The Hutt, the Jedi, and the Power Of Love

by SpacePirate8

Summary:

Jaina Solo is now sixteen. She is a rebel pilot and junior commander, the ward of Leia Organa, and the Jedi padawan of Luke Skywalker. She managed to make something of herself after loosing her father on Bespin four years ago, but that doesn't mean she won't do anything to get him back. When her father's old sort-of friend comms with news of his whereabouts, she might just get the chance. Not only to save him, but to help save the rest of the galaxy...

Or, a retelling of Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi through the eyes of Han Solo's sixteen-year-old daughter.

Chapter 1: Training

Summary:

In which Luke gets visits from ghost friends, Jaina trains her butt off, and Lando has some good news.

“Watch your feet!” Luke swung his lightsaber at Jaina’s chest. Jaina flipped backwards to evade the green blade and retaliated with a jab at his stomach. Luke sidestepped and crashed his lightsaber into hers. Green collided with blue in shower of sparks. Jaina tried to twist her blade and disarm Luke, but he pulled away too quickly. She overestimated the power for her swing and went stumbling forward. She was mostly used to using a real lightsaber now, she had made hers almost a year ago, but sometimes she fell back into the old habits she learned when Luke had been teaching her with sticks.
“Ow!” Luke landed another hit that forced her blade from her hand and sent her tumbling, landing hard on the durasteel floor of the hangar. She looked up to see Luke standing over her, his lightsaber leveled at her chest. “Kriff,” she cursed. Luke grinned, extinguished his lightsaber, and held out his prosthetic hand to help her up. 

“That was really good, Jaina. You just-”

“-Overestimated the power on my swing, yeah, I got it, Luke,” Jaina said, hauling herself to her feet. She swiped her lightsaber from the floor and took a step back. “Go again?” Luke shook his head. 

“Alright, one more time,” he said. He ignited his lightsaber again and Jaina did the same. Jaina made the first move- Luke always let her make the first move- and they began sparring again. Strike, block, dodge, strike again. Get good, get better, fast .

It had been four years since Bespin. Every day for four years Jaina got up, marked another day with Dad gone, and- well, she didn’t move on with life. But she did live. She trained with Luke to be a Jedi- sparring, levitating stuff, feeling the Force (whatever the hells that meant). When she wasn’t doing Jedi stuff, she did whatever she could to help with the Rebellion. This was limited by her age. Jaina was sixteen, as Leia had been when she had first started spying for the Rebellion, but the higher-ups still balked at letting her join the action. Jaina’s skills as a pilot and ability with a blaster had in part made up for this- the Rebellion hardly enjoyed allowing the underaged to fight, but also recognized the reality of their dismal situation and took whatever help they could get. After only a few weeks on the training sims, Jaina had officially earned her first stripes shortly before reaching thirteen. At fourteen, Jaina joined Rogue Squadron. After training under Wedge Antilles for some time and proving herself yet again, she was given command of the squad fondly nicknamed the Baby Rogues- the up-and-comers, talented, but too young to be a proper Rogue or fly any truly dangerous missions. Flying with Wedge and the Rebellion was wonderful, Jaina enjoyed it, but it never stopped being bittersweet. Nothing could replace flying the Falcon with Dad.  

True to her word, Jaina did comm Chewie every day, but over the years those comms had turned into quick check-ins: how are you, I’m fine, have you gotten a lead on Dad. They hadn’t stopped searching for a moment, although they always came to visit for Jaina’s life day and every now and then besides. Chewie would always tell her how big she’d gotten- she was as tall as Luke now, and a good bit taller than Leia- and how proud Dad would be of her, if he was there. Jaina supposed that he did have a point- in Dad’s absence, Jaina had become an-honest-to-gods pilot and rebel operative. There had also been a disasterous mission that ended with Jaina’s commanding officer incapacitated and Jaina supervising a retreat (minimal casualties, but still far too many). She had been fifteen at the time. Additionally, Jaina had gone with Luke to find a kyber crystal, made her own lightsaber, and was on her way to becoming a Jedi. 

She supposed there were also things that would have made Dad less proud. She had gotten a tattoo- Force, had Leia been pissed- tried alcohol (but waiting until fifteen was pretty good for a smuggler’s kid), and made some truly questionable fashion choices. There had also been an unpleasant incident involving an attempted piercing with a sewing needle and lighter that resulted in a nasty infection. She knew, though, that Dad could know about all of that and never love her a bit less.

Jaina couldn’t help but be proud of herself, too. She knew that when the time came, she would be ready. She would save Dad. She just needed to wait until Lando and Chewie found him. It had been hard. The bounty hunter, Boba Fett, was elusive, and Jabba, while being a slow-moving piece of shavit, had connections on several planets that they knew of, not to mention ones they didn’t know. It did seem hopeless at times, and Jaina had come close to losing hope that they could ever find him. But for four years she had carried a burning certainty in her heart that Dad was alive, out there somewhere.

She swung down at Luke’s shoulder, making him lean backwards to block her blade. 

“Good job,” he said, pushing her off and retaliating. Jaina swung back at him- this time her blow landed and forced Luke to step away. She grinned, pleased with herself. Luke came back at her, Jaina jumped, rolled, ducked, then caught his lightsaber with hers. She twisted her wrist and disarmed Luke. His lightsaber went clattering to the floor. 

“Well done, Jaina,” Luke said, picking up her lightsaber. Jaina smirked. 

“Thanks. I know.” she said. Luke rolled his eyes. 

“Unbecoming of a Jedi, arrogance is,” he recited, mimicking Yoda. Luke had taken her to meet the little green Jedi Master shortly after Jaina had begun training and she had been back a few times since. The first time Jaina had met him was a few months after she lost Dad. Yoda wouldn’t call her anything except “Miss Solo”, and had thought it was a good idea to tell her, a twelve year old who had just been effectively orphaned, that she should forget all about her father. 

“Attachments, Jedi do not have. Hinder you, your emotions will. If a Jedi, you wish to become, let go of your father, you must,” he had said. Jaina had burst into tears and ran back to the ship, refusing to come out for the rest of the day. After that, she had made it very clear to Yoda that there was no chance in hell she would be giving up on Dad- “over my dead kriffing body” had been her exact words. Yoda’s disapproval was obvious but after a conversation with Luke he had let the matter drop. Despite their disagreements over emotions- hell, Jedi weren’t even allowed to fall in love, Luke’s father had married in secret- Yoda had been a good teacher when it came to actually using the Force. He had Jaina confidently levitating rocks and jumping up trees by the third time she had visited. Luke went alone more often than he brought her- something about a destiny and Vader or whatever- and would share whatever he had mastered under Yoda’s guidance. 

Luke was one, now- a Jedi Master. After he had recovered from losing his hand, and adjusted to the prosthetic, he had spent every waking moment either fighting for the Alliance, training Jaina, or training himself. Jaina often found him sitting in the middle of his bedroom, meditating, or sometimes talking to himself. He’d gotten really skilled, far more so than Jaina, who was still learning. He could almost read minds, but whenever Jaina called it that, he would correct her, saying that he could only feel the Force around others to gauge their emotions and intent. He was teaching Jaina how to do it as well, and she was learning, but she had a long way to go before she was a Master. 

According to some old texts they had salvaged, Jaina could be called Luke’s padawan. She had looked at some pictures and old holo footage of human Jedi padawans from the Clone Wars- they had to wear this awful hairstyle: cut short, except for a bantha-tail in the back and a long braid on the side. Most of them also wore some variation of the traditional Jedi robes like the ones Kenobi had worn (although their clothes were in much better condition). Luke had decided that living by all those details were unnecessary, especially since at the moment there were only two Jedi- or active Jedi, at least- in the galaxy. When he wasn’t in his flight suit or in his uniform, he typically wore a black outfit that was a blend of traditional Jedi dress and an officer’s suit. When he wanted to be particularly dramatic, or just stay warm, he’d wear a long black robe that was good for hiding his face or casting aside dramatically. Jaina herself was content to stick with her spacer’s clothes- leather jacket and boots, comfortable shirts (sometimes cut off, when she was feeling confident), utility pants with lots of pockets, a blaster at her hip.

“You are progressing quite nicely, young Jaina” said a kind voice with a coruscanti accent. Jaina turned to see Old Ben- Obi Wan- Kenobi. 

“Hey, Mister Kenobi. Thanks.” The first time Jaina had seen Kenobi- after he died- was on Dagobah, when Luke had taken her there to train with Yoda. Jaina had almost pissed herself- she hadn’t even recognized him at first. He was young - apparently Force ghosts could appear how they wanted to, and apparently this was how Obi Wan looked before the Republic fell. Red hair, a full beard, the same robes, but shorter, sharper, made for moving around and fighting. 

“What’s happened?” Luke asked. 

“Luke, Master Yoda’s time is coming to an end. It will not be long before he rejoins the Force." Luke sat down against the wall. Jaina joined him.

“Oh,” he said. There was nothing else to say. Yoda was… he was a great Jedi. But, as Jaina understood it, the traditions of the Old Jedi Order that he clung to were one of the reasons they collapsed. As old and wise as he was, for some reason he believed that, as Jaina understood, love was “a path to the Dark Side.” Jaina didn’t think she would have made a good Jedi the way things used to be. “Well- I should visit him. Before- before he goes," said Luke. 

“We’ll leave as soon as we can,” agreed Jaina, throwing on her jacket. Luke frowned. 

“Jaina, you don’t have to-” 

“I should,” said Jaina. “It’s the right thing to do.” Luke nodded. 

“You have a kind heart,” said Kenobi. “It does you good. But do not forget to listen to your head, young one. May the Force be with you,” he said, and vanished. Luke sighed. 

“I guess we gotta get ready to go to Dagobah,” he said. Jaina nodded. Luke stood up and stretched. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

They threw their outer clothes over their sweaty arms and made their way back to their quarters. Leia was there, typing away at her datapad. She had become even more busy with the Rebellion after Bespin. The Empire was losing support day after day as its regime grew more oppressive by the minute. Support was coming in from several systems who wished to return to a democracy. But despite this, the Empire retained their upper hand- they had military power, governmental power, and most of the galaxy crushed. There was no slipping up, no relaxing for the rebels, even as far away as the hideout on the fringes of the galaxy. Leia had planned and run countless missions- destroying imperial supplies and outposts, mercy missions to systems in need, sabotage. Like Luke and Jaina herself, Leia was determined to stay as busy as possible. The Rebellion was important, a cause she and Luke and Leia believed in with all their might- sometimes Jaina felt like she had been fighting her whole life, not just seven years. 

She looked up when they came in and went to grab protein bars from their kitchen. It was part of the routine the three of them shared. Luke and Jaina would train for hours then stumble back to their rooms, where Leia would take a break from her work to make them eat something and shower. She would spend some time tutoring Jaina with more history, politics, languages, sciences. Luke, who had only a Tatooine farmboy’s schooling, would sometimes join in, although Leia didn’t require it of him. They would spend the rest of the day relaxing, or planning. Luke and Jaina had been out on more and more missions lately, both for the Alliance and for Jedi stuff- looking for old texts and Temples, and the time they built new lightsabers- so the time the three of them spent together was all the more precious. 

“Eat,” Leia ordered. Jaina stuffed the protein bar down and went over to the kitchen. She grabbed the carton of shuura juice and took a long drink before passing it to Luke. 

“I’m gonna hop in the fresher then comm Chewie,” she said, wiping the juice off her lip. “Then we gotta pack.” Leia frowned, confused. 

“Pack? I didn’t know you were going somewhere,” she said. Luke leaned against the counter and put the lid back on the juice. 

“We got a visit from Ben today,” he explained. “He said that Yoda’s dying.” Leia inclined her head. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said dutifully. She had never met Yoda, but Jaina knew that her report of him gave Leia a less-than-favorable impression of the old Jedi. “How long will you be gone?” 

“I don’t know for sure,” said Luke, putting the juice away. “Not long.” 

“Alright,” said Leia. “I’ll let Command know for you. Jaina, go get in the fresher, and we’ll eat dinner after you comm Chewie and Lando.” Jaina slid off the counter and went into the ‘fresher for a quick rinse. Her hair was much easier to clean now that Leia had taught her how to care for it properly- before she had met Leia, Jaina had only been able to keep it clean, cut, and detangled. Although hair-care products were not easily found- hardly a priority for the Rebellion- Leia had shown Jaina how to use what was there to give her hair some bounce and shine. Jaina ran a comb through the tangles and tied it back to keep her fresh clothes dry. 

She waited until Luke came out of the shower, rubbing his hair with a towel, to comm Chewie and Lando. She plugged in the frequency code she had long-since memorized, made to connect- and received a comm before she did, from the same frequency. That was strange- Lando and Chewie always waited for her to call first. Jaina answered. 

“Hey, this is Jaina,” she said. 

“Jaina!” said Lando. He was excited, almost frantic. The connection was fuzzy, and a light buzzing remained present over their voices. 

“Lando, hey,” said Jaina. “You on the Falcon?” She heard Chewie growl from the other end. “Hi, Chewie."

“Yes, I’m about to tell her,” Lando said, probably to Chewie. “We’re in hyperspace right now. Listen, kid, are Luke and Leia around?” 

“Yeah,” said Jaina.”

