#jer’ik lo

[jpoakbrook]

BEYOND THE STARS, BEYOND THE SEA

chapter 17: THE HOWLING NARGLATCH PT 1

summary: You accompany Jer'ik Lo on a weekend event on Cheefdaz Fik's luxury liner. There, you meet a couple of Dathomirian-Zabraks.

It was your first time aboard the ship since your rescue from the Undercity. You had spent the trip back to Maverick’s in pain, shivering and crying in Obi-wan’s arms. This time, you were looking over every inch of the ship in awe. It amazed you that someone could make a ship like this home as he travelled across the stars collecting bounties when he could.

“Don’t you feel cooped up?” you called out, fingertips running over a map that was pinned to a corkboard.

“Nah. I stay on planets a lot. I don’t really leave planets unless I have a bounty,” Jer’ik responded as he was really letting the auto-pilot do all the work. But he was seated in the pilot’s chair, feet propped up, using a knife to clean the underside of his nails.

“But there’s no planet you really stay at more than others?” you inquired.

“Nope. Stay somewhere long enough, and you’ll find a reason to never leave,” came his response. You thought you could hear some tension beneath it, but you didn’t pry. “Besides, there’s always another party somewhere, and who am I to deny the galaxy my presence?”

You laughed at that, moving back to the cockpit to join him. “Is that where we’re going? A party?” you asked. He nodded. “I don’t have party wear, though.”

“I took care of it. Don’t worry. It’s in my room waiting for you. Just remember that, as far as anyone is concerned, you are there on official business,” he said. You huffed.

“I am there for business,” you reminded him. Obi-wan had agreed to let you go on the mission simply because Jer’ik had helped him in his time of need. And he couldn’t repay the favour since this required translations. So when the time for payment came, he had to be okay with you going with Jer’ik. He made you swear up and down that you wouldn’t leave Jer’ik’s side at any point in the night. When you petulantly brought up using the refresher, he made you swear even then. He wasn’t taking any risks.

“Remember, if at any point you’re uncomfortable or have something important to share…” he trailed.

“We speak Nagaian,” you confirmed. He nodded.

“Nobody there will know it. And I don’t want to risk a conversation in Basic where just anyone can interrupt or overhear us,” he said. He checked the route and hummed a little to himself. “We’ll be there in just over an hour. You want to go shower?” he asked. You nodded with a smile in thanks and headed down to the more intimate living area. You popped into his sonic before looking at his ample hair care products. You didn’t want to mess with any of them, wondering how he had so many, and instead opted to just brush your long hair and put it into a simple braid over your left shoulder. You stepped out of the fresher and headed into the small room that Jer’ik stayed in during his tenure on his ship. There was a box on the bed, and your name was written in Nagaian on the front. You smiled and undid the blue ribbon that sealed it. You lifted the lid and gasped.

There was a gorgeous dress laying on a bed of white tulle. The dress had an illusion neckline, the sheer part being a black sheer lace that drew stars and constellations across your chest in golden specks. The bodice of the dress was shaped, but not stiff, and black. The skirt of the dress was asymmetrical. The left side was bunched up and pinned just about mid-thigh. It dropped dramatically, going all the way down to your ankle on the right side. The way the silk felt, the way it bunched and fell in ridges, reminded you of a more casual dancing version of a sarong. It was black and faded away to gold at the end. There was a golden lace belt that connected the bodice to the skirt. It was beautiful, and when you slipped it on, it fit just right. You smiled, looking at yourself in the mirror. He must’ve commissioned it for you because it hugged you just right and emphasized the curve of your thick thigh, showing off the tattoos on your leg that not many got to see.

The box also held a smaller one, this one clearly concealing jewelry. There was a golden circlet that snapped around your thigh, and you felt decorated as the metal attached to your warm skin. There was another one to go around your right bicep. The metal was curled and twisted into a beautiful vine that curled around your arm three times, smaller and more delicate ones branching off to host small emerald leaves. It matched your thigh piece. The final piece was a golden pin to put in your hair. It was of a raven with a knife in its beak. It was the same symbol on the outside of Jer’ik’s ship. It must’ve been his symbol.

You didn’t mind wearing it tonight, slipping it into your braid, right at the base of your head. You looked in the mirror and felt beautiful. It wasn’t often that you got to dress up—kriff, you couldn’t remember the last time you got to. You added simple eyeliner, touched your brows up, and darkened your lips slightly. It wasn’t much, but you didn’t want much. You wanted the dress to be the center of your attention. And your eyes. You opted to take your glasses off for this, slipping contacts in. You took a deep breath, ran your eyes over your scars and tattoos and metal arm, before nodding in confidence. You looked great.

Jer’ik told you so when you went back up to the cockpit. He was beaming at you, and you couldn’t help but smile back. Gone was the awkward tension that had been there when you first met him. It had passed quickly as you realised, yes, he was handsome, but he felt more like a brother than anything. You couldn’t bring yourself to be attracted to him, and it seemed the feeling was mutual, to your great relief.

He excused himself to get ready as well, and when he returned, you were stunned to see he was dressed similarly. His top was a solid black, plain dress shirt that had a short collar on it that hugged the base of his neck, not folding down like modern dress shirts. It was solid without pattern. You recognised it as a traditional top, but he had it short-sleeved instead of the usual wrist-length. His bicep jewelry matched yours but was a dark silver like his eyes instead. There was a dark metal belt on his waist that pinned his jacket-type top down and also his pants. They looked like loose breeches, but what they actually were was a roll of cloth that wrapped around his waist, the edge then tucked down between his legs, brought up, and tucked into the metal belt just above his butt. His bottoms were also black, but they faded to silver near the bottom and on the middle strip. His long hair was pulled back into a low bun, a silver pin in there matching yours.

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE*** (This is called a “Sampot Chong Kben” in Khmer (Cambodian) clothing. It is a more trouser-type bottom than skirt, but the only thing stopping it from being a skirt is the strip of cloth pulled up between the legs. It’s so impossible for me to describe how it looks, so please, look it up lol. Also, I understand Tony Thornburg (the FC for Jer’ik) is Japanese/Swedish. But I chose the clothing I was familiar with, so don’t come for me. It is not appropriation.)

“Wow! You look amazing,” you gasped at him with a grin. He smiled.

“Thank you,” he said before taking a seat back at the helm of the ship. “We’re descending. Remind me of the rules.”

“I’m not to be out of your sight,” you said, remembering that as the first rule. He had relaxed Obi-wan’s demand when you got on the ship, but he was adamant that you were at least where he could see you. He nodded for you to continue. “As far as anyone is concerned, we know each other through Giddy Maverick.” He nodded again. “And I’m… not to…” You couldn’t quite remember the 3rd rule. 3 was a lot, after all.

“Not to leave with anyone else. Ever. At all. The entire time,” he repeated. You nodded.

“Yeah, that,” you said. He laughed and nodded.

“When we touch down, the servants will bring our bags to our suite. One weekend. That’s it. 3 days,” he said. You nodded. “And you remember the information you’re here for, right?” he asked. You nodded again.

“We’re looking for any hint as to where Yuvink is hiding the last bit of blackmail, Senator Clovis’,” you said. “And we’re not bringing Clovis up if our lives depended on it. Just going to slowly press for information.”

“Very good, Juniper,” he beamed at you, and you felt pride swell in your chest. Jer’ik, of course, could’ve done this on his own. He knew enough languages to get by, and he certainly could’ve just charmed the information out. But this was an excuse to bring you away from the jedi, to a party, and get to know you a little better. He wasn’t going to pass it up.

You descended onto the massive cruise ship. It was called The Howling Narglatch, and it took your breath away. It was a luxury liner for sure. Jer’ik caught you gaping and laughed. “You’ve never been on one of these?” he asked.

