Office hours [all day]

[sith_happened]

It had been difficult to send Christopher back through the portal, especially when Juliet had woken up in the morning demanding to play with her new friend.

Loudly.

And every fifteen minutes.

So Anakin had fled like a fleeing thing had headed into work, though he was spending much of it texting with Rory. Hopefully Juliet would find something else to catch her attention soon.

Comments

[solo_sword]

"Jag grew up among them. His family's part of the Ascendancy," she shrugged. "I admit it wasn't exactly a selling point."

[sith_happened]

"They're...different," Anakin hedged.

[solo_sword]

"I'm aware," Jaina said. "Half of Twin Suns at one point was Chiss. But because family stuff's involved, I would have had to be the one to pack it in and move out there. I guess it worked in at least one reality."

No, not really.

[sith_happened]

"I guess so," Anakin said a little dubiously. "At least it means that the prophecy doesn't always mean you die alone?"

[solo_sword]

"That's a depressing way to put it," she frowned.

[sith_happened]

"Sorry," Anakin said with a tiny smile. "I'm starting to feel left out without a title."

[solo_sword]

"Want mine?" Jaina smiled. "Though actually, as much as the title stinks, I'm good with it. Even if it means... there has to be better phrasing than 'dying alone.'"

[sith_happened]

"So you get back together with Jag in this version, or never break up?" Anakin asked. "Or was the little one not that helpful?"

[solo_sword]

"I'm not sure, and I don't think I'd want to know, really," she said thoughtfully. "I have a feeling we broke up and got back together again, but if by some chance I ever run into him again, I don't want that on my mind, if that makes sense."

[sith_happened]

"No, it does," Anakin said, nodding. "You don't want to be blurt out 'oh, we had a child together!' if you would rather him not think you're insane."

[solo_sword]

"Mostly that somehow I doubt anything that had us crossing paths would be something overshadowed by me wondering whether or not this is where we get back together. It's an alternate reality, that's it." She paused. "Though I really would like him to think I'm not psychotic, I have enough strikes against me already."

[sith_happened]

"Bug thing?" Anakin guessed.

[solo_sword]

"In part," she said. "The war was also between the Killiks and the Chiss, and we ended up fighting on opposite sides. Things got messy at the end there."

[sith_happened]

"How messy?" Anakin asked.

[solo_sword]

Jaina shifted a little uncomfortably, because she knew this really was her fault. "The reason Zekk and I stayed behind with the Killiks was because the Chiss had captured our friend Lowbacca, and we weren't leaving without him. When the Killiks were gearing up to attack the Chiss and start a war, I intervened and got in touch with Jag to warn him. So in return, Jag had Lowie released, but he'd be responsible for him," she said. "A year later, Jacen told us we were trying again to prevent the war, but he actually had us attack a Chiss supply depot as a preemptive strike, which helped start things off instead. Jag apparently recognized my flying style, I'm the only strategist of the team that went on the raid, so I took most of the blame- if not all- from the Chiss, and because Lowie was involved, Jag and his family are financially responsible for all the damage. Suffice to say Jag's not happy with me."

[sith_happened]

Anakin's eyebrows drew together. "Why did the New Republic allow for a Jedi to be captured by the Chiss at all?"

[solo_sword]

"Galactic Alliance," she corrected. "We underwent a name change during the Vong war. And at the time we were sort of fighting a little battle with the GA over whether the Jedi worked for them or not, so there was a slight conflict of interest going on."

[sith_happened]

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Got it. Lowie was an unfortunate political pawn. I hate politics."

[solo_sword]

"I don't know that I'd call him a pawn. We lost him due to a stupid mistake- on my part- and the Chiss held him because that's how things go in war." At least she could look at it objectively now. "The GA just wanted the Jedi working on the Chiss' side of things so it was a big mess."

[sith_happened]

"I'm getting a headache just trying to figure it out," Anakin admitted wryly.

[solo_sword]

"Luckily I got to stay out of most of that," Jaina said. "I just did whatever I thought was right." Like a Jedi should do, really.

[sith_happened]

"It's what I tried to do," Anakin said, though that was probably not the most ringing endorsement ever.

[solo_sword]

She had a feeling there were slight differences in their reasoning, which made it easier not to take that badly. "Sometimes all you can do is try, and see what happens," she said. Not that she was going to do that or anything.

[sith_happened]

"And then sit through the lecture and try again," Anakin said with a slightly wry smile.

[solo_sword]

Jaina paused, wondering, "What if you've gotten really bad at sitting through lectures?"

Hypothetically, of course.