2463/She Got Better

She Got Better
Date of Scene:	15 June 2015
Location:	Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse
Synopsis:	During a somewhat ordinary jaunt to the Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse, Galen and Juno run into a most unwelcome acquaintance. One who by all rights ought to be dead, but you know how these things go...
Cast of Characters:	22, 428, 731

---

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Every once in a while, the ship's cargo hold opens up into a place that is distinctly not part of the Rogue Shadow's architecture. The door opens into a comfortable dining establishment that has simply the best food, and impressively good drinks, and seems to incorporate people and a menu from all across the multiverse. Perhaps the best part is that it's neutral ground, and someone keeping a low profile can enjoy a good meal if they're careful about it.

Ten minutes ago, Juno Eclipse had been intent on leading Galen into the cargo hold to show him some changes she'd wanted to make to the ship.

Instead, the door opens into the Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse.

She stands there a little foolishly, with the door held open, and stares a little blankly at the room beyond. That... is not part of the Rogue Shadow.

"Oh bloody hell," he might hear her murmur from just in front of him. "Not again..."

With a sigh, she holds the door open, moving sideways to let him in. "Well, if this is going to happen again, we might as well have a good meal out of it. Come on in."

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
As Juno leads Galen into the cargo hold, he follows with interest. She's wanting to make changes to the Shadow, and he was always interested in her adjustments. Well, now anyway. Back in the day it had been a little annoying, but things had changed since then. And so, he follows along, glancing through the door as she opens it. And it opens into the Bar and Grill.

...

"Juno," he says, "How did you get an entire restuarant in the Rogue Shadow's cargo bay?" He smirks, then moves toward the Bar and Grill, staring at the establishment with wonder. "Some sort of magic doorway or something?" he asks, "This makes... no sense whatsoever."

He seems utterly shocked for a moment, then he turns and smirks again. "They have good food, though, huh?"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I didn't." Juno sighs, staring at the open door. "It's... um. I guess you could think of it as a multiversal phenomenon. Welcome to the Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse. It seems this place has a habit of appearing when someone's hungry, or thirsty, out of whatever doorway happens to be close at hand."

Well, she had forgotten to eat breakfast, and it's a good opportunity to order something that should tide her over until dinnertime. The Ebon Hawk is watching over the Rogue Shadow, intermittently, so they shouldn't need to worry about anything happening to the ship in their absence...

She shrugs, sighing in resignation. "It has a tendency to turn physics on its ear, yes. I suppose I should be used to that, what with you doing the selfsame thing every other day."

Stupid multiverse. Stupid Force.

"They have excellent food. Anything you can imagine to order. A truly multiversal menu, as it were. Well, I suppose we might as well take advantage of this. Obviously, it's telling us something." Like 'remember to eat.' Taking him by the wrist, she tugs him over to a booth, one that's out of the way of the room but not so much as to attract attention by its remoteness.

She piles into the seat, folding her arms over the table, letting her forehead fall forward with a muffled 'thump' onto her crossed arms. The pilot sighs a weary sigh. Having Revan watching over them has enabled her to get a little more sleep, but she's still overworked and underslept. The repairs to the Rogue Shadow's engines are a massive project. Revan's droids help where they can, as does PROXY, but she's the expert on the ship.

"Order whatever you want. I'll take care of it." Picking her head up, she offers a half-smile. "How are you feeling, anyway?" After that debacle aboard the Emperor's Justice, she's made no secret of being worried about him. "At least we've been able to get some rest together." She reaches out to pat his arm, once he's taken a seat. "I find I sleep a little better if I know you can also get some rest. And... I feel a little better knowing you're there, I admit. I'll have to find a way to thank Lowri for that much, at least."

Half a glance is cast at the rather voluminous menu, but she doesn't pick it up. "Soup, maybe. Stew? Noodles? Ugh, I have no idea what I want to order."

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen chuckles a bit, shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose it has to have its own secrets, huh?" he asks, "That seems sort of handy. I know how I'll handle those times when I don't want to go out for food. Good to know!" he smiles, and it seems somewhat weary. Ever since the rescue aboard the Emperor's Justice, Galen has had recurring nightmares about the wounded and burned Force users aboard the ship. His clones, he was convinced, due to the backlash of the Force each time one of them fell. Force-sensitive as he is, Juno has probably picked up on some of this unease, despite his attempt to mask it across all possible avenues. He sits down, pressing his hand against hers as she pats his arm for a moment. "Anything, huh? Well then, I have no idea what I want," he says.

Maybe tacos. Does he know about tacos? As he browses the menu, he will probably know about tacos.