“No. Never even seen one this close,” you admitted. “I was born and raised on Coruscant. Didn’t leave until I became the ROA.” His smile barely faltered at your words, but he motioned to the ship as he pulled into one of the dock bays.

“Well, welcome to Cheefdaz Fik’s exclusive party,” he said gracefully. You were escorted off the ship by Jer’ik’s steady hand on your upper back, and your belongings were whisked away by servants in matching uniforms. Another one led you two away from the bay and to the main hall. You gaped in awe at the room. It wasn’t like Cheefdaz’ back party room on that Duro island. This one was grand, decorated like Giddy’s halls with wood and red, and there were dozens of tables strewn about the edges. The majority of the floor was open for mingling and dancing. But what really caught your eye was the buffet table at the far end of the hall. Your mouth watered.

“Ah! Jer’ik Lo! And miss Juniper Pyke!” Cheefdaz’ horrible throaty growl called out to you as you stepped through the door. You couldn’t help but smile at him, though. He had been a gracious host on Duro, and his ship was beautiful.

“Cheefdaz! Thank you so much for inviting me here,” you said with a polite bow of your head as the two of you approached him. Jer’ik was a full foot taller than you, and you were sure you made such an odd looking pair. You could feel eyes on both of you.

“Yes, I’m so glad you were able to make it. Did Jer’ik tell you what the party is for?” he asked. You shook your head. “It’s my annual party for the meteor shower across Gand’s sky. It’s the most beautiful thing you’ll see out here,” Cheefdaz said in regards to the Outer Rim region.

“I love meteor showers! I’ve never seen one from space, though,” you admitted. He chortled. “I look forward to the shower. When is it?”

“Tomorrow night. Tonight, the guests mingle. Enjoy yourself,” he bid you. You smiled and led Jer’ik away.

“He didn’t even talk to me. You must be quite the sight,” Jer’ik muttered to you in Nagaian.

“Jealous?” you teased him, and he scoffed a laugh. He introduced you around the party, meeting persons of all different species and walks in life. It seemed that Cheefdaz was not only in the company of slavers and smugglers. There were politicians, entertainers, scholars, doctors. There must’ve been close to a hundred people here. You were thankful for the memory you had, or you would’ve forgotten them long ago. You were also surprised to see that you could understand the majority of them, and they were all happily surprised when you communicated to them in their language. There were a few that you didn’t even know you knew. You must’ve picked it up somewhere, but you knew so many languages at this point that it was hard to keep track of when and where you learned them.

Only Jer’ik knew why you were able to pick up these languages so easily. Ones he knew you would’ve never come across in your time, but you just listened to them speak for a little bit and then jumped in like you knew it as standard as you knew Basic. He didn’t say a word, just watched as your Linguist trait flowed naturally. It impressed him. He wished he could brag to everyone around you about how brilliant you are, how talented, but he couldn’t. He bit his tongue and smiled.

“No, not my husband,” you said for the millionth time that night. “My bodyguard.” It was a partial lie, and one that Jer’ik insisted on. The people seemed to accept that and moved on from the topic. You found them interesting, strange, and so full of stories. But your stomach was growling at you, and you hated to make it angry.

You excused yourself from Jer’ik, who nodded when he saw your focus on the food table, and he stayed with his little group who were tripping over themselves to get to talk to Jer’ik Lo, bounty hunter. He sipped his champagne as he watched you walk away.

You were hovering over the table, mouth watering as you took in all the different foods there. You started with a mushroom cap that was stuffed with sausage and cheese. You didn’t even try to stifle your groan at the explosion of flavour. You smiled to yourself and went along the line, putting your favourites onto your plate. You tried a little bit of everything, even if it didn’t look appealing. You judged books on their cover, not food.

“It seems you’re the only one who has discovered the hidden pleasantries of this table,” a man spoke to you. His voice was both smooth and growled, low and deep, dark and endless. You felt it shiver down your spine, and you looked up to match a pair of red and yellow eyes. You had never seen such eyes before. Then you took in the rest of him. His skin was red with black tattoos that streaked across his face and body. The back of his head and his entire neck was black, but he wore a circular type collar there, black with silver along the layers. He had a crown of yellow horns around his head, a smaller pair just in front of his ears. He was certainly humanoid, even in spite of the metallic, raptor-type legs that replaced his organic ones. He had bracers covering his forearms that matched his collar, but his chest and upper arms were bare. His chiseled muscles were not lost on you.

“Oh stars,” you gasped, and his face registered a faint hint of surprise. “A Dathomirian-Zabrak. Never thought I’d see one in person,” you gasped, studying him carefully. He didn’t seem too put off by your actions, though you did see his lip curl a little. “Wow, interesting. I had no idea about the horns. Knew you had ‘em, didn’t know they were like this. Tell me, do they grow? Do you have to shave them down or do they stop at a point? I assume youth means smaller horns,” you murmured to yourself and to him.

He didn’t respond, just raising a brow at you. You blinked a couple times before breaking into a dazzling smile. He inhaled sharply, but that was the only reaction he had to your smile. “Oh! Sorry, I’m being rude. I’m told I can be that way sometimes,” you said and stepped back from him. You turned your eyes back to your plate of food and spoke to him as you went.

“I understand that the majority of Dathomirians speak Basic, but do you also speak Paecian? From what I understand, it is usually the Nightsisters who speak it, claiming it as their witch language,” you said.

“I do not speak it,” he responded, and you turned to look at him. You could drown in that voice.

“All the better. I’m much better at Basic,” you said with a laugh.

“You are a slave,” he remarked, and you saw his eyes flick to the brand that was plain on your left shoulder blade. The Pyke symbol. You didn’t think about the brand often, but every now and again you woke with a cold sweat after having dreamt about when you got it; It had been burned into you multiple times to ensure it stayed and healed correctly. It was gnarled and had millions of little scars holding it to your body, but the symbol was clear.

“I was,” you corrected him. “I am free now.”

“Free from all but Jer’ik Lo?” he inquired. You peered over his shoulder and saw Jer’ik watching you carefully from his spot in the crowd. You laughed and winked at him before returning back to flat feet to look at this strange, red man.

“He’s not my owner. He’s my bodyguard,” you explained. His lips pursed at that.

“And you? What do you bring to the table that made Cheefdaz invite you here?” you asked.

“Our business overlaps,” he responded simply.

“That is… impossibly vague,” you shot back. He didn’t move to explain further, so you sighed and motioned to the food on your plate. “I’m looking for a place to go eat this, and that table in the corner is calling my name. You are more than welcome to join me,” you said and headed away without his answer. You were less than surprised when he overtook you, but the surprise was evident on your face when he pulled your chair out for you to sit. You did, and you thanked him with a small smile. He took the seat to your right.

“Are you hungry?” you asked him and pushed the plate between the two of you. He seemed oddly familiar, but you couldn't quite place your finger on it. Not that you knew him. Just that his vibe seemed so familiar. He looked at you a moment before taking one of the foods and biting into it. It was a meaty thing, and you wondered if he could even eat some of these foods.

“Carnivorous,” he said as if he had read your thoughts. You nodded and shifted the plate around so the majority of the meat products were on the side closest to him. He raised an eyebrow again, looking at you curiously. “Why are you being nice?” he asked.

“Why not? You haven’t insulted me or harmed me. Jer’ik hasn’t come over and told me to stay away from you. I can only assume that means you’re fine to be around,” you explained. A hulking figure was making its way toward your table now, and you almost gasped in surprise. He was bigger than the red man, this one yellow and black. Everything about him was wider, thicker, and he was mostly covered by black leather armour. His cranial horns were longer. He carried 2 plates of food, and he sat down on your left.

“This is my brother, Savage,” the red man introduced. Savage eyed you warily, like he thought you were going to steal his food or something. So you did what you normally did and beamed at him.

