Mon Mothma asked me to give a statement to open the meeting. I looked to Luke and Han for approval. Both of them nodded their consent, so I tried to calm myself.
"Jun must be protected at all costs. This group has the power and the means to make sure that those that have abused him can never touch him again. With us to guide him, he can lead a full, rich, and normal life. We can protect him, I know we can. They won't let him come with us easily, but you all have faced worse, even since the New Republic was established," I said.
"Protecting him at the cost of the Republic?" Borsk Fey'lya growled.
I blushed, realizing that this could cost a pretty credit and be a financial drain.
Luke answered, "Jun could be our strongest ally. After our stop to get him uniforms, we dropped by the clinic. His blood was tested, per Mon Mothma's request. He contains Fett, Selkath, and...I can't believe that I am saying this out loud, Skywalker DNA."
"He is capable of murder. If Asenath hadn't been with me, I probably would be dead," Han said.
"To give him back could just as easily spell our doom, councilman," Mon Mothma said gently to Fey'lya.
Jun shouted a long line of obscenities in Huttese that would have made a space pirate blush.
I think only Luke, Han, and I understood what exactly he said. At least, I prayed that.
"Asenath, take him outside," Luke ordered.
I immediately obeyed.
Outside the chambers, Jun paced and swore some more.
"You need to get a hold of yourself," I chastised in Huttese.
Jun seemed surprised that I knew what he was saying, let alone answer him in his "native" tongue. He stood still and looked at me.
"Let me go free."
"Free you? That's what we are doing!"
"I must return to my masters. They will be most angry with me."
"We can't let you; not after the way you've been treated. They'll kill you one day."
"Death would be too kind. They will show me unimaginable pain before returning me to my post."
"Then we can't let that happen...Jun, let us help you. You will NEVER have to go back to that life. Luke is a good man, but since we want to help you, we have to impress those diplomats. That's really all this is."
"You cannot help me. I am not a person. I am a thing, and that's all I will ever be; now, free me."
"You ARE a person. We can help you, but you need to give us a chance. I know we only met yesterday, but I have faith in you."
"I am a THING, created in a lab for one purpose: killing. I am no different than a blade or blaster. I may not like it, but it is what I am. I learned the hard way that it is pointless to fight it. Free me, flee, and then pray my masters don't find you. It is the only way you will get out of this mess alive."
"Evacuate the city? The whole planet IS a city. You may have been created to be a killer, but what do you choose? You've got a choice. You can stay. We can protect you and fight for your rights as a person. Or, you can run back to them. You can let them beat and starve you, and live as a subservient until the day you die.
"When my father died, I served Zorba. It was demeaning and horrible. If Luke hadn't rescued me, I'd still be there, thinking the way you are.
"Like I said before, you have a choice. It's just us in the hallway. We both know that you could overpower me and 'escape' back to your captors, or you can stay, rise above your intended purpose, and then mop up their blood together when the time comes."
"Do you actually think that you can repel them and keep them away?"
"Three quarters of those people in there are war heroes: strategists, warriors, and pilots. None of them are stupid. If there is a way, they will find it, but they need your help with what you know. Of course, now that we know you are fluent in Huttese, Luke, Han, and I can translate. Do you trust me?"
"I think you're foolish and will get yourselves killed, but I'll play along for now."
"That isn't what I asked. Do you trust me?"
"No, but I'll follow you anyhow."
"Fair enough. Are you ready to go back in?"
"Fine."
"Will you give us the information we need?"
Jun nodded.
"Good."
I reached in to give him a reassuring hug, and I got another slug in the gut.
"Sorry. I forgot. No more hugs," I wheezed.
I forced myself to stand up straight as we went back inside the chambers.
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Jun gave us all the information we needed and more.
The council members asked intelligent questions and Jun seemed somewhat impressed. He hand been convinced these were all dumb desk jockeys but realized they knew what they were doing.
At Luke's request, Jun revealed his kill count with a few accounts of those, and he also listed a few other crimes he had been involved in.
The council seemed concerned.
Luke asked Jun if he were willing to renounce that lifestyle.
Jun said he would.
"They took this life that they created and turned him into a killer. We can turn him into a life-giver, but only if we can wipe his masters off the face of the galaxy when they come.
