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CHAPTER 19 - Consequences

Location: Pellezara Station

"Sorry, Sir. I've just started my shift." The waitress apologized as she wiped down one of the tables. "I didn't see no guy with yellow eyes."

Galen's patience ebbed. "So who was here, then?"

"The boss. He's always here." She pointed towards a scruffy looking Duros tending the bar and Galen left her to her work and stalked over to the him, pausing only to cast a look around to check on Juno. She was speaking with a group of women who had been standing close to the door as they had entered. From the shaking of heads, he gathered she was not having much luck.

Turning back, he leaned against the bar and met the Duros' large, red eyes.

"What'll it be, human?"

"Just information."

"Free information?" The Duros' smooth brow wrinkled with curiosity.

"Yes." Galen replied, perhaps a little too sharp. "I need to know if you saw someone in here today."

"Many someones." The bartender replied with an amused, thin-lipped smile. "You'll have to be more specific."

Galen bit back his frustration and forced himself to calm. Getting angry would only prolong the amount of time it would take to get him to talk. It might even keep him from talking at all. "Listen. He would have looked a bit like me. Gold eyes, broken nose. All bandaged up."

"Yeah, yeah, I saw a man like that. Was sitting right over there not too long ago. Broke a glass before he left. Spent a bit of time talking to one of my girls."

"Who? Which girl?"

The bartender grew suddenly suspicious. "What's going on here, pal? He a relative of yours?"

Galen felt himself bristle. "Yes. He took something from me and I want it back. I've spent a long time tracking him here." He set both hands against the bar. "So tell me who he was talking to so I can get out of your way."

"Fine, fine. It was Elena, but she's already gone on her break so you're fresh out of luck."

"When will she be back?"

"Not until her evening shift."

"You know where she lives?"

"And that's all the free information you'll get." The Duros replied firmly, peering past Galen's shoulder in dismissal. "Come back later or not at all. Doesn't bother me which."

Juno was crossing the room to meet with him as he turned away from the bar. Her eyes looked expectant and he returned that hopefulness with a grim smile.

"Nothing?" She queried.

"A lead but not an immediate one." He sighed, running fingers through his hair; absently noting that it was in need of a cut.

"Back to the ship, then? You can explain to me on the way there."

"The person we need isn't back on the job until later. Apparently the clone was seen talking to her."

"He could have been ordering a drink whilst he was planning his next move." Juno theorized. "This might not get us any further in our search."

"He was here for a reason." Galen insisted. "We can't give up."

"No." She agreed. "We can't and we won't. Come on, let's get back to the ship and try and make contact with Viedas. We need to organize what is happening with the shuttle."

She took him by the hand again and led him against the flow of people, back out onto the docking bay where there was more room to move and the air was just a little less stale. The orange-grey metal of the construct was probably supposed to look warm. It just looked rusty and old, as if the whole station was some ancient relic that might crumble away. At this angle, the polluted planet wasn't in view and Juno was thankful for that.

"I wonder if Viedas has set course for Corellia yet."

"He may be waiting for news from us first." Galen pointed out.

"And since the shuttle is here, he's not in any immediate danger, anyway." Juno replied. "I wonder how he got on with the Senators."

"I don't expect they'll take kindly to his involvement."

"No." Juno agreed, thinking back to a time when she'd been temporarily demoted for aiding Kota with his mission at Cato Neimoidia. "They won't like it at all. It went against a direct order."

Galen, sensing her dour mood, gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. "What's wrong?"

Juno realized, then, that there had been so much that had happened since they'd be reunited, so much that they hadn't said because there was never any time. Her untold grief. Her time as a Captain in the Alliance; serving on the Salvation. Her clashes with the Senators when they considered her actions too dangerous and irresponsible.

"There's so much we need to talk about." Juno replied quietly.

He looked worried.

"We're never given the opportunity to just catch up." She continued wearily. "There's always something happening. Some disaster. Some mission."

He looked suddenly tired and she wondered whether she looked the same. She felt utterly drained but there was never any time to pause and recharge. There was so much that still needed to be done, including speaking with the Senators and trying to figure out exactly where they fitted in the bigger picture now that their mission had gone so horribly wrong.

"If we had succeeded, we wouldn't have had to worry about Viedas or how we might be seen." Juno continued grimly. "A victory would have meant that they would have had an easier time in overlooking our defiance."

