Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

UPDATE 16/06 - mature scene edited.

As always, thanks to my lovely reviewers and readers and for Liisiko's awesome beta skills.

CHAPTER 22 - Interruptions

Location: The Armistice / Besbrillmir

Juno made a half-hearted attempt at searching for Galen before giving up; not sure whether she actually wanted to find him before he had had the chance to calm down. He had been so angry and hurt and even though his outburst could not be condoned, it was certainly understandable given the circumstances. She just hoped that the senators were able to look past that anger and see the good man behind that veil – the man she could see.

And, as much as it pained her to think it, he would probably be angry with her too. Agreeing to those terms and signing them up for service was nothing less than a betrayal. She could not feel worse if she tried and she wasn't even sure if she could talk him around.

Not even sure if she wanted to.

She stared at the report on her datapad - barely even started - and felt her eyes burn. She was utterly helpless; her whole world spiraling out of control.

She knew what she needed. She needed a friend. Someone who understood how she felt and what she was going through. Someone was was sturdy and less emotionally fragile than Galen was at that moment. But she didn't have anyone like that and the sense of despair was further heightened by the disapproving looks being sent her way by Lieutenant Hayes working across from her.

Raking her hands through her hair and pulling it loose from its band, she forced her eyes back down onto her workstation to resume her report. She had only gotten as far as describing the damage done to the old starport above Selonia, which was to say that she had gotten nowhere. She hesitated again, fingers poised and ready but her head struggling to put into words the events that had led to so much failure.

However she looked at it and whichever way she wrote it, they were going to look bad. She needed to at least try to paint it in a light that would have the Senators consider their demand in seeking out the dark clone as the right move. But that was harder said than done.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she began to type again – with an almost frantic motion – trying not to think too much about what she was putting down. If she could get a rough draft done in the next hour she'd have plenty of time to get it edited for the senators to view.

So…why had she stopped again?

She muffled a sigh of frustration into her hands and pushed her chair back away from her desk, as if the space might help clear her head.

It didn't.

"Are you going to be here for much longer?" Hayes asked unhelpfully from across the room.

Juno's angry gaze shifted from the console to the lieutenant. "I'd be finished quicker if you stopped interrupting." She hoped the woman would take it as a not-so-subtle hint to shut up and leave her alone. Then she was typing again, filling the silence with a steady click-click.

After that there were no more pauses and her eyes watched the report as it rattled across the screen, laying out each and every event that she had detail on and leaving gaps where intel was missing. She didn't think that Galen would be willing to fill in those gaps and everyone else was dead. She shoved that thought away and considered the next conundrum. How much should she say about the position of Vader's apprentice? For instance, did the senators really want to know that the clone was more than likely not Vader's apprentice anymore? That due to his failure, he was probably acting on his own authority? She couldn't say this for certain, of course, but Galen seemed to think so and he would know better than anyone. Would that detail spur the Rebel leaders into action or would it make them more reluctant to act? And, if it was only speculation, perhaps it was better to not put it in at all. But wasn't it a potentially vital piece of information if it turned out to be true?

She hesitated, staring at the display as if it might present the answer to her. Then, still feeling unsure, she inputted the speculation and marked it as such. Ultimately, leaving out information that might come back to bite them would only worsen the already severe trust issues between their alliance. Best to get it all out in the open now.

Ignoring Hayes' pointed glare, Juno ducked her head and got back to work.

"I'm going to destroy this facility." The Apprentice's angry voice came without warning, startling the Cerean out of his stupor.

"Oh yes? Quite a feat from your cell, I'd imagine."

The Apprentice's eyes snapped up to look at his neighbor. "I'm not going to do it alone. You're going to help me."

"Why turn you loose when you threaten my life?"

"There are worse fates."

The Cerean sighed wearily. "It's all death and pain with you, isn't it? What's wrong? Were you never loved by anyone? Did you spend your whole life with a chip on your shoulder because no one ever turned your way?"

Vader said you were dead…but you came back…

"No. no, no, no. Stop it. Shut UP! You know nothing about me!" He hissed through his teeth, a hand clasped over his skull as he tried to keep the pain of that memory away. He'd killed her. She was gone. He didn't need her. "It's kill or be killed. As simple as that."

