The Battle At Hand J/J -----author quick note! 9/15------

FelsGoddess: Its the Solo confidence. The kind that ensures trouble. Heh, exactly!

That's a weird problem, the edit thing. I don't know. yeah, me either! Go figure?

Great update! Hey thanks

Blondie: You posted, so of course we forgive you! Definitely good to know, lol
Did marriage affect Sharr? He wasn't joking around in this post. He was...Serious. Oh, don?t worry. We were just seeing dry-witted-Sharr at the moment. The crazed-psycho-Sharr will be returning?or will he? Who knows who?s going to survive Hoth? ?.

Shinar: Have mercy and PM an old buddy when you resurrect stories like this! Consider it done, old friend! Nice to see you again

JSS19 : i'm glad i did. Hey I?m glad you did too Welcome back! (lol, I?m one to talk?)

MJ: if you don't remember me.. How could I forget you?!

fine but I'M BACK!!!! HEY, I?m back too! What a co-inky-dink!

Red : I'm still loving this fic. Thanks Red!! Hopefully one of these days I?ll finish this sucker hehe

JaJ: Perfect post. awwww thankies! I?m so glad it?s being met with approval. Vongsicles soon, but prolly not this update, methinks?

Flowerbee: Now I feel bad for not having confidence in you. Lol, funny, I didn?t have confidence in me to finish this guy either? guess I surprised both of us, huh



OK long story short here gang, getting settled into my new place as settled as I can get before I head out to college, leaving Thursday for the far far away land of the Midwest, and it?s been hectic trying to work with my dying comp (so I got a laptop?which is why progress has slowed, it took me awhile to get this guy running and with all the proper protection/programs/internet connections/etc to function?) (and the laptop is also why I skipped formatting half of these replies, too much effort?need to get a mouse! Lol) anyways, my plan to finish this story by the time I start college is still in place, I?ll let you know if it changes (it might, who knows) and thanks for reading and for your patience! New post up momentarily?.

~jg or Squishy

 

***

Wedge Antilles raked a hand through his shaggy graying hair and sighed heavily, a testament to the wear and tear on his conscience at the late hour. He was about to slump forward and rest his forehead on his desk, had it not been for the gentle encircling of arms over his shoulders, holding him upright.

?It?s only 2100, General. Isn?t it a bit early for your bedtime?? Iella whispered in his ear, pressing a quick kiss on his cheekbone.

?I?m getting old,? he grudgingly admitted.

?Please, you?ve been saying that for years. I?m still waiting for it to happen.?

?Sucking up, are we? What do you need now? If you want to go on another shopping spree on Corellia with Mirax, hon, I?m afraid you?re going to have to wait till next week.?

?That wasn?t quite what I was aiming for, but I?ll hold you to it nonetheless,? she smirked, straightening back up and bringing her hands up to massage his shoulders.

He sighed appreciatively, tilting his head against the seat back and closing his eyes.

After a lengthy pause, curiosity got the best of Iella and she had to speak. ?Alright. What?s up, Antilles? You seem especially tense today.?

Wedge slowly opened his eyes. ?I?ve been thinking-?

?Whoa, don?t hurt yourself,? she chimed in, mischievously.

He continued as if she hadn?t said anything, ?Reviewing, double checking plans, making sure there?s as little of a margin for error as possible?waiting here kills me. We?re ready, I know it, but I can?t help but second guess that. We have only the necessary people still planetside, and I feel so guilty sitting here in orbit, doing nothing -?

?Wedge, you?ve done everything in your power -?

?But I?m afraid it?s not enough, Iella!? his sudden outburst caused her tender ministrations to cease, and she swiveled his chair around so they were facing each other. He picked his head off the back of the chair to look her in the eyes. ?I keep feeling like I sent Luke, Jaina - everyone to their deaths!?

?You didn?t send them,? she reminded him calmly. ?They volunteered.?

?I still let them. I have the ability to tell them to forget it, to tell them to get out of there - but I can?t. Our plans are locked in and ??

?I know, Wedge,? his wife finally said, reaching for his hand. ?But you can?t worry about them. You have to trust Luke. He knows what he?s doing, I mean, he?s certainly saved your hide on a number of occasions. He?d never send Jaina to her death, let alone join her.?

He sent Anakin to his death, unknowingly. What?s to say he won?t be walking unknowingly to his?

?He sent Mara away. That?s testament to his uncertainty about the future,? Wedge countered. ?I wanted you to go, too.?

Something sharpened in her eyes, and the firm set of her mouth almost made him regret saying that. ?First off, Antilles, no one sends Mara anywhere. Secondly, I am here because I think you need me here more than our daughters need me. They?re used to it, they don?t realize the situation.?

?Iella - ?

?No. When Diric died?I wanted to die with him. But you kept me from wanting to die - you made me want to live, and I can?t bear to think of who would keep me from dying if I?m not here to watch your back. So don?t tell me that you don?t want me here, Antilles, because quite frankly, even if you didn?t, I don?t give a damn.?

Wedge?s eyes flicked downward, rimmed in dark circles, and Iella almost regretted her harsh outburst - but he needed that reminder. Through the good and the bad, they promised to stand side by side? and she would. She remembered why she had come, and her demeanor lightened. She reached out with her free hand and caught his chin, pulling it up to look her in the face again. ?That reminds me. I forgot that before Sy and Myr left, they recorded you a little something.?

A half-puzzled, half look of wonderment crossed his face as she fished in her pockets and finally produced a data card. He accepted it and studied it with awe. ?You put them up to this?? he guessed.

?No, I think it was Syal?s idea. I have no idea what they said -

 

Great post! Wedge and Iella were adorable. Plus Syal and Mryi leaving Wedge a message, so sweet! Brought tears to my eyes.

