‘…As a Lady of the light side, a master of pure light, I’m not going until you come with me.’
‘Then we both die here, now.’
Kromus came at her. Perhaps he thought it would make her leave, but he was wrong.  Shadie needed to understand him some more. How the dark side was corrupting him was unimaginable to her, but her light had touched him momentarily. She could not, and would not, leave him behind.
Kromus struck her hard at the mid. She blocked, but the blow had too much force. She let herself fall to the side and rolled, then came back up, spinning around and used the momentum to swipe at Kromus at a low right, then arced her blade upwards to strike low left, and then back again. The movement was so fast that the green of her blade formed a half circle blur. Then, with a two handed grip, she activated the other half of her blade and used both sides of the staff to continue the motion, using one side to simultaneously strike high right, whilst the other side struck low left, and back up to high left and low right, the motion blur of her staff creating a triangular eight in the air, each time advancing on Kromus.
Kromus ducked suddenly, bending low, and sent his staff lightsaber spinning towards Shadie. She leapt up high and came back down sending lightning at Kromus.
‘Can’t you see how this is corrupt? You’re using the dark side against me because I refuse to save myself, because I wish to save your life, and because you want me to live. You let your anger fuel you, you are in a frenzy. You are not in control of your actions, can’t you see?’
‘Oh, I can see, all right. I see your stupidity and foolishness. You fail to grasp at the bigger picture. There can be no redemption for me, not in the eyes of the Jedi Council and their petty rules.’
Kromus sent Shadie some dark energy; she quickly absorbed it and let the orb linger there as she spoke, as he kept sending the dark energy.
‘There was for Fane!’
‘So he has returned to the light. The boy is brave and has a lot of power within. Whichever path he chooses in the end, he will become very powerful.’
Kromus paused. Shadie held the orb of energy, though it was becoming a struggle. She could absorb it, but she did not know how to consume it to fuel herself with it as many Sith did, as Lahnius especially had known how to do. She tried to consume it, but it felt as though she were choking on some pipe weed, so she simply concentrated on holding the orb of dark energy in place.
Kromus smiled. ‘You are hesitant to send that back towards me, aren’t you?  But if you send it anywhere else,’ he looked around, motioning, ‘you’ll damage the integrity of this ship and perhaps destroy it and most certainly destroy us both. Not to mention the transparisteel viewport over there that could cause a vacuum and send us floating into space if that orb fails to destroy the ship itself.’
Kromus sent more energy. Shadie did not want to send it back, it was true, even if Kromus might want her to kill them both, but there was so much energy now, sent anywhere else it would destroy the ship from within the cargo hold.
Kromus powered off his lightsaber and extended both hands. Crates came flying Shadie’s way. One hit her, she ducked another. A third, she used the Force to send back. Kromus wanted her to act quickly and she suspected he desired that her concentration would fail.
With everything flying her way, she could no longer hold the orb of energy. She sent it back towards Kromus. It hit him right in the gut and he cried out as he went flying across the room, hitting the wall hard. He fell to the ground, flat on his back.
‘Kromus!’
Shadie ran to him.  He lay motionless on the permacrete floor, one arm bent awkwardly under his back.
‘Oh,’ she sighed. ‘Forgive me, brother,’ she said low.
Then, his lightsaber came ablaze and Shadie instinctively blocked the blow her senses told her was coming, blocking low, as his blade came up high-mid from his lying position.
‘So weak!’ said Kromus to her, his tone indicating disparagement of the emotions that she felt.
He stood. He looked stronger. But the force of that dark energy should have knocked him unconscious, at least, if not killed him. She gaped at him. She had not realised the extent of his new abilities. The absorption and consumption of such power as that which she sent back towards him was impossible and had never been achieved by any Sith or Jedi before.

Continue reading Chapter Ten.

