Another Day, Another Life

[Jon Burke]

[SIZE=12pt]Jon rose from the usual quey’tek meditation he did each morning before leaving his small apartment. He was trying to assure that his force presence would be masked and avoid any unnecessary confrontations. He looked in the mirror and gave himself a bemused smirk. He was dressed in the grey uniform of a repair technician at Mel’s Speeder and Small Ship Repair Shop rather than the thousand credit custom suits and tuxedos he normally wore. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Normally. Nothing was normal anymore.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]He took a deep breath and shook his head in resignation. He was on Monastery incognito – sort of. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]When the Council of Seven removed him as the head of Burke Enterprises, he lost his positional protection within the Seven Clans and Ronin Brennan – his life-long nemesis - immediately issued a bounty requiring only Jon’s head for collection. To make matters worse, an arrest warrant had been issued for Jon on behalf of the Jedi Archives because of some artifacts he “borrowed.” That would be cleared up easily if he ever found where Aiden Merritt was hiding. Those combined made it necessary for Jon Burke, CEO to disappear and Jon Burke, repairman, to make landfall somewhere he’d never been before and start a new life… at least until he received the “all clear” from his family.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Jon glanced at the panels that disguised his small safe and made sure they were in place before leaving for the day. He had a tidy sum in anonymous credit chips stashed away – or at least chips not trackable to any of his accounts, but, preferred to live simply and do his best to fit in with the locals. He felt incredibly lucky that he came to town just when Mel was looking for a new repairman.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Repairing equipment of all kinds took him back to his days growing up on Dantooine when he helped his father and the crew maintain all the ranch’s machinery. It was a vocational love that he carried forward to Corellia University where he received his degree in Advanced Starship Engineering. Mel was thrilled to find a new repairman with Jon’s aptitude and experience. Because of Jon, Mel’s shop was rapidly becoming known as the place to go on Monastery for repairs from simple speeder crashes to small starship drive repairs.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Jon locked his door and quickly made his way across the street to the diner. Cindi had his usual ready and handed it to him at the register. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Do I still have a positive balance,” Jon asked? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Jon ate at the diner frequently because it was convenient and one of the only places in town that didn’t double as a cantina; so, he found it easiest to make periodic small payments in advance for those days that he didn’t have any credits on him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“You’re still good, Jon,” Cindi answered cooly. Jon had made the mistake of letting the redheaded waitress talk him into an evening out together. When the night ended with a modest kiss at the door, Cindi was somewhat miffed and she had been distant towards Jon since. For his part, Jon was in no emotional state to become involved romantically. His trauma and the long term recovery required to become fully functional again from the day Aiden blew up the Burke Enterprises building on Lianna left him with several significant gaps in his memory. To make matters worse, the long past things he was remembering all seemed to have happened just yesterday. Losing Lori, losing his unborn son, losing Saede, and a vague memory of a brunette on Lianna that felt like a loss he couldn’t understand. Most of them were old memories, freshly awakened and raw as if they just occurred. No. Jon saw a relationship as just another opportunity for pain and he wanted no part of it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Taking his breakfast sandwich and caf, Jon made as graceful an exit as he could under the circumstances. The walk to Mel’s shop would take about ten minutes; plenty of time to finish his breakfast on-the-go before getting to work and finding out what projects Mel had for him today.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Juliette Molière"][/SIZE]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

The base of her palm hit the alarm button firmly, shutting it down, the silence deafening after the cacophony of piercing noises. Juliette’s eyes raced over the control panel of the cutter-class interceptor, the flashing warning lights blinking continually demanding attention. And yet the diagnostics told a different story, nothing is wrong. For the moment, Juliette decided to ignore it, instead she looked out of the cockpit window as she descended through the atmosphere to Monastery. Her troubles had started immediately after exiting hyperspace and she could not get to the ground quickly enough, as her star fighter began to shudder.

Juliette Moliere, Antarian Ranger for The Order of the Silver Jedi, a young girl on R&R for a week, had decided to visit Monastery and spend some time in a small village on the outskirts of the Capital. She had a place booked for accommodation, a natural resort, of sorts, located within the rain forests of this lush planet. She had heard of this place, some of the other Rangers had sang it praises knowing she has a taste for natural beauty. This is to be expected one would suppose, considering Jules grew up on Coruscant, where a blade of grass was a rare sight.

