Title: Return to Bolis Island
Author: T'Keira Lea & Darth Lex
Timeframe: post-LOTF
Characters: Jagged Fel, Jaina Solo, Han & Leia Solo, Soontir & Syal Fel, Luke Skywalker
Genre: Romance, Action, Mayhem
Keywords: J/J
Notes: sequel to TKL's Wingman
Summary: Shortly after Invincible, Jaina and Jag finally get their Union.
Disclaimer: Lucasfilm owns all the rights to Star Wars. We don't. No infringement is intended or profit to be made by us.
This is a story of the wedding of Jaina Solo and Jagged Fel, set shortly after Legacy of the Force: Invincible.
We decided to write Return to Bolis Island as a sequel to TKL's recently finished story Wingman, so occasionally there will be references to developments in that story in the backstory for this one. Nevertheless, RBI should stand on its own. (But of course we think you should read Wingman if you haven't already!)
Yes, there will be plenty of romance – but expect the usual Star Wars mayhem, as well. The original plot bunny for this story came from the notion of giving Jaina and Jag (finally!) their version of the wonderful Luke-Mara wedding story in the comic Union. And how could two pilots get married without a dose of shenanigans worthy of Wes Janson? (Or even Janson himself!)
Enjoy!
RETURN TO BOLIS ISLAND Teaser Trailer
The Fox Logo appears and fades. The Lucasfilm Logo appears and fades. The haunting theme "Across the Stars" begins as a series of images appears simultaneously with spoken words.
Anakin Skywalker (voiceover): From the moment I met you, all those years ago…
In The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide: Ruin, Jagged Fel, dressed in a crisp black Imperial uniform with red piping, steps off the dais of the Tafanda Bay's reception hall. The crowd parts before him, and he bows respectfully to the young Jedi Knight Jaina Solo. He offers a greeting. She blinks, then smiles.
Anakin Skywalker (voiceover): … not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you.
In The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force, Jaina waits on a frozen plain as a clawcraft spirals down for a textbook-perfect landing. As Jag climbs from the cockpit, she fidgets impatiently. Once his feet hit the ground, the young couple hold each other's gazes. She grins before sprinting into his waiting arms.
Padmé Amidala (voiceover): I can't. We can't. It's just not possible.
In Dark Nest: The Swarm War, a pair of Stealth-X starfighters pursue a clawcraft through the upper atmosphere above the clouds of the planet Tenupe. When the Jedi craft open fire, the Chiss fighter plummets into the Clawcraft Spin, a deadly whirling torrent of cannonfire.
Anakin Skywalker (voiceover): And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony.
In Legacy of the Force: Exile, Jaina enters the main corridor of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. A taller figure shrouded in a dark cloak approaches from the opposite direction. They pass, then stop. Jaina turns, but the cloaked man does not. A moment later, he vanishes outside into the night.
Anakin Skywalker (voiceover): The thought of not being with you – I can't breathe.
In Legacy of the Force: Invincible, bloodied and battered, Jaina cradles the corpse of Darth Caedus in her lap in the disposal pit of the Anakin Solo. Jag rushes over to her and drops to kneeling, hurriedly injecting her with a stimshot. He takes her hand, and after a moment she looks up at him.
The music transitions into the love ballad "Han Solo and the Princess."
Announcer (voiceover): This winter, join the co-authors of The Courtship of Jagged Fel …
Her back pressed flat against a stone wall, Jaina leans out and peers around the corner, then jerks backs to her hiding place. A few seconds later a tall, vicious man walks by, unaware of her presence. Her elbow slashes upward, crashing into his jaw; his body slumps, unconscious before he hits the ground.
Announcer (voiceover): … T'Keira Lea and Darth Lex …
With Threepio and Artoo behind him, Jag stands in front of a drab gray counter, shouting and gesturing wildly. Opposite him is a droid, which only stares at him impassively. Finally Jag balls his fists and slams them down on the counter as hard as he can.
Announcer (voiceover): … for a new short story …
The camera races across the rolling vista of a calm cerulean sea. In the distance a small island becomes visible, its pristine white beaches sloping lazily to the surf. Only a forty-story resort tower rises above the island, stretching toward a cloudless sky lit by the warm glow of dawn.
