Beyond - Legends Caught in the Rain (sequel to RotJ; AU J/Z, Kyp, OCs) - COMPLETED; SEQUEL LINK UP 11/29!

Caught in the Rain: Book Two of the "Always" Trilogy
By Trickster_Jaina_Fel



Disclaimer: I own the plot, Sanar and Devnos and the rest of the Klis family, Garik Klamath, Tiran Lee-droy, Cerasy, Aarylia, Falat, Na?Lein?yhpaon and Kip (kind of) and any other previously unknown characters/planets. Everything you recognize (well, from the actual books) belongs to George Lucas or Kevin J. Anderson. I am not making any money off of this, so please do not sue.
Summary: The more black-and-white redemption was won with Onyx?s demise, but that is never the end. Zekk and Jaina have returned to Hapes, where Jaina?s family, the remaining Jedi and the New Rebellion awaits them. Some will understand and believe Zekk?s redemption ? others will not. As Zekk leaves for the more difficult stage of his redemption, alone, he is unaware that the emperor ? surviving only on his hatred ? has demanded his disloyal Darkest Knight?s head on a platter. The Dark Jedi Devnos Klis is determined to prove his competence, and hatches a plan to lure Zekk in. Kept nearby is a wild card: Sanar Klis, who is, herself, searching for a redemption she doesn?t completely believe in. Whether or not she will foil her brother?s plans and step back into the Light remains to be watched over by an unlikely guardian: the spirit form of Kyp Durron. All the while, Jaina Solo is back at a home she barely recognizes, trying to come to terms with the changes her death and resurrection have wrought within her.
Characters: Jaina Solo, Zekk, Sanar Klis, Devnos Klis, Kyp Durron, Garik Klamath, Emperor ?Palpatine? (Brakiss), Kip, Leia Organa Solo, Han Solo, Tiran Lee-droy, Aarylia Tisane, Cerasy, Lusa
Genres: drama, romance, angst, action
Author's Note: The title was inspired by the song of the same name by Revis. I found it on the ?Daredevil? soundtrack and knew I had my title, though the lyrics don?t fit exactly ? just the mood did. I nearly called this ?Can?t Stop Loving You? (after the song by Phil Collins), so that deserves some recognition as well, as does "White Flag" by Dido.
Thanks to: Jaina_Fel_06, for beta-ing this for me, and for reminding me that, no, Garik would *not* storm out of the Senate because of a temper tantrum
Everyone who read and reviewed RotJ previously, and still begged for a sequel, this is for you
And last, but certainly not least, the characters, for cooperating and for getting in my face when they won?t
Previous "Always" fics: Return of the Jedi, Intermission (a Round Robin)


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Dramatis Personae

The New Rebellion and the Jedi:
Jaina Solo ? human, Jedi Knight, New Rebellion colonel
Zekk ? human, formerly Lord Onyx of the Sith and Darkest Knight of the New Empire.
Kyp Durron ? human, Jedi Knight (deceased - currently ghostie)
Leia Organa Solo ? human, New Rebellion diplomat
Han Solo ? human, New Rebellion General
Garik Klamath ? human, New Rebellion diplomat; Jaina's childhood friend
Tiran Lee-droy ? human, Jedi Knight, mechanic; native of Lin-Ta
Aarylia ? human girl, Jedi Apprentice; orphan
Kip ? male clone, Jedi soldier; created by the Empire
Tenel Ka Chume Ta?a Djo ? female human, Jedi Knight, princess and heir apparent of the Hapan Throne
Miko Reglia ? male human, Jedi Knight, former Dark Jedi

The ?Greys?:
Sanar Klis ? Imperial slave, daughter of Jarran and Caesarea Klis. Native of Na?Lein?yhpaon, a male-dominated planet.
Cerasy ? female human, bounty hunter
Krista Harif ? female human, smuggler, pilot, Intelligence operative, entertainer, mechanic
Ta?a Chume Djo ? Regent Queen of the Hapes Consortium

The Empire:
Emperor Brakiss ? male human, Lord of the Sith; under the guise of Palpatine
Devnos Klis ? male human, Dark Jedi; Sanar?s older

 

Snags first post

EDIT:

Ooohhhhh, man! This is gonna be big. I can feel it. Trix, you got me from the beginning. Now, then. Onto the actual post.