Finally, Jules landed her shuddering ship on ground on the edge of the small town. It was only then she allowed herself to breath with normality as a long breath escaped her lips. Popping open the cockpit canopy, she jumped out to look over the ship. As she walked around, her hand reached to her neck and undid the top part of her flight suit, as it seemed to want to choke her. Her eyes found the problem, a piece of the panelling had torn away and exposed the wires, now fizzing and sparking. There was no way that she would be returning to Voss in this ship, unless repaired.

The streets of the small town are busy with sentients going about their business of the day. The stalls of markets open and baring their wares enticing patrons to stop, look and purchase. She is no hurry, and the enticement to great as she looked over some the cloth and trinkets on the stalls as she passed. A small ring had caught her eye and as she enquired of the price she took the opportunity to ask if there was a place for ship repairs in town. It was a long shot, but to her delight the stall keeper had informed her of Mel’s Speeder and Small Ship Repair Shop, and given her directions. Now that was convenient.

Jules found the place easy enough and entered. A ship mechanic yard, with piles of odds and ends, chunks of engine parts, panels and whatever one needed it seemed to her, apart from a mechanic.

“Hello?”, she asked tentatively, “Anyone here?”.



[member="Jon Burke"]

 

[Jon Burke]

Jon opened the door to the shop’s office and stepped inside shouting out a greeting as he entered, “Morning, Mel!”

As usual, the Gossam was already busy with the business of the day; finalizing the previous day’s receipts, reordering parts and supplies, and prioritizing the days repair projects.


“Good morning, Jon Burke,” the tall reptile replied in his slow, precisely enunciated basic. Mel Tran ran a tight ship and from everything Jon had seen, a fair one. He made sure the services he provided his customers were first rate and charged reasonable prices. Also as usual, he was right to the point.

“Please start with the LD5 in bay four. Evaluate required repairs so that I can formulate an estimate for the client.”

“Roger, boss. I’m on it,” Jon replied with a smirk. If he ever resumed leadership of his family’s business ventures he would definitely remember to hire Gossam as managers.

In bay four Jon found a Ubrikkan Repulsorlift Manufacturing LD5 Land Speeder. Markings on its side identified it as belonging to Capitol City Security – the local police. Mel’s reputation must really be growing if they were bringing their repairs all the way from the city.

The lower side of the front end was scraped and crushed, obviously from a hard impact with street-grade duracrete or some other rough surface. In Jon’s experience, URM repulsors were prone to fail after a certain age – such as this one. He popped the hatch exposing the front repulsor and his suspicion was confirmed – coils, capacitors, invertors… everything was fried. He opened up the rear hatch to inspect the rear repulsor and found signs of overheating indicating its impending failure as well.

Jon listed the parts that needed replacing and those that could be repaired including a recommendation to preemptively replace the rear repulsor to avoid a revisit to bay four in the near future. Looking the list over to assure it was complete, he hit send and transmitted it to Mel’s terminal. About that same time…

“Hello? Anyone here?”

Mel Tran eyed the young lady, her flight suit, and her athletic grace with a practiced eye. ‘Pilot,’ he told himself immediately and stepped out of his office to greet her.

“Good morning, Captain. Welcome to Mel’s. How may we be of service to you?”


[member="Juliette Molière"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]

The sudden voice of a male startled her a little. Juliette turned to meet the man, to see a Gossman before her and she smiled. "Greetings, I hope you can be of service, I have a ship in need of repairs and no doubt spare parts. I am not entirely sure of the problem, but I do know it needs rewiring. Although I can some minor repairs I think this is beyond my range", she began.

Jules looked around the shop in a hope to see some of the parts required, but did not find what she sort. "Oh and new panel, I seemed to have lost one", she joked a little. "I had to bring the ship to ground as quickly as possible, it is located on the outskirts of the town".

Her eyes had by now adjusted the dark interior compared to the morning light outside, and so her attention was caught by a box of loose small parts, which she thumbed through. "I will need the services of a good mechanic .. can you assist?".