"The world is never as simple as that." The Cerean smiled sadly.

"That's why I am superior." He snapped. "I see the world how it really is. Kill to survive. Hesitate and you get trampled into the dirt. I will not die. Not before he does. Not before my mission is done. I will not stay here to die."

"Fine. Fine. Just tell me your plan."

"What?" The Apprentice lurched out of his rage.

"Your plan of escape?" The Cerean sounded worried, as if he hadn't heard right the first time and had gotten the wrong idea.

"If I can get free; escape is guaranteed."

"I'm sure the guards won't mind if I ask them nicely to let me near your cell so I can slice into the system."

The Apprentice bristled at the sarcasm, imagining how easy it would be to crush the life out of him once they were freed from their prisons. "You say you're a scientist. You figure it out."

"A distraction? It'd take more than a distraction to give me enough time to open your cell."

"A distraction that ends up with their death, then. I don't care how you do it so long as you do."

"I'm not sure I want to—"

"—What? See your family again? You had a family, right?"

"Have a family."

"So you aren't willing to take a few lives if it means seeing them again? A few corrupt, evil lives?" He hid his dark smile behind a hand as he saw the hesitation there. The Cerean scientist was swaying on the edge, Just a little push and—

The intermittent bleeping that interrupted them was a clear indication that someone was about to enter and, sure enough, a few seconds later, the stormtroopers, their commander and the group of filthy Wookiees trailed into the room.

The commander paused to smirk at the dark clone and, with a small smile, initiated a quick blast of electricity into the cage, that had him reeling back to the floor.

"What's this?" The commander jeered. "Lost your voice?"

"You wish." The Sith snarled through gasping breaths. "Don't worry. You'll get what's coming to you."

The commander gave a bark of laughter and moved on, overlooking his subordinates as they herded the aliens – Nawaraac included – back into their cramped cell. They were covered in dirt and all but dead on their feet.

When they were gone, a few minutes later, the Apprentice – still lying down where he had fallen – raised his ragged voice for the scientist to hear. "I will cause the initial distraction."

"But—"

"—Which will give the Wookiees a chance to play their part."

"What?"

"You understand them, yes? Those animals?"

"Yes…"

"Then tell them they're going to fight for their freedom and give us all a chance to get out of here. Maybe they'll listen to you."

"That's too big an ask."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you."

The Cerean frowned. "I don't think they'll be persuaded."

"What? They would choose a slow, dishonorable death? Do you all enjoy being shackled and beaten and told what to do?" He felt the beginnings of another bad headache, born from his anger and frustration. He closed his eyes in an attempt to will it away. "You will do as I say, because right now you don't even know the meaning of the word suffering."

Juno felt the shadow fall over her and knew who it was without even having to turn around. Lieutenant Hayes. Back from her break. It took her a couple of seconds to soothe her irritation before turning in her seat to look at her.

"Look, I'll be out of your way in just—"

"—I brought you a drink."

Juno felt her jaw fall slack, though she recovered quickly from her surprise. What was this? Hayes being…friendly? She couldn't help but feel suspicious as the woman set the hot beverage down on the desk. What had she done? Put something in it? Or…

"Oh, do stop looking at it like that. It's not poisoned."

"Well, uh, thanks." She watched as the tall woman sauntered back to her desk, taking a sip from her own drink. Then, finishing up her half-finished sentence in her report, Juno reached out to cradle the warm cup in her palms, finding some comfort in holding it.

She had barely taken a mouthful when Hayes looked up and spoke again. "Oh, maybe you should know, your boyfriend is causing a scene out on the docking bay."

Juno choked, spluttering even as she shot to her feet. "What?"

"Heard some of the pilots talking." The woman explained, looking smug.

Juno all but slammed the cup onto the desk and, without another word, swept from the room, hastening along the corridor towards the docking bay. Her mind played over possible scenarios, picturing him angry and threatening; knocking people roughly aside with no effort at all. Chaos erupting. The wrath of the senators falling like a hammer on their heads. Panic drove her on faster and, as she drew nearer, she could hear the sound of sabers and felt her heart sink.

She rounded the corner so fast that she almost collided straight into a small group of mechanics and was forced to leap sideways to avoid clipping shoulders. Then, a few moments later and she was crossing the docking bay, noting that a small crowd had gathered. She pushed through them, not caring about the irritated looks being cast in her direction.