“Hi, Luke. Leia,” said Lando. 

“Hey Lando.”

“Hi,” said Leia. Jaina leaned forward and spoke into the comm. 

“Alright, Lando, what’s up?” Jaina asked. 

“We found him.” 

Luke almost choked on air. Leia’s hands flew to her mouth. Jaina froze. She clenched the comm in her hand so hard it might break and rested her elbows on her knees.

“Are you sure?” she asked hoarsely. There wasn’t any reason to doubt Lando- there had never been a time when they thought they found Dad and told Jaina only to be wrong. But four years was four years, and four years was an awfully long time to keep up hope. 

“I saw him myself,” said Lando. “He should be fine- he’s still in carbonite. Jabba never bothered to unfreeze him.” Next to her, Leia took a shaky breath. Luke had a hand on her knee, over his mouth.

“So Jabba has him?” Jaina asked. 

“Yes,” Lando confirmed. “We found him at his palace on Tatooine. I managed to get a job as one of his cronies- he thinks I’m off on a spice run.” 

“Okay,” Jaina stammered, trying to make her racing mind focus, for once. “Whoa.” 

“I know, kid,” Lando said. “Listen, Luke, Leia. Chewie and I can’t get him out alone, so we’re coming to get you. We’re going double-time, we’ll be there sometime tonight,” he said. “We’ll pick you up and go save Han.”

“Alright,” said Jaina. “Okay. Comm me when you drop out of hyperspace, and we’ll be ready.”

“Copy that,” said Lando. “I’ll see you soon, kid.” The line went dead. Jaina let the comm fall onto her lap and leaned forward with her head in her hands. Her hands were shaking. Tears had started to leak out of Leia’s eyes. Luke wrapped his arms around both of them. Jaina’s vision blurred, and she swiped angrily at her eyes. 

“Jaina,” Luke said softly, rubbing her back. “Jaina. It’s alright to cry.” Leia nodded her agreement through her own soft tears. Jaina shrugged him off and stood up.

“We need to get ready,” she said.

Notes:

It's here! With a quadrupled time jump for Maximum Angst. I did this for a few reasons- unlike in the Clone Wars (honestly, who thought thirteen was old enough to command a legion) the Rebel Alliance is not known for sending children into battle. But, as Jaina is our narrator, she needs to be present for major events and therefore has to be old enough to be allowed out. An extra three years older plus Jedi powers plus generally being capableTM solves this issue. Also- the Baby Rogues (officially the Junior Rogue Squadron) was my invention- a way to give Jaina a command while still being young (again, this ain't the GAR- no thirteen year old officers here). They won't make much of an appearance in this fic, but I hope to introduce them in later ones!

Anyway- Jaina is 16, Luke and Leia are 25, and Han is still 29 thanks to carbonite.

Chapter 2: Rescue

Summary:

In which the Solos stick it to the Hutts in the most explosive way possible.

The Falcon pulled into the hangar late that night. Leia and Jaina raced aboard, carrying their things and dragging 3PO along with them. Luke was taking his X-wing and R2 along with him. Lando and Chewie didn’t even get off the Falcon. It was almost like they were escaping the big, white flagship, under the cover of darkness. The shadow of blaster fire trickled across Jaina’s neck. They took off in silence, not relaxing until they made lightspeed. 

“You’ve gotten taller, little one,” Chewie growled, giving Jaina a hug. It had been a few months since Jaina had last seen him. “I have missed you very much. The Falcon is not the same without you.”

“I know,” said Jaina. “I missed you too, Chewie.” She ran her hand over the dejarik table. The Falcon hadn’t changed at all. Although she hadn’t lived on it since Bespin, it would always be home for her. It just would never feel like home without Dad. He was Jaina’s home as much as the Falcon, her safe place as much as her childhood bedroom. 

“We’ll be at Tatooine by tomorrow,” Lando reported from the computers. If all went well- and she couldn’t bear to think what would happen if it didn’t- then Dad would be back soon. 

“Tomorrow,” she repeated. Leia squeezed her shoulder. 

“Are you alright?” she asked. Jaina nodded. 

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah. I just- I’m still trying to believe this is real,” she said. Leia squeezed her hand. 

“I know what you mean,” she said. “You know… we’re about to be in considerable danger, daring rescue mission and all that… and all I can think about is if he’ll say he loves me too.” She chuckled and shook her head. 

“He will,” said Jaina. “He does. He was just too scared to say it is all.” Jaina rarely described Dad as scared, and could only do so when talking about Bespin. But it made sense- either Dad was afraid of someone hurting Leia, or was afraid of his own feelings. Leia nodded.

“Sure,” she said. 

They came out of hyperspace and landed on the Tatooine desert, on the barren sands. Luke pulled his X-wing down next to them and jogged up the ramp. 

“I’ve been doing some thinking,” he said without preamble, “And I have a plan.”

Luke’s plan was a good one, with backups and safeties and everything. Lando departed for Jabba’s palace, to resume his disguise as one of his brutish henchmen. Luke and Jaina recorded a message for Jabba. The hope was that Jabba would listen to it and let Dad go. It was a very far-fetched hope, and they doubted it would work, but they did it anyway. 

“Greetings, Exalted One,” Luke recited, as he stood before R2. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and friend to Captain Han Solo. I know that you are powerful, Mighty Jabba, and I know that your anger with Captain Solo must be equally powerful. I seek an audience with Your Greatness to bargain for Captain Solo’s life. With your wisdom, I’m sure that we can work out an arrangement which will be mutually beneficial and enable us to avoid any unpleasant confrontation. As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift- these two droids. Both are hardworking and will serve you well.” R2 finished the recording and whistled at them. 

“No, of course we ain’t actually gonna give you to Jabba,” Jaina said. “It’s part of the plan.” 

They sent the droids off to the palace and waited. At the end of the day, Lando sent them a coded message, confirming what they had already predicted- Jabba had denied the opportunity to negotiate. The droids were safe, though, set to work in his palace. It was time for the next plan. 

“Good luck,” Jaina said, passing Leia a helmet. “Be careful.” Leia smiled and gave her a hug. She lowered her helmet, completing her bounty hunter disguise. 

“I will,” she said. Her voice was strange, modified by her helmet. “Come on, Chewie.” Luke and Leia waited alone, in the Falcon, for another day. Jaina was growing more impatient by the minute. She wanted to know what was happening, she wanted to be there, she wanted to help, she wanted Dad. She stared at the comm until it finally flashed at her. 

“Lando?” she asked. “Come in. Do you copy?”

“I copy,” Lando whispered. Luke quickly moved over to the comm. “Listen- Leia got Han out of the carbonite-” Jaina’s heart lept in her chest “-but they couldn’t get out. They’re all okay, but they’ve been captured.” Jaina swore violently. They had been so close. 

“I’m on my way,” Luke said. “See you soon.” The frequency shut off and Luke went to grab his cape. 

“I’m coming with you,” Jaina insisted. Luke silenced her with a look and took her by the shoulders.

“Get your flight suit on,” he ordered. “I need you to get to my ship. Keep the frequency with Lando open, fly above Jabba’s palace, but stay out of sight until we need you.” Jaina hesitated, she didn’t appreciate being kept out of the action, but she relented. It was better than nothing. 

“You’re the Master. May the Force be with you,” she said. Luke returned the goodbye and left. 

Jaina was only alone in the Falcon for minutes. She stripped her outer clothes down to her underwear- it was too hot on Tatooine to wear anything else under her flight suit- grabbed her helmet, shut the Falcon down, and ran to Luke’s X-wing. The controls were only slightly different from the fighter she usually flew on missions, and she had been taught to fly without the assistance of an astromech, so R2’s absence would do little harm. She jumped into the cockpit and took off, tailing Luke’s swoop bike, until she came to Jabba’s palace. It was a big, ugly looking building, all brown, that stuck out like a wart on the smooth Tatooine sands. She circled it lazily for what, according to her chono, was less than an hour but felt like more, until Lando contacted her again. 

“Jaina!” he called furtively. “You copy?” 

“I copy,” Jaina said. “I’m in the air right above Jabba’s palace. What’s going on down there?” 

“Luke killed Jabba’s rancor,” Lando reported. 

“Good for Luke,” Jaina remarked. Even in the cockpit of Luke’s X-wing, it was hot and she was growing uncomfortable and irritated. She tugged at the collar of her flight suit. 

“Yeah, well, Jabba didn’t think so. He’s ordered Luke, Chewie, and Han to be thrown into the sarlacc pit. They’re okay for now, at least until we get there. They’re being put on a speeder.” Jaina frowned and toggled some controls. 

“Okay, so I blast the hell out of Jabba’s barge before you get there,” she said. 

“Negative! Leia and the droids are on the main barge. Luke says to track us and wait until we’re all on the speeder before coming in, got that?”

“Copy that,” Jaina said. “I’ll be right above you. I’m keeping the comm open, holler when you need me.”

“Alright. I have to go,” said Lando. Jaina hovered above the palace, too focused to be nervous or scared, until she saw Jabba’s barge and two speeders leave and begin to race across the sand. Jaina tailed them, keeping out of sight. She reached out with the Force until she found her family- Luke, Lando, Chewie, and Dad were on a small speeder zipping next to the barge. Dad was nervous, but he was there, he was standing up, he was alive . Leia was on the main barge, seething with quiet anger. 

The sarlacc pit was horribly ugly, with tentacles and huge rows of teeth that rimmed a gaping maw. Jaina pulled up some controls that would hopefully allow her to see and hear down there a bit better. The sarlacc screamed with hunger as the barge and speeders stopped over it and Luke was forced onto a long plank. 

“Victims of the almighty sarlacc,” said- that was 3PO, he must have been made Jabba’s translator- “His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably, but should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas.” A steaming load of bantha-shavit, Jaina thought. 

“3PO, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth that he’ll get no such pleasure from us!” Dad yelled. Even from a distance, Jaina could hear the Hutt laugh. 

“Jabba, this is your last chance,” called Luke, edging down the plank. Even in the face of death he stood invincible. “Free us or die.” The Hutt and his cronies laughed. 

“Move him into position,” Jabba ordered, slimy Huttese oozing through Jaina’s ears. A crony of his jabbed a stick into Luke’s back, forcing him to the edge of a plank. 

I hope you know what you’re doing, Luke.

“Get ready,” Lando muttered. Jaina refocused. 

“Copy that.” 

Luke looked up at the deck of the barge, and Jaina followed his eyes to R2. He saluted the droid and Jaina breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Put him in,” Jabba demanded. The goon jabbed Luke off the plank. Luke jumped- twisted- something small and silver went flying through the air- and then Luke stood on the speeder, brandishing his lightsaber. Jaina saw Lando shed his helmet and join him. Two goons tumbled into the pit and the sarlacc squealed. Chaos erupted on the barge as Jabba called for order. Someone on the barge fired at the speeder, sending Lando tumbling off until he was just holding onto a rope. He called out and Jaina wanted to help, but stuck up in the air there was nothing she could do without risking making things worse. An armored figure flew across the sand- Boba Fett. He landed on the speeder and Jaina’s thumbs flew to her triggers but Luke promptly knocked him down before she could shoot him then leapt across the pit to the other speeder. Something else happened near Dad and Chewie, and Boba Fett went careening into the pit. Another blast hit the speeder, and now Dad was hanging off by his feet, trying to reach Lando. Luke jumped to the barge and climbed up the side. She tracked the green blur across the deck. Lando and Dad were screaming at each other- the sarlacc had Lando by the ankle- then Dad shot the tentacle and they were all back up on the speeder. Luke was still fighting on the barge deck. Leia ran up and joined him, and Jaina could see the droids. R2 pushed 3PO over the side and jumped off. Leia was wearing some ridiculous red and gold thing. She ran to Luke, and they swung across the pit to Dad and Lando and Chewie. 

“Now, Jaina, now!” Lando yelled. Jaina smirked. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” she said. She pulled up in a wide circle, readying her guns. Finally, finally , she plunged beneath the clouds and skimmed over the sand towards the barge. She opened fire as she careened towards the chaos, only pulling up at the last second, laughing and whooping like an insane wookiee. 

“Nice shot!” Luke said. “We’re gonna get the droids and head back to the Falcon. Follow us from above and meet us there, okay?” 

“Alright, copy that,” Jaina said. She did a loop in the air, exhilarated, and tailed them back to the Falcon. She touched down next to her and jumped out, skidding over the sand to meet the others, who had already gone inside to get away from the heat. Jaina ran to Luke and gave him a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

“Nothing to thank me for, Jaina. Leia took your Dad to lie down, his eyes aren’t quite right yet,” he said. “Are you okay waiting a few minutes?” Jaina leaned into the hug and Luke squeezed her shoulder in almost-brotherly affection.  

“I waited four years,” she said. “I can hold out a bit longer.” She was horribly sweaty, but couldn’t find the gumption to change. She shed her life support vest and gloves and unzipped her flight suit to her hips, tying the sleeves around her waist. 

“I’m going to have to go to Dagobah with R2,” Luke said. There was no question that Jaina would be staying behind. “I’ll say hi to Yoda for you.” Jaina nodded.

“Okay. Come back to the fleet soon as you can,” she said. Luke nodded and left with one more hug. 