 

[Jon Burke]

Mel Tran rubbed his scaly hands together and cocked his head thoughtfully. He had confidence in Jon but had never assigned him a wiring project. Still, he was the technician Mel trusted most to evaluate difficult repairs.

“I have a technician I can send to your ship and see what is required,” Mel offered. He cued his comm and said, “Jon, we have an off-site repair. Meet us at the front of the yard with the repair cruiser.”

Jon was just finishing washing up after breaking down the LD5 so, although unexpected, the timing worked out well.

“On my way, Mel,” Jon responded.

Jon walked over to the modified land cruiser that served as the company’s service van and looked over its contents. Various routine parts and tools commonly needed were in place as expected so he closed up the back and got in the driver’s seat.


Driving the cruiser around to the front of the yard, he caught sight of the person that must be the new customer and arched a brow in approval. Despite his disinterest in a relationship, he still appreciated a good view and this lady made her flight suit look good.


He pulled up and got out, walking up to the two. He nodded at Mel and turned to the customer.

“Captain, I’m Jon Burke. I’ll be going to inspect your ship. What kind of vessel is it? I may need to gather together a few other parts to take with me if it’s very exotic.”


[member="Juliette Molière"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]


Jules smiled as it seemed her ship would be fixed and ready for her to leave by the end of the week. She followed the man out of the shop to the front yard and waited for the repair cruiser.

A man in dirty work clothes got out and approached. Offering a form of introduction and requesting further information, which was prudent. "Pleasure to meet you Jon Burke, I am Juliette Moliere, call me Jules. My ship is not exotic unfortunately, it is a cutter-class interceptor, an old one and a bit rough and rusty by works well". Be this as it may, Jules would not part with the rust bucket for all the money in the galaxy, she had purchased it on Coruscant, to buy her freedom from a dull life. And now, as the fates had decreed probably saved her life, since the planet is now under Sith rule. This thought now had her thinking of her family there, one day she will have to go and find them.

She raised her eyes back to the man called Jon. A handsome man, a little older then her maybe, but still pleasant to the eyes. "I shall direct you to the location, shall we go?".

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]


Jon nodded as he thought about the information she was providing. “Jules, please call me Jon.” He opened the passenger door for her to enter, then went around to the driver seat again.

As he pulled out following her directions, he told her, “Depending on what we need to repair your ship, we have three possibilities. We don’t have many interceptors in our salvage yard, but, I do think we might have an old Callan-class out back. It’s possible we can scavenge when we need from it. Or, I can fabricate most parts. I would recommend you consider any parts we make as temporary and replace them as soon as you get back to your home port. Our third option would be to have Mel special order any critical parts. He can have them delivered within 3-6 days depending on the source. There are several major distribution centers at the intersections of the hyperlanes – the nearest being Druckenwell where the Renna Trade Route intersects the Corellian Run.

If you have the time to wait, ordering new parts would be the best fix; however, I’m pretty sure we can get you up and running if you need to leave sooner.

Pulling up to her interceptor, Jon said, “Sleek little ship. I bet she’s fun to pilot.”

Jon hadn’t flown anything similar since he flew TIE-D’s off the Revenge. He preferred not to have to explain that situation so he didn’t mention it to Jules.

Jon saw the buckled panel immediately and went to inspect the damage. Looking into the compartment, he asked, “Is this the only damage you saw?”

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]

By the way Jon handled the controls of the cruiser, he is a fair pilot as well. He had transported them both to her ship, with a nice smooth ride, and with deft turns. Her eyes had watched his hands move over switches before resting them gently on the flight control. Interesting hands, not really the hands of a mechanic, they seem too ‘manicured’ for that. They held a certain strength however, as if they had gained core power from a different line of work, physical in nature possibly, but what that would be, she did not know. It intrigued her, which prompted her to turn toward him and search for answer within his face. She found nothing of course, save for a strong cut jaw line.

However, her ponderings were interrupted as he spoke of her options for the parts and repairs. “If I was in need of expedience I would assist you in gathering the parts required however, I have come to Monastery on R&R so I have time. It would be wiser to order them as you suggest”.

Jules jumped out of the cruiser and followed him to her ship. “Yes it is a fun ship and with a few tweaks I did here and there, fast”, she said with a small smile standing beside him as he inspected the damage.