“Hi! I’m Juniper Pyke,” you introduced yourself. He grunted and set to work on his food. You thought that a plate was for the red man, but you were clearly mistaken. The red man rolled his eyes lightly, but his attention was soon back on you.

“What makes Cheefdaz invite you here? His annual party is usually quite exclusive,” he drawled, clipped on the modifier to emphasise just how few get to attend this weekend party.

“Oh! I’m an archivist. I met Cheefdaz a few months ago. The invitation was meant for Jer’ik, but there was a +1 as long as it was me,” you explained.

“You must’ve made quite the impression, archivist,” the red man drawled. You nodded with a smile.

“He was impressed. He was a gracious host. So I came here not knowing about the meteor shower,” you said.

“It is quite the sight to behold. It will be Savage’s first time seeing them as well,” the man said with a flourish of his fingers at his brother. He was elegance and drama and charm to no end. His brother, on the other hand, was staring at you as he shovelled spiced ham into his mouth. You giggled at that, and you thought you saw the corner of his lip twitch upward for a moment.

“Is it fair to say you’re familiar with the ship, then?” you asked.

“Quite,” came his short response.

“Would you mind showing me around then?” You thought for a moment that he would say no, since you were an over-eager stranger, but he stared into your eyes for a long while. You recognised the tell-tale signs of someone who wanted to say no but just couldn’t. You smiled in victory even before he sighed.

~ *~

Jer’ik had been tough to convince to let you go. But you reminded him that you were on a ship. Nowhere to go. Plus, he could track your phone. PLUS, he was more than capable of hunting these two down if any harm came to you. He made that last fact clear with a glare at the red man as Savage scratched an itch on his arm and didn’t pay attention to the conversation.

“Is it just me or do they seem to have a history?” you asked Savage, eyes trained on your friend and the Zabrak. You weren’t subtle with the question, quite loud with it in fact. They both looked at you, and you refused to wither under their combined glares. You were not going to wither in this dress.

“We do,” Jer’ik responded simply, his gaze turning back to the red man. “It had not always been a friendly one. That is something that is new.” There was no response from the red man, and you felt like not even Obi-wan’s lightsaber could cut through this tension.

“Are you exes?” you inquired. Their glares snapped back to you, and you just shrugged. You could hear Savage chuckling under his breath.

“I would never sleep with this piece of stale bread,” Jer’ik spat, slipping into Nagaian.

“The feeling is mutual, Lo,” the red man snarled.

“It’s just a walk, Jer’ik. It’s too cramped in here, and you still have mingling to do. Plus, I can always see if they know anything,” you begged him in Nagaian. The bounty hunter looked at you and sighed heavily. He made it clear you were going to be tracked the entire time, and if you didn’t return in 1 hour, he was coming with a gun.

~ *~

The red man, whose name you still couldn’t pry from him, showed you around the massive liner. Everything impressed you. It wasn’t nearly as big as the Negotiator, but it was a civilian spacecraft, so that made sense. He showed you, and his brother, to the viewing rooms. There were designated rooms if you wanted the best view. One was a ballroom with massive windows. You could see the blue and green planet from a distance. He showed you the kitchens. He saved the best for last: a small, private library. You gasped and looked at every single title you could understand. Savage pointed out books and had you translate the titles for him. It was a fun little game.

“Why didn’t you stay at the party?” the red man asked as you texted Jer’ik your new location. You hummed as you looked up from your phone.

“What? Oh, because I hate parties,” you said simply. He gave a very long look at your dress, and you felt a blush appear when you realised just how much of your leg it showed off. “This was a gift. Just because I don’t like parties doesn’t mean I don’t know how to dress for them.” He smirked and looked away, taking a seat at the table with you. Savage was already seated with you. The red man looked slightly perturbed by how quickly he had taken to you, but you got that a lot.

“Are you going to tell me your name now?” you asked him.

“No. I am enjoying your presence, and my name will only be a detriment to our time together,” he said. You furrowed your eyebrows at that and took in a deep breath.

“Are you someone I shouldn’t be associating with?” you asked, interested now.

“I am certain that a friend of yours wouldn’t appreciate our acquaintanceship.”

“A lot of my friends don’t get along with each other,” you replied simply, racking your mind for any mention of a Dathomirian.

“Yes, but this one has a special place in that single heart of yours. Kenobi,” he breathed, and you flushed. How did he know? You stared at him for a moment, and Savage’s head tilted as if he could sense your mood shift. Then you felt it. You hadn’t noticed before, distracted by the party and the people, but you could feel it now. A warm water coating your mind. It wasn’t like Qui-gon’s. This one had the distinct feeling of sharpness, of needles picking and prodding their way through.

“You’re a Force user,” you said, and that helped narrow it down in your mind. Force users that Obi-wan didn’t like. You shuffled through the list, and you knew you were forgetting someone. Someone Obi-wan would hate you spending time with. But just thinking about Obi-wan in general made you miss his arms around you, his lips on your forehead, his warmth seeping into your bones.

“Interesting,” the red man hissed, and Savage just smirked at that. He could hear your thoughts loud and clear as well.

“Don’t tell me your precious Kenobi never told you about me,” he drawled. You furrowed your eyebrows at him. You were thinking, and you could feel him along for the ride. Your thoughts turned to Qui-gon as well, and you gasped a little.

“You’re Darth Maul,” you said, realisation sinking into your stomach.

“Just Maul. Former sith and all,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. You could feel cold water running down your limbs as you looked at him. You had enjoyed his presence all night; the way he chewed food like a thought, chuckled when you raced Savage down the hallway, was silhouetted by the great expanse of the galaxy when you were in the ballroom. You hadn’t felt unsafe with him at all. And, you also realised, you still didn’t. His eyebrow raised at your thought.

“Well, I can put a face to the stories now,” you said.

“You are unafraid,” he didn’t ask, just told.

“Jer’ik would kill you if you hurt me. And you have given me no reason to fear you thus far. I am not one to change my opinion on something just because I know what it is now. Like the people who eat a delicious meal, sing its praises, only to vomit when they find out it is the neighbour’s pet,” you said. And it was true. You enjoyed things, a wide variety of things, and it would’ve been a boring existence if you let the opinions of others change yours.

“I, in this scenario, am the neighbour’s cooked pet?” Maul asked. You nodded with a smile.

“Maul is a much better name than Fluffy or Socks, I reckon.” Savage barked a laugh at your quip and didn’t even bother trying to hide his grin now. Maul was… amused.

“The jedi are not so open-minded, archivist,” he said.

“And I’m not a jedi.”

“You work with them.”

“You work with slavers.”

“Barely.”

“Still.”

“I see,” he breathed and ran a thumb over his chin as he regarded you. It was like he wasn’t sure what to make of you, and you weren’t sure how to feel about that. You thought yourself to be a rather open and honest person, so to be scrutinised always left you feeling… awkward.

“I have nothing to hide, Maul,” you said. You felt him rifle through your mind, and you shrugged a little. “Well, I have one thing to hide,” you amended as you thought about Obi-wan’s breath in your ear as you cuddled in the night.

“That is your secret to keep. It seems you are a rather… honest person,” he said. “One who is not very pleased with the jedi order.”

“It seems so because it is so,” you replied with a shrug. “I value knowledge. Lying is a form of manipulating knowledge, of turning something that should be pure and untouched and spread to something of hate and deceit.” You curled your lip as you spoke, your mind wandering to show him Garrot. You showed him the snippets of the manipulation and lies you had to endure between the physical torture. You showed him lies from others in your life, as you worked so hard to claw your way out of the slave trade. You showed him the time you nearly died because you trusted someone who bring you to safety, and they instead decided to use and abuse you before returning you back to your slave master.

