The Runaways

No Longer Shinies

                                             *Rebuplic Ship headed to Coruscant, 22 BBY*

The rescue went quickly. Just like that, my first mission was over. It was actually pretty cool. I looked at the scuff of dirt and rust I had on my knee. Now I wasn't a shiny anymore!

General Vann sat beside the Senator from Naboo, speaking with her in hushed tones. I was able to pick up many gratuitous phrases from the Senator. General Vann stood, and I did the same.

"Senator Amidala, meet Commander Spitfire." The General looked...proud? I saluted them both.

"General Vann-" Senator Amidala started. "You and your team worked wonderfully together? How many missions have you been on together?"

"This was our first mission as a team." The General's face was neutral. "They're still shinies." I frowned a bit at that remark.

"Shines?" The Senator's eyes lit up as a small smile played on her lips. "I thought only Kenobi and Ani used that term." She wrung her hands together. "They learned it from Rex."

"Ani?" The neutral look on the General's face was gone, replaced with a slightly curious and confused expression.

"Oh...uh-sorry." Senator Amidala stuttered and stumbled over her words. Very unlike a senator. "General Skywalker." General Vann's lip curled slightly, almost as if in anger or disgust. "Oh, you must have heard of him!"

"I know him." The General said bitterly. "The best star-pilot in the galaxy, the leader of the famed 501st, has a padawan!" Anger roiled from the General. "Yeah, I know him." The tension between the two girls rose, and right when I thought it was going to snap, the Senator's comlink beeped.

"I need to take this." Senator Amidala said cooley. She walked to the corner of the room and spoke softly into her comlink.

"So, not a fan of Skywalker?" I nudged the General with my shoulder. She huffed angrily.

"No." She sat upon a crate and started messing with her laser sword.

"May I ask why?"

"Because he's on some sort of pedestal. People praise him like he's some sort of chosen one."

"Oh-" The anger in her voice scared me a bit. I slid off my helmet and looked at my brothers behind me. They were sitting in a circle, talking and laughing. I was beginning to like it here.