“This is the only damage clearly visible, however the on board diagnostics told me nothing was wrong, which clearly was not the case, and that also concerns me. The warning alarms worked fine, but I did not know to what extent the damage was until I landed”.

She moved to the compartment also and looked inside, “What a mess”, she said more to herself, but she did not remain preferring his educated eye over the damage. Instead she went to the other side of the ship and popped open the storage compartment and gathered her personal belongings, all carried in a pack which she slung over her left shoulder. From her flight suit she retrieved the security card and handed it to Jon so he could enter the ship when required.

“So what do you think?”. She asked as she leaned against the side of the ship.

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]


Jon ran his fingers across the surface of the ship, feeling a rough, scratched gouge in the durasteel alloy at the margin of the shattered panel. He worked a remaining piece of the crumpled metal off its weld completely opening up the small electrical compartment. He leaned in and looked down at the bottom of the shallow well.

He arched a brow and reached inside, retrieving a small fragment of meteoroid. “Well, here’s the culprit,” he said showing it to Juliette. He looked it over carefully, then handed it to her.

“Looks like an olivine/nickel-iron pallasite. The bulk of it glanced off, but, this fragment was trapped inside the compartment; ricocheting around making mincemeat of the cabling. You probably hit it at transition to normal space. If you had been at normal running speeds, it could have had enough mass to go straight through the ship.”

“We have plenty of military grade durasteel alloy that I can used to replace the hull plate. The wiring is a modular harness. I’ll get the part number and replacing it should be straightforward. The question of the alarm sounding with nothing showing on the panel, might simply be a programming glitch. I’ll run a diagnostic on it when we get the physical repairs completed.”

He noticed her bag and added, “Give me a couple of minutes to finish up here and I’ll drive you to your hotel.”

Jon scanned the side of the interceptor to calculate the arc of the covering panel he needed to fabricate. He then carefully unplugged the wiring harness and detached all of the distal ends of the wires it encompassed. Finally he sealed a durable plastic cover over the opening to keep it dry in the case of the areas common rains.

Turning back to her he asked, “Ready?”

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]


Jules pushed off the side of the side, as Jon handed her the piece of meteor, the culprit indeed. She turned it over in her hand to examine it, her face etched in surprise and concern. She did not have the first idea about the properties of the it, but Jon did, he seemed to be knowledgeable on the topic which made her eye brow arch as she was impressed. But he was correct, the rock had cause all the damage and in retrospect the situation could have been far worse for her.

Shaking that thought away, she looked into his eyes and smiled. "Thank you for all your help, I wont forget it".

While he went to finish up and to further get her mind of the 'close call', she put the piece of meteor in the cruiser. She turned back, "Have you lived all your life on Monastery?", it was small talk, but she had the feeling he comes from other quarters and not had been a mechanic his entire life, that was evident by the way he spoke.

As he came back to depart, to take her to her accommodation, Jules jumped in the passenger seat once more. She gave directions to her prearranged accommodation and they would soon find there way to an old Monastery converted into a holiday destination.

​

​

​

​

As they approached the structure within the trees, Jules leaned forward and looked up, her eyes widened at the sight of it, it is beautiful, ethereal and she smiled.

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]


[SIZE=12pt]Jon looked up at the resort somewhat wistfully. There were parts of being Jon Burke the CEO that he missed. Staying in different, interesting or exotic resorts from time to time was one of them. Even at that, he had to admit he had been more peaceful and relaxed during his time on Monastery than he had for years.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“You know, Jules, I’m sure I can convince Mel to provide a loaner cruiser for you to use while you’re waiting for the repairs.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It was common for Mel to do so for customers that had a need for mobility while their cruisers or ships were under repair and another reason his shop was in demand.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“And, if you’re interested, I might be able to provide a tour guide – of sorts - he’s never actually been to any of the areas that attract tourist either, but, he’s available.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Jon hoped she realized he meant himself. He could get the panel fabricated that afternoon, and ask Mel for a day or two off until the other parts were received. The idea of getting out and seeing the sights was quite appealing to him.[/SIZE]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]

She turned to look at Jon from her position then leaned back in the seat once more. "That would very handy thank you, I was going to arrange transport, but would prefer to use Mel's as I know it will be well maintained".