Shadie veered the corner formed by some crates that were stacked high enough to block all view and most sounds coming from the rest of the main area of the cargo hold. Kromus was sitting on some lower crates when Shadie came to him. It was as though they were in an alcove at the end of a small labyrinth, and they were in perfect privacy.
‘Sit,’ Kromus gestured.  ‘Let us negotiate.’
‘There is nothing to negotiate!’ replied Shadie. Her expression hardened.
‘There is,’ Kromus insisted, looking up at her. He let her probe him with the Force, let her feel his intent.
‘What is there to negotiate?’ she said after some time, at last sitting down and facing him.
Kromus waited until she was fully seated. ‘Our relationship.’
For a long moment she just stared at him. Her expression seemed incredulous. Then her expression softened, somewhat.
‘All right. I’m listening.’
‘Thank you. Being able to talk to you, Shadie, means a lot to me. I’m sorry. I’ve caused you so much pain. But many make mistakes. I’ll start from the beginning. I, uh,’ he paused.
Kromus knew some of what he would say would upset her. He also knew a lot of what he was about to say, no other soul knew, save perhaps only Gourd. Others were things he’d not dared admit to himself, things he knew if he’d expressed earlier on, perhaps Shadie might not have left, or at least, perhaps she would not hate him so much. He took a breath.
‘I… I wanted an apprentice, I was still so young, a mere adolescent, but I knew a baby would be perfect for my greedy needs. I could raise it, train it, my own little brother or sister, and I would use him or her to grow in power and let…her sacrifice herself for me if it came to that.’
‘I know that already,’ said Shadie.  ‘I…appreciate you finally being honest about it.’
Kromus smiled genuinely, lightly. ‘When I found out there was a Force-sensitive child on Mandalore, through spies who were among the Jedi at the time, I seized the opportunity and I planned out the kidnap. I took you; I killed your parents greedily. I had assumed the child was a boy, but it pleased me greatly to have a sister, I don’t know why; I was very happy to have a sister. I planned the future out perfectly. Our future.’
‘You didn’t just plan it out, Kromus,’ said Shadie, crossing her arms, ‘you made it happen.  Remember our conversation the first time I killed you?’  That felt like a pang in Kromus’s heart. ”First time:” it implied she intended on killing him again. She was angry, with good cause, but Kromus said nothing, he just listened as she went on.  ‘It all still hurts, Kromus. You betrayed me. Lied to me. But me turning to the light side is not a betrayal towards you, as you told me it was last time I killed you. It was me seeking healing. I could only be more powerful if I healed. And I found that healing among the Jedi.’
‘I understand that now,’ admitted Kromus.  ‘And yes, I made it all happen as I had planned it, Shadie, up until you discovered the truth of the lies I had fed you for my own dark purposes. But…’ He hesitated. This was the most difficult part to admit, but he knew he had to, despite being a Sith Lord, if there was any hope of Shadie joining him again. For the light she had leant to master, he had to say it, had to be a little light himself. ‘But what I had not planned, was to come to care for the child and love the child as my own sister, as though she were of my own bloodline. And I still love you, Shadie. Perhaps your light can sense that, perhaps your light can help us both understand each other’s hurt that my actions caused. Perhaps you can forgive me for those actions?’
Shadie looked surprised. She uncrossed her arms. Kromus had a tear, he felt it, and he let Shadie see it, let her sense through the Force that he was telling her the truth. He let Shadie feel that he would do anything to have her by his side again, anything at all, and if that made him weak, then so be it. Shadie looked like she was holding back tears.
Kromus reached a hand out to her.  She stared at it a long time before she took it.
‘Tell me, Shadie, where it hurts, how I hurt you, so I can understand your pain and anger towards me, so I can perhaps seek forgiveness within myself for losing you.’
Shadie nodded and began to speak.

Continue reading Chapter Nine.