He sets it aside for a moment, smiling warmly at Juno. "Sleep is a lot more available now, yes," he says, "And it's nice that we don't have to worry so much about being found out. It's hard for me to sleep without you nearby now," he says. He picks the menu back up, thumbing through things. "What is a 'taco'?" he asks, "I think I'll find out."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"It can, and it does." Juno shakes her head with a weary sigh. "I've long since given up trying to figure things out. It just makes my head hurt. It's like trying to ascribe physics to anything to do with the Force. It's an exercise in futility."

She shrugs, rolling one narrow shoulder. Her eyes flit to the doorway, watching practically every being that comes and goes. "Good to know, but not very useful when we're trying to avoid attention. I'm afraid this place is hell on my nerves, lately. It's exhausting watching everybody come and go, wondering when the next one's going to be an Imperial on the hunt, or an Elite with a taste for that bounty on our heads."

Maybe Juno isn't Force-sensitive, but she's been concerned, and those nightmares haven't gone unnoticed. Indeed, in those times he's woken up out of sorts, she's been there to soothe him.

No doubt he's done the same through her own nightmares of the same.

Her own hand turns, closing around his when he rests it over her arm; a simple silent gesture both offering and seeking reassurance. It's a tough time for them both... but they'll survive and overcome, as they always have. Won't they?

"Anything," she agrees, releasing his hand somewhat reluctantly. "Mm. The same's true for me. I worry when you're not there, and I can't watch the ship at all times... I owe Lowri."

Taco? She raises a brow. "How adventurous are you feeling? You never know what's actually going to come out of that kitchen..." She flips through her own menu, tired eyes skimming over the pages. "That's a lot of options... maybe I'll just start with some herbal tea while I decide what to eat."

Signalling the waitstaff, she leaves her own order, picking up the menu and going back to reading it over. In spite of her half-smile, she's tired, too; those sleepless shadows under her eyes seem to be becoming a permanent fixture. "I'm sure I can find something."

Her eyes still watch the doorway, though, and his Force-sensitivity would tell him that she's a little anxious about being so out in the open; high-strung and watching that doorway like a hawk, however indirectly.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
A rather sizeable group of people enter the Bar and Grill at the same time, most of them humans. And among them is a dark haired nurse who could easily pass for human who looks carefully to and fro before she advances. It looks like she's pushing something, as she glances down for a moment and speaks up softly. It's impossible to hear over the hum and talk of the area.

"... why, isn't this a surprise~?"

The voice is soft and amused, a musical quality to it despite its weakness. As some people move, then it might be easier to see where the voice comes from. Not from the walking nurse who is pushing a wheelchair, but the person in it. Sure, she looks thinner than before with no muscle to her, there's an air of fatigue to her... but those golden eyes are just as sharp as the last time Medusa Gorgon looked upon the unfortunate space captain.

Those very eyes glance towards Galen, and the witch offers them both a smile that looks far too bright to be genuine. "What a stroke of luck... now I don't have to eat lunch alone," she comments, then gestures for the nurse, who nervously leans forward. "Miss Gorgon?" she asks, and Medusa responds without looking way from the two deserters. "Go take your lunch break after you have brought my food." Immediately the nurse nods her head, seemingly only too eager to leave her superior alone.

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen smirks. "Such a world of opportunity," he says, "So much wider than even our galaxy. I am eager to explore it more in depth when I have the opportunity to do so. Once the Empire is gone." He's still determined to see the end of the Galactic Empire, and he would need to find the Rebellion to do so. That was talk for another time though.

"I have a feeling the patrons of this place likely wouldn't take kindly to invaders encroaching on their customers. Call me crazy, but if someone is powerful enough to be able to link any door to this place, they probably want the business and no sort of impediment to that."

He chuckles, then closes his menu. "Pretty adventurous," he says, "So tacos it is." Herbal tea? How very Juno.

And then... he senses a distrubance. He gets a cold chill down his spine as the next group enters the building. The person in the wheelchair immediately draws his attention, and on reflex his hand drifts to his waist. Something about her makes him completely uneasy. The sharp look in her eyes, even despite her apparent physical frailty, sets Galen into high alert.

"I really hope I'm right on that," he finishes.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Worlds," Juno corrects her companion. "Many worlds. Nigh uncountable, in fact, enough so that trying to consider that gives me as much of a headache as trying to assign physics to the Force. Yeah... that would be nice. I'm not really sure I'd hang anything on the Empire's demise, though," she adds, casting a concerned, sidelong look to Galen. "I don't believe they're invincible... but I do believe that it's going to take a very long, long time to scrub them out of the galaxy."

