “Never.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I love you, and I have since Hapes the first time around. Even if I couldn't admit it and I've pushed it away all these years. Nothing has changed that and nothing will.” She kissed his shoulder. “You and I are stronger together than anything this galaxy can throw at us.”

“You seem really confident about that.”

Jaina smiled, resting her cheek against his back. “We've overcome everything else, and our bond is deeper now than it was on Borleias.”

“I nearly killed it when I tricked you about Sernpidal.”

Jaina lifted her head, moving to kneel and press her lips to his jaw. “I was angry. But time and distance showed me why you did what you did. I forgave you a long time ago. If we hadn't destroyed that worldship, they would have been able to flee to it after Anakin died. He would have died for nothing, Kyp.”

He reached up and wrapped a hand around her wrist, fingers lightly rubbing her skin. “You blamed me for manipulating you. Implied I'd made you feel things towards me. I didn't. I lied about the worldship, but this between us has always been real.”

“I know.”

She pulled him back down on the bed, stretching out beside him. Lovingly, Jaina traced the lines of his face with her fingertips.

“Don't go borrowing trouble, Kyp. For right now, let's just take things as they come. The Force brought us here for a reason, but since we don't know what that is yet, and we don't have any real commitments to the Resistance, let's just be for a while.”

"We'll start training Poe," he said, and yawned. "We can't leave him defenseless."

"No, we can't. And maybe we can find Tenel Ka, train her. And maybe find others. If Tenel Ka exists, if Jag exists, maybe others do, too."

"About Jag-"

She shook her head. "No. I mean, besides the fact that I've chosen you, and he isn't even the Jag we know, he's way too young for me."

Kyp snorted a laugh. "I'm fourteen years older than you."

"I don't go for younger guys," she said. "And I told you, you're the one I want now."

He tugged her close. Jaina closed her eyes, one arm around his waist.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered. "Everything can wait until morning."

"Mm. Yeah."

But despite her brave words, a thread of fear wove through her. What if Kyp's dream wasn't just a dream? What if it was a premonition?

The thought chased her into restless sleep.

 

@Nyota's Heart, @Falcon, @AzureAngel2, @mulberry

New chapter, guys!

 

Wonderful declarations and assurances. They've been waiting a long time and whatever reality they are in - the current one or the time they originated from - they are a terrific team: friends and lovers both.

 

Kyp nodded, remembering. “He'll probably tell you that the Light is weak, that the Dark is stronger, better. It's true that the Dark can make you feel more powerful, but it isn't true. Anger, hate, fear, all negative emotions fuel certain Force abilities, and strong emotions give a boost in the moment. So it does seem easier. But it also drains you, takes away from your life force and from your body.”

I like this very reflective & mature Kyp. His character is in harmony with Jaina´s, sweet & teasing at times even!

 

I wish the books had kept up with at least their friendship, instead of having her moon over Zekk suddenly during the Legacy of the Force books. They reintroduced some of that in the Fate of the Jefi books, even with some flirting, but it wasn't the same. They're so good together!

Kyp's grown up a lot. He's always going to be headstrong, but as Jaina said in NJO, he's pretty much the greatest living expert on the Dark Side. (Well, Luke turned dark, too, but most people forget that.)

 

I have certain SW comics to remind me of that.

(But to be honest, it is a bit difficult for me to see a dark, fanatic Luke, because the German actor who gives him his voice for the German movie version is a very kind gentleman. And his entire family is very nice: his wife (who also came along with him to visit me at work once), his son, his daughter-in-law & his grandson.

Well, I simply have to remember the villain that Mark Hamill played in a row of "Criminal Mind" episodes a couple of years ago.)

 

Something just occurred to me, where is TFA Universe Kyp? Is he still in Kessel? Someone get him out!!!!!

 

I just can't see Luke going dark at allll.

No, he's not in Kessel. I mentioned it earlier, and the next chapter discusses it in more detail, but Poe's mother, Shara, was married to Arrik Durron (name totally made up) and had a young son and was pregnant with a second when the Empire came. They killed Arrik and Zeth, and she lost the baby she was carrying, which would have been Kyp. Then she joined the Rebellion and married Kes Dameron. So this universe's Kyp was never born.

