"The Olympus has just entered the Coruscant atmosphere," Admiral Razzle, the head of the cruiser, buzzed over Percy's comms channel.
Percy had chosen not to be at the helm of the cruiser as they dropped out of hyperspace to enter the planet's atmosphere, which led him to be where he was now. He waited in the hangar bay of his cruiser, ready to board a LAAT that would take him from the mooring tower they were set to dock at to where Percy was needed planet-side. Plus, he would rather be making his way back to solid ground as fast as he could. Which he hoped was sooner than later, as he could feel his stomach begin to churn as his body reacted to transcending the atmosphere.
He had noticed that his heart skipped a beat each time he transcended through atmospheres. It was only in the emptiness of space or on the sturdy ground that he felt okay. Yet, those minutes suspended above the ground in a mass of floating metal, his stomach was in his throat, and his palms were unbearably sweaty.
Percy glanced to his left as he fought away the sickness that crept through his blood.
Senator Chuchi stood close to his side. Her hand lingered over the coffin of the recently slain Chairman. Percy had seen to transporting the body wherever it needed to go for her. Funeral rites had to be observed after all, and the fallen's intergalactic reputation commanded a service on the center stage of the galaxy.
It was the least Percy could do, all things considered. Plus, it wasn't as if Percy planned to go to the service himself. It would be wrong of him to do so. He would just have to settle for being the ferryman.
From there, he would be on his way to his next mission forward.
The war had to be won, after all.
"Approaching full stop," the Admiral announced over the cruiser's intercom.
Percy wiped the sweat off his palms and onto his armor and nodded to Lust in the cockpit of the LAAT. Lust gave a thumbs up before he set to work. The transport came to life, engines starting up and humming. Commander Wrath stepped next to Percy on his right, and the two kept their gaze on their ride and not the floating coffin that was escorted onto the craft first.
A second later, Chuchi moved closer to Percy's left. She had been silent for the little he had seen of her since she boarded The Olympus and during the jump through hyperspace. Percy tried his best not to assume why she had chosen silence. However, the tickling fear that she suspected his hand in how the Chairman died did little to hide in her presence. He had opted to bite his cheek, mirroring her silence back. They could walk away from each other on silent terms, knowing that if the Chairman were alive, things would have been worse.
The Pantoran Guards escorted the coffin onboard and pressed a button on the metal box. The casket lowered itself to the floor of the transport. Percy gestured for Chuchi to board before him, and she did wordlessly.
Percy turned his back on the craft as he looked at the clone deckhands who stood near the luggage of the Pantoreans, "Load it onto the next craft." He directed. "Deliver it to the designated building. Pilot Sol should have the flight plan already. You'll be in civilian airspace, so respect the airspace laws."
"Yessir!" the clones saluted him and then began to load the luggage onto a different LAAT.
Percy turned back to his own LAAT.
His commander shutting off a hologram call at the same time. Commander Wrath nodded to Percy and spoke, "Docking at the moor now, sir. We are cleared to leave."
Percy nodded and stepped aboard, Wrath on his heel. "Lust, take us up and to the Senate."
"Aye, sir."
The blast doors closed as the ground shifted. The transport shuddered momentarily, sending a tumble through Percy's stomach as they took to the air and out of the hangar.
Everyone was silent aboard the craft. It wasn't a comfortable silence either.
The coffin that dominated the floor space did not provide the same atmosphere as small laughs and smiles would. Instead, a reserved silence reigned. The Senator had not so much as looked away from the metal box.
It really made Percy worry that she had an idea of his actions, or was that just his guilt seeping through?
Was she afraid of him now? Scared to speak out about his actions. Did her time to think about the events lead her to the conclusion that he struck down the Chairman? Did she bite her cheek, disgusted by the peace she settled and how it came to be? Was he the villain of the story?
The thoughts had troubled him for longer than just this flight. He had tried to reach out to the voice in his head but found little success.
