Brenum had told the Mandalorian spaceport authorities that they were here on business with several offers. Of course, he omitted to mention they were Jedi. To go about more unnoticed once they’d docked, they had dressed into more simple and casual clothes; no obvious robes labelling them as Jedi, though a small jacket hid the presence of their lightsabers.
Searching with the Force was no use here on Mandalore, many used ysalamiri in these dangerous and treacherous times, and many places held many of them, so trying to detect Knarf would be impossible, so they would have to search the old fashioned way: by foot.
They walked about, heads low, getting unwanted sneers of unwelcome. They entered a tavern, only to be kicked out again by a brawl that was already going on and had nothing to do with any of them. A large Tradoshan waved his baton about as other patrons were being pushed or thrown out if they tried to meddle in the fight that did not concern them, yet which seemed to include the whole lot of patrons present. So the three Jedi continued across a field.
‘What does Knarf’s armour look like?’ asked Brenum.
‘I forget. I had more important things to worry about at the time than its details… like when was I going to see him again.’  She paused. She had replied more harshly than she had wanted to. She softened her voice. ‘It has a jetpack.’
‘Great, that’s precise,’ replied Brenum, though Shadie could tell he was purposely exaggerating, to let her know no offence had been taken.  ‘What about the colour?’
‘Well Talyc’s is brown and purple.’
‘That narrows it all down…’
‘Stop being so exaggeratingly…’ said Trylia, as they entered a tapcaf. She let her sentence trail off.
It grew quiet as they entered, conversations ceasing and turning into hushed tones and whispers of suspicion as heads turned their way. A green Twi’lek leaned towards a red Twi’lek as they stared at them and began speaking in hushed tones.
‘Something tells me we’re not going to be welcomed here either,’ whispered Brenum.
‘And you’re absolutely right,’ replied a Mandalorian, standing up and walking towards them. He wore a charcoal and silver armour. He inclined his head. ‘Jedi are most unwanted guests on Mandalore. Always cause so much trouble.’ The three of them stirred. The Mandalorian laughed.  ‘Don’t think you can fool me, Jedi. I have hunted and killed your kind before. I can smell you from light years away. Why have you come to Mandalore?’
‘We seek a man who goes by the name of Bes’laar,’ said Shadie.
‘Never heard of him,’ replied the Mandalorian.
‘He hangs about with Talyc.’
‘No,’ he said flatly, dryly, ‘doesn’t ring a bell.’  He abruptly changed the subject. ‘Tell me, Jedi, you honour your codes, no?’ Shadie nodded. ‘Well, we honour ours. You are on Mandalorian grounds, you shall honour our codes.’
‘And that is?’
‘A melee! Not against me, of course, the fight would be too unfair.’ This drew laughter from the ”audience”.  ‘But against one of my men. No Force powers allowed, and to ensure that…’
He looked at the Mando behind the counter and nodded. Moments later, several ysalamiri were placed around the tapcaf. Shadie felt the Force leave her and heard Trylia gasp as though for air.
‘I don’t trust Jedi to not cheat, you see,’ continued the Mandalorian. ‘Oh, and no lightsabers either.’
Shadie scowled, but did not object. Finding Knarf was her number one priority now, whatever it took. She unclipped her lightsaber from her utility belt and handed it over to Trylia.  The Mandalorian, who acted like the leader of this tapcaf, handed her his vibrosword.
‘You fight to disarm. If you win, we help you find your friend. If you lose, you’re on your own.’  Shadie nodded. ‘Do I have any volunteers?’
Several armoured Mandalorians stood and stepped forward. Shadie scanned the room with her eyes, trying to see if she could recognise any of them. There was one with green armour, one with blue and silver, one with blue and black and who clearly looked like he wasn’t human under that armour, one with black and red armour, another with yellow and brown with green, one wore all white, another with purple and red, one with blue and charcoal, but none with purple and brown.  And all who stood there wore no jetpacks.
The Mandalorian leader, looked at the Mandos waiting to melee with Shadie. He pointed at one with blue and charcoal armour.
‘You, show this Jedi how the Mando fight.’
‘With pleasure!’ The Mando let his ”r” trail for a while. It was unpleasantly eerie, especially through the helmet’s speaker, coming out tinnier than anything else.
He set aside his repeater rifle and took a stance with his vibroblade. Shadie took a two handed grip on the vibrosword she held. How could she predict this Mandalorian’s moves if she could not channel the Force?  Granted her weapon was slightly longer, but she had lost her most dependable weapon, the Force. She would have to rely on skill alone.

