Mandalore stood before the clan leaders and many clan members from each clan in the Mandalorian fortress-bunker. Talyc sat near Emerick and Lashika, dreading the war ahead.
            ‘Our first priority is to find Relsor’s flagship,’ said Mandalore. ‘Our second is to ensure the Jedi from Clan Kandera make it safely on board. They are the ones who can end this, and the fate of this galaxy rests in the hands of Jedi Fane.’ Talyc’s heart thumped at the mention. Mandalore continued. ‘Our third priority is to neutralise as many superlasers as we possibly can, from any of the True Sith’s ships. Once I give the signal, you will all be free to board the ship as you see fit, but know this: as we cannot predict the outcome, you will be boarding at great risk. We may all perish and die.’
            Talyc closed his eyes, resolved to the fate he had chosen for himself.
            ‘Clan Leader Talyc Kandera will be leading the squad of fighters once we find Relsor’s ship,’ said Mandalore. ‘Those of you in freighters or other ships will need to dock them before taking your fighters to Relsor’s ship. Try not to take the best fighters; we may make it out alive, so we need to see some of those fighters again, especially if Agent Knarf successfully slices the superlasers to detonate in on themselves.’
            Mandalore took a few steps forward. ‘We may be able to seize some of those superlasers for ourselves, but it will be risky and only if we absolutely can. Those of us boarding the flagship are there to ensure that the Jedi make it safely to the command chamber where I have been informed Relsor is most likely to be. That is where they will fight him, that is where the fate of the galaxy will be determined.’
            He pointed at some of the others. ‘Another squad will be in charge of ensuring the safety of the Mandalorian ships from True Sith fighters. Nriwe will be coordinating those ships via holocall. She will defer to other squad leaders for practical purposes and will continue to coordinate all the squads once their leaders and several members have boarded the Chiss flagship. Mildred, you have the Maw.’
            ‘Yes!’ Mildred had a pleased look upon his face.
            ‘You will coordinate with the Fat Momma for assistance in leading your squad of larger ships. Emerick, I know you have been instructed to fly the Krayt Dragon in the Jedi’s absence. Brenum, Trylia, and Knarf have already left the planet with the Sphere to meet Shadie and Fane on Dromund Kaas, where they await the arrival of the anti-stealth prototypes. Once in their hands, they will secure several for Mandalore and the Republic. A coordinated meet-up will guarantee we have our own.’
            Mandalore looked from one corner of the room to the other. ‘This war has been long-awaited. That Chiss took many Mandalorians, his True Sith killed even more. We owe it to all whom we’ve lost to enact justice. Take out as many True Sith as you can. Avenge the deaths of our clan brothers and sisters. The True Sith will not be allowed to take any more of us. Oya manda! For Mandalore!’
            Everyone shouted out the war call, echoing the Mandalore’s final words. The com monitor chimed a few times. Mandalore walked behind the monitor desk.
            ‘I am receiving a call from Coruscant,’ he announced. He pressed a key and the holo form of the Grand Master of the Jedi Order appeared.
            ‘Grand Master Herl’unik, to what do I owe this pleasure?’
            ‘Mandalore!’ The Grand Master bowed. ‘As you know, the Republic will be protecting many of its worlds and scanning Republic space for Relsor’s armada. However, we Jedi have a personal vendetta with Haar’elso’rothmor. While many Jedi will be stationed at strategic areas, I, along with many from the Jedi Council, and many others, have put together a small fleet. We wish to join the Mandalorian armada, if you would have us.’
            ‘Grand Master,’ said Mandalore, ‘it would be an honour to have you fighting alongside us.’
            ‘Excellent! Expect us shortly.’