As they stopped in front of the main entrance to the resort, Juliette climbed out and gathered her pack. She gave it look and realised she had come ill prepared for the place. It looked far more grand then she was lead to believe and so did not come with appropriate clothing.

"I must say you are being very generous to me, thank you. I will take you up on this offer and go see some points of interest around here", she smiled. "However, before I do I will need to shop I think. Shall we arrange for tomorrow?".

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]



Jon nodded his agreement and said “Tomorrow will work for me. I’ll text you this evening to update you on our progress with your ship and let you know what time to expect me tomorrow.”

Jon helped her inside then returned to the shop. He spent most of the afternoon fabricating the panel and helping Mel locate the wiring harness.

Since there was now nothing more Jon could do for her ship until the parts arrived and there were no other major projects, Mel agreed that Jon could have time away from work until the harness arrived as well as providing a land cruiser for them to use.

Jon selected an AV-21 land speeder for their excursion the next day and drove it to his apartment. He walked across the street for an evening meal and, while waiting for his order to be prepared, sent Juliette a message.

Part ordered and scheduled to arrive in three days. Land speeder arranged – will arrive at 0900 to pick you up. Text back if this time is inconvenient.

Jon ate and walked back to his apartment. He dug into his closest to find something to wear the next day. Satisfied with his choice, he settled in for the night.

- - - - -

The next morning at exactly 9:00 a.m., Jon arrived at the resort in the trees. He had the desk clerk call Juliette’s room and announce his arrival.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]

After Jon had left her, Juliette had spent the remainder of the morning exploring her new surroundings. Her room was situated along one of the many sky pathways suspended among the towering rain forest trees. It was like something out of a fairy tale, tall slender arches framed crystal glass windows, the pathways lined with tiny light of whites and the dappled light filtering through the forest canopy danced as the nettles swayed with the breeze. The air is cool and filled with the scent of pine with an underlying aroma of organics. Enchanted, she heard some of the other guests describe it and she had to agree.

She had arranged shuttle transport back to the small town that afternoon to go shopping. Juliette did not require much save for a dress for evening dining and clothes for tomorrow, for when Jon would return for her. It is a peaceful place, the peoples friendly and relaxed which she assumed was a result of their nature as well as they are relatively untouched by the wider galaxy. It has it history of course, like all things, and had not escape entirely, but today Monastery is without conflict, and she hoped, for their sake, it would remain that way.

Juliette knew where to find the market, the stalls had not changed, and summoning the buyer to come close and she indulged it. She had also found more established shops in which she purchased what she needed, and like all girls, a little more than required.

As evening approached, she decided to eat in one of smaller restaurants at the resort and through the course of the meal, she had received Jon’s message.

:::Part ordered and scheduled to arrive in three days:::
:::Land speeder arranged – will arrive at 0900 to pick you up:::
:::Text back if this time is inconvenient:::

“0900?”, she said to no one, “Military”. She would reply, it is her way.

~//That is good news!//~
~//See you at nine//~



The morning arrived and Juliette woke to the lyrical song of the avian outside her bedroom window. She rose from her bed, letting the white crisp sheet fall away from her naked body. Casting an eye over the chronometer, it was early, which was usual for her, as the Rangers begin the day before the sun breaks the darkness of the night. Putting on the complimentary white soft robe she met her ordered room service which arrived with breakfast on time, of which she ate by the open window. After her shower, Juliette dressed in her new clothes to meet Jon.

She was slipping on her shoes when the call came through telling her he had arrived and awaited her down in the main foyer. As the turbo lift doors opened, Juliette entered the main foyer and looked for him.

At first she did not see him, but as she neared the reception there he was. There was only a slight hesitation in her step that only a keen eye would detect, this hesitation was the result of Jon, and he looked amazing. However, she smiled to him as she approached, “Good morning Jon, sorry I am a little late”.

Juliette moved toward the large doors leading to the outside and down the sloping pathway toward the parked speeders. She turned to him as they walked. “What are we going to see first?”.