Chuchi wasn't the only one giving him the silent treatment. Mother had been absent for some time now. Percy wasn't even sure when she last spoke, but he knew it was back on that icy moon when he followed her orders. He didn't even know what he did to deserve the silence. She just didn't respond when he probed for advice or information.
Perhaps asking for her actual name was a touchy subject…
Percy really was just a ladies' man… The first one he met sent him away to fight. The second one won't even share her name. Then the third, well, that might be his fault, but the second woman told him to do it…
To his side, Wrath closed another hologram call. Percy must have really been in his head to miss that one in such an enclosed location.
"The Olympus is refueling and restocking all provisions for extended travel," Wrath relayed. "Preparations for an extended campaign."
"We have our next mission, then?" Percy prodded as he forced himself to swallow the acidic bile that crept up his lungs. He really was going to puke one of these days.
"Not yet, sir. The Jedi Council has placed a hold on our movements until further notice. I imagine that is something you'll have to handle, sir."
Right. The Council.
That was a "him" problem. Little Frogman had wanted to talk to him as soon as Percy touched down on Coruscant. Percy had hoped he could have slipped in and out before then and made up an excuse about forgetting and asking for the next mission instead. Seems like he would have to face the music first.
"We drop off the Senator, and then we jump over to the Jedi Temple," Percy explained to his second in command. "If we are lucky, we can be out of there before we know it."
"Have you ever met the other Jedi, sir?" Wrath asked.
Percy shrugged, "You were paired with me. You know my history. Haven't had the time yet to meet anyone besides who we've met already."
Wrath nodded in understanding.
"Are you nervous?" Chuchi asked. Percy turned to her as she slowly looked away from the coffin to meet his gaze. "I'm nervous about meeting many of the other senators."
"You'll do great." Percy tried to assure her with a smile. "They'll love ya."
She blushed despite the slight frown on her face, her eyes falling away again. "I fear they will see me as weak and malleable. That they will try to take advantage of my kindness and the funeral to push me into their agendas."
"Then don't let them?" Percy shrugged. He clearly didn't know how politics worked. He was a hammer, after all. People with screws loose and schemes weren't his problem to handle. He could nail down targets, though. "Tell them to piss off. Make allies with those who share your ideals. Just don't be corrupt."
Chuchi let out a small laugh with a smile to match. "It is good that you are not a senator, General."
"Too much reading for me."
"They have audio transcripts."
"Too much listening for me, then."
"I think you'll listen to anything that interests you." She tried instead. "You listened to me far better than others have."
"Dealing with others and helping them is much easier than managing a Republic, Senator."
"Perhaps I was wrong. I think we may need more people with your thoughts in the Senate. Perhaps when the war ends, you can run."
"Already trying to win me over," Percy smirked. "The other senators better watch out. I don't think any of them will be ready for your charisma."
"A minute out," Lust buzzed over the intercom.
The small that adorned her face fell as she turned away from the intercom, "We will see each other again, won't we?" Chuchi asked. "You can catch me up on your adventures across the galaxy?"
Percy smiled, and a weight left his chest. It seemed she didn't hate him. Perhaps her silence was just her grieving.
"Of course. Next time I am planet-side, I'll give you a buzz."
She blushed, "Then you should have my personal line if you wish to do that."
"Oh?"
She stretched her arm to him, "Give me your comms device. I'll add my personal contact."
Percy pulled the device off and handed it to her. She took it for a moment, silently puzzling over how to handle the military gear before seemingly solving the matter. She quickly projected a keyboard and typed away.
"There you go." She offered the device back. "Just search Riyo in your contacts when you wish to see me again. I am free at any hour if you need me."
Percy slipped the comms device back onto his arm as the aircraft shuddered. The landing gear caught the ground, finally. Percy even felt his stomach quell as the LAAT stilled.
"Of course, Riyo Chuchi."
The two smiled at each other as the light of Coruscant's sun crept through the sliding doors. Eventually, the doors opened completely, and the Pantorans dismounted with the coffin in their wake.
Chuchi gave him a departing wave. A crowd of overly dressed individuals with red-marked clones escorting them approached from behind her. Percy waved back until the doors blocked his line of sight.
