Sword of The Lanterns

Chapter Thirty-Eight- Decisions

The Millenium Falcon and Lando's Lady Luck docked outside the watchtower, attached to the satellite's hull along with the Rock Dragon. After a quick boarding spree where everyone in the three ships squeezed onto the Lightning Rod, Zekk's old clunker docked in the Watchtower's tiny bay, right next to the bioship and the remains of Jaina's a-wing, long past working condition.

Jaina waited as patiently as she could, hopping from foot to foot as her teammates clambered at her side, watching the ship suspiciously, and preparing themselves from any attack that could come. The old, clanking ship landed with a hiss of air, and before the landing ramp had fully descended, a black ponytail and emerald green eyes leaped out of the ship.

"Jaina!" Zekk cried. Leaving her Earth friends behind, Jaina ran to the embrace of her best friend, who looked as if he was about to cry.

"Jaina, oh my gosh, you're alive."

Jaina gave a breathless laugh. "It's good to see you too, Zekk."

Two more voices, followed by several friendly growls, repeated Zekk's cry. Jaina's twin and their little brother threw their arms around Jaina and Zekk.

"Watch out for the wookies!" Someone shouted from inside Zekk's Lightning Rod. Chewbacca and his nephew, Lowbacca, bounded down the ramp. Lowie hugged the group hug tightly in a mess of lanky limbs and dark hair, paving the way for his uncle to push past the rest of them and grab Jaina, twirling her in the air like he always did when she and her brothers were little.

"Chewie!" She screamed with exhilarating laughter.

"I'm not a little girl anymore," She said, though she knew that no matter what she said Chewie would keep doing it. At least, until she wasn't little to him anymore.

Chewbacca growled and grunted, and Wolf looked at him, confused.

"He's right, kid." Jaina looked behind Chewbacca to see a black vest and the smug, lopsided grin she'd inherited.

"You'll always be my little girl." Han Solo held out his arms to his one and only daughter.

"Dad!" Jaina hugged her father tightly, gripping his vest and letting him twirl her and kiss her. 

"Oh my gosh, I thought you were dead," Han set her down, "And I know your mom and your uncle and everyone in the galaxy's got the force but me and they can sense you're okay, but I can't and I was...I was..." Han couldn't finish.

"Dad, are you crying?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah, he is," Jaina dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Dad, I'm fine, I promise," she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. 

"I'm right here."

"I know you are."

Jaina ran to her mother next, and Chief of State Leia Organa Solo kissed her daughter's face and stroked her hair and held her precious oldest child.

"What happened to you?" Jaina was passed to her aunt and uncle and cousin next. Mara, aunt and teacher, firmly gripped Jaina's shoulders and made her niece look her in the eye.

"I....kind of forgot a lot of things." Jaina twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger. She could never tell if it was her mother's or her father's, but Jaina had never let her mother do her hair the way the former princess of Alderaan always styled it, so she leaned more towards her father. 

"How?" Uncle Luke asked.

"It's...complicated." Jaina said. "And it's all the force's fault."

"How?" Luke repeated.