The Ralroost, Saturday afternoon Fandom time
Jacen did apologize for the ruse that had brought her here in the first place. When they were able to talk in his quarters on the Ralroost, he had been sent on a mission to Garqi with Corran Horn and Ganner Rhysode, and the start of the mission had their transport exploding. With that came Jacen just kind of disappearing in the Force to keep up appearances. Jaina hated that. She hated that he had to, she hated that she felt it, but she was just happy to see him alive and well.
"Where did you get the scar?" she asked him, touching a spot under her right eye to indicate what she was talking about.
Absently, he touched the same spot, momentarily covering the mark. "Dantooine," he said, and it was pretty clear, at least to Jaina, that he was still a little thrown by the experience. "One of the Vong tried to implant something under my skin."
Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything, he interrupted, "Uncle Luke was able to get it out. I think I saw the effect of that sort of thing on Garqi, though. They're really not messing around. They change people."
Jaina almost didn't want to ask how, but she did anyway. What she got in return was a lengthy explanation of what happened on Dantooine, and Jacen's recent mission, including the guerilla warfare and the people they'd met under Yuuzhan Vong control, changed both physically and mentally.
"They do it to planets, why not their inhabitants," Jaina said, trying to sound wry but probably not hiding the fact that hearing that kind of really freaked her out. "I'm sorry I haven't been around."
"Don't be," Jacen said. "After Dantooine I started suggesting that Anakin be sent along with you."
She raised an eyebrow, but didn't tell him that of all of them, Jacen was the one she'd trust the least to handle the fighting. "Oh, please. Anakin's got enough problems without being sent away instead of dealing with them." Which brought up the question, "How's Dad?"
Her brother shrugged. "I haven't seen him much. I don't know if I would normally, but," he said. "There's been talk of a memorial service on Kashyyyk. I'm not sure if you're planning on being around that long."
"I'd like to be there," she said. As far as she was concerned, she would be fine spending the rest of her summer here to catch up and deal with things. Chewie was more important.
"You haven't talked much about school," he noticed.
It was her turn to shrug. "There are some things I'd like to be able to talk over with Aunt Mara first," she admitted. "It isn't bad. It's very different, and slightly scarring-"
"Thanks."
"-no offense, but I'm learning things. I could leave if I had the okay, though," Jaina finished. She wasn't entirely sure about that. She could and would come home where she was more needed, but there were people and things she would really miss already.
"I'd say don't rush, but I haven't stolen a ship to hijack a mission in months," Jacen said. "It's practically boring."
"Don't blame that on me. You had the same idea."
"I wasn't the one who suggested it."
"Neither was I. And it worked, didn't it?"
"You were almost blown up."
"Almost doesn't count."
They would debate the topic for a while, not that it needed debate, but it was just nice to have a little bit of sibling time again. She'd probably missed that most.
[NFB for distance. No interaction- Okay, I'm too tired to remember the spiel. I'm sure you can all recite it yourselves.]