Shadie, Knarf and Fane flew in one of the Mandalorian ships, accompanying Kelbourn, Talyc and the team they had assembled, which comprised of Clan Kandera and a few other clans. Everyone had met up for the final preparations on Mandalore’s flagship before dispersing to their various ships.
            Fane sat on some seats, while Shadie and Knarf stood. Mandalore was in his flagship, though his wife was with them. Brenum and Trylia had taken the Krayt Dragon, accompanied by Josur, Lian who had recovered from his previous injuries, and the other Jedi who had stayed on Mandalore. They would meet them on the surface.
            ‘I’m telling you,’ said Talyc, ‘the Fat Momma sure looks imposing out there.’ He looked out the viewport. ‘I can’t wait for us to get the command to go to hyperspace.’
            ‘Same here,’ said Kelbourn, his helmet on his head. ‘I’m itching to arrive at Coruscant.’
            ‘That makes two of us!’
            Fane looked around. Many Mandalorians stood around, also waiting for the command. A Zabrak muttered something in Mando’a and put her helmet on. She placed her hands on her hips. She looked at Kelbourn inquisitively. Kelbourn shrugged and leaned back in his seat, leaning his head on the wall.
            Fane watched as everyone shifted impatiently. He feared having another episode, being within Darth Gourd’s mind again. He hoped it didn’t happen while he was fighting. Shadie had assured him that he would be well looked after, with her and Knarf having his back. He sensed something else too, though he couldn’t place what. His shoulders drooped as he leaned his arms on his knees.
            ‘Hey, Fane, my man,’ said Talyc, sitting down next to him and placing a friendly arm over his shoulders. ‘Don’t look so grim.’
            ‘I’m just worried,’ replied Fane. ‘I fear for our lives. What if… I worry I will lose…my friends. I’m afraid someone will die.’
            Talyc looked up towards Shadie. ‘Shadie’s got Knarf to look after her, and he’s got her to look after him. And I promise you, Fane, that I will stay alive.’
            Fane smiled. ‘That reassures me. But if you die…’ He looked up at Talyc. He shook his head. ‘You mustn’t.’
            ‘Yes, sir, order received,’ laughed Talyc. ‘I’m a Mando. I’m a warrior. I stay alive, me. Ain’t that right, Kelbourn?’
            ‘What’s that?’ Kelbourn turned a helmeted head towards Talyc.
            ‘Seriously, you ask the guy a question… You look tense, my cousin. What’s up?’
            ‘Nothing,’ replied Kelbourn.
            ‘Kelbourn! I know you. You are acting out of sorts. Come on, what’s bothering you.’
            Kelbourn clasped his hands together. ‘I share the same fear Fane does,’ he said.
            ‘Listen,’ said Knarf from where he stood. ‘It’s normal. We’ve been through a lot together, and these Sith are kriffing barvy, but so are we. And look at me, Mando trained, Jedi trained, Sith trained, one-legged slicer with a prosthetic, and now a Force-somewhat-user. You’ve got this in the bag, Kelbourn. You’ve never been one to shy away from a fight.’
            ‘We’ll soon be in it,’ said Shadie. ‘And fighting Darth Gourd.’
            ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see him die!’ exclaimed Kelbourn.
            Excitement and glee permeated in the Force, and Fane could sense it came, not just from Kelbourn, but from many of the Mandos. They sure were bent on avenging themselves for what Gourd had done to their planet. Fane could understand why.

