All Those Who Take the Sword, Part 4/4
Title: All Those Who Take the Sword
Author(s): Lady Irelynne
Timeframe: Jedi Purges
Characters: OCs, some mention of Darth Vader
Genre: Action, Romance, Angst, Drama
Rating: PG-13 (or M?)
Keywords:
Summary: A Jedi Padawan is badly injured and on the run, having lost her friends and her Jedi Master. What will it take in order for her to love or even trust again?
Notes: This is for the JC Title Challenge
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, places, objects, etc. are property of LFL.
*:*:*:*:*
Jorge sat there, at her bedside, for several hours, his eyes glued to her face, waiting for something, any sort of sign to indicate that she was okay. When her eyelids finally fluttered open, he felt a feeling of relief unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he greeted.
“Hey yourself,” she retorted weakly, struggling to sit up in bed.
“Glad to see you’re awake Alina,” Felja exclaimed, as she bustled over. “No, don’t sit up. You gave us quite a scare you know.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Can you tell me what happened?” the blonde woman asked.
Alina sighed, but slowly recounted what she’d experienced, at every moment aware of the recorder resting on the bed next to her. When she reached the point where she’d been ripped free from Jasken, Jorge placed a comforting arm about her shoulders.
When she finally finished, nobody moved for a long moment. Eventually, Felja got to her feet. “I’m just going to check you for any injuries, and if you’re clear, you’re free to go,” she informed the Jedi. The black medical scanner produced no problems. “Get some rest and you’ll be back to normal,” the blonde informed her. “Now get out of here.”
Jorge promptly slid his arms under her knees and around her shoulders, cradling her in his arms. Felja’s jaw dropped, but then he sent a slow wink in her direction and she grinned. “Have fun!” she called cheekily as he strode out of the room.
Alina was too much in shock for the first thirty seconds of the journey to do anything besides gape at Jorge. However, she finally got her voice back. “Jorge! Put me down! I’m not an invalid, you know!”
“No.” There was not a single centimeter of compromise in his voice.
She couldn’t believe it. “What? Why not?” she demanded.
He didn’t answer as he stepped into their room. He lay down on the bed, keeping a tight hold on her, then released her legs and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “You always seem to get in trouble if I don’t have my arms around you.” He shrugged. “So the solution is not to let you go.”
Alina chuckled. “I suppose that makes sense,” she told him. “Although, next time, I’d appreciate more advance notice.”
He joined her in laughing. “I suppose I can give you that,” he teased.
They lay on the bed in comfortable silence for a while, simply breathing, thinking, and holding each other. A tear slipped down her cheek as she began to cry, and he drew her tighter into his arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart, cry it all out,” he murmured, stroking her hair and back. “Just cry it all out.”
Gradually, her tears stopped, gradually transforming into hiccups, and still he held her. “What’s going to happen next, do you wonder?” she asked, once her hiccups had finally ended and her tears had dried.
He shifted a little closer. “Dad is planning to have a Corellian-style funeral for Jasken, later this week,” he told her. “We figured that it was the best sort of tribute we could give him, given the situation.”
“And Vader?” she reminded.
Jorge sighed. “Here’s where it gets complicated. Vader knows that a Jedi-friendly faction broke Jasken out of that prison. He’s distracted right now- apparently there has been a rebellion on the outer rim, and he went out to deal with it personally. But there’s a chance he could come back and search for us.”
She looked up to lock gazes with him. “What are you saying?” she asked hesitantly.
“Wil is purchasing us tickets to Mon Calamari, to start a new life there,” he told her. “We leave after the funeral.” When she was silent in response, he felt his heart race. “You don’t like the plan?”
“We?” she finally asked.
Jorge’s heart stopped, and then began to sink. “Do you not want me to come with you?” he asked carefully.
Alina shook her head furiously. “No, I’m just-” she hesitated. “How could you leave all this behind?” she finally asked. “If we left, it would be exceedingly difficult to ever come back.”
He too hesitated, and then told her, “I won’t deny it- it will be hard. But it’s worth it, if I have you. I love you, Alina. I’ve never said that to any woman besides my mother before.”
Her arms tightened around him, pulling him closer. “I love you too,” she whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “And I think that your plan is a good one.”
*~*~*
The fire crackled, engulfing the body on the funeral pyre, and lighting up the darkening sky. Little more than a dozen people watched the blaze, each lost in their own thoughts. Alina took comfort in Jorge’s arm about her. I’m sorry I failed you, Jasken, her mind whispered. May you finally have eternal peace.
No verbal words were spoken, but as the flames died down, leaving only ashes that the wind soon carried away, people began peeling off, returning to their own lives. Only five remained in the end.