Announcer (voiceover): … of love and sacrifice …
The camera angle is tight, focused only on the faces of Jaina and Jag as they look into each other's eyes. A single bead of perspiration emerges from Jaina's hairline and races down her brow. When Jag raises an eyebrow, she flashes him the trademark Solo smirk – and he smiles, too.
Announcer (voiceover): … adversity and triumph …
A tall human man with short spiky hair and a goatee, all shocking white, and dressed in flamboyant, multicolored clothes, flings open the door and barges inside a room where Jaina and Leia are waiting. He is followed by a retinue of droids guiding a hoversled loaded with a massive metal case and piles of small boxes.
Announcer (voiceover): … laughs, hugs, celebration …
Two men in formal dress uniforms and two ladies in luxurious gowns stand together outside a closed door. Soontir Fel and Han Solo appraise each other dubiously while Syal Fel and Leia Solo exchange a warm, heartfelt embrace. Then they glare at their respective husbands, who begrudgingly shake hands.
Announcer (voiceover): … and mayhem.
Side by side, dressed in formal civilian attire not Jedi robes, Luke and Ben Skywalker run full speed down a corridor. Mid-stride they share a worried glance. The next instant, in unison, their right hands drop to their hips and snap back up with lightsabers ignited.
The music shifts abruptly to the triumphant fanfares of "The Throne Room."
Announcer (voiceover): This time …
A train of pink Alderaanian tulle swishes behind a slender woman trotting along a long, narrow corridor. Abruptly she pauses and turns back over her shoulder. Amid the upswept brown tresses, Jaina's brown eyes are haunted, endlessly dark. She spins away, and breaks into a run.
Jagged Fel (voiceover): Years ago, I thought I could see my future in her eyes.
At the base of the Millennium Falcon's boarding ramp, Jag tugs Jaina into his arms. For a long moment they hold the embrace. Then her head tips back, and she gazes up into his green eyes. With the back of his hand he strokes her cheek, before lowering his lips to meet hers.
Jaina Solo (voiceover): I want you to know that I still love you. And I always will.
Hands on her hips, Jaina glares at Jag. He reaches out to embrace her, but she swats his hands away. When he tries again, she shoves him hard and shouts after him until he has stumbled all the way out the open door. With a swipe of a hand, Jaina uses the Force to slam the door on Jag.
Han Solo (voiceover): Why didn't she marry Jag Fel when she had the chance?
A pair of tall wooden doors opens to reveal Han Solo, visibly uncomfortable in a formal dress uniform. Then he glances over at the beautiful woman on his arm. His daughter matches his half-cocked smile, and his expression brightens to that of a man who wouldn't trade the galaxy for this moment.
Announcer (voiceover): … there's no backing out.
As the wind whips white sheers away from the open window they are supposed to shield, Jaina steps between them. She glances back over her shoulder, her forlorn eyes gazing upon the numerous flowers and piles of gifts filling the room. The next instant she looks away – and jumps out the window.
As "The Throne Room" rises to its conclusion, gold text on a black background appears.
STAR WARS: RETURN TO BOLIS ISLAND
STAR WARS:
Return to Bolis Island
Getting married.
Meet me at Bolis Island.
~ Jaina Solo
Prologue
Outside the Millennium Falcon's viewport the lines of hyperspace swirled in their timeless pattern. Feet kicked up on the control board, Han Solo stared ahead, trying to find mindless comfort in the lights' familiar dance. Try as he might, the aging star pilot couldn't shake the uncomfortable tingling deep in his gut. Years of trusting that strange feeling made him edgy, sure chaos and life-or-death struggle awaited him at any moment. Han straightened in his chair and began checking the ship's systems in a ritual that was usually rote.
Amazingly, every system – weapons, engines, shielding, hyperdrive – scored solidly within optimal operational parameters. Glancing at the navcomputer, he verified the countdown timer: just under ten minutes to reversion. With nothing in need of a quick tweak, Han found he couldn't resist the urge to fish out a worn flimsy that hadn't left his possession since Leia had passed it to him just the day before.
