Excerpt: Maelstar

Kyp could not help himself any longer. The tears pooling in Jaina's warm, brown eyes were just too much for him to handle. Without even thinking, he wrapped her in his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Jaina, although startled at first, relaxed against him. Her petite hands clenched handfuls of his robe and she wept bitterly into his chest.

"Shh, it's goiong to be all right," he soothed, rocking from side to side. He could feel her shoulders trembling beneath his embrace, and he rubbed her back gently. He reached out to her with the Force in an attempt to send waves of calming enegry, but he was surprised when she responded by loosening the strong barriers that had kept her thoughts locked away for the last few weeks.

He was startled by the deluge of emotion that washed between them, and he experienced the pain, and hurt, and [i]loneliness[/i] that had been building up inside of her for years. It was enlightening, and heartbreaking all at once. His unusual sensitivity towards the emotions of others did not help him in this regard either.

Kyp suddenly felt like he wanted to break down and cry with her, but what little of his rational mind could still be heard over the emotional clamour shouted at him to remain strong for her sake.

Yes, he decided, Jaina needs a pillar. Someone she can rely on always. He wrapped his arms tighter around her slight form and was pleased when her own arms wrapped around his waist.

Her tears were subsiding now, and her breathing returning to normal. She sighed into Kyp's broad, strong chest and leaned into him for support. Kyp could tell that the emotional drain was affecting her physically as well.

Loosening his hold on Jaina, he leaned back to look down at her. "Do you feel better?" he asked gently, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. She nodded, her eyes locked on his robes, as though the weave of his Jedi tunic was the most fascinating thing. "Are you sure?" he pressed.

Kyp knew that Jaina was not really better. She felt better in the sense that she relieved some pent up emotions, but he could [i]feel[/i] the hurt that still wounded her heart. She was just trying to put up her strong act again, and, he chuckled to himself, failing miserably.

She looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. If Kyp thought that feeling Jaina's emotions was overwhelming, it was nothing compared to seeing that pain etched into her beautful, tear-stained countenance. His own heart blanched at the sight, and he felt so helpless at the sight of her anguish. What could he ever do assuage her broken heart?

Jaina smiled up at him tentatively. Her lips moved, a soft murmur escaping them.

Kyp leaned down. "What?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I said, 'thank you,'" she replied, her warm breath tickling the side of Kyp's cheek.

He squeezed her in a brief hug. "Anytime, Sticks." He smiled warmly at her, and she raised her head fully, their temples meeting.

An electric charge ran a full circuit through Kyp's body at the contact, and he found that he was suddenly and inescapably lost in the depths of Jaina's velvet eyes.

She smiled hesitantly at him, the parting of her full, lush lips causing strange things to happen in Kyp's mind. He could see their faces slowly inching closer together, their breath mingling as their arms wrapped around each other. With barely a thought, their lips met in a gentle caress, tentative yet inviting. The taste of Jaina's sweet kiss sent his senses reeling even further away, and he struggled to fight the fantasy.

Try as he might, the sensation would not die, and it hit him like a thunderclap that it was not a fantasy. He was, in fact, kissing Jaina Solo.