Reunion

"Why Master Zekk, what a great pleasure it is to see you again!" Em Teedee caroled from somewhere over Raynar's head.

"Zekk!" Jaina cried out, her face suddenly turning a flattering shade of pink.

The young bounty hunter looked tired. Smudges of filthy lubricants stained his cheeks and forehead and one sleeve of his tight-fitting uniform was scorched through. "Jaina! Jacen!" He gaped at the others. "What are you all doing here?"

"Hey, Zekk," Jacen replied with a welcoming grin. "Kind of a rough way to say hello, isn't it?"

As Zekk lowered his weapons, Jaina launched herself into his arms and twirled him in a happy hug. "It's so good to see you again! Did you get my holomessages? Hey, how did you make it past the targeted lasers?"

Zekk indicated the singed place on his arm. "It wasn't easy."

Tyko choose this moment to break up the reunion. "More to the point, my oung hoodlum, what are you doing here? What business do you have threatening us? You're lucky IG-88 didn't blast you to cinders."

Zekk took a moment to holseter his weapons and give Jaina a real hug before looking directly into Tyko's eyes. (175-6)

Zekk looked over at Jaina. "The Lightning Rod is closer. We could get to my ship and harass him, create a diversion so the others can escape." He raised an eyebrow hopefully. "I could use a good copilot, Jaina…if you wouldn't mind coming with me."

She hurried to Zekk's side. "What are we waiting for? Em Teedee, you go with Jacen - he's a fair pilot himself, but he and Tenel Ka may need your assistance getting the Rock Dragon out of here."

The little droid floated upward in his excitement, barely managing to keep his new microrepulsors under control. "Oh my! This is sobering responsibility - I will do my utmost not to let you down, Mistress Jaina."

Jaina grabbed Zekk's hand and they raced out of the offices together, toward where he had docked the Lighning Rod. (190-1)

Breathing hard, Jaina secured her crash webbing as Zekk lurched the Lightning Rod into the air, roaring out the overhang-covered shipping area where he had landed. She glanced at the dark-haired young man as he worked, his gaze intent on the controls.

"Sure is good to fly with you, Zekk," she said.

"You seem to be making this a habit - getting into situations where I have to come to rescue you," he said, smiling slightly.

"Hah! I'm not half-bad at rescues either, you know. Watch it, or I might just turn the tables on you one of these days."

"I don't supposed I'd mind it so much." (192)

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