“We should get going,” said Lando. Jaina nodded. 

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll go start liftoff.” She needed something to do . Dad was down the hall, and if he needed it Jaina would wait forever, but Force she missed him. She wanted to crawl into his arms like she was ten years younger than she was and stay there. She counted her breaths as she lifted the Falcon off the ground. 

One, Two. In, Out. Luke followed them off the ground, then broke off and jumped into hyperspace. Jaina was glad she didn’t have to go with him, but she wished she could have had the chance to rub this in Yoda’s little green face. She pushed the ship to lightspeed and relaxed against her seat- Dad’s seat. 

“You should go see your father, little one,” Chewie rumbled.

“Go on. We’ve got it here,” Lando agreed. Jaina nodded and got up, walking down the hall. Leia met her outside of Dad’s room. 

“He’s asleep,” she apologized. “But- he’s fine. He’s fine.” She started to cry and Jaina pulled her into a hug. She patted her back until Leia pulled herself together, staring over her shoulder at her own reflection in the shiny patch at the wall. Leia had taken so many holos, for Dad to look at. She looked so much older than the twelve year old she was a few years ago, now. “I’m sorry,” Leia sniffled. “I just-”

“It’s fine,” said Jaina, brushing her off. “Really. You should go sit with him.” Leia nodded. 

“I haven’t told him yet- that it was four years,” she said. “I don’t know how.”

“Then don’t,” said Jaina. She waved a hand across her torso.  “He’ll figure it out soon enough.” Everything from her height to her haircut to her tattoo would be new to Dad. Leia, however, looked mostly the same. She nodded again and went back into Dad’s room. Jaina decided to busy herself with some housekeeping chores on the Falcon. She oiled some hinges, checked the pressure on the hyperdrive, Force knew they didn’t need that breaking down again, and ran the water for a few minutes to make sure it was clear.

A few hours later Lando came up to her. 

“Han’s awake,” he said. “Go see him,” he encouraged. Jaina walked down the hall and stopped in front of Dad’s room with her hand on the door. She touched her head to the wall and listened to the conversation inside. 

“So Luke’s a Jedi Master,” Dad said. 

“Yeah,” said Leia. Dad whistled.

“Wow. Who knew. So, have you been alright?” he asked. “And- oh kriff- Jaina, is she-”

“We’re all fine,” Leia interrupted. “How are your eyes?”

“Better,” Dad said. “I can see you fine now. I like the hair.” Leia laughed and Jaina found herself smiling. “So, what about Jaina? I don’t even wanna think about how tall she is now.” Jaina winced. 

“Jaina… it was hard for her with you gone,” Leia said. “She cried a lot at first, I remember. But... she pushed through. Jaina’s grown into a remarkable young woman. She’s smart, and brave, and tough… She takes after you, Han. She even got your good looks.” Dad chuckled then stopped abruptly. 

“Whaddya mean, ‘young woman’?” Dad asked. “She’s twelve, Leia, she’s just a kid.”

“Han,” said Leia, losing steam. 

“What?”

“Oh- nevermind.” Jaina muttered a curse. 

“Fine,” said Dad. “Hey- you were all on the speeder. Who was that pilot, the one who blew up that damn barge?” he asked. “I’d like to shake their hand.” Jaina was done waiting. She took a deep breath and stepped into the room. 

“That was me,” she said. Dad was propped up in bed. Leia had a hand on his face, and she had changed out of that hideous outfit. And Dad was- looking at her. A few more steps and Jaina could actually touch him. Yet she couldn’t move. Dad was looking at her, but not at her. He was looking at the stranger in the pilot oranges, with makeup and piercings. With a tattoo of the Millenium Falcon on her hip. Dad stared at her, confused, his eyes straining and brow furrowed. Jaina forced herself to stand still. 

“A lot’s happened, Han. A lot’s changed,” Leia said. 

“Like what? How? Who’re you?” Dad asked. 

“Dad,” said Jaina, and the little color in Dad’s face left with that one word, “It’s been four years.” Dad pressed a hand to his head like it was hurting him. Leia held him tighter. 

“No, no no no no no, that’s not-” he gasped. “Jaina?” That was all it took. Jaina threw herself across the room and into her father’s arms, sobbing.

“Dad,” Jaina sobbed into his neck. “It’s me, Dad.” 

“Oh, my- kriff , Jaina,” he gasped. “You- you’re so tall .” Jaina managed a wet laugh. 

“I missed you,” she said into his neck. Jaina didn’t know how long they stayed like that before they had pulled themselves together. Dad leaned back and took her by the hands, looking her up and down. 

“I can’t believe I missed so much,” he said mournfully. “Oh, sweetheart-” He broke off and looked at Leia. “You let her get a tattoo?” 

“I didn’t exactly have the chance to say no,” Leia said, giving Jaina a stern look. Of course Jaina hadn’t asked permission. Maybe it was a poor choice, but she had been young and stupid and sad. The day she got it was the three-year anniversary of Dad’s capture. She had been aching and needed an outlet. Jaina rolled her eyes. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. Dad sighed.

“Fine. Hey. Tell me everything, I missed so much,” he begged. 

“Alright,” said Jaina. “Well, um, I’ve been living with Leia and Luke with the Alliance. I got my stripes, and I fly with the Rogues now…” Jaina cut her eyes over to Leia.

“Jaina commands the Junior Rogue Squadron now,” she said with a proud smile. Dad looked at Jaina, confused.

“Oh yeah, well, I ended up taking command of this mission last year- long story,” Jaina said sheepishly. “I’ll tell you about it-”

“You grew up,” Dad said. There were still tears in his eyes. “Without me.” Jaina shook her head. 

“No,” she insisted. “Not without you. You taught me everything I needed to know to get by.” Dad patted her cheek clumsily. 

“Still. I’m so proud of you, kiddo,” he said, before leaned over and coughed into his elbow. Leia looked on, worrying her lip. Jaina assumed it was a side effect of carbon freeze. 

“Oh- here-” said Jaina. She reached out and the glass of water that was on the table floated into her hand. It was a habit for her, and she didn’t even realize she had done it until she saw Dad staring at her, dumbstruck. 

“What the hell…” Jaina flushed and passed him the water. She gave Leia an apologetic look. 

“Oh yeah. So, turns out the Force is real,” she said. “And I have it. Luke’s been teaching me how to be a Jedi."

“Luke and Jaina have been sparring every day,” Leia said. “I have to drag them away from it sometimes.” Dad shook his head, mystified. 

“I’ll tell you all about it,” Jaina said. “We have all the time in the galaxy.” 

The three of them talked- or rather, Jaina and Leia talked, and Dad listened as they caught him up over the last few years. Lando poked his head in hours later. 

“Hey Han, good to see you up,” he said. “Jaina, we’re about to come out of lightspeed.”

“I’m coming,”  said Jaina, getting up from the bed. Leia helped Dad to his feet. “Let’s go.” 

Jaina felt weird taking Dad’s chair, but he wasn’t fit to fly yet. She felt Dad’s eyes on her and her hands shook even as she seamlessly dropped the ship from lightspeed and into the fleet. She reached behind her and turned on the comms. 

“Millenium Falcon to Command. Millennium Falcon to Command,” she said. “This is  Commander Solo, requesting access to land." 

“Millenium Falcon, this is Command. You are cleared to land at bay five-eight-three.” Dad looked at her, so proud, and a little bit sad. He still didn’t recognize her, he couldn’t reconcile his twelve-year-old child with the girl Jaina had become. Junior Commander Solo, one of the youngest Alliance pilots, the Jedi padawan training under Luke Skywalker and Force ghosts, was a stranger to him. She was who Jaina became after Dad had been taken, to survive. Now that Jaina had him back, she would have to find a way to be both the person Dad remembered and the one she had become.

Notes:

The chapter you've all been waiting for- with bonus tattoo reveal (predictable as it may be). Hope you enjoyed and tune in next time to see our heroes get their next marching orders!

Chapter 3: Reunion

Summary:

In which promotions are had and plans are made.

They docked at the station and were immediately met by Wedge Antilles.

“Hey! Hey!” He waved them down as they were getting off the Falcon. Jaina jogged up to him. 

“What’s going on, sir?,” she said. Wedge chuckled and ruffled her hair.

“Hey, you only have to call me that when we’re on duty,” he said, looking around the hangar. “Where’s Luke? I thought he was with you guys,” he said. 

“He’ll be here soon,” Jaina assured him. “He had to go take care of something first.” She decided not to dive into the explanation of the fact Luke was going to visit a Jedi Grandmaster on his deathbed. Wedge did a double take, noticing Dad for the first time. 

“Han! It’s good to have you back,” he said, clasping Dad’s hand. Jaina smiled, trying to help him feel a little less bemused. 

“Thanks, Wedge,” said Dad. 

“Listen,” Wedge said, “I heard that some of our spies just got us something huge. They’re calling us all for a meeting tomorrow, after they’ve had the chance to go over it,” he said. Jaina smiled. 

“Sounds like fun,” she said. “I’ll see you at the meeting, then.” Wedge glanced to the side. 

“Uh-oh, incoming,” he muttered. Jaina looked and saw Mon Mothma and General Rieekan striding towards them. “See you, Captain. Kid,” Wedge said, jogging off. Mothma and Rieekan approached them.

“Next time you go flying off on unsanctioned missions, I’d appreciate a little notice,” Mon chided as she hugged Leia. “I’m glad you’re alright.” 

“I’m sorry, Mon,” said Leia. “But-” she glanced at Dad. 

“I understand,” said Mon gently. 

“It’s good to have you back,” said Rieekan, shaking Dad’s hand. “We need you around here." 

“Uh, thanks, General,” said Dad. Leia returned to his side and wrapped her arm around his torso. 

“Hey, General,” said Jaina. “Word is we got some big intel. Care to share?” Rieekan shook his head, exasperated. 

“Word travels fast around here. You’ll find out at the meeting tomorrow with everyone else.”

“Why don’t you go clean up,” Mon suggested. They were sweaty at best and filthy at worst. 

“That’s probably a good idea,” said Leia. “We’ll see you later, Mon.” The senator and general walked off. Lando and Chewie took care of the Falcon while Leia, Jaina, and Dad went to their quarters. 

“You doing okay, Dad?” Jaina asked, grabbing his arm. Dad blinked exaggeratedly and rubbed at his eyes.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s just a lot, you know?” Jaina tucked herself under his arm, noticing with a pang of sorrow that she didn’t fit there quite as well, tall as she had grown. She had to stoop just a little bit, but she didn’t move away as they walked to Leia’s quarters.

“I’ll get us some food,” Leia said. Jaina’s stomach growled and she realized it had been over a day since she last ate. Leia went into the kitchen. If Jaina’s memory served, there might be some leftovers that were still good. Dad sank down onto the couch and Jaina flopped down next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. 

“I missed you,” she whispered. Dad squeezed her shoulders. 

“I’m back now, kiddo. I ain’t leaving any time soon,” he said. Jaina frowned. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she said. “We’re still at war, Dad. I’m probably gonna have another mission in a few days, and they’re gonna want you back in the action soon enough…” Dad sighed. 

“I hate that they’re sending you out there,” he said. Jaina tried to smile for him. 

“I ain’t a little kid anymore, Dad,” she said gently. “They’re not making me do anything I wouldn’t be doing anyway. I want to be a part of this. What we’re doing, it’s helping people. Besides, you taught me to take care of myself pretty well.”

“It doesn't matter how old you are,” Dad said. “You’re still my little girl.” Jaina squeezed his hand and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“I know,” she said. Leia came into the room carrying some reheated food from a couple nights ago- a spicy dish with meat and vegetables in a thick sauce. 

“I got dinner,” she said, setting down the plates. It wasn’t as fresh, but it still looked appealing, hunger making it more so. Jaina immediately began to dig in, but Dad hesitated. 

“Did you make this?” he asked, taking his plate. Leia glared at him. 

“I don’t see how that matters,” she said. 

“She didn’t,” Jaina said through a mouthful of food. Leia turned her glare on her, betrayed. Dad laughed softly. They ate in silence, elbows knocking, Leia and Jaina leaning on Dad’s sides. With all the excitement of the last few days gone, Jaina finally let herself feel how tired she was, almost enough to fall asleep on Dad’s arm. 

Her drooping eyes flew open as the feeling of contentment and bittersweet joy was replaced by a deep, resigned, melancholy. She sat up straight and carefully set her plate down. 

“Sweetheart,” Dad said, putting a hand on her back. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Since Bespin, Jaina had learned what a thousand-meter-state was, and she was sure she had one now. She closed her eyes. 

“Yoda’s gone,” she murmured. Leia dipped her head. 

“Are you sure?” she asked. Jaina nodded.

“I felt him go just now. Luke was with him.” 

“Who’s Yoda?” Dad asked. 

“He was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order before the Republic fell,” Leia explained. “When Luke got caught in that storm on Hoth, he had a vision before you found him. Obi Wan Kenobi came to him and told him to train with Yoda. Yoda taught Luke and was helping him teach Jaina about being a Jedi.” 

“Kenobi’s dead,” Dad said. 

“Jedi can come back as ghosts sometimes,” Leia said. Dad rubbed his temple.