 

Nyota's Heart, Falcon, AzureAngel2, mulberry

----------------------------------------------------

--Chapter Nine--

Getting the various bits of plumbing in the refresher to work the next morning was an adventure. Jaina was pretty sure the water wasn't safe to consume, so they headed over to the Great Temple to use a refresher there.

They took turns, Jaina going first. He'd suggesting conserving water, but she'd just laughed at him. After showering by himself, Kyp emerged from the stall and grabbed a towel, rubbing his hair with it. He paused when he realized Jaina was wearing the shirt he'd brought to wear. "Hey, that's mine."

"Uh-huh. Your point?"

"Are you going to take all my shirts?" he asked. "Do you intend to make me walk around shirtless all the time?"

"Curses," Jaina deadpanned. "You've figured out my wicked master plan."

He crossed the small room and grabbed a handful of the material. "I need my shirt, Jaina. Give it back."

She grinned. "Make me."

Kyp backed her against the sink, eyes full of heat. He caught the hem of the shirt in his hands and lifted. Jaina offered no protest, raising her arms.

Any further plans were interrupted when the commlink he'd set on the counter went off. Muttering under his breath, Kyp snatched it up.

"Durron."

"It's Dameron. I figured you'd be up for the day now. When are we starting?"

Kyp made a face at the commlink. "Give us fifteen and we'll meet you in the cafeteria."

"Got it."

Poe clicked off, and Kyp set the commlink down. "Well, there goes my morning."

Jaina laughed. "We don't have time for that, anyway. I'm sure others are waiting for a turn in here."

He sighed. "Okay. But we're getting our refresher repaired as soon as we can."

----------

After a quick breakfast, Poe said that he wanted to check on something and would meet them outside. Jaina let Kyp take her hand as they went out to wait for him.

"I've been thinking about this Kylo Ren," Kyp said. "It's clear that emotionally, Leia isn't prepared to deal with him. I mean, he killed her husband and she still wants to redeem him, which . . . I don't see happening. That may be why we're here. To deal with him ourselves."

Jaina shrugged. “Why not? Hell, I've already killed a Sith Lord brother in one reality, why not this one? I could start collecting them, tally them up on the side of my X-Wing.”

He knew she was joking, for the most part, but her brother's death was recent enough to still bother her. "We'll add Exar Kun to that tally soon," was all he said.

"Yeah."

Somewhere off in the jungle, a pair of Woolamanders called to each other in their half-chitter-half-shrieking way, a sound they hadn't heard in what felt like a lifetime.

“So. Kids?” Kyp said suddenly, returning to the thought he'd overheard on D’Qar.

Jaina flushed. “Well. You know. Eventually. Maybe. One or two.”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “Really.”

She ducked her head, fingers plucking at the edge of his shirt. “Just… I don't know if you want any. I've always wanted a couple. And I'd … Really love for you to be their father. If you wanted.”

He caught her face in his hands, gently lifting her head so she looked at him. “Jaina, sweetheart, nothing in this universe would make me happier.”

“Yeah?”

“When I say I love you, I don't just mean in the good times, when it's convenient. Force knows, loving you has been really inconvenient at times.” Kyp smiled a little. “I want it all, Jaina. The good times, the bad times. The late nights, the diaper changes, toys on the floor, everything. I want to be your lifemate, the father of your children. I want to grow old with you, Force willing.”

Jaina looped her arms around his neck. “That sounds great to me. But I think we're getting ahead of ourselves a little. I mean, you haven't-”

“Hey, guys!”

Kyp muttered something in Huttese at the interruption. It was timely, though, because he wasn't completely prepared for where the conversation had been headed.

They turned to see Poe coming towards them, with a companion. That was the previously-unconscious Finn, who walked slowly and a little unsteadily. But his smile was bright.

“Guys, I'd like you to meet my good friend, Finn,” Poe said, as the couple broke apart. “Finn, these are the Jedi I mentioned, Masters Solo and Durron.”

Kyp extended his hand to Finn. “Poe and Rey have both told us a lot about you. We're very impressed at your courage.”

“Aw, no, I'm not brave,” Finn protested.

“I think otherwise,” Poe said. He patted Finn on the shoulder. “Especially going up against Kylo Ren.”

“Rey needed me,” Finn said simply.

Jaina told him, “Doing what you have to, in spite of your fear, is the very definition of bravery.”