* * *

Continue Reading Chapter Ten

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Talyc and Knarf sat in the Kandera bunker. Talyc had given Knarf a datapad with codes and information.
            ‘You’re going to need to learn some of that by heart,’ said Talyc. ‘I’ll have you visit some of the places mentioned here, and I’ll give you the access codes you need to enter the Mandalorian secret bunker. The rest, you’ll need to slice and code yourself so that only you recognise where to find the information.’
            Knarf looked up from the datapad. ‘We didn’t come here just for clan business, did we, though?’
            Talyc looked flushed and he glanced down. He reached for his helmet. Knarf put a hand on it.
            ‘You don’t need to hide your feelings from me,’ he said. ‘I won’t judge you.’
            ‘I needed to get away,’ Talyc said, his hand still on the helmet. ‘Away from Fane, the reminder of the happiness I am about to lose; away from Vax, the temptation to forget the fear I feel every time I look at Fane.’
            ‘You don’t know that he’s going to die,’ said Knarf. ‘Same way you don’t know that I’m going to live.’
            ‘Bes’laar, don’t. I can’t lose you too.’
            ‘You haven’t lost Fane, you barve!’ Knarf felt for his friend, and he sympathised. ‘But I know that if Shadie or I had done what you did with Vax, even just one kiss…’ He shook his head. ‘We made a commitment, and we defined that commitment. You need to do the same with Fane. You need to decide what you’re willing to give up for your relationship, aside from the drink, and what you need from him. There will be compromises, there will be sacrifices, and those will be different from circumstance to circumstance, situation to situation, but if you define the foundation of your relationship, then nothing will ever get in the way of your love.’
            ‘Easy for you to say, you’re both Force-sensitive and Force-users,’ said Talyc. ‘That barrier of me not being Force-sensitive will always get in the way. I’m just planning ahead for the inevitable.’
            ‘You’re planning for a doom you don’t even know will happen. And if Relsor does succeed, what then? The rest of the galaxy will follow suit in Fane’s death, so think about that too.’ Knarf sighed. ‘Oh, Talyc, I’m sorry; I’m not trying to be harsh. I just don’t understand.’
            ‘You don’t understand my stupidity?’ said Talyc. ‘For so long I would indulge in pleasures and forget how I felt, forget my fears.’
            ‘I know, you did the same when you fell in love with Fane, probably indulged more than you wanted to.’
            ‘Not really, sort of but…I found excuses not to because I didn’t feel like it,’ Talyc admitted.
            ‘And when you thought Fane had chosen the Jedi Order over you, you went and got drunk, and where did that lead you?’
            ‘Right in Relsor’s trap,’ said Talyc. He shook his head. ‘I am a barve, aren’t I?’
            ‘We all are barves,’ said Knarf, putting a hand on Talyc’s shoulder. ‘You need to decide what you will and will not sacrifice for Fane and what you need from him.’
            ‘Everything!’
            Talyc’s reply had been quick, but Knarf couldn’t quite make out which part of his statement Talyc was referring to. In any case, his answer was said and he seemed resolute.
            ‘Then you’re going to have to tell him before he meets his destiny,’ said Knarf.
            ‘You know, Vax said the same thing, not in the same words, but pretty much,’ said Talyc.
            ‘Well, there you go.’ Knarf took a beat. ‘Do you know what you want?’
            Talyc nodded. ‘I’m just so scared.’
            Knarf sighed. ‘You and me both. If Fane dies, chances are, so will Shadie, and perhaps the rest of us who have the power of the Crypt. And even if I don’t, I fear for my wife, especially since Relsor is trying to kill her, and the dark side is the only thing sustaining her, more than the light side right now. I fear she might be tempted to turn to the dark side again. But I trust her, and I trust that she would share any thoughts about it with me. I just hope she and I have the future before us we’ve always wanted. A lifetime is not long enough. I will love her eternally, as I know she will love me eternally.’
            ‘I feel the same about Fane,’ said Talyc. ‘If there is anything that seeing Vax again and reconciling our past has done, is it helped me realise how intense my love for Fane is. I know my logic is backwards, but that’s precisely why I tried to throw it all away, because it might be gone soon. He might be gone.’
            ‘Then we need to make sure that he’s not,’ said Knarf.