“I don’t like lies,” you said with a deep breath as he withdrew from your memories. You smiled at him. “So there’s nothing for me to hide from you, is there.”

“I killed your precious Kenobi’s master,” Maul said.

“No. You tried. He survived it,” you said. That wasn’t news to him, and you think he claimed the kill just to see your reaction.

“I’ve killed countless others,” he hissed, leaning forward.

“You do what you must,” you responded.

“And I liked it.”

“Different strokes for different folks,” you responded, making Savage laugh a little.

“Why are you so insistent on not hating me?” Maul asked.

“You haven’t given me a reason to,” you said instantly. “There are few in this galaxy I can say I genuinely hate. You have been kind, courteous, and good company. What you do for your profession, what you’ve done in the past, is none of my concern. How you treat me? Is.”

There was a long silence as he took in your words. “Kenobi will be displeased,” he said.

“He’s already displeased that I'm friends with Jer’ik. He can be displeased about this, too,” you muttered, still annoyed with the jedi for your misunderstanding after Qui-gon’s arrival. That was almost a month ago now, but you were still annoyed by the nightmares that still haunted you.

“You’re so stubborn,” Savage said, making you laugh. “I’ve… never had a friend before. Just my brothers.” His admittance was soft, so soft that you weren’t sure Maul could even hear it on the other side of you. But their species must have incredible senses because Maul cleared his throat.

“I will allow this friendship.”

“You don’t get a choice, buddy. I was gonna force it on you regardless,” you said with a laugh, slapping his arm. Savage tensed at the action, but there was no consequence for it. You checked your phone as it beeped and saw Jer’ik was summoning you back. “I gotta go. But come find me for breakfast, okay? I have so many questions,” you said as you stood up.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t exhilarated at the idea of befriending these clearly dangerous beings. It was the same exhilaration you got when you befriended Jer’ik, and all the people he had introduced you to as well. Plus, there was so much to learn about the brothers. And on top of it, you weren’t really one to judge someone for their past. There was almost a sharp sting in your Pyke brand when you thought that to yourself. Maul and Savage had been nothing less than great company for the early evening. You knew that you should probably hold their actions toward others against them, but… you just couldn’t bring yourself to do so. You thought of Maverick in that moment, how sweet he was to you and the family, but how cruel he could be to others.

You couldn’t hold it against them because you understood that life isn’t black and white and maybe shades of grey. Life was a whole spectrum of colours, and you couldn’t judge red or blue for not being white the same as you couldn’t judge green and pink for not being black. That was where you found the most fault with the jedi order the way it stood now. To them, it was either good or bad, and they only did “good”. But you knew that morals are subjective and what’s good to one is bad to another. So who were you to say Maul was bad? You were running these thoughts in your head as you headed back to Jer’ik, and you were acutely aware of the warm water that was still in your mind.

~ *~

“Are you going to tell her?” Savage asked as Maul stared at the door long after she had left. He was hardly breathing, wondering how she couldn’t be aware of the effect she had on others. On him.

“Tell her what?” he asked, his voice lower than normal. He was clearly distracted as he listened to her thoughts.

“About Kenobi?” Savage clarified.

“That he sliced off my legs and left me to die? That he knows the truth about her family and is hiding it from her? That he has that precious Mandalorian?” Maul sneered, a fire growing in his stomach. He chuckled. “No, my dear brother. I’m not going to tell her. Because it is not my business to tell. Kenobi will tell her soon enough, and when he does, the sweet betrayal that courses through her veins will lead her straight to us.”

“What do you need with an archivist?” Savage asked.

“Everything. Have you not heard stories about her, brother?” Maul asked. Savage shook his head. “I heard about her before she joined the jedi, when she was still working under Giddy Maverick. Because of her father’s species, she is incredibly talented at picking up languages. We have quite a few partners who don’t know Basic or will bend easier if we use their own language against them,” Maul explained. “Not to mention her expansive knowledge on the universe as a whole.”

“She smells so much like her father. Do the jedi really not notice?” Savage asked, remembering how similar Jer’ik’s scent was to hers.

“They do not have our senses, Savage. And the ones who do do not associate with the jedi hunter enough to know,” Maul explained patiently. He was patient tonight because he found a missing puzzle piece to his plan of revenge. His smile was cold. “Think of how crushing it will be for Kenobi when his lover joins our side purely due to his inability to be truthful with her as the jedi demand of him.” His laugh sent a shiver down Savage’s spine. “We don’t have to do a thing. Just be nice and honest. He will be his own downfall, and we will get the archivist.”

“It’s not hard to be nice to her. I just… feel like I have to,” Savage admitted, his tone hinting at his confusion at it.

“Her sweet words. Her scent. Her blood makes it almost impossible to resist her,” Maul said, knowing the components of her blood that she didn’t even know. Savage pursed his lips and accepted it, but he didn’t fully believe it. He was decent at resisting those things from others, and Maul himself seemed to be affected by it, not that Savage would ever point that out to his younger, smaller, but definitely far more commanding brother.

Maul could sense the thoughts and turned away from his brother with a growl. It wasn’t just the words and the scent. It was her innocence. She had gone through so much in her history, so much grief and trauma… and still, she only yearned for answers and truth. She wanted to see the stars, see planets, experience life. She was so passionate, even when explaining the simple difference between Chiss and Pantoran stories to Savage. She didn’t seem to live by the same rules they did, and it was an addicting thing to witness.

“Patience, brother. The archivist will be ours in time. All we need is to wait,” Maul spoke, his mind running over his plans and engraving her name, her face, her laugh into his mind.

~ *~

On Coruscant, Obi-wan shivered. He looked up at the sky. His eyebrows furrowed. He did not sleep well that night.

[jpoakbrook]

BEYOND THE STARS, BEYOND THE SEA

chapter 7: DURO PT 2 (end of arc)

summary: You get to know Jer'ik Lo, spending a few days with him. Much to Neyo's great dismay.

“How long have you been working with the Jedi Temple, Juniper?” Jer’ik asked as he cut into the slab of meat on his plate. Your plate held the same food as his, so you figured he must be close enough to a human to have the same dietary needs.

“Just over 10 years now,” you said proudly.

“A decade? At your age?” he asked, eyebrows raising in genuine surprise. You nodded to him with a grin.

“I got the job my first year of university. Would attribute it to luck, but I worked hard to be where I am,” you responded with a shrug, taking a bite of food.

“Ah. And where you are is surrounded by a bunch of clone troopers?” he asked. Neyo narrowed his eyes on him, lowering his hand as his hand tightened around his fork. You lay a hand on Neyo’s knee, and he looked at you. You offered him a smile, that smile that said ‘Stass Allie said diplomacy is of the utmost importance, and if you start a fight here, we’re all fucked’. He slipped his hand into yours and continued eating, pacified for now.

“Yes. It is,” you said rather sharply to Jer’ik. He smiled.

“I didn’t mean to offend. It just took me by surprise. I thought someone who spoke as many languages as you would prefer a more… intergalactic type of profession,” he said, searching for the word.

“If Basic is difficult, we can switch to your native tongue,” you offered him. Neyo squeezed your hand a little tighter. He didn’t like being kept out of the know.

“What is the likelihood you know it?” Jer’ik questioned, an eyebrow raised. His words were melodic and lilted, almost like he was singing his words to you. Your eyebrows flew up as you recognised the words.

“You speak Nagaian?” you asked in shock. His expression mirrored yours.

“I am Nagai. How do you know my language?” he asked, laughing in shock and awe.

“I knew a… teacher when I was young. Who taught me the many languages of his colleagues. Nagaian was one of them,” you explained, hesitant on what to call Gorrot. You didn’t exactly want to call him your Slaver in front of the clones and a stranger. And you supposed he did teach you things… like how to patch a broken rib or how to withstand extremely hot metal pressed to your skin.