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]


Jon heard the lift door opening and looked in its direction. As he hoped, Juliette stepped out. He arched a brow and a slight smile creased his lips when he saw her. ‘Shopping. I’d say as much,’ he thought to himself. She looked wonderful. As much as he’d appreciated the way her flight suit displayed some very provocative curves yesterday, this outfit revealed a more feminine beauty, yet, showed she was prepared for a day of exploration. A very appealing combination to Jon, yet unsettling in a way at the same time. When he offered to take her to see the sights, he had no romantic notions involved. Seeing her like this sent tremors through that resolve.

“Good morning, Juliette,” he greeted returning her smile as she drew near. He turned and walked beside her to the exit and then to the speeder. “I thought today we would take a ground side drive through the central rainforest to see the heart of the forest and end up at the Crystal Valley. There are several overlooks around it where we can see it without risking being impaled,” he said with a grin so she could tell he was teasing. “Tomorrow, if you’re still game, we can fly over to the Temple of the Sacred Circle.”

Jon open the passenger side door and put his hand lightly on her back as she climbed in. ‘To steady her’ he told himself. ‘Yes. That was it, just to steady her.’ As if an experienced pilot climbing up two steps into a land speeder needed help with her balance. Jon grinned at himself ruefully as he walked around to his side and climbed in.

“I have the top down for sightseeing, but, we can pop it up if the rainforest decides to live up to its name.”

They blasted out of the parking lot and onto the road leading out of town causing a gale of dust and leaves, towards the depths of the forest.

“I have to apologize. Yesterday you asked me where I was from and I was so involved in inspecting your ship that I neglected to answer. I grew up on a remote ranch on Dantooine, but I guess nerf-herding just didn’t take with me,” he told her with a chuckle. “When I could, I went to Corellia to attend the university. I graduated with a degree in engineering.”

He grinned and let her chew on that for a moment. How would someone with an advanced degree in starship engineering end up as a mechanic on Monastery. That was his secret.

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]

“Impaled?”, she turned to see his face and grinned in return. “It seems I shall need to live through this day before taking on the Temple of the Sacred Circle”. However, if .. if anything was to happen unforseen, she was a little prepared, as hidden beneath her jacket, her blaster is holstered.

As she settled into her seat, her eyes flashed over to him as he climbed in the speeder, as she could still feel the warmth of his hand on her back. Although, she soon realised that the warmth was more from her then him, she took in a silent steading breath.

Juliette looked up into the rainforest canopy, she could not see beyond the tops of the trees, however the morning light greeted her face twinkling among the high branches. “I sincerely hope you do not pop the top if it rains as there is nothing more invigorating to the senses”. She smiled without turning to him. However she had no chance to hear his reply as he pushed the speeder and they took off out of the lot, with this her smile broadened as her head turned to look back. The turbulence from the engines displacing settled dust and leaves, sending them billowing into the air.

She turned to face the road ahead enjoying not only the wind in her hair but for once, she could simply enjoy the ride and take note of the surroundings, a pleasure she lacks when piloting. But she allowed her eyes to look to his hands once more, yes he is a good pilot and one that seemed to enjoy the sense of speed.

“You have ice running through your veins”, she stated as this was once said of her, as all good pilots are said to possess this quality coupled with a set of nerves that know nothing of fear.

However, as he began to answer a question she had asked of him yesterday, she turned her body in the seat a little and leaned her arm on the back of it, she had simply assumed she had asked a personal question, one he did not wish to give reply. She rested her head on her a curled fist as she listened. Yesterday it was small talk, today she is interested to know.

His answer explained a lot and yet nothing. It explained his intelligence she had noted when examining her ship, and his ability to fly with great skill, but it did not explain why he was on Monastery and living this life. To leave a mundane life as he supposed, and one in which she would very well understand, to go a seek means by study to enhance and develop ones opportunities only to come full circle as a mechanic on a quiet planet, did not make sense, unless, of course, there is good reason. Juliette’s eyes narrowed only slightly as she took in his face, searching for the answer within life experiences that are written there. Finding nothing.

She dropped her hand away from her face, shifting her body and turned away from the more pleasant and enticing view, that of Jon.

