Disclaimer: I do not own The Force Unleashed!
Note: I am SO sorry for the delay in this. I hate missing a deadline, especially when I should have been able to meet it. I've clearly done something to upset this site as I seem to be getting login and story edit errors on a regular basis now. Apologies in advance if this chapter is not as polished as normal because of this. There's only so many times I can attempt to get my edits to save before I have to admit defeat. Thank you to all my reviewers and readers, both old and new! A big thanks to Liisiko, as always, for her help and support!
EDIT: For some reason the middle scene of this chapter was cut out. Hopefully it should be there, now.
CHAPTER 25 - Accompaniment
Location: Corellian Shipyard
Juno, Galen and two other personnel were seated on one side of the long table as Commodore Viedas stood before the holo-unit, waiting for the image to sharpen as the device warmed up after a long time sitting idle. The Armistice had managed to dock in a large shipyard orbiting the planet Corellia and the commodore had decided to take the opportunity to get a change of scenery.
Judging from the poor standards of the room, however, it seemed he might be starting to regret that choice. It was small and full of mismatched, uncomfortable furniture and the air held a slightly stale scent. In the far corner of the room, a small maintenance droid was busy cleaning the floor where a puddle of rusty looking water had escaped from a leaking pipe.
The Rodian cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention and then introduced those gathered.
"Starkiller and Captain Eclipse, this is Ja-Ran Leed, Head Mechanic stationed here and his assistant, Kito Riishk. They will be aiding you with making the repairs to your ship." He looked to Ja-Ran for confirmation.
"I already have the schematics, Commodore." Ja-Ran confirmed. "I would appreciate some time with Captain Eclipse, also – sometime later today, preferably."
"I'm sure that can be arranged." The Rodian's tapering mouth lifted in a slight smile. He hadn't said as much, but Juno fancied that the commodore, in fact, was rather relieved to hear that they had remained with the Alliance despite everything that had happened. "Would that be well with you, Captain?"
"Of course." She turned to the mechanic. "I can arrange to come and speak with you after this meeting, if you would like."
"The sooner the better." Ja-Ran agreed. "I understand that there are repairs that need to be completed as well as the possibility of some upgrades. As you are aware, we're running on a tight schedule, but there should be enough time to make some adjustments."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you."
"Then, if you would excuse us." Ja-Ran stood, bowed his head towards them and then ushered his assistant out of the room.
There was a brief moment for the commodore to gather his thoughts and then, at last, the meeting was ready to begin properly.
"Your destination will be Nar Shaddaa." The commodore began, zooming in on the holographic map of the galaxy until the polluted moon filled the screen.
Nar Shaddaa. It had been a long time since Galen and Juno had been on its miserable, decaying surface – back when they had been searching for Kota after their escape from the Empirical.
It was nothing more than a hot-spot for crime; its sprawling cities inhabited by criminals, pirates and smugglers. Even now, Juno could clearly remember the awful smell of the place and how the stench had lingered in her hair long after they had left – even after a number of washes. It was not a nice place, not by a long shot and the thought of once again moving amongst the crowded streets, struggling to breathe, instantly crushed her spirits.
The holographic map scaled down even further, focusing in on a rectangular strip of city. The overhead view of the streets was little more than a mass of twists and turns; totally incomprehensible to the untrained eye.
"Six days from now, Nar Shaddaa will be host to one of the largest swoop race events in the galaxy. We have managed to confirm the attendance of at least three important targets who will be attending." The holographic image shifted again, displaying the images of three human males. All of them had rather average appearances – which they used to their benefit, perhaps. Striking features would stand out in a crowd, after all.
"Who exactly are they?" Juno asked curiously.
"They're information brokers." Viedas continued. "One of which was recently involved in aiding with a nasty attack on one of our freighters."
"How are the brokers getting this information?"
"That is the most concerning part. They most certainly have many different routes they can take, but the two that concern us most is the possibility of their own spies amongst our numbers or rebels who are giving them this information."
Juno tried not to look horrified at the prospect, but it must have shown because the Rodian followed up hastily.
"There's no saying that these rebels are willingly handing over the information that they request, but whether we like it or not, these sorts of things are bound to happen. What is it they say? Every man has his price?"