Peeling it open, he stared at the words. The same degree of shock still registered upon reading them again.
"The words aren't going to magically change if you stare at them long enough." Leia placed a comforting hand on Han's shoulder before lowering gracefully into the co-pilot's chair.
"You're sure this isn't a forgery?" Han tapped the flimsy on the palm of his hand.
"Perhaps it's an Imperial trap."
His wife's words were wrapped in sincerity, yet Han still felt compelled to look for that same sentiment in her expression. The lines around the corners of her eyes were crisper than normal, and there was that twinkle…
"You're mocking me."
"I'd never presume to mock a galactic war hero."
"Since when?"
Leia fiddled with a few buttons at her station. "Come now. Do you really think the new Grand Moff would sanction a plot to entrap the parents of his son's future wife –"
"That's just it, though. Don't you think it's odd, this sudden change of leadership? Jag's out; his father's in. Not just in, but declares himself Grand Moff. And no sign of Jaina publicly amid all that political upheaval on Bastion."
"From what I can glean from the intelligence reports, the transition of power happened with little or no uproar. It appears Jag's assignment all along was to gain influence in the Remnant in order to facilitate an eventual coup by the Empire of the Hand."
Han threw up his hands. "So you're saying we've been played by our daughter's future husband for the better part of a decade. And this doesn't trouble you in the slightest?"
"I'm saying that's what's in the reports." Leia leaned back nonchalantly in her seat.
"You're not buying it."
"I'd never admit as much, of course. Except in the presence of exceedingly handsome Corellian galactic heroes." Shifting forward, she closed the distance between them. "But yes, I think there is more to the story."
"Well, I have a bad feeling about this."
"The only bad feeling you have, Han, is letting go of your little girl."
He opened his mouth to protest, and hesitated. Leia, the woman who could read between the lines with cunning accuracy, showed no outward concern about a preposterous turn of events over the past few days. In fact, she appeared more content than he recalled her being in… well, a long time. And the only duplicity she suspected seemed to be in motives of her husband.
No, he was right about this. Too many things didn't add up. It was just two short months since Jaina had fought Caedus. Even in happier times, she had resisted commitment to a marriage. After this, she would want time to recover emotionally and physically. And Jag, he hadn't pressed Jaina for a relationship over the past years. In fact, the couple had barely renewed their love affair before Jaina had run off to train with Boba Fett. They both needed time. Unless…
"Fel's forcing this on them. That has to be it."
"I'm sure you'll hash that out with the Grand Moff at the first opportunity, dear." She might have said more, but the chime of the navcomputer put the discussion on hold.
Upon reversion to realspace, they were greeted by a complement of TIE fighters swooping down from a Super Star Destroyer, which hung over the cerulean planet of Maramere like an ominous welcoming committee. The squadron leader was efficient and businesslike. The Falcon, accompanied by their Imperial escort, approached the berthing docks of Bolis Island in record time considering the security measures for which the resort was renowned.
"Too easy," Han muttered as he executed a textbook perfect landing. "Mark my words."
After unbuckling her restraints, Leia rose and put a hand on his shoulder. "For once in our lives, we deserve too easy."
There was a profound sadness in his wife's words, and for the first few seconds he silently shared that sad truth with Leia, her features bore the grief of a mother who had lost too much. Then suddenly her eyes brightened and a smile graced her lips. Dipping forward, Leia scanned the deck below until she spotted a contingent of grey-uniformed Imperials led by a squad of stormtroopers. In an uncustomary gesture, she waved through the viewport at them, then turned and sprinted from the cockpit.
Han bent down to study the arriving crowd and frowned. He followed Leia, albeit more slowly, making one stop along the way to retrieve his blaster and strap it on. By the time Han reached the bottom of the ramp, Leia was face to face with a pair of imposing troopers.
"I must insist on the security sweep, Master Solo. I have protocols to adhere to," the trooper to the left said in the filtered tone afforded by Imperial helmets. The second trooper moved forward with a large scanning device.
Han stormed forward. "Now wait a minute. I thought this was supposed to be a friendly gathering, not some Imperial inquisition. Get that thing away from my ship, buddy."