"By being prepared, we can save him and hopefully catch them off guard. Even though Jun has killed, he is a victim, an innocent. But he is young, and can be saved. I move to do this," Luke said.
"I second it," Han said.
"Then we shall vote. All in favor?" Mon Mothma asked.
All but Fey'lya raised their hands.
"Majority has it. Council men Iblis and Fey'lya, please begin on some evacuation and battle plans. We will reconvene in one week to hear some rough drafts. Meeting adjourned."
Mon Mothma, and we were dismissed.
"Now what?" Jun asked.
"We go home. It is nearly dinner time, and we have done no classroom work today," Luke responded.
"Classroom work?"
"Yeah, like reading, writing, mathematics," I answered.
Jun blanched.
"We can teach you," Luke assured him.
Jun scoffed.
I signed to Luke.
This is going to be hard- to convince him, I mean.
Well, it's not like it's a useless skill. I think we can convince him, but we might need to use some psychology.
Psychology?
Just follow my lead, Asenath.
"Jun, you don't have to go to school."
I said nothing.
"I mean, it'll probably be too boring for you, and it's not like you'll actually learn something useful."
"Of course not," I agreed, doing my best to lay it on as thick as Luke was.
"You want me to, so I'll check out this 'classroom' stuff."
"We do want you to," I admitted.
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Since it was so late in the day, Luke only had us do some mathematics exercises.
Jun seemed interested, not only with what we were doing, but that Ben and I were praised for correct answers and gently guided toward the right answers when we were wrong.
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Over the next few days, plans were developed for the impending storm.
Ships for evacuation would be placed every three blocks up to roughly 200 blocks out from the Palace. It was determined unlikely that any further would be disturbed.
They lined up not only military on the ground, but formed a volunteer militia. Surprisingly, a large number of men and women signed up for that.
The hardest thing to do, was to decide the intended battle ground.
Fey'lya suggested that we lure the attackers to the catacombs. General Madine disagreed. He believed we should lure them to the streets in front of the Palace.
"That may protect Civilian lives, yes, but it isn't a properly barricaded place. We, the officials and representatives would not be protected, should the Palace be the arena," Fey'lya growled.
"Coward," Han spat. "You behaved this way back during the Thrawn Campaign, too!"
"Gentlemen, might I suggest-," Garm Bel Iblis started.
"SHUT UP!" Han and Fey'lya shouted in unison.
Mon Mothma raised her hand, and the bickering immediately ceased. She was going to speak, and no one dared to speak when she spoke. She held that kind of authority.
"Comrades, I have known most of you since the Rebellion, and some of you even from the Clone Wars. Yet here you stand, squabbling like children! We have time. Arguing won't solve anything."
Fey'lya and Han hung their heads in shame.
I raised my hand.
"Yes, Asenath?" Mon Mothma gave me permission to speak.
"I believe that Senator Fey'lya, General Madine, and General Solo are all right. The Palace alone is weak. The catacombs would be a disaster of a fight. Han's accusation was...well, true, but only because Senator Fey'lya's genuine concern was not expressed very well. No offense, sir."
Fey'lya's fur rippled as he replied, "You are forgiven."
"But, I am begging all of you to focus. Having spent time in an abusive back-ground, I have to beg you to get it together and protect Jun! No one should have to suffer in such a way. Absolutely no one. Jun genuinely believes that he is worthless. Prove to him that he has value, get your nonsense out of the way, and decide.
"I have an idea. Four large buildings are going to be demolished roughly five blocks from here. Purchase those lots and make the main fight there."
The panel was quiet, mulling over my idea.
"This is actually the most logical thought so far. I'm not saying it won't be expensive, but if it were the only flat ground for miles, it would be an 'ideal' choice," Fey'lya agreed.
"Jun said they probably won't attack immediately. They will want to gather their forces and weigh all options," Luke chimed in.
"All in favor of discussing Asenath's idea?" Mon Mothma asked.
All the members of the meeting raised their hands.
"Very well. Meantime, I expect the Skywalker clan to train him in our ways," Mon Mothma ordered Luke, his family, and me.
"We will," I promised.