“You speak it well for an outsider,” he noted, impressed. His expression, the nod of his head, and the way he seemed to relax were all reasons for Neyo himself to relax. It wasn’t until he stopped squeezing your hand that you realised Bolt had turned toward you slightly, his knee now against yours. He was ready to pounce across the table to shield you or grab Jer’ik. Either one made your heart warm to the man.

“Well, it turns out my teacher didn’t know much about the language. I spent a lot of time researching it. Once I grasped the concept of how the pitches work, it went much faster,” you sang-spoke back to him.

“Are you this skilled at learning all the languages you set your mind to?” he inquired.

“Yes. There are very few languages I want to learn that I cannot. So few that I cannot give you an example,” you said with a laugh.

“It is nice to see my old friend getting along so well with my new friend,” Cheefdaz said as he shoved some food into his gigantic mouth.

“Your friend is very interesting, Cheefdaz. Thank you for the introduction,” Jer’ik said to him, the switch to Huttese jarring to those around. The language went from a light singing to a throaty grunt. The Hutt just chortled and changed the topic.

Dinner went smoothly, and the conversation became more relaxed, much more friendly. Jer’ik spoke in Nagaian now and again, but he opted to speak mostly in Basic as to not offend the clones. Bolt relaxed considerably as the night went on, and even Neyo stopped twitching for the knife in his boot every time Jer’ik moved slightly.

“I will be here for a couple days, Juniper. I hope we can meet again during that time,” Jer’ik said as you and the boys stood up to go to bed. You smiled at him and nodded.

“Good night, Jer’ik,” you bid him. He smiled and echoed your words with a touch to his forehead and a gentle swoop of his hand, palm up, out to you. You had done the action your entire life, a habit from years of the type of people you interacted with. You weren’t too surprised to see a bounty hunter using it, you supposed, but a shock of familiarity ran down your spine at it accompanied by an old, deep rooted fear. You took a deep breath to push it away, giving him a firm nod, and turning on your heel to walk away.

~ * ~

When you got back to the apartment, the boys immediately went to get ready for bed. You let them have their time in the bathroom, lazily flicking through the information you had about the Nagai. Your door was locked tightly, and Neyo had put a couple of chairs in front of it, precariously balancing a vase so that if anyone tried to break it, it would fall, and he could have a gun in hand before they made it to the bedroom.

Neyo called out that the bathroom was clear for you, and you went to take off your armour for the first time since arriving. It felt weird taking it off after wearing it all day, but it was nice to take a sonic shower. You slipped your blacks back on and carried most of the pieces of armour to the bedroom. Neyo and Bolt were trying to figure out which way to scoot to make room for you.

The idea of a dog pile to sleep had been both strange and a bit embarrassing the first time you watched the 212th do it. But it looked so comfortable and cosy at the same time. They were best friends, companions, brothers. A big part of building that trust, that unbreakable bond, was simply huddling all together for bed.

The first time you partook in the cuddlefest, you were comfortably wrapped in Gregor’s arms, face buried into his chest, as he did his best to shield you from Boil’s nighttime kicks. You were so nervous that you trembled like a leaf until he whispered to you in Mando’a to calm you down. After that, it was all over for you. You could only get a decent night’s sleep with at least one other person there. Thankfully, there seemed to be no end of clone piles to join at night. Sometimes, though, you took 4 shitty hours of sleep and spent the rest of the night in the library.

You were unsurprised to find the same bonding experience held true through all of the groups, even with ice cold Neyo and his 91st. “Scootch,” you grumbled sleepily and tapped Bolt’s leg for him to part from Neyo. You crawled into the bed between the two clones. Your body fit perfectly in front of Neyo’s, your shoulders pressed against his chest, and you tugged on Bolt to scoot forward to provide a wall of warmth and comfort in front of you. Your face buried into his chest, and you slipped an arm over his waist as you felt Neyo do the same to you. Bolt’s arm completely locked you in, going over you to drape over Neyo’s shoulder, and he buried his face into the hair at the top of your head.

“Goodnight, cyar’ika, vod,” Bolt muttered against your scalp.

“Goodnight, vode,” you muttered back. Neyo just grunted his reply, his breath already growing deeper as sleep settled on all three of you.

~ * ~

You woke up slowly, still sandwiched between the two clones. Only now, Neyo lay on his back, holding you to his side, and Bolt was curled up behind you, his head on Neyo’s shoulder and arm around you. You didn’t stifle a yawn, saw that it had only been a few hours, and started to crawl out of bed. Neyo bolted up, wide awake in a heartbeat, and he had a gun in his hand before you could even blink.

“Ne–” you started, but he pressed a hand to your lips. You were quiet. The room was quiet. And then you heard it. There was the slightest, softest speaking outside of the apartment. He crept out of bed, eyes narrowed on the door, and he made his way out of the bedroom as Bolt silently commanded you to stay in bed.

You didn’t listen.

The voices were getting a little louder as they approached the door to your apartment. You understood the language, someone on the other side speaking Durese to someone else, who spoke Pak-Pak.

“But think of the favour we could accrue if we bring her to him! Kill her bodyguards and offer her on a silver platter,” the Duros was saying.

“Those bodyguards are a couple of those clone troopers. If the Jedi left only 2 of them, then they are most certainly too difficult for us to kill. If anything, we would need to send a hunter in for her,” the Neidoidian was saying.

“Then let’s do that! If we deliver her, then there’s no way it wouldn’t be seen favourably, correct?”

“Time to go,” you whispered to Neyo, giving him a short rundown as to what was going to happen.

“Cheefdaz would send people after you like this?!” Bolt demanded as the three of you hurriedly slapped your armour into place. You shook your head and struggled with a thigh plate, which Neyo gave a good smack to lock into place. You smiled at him, eyes widening in surprise at how he was already done with his own. He didn’t leave you time to revel in it, though, as he immediately started hooking yours up.

“No, the way they were talking, they were hoping to gain favour with him by killing you two and bringing me to him,” you said as Neyo helped secure your bracers.

“Kriff, people need his good graces this badly?!” Bolt hissed, finishing his own armour. Neyo plopped your helmet on and patted your head.

“Let’s go. Stick close behind,” Neyo ordered you, and you nodded. The clones walked to the door first. There were noises on the other side, more talking, as they moved the chairs away. Neyo opened the door quickly, and they stepped out with guns drawn and pointed.

Jer’ik turned to look at them with a singular raised eyebrow. There was a small group of Trandoshans dragging away a very unconscious looking pair of men. Neyo didn’t lower his blaster.

“Good morning,” he greeted you all with a charming smile.

“What’s going on?” you asked him, your voice modulated through your mask.

“Caught this pair skulking about in front of your room on my way back to mine. Overheard their plans to try and kill the clones then kidnap you. Didn’t sit too well with me,” he said with a little chuckle. You raised a hidden eyebrow at him, a hand moving to touch Neyo’s arm. He very slowly lowered it.

“Thank you, Jer’ik,” you spoke to him.

“Of course. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. You will not have trouble during your stay going forward,” he said and touched his forehead, his little wave a familiar sight. You tugged on Neyo’s arm and he didn’t turn his back as he backed you all into the room. His security included shoving the couch up against it this time. You piled back onto the bed, but none of you took your armour off save your helmet. Neyo sat in the middle, and you and Bolt curled into his sides. He was a light sleeper, but you could see the next morning that he didn’t sleep a wink.

~ * ~

Mace Windu had been less than pleased with the interaction, and he was insisting that you leave, but you reminded him that your presence there was necessary in order to get the map.

“Kark the map, Juniper. You need to be safe,” he growled at you.

“I am safe! We avoided the confrontation because another one of Cheefdaz’ guests heard their plot. I promise, we’ll be okay. Just… get done soon,” you added uncomfortably. He nodded.