Continue reading Chapter Ten

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Knarf stood by the Holonet console, a monitor showed him the frequencies and fluctuations of the signal, another screen showed him the code. The Clan Kandera T4 droid unit watched nearby as he tried to slice into the frequency. Everyone had somehow known Darth Perce was behind the jamming, and Knarf had been able to confirm those deductions. While he’d been Relsor’s faux apprentice, Knarf had been able to learn how Perce was an expert slicer and behind most of Darth Gourd’s plan executions. The only question that remained unanswered was which of the two between Knarf and Perce was the better slicer? Which of the two would prove to have the upper hand and be victorious? Knarf had been tasked to slice through the Sith’s reprogramming and jamming of the Holonet. It had been hours and he had taken no breaks, and had gotten nowhere. 
            ‘Can you pass me my datapad, T4?’ The droid twiddled and rolled up to him, bringing him the requested datapad. ‘Thanks.’ He wiped his forehead. He sighed. Anger swelled inside him. ‘Argh!’
            He pounded his fist on the console, his datapad went flying backwards behind him and T4 was pushed back, knocking against the sidewall of the room with a shrill. Knarf heard footsteps and turned to see his Jedi friend. Brenum caught the datapad with one swift motion, using the Force to bring it to his hands.
            ‘Whoa! Good thing I was here to catch this thing. Those Sith really did teach you to externalise your anger, didn’t they?’ His tone was one of jest.
Knarf leaned against the console and let himself slide down and sat on the ground. ‘Whatever Darth Perce did to this thing, he looped it, and created looping decoys. I can’t figure it out. I just don’t know what to do anymore.’
            Brenum walked to him and sat down next to him, leaning on the console as well. ‘Have you eaten anything today, Knarf?’
            ‘No, there’s no time.’
            ‘Well, maybe a break will do you some good.’ T4 twiddled a response.
            ‘Hey,’ said Knarf, ‘remember who put you back together and repaired your systems.’ T4 beeped a quip in reply. ‘I guess you’re right, T4.’
            ‘And what about me? Am I right?’ asked Brneum.
            Knarf sighed. ‘You’re not with Trylia?’ he asked.
            ‘She’s with Shadie.’
            Knarf put his head in his hands. ‘What if Shadie would have seen me like this, what would she have thought?’
            ‘You know,’ said Brenum, putting a hand on Knarf’s shoulder, ‘every Jedi faces their inner darkness at some point. Not all of us get to choose how or when. Not all of us get to decide how it shows up or have the chance to be consciously aware and in control of that darkness. You chose to face yours at a necessary moment, in such a calculated manner. You were in control, and it never took over you. That’s a huge accomplishment; many Jedi will envy you for succeeding the feat.’
            Knarf lifted his head from his hands. ‘I had to watch out for what I said, how I felt. I made sure that Darth Gourd and Relsor would detect only my darkest emotions. I was careful of every single word I said, so that they would detect no lie. I used my anger towards how what I was doing might hurt Shadie to hide how I was doing this for our love. I had to hide my love for her from them, and replace it with something greater, something darker. I made sure to put at the forefront of my thoughts and emotions all the darkness I could muster without losing my mind. Being on my guard like that, it was draining.’ Knarf sighed. ‘I didn’t want to be a Jedi. I just wanted to be able to protect and provide for my Lady. That meant learning some powers. But now I’m not able to control them.’
            ‘It’s normal, Knarf,’ said Brenum. ‘You’ll learn to control them in time. You need a break from using them and to retreat for a bit. Which is why the guys and I have decided to take you out for a drink at the tavern.’
            ‘But I need to slice the Holonet,’ Knarf protested.
            ‘You need a break, get your mind off things. Fane’s already joined Talyc. Kelbourn’s joining us too. Come, it’ll be fun.’
            Knarf thought for a moment and realised he couldn’t. He couldn’t focus his mind on anything, he couldn’t think straight.
            ‘Fine,’ he said, ‘but just one drink.’
            ‘It’s a deal.’
            Brenum stood up and extended his hand to Knarf. Knarf took it and stood. Brenum gave Knarf’s datapad back to the droid, who chirped in reply.

