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

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Knarf’s starfighter flew right into the hangar. He pulled back on the throttle a little too late and crash-landed the fighter. It slid along the durasteel flooring and came to an abrupt halt as it hit the wall. Smoke rose from the engine. So much for subtlety and a quick escape. But Knarf knew he could slice into the system’s relay and reprogram the battery lasers, not disable them; reprogramming them would cause them to shoot inward and destroy the ship from within.
            Knarf sighed and closed his eyes. He felt a tear on his face. He had purposely clicked off his com, though he could still hear everyone else’s voices through the speaker. But he did not want to reply back, he did not want Shadie to hear his fear through his voice.
            He switched off the speaker, which still functioned, surprisingly enough, as Shadie still spoke through the com channel. He could no longer bear to hear her voice. It pained him.  “I need you!” she had cried out. He needed her too. But he needed her to remember the words he told her when they were in the Sphere, that his love for her was stronger than anything, that no matter what happened, she had to remember that. His heart somersaulted as he remembered holding her body against his, as he’d made love to her, and in his mind he saw her beautiful face staring at him.
            ‘Oh, Shadie,’ he sighed out in a whisper.
            He was the only one who could accomplish their task, and even take it a step further. He had resolved to doing so. He would do it and succeed. He would do what was necessary for his Lady, for their love, and for Mandalore and all the citizens of the Republic.
            He brought his thoughts back to his immediate reality, snapping out of his reverie, when the hatch of his fighter was popped open and he was literally hurled out of the cockpit with the Force. He gasped and let out an elongated cry of surprise. He was thrown onto the ground, landing on his stomach. He looked up and saw an unsettling familiar blue face staring down at him, gleaming red eyes in a stern scowl, lips curled on one side to reveal satisfaction.
            ‘Well, we meet again, Agent Knarf.’
            ‘Darth Gourd,’ said Knarf. ‘Glad to see you too. Very hospitable of you to come greet me.’
            Gourd lifted him with a Force Grip, choking him. He set him down to stand in front of him, let go of the grip, put a hand on Knarf’s should, and smiled.
            Then, everything became blurry as pain shot through Knarf’s body, dark energy from Gourd’s hand, and Knarf’s knees buckled under him. He fell back down on his knees, crying out. The pain was so intense, everything started to go dark. He faintly heard Gourd speak to another before Knarf fell into darkness.

Relsor & Knarf (Shadie series – Binky Ink – Celinka Serre)

Continue reading Chapter Six

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

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