She shrugs. "We're on the run anyway, right? We might as well explore a few new places while we're running. If we lose them in the greater multiverse, all the better. Vader's not going to know where to look."

"Yeah. There's a security system in place, actually. It's enforced neutral ground. I couldn't say what the security measures are, though. I've never seen it tripped—"

A swirl of people come through the doorway, momentarily obscuring the crowds just based on their proximity alone. For a moment even Juno's sharp eyes can't see the forest for the trees, not until it's far too late. A familiar voice cuts through that crowd like a hot knife through butter, to her high-strung sensibilities.

Galen would immediately notice how tense she gets; not simply because he can probably see it, but because it resonates through the Force, too – like a harp string suddenly struck, and struck hard. He would also know that she was the person in charge of every major medical treatment Juno ever had, in the Confederacy, and that Juno's trips to the woman had always wound up with her coming back to him extremely rattled, to say the least.

"What are you doing here? No, never mind. Obviously you're here to make my life miserable, because you delight in doing exactly that." Juno doesn't quite scoot back in her seat, but it's obvious she'd really love to recoil from Medusa right now. Her nerves are practically singing with tension, and so does the Force. If she were a cat, her back would be arched, hackles up, tail bristling, and whiskers and claws standing out in terrified threat display. "I'd wondered why my eye was giving me trouble. Trust the Force to not only have a sense of humour, but gallows-humour at that."

To her credit, her voice is calm and professional, even if she's practically crackling with tension like a live wire.

"You look like you've seen better days," she points out to the nurse. "And by the way, if you so much as think about calling in your Confederate allies, we'll be gone faster than they can arrive." A bluff? Maybe, but it's hard to say. She did sort of literally go for the eyes when she thought Sanary had her cornered. Testing the mettle of somebody who feels they have nothing to lose is unwise, sometimes...

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
Galen isn't the only one who can see how tense Juno is, unfortunately. Even as Juno pulls back, even while Galen reaches for his waist, the woman in the wheelchair remains calm, resting her hands in her lap. Sure, she's wearing a black dress and a white medical coat, but there's no clear sign of her being armed.

"The same thing you are doing, I think. Unless you came here for something else besides food...?" Medusa asks with a bright smile and a tilt of her head. "And now now, dear Juno, if I was able to track you, you really think I would follow you here and alone?"

Hmmm, would such a thing be possible...? Juno is highly strung and quite alert, the same goes for Galen. Unless a really good chance presents itself, it's too risky.

If Juno is the same as a hissing and defensive cat, then Medusa could best be compared to a cat who's curiously watching its surroundings while purring. Despite her frailty she appears to be completely calm. "Ah yes... I have been better, though I have been worse as well." As for the threat to leave should she call for her Confederate allies? Medusa smiles warmly at the two. "I have no intention of telling them I even saw you here. And do no worry about the nurse, she's merely an aide who does not know what's going on outside of medical. She won't be telling on you either." Here Medusa's eyes glimmer with something that Juno might have seen before during medical treatments. "I will make sure of it."

Then she's all smiles again. "But I have to say... you do not look well either," she comments, concern on her face as she leans slightly closer. "Both of you. Are you making sure you get proper sleep?"

It's at this moment that the nurse returns, carrying a tray with soup, some slices of toast as well as some unsweetened tea and water. She only nods, then excuses herself and walks off to eat her own food at a different table.

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Juno is a tense cat, Medusa is a calm cat. Galen is the dog of the house, nose pointed at the door with eyes turned forward. German Shepard, most likely. Big, scary. His hand relaxes only a fraction, stopping himself from drawing the saber at his waist. He doesn't want to be the one to trigger the defenses here. So instead he places his order for a platter of tacos, keeping his eyes between Juno and Medusa. At Medusa's question, he nods. "Actually, you might. If your goal isn't a physical confrontation, then this would be the ideal place." He twitches his wrist slightly. "Otherwise, I would be able to solve Juno's discomfort. Here, however, yes, we're here for food." He moves his free hand to rest on Juno's arm, his gaze continuing its watchful actions.

He smirks grimly. "Your eye? So she's the one that fixed it," he says, stress on the word fixed. "Gorgon. Menacing name for a medical worker."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
At least the pilot is smart enough not to reach for anything. Since she'd only been walking from one end of the ship to the other, she hadn't thought to grab her blasters and their holsters. Her belt only carries a small toolkit on it, and a hydrospanner is hardly an effective weapon unless one happens to be a droid. Even then... well.