"Breaking the rules is fine so long as it brings good results." Galen growled.

"Pretty much." She ascended the loading ramp and moved through to the cockpit. "They'll probably want to call a meeting with us. We need to discuss how we're going to go forward."

"Welcome back, Master." PROXY chimed. "Did you find any repair parts, Captain?"

Juno blinked rapidly. "Uh, no. Nothing within our budget anyway."

"You knew that without even looking?" Galen replied smoothly, casting her a knowing look which she tried to meet without looking guilty. She succeeded. Barely.

"Alright, let's get communications set up." Juno announced, dropping into the pilot's seat with some relief. The back of the chair sagged as Galen leaned against it.

As to be expected, the distrustful Lieutenant from before was there to handle their transmission and Juno gave the same, jaded responses as she had the last time.

"I'm sorry but the Commodore is in a meeting of some importance at the moment."

"Some importance?" Juno frowned.

"He was specifically asked not to be disturbed. If you like, I can mark your communication as a priority for when he is available."

"Perhaps you could help us, instead. We've tracked down the stolen shuttle." She read out the registration. "And the engineers here want to know whether funds will be provided to make the necessary repairs – and to pay the obligatory docking fee."

"Bear with me one moment. I believe there has been a note about this." There was a pause, followed by a frantic tapping, and then: "Yes, it looks like repairs have been agreed. In fact, it looks like this has already been forwarded to the appropriate personnel on the Pellezara station. Is that all you needed?"

"Yes. That's all."

Juno closed the link and fell back against the chair.

"You think it's the Senators?" Galen asked.

"Without a doubt." Juno sighed deeply. "I'd hazard a guess that it won't be long before they try making contact with us."

She was right. It took less than half an hour before PROXY alerted them to an incoming transmission.

Their eyes met silently and, smoothing back her hair, she accepted the link.

"This is Eclipse." She responded; her voice perfectly calm despite the nerves that were fluttering through her.

"Glad you're there." Viedas' voice crackled. "I understand that you tried to contact me whilst I was in a meeting."

"With the Senators?"

"That is correct." He paused as if expecting her to reply. She didn't. "They are not happy with my involvement in aiding you on tracking down Vader's apprentice. Fortunately, it looks like I'll be keeping my job."

"That is good news."

"Unfortunately." The Rodian continued ruefully. "I am not permitted to contact you with support or aid until the matter of your insubordination has been discussed with the Senators."

"We both know what the outcome will be, Commodore." Juno replied wearily. Viedas had been there during her last little mishap of 'breaking the rules'.

"They did not agree with the actions taken, but they are not fools, Juno. They know and admire the skills that you both have and they will not so willingly throw them away."

Juno didn't agree with him, still certain that if events had not played out the way they had, she would have been permanently dismissed from the rank of captain long ago. "We're looking to fight this war too differently, Commodore. They place much in caution and not enough in action."

"Leia Organa is eager to make contact with you."

"We will speak with them." Juno replied. How could they not? "When is it to be arranged?"

"Time will be needed for a secure channel to be set up."

"We're hoping to be away from Pellezara station as soon as possible if our current lead proves fruitful."

"You should prepare yourselves for the possibility that the Senators will not want you following that lead. It's more than likely that they will want you to abandon your search altogether."

Juno heard Galen's sharp intake of breath and reached up to set a hand against his arm. The muscles in his forearm were wound tight beneath her touch.

To be fair, the Rodian did sound aggrieved and Juno hastily responded before Galen could intervene. "That is a possibility. Thank you for the warning."

"We'll convene in three standard hours."

Juno checked the time. "Understood. We should have more information on the clone's whereabouts by then."

Perhaps new information might help arm them against the confrontation with the Senators, though Juno didn't hold out much hope for that.

Juno managed to convince Galen to let her do the talking when they returned to the cantina, leaving him to hover anxiously in the doorway as she asked for Elena.

"Speaking, darling. What can I get you?"

Elena's appearance was rather flamboyant in comparison to those around her. She was short and curvy with dark hair cropped to her chin; feathered to resemble the texture of a bird's wings. Her skin was pale – a sure sign of someone spending most of their time on a space station – and elaborately painted with dark-colored make-up. Her clothes were suggestive, but not overly so, and Juno felt rather plain and tatty standing opposite her in a battered, leather jacket; sleeves bunched at the elbows and a pair of well-worn slacks.