"Perhaps you should be called Lust, General," Wrath teased. "Got her personal contact after just one mission."
"Oh, gods." Percy rolled his eyes. "Don't even start. We are just friends."
"Just friends?" Lust called over the intercom.
"Were you listening the whole time?" Percy shouted to the pilot.
"No need to shout, sir. I always have the listener turned on to the cargo hold. I've heard every conversation had in this flying girl."
"Look, we are just friends. Okay? I honestly thought she didn't like me before we took off from the hangar."
"With how you two acted on the moon, sir, I beg to differ."
"I was being nice!" Percy whined. "I was meant to take care of her."
"That you did, sir." Wrath laughed. Lust joined, too, over the intercom, static crackling over the speakers.
"Let me know the next time we are on Coruscant if you need me to fly you to her apartment, sir." Lust then laughed harder over the comms. "I'll make"—he paused, laughing— "I'll make sure only to tell a few of the men where I'm going."
"You two will be the death of me, I swear. We are just friends at best," Percy whined as he tried to reason.
Once more, the two clones trailed off into laughter as they continued to fly towards the Jedi Temple. Percy could only pout.
He really was just being nice.
:P LINE BREAK d:
"Approaching the drop-off, General," Lust announced. The humor of minutes past had run quiet as Percy had retreated into his nerves.
Percy just nodded, a continuous bob of his head for a good five seconds as he held his eyes closed. Oh, how he wished he was just being teased right now instead of worrying.
Once these doors opened, he would be meeting the Jedi Masters in full. Not just being saved by Shaak Ti or going on a mission with Skywalker and Kenobi, he would be judged by the top tier of his technical peers despite not being the same as them.
Would they think less of him as a person for not following their practices? Would they strip him of what he has been training for since he awoke in the sea? If they took that away from him, how would he get back home?
How would he go forward?
"You'll be fine, sir." Wrath patted his back as the sunlight streamed in through the now-open doors of the LAAT.
Before Percy, beyond the landing pad, was the roof of the Jedi Temple with massive spiraling towers. One of which he would be ascending to meet the Jedi Council. A few robed individuals awaited him less than a hundred meters away and approaching. He could already see one that he knew.
Beyond the temple, the backdrop of the city loomed. Towering skyscrapers that hid behind clouds, trade ships docking, military crafts ascending out of the atmosphere, and even civilian crafts going about their days. Coruscant was fundamentally full of movement. It was far more hectic than he had thought a planet ever could be. However, the population was in the trillions. It should have been expected.
"Call me when you need to sneak over to the Senator's place, sir," Lust laughed again.
Percy rolled his eyes and stepped off the craft. He wasn't even going to dignify his two troopers with a response. Instead, he walked forward, swallowing his nerves about meeting Shaak Ti's peers and the unease that rose from flying.
I can do this.
Behind him, Lust and Wrath took off back to the mooring station. Hopefully, the Jedi would not keep Percy and his men away from the war for too long.
"Percy!" a familiar voice called out from the robed individuals. Her caring accent carried his name to him like a warm embrace. He didn't need to see her face to know who it was. Granted, her outline was distinct with her montrals that stood high on her head and the long lekku that passed her chest.
A smile blossomed across his face as the nerves receded a little. She was familiar in a place utterly foreign to him.
"Ti!" he set out to meet her and brought his arms around her. He ignored the other Jedi. They didn't matter in this moment. Instead, he felt Shaak Ti gently hug him back. It was shorter than the one he left her with back on Kamino, but that had more weight to it than this greeting did. After all, there was business to attend to, and she, as a Jedi, could not show blatant attachments.
"I am glad to see you again," she spoke as she receded to arm's length. "How have you been?"
He shrugged, "Fine. No complaints beyond not liking flying."
She smiled, a twinkle in her eye, "I remember my first times in the air. It did not agree with me at first either."
"Well, let us just hope I get used to it. Otherwise, one of these days, it will be a mess."