And then Jag! Made me giggle with his Father going all General on him. That'd be interesting to have around the house.

I think I'll pass on those Vongsicles and grab a Lomin Ale. *opens the bottle with a satifying click* It's been a while. *starts drinking it* Mmm. As good as I remember.

I can't wait for more.

 

Wedge slowly opened his eyes. ?I?ve been thinking-?

?Whoa, don?t hurt yourself,? she chimed in, mischievously.

He sent Anakin to his death, unknowingly. What?s to say he won?t be walking unknowingly to his? Very true.

Syal and Myri's message was adorable!

Son, you can stare down that planet till your eyes pop out of your skull Thats an interesting visual.

Soontir's method cracked me up.

*takes a Vongsicle AND a lomin ale*
Hours of entertainment with those two.

Great update!

 

*gasp* Jag is driving himself crazy. Jaina better make it out of there alive. We don't need a suicidal Jag or something like that!
Aww Syal and Myri were so adorable!
Great post!!
Blondie^..^

 

Pass on the vongcicles, I'll take a lomin ale instead.

Iella and Wedge were sweet. Nice bit of mush there.

Syal and Myri were just adorable. Loved that scene.

But poor Jag! Why is he the most tortured character in fanfic? Every fanfic author I read has tortured the guy at one time or another.

Can't wait for more!

 

Up! And can I get PM's for posts?

 

*kicks thread to the top*

 

UPPING!!!

 

Ack! I can't believe i forgot about this!!!!! Stupid computer....

Anywho, great! Great! And, er, Great.

Hey blondie, maybe we should start 99 bottles again.

A quick BOOM!!!!

 

Yeah, maybe.....
Blondie^..^

 

up! up! up! up! UP!

 

Another post coming soon?

 

Awww! Soontir is a good guy... sometimes Jag needs a good slap upside the head.

 

I LOVE vong-sicles I can't wait!!!
been reading this for a while and i finally caught up!!
Its really great!! Can't wait for the postie!!

UP UP!

 

Replies tomorrow fo sho, and ya'lls can expect a post sometime this week - I'm working on it hard, but there's just a gap I'm having trouble in bridging, because I have the end basically done...just the getting from here to there...oy!

Thanks for your patience - I finally got internet a couple of days ago and I'm settling into my college schedule rather nicely, I think...

~jg

 

Sounds great!

 

can't wait will be waiting

 

Woohoo! Yay! *cheers*

 

Awesome story. Makes for a nice marathon read.

S.

 

Oh my goodness, you posted!

I'd thought this story was dead, but I've never been so glad to be wrong!

Wonderful posts, both of them...Have I mentioned that I love the Force-ghost scenes. The Anakins are so great. And the Wedge/Iella stuff was so Anyways, this is and always has been wonderful. I'd love a PM next time you decide to post. I'll be anxiously waiting.

(you knew it was coming)

Is it too soon to ask for more?

 

*levitates thread to top* Up!

 

J_a_J : Plus Syal and Mryi leaving Wedge a message, so sweet! Brought tears to my eyes. Hehe, glad you liked it, I figured I needed a not-so-depressing cute moment, lol

I think I'll pass on those Vongsicles and grab a Lomin Ale No Vongsicles, eh? You don?t know what you?re missing

Felsgoddess: Thats an interesting visual. LOL, isn?t it though? Prolly not that attractive?

Hours of entertainment with those two. Don?t I know it! LOL!

Blondie_JediKnight[/b] : We don't need a suicidal Jag or something like that! We don?t? [face_question] Oh, but I think it?s such a great idea?

red : Why is he the most tortured character in fanfic? Every fanfic author I read has tortured the guy at one time or another. You know what, you?re absolutely right. I think I?ll pick on Jaina from henceforth. Glad you liked the post

Nomad : Anywho, great! Great! And, er, Great. Hey thanks! Don?t worry, I almost forgot about this one too

flowerbee : Soontir is a good guy... sometimes Jag needs a good slap upside the head LOL, that he does!

goddess45 : been reading this for a while and i finally caught up!!
Its really great!! Thank you So glad you like it!

skywalker : Awesome story. Makes for a nice marathon read. Hi! Thanks! I?m glad you?re enjoying it?it is a bit of a marathon, eh?

JJD : I'd thought this story was dead, but I've never been so glad to be wrong! Yaaaay, you?re here too! (Lol, I was about to leave it for dead, shhh don?t tell anyone?but I decided instead of leaving the story dead, I was just going to leave a bunch of the characters dead instead. )

Anyways, this is and always has been wonderful. Awww?

Is it too soon to ask for more? Tis never too soon to ask for more! I missed your asking !


Here's a teaser! The end is near...

This Vong was good.

Jaina supposed he should be. He was a towering mass of lean, powerful muscle - nearly twice her size, yet just as agile, and obviously a seasoned warrior. She kicked at his legs, whirling around to bring her blade whipping up, parrying away his heavy blow.

?Is that all you got?? she hissed, back flipping away from him and taking a defensive stance.

He spat at the ground near her boots, advancing carefully. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breath came short, but she felt none of the effects due to the pure adrenaline rushing through her veins.

Their respective weapons met, amphistaff pressing down on Jaina?s amethyst blade in a contest of wills, and Jaina scowled up into the leering Vong?s face. ?Bring it, Vong!?

His long-legged, sweeping kick knocked her legs out from under her, but she clutched her blade and held it as she tumbled to the ground, deactivating it in order to roll along the frozen flooring, and then snap-hissing back to life as she sprang up.

 

Love Jaina's "Bring it, Vong."

Great teaser!

 

*snickers* Jaina, Jaina...