Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
Note: Sorry for the slight delay. Between issues with an unstable internet connection and my computer refusing to load this site correctly, uploading these chapters are becoming somewhat of a chore...in any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers alike and, of course, to my beta Liisiko.
CHAPTER 33 - Reunited
Location: Bandomeer / The Armistice
There had been no fatalities. Only one soldier had been injured; a leg wound which would heal completely with some bacta treatment and bed rest. Galen had to admit it had gone a lot better than he had predicted. He had to remind himself that he shouldn't have been surprised. They weren't up against insane Sith. Not like Kota's last team.
It had taken them some hours, scrambling around in those dimly lit tunnels, but with the miners on their side, it hadn't taken long to overpower the Imperials and march those that didn't resist outside to wait for Alliance reinforcements. Most of them – foolishly – had put up a fight. They had not lasted long.
Now the mine belonged to the rebels and his job was almost done, although he expected they would keep him around long enough to ascertain whether or not the Imperials would try to retaliate.
It had been quiet so far.
He'd left the mission reports to Marlow, who had thankfully accepted the task with no complaint at all. The older man was currently hunched over his datapad on the other side of the room; his back turned. Galen had wondered, a few times now, whether he should breach the subject of Kota with him. In the end he had decided against it. Talking about the Jedi would only invite difficult questions that Galen wasn't ready to discuss yet; even with someone who had known Kota as he had. Even so, the atmosphere was certainly less uncomfortable between them since their successful strike against the enemy.
Footsteps crunched against loose grit outside the makeshift accommodations and Galen prepared himself to be subjected to more orders. Maybe there had been an attack against them. Or maybe they were simply trying to plan their next moves. They'd likely be talking about that for a long time.
"Pardon the intrusion, sir."
Galen looked up.
"We've received a transmission from the Armistice."
That…was not what he had expected to hear. "What?" He said. "Is something wrong?"
Behind him, Marlow looked up from his report.
"I wasn't given any details, sir. Your presence has been requested by the general. He wishes to speak with you directly." The man backed up towards the door as Galen pushed himself to his feet.
Marlow asked: "Shall I come with you, Starkiller?"
"No, stay here and finish your report. I doubt I'll be long." He was right, too, the general was prepared and waiting by the time he arrived.
"Now, before you erupt into one of your tirades." The general began sternly. "I want you to know that I'm not withholding anything from you. The simple fact of the matter is that we don't have much information." He gestured towards an empty chair opposite his desk. "Sit."
Galen frowned, but complied without fuss. The vision of the Death Star looming in the back of his mind had him fearing the worst.
"Is the Armistice in some sort of trouble?"
"Don't jump to conclusions." The general replied gruffly. "The ship is fine. We received a transmission from Senator Mothma. She has reason to believe that there has been an attack made against the Alliance." He held up his hand to still Galen's questions before they could even begin. "The senator was unwilling to give details on the incident. But clearly the situation is dire enough to warrant your release from your duties here. I've been given orders to send you back to the Armistice immediately."
Galen didn't need to hear details to know what that meant.
The dark clone had reappeared. What else would have been so important that he'd be summoned at this hour? And no doubt, they'd waited until the damage had already been done before calling for his aid. He'd warned the senators and they'd dismissed him. Perhaps now they would pay him some heed, but at what cost? How many more lives had that mad clone taken this time? It must have been bad for the senators to send word.
Galen had missed being on a ship; the low hum that reverberated quietly through the deck beneath his feet, the slight shifting as they moved to turn. The ship he had been raised in had been very different of course. None of this chaotic scurrying back and forth of other workers. It had been dark and quiet. Very quiet. He'd never truly realized how lonely he had been before he'd experienced what it was like to be surrounded by other people.
It felt good to be back and the first thing he wanted to do was to try and raise communications with Juno. With all that was going on – or possibly going on, since he still had no clarification – to hear her voice again would be very welcome. Thankfully, there was some spare time in which to do so.
The general had organized his shuttle a little too efficiently and he'd arrived almost an hour ahead of schedule. Apparently Mon Mothma had been away on some business of her own and was heading back to the ship specifically for the meeting. But every hour that went by was an hour wasted; an hour where the dark clone could cause more destruction or slip back into hiding.
He broke free of his pacing and headed up to find someone who could patch him through to wherever Juno was based. Perhaps their separation had been another test; the senators assessing how easy he was to control without Juno around to stabilize him.
He was wondering how he had scored on that particular 'test' when he rounded a corner and almost careered straight into someone coming the other way.
"Starkiller?"
The voice gave him pause and then he realized who he was looking at. It was Sia.
"Sia? I thought you were with Juno?"
"We didn't realize you were back." Sia continued. "Is there something going on?"
"I don't know yet." He replied impatiently. "Is Juno with you?"
"We arrived yesterday. Juno's down in the mess hall – or she was about half—"
He didn't wait for her to finish her sentence, moving past her at a hastened pace. Quite suddenly, there was not enough time to spare before his meeting. Had Juno's return been a coincidence or had she simply finished her assignment early? And if it was the latter then maybe the senators had known about this incident longer than he had realized and called her back.
