Warning: The following chapter contains scenes depicting torture and violence, which may be triggering to some readers. Reading discretion is advised.

Talyc was startled awake by the feeling that his insides were burning, yet freezing; lightning. He shouted out in pain as his body felt the sensations running through every limb. He balled his hands into fists, as though trying to hold onto something. He opened his eyes when the lightning had stopped.
He saw Perce standing before him, looking up with condescension, hands clasped behind his back.

‘Should have know it was you,’ said Talyc. ‘Your lightning is different from Relsor’s.’

‘Is that so?’

‘It seems, I don’t know, less refined.’

‘That makes it sound like a bad thing,’ said Perce.

‘Not at all,’ said Talyc. ‘Refined goods taste better, but aren’t as good or pure as the unrefined stuff you can get, like spice. It’s truer to the natural essence of what it’s supposed to be when it’s unrefined.’

‘Ah, I understand,’ said Perce. ‘But your meagre attempt at complimenting my skills do not detract from the fact that I cannot slice into your encrypted files and I require the codes. I am giving you the chance to give them to me verbally.’

‘How else would I give them?’ Talyc was confused.

‘I don’t know if you would survive the procedure, but as I did to the Republic’s Supreme Chancellor, I can use the Force to extract them from your mind.’

Talyc felt dread at that. He had come to a dead end. If he did not give him the codes, Perce would use his technique, he would suffer and maybe die, and then Perce would know that the encrypted files are not of interest to him. If Talyc gave him the codes, he would only delay the inevitable wrath of the True Sith who stood before him, as he would soon find out the files contained nothing.

Perce took a few steps towards Talyc and placed a hand on his head.

‘I’ll take the silence as your permission to probe your mind,’ said Perce.

‘As if you need my permission,’ Talyc retorted. It was too late to decide anything now, the Sith had already decided Talyc’s fate.

‘Perce! Stop that now!’ Relsor marched into the room. His tone had been authoritarian and his face was stern. ‘We need him alive, and you do not know if he would survive your mind probing.’

Perce narrowed his eyes. His fingers gripped Talyc’s head more tightly. He let go and took a few steps back. He was not happy at all. Talyc clocked the exchange of looks Perce and Relsor shared. So there was discord in the True Sith partnership, the duo had come to a disagreement.

‘We shall try a different method first,’ said Relsor. He walked up to Talyc and placed a hand on his left shoulder. Talyc braced himself but the surge of pain never came. ‘Give Perce the access codes to the encrypted files.’

Talyc said nothing. He felt a surge of dark side energy run through his body from his shoulder as purple light glowed around the Chiss’s blue hand. Talyc screamed in pain, but did not give them any codes. Relsor stopped. He ignited his lightsaber and held it next to Talyc’s face. Talyc knew Relsor needed him alive; he would not kill him.

‘The access codes,’ said Relsor.

‘If you kill me, Fane and Shadie and the others won’t come for me, they’ll sense my death. You won’t have Shadie.’

‘I am very well aware of that, Clan Leader Talyc,’ Relsor said in a very backhanded tone. ‘I have no intention of killing you, but perhaps I can maim you.’ He angled his lightsaber. Talyc felt the heat of it not only on his face, but on his shoulder as well. ‘Normally beskar would protect a Mandalorian from a lightsaber such as mine, but that hole in your armour is very inviting and perfectly reachable. Perhaps Knarf can share camaraderie with you over lost limbs.’

Relsor touched the tip of his blade to Talyc’s shoulder, just enough of it to the part of skin that was exposed from the damaged beskar armour. It was hot, it pained Talyc, and he grunted, and reflexively closed his mouth, clenching his teeth.

Relsor lifted the lightsaber straight up, ready to strike Talyc’s arm.

‘Five-four-five-six-three-Kay-Ae-En-Dee-Ee-Ar-Ae-seven-five-nine-five-Tee-eight-four-two-nine-five!’ He paused, breathing heavily and slowly. ‘You need to make sure you’ve selected the Encrypt File option, the decrypt option will not work.’

‘Splendid!’ said Perce.

Continue reading Chapter Four

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

Perhaps you’ll also enjoy Stardust Destinies I: Variate Facing; fantasy action-adventure taking place in a realm strong with magic where prophecies are dictated by dragons. https://binkyproductions.com/stardustdestinies

Warning: The following chapter contains scenes depicting torture and violence, which may be triggering to some readers. Reading discretion is advised.

Fane made his way to Shadie and Knarf’s house. On his way, he saw Dargoza, surrounded by his clan, all of them eyeing him. He scowled at them.
‘Lost another clan leader?’ Dargoza said in a snide tone.
‘Talyc’s not dead,’ said Fane, ‘though I’m sure you’d like that.’
He motioned his hand towards his lightsaber in warning. Dargoza knew better than to pick a fight with a Jedi.

