“Zekk, how’d-”
“I have just disabled the Force field generator. Don’t
worry; there was only one of those nuclear torpedoes on that
ship. If they fire again, I have a backup plan.” He pulled out
a box. “See this button? With that button, I can set off the
reactor. I don’t think they want me to do that. Would be
terrible.”
“No, dammit. Zekk, have you lost your mind?”
“First, you want me to release you and then Jornell, and
not attack. Am I missing something that says you are not
secretly with the Empire?”
“Zekk, don’t you get it? It’s not going against the New
Republic that’s given you Dark Side powers. It’s your anger and
hatred. You can’t use that box.”
“I have to. For everyone’s sake. That medevac shuttle
they sent for was shot out of space.”
“That doesn’t matter here. You have a choice. Make the
right one.”
“I already have made a choice that I’m going to like.” He
put his arm around Jaina. “You.”
Jaina melted in his arms. “Same here.” She smiled. She
had done some good for all.
How much, though, was up for vigorous debate. Jacen showed up on Coruscant in the Jade’s Fire. Barukka
had helped him pilot the ship there.
Leia ran out to greet him. “Jacen, I have some fairly good
news. Your wife is pregnant. She just found out a couple of
days ago. Unfortunately, she’s had some serious injuries.
She’s going to have to be put under for a while, but we hope
they can save the baby.”
“Will she be okay?”
“Rillao thinks so. She needs to rest, though.”
“Mom, this is great. We were looking forward to having
kids and her condition seemed irreversible.”
“Medicine is never definite, Jacen. If it were, Mara would
be dead.” Mara was about to radio Leia when a shuttle landed.
Jaina came out. Mara ran to greet her.
“Jaina, how are you doing? Did they hurt you?”
“They could have, but I have a savior. Zekk?”
Zekk introduced himself to the rest of the crew. He leaned
down to Tenel Ka. “So, you’re Jacen’s wife?”
Tenel Ka nodded weakly. “Yes, I am,” she whispered very
weakly.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you. I was unable to make the
wedding. Tenel Ka?”
“Yes, that’s me.” That was the last thing she remembered
as her eyes rolled back into her head.
“Tenel Ka!” Mara held her down as another series of
convulsions racked Tenel Ka’s body. She was able to control
them with the anti-convulsive drugs Rillao had asked her to use,
but Tenel Ka didn’t regain consciousness. “Oh, my god, the
drugs aren’t working! Rillao!” Mara’s mouth was wide open in
horror as she looked at Tenel Ka. She wasn’t breathing and her
face was deathly pale.
Rillao ran and did a medical scan on Tenel Ka. What she
saw horrified her. “She’s had another stroke.” If they didn’t
get her to a medical center fast, she would die. “Damn, I was
afraid of this. I’ll have to bag her, since we don’t have
another medevac shuttle coming in.” Rillao ran up and pumped
Tenel Ka’s lungs. She opened a radio transmission to Dr.
Gianna. “Dr. Gianna,” she hailed, “we’ve got serious trouble.
Tenel Ka has had another seizure. She isn’t breathing.”
Dr. Gianna answered. “Keep pumping her lungs. Has her
heart stopped?”
“No, her heart is working fine. She’s had a couple of
seizures. This was the most devastating.”
“Get here fast. I’m afraid we’ll only save Tenel Ka at
best.” Dr. Gianna wasn’t sure they would save Tenel Ka. There
could possibly be some serious neural damage. Even if Tenel Ka
lived, there would be no guarantee she wouldn’t be in a
vegetative state for the rest of her life.
Mara glared at Zekk. “Look at what you did, damn you!”
“Mara,” Shannia said, “don’t make this any harder than it
already is.”
“It can’t get any more difficult. My nephew’s wife is
dying and-”
“Cool it, will you,” Rillao snapped. “She’s not going to
just wake up to settle this.” Rillao was glad for the medical
equipment they had. With the mask on Tenel Ka’s face, it
would be easy to let her breathe on her own without removing any
tubes. Once they got to Coruscant, assuming Tenel Ka was still
alive, they would intubate her and hook her to a machine. If
she was lucky, she might not even need that, but it didn’t look
promising. A condition like this was often terminal. “We lost
our only way to get out of here. Zekk, your crew just blew up
our medevac shuttle.”
“Use my shuttle. It’s the last thing they would expect.
I’ll help you get out of here.” Zekk would not let Tenel Ka
die. Especially since he had caused this. “For her sake, use
it. You’ll have a cover that way.”
Mara nodded her head, but her anger didn’t abate. “Okay.”
“Look, we’ll settle this later. At least get Tenel Ka the
help she needs.”
“Then what?”
“Leave that to me. I will handle this myself, but don’t
drag a dying woman in the middle of this.”
Jaina’s eyes watered up as she watched the inert form of
her sister-in-law. Another embolism had caused a severe stroke.
It was a wonder if Tenel Ka would live, let alone a normal
life. Neural repair could be done, but it would mean that the
baby would die.
“Tenel Ka,” Zekk whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Jaina glared at Zekk. He said what probably was the
stupidest thing to say at that point. Such a brutal attack
merited more than even a sincere apology. Tenel Ka was dying
and Zekk had been part of the crew that had caused it. She
started crying again. She really liked Tenel Ka.
Mara couldn’t even look at Zekk without snapping. She knew
Zekk had just been following orders, but a woman was possibly
about to die because of those orders. “Arian, go with them. We
can take it from here. I want you with Tenel Ka in case she
dies.” The thought of that wrenched Mara’s heart. “Jaina?”
“I can’t. You need me to fix that hyperdrive.”
Mara about forced her to go, but she couldn’t do that.
Besides, Jaina was right.
“Zekk,” Jaina whispered in his ear, “what you did was very
brutal. I hope Tenel Ka lives.”
Zekk did, too. He ran off.
“Zekk, wait,” Jaina yelled. “Don’t do this.”
“Let him go.”
“Mara, I can’t. I love him.”
“I can’t understand why, but go ahead.” Mara couldn’t even
see straight. Her eyes teared up. “Tenel Ka, you are too young
to die.”
Lowie put a paw on her shoulder. He growled in despair.
Mara only prayed that Jacen would get a chance to say
goodbye to Tenel Ka before she died. If nothing else, he could
have that. But the baby was gone. She just knew it. Zekk ran out into the forest. The thought of losing his
best friend’s wife made him nauseous. The cruelest part was
that he had also nearly killed the best friend of the woman he
was in love with. He thought about using the box anyway, but
Jaina had been right; what good would that do? Jaina caught up with Zekk in the forest. “Zekk, wait.”
“Jaina, how can I explain this without sounding shallow?”
“You’re not so sure of yourself now, are you?”
“No. Jaina, I can’t even face Mara right now. Your Mom is
going to be upset.”
“You’ll get no sympathy from me. Zekk, you brought this on
yourself. You must face up to it.”
“I can’t go back now.”
“Don’t, then. But you’ll have to face Mom and Mara
sometime.”