Part of her is tempted to snap at the witch, and ask the woman what she really wants from her. After all, there's nothing stopping her from standing up and walking out, if Medusa doesn't give her a sufficiently compelling reason to stay... but part of her is also curious, that damnable scientist's mind, as to why Medusa has even bothered to single her out from the crowd. Medusa isn't stupid; she has to know that Juno was never comfortable around her, and even less so now that she's no longer part of the Confederacy at large.

Juno narrows her eyes, and although she doesn't move, the Force still hums around her like a plucked string. She seems to be deciding whether or not to even deign to answer the nurse.

"A TIE pilot's trained to function on the bare minimum of sleep biologically required. I'll have you know I'm functioning much more adequately than I may look." In other words, if Medusa tries anything funny, the pilot's going to be out of here faster than a ship jumping into hyperspace. "Spare me the false politeness, Nurse. I'm not stupid; I know it's an act, and it's always been one. Down to brass tacks, then. What do you really want from me?"

Her arm, under Galen's hand, is practically alive with tension. This one frail woman apparently commands a great deal of apprehension and horror from Juno.

"Yeah." Juno smiles, but it's more a baring of teeth than a pleasant expression. "I'll give her credit. She does excellent work. It's just her methodology that suffers. I guess the Confederacy doesn't necessarily require 'do no harm' of their healers."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
Galen does have a valid point, though Medusa does look amused. "Perhaps. If I just wanted to talk. Or offer my medical advice."

Her eyes glance to Galen resting his hand on Juno's arm, though she looks up at the two, smiling and nodding when the eye is commented on. "Oh yes, Juno was concerned about just what Vader would do to a pilot without depth perception... so I did everything I could to reconstruct the eye. It wasn't an easy job, but I do believe I did a rather fine job. Tell me... how has your eye been giving you trouble...?" The serpentine witch looks intently at the eye in question, narrowing her own eyes.

When she's asked what she wants though, Medusa shrugs. "Nothing, really. I just dislike eating on my own." With that she picks up her spoon and begins eating her soup, taking small spoonfuls of the vegetable broth.

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen's senses are alight right now. Beyond his own unease, Juno's immense energy, and Medusa's calm, it's Medusa's nurse that confuses him the most. "That nurse," he says, "She seems almost eager to be away from you. I wonder why that is." He shakes his head, waiting for his tacos with a tense air. "Thanks for saving her back then, I suppose. Vader would've executed her on the spot, because that's what Vader does. Forgive me if I don't offer any more than that, though. You're Confederate, after all."

His hand curls around Juno's arm lightly. He doesn't have much more to offer, though he does try to convey a feeling of peace for her sake. Granted he's on edge as well, though, this is a token gesture at best.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Conversation and medical advice, purely out of the goodness of your heart, I'm sure." Juno doesn't quite glower at Medusa, but it's obvious she's still a little angry, and more than a little suspicious. There has to be some kind of ulterior motive, and she's convinced that there's something at play here just beyond her adrenaline- and paranoia-fueled perceptions.

She follows Medusa's gaze to the hand resting over her arm, but rather than pull away or make a fuss about it, she turns her wrist and threads her fingers through Galen's. Yeah, she's holding his hand; what's it to you? After all, free of the Empire, she no longer has reason to hide that.

When asked about the eye, though, she does glare this time. "Just fine," she snaps. "No problems at all. Why would there be? I haven't injured it since, and I haven't done anything to—"

"What?" Galen asks why the nurse might want to be away from Medusa. Juno gestures with her free hand. "Because only an idiot's going to believe that innocent act. I'm pretty well convinced that creature exists to cause others pain and suffering. That's right, she did repair the damage to my eye, and regenerated the tissue. I don't have any cybernetics installed as a result. But I'm also convinced she did so in the most excruciatingly painful way possible; it was so much so that Senior Captain Navarr had to be present just to use the Force to keep me from reacting."

That would be the Miraluka Senior Captain on whose Star Destroyer they and the Rogue Shadow been posted to, briefly, before returning to the Empirical and the Executor. Competent woman, almost on friendly terms, but not someone Juno had wholly trusted. Respected, yes... but never trusted.

The pilot, for the moment, just bristles. To her credit she doesn't tighten her hand around Galen's, but there's still tension. He can probably feel her fingers trembling, faintly. She wants to cut and run...

...but at the same time, she's an incredibly stubborn woman when she puts her mind to it, and she absolutely refuses to give Medusa that kind of satisfaction.

"So you're just going to impose yourself on our personal space, just like that, because you don't want to eat your lunch alone." She stares at Medusa, almost at a loss. "Just like that."

