Star Wars - Jedi Fugitive

Chapter 5

Jethro, Dom, and Leadfoot stretched out in their rented apartment. They had waited until close to midnight, but their target had failed to show again. Blazer was still watching, but no one had any hopes this late.

"You screwed up," Dom said icily.

"Excuse me?" Jethro asked. "What are you talking about?"

"At the tapcaf. We had a shot, and you blew it."

"We weren't ready."

Dom got up from his seat, his whole body tensed.

"Ready for what? It's a simple kill."

"I need more information."

"Information isn't the mission, killing the Quarren is."

"Exactly. Since when do we kill a scientist with information we can use?"

"Since we're ordered to."

Jethro was unaware that they had steadily been getting closer to each other until they were face to face.

"Alright, alright," Leadfoot cut in. "You both have big egos; you both have ideas on how to complete the mission. We get it. But what is over is over. We just have to go at it again tomorrow."

Dom brushed past Jethro and stalked into the refresher. The door slid closed, leaving Jethro and Leadfoot alone.

"Are you alright?" Leadfoot asked. "You've been out of sorts ever since you got back from visiting your senator girlfriend."

Jethro spun around at him. "There's no girlfriend!"

His heart nearly stopped. If he told anyone, Jethro's life as a Jedi was over, and all for nothing.

"Sure there isn't," he laughed. "What happened? She break up with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sir, with all due respect, we're not idiots. In fact, we're commandos because we're the exact opposite." He stretched out even further across the couch. "Not that it matters much. An idiot could figure it out. You spend a week driven into hiding with just the two of you, then, on your first and only trip back to Coruscant after, you make sure to visit the senate chamber, even putting off an important meeting to do so."

"It's none of your business."

"It's none of my business until it affects the mission."

"It's not her."

Although maybe it was. He couldn't get her betrayal off his mind.

"What is it then?"

Jethro scrambled for something else.

"It's this mission. It feels..." Jethro trailed off.

"Wrong?" Leadfoot finished. "I know the feeling. As commandos, we're given the missions no one wants to talk about. We do things that are legally, or even morally, grey. You should know this by now."

"I know, but assassination?"

"If the mission calls for it, yes." Leadfoot continued, "However, you are still our C.O. We run the mission how you say. We'll follow the orders you lay out."

Jethro's comm started beeping.

"Time to relieve Blazer," Leadfoot said, stretching as he started to stand, "Unless you don't really want to be left here all alone with Dom." He smiled.

Jethro nodded and motioned for Leadfoot to sit back down. He headed out the door himself, happy to stay away from Dom's wrath for a little while longer.

As he headed out into the night, he thought about what Leadfoot had said. If it was that obvious to Leadfoot, then maybe Riyo really had knocked him off balance. The thought disturbed him. How had he been stupid enough to let himself form an attachment like that? This was exactly why Jedi were forbidden to do so.

(Tempers flare! Let's all vote for more and thank you to all who have been. You are appreciated. 👍)