Zekk knew she was right. He pulled her close as she burst
into tears.
“Zekk, what if she dies?”
“I have to believe she won’t. I could tell already from
meeting her she’s a strong fighter.”
Jaina wished she had Zekk’s confidence. Jaina walked back to the shuttle. Mara was sitting down,
checking the hyperdrive. “Jaina, is that-”
Jaina saw that Mara had been crying, too. She still was,
in fact; she was trying to get her mind off of it, but it wasn’t
possible. “Zekk is not my boyfriend, per se, but we are moving
in that direction. I love him.”
“Even after this? Tenel Ka’s your best friend.”
“Yeah; that’s what hurts the most. Is she going to die?”
“I hope not. But it doesn’t look good. She could wake up
with any amount of brain damage from that embolism. I have to
believe that she’s going to be alright.”
“What about her baby?”
“I fear it’s too late for the baby. It may be too late for
Tenel Ka, too.”
“No,” Jaina cried. “Tenel Ka, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t fire that shot.”
“I don’t think Zekk did, either. Look, he tried-”
“To atone by helping us get Tenel Ka out of here? She
could die.”
“She would have died if he hadn’t let them use the
shuttle.” Jaina started crying again. Rillao shook her head. “I don’t know how long I can keep
this up.” Arian took over, squeezing the bulb on Tenel Ka’s
mask to pump pure oxygenated air into her body. “Thank you.
You’re doing it just right.”
“I have to save her life, Rillao. She’s saved mine a
couple of times.” As Rillao took over again, Arian slid to the
ground and let tears fall. Shannia held her. “She’s gone,
isn’t she?”
“No, but I have a bad feeling we did lose a life.”
Arian nodded. “I felt the disturbance, too.” Tenel Ka’s
baby was dead.
Rillao had already suspected it. “Damn that Zekk,” she
muttered to herself. She used the Force to open a subspace
channel to Dr. Gianna. “Dr. Gianna, we’re en route. She’s
slipping away by the minute.”
“Copy, Rillao. I’ve got the neurological trauma unit
ready. I see you on-screen now.” Dr. Gianna hailed Leia. “Leia, get Jacen to the Medical
Center quickly. Tenel Ka’s had a stroke.”
Leia was horrified. She couldn’t even speak. Jacen had
been right behind her.
Jacen stood, shaking as he heard the news. He ran out in a
hurry.
Leia stayed until they got Tenel Ka to the Medical Center. The shuttle landed on the rooftop moments later. Tenel Ka
was brought out. Rillao was pumping her lungs and Shannia
looked like she was about to rip someone’s heart out. Probably
because she felt like her own had been ripped out.
“Rillao, take care of Shannia. I’ll handle Tenel Ka. Her
husband’s on his way.”
Rillao escorted Shannia to the general care unit and
bandaged the stump of her left arm. “Shannia, we discussed
getting a prosthetic. Do you want one?”
“Yes. I can’t do without both arms.”
The trauma team rushed Tenel Ka into the trauma room. Dr.
Gianna took one look at Tenel Ka and intubated her. Tenel Ka
was barely breathing. They stabilized her, then Dr. Gianna took
Tenel Ka into the Intensive Care Unit. Tenel Ka’s heart was
still beating, so she hadn’t gotten any worse. “C’mon, honey,
don’t die on us.”
Arian was in the room. The despair was evident on her
face. She simply buried her face in her hands, tears rolling
down her cheeks.
Jacen walked in and gasped. “Dr. Gianna, what’s wrong
with her?”
“She’s in a coma, Jacen. I don’t know the extent of her
injuries.” Dr. Gianna used a medical scanner and was somewhat
relieved. Tenel Ka wasn’t as badly damaged as had been
previously feared–another limitation of the medical scanner
Rillao had been using. “She’s okay, I think. There is some
neural damage, but Rillao and Arian did a good job of keeping
her alive. Nothing seems permanent.”
“But what about the baby.”
Fearing the worst, Dr. Gianna scanned Tenel Ka’s abdomen.
What she saw sickened her; she had been right. “Oh, Jacen, I’m
so sorry.”
Jacen had suspected as much. Tenel Ka’s baby was dead.
“I’m afraid to ask. Will she-”
“She will be healthy enough to have kids in the future,
yes. I know she doesn’t look good right now, but that’s because
she went into shock while on the planet and the baby sapped the
oxygen. Finally, when she stopped breathing, the baby didn’t
have a chance. Jacen, you need to be with her. As Mara and
Teneniel will tell you, this is a heartbreaking loss to have to
endure. The fact that Tenel Ka’s in a coma right now doesn’t
help.”
Jacen sunk to the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Tenel Ka, don’t die, please. You’re the best thing to happen
in my life. I don’t want to lose you along with the baby.” He
was sickened by the sight of his wife. She was totally
unconscious and had only very faint life Force energy. It was a
wonder she was still alive after that. It was, no doubt, a
cruel twist of fate, the injuries and the miscarriage she had
suffered.
“Jacen, we’ll save her. I promise. The damage isn’t bad
and she won’t even need surgery.”
Jacen couldn’t speak. Dr. Gianna covered him up. He cried
as he listened to the machine pump his wife’s lungs. His heart
felt empty. Just like Luke had after Rhonna Tho had attacked
Mara.
Arian just stared blankly at her best friend. “Jacen,
she’ll live.”
“I honestly wish I could believe that.” But he knew Arian
did as well. She meant well, but her foresight just didn’t seem
to hold water in this case. Even Jedi weren’t right all the
time.
“Jacen, I’m going to touch base back at the Academy and
tell the others of the situation.”
“Good idea.” Tears were streaming down his cheeks. And he
didn’t care. She was his wife, for crying out loud. He had
already lost one life, now possibly another could be lost as
well.
Leia came in. “Oh, Jacen, what happened?”
“She had an embolism that caused her to slip into a coma.
Rillao had thought Tenel Ka would be brain-dead by now, but
she’s okay. Mom, the baby died.”
Leia held her son. “Jacen, you need to tell Teneniel this.
Don’t wait for Tenel Ka to die to tell her. It’ll break
Teneniel’s heart.”
“When my wife wakes up, she’ll be devastated. Mom, we’ve
been trying for days to conceive a baby. The time seemed right
and she was ready to be a mother. I didn’t want this to happen.”
Han came in. He didn’t even ask. Jacen was crying and
Leia was in shock.
“Tenel Ka,” Han whispered into his comatose
daughter-in-law’s ear, “you’re too young to die.” Han adored
her. She was such a neat woman and a loving wife for Jacen.
She couldn’t die.
“Dad,” Jacen finally said, “Dr. Gianna says she’ll be
okay, but she needs her rest. She lost her baby.”
“Oh, Jacen, I’m sorry.” Han slid to the ground and held
his son. Jacen stayed at the hospital, but Han and Leia went home.
There was nothing they could do.
Mon Mothma ran into them. “I just heard about Tenel Ka.
Is she okay?”
“She had a stroke and fell into a coma, then lost her baby.