“We never got on well, Yoda and me,” Jaina muttered. “Little green bastard. Always liked to tell me I was impatient, stubborn, reckless…”

“You are impatient, stubborn and reckless,” Leia pointed out. 

“Didn’t give him the right to yabber on about it. I dunno. He was a pretty good teacher, I guess…” Jaina reached over and squeezed her shoulder. 

“You don’t have to know how to feel,” she said. Jaina nodded. Her comm beeped and she answered it. 

“Hey, Luke,” she said. 

“Jaina, hi,” Luke said. He sounded sad, distracted. “Yoda’s-”

“I know,” said Jaina. “I felt it.” Luke was quiet for a moment. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” There was nothing else to say.

“I’m on my way back now,” he said. “I’ll be there in the morning. Did you guys make it okay?”

“Yeah. We’re all good here,” Jaina said. “I’ll see you in the morning, Luke. Bye.” 

“Bye." Luke closed the comm. Jaina scrubbed at her eyes. 

“I’m exhausted,” she said. “I’m gonna go crash.” Dad pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Okay, kiddo. I love you.”

“Love you too.” As Jaina got up and cleared their plates, she heard Dad say, 

“I should head back to the Falcon, let you get some sleep.” Leia tsked at him. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Han, there’s enough space here,” she said, the ‘in my bed’ was implied but not flirtatious. Jaina wrinkled her nose, but didn’t say anything about it as she went to clean up and go to bed. 

When she got up the next morning, she saw that Dad and Leia hadn’t even bothered to go to bed and had fallen asleep together on the couch. Jaina left a note and went to run some exercises around the hangar. 

She was using the underbelly of the Falcon to do pull ups when Dad and Leia found her. They were clean, well rested, and walking with their hands joined. So different from the constant fighting before Dad had been captured. 

“Hey,” said Jaina, upside down and tangled in the bottom of the Falcon. “How’s it going?” Leia planted her hands on her hips and looked up at her.

“Get down from there,” she said. Jaina flipped down and hung down from her knees. She was just above eye level with Dad. 

“What’s happenin’?”

“Come down, Jaina.” Jaina rolled her eyes and gracefully tumbled to the floor. Dad made a stressed sound in the back of his throat. Jaina popped back on to her toes and looked at Leia expectantly. “Mon called a meeting in a few hours,” Leia explained. Jaina pushed a sweaty chunk of hair out of her face. 

“Alright, I’ll be there,” she said. “Luke should be getting back around then too. I gotta fix a couple things on the Falcon and I’ll meet you there." 

“Alright,” said Leia. 

“Need some help?” Dad offered. Jaina hesitated. She didn’t need help, but she would like to spend time with Dad. Leia winced.

“Mon needed to talk with you, Han, remember?” she reminded him. Dad grimaced.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. Leia swatted his shoulder. 

“Don’t be like that,” she chided. “Mon likes you, Han. I know it’s going to be good news.” Dad cut his eyes at her, not quite willing to believe her yet. 

“I’ve got it here, Dad,” Jaina said. “It’ll only take me a few minutes. I’ll see you later, okay?” she said. Dad nodded absently. Jaina got the sense that he was still trying to make sense of everything, and maybe still felt a little lost, as he followed Leia across the hanger.

Jaina went up inside the Falcon and crawled down into the engine room. One of the compressors had started making a popping sound and she wanted to check it out before it led to anything more serious. She closed the valves and released the pressure, then undid the screw cap. The bolt had cracked and the source of the popping was a small piece that had broken off. Jaina threw away the old bolt and replaced it. When she opened the valves again, the popping had disappeared. Satisfied, Jaina moved on to fix a small leak in an oil pipe. The crack wasn’t too bad, so Jaina could just weld it together rather than replace it entirely. Finished with that, she cleaned up and went to the meeting. 

The room was already teeming with rebels. Jaina sought out Wedge, the vivid orange of his flight suit less easy to spot amongst the other pilots. She did find him though, and if she cheated and used the Force, who cared. 

“Hey, Solo,” he said. 

“Commander,” Jaina greeted. “Heard anything new about this intel?” Wedge nodded with that wild smirk they all got before a particularly exciting mission. 

“Sounds like we’ve got a good chance of landing a serious blow to the Empire,” he said. “I heard something about a massive strike on an imp outpost. Apparently, it’s both a ground and space assault.” 

“Sounds like fun,” Jaina said. Wedge laughed and patted her shoulder. 

“Yeah. Hey- any word from Luke?” he said. Jaina nodded. 

“Yep. He should be here any time now,” she said, eyes flickering to a blur of movement behind her commander. Behind Wedge, Rieekan was waving her down. “Gotta go. See you, sir!” Jaina jogged over to the General. He was talking to Lando, who was wearing his new general’s uniform. He had been promoted around the same time as Jaina. 

“Thanks for signing on, Calrissian,” Rieekan said. Lando shook his hand. 

“Anytime, sir,” he said. Rieekan turned to Jaina. 

“Commander Solo,” he said, “You’ll find out the details shortly, but I wanted to give you a little more notice so you could make up your mind.” Jaina gestured for him to continue. “General Calrissian will be leading a space strike. You’re one of our top pilots, and we could use you out there.” Jaina crossed her arms. She did love flying, but...

“Alright, so what am I making up my mind about?” she asked. Rieekan frowned.

“I’m sure you’ve heard that we’ll also be executing a planetside attack.” Jaina nodded. “General Solo- your father- you know who I’m talking about-” Jaina did, and she felt a rush of pride for Dad and his evident promotion. He deserved it. “-has volunteered to lead the ground assault and has assembled a team. You’re an excellent pilot, but you’re also a talented commander. Therefore, I am offering you a position on your father’s command crew as his second. Serving there would give you some valuable experience.” Jaina nodded, weighing her options. She could lead a fighter squadron, or she could help lead a ground assault. Flying was more enjoyable, but she had just gotten Dad back. But, this was war, and she couldn’t make choices based on her emotions. 

“If I join the ground team, my squadron-”

“They would fly under the Rogues, with Commander Antilles.”

What should I do? 

Trust your instincts. 

“I can give you some time if you need to think about it,” he offered. Jaina shook her head. 

“No need, sir. I’ll join the ground assault.” She knew immediately it was the right choice. Rieekan nodded. 

“Alright. Thank you, Commander Solo.” They shook hands. “Why don’t you go tell your father.” Jaina turned to see Dad and Leia walk inside the room. 

“Well, look at you,” Dad said to Lando, taking in his new uniform. “A General, huh?” Lando rubbed at the back of his neck. 

“I got promoted after the Battle of Taanab,” he said. Dad looked impressed. 

“I knew you were a fair pilot, but I didn’t know they were looking for somebody to lead this crazy attack,” he said. Lando raised an eyebrow.

“I’m surprised they didn’t ask you to do it,” he said. Dad smirked. 

“Well, who says they didn’t, but I ain’t crazy.” Jaina squinted at him- the ground assault would likely be even more dangerous than a space strike. “You’re the respectable one, remember?” Lando shook his head.

“Nah, that’s the Junior Commander over here,” he said, pointing at Jaina. “Volunteering for daring missions- I almost think the pirate gene didn’t make it!”

“Take that back,” Jaina laughed, sitting down. “I ain’t respectable. I’m just crazy enough to think that this ground assault is a good idea. Hell, if you volunteered to lead it, then you’re even crazier, Dad.” Motha stood up before he could react. Leia hurried over to join them as the former senator began to speak. 

“The Emperor has made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come,” Mothma declared. “The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoint the exact location of the Emperor’s new battle station.” A hologram appeared over the war table. The map of a planet, and orbiting it, a half constructed, moon-like object. Leia cursed under her breath. 

“Another Death Star,” she muttered. She caught Dad squeezing Leia’s hand. 

“We also know that the weapons systems of this new Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all- we’ve learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of this Death Star. Many bothans died to bring us this information.” She looked down somberly for a moment as the gathered rebels joined in a brief, informal, moment of silence. “Admiral Ackbar, please.” The Mon Calamari admiral stepped up to take her place. 

“You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor. Although the weapons systems of this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield which is generated from the nearby forest moon Endor.” He pressed a button and a yellow shield was added to the hologram, stemming from the green moon and circling around the red Death Star. “The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted.” The yellow shield vanished and the hologram centered on the Death Star. That would be their job planetside. “Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and knock out the main reactor.” The hologram created a fake explosion. “General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack.” 

“Good luck,” Dad said. Lando raised an eyebrow. “You’re gonna need it.” Ackbar stepped aside. 

“General Madine.” A blond man stepped up to the holo table. Dad leaned forward. 

“We have stolen a small imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator.”

“Sounds dangerous,” 3PO fretted. Leia leaned in towards Dad. 

“I wonder who they found to pull that off,” she muttered. Dad hadn’t told her yet. Jaina rolled her eyes as he floundered for a moment.

“General Solo, is your strike team assembled?” Leia pulled back, surprised. Jaina smirked. 

“Uh, my team’s ready, but I don’t have a command crew for the shuttle,” Dad reported. 

Chewie growled. 

“Of course I volunteer,” he scolded. 

“It’s gonna be rough, pal, I didn’t wanna speak for you,” Dad said. 

“I’m coming.” Dad grinned. 

“That’s one,” he said. Leia smiled. 

“General, count me in,” she said. Madine nodded. 

“Commander Solo will also be serving on your crew as your second in command” he said. Dad and Leia rounded on Jaina with wide eyes. Jaina leaned back in her seat, enjoying his shock for a moment. 

“Rieekan asked me earlier,” she said. Dad made a choking sound in the back of his throat. Jaina smirked. “You didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?” Dad turned back to Madine. 

“All due respect, sir, but sending my daughter into-” Madine raised a hand and cut off his protests. 

“Your daughter is extremely capable, General Solo,” said Rieekan. Jaina flashed him a grateful smile. “You have nothing to worry about.” Dad sank back in his seat. This mission kept getting more and more exciting. 

“I’m with you, too!” Jaina cranked her head around to see Luke striding into the room. She hadn’t felt him land, she needed to pay more attention to the Force. She ran to hug him. Leia followed closely after. Something had changed for him on Dagobah, she could feel it- he was happy and sad and worried, and something made Jaina think it wasn’t anything to do with Yoda. 

“What is it?” Leia asked, noticing something similar. Luke smiled at her, something new in his eyes. 

“Ask me again sometime,” he said. Dad came up and clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Luke,” he said, grinning. 

“Hi Han, Chewie,” Luke said. Jaina squeezed his hand. 

Are you okay?

I will be. R2 whistled. 

“Exciting is hardly the word I would use,” said 3PO.

Notes:

Some quality Wedge content for you all. Also a Still Very Confused Han for your reading pleasure. This chapter is a bit slow, but we get to the action soon, I promise!

Chapter 4: Endor

Summary:

In which Han finally gets to see his kid in action and Luke, Leia, and Jaina make a pretty good team.

The preparations for the attack began immediately. Jaina had tried to pull Luke aside several times to ask what had happened on Dagobah, but either she was torn away by her new duties as a Commander or Luke evaded her. Eventually, Jaina gave up, knowing that Luke would talk when he was ready. 

Dad had been less than thrilled about Jaina coming on the mission. 

“Sweetheart, it’s not that I don’t think you can do it, it’s just that-” Jaina cut him off. 

“Dad, I’ve been doing this for a while now, and I’m really good at it. You’ll need me down there. You don’t have to take care of me anymore,” she said. Dad looked a little hurt and Jaina regretted her words. “That doesn’t mean you can't, or that I don’t want you to,” she amended, pulling him into a hug. “But I’m gonna be fine. You’ll see.” In the end, Dad had realized that he couldn’t keep Jaina from coming. Eventually, Jaina found herself walking across a hanger to an imp shuttle with Dad and Lando. 

“Look, I want you to take her,” Dad said. “I mean it, take her. You need all the help you can get and she’s the fastest ship in the fleet." Lando raised his hands in concession.

“Alright, old buddy. I know what she means to you,” he said knowingly. Jaina rolled her eyes- who the hell said “old buddy”, really, Lando- but she did know he had a point. He wasn’t just talking to Dad. The Falcon was central in both their lives- it was where Jaina had taken her first steps, said her first word. It was where Dad had raised his daughter and where he had kissed Leia for the first time. “I’ll take good care of her. She won’t get a scratch,” he promised. “Alright?” Dad nodded, uncharacteristically serious. 

“Right,” he said. They walked off to the shuttle, then Dad stopped and turned around. “I got your promise, not a scratch,” he said sternly. Lando laughed. 

“Would you get going, you pirate?” he said. Dad flashed him a mocking salute. “Good luck.”

“You too,” Dad said. They walked up the ramp. Luke and Chewie were already there, getting ready for takeoff. Luke was wearing green and brown over his black Jedi tunics. 

“Got her warmed?” Jaina asked. 

“Yeah, she’s coming up,” said Luke. The cockpit was a lot smaller than the one on the Falcon. 

“I feel cramped,” Chewie complained. 

“Yeah, well, I don’t think the Empire had wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewie,” Dad said. Leia came in and slid into the seat between Jaina and Luke. Dad was staring absently out the duraglass to the Falcon. 

“Hey, you awake?” Leia asked. Dad nodded. 