Yup.

"Impossible," she hisses through her teeth, somewhat angrily. "Fine. Do whatever you want. It's not going to bother me." Oh, Juno, you are a horrifically bad liar. Points for effort, one must suppose. "I guess I should be grateful that you're not going to call in the cavalry. So thank you for that." Oh, it's so grudging... but credit where credit's due.

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
"Oh, her?" Medusa asks, glancing over her shoulder at the nurse. "She's just like Juno, I guess?" Obviously she finds this funny, chuckling softly. "Unnerved by the fact that I'm a witch."

The fact that Galen thanks her for restoring Juno's eye does make Medusa smile softly as she lowers the spoon from her mouth. At least it's easy to talk while partaking of soup. "I was doing my job, and Juno has always been one of my favourite patients~" And my, is Juno contradicting herself? "You just said your eye was giving your trouble. Or is it your memory that is affected by your exhaustion...?" Again Medusa looks worried as she watches Juno. "You really ought to take better care of yourself..."

Juno certainly is showing no love for her, is she? "Juno..." The voice is calm, and Medusa watches the pilot with a serious look on her face. "If I had wanted you to be in pain during that procedure, you would have been screaming and squirming so much in that chair that I would have had to restrain all of your body. Do you know that the eye is the part of the body that has the highest concentration of pain receptors? I had to keep you awake in order to make sure that I gave you enough medication." Did the air around them just get colder...? "Most of the discomfort you felt from that procedure was psychological. Trust me, I know what hurts. And so I know how and when to dull that pain, which I did while ensuring you would be able to do your job."

With that she returns to hear soup, nodding as Juno questions her. Yes, she is imposing on them. There are hardly any free tables around her, after all. When Juno lies about it not bothering her though, Medusa looks at the pilot with amusement in her eyes, but she doesn't comment on it. That smile playing at her lips should say enough.

"If you have problems sleeping, you should drink chamomile tea. Add in a spoonful of honey and some crushed valerian," she offers instead.

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen watches the next exchange between the pair, his hand closing around Juno's as she takes it. "A witch?" he says, narrowing his eyes, "Then unfortunately for you, I happen to be a great space wizard. So, there's that." He might as well use the Flotilla's name for Jedi and Sith, after all. He IS a Flotilla member now. However, at Juno's explanation of her experience at eye surgery and Medusa's counterpoint, there's a surge through the Force. "With that sort of expertise, you seem dulled to the fact that your patient was clearly in pain. Far more, perhaps, than was necessary. Maybe you're not as skilled as you say, or perhaps Juno is on to something there. If a Force user is called in to suppress reaction like that? It's bad."

It's also not a talent he had much practice with, though he really should pick it up. Being a juggernaut immune to pain might have its perks.

As his tacos arrive, he stares at one for a moment, clearly confused. "This is..." he says, and then he bites into one. "DELICIOUS...!"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Half a glance is cast after the nurse who'd fled, but Juno withholds whatever comment she might have on the nameless woman. Part of her almost feels bad for whoever gets assigned to look after a person like Medusa.

"'Favourite' is not a particular distinction I want to have," Juno snaps. "It's fine. Don't listen to me. I'm too tired to remember details straight, that's all. It happens when you have a galaxy-spanning empire and a superfaction both baying for your blood because they think you're some kind of horrible traitor, regardless of what actually happened." Her slow, faint smile is blade-thin and humourless. "And no matter what pleasantries you throw at me, you're one of them, and nothing's going to change that perception of mine."

The smile fades entirely when Medusa lays down the law in regards to ocular surgery. To her credit, Juno doesn't move. She doesn't even seem to react as the air seem sto chill around her; she simply stares at the nurse, face haggard and solemn and absolutely refusing – refusing – to give Medusa the satisfaction of reacting with the horror she really desperately wants to react with.

Something about her own stare is cold and hard, too, though; even if she's ordinary. Even if she's wholly mundane, unable to influence the ambient temperature of the room through the force of her displeasure, she can still make it clear that she's not going to give Medusa that kind of satisfaction.

Too bad, really. The pilot is plucky; she has zest and fire, and she's steel-true when it comes to her loyalty and her competence and ability to deliver... but that pesky conscience seems to be a real career-killer, doesn't it?

"I haven't got any problems sleeping, thank you very much." She even lifts her chin, just a fraction, as though to indicate just how little trouble she has. "None at all."

Then, suddenly... space wizard. It takes everything in her not to sigh and cover her face with her free hand, but to her credit, she holds her dignified posture... but she does thin her lips a little.