"What is going on?" She lifted her voice so that he might hear her, only to find – a moment later – that the scene was not a 'scene' at all. Well, not really. He was sparring with PROXY and though he certainly looked intimidating, he wasn't directing any negative energy towards anyone else.

Juno stood, dazed, as she watched the spin of those blades and wondered why Hayes was doing what she was. Why would she do something relatively kind only to take it back with something cruel a moment later? What did she hope to achieve? Perhaps she had considered this a 'scene'? Or maybe she had just jumped to conclusions? Maybe she was even jealous? Though jealous of what, she couldn't exactly say.

She dropped down onto a stray crate and, with her elbows on her knees, set her face in her hands. It was like being back at the academy. The jealousy and the bitterness and the awful bullies who had tried to make life as hellish as possible. She'd not had many friends back then, either, and those that she did make were now dead or out of her reach. After all, they were on opposing sides now. If that wasn't a barrier for friendship she didn't know what was.

"Hard day?" A woman's voice asked casually.

Juno lifted her head to see the amused gaze of a female pilot leaning against the hull of a badly damaged starfighter.

"Looks like you could do with a drink." The woman continued.

Juno threw her a weary smile. "You have no idea."

"They have excellent wine on Corellia, you know. Unfortunately, there isn't any stock onboard. So no hangovers until we get there."

"And how long will that be?"

"No idea. We're ready to go. Just waiting on orders."

Waiting on my report, Juno thought miserably.

"Didn't realize we had a Jedi on board." The pilot continued, perhaps an attempt at small talk. "They kept that quiet."

Another thing to worry about, Juno realized. They'd not been told specifically to keep a low profile, but maybe it had just been assumed that they would. Sparring in the docking bay was probably not a good idea when trying to stay out of the spotlight. Galen would know that, of course, which meant he was doing it to wind up the senators and prove some kind of point.

"It was probably supposed to stay that way."

The pilot laughed. "Rumor always finds a way. I don't think a Jedi can go anywhere nowadays without attracting attention. Besides, its good for morale, isn't it?"

Juno nodded reluctantly. "It's usually bad attention."

"Oh? Sounds like you've had some experience."

Juno couldn't help but smile at that, though it was a little strained. "You could say that." She admitted, pushing herself back up onto her feet.

"Wait. Wait. You can't say something like that and then just up and leave!"

"Sorry. Maybe another time?"

"Hm, I'll hold you to that."

Juno was pretty sure she'd never see the pilot again, but the idea was nice. In any case, she couldn't put it off any longer. She'd promised that she'd at least try and talk him around and since she'd run all the way here and away from her report, she figured she might as well get it over with.

She almost felt afraid as she approached them and PROXY was the first to notice her and stop – though she was almost one hundred percent sure that Galen had known she had been there the whole time.

"You're supposed to be resting." She said by way of greeting, casting her eyes between the both of them.

"Strangely enough, I found it hard to relax after that meeting." His voice was cold.

"Sparring helps with—"

"Don't give me that, PROXY. You should have known better. Now everyone's going to know that there's a Jedi on the ship."

"If it is any comfort, Captain, there were already rumors."

"Which you just confirmed."

The droid lifted his hands up as if to placate her. "My apologies."

She waved dismissively. "Forget it." Then to Galen: "Do you have time to talk?" A silly question, perhaps, since she knew perfectly well that he did. Whether or not he wanted to was another matter entirely.

His dark eyes were on hers. "Not about that. They won't listen, Juno. We shouldn't have agreed to anything. We shouldn't have even come here. I don't know why you're bothering."

She didn't really feel like pointing out that it had only been her who had agreed to their terms. He'd walked out before they'd even had a chance to discuss it. It was just a guess, but he'd assumed right.

"What else could I have done?" She asked unhappily.

"Cut our losses!" He sounded serious, too, and his raised voice was earning them some curious looks. "They only think of themselves and their own reputations. They're so scared of what other people think that they're going to refuse to act! You said, before, that you'd go with whatever I decided. What's changed?"

If he hadn't been causing a scene before. He was now.