“Yeah, I just got a funny feeling. Like I’m not gonna see her again,” he said. Jaina pulled down some switches and got ready for takeoff. Leia smiled at him gently.

“Come on General, let’s move,” she said. 

“Right. Let’s see what this piece of junk can do,” Dad said. “Ready everybody?” 

“All set,” Luke confirmed. 

“Here we go again,” fussed 3PO. They pulled out of the hangar and circled around the bottom of the big ship. 

“Alright, hang on,” Dad said. “Lightspeed in three… two… one.” He pulled down and the stars blurred as they jumped into hyperspace. 

They didn’t talk much during the journey. It took a good few hours to get to their destination system, but the anticipation thrumming down Jaina’s spine made it feel as though the trip had passed in mere seconds. Before they knew it, their stolen shuttle exited hyperspace above the forest moon. As expected, they were not alone.

The new Death Star was incomplete but its craggy gaps and jagged edges made it even more terrifying than the one Jaina had visited when she was nine. A chill fell over the cabin as they drew closer to the imperial flagship. 

“If they don’t go for this, we’re gonna have to get outta here pretty quick, Chewie,” Dad warned. Chewie growled in agreement. 

“We have you on our screen now. Please identify,” said the voice of an imperial officer through their comm. 

“Shuttle Tydirium requesting deactivation of the deflector shield,” Dad said in his captain’s voice. 

“Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage,” ordered the imp. Dad glanced at Jaina. She nodded and began to enter in the code the bothans had delivered.

“Transmission commencing.”

“Now we found out if that code is worth the price we paid,” Leia murmured.

“It’ll work. It’ll work,” Dad said. Jaina sighed, hoping to all of the hells he was right. They drew closer to the flagship and the chill increased. 

“Vader’s on that ship,” Luke breathed. He looked terrified. Dad tsked at him. 

“Now don’t get jittery, Luke. There’re a lot of command ships,” he said. Jaina glanced at Luke- he was right, Vader was there. “Keep your distance though, Chewie. But- don’t look like you’re trying to keep your distance.” 

“And how do I do that, Cub?” Chewie growled. 

“I dunno, fly casual!” Dad suggested. Jaina rolled her eyes. 

“Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?” the voice asked. Dad and Jaina shared a quick glance. 

“Parts and technical crew for the forest moon,” Dad lied. Luke was staring a hole in the back of Dad’s head but his eyes were somewhere far, far away.

“I’m endangering the mission,” he said. “I shouldn’t have come.” Dad quickly checked that their comm was off, then twisted around to look at him. 

“It’s your imagination, kid,” he said. Jaina shook her head slowly. “C’mon,” Dad insisted, “Let’s keep a little optimism here.” They passed the flagship and drew nearer to the Death Star. 

“I feel it too,” Jaina said. She glanced at Luke. “But I think it’d be worse if you weren’t here…” Luke frowned at her. “Dad, I don’t think they’re going for it…”

“Shuttle Tydirium,” said the imp, making Jaina jump. She held her breath. “Deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course.” Jaina sank into her seat with a relieved sigh. 

“Okay,” said Dad, grinning at them. “I told you it was gonna work. No problem.” Luke rubbed at his head. 

“You okay, Luke?” Leia asked. Luke nodded. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay, Leia. Thanks.” Unconvinced, Leia turned to Jaina. 

“Somethings up,” Jaina whispered. “Y’know- with the Force.” She waved her hand around vaguely. “I felt it too, Luke. Vader was on that ship for sure.”

“D’you think they know we’re here?” Dad asked. Jaina shrugged. 

“I don’t know,” Luke said. “We should be careful.” They swooped under the giant Death Star and down to the surface of Endor. The trees there were immense and green- it was pretty. 

They landed on a clearing in the trees and filed out of the shuttle. They were a small band of Rebels, maybe fifty strong or so. They crept through the trees towards the imperial outpost. Jaina sensed something up ahead. She shared a glance with Luke, who nodded. Jaina reached out and squeezed Dad’s hand. Dad got the message. He raised his fist and the squad drew to a silent halt.

“What is it?” he asked. Luke jerked his head to the direction they had been walking. Jaina slowly walked forward and jumped up behind a large leafy bush to peek around it. A few stormtroopers were walking around in the woods. They stood casually, idly gazing out into the forest. Jaina sighed in relief- if the troopers were not on alert, it meant they had made it to the ground undetected. She gently slid down the embankment. 

“Imps,” she said. “Troopers. I counted four, but there’s definitely more out there.” 

“Should we try and go around?” Leia suggested. 

“It’ll take time,” said Luke. 

“This whole party will be for nothing if they see us,” Dad reminded them. Chewie growled in agreement. “Chewie and I’ll take care of this,” Dad decided, “You stay here.” 

“I’m coming with you,” Jaina insisted. Dad definitely wanted to argue, but Jaina was already moving. 

“Quietly,” said Luke. “There might be more of them out there.”

“Hey, it’s me,” Dad said. Jaina rolled her eyes. They snuck up around the stormtroopers. Dad flanked them from one side, Chewie took the other. Jaina followed Dad then broke off, circling around them. Following a whim, Jaina darted over to a sturdy looking tree, placing the stormtroopers between herself and the other rebels. She jumped up the lowest branch, which was several times her own height off the ground. 

Thanks, The Force. Dad saw her and Jaina could see his jaw tense, but he didn’t risk giving away their position. Jaina glided up a few more branches and hid herself in the leaves. She saw Dad nod at Chewie, then he stepped out from his hiding place and silently followed behind a stormtrooper. Jaina felt a pang of alarm, then Dad stepped on a stick, producing a loud crack. Jaina winced. The stormtrooper heard, spun around-

“Hey!”- and backhanded Dad to the ground. The trooper called to the others- “Go for help! Go!” Dad jumped to his feet and began to scuffle hand-to-fist with the stormtrooper who had hit him. Another jumped onto a swoop bike and began to zip off before Chewie blasted them. Luke and Leia slid down the embankment and ran into the clearing.
“Over there, two more of them!” Leia said. Two more troopers on bikes took off through the forest. She ran to another bike. 

“I see them- wait! Leia!”  Luke yelled, running after her. They jumped on another bike and followed the two troopers. The trooper Dad had been fighting with tried to attack him again- Dad threw him over his shoulder. 

“Hey, wait!” he called. Another trooper went off, towards the tree where Jaina was hiding. Crouched in the branches, Jaina lit her lightsaber, the blue blade standing out amongst the green forest. When the trooper was almost under her, she dropped from the tree, landing behind the white-armored soldier on his bike. One swift motion of her arm sent the trooper tumbling to the ground. Jaina took the controls, following Luke and Leia. 

“Move closer!” Luke said. They were chasing the two troopers from before. “Get alongside that one!” Leia pulled up next to the other bike and slammed into him. Jaina pulled out her blaster and put a shot through the trooper’s head. He fell from the bike and Luke jumped into his empty space. Jaina pulled up alongside him. 

“You guys alright?” she called. 

“Nice of you to come help!” Luke said. Jaina took her hand from the bike long enough to make a rude gesture. A blast hit the back corner of Jaina’s bike and she turned around. 

“Two more of them behind us!” she yelled. 

“Leia, keep on that one! Jaina and I’ll take these two!” Luke ordered. Leia nodded and boosted the speed. Luke and Jaina dropped back, pulling behind the other two troopers. Jaina leapt across to one, pulling the same move Luke had earlier. The bike she had been riding before spun into a tree and exploded. She forced the trooper off his bike and circled back to Luke, who was chasing down the other one. Luke signaled with his fingers and they came up on either side of the remaining trooper, pinning him down. 

“Luke, watch out!” Jaina screamed. They were coming up fast on a tree. Jaina swerved away, but Luke was forced to bail from his bike. The trooper did an almost-impressive hairpin turn and bore down on Luke. “Oh, no you don’t!” Jaina chased after him. Luke lit his lightsaber as the trooper fired on him, deflecting the blasts away. With too much momentum to stoop, the trooper came just close enough for Luke to get a swing in. He brought down his green blade on the bike’s nose gun and the trooper spun into a tree and crashed. Jaina hit the brakes and pulled up next to Luke. 

“Go find Leia!” Luke ordered. “I’m going to go help the others!” Jaina nodded and raced off through the trees. She zipped around branches until she came to a tree with a giant brun gouged into the side. She slowed down- there was the wreckage of a bike. She held her breath until she saw the charred, white armor of the trooper Leia had been chasing. She closed her eyes. 

“Leia, where are you...” she whispered to herself. She got off the bike and stumbled through the thick greenery. She found the wreckage of another speeder, but nobody with it. Leia was definenly alive, that much she could feel. Jaina backtracked through the snapped sticks, following the path they had taken. She didn’t dare call for Leia, not when she wasn’t sure no one else would hear. Spinning in slow circles, she tried to call on some of the lessons she learned from Yoda, opening herself to the Force and touching on all the many lifeforms there, until a chattering noise drew her attention. She grabbed her lightsaber and hid behind a tree, worried she had been been made, until- 

“What is it?” asked Leia. Jaina sighed in relief. Leia was sitting on a log, talking to a small, furry creature that Jaina could admit was rather cute. He was holding a spear of some kind and sniffing the air anxiously. Jaina didn’t know if it was her or someone else he smelled, but either way it concerned her. 

Suddenly, a blaster was fired at Leia and the creature, sending them tumbling over the log. Jaina almost cried out, but Leia immediately popped up with her blaster. 

“Freeze!” Yet another stormtrooper stepped out from behind the trees, holding his blaster to Leia’s head. Leia stiffened, and from behind the tree Jaina cursed herself for not noticing sooner, then immediately began forming a half-baked plan to get them out of this mess. “Go get your ride, take her back to base,” he ordered another. 

“Yes, sir,” said the other trooper. He didn’t get a chance to turn around. Jaina used both of her hands to throw her lightsaber at him, blade ignited, where it struck him in his skull. She crashed through the woods towards Leia, using the foliage to duck away from the shots fired by the other trooper. Finally, she came to where her lightsaber lay in the grass, summoned it to her hand, and knocked a blast back into him. He collapsed onto the ground. 

“Leia! Are you alright?” she asked. Leia hugged her. 

“I’m fine, I-”

“Hey!” The furry creature had jabbed Jaina in the side with his spear. Jaina stamped at it, rubbing her hip. “Back off, fuzzy!” The creature skittered away, brandishing its weapon. Leia stepped between them. 

“It’s alright,” she said. “She’s a friend. Jaina-” Leia gestured at Jaina’s lightsaber. She rolled her eyes, but clipped it to her belt and held out her hands. “See? Friendly.” The creature sniffed Jaina’s hands and lowered his spear. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” Leia said. 

“The others are this way,” Jaina said, “C’mon.” She began walking back, but the little furry thing grabbed her hand and pulled her and Leia the other way. Jaina looked at Leia. “He’s taking us the wrong way,” she said. 

“Maybe he knows something,” Leia guessed. Jaina hesisted, then shrugged. 

“What the hell, why not,” she muttered. They followed the furry creature off through the woods.

Notes:

First and foremost: Sorry for not posting in a while! (Its the end of the semester, finals are coming up... you know the drill). BUT I had a lull in the craziness so you get a new chapter!

The speeder bike chase was one of my favorites from ROTJ and I had a lot of fun writing Jaina into it. Also, she inherited her father's discomfort around small furry beings with sharp sticks.

PS happy star wars day!

Chapter 5: Ewok Village

Summary:

In which furry friends are made- after almost eating our heroes as an entree, but whatever- and Very Important Things About The Skywalkers are discussed. Also, Jaina should probably mind her own business, but that ain't gonna happen.

The furry creature led them to a grove of trees, which suspended a whole village. There were huts in the ground and up in the trees, wooden walkways, and hundreds more of the furry creatures. It was pretty impressive, to be honest. The little creature led Leia and Jaina up some ladders, across some bridges, and to a house that was tiny but not cramped. They were given some food, which actually wasn’t terrible, and even some simple clothing. Jaina wasn’t too excited to change- nothing looked like it would really fit her, she didn’t even want to know how these creatures got clothes for a humanoid- but she and Leia decided it would be impolite to not accept the hospitality. What was supposed to be a tunic or shirt fell past Jaina’s knees and she had to wrap the belt around herself three times. Leia’s dress fit her a little better, falling almost to her feet. 

“We’ll need to go back for the others,” Jaina said. “They’ll be worried about us.” Leia nodded. 

“I know. I wish 3PO were here, he’d be able to understand them and translate…” Jaina shrugged. 

“I could try to use the Force?” she offered. “I’m not really that good at it though.” Leia shook her head. 

“Let’s see if we can find out a little more first,” she said. 

“Alright,” Jaina said. She put her utility belt and jacket over her clothes. She found herself almost struggling to move- she didn’t like not having her legs free, she wasn’t like Leia who could wear dresses like they’d been painted on to her. 

The creatures outside grew louder. Tiny footsteps pounded against the wooden walkways. And Jaina may have been going insane, but she was sure she heard drums. She shared a wary glance with Leia, then they poked out of the hut. 

“What the hell?” Dad, Luke, Chewie, and the droids were there. 3PO was being carried around on a chair- or maybe a throne- and the others were hanging upside down, their limbs to sticks. 

Over a fireplace. 

That the creatures were piling logs under. 