Dr. Gianna says she’ll survive, but this is going to tear her
apart.”
That went without saying. “Can I help?”
“Find who did this to her.” Leia thought about the look in
Jacen’s eyes as he had watched Tenel Ka on the machine.
“Because I want to kill them. Tenel Ka has been a sweetheart to
the Academy and this family. To suffer like that is just unfair
for her.” Mon Mothma walked into Tenel Ka’s room. Jacen and Arian
were there.
She could see the pain in both of them. She comforted
Jacen. Arian walked out and hailed the Academy. Tionne answered.
“Arian, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know where to start. We crashed on this desolate
moon and Tenel Ka got injured. She’s in critical condition at
the Imperial City Medical Center.”
“Does her mother know about this?”
“No. Jacen is going to call her after I finish talking to
you. Tionne, she was pregnant.”
“I knew that. Jacen hailed us when he got to Coruscant.
Wait, what do you mean she *was* pregnant?”
“She lost the baby. She had a collapsed lung and it caused
a stroke in her, then the baby died of a depleted oxygen supply.”
“Oh, god, no. How’s Jacen taking it?”
“He’s in shock. Tenel Ka is on a respirator, Tionne. They
say she’ll live, but I can’t see how.”
“That’s what your mom was saying when you were on
life-support after Jeanne attacked you.”
Arian nodded. “Tionne, this is hurting me and I’m just her
best friend. Can you imagine what Jacen is feeling right now?”
“Yes, I can. Kyp was the same way when my first baby died.”
Arian finally closed the connection. Tears streamed from
her eyes as she slid against the wall. “Tenel Ka, it’s just not
fair. You saved my life so many times. I don’t want you to
die.”
Jacen came in and called Teneniel. How would he tell her
the news? Arian walked out.
Astarta picked up. She was Teneniel’s bodyguard and
closest friend. “Jacen, what’s wrong?”
“Get Teneniel on the phone, please.”
Astarta did so and Teneniel approached the phone. “Hey,
Jacen.”
Jacen shook his head. What he told her hurt more than
anything. He could see the horror in Teneniel’s face as he told
her Tenel Ka was in such bad shape. “Teneniel, I didn’t know
about her pregnancy until just before they brought her in.”
“No,” she cried. Tears ran down her cheeks. Tionne stood in front of the Academy. “I have some very
sad news. There was a shuttle crash with the Jedi Task Force.
Tenel Ka, as many of you probably know, was pregnant. She
suffered a collapsed lung and then had a stroke. The seizures
killed her baby. Right now, there is a chance she won’t
survive. She’s at the Imperial City Medical Center in critical
condition. She’s in a coma.”
Kirana Ti’s blood ran cold. “Who the hell could have done
this to her?”
“I don’t know, Kirana Ti, but I personally want to kill
whoever did. I hope all of you say a prayer for her tonight.
She’s going to need it.” Kirana Ti called her daughter. “Arian, how is she?”
“She’s not good right now. Not good at all. She’s
nonresponsive and there is little movement. That respirator is
the only thing keeping her alive right now, I’m afraid. My best
friend is dying, Mom.” Arian just let her tears fall.
Kirana Ti wished she could be on Coruscant to help her
daughter out and to give Tenel Ka some moral support. “All of
us at the Academy are praying for her. When she wakes up, tell
her I’m sorry about the baby.”
Arian nodded. Teneniel rushed out to the landing pad with Astarta. Tears
were streaming down her face. Her daughter was in a coma and
had just lost her baby. “Tenel Ka, please don’t leave me.”
Astarta held her as they left for space. “She’ll be okay.
I’m sure of it.”
“She’s in a coma. I just lost my husband, now my daughter?
Astarta, I wish I had your confidence.” Dr. Gianna wheeled Tenel Ka into surgery. She prayed that
Tenel Ka would survive the trauma. She really did. Tears were
in her eyes. “Honey, just keep fighting.”
Surgeons delivered what was left of the baby by c-section.
Dr. Gianna ran out, sick to her stomach.
Rillao monitored Tenel Ka’s organs. She was a strong
woman, no doubt about it. None of her organs were even slightly
dysfunctional. Normally, a patient in her condition would have
already been brain-dead.
The nurse looked up. “She’s okay.”
Rillao wasn’t so sure that would last. The worst would be
when Tenel Ka woke up. Rillao found Dr. Gianna and helped her. “Hey, you okay?”
“No, I just got sick. Rillao, never in my lifetime have I
done a c-section on a comatose woman who has miscarried like
that. How’s Tenel Ka doing?”
“She’s back in intensive care. Jacen and Arian are with
her. I think she’s improving.”
“She’s lucky. I wish I could find the person who shot that
shuttle down. I want to kill them.”
“That’s the worst part of it. It’s a friend of Jacen and
Jaina’s. His name is Zekk.”
“I know him. He’s a rough man, but he never would have
done this. What the hell happened to him?”
“Just like others. Fell to the Dark Side.”
“Where is he?”
“Still on the moon. Last report is that they’re still
working on the shuttle.”
“Good plan. Does Jaina know?”
“About the status of her sister-in-law? No, she doesn’t.
And there is no great way to tell her without blowing the cover.
If it gets out that Tenel Ka survived, they could come and fix
that really quickly. I don’t want to lose Tenel Ka along with
the baby.”
“Me, neither. Rillao, what did she do to deserve this?
She looks awful.”
That question had no answer. But it was exactly the
question Tenel Ka would probably be asking for a while. There
was no excusing what Zekk had done. Jacen sat out in the waiting room. Dr. Gianna came out.
“We delivered the baby. Jacen, I was right. The baby
died. Tenel Ka seems to be holding strongly and will wake up
soon.”
“She doesn’t even know, does she?”
“No, she doesn’t. Don’t use the Force to tell her, either.
It’ll be traumatic enough when she wakes up.”
Dr. Gianna held Jacen in her arms. “Jacen, she’ll recover.”
That was of very little comfort to Jacen. Jacen, Han and Leia walked into Tenel Ka’s room.
“She’s right,” Jacen whispered. “My wife is recovering.
Why do I not find that comforting?”
“Because of the pain she’ll soon be feeling,” Leia said.
“Mara’s miscarriage tore her apart.”
“But she wasn’t comatose.”
“They had her so full of sedatives, she might as well have
been before she woke up. Luke had to hold her down to keep her
from bolting after Pellaeon when she woke up.”
Jacen was glad Pellaeon was dead. Pellaeon would have come
to finish the job.
Leia continued. “Tenel Ka will be much worse off
emotionally because of the circumstances.”
“Mom, she’s made me so happy by accepting my proposal of
marriage. Now, she looks so bad.”
“She’ll get better. I can feel her life Force
strengthening.”
“As I said before, that is of no comfort.”
“Where’s Teneniel?”
“En route. I told her as soon as I could muster the
strength.” Jacen broke down into tears. He rubbed Tenel Ka’s
forehead. Shannia got a prosthetic for her arm. She couldn’t stand
to be like Tenel Ka and just live life with one arm. Dr. Gianna
attached the prosthetic and helped her adjust.
