Talyc sat with Lord Void, Emerick, Lashika and a few others. The others were sharing a bottle of ale, while he was staring at it, contemplating it, knowing it would be best for him to not even consider it.
            ‘Are you all right?’ asked Void.
            ‘I’m fine!’ Talyc snapped a little too abruptly for even his own liking. ‘Sorry, I’m tempted to drink.’
            ‘Remember your discipline,’ said Void. ‘Only you can decide and choose what is best for you. Do you drink, get drunk, let yourself escape your woes, or do you face what you are feeling, let yourself feel it, and allow the pain to exist?’
            The others looked at Talyc. ‘Whatever you decide, my friend, we won’t judge,’ said Emerick.
            ‘If you need us to put it away…’ Lashika began.
            Void put a hand up. ‘Temptation exists as an opportunity, for either ill or benefit. While it would be easier if none of us were drinking before you, Talyc, you would not have the opportunities and lessons presented to you otherwise. The choice, however, has to be yours, and its reasons, have to support your choice.’
            Talyc took the bottle and brought it to his nose. The smell reminded him of all his failures, all his mistakes, and it was enough to change his mind.
            ‘The pain is better than to fail and make a mistake I may regret forever,’ said Talyc. He gently pushed the bottle back towards the others.
            Lord Void nodded approvingly. ‘Very good. I know Sith who can’t discipline themselves even for a second.’ He looked at the other Mandalorians. ‘You Mandalorians are proving to be knowledgeable in disciplines that qualify you as worthy opponents. Worthy warriors.’
            ‘I don’t need your approval,’ said Talyc, feeling discouraged. ‘I just need…’ He trailed off.
            ‘Fane.’ Lashika put a hand on Talyc’s.
            At that moment Talyc’s comlink chimed. He took it and the small holo image of Shadie appeared. She looked anxious.
            ‘Talyc! We found him!’
            ‘What?’ Talyc stood from his seat and walked a few steps away to have a bit of privacy. Lord Void followed. ‘Where?’
            ‘It was Thera and Ren who found him while meditating. We’ll explain when you two get here, but you need to come right away.’
            ‘You’re going to have to give me more than that if I’m to convince Mandalore to let me go back so soon,’ said Talyc. His heart was racing with anticipation.
            ‘Manaan. They’re on Manaan, deep down on the bottom of the ocean floor,’ said Shadie. Talyc didn’t know if he felt relief or apprehension. He stared at Shadie’s holo image, his heart pounding out of his chest, or so it felt that way.
            ‘Manaan is a neutral world,’ said Void. ‘They won’t take kindly to a group of Jedi coming to say they need to extract something from the bed of their ocean. They will protect their kolto and everything near it, basically everything in the ocean. And if we make too much of a fuss, then it will draw unwanted attention. If word spreads of your presence on Manaan, then Awgro will get whiff.’
            There was a slight pause. ‘I have an idea.’ Talyc felt his eyes light up as a new purpose ignited within him. He gave the holotransceiver to Void and walked to the table. He heard Shadie telling Void about his grandson.
            ‘He says we didn’t kill Relsor, we saved the Force so that he can exist in it,’ said Shadie. ‘Says it was a shame Relsor was the vehicle of illness, but that protecting the Force will allow it to be safe from other beings like Relsor from spreading an illness.’
            ‘Wise kid,’ Talyc said over his shoulder. He looked at Emerick. ‘You still have your forging machine?’
            ‘Yeah, why?’
            ‘I might need to borrow it. Remind me again how it works?’
            Emerick went through the process; Talyc took a few notes down on his datapad. He walked back to where Void stood.
            ‘I have an idea, but I’m going to need help convincing Mandalore.’ Talyc looked at Void. ‘You good at persuading without the use of the Force?’ Void nodded. ‘Then follow me.’

* * *

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Lian, Shadie, Knarf, Brenum, Trylia, and Maranna stood in the central chamber of the Crypt, speaking with voices raised as a heated debate had ensued. Nriwe had taken the children up and Thera had been keen on giving the Chiss boy a tour of the place, so thankfully the children were not privy to this argument.
            Maranna had refused to give the Jedi her child’s name and she seemed very opinionated about Jedi and Sith alike. It had been good that Shadie had convinced Lord Void to accompany Talyc to Mandalore. Knarf wondered how the two were getting on.
            Shadie pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘This is not the talk we agreed to. You said you were willing to hear us out.’
            ‘I said I was willing to speak with you. I am speaking, you must listen.’
            ‘Trying to.’
            ‘All we’re trying to say is that here your son can learn the balance in the Force, both light side and dark side,’ said Trylia in a soothing tone.
            ‘Why? So you can try to save him from himself like you tried to save his father?’ Maranna’s pitch had reached a new high. ‘Relsor didn’t want you to save him! You Jedi think you know best. Always trying to save other people.’
            ‘Well there was something clearly wrong with Relsor,’ said Trylia, her tone serene and poised.
            ‘In your eyes maybe. You weren’t trying to save him, you were trying to change him, turn him into something he wasn’t. The only reason he probably ever saw anything in you was because he pitied your pathetic view on the Force.’
            ‘Oy! Don’t talk to her that way!’ Brenum stepped in, looking imposing.
            ‘Relsor chose his fate,’ said Shadie, doing her best to reamin calm. ‘We offered to try to help find a way to coexist. His existence was killing people, and we still tried to find a way for that could stop so we would not have to kill him. He turned down our offer. We were willing to leave him be, but people kept dying. We saved the galaxy.’
            Maranna took on a mock voice. ‘“We saved the galaxy.” Is that supposed to impress me?’
            ‘Would you rather Awgro have taken you and your son then?’ demanded Shadie.
            ‘No, I am grateful that you helped us, but my son doesn’t need training and he doesn’t want it either.’
            ‘Have you asked him?’ Brenum queried, his tone indignant.
            ‘Was it a race against Awgro to find us before him?’ asked Maranna. ‘Was it to shape that little boy’s mind into the being you want him to be?’
            ‘We don’t try to brainwash anyone,’ said Trylia, looking appalled.
            ‘My passion’s dying wishes were clear, no Jedi training, and no Sith training,’ said Maranna.
            ‘I hardly qualify as a Jedi anymore,’ said Lian, ‘and Lord Void is no longer a Sith. We are teachers of the Force.’
            ‘You are still a member of the Jedi Order and a Master!’ Maranna retorted.
            ‘Then it’s a good thing that the Lady of the Crypt,’ said Knarf, his voice as reassuring as he could manage, ‘is neither Jedi nor Sith. She has found balance in the Force within herself. She can teach that discipline, and we,’ Knarf motioned to himself and Shadie, ‘are Mandalorians. We are part of no Order, no faction. We serve the Force. We would only guide your son in the direction he would choose. We are not trying to take him away from you. We are merely asking you to allow him to stay. For both of you to stay.’
            ‘I don’t need your protection and where I go, my son goes.’ Maranna crossed her arms.
            ‘You can’t coddle a child who is gifted as he is!’ said Brenum.
            Maranna took a menacing step towards Brenum. ‘Don’t you dare tell me how to raise my son who has lost his father because of you!’            
            Brenum contorted his face, but Knarf stepped in and pulled him back a few steps.
            ‘It’s a good thing your friend, Fane, isn’t here,’ Maranna added, ‘because I would give him a piece of my mind. He deserves everything he gets.’
            ‘That’s enough!’ Lian shouted, his voice resonating in the room.

Continue reading Chapter Three

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