He shrugged. Obviously anxious for another topic, he looked around. “So this is Yavin IV?”

“Yup. Our current base, and where I grew up,” Poe said. “These two, as well, though that's a bit more complicated.”

Finn’s dark eyes, a brown so deep they were virtually black, raked over the two Jedi, assessing. “Complicated how?”

Kyp said, “That is a very good question. Take a walk with us over to our building, we’ll show you the new Jedi academy.”

----------

Finn was not impressed.

“This?” he said. “This is your academy.”

“It used to be at the main temple, but Leia needs it,” Kyp told him. “And that's where it gets complicated.”

“How?” Finn demanded.

“This doesn't leave this room,” Poe told him. “Swear that, first.”

“... Okay?”

“Kyp and I are from an alternate universe,” Jaina began. “When the sun that Starkiller Base was drawing from died, it opened a rift, or wormhole as Poe likes to use, and pulled us through. Kyp and I are from a reality where the First Order doesn't exist and the Jedi number well over a hundred. And the big part is, which I'm not sure you noticed… This is Kyp Durron. I'm Jaina Solo.”

“Han Solo,” Finn said automatically.

“My father. Sort of.”

“Kyp's my brother,” Poe said. “Also sort of.”

The former stormtrooper looked conflicted. He wanted to believe his friend, but the tale was unbelievable.

“We know how it sounds,” Kyp said. “But we're living it, so…”

“You're aware that means Kylo Ren is your brother?” Finn said at last, looking at Jaina.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Jaina made a face. “And yes, General Organa is aware of all of this. So is Rey, but she left to find Luke Skywalker.”

Finn sighed. “Yeah, Poe told me.”

He gestured to one of the chairs at the table in their makeshift “kitchen”. “Mind if I sit? I'm not used to being upright so much.”

Kyp waved his hand and the chair slid over. Finn eyed it, then the Jedi Master. Finally, he sat. Jaina rolled her eyes.

“She thinks I'm showing off,” Kyp said, without even looking at Jaina. “This saved you some energy.”

Finn chuckled. “Hey, if I could move stuff with my mind?”

Poe grabbed another chair, straddled it. “So I didn't tell you what else is up.”

Since no one else had made a move to, Jaina went to the "kitchen" and fetched them all cold drinks, bottles of lomin ale she'd snagged the evening before from the main building. Even though it was cooler inside the building, they were still in the jungle. She handed them out, and Kyp wrapped an arm around her.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Don't expect servitude, I was thirsty,” she quipped.

“Of course not, Goddess.”

Finn glanced at them, then back to Poe. “So Rey's gonna be a Jedi, you're gonna be a Jedi… What am I?”

“Weapons expert?” Poe suggested.

“Not everyone needs to be a Jedi to make a big difference,” Jaina said, recalling her father and other non-sensitives she'd worked with over the years. Her thoughts skipped right over Jag, not wanting to contemplate him at the moment. "We can teach you to fly, to use a variety of weapons other than a blaster."

Finn tipped his head, then grinned. "Sounds good to me."

Then he gestured at the limited "kitchen". "You've got a heating unit and a fridge. They've got much better over at the big temple. Why are you out here?"

"Privacy," Jaina said. "It's quieter, less people around. We can meditate more easily, and there aren't curious pilots asking to see my lightsaber."

Poe raised his hands. "Wasn't me!"

Finn gestured to the lightsaber at her hip. "So the lightsaber Rey's got, that belonged to Luke Skywalker?"

"My uncle Luke, yeah. And his father, Anakin Skywalker, before him." Jaina took a pull of her ale, then said, "Usually, we build ours, but she might use that one. My aunt had an inherited lightsaber. Uh. That one, actually. Kyp's is also inherited."

They explained about Exar Kun. Finn frowned, clearly troubled.

"That's why they're teaching me. So he can't turn me to the Dark Side," Poe said.

"Speaking of which, we should start that."

Finn rose. "I should get back and rest. I'm still not up to full activity yet."

Jaina offered him a hand up. "You survived a lightsaber wielded by a Sith. That's worth a little rest and relaxation."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Heh. Yeah. Hey, it was nice meeting you guys."

She saw him out. When she returned, she saw that Kyp and Poe were sitting on the floor, which the mouse-droid had diligently scoured all night and that morning. She lowered herself into a sitting position just to Kyp's right.

