An Unorthodox Reunion

[MoreThanSane]

"So this is it," Aelianus mumbled, looking out the shuttle's viewport. And it was. The fabled Tython, home of the New Jedi Order. Hidden away in the labyrinth of stars and black holes near the galaxy's center, Aelianus had never counted on seeing the planet himself. Never, actually, had he even considered the possibility. Now he found it more than a little intriguing, especially considering the stories he'd heard about the Jedi Archives, the most complete--if the rumors held weight--source of information in the known universe. Quite extraordinary.

Quite.

Despite the allure of such a heap of near-infinite knowledge, Aelianus was excited for his visit to Tython for a different reason entirely. It had taken him three weeks and two death-threats, but he'd finally managed to secure himself enough leave to make the voyage. He'd have done so himself and simply ignored the protestations of his superior officers had his destination been any other planet. But Tython, as it was, was accessible almost exclusively by Force-users. Hence the shuttle, with its Jedi pilot.

Aelianus wasn't completely sure he believed it was truly so--it seemed entirely too convenient a circumstance for the mystic Jedi Order's homeworld to be physically cut off from the rest of the galaxy--but he also wasn't willing to test the theory. He couldn't afford to die now; he was enjoying life far too much.

He caught sight of the Temple for only the slightest of moments before the shuttle flicked into its hangar. In contrast to the ancient stonework of the Temple's exterior, the inside of the hangar was modern by any standards. He reminded himself of the fact that it was the Jedi Order's home. Of course it was high-tech.

He was the first to the ramp, the first down the ramp, and the first out of the hangar and into the Temple's innards. The other passengers had been both Alliance personnel, excited family members, and returning Jedi, but Aelianus outpaced them all. His black duffel was slung over his shoulder, and in his hand he carried a datapad, following its directions as he brushed by all sorts of beings.

The Temple was large, he realized very quickly, and not simplistic in its design. Nevertheless, the oft-mysterious Jedi Order was not jealous with the layout, and the plans on his datapad proved to be accurate. Within moments he was standing outside his destination, heart in his throat.

He slid the datapad into his pocket and wrapped loudly on the door.

 

[Cassanova]

The saber was complete. The long-handled lightsaber just over twenty five inches in length, sporting a stunning purple blade rested on Juno's bed. Sitting at its foot, she stared at it. Its simplicity, its complexity, its ease of use, and its difficulty to master. Juno had spent a week constructing this little beauty, and was eager to test it out. That being said, she realised that there was a time and a place for such tests, and in the mean time, she had other responsibilities to attend to. Namely, the construction of eight other sabers. Juno picked up the blade, and let it rest upon a magnetic clip upon her left leg, which allowed the blade to stay out of her way, but immobile when performing high speed manoeuvres. She moved towards her little workstation as the wrap on the door stunned her from her working process.

Juno glanced around her quarters momentarily, checking for unnessecary mess. She may have been working phenomenally hard, but that was no excuse for a Jedi Knight to be messy. Satisfied with the state of the room, she approached the door and tapped its control panel. Once it slid open, Juno had to do a double-take. First she guessed that the man who stood in front of her was some doppleganger, but upon a moment of awkward silence, she knew it to be true, "Lee!"

Barely containing herself, she grabbed him by his shirt, and pulled him into her room, closing the door behind him. Smiling with glee, Juno gave him a kiss, "What in the Force are you doing here?!"

 

[MoreThanSane]

Aelianus barely had time to grin before the small woman hauled him into her room and crushed her lips against his. He returned the kiss, then resumed grinning as they pulled apart. He let his duffel slide from his shoulder and set it gently on the floor to his right.

"I'm on leave. It took longer than I'd hoped to get it--I think I've impressed someone important--but get it I did." He brushed a lock of black hair back around her ear and cupped her cheek in his palm. "And I... well, I couldn't..." he sighed. "Things have been hard since Coronet. I wanted to see you."

It was an understatement if there ever was one. He'd never been through such a difficult period in his entire life. Longing, loneliness--what was that, even? He hadn't ever had to deal with such emotions before, yet since he met Juno they seemed his constant companions. But now they could be put to rest, thank the Force.

"I wanted to see you," he repeated with a shrug.

 

[Cassanova]

Juno smiled sweetly and kissed him again, "I've missed you too, Lee."

She relieved him of his bag, and set it down near the door, and pulled him over to her meditation stools where she sat on one in a very Jedi-like stance. Pausing only to quadruple check that Aelianus Atratinus had actually made his way to the Core world of Tython to see her. Such a feat is ridiculous, and Juno felt elated by his presence. "The Order has had me flat out since Coronet. I've barely had a chance to stop and think... I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. I'm such a bad..."