Brakiss is alive? Holy...I feel sorry for Sanar. She had to witness that thing crawling around. And Lusa's alive! Why am I focusing on that? Oh, well. Great, awesome, kick-butt start! I can't wait to see more. Up!

Oh, and I spelled Brakiss' name right! Go me!

 

Hey!

I forgot how itty bitty your posts are!

So Brakiss' hatred is keeping him alive. Well I can't say as I'm surprised - he always the sleezy type incapable of doing things properly.

Sanar's stuck in the rancor-pit, so to speak. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble she's going to get herself into. She come a long way from the person she was at the beginning of ROTJ. She's been learning from those nasty Jedi-types

Can't wait to see a post with Zekk or Jaina in it. I want to know what they're getting up to.

 

*bounces around*

Here we're here!!

Barakiss is around!!! We can hurt him!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

Must make KS show up!! Call her tomorrow I think I will... Think think think... Oh well...



*happy dance*

Sanar and Kyp... *singsong voice*





NYCITH AND LARA!! - wait, wrong thread... *trundles off*

 

Striker: thanks and you can't even imagine... i'm gonna have fun with this one.

Brakiss is alive?

unfortunately

And Lusa's alive! Why am I focusing on that?

i don't know why... but she'll be around...kinda...

Kazzy: well, this one was short cuz it's just the beginning post. it'll get longer i also don't want to post a whole bunch while people are still realizing that this is up

Well I can't say as I'm surprised - he always the sleezy type incapable of doing things properly



She come a long way from the person she was at the beginning of ROTJ. She's been learning from those nasty Jedi-types

indeed she has...hehe. things get interesting, i'll tell you that

Can't wait to see a post with Zekk or Jaina in it. I want to know what they're getting up to.

that's the next couple posts

Jaid: Barakiss is around!!! We can hurt him!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!



NYCITH AND LARA!! - wait, wrong thread... *trundles off*

shh....don't tell anyone yet! you'll spoil CoD

~TJF

 

YOU POSTED YOU POSTED YOU POSTED YOU POSTED!!!!!!!! *cough* um, yeah. anyway YOU POSTED!!!! super super super awesome! more soon please!!!!

 

Nice start. Brakiss *hisses* I should have known he wasn't gone for good. Can't wait for the next post

 

SpikeLead: yep! i posted...finally... i'll update on friday

Rose: thanks

Brakiss *hisses* I should have known he wasn't gone for good.

*sighs* he never is...i don't spend too much time on him, though/fortunately...more time on the Klis' and Falat

~TJF

 

The Emperor is supposed to be dead. [face_shocked]

Great post...I need more now!

 

the emperor's always supposed to be dead but does that stop him? eh...not yet



next post!


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Chapter One:


She was sitting at the edge of a small cliff, over the water, just where he?d know she would be. She appeared unaware of the gusty storm that was starting; her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Zekk hesitated, but knew they couldn?t continue to put it off. ?Jaina,? he spoke. She didn?t turn around. ?The ship?s ready.?

She nodded and threw a pebble into the lake. He smiled faintly; they both had the ripples of that water memorized by now. With a sigh, she stood, and he appraised her carefully. The wounds she had sustained ? emotional, more than physical ? had mostly healed after three weeks on this planet, which had no real name (Jaina had nicknamed it ?Bob?, for some reason). But it still took more strength than it should have for her to stand. Her skin ? pale when they arrived ? had bronzed, and her normally dark hair sported gold highlights. Her gait was more graceful ? an adjective she earned from climbing all over the place with ease, despite the harsh settings and Zekk?s cautionary pleas. The shadows and lines on her face had disappeared, and a smile was fixed on her face.

She snorted. ?You can stop looking at me like I?m going to fall apart,? she said, making her way across the stony area. ?We Solos heal fast.?

He rolled his eyes, but his face was grimmer than hers. ?Most of you Solos haven?t died and come back to life,? he replied.

She shrugged and grinned. ?Well, now one of us has.? She nudged him. ?It?s not like you got off so easily yourself.?

He considered her for a moment, his mind going back to that final duel with Brakiss. He had come out the victor, but it had only been by luck, and he had taken a beating first. Helping Sanar resurrect Jaina hadn?t done wonders for his health, either.