"So how does this work?" Poe asked.

As Kyp began explaining the nature of the Force, and how to feel it, Jaina closed her eyes and let her breathing even out, stretching with her senses as she sank into a meditative trance. It had been a while since she'd taken the time, and it was calming.

She felt Kyp, like a blazing white light, and Poe's presence somewhat dimmer. In the distance, the base felt like a hive of insects, buzzing with busy life. Further out, she touched on the non-sentient life forms in the jungle, the animals that lived there.

And far off to the east, a dark and oily stain that slumbered. It reminded her of the way Jacen had felt when he'd turned to the Dark. Jaina quickly withdrew from it, shaken, and opened her eyes. Kyp was watching her, green eyes concerned, but he didn't ask.

Poe had not noticed, concentrating as he was on his breathing with his eyes closed. Jaina reached out her hand, touched Kyp. He caught her hand, threaded his fingers through hers.

I felt him, she said through their bond.

I know. We'll deal with him.

She just hoped they could.

----------

After their daily lessons, Poe said he wanted to introduce them to someone. That someone lived a few hours' walk south-west, so they took one of the base's transports, with Poe at the controls.

Their short journey brought them to a little settlement of ranches, and Poe landed the tranport at one in particular. It featured a broad, fenced pasture filled with herd animals, most of them sheep but a few nerfs scattered through. There were also a few fields of crops, and an orchard.

A man at the fence nearest the house turned as he heard their approach, a battered hat in his hand. His hair was grey, tanned skin sun-worn and ruddy, and he shielded brown eyes from the afternoon light. He was dressed simply in a light brown shirt and faded pants that looked to have once been black but hovered somewhere between grey and brown.

He saw Poe and his face split in a grin. Father and son embraced, and as Poe drew back, Kes Dameron’s gaze went to Kyp. He stiffened, dark eyes searching the younger man’s face, and then he looked at Poe, and back to Kyp. He'd paled a bit, and he took a step closer.

“If your name isn't Durron,” he said finally, “I'll eat my hat.”

Kyp's mouth dropped open. Poe looked equally surprised. Kes plunked his hat on his head and gestured for them to follow him into the house, past a gorgeous, flourishing tree that sheltered the low structure. Jaina noticed as they went under it that it had a strong Force presence, and she thought idly that it may have hidden Poe when he was young, much as the cave on Dagobah had masked Yoda.

No one spoke as they entered the house. Jaina glanced around curiously, noting that it looked comfortable and lived in, with knicknacks on various surfaces and holos of Poe and his parents displayed around the central room.

There was a large one of Shara Bey over the fireplace. As Jaina had suspected, she'd had dark curls, just like Kyp and Poe, though her eyes were dark. Her mouth was closer to Kyp's than Poe's, but all three shared the same straight, dark brows.

Kes said, “Wait here.”

He disappeared into a back room, and was only gone for a minute before returning with a holocube. He held it out to Kyp.

Kyp took it, activating the cube. The first image that displayed was of a young Shara, holding a boy of about five, both of them in the arms of a man with light brown hair and green eyes. The little boy had black hair and brown eyes. Shara was visibly pregnant. The man’s eyes, nose, jaw were Kyp's.

“I was Shara’s second husband,” Kes said. “The Empire killed her first family, so she joined the Rebellion. The boy there-”

“Zeth,” Kyp whispered. “And Arrik Durron.”

Kes’s dark eyes narrowed. “She was pregnant when Arrik and Zeth died. She lost the baby. I married her four years later. So my question is, who are you?”

Kyp stared at the holo for a long time before answering. He'd never had an image of his parents, or his older brother. All he'd had were very dim memories. He felt Jaina slide her arm around him.

“I'm Kyp Durron,” he told Kes. “Arrik and Shara were my parents. Except…”

“So she didn't lose the baby?” Kes asked. “The Empire take you or something? She was in the medcenter for a while after the attack.”

Kyp looked up at the man who was technically his stepfather. “Not… exactly. See, I was born on Deyer, and I lived there with my parents and my brother until I was eight. The Empire took Zeth. My parents were imprisoned on Kessel and died when I was nine. Zeth died at the age of twenty-two.”

Poe finally spoke. The evidence for Kyp's story there before him, he believed at last. “Dad… This is gonna sound crazy, but Kyp here, and Jaina--this is Jaina Solo, and that's another story--are from another reality.”