Juno stumbled, struggling to pin a label as to what she would be to Aelianus. After a moment, she struggled out, "...I'm such a bad person."

 

[MoreThanSane]

"No," Aelianus said firmly. He tugged his stool forward and took one of her perfect hands in his. "You're a busy person, with a sense of duty. Personal matters have to be second to that. I understand." It was a fact that he had come to accept over the last several weeks, and one that he'd considered at great length before doing so. Juno Armstrong was a dedicated Jedi, and she would continue to be so. He couldn't change that, nor did he want to.

He, on the other hand, would have given up everything he'd ever owned or experienced or cared about in that very instant, if Juno had simply requested it. That was another fact he'd come to accept. This woman amazed him, and he could give her no less than everything.

"I have something for you," he said, going to his bag and then pulling it over. He unzipped the flap and reached in, making sure Juno couldn't see, and pulled out a small polished wooden box. Its contents had cost him a small fortune--a slice of the decidedly large fortune he had managed to acquire during he and Juno's last mission, unbeknownst to both the Galactic Alliance as well as Juno herself.

He handed her the item and closed the bag. "I hope you like it."

 

[Cassanova]

Juno took the box with a grin, and opened it gently. The light coming in through the window reflected off the crystal that rested inside the small wooden box, and back onto Juno's face, dancing across her eyes in gentle blue lines. Juno's jaw dropped slightly as she removed the small blue crystal, holding it up to the light on its own. She passed a motherly look to Aelianus, "...where... what... h-how?"

Juno, despite having an entire box of lightsaber crystals sitting on her table, had never seen a crystal such as this. It's icy blue exterior felt cold to the touch, hinting at its origins. Juno raised an eyebrow to Aelianus, "What is this?"

 

[MoreThanSane]

"In all honesty, I'm not completely certain," Aelianus smiled. Her reaction pleased him. "I was... about, and I saw it, and it made me think of you. I think it comes from Hoth, and it's probably quite old. The man I bought it from called it 'Permafrost,' though I'm of the opinion that that sounds slightly too melodramatic for an actual name. Regardless, it was a challenge to obtain, but in the end I managed."

In reality it had been quite hard. There had been another interested party, and he'd had to make sure that they were no longer interested. Out of respect to Juno he had done so bloodlessly, though they hadn't known that. He almost chuckled at the memory.

"I really don't know of what use it will be," he shrugged and looked around the room awkwardly, "but it matches your eyes, so I had to get it."

 

[Cassanova]

Juno smiled, and unhooked her lightsaber, "Let me show you."

Juno had one massive advantage over Aelianus at this point. She knew that this permafrost crystal was, in fact, imbued with the force. Better still, was of appropriate size and cut to fit straight into a lightsaber. When Juno separated the components of her blade with the force, holding them up between herself and Aelianus, she kept a keen eye on him, watching for his reaction.

Pulling the synthetic blue crystal from her lightsaber, and replacing it with the icy blue of the permafrost crystal was a simple task. one which Juno completed in a matter of seconds. When she finally extended her hand to the lightsaber, gripping it and assessing its minor weight difference. She extended her left arm out with the saber and thumbed the ignition.

Snap-hiss!

The piercing icy blue blade lit up the room, seemingly adding a certain chill, the closer you went to the lightsaber. A phenomenon which held no scientific bounds, not any actual change in temperature, but to any living things, the closer you became to this blade, the colder you felt. A permafrost lightsaber crystal.

Juno looked to Aelianus and disengaged her saber, "Thankyou, Lee," she shuffled closer to him and pulling him closer by his neck, kissing him, "What did i ever do to deserve you?"

 

[MoreThanSane]

So that's why it was so expensive.

He smiled at Juno. He felt so good at that moment it was extraordinary. Juno Armstrong was the second sentient being to ask him that question, the first having been his adoptive mother. His adoptive mother, and the only other person in the galaxy he'd ever enjoyed spending time with. He felt a slight pang before pushing that thought from his mind. This was a time for happiness--for he and Juno--not for dwelling on the past.

"You deserve better than me," he said, "a lot better. But I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere soon. In fact, my leave is sort of open-ended." That had been a result of the second death-threat. "So, I guess I'm here until you kick me out or Command succeeds in engaging my sympathy. I don't believe the latter possible, quite honestly."

 

[Cassanova]

Juno smiled as she hooked her lightsaber to her belt, and slipped the circular ring that held her robe to her back off, revealing her armour in its glory, but also the much longer lightsaber hilt that had been resting upon her thigh. Standing she moved a few steps, and hung it up on a hook mounted near her bed, "You can stay as long as you need, Lee. You know that."