“So this is it, son,” Malen said, embracing the brown haired man, with a smile at the petite woman standing beside him. “I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Jorge replied, returning the embrace. The two men held each other, then thumped each other on the back and let go. Jorge quickly found himself in his brother’s rib-cracking hug.
“You’d better take care of Alina,” Wil warned. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”
Jorge looked over at where she was hugging his father. “I know,” he returned. “And I will.”
Alina hugged Malen quickly. “Thanks for everything you’ve done,” she told the older man warmly. “You’ve been wonderful.”
“No, thank you,” Malen corrected. “It’s been an excellent experience.” He squeezed her one more time, then let her go, saying, “Take care of that son of mine, ‘kay?”
“Okay.” And then she was pulled off the ground as Wil grabbed her from behind. “Wil, put me down,” she immediately ordered, fighting back a laugh.
He held her for another second before doing so. “I told my idiot brother this, but you’re the best thing that ever happened to him. Don’t let him forget that,” he teased.
“Making moves on my girl already?” Jorge called as he hugged Felja.
“I figured it was only fair,” Wil retorted, “since your making moves on mine.”
Jorge laughed. “Ah, but you know you have nothing to worry about: her heart is firmly yours, brother.”
“Neither do you, big guy,” Alina reminded him firmly. She gave Wil one last squeeze. “We should probably get going. Don’t want to miss our shuttle.”
Felja reached out and embraced the former Jedi. “Our doors are always open,” she informed the younger woman. “You know the comm number, right?” The brunette nodded. “Call and give us your new address so I can send you the holos when I get them developed.”
“Thank you, Felja,” Alina replied warmly. “For everything.”
“And thank you.”
At the blonde’s words, Jorge hooked an arm around Alina’s waist. “We’ll talk to you all later,” he promised before leading her to the waiting hovercar. The Dalebys waved as he drove away.
At the spaceport, they found their shuttle with ease. “Fleetwings?” Jorge asked the man standing in front.
“Yes, it is,” he replied. “I’m one of the pilots. Are you passengers?”
Alina nodded as Jorge replied, “Mr. and Mrs. Jorge Daleby.”
The pilot checked his datapad. “Yes, you’re on the passenger list. Welcome aboard.”
*:*:*:*:*
Reviews are always appreciated!
Author(s): Lady Irelynne
Timeframe: Jedi Purges
Characters: OCs, some mention of Darth Vader
Genre: Action, Romance, Angst, Drama
Rating: PG-13 (or M?)
Keywords:
Summary: A Jedi Padawan is badly injured and on the run, having lost her friends and her Jedi Master. What will it take in order for her to love or even trust again?
Notes: This is for the JC Title Challenge
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, places, objects, etc. are property of LFL.
*:*:*:*:*
Jorge sat there, at her bedside, for several hours, his eyes glued to her face, waiting for something, any sort of sign to indicate that she was okay. When her eyelids finally fluttered open, he felt a feeling of relief unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he greeted.
“Hey yourself,” she retorted weakly, struggling to sit up in bed.
“Glad to see you’re awake Alina,” Felja exclaimed, as she bustled over. “No, don’t sit up. You gave us quite a scare you know.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Can you tell me what happened?” the blonde woman asked.
Alina sighed, but slowly recounted what she’d experienced, at every moment aware of the recorder resting on the bed next to her. When she reached the point where she’d been ripped free from Jasken, Jorge placed a comforting arm about her shoulders.
When she finally finished, nobody moved for a long moment. Eventually, Felja got to her feet. “I’m just going to check you for any injuries, and if you’re clear, you’re free to go,” she informed the Jedi. The black medical scanner produced no problems. “Get some rest and you’ll be back to normal,” the blonde informed her. “Now get out of here.”
Jorge promptly slid his arms under her knees and around her shoulders, cradling her in his arms. Felja’s jaw dropped, but then he sent a slow wink in her direction and she grinned. “Have fun!” she called cheekily as he strode out of the room.
Alina was too much in shock for the first thirty seconds of the journey to do anything besides gape at Jorge. However, she finally got her voice back. “Jorge! Put me down! I’m not an invalid, you know!”
“No.” There was not a single centimeter of compromise in his voice.
She couldn’t believe it. “What? Why not?” she demanded.
He didn’t answer as he stepped into their room. He lay down on the bed, keeping a tight hold on her, then released her legs and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “You always seem to get in trouble if I don’t have my arms around you.” He shrugged. “So the solution is not to let you go.”