----------

They had dinner with Poe and his father that night. Kes was fascinated with their tale, and wanted to know as much as they could tell him. He wasn't the least surprised that Jaina was technically Han and Leia's daughter.

"You look like her, but I can see Han in you, too. I heard about his death. That's a damn shame."

"He wasn't my father here, but it's still . . . strange and difficult," Jaina admitted.

He nodded. "So you two are Jedi Masters, and you're going to train Poe."

"We started today," Poe said. "I'll admit that I have very little idea what I'm actually doing."

"You'll pick it up quick," his father said confidently. "You always have learned fast."

"And Kyp's a good teacher," Jaina put in. "A little more hands-on than most, but he taught me a lot."

Poe grinned. "I don't think I want his brand of hands-on, if he's been your teacher."

Jaina flushed.

Kes shook his head ruefully at his only offspring. "He gets that mouth from his mother."

"Tell me about her," Kyp said softly. "I don't remember much of her. I know she wasn't the same here, but I'd still like to know."

The older man nodded. "Well, let's see..."

Jaina leaned back in her chair, listening to Kes's tales of Shara during the Rebellion. It was clear that Poe had grown up on the stories, but he listened just as raptly as Kyp. And even though Poe and Kes's Shara wasn't really the same as Kyp's, he drank in every word.

As they were leaving, they went out ahead of Poe so he could say goodbye to his father without them there. Kyp took Jaina's hand as they walked to the transport.

"Sorry we spent so long talking in there," he said. "You okay?"

“I'm good. I'm really happy for you. I'm not jealous, if that's what you're worried about. I've always felt bad that you didn't really have anyone but me, after Dorsk 82 died. I'm glad you've found Poe and Kes.”

“At the expense of your family.”

She shook her head. “No. I don't see it that way. And it's not… They're not dead. They're just… Away.”

He stopped, used his hold on her hand to pull her into his arms. “You think I haven't seen the way you look at Leia?” he asked softly. “I know it hurts. You don't have to pretend with me. You don't need a façade with me. I've seen you at your worst and loved you anyway.”

She dropped her forehead against his chest. “Maybe the façade is for me. I don't like feeling weak. I don't like emotional upheaval. I've had more pain and loss than one person should have to deal with.”

“You're not weak.” He lifted her hair in one hand, massaged the back of her neck with the other. “Everything you've been through, and you're not a screaming wreck. That takes strength.”

“A lot of that's because I've leaned on people.”

“Honey, that's what friends and family are for.” Kyp kissed the top of her head.

She flattened her hands on his chest and looked up. “I like that.”

“Like what?”

“You calling me ‘honey’. And ‘sweetheart’ and ‘goddess’. When I was little, I'd hear Dad use all these funny endearments for Mom, and I thought, the more names you have for someone, the more they mean to you. A stranger doesn't have a name in your head. Someone you don't like might get generic insults, but those aren't names.”

Kyp cupped her upturned face in his hands, thumbs lightly stroking her cheeks. “I call Jag ‘Captain Cardboard’. That isn't an endearment.”

Jaina laughed. “But you don't hate him.”

“I've wanted to,” he said honestly, “but you're right. If I did hate him, I'd have stolen you away years ago.”

"Well, he's not here and I'm yours now." She slid her arms around his neck. "I'd like to think you and I would end up together even if we weren't here."

"I'd like to, as well."

Poe came loping across the yard. "Okay, let's go."

 

Superb post here. You've got the sorta family reunion tone perfectly. Everything's familiar but different. And Jaina's painful wistfulness. Takes strength to lean on people when you've gone through trauma and drama. I'm happy that's a lesson she's been able to grasp and benefit from. She's had super folks in her corner as well. Kyp at number one LOL

They really are delicious together.

 

“If your name isn't Durron,” he said finally, “I'll eat my hat.”

Kyp's mouth dropped open.

Just for Kyp to hear that, that would be very shocking that his step father recognized him right away as a Durron

I liked this little family reunion

I've been sick for the past week now. So annoying

Glad your feeling better.

 

Well, Kes has probably spent a while staring at the holo of Arrik Durron, since his wife's been dead for 24 years. Kyp may mostly have Shara's colouring, but he looks like his father. Plus, living for 30 years in the shadow of the Force-sensitive tree, with a kid who's also Force-sensitive, might have rubbed off a little. Not made him Force using, just a little more aware.