Moving quickly over to him, she grabbed him by the hand, and pulled him up, hugging him around his waist, "So, Sergeant. What exactly do you want to do here? Want a tour? Lock yourself in my room and do nothing for your leave? What is it?"

 

[MoreThanSane]

Aelianus rested his hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow as he looked down into her face. "I'd hardly consider that nothing." He hadn't considered what he'd occupy himself with upon arrival. It was one of those subjects he'd forced himself not to think about. What if he found some excuse not to come? That would have been unacceptable. But now he was here, and he could safely allow his mind to breach the protective wall he'd erected around the matter.

"Well, Juno," he said, "I guess I just want to spend time with you. We've been on two missions together, yet we've spent very little time getting to know each other." He pulled her tighter, his hands feeling slightly odd as they sank into the material of her armor. "I want to know you."

 

[Cassanova]

Juno kissed him on the nose, "Well, Mister Atratinus. What exactly would you like to know?"

She smiled and pulled him from her room, walking down the hallway, hand in hand - definitely getting some obscure glances, "Would you care to know about my brother? My parents? Maybe about my project I've been working on? Favourite colour?"

Juno erupted in a chuckle, "You tell me, Lee. Tell me what you want to know - just be prepared to answer the same sort of questions!"

 

[MoreThanSane]

He scowled at a Twi'lek Jedi who'd given them a too-indiscreet look until the other passed. He wondered if it was against some sort of regulation for Jedi to have relationships with Alliance soldiers. If there was, he'd have to shoot someone.

Aelianus squeezed Juno's hand gently as they continued down the hall. "Let's go outside. Somewhere private, somewhere you can tell me everything, and then I'll tell you everything." It was so simple. He didn't know why they hadn't done it the last time they'd been together. He flashed back to their time chasing Ivan Boriskovic, and realized that they'd often been involved in... other activities.

"Somewhere we won't be disturbed," he added.

 

[Cassanova]

Juno nodded, and led him down a set of stairs to a set of nondescript doors. As they approached it opened up wide, revealing a low-slung room lined with consoles and transparisteel windows looking out to what appeared to be a permacrete field. On this field, of course, was dozens upon dozens of ships. The personal vessels of the Jedi Knights of the Order. Juno's ship, the Axiom, was relatively close to the Temple's entrance. As the pair approached Juno lifted a hand and waved a finger in a circle - the ship's onboard computer, 'Axie', understood the meaning perfectly.

As the pair approached, the ship began to make the unmistakable noises of powering up and opened the hatch revealing two seats inside the cockpit. Juno made a sweeping gesture, "Right. Private and undisturbed. I know just the place."

 

[MoreThanSane]

Aelianus wondered briefly if, seeing the circular motion of Juno's finger, the she'd exerted some manner of Force power on the vessel or it simply had an onboard computer that she'd programmed to recognize certain gestures. He decided the latter was far more likely.

The Axiom was an impressive ship. The first time he'd seen it approximately a month before he'd recognized that fact, but now, upon closer inspection, he noticed that "impressive" simply didn't succeed in capturing the nature of the ship's beauty. It was sleek and sharp, fast and beautiful. Aelianus glanced at Juno. Just like its owner.

He clambered into the copilot's chair and smiled. "I'm glad," he said. Normally he'd be itching for progress, for development. But simply being in Juno's presence was enough for him at that moment. It was more than enough, it was a goal he'd striven for weeks to complete, and now he allowed himself to relish it.

 

[Cassanova]

Barely settling into her seat as the canopy closed down on the two of them, was Juno's feet in the pedal loops, and her finger edging the throttle forward, pushing the small craft high into the atmosphere. Pausing only to adjust their bearings, Juno nudged the nose of the ship along a gulley that fed a river down to the beaches and oceans a hundred or so kilometres away. Naturally, in a ship as small, fast, and aerodynamic as the Axiom. They arrived quickly.

---

Juno clambered from the Axiom's cockpit pod and vaulted down onto the soft sand. The force was still strong here, as it was everywhere on Tython, but it did not have the distractions of... anything, really. Juno waited until Aelianus had made his way down to the ground, and took his hand in hers.

"So, what do you want to know?"

 

[MoreThanSane]

The scene was breathtaking. Perfect sand warmed by the late afternoon sun, the tide breaking gently against the shore, vibrant trees marking the jungle's edge, and looming mountains that seemed to stand guard over it all. The place was alive, Aelianus could almost taste it. He looked longingly at the jungle, thinking about all the biological diversity that it represented, but the temptation passed as soon as Juno spoke, her rich voice pulling him completely and unavoidably back to her.

"Everything," he said as they walked closer to the gentle waves. The wind whipped about them, blowing Juno's hair into his face and ruffling his own. "Who is Juno Armstrong? Start at your beginning, and tell me everything."