She took him by the arm and tried to subtly lure him away from the crowds. She only managed to get him to walk a few more steps before he dug in his heels and refused to go any further.

"We need them and their resources." She said then.

"Apparently they don't have any resources."

She ignored him and pressed on. "But they need us, too. We can't let them forget that. Sooner or later they're going to realize that they can't deal with the dark clone by themselves and when they do, we'll be here to step in."

"To pick up the pieces." He growled.

"It might not come to that."

"It will."

"Do you trust me at all?"

His shoulders sagged and, without warning, he took her hands in his and held them tightly. They were searing hot compared to hers. "Juno, you're the only one I trust."

"Master?" PROXY interrupted, worry in his mechanical voice.

"You, too, PROX." He added.

"Then trust me when I say that this is our best bet to finish this."

"If I could focus and meditate, maybe we don't need their resources to confirm his whereabouts. It worked before when I-when my original..." He trailed off and her heart ached in her chest.

"Let's just concentrate on getting you fixed up first. Once you're healed, you'll be able to focus better." He looked like he was about to disagree with her, so she continued hastily: "Besides, the senators might come through for us yet."

"They won't. You saw the way they looked at me. There's no way they're giving us that information."

And whose fault is that? She questioned silently. "Your outburst didn't sit well with them, but I think I talked them around."

"They shouldn't have been surprised." He snapped. "I'll bet they were even hoping for that reaction. Just one more reason to say no."

"And you gave them that reason." Juno replied hotly. "Galen, you can't keep being so angry at them. They are not blameless but neither are we."

"We tried to do what was right."

She flinched away from that statement, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. "I don't know what else to say. I'm stuck in the middle of this when I don't want to be. I'm on your side, Galen. I always will be. The senators just need time to see that you aren't a threat. All they see is an angry, powerful and unpredictable man. You scare them."

"All I want is to make sure that that clone doesn't have the opportunity to hurt anyone else. I don't want their respect or allegiance. I don't want to become another tool for them to use when things get too tough. I just want to see this through."

"Patience. We'll find him one way or another, even if it is in the most dire of situations." She continued. "Besides, they've yet to see my report. I'm hoping it will give them the push they need to make the right decision."

"What exactly did you put in it?"

"Everything. Well, I will once I've finished."

"You're not finished?" He blinked, strangely startled. "So what are you doing here?"

"Oh, what? So I don't deserve a break?" She mock-glared at him. "The only reason I'm here is because you were causing a scene and that lieutenant was looking to cause trouble."

He looked unconvinced.

"Okay, look, you're clearly not ready to talk about this yet, so I'm going back to finish up. You: get yourself over to the medical bay. We can talk when I'm finished."

"Whatever happens, I won't let Kota's death be for nothing." He added and she knew that that, more than anything, had been what had tipped him over the edge in the meeting. It had been poor judgment on the senators' part for that and she wished she could turn back time and somehow divert them away from that subject. Maybe then things would have ended differently.

Juno met his gaze. "Just because the dark clone escaped doesn't mean Kota died for nothing. He was there to protect the Selonians and he did that. His death ensured their safety." She had meant it to be a comfort but it didn't seem to work. The expression on his face was conflicted.

She wanted to kiss him but the amount of people still on the docking bay prevented her from doing it. So she made do with squeezing his hand comfortingly and turned to PROXY. "Make sure he goes to the med bay, will you?"

"I will do my best, Captain."

Her drink was stone cold by the time she returned and Hayes smiled politely across at her as she settled back down in her chair. The report glared back at her from the screen, unfinished and still in need of editing. Thankfully, it did not take much longer to get the draft completed, leaving her only to mull over the last few details and the tweaking of phrases. Emotionless and factual was normally an easy thing to get down into writing, but when there was so much emotion behind those words, it became strangely difficult.

"All sorted?" Hayes asked.

"Yes, thank you." Her words were clipped. She set her hands over the keys and began to type.

"And what about your boyfriend?"

"Excuse me? How exactly did you come to assume the relationship between him and I?"

"Oh, please, I'm not blind. It's as plain as day. Any fool could tell." She shot Juno a victorious smile.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Besides, with your reputation for breaking protocol, it's hardly a surprise."