* * *

            The tavern was busy; it was full of patrons. It was dimly lit and in the centre there was a large sparring area. Many Mandalorians were fighting, brawling, jumping over each other, in a drunken wrestling match.
            The group of Mandos and Jedi sat down at a table. Talyc signalled the red Twi’lek waitress. She approached and they ordered some drinks. Before she left, she winked at Fane.
            ‘Someone’s got their eye on you,’ said Kelbourn.
            Talyc looked from Fane to the waitress, and to Fane again. He inclined his head, smirking. Kelbourn kept his gaze on Fane, keeping his chin low, as though expecting him to do something.
            ‘Uhm, not sure Twi’lek dancers are my type,’ Fane finally said.
            Talyc and Kelbourn laughed out loud.
            ‘She’s no dancer!’ exclaimed Talyc. ‘Lashika might be dressed like one, but don’t be fooled.’
            ‘She could take you down in one go,’ said Kelbourn, ‘even if you have the Force and she doesn’t.’
            ‘Fane,’ said Brenum, ‘are you shy to be with a woman?’
            Fane blushed. ‘Me, no, never. I just… Jedi duties…’
            ‘Sure, we’ll go with that.’ Knarf chuckled.
            ‘Well, Brenum,’ said Fane, ‘I’m sure you’re not too shy to be with a particular Togruta woman, are you?’
            ‘Ohhh!’ came the shouts from the other men. Brenum scowled at Fane.
            Knarf’s mind kept darting back to the stupid Holonet slicing problem he had encountered. He tried to clear his mind.
            Lashika arrived with their drinks. She smiled, her pale red lekku swaying gently.
            ‘My friend, here,’ said Brenum, motioning Fane, ‘would like to spar with you.’
            ‘What are the stakes?’ she asked.
            ‘He wins: you go on a date with him. You win: he goes on a date with you.’
            ‘Brenum!’ exclaimed Fane.
            ‘Fair enough,’ replied Lashika, setting her tray down on the table.
            She walked to the centre of the sparring area and shouted something in Mando’a. Everyone else moved aside. She took a fighting stance, her arms up, hands formed into fists.
            Fane unclipped his lightsaber from his belt, set it down on the table, and went to the fighting ring and began to spar with the Twi’lek.
            It didn’t take long, even if he was using the Force, before Lashika had Fane pinned down on his back.
            Knarf couldn’t help but laugh. ‘She owned you, Fane!’ he said. ‘And you’re a Jedi!’
            Fane sheepishly sat back down at their table. ‘There goes my pride,’ he said.
            The tavern suddenly went silent when a Trandoshan and his clan walked in.
            ‘Great!’ Talyc said sarcastically.
            ‘Who’s he?’ asked Knarf.
            ‘That’s the leader of one of the rival clans, Dargoza,’ said Talyc. ‘He thinks he owns the place.’
            ‘And every time he comes here,’ said Kelbourn, ‘he chooses one person to spar with him, so that he can prove he’s better than anyone else.’
            ‘So, why do they spar him, why can’t they just refuse?’ asked Brenum.
            ‘You don’t understand,’ said Talyc, ‘you don’t refuse. If you turn him down, it’s a disgrace, a coward’s move, and you can suffer the consequences from your own clan for bearing the grunt of such a refusal.’
            ‘So why did we come here, then?’ asked Fane. ‘Seems…’ He paused. Then quickly: ‘He’s looking our way.’
            The Trandoshan looked right at their table and pointed a baton at Knarf.
            ‘Looks like he’s chosen you, Knarf,’ said Kelbourn. ‘Good luck.’
            ‘You fight to disarm,’ said Talyc.
            Dargoza walked up to Knarf and made his intention clear, speaking in his lizard-like language.
            Knarf stood, taking his vibroblade and followed the Trandoshan to the centre of the sparring ring. Everyone fell even more silent as they watched, intent on seeing who would win. Dargoza waved his baton about menacingly and began circling the area. Knarf followed suit. 
            ‘Scorekeeper will favour me for defeating you!’ he said.

Continue reading Chapter Nine

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Knarf and Relsor were sparring together when the ship approached. Relsor knew this because Knarf paused in his actions suddenly and his face paled, his lips compressed, and then his expression hardened as he looked down at his weapon.
            ‘What is it?’
            Knarf looked up at him. ‘It’s Shadie. She approaches.’
            ‘Then you know what you must do.’
            ‘It will be like no wound she has ever before felt.’
            Relsor smiled. Knarf had learnt well. He had enjoyed toying with the idea of training him, and as it happened, Knarf was becoming more of an asset by the minute. And every time he probed him, he sensed no deception, only truth in his words, anger in his emotions; and Knarf had developed strength in the Force. The dark side was well suited for the former slicer who had never thought he was Force-sensitive, let alone think he would some day become a Force-user.
            They went to see Gourd in his meditation chamber.
            ‘Uncle,’ said Relsor, ‘Shadie approaches.’
            ‘Are you certain?’ replied Gourd. ‘I don’t sense any ships.’
            ‘I am certain,’ replied Knarf. ‘I can sense her. And I believe it’s safe to assume she will arrive with a squad of Mandalorians. Not to mention her apprentice and her two friends.’
            Gourd thought for a moment.
            ‘You have a plan then?’ he asked Knarf. ‘I can sense your excitement.’
            ‘Yes, my Lord. I am eager to see her reaction. As for a plan, if they board the ship, that is if they actually succeed in boarding the ship this time, to try to save me, they must think I am being held captive, who knows how much damage they could cause. But if we boarded their vessel, just imagine Shadie’s devastation. It will make her hesitate long enough to give you an advantage, which in turn will disorient her enough to allow me to confront her.’
            Gourd turned to his nephew. ‘What do you think of this plan?’
            ‘I will be with Knarf the whole time. Together, we can reach Shadie, and Knarf can then kill her.’
            ‘What if she proves to be a too formidable opponent?’
            ‘I do not doubt my apprentice, Uncle.’
            ‘Lord Gourd,’ said Knarf, ‘do you honestly think Shadie will want to kill her lover? No, she will want him alive.’
            Gourd smiled. ‘You are her greatest weakness,’ he said.
            ‘And she is my greatest strength,’ replied Knarf.
            For a moment, Relsor pondered that, then he realised Knarf’s meaning. ‘Yes,’ he laughed. ‘It makes complete sense. Just by the mere fact that your former relationship with her becomes her weakness, suddenly, as she is weakened, you become stronger.’
            ‘But Knarf,’ said Gourd, ‘you do not become strong only when she becomes weak. You have a strength in you that the Force fuels, that the dark side fuels.’
            ‘Regardless,’ Knarf replied, ‘she is now here.’
            And not a moment later, a vast ship winked into existence outside the viewport, many starfighters pouring out of it: a Mandalorian ship.
            ‘Uncle,’ said Relsor, ‘I believe it’s time for my apprentice and I to board the Mandalorian flagship.’