"I'm looking for someone. Your boss said you might have spoken to him earlier today?"

She smiled prettily. "He must be handsome if you're putting so much effort into tracking him down."

Juno felt herself frowning. "No. That's not it. Unfortunately, he's gotten himself into a spot of bother and I've been left to pick up the pieces. He's tall with cropped hair, possibly injured and has yellow eyes."

"Ah, him. Yes, he did look like a troublemaker."

"Did you get a chance to speak with him whilst he was here? Anything to indicate what he was up to or where he might be going?"

"Hm, not a lot really. He didn't seem the talkative type. Grabbed my wrist real hard, too." She lifted her arm to slide the bangles up to reveal a blotchy, purple bruise on her skin. "Not pretty."

"Why did he do that?"

"Wanted to get my attention, I think. He was asking about these officers that came in."

"Officers?"

"Yeah, you know, the Imperials."

Juno's eyes widened. "Imperial officers were here? Do you know why?"

"Same as everyone else, probably. Stop off for repairs. They weren't here for long, didn't even sit down. That guy you're after was interested in them, though."

"Do they come here a lot?"

"Every now and again. A bit more recently, though."

At last, Juno thought with barely contained excitement. We've found him!

Juno rubbed her fingers through Galen's freshly cut hair and smiled at his low growl of appreciation. He had been sitting quietly, probably mulling over the last day or so, eyes staring out across the docking bay. The dark circles were still there beneath his eyes, though his face seemed to relax at the attention.

She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the line of his jaw and his hand came up to run through her hair, unwittingly tugging it from its place tucked behind her ear.

"Do you think a shuttle has been sent to Selonia, yet?" He asked.

"I would think so." She leaned down to rest her hands against his shoulders; rubbing them gently with her fingertips. His dark eyes lifted to look at her and she felt strangely self-conscious, wondering just how awful she, herself, must look.

His hands were warm on her waist as he tugged her down onto his lap and she curled gratefully against him, her head nestled up under his chin. And the warmth of him was enough to lull her into a drowsy state, her eyes half-lidded as she peered across the empty cockpit. PROXY had taken his leave to do some self-repair work.

"I wish…" But she had spoken without thinking and she didn't know what she wished.

Galen's arms tightened around her and his voice vibrated in her ear as he spoke. "That things could be simple?"

She nodded wearily and snuggled closer. Her eyes felt weighted now and she struggled to keep them open.

Then, what felt like only seconds later – which, in reality, was about twenty minutes – a high-pitched, regular bleeping intruded on her momentary peace. She jerked out of sleep, cracking her head sharply against Galen's jaw. He gave a muffled complaint and she murmured a hasty apology as she tried to gain her bearings, rubbing at her bruised skull as she struggled off of his lap.

Great. Now they were going to be interrogated by the Senators and she felt utterly incoherent.

Galen struggled out of his chair; his legs having gone to sleep. He looked equally dazed, though he seemed to recover more quickly than she; his eyes meeting hers as she reached across to accept the link.

"Are you ready, Captain?" Viedas' voice sounded clipped – a sign of his nervousness.

"We are."

"I'll patch you through."

"Captain Eclipse?" The voice was a woman's, curt and sterile. It was Mon Mothma.

Juno confirmed.

"And the clone is with you?"

She bit back a rude response and Galen answered for himself.

"Yes. The clone is here and able to speak for himself."

There was a moment of silence. "I've been assigned the task of updating you on Alliance progress. Unfortunately, the other Senators are unavailable at this time."

"Unavailable? But I thought that—"

"—You thought wrong, Captain." The Senator replied. "An Imperial Homing Beacon was discovered on Dantooine whilst rebels were searching the wreckage for survivors after the clone attack. The beacon had been badly damaged, but it was decided that the planet should be evacuated without any further delay. Senator Garm Bel Iblis is currently at hand, organizing the last remaining troops. The base will be completely deserted before the day is out."

"Leia Organa mentioned it was only a temporary base. I take it everything will be moved to a more suited location?"

"Senator Organa was correct. Preparations are well underway. It was a little sooner than anticipated but expected nonetheless." And she switched onto the next subject with barely a pause. "However, that is not the focus of this meeting. I'm here to inform you that your dealings on Selonia have brought about serious consequences."