But none of that seemed to matter at that moment. Not anymore. He just needed to see her. He'd think about the senators and their conniving tricks later.
Thankfully, she was easy to find.
He imagined, even if the hall had been crowded with people, his eyes would have been drawn straight to her. She was seated on one end of the nearest table surrounded by fresh-faced recruits. Many talked amongst themselves but those closest to her seemed to be listening to something she had to say. Her face was studious but even at this distance he could see a bright spark in her eyes. A spark that told him she had been given a job she was enjoying.
He stood, watching, waiting for her to notice him; unwilling to barge in on her conversation when he wasn't sure of how he should govern himself. It seemed to him that she'd not want her students to know about her personal life and seeing as how easily Sia had worked things out for herself, he didn't trust that he could act discretely enough to not seem obvious.
And then she looked up and their eyes met – quite unexpectedly – and he smiled to see her hastening to wrap up her conversation and excuse herself from the table. That spark in her eyes had intensified and his heart quickened in his chest as she made her way towards him. He hadn't dared to think that he would see her again so soon, but there she was. Remembering that staring at her was probably not a good way of keeping things low profile, he turned to leave the room – walking slowly so that she could catch up with him.
And then, a moment later, and she was walking there at his side. How he didn't just throw caution to the wind and kiss her right then and there, he didn't know. His will was clearly stronger than he believed.
"Starkiller." She acknowledged him with an enticing smile.
"Captain."
They walked in companionable silence until the presence of others began to recede and then, without warning, she shoved him sideways – out of the corridor and into a vacant meeting room; pressing against him, her arms looped around his neck. Their first kiss was urgent, their second less so, and then – after a few minutes – she settled breathlessly against his chest and he locked his arms possessively around her.
"What are you doing here?" She was the first to ask.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Job done. The recruits are fully-fledged. They're on standby until their first orders come through. Apparently there's something big in the works." She looked up, though her head was still pillowed against him. "Now." She said. "What are you doing away from Bandomeer?"
"I was hoping you might have heard something." Her lack of knowledge meant that maybe this had been a coincidence after all. "I was called away. There's been some sort of incident and Mon Mothma has arranged to meet with me. You'd not heard anything about it?"
She pulled back from him a little. "You think…?"
His expression tightened. "What else could it be?"
"When is your meeting?"
"I should probably start heading there now." He'd still be early but maybe the senator was already there and waiting. There was no point delaying if that was the case.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"You have the time?"
"I'll make time." She affirmed and the relief in his expression must have been vivid because she followed up with an understanding smile.
"I've missed you." He replied, leaning down to kiss her again.
"I'm glad you're here, Juno. This will make the process much quicker." The tall, stern woman had her back to them; staring out through the viewport. As always, her appearance was in perfect order, though her shoulders were rigid. After a moment, she turned to face them, lowering herself carefully into a seat at the head of the table.
"There has been an incident at a medical station situated within the Naboo system. Reports suggest that the station went dark approximately four days ago and since then there have been a number of explosions within the structure itself." She paused as if to give them time to get over their shock, but both Galen and Juno were stone silent, their eyes fixed on her. They had both been waiting for something like this to happen.
"A team was sent out to investigate the damage and report back their findings. Worryingly, there has been no word from them."
"They ran into some sort of difficulty." Juno added, speaking her thoughts aloud.
"When exactly did all of this happen, senator?" Galen asked, his tone confrontational.
"The team would have arrived at the station two days ago."
"You think this is Vader's apprentice." Galen's reply was immediate. "Then why didn't you ask for me sooner? Do you really think those mines on Bandomeer should have been prioritized over this?" His hand pressed hard against the table top. "This is exactly the sort of thing I warned you about. You should have told me. The people you sent to investigate: their blood is on your hands. Not mine."
"We have a lot to gain by being on Bandomeer, Starkiller. We could not risk extricating you until we had conclusive evidence. A search and rescue is protocol in these situations."
"Then, when this all goes wrong – and it will – don't even think about turning the blame on me. I warned you something like this would happen and you chose – in all your wisdom – to ignore it." He was furious.
"We needed further intelligence before we could be sure. Would you rather have had us sending you there only to find nothing?"
"I've had enough of your excuses. He did this to get your attention and when you ignored him you forced his hand. You're playing a dangerous game, except that I'm the one facing the consequences when you lose."
"So you would have been willing to fall into another of his traps only half informed? Even after what happened last time?"
His temper flared hotter. "Would the result be any better if we didn't? We refuse to be baited and the destruction will only get worse. You can't just ignore the fact that he is out to destroy everything you stand for. If you aren't willing to defend that, then I will. I died for this cause once already!"
Juno's hand on his arm reminded him of her presence.
"The decisions we have to make, Starkiller, are not easy ones." Mon Mothma's voice remained unaffected. "This is war. Sometimes sacrifices must be made. It doesn't make it right or easy, but it is necessary and they are not made without great thought."
It was Juno who responded. "What do you want us to do, Senator?"
Her eyes were solemn. "We are left with very few options, but with the rescue team gone and the station systems failing, the Alliance is in need of your skills, Starkiller."
