Talyc stood by the stand he had rented in the market area near some Manaan ferns not far from the water’s edge. A beautiful fountain cascaded the planet’s natural waters and flowed into small streams all around the dais. He leaned forward, slouching, resting his chin on his hand, his elbow on the countertop of the stand.
He sighed. ‘No one’s interested in our beskar, Nriwe.’ His voice sounded dull and bored.
‘That Selkath earlier was asking an awful lot of questions about how much beskar would be equal to how much kolto,’ Nriwe reminded him.
‘Not to mention wanting to know how much is required to cover the exterior of a submersible,’ said Talyc. ‘Good thing Emerick gave us all the necessary data before we left Mandalore.’
The place was calm and quiet. A stand not far was selling medical supplies; a few Duros were trading nearby as well. Most of the vendors were Selkath. A petite Rattataki woman was fixing up her kiosk further down the market area.
‘That Rattataki sure likes to move around, doesn’t she,’ said Nriwe. ‘She can’t sit still. I saw her doing stretches earlier and walking around from kiosk to kiosk.’
‘She’s a bit short for her species, no?’
‘Yeah. She gave me a business card earlier. Not much to it.’
‘Gave me one too,’ said Talyc. ‘She’s persistent, if anything. Shadie said she gave her one on the transport. Knarf said he ran into our vendor friend on his way to the caf yesterday.’
‘Our friends aren’t too bored locked up in the room we’re renting, I hope?’ inquired Nriwe.
Talyc shrugged. ‘We’re a bit cramped. I mean, we’re a motley bunch sharing the same room.’ Talyc chuckled, shaking his head. ‘We’ve been here a week already. You’d think people on Manaan wouldn’t shy away from buying the more refined products.’
‘It’s expensive.’
‘I know that, Nriwe, but all we need is one submersible, one excuse to demonstrate and go down into that ocean.’ Talyc pointed towards the ocean view.
Nriwe put a hand on his armoured shoulder. ‘Hey, we’ll get there.’
‘I’m sure we will. The question is: when?’
Talyc bent down and started fiddling with some of the compartments of their stand, sticking his head in, trying to busy himself reorganising some things.
Nriwe crouched beside him. ‘You don’t have to hide your head in there.’
‘I’m not hiding my head,’ Talyc complained.
‘I know you’re trying to resist putting your helmet on.’
‘What gave you that idea?’
‘The tears I saw in your eyes.’
Talyc wiped his eyes. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He closed his eyes and put his hand to his face.
‘This stand open?’
‘Uh, yeah!’ Talyc stood, wiping his eyes. ‘Sorry, allergies, fern pollen.’
An older woman stood staring at him. She was dressed in proper attire and had her shoulders back in a pristine posture. Talyc couldn’t tell if she was dignified or arrogant.
‘Manaan ferns don’t have pollen,’ she said. Her accent was Imperial.
‘Florist went by,’ said Nriwe. ‘Anyway, what can we do for you?’
‘You’re selling beskar?’
‘The finest, straight from Mandalore, ma’am,’ said Talyc, all business-like. ‘We’re offering a service to showcase what our best beskar’gam can do when applied to a submersible.’
‘Interesting,’ the woman said. ‘How much for the whole lot and how quickly can you work?’
Talyc saw Nriwe’s eyes widen before she caught herself. ‘Well, we brought a crew of helpers.’ He told the woman. ‘It depends how many submersibles you need done.’
‘Let’s just say, if you can do a few, show me the benefits so I can record it and take it back to my firm, then we can order en masse. Say, hundreds.’
‘Uh, wh.. Whoa! Wow!’ Talyc didn’t know what to answer.
‘But first, you have to convince me why your beskar is worth my money and why submersibles need it. I have an interest, but I need compelling arguments if I’m to convince my superiors.’ The woman stared at Talyc as he just blinked. ‘Well, I’m waiting.’
‘Oh, right. Sorry.’ Talyc began explaining some of the ins and outs and benefits of having submersibles layered with beskar. ‘And of course, a large order will grant some significant discounts, which I’m sure a lovely woman such as yourself would appreciate.’
‘Oh!’ The woman blushed, giggling. ‘You flatter me, Mister…?
‘Kandera.’ Talyc held out his hand. The woman shook it.
‘Mrs. Holt, Czerka Corporation.’
‘Czerka, eh,’ said Nriwe. ‘No wonder all those big credit questions.’