Alina chuckled. “I suppose that makes sense,” she told him. “Although, next time, I’d appreciate more advance notice.”
He joined her in laughing. “I suppose I can give you that,” he teased.
They lay on the bed in comfortable silence for a while, simply breathing, thinking, and holding each other. A tear slipped down her cheek as she began to cry, and he drew her tighter into his arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart, cry it all out,” he murmured, stroking her hair and back. “Just cry it all out.”
Gradually, her tears stopped, gradually transforming into hiccups, and still he held her. “What’s going to happen next, do you wonder?” she asked, once her hiccups had finally ended and her tears had dried.
He shifted a little closer. “Dad is planning to have a Corellian-style funeral for Jasken, later this week,” he told her. “We figured that it was the best sort of tribute we could give him, given the situation.”
“And Vader?” she reminded.
Jorge sighed. “Here’s where it gets complicated. Vader knows that a Jedi-friendly faction broke Jasken out of that prison. He’s distracted right now- apparently there has been a rebellion on the outer rim, and he went out to deal with it personally. But there’s a chance he could come back and search for us.”
She looked up to lock gazes with him. “What are you saying?” she asked hesitantly.
“Wil is purchasing us tickets to Mon Calamari, to start a new life there,” he told her. “We leave after the funeral.” When she was silent in response, he felt his heart race. “You don’t like the plan?”
“We?” she finally asked.
Jorge’s heart stopped, and then began to sink. “Do you not want me to come with you?” he asked carefully.
Alina shook her head furiously. “No, I’m just-” she hesitated. “How could you leave all this behind?” she finally asked. “If we left, it would be exceedingly difficult to ever come back.”
He too hesitated, and then told her, “I won’t deny it- it will be hard. But it’s worth it, if I have you. I love you, Alina. I’ve never said that to any woman besides my mother before.”
Her arms tightened around him, pulling him closer. “I love you too,” she whispered as she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “And I think that your plan is a good one.”
*~*~*
The fire crackled, engulfing the body on the funeral pyre, and lighting up the darkening sky. Little more than a dozen people watched the blaze, each lost in their own thoughts. Alina took comfort in Jorge’s arm about her. I’m sorry I failed you, Jasken, her mind whispered. May you finally have eternal peace.
No verbal words were spoken, but as the flames died down, leaving only ashes that the wind soon carried away, people began peeling off, returning to their own lives. Only five remained in the end.
“So this is it, son,” Malen said, embracing the brown haired man, with a smile at the petite woman standing beside him. “I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Jorge replied, returning the embrace. The two men held each other, then thumped each other on the back and let go. Jorge quickly found himself in his brother’s rib-cracking hug.
“You’d better take care of Alina,” Wil warned. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”
Jorge looked over at where she was hugging his father. “I know,” he returned. “And I will.”
Alina hugged Malen quickly. “Thanks for everything you’ve done,” she told the older man warmly. “You’ve been wonderful.”
“No, thank you,” Malen corrected. “It’s been an excellent experience.” He squeezed her one more time, then let her go, saying, “Take care of that son of mine, ‘kay?”
“Okay.” And then she was pulled off the ground as Wil grabbed her from behind. “Wil, put me down,” she immediately ordered, fighting back a laugh.
He held her for another second before doing so. “I told my idiot brother this, but you’re the best thing that ever happened to him. Don’t let him forget that,” he teased.
“Making moves on my girl already?” Jorge called as he hugged Felja.
“I figured it was only fair,” Wil retorted, “since your making moves on mine.”
Jorge laughed. “Ah, but you know you have nothing to worry about: her heart is firmly yours, brother.”
“Neither do you, big guy,” Alina reminded him firmly. She gave Wil one last squeeze. “We should probably get going. Don’t want to miss our shuttle.”
Felja reached out and embraced the former Jedi. “Our doors are always open,” she informed the younger woman. “You know the comm number, right?” The brunette nodded. “Call and give us your new address so I can send you the holos when I get them developed.”
“Thank you, Felja,” Alina replied warmly. “For everything.”
“And thank you.”
At the blonde’s words, Jorge hooked an arm around Alina’s waist. “We’ll talk to you all later,” he promised before leading her to the waiting hovercar. The Dalebys waved as he drove away.
At the spaceport, they found their shuttle with ease. “Fleetwings?” Jorge asked the man standing in front.
“Yes, it is,” he replied. “I’m one of the pilots. Are you passengers?”
Alina nodded as Jorge replied, “Mr. and Mrs. Jorge Daleby.”
The pilot checked his datapad. “Yes, you’re on the passenger list. Welcome aboard.”
*:*:*:*:*
Reviews are always appreciated!