“Is that okay?”
“That’s fine. Thank you. How’s Tenel Ka?”
“She’s improving, but her baby died.”
Shannia nodded. She already had suspected as much. She
went into Tenel Ka’s room. “Jacen?”
“Shannia.”
“I heard the news. We did our best to keep her from
getting worse.”
“You did well, in that she’s still alive and expected to
come out of this. But now she has a new problem to deal with.”
Shannia nodded her head. She held Jacen in her arms,
trying to make sense of it all. “I know,” was all she could say
at that point. Teneniel finally got to Coruscant. She walked into Tenel
Ka’s room. “Oh, honey, no.” She watched the respirator pump
her daughter’s lungs.
Jacen walked up behind her. “She’s a lot better than she
was before. Teneniel, I’m sorry you had to find out about her
pregnancy this way. I didn’t know, either.”
“It’s okay, Jacen. You’re married to her now. I can’t
tell you two when and when not to have children.”
“I know, but I still had hoped this would be under more
uplifting circumstances. Instead, I found out because she
started having seizures due to her injuries. She’s so
weak-looking. I’ve felt so empty without those beautiful gray
eyes looking back at me in the morning.”
“Even now, she’s still beautiful.”
“Yes. She is. I don’t want to lose her.”
“Tenel Ka, if you can hear me, it’s your Mom,” she
whispered in Tenel Ka’s ear. She burst into tears. Her
daughter had answered, but it did little to ease the pain.
Rillao entered the room. “Teneniel, I’m glad you could
make it when you did. Tenel Ka’s going to be okay. We reversed
the damage and delivered what was left of the baby.”
“How did this happen to her?”
“She was in a bad accident during a visitation mission.
She suffered a collapsed lung and an air bubble lodged in her
brain vessels. She was okay, then she had another seizure and
didn’t wake up. The baby was dead before we got Tenel Ka to
Coruscant. We did the best we could.”
“I know you did. Rillao, Tenel Ka is the only family I
have now, excepting Augwynne, who doesn’t get off Dathomir much.
My daughter’s been through so much in her life.”
“We’ll do our best to help her heal. She’s made great
progress and should be out of the coma in a few days. Keep on
praying for her.”
Jacen nodded his head, holding his mother-in-law in his
arms. Both of them were in tears.
Arian walked in. “Teneniel,” she said.
“Hey, Arian.”
Arian broke down in tears. “Teneniel, I-” She cut herself
off and walked out. The pain was too great and she couldn’t
bear to see her best friend in such horrible shape. Leia walked in to Teneniel’s room. “Teneniel, I’m so sorry
about this.”
“My beautiful daughter is lying in a coma due to someone
else’s actions. You don’t know a damn thing about sorry until
you experience that. On top of that, she’s lost her baby.”
Teneniel put her face in her hands and cried harder. “They
killed my husband. Why didn’t they stop there? Did they have
to hurt my daughter, too?”
Leia put her arm around Teneniel. “I don’t think the same
people did this. It just doesn’t seem right.”
“Well, whoever did it is going to pay.”
Han came in. “Teneniel, I really wish I could tell you
something different. She is improving, though. She just has to
come out of that coma.”
“And then what? Do you have any idea what losing that baby
will do to her?”
“From seeing Mara after her miscarriage, yes, I do. Stay
with Tenel Ka; having her mother and husband will be the best
thing for her. It’ll be all she has.”
“You two do understand, I guess. She looks terrible.
There was no reason for her to suffer like that.” Over the next week, Tenel Ka improved. She soon opened her
eyes. She stared at Rillao, dazed from the neural damage she
had suffered.
Rillao extubated Tenel Ka. “Tenel Ka, can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Just relax. You’re going to be fine.”
“Great.”
“Dr. Gianna, she’s awake,” Rillao called on the commlink.
“Rillao,” she moaned, “what happened? My head hurts and my
throat is scratchy.”
“You had a seizure that caused you to go into a coma. We
had to intubate you to keep you alive. There is some neural
damage, but nothing severe.” She prayed Tenel Ka wouldn’t ask
the next inevitable question for now. That was all Tenel Ka
needed right now, to hear the truth about her baby.
“I…can’t seem to focus on…” Then it hit her. “What
about my baby?”
Rillao almost didn’t want to answer. “I…”
“Rillao, what’s going on?”
“It…didn’t survive. The shock to your system killed it.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry, honey.”
“Oh, god, no,” she cried, then burst into tears.
Rillao drew her up into her arms. “There was nothing we
could do. If it’s any consolation, you are healthy enough to
have kids in the future if you want. You’re going to recover.”
Rillao put a mask on Tenel Ka’s face. She would need to be put
under for a while.
Tenel Ka fought the mask as it sealed around her mouth and
nose. “What are you doing?”
“Dr. Gianna’s orders. You need to be breathing in pure
oxygen for a while, to help reduce the damage that stroke did to
your brain. That was the cause of that seizure. Take deep
breaths. I’m not putting you under simply to put off dealing
with your pain; you need the rest.” Rillao could understand why
she was doing that; she was probably very disoriented and felt
like she was being closed in. “I can either knock you out and
put you back on the machine or I can sedate you, but you are
going to have to trust in me.”
Tenel Ka stopped thrashing around, but her breathing got
very shaky. Soon, though, she calmed down and breathed in the
oxygen. She fell into the bed.
“Listen, it’s okay; I know you’re dizzy right now, but you
need to breathe in that stuff for a while. We’ll take care of
you.”
Tenel Ka lay there as she tried to fight back the tears,
but there was no way she could. “We’ve tried for months to
conceive a child. Now this?” She fell back in the bed, as
Rillao softly stroked her face.
“You were just unlucky.” As Tenel Ka fell back in the bed,
Rillao rubbed her chest and stomach. It didn’t help and Rillao
was wondering why she thought it would. But Tenel Ka did not
resist her touch.
Dr. Gianna came in. One look at Tenel Ka said it all. She
nodded her head. “Tenel Ka?”
“I know, Dr. Gianna.”
The look in Tenel Ka’s eyes had made that very clear. “I
really don’t know what to say. We did the best we could, but
that last seizure took the oxygen away from the baby as you
strained to breathe.” She let Tenel Ka rest her head on her
shoulder, taking care not to choke the tubing providing the
oxygen to her body. “If it’s any consolation, you will be
alright.”
“It’s something, but it hurts.”
“I don’t know how much I can do about the emotional pain,
but I should be able to at least ease the physical pain of your
injuries. Listen, though, I am going to have to put you under.
That’s why that mask is on your face. Ever breathed in a
relaxant before?”
“No, I’ve never spent much time in a hospital at all.”
“Okay, what we will do is lay you back and splice an
auxiliary line into your oxygen line. You will smell what is
very sweet–that’s the relaxant–and soon black out. You will not
feel any pain or anything. It will relax your muscles and allow
your body to use the energy to heal your wounds and also reverse
some of the neural damage that seizure caused.” Dr. Gianna
rubbed Tenel Ka’s forehead. She knew that mask was atrociously
uncomfortable and she wished she didn’t have to use it. “Here,
let me relax you a little bit. Are you breathing alright?”