 

[Cassanova]

Juno sighed, Its never a simple question, is it?

"I guess my parents are the first place to start," Juno's face crept into one of sadness. She had accepted their fate, and never let the emotion cloud her judgement or actions, but these moments when she could sit down and be sad, was part of the way she honoured them. "They were both Jedi Knights, my father a Guardian like myself, and my mother a healer."

"When my brother and I were conceived, the Order took measures to ensure that no matter what, at least one parents was with us," a grin of appreciation began to creep across her face, "That of course, was until, some war broke out on an Outer Rim planet and all un-assigned Jedi were required to provide assistance. On that mission, they were both killed. Mum when she was trying to save a soldier and Dad when he was trying to save Mum..." There were no tears forming in Juno's eyes, just the grateful sadness that comes with knowing a happy truth about someone who had passed on to become one with the Force.

"Once their funerals had passed, Guhoo and I were accepted into the Order - I think the Masters wished to keep an eye on us. To keep us on the right path, you know?" Juno never resented the fact. The Order had been her family since day one. They had been familiar with the Jedi Code since they were able to read. Juno looked to Aelianus, "Since then, we've both been working to become Jedi. He was taken on as a Padawan years before I was, so I had to find other ways to fill my time. Studying, exercising, training, and I also took dance lessons too..." Juno chuckled, "...that got a few strange questions from the Masters."

"Other than that, Lee... You know the rest. I'm a Jedi, thats the most of what I do. I mean, sure I have my own ideas and ways to do things, but I'm still a part of something bigger than myself, which is important to me." Juno chuckled kicking a small bit of muddy sand around. "What about you? Whats your story?"

 

[MoreThanSane]

Aelianus thought about expressing remorse at her mishaps, but perceived that it wouldn't be a welcome gesture. Juno was past her past, obviously. He settled for caressing her hand with his thumb.

"It's a tragedy, I've been told," he said with a small smile. "My father was weak--he abandoned my mother and I only minutes after my birth. My mother proved weaker, though, and jumped out the medcenter window the moment she realized that he was gone for good. Both incidents proved fortunate for me, as both of them were Coruscanti lowlifes; perpetually intoxicated and strung out on drugs, you understand. The doctors thought I was going to come out brain-dead after they realized just how many drugs my mother had managed to consume during the short nine months she carried me.

"The woman who served as my nurse took me in." Once again he felt a slight pang upon thinking of his adoptive mother. "She became my mother in every respect; the only person I've ever truly cared for until now. The rest of my childhood was spent learning, quite honestly. I graduated from the Coruscant University in my early teens and began teaching and getting involved in various interesting projects.

"By the time the war started I could have been considered wealthy by anyone's standards." He shook his head in sadness and not completely controlled frustration. "You should have seen them, Juno--all those young minds dropping their studies to go and fight a war that had no logical purpose. All that potential wasted, thrown out like trash, while the 'elite' continued their pampered lifestyles without so much as a thought toward the ramifications of their stagnation. I couldn't be like them, so I left. I disappeared."

He led her further up the beach, back to dry sand, and sat, pulling her down at his side. Legs splayed out in front of him, Aelianus leaned back on his hands and watched the waves. "She wasn't happy with that, my mother." Again, a note of regret was present in his voice. "But there was nothing she could do. I set out for the front lines and did everything I could to hurt the Imperium. A few skirmishes here, nudge Alliance Intelligence in the correct direction there, leak some horrific footage to a news team--it was all fairly basic, but at least I was helping. I eventually realized that I'd make more of a difference if I actually joined the Alliance Military."

He sighed. "It wasn't something I was very interested in doing, I'll admit. Following orders is not a strong suit of mine, but it seemed the most prudent alternative to writing books and teaching idiots on Coruscant. So I hit the nearest recruitment center and signed up."

He scooped a hand-full of sand and let it run through his fingers, blowing slightly in the wind as it fell and formed little pools in the wrinkles of his pants. He looked at Juno, her deep blue eyes locking with his piercing green. "And then I went on a few missions, met an extraordinarily beautiful Jedi, and decided that perhaps there are some things more important than war, even in times as troubled as these."

 

[Cassanova]

Juno nestled into Lee's shoulder, "There's no point fighting a war, if you don't have anything to fight for, Lee." The words were meant as more than comfort, but also reassurance that she was his, and that she was not going anywhere. Rolling onto her stomach, and resting on her elbows, Juno took Lee's hand in hers once he had finished playing with the sand, and inspected it closely.

"I don't think we could have come from other ends of the spectrum," she smiled softly running her index finger along the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, "...and I couldn't imagine it any other way. I'm happy, Lee. Really happy."