?Huh, you liked it,? Jaina teased, picking up on his thoughts. ?All I wanted was to get some rest, and you kept pulling?my spirit still has bruises.? She winked. ?Now stop looking like you?re going to your execution. We?re returning on your insistence, and I?m the only one allowed to complain.?

He reached out to take her hand as they walked up the ship?s ramp. ?It?s easier to be insistent when you?re arguing,? he admitted.

She sighed and looked around one last time. For almost a month, she and Zekk had stayed here, and she knew she would always remember it as a haven. ?Well, we probably would have gone a little stir-crazy here after a while anyway,? she said unconvincingly.

?You?re right,? he agreed weakly, suddenly bombarded by an image of the impulsive, trigger-happy Han Solo finding out about his and Jaina?s month together. Just so long as he doesn?t find out about the hut on the water, we should be alright, he thought with a wince. ?But I think I?ll add ?Bob? to the ship?s flight database anyway,? he finished.

?Already did,? Jaina reassured him as the ramp of the ship rose and they entered the cockpit. ?It was one of the few things that still needed to be fixed after you went at it with an axe and scrubber,? she snickered.

?I wanted to get rid of Onyx,? he muttered, flushing a little.

She squeezed his hand. ?You already did.? She paused, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. ?Of course, I am glad you got rid of the overly black stuff ? not to mention the questionable amount of mirrors in that bedroom??

He blushed all the harder at the memory. ?I think Onyx had a few vanity issues,? he mumbled, replacing the ?I? with the safe name of his (late) Dark persona, knowing that, if he didn?t, Jaina would become upset.

The relationship between Zekk and Onyx had been the only topic Jaina and Zekk hadn?t discussed while on ?Bob?. ?When we go back out there,? Jaina had said, ?we?ll have to deal with all of it, over and over again. Can?t we just leave it until then?? She had floundered a moment before continuing. ?For the first time in years, I?ve been able to relax, and just be with you again ?

 

Great post!

As they buckled in, Zekk decided not to explain that he wouldn?t be needing her protection for long.
That sounds ominous [face_shocked]

~LtJS

 

That does sound quite ominous, Trix. I am waiting for Han to punch Zekk right in the mouth when they get back, and I think he's expecting a reception similar to that. Oh, well. Their time of healing is over. Now back to fighting Blob Man-I mean Emperor Brakiss. Up!

 

Yeah it does sound....*shudders* urgh eep scary. "Bob!" AND NOW I PRESENT TO YOU THE NEWLY DISCOVERED PLANET.... BOB!!!!!!! oh that is good!!!! More soon please?

 

Lt: thanks

That sounds ominous

well...not *really*. actually, i kinda spill the beans in the summary ;P

Striker: I am waiting for Han to punch Zekk right in the mouth when they get back, and I think he's expecting a reception similar to that.

i'll say this much: han is *not* the one zekk has to worry about. jaina's his princess, remember? if he ever gets over his joy that she's back, she can still wrap him around her pinkie finger. there are others though....the females are the worst, as always

SpikeLead: Brakiss is always creepy but at least one of the villains got a bit more complex and only Jo knows who, so far...

AND NOW I PRESENT TO YOU THE NEWLY DISCOVERED PLANET.... BOB!!!!!!!

i was bored, and really didn't want to think up a name. it was that or "Joe"

~TJF

 

i like bob. Bob is a good and fine name for a planet.

Jez

 

Ohhh, fianly a sequel.........

Good start.
And people, dont try guessing. She might kill some1 off just to spite you.

 

Jez:

Jasa/PsychoSniper: yep, finally it took me a while, but at leasts posts will be a little more regular

thanks

And people, dont try guessing. She might kill some1 off just to spite you

now there's an idea...

~TJF

 

Zekk, you're not planning on running out on her are you I don't think she'd like that much. Do you think it's a wise idea to upset the only Solo who actually likes you?