"We are well aware of the consequences, Senator." Juno replied. "Kota was—"

"—A valuable asset who will be much missed by us all. Yes." Mon Mothma continued. "His death is regrettable but he, at least, has found peace. We, on the other hand, must continue to fight and your refusal to follow orders is deeply disturbing. This is not the first time you have done so, Captain and you well remember what happened previously."

Juno swallowed.

"As such, the Senators and I have decided that it would be best if we meet in person to make our feelings known. We all wish to find a way to move forwards together without this animosity."

"Animosity?" Galen snapped. "Is that what you'd call it?"

"Our ideals and motives are not the same." Mon Mothma replied firmly. "And this is clearly becoming an issue." She paused to give them a chance to respond, but both remained silent. "We've agreed to meet onboard the Armistice before it docks at Corellia. Viedas will be sending co-ordinates once he has arrived."

"Unfortunately, that won't be possible."

"Excuse me?"

"We've picked up on a lead that we need to follow through." Juno knew she was pushing her luck, but she wasn't going to back down without trying.

"A lead on the other clone you let escape?"

"We didn't let him escape." Galen interrupted, growing angrier by the moment. "We did all we could."

"And yet it was not enough. What makes you think another encounter could bring any different result?"

"He got lucky." Galen replied. "He won't get lucky again."

"Then I must warn you. If you decide to go after this clone and risk us further, we will have no choice but to cease our alliance with you."

Juno met Galen's eyes. She could see the cold, helpless fury in them. Her heart constricted to see it there.

"Captain Eclipse?" Mon Mothma urged for a response.

"Very well." Juno responded. "We'll be there. Eclipse out." And she cut the signal and waited for Galen's anger to turn on her for what he would surely see as a betrayal.

"Juno?" He sounded more hurt than angry. "What are you doing?"

"The only thing we can do."

"What? Just forget and move on?"

"No. Never that." She insisted. "Buying time."

"We don't have time."

"But we can't do this alone, either." She reminded softly. "The Rogue Shadow needs repairs. We need supplies. Give me a chance to talk to them. Perhaps I can convince them to see our point of view and realize that they can't just ignore this problem like they want to. The other Senators will not be as set against it as Mon Mothma is. Perhaps we can convince them."

"Did you hear what she said about Kota? An asset? Regrettable that he'd died? He was nothing more than a weapon to them." His anger burned hot. "I will not become a tool again. Not for them. Not for anyone."

His words grieved her. "To Mon Mothma, maybe he was, but not to Bail and not to Leia. If she will not grieve his loss than they will." She reached up to touch his face, drawing his eyes back to meet hers. "You are as free as anyone. No one can make you do something that you don't want to do."

He looked at her a long moment before he replied: "Except you."

She risked a faint smile and agreed. "Except me."

The Imperial shuttle came out of hyperspace, the streaks of the stars becoming pinpoints in the dark; fireflies in ink.

The Apprentice had sought solitude to ride out the rest of the journey, his pain-wracked body curled up in the confined space of a vent that would drop him down close to the bridge. He gave a ragged sigh as he felt the ship rapidly decelerating, signaling the end of the jump. Perhaps he'd feel better once he got away from the cramped, dark ship.

Down below, droids scanned for life forms; seeking his presence. None of them were programmed to look up. The rattle of their mechanisms grated and he ground his teeth in an attempt to hold back the next burst of pain.

We've reached Corellia. They're all here; Bail and his allies. You have your Rebel Alliance. Now, what are you going to do with it?

He shrank away from the voice. The voice of that woman who taunted him even now, even after he had cut her down back on Kamino. Why wouldn't she just take the hint and leave him the hell alone?

"Thirty minutes until docking. I repeat: thirty minutes until docking. All personnel: report to designated stations."

The announcement seemed to linger as he lifted his head, blinking through his haze of pain with some relief. He'd completely lost track of time and had absolutely no idea where he had ended up. But at least they had arrived. At least, in half an hour, he could start working through his ideas and perhaps seize upon an opportunity to regain his lost honor.

He crawled along the duct and peered down through the narrow gaps in the vent into the room below. The bridge was buzzing with life; an officer barking orders as his subordinates scuttled back and forth. In the viewport, a small brown-green moon studded the darkness of space.

The Apprentice still wasn't sure where they were, but it certainly wasn't Corellia.

To be continued...

Next update: 17th December (One week's time)