“Yeah, but I feel lightheaded.”
“That’s normal. We’ll knock you out shortly.” Dr. Gianna
got a special compound and spread it on Tenel Ka’s chest. The
motion of her hands on her chest, combined with the coolness of
the compound, allowed her to cool off a little. She monitored
Tenel Ka’s heart. It was beating fine, but she wanted to make
absolute sure of that.
Rillao’s heart broke for Tenel Ka. She lightly rubbed her
chest as Dr. Gianna prepared to use a relaxant on the young
woman. Tenel Ka was crying heavily now and she was slowly
weakening.
Dr. Gianna had the auxiliary valve ready. “Okay, just
relax.” She opened the auxiliary valve and waited until Tenel
Ka’s breathing relaxed to close it. She brushed the tears from
Tenel Ka’s face as Tenel Ka blacked out, breathing steadily.
“Just hang on.”
Rillao covered Tenel Ka up. She shook her head. A life
had been lost in a brutal ambush. A life no one had counted on.
Tears came to Rillao’s eyes.
Dr. Gianna was in tears, too. She cried as she looked at
Tenel Ka. She wasn’t resting; they had just knocked her out to
delay the pain she was feeling. That was the sad part about the
relaxant gas; though necessary in this case, it put a grieving
patient into a deep sleep. “Damn that stuff. It won’t help her
at all in the way she’ll need the most.”
“Her body needs to heal.” But Rillao and Dr. Gianna agreed
that it wasn’t fair. Dr. Gianna walked out. Jacen was with Teneniel. “She’s
off the respirator. I’ve done a medical scan and the neural
damage seems to be minimal and nonpermanent. She’ll recover for
sure. She’s on oxygen right now, but you might want to go see
her. She knows about her baby, but I put her back to sleep.”
“Why did you do that?”
“To allow her to heal. I had no choice, or I would have
avoided it. Jacen, you know I care about my patients,
especially ones I know as well as I do her. There is some
residual neural damage from the stroke, but time and rest will
heal that.”
“Damn those Imperials,” Teneniel said.
“I love Tenel Ka so much, Teneniel. You don’t know how
much this hurt.”
“I do, actually. Jacen, losing my second baby drew me
closer to her. She was there to comfort me. Now she needs
someone to comfort her. I think I’ll do that, though you, of
course, should help her out, too. You’ve been a terrific friend
for Tenel Ka and I’m honestly glad you married her.”
“She’s the love of my life.”
Dr. Gianna’s heart broke for Tenel Ka and her family. At
least Tenel Ka would survive. Dr. Gianna’s own husband hadn’t
been so lucky after suffering similar injuries. Jacen and Teneniel stayed at Tenel Ka’s bedside as the
relaxant kept her unconscious. “I was going to be a father,
Teneniel, but the Force took that away from me.”
“No, Jacen, it was the absence of the Force that hurt Tenel
Ka. You should be thankful she’s alive.”
Jacen started crying. He felt like someone had ripped his
heart out. “I am.”
Teneniel consoled him. “So am I.” She started crying, too.
Arian walked in. “How is she?”
“Getting better,” Jacen said. “But she’s in such pain. I
can feel it. Rillao told her about the baby before putting her
to sleep.”
Arian leaned down to Tenel Ka and brushed her hair away
from her face. Tenel Ka woke up for a brief second and sighed,
then went back to sleep. Arian shook her head. Jacen and Teneniel sat with Jacen’s parents at dinner.
“How is she,” Leia asked.
“Getting better,” Jacen said, “but I don’t know. What if
she’s worse off than expected?” Jacen had heard horror stories
of people recovering from neural damage and having to learn how
to walk and eat right again. Jacen knew he could support her
and help her through it, but it would be pure hell on her.
Rillao sat down. “The neural damage is gone. There is a
little residual damage, but not like you’ve heard about. She’ll
feel sick for a while and she may have fainting spells, but
she’ll be okay otherwise.”
“Who did this to her?”
“It was Zekk.”
“Oh, god, no, not him. Zekk and I have been good friends
for too long.”
“I thought Mara was hiding something when I talked to her,”
Leia intervened. “Rillao, why?”
“Zekk was under the command of Les Tarkin. He was on the
Dark Side of the Force, but Jaina seems to have drawn him back.
I could sense it.”
“And he expects us to just accept his apologies and forget
what he has done,” Han said, as Leia jabbed him in the ribs.
“Han,” Leia whispered, “cool it.” She rarely did that to
him, but he needed to tone his voice down.
“No,” Rillao said, “he doesn’t. He doesn’t even want
forgiveness, because he knows he won’t get it.”
Got that right, thought Leia. “I want his head for this.” Tenel Ka woke up quite stronger. Rillao said she’d be
okay. The confinement to the Medical Center had helped her
quite a bit. Tubes were inserted in her nose. “Dr. Gianna.”
“Yes, it’s me.” Dr. Gianna rubbed Tenel Ka with a cool
cloth. It was to keep her clean and cool, but it would also
help soothe her pain. Tenel Ka broke into tears. Dr. Gianna
held her, softly rocking her from side to side.
“It’s just not fair. Jacen and I were ready to be parents.
We actually tried. Why did this happen?”
“I don’t know,” came a voice from across the room. “But I
can sympathize.”
“Mom.”
“It’s okay, Dr. Gianna. I can help her out.”
“Do so. She needs someone closer to her right now.” Dr.
Gianna left.
Teneniel held her daughter, tousling her hair. “I know
what it feels like.”
“Mom, I didn’t find out much sooner than you did. I’m
sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’d have made an
excellent mother. I want you to know you have my full support
in your motherhood, if you decide to try again. Are you sure
you would have been ready?”
“Yes. Jacen and I have been working at conceiving a baby
ever since Mara announced she would restart the Academy under
her management. That was a month ago. I never thought we’d get
lucky.”
“Tenel Ka, you can get pregnant without trying.”
“We were always careful. Mom, when we got married, I
wasn’t ready and neither was Jacen, but we soon decided that we
were ready. I think taking care of Mara’s and Tionne’s children
had something to do with it.”
“Tenel Ka, I want you to consider something. I know you
didn’t go for this in the past, but now I think you may need it.
I want you to consider getting a biomechanical arm. If you
don’t want to, that’s fine, but you may find you can’t do
without two arms.”
“Mom, why?”
“Handling a baby is tough enough with two hands, should you
decide to conceive another baby. You certainly weren’t a wild
baby, but you were definitely a handful. I don’t want to press,
but I think it would be for the better. If you don’t like it,
you can just have the thing removed and never have to worry
about it. Please think about it. Even if you don’t try to have
another kid.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Rillao came in.
Tenel Ka decided, against her nature, to have the
prosthetic attached. “Is it too late?”
“Hardly. We can do it anytime. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
Teneniel hoped Tenel Ka would be okay. She looked sick.