He seemed to grit his teeth at that. "You should have asked sooner."
PROXY had greeted his master the moment they had boarded the Rogue Shadow; the droid seeming particularly pleased to see Galen back with them again. He had fussed for a time, until Galen had found him a job to keep him otherwise occupied.
"I think he missed you." Juno replied, looking amused.
"You think?" He smiled, but the expression didn't quite make it to his eyes.
"Stop worrying." She pressed. "This might all come to nothing. There's no way to know whether the dark clone was behind this."
"Even if he's not, he's going to surface sooner or later."
She agreed. "Perhaps we need to set our own trap."
"There's no way the senators would permit that, Juno, and you know it."
"Maybe they could be convinced. Perhaps if we had more solid reasons for directing our time into it, they might be easier to get on side."
"Like what?"
She turned in her chair to look at him. "How about a vision? Has your meditation not shed any light at all?"
He thought of his last attempt and felt the cold dread pull at him. The use of farsight had always been somewhat unpredictable with him, though it had become much more stable since he had turned away from the dark.
"Galen?"
He realized he still hadn't answered her question and shook his head. "Nothing of any use."
"Is something wrong?"
"No."
She clearly didn't believe him, but neither did she press him on it. Instead, she turned back to the console and checked the data on the displays. Seeming satisfied with how their journey was progressing, she got up from her chair and stepped sideways; depositing herself in his lap.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
She pressed her mouth to his, a light but lingering touch and when she spoke her voice was hushed. "What if he is there? The information we have is vague at best. The last time I left you to fight him I almost lost you."
He remained silent.
"This almost feels more dangerous than last time."
"Hmm." He was still distracted by memories of his vision, though he caught up with what she said a moment later and pressed her closer against him. "I don't think he's getting stronger."
"I won't let you fall again." She replied determinedly.
"I know you won't. You never have."
She looked set to argue with him but there was something in his expression that diverted her from that line of thought. "What is it you aren't telling me?"
"What?"
"You don't think I can tell when there's something on your mind?" She arched a brow at him.
"I can't talk about it yet." He admitted. "But I will. As soon as this is done, okay?"
She nodded, though still looked reluctant. "Just focus on what we need to do for now."
"You've been wearing that smug expression for a while now." The robed figure mused, his voice emanating from every shadowy corner in the cockpit. "I sense a success of some kind."
"Don't sound so surprised." The dark clone snapped; his gleaming eyes directed straight ahead.
"But I am surprised." And amused, apparently, because that incessant laughter crept up again, filtering disruptively through the clone's thoughts. "I thought you were beyond rational thinking."
"I left that pathetic alien with a job to do. A job even he can't fail."
The robed figure nodded sagely. "Ah. I see."
"Do you?"
"I do." The cloaked form separated from the shadows and glided over to sit in the vacant seat at the dark clone's side. His form wavered for a moment and then became solid, though the face was carefully concealed beneath the fabric of the heavy garment he wore. "A transmitter."
The dark clone scowled.
"Even if he dies, the Alliance – in the weakness of their mercy – will take him back to their ship. Giving you a location and bringing you ever closer to your unsuspecting nemesis."
"How—"
"—How did I know? You truly have lost your mind." The man chuckled darkly and then he was gone, leaving the dark clone to seethe alone.
"You'll see." He muttered to himself. "They'll lead me straight to him. If he won't come to me, I'll go to him. I won't let that inferior being keep me from my rightful destiny."
"There it is." Juno declared as the double-pronged shape of the Rogue Shadow lurched out of hyperspace and into range of the medical station. "I'll try and hail them."
Galen strode into the cockpit and looked up through the viewport.
"Do you…sense anything?" Juno asked, sounding slightly unsure of herself.
"No."
She took them closer to the dead station; her stomach twisting with apprehension. Not having anyone respond to her attempts at communication was a strange and horrible thing. This place should have been a hive of activity.
Galen shifted, drawing her attention back to him.
He was dressed in simple, dark clothes, a long sleeved shirt worn beneath a black, reinforced tabard striped with a single vertical line of green. The mismatched lightsabers were attached to his belt; ready and waiting. But other than the lightsabers, he looked as if he could be going for a casual walk instead of striding into battle.
"Do you see the rescue shuttle anywhere?" He asked.
"If it's here, it'll be in one of the docking bays." She brought up some data. "I couldn't say which one."
"Are we cloaked?"
"Yes. From the moment we left hyperspace." She replied with a grim smile, taking the ship down into the darkened docking bay.
"If they're alive, they can't have gone far." Galen pointed out. "How long do I have?"
"Systems are indicating approximately two hours before the oxygen is depleted."
"Wonderful." He headed to the door, looking back with a grin. "You remember the drill?"
She smiled back at him, despite her nervousness. "I'll be waiting just beyond scanner range." Just like old times…
To be continued...
Next update: 14th July
(A note: I am due to be moving house soon and as such may not have internet for a while. If for any reason there is a delay of longer than a day in my update it is likely because I do not have internet access. I'll keep my profile updated in the event of this happening)