“Oh, this ain’t good.” 

“Leia, Jaina!” Dad said, upside down. 

“Your Royal Highness, Miss Solo,” said 3PO. “I’m afraid the ewoks have taken us as well."

“But these are our friends,” Leia said, trying to communicate with the ewoks. “3PO, tell them they must be set free!” 3PO said something, but the creatures continued to prepare a fire. 

“Somehow, I get the feeling that that didn’t help us very much,” Dad said. Luke twisted over to look at Jaina. He cut his eyes over to 3PO. Jaina nodded slowly. 

“3PO, tell them that if they don’t do as you wish, you’ll become angry and use your magic,” Luke said. Jaina stifled a laugh behind her hands at the silliness of it. 

“But Master Luke, what magic? I couldn’t possibly.”

“Just tell them.” 3PO reluctantly spoke to the ewoks. They perked up and watched him curiously. Then, when he was done, one walked over to the fires with a torch. Jaina cursed. 

“See, Master Luke? They didn’t believe me, just as I said they wouldn’t.” Dad leaned away from the torch that was far too close to him for Jaina’s liking. Luke looked at her and closed his eyes. Jaina stuffed her hands in the folds of her tunic and spread her fingers, closing her eyes as well. 

3PO floated up into the air. The ewoks shrieked and cowered away from him. 3PO yelled in basic, worried as ever, but hopefully to the ewoks it would sound like he was reciting the ancient words to set a plague on their village. Jaina opened her eyes as they crowded her and Leia back towards the hut. 

“Help! Put me down! Somebody, somebody, help!” 3PO cried. Jaina took a deep breath. The trees quivered and the fire from the torches danced, giving the impression of a strong wind. “Master Luke! R2, R2, quickly!” One of the ewoks- Jaina thought he may be some kind of leader as he was wearing some bone and leather crown and had a staff-like thing in his hands- shouted something and the ewoks ran to untie Luke, Dad, Chewie, and R2. When he was free, R2 began to chase the ewoks off with little zaps. 3PO lowered back onto the floor. “Thank goodness,” he said. Dad ran to Jaina and Leia- and immediately pulled Leia in for a kiss. Jaina wasn’t too old to make exaggerated retching noises. 

“My eyes,” she deadpanned, turning away dramatically. Dad laughed, swept her into a hug and pressed a kiss to her hair. 

“C’mon Jaina, leave it alone,” he complained. Luke ran to join them. 

“Thanks, 3PO,” he said. The droid was still in horror. 

“I never knew I had it in me.”

The rest of the rebel squad joined them that night. They relaxed, safe for now, and made friends with the ewoks. 3PO was entertaining their new friends with stories. Luke and Jaina leaned against the wall, and Leia was up against Dad’s shoulder, listening. Jaina didn’t know the ewok language, but she caught “Tatooine”, “Princess Leia”, “R2”, and “Death Star.”

“ Wos michi un Jedi, Obi Wan Kenobi, ee manu machi Vader konyono - yes, R2, I was just getting to that- torron togosh . Master Luke achiminie choodoo …” he trailed off, waving his hands and somehow producing the sounds of a space battle. Jaina, who was leaning up against the wall watching, sniggered. The ewoks, impressed and terrified, screamed in awe. Jaina let the sound of 3PO’s storytelling fade away, staring into the night sky. It was peaceful aside from the looming Death Star and imp cruisers marring the serene blue. 

3PO finished telling his story- the last word Jaina recognized was “sarlacc”, so he must have ended it almost at the present. The ewoks chattered amongst each other.

“What’s going on?” Dad asked. Leia shrugged. 

“I don’t know,” she murmured. The drumming began again and the leader ewok said something Jaina didn’t understand. 

“Wonderful!” announced 3PO, “We are now a part of the tribe!” The ewoks began hugging them. One wrapped itself around Jaina’s legs. She scratched his ears, sharing a panicked glance with Luke. One threw itself at Dad. 

“Just what I always wanted,” he muttered. Jaina laughed. When the ewok detached itself from her leg, Luke was gone. Jaina peeked out to see him walking down the bridge. Leia made eye contact with her then followed. Dad went over to negotiate with the ewok chief, while Jaina decided to sneak after Leia. She hid in the trees near them and eavesdropped. Yoda would say such behavior was unbecoming of a Jedi, but she was curious. And she wanted to know what the hell happened to Luke. She found them standing at the railing. Luke was staring vacantly into the trees. Leia stood next to him.

“Luke, tell me, what’s troubling you?” Leia asked. 

“Vader is here,” he said. “Now, on this moon,” Luke said. 

“How do you know?” breathed Leia. Luke looked down at his boots. 

“I felt his presence. He’s come for me. He can feel when I’m near. That’s why I have to go- as long as I stay, I’m endangering the group and our mission here. I have to face him.” Leia crossed her arms. 

“Why?” Luke looked up at her, a pained expression on his face.

“He’s my father.” Jaina stumbled backwards a step. 

“Your father?” Leia gasped. It was unbelievable. Vader was a monstrous, evil bastard. But Luke- Luke was kind, good, brave, everything Vader wasn’t. But Luke was honest. Jaina knew- she hated it, but she knew- that he was telling the truth. 

“Hell,” she whispered to herself.

“There’s more,” said Luke, because of course there was. “It won’t be easy for you to hear it, but you must. If I don’t make it back, you are the only hope for the Alliance.” 

“Luke, don’t talk that way,” Leia said. “You have a power I don’t understand, and could never have-”

“You’re wrong, Leia,” Luke said softly. “You have that power too. In time, you’ll learn to use it, as I have." Leia, a Jedi. It made sense. Leia was calm, collected, and crazy smart. She was a skilled fighter, an even better diplomat. She always knew what Jaina was feeling, she had insanely accurate “gut feelings”. Of course she was a Jedi. “The Force is strong in my family,” Luke said, after a moment. “My father has it. I have it. And- my sister has it.” Sister- Luke had a sister, too, a fourth Jedi? But, Jaina wondered, who- Leia gasped. “Yes, it’s you, Leia.” Jaina rubbed at the space between her eyes. 

“Holy hells,” she muttered. 

“I know,” said Leia. “Somehow, I’ve always known.” 

“Then you know why I have to face him,” Luke said. 

“No! Luke, run away, far away. If he can feel your presence, then leave this place. I wish I could go with you-”

“No you don’t,” said Luke. “You’ve always been strong.”

“But why must you confront him?” Leia asked.

“Because, there is good in him. I’ve felt it,” he said. Jaina felt her eyebrows shoot up her forehead. Vader- the man who tortured Dad, tortured Leia, broke Jaina’s finger when she was only twelve, cut off Luke’s hand- did not have a good bone in his body. “He won’t turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back- to the good side. I have to try.” He was so sure. Jaina was sure Luke could be walking to his death. She was sure she couldn’t persuade him to do otherwise, and neither could Leia. Luke kissed Leia on the cheek and turned away, leaving Leia at the railing, staring at her hands. Leia didn’t see Luke look up into the trees to Jaina’s perch. Jaina knew she was too well covered by trees for him to see her, but he made eye contact through the leaves all the same. He must have known Jaina was listening the whole time. She hoped he was listening now.

Be safe, Luke. 

Luke nodded once before walking away, disappearing into the night and leaving Jaina alone in the trees, keeping watch over Leia and processing the revelation that was Luke Skywalker’s family tree. She was going to go back inside, when Dad came up to Leia. She settled herself back into the trees. 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Dad asked. Leia swiped at her eye. 

“Nothing,” she lied. “I- I just want to be alone for a little while.”

“Nothing?” said Dad, not believing Leia at all. He sat down in front of her. “C’mon, tell me what’s going on?” Leia grabbed onto the railing.

“I- I can’t tell you,” she said. Dad scoffed. 

“Could you tell Luke? Is that who you could tell?” he snapped. Jaina silently pleaded for Dad to shut up. Leia winced, hurt. 

“I-” she turned away, holding back tears. Dad scoffed again and made to leave, but he changed his mind. He turned back to Leia and put a hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” he said gently.

“Hold me,” whispered Leia. Dad looked a little surprised, but he pulled Leia into his chest all the same, running a hand down her hair like he did for Jaina when she was upset. They looked like they’d be there for a while, so Jaina went back inside to the rebels and the ewoks. Eventually, Dad rejoined them, arm around Leia’s shoulders. 

“Luke went to face Vader,” Leia muttered, her voice thick. Jaina nodded. 

“I know.” She didn’t admit to eavesdropping, hoping that they would think it was some strange Jedi thing, or Luke had told her earlier. Dad squeezed her shoulder. He seemed to be hiding it well, maybe for Leia’s sake, but Jaina couldn’t help but think that he was still feeling insecure over whatever he thought was going on between Luke and Leia. 

“He says that there’s still good in him,” Leia mumbled. “He doesn’t think that he’ll turn him over to the Emperor.” 

“That idiot,” Dad muttered. “Gonna get himself killed.” Jaina winced and Leia leaned heavily against Dad.

“Hey, whoa, you alright?” Dad asked. 

“I’m fine,” she said. 

“I’m gonna go check on the squad,” Jaina said. She left Dad and Leia on the bridge holding each other and went back inside. Any minute now, Luke would be facing Vader, putting his life at risk for the fate of a man who had done him and the rest of the galaxy unspeakable wrongs. No- for his father. Dad walked up to her where she stood inside the now mostly-empty hut. 

“You alright, kid?” He asked as he pulled Jaina into his chest. Jaina honestly wasn’t sure and opted to change the subject. 

“Leia isn’t in love with Luke,” she said into his chest. Dad pulled away and held her by the shoulders. Jaina had gotten tall, but he still had to bend down to look at her. 

“What’re you talking about?” he asked. “How d’you know-”

“Force thing. And y’know, observation,” Jaina said. “I know you love Leia. She loves you too.” Dad brushed his thumb across her cheek, over a cut Jaina had gotten from a branch. 

“Kid, I was gone for years-”

“And nothing ever happened between them,” Jaina said. “Leia cried all the time ‘cause she missed you so bad. Just- trust me, okay? Trust her.”

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, brushing hair out of her eyes. He froze with his fingertips at her temple and let out a tired laugh, shaking his head with a crooked grin. “I swear, you know me better than I know myself,” he said. “How the hell do you do it, kid?” Jaina flushed and tucked herself into Dad’s chest.

“It’s not that hard,” she said. “I’m my father’s daughter.” Dad’s ears turned a bit pink. 

“That’s a terrifying thought, sweetheart,” he said, but then he pressed a kiss to Jaina’s hair. Jaina smiled into his shirt. Luke may have the worst father in the galaxy, but Jaina definitely had the best.

Notes:

Two chapters in one day? Yup! Consider this a Star Wars Day present. May the Fourth be with you! (also- I'm going dark for another two weeks because- you guessed it- finals). This time I'm hoping to get ahead of myself and not behind for once.

Chapter 6: The Last Stand

Summary:

In which teenaged Jedi are once again commanding an army and Jaina finally gets to put her powers to the test.

When she went to bed, Jaina told herself that she wouldn’t let herself get distracted by worrying about Luke. In any case, the next morning was so busy there wasn’t time to do that if she wanted. She barely had time to get up, get dressed, and stuff a ration bar down her throat before she went out to help get the squadron ready. She reported the information that 3PO had learned from the ewoks, she relayed battle orders, then went to find Dad and Leia. They were talking softly, sitting next to each other on a rope bridge. 

“We’re ready to move out,” Jaina reported. Dad hauled himself up and helped Leia to her feet. 

“Alright, let’s go,” he said. They moved through the forest quietly, led by a few ewok guides, to the imp outpost. It was guarded by a small squadron and an AT-AT.

“The main entrance to the control bunker is on the far side of that landing platform,” said Leia, watching a shuttle take off from the pad. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Hey, don’t worry,” said Dad. “Chewie and me got into a lot of places more heavily guarded than this.” One of the ewoks- Wicket, 3PO said his name was- chittered something to the gold droid. 3PO responded in kind. 

“What’s he saying?” Jaina asked. 

“He says, there’s a secret entrance on the other side of the ridge,” 3PO reported. Jaina rolled her eyes. 

“And they didn’t think that’d be good to know?” Dad muttered. 3PO gave a robotic harrumph.

“I’m terribly sorry, General Solo, but-” Jaina held up a hand to shut him up.

“Never mind. Ask him to take us there, okay? Everyone,” Dad ordered, “Let’s move.” 

They followed the ewoks on a long hike up and over a ridge, through trees and bushes, and eventually to a small set of blast doors hidden in the woods. 

“Back door, huh?” Dad murmured, taking stock of the outpost. Only a few stormtroopers stood at the doors. “Good idea.” Jaina peeked through the bushes. “It’s only a few guards, this shouldn’t be too much trouble.” 3PO had another conversation with Wicket. 

“It only takes one to sound the alarm,” Leia said. 

“Then we’ll do it real quiet-like,” Dad said, rolling his eyes. 3PO started. 

“Oh- oh my! Princess Leia-” he exclaimed. “I’m afraid our furry companion has gone and done something rather rash.” Jaina twisted around to see an ewok lumbering across the clearing and to the swoop bikes. 

“Oh, no,” said Leia. 