Rillao left. Teneniel looked at Tenel Ka. “Honey, you
made a good decision. It’s for the better and you’ll appreciate
it.”
Tenel Ka nodded. Tears streamed from her eyes again. The
pain of her loss was unbearable. Rillao made impressions for the prosthetic as Tenel Ka lay
there. “This will only take a few minutes.”
Jacen stayed with Tenel Ka after Rillao left. He pulled
her close. At least he had her.
And she needed him, badly. Somehow they’d make it through
this tough time together. Tenel Ka felt strange with the prosthetic. It would take
some getting used to, but she figured it was worth a shot. Dr.
Gianna helped her adjust to the new arm. “What do you think,”
Teneniel asked.
“Not bad, to be honest. I guess it’ll be weird for a
while, but it’ll grow on me. Mom, thank you for suggesting
this.”
“Tenel Ka, you’re getting much better,” Dr. Gianna said.
“I want you to rest for a few more days, then we’ll release you.
You got lucky; at least you’re still alive. My own husband
suffered an embolism and died before they could intubate him.”
“I know. It just doesn’t help.”
“It’s not going to. At least your mother’s been through
this. Does your arm feel alright?”
“It’s weird. I keep feeling jolts in my body.”
“That’ll take some getting used to. But you’ll be able to
use the prosthetic as you would the real thing.”
“Thank you, Dr. Gianna. You, too, Rillao.” Mara got a call on the holophone. Leia was on the other
side. She was shaking her head.
“No, Leia, don’t tell me Tenel Ka died.”
“I won’t. She’s alive and doing fairly well, but there is
some bad news. Her baby died.”
“Oh, no. Leia, I-”
“You knew it was Zekk, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Damn, that’s Jacen’s best friend. I know you didn’t want
to hurt me, with us knowing Zekk that well, but you probably
should have said something.”
“I know.”
“If you see Zekk next time, wring his neck for me.”
“I will do no such thing. Leia, if you want to do that,
you do it yourself. I know you’re angry or worse, but I will
not allow myself to be drawn into this.”
“At least tell him how I feel. He’ll have to face me
someday.”
“Leia, tell Tenel Ka I’m sorry. We didn’t know this was
going to happen.”
“Neither did she and she’s in extreme pain.”
“I’ll come visit her as soon as I can. Zekk will know to
stay away from her, but I can’t.”
“You’ve always given a damn about her.”
“She was the one who kept the Academy together through all
that happened. She, Arian, and Jaina have always been there for
us.”
Leia nodded. That was much appreciated. Mara finished up the repairs. Zekk and Jaina had done some
incredible work on the shuttle. “Jaina? Can you get us ready
to go? I want to talk to Zekk for a little while.”
Jaina was afraid to leave Zekk alone with Mara. She went
with her. Mara didn’t try to stop her.
Mara walked out. She found Zekk and sat down with him. “I
just received a transmission from Leia. Tenel Ka’s okay. She
is going to be released in a few days.”
“That’s great.”
“No, it’s not. Zekk, her baby died. Thanks to you.”
“I didn’t-”
“You did. Can’t you see that you have done nothing but
cause dire pain by joining the Dark Side?”
“Yes, but-”
“No ‘buts’ about it. This is why we have an academy. To
prevent this. You have ripped a life from an expecting mother
and–I can tell you from experience–that is not something to be
taken lightly.”
“Jaina told me about your own miscarriage. Mara, I can’t
think of anything to say.”
“You’d better think of something en route. Leia is enraged
about what happened.”
“I’ll have to face her someday. Damn, Mara, I didn’t mean
to hurt her.”
“Are you sure? Did you even know Tenel Ka?” Mara already
knew he hadn’t.
“No, but I knew Jacen had gotten married to a terrific
young woman. I had no idea she was pregnant.”
“Neither did Jacen. He only found out when Tenel Ka showed
up at the Medical Center in a coma.”
Jaina spoke up. “I want both of you to know right now that
this is tearing me apart, too. I know we should be
concentrating on Tenel Ka’s pain, but do you realize what this
means?”
“Yes,” Mara said. “I do. I can’t stop you two from seeing
each other, and I feel that no one else should, either, but
tread carefully. Tenel Ka is apparently in a lot of pain now.” Jacen hugged his wife. “It looks and feels natural.” He
touched her prosthetic. She reeled with the touch, the power
supply sending a tingling sensation up her arm. “How does it
feel to you?”
“Just fine. Jacen, I-” she couldn’t continue. Her heart
was just an empty space and she was still dizzy from the
injuries she had sustained. Jacen held her as she started
crying.
“It’s okay.” He rubbed her back and she melted in his
arms. Tears came to his eyes, too. He knew how Luke and Kyp
had felt like after the Imperial attack on the Academy had
injured Mara and Tionne and then caused the deaths of both their
babies. Tionne’s firstborn had only been a couple of days old,
born to a comatose Tionne, who had suffered a skull fracture in
an explosion. Someone had injected the Knowt’s virus into the
baby’s bloodstream; born without an immune system, the baby had
died instantly. Mara’s baby had been only two weeks after
conception and had been instantly killed by the impact from the
explosion; Mara’s own injuries had been like Tenel Ka’s, but the
collapsed lung had been sealed off before it would have caused
an embolism.
They stayed in each other’s arms for hours. At least they
had each other. Jaina, Zekk, and Mara had gotten the shuttle back together
and had just gotten home.
Leia greeted the crew on the landing pad.
Zekk came out. “Mrs. Solo, nice to see you again.” He
realized, too late, that it probably was a very stupid thing to
say. He was right.
“Enough with the pleasantries. I don’t want to hear them.
Zekk, you made a bad choice, joining that group. I’m not ready
to forgive what you did to my daughter-in-law. Do you
understand why that is?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I saw her when she lapsed into that
coma. Leia, I didn’t shoot that shuttle down.”
“But you were there. You might as well have hit the firing
button yourself. You must take responsibility for your actions.”
Zekk hung his head. He knew Leia was right.
Leia stormed off. Mara shook her head.
“Dammit, Leia, don’t do this,” Mara whispered into thin
air. “Don’t pull Jaina into the middle of this.”
Zekk went away as well. Mara couldn’t blame him. Jaina
and Zekk would soon have a lot of problems with this situation. Mara sat with Leia and Teneniel. “Leia, you should have
seen her when she left the moon. Her face had no color and she
was nonresponsive. The embolism really shocked her.”
“What gets me about this,” Leia said, “is the smug
expression on Zekk’s face.”
“I don’t think that was smugness. He and I had a talk. I
wanted him to know exactly what he had done to Tenel Ka. If he
was smiling, it was because he’s been saved from the Dark Side.
That doesn’t excuse what he did, but it does explain a lot.
Jaina is getting serious with him.”
“I thought that was the case. Mara, this is not right.”
“Jaina has probably been the biggest help to him. She
knows what he did.”