Han reached for the scanner, only to be stayed by his wife's outstretched arm blocking his forward momentum. "It's fine, Han."
"No, it's not –"
"Hey," a familiar voice erupted from deep in the pack of Imperials, "let me through."
A moment later the voice spoke again. "Seriously, guys. Don't make me get out the lightsaber."
The wall of troopers began to part, but not fast enough for the petite, brown-haired woman shoving her way through. Jaina tumbled forward, past the pair of troopers with the imposing scanner, right into her mother's waiting arms. "Mom."
Leia held the young woman as if an imploding star might try and rip Jaina from her grasp. Mother and daughter said nothing, but Han knew an unspoken conversation passed in their bond shared since before birth. Outwardly, Jaina looked well. Her hair was thick, a riot of curls styled fashionably. Her skin tone was healthy. The damage to her face was undetectable.
The trooper with the scanner approached tentatively. "Lady Solo, I must insist –"
"Dad." Jaina ignored the trooper completely, jumping straight into Han's arms. Words failed him as he held his daughter. So he simply reveled in the moment, praying the mist clouding his vision wouldn't tumble forward and reveal Han Solo to be a sentimental blob of emotions. As his embrace tightened, he understood what Leia had felt seconds before; he just didn't want this moment to end. To feel his child safe, with no indications of the savage battle wounds that had scarred her body, nestled in his arms…
For the first time in a long while, Han felt whole.
"The protocols say we must begin –"
Jaina rounded out of Han's grasp, turning her steely gaze on the trooper. "Protocols? These aren't just some random guests, Sergeant. These are my parents, and they will be treated with the respect they are due. Now put that thing away."
Jaina took a long, aggressive stride toward the trooper, a palm held up. A grey-uniformed officer moved to intercept her. "Respectfully," the man said, "the security measures as dictated by Moff Fel himself are non-negotiable."
"My father also gave strict instructions, Major, that this is to be Lady Solo's day, and that nothing is to interfere with her wishes." Jag Fel strode proudly out of the cluster of Imperials. His uniform, black with red piping, stood out in stark contrast to those of his counterparts. "But if you prefer, we can contact him right now to determine the proper course of action."
The major opened his mouth to say something – just as two massive stormtroopers stepped to either side of Jag. "That won't be necessary, sir. I will note the exception in the logs."
Jag continued to stare at the major, stone-faced.
The man swallowed, then turned to face Jaina. "My apologies, Lady Solo, for any inconvenience we have placed upon your family. Rest assured, it will not happen again for the remainder of your time on Bolis Island. And, on behalf of the Imperial Security Service, please accept our congratulations on your impending nuptials."
Han waited for the inevitable Jaina Solo retort. In fact, he relished the prospect of the braising the Imperial was about to endure. So Jaina's sweet smile and utterly gracious reply – a simple "Thank you." – came as a complete shock. For a woman who was being pushed headlong into a marriage she wasn't ready for, Jaina sure did a good job of putting on a show, right down to reaching out for Jag's hand.
After the squad of troopers had departed, Jaina nudged Jag with her elbow. "I told you the Noghri would be easier."
"Not easier," Jag offered with a smile, obviously trying a bit too hard to seem relaxed. "They don't operate within the parameters of the ISS. Dealing with all the bureaucratic hassles would be more trouble than it's worth."
"Well, at least they would have been discreet." Jaina waved her hand in a generous sweep to indicate the broad scope of their retinue. "I thought transitioning power was supposed to allow us some semblance of a normal life."
Pulling Jaina closer, Jag kissed her forehead like a parent placating a temperamental child. "This is all precautionary. Just until my father is feeling more secure."
"Which should be right about never," Han muttered.
Jaina stepped away from Jag, intertwining her arm around Han's. "Dad, can we all play nice just for these next few days? For me?"
Han Solo, galactic hero and hardened battle veteran, was powerless to resist. "I'll try."
With her free arm, Jaina tugged Leia closer. "And you'll enforce that, right, Mom?"
"Even if I have to bind and gag your father to achieve the desired result."
Han grinned. "In that case, I may just have to break my promise."
Jaina's face contorted. "Let's keep those sorts of details to ourselves, please."
Arm in arm the Solo family laughed.