“You are enigmatic Jon Burke”, she said as if accusing him of a something. Juliette could not help but purse her lips and grin only to dart a quick look to him, in this brief exchange he would understand he had won this little game and set her mind racing.

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]


Jon grinned happily as he skewed the AV-21 from side to side, skimming the speeder around the giant trees like a downhill skier taking the flags on a slalom course. He sensed Juliette turning to watch him but couldn’t take his eyes away from the task of piloting the speeder; much as he’d like to.

“If you’re not afraid of rain in that new outfit, I certainly can stand it,” he agreed almost conspiratorially.

Approaching an even denser and darker portion of the forest, Jon stopped and made some changes in the vehicle’s GPS receiver.

“We’re coming to the planetary park portion of the rain forest. There are no roads constructed through it, but, there are some speeder trails maintained by the park service.”

These were basically pathways cleared of underbrush large enough for a land speeder to work its way through… if the driver was very careful.

“I’m programming a park service overlay of the trails onto the GPS. We should be able to navigate a passage through the area to the other side and back on the main roads to the Crystal Valley.”

Jon piloted them slowly into what appeared like cave into the dense greenery. What light had been filtering through before was now virtually non-existent; yet, he was hesitant to turn on running lights, preferring to let his eyes adjust to the gloom.

In another way, this was better. Now they were moving slowly and almost silently, making conversation practical once again.

He laughed at her calling him enigmatic and replied, “I’m only enigmatic to you because you don’t have all the puzzle pieces to see the overall picture.” He did turn slightly towards her this time as he added, “and, additional puzzle pieces have to be earned.”

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Jon stopped the speeder at the end of the road. Juliette looked ahead as he told her of the way ahead. She could see the make shift road among the thickness of the forest, dense with giant ferns which umbrella over them, fisted frons raised to the canopy and moisture in the air, which seemed to settle on the large thick leaves of the undergrowth until heavy and running down into the centre of the plant. The aroma of forest much greater here, with the organic smell of rotting vegetation and freshness of recent rain. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]After Jon had reset the GPS, he pushed the speeder forward once more. As soon as the speeder entered the natural tunnel, Juliette felt the drop in temperature which gave her a slight chill up her back. The dappled light of forest vanished to her eyes until they adjusted to the dullness, it was oddly nice. She could hear the tinkling of water drops and the constant buzz of insect life, as her other senses enhanced. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Jon laughed. She turned to look at him, and gave him a baring smile. Juliette delighted in this and her eyes would show it, happy to have made him laugh and on hearing it, more so. A strong laugh she hoped to hear again. Her eyes played on his face as she turned away to take in the way ahead. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“Oh so you admit it, there is more to this puzzle that is Jon Burke. One could earn these pieces I suppose, whatever that might entail”,[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] she grinned with a raised brow, “or one could simply let them reveal over time”. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]She shifted in her seat to sit more upright and watch as the forest continued to get thicker. This is a very enjoyable ride in the hands of a deft pilot, good company, handsome company and delightfully banter. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“I shall not deprive you of your secrets, as I have mine. And I too, will keep them until I feel it necessary to unfold them”. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] Juliette had no doubt in her mind, Jon held more than she and hers are of an entirely different nature.[/SIZE]

 

[Jon Burke]

[member="Juliette Molière"]


Perhaps he’d spoken too boldly if secrecy was his objective; but, he sensed no threat in her. Quite the contrary, he had the impression she was trustworthy and any secrets he might reveal would be safe. Not that he intended to put that burden of responsibility fully on her.

Jon chuckled at her conceived options and opined, “I expect that if you’re leaving in a week I have more time than you to protect my secrets. Expediency would suggest earning them would be your best alternative.” He gave her a mischievous smile and brow wag similar to the one she’d given him.

He pulled the speeder into the edge of a small glade – a rare open area that allowed almost direct sunlight to flood its center. He stopped short of the full light, thinking it would blind them to their surroundings if they entered it completely.

Jon slipped up to the back of his seat and sat there a moment, looking the area over above the windshield. He couldn’t help but use a small flow of the force to scan the surrounding area for living creatures. He sensed more than he’d hoped to; things more interested in the two of them than he would prefer. He slipped back down into his seat and began piloting them forwards again. He kept to the shadows to avoid being blinded by the bright sunlight in the clearing’s center. He stopped just before entering the cave-like speeder path again and said, “Look back there.”