Sweet chapter. They interact so well with each other, and yet there is all this other stuff under the surface. I like it

 

Zekk's always running

Do you think it's a wise idea to upset the only Solo who actually likes you?

he might let his fear of the other Solos (not to mention the Chume d'a's) override his good sense

thanks! yeah, J/Z is fun to write, especially in this fic... most of the RotJ conversations were chess moves, basically, but here things get a little more interesting. so much underneath...and it's all gonna come out

~TJF

 

bump^

so the late-night readers can find it

~TJF

 

Alright, I have the week off and several more posts... so i'm bored so, instead of catching up on the fics i've fallen behind on (i'm sorry i'm so lazy, guys! i'll get to them!) i'm posting yay me


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Chapter Two:


Jaina held her breath as the lines of hyperspace stretched, then shrank into stars. Zekk was dozing in a nearby chair, so she typed in the coordinates for the Hapes Consortium. Her fingers shook a little, but she succeeded in making the ship hurtle onward once more. Taking a quivering breath, she sat back.

She was nervous.

She hadn?t expected to be ? but then, she hadn?t really thought of returning to her family and friends since before her death.

Correction: she hadn?t allowed herself to dwell on how they might react to her.

Returning with Zekk would bring expected results ? suspicion, anger, bitterness and hatred ? but her own homecoming was a wild card.

Jaina Solo had died. With Sanar?s help, she had been brought back, but she wasn?t the girl she had been before. Jaina had seen and felt things that no one was supposed to see or feel ? at least, not while they were alive.

Despite the flippant attitude she radiated to Zekk, the fact that she had cheated death weighed heavily on her. How would her father react, when he realized that Jaina was mostly playing along, acting like her old self, so that people wouldn?t worry? Would her friends pull away, afraid that she wasn?t even Jaina anymore?

What if they thought she was possessed? After all, it was a distinct possibility, considering?

Jaina had returned with her life only after being one with the Force; she had found the strength to fight back only after being taken deep into two other people?s minds. She didn?t look at the world like she used to; she felt ripples that no one else felt; her sensitivity to the Force had grown.

Zekk worried that the New Republic would never forgive him; Jaina lost sleep over whether or not they would isolate her ? call her an abomination ? even execute her. Despite how she tried to reassure herself that no one would do that, even if only for the sake of her heritage and her physical appearance, the idea taunted her.

Abomination? Are you possessed, you-who-should-be-dead? Are you really Jaina Solo, or something else?

She clamped her hands over her ears as she concentrated on vaporizing the words. I am Jaina Solo. I have parts of two other people, but I am still Jaina Solo, and I always will be. My core will never change!

The unpleasant voice of her fear laughed. So you think?

So you think.

~*~*~

Solo is afraid. The thought came to Sanar like a slap, and she stumbled a little. Why did she know that? It wasn?t as if she and the Jedi were close; in fact, they?d come pretty close to scratching each others? eyes out. And yet the younger woman?s anxiety was as clear as a bell in Sanar?s mind.

It didn?t take her a moment to realize why it was so. The bonding ? of course. Kriff! I knew I?d regret that! When Solo had died, Sanar had reached out and desperately tried to save the girl. As Zekk had been too impassioned and grief-stricken at the time, the only way Sanar had been able to anchor ? and thus save ? Solo was to take the Jedi deep into her own mind, until Solo had seen everything Sanar knew or had experienced and vice-versa. It had saved Jaina, but an irate Sanar decided that the success wasn?t necessarily worth the after effects.

?Sanar! Hurry up,? Devnos snapped.

Speaking of after effects, Sanar scowled as she continued on. ?I?m coming, I?m coming; keep your shirt on.?

Satisfied that his sister was doing what she was told ? for once ? the Dark Jedi turned back to his fellow Imperial ? muttering something about ?Onyx?s? capture, no doubt. Though she knew it was Devnos? sole way of salvaging his competence in the eyes of his emperor, Sanar was heartily sick of Devnos? obsession with bringing Onyx to his death.

Whatever happened to his artistic side? the slave

 

bump^

~TJF

 

A week off? dangit! I wish I had a week off...

So Jaina's worried about how they'll perceive her. I don't think Leia or Han will mind, just as long as she's alive. And Devnos is searching for Zekk and Jaina...I sense trouble.

Nice post, Trix. Up!

 

TJF, youre right, that was a good movie.


Hmmmm, so whats happening to Jaina......

good post.

 

i read the first three DUNE books and they are the best ever. i just need to find the rest of them.

Loved the post. more soon?

Jez