‘Yes, but flattery alone can’t sell me the lot?’ Her tone become one of curiosity. ‘What would your discount be, potentially?’
‘I’ll need to round up some figures for you,’ said Talyc. ‘And I’m not just trying to flatter you. You look a well-kept woman of high standards.’
‘Thank you. A woman my age has to look presentable,’ replied Mrs. Holt.
‘Of your age?’ said Talyc. ‘You can’t possibly be older than forty, surely.’
Mrs Holt blushed again. ‘Try sixty.’
‘What? No way, I know women half your age who aren’t as gorgeous as you.’ Talyc was being serious; the woman was of astounding beauty, especially for her age.
‘You sure know how to talk your way into a woman’s heart, Mr. Kandera. I’m sure you’ve charmed many a-woman that way.’
‘And men,’ he admitted.
Mrs. Holt laughed. Talyc could tell that by her tone she was amused and his flattery pleased her greatly.
‘Really,’ said Mrs. Holt, touching her well-kept bun with her hand, ‘that isn’t the way to talk to a woman much older than you in front of your wife.’
‘Oh, he’s not my husband,’ said Nriwe. ‘My husband’s not human.’ Mrs. Holt nodded.
‘And mine is,’ said Talyc. Mrs. Holt gave him an intrigued smile. ‘But I’m sure you rather we round up prices rather than ages and species.’ Talyc felt himself blush. He smiled sheepishly. ‘Give me a number and I’ll send the info back to Mandalore. I’m sure he’ll approve the discount, but I’ll put in a good word for it anyway, the best in fact. You’ve been our only customer in a while, if I’m honest; I’m not letting you slip away. I’m a man of fine taste and when I see something I like, I grab onto it with all I’ve got. And you’re just the woman I’ve been waiting for.’
‘You can ease up on the flattery, Mr. Kandera.’ Mrs. Holt suppressed a smile. ‘I’m interested.’
‘Flattery is his middle name, though,’ said Nriwe.
‘Talyc Flattery Kandera,’ said Talyc. He chuckled, feeling excitement at the potential of finding Fane soon. ‘Now, would you like us to arrange one sample? Then we can demonstrate the benefits for you to see first-hand, as we dive deep into the ocean. With beskar, you can graze the ocean floor without any worries at all.’
‘I’ve got a Czerka Corp station down near the ocean floor with dozens of submersibles waiting to be upgraded and outfitted with a better hull than they currently have. I can take you down there. We outfit one of them, and we can go for a stroll if you’d like.’
‘Your words are music to my ears,’ said Talyc. ‘Allow me to call in my crew.’
‘Excellent. I’m going for a spot of lunch. Try to get your Mandalore to have some figures for me so I can send them to my boss ASAP. Try not to delay, I’ll be at the table over there, waiting.’
‘Yes, ma’am!’
Talyc and Nriwe selling beskar on Manaan (from Connections in the Force, Story 11, Star Wars Fan-Fiction by Celinka Serre)
* * *
‘Your friends are dressed a bit oddly for a crew,’ said Mrs. Holt. ‘They sure are carrying that thing a bit awkwardly.’
‘They’re nervous and want to be sure to impress you,’ said Talyc, covering for them.
The group followed Mrs. Holt to a large enough submersible, carrying the crates and equipment, not using the Force, and placed the equipment inside, along with the several creates packed with sheets of beskar. It was odd to Void to keep his powers thus in check.
He eyed the woman. ‘You’ve had work done on your face,’ he said, as the submersible submerged into the ocean.
Mrs. Holt looked at Talyc. ‘Your friend does not know how to charm a woman as you do, Mr. Kandera.’
‘I’m not trying to charm you,’ said Void.
‘For your information, this is my natural face, Mr…’
Void hesitated, everyone looked from him to Mrs Holt.
‘Maxwell,’ he conceded. Everyone would find out eventually.
‘Maxwell,’ said Knarf smiling. Void gave him one of his stares. Mrs. Holt shifted uneasily.
‘Don’t mind them,’ said Shadie. ‘You know men, they can be a bit…’
‘A bit what?’ growled Brenum.
‘Never mind,’ said Shadie. She, Trylia, Nriwe and Mrs. Holt exchanged a knowing look.
‘I know exactly what you mean, Miss.’ Mrs. Holt steered the submersible towards a large station that sat at the bottom of the ocean. It was immense.