Her own tea is delivered, and with great dignity, she takes a moment to apply the proper proportions of cream and sugar. Just a touch, though, because it's herbal! Wouldn't do to spoil the effect. Sipping daintily, she casts an annoyed look at the nurse. Yeah, Medusa can share their table, but that doesn't mean she has to like it, and that smug smile of Medusa's makes her even more irritated; that string-pluck through the Force of mingled distress and annoyance.

Her eyes flit to Galen, then, and very dubiously toward his choice of entree... and still regards it dubiously, even as he declares it superb. She leans over a little, eyeing it. "Um. Galen, what... what is that?"

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
"You're forgetting another thing, Juno," Medusa points out between spoonfuls of soup. "I was not alive when whatever happened to make you leave the Confederacy happened. As a matter of fact I haven't read any of the reports yet. So..." Here she looks between the two. "I would like to hear it from you two first. I'm far too old to to believe there won't be any propaganda in whatever report they have filed."

Galen's commentary on her medical capabilities earns a faint arch of the nurse's eyebrow, and Medusa looks... somewhat amused? "You honestly believe that? When I gave her a continuous IV drip of painkillers, watched her every reaction and upped and decreased the dosage at appropriate moments to ensure she felt as little as possible? The Force user was there to dull Juno's senses, and sharpen mine." No, it doesn't appear that Medusa sees her skill as anything but the best. Ignoring the rogue agent's reaction to tacos, Medusa focuses on Juno again. "I can tell you are tired and exhausted dear. If you wish to avoid capture, then you ought to allow yourself to rest once in a while. Otherwise you will slip up sooner or later."

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen narrows his eyes, staring at Medusa. "You were dead?" he says. There is a long pause where the taco in his hand, half-eaten, goes forgotten. She had come back from the dead? That seemed... possible, he supposes. After all, Vader had an entire ship of his clones, all of which he had disfigured hideously. So ressurection seemed unlikely, but clones with the right memories might as well be the same thing. He shakes his head, then finishes the taco in his hand.

As he picks up a second, he smiles at Juno. He knew that calling himself a great space wizard had rankled her, and his often-strange behavior was almost comical at times. "It's a taco, Juno," he says, "I don't know what all it is, but I know it's amazing." He gestures to the platter of ten still left in front of him. "Take one and try it! You won't be sorry!"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Propaganda?" Juno smiles, but the expression is more knife-like than anything else. There's a certain gallows-humour in it, as though she were genuinely delighted by that. "Dear lady, of course there's bloody propaganda. If you deal with the Empire, you'll never be able to see the forest for the trees, if you listen to what they tell you. If the Empire is a living organism, than propaganda is alive in its every bloody nerve ending. The Empire lives and breathes propaganda, because short of imposing an inconveniently resource-draining police state on every planet in every system, how better do you control so much of a population?"

"You rule smart, and you let peoples' imagination do the work for you. A false story here, a few orders there. And the best thing about examples is that you don't need to leave anything behind." Her cheerful tone is as much a lie as anything, because there's something very closely approaching anger rippling beneath her words. It's a mask, yes; she's still very much bitter about all of that.

She sips at her tea, dainty, in spite of the raw irritation simmering behind her calm facade, eyes closing momentarily. "I believe it, and so does he; you're not going to fool either of us with the 'insulted professional' routine." One eye cracks open, regarding Medusa in weary annoyance. "Give it up, already. Save your breath. You don't look to be in the best condition, yourself."

"Heh." Juno snorts. "Frankly, I've been managing just fine, in the two or three weeks since Vader and his lapdog Riaul decided to condemn us to the airlock. I'm still alive, and I consider that a plus. Of course I'm going to slip up sooner or later, but that's not connected to how much or how little sleep I have; it's the simple law of averages. Statistics; probability. I'm trained to function on a bare minimum of sleep, and function I've done. I'd say I've been doing well for myself, all things considered."

The pilot sips at her tea in evident nonchalance, long fingers wrapped around the warm china. "If you're trying to threaten me, frankly, you're going to have to try harder. I've had much worse in the past week alone."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
"Hmmm? Don't you read reports, Galen~?" Medusa teases the man with a chuckle. "I was killed. Not the first time either. Either way, this body is still weak..."