Knarf had tried to slice his way out of the room using the panel at the door. It was as though the panel was Knarf proof. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t slice, except for this kriffing door.  He sighed.  The room was dark and dank.
He took a few steps and looked around. He felt as though he’d walked into another trap. Well, actually he had been pushed in. That Sith with the tip of his blade so close to his face, the heat of it almost burning him, had caused an emotional flashback and he had not wanted to take the chance of losing part of his face. He could feel, truly and fully feel, Shadie, worried and afraid for him. The presence she’d felt. That meant the faint presence of Kromus was here in this room.
Brenum had given Knarf a few pointers on honing his sensitivities with Shadie. Knarf had no intention of becoming a Jedi; he only wished to develop his connection with his Lady, to strengthen their bond. They had something special, it would only become more special with time. He focused on that bond, hoping it would show him the way out.
‘Knarf.’ He paused. Had he just heard a whisper? ‘Knarf!’
No, it had shouted. It seemed… Was it Kromus’s voice?  He remembered the Sith Lord’s voice from the holorecording he’d watched before Shadie had killed him the first time.
‘Who’s there?’ called Knarf, alarmed and frightened. His heart pounded.
‘Knarf.’
Suddenly, he realised the voice was in his head. ‘I must be going mad,’ he thought.
‘You are not, Knarf. You are Force-sensitive. You’ve begun honing in on and perfecting your powers.  I can help you Master them. You can become more powerful than even Shadie.’
Knarf said nothing. He walked towards the source of the goading voice reverberating in his head. There, in the corner, at the far back of a narrow corridor within the room, to the far side of the room, there was a glow, a reddish purple glow. It stood on a stand; it was shaped like a pyramid.
Knarf felt his heart leap. He also felt fear that wasn’t his. He looked about. There must be monitors and security cams somewhere, he figured. Shadie must be seeing, she must know.  Therefore he knew: this was Kromus’s Holocron.
‘Take me, Knarf.  I am already activated.  I shall show you how to use the Force.’
‘You will turn me to the dark side, and you know, for Shadie, that would be worse than losing me to death.’
‘You resist because you fear. Let me show you the true potential of the Force.’
‘Aach!’
Knarf put his hands to his head. He could see images. He stood his ground. He was feeling things, seeing things, tasting the Force in its purest and most raw forms. Sensing the Force more intensely than the energies he felt with Shadie, more intensely than anything he had ever known in all his life. His expression hardened.
‘You know, you’re right, Holocron.’ He heard a satisfied breath issue from the voice behind the thought in the holocron.  ‘I am Force-sensitive. I can feel the Force. I can learn to use it. Therefore I can wield a lightsaber too. And…’
With a snap-hiss, he activated Brenum’s blade. The yellow hue glowed brightly in the dim-lit room, illuminating his face and contrasting with the colours illuminated by the holocron. The hum of the blade echoed loudly.
Knarf smiled maliciously.

Continue reading Chapter Eight.

