Jun'ko Zane
Commander Jun'ko Zane was an officer in the Liberty Security Force who has earned a reputation for being "a tough one" and "all business."[1] She was considered "tough, but always fair" and reliably paid the people she hired.[2] She preferred to be called "Juni" and asked that anyone who works for her called her by that name.[3] She flew a unique Defender Heavy Fighter which she later replaced by an Anubis.
History[]
Very little is known about Juni's past except that she had a grandmother living on Tsushima Depot and spent some time flying around the Okha Dust Field in the Kyushu system. However, by the time of the Single Player Plot, she stated she hasn't been back there for a decade. At some point, she became friends with Hermann Van Pelt, King and Marcus Walker.
When Edison Trent walked into the bar at Manhattan shortly after the destruction of Freeport 7, Juni was talking with an unnamed person in an Interspace Commerce outfit.[4][5] After Trent interrupted them, the man walked off clearly upset and Juni was rather annoyed herself. However, she heard Trent out and softened her stance once she realized that he lost his ship and everything else on Freeport 7. Seeing a way to address the challenges the LSF was facing due to lack of personnel, she offered Trent a job and asked him to meet her in the equipment room.[6][3]
Juni then hired Trent for several missions as she investigated the Order and the suspected corruption within LSF. By Mission 4, she was aware there is something very strange happening in Liberty and tried to investigate further, with Trent by her side. However, before they could leave Planet Manhattan, Trent was nearly shot by the same LSF officer that killed Syd and it was only Juni's quick thinking that saved him, as she reluctantly shot the officer. As it was obvious that they are being hunted, Juni and Trent picked up the Dom'Kavash Artifact and fled Manhattan.
With some help, Juni and Trent managed to flee Liberty and enter Bretonia space. They were pursued by Bounty Hunters and other, more sinister forces, but ultimately gained some allies and moved to Kusari. In Mission 8, she accompanied Ozu and Trent during their raid on Yukawa Shipyard and was present on Kyoto Base when it was revealed that the mission to kill governor Tekagi and steal the Proteus Tome was a failure. While Trent spent some time with the Blood Dragons, Juni went her own way and eventually joined the ranks of the Order before reuniting with Trent.
She was a member of the Order strike that succeeded in rescuing president Jacobi from Prison Station Mitchell, later helped steal a Nomad power cell, defended Planet Toledo from a Nomad attack and eventually led her own squadron in the final confrontation in the Omicron Major system. After Trent vanquished the Nomads, she returned to Liberty, was fully pardoned by the president and received the Lone star medal for bravery.
Relationship with Edison Trent[]
Although at times there is frustration between Juni and Trent, it is possible that the two protagonists may be attracted to one another.
Throughout the story of Freelancer, Juni and Trent slowly gain more trust towards one another. This is evident through many of the following missions:
At the beginning of Mission 02, it appears as though Juni is comforting Trent after he is stunned by an LSF guard. Subsequently however, she slaps him across the face and yells: "Snap out of it! Perhaps at this time, she cares so deeply about Trent, that she is frightened for him. However, this is highly unlikely, as the recurring events in the story do not support this claim.
However, the best form of evidence to support a strong relationship with Trent takes place in the endgame. Just before Trent is about to risk his life to rid the Sirius Sector of the Nomad threat, Juni yells over the intercom: "Trent! Jettison that thing before it blows!" Supporting the idea that she cares for his life.
After the endgame, and the epilogue cuts in, Juni approaches Trent and asks: "Liberty ale Mister?", where Trent replies, "No Thanks." Making more evident of his disgust of Liberty Ale.
Juni then says: "I never told you, but I asked the bartender about you the day we met," This might suggest that she was physically attracted to Trent from the start.
Trent then replies: "You did, did you? When Juni nods her head and winks at Trent with a smile spread across her face. Although, in the next frame, she immediately begins talking about the Order, and why she was late, however, the sudden increase in benevolence between the two, could suggest romantic involvement after the battle with the Nomads.
However, all of the above could simply imply she is comfortable around Trent and views him as someone trustworthy that she would prefer to keep around. Her friendly manner in the epilogue could simply be her way of teasing Trent before moving on to other matters.