When Fane reached Shadie’s place, she was sitting in front of a holotransceiver and holoscreen, and Knarf was pacing to and fro frantically. The holoscreen showed Brenum and Trylia who were on Tython. The pair sat in front of their own holomonitor.

‘I did not agree to this, Shadie,’ he said. ‘I will not let you do this!’ He lifted his arms and threw them back down, exasperated.

‘What’s going on?’ asked Fane.

‘Your master,’ said Knarf, ‘wants to give herself up to Relsor when we go on the rescue mission.’

‘What? Shadie, you can’t do that!’

‘Fane,’ said Shadie calmly, yet she seemed a bit impatient, ‘if it were you or anyone one of you,’ she glanced at the holodisplay, ‘I’d do the same. If it were me, you’d do the same.’     ‘Why give yourself up, though?’ said Fane. ‘I had assumed we’d go in, grab Talyc, and then run right back out of there.’

‘Relsor wants to capture me,’ said Shadie, ‘he needs me for some reason.’

‘Relsor wants us all,’ said Brenum through the holochannel.

‘If I let him capture me, there are better chances that the rest of you can make an escape with Talyc, that the rescue mission will be a success.’

‘No,’ said Knarf. ‘No, I’m not letting you, and that’s final.’

‘My love, if I reclaim the Crypt, then I can escape with the Sphere. I’ll be fine.’ Knarf shook his head. ‘Look, claiming the Crypt should make this doable with the least amount of risk.’

‘Least amount of risk, she says,’ said Knarf.

Fane sat down next to Shadie and waved at Brenum and Trylia, smiling gingerly.

‘If you’re letting yourself get captured by Relsor, then so am I!’ said Knarf, turning around quickly, determination on his face.

Trylia leaned quickly in to Brenum’s ear and whispered something. He nodded.

‘And so will we,’ she said. ‘He wants us all, he can have us all, except for Fane, who’ll have escaped with Talyc.’

Fane’s heart grew heavy. ‘Master, I don’t know if I can let you do this.’

‘Relsor is going to keep coming after us until we defeat him,’ said Shadie. ‘Whoever he captures next time might not be so lucky. At least Talyc is still alive; we can still save him. I can find out valuable information before I make my escape. I can use this opportunity to our advantage. Fane, I’m not just doing it for you or for Talyc, I’m also doing it for me.’

Brenum laughed. ‘See Fane, she’s a bit more selfish and a little less selfless than you feared!’

Fane couldn’t help but smile. ‘But then this means someone’s going to need to steer the ship,’ said Fane.

‘Then it sounds like I’m your Jedi,’ said Lian, stepping into view. ‘That is if Brenum trusts me with his ship.’

‘Well,’ started Brenum, jokingly, ‘it’s for a good cause.’ Brenum smiled at Fane through the holoprojection.

‘Lian,’ said Shadie, ‘I’m glad you’re here. Relsor and Perce spoke about sharing the power of the Crypt. I’m assuming that means that when I go to reclaim it, there may be a way for me to share that power too. Brenum, Trylia, Fane and Knarf are all coming with me, but we could bring another. I’d be willing to share that power with you too. It could prove useful.’

‘It could,’ said Lian, ‘and I can’t deny being tempted to enhance my powers, but I must decline. It is a generous offer, Shadie, don’t get me wrong, but my powers function purely within the light side of the Force. I would not want to taint that in any way, perchance it might render them ineffective against Relsor’s powers, which function purely within the dark side.’

‘I understand,’ said Shadie. ‘It’s very noble of you to deny yourself such power.’

Lian shook his head. ‘It’s what makes sense in the Force, that is all.’ He smiled sympathetically.

‘Then that settles the matter,’ said Trylia. ‘We go to the Crypt, claim it, come back to pick up Lian, and head straight for Relsor’s ship.’

‘Uh, he hasn’t exactly sent me coordinates,’ said Fane.

‘He will,’ said Shadie, certainty in her voice. ‘He’ll contact you again, and when he does, you can tell him that you will bring him…me.’

‘If that’s what the plan is,’ said Fane. Knarf smiled sympathetically and put a caring hand on Fane’s shoulder.

‘Excellent,’ said Shadie. ‘Now all we need to do is inform the Council and hope they don’t object…too much…because we’re still going.’

Continue reading Chapter Three

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

Perhaps you’ll also enjoy Stardust Destinies I: Variate Facing; fantasy action-adventure taking place in a realm strong with magic where prophecies are dictated by dragons. https://binkyproductions.com/stardustdestinies