* * *

            The Chiss ship came towards the Mandalorian ship quickly and on such a strange vector, and before anyone could realise what was happening, it had docked next to the ship and extended its ambilical.
            ‘They’re boarding the ship!’ cried Brenum.
            ‘Send in the droids!’ was the command that came from Kelbourn.
            Large and small battle droids walked and rolled into the lobby. As the hatch opened, a volley of blaster fire erupted. Red blades blazed into life, their wielders twirling and swirling, as they blocked and advanced, using the Force to send the droids flying the other way.
            The first being to come into view on the viewscreen was Gourd’s nephew. The second was Knarf, wielding a red lightsaber and fighting alongside the Chiss Sith.

Continue reading Chapter Eight

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Shadie had an energy of darkness about her that Fane knew to be the fear and loneliness she felt. She had asked him many times if he had sensed anything or seen anything from Gourd. He had told her no. But in truth, he had seen exactly what he had feared, not to mention the torture that had come before. He suspected Shadie knew he was holding out on her, but she didn’t press the matter. He did not want to have to lie to his master again.
            Fane gave Brenum and Trylia a meaningful glance as they met up, walking to Mandalore’s bunker. Apparently, there was another urgent matter to discuss.
            Mandalore was pacing when they arrived and did not bother to look at them when he began speaking.
            ‘I’ve had my best slicers try to slice the Holonet, but with such encryptions and complications in place, I need the best slicer I know: Knarf. We are going after him.’
            Shadie’s face lit up momentarily and she nodded to Mandalore.
            ‘But how will we find him?’ asked Trylia.
            ‘By finding Darth Gourd.’ He said to them, stopping to look at Fane. ‘It is vital that we do.’
            ‘So what changed your mind?’ It was Brenum who voiced what Fane himself was wondering.
            ‘We need to reach every system in this galaxy for this very reason.’
            Mandalore thumbed a remote and the transparisteel viewport turned into a holovid panel with the image of a tall human young man, too young to be a reporter already, but a reporter he was.
            ‘The new Sith Regimen will stop the tyranny and oppression the Jedi have used on us and hid from us all these centuries,’ he was explaining. ‘Our new leader, Darth Perce, is here with me to explain how the True Sith are against the Empire and their Sith, and how the Sith Regimen will benefit the Republic and its citizens.’
            The young man turned to look at the tall man clad in a dark cape. He was lean, human, perhaps near Shadie’s age. He was dressed to look sharp and prim, only his cape gave away that he was Sith.
            ‘Thank you for taking time to speak to us,’ the young reporter said to him.
            ‘Thank you for having me and allowing me to explain the situation before passing judgement on our actions.’
            The young man nodded. Darth Perce turned to the holocam.
            ‘The Jedi,’ he said, ‘were using the Republic as their puppet and as a shield. They had strict rules to follow and painted us, the Sith, as criminals. But in every war, people die and it is not those deaths that are the crime, no. The crime here is the lies the Jedi fed you all. They used their powers with greed and for their own gain. They lured us into attacking Coruscant. They refused to protect the citizens of Coruscant by wanting to send out its Jedi even if there was an imminent threat that Darth Gourd, who is our enemy, might attack the planet. They were in cahoots with some of our enemies, and therefore we were led to believe that Coruscant was planning a coup against us. It is very unfortunate that we had to attack the entire planet, but the Jedi have now been contained, as I mentioned earlier.’
            The image jumped to an angled view on an alleyway near a canteen, from where Master Salah had contacted Shadie. The small holoimage of Shadie flickered in her hand.
            ‘This Jedi is speaking with Darth Shadie,’ explained Perce, ‘who was once a Sith and perhaps still is, and who betrayed us in order to gain more power more quickly. She is extremely dangerous.’
            The image then showed Master Salah push the Duros with the Force, but never showed him attacking or training his blaster on her.