“There goes our surprise attack,” Dad muttered ruefully. The guards noticed the ewok. 

“Look! Over there! Stop him!” They ran to the bike, but the ewok pulled at the controls and took off through the trees, shrieking. Three of the four troopers chased after him. 

“Not bad for a little furball,” Jaina said. “There’s only one left, let’s move!” 

“You stay here,” Dad ordered the droids. “We’ll take care of this.” 3PO bobbed his gold head.

“I have decided that we shall stay here,” he parroted. Jaina rolled her eyes and motioned for the squad to follow. They went up and around, above the big blast doors, and pressed up against either side. 

“Alright,” Dad said. “The guard-” 

“On it,” Jaina said. She slid down the doors and tucked herself behind the side. Dad went the other way. He crept out behind him, tapped him on the shoulder-

“Hey!” - and ran to the other side. The trooper chased him, running into the rebels there. He took a step back, right into the hilt of Jaina’s lightsaber. The trooper spun around and stumbled back. Jaina smirked, wiggled her fingers, and slammed the butt end of her lightsaber into his helmet. He collapsed on the ground, out cold. 

“Nice,” said Dad, looking mildly impressed.

They forced the blast doors open and Dad, Leia, Jaina, and Chewie filed inside with a few of the rebels. The passage was sterile, dark, and cold. Dimly, Jaina wondered how Luke was doing up on the Death Star. She drew on her lessons from Yoda and Old Ben to reach out for him. He was- confident, still, but a little shaken. Vader must have taken him after all. That wasn’t good- but Luke could handle himself. Jaina had more pressing concerns. The command center for the shield generator was behind another set of big doors. Jaina flicked a wrist at the control panel and they opened. 

“Alright, up! Move! C’mon!” Dad shouted at the imps behind the screens. They got up from their seats and were forced into a corner. “Quickly, quickly- Jaina-” 

“Right.” Jaina drew her lightsaber and held it to the imp officers. Leia ran to the control center.

“Han, hurry! The fleet will be here any moment,” she said. Dad nodded. 

“Charges! C’mon, c’mon!” The rebels set to work. Jaina kept her eyes pinned on the imps while trying to keep track of everything around her. Another imp rounded the corner by the generator, blaster out. 

“Freeze!” Jaina flung her hand out and sent him tumbling into the generator. A cold hand gripped the back of her neck. She cursed as even more imperials, stormtroopers with them, ran into the command center. Their leader pointed his blaster at Dad. 

“You rebel scum,” he sneered. Dad raised his eyebrows at the man. 

“Scum?”

They were marched out of the command center at gunpoint, their weapons confiscated. Jaina kept an icy glare on the trooper who had taken her lightsaber. Waiting for them were squadrons of troopers armed with blasters and some AT-ST type walkers. Jaina tried to focus on the situation at hand, but her mind kept wandering to Luke, and to the rebel fleet, who would be there any moment…

“All right, move it!” ordered an officer. “Keep moving, come on!” They rounded the rebels up with the rest of their squadron. Jaina fumed. 

“Hang in there,” Dad murmured. 

“Oh, I’m fine,” Jaina said, as she put her hands on her head. A metallic flash frew her attention up into the trees. 

“Hello!” 3PO waved his hands, drawing everyone’s attention to where he stood in the leaves with R2. “I say, over here! Were you looking for me?” 

“Goldenrod’s got guts,” Dad remarked. The troopers moved into action again. 

“Bring those two down here!” one ordered. Several went to round up the droids, surrounding them and holding blasters to them.

“Freeze! Don’t move,” warned a trooper. A rustling in the leaves made Jaina dare a glance up.

“What’re you smiling about?” Dad asked. Jaina smirked and cut her eyes up to the trees. 3PO raised his hands.

“We surrender!” A shrill battle cry echoed across the clearing and hundreds of ewoks dropped on top of the enemy troops. A horn sounded and even more jumped out from the undergrowth firing arrows and other crude weapons. Taking her chance, Jaina summoned her lightsaber, feeling energized by the familiar blue glow. She spun around until she was back-to-back with Dad and dropped into her ready stance. 

Chaos erupted across the forest. Ewoks swarmed into the clearing, sheer strength of numbers giving them the advantage. Officers fled into the base. Stormtroopers chased the ewoks into the woods. The clearing cleared up a fraction as the fighting diffused into the forest. Jaina cut through blaster fire with her lightsaber, doing her best to keep the heat off Dad and Leia as they tried to re-open the doors. It was unbearably loud- screaming and yelling and blasts and trees falling. Jaina shook out her hand and adjusted her grip on her lightsaber. 

Feel the Force, young one. Jaina concentrated on blocking out the sounds, and only focusing on what she needed to. A couple troopers drew up behind a fallen tree and began firing at the blast doors. Dad and Leia pressed themselves against it to keep safe. With a silent apology to the beautiful planet’s nature, Jaina threw her lightsaber at the trunk of a living tree, downing it on the troopers. She glanced over at Dad and Leia to make sure they were okay, forgetting that the absence of her lightsaber left her more vulnerable. A trooper came up from behind and knocked her to the ground. She landed hard on her back and stared up into the lightsaber-blue sky.

In the air, blasts and flashes went off, bouncing between the outlines of star destroyers and the rebel fleet. Jaina cursed and jumped to her feet, summoning her lightsaber and cutting down the trooper. They hadn’t gotten the shield generator down in time, and now the fleet was trapped up above them. Jaina shuddered as green and red decorated the clouds. Her eyes were beginning to sting and her ears felt clogged. Jaina spat blood out of her mouth and backed up. R2 had made it to the terminal and was plugging in. 

“Things can’t get any worse,” Jaina muttered to herself. She missed blocking a blast and it hit the terminal, sending R2 reeling backwards and frying the little droid. “Typical,” she almost sobbed. The droid shook, extremities flying, sparked, whined, and shut down. Jaina glanced at Leia before leaping across the clearing to take another wave. She was dimly aware of Dad setting to work on the blast doors, and a darkness up in the sky despite it being around midday. 

Luke, hang in there. Lando, hold on… If she was a ship, she’d be on autopilot by now. She focused on keeping her stamina up and blasters away from Leia and Dad. 

“I think I got it! I got it!” Dad yelled triumphantly. The outer doors closed. Dad grimaced and set back to work. Jaina screamed out her frustration as she lifted a hand and threw a few stormtroopers back. Leia screamed and fell back against the doors. Jaina turned on instinct, catching a blast on her leg. She tumbled into the grass. Upside down, she saw Dad fussing over Leia, who had been hit on the arm. Two stormtroopers came up behind them. Cursing, Jaina rolled over to her feet and stood up, ignoring the pain in her leg. 

“Freeze!” said a trooper, holding a gun to Dad’s head. “Don’t move.” Jaina saw a glint of dark metal in Leia’s hand. “Hands up! Stand up!” Dad slowly raised his hands and turned- then threw himself out of the way as Leia fired two shots into the trooper’s skulls. Jaina half-ran, half-limped over to them. Dad was grinning, and he bent down to kiss Leia. 

“I mean it,” he said. “I really do.” Leia smiled up at him. More troopers came their way and Jaina threw her lightsaber blade in front of a blast that nearly hit Dad. 

“Hey, can the lovefest until we get ourselves outta this mess, yeah?” she said. Dad had the decency to look embarrassed. Jaina stood in front of them, blocking the bolts fired as Dad and Leia returned their shots. They had just made it through the last wave when a walker lumbered into the clearing. Dad pushed Leia behind the wall. Jaina readied her lightsaber. The air stilled as they waited for the attack. Then Chewie’s head peeked out the top hatch.

“Chewie!” Jaina screamed, sagging in relief and momentarily forgetting her wounded leg. The wookiee growled a greeting. 

“Get down here, Leia’s wounded!” Dad ordered. “No- wait!” He turned to Jaina and Leia. “I got an idea.” 

The remaining rebels regrouped. They had sustained some losses, and while it could have been much worse, it was still upsetting. Jaina directed them to the best places to hide where they sat in wait around the perimeter of the clearing. Chewie remained in the AT-ST, playing the part of a walker pilot. Eventually, an officer with a large black helmet came into the clearing. He was alone. 

“Alright, kid,” Dad whispered, “You got this?”

“Yeah,” Jaina hissed, inching over the top of the bunker. “Here’s hoping this works.” She jumped down behind the imp and held her lightsaber to his throat. She pressed him into the clearing and raised her free hand. “The rebels have fled into the forest...” she said. He blinked, confused, then his eyes went vacant and dazed. 

“The rebels… rebels… the rebels have fled into the forest…” The corners of Jaina’s mouth twitched. She sunk into the Force, focusing entirely on the energy between herself and her adversary, basking in the gentle electric pulse. 

“You need reinforcements to continue the pursuit…”

“I need reinforcements to continue the pursuit…”

“You need to stay right here and call command…”

“I need to stay right here and call command…”

“You never saw me.”

“I never… saw...” Jaina frowned and tightened her grip. “I never saw you.” Jaina took a few steps back, lowered her lightsaber, and returned to her hiding spot. The imp opened his comm link. 

“That was something else,” said Dad, impressed and a little frightened. Jaina grinned. They pressed themselves on either side of the blast doors. Jaina kept her lightsaber lit, Dad had his blaster. Dad frowned at her leg. Jaina covered the slightly bloody piece of her shirt that she had wound around it with her hand. 

“Your leg-” Jaina shushed him as the blast doors opened and more imps began to pour out of it. Dad held his fist in the air. Jaina reached out into the bunker, counting the imperial soldiers still inside, and then they were all out. 

“Now!” she whispered.  Dad let his hand fall and in moments, the imps had been surrounded by the ewoks and rebels. Jaina and Dad stood in front of the door, cutting off any escape to inside, wearing matching rakish grins. Everyone froze. They waited with bated breath until the imps put up their hands. The ewoks swarmed them, taking their weapons. Jaina laughed a little breathlessly and smiled at Dad, who was looking very pleased with himself. 

“Get them over there, go now!” he ordered. The rebels forced the imps to the far side of the clearing. “Let’s move!” Chewie ran over with the charges, and they hurried into the outpost. It was completely empty. 

“Pass me a charge, Chewie!” Chewie tossed her one and Jaina attached it to the wall. They worked quickly and quietly, setting bombs all throughout the command center. This time she kept a firm handle on what was going on outside, waiting for the slightest hint of danger.  

“Throw me another charge!” Dad ordered. Jaina attached another to the controls. Something felt wrong- they had won the battle, they were about to deactivate the shield, and the soldiers outside remained incapacitated, so why did she feel so worried ?

Feel the Force, young one. Jaina felt Dad and Chewie, setting charges, the imperials, furious and terrified, Leia, shoulder in pain but otherwise fine. Lando was up in the sky, he was focused, focused, focused. The rebels on the ground were nervous, apprehensive, but a little bit triumphant. And on the Death Star it was dark, dark, dark- the Emperor was up there. Darth Vader was up there. Luke was up there. And Luke, kind, caring Luke, was so, so angry. 

C’mon, Luke, don’t let them get to you. We’re all okay, please be okay, okay? Jaina hoped that wherever Luke was, whatever was happening, he got the message. 

“Kid, you alright?” Dad asked. Jaina hadn’t noticed his hand on her shoulder. She nodded and set her last charge on the ground. 

“Yeah. Let’s go,” she said. 

They ran out the doors again. The rebels filed away to the other side of the clearing. Jaina turned at the doorway, reached out, feeling each individual charge they had set. She must have looked strange, standing in the door of an empty imperial outpost, her hand outstretched, palm facing the doors. She closed her fist and ran away from the doors as fast as her sore legs would take her. 

“Move! Move!” She dove to safety, next to Dad, just before the doors erupted into a brilliant explosion. White-hot fire, red sparks, and a terrible smell were only a few things invading her senses as the imperial outpost imploded. Jaina looked away after a moment, it was hurting her eyes, but when she looked back, nothing remained of the outpost except the flaming wreckage. They had done it. Dad squeezed her arm.

“Kid, is-” Jaina nodded. 

“We did it,” she announced. She sank into the grass and stared up at the battle in the sky, where she knew the tide would turn. She laughed. “We did it!” Dad laughed with her and wrapped his arms around her. 

“The rest is up to Lando,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Notes:

Fun fact- the "You rebel scum!" "Scum?" exchange was actual dialogue cut from the movie. I highly suggest you look it up on youtube- Harrison Ford's delivery is hilarious and it is pure Han SoloTM.

This author is DONE with her finals! Which means more time to write! Which hopefully means more updates.
However, we are at the end of this fic- the last chapter is really more about wrapping up loose ends. That doesn't mean there won't be more Dad Solo fics in the future!

Chapter 7: Victory

Summary:

In which things are exploded (again), family secrets are revealed, and loose ends are tied up. And maybe, just maybe, there is hope for this galaxy yet.

The rebels regrouped near the wreckage of the outpost. Leia came up to them. She was nursing her shot arm, a sight that made Jaina realize how much her leg hurt. 

“Are you alright?” Leia asked, running to hug them. 

“Yeah, we’re alright,” Dad said. That was Jaina’s cue to sink down onto the grass before her wounded leg buckled beneath her. “Whoa, Jaina-” Jaina shook her head and waved him off. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said, inspecting the blaster wound. “It ain’t bad." Dad frowned. 