Continue Reading Chapter Nine

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Talyc felt worse than he had when he had awakened as Relsor’s captive. His head hurt more than it had after Perce had probed his mind, and his stomach lurched more intensely than when he felt Relsor’s malady. He moaned in pain and with nausea.
            ‘Do you need a bucket?’
            Talyc opened his eyes and found Knarf sitting on an armchair, smiling sympathetically. He shook his head and sat up. He felt another wave of nausea.
            ‘Maybe,’ he said at last. ‘How did you get in here?’
            ‘Vax called me. The others are over in the other room,’ said Knarf.
            ‘Knarf, I’ve been stupid.’
            ‘I know. Vax told me.’ Knarf paused. ‘You’re lucky he cares for you so much to not take advantage. It must have been very difficult for him to resist your advances.’
            ‘Well, it didn’t seem like he was resisting much when I was kissing him and touching him,’ said Talyc, feeling a belch, but it helped let pass the sensation of nausea.
            ‘It’s okay,’ said Knarf. ‘You were very drunk, apparently.’
            ‘I’m never drinking again,’ said Talyc.
            ‘Where have I heard that before?’ teased Knarf.
            ‘I mean it. I need my head clear,’ said Talyc. ‘I need to figure out my feelings and my fears without it. You know how I get as much as I do. Every time I drink this much, someone tries to kill me, someone captures me, and I make a fool of myself or try to justify other emotions. From now on, no more. Nothing.’
            ‘You’re going to have to face those feelings and express them,’ said Knarf.
            ‘If I push Fane away,’ said Talyc, ‘it’s my choice, I’m choosing it. I’m not losing him, and he’s not leaving me. And then if he dies… I can’t think of that right now.’
            ‘You’re going to have to tell him what happened last night,’ said Knarf leaning forward. ‘He needs to know the truth. Before we leave for Mandalore.’
            Talyc nodded. ‘I know. He deserves to know that he was right; I was unfaithful.’
            ‘No, you were not,’ said Knarf. ‘You were possessed with the dark side, the drink, and you refused to address how you felt. It was a brief moment, but in the end, circumstances helped you to not be unfaithful in the way Vax had claimed you’d been.’
            ‘It’s still being unfaithful,’ said Talyc. ‘I know you and Shadie see it that way. You don’t have to soften the blow for me. You can tell me how it is.’
            Knarf nodded. He put a hand on Talyc’s shoulder. Talyc began to weep; Knarf took him in his arms.
            ‘Bes’laar, I’m such an idiot.’
            There was a shuffle at the room’s doorway. Talyc lifted his head and saw Fane standing by the entrance, slowly walking in.
            ‘You’re my idiot,’ he said with a wan smile.
            Talyc shook his head. Knarf got up and helped Talyc to his feet. He felt another wave of nausea, this time less intense. He looked at Knarf and nodded. Knarf nodded back and left the room.
            ‘I’ve said those words before,’ said Talyc, ‘and maybe I was your idiot then when you saved me, but not this time, not after what I’ve done.’ Talyc looked at the ground. ‘I wanted to hurt you, Fane, and give you what I thought you wanted.’ Talyc looked up at him. ‘I remember last night because I always remember when I drink. The only time I didn’t was when Relsor captured me.’ Talyc swallowed a belch. ‘No matter how much I drink, I never forget or drink into oblivion, and yet I try and try and try again. And last night was no different. I felt so hurt I wanted to inflict pain on you. That’s not right.’
            ‘I probably deserved that,’ said Fane.
            Talyc shook his head. ‘You didn’t deserve what I did.’
            They both stood silent for a moment.
            Talyc steeled himself. ‘I kissed Vax.’ Fane inhaled a sharp breath. ‘I…did a bit more than just kiss him,’ Talyc continued. ‘He turned me down. I wanted to forget the pain.’ Fane let out a slow breath and sat down on the bed. Talyc could tell that he was trying to control the shock and dismay that Talyc saw on Fane’s face. ‘In that moment, I wanted to forget you.’
            ‘I know that sober you didn’t want him,’ said Fane. ‘It’s like a spell from the dark side, or so Knarf was vaguely explaining earlier. Now I understand what he was talking about.’ He sighed. ‘I drove you to him by believing his lies in the first place.’
            ‘No, but…I…’ Talyc could not find the courage to say the words. ‘I’m too hungover to have this conversation right now.’ He began towards the doorway into the next room.
            ‘Talyc!’ Fane called out, standing up.
            ‘Don’t say it.’ Talyc put up his hands, turning back to face him. ‘You’ll leave me, Vax is right, and I can’t deal with that.’
            Fane shook his head. ‘I won’t leave you!’
            ‘We both know that you can’t promise me that. We both know that whether by your choosing or…his blade, you will be taken from me.’ Talyc wiped his eyes. ‘I’m going to Mandalore. I need to focus on my clan. I reckon I won’t see you again before the end.’ He could see Fane’s eyes swelling up with tears. ‘Fane, this is just easier for me, it’s just what I need to do.’
            Talyc stared at Fane for a moment longer, watching his tears run down his face.
            ‘Am I still your man?’ Fane asked softly.
            ‘I don’t know,’ said Talyc, feeling his heart break.

Continue Reading Chapter Eight

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