"So what exactly do you want us to do? Assassinate them?" Galen got straight to the point. He cared little for pointless background information. Point him at the target and he would do what needed to be done.
The Rodian, picking up on his impatience, gave a brief nod and the holo-image flared again, shifting back to another close up on a section of the city. "What we need of you, Starkiller, is not as easy as all that."
Galen's eyebrows lifted.
"Have you ever operated a swoop bike before?"
Before he could even answer, Juno leapt in to respond for him. "You can't be serious."
Both Galen and Viedas looked taken aback and that response only seemed to aggravate her further.
"Do you realize how many idiot racers are killed ever year on those things? Those bikes are unpredictable and dangerously modified. It's not at all like piloting a ship."
"True as that may be, Starkiller is Force-sensitive." The commodore returned.
"But that doesn't make him invincible. Besides, I fail to see how competing in a race would benefit us in this situation."
"If you would let me finish?"
Juno, flushing, fell silent. Inwardly she chastised herself for her lack of professionalism. Perhaps there was some truth to what Hayes had been saying after all. She was letting her personal feelings get in the way of her job. But how could she not? This was the man she loved and he bled and hurt just like anyone else.
"This year, the races on Nar Shaddaa are being sponsored by the information brokers, which explains their presence and also puts them in a particularly vulnerable position. A position we can take advantage of. Attempting to get close to them during the event would be near impossible, particularly judging by previous attendance to these events. If we want to keep this low-key, we will need to wait. Traditionally, when all the races are concluded, the winners are invited back to an exclusive celebration. The numbers will be limited, of course, and all of the sponsors will be in attendance."
"So I need to win a race to get myself on the invite list." Galen didn't sound too concerned.
"That's it exactly." Viedas nodded. "We want the brokers brought in alive. We intend to question them and discover who amongst us has provided them with information."
"That shouldn't be a problem."
"I assume I'll be monitoring from the Rogue Shadow?" Juno checked.
"That's correct. You'll also be taking another member with you; Flight Officer Sia, who is currently stationed here. She's already been briefed, but I'll be sure to introduce you."
"What?" Galen's eyes darkened.
"The flight officer will be accompanying you to the event to keep an eye on our targets and report back anything abnormal whilst you are occupied."
"If she's a pilot, what experience does she have in this?" Galen continued. "I won't be responsible for her."
"You won't need to be." Viedas continued. "She is there as an observer only and will maintain a constant link with both you and Juno. Flight Officer Sia has been chosen carefully for this mission. She has knowledge that will be integral to the successful communication between yourselves and the operatives we already have stationed there."
"Operatives?"
"Yes. They will be notified of your arrival and be there to greet and update you on the immediate situation. They will also accompany the flight officer to the event and aid in alerting to any changes. Unfortunately, these operatives are Chadra-Fan."
Juno and Galen blinked, clearly not understanding the weight of that sentence.
"They're a race that have a very unique dialect. They can understand Basic, but their grasp of speaking the language is somewhat limited. Flight Officer Sia has had a lot of experience working with the Chadra-Fan and will be able to communicate with them far more readily than those who might have been better suited."
"They why use the Chadra-Fan at all?" Galen asked; his irritation still prominent.
"They're…particularly suited for undercover work. Let's just say it comes naturally to them. You'll see for yourselves when you meet them." He continued: "Once you have the information brokers held captive you will be sent the co-ordinates for your next destination. The event will begin at fourteen hundred hours local time with the last race scheduled to come to a close at approximately twenty-three hundred hours. You will be provided with all the equipment you need and a full mission detail will be sent to you."
"And the swoop?" Juno asked.
"Is at Nar Shaddaa. Unfortunately there won't be enough time to do more than a couple of practice runs."
The blonde pilot frowned but said nothing.
Galen, however, seemed completely relaxed about the whole thing. "This job sounds suspiciously easy."
The Rodian gave a short nod. "Much of our time is spent doing preventative work to keep situations like this from escalating out of control. If we can weed out spies amongst our numbers that will go a long way to preventing a lot of major disasters in the future." Shaking his head, he switched back to the mission at hand. "You have already been registered under the name 'McLeod'. You may want to avoid winning the grand finale to avoid attracting too much attention at the celebration. Racers are sorted at random so there's no predicting the quality of the competition you may come up against." He gave a wry smile. "But, as you say, this should be no problem for you."
