Peace of the Jedi [Sequel to Sword of the Lanterns]

Chapter Thirty-Eight- White Knight

"What scares you, my child?"

"I am not a child. I don't think I ever was"

"You are all of you, my children."

...

"I was watching a movie with Wally and Artemis, I mean, before she went undercover and everything kriffed up, and this woman said that she was scared of a gilded cage, to be held back as if she could do nothing."

"Is that what you are afraid of?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I hate being told what to do, that I can't do what I want to about anything, or that I'll mess up and make a mistake.

"A mistake in what way?"

...

"I'm afraid of getting close to people. Because all these Black Lanterns, they're right. Everyone dies eventually, as dear old gramps found out, and either there's nothing you can do about it, or you do something that causes their death."

"Like your brothers."

"Don't you dare mention them. Don't use them against me anymore. It's your fault!"

"Jaina Solo, is their death anyone's fault?"

...

"Jaina Solo, I have lived for a very long time. Longer than you can comprehend. I am cursed to live forever, I cannot experience death the way you mortals can."

"Is that why you play around with everyone's lives? Let everyone suffer so you can spice it up for yourself ?"

"You chose this path, Jaina Solo. When it comes down to it, every hero makes the choice to be such. That is what your uncle and your parents did. They could not stand by to see others suffer, and so they gave themselves up to be heroes. And as much as you did not want to be one of the new Jedi Knights, you chose to train. You built your saber, and you made your allies and traveled all over your galaxy to save others."

"...What about Earth? Did I make that choice too?"

"There were things you needed to understand, allies you needed to meet, secrets you needed to learn to become the White Lantern, things you would have never known if you had only been a Knight."

"So am I ready to be a White Lantern now?"

...

"Let's see."

The color returned just as suddenly as the air to her lungs.

"Jaina!" Jessica was hovering in the air just in front of her, fear on her face fading into a smile. She tried to hide that she was hiding a tear when Jaina hugged her tightly. 

"Jaya!" Allana wanted in too. She hadn't had a good hug in so long. Jaina hugged her niece and her padawan closely, feeling their hearts beating furiously in their chests.

"I'm never gonna leave you guys. I promise." She whispered

"You so sure?" A voice rumbled. Nightwing leaped towards her padawan, hand aimed for Jessica's chest. Jaina blocked him with a shield of white light.

She looked at her hand in surprise. Instead of green, her ring was white. Her whole uniform was white and glowing, with the symbol on her chest that was the opposite of the Black Lantern's symbol.

She was a White Lantern.

"Jaina?" She looked at the rubble, where she'd deflected. Coming too, in a pile of black goo, was Nightwing. His mask was torn, but his eyes were the brightest blue, like the bird on his chest.