Hmmm. Juno is even tenser than she thought. In response to Juno's little rant Medusa does throw her a pointed look. "... just because I was born again last week does not mean I'm stupid, dear. I have lived far longer than you have, and I have manipulated my fair share of people. I hardly ned a lesson in these things. Save your energy, you will need it~" She resumes eating her soup, shaking her head slightly even as she listens to Juno speak, watching her. "My dear... if I was threatening you you'd already be gone," Medusa says softly, then slurps the final soup. "But as you say, I'm still weakened from my entire ordeal. But I'll recover soon enough. Perhaps I will be in the mood to capture you next time, but today... I just want to eat and rest. Learning to walk again is such a bother."

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen narrows his eyes again. "Yeah, I heard something to that effect," he says, "Forgive me if my memory is a little shot. Your ally, Vader? Is an asshole. You two must get along perfectly." Her tone is causing his anger to rise a bit. Everything about Medusa sets him further on his guard. "I mean, say all you want, but now you're making threats. And you have no clue what you're dealing with." He finishes another taco, then another. It stops him from reacting to years of Sith training.

He gives a noise somewhere between a sigh and a snarl around his taco, closing his eyes. "Fine, bring it on. I'll be happy to send you back to the grave. If you're planning on chasing us, that's your destination after all."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"We've been a little busy over the last few weeks, so you'll have to forgive us if the details don't come immediately to mind." Juno's tone is unpleasant, and she wraps her fingers more securely around her teacup. "And yes, thank you for flaunting how unsettling you are some more, we weren't quite certain we had that impression right the first time."

"...Bitch," she adds, very softly, under her breath.

Oh, it feels good to be able to speak her mind. Wonderful, even! Right now she's too tired to care to be diplomatic. She's never liked Medusa, and she's not about to start, either.

Again she snorts, eyeing Medusa over the rim of her teacup. "You can posture all you like, but the reality is that your vaunted planning and premeditation still wouldn't be enough. I don't think you understand what kind of force you're dealing with, when I feel like I've been backed into a corner." She smiles, mirthless. "I'm not a witch. I'm not hundreds of years old. I'm not even claiming to have the kinds of experience and subterfuge you keep unsubtly hinting at. But ask your friend Sanary, some time; she should be able to give you some indication of the lengths I'm willing to go to if I feel threatened."

Galen's statement about her getting along with Vader, however, brings Juno to smile. He's right, really. One twisted person to another; they'd probably get along just great, if they didn't try to kill each other. Not really a great prospect for herself and Galen, but poetic justice all the same – a match made in Hell, as far as she's concerned.

"Next time," she says softly, in a tone of near disinterest, "I might be inclined to take advantage of that weakness of yours. You'd better pray that you're whole again the next time we meet, if you have any designs on Galen's or my freedom." Those blue eyes settle on Medusa. "We won't go lightly, or quietly. And especially not to someone like you."

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
"Honestly?" Medusa begins with a huff. "He is rather stiffy if you ask me..." Sure, he seems to be a man who gets the job done, but other than that? So little fun, so restrained...

Is she trying to sound tough? It sounds like it. Galen she thinks has a bit more to back up his bravado with. But in the end the nurse just... smiles.

"No, I'm not making threats. I'm merely stating facts as I read the two of you. Canary... I have just met her. I do know what mice do when they are backed up, but still... a mice is just a mice in the end." For now Medusa finishes off her tea cup, and then she sets it down before she slowly raises her left hand... and signals for the nurse who has been sitting at her table, waiting for a signal from the snake witch.

"I will leave you two lovebirds to your dinner. I am tired, and I need to get some rest before I head back to work," she smiles at the two. But she isn't done talking. "Juno, dear... if you didn't try to take advantage of weaknesses, then I would be utterly disappointed~" Medusa's smile remains, sweet and looking ever so genuine.

The nurse walks up behind the wheelchair, offering a polite nod to Juno and Galen before she begins wheeling Medusa backwards. "Do take care until I see you next time," Medusa says as she bids them adieu.

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen grimaces slightly around another taco. He is really inhaling these things, only five left on his plate. "Vader is a monster, yet a very human monster at times. There's something to him that is so real, but the rest is pure evil. And his Empire betrayed us. So yeah, perfect match." He finishes his taco, then grabs another. "You call her a mouse, but you seem to underestimate her. Me? Well, there's no animalistic analog to me either. So just keep in mind the sort of force you're preparing to engage."

As her nurse comes and wheels Medusa out, Galen drops his head a bit, eyes meeting Juno's for a moment. "I've never seen you quite like that before," he says, squeezing her hand gently. "I kind of don't want to end up on your bad side." He munches thoughtfully on a taco, frowning. "I agree, though. I don't much care for that woman. She... unsettles me."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I'm not going to argue with that. Vader isn't what I'd call a personable man." Juno pulls a face as though she'd bitten down on something sour. After being in his custody for twenty-four hours, just thinking about him is almost enough to make her break out into helpless shivering. "He's not really a great conversationalist, either. And heaven have mercy on you if he doesn't like you. I can speak from personal experience; being hurled across a room via the Force isn't exactly fun."