Galen gave a short nod.
"Well, if you have no more questions, shall we go and meet the flight officer who will be joining you?"
"Lead the way, Commodore." Juno replied lowly, getting to her feet and waiting for the Rodian to power down the holo-unit. Then, with that done, he strode towards the door and left without pause, assuming that he would be followed.
Before Galen could take a step, Juno's arm lifted to prevent him from leaving the room. "Have you even raced before?"
"No."
She frowned at him, opening her mouth to tell him how reckless he was being. To tell him how that sort of attitude would be more than enough to land him in trouble.
He interrupted her before she could get a word out: "It'll be fine. How hard could it be?"
"Weren't you listening to anything I said, before? You can be so infuriating!"
He turned to her, setting his hands heavily on her shoulders. "Juno." He leaned in close and kissed her hard on the mouth; stunning her into silence. "Stop worrying."
"You're reckless." Juno countered weakly.
"And you say it like it's a fault?" He arched a brow teasingly.
The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped them back to attention. Viedas was stood in the door, frowning slightly at them. "Are you coming?"
"Ah, yes, there she is. Right on time." The Rodian exclaimed; arriving just as the pilot stepped out of her starfighter and dropped to the ground. The deck rang beneath her heavy boots as she landed.
"Flight Officer Sia?"
The pilot straightened and looked towards them curiously. "Yes, sir!"
"This is Captain Eclipse and the Jedi, Starkiller." He gestured towards them as they came to stand at his side. "You were briefed this morning about your next assignment, I presume?"
"That I was, sir. Looking forward to it." Her fingers worked at the buckle under her chin and then she pulled the helmet off of her head, revealing a merry-looking face and a frizz of wild black hair.
Juno started. This woman was the very same one who had spoken to her that day she had gone in search of Galen; afraid that he had been causing a scene.
Noticing that Juno had clearly recognized her, the pilot chucked. "And we meet again! When I heard I'd be helping out a Jedi I did wonder." She threw them a wide smile, clearly proud that she had come to the right conclusion.
"You know one another?" Viedas sounded surprised.
"Only in passing." Juno replied. She felt Galen's eyes on her, perhaps seeking to see if that was a good or bad thing. In truth, Juno wasn't quite sure. The woman seemed friendly enough but whether she was truly suitable for the assignment…she really couldn't say.
"Flight Officer Oren Sia, at your service." The woman threw out a hand and Juno took it.
"Nice to meet you."
But Sia's eyes had already moved to Starkiller, her expression curious. Unlike most people, however, she didn't bother to hide it, nor did she even attempt to stop herself from leaping in to speak with him. Shy, she most certainly was not. "I've never worked with a Jedi before. I hear your kind attract a lot of trouble, though." Her eyes twinkled with excitement. "Should be very interesting."
"I'll leave you to your introductions." Viedas continued, extricating himself from the group. Only Juno bothered to acknowledge his leave.
"So, are you a Master Jedi?"
Galen's eyes narrowed. "No."
"Didn't think so. Too young for that. No grey hair." She tilted her head. "So what is your rank, exactly?"
"I don't have one."
She looked taken aback by that. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"That seems sort of weird."
He glowered at her.
"You don't talk much, do you?"
Still the glare.
Sia gave a short shrug, seeming happy to let the subject go for now, turning to look at Juno. "So. You're his pilot, then? That's how you know him? Is he chattier with you?"
Juno couldn't help but be a little flustered at that. "I'm his pilot, yes." Then, changing the subject: "I need to meet with the head mechanic to discuss plans for the Rogue Shadow. Would you like to accompany us? It would give me an opportunity to show you around."
"Your ship? Of course! Let me just get rid of my gear and I'll be right with you." She patted her crash helmet and loped off across the deck.
"What was Viedas thinking?" Galen said the moment Sia was out of earshot. "We can't take her with us."
"She does seem like an odd choice."
"If she couldn't speak to those Chadra-Fan there's no way that she'd have been assigned to this operation. She asks too many questions. I can't work when I constantly have to watch what I do or say. If we take one wrong step, it will get back to the Senators."
"Then we won't take a wrong step." Juno reasoned.
