#why yes this is the exact type of friendship that Xaja and Jakar have

[keldae]

Fictober 2021 -- Day 30

Alternately titled “The Orgus Maneuver: Epilogue”. You may want to read that one first for some context. ;) Thanks for letting me borrow Jakar again, @corey-067! 

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The Meridian Complex was a war zone, with Imperial and Corellian bodies alike littering the corridors, and the acrid scent of smoke in the air. Ahead, Xaja could hear the sounds of combat, including the familiar humming and clashes of lightsabers. "Hurry!" she barked out to Tau and Arn, both only a step behind her as they raced to the conflict, ready to back up the defenders from the invading Imperial force.

Then a flicker in the Force made Xaja stumble, shock making her lose focus for a moment. She could sense a presence ahead, one that she'd never expected to sense again in this lifetime. "Impossible," she breathed out, reaching with the Force for that presence. No, it was him -- that was a presence she would have known anywhere.

Confusion shifted to hope, then joy, then pure fury. "I'm gonna kill him!" she hissed as she started running again, toward the presence of someone she'd once considered her best friend.

"Comm-- Xaja?" Tau sounded confused, and Arn looked even more perplexed than his master. "Who are you going to kill, Malgus?"

"Not Mal-- well, yes, Malgus," Xaja corrected herself. "But first, that asshole who calls himself the Barsen’thor."

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The arrival of the three Jedi was timely for the Corellians who had rallied here to hold back the Imperials. Xaja hadn't waited for Tau to leap into the fray before throwing her sabers in a precise, controlled arc, taking out two of the Imps from behind. The sabers came back to her hands as she jumped, landing on a third invader while madly deflecting blaster fire.

In the Force, she could sense a multitude of emotions -- confusion and fury from the Imps, relief from the Green Jedi, and shock from the familiar Force presence she'd sensed. A silvery-blue saber-staff swept down to take down a Sith who'd turned to face the newly arrived Jedi, and in moments, silence had fallen over the group of Republic defenders and reinforcements.

Xaja straightened up and turned, facing Jakar Forseti for the first time in over seven years. "You asshole!" she cried out by way of greeting.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Jakar rested his hands on his hips and stared down at Xaja. "Sorry, which one of us is the asshole? I thought you were dead for the last seven years!"

"You died! Before everything went to shit with Zakuul! I saw the report myself!"

"If you thought a pack of Sith could legitimately do me in, Midget…"

"The SIS verified it! I fucking grieved for you!"

"And then got your ass killed by a fleet of unstoppable warships!"

Xaja paused for a second. "... So we've confirmed that I'm both better at playing dead and more of a badass than you?"

Jakar rolled his eyes. "Always overdoing it while copying me. You haven't changed since we were kids."

"You know damn well that I half-ass nothing, Forseti!"

"Including getting your ass stuck in a galactic war? I assume that's why you're here, anyway."

"Yep. Me and my own fleet."

"Yeah, you're definitely a master of overkill."

"I am gonna glitter bomb your ship again…"

"Don't even think about it! I think I still have glitter on my ship from the last time you did that!"

"Awww, you left some of my glitter around?" Xaja cheerfully wrapped an arm around Jakar’s waist in a hug. "I missed you too… even if you're still a jerk."

Jakar muttered something incoherent as he hugged Xaja back, fondly ruffling her hair and smirking as she swatted at his hand. "Yeah, fine, it definitely wasn't the same without you here. I needed my cohort in crime around to--"

"I hate to break this up," Tau interjected, "but in case you two didn't notice, there's more Imps coming in." Indeed, the lift doors had opened, and a squad of Imperial soldiers were running out, blasters at the ready, already aiming at the group of Jedi. "And Malgus is still here."

Jakar turned to look at the approaching Imperials, then paused; when Xaja looked up, she saw a purely evil grin on her friend's face and quickly started backing up. "No, no, I know that look, do not ruin this reunion with the damned Orgus Maneuver--"

"Too laaaaaaate!" The Force surged, catching Xaja in an inescapable grip as she was lifted and bodily thrown at the group of Imperials, who all seemed to freeze, stunned at the sight of a furiously screeching redhead Jedi being sent flying directly at them, lightsabers activating at the last second.

Jakar burst into merry laughter as he watched Xaja land hard on the Imps, ignoring Arn's scandalized look and Tau's mischievous, contemplative gaze. "Ahh, yes. All is well with the galaxy again."