From the other end of the glade, a form emerged to be seen more clearly as it neared the bright center of the clearing as a Saber Cat. Jon quipped, “I think she thought we would be an easy meal for her kits.” Before he had to explain, three small version of the huge cat bounded out of the darkness after their mother.

“Beautiful,” Jon said with a smile that conveyed how much he truly appreciated the opportunity to see the elusive animals. He quickly took a few holopics with his datapad and settled back into his seat. He eased the speeder forward into the shadows of the canopy once more.

“Those kits would bring several thousand credits each on the black market,” he remarked. Somewhere in the back of his mind he sincerely hoped he would have the opportunity to discourage and poachers that came after this litter. Jon had just adopted a new family on Monastery – one that would happily eat him given the chance, but, one he would protect the best he could nonetheless.

Entering an area filled with hanging orchids of all descriptions he slowed to allow them to enjoy their fragrance. “So let me try to earn a few puzzle pieces of my own,” he teased.

“Based on your underlying accent, I’d say you were born and raised the most of your life on Coruscant.”

He eyed her thoughtfully and added, “recently you’ve been surrounded by a more diverse mixture in your immediate group of associates giving you a polyglot accent overlaying your home accent. Being in a military organization would explain that but I don’t think that quite fits.”

“Your choice of vessel makes you more likely an independent than a military pilot, but, I figure you as a pilot for some quasi-military faction. A volunteer probably affiliated with the jedi would be my guess. The republic prefers its pilots in the military and you’re not mean enough to be associated with the sith,” he teased.

He gave her a grin and asked, “Close?”

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Jon Burke"]

[SIZE=10.5pt]If nothing else, Jon is able to make her smile. Juliette did not have the change to respond to his remark of expediency, however, a piece or two of the puzzle had fallen into place in her mind. As he pulled over behind a stream of the sun’s rays, she joined him, and placing herself next to him. She looked out to try and find what must have caught his eye and for the moment only saw the beautiful myriad of orchards.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]She was about to point them out to him, when she caught a certain look on his face. Juliette said nothing only remained fixed on his features, she has seen this ‘look’ before, and only someone close by her would see the upward curl of one corner of her mouth. Force user, and she did not question him when he scrambled back into his seat. Juliette has spent much time around Jedi, worked alongside them, provided transport and security for them on mission and combat. It had simply become second nature to her to be able to ‘read’ them. She may not be able use the force or sense anything, but she is highly observant. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Her hand reached under her jacket and rested on her blaster, however Jon appeared to be unconcerned and so she relaxed. She turned around as he told her to look behind, as the saber cat appeared, Juliette twisted around in her seat to face the scene, her eyes delighting at the sight of it. Juliette laughed softly as the kits appeared, “Beautiful indeed”, she agreed. If that would be the conclusion of the day, it would have been enough for her to have enjoyed their expedition. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Juliette has, in the past, had dealings with the black market, and knows full well the price they would fetch. Like Jon, she hoped they would not find their way to it. “If you know the ‘right’ people, you could get more. They are well sort after for .. organised hunting”. The whole idea of it disgusted her. Moreover, seeing the family of saber cats only served to cause Juliette to reflect on her own. She went quite for little while as she went over some of the details of the plans she had in place to go and find them on Coruscant. She would use her old contacts through the merchant business, old friends of her father to do so, and she would do this alone.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]However she pulled herself out of her momentary reflexions as Jon spoke once more. This time with a teasing tone. She let him go on in his summary of her, and a smile increased as he concluded. “That easy to read, am I?”, she asked. Probably. She bowed her head in recognition that he had supposed correct. However she would not add detail. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]She moved her hand and took his hand closest to her. She turned it around so that his palm faced upward and she rested it in her other hand. Her fingertips glided gently over the surface of his soft skin, “This is not the hand of a mechanic, at least not one that has spent much time tinkering with engines, no they hold core power of a different kind, that of a force user. So what are you doing here on this beautiful out of the way planet? Maybe you are escaping from something”. She grinned, “How is that for expediency?”. She let his hand go.[/SIZE]