Standing aboard the bridge of the Republic flagship, the dreadnought called Force of Peace, Knarf took it all in. They had found, well the Jedi had found, Kromus’s army waiting for them in the Mid Rim near Iridonia. Apparently the Sith had used some sort of Force-meld to announce their presence there. It also explained why several of the Sith were Zabrak.
The ship’s Captain, a Quarren from the world of Mon Calamari, cohabiting the world with the Mon Calamari themselves, stood near the large viewport, watching the battle wage beyond the transparisteel viewport: starfighters swirling and dancing about, quad lasers, cannon batteries and proton batteries, all going off out in space around the frigates, freighters, battle cruisers, and dreadnoughts. Many beings of many species at different posts on the Force of Peacewere targeting and manoeuvering.
Shadie stood in the centre of the bridge, in a meditative stance, hands clasped behind her, eyes closed, and beautiful as ever. Brenum and Trylia stood by her side, each to one side, in the same stance. They were in a Jedi battle meld, using Battle Meditation to help coordinate the fight outside. The Jedi Master who was named Salah stood with Talyc and a few other Mandalorians whom he had brought with him to be part of Shadie’s boarding team.
Knarf smiled. Talyc had said to him: ”I formed you into a half-decent Mando, I’m not letting you out of my sight to worry if you’ll die.”  He smiled again and looked down at the helmet in his hands, the vibroblade and repeater rifle that were secured on his utility belt. Who had known a simple slicer would become a warrior.  So many unpredictable events causing his life to go to shambles, sending him tumbling away from the path he had set himself on. And he was glad of it, glad it had happened. He wouldn’t change any of it. He looked at his leg in its armour.  Well perhaps he’d change getting the bottom half of his left leg sliced off by a Sith lightsaber. Although, the prosthetic was better than a droid’s limb, it had prosthetic skin, he could feel with it, function with it as though it were a normal leg, and it took very little maintenance to keep it functional. However, the pain when Lahnius had sliced it off had been excruciating. Thinking about it too much brought the pain back, and that, he could dispense with.
The com chimed.  The voice of the Mandalore came through.
‘We’re ready to jump in on your mark,’ he said.
‘Hold position for now,’ replied the Quarren Captain in his guttural voice, with a somewhat slurred basic.  ‘Let us wait and see what surprises the Sith bear first.’
‘He is waiting for me,’ said Shadie, still in her stance. She opened her eyes  ‘I sense he will try to draw me in. He hopes I will want to save the Jedi and the Republic from further death.’
‘Then that is good news,’ replied the Quarren in anticipation.  ‘More ships approach.’
No sooner had the Captain spoken the words than many more ships appeared coming from hyperspace: battle cruisers, dreadnaughts, and destroyers. Knarf gaped at the amount of starfighters that bled from each of the larger ships.
‘Mandalore,’ said the Quarren.  ‘The playground, I mean the battlefield, is yours.’
Knarf thought he actually heard the Mandalore laughing. Then he realised that he was.
‘Hehehe, I like you, Quarren. If ever you should tire of the Republic, you’ll know where to go.  Now, it’s time to teach these Sith scum who’s boss of this galaxy. Mandalore out.’
Brenum whistled. ‘Arrogant man, isn’t he?’
‘Like you’re one to talk,’ replied Trylia.
Knarf took his gloves off and stood behind Shadie. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the shoulder, permeating comfort to quell her fears. He did not care who the onlookers were, this was war, anything could happen; it was no time to worry about professionalism. Besides, he was a slicer and a warrior, not a politician or an official of the Republic.
‘I believe in you, my Lady,’ he said.
Shadie turned to face him, smiling. She gave him a quick kiss without a word. Then nodded at the others who filed up behind her. Knarf stayed by her side as they began to walk to the turbolift at the back of the bridge.
‘Shadie,’ called out Master Salah. Shadie stopped and looked at her. ‘Remember all that Master Juun Kloh taught you.’
Shadie nodded but did not continue. ‘Mandalore arrives,’ she said instead.
Just then, dozens of ships appeared, sleek in design. There were so many and they were so large.  No wonder the Mandalorian blockade was a force to be reckoned with.
‘Aha!’ cried the Quarren Captain in triumph.  ‘The Sith are now sandwiched.’ His head tentacles swayed with satisfaction.
Indeed it was true. The Sith ships were surrounding the Republic forces, with the Mandalorians on the exterior of the battlefield.  The Sith had nowhere to go.
Shadie smiled. ‘This time, we will win.’
Everyone followed Shadie down to the main hangar and into the Krayt Dragon.  Brenum and Trylia went to the cockpit. The Mandalorians installed themselves in the main hold. Shadie took Knarf by the hand and sat down.  He took her hand in both hands and kissed it. On the edge of such a massive battle, what could he say? She smiled at him. He put a hand on her face, replacing her hair.
‘My beautiful, my gorgeous Lady of the Force. My pure light.’
He kissed her.  They would soon be in battle with the Sith aboard Kromus’s dreadnought, perhaps die. So he kept kissing her as long as he possibly could, hungrily and passionately, feeling their amazing energies that fuelled him with life and desire. Even though they’d just shared an intimate moment on the way to Iridonia, he wanted more of Shadie, more of the energies, more of her love, and he could feel she wanted more of him. Finally, he realised they were far from alone. He blushed, pausing his kissing, and looked at the others.
‘Oh, you can keep going,’ said Talyc.  Shadie gave him a look. ‘Or not.’
Knarf burst out laughing. And as the Dragon descended into the hangar of Kromus’s large and ”real” flagship, Knarf put his gloves on, looked one more time at Shadie and put his helmet on.  Their battle had just begun. He secured his weapons and stood.
‘We ready?’ he asked.
‘Question is, are you?’ said Talyc.
‘Well, as long as I walk out of this fight with both legs intact, I’m good.’
‘You mean as long as you walk out,’ said Brenum, coming from the cockpit.  ‘As I recall, you were carried out last time by the Force,’ he continued pointing at Trylia.
‘Such minor details,’ replied Knarf in mock dismissiveness.
‘Easy for you to say, you were unconscious through most of it.  Whereas I…’
‘You are going to shut your mouth,’ said Trylia.
Shadie smiled. ‘I don’t know what traps await us but we must be careful. We must be vigilant. There will be many Sith and we need to find the Holocron as well. Kromus may have it near him to help fuel his life force. If not, we need to find out where he’s hidden it in order to avoid him coming back to life a second time.’  She paused. ‘May the Force be with us.’

Continue reading Chapter Seven.