            ‘I was taking a brisk walk and I suppose I was in her way,’ the Duros said. Fane knew this Duros was the same one from the previous clip, even if they all looked the same to him, as he recognised his voice; this Duros was Master Salah’s assailant.
            ‘Such oppression is not right,’ the cam was close upon Darth Perce’s face now. ‘Such rules that are used to control us but not even respected by the Jedi themselves are not right. People of the Republic, join the Sith Regimen and you will understand freedom, you will understand free will, and you will understand what it is to live in a safe galaxy reigned by happiness and peace, not war.’
            Then the holoimage showed the Duros Ambassador shaking hands with Perce and saying:
            ‘We are happy to finally be part of a legitimate government.’
            ‘Enough!’
            Mandalore paused the holovid as everyone looked at Shadie as they all sensed the anger swelling within her.
            ‘Fane?’ Mandalore asked.
            ‘I’m sorry, I cannot sense where Darth Gourd is.’
            ‘Then I know someone who will.’ Mandalore looked grave but determined.
            ‘Who?’ asked Shadie.
            ‘There is a planet in the Senex-Juvex sector, in the Outer-Rim Territories, that belongs to the Republic; it is a secret planet. I know of it, you do not need to know how, but there is a colony of Sith, captured and isolated by my grandfather when he was Mandalore.’
            ‘He might not want to see you then,’ said Brenum, ‘because, you know.’
            ‘Oh, I know that,’ replied Mandalore. ‘But I have an idea. And once we know where Darth Gourd is, we will go after Knarf. The Republic has not seen the vid I have to show them. The devastation caused by the Sith on Mandalore. I will show them. I will find proof that Darth Perce works with Darth Gourd and show them that too. So for that, I need the best slicer I know.’
            Shadie sighed. ‘So now you need him, you want to go after him, but you didn’t want to before.’
            Mandalore lowered his gaze. ‘I’m sorry, Shadie.’
            ‘He could be dead!’
            ‘He’s not!’ said Fane. ‘Trust me. He’s not. That much I do know.’
            Brenum and Trylia looked very worried, but Mandalore only smiled.
            ‘This can be good,’ he said.
            ‘What can?’ asked Shadie, annoyance in her voice.
            ‘Your anger, for my plan.’
            ‘I hope that plan includes me!’
            Everyone turned to find Talyc at the ready, holding a blaster rifle.
            ‘And me.’ A woman clad in red and bronze armour appeared. She had smooth skin but enough lines to show her years, yet she wore them very well.
            ‘Ah,’ said Mandalore. ‘Meet my wife.’
            ‘And my team,’ she supplied, as Talyc giggled and at least thirty other Mandalorians appeared, men and women, humans, Trandoshans, Twi’leks, Cathar, Zabrak, Devaronians, a few from other species as well. The familiar faces of the red and green Twi’lek ladies appeared and they waved at the Jedi, smiling.
            ‘I see you’ve already assembled a multi-clan team,’ said Mandalore.
            ‘I heard a rumour from Talyc of a certain plan, I had to be part of it.’ Mrs. Mandalore winked at her husband.
            ‘Let’s not forget,’ said a familiar voice, as the man in deep blue and brown armour stepped forward, coming to stand next to Talyc and Mandalore’s wife, ‘that a just cause will bring clans together.’ Kelbourn looked at Shadie. ‘I remember requesting Knarf’s services and how he worried for your safety when Darth Lahnius captured you. He was barvy, and he went to save you. He is still barvy, therefore it falls to us to make sure that you can save him.’
            ‘Thank you, Kelbourn,’ said Shadie.
            ‘It was my idea,’ said Talyc, crossing his arms, smiling as he gave Kelbourn a sideways glance. Then he smiled and looked from Shadie to Kelbourn. ‘Cousins always help cousins.’
            Fane was glad he and Shadie knew the Mandalorians. ‘What is this planet, though, and why has it been kept secret?’ he asked.
            ‘It is a prison planet,’ said Mandalore. ‘We travel to Belsavis.’
            ‘All right, so when do we leave?’ asked Talyc.
            ‘We will leave now.’ It was Shadie who gave the order. ‘We have waited long enough.’

Continue reading Chapter Seven

Catch up on previous Star Wars Fan-Fiction from the Shadie story series.

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