“We shouldn’t be longer than 2 more days. Are you sure you can hold out that long?” he asked. You nodded. “Okay… Well, listen to Commander Neyo. I don’t want to hear a breath about you disobeying him,” he said.

“I will,” you confirmed.

The call with Obi-wan had been a bit less angry and a lot more intense.

“I’m coming. That’s it. You’re not staying there alone,” he snapped.

“I’m not alone! I have Neyo and Bolt!” you insisted. Bolt waved with a grin from behind you, and Neyo simply raised his hand in greeting, glare still on.

“Miss Pyke, you were going to be kidnapped, the commander and trooper killed. Do you understand that?” he demanded.

“They were going to try,” you pointed out.

“That’s not the point!” His voice raised slightly, and you raised an eyebrow at him. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “You are in danger there. Who is to say it won’t happen again? And that they won’t succeed in it this time?”

“It’s going to be okay, Master Kenobi. We only have to last 2 more days. I think these boys can last 2 days,” you said with a jerk of your thumb behind you. Bolt waved again, his grin infectious.

“Don’t worry, general! We got this!” he called out. Neyo didn’t say anything, as he was prone to do. He sighed and waved back.

“Just… be safe, Miss Pyke,” he said again. You were getting kind of sick of hearing it from these jedi who dive head first into battle with hardly any armour on.

“I will,” you confirmed with a nod.

~ * ~

“I heard you had a rather active night,” Cheefdaz laughed over breakfast. You smiled, Bolt snickered, but Neyo’s glare didn’t change.

“Yes, we were ready to leave, but Jer’ik happened to take care of the issue before we could,” you mentioned.

“He is good like that,” Cheefdaz confirmed. The bounty hunter came wandering up at that point. He was yawning, rubbing his eyes, and you couldn’t believe he was hired to kill people. He looked so… normal. His hair was loose on his shoulders like yours. He wore a long, loose robe that was open in the front so you could see his chest. Half of his abdomen was covered by the dark blue pants that covered his legs. He looked at home. You saw there were scars and tattoos on his skin, and you had to turn your eyes away from staring at his muscles.

“Good morning,” he greeted in Huttese, to which you and Cheefdaz both returned the phrase.

“Sleep well?” he asked in Basic, looking at your companions.

“Fantastic,” he responded to Jer’ik. Neyo’s arm found its way around your shoulders again. Bolt was scarfing down food, and he didn’t even bother trying to respond to that.

“Your boyfriend is very cold,” he noted to you in Nagaian. You laughed and nodded.

“He is a very serious man,” you responded, smiling warmly at Neyo. He caught you in the corner of his eye and a ghost of a smile haunted the corner of his lips. You had a feeling that denying the relationship could only lead to trouble. It seemed safer to play along.

“A good trait for a good partner,” he said with a nod. Neyo’s eyes narrowed on him a little, and he tightened his arm around you. He didn’t know what the bounty hunter said, but he didn’t like the smile on his face.

“Have you walked through the market yet?” he asked in Basic.

“Not yet. We, unfortunately, have only seen the inside of this place,” you said with a motion around you.

“I would be more than happy to guide you through, archivist,” he said. Neyo’s chin raised slightly.

“We would like that. A little bit of fresh air, take in the sights,” you agreed. Neyo didn’t argue with it, and you think he was getting sick of being cooped up in that room. He needed to stretch his legs.

“Kriff, that sounds like fun,” Bolt said with a little chuckle.

“What about you, mesh’la? You down?” you asked Neyo. Mando’a pet names came easy to you, and you threw them around the clones like candy. It caused Jer’ik to pull back his warmth slightly, and that was exactly what you wanted. Neyo nodded, his smile slight but certainly evident.

Jer’ik’s lips pursed slightly.

~ * ~

Neyo watched her as she stepped forward, picking up a massive fruit in her hands. He wanted to smack it out of her hands, since she didn’t know where it kriffin’ came from, but the smile on her lips was so sweet that he couldn’t bring himself to rain on her parade. On Bolt’s, however, he released a torrential storm. “That’s so unsanitary, vod,” Neyo scowled as Bolt felt all of the different furs at the stall next to them.

“ROA, come feel this one,” Bolt gasped in excitement, ignoring Neyo completely. Juniper joined him, her hand immediately digging into the thickness of the rug he held out to her. The stars in her eyes reflected the ones in his. She gasped at how soft it was, and she giggled.

“That’s sooo soft! Should we get one? I mean, you could keep it in the 91st bunk,” she said. He nodded emphatically.

“This one or this one?” he asked and held up another one for her to feel. She had a hand in both and hummed.

“I feel like… I feel like Hexxer would like this one more, but this one seems more up Winch’s alley,” she was saying. Neyo almost scoffed at that. She was always so considerate, instead of just choosing the one she liked the most. She always had to think about everyone else, and it aggravated him sometimes. Couldn’t she see that they wanted to make her happy, too? That it sometimes was about her?

“We’ll take them both,” Jer’ik said and handed credits over to the stall manager. Juniper turned to look at him in surprise.

“You don’t have to do that, Jer’ik! I have money,” she said, but he insisted and smiled.

“A gift for my new friends,” he responded, and she beamed at him. Neyo’s lip curled a little at that. He knew she wasn’t dumb enough to fall for his faux charm, wasn’t dumb enough to let her guard down around him, but he hated how she certainly warmed up to him as at least a work acquaintance.

It wasn’t lost on Neyo that the two looked pretty similar, but he had met plenty of humans in his travels who looked like them. Black hair, slanted eyes, tan complexion. He didn’t have freckles like her, and his eyes were a metallic grey unlike her molten gold. There were similarities that indicated they were both human, or near-human, but plenty of differences that kept them apart.

Still.

Neyo didn’t like the bounty hunter.

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He swore he remembered hearing the name somewhere, maybe mentioned in passing. He wasn’t too surprised by that, since Jer’ik was apparently an infamous and elite bounty hunter. But even that brought a small smirk to Neyo’s lips. He may have been a good bounty hunter, but he wasn’t good enough to beat Jango Fett out for the spot of being the Clone Prime.

“Neyo, feel these!” Juniper beamed as she brought him the rugs. She pushed them into his arms, and he couldn’t feel the texture through his gloves. But Neyo’s a smart boy, and he knew what she wanted to hear.

“Very soft, vod’ika,” he confirmed with a nod. She beamed up at him, and even Neyo wasn’t invincible to the smile. He smiled back, and she skipped back to Bolt, whose enthusiasm matched hers. Jer’ik pulled up to her other side, and Neyo trailed right behind with the rugs in his arms.

He watched Jer’ik carefully. He was clearly older than they were. It was difficult since he didn’t know anything about Nagai, but from a human standpoint, he looked to be in his late 40’s. He looked wiry, thin, but Neyo had no doubt that only served him better in his line of work. He had inquired about the Nagai to Juniper, who gladly told him what she knew as well as found files for him to read. The Nagai were agile, fast, and were raised to be ruthless assassins. It made him all the more wary of his presence near Juniper.

“We’re thinking of grabbing a bite. You in?” Bolt asked as he turned to Neyo. The commander was watching Juniper carefully as she and Jer’ik admired a stall filled with different fish from around the galaxy. He was explaining to her where each one came from, and what some of them tasted like. She listened with wide eyes, laughing at some of them, and she even lightly slapped his arm at some joke he made. He chuckled and shrugged to her.

Neyo didn’t like him one bit.

“Don’t have a choice,” Neyo responded to Bolt and nodded to Juniper, who was now actively chatting with Jer’ik, her head tilted as she lightly chastised him.

“Are you jealous?” Bolt teased him, and Neyo simply gave him a look. Bolt laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think she’s interested in him like that. It’s more… he’s nice, interesting, and willing to tell her about all these things she’s always wanted to experience. You know she’s got that weird thing with the general.”