“Still, let me look at it, alright?” Jaina shrugged and flopped down in the grass. There were still flashes illuminating the blue sky- they may have won, but the space battle was far from over. Dad bent over her leg, Jaina heard him whistle through his teeth. “Kriff, Jaina, what-”

“Got distracted, took a shot in the leg,” she said. “Leia, how’s the arm?” she asked, hoping to redirect Dad’s mother-gundarking. Leia frowned, gingerly examining her own wound. 

“Not bad,” she said. “A bacta patch should have it fixed after we finish up here.” Jaina nodded and squinted back at the sky. The Death Star was still there. As if reading her mind, Leia said, “I just hope Lando blows that thing soon.”

“He’s gotta be pretty close by now,” Dad said. A horrible realization shook Jaina. She bolted upright.

“Luke’s still up there,” she said. Leia put a hand over her mouth. 

“Oh,” she whispered. “Oh, no- Jaina, is he-” Before she could finish, Jaina closed her eyes, reaching out to him, and gasped. Immediately, Dad’s hand was on her shoulder.

“Jaina-” Jaina shushed him.

“Let me focus." She took a deep breath. “Luke’s alive…” But he was in pain, immense pain, white hot and searing, enough that Jaina could more than sense it, she felt the ghost of it lick down her limbs and spine. Jaina shuddered, but didn’t say anything about it. She pushed through the secondhand agony and honed in on Luke’s presence and the presences of those near him. The darkness of Vader and the Emperor was still there, but- Jaina paused, frowned, screwed up her eyes and focused - yes, something was changing. She gulped and forced herself to use all her strength and training and courage to focus on Vader. He was still dark, but… not so much anymore. No where near the man who had stolen her father and broken her finger on Bespin. And he was also very focused on Luke’s pain, but he wasn’t the one causing it. Had Luke been right? She stifled a cry as another wave of pain washed over Luke. 

“Jaina, what’s happening?” Leia asked. 

“Jaina, talk to me,” Dad said. “Is Luke still-” Jaina’s eyes flew open and she fell in the grass. 

“What the hell…” she breathed. The pain had stopped. She shook herself, then cast up into the sky again, checking in. “Luke’s still okay-” Why did everything feel so much lighter? Why did- Jaina gasped again, then began to laugh a little. Something evil had just been taken from the galaxy. Something awful. Something that had felt like a thousand venomous bugs crawling inside of Jaina’s clothes for her entire life, and she hadn’t even noticed it until it was gone. And Luke was still standing, and there was someone new there too. Jaina couldn’t feel the darkness of Vader anymore- had Vader died? Had Luke- no, he wouldn’t have. And Vader- he was still there. But not dark. Not even a little. Luke had been right. But Luke was sad, and a little frightened. Safe, though, at least for now. 

C’mon, Luke, get outta there! Jaina hoped Luke could hear or sense or whatever. And then-

I’m coming. Jaina didn’t realize she was still laughing until Dad and Leia began to look seriously concerned for her sanity.

“Jaina, what happened?” Dad demanded. Jaina grinned and grabbed his and Leia’s hands. 

“We won ,” she said. 

She looked up as a terrible explosion, brilliant as a sun, spread across the sky. The ewoks began shrieking victoriously, the rebels began cheering. Jaina laughed. Leia stared up at the explosion, a thoughtful expression on her face. Dad squeezed her hand. 

“I’m sure Luke wasn’t on that thing when it blew,” he said. Leia smiled and nodded. 

“He wasn’t,” she said. “I can feel it." Dad dropped his hand and sighed. 

“You love him,” Dad said, “Don’t you?” Not angry. Leia looked confused. 

“Yes,” she said, as though it were obvious that she loved Luke the same way Jaina loved him, the way Dad loved him. Dad didn’t get the message. 

“Alright,” he said, “I understand. Fine. When he comes back, I- I won’t get in the way.” Leia shook her head, trying to correct him. 

“It’s not like that at all,” she insisted, reaching for Dad’s hand. She cast around, looking for an explanation. “He’s my brother.” A dumbfounded grin broke across Dad’s face. They kissed, Jaina looked away but didn’t comment on it for once. Just this once. Soon, the rebel fighters from the air touched down, Lando and Wedge amongst them. Lando had broken his promise to Dad- the Falcon was definitely more than a little dinged up. 

“You said ‘not a scratch’!” Dad scolded him, but in the end they were all too happy to care. The Falcon could be fixed soon enough.

Luke arrived in an imperial shuttle like the one they had taken to the ground. Leia ran to hug him, and for once Dad didn’t look jealous. Watching Dad and Leia the past seven years- almost half her life- had led Jaina to consider romance far more trouble than it was worth. But Dad and Leia were happy. Maybe romance was okay, Jaina decided, but she wouldn’t admit that to Dad anytime soon.

The celebrations that night were extensive. Ewoks and rebels partied together under the night sky. There was laughing, crying, singing, some dancing, lots of eating, and even more drinking. Booze tasted much better when drunk in happiness. 

Luke disappeared at one point, and curiosity drove Jaina to find him. He was standing in front of a pyre, holding a torch. Flames licked up the logs and enveloped a tall, dark corpse. Vader. Luke’s father. Jaina walked up beside him quietly, took in the gentle shake of his shoulders and the two thin, clean lines on his dirty face. Her instincts told her to give Luke his space. She told them to stuff it. Neither of them said anything for a while. 

“He turned, in the end,” Luke finally whispered. “He saved my life. He- he killed the Emperor.”

“You won’t be able to go around telling people that,” Jaina warned. 

“I know.”

“You gonna be alright?” she asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” said Luke. “I just wonder- if he had never fallen, Leia and I would have grown up with him. And our mother. What would that have been like?” 

“I dunno. I have the best Dad in the galaxy, and we still ended up in the fighting. We’re on the same side of the war, but still. You never know.”

“I guess I won’t,” Luke said, sadly. “Anakin Skywalker was a good man. I like to think I’d’ve had a father as great as Han. You’re lucky to have him, Jaina. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t.” Jaina squeezed Luke’s hand- it was the prosthetic one, the one Vader had cut off years ago. “So,” she said, “What next?” Luke glanced at her, confused. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the Emperor’s dead. We just took out the Death Star and most of the Imperial fleet. Luke, this war is almost over,” Jaina said. “So, when it’s done, what next?” Luke shrugged. 

“Rebuilding the Republic, I guess,” he said. “At least, that’s what the Alliance is planning. Leia’s going to help them…” Jaina remembered that long ago, Leia had been a senator. She was, at heart, a politician. Jaina had a feeling that Leia would be doing much more than just helping. 

“And she and Dad finally got over themselves,” Jaina said. “So he’ll stick around. He’ll probably sign up to be her personal pilot.” Luke laughed softly at that. “What about you, Master Jedi?” Jaina teased.

“There're more Force-sensitive beings in the galaxy,” Luke said. “The Jedi Order needs to rebuild. But different, better, stronger. So something like this will never happen again.”

“We’ll, we’ve got two Jedi already,” Jaina said. “Three, if Leia signs on. That’s a start.” Luke smiled. 

“It is. Once I’ve got you trained, you can help me, if you want.” Jaina grinned. 

“I will. I’m with you, Luke.” 

They stood in silence and watched Anakin Skywalker burn. 

When the fire had finally died, Jaina pulled Luke away, back to the celebration. Leia and Dad ran to hug them, and Chewie caught them all in his big wookiee arms as well. Lando was there, and Wedge, and countless other rebels who had made it through the fighting. 

A while later, Jania caught Luke walking off again. He leaned against a tree and stared into something in the leaves. A blue glow. Jaina broke away from where she was dancing with Dad and followed him a few steps. She squinted and saw the glowing figures of Not-Old Ben Kenobi, Master Yoda, and a young man, maybe Luke or Leia’s age, with longish hair and a playful grin. Anakin Skywalker, one with the Force. She raised her hand to them in a salute. 

“Hey, kid, whatcha looking at?” Dad asked, walking up behind her. Jaina smiled. 

“Some old friends.” Leia went over to Luke and dragged him back to the others. Jaina wondered if she had seen the ghosts too. 

Eventually they grew too tired to dance but not too tired to drink, and they sat around the trees, all over each other, laughing, talking, singing, until they were too tired for even that and stumbled back into the Falcon. Between three adult men, two women, a few droids and a wookie, the Falcon was far more cramped than it had been in Jaina’s childhood years. She didn’t care much. Leia went into Dad’s cabin, leaving Jaina alone in her bedroom. Not ever wanting to know what would happen in Dad’s room that night, Jaina muffled their presence with the Force before flopping into bed, fully clothed, and passing out instantly. 

They left Endor the next day. It felt good to be all together on the Falcon again, Jaina mused as she allowed herself to enjoy waking up in her childhood bed for the first time since Bespin. Dad came into her room that morning as she was pulling on her boots.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said, sitting down next to her on her bed. 

“Hi. What’s up?” Jaina asked. Dad shrugged.

“Nothing, I just- wanted to get your opinion on something,” he said. He was being uncharacteristically skittish. Jaina leaned against the bunk.

“Alright, shoot.” Dad hesitated for a moment. 

“Well- after the war’s done for real, I was- uh, thinking about asking Leia if she wouldn’t mind me, um, sticking around,” he said. “She said something last night about rebuilding the Republic, I dunno what that means for us, but-” Jaina laughed.

“Dad, I get it,” she said. “You love Leia and wanna stay with her. Go for it,” she advised. Dad blinked sheepishly. 

“Kid, I kinda meant- sticking around- forever-like,” he said. Jaina grinned at him, mouth wide open. 

“You wanna marry her?” she asked. Dad flushed a deep red.

“Yeah,” he said softly, “I do. But- you're my kid. You’re the most important person in my life, and I ain’t gonna do anything before-” Jaina cut him off.

“Dad,” she said, “Leia’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a mother. She took care of me when you were gone, she dealt with all my teenage shavit. And there was a lot of it. I’d love it if you got married.” 

“You sure?” Jaina nodded. Dad was quiet for a moment, then asked, “What teenage shavit?” Jaina laughed. 

“Ask Leia,” she said. Dad shook his head. “So- when will you ask?” 

“I dunno,” Dad said. “Not for a while.” Jaina nodded. Probably smart, considering they were only just now official. “I just realized- you’ll probably be all grown up when the war’s done.”

“Yeah,” said Jaina. “Luke’s gonna rebuild the Jedi Order. I’ll finish my training and help him. But I’ll come ‘round all the time,” she said. “You won’t be able to get rid of me.”

“I’d never want to,” Dad said. It was quiet for a moment. “You know… if Leia- well, I can’t exactly be flying a princess or a senator or whatever around in a smuggler’s ship. You and Luke’ll need a way to get around, too…” Jaina pulled away, wide eyed. 

“Dad, you ain’t serious,” she said. Dad grinned. 

“You can take care of yourself. Hell, kid, you're a Junior Commander now. I’m just suggesting that after this is all over, you could be a Captain.” 

“Captain Jaina Solo of the Millenium Falcon,” Jaina tried. She grinned. “I could get used to that.” She pulled Dad into a hug. “I love you.” 

“I love you too, sweetheart.” Jaina rested her head on Dad’s shoulder and they sat like that for a while, enjoying each other's company. 

“I just realized,” Jaina said after a while,  “I’ve never seen the galaxy during peacetime.” She had been born ten years after the rise of the Empire. Dad had only been six when the Republic collapsed. Luke and Leia were both exactly as old as the Empire. 

“Huh,” Dad said. “We’ll have to fix that, won’t we?” Jaina nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

Leia poked her head in. Jaina didn’t miss the way Dad smiled when he saw her. 

“We need to get ready for takeoff, are you guys ready to go?” she asked. Jaina nodded. 

“Yeah,” she said, throwing on her jacket. The cockpit was crowded- the whole ship felt crowded really, more than it had in Jaina’s memory. Before, it had been just the three of them: Dad, Chewie, and Jaina, smuggling their way through the galaxy. Jaina couldn’t stop a wide grin as Dad took his place in the pilot’s seat. Sitting behind Chewie, Jaina felt like a little girl again as they began liftoff. Dad pulled the Falcon off the ground and into the air, following the rest of the rebel fleet. Ackbar spoke over the comms. 

“All craft jump to lightspeed on my mark. Three- two- one-” 

“Hey,” said Jaina. “Do we even know where we’re going?” Luke, Leia, and Lando looked at each other. Chewie shrugged. Dad chuckled as he pushed the lever that would send the Falcon into hyperspace. 

“I guess not,” he said. Jaina grinned. 

“Alright,” she said. “This’ll be fun.” 

The stars blurred and the cockpit was illuminated a brilliant blue. The war was far from over. There would be more Imperial factions, loyalists, and governments to defeat. There would be more fighting, bloodshed, and loss. There would be more heartache. 

But something told Jaina that they would be just fine.

Notes:

And then they all lived happily ever after THE END!

I had so much fun writing this series, especially with Jaina's character arc and how it changed the other characters close to her. And while this series may be concluded, don't worry. You haven't seen the last of Dad Solo and Co, not by a long shot.

May the Force be with you.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 3 of The Adventures of Dad Solo and Co.