Star Wars – The Force Unleashed – Daughter of Fate

Chapter 2

2 BBY – In the Bowels of the Executor

The youngling Setra had been woken up early by her carer Galen. He told her that she should ready herself for the day as he was receiving a new pilot to fly the Rogue Shadow. Setra hoped she would get to know this pilot better or at the very least that they would last longer. Galen had informed her that the last pilot after failing to initiate a certain command given to him by Lord Vader had been beaten to a pulp by being hurled from wall to wall by the Dark Lord using the force and had been jettisoned him out of an airlock. Setra in the past had formed small friendships with the seven previous pilots only to have them killed during a mission or killed for supposedly failing or disobeying an order and the deaths were not always as quick as what had happened to the pilot just gone.

"Setra, I need to see Lord Vader now. If the new pilot comes before I return then show them around the Rouge Shadow and if they ask any questions tell them to wait for my return" said Galen.

"Alright papa" replied Setra.

Starkiller gave a small smile back to the child and went of to Lord Vader's chambers for his daily sparing practice. He had allowed Setra to keep calling her father as Vader had though it as appropriate in order for the child to maintain her loyalty to Starkiller so that in the future as a Dark Jedi she would not question her master in anyway and be obedient. Like Galen, Setra had now spent most of her life so far in the bowels of Darth Vader's flagship the Executor, a formidable dreadnaught spacecraft which was the first of its kind and the hopeful successor of the Star Destroyer. Though since Starkiller had taken her as an infant from Naboo to this foreboding environment greatly tainted by the Dark Side of the Force, Setra seemed to withstand it as she was exposed to it every single day as if she had built up some kind of a spiritual immunity. PROXY then entered the child's quarters after having gone through morning exercises with his master once again failing to achieve his primary programming of killing his master. Over the past few years PROXY had grown quite fond of the youngling and tutored her through her daily schooling from the Imperial archives database stored in the Rouge Shadow's onboard computer.

"Good morning PROXY. How was fighting lessons this morning" said Setra

"Still no good youngling. I continue to fail the objective of my primary programming. No matter how much I try to kill the master it seems he keeps getting better and better, not to mention the fact that I have nearly run out of new combat options to surprise the master and maybe achieve my purpose" replied PROXY

"Well, if you really want to challenge papa, I think I might have found someone" said Setra.

"No youngling don't bother. If a droid of my advanced capabilities and programming can no longer find a suitable opponent for the master the I don't expect you, a child sentient with a yet limited knowledge to have found one either" replied PROXY

"No really PROXY. I came across him in the archives yesterday. It was the master of papa's master. I think his name was Obi Wan" said Setra.

"Wait. Obi Wan Kenobi. The Jedi Master that would have taught Vader everything he knows. That may be the key. Thankyou for the suggestion youngling, I see you are not like other younger sentients of your age, if you don't mind would you do the honours" replied PROXY

"Of course PROXY" said Setra as she hooked up a wire to a plug in the centre of PROXY's lower back.

The plug in PROXY had been designed to transfer pictorial data from the archives of different individuals that linked directly into his built in servos and using the photoreceptors that had been built onto his body the holographic technology inside of him would project out and turn PROXY into a different person. Setra began to transmit the archival data of Obi Wan Kenobi into the droid and watched him as he transformed into the great Jedi General who matched his resemblance near the end of the Clone Wars with his short hair, beard, piercing blue eyes and his simple cream coloured tunic, utility belt and field boots, the common attire of the former Jedi Knights. The most notable was the lightsaber clipped to the right side of the utility belt.

"Well youngling let's see if your suggestion pays off. I do not know if the master possesses the advanced knowledge to the Soresu form of lightsaber combat. Maybe today will be the day I achieve my primary programming and if not it will make sure to keep the master on his toes for the next round" PROXY said and with that he ignited the cerulean blade and began to leave the Rogue Shadow to confront his master with a sneak attack. Setra laughed softly to herself, she knew that no matter what PROXY could do, he could never outwit her father, though she treated PROXY like any ordinary person he didn't possess human instinct or their basic survival skills, both in which Starkiller excelled beyond even the normal levels of a Jedi Knight. Starkiller had began to teach Setra in the ways of the Force and she could do basic things like levitating objects and pushing or pulling them towards her and she could sense if something was wrong or if someone was nearby.

Suddenly startled Setra sensed an unfamiliar presence within the hangar bay. She crept down the ramp of the Rogue Shadow and hid behind a nearby crate as an Imperial Lambda class transport shuttle landed nearby. The ramp of the shuttle hissed as it moved down and revealed a young woman of about 20 years of age came down into the hangar bay. She was dresses neatly in a black imperial pilot's uniform and her badge bore her rank of captain. She wore her blonde hair in a neat bun and had pale skin and piercing blue eyes. Sensing that she was the new pilot Setra crept out from behind the crate waiting until the transport ship had left the hangar bay. The young captain spotted movement behind the metal crates and curiously made her way to the other side to find Setra standing there patiently as if she had been expecting her.