The two laughed, enjoying their small reunion. However, they were not there for that, and one of the Jedi who was part of his welcoming party cleared his throat.
Percy, of course, turned to the bald black man. He was tall and wore a beige outfit that peeked out from below the brown curtain drapes Jedi called robes. The man had a really severe look in his eye, a real no-nonsense kind of person. Percy had a feeling they would not have a great friendship.
"General Jackson," the man began. "I am Jedi Master Windu. I have been looking forward to meeting you since Master Shaak Ti announced she had trained a new student to mastery. To master the blade in so little time is no easy feat."
Percy shrugged, "Great teacher and muscle memory, really."
"Muscle memory? You have used a blade before her teachings?" Windu pushed.
"I think so." Percy shrugged again. He obviously did use a blade before, but he couldn't really explain a past he didn't know.
"You think?" Windu continued to pry.
"As I mentioned to you all prior in my reports, Percy is a unique case." Shaak Ti moved to cut off the coming questions. "A savant or prior student, he has my trust. I am sure we can discuss this further in the Council Chambers when all the Masters are present."
"Yes." Windu stroked his chin as he glared at Percy. "There is much to discuss."
"Right." Percy forced an unconvincing half smile. "Shall we head that way then? I'm rather eager to get this done with."
"Places to be, General?" a new woman added. She was dark-skinned and had definitely alien vibes to her. Her version of hair was interesting, to say the least, with a scaly cranium and fleshy tubes that extended from it like hair. Despite all that, Percy wasn't here to judge. He was here to be judged himself.
"A war to win, ma'am," he replied.
"The war isn't going anywhere anytime soon, General. No matter how eager we are to see it over."
"I'm hoping to change that, ma'am."
"Adi Gallia," she responded.
Percy just smiled at her and nodded, confused. Was that a code phrase or something?
"But you can call me Adi."
Oh, a name. Makes sense.
"Perseus Jackson, but I prefer Percy."
"Excellent to meet you, Percy."
"You as well, Adi."
"If you are ready to move on?" Windu imposed, cutting off further conversation.
"Of course, Master Windu," Adi Gallia responded with a bow of her head.
Percy just nodded and shifted closer to Shaak Ti, who gave him a comforting smile.
Things will be okay. Percy told himself as he returned her smile.
Percy turned to the last person—err, alien-being-species-man-fish? They had been a silent observer, and he probably should have introduced himself to the green man with tentacle hair, but he was apprehensive to break the silence Master Windu had enforced. Plus, what do you say when the only thing that crosses your mind when you see them is asking if they polish or comb the tentacles after a shower?
Instead, Percy bit his tongue as he followed the curtain-wearing individuals toward one of the spirals atop the Jedi Temple.
"Where are your robes, Percy?" Shaak Ti whispered to him.
Windu threw a side glance back at the two but kept leading them forward.
"Gave them away." Percy shrugged. "Didn't like them. Too clunky and brown."
The tortugan Jedi sighed, "They are proper attire for these matters. You really never did listen to anything I said outside of how to fight, did you?"
"I tried," Percy grimaced. "Honest."
"Well, not very hard, it seems." She let out a sigh. "Now there is someone out there with Jedi robes who isn't even a Jedi."
"So, nothing changed then beyond the ownership of the robes?"
"Who has them?" Shaak Ti said as they neared closer to the spire. Percy could make out windows at the very top of the structure.
"A senator." He shrugged. He wasn't going to tell her it was Chuchi. She would probably tease him like Wrath and Lust were.
"The senator you were assigned to?" she prodded.
Here it comes. Percy let his head fall, "I was being nice because she was cold. I didn't need them, so it just made sense."
"She is a Pantoran. They have a resilience to cold weather."
"So do I, apparently, and even then, it was cold."
"And you still gave away your Jedi robes? Robes fitting of your position."
Percy shrugged. "Yeah?"
The group reached the base of the spire, where a door waited. Windu hit a button near the door that opened to reveal an elevator. The group began to step into the lift.
"At least you kept the armor," she huffed and gave him a once-over before she entered the elevator herself.