He growled under his breath. "Easier said than done."
"It'll be okay, Galen." She reached out and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "It's only one mission."
"Is it, though? I get the feeling the senators are going to keep us under close watch from now on."
With a sigh, Juno let go of his hand and gave a small shrug. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
"If it's not her, it'll be someone else. They want us watched. That much is obvious."
"You don't know that for—"
"—Okay. Ready!" The flight officer was hurrying back to them, pausing to tie her thick, black hair into ponytail high atop her head.
Galen and Juno shared one last look before the blonde pilot stepped forward and took the lead.
Ja-Ran Leed, a Zabrak who clearly did not like waiting around doing nothing, was already speaking with PROXY when Juno, Galen and Sia finally arrived on the scene. At his side, his assistant, Kito, was frantically trying to record conversation detail on his datapad.
"Repairs have been…crude." Juno heard the Zabrak state bluntly, reaching up to rap his knuckles against the patched hull of the stealth ship. "Kito, walk with me. Make note of the materials as I say them." And, without even registering that he had company – the ship's own captain no less – he began to circle the vessel, listing required materials as he spotted flaws in the structure.
Juno couldn't help but feel a sudden need to defend the ship from the mechanic's critical eye. After all, it had been through a lot. It was amazing it was still in one piece at all.
Galen, who seemed to notice her shift in mood, gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
"I tried to tell him to wait until you had arrived, Master." PROXY spoke apologetically as he approached them. His walk was still slightly labored. "He could not be discouraged."
"That's alright, PROXY." Galen replied.
"Wow." Sia exclaimed. "That droid is almost as beat up as your ship. Must have been one hell of a mission you just got back from."
"I am in the process of self-repair." PROXY replied, sounding a little offended. "I am operating at currently eighty-two percent; perfectly adequate to fulfill my obligations."
"You're a protocol droid?"
His vocabulator emitted a slightly strangled sound. "Hardly. I am a holodroid."
"A holodroid?"
"PROXY." Juno interrupted. "This is Flight Officer Sia. She'll be accompanying us on our next mission. I'm going to be showing her around the ship in just a moment."
If the droid had any response to that, he was given no chance. At that moment Ja-Ran and Kito were bustling towards them. As they neared, the mechanic snatched the datapad from his assistant's hand and brandished it at Juno.
"There is a lot of work to be done! But what do you expect when you mistreat a ship they way you have! Come, come, we have much to discuss. We'll need to get started right away if all this work is to be completed in time."
"How long is this likely to take?" Juno asked.
"As long as necessary."
Juno nodded, trying not to show her impatience. Deciding not to argue or delay, she turned to Galen and offered him a smile that instantly put him on edge. She only smiled like that when she wanted something.
"Would you be able to show the flight officer around in my absence?"
He gave her a look that held a mix of irritation and panic. Sia made him uncomfortable and he lacked patience for her questions already.
"I'll rejoin you as soon as I am able."
"I will also assist you, Master." PROXY assured.
"Thank you." She replied gratefully. And then Juno was being hastened off by the impatient mechanic, his scolding still clear on the air even as they walked away.
Sia was first to break the awkward silence: "Well? Are we going to go in?"
Galen and PROXY shared a look and then, with a short sigh, he turned towards the ship and gestured for the woman to follow. "Let's get this over with. Just don't touch anything."
They ascended the loading ramp, Sia tailing behind to absorb her surroundings as he led them around the ship, not speaking unless prompted with questions.
"So…maximum crew?"
"Eight." He replied. Although, there had never been a time, as long as he could remember, that there had ever been as many as that on the ship.
"But, it can be piloted by, what, one?"
"Correct."
"So, where did you get this ship, exactly?"
"What do you mean?" He immediately felt himself grow wary and defensive.
"Well…the style. It reminds me of the TIE Fighters—a lot, actually. This is a stolen Imperial ship?"
"What do you think?" He bit back.
"That's a yes if I ever heard one." She seemed pleased with herself. "So, tell me more."
He steeled his patience. "Just through there is the medical bay." He hoped someone would remember to get supplies restocked. They had seemed to have stayed at low levels for a long while now.
"I meant; tell me more about how you managed to steal the ship."