Of course he knew. Literally everyone knew. Not that either one would ever confirm it. Not that they needed to. A blind man could spend 2 minutes in the same room as them and see how painfully obvious it was. What Neyo didn’t understand was why his general allowed it. Mace Windu was not known to tolerate things like that very well.

“Still. She wouldn’t have to hide this one,” Neyo said as he watched Jer’ik buy a handful of fish food for her to feed to one of the tanks. She was so excited when the fish swam to the surface to eat the flakes, and she turned to look at him, asking if he was watching. Neyo smiled and nodded to her in confirmation. “I don’t like this,” he said to Bolt.

“She’s an adult,” he responded simply. Neyo curled a lip at that, not responding, but he had to stop himself from smacking Jer’ik’s hand away when the man started leading Juniper away with a hand on her shoulder.

~ * ~

“Did you have a nice day, mesh’la?” Bolt asked as they got ready for bed. You beamed and nodded to him.

“Parts of the market were extremely sketchy, but it was fun overall! And we have a pretty decent haul,” you said in regards to the pile of stuff in the corner of the room. You had ended up purchasing a lot more than intended–well, Jer’ik purchased them. He seemed to just buy anything you expressed even a little interest in. It shocked you each and every time he did, but he insisted that he wanted to and could afford to do so.

“Bounty hunting pays well,” was all he would say in regards to his finances.

Neyo was grumbling to himself as he got into bed, turning his back to you. You rolled your eyes at the sullen clone. He had been even more moody when you expressed to him that Jer’ik was under the false impression that he was your boyfriend.

“First babysitting duty, now fake relationship? What’s next, get married just as a prank?” he had grumbled.

“You volunteered to stay here with me. Don’t forget it,” you reminded him, which kicked off a string of grumbles that lasted the last hour. Now, you crawled into bed behind him, your arm slipping over his waist, and you buried your face into his back between his shoulders.

“Good night, Neyo, my love,” you teased him. He didn’t respond, so you shook him a little as Bolt settled in behind you, his arm also over Neyo’s waist. “Neyo, my darling,” you said. He grumbled, and you said, louder this time, “Neyo, my sweet.”

“Good. Night.”

The words were forced through clenched teeth, and you couldn’t stop yourself from giggling with Bolt.

“Good night, Bolt,” you whispered in the dark.

“Good night, cyar’ika,” he responded, his cheek nuzzling into your hair.

~ * ~

“We should be there in an hour,” Mace confirmed.

“Finally,” Neyo grumbled, and you waved for him to shut up, turning your attention back to the master.

“Sounds good, Master Windu! Can’t wait to see you all and hear about your adventure!” you beamed to him. He smiled curtly and nodded, hanging up before your positivity could infect him more than it already had.

There was a knock at your door.

Bolt drew a pistol and stood behind the door, one hand on the handle, and Neyo stood in front with a hand on his own holster. He nodded, and Bolt opened it slightly. Neyo inhaled and nodded for the door to be opened more. Jer’ik was standing there, and he smiled when his eyes landed on you.

“Hey, Juniper. I wanted to stop by and say farewell. I’m heading out on a job,” he said.

“Oh! Well, thank you for stopping by. And for everything you did while we were here,” you said, walking to the door with a smile. Jer’ik had grown on you a bit, in honesty. He was pleasant to speak to, funny, charming, and an intelligent man who definitely played dumber than he was. Still, speaking to him with a breath of fresh air that you didn’t get from the people who tiptoed around you on Coruscant.

“Of course. You have my contact information. If ever you need anything, give me a call. Or, well, if you just want to hang out. That’s cool, too,” he said. You smiled and offered him a handshake. He looked almost crestfallen at that, like he was expecting something more, but Neyo hovering just over your shoulder reminded him that he was nothing.

His fingers were rough and calloused in your hand.

“Good luck. Stay safe,” you bid him with a touch of your forehead and a slight swoop of your hand. He smiled.

“Thank you. Same to you,” he said and returned the action before leaving.

Neyo closed the door behind him.

~ * ~

“So, really, nothing happened?” Mace inquired again as you were back on the ship and headed the short few hours to Coruscant. You shook your head.

“Cheefdaz had us spend almost every meal with him. We went to the market on the 2nd day. 3rd day, we just hung out with him and the other guests in the main hall. He genuinely just chatted with us. He didn’t even ask me questions about the Jedi or the council or anything like that. Just questions about what I like to do, where I grew up, stuff like that,” you said in surprise.

“He didn’t ask about our operations or where Jedi are in the galaxy or anything like that?” Mace asked in confusion. You shook your head again.

“Master Windu, I’m telling you, he could not have been less interested in the fact I work for the Jedi Archive and these two are GAR. He genuinely only inquired about myself personally and a couple things about Bolt and Neyo’s personal life. For the most part, he really just wanted us to mingle with the other honoured guests,” you said.

“Who were they? Did they ask any questions about the Order?” he asked immediately, but you shook your head at that question, too. You could see how suspicious it was that nobody inquired, but it was the truth.

“There was a friend of the Hutt’s, a Lady Argui Costa,” you said. The Lady had gone into great depth about how her family had been in business with the Hutts for generations, and how she was more than happy for her children to continue the tradition.

“That opera singer, Quo-li Tellulah,” Bolt added. You laughed and nodded.

“Oh yeah! She performed for dinner yesterday. She was amazing,” you beamed. Mace was nodding as he listened, storing away the information for later. “There was us 3… and there was a bounty hunter. Jer’ik Lo,” you said, ticking off everyone on your hand. “Yeah, that’s all of us,” you said with a nod, looking at Neyo in confirmation. But he was looking at Mace.

“Sir, are you okay?” he asked in concern, and you looked at the jedi master. He was staring at you, face slack, and he looked almost pale, like the colour drained from his face.

“Did you say Jer’ik Lo?” he asked, his voice soft in disbelief. You nodded with a grin.

“Yep! I never thought I’d say this about a bounty hunter, but I actually liked him! He was quite nice. He bought us things, even though I told him he didn’t have to. A charming man. One of the few Nagai I’ve met,” you said. He raised his eyebrows at that.

“He’s Nagai?” he asked. You nodded.

“I confirmed it when we spoke Nagaian. He said he was born and raised there,” you said.

“I always thought… he was human,” he said, and he was looking at you funnily. You were a little uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny.

“Sir, you know him?” you asked him as you subconsciously tried to hide away into Neyo’s side. He straightened up in his seat and shielded you a little with his shoulder and arm.

“Yes. I do. He’s a rather infamous bounty hunter, a formidable one,” Mace Windu said, and that was all he would say on the matter. He fell silent, not answering your follow-up questions, and you were confused. You thought, since the jedi sometimes worked with bounty hunters, that it would be fine for you to befriend one. But the way he reacted, you had a feeling that you did something wrong.

You just couldn’t figure out what.

[jpoakbrook]

BEYOND THE STARS, BEYOND THE SEA

chapter 13: SFW TL;DR UNDERCITY ARC 5

summary: the SFW TL;DR rundown of what happened in Arc 5 (as well as how it changed along the way)

This is a SFW TL;DR of Arc 5: Coruscant Undercity!

STARTING PREMISE:

Juniper is approached by Rush Clovis about blackmail he has received that needs to be translated. He is one of 9 senators who received similar letters. She recognises the stamp as Undercity stamps. She and Obi-wan are set to investigate it, but then she herself receives a bracelet in the mail and a letter telling her to come home. She disappears, and it’s up to Obi-wan to find and rescue her. Unfortunately, he is a little out of sorts in that world, so he calls the one person he knows will be his best help: Jer’ik Lo.

