Sword of The Lanterns

Chapter Twenty- A Disturbance In The Force

Space was much too quiet for Zekk's liking. Even when they were streaming through hyperspace there was a lack of peace. Either from Jaina's tinkering or her brother's chatter, but Jacen hadn't felt like telling a joke since his sister disappeared.

"What time is it when a reek steps on your chronomenter?" He asked half-heartedly.

As if to prove how downtrodden they were, Tenel Ka, of all people, took the bait.

"I do not know, friend Jacen, what time is it when a reek steps on one's chronometer?"

Jacen attempted a smile. "Time to get a new chronometer."

It was far from the first time that Zekk had ever heard that joke, especially from Jacen. All the same, he attempted a laugh, but it sounded dark and hollow.

"That's okay," Jacen slumped in the navigator's seat. "I wasn't expecting you guys to laugh anyway."

Tanel Ka reached across the cockpit and squeezed his shoulder. "It was a valiant attempt, friend Jacen."

Lowie crooned softly, and when Em-TeeDee didn't offer his usual translation, Zekk noticed that the wookie had turned him off.

"Any transmissions from mom and dad?"

Zekk shook his head, checking the comm one more time to be sure. "Nothing in the last six hours. Nothing from the Chief of State, not from Master Skywalkers, not from Lando or Anja, not from the Hapan spy network," he heard Tenel Ka give an almost imperceptible scoff under her breath, "-but Raynar and Lusa sent a quick message from the Bornaryn fleet just to say that they don't have any leads." He told them bitterly.

Jacen resorted to staring out the window dramatically. "Jaina's alive. I know it."

Zekk couldn't help but smile this time. "Me too."

As he smiled, he felt something stirring in the force, something deep within him.

Tenel Ka stiffened under her crash webbing, and Lowbacca cocked his head to the side curiously.

"You guys feel that too?" Jacen asked quietly.

The others in the cockpit nodded.

Zekk knew who it was. 

"Jaina." He reached out into the force, pushing through to find the source of the tremor.

It was Jaina, and she was trying to use the force. She wasn't in any iminent danger, but she needed help. Zekk briefly recalled the story of Master Skywalker's famous failure, where he was unable to lift his X-wing out of the swamps of Dagobah and his Master Yoda had to do it for him. That was what Jaina was trying to do know. She was having more trouble than usual, but she was trained much more than her uncle. Zekk imagined lifting rocks, and could feel the others reaching out to do the same thing.

Then, just as suddenly as the tremor had alerted them, it was gone. The cockpit returned to another lapse of silence.

"Where is our next search location?" Tenel Ka asked. Jacen quickly pulled up the holomap while Lowie barked an answer, forgetting that his translator droid was switched off.

"Plon Major, on the edge of known space," Zekk said, their list of places to search for Jaina Solo drummed into his head.

His fingers flew across the Lightning Rod's controls, inputting the coordinates for the Plon system.

As the stars streaked towards infinity, Lowbacca bellowed a challenge to anyone standing in their way.

"We're coming for you, Jaya," Jacen whispered.

Zekk repeated it over and over in his head. "I'll find you Jaina, I promise."

AND IT'S SHORT, I'M SORRY >-<

CourtlyMayhem Thank you so much for your review! It made my day just to wake up to that. I had this sitting in my drafts and even though it's short I decided to just post it.

If there is something in particular you would like to see happen to Jaina, the team or her friends, please comment! Feedback means so much to me!

~Lizard