‘This station is amazing!’ said Talyc. ‘Look at it.’
‘Czerka’s been working here for some time, but business is slow when you only have the same models to sell all the time. Though, sales and rentals are good credits. A good upgrade could bring in new customers. Czerka has the credits to invest in such projects, and the capacity to create a monopoly, thus ruling out the smaller competitors.’
‘I’m sure a woman of your standards has the capacity to steal any show,’ said Talyc. He gave her a wink.
The submersible entered a primary hangar. A large door slid up, then the water within the room drained. The submersible seemed to be rolled into a secondary chamber. Then a third door lifted.
As everyone exited the submersible, Mrs. Holt gave Void a stern look.
‘I’ll let you get to work,’ she told Talyc. ‘You can set up near that station over there.’
She left briefly. While she was gone, the Jedi took the opportunity to use the Force on the equipment.
‘Ah, this is much better,’ said Knarf.
The group installed themselves and got to work immediately. It took several hours just to warm up the forge, but once it was hot enough, the beskar became soft and malleable. Mrs. Holt rolled in a submersible. It looked battered on the outside, and there were pockets of rust here and there. Talyc and Nriwe prepared several patches for the rust and pockets in order to fill them up with beskar. Then placed the sheets of beskar over the submersible, moulding it on and using their special tools to ensure the sheets gave no air bubbles around the edges. They polished some rougher areas and gave it a sheen with some cyan-coloured stain that barely reflected the colour, but just enough to give it an edge over any other metallic colour.
After a few days of hard work, the submersible was ready.
‘Oh, that looks fabulous,’ said Mrs. Holt, calpping her hands together. ‘It’ll surely give my competitors something to be jealous of.’
‘Well, they just have to look at you and–’
‘Talyc!’ warned Void. ‘That’s enough. We’ve sold her. Let’s demonstrate and hurry up to be out of here as soon as possible.’ He gave Talyc a pointed glare that emphasised the urgency of their situation, and hopefully didn’t convey his discomfort.
‘Hmm, I knew you didn’t like me, but to be so eager to leave!’ Mrs. Holt crossed her arms.
‘I don’t want any trouble!’ Void insisted, putting emphasis on “trouble.”
Shadie took Void aside. ‘Are you sensing something?’
‘No, but the longer we delay, the more time Awgro has to find us. The Force is in motion, the ripples will eventually be felt.’
‘We need to let the beskar settle,’ said Talyc. ‘It doesn’t become the most solid thing in the whole galaxy overnight. We need to give it at least another day before it’s ready to be tested out in the ocean. I wouldn’t want a sea creature bending the beskar out of shape before I had the chance to demonstrate its full capacity.’
Talyc looked pained to say it, but it was true. And if they wanted to actually do business too, Void conceded silently, they needed to have the best beskar placed the best way possible.
* * *
When it was time, they all gathered into the submersible. Mrs. Holt took the helm, as Brenum discretely looked at his datapad. Shadie placed herself between Void and their Czerka friend, Talyc and Nriwe stood at the front. Trylia and Knarf stood at the back, all looking out into the ocean.
The submersible began its swim across the floor.
‘Take it towards these coordinates,’ said Brenum. ‘I promise, you won’t be disappointed.’
‘And what’s there?’ asked Mrs. Holt.
‘If what we hope is there is found,’ said Talyc, his hert racing nervously, consider your discount increased by ten percent.’
‘Sounds intriguing.’ Mrs. Holt corrected the vector and the submersible began gliding towards the coordinates indicated by Brenum. ‘May I ask what’s there exactly?’
‘You’ll see when we get there,’ said Talyc. ‘If we find it.’
After some time, there appeared a white dot in the distance. ‘There!’ said Shadie. ‘Do you see it, the white dot? Go to it.’
As the submersible approached, the Sphere seemed to grow in the viewport. Its wings were bent and it still looked battered, but it looked in much better shape than when they had last seen it.
‘We found him.’ Talyc swallowed.
‘Found who?’ asked Mrs. Holt.
‘My husband.’ Talyc looked out, his jaw set in determination.
‘Wait, what?’
‘It’s time we told you who we truly are,’ said Shadie. ‘I’m sorry we had to deceive you, but you’ll still receive your beskar if you want it. I am Shadie, Protector of the Force. This is my husband Knarf, our friends Brenum, Trylia, Talyc, Nriwe, and Lord Void. Some of us are…Force-users.’