STORY ARC:

Obi-wan and Jer’ik first seek out the leader of the 3800-3900s levels, Yuuvink. He tells them Giddy Maverick is throwing a welcome home party, and the two men find him at The Nowhere, Giddy’s brothel on Juniper’s home level of 4713. There, they meet with the Pantoran crime boss who is in charge of the entirety of the 4000’s all the way up to the Abovecity line. Maverick wasn’t the one who sent the bracelet and letter; in fact, he and Juniper have a great relationship. He helps them in their search, and he discovers that it was her 3rd owner, Bergsson, who is behind her blackmail. Obi-wan and Jer’ik track Bergsson down, where they rescue Juniper and one of her childhood friends. At the goodbye party for her, Obi-wan and Juniper spend a tender moment together on the balcony. (That’s PT 4 of this arc, and it’s very SFW and very cute. You should go read it.)

CHARACTERS:

GIDDY MAVERICK:

Giddy Maverick is Juniper’s 5th owner. He bought Juniper when she was 11. He is a Pantoran Male named Maverick. He earned the nickname “Giddy” due to his delight and giggly nature while inflicting pain and torturing others. He is in charge of all of the Undercity levels that are in the 4000’s. His main home is a brothel called The Nowhere on level 4713, where Juniper was raised. Giddy has a soft spot for child slaves, and he buys up the ones he can. He treats them well, makes sure they get an education, and gives them all the opportunity he can for them to grow into successful adults. The ones who impress him and succeed are set free, such as Juniper. The ones who don’t pay off their debt to him. He sees Juniper as a daughter, and she knows him as her dad. She has regular calls with him, and he’s the one she goes to see on holidays. They’re very close, and Giddy helps them track her down. At the end of the arc, he’s the one who will deal with Yuuvink and the blackmail. He WILL make future appearances.

YUUVINK

Yuuvink is the Arconian male in charge of the 3800/3900 blocks of the Undercity. He’s jealous of Maverick’s power and standing. He starts the blackmail against the senators to try and push blame onto Maverick and get him dethroned. Unfortunately, none of the Senators want their business out, so they all pay the ransoms instead, making it so there seems to be nothing happening anyway. He will be dealt with by Giddy Maverick and will not be making any future appearances other than a few references.

FREDERICK DU GUILE

Frederick is a childhood friend of Juniper’s. He was sold to her old master Bergsson, and it’s his bracelet that gets sent to her. She recognises Bergsson’s handwriting, and she knew he had Frederick. This prompts her into going into the Undercity alone to rescue him. Frederick had been kept extremely weak and malnourished, spending most of his time chained up in a basement. He WILL be making future appearances, a couple important ones, so I won’t say too much about him right now other than he is safely back in Maverick’s custody.

BERGSSON

Bergsson was Juniper’s 3rd owner. He was a brute of a man who liked to harm her in many ways. To put it safely, he renders her unable to walk when they find her in PT 3 of this arc. He will be dealt with by Giddy Maverick off screen, and he will NOT be making any future appearances other than references.

JER’IK LO

SO! We learned a bit about Jer’ik this arc. We learned he is naturally extremely fast, with insane reflexes, and is a natural charmer from the Nagai people. A trait of the Nagai people is their ability to charm people by speaking their language and being able to be heard. Quite literally, they just need to be understood. They can influence people this way, even being able to basically mind-control weaker willed persons. This is something he has very much trained in, and he shows off this power a few times in the arc. Not only that, but we learn he had no idea of Juniper’s existence until they met on Duros. He wants to be a part of her life, wants to get to know her, but he has to keep his distance as well because he can’t just have everyone in the galaxy knowing that the daughter of an infamous bounty hunter and jedi-killer is just an archivist on Coruscant. He shows in this arc that he will do just about anything for his daughter. He, like everyone else in this story, is well-aware of the feelings between Obi-wan and Juniper. He will definitely be making future appearances since he has turned out to be a much bigger and more important character than I originally intended.

THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT JUNIPER:

PART NAGAI:

Charm: Just like Jer’ik, Juniper has the natural ability to charm people with her voice. She is unaware of this, as she believes she is human. But it’s what disarms people to her, warms them up to her faster than normal. It’s why people feel so safe and connected to her, even when meeting for the first time.

Linguist: The Nagai are born with enhanced vocal chords that can change drastically depending on the language they want to speak. All Nagai are talented at picking up languages and charming people in them. That said, there are a rare few who are considered Linguists by their standards. These Nagai have a natural affinity toward learning and understanding languages. With a bit of training, they can actually fluently learn a language after hearing just a few phrases. Jer’ik, rightfully, believes Juniper to be a Linguist.

Reflexes: The Nagai are naturally faster with amazing reflexes. Juniper is not. She clumsy as hell.

PYKE:

Mother: It is revealed that Juniper’s mother was a slave on Oba Diah to the Pykes. Since Jer’ik was not in the picture, despite her mother knowing he was the father, their baby was not originally given a surname. It wasn’t until she was sold that she was renamed Pyke to indicate her original status as one of their slaves.

Surname: Juniper kept the surname Pyke, though none of the others know why and haven’t asked her yet. She has a brand of the Pyke Syndicate’s symbol on her left shoulder.

TRAUMA:

Past trauma: There’s a bit where Maverick describes helping her cover herself with tattoos so she can feel comfortable in her own skin. Not to mention the scars that she has. The easiest way of saying it was that, before Maverick, she had been abused in every sense of the word. Maverick bought her when she was 11, and he has helped her work through her trauma ever since.

Current: Bergsson abused her in the 3 days she was with him, again, in every sense of the word. Her night terrors are back, and she is reliving the trauma all over again. Obi-wan was there to help her when they first arrived back to the Abovecity and her apartment. He held her while she slept, and she was at peace in his arms.

SOME THINGS TO NOTE:

The arc went WAY DIFFERENTLY than I had originally planned. My original plan was to make Giddy Maverick a villain and be an actual bad guy. He was going to have been cruel to Juniper during her stay with him, which is why it was described in earlier chapters as her “escaping” her past and coming to the Abovecity. This arc was still going to point to Yuuvink as the blackmailer, but he was going to play a much bigger role. After Juniper is rescued by Jer’ik and Obi-wan, they go hunt Yuuvink down. Meanwhile, Anakin & Ahsoka were going to show up at Maverick’s place in search of the missing pair. After the trio dealt with Yuuvink, they were going to return to Maverick’s after receiving his taunt that he caught 2 jedi. She was going to trade herself for the pair. Maverick was going to get her hooked on spice, and arc 6 was going to be about Obi-wan rescuing her and helping her get clean again.

HOWEVER. I love wholesome stories too much. And I just couldn’t bring myself to hurt Juniper even more. But also, I love Giddy Maverick. Every time I went to write little drabbles about him, they were oddly wholesome. So i leaned into it, and here we are now! I cut the arc WAY shorter than I had it outlined (it was supposed to be 8 chapters) because I just didn’t think I needed to really get into the torture scenes, and I cut out an ENTIRE conflict and resolution by not bringing Anakin and Ahsoka in. I’m actually pretty pleased with the way it turned out regardless.

So, I decided on a direction with this fic. I’m just going to take the wholesome route. There’s going to be ANGST, there’s going to be DRAMA, and there will be MISUNDERSTANDINGS, of course. But I REALLY don’t want anyone to be dead in this fic, so nobody is going to. Qui-gon is coming back next arc. There’s a few others whose deaths are important to other characters who are just… alive. Because I want them to be.

I hope you’re not too disappointed by the direction i’m taking this, but honestly, I’m writing this fic for me. I just love that you’re here along for the ride!

Anywhooooooozle, the next couple arcs will be a lot lighter and more exploratory, like Kashyyyk was. Look forward to dropping the next one for you! Bye!!