Chapter 7:
Post Duel Lessons
Juno's head rested against the shower wall as the hot water ran down her the back of her head and down her spine. Juno could not believe the nerve Starkiller had, dropping her on her head like that. Still, she had to admit, the way he cupped her head was…caring. Caring? Since when did she think that that man was even capable of such an emotion? The pilot shook her head and simply ran a hand through her hair, working out the grime she felt in her scalp. Satisfied with her cleanliness, Juno shut off her shower and wrapped a towel around her.
There was a light tapping on the door, "Juno?" asked the voice of Starkiller.
"What?" she snapped, annoyed that he even had the courage to try and talk to her. "Are you here to flaunt your vaunted Force powers and tip me over again? Or something worse perhaps? Maybe you feel like ripping the door off and taking advantage of me."
"Never," he whispered fervently.
The desperation and indignation in his voice caused a smile to play on the pilot's lips. He did care. Somewhere, down deep, where Vader had not reached, he cared. "Then what do you want?" she questioned, her voice softening.
"I…wanted to…how's you're head?"
Juno frowned. The damn man was too stubborn to say that he was sorry. "I'm fine," she said curtly. "Is that all?"
"No," he said quickly. "I came here to say…uh…you fought well."
Juno was glad she was on the other side of the door as she felt heat on her cheeks from blushing. While this was another step forward to proving he was not incapable of emotion, it was still not what the pilot wanted to hear. Juno sighed and figured that for now, it was the best thing she was going to get. "Thank you," she said simply.
"Well, when you're ready, we need a jump to Felucia," he finished before the sound of his footsteps retreated down the hall. "Idiot," he whispered when he thought he was out of earshot. Upon hearing this, a thought struck Juno. It was not that he did not want to say sorry, but it was that he did not know how. It was so obvious now, and very tragic. The pilot just heaved another sigh and got dressed, leaving the her jacket unzipped seeing how they would not be meeting Vader or any other Imperial officer anytime soon.
"Felucia?" queried the pilot. "Another Jedi or are we meeting Vader?"
"Master Shaak Ti. Able to flee Order 66 on Coruscant," Starkiller explained. "Vader's spies have found her, she is my final test."
"Test for what?" Juno queried, trying to get the apprentice to admit what she had heard aboard the Executor.
"I…can't tell you, Vader would grind me into dust and you would quickly join the pile," the man said guiltily.
"If it's so dangerous, then why do all of this?" Juno asked as she entered the coordinates and the Rogue Shadow jumped to hyperspace.
"I told you that this life is all I know. Kill or be killed. Fight or be trampled underfoot," he said quietly. "I… don't want to talk about this…there are times when… I wish…I wished Vader would kill me. But there are other days when I want to serve the Empire and Lord Vader to create the order they promise."
Juno could not look into Starkiller's eyes. She too joined the Empire for the sake of spreading order to the galaxy. However, everyday she was on this mission with Starkiller, the more she felt that perhaps everything was a fabrication. Perhaps at one point Vader and the Emperor had wanted order, but after hearing of Vader's true intention for Starkiller, Juno could see that the only thing men like Vader wanted was death. "I'm sorry that your life has come to this. Fate can be cruel indeed," Juno whispered.
"There is no Fate, only the Force. I'm here for a reason, and whatever the Force has in store for me, I'll meet it head on," he said before casually leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. "And my life is not all bad. I've been to planets nobody has heard of. Seen unimaginable things, and met so many…fascinating people."
Juno shrugged, "I'm sure to you Vader is quite fascinating. For me, however, he is absolutely terrifying."
"I was not referring to Vader. He is not hard to figure out. He is disgusted with what he has become, now more machine than human," he explained. "I was referring to people like you."
"Me?" she asked, finally tearing her gaze from the cold floor to stare at Starkiller in disbelief. "I'm not terribly interesting at all."
"I disagree. A person in your position with all of your resolve is plenty interesting. At least I think so. You lost a lot, and you took it upon yourself to move forward. If it weren't for Vader, I don't think I would have had the will to survive on Kashyyk. It's people like you that prove that the Force is within everybody and even if they cannot feel it they are capable of great things."
Juno blushed and turned away to "examine" her console. "I've seen enough of your work to not underestimate the Force, but I don't think it's helped me at all. Thank you for your compliment, but I would like to think that what I have accomplished has come through my efforts."
Starkiller shook his head. "You misunderstand me and the Force. The Force is merely an extension of your will it is not a crutch, though it does seem to have a mind of its own."
"Yes, that seems the only logical explanation as to how I ended up with such an insufferable person," Juno jested as she rubbed the spot where her head met the floor earlier.
"Insufferable? Was that meant as an insult? I thought that it was quite the compliment," Starkiller replied with a smirk plastered on his face.
"You are just a twisted man," Juno said with a shake of her head.
"Again with the compliments? Juno, you spoil me, please no more it's embarrassing!"
Juno turned back to face the apprentice and thought o all the insults she had heard over the years. Some she could not pronounce, and others were more geared towards females. She finally settled on one she had heard directed towards her by one of her many drill instructors. "You are a stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking, nerf-herding, blithering, bumbling, slimy, cantankerous, mindless fool."
Starkiller squeezed his chest and spun the chair in circles in mock pain. "Ouch, that one hurt my half-witted man feelings. How does something that ugly come out of a mouth like yours?"
"Piloting was not the only thing I learned while at the Imperial Academy," Juno smirked.
"Well, being a proper gentleman, I will not insult back. I submit to your superior insulting capacity," he teased as he bowed is head mockingly.
The door hissed open behind the pair and PROXY clanked into the room holding his head. "Master, as much as I enjoy your missions, becoming the image of Lord Vader is very exhausting."
"When your ready, you can give me the next the target officially, since I know it's the highlight of your of your day."
PROXY nodded and his holo-projection system flashed. The image of Shaak Ti revealed itself to be a peculiar orange color with deep black eyes, and white and black ribbed horns. "Master Shaak Ti, a female Togruta, a former Jedi General during the Clone Wars. Last seen on Coruscant before fleeing prior to the casting down of the Jedi Temple and Order 66."
As PROXY powered down, Juno turned to Starkiller, "She does not have a militia force like Kota, nor does she have Junk Temple towering over Raxus Prime. So how was she found?"
"Just as any plant or single being experiences the natural flow of the Force, a planet does as well. Any planet, given a Jedi or Sith with enough power can be bent towards one direction or another. Felucia must have changed enough for Vader's spies and hunters to take notice," Starkiller explained.
PROXY nodded in agreement and sat in the chair behind Starkiller. Finally, the Rogue Shadow arrived in orbit around Felucia. From her seat Juno gasped at the planet. The surface was a swirl of purples, blues, and faint yellows. What was most peculiar was that the atmosphere seemed to give off green flares. And while the pilot looked on in admiration, Starkiller had a wolfish grin on his face. The apprentice was not admiring the colors, but instead anticipating the great battle that was to come. "Finally, my final test," he whispered excitedly.
So yeeaaah, Felucia is next. Might take longer than this chapter to update because she is really silent during Felucia. I'm open to suggestions. Maybe have her leave the ship!? Hope you enjoyed this!