“How she can forgive him escapes my comprehension. She,
Tenel Ka, and Arian were like sisters at that Academy. You know
that. How can she forgive what Zekk did to Tenel Ka.”
Arian came in. “She hasn’t. Neither have I. I don’t plan
to, but keep in mind what Kyp Durron did to Luke. Even Tionne
admits she wanted to give him a second chance. Leia, Jaina
doesn’t want to be torn between her best friend and her
boyfriend, but this is the case. How would you feel if Han did
something like that to Mon Mothma? Wouldn’t you feel torn as
well?”
“I guess. Arian, for a woman who isn’t even twenty, you
sure have a lot of perspective.”
“Thanks. As Teneniel can tell you, Dathomirians mature
very quickly.” Mara went to visit Tenel Ka. She was looking much better.
“Hey, sleepyhead, wake up.”
Tenel Ka turned her head. “Hey, Mara,” she whispered.
“I heard what happened to you. Look, I want you to rest.
You still look bad.”
“This just isn’t fair. First I was told that I couldn’t
have children and, when I get lucky, this happens.”
“I know it’s not fair. I can’t make the pain go away, but
I want to help you. You won’t admit it, but you’re going to
need help. Hey, you got a prosthetic.”
“Mom suggested it. It feels weird.”
“So does a pacemaker. But you’ll adjust. At least you
have a choice.” Mara covered her up.
“Was it this bad when you miscarried?”
“Yes. They injured me badly before my miscarriage. I was
crying for a long time after that as the implications of the
loss hit me. But, there is a difference. You did not know you
were pregnant when you got injured and you also did not place
yourself in great danger after finding out. I was just the
opposite.”
“That is of little consolation.”
“I know it’s not, but it needed to be said. Listen, it’s
okay to break down. Let your emotions out as needed. No one is
going to hurt you.”
“You always knew that was a problem for me.”
“Back then, it was for me, too. Now, after losing a baby,
a mother, and a husband, and having numerous problems with my
heart, that changed.”
Jaina walked in. “Tenel Ka, I’m so sorry.”
“That was your boyfriend that did this, wasn’t it?”
“Sort of. We have been dating for some time. At least we
had been before he joined Brakiss’ group.”
“Dammit, Jaina, why did he do this?”
“The Dark Side. Just like with Kyp. Tenel Ka, I really
like Zekk and want to help him.”
“I’m not going to tell you to do otherwise, but I want you
to know right now that I am about to kill him.”
“I can’t blame you.” Jaina held Tenel Ka, who was crying
again. “I’m so sorry.”
Mara sat there, not sure whether to kill Zekk or help him. Teneniel went out to find Zekk, unsure how to handle this.
Zekk was outside. Tears were in his eyes.
“Are you Zekk?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“My name is Teneniel Djo Chume. I am Tenel Ka’s mother.”
“Great, first her mother-in-law, now her mother.”
“Can you blame Leia for being so angry wtih you?”
“And you’re not?”
“Of course I am, but I want to talk to you. Listen, do you
understand what you just inflicted on Tenel Ka?”
“Yeah, dammit. People have been reminding me of it ever
since I got back here.”
“Zekk, what are they supposed to think? According to
Arian, you were with the group who shot the shuttle down.
Whether or not you actually fired the shot, you are guilty by
association. Now maybe you can’t understand the pain of a
miscarriage, but I can. An Imperial trooper shot me in the
stomach when I was a month pregnant with my second child. The
baby died instantly and I was forced to undergo a hysterectomy.
I was in such excruciating pain that I would start crying in the
middle of the day. That instability lasted for months after
that. Tenel Ka was fortunate to be able to reproduce again, but
that same instability is going to be with her for a long time.
That’s going to hurt her severely.” Tenel Ka was finally released from the Medical Center.
Mara helped her out.
Mara explained that Zekk was seeking amnesty. “Is that
okay by you?”
“Sure, why not?”
Mara sensed the sarcasm in Tenel Ka’s voice. “Don’t be
like that. If you have a problem with that, you need to be up
front about it.”
“Who’s going to listen to a brain-damaged Dathomirian woman
who can’t even keep from falling apart?”
Mara was shocked by the defeatist tone of her voice.
“You’re not brain-damaged, Tenel Ka; they fixed that. In the
second place, you might be Dathomirian, but there are people on
the Council who don’t care about that. Dathomir has won some
respect since your great-grandmother took over the planet.”
“I don’t know how I feel at this point. Mara, I wish Zekk
the best of luck getting to the New Republic, but I hate him
dearly for what he did to me. Maybe that’s the Dark Side
speaking, but I just can’t imagine holding out after his actions
nearly killed me.”
Mara held her. Tenel Ka started crying. “It’s okay to be
that way. The Dark Side doesn’t deal with how someone thinks.
It deals with how someone acts. Look, go in front of the
Council. If you can’t talk about it, at least remind them of
what damage he’s done to us. Shannia lost her left arm, by the
way.”
“I remember that. Mara, I feel sick.”
Mara helped her calm down and put her to bed after she fell
asleep. Zekk took the detonator box and dismantled the firing
circuitry. It was saying goodbye to his short past as a Dark
Jedi. A potential Sith Lord. Someone else would have to take
his place.
“Zekk, it’s okay to want revenge. You just shouldn’t act
on it.”
“Jaina, why is life so complicated?”
“The Force makes it so. Luke taught what he could of it
and left the rest to experience. I went through it, Jacen went
through it, Tenel Ka went through it. The Force is something
you feel within your heart and use with your mind. It’s not
easy. Poor Tenel Ka has lived with heartbreak all her life.
But it is life and she’s glad to have it.”
“I’m afraid right now. I love you, but this isn’t the last
we’ve seen of that group. Jaina, I’m so sorry. My heart breaks
as I think of Tenel Ka lying there, convulsing. I know I sound
shallow and insincere, but she’s such a sweet woman. She’s a
lot like you are.”
Jaina considered that a compliment anymore. Tenel Ka was a
charming woman.
“Am I going to win your mother’s trust?”
“I doubt it. Not anytime soon anyway. She’s right not to
want to forgive you, Zekk. You nearly killed one of two in-laws
Mom respects the most. The other is Mara. Tenel Ka has been a
sweetheart to Mom and a loving wife for Jacen. Zekk, the only
reason I’m forgiving you is that I know and understand the
circumstances surrounding this attack. Also, it doesn’t hurt
that I love you to death.”
“I don’t intend to capitalize on that extreme, Jaina.
Thank you for caring enough about me to be straight with me.”
Zekk could see winning back the light side of the Force would
not be easy. But, he had been told by Mara, Kyp had been under
the same duress. Zekk stayed on Coruscant. He kept out of the way as the
Council decided his fate.
“He’s just like Mara, Qwi, and Shannia,” Mon Mothma said.
“Just caught on the wrong side.”
Drayson wasn’t so sure. “I think we need to seriously
consider what we are possibly about to do here. He nearly
killed several of the Jedi Task Force members and some of the
nonmembers from the Academy. I like the kid, but this is not
cut-and-dry. What do you think, Gaeriel?”