Trust her to speak on that unpleasant period with sarcasm. It seems to be her coping mechanism, in dealing with the more unpleasant aspects of life; to treat them with a certain irreverence, and scorn veiled behind a thin veneer of gallows-humour.

"You know, when mice contract rabies, even a slice hound's smart enough to avoid them." Juno smiles, a pretty expression, undone only by the coldness in her eyes when she opens them. "I'm just saying."

She's silent as the nurse beckons for her orderly, watching in faintly suspicious silence, as though she had expected Medusa to do something more sinister with a simple gesture. After all, one hardly knows the limit of a security system in a place like this. Who's to say the nurse couldn't have done some damage before triggering it?

...Lovebirds?

Juno frowns. "Had enough of our company already, hm? Too bad. I never even got to tell you what really happened. I suppose I'll give you one more meeting without trying to shoot you. I can give you that much. After that," she says sweetly, "I make no promises. I might well develop a terminally itchy trigger finger."

She waits until Medusa's gone, watching the woman in the wheelchair until she actually exits through the front door.

And then the pilot shudders, hard enough to rattle the toolkit on her belt, right into the same sort of helpless shivering Vader ought to be able to induce. "Nothing's more horrifying than knowing someone who knows that much about medicine, and knowing they use it for all the wrong reasons," she mutters, shoulders hunching as she rakes her fingers through her hair, visibly unnerved. "Glad to know that even you can be unsettled by something," she mutters, tightening her hand around his, although her fingers are still a little unsteady.

There's a short pause. "Don't eat those things too fast, or you're going to make yourself sick." She prods him in the arm. "And I don't want to hear you complaining at three hundred hours after you wake me up tossing and turning when you can't sleep because your stomach hurts, eh?"

Medusa Gorgon (22) has posed:
"I did ask you what happened," Medusa points out, smiling coyly. "Yet you have been more set on telling me things I already know." She can tell where she's not wanted, despite what Juno might believe.

The comment about mice? The witch narrows her eyes with an amused look, and her tone is only slightly chiding. "Reptiles do not contract rabies, silly girl~"

With that the nurse wheels Medusa off, heading directly towards the exit of the Bar and Grill... leaving Juno and Galen to talk on their own.

Galen Marek (731) has posed:
Galen sets his taco down, pushing the plate to one side. He wants to take it with him, but he's smart enough to heed Juno's warning. "Good point," he says, smirking, "I'm feeling like sleep is a thing that is rapidly approaching." As Medusa makes her parting comments, Galen cracks slightly. He shivers heavily, his body twitching somewhat violently. "Something is WRONG with you, lady," he says, before turning his focus back to Juno afterward. "Some people can get under my skin. No one, perhaps, quite that easily though. Holy..." He shakes his head. "There's a lot more than meets the eye with her. She's going to be an issue, I feel." He savors the sound of the door closing behind Medusa, the chill down his spine clearing up.

"H... How do we get back?" he asks, "Does the door open back up to where you were before?"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"'Going to be?' She's been an issue, and she's already issue, and now she's back from the dead she'll be a future issue, too. Excellent," Juno adds sourly, sighing over her teacup. "You know, I really did have enough on my plate to deal with, without having to factor her into it. The worst part is that I don't quite know what her angle is."

She's almost impossible to anticipate, and that is perhaps the most disturbing part of all. There's no telling what the witch's endgame is, aside from her preferred methods. She seems to enjoy causing pain like most people enjoy watching sports, and few people can quite run Juno's blood into icewater quite like that woman can.

Juno allows her the luxury of another shudder, setting aside her teacup. "You ate most of them, so don't feel too bad about leaving them behind." Climbing back to her feet, she glances toward the door, as though to be sure Medusa is really gone. "Back through the door. When you're done, it seems to leave you right back from where you came in. Nobody's quite certain of how it works, although I'm certain there's a complicated hypothesis somewhere."

Rubbing at one arm, she glances back to the door again, seemingly relieved once Medusa really has left. "Ugh. Let's go home." To the Rogue Shadow, that is; the ship is more home to her than any domicile she may have briefly inhabited. "I wasn't joking; I really do want to go hide in bed for a while. That woman gives me the creeps in the worst way... come on," she adds, tugging at his arm once he's up. "We could both use the sleep, and I'm certain Lowri will look after things for a little while longer."