Continue reading Chapter Five.

Master Juun Kloh had been relieved upon seeing Trylia, Shadie, and Brenum. Although he knew Shadie would not turn, he had feared it, and it was a recurring fear, for he knew Shadie was still vulnerable to the dark side’s influences. For Fane to have actually fallen to the dark side and to know he had joined Kromus was a tragedy beyond any Juun Kloh had known, or at least one of the few tragedies that had truly shaken him to the core.
He sat in a chair at the Temple’s large common lounge.
‘It’s worse than I had feared,’ he said.
Shadie made a sound in her throat. Obviously she knew he had feared she had turned. He looked up at her.
‘It’s one thing to fear a pupil who has already tasted the dark side, let alone grown up with it, to fall to it once more, but it’s something completely different when one least suspected unexpectedly turns.’
‘No one could foresee this, Master Juun,’ said Trylia, in her usual soothing tones.
‘Fane!’ He sighed.  ‘His brother had defected long before I knew that Xavier and Lahnius were the same.  Xavier had fallen, turned to the dark side, and changed his name to Darth Lahnius. His master did not wish to train Fane, for fear he’d fail him the same way he felt he’d failed Lahnius.  I understand that emotion.’
‘Master,’ said Brenum, kneeling before him to be at the same level, ‘you did not fail Fane.  He failed you.  You are not to blame.  He obviously could not accept his brother’s death, despite him being a Sith. Living worlds apart may have suited them and never had they yet been forced to battle each other, but,’ he paused and seemed at a loss for words, ‘if he could not let go and accept that his brother died instead of a fellow Jedi, then the fault for the defection is his and no one else’s.’
‘A terrible loss for a master it is, though, worse than death.’  Master Juun stood and looked at Shadie. ‘I, uh, heard what happened to Knarf.  I’m sorry.’
Shadie nodded, Brenum and Trylia looked slightly down without bowing their heads.  They hid their deception well. Regardless, Master Juun was relieved, especially after everything Shadie had done to save Knarf’s life. He would not ask the details. A wise decision it was to keep him hidden to protect him.
There was an awkward silence.
‘So,’ said Shadie, breaking the silence casually, ‘any news from the Crypt?’
‘Dead end,’ replied Master Juun.  ‘No Sith remain even remotely near the place. Except…’  He let his sentence trail off.
Shadie took a large intake of breath. ‘It’s still there?’ she asked.
‘It awaits you, Shadie. It awaits your summons. It told me it will serve the Lady of the Force wherever she chooses to claim as her domain.’
‘Well, it’s good to know it accepts you’re not entirely Sith,’ said Brenum. Shadie smiled.
‘So what’s next?’ asked Trylia.  ‘We go to Nar Shaddaa and seek out Kromus?’
‘No, he will be expecting that.’
‘But how will we know where he’s gone once he leaves?’
‘Trylia,’ said Shadie, ‘I wouldn’t worry about that. He’s hiding in the Force. All we need to do is gather some ships and starfighters, and wait for him to leave the Hutt moon. Then we can battle it out in space. I will not destroy him in person when it is an unfair fight. If I am to win this battle, I will do so properly, fairly, and with all the power of the light side.’
Master Juun beamed at her. ‘You have no idea how heart-warming it is to hear you say that.’
‘Well, I mean it. Besides, killing Kromus now will achieve nothing when all his Sith are scattered across the galaxy. They dispersed for a reason when he fell the first time. We need to win this war once and for all; therefore we need to fight them once they’ve gathered.’
‘Then let us bring our ideas to the Council,’ said Brenum, leading the way.  ‘We have a lot of planning to do.’

Continue reading Chapter Four.

The Krayt Dragon remained berthed in the Jedi Temple hangar. The Council had rewarded ”Cornelius” generously. However, after many days, he