Gaeriel was Ambassador to Bakura. “I don’t like the
concept of giving such a person amnesty, but I think he’d
probably be okay. But we’re going to have to keep a close eye
on him. I don’t trust him.”
“He doesn’t want your trust,” Mara said. “Just a second
chance at life.” Something Shannia had told Mara on board the
Imperial Guard. “He’s a nice kid. I’m not sure if I would
trust Lenina or Lucinda with a guy like him, but that’s not
something I have to worry about. I say give him amnesty. If he
turns out to be a traitor, Jaina will kill him first. She
trusts him.”
Leia shook her head. Zekk seemed so nice. But why Jaina
was so quick to cover for him was incomprehensible. Did she
really love him that much?
But, hadn’t she forgiven Han for kidnapping her and taking
her to Dathomir in the name of love? Leia made a note to
discuss this with Jaina.
Tenel Ka stood up. Her stride was unsteady, her body still
reeling from the massive trauma she had suffered. She didn’t
say a word; the pain in her face made her sentiments clear. She
sat down. She just didn’t care at that point. She ran from the
room.
Mara spoke up. “This is why I’m uncertain myself. Tenel
Ka Solo has been in a deep funk and I can’t blame her. Jaina,
talk to Zekk. Tenel Ka has said she’ll support this, but she is
bitter toward Zekk and will be for some time.”
“I plan to.” Jaina felt sorry for her sister-in-law. She
had looked downright terrible at the meeting.”
The vote was unanimous to give Zekk amnesty.
Tenel Ka came back in and voiced her support. It was
ironic, but she did feel that everyone deserved a second chance.
“Fellow New Republicans, I just wanted to say thank you for the
support you gave Jacen and me while I was recovering. I am
happy for Zekk, believe it or not. He’s a really nice guy, but
it doesn’t abate my anger toward him. I know it would be too
late to say otherwise, but I support this.”
Leia looked at Tenel Ka and wondered if the embolism had
impaired her judgement. Jaina showed up. “Zekk, they awarded you amnesty. Don’t
test their patience, though. Some of the Council wants you
banished to a deserted planet for your actions against the Jedi
Academy, even though it was a unanimous vote.”
“Jaina, thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to
redeem myself. At least one person in the New Republic believes
in me.”
“But that’s it. Mom and Dad don’t think much of you right
now and Tenel Ka is very close to inflicting her injuries on
you. You’re going to have to win their trust back.”
“Maybe eventually I will. But, for now, I’m just happy to
be with the woman I love.” He hugged Jaina. Tenel Ka soon recovered. She was still in dire pain, but
she had friends around her to help her. She spent a lot of time
in her room, though, and it concerned Arian.
Arian walked in. “Tenel Ka?”
“Arian, hey.”
“Tenel Ka, don’t torture yourself. You couldn’t have
predicted this tragedy and you’re staying to yourself too much.
You have people who love you a lot.”
“I know, Arian, but I just can’t shake the pain.”
“Think how Mara or your mother felt after their
miscarriages. Tenel Ka, the birth process is very long and
tedious. It’s a wonder more people don’t have problems like
yours. Just be glad you can still have kids and get on with
life. Get out and let yourself heal. With others.”
Tenel Ka agreed. She wrapped her arms around her legs. It
felt odd, having both of her arms again, but it was great.
Probably the second best thing to happen to her, second to
meeting Jacen.
He made her feel whole. That meant a lot. Jaina dropped by a little bit later. “Tenel Ka?” The look
in Tenel Ka’s eyes almost brought tears to Jaina’s eyes.
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to know how you were feeling.”
“Hurt beyond belief. Jaina, I feel anger, hatred for Zekk
right now. I hate to tell you that, but it’s true.”
“Listen, I’m on your side. Don’t think that, just because
I have feelings for him, I don’t hate what he did to you.
You’re my sister-in-law and best friend, and you always will be.
Zekk understands that.”
“I’m sorry for avoiding you.”
“If that had been me, I wouldn’t have done any differently.
Are you feeling any better, physically?”
“My head still hurts and I sometimes have unexpected
blackouts. On top of that, I’ve been crying more recently than
I have all my life previously.”
“I hate to sound insensitive, but are you and Jacen going
to try again?”
“If we get lucky. I’m still not sure the pregnancy was
supposed to happen.”
“But it did. Someone’s watching out for you. Women
miscarry all the time, Tenel Ka. You should consider yourself
lucky, if for nothing else, that you can still try to have
children. Think how your mother felt when she found out she
would not be able to after her miscarriage. I know it’s faint
consolation, but you have to keep that in mind. If you want
kids, go for it again. It’s all you can do.” Jaina held Tenel
Ka as tears ran from Tenel Ka’s eyes. “As for Zekk, if you
never forgive him, I’ll understand, but I do love him and I want
to get him on the good side of the battle again.”
“I understand.”
Jaina realized Tenel Ka was a very poor liar. Mara took the students and faculty back to Yavin in the
Jade’s Fire. Jacen hadn’t left a scratch on the ship and it was
in perfect working condition.
Jacen and Tenel Ka sat in the sleeping compartment. Dr.
Gianna had just given Tenel Ka a clean bill of health, but
warned Jacen to bring Tenel Ka back to Coruscant if she got
pregnant, or serious problems could go unchecked. Both of them
agreed. Jacen didn’t want to lose Tenel Ka and she didn’t want
to die. Damaya’s heart broke as she saw Tenel Ka. Never in all the
time of knowing her had Damaya seen an expression like that on
her face. Probably, though, that had been Teneniel’s state of
mind after her own loss. Losing a baby had really hurt
Teneniel; that much was known. Same with Tenel Ka.
Tenel Ka went to her room, hiding her face. But Damaya
could see what she was hiding. Zekk stayed on Coruscant for the time being. He didn’t
feel welcome at the Academy and the greatest person close to him
was on Coruscant. He felt so lucky to be Jaina Solo’s
companion. She wasn’t a snob; she was a very beautiful young
woman who just wanted to help right what was wrong in the galaxy.
But the implications of what he had done were getting
unbearable. The look in Tenel Ka’s eyes had said it all.
“Tenel Ka, please don’t hate me,” he reached out. Teneniel went home with Astarta after that. She was
stressed out and breaking out in tears. She knew that it was
because she was reliving the terrible miscarriage she had
suffered five years ago. Tears streamed from her eyes as they
went to Hapes. Hapan Senator Lain Jensan and New Republic Ambassador
Arianna Thai Lintona greeted Teneniel at the landing pad. Arianna nodded. “Mara told me about that. Is she okay?”
Teneniel shook her head. “No. She’s falling apart.
Worse, that was Jacen’s best friend that shot that shuttle down.
That’s tearing her heart out, but Jacen keeps insisting that he
is on her side.”
“I hope she recovers.” Arianna remembered meeting Tenel Ka
for the first time. Ari had just been inducted as the
Ambassador to the New Republic from Hapes when she had met her.
Her warm personality and bright smile were really charming, to
say the least.