‘Jedi?’ asked Mrs. Holt.
‘Well, I was once also Sith–’
‘Sith!’
‘It’s okay. You know the name Fane?’ asked Shadie.
‘Oh, is he the lovely young man who defeated that wretched Chiss who was making everyone ill? I know a few people who died because of that Chiss.’
‘Fane is my husband,’ said Talyc. ‘And he went missing. And now we’ve found him.’
‘What, in there?’ asked Mrs. Holt, pointing towards the Sphere.
Talyc nodded. ‘Can you take us in a bit closer?’
The submersible approached the Sphere; it was embedded quite a bit into the ocean floor.
‘We’re going to need to go out there and use the Force to help it out,’ said Shadie. ‘We’re going to need to glide it towards the station. It’ll fit in there.’
‘I only have 4 suits in here, though,’ said Mrs Holt.
‘That’s fine. Void, Talyc and Nriwe will stay here with you.’ Shadie looked at the others. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
While Shadie and the Jedi got their suits on, Talyc sat down next to Mrs. Holt.
‘I’m sorry we lied about this detail,’ said Talyc. ‘I didn’t know if you’d agree to help us.’
‘So you basically forced me into it by charming me into the deal of a lifetime.’ Mrs. Holt sighed. ‘I suppose that’s fair. So, he,’ she pointed at the Sphere, ‘saved the galaxy, and you’re the lucky one to be with him. Well, I’ll be, he is a cutie for his age. Honestly, the things I heard about that Relsor, who would create such a monster!’
‘He wasn’t created as a weapon,’ said Void, ‘if that’s what you’re thinking. It was an accident, an error. It’s a long story.’
Mrs. Holt narrowed her eyes. ‘What am I missing?’
‘Lord Void is Relsor’s father,’ said Talyc. ‘He used Sith alchemy to conceive a child but didn’t expect that child to become–’
Mrs. Holt stood up. ‘You created a monster? And now you’re on my submersible? And you’re a Sith?’ With every question, her voice got more and more high-pitched.
‘He’s not evil,’ said Nriwe. ‘He’s a big softie inside.’ She nudged Void who stared at her, but a small smile curled on the side of his lips.
‘What have I gotten myself into!’ said Mrs. Holt, sounding exasperated. She placed a hand on her head.
‘That’s precisely what I asked myself many years ago,’ said Talyc, ‘and I haven’t looked back since. I promise, we’re not just good business partners, we’re good allies.’
Mrs. Holt gave an exaggeratedly loud sigh, sitting back down, slumping her shoulders. At least she seemed to be taking all this in good stride, all things considered.
* * *
Shadie stood before the Sphere. She could sense that it could not feel her, it was still shrouded, still healing, still slumbering. Shadie touched it. It knew she was there somehow, but she’d known as soon as she had seen it, it would not move at her command.
Looking at the others, Shadie nodded, and as one, Shadie, Knarf, Brenum and Trylia lifted their arms, using the Force to will the Sphere out of the ocean bed beneath it. It floated up above the ocean floor. Shadie guided it slowly, comforting it as she moved it, reassuring it that its Lady was here and that she would keep it safe.
Slowly, together, the four guided the Sphere to the underwater station. The doors to the grand pressure chamber lifted. Guiding it, Shadie walked alongside the Sphere and into the chamber, the others followed. The Force flowed differently in the water it seemed, but the flow of the current was the same, as the Sphere was floated into the main area of the station. Settling it gently onto the floor, Shadie placed her hands on it anew.
‘Your Lady is here to keep you safe,’ she repeated to it, and she gently stroked it.
“Connections in the Force” is written by Celinka Serre (2023).
Disclaimer: The Characters in this Fan-Fiction are new and have original names. The story is an original written work. The story is derivative and consistent of Fan-Fiction since it borrows the franchise world of Star Wars. Certain jargon and places, or concepts mentioned, along with the SW Old Republic universe belong to Lucasfilm Ltd. and Disney. No characters or story lines from the films are used. No story lines or characters from the games or books are used. A handful of characters from the games may be referenced, but are not the main focus in this fanfic story. This fan-fiction story falls under Fair Use.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
You might also enjoy other SWTOR fanfics, Dragon Age Fan-Fiction short stories, Mass Effect Fan-Fiction, or Stardust Destinies the High Fantasy Fiction series.
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