"Hello, you must be the new pilot" said Setra.

"Yes I am" said the woman puzzled "and who are you little one. What are you doing all the way down her on you own?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I usually play around here until papa finishes his lessons" said Setra.

"What do you mean by that youngling" replied Juno gently as she made her way over to the little one.

Suddenly she heard what sounded like combat erupting further down in the hangar bay. Curious the captain crept slowly around a cryo cylinder and looked in amazement at the scenario before her. Two grown men fought each other with glowing swords one a brilliant shade of blue, nearly the colour white and the other a striking shade of crimson whirling around within the hands of the two fighters. Juno was amazed as she had learned so little about the practices of the former Jedi Knights but had no idea how graceful it was and yet also so deadly. Juno looked alarmed as she saw the youngling she had only just met climb her way over a plie of the cryo cylinders and crates to happily watch the sparring match. Suddenly, Starkiller ended the duel abruptly by stabbing his opponent through the cheat which surprised Juno even more when instead of blood coming out of his chest their were sparks from what seemed like electrical circuitry. Setra ran to Starkiller's side and helped him pick up PROXY who now changed back to his normal droid form. The captain couldn't believe it. She had never seen such advanced holographic technology in a droid before and it confirmed just how important this new position of her's was.

"Ah master, another excellent duel" said PROXY.

"You caught me by surprise PROXY. I hadn't fought that training program in years. I assumed you erased it" replied Galen.

"Well you can thank Setra for that master. She found the Jedi's archive still in the database and initiated it for me" said PROXY.

"Good work Setra" said Galen affectionately to the youngling in front of him but both suddenly caught PROXY as he nearly fell down again due to the gaping hole in his chest

"Easy PROXY. You're malfunctioning" said Galen.

"It's my fault master. I had hope the youngling's suggestion would have caught you off guard and enabled me to kill you. I'm sorry I failed you again" replied PROXY.

"I'm sure you'll keep trying" said Galen.

"Of course master. It's my primary programming" replied PROXY.

The young captain now aware that they could notice her went back to the Rogue Shadow to analyse her new ship. It was an advanced ship indeed but just needed a tone up on the sensor array. She opened up her uniform jacket to reveal a grey tank top underneath seeing no need to appear formal to her new charge after seeing what he was wearing, nothing but tatters of what looked like an old tunic. Galen then spotted the newcomer and stared at her for a moment before inquiring to his companions of who she was.

"Oh I nearly forgot papa. Your new pilot has finally arrived" said Setra.

"But who is she?" replied Galen.

"Accessing Imperial Records……" said PROXY as he formed into the holographic projection of the young captain.

"Captain Juno Eclipse. Born on Corulag, where she became the youngest student ever accepted into the Imperial Academy. Decorated combat pilot with over a hundred mission and commanding officer during the Bombing of Callos. Handpicked by Lord Vader to lead his Black Eight Squadron, but later reassigned to a top secret project…."

"Is there is psychological profile in there, too?" interrupted Juno seemingly agitated at PROXY actions

"Actually, yes. But it's restricted" PROXY replied to Juno then directing to Starkiller "Master, I can tell you she is going to be impossible to reprogram"

Setra giggled but stopped as she saw Juno's expression and the hydro spanner in her hand which looked as if she was going to do further damage to PROXY's circuitry. Starkiller approached Juno and began enquiring to her.

"You know why you're here?" said Starkiller.

"Lord Vader gave me my orders himself. I am to keep your ship running and fly you wherever your missions require" replied Juno.

"Did Lord Vader tell you that he killed our last pilot" said Starkiller.

"No. But I can only assume he or she gave Lord Vader good cause to do so. I will not" replied Juno.

"We'll see. I'm sick of training new pilots" said Starkiller the noticing that she had tinkered with the Rogue Shadow he yelled in annoyance "What's this. What have you done to my ship?"

"I have taken the liberty of upgrading the Rogue Shadow's sensor array. Now you will be able to spy on any suspect ships across an entire system" replied Juno.

Starkiller nodded in acknowledgement with Juno a little disappointed that he did not give her more approval but it would suffice.

"I assume that's part of your mission profile. You can only be one of Darth Vader's spies. Your ship has the most amazing long range scanners and a cloaking device …."

"You don't need to know anything about my missions except where I'm going" Starkiller interrupted.

"Where are we going?" replied Juno.

"To Nar Shadda. Can you handle that?"

"Of course" replied Juno annoyed as Setra ran up to her side.

"It's alright. He's always like that with people at first. He'll get better once you get to know him" said Setra.

Juno smiled down at the youngling "I'll keep that in mind little one. Thankyou"

"Your welcome" replied Setra as she ran up the ramp of the Rogue Shadow,

Juno looked on as Setra ascended the ramp and smiled to herself. Even though her new commander may be a little bit rough and his droid intrusive it seemed she maybe could find a companion in the youngling.