 

I liked this peaceful family reunion, but I feel somehow that this is only a short breathing pause before the storm hits them very, very hard...

 

Oh that is right!!! I think I was getting my stories mixed up!

 

I don't know how I missed your comment, sorry. I really wish they'd had Jaina rely on Kyp more post-NJO. He just sorta faded into the background. But who else would understand the way a Sith Lord thinks or what it's like to kill your brother? But noooo, she had to deal with the knucklheads Jag and Zekk, who were more interested in butting heads like rutting stags fighting over a mate than in actually helping her.

Life is never easy, is it?

Try living in my head. I've got this fic, my other one called Counting Stars, and then a series over on AO3, all of which I've written 45k words on since Feb 1. Keeping it all straight is a challenge sometimes.

 

I'm very much enjoying this story.
I'm not very fond of the new canon,I still think that the reset of the old EU was a very bad move on Disney's part - although some of the new characters are interesting (f.ex. General Hux or Kylo Ren) - but it definitely gets better when mixed with some of our favourite characters from the original continuity. That it is Kyp and Jaina is of course the best choice as they are my OTP in SW

I liked how You described Kyp and Jaina's confusion upon discovering differences between their version of Galaxy and the one they've been thrown into. Especially Jaina and her feelings regarding this timeline's Leia and Han were well written. It was also nicely done to make Poe "this worlds answer to Kyp".

Looking at things from the Resistance's perspective, I guess it may be very beneficial to them to have two fully trained Jedi amongst them - Jedi who are experts on dealing with the Dark Siders no less.
I'm also curious about Kyp and Jaina's reaction to this reality's Luke - if/when they get to meet him - and vice versa. They've already expressed some doubts about him, stating that "their Luke" would never abandon his friends and family and just disappear. So very true. TFA's Luke is just extremely out of character in my opinion (unless it was HE who was responsible for the massacre of his padawans, not Ben - then it would be understandable that he's in hiding - but I digress).

Another superb part was the meeting with Jag on Hapes. Jag as the First Order officer is just delicious. He's always been so stiff and military-oriented that he fits perfectly with them. I hope that if Kyp and Jaina go after Ren, Snoke & Co, they will also kick Fel's ass

There is one thing I'd like to ask You about, Dana. You wrote:

Where do have this information from? Is it directly from Walter Jon Williams?

When I've read this, I wanted to howl in frustration (which, I suppose, is something You wanted to do too..). Because that would mean that if W.J. Williams' book was to go before "Enemy Lines", we could have had K/J as canon! So frustrating!

Once again, thanks for the really good read. And I hope this story won't be abandoned, as it's too good for that.
May the Force be with You!

 

I'm afraid I discontinued this fic after getting some really nasty attacks on myself concerning it.

As for the Williams thing, no, it took place at the same point. What happened was that Allston was late in turning in his duology after Dark Journey and had shoved Jag Fel back in as Jaina's love interest. Williams had to rewrite a bunch of the book taking place after it to accommodate the change, and wasn't happy. Yes, the information came directly from him during an interview, though I'm unable at the moment to pull up any information on it.

 

That's truly a pity. The story is great. (Maybe You'll decide to come back to it some day, eventually? Keeps fingers crossed)

And beside that - I honestly cannot understand how anyone can attack a writer for the fanfiction she or he writes. One can not like the concept (then it's best just to not read the fanfiction in question) or think that something is poorly written (in that case one may either point out the flaws (constructive criticism) or stop reading). Geez. I don't know what kind of attacks You're writing about exactly, but knpwing that some people can be really nasty sometimes, I feel for You - and I send a lot of support through the Force. And the haters may kiss Han's Wookiee

 

They ripped it to shreds to the point where I got a panic attack that lasted a whole afternoon and I just got the shakes every time my email dinged with a new message. It was stupid stuff, about the quality of my writing, how all my characters are OOC, how Jaina was cheating on her husband, etc. It was easier on me to stop than to fear more viciousness.

 

I love this! You are obviously far more intimately familiar with the Legends 'verse than I am, but I have read enough of the books (or maybe just the right ones) to know who Kyp and Jaina (and a lot of the Legends characters they talk about) are.