He sent a glare her way and she smiled hopefully back at him. Galen opted, in the end, to ignore her altogether, leading them past the door – which snapped open automatically – and following the curve around to the rear of the ship. "Sleeping quarters." He paused as if to let the information sink in and then headed back the way he had come, opening the door to the training room. The circular chamber was the largest room within the ship, which also made it one of the coldest. The lights flicked lazily into life.
"What's this room for?"
"Training. You won't need to come here."
"Ah. Top secret Jedi stuff. I got you."
Closing the door again, he strode purposefully around to the cockpit, glad that the little 'tour' had almost concluded, despite the fact that it had been little more than a showing of locations. If she wanted anything more technical than that, she'd be better off asking PROXY or waiting for Juno.
"And the cockpit."
"How very informative of you." Sia jibed. "What's she outfitted with?" As she spoke, she crossed the room and dropped into the pilot's seat, casting her eyes over the displays and switches with a childlike eagerness.
"The Rogue Shadow is an extremely advanced ship." PROXY helpfully took over from Galen.
Galen, still standing in the doorway, only half listened as PROXY described the ship's upgraded sensor arrays, its impressive hyperdrive and the installed cloaking device that allowed it to move almost completely unseen for limited periods of time. Having gotten used to such luxuries in a ship, Galen was quite surprised at the widening of the woman's eyes and the way she leaned forwards as if completely enraptured.
"Sounds expensive."
"Exceedingly." PROXY replied. "The ship is one of a kind."
"The Imperials must have been so angry when they lost this ship." She declared. "Could we go down to the engine room?" She asked and though it was directed at PROXY, it was Galen who answered with a firm: "No."
Sia's head snapped around, her expression shifting into a pout – though it was there only briefly. "Why not?"
"Just because you're joining us on a mission doesn't grant you immediate access to the whole of the ship. You're here to do your job and, ironically, that doesn't include piloting."
She huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and swiveled the chair back to face PROXY. "Can I ask about the armament, then?"
PROXY glanced warily over at Galen who gave him a short nod of permission and turned away from the cockpit to leave them to it. He hated all this waiting around. Six days. Six days! What was he supposed to do until then? Already he could feel himself growing rife with impatience. Why was he being kept here doing nothing when he could have been searching for the dark clone? There was no major disaster impending, nothing that would require his aid. Could he not have been granted leave to track him down or attempt to learn more?
He reached the top of the loading ramp and looked out across the deck; his eyes instantly falling on Juno as she returned to the ship. Beside her was the Zabrak, Ja-Ran and behind them was a small team comprising of seven engineers. They'd most likely work in shifts to get everything done in time but at least the work was being prioritized.
Galen wasn't even sure that the ship was in all that bad a shape. Perhaps the mechanic could see things that he couldn't? It still flew and the cannons still fired. If that was the case, was it really an issue if it wasn't as unblemished and beautiful as it had once been? Idly, he reached up to rest his hand against the doorway, as if to comfort the ship from the earlier scrutiny.
The Zabrak and his team trampled up the ramp and passed him by without even casting him a look.
Juno, however, did stop, smiling up at him expectantly. "How did it go?"
"I left the details to PROXY."
"Ah, I see." She looked knowingly at him. "Give her a chance, okay?"
He changed the subject. "What exactly are we going to be doing until we leave for Nar Shaddaa?"
"Raring to go already?" She touched his arm and offered him a warmer smile. "I've got to stick around here for today at least, just to see that everything is getting underway. I don't see any reason why you couldn't take some shore leave, though. Maybe take a shuttle down to Corellia?"
"And do what, exactly?"
She laughed. "Anything. Just don't go causing trouble and you'll be fine."
"I never actually intend to cause trouble."
"Hmm-mm." She arched a brow at him and then laughed again. "I know, I know. It just seems to find you." She cast a brief look around to make sure no one was looking and then reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Whatever you do, have fun."
"Master." PROXY appeared at that very moment. "Flight Officer Sia is still insistent on going to the engine room. Would you like me to vacate her from the ship?"
Juno gave an exasperated sigh. "You are both as bad as one another. Go on, you two. Go." She gave them both a shove down the loading ramp and then she was gone.
"Where are we going, Master?"
"Corellia." He replied after a moment. "Apparently."
To be continued...
Next update: 11th March