Percy, self-consciously, looked down. He was half expecting to see a food stain on the white clone armor. Thankfully, he saw nothing and joined everyone in the elevator.
What if I painted it black? That would hide the stains if I ever got one.
"What are you thinking about, Percy?" Shaak TI prodded as they began to ascend.
Percy turned to Shaak Ti inside the cramped space, "Stupid ideas. The usual."
"There is no nearby ocean for you to jump in around here. If that is what you are thinking about."
The green man turned to them. Percy had a feeling Tentacle Man was from an ocean planet then.
"I don't feel the call of the sea here anyways," Percy assured her. "I was just wondering where I could buy buckets of black paint."
"Black paint?" Adi questioned. Windu gave him a glare.
"Stupid idea, remember?" Percy shrugged.
"Enlighten me," Tentacle Man joined in.
"Well, all this white armor is getting kind of annoying."
"Ahh," Shaak Ti laughed and gave him a smirk. "Has the color finally driven you to the edge to force you to hide it away?"
"Let's just say, If I go back to Kamino, expect graffiti everywhere by the time I leave."
"The Kaminoans will not be pleased," Adi frowned.
"As if they actually scrub their own walls clean. I saw the robots clean the hallways at night. Even slipped in a puddle one left behind."
Shaak Ti giggled. The Tentacle Man and Adi smiled.
The elevator lift stopped, and Percy couldn't help but shift his stance to the other foot.
Right, this was why I am here, and not for the chats.
The doors opened to a circular room. Windows brought in the sun's warmth as the city bustled beyond the glass. Across the room, chairs akin to thrones looped almost a complete ring around the room, leaving only an opening from where someone could approach the middle of the circle from the elevator.
Beings of all shapes and colors occupied almost every seat. Even holograms of Master Jedis lingered like ghosts in place of the physical being. One in particular was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was talking to someone off-screen.
Master Windu silently exited first, finding himself home in one of the thrones. Shaak Ti patted Percy's shoulder and nodded to him before she and the other two Masters found their seats. Percy watched for a moment as they all sat and stared at him.
Judgement time.
The elevator doors began to shut, and Percy threw his arm out to stop them. With burning cheeks, he exited the lift and looked past the faces staring at him. He would not make eye contact with them after that goof.
Head held high, he walked to the center of the room. The Jedi Masters surrounding him gave him a strange sense of Déjà vu.
"Perseus Jackson," Windu started. "You stand before the High Council to be judged worthy of being a Jedi."
Percy frowned as he gave Shaak Ti a glance. He was not a Jedi. They had already decided that. Why was the council trying to make him one?
Windu continued, "How do you wish to open your case?"
AN: Hello! Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review, favorite, and follow. I respond to any and all comments people wish to have with me either in my PMs or preferably on Discord. (Link in bio)
I want to say thanks once more for all the support everyone (including you) has given this story. I honestly never thought I would write something to gain this much traction in just over a six-month time span. I honestly thought I would struggle to cross the 200-follow mark. Now, I have over 200 reviews and over 40k views. It feels crazy to me.
I know my writing is not consistent, but life is a challenge for me. However, I am making great efforts to improve the amount and quality of work I write a month. However, that comes at the cost of word count. I don't know how greatly that affects you when you read. However, writing and, more importantly, editing have been greatly easier and healthier for my mental when I've not exceeded the 5k word count a chapter. I have four other chapters for other stories I am currently editing as I go to post this chapter. However, if I kept to my longer-running chapters, I fear I would still be facing the hurdle of editing the mass of words.
I am a solo writer/editor at the end of the day, so I appreciate the patience many of you have for my process. However, as mentioned, I think I have found a way to benefit us all, so I am going to try and move forward with that for now.
Big thanks to Orion and Cursed over on the Emerald Library for being open ears to hear my story ideas and keep me productive. Y'all two are great, though Cursed, your reviews live up to your name. Keep them coming.
At the end of this all, Thank you again.
Review, Follow, Favorite
That's about it.
-Manke