Twins

Jaina feinted at his head, then began to whirl towards his armless side, bringing her lightsaber around him in a flat, high slash that he could not hope to block. It was a sure kill, one that would land even if she died first- which she thought that she might, since the attack would leave her completely open to an avenging counterstrike.

but as she felt her lightsaber sink through his chest, suddenly, she felt the twin bond they had once shared, after all the years that she had thought it had been shattered opening up again.

And the part of her heart that she had never quite been able to claim from Jacen was filled with emotion. Love. Pain. Fear.

Love. Not just for Allana, but also for Tenel Ka, for Luke and Ben and even Mara, for Jaina herself and their parents. Everyone, except Allana, he would have sacrificed… all for ‘the greater good.”

But she was no different. She would have killed him, all for the greater good. So that Allana and Bardan Jusik’s great grandchildren would have had a galaxy to grow up in. She would have sacrificed him.

She had.

Pain. Physical pain, that she had brought to him, that he had long ago learned to embrace. But also emotional pain. Everyone had betrayed him, he seemed to think. Everyone hated him.

But it had been Caedus who had betrayed them. And beneath all the hate that she felt eroding away, she knew there was love too.

Fear. Not for himself, but for Allana. Part of it seemed ingrained in him. He breathed, he worried about Allana. But there was a new fear. He just didn’t have time. He was powerful, but not powerful enough. He was frantic. He was desperate.

Desperate enough to reach out to his sister as she tried to kill him.

As Jaina was feeling all this, there was a moment’s pause while she simply processed all of it, another moment while she doubted him, and another moment while, injured enough to not be thinking straight, she tried to pull her blade away from him before remembering she could just turn the lightsaber off.

“Jacen!” She felt the cry escape her lips, not even noticing that she had used the name Jacen instead of Caedus.

“Allana.” He reached out and grasped her hand. “The moffs- sending a nano attack- Isolder-”

Of course.

“Have to warn them- Allana-”

She reached into her belt and pulled out her comlink, then commed Tenel Ka. As she waited for her friend to reply, she tried to pour what little strength she had into the twin bond, her love for Jacen, the promise that he didn’t need to be afraid, that everything would be alright.

“Jaina?” Tenel Ka’s voice came over the comlink, Jaina could hear a little girl sobbing in the background.

“Nano attack. Have to run.”

“What?”

“Nano attack at Rock Dragon.” She said again.

“Got it. We’re on our way off.”

Jaina looked up into 2 eyes identical to her own, which had finally darkened into brown.

“Should talk to Jacen.”

There was a pause.

“I don’t think-” Jacen whispered.

“Not Caedus.” She needed to explain. “Jacen. Jacen’s come home. He’s finally come home.”

“Are you alright?” Tenel Ka asked.

“Never been better. Or worse. You should talk to him.”

Another silence. “Al-alright.”

She passed the comlink to Jacen, and sagged against the wall.

“Tenel Ka?” There was a pause as Tenel Ka said something, and Jaina felt a sharp jab of pain from Jacen through their bond. “I know.” Another pause. “I-I think I’m dying.” Another pause. “Not sympathy exactly it’s just- I want to tell you that I love you one more time.

There was another pause. A flicker of- something in their bond.

“I- thank you. Can I talk to Allana?” There was another pause, and Jaina felt concern for Allana through the twin bond.

“Then tell her that I love her. And tell her stories about me, okay? The good stuff.” Another pause. “Then tell her that if she speaks to it- him- I will hear.

“Goodbye.” The word was a whisper, half sobbed. “Jacen out.”

It felt as if, when Jacen ended the connection, he had turned off the rest of the galaxy as well. There was nothing but the Biodisposal pit, and not even all of that, and the two twins, leaning against each other, their blood mixing together, as the ground beneath them seemed to be rocking back and forth, back and forth, as if to lull them to sleep. There was nothing left to say, each of them already knew it all.

And then, suddenly, there was a boy standing in front of them, with icy blue eyes and tousled, sandy brown hair. A light blue glow the only difference from when he had been alive.

“An-a-kin” She gasped out in a whisper.

He stared at her for a moment. “Jaina. Jaina I’ve- I’ve missed you.

He looked at Jacen.

“It’s almost time.”

“Anakin. I-”

“I know.” He said simply.

The brothers stared at each other for a minute.

“Allana will live.” He said. “Tenel Ka will live. Jaina will live-”

“But I don’t want to.” She whispered, crying. “I don’t want to stand tall and alone.

“You won’t.” Jacen said simply. “And someone’s got to stay with Mom and Dad.”

She bit back anger, not wanting to waste what little time they had together. After all, he hadn’t shown much concern for their parents when he tried to blow them out of the sky.

But all she said was, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He said. “Look out for Allana.”

After a few moments, she felt the final discharge of elemental energy that every force user would know and comprehend.

Allana was the last word he ever spoke.

As her husband guided the Millennium Falcon into the GAG hanger, she felt her son- she was sure that it was her son- reach out to her, full of love and pain, but also relief. And then he is gone.

In an escape pod, Allana cried. The Force was full of pain, and fear, and people going away. It surrounded her, enveloped her. And then, all she could hear was her own name- Allana.

Her arms around her child, Tenel Ka looked up as she was touched by a presence she had never thought she’d feel again. And then, it collapsed in on itself like an exploding star, and Jacen was gone.