Juno gritted her teeth and willed herself not to rise to the bait. Instead, she transferred her report to her mobile device and vacated the room without another word. Hugging the datapad tight to her chest, she walked as swiftly as she could without drawing attention to herself, suddenly desperate for some familiarity.

She went to the Rogue Shadow, but the ship was in darkness and her heart sank a little at the thought of being alone. She'd hoped that she might find Galen there waiting for her and the realization that he was not brought with it an intense pang of loneliness.

Flicking some switches as she passed, she found some small comfort in the hum of the dim lights flashing above the viewport. They were not enough to light the room fully, but at least they helped to dull the glare of her datapad as she set it against the console and brought up her report. And it was there, in the poor light, that she began the last amendments, double-checking times and co-ordinates and damage reports and finishing with a summary of the assumptions made on the dark clone and details on their lead and how they had come across it.

Then, sitting back, she stared at the finished product as if she couldn't quite believe that it was done.

That was how he found her, so silent that she didn't hear him until he had dropped into the co-pilot chair beside her. She startled from her trance and turned to look at him, offering him what she hoped was a half-decent smile.

He regarded her with those serious eyes, perhaps wondering why she was sitting alone in the darkness. Perhaps wondering whether she was going to start quizzing him about his thoughts around serving the senators.

"It's done." Even her voice sounded tired.

His eyes flicked across to the datapad and quite suddenly, she'd had enough. She didn't want to talk about work anymore. She didn't want to talk about the dismal future or the pains of the past. He was here now and so was she and, for the moment, that was all she wanted.

Mind made up, she stood and, reaching over, turned off the datapad decisively. The darkness thickened.

"Don't you need to send that?"

"It can wait until tomorrow." It was late and even if one of the senators did want to read it, she was far too work-weary to even begin to discuss it. She turned to face him and felt suddenly shy and uncertain.

The pale light from the cockpit had softened his face, putting a shining point of blue in each dark eye. He seemed hesitant to speak. Hesitant to do anything, in fact. His eyes had become wary, watching her so close it was as if he expected her to attack him.

"We can talk about it tomorrow." She added, her eyes burning as her mind tried to cope with everything that had happened these last few days. She ran a hand down across her face and tried to speak again in an attempt to cover up this sudden flood of emotion. "Galen-" But her voice cracked and she gave up.

Sensing her turmoil, Galen had pushed himself up and out of his chair. Tentatively, he lifted a hand out to her and she was pressed against him a moment later, her face turned into his shoulder and her arms around his waist. She could feel him hesitate, unsure of what was required of him and, with a soft smile, she held him tighter.

Then his arms were around her and his lips grazed against her cheek; testing for a reaction as if expecting to be pushed away. And here she was thinking that he would be mad at her. With her heart fluttering, she tilted her head and their mouths met. The muscles in his back tightened briefly in response and then he puffed out a small breath of air through his nose and kissed her back. The small but intimate touch was enough to chase away some of her pains and her hands came up to cradle his face; to hold him close and keep him from escaping. To try and convey to him that she didn't blame him for anything that had happened. Whether the attempt worked or not, he responded with a surprising eagerness that made her realize he had wanted this time just as much as she had. Time that was always being spoiled by one interruption or another. Time that was always put on the sidelines while other priorities took up their attention.

She pulled away from him to catch her breath, nuzzling the side of his neck, breathing in the scent of his skin.

And then his fingers were in her hair; the sound of her name breathed against her cheek; her body pushed back against the console; pinned between it and him.

Their next kiss was less gentle and more passionate. His hands were everywhere, his mouth leaving hers to trail a hot line from jaw to collarbone. Juno gasped for breath, clutching at him for all she was worth, plucking helplessly at the layers of his clothing that were suddenly very much in the way.

His mouth plundered hers again, pulling a soft moan from her throat that turned into a growl as she all but dragged the tabard from his shoulders. Casting it aside, her fingers bunched in the thin fabric of his shirt; tugging it out from the waistband of his trousers.

Without warning, his hand closed over her wrist; halting her progress.

"Wait. Not here."

A bolt of alarm rang through her but she needn't have worried. For in the next moment she was being swept up into his steady arms and being hastened towards their bunk.

For the night, at least, they could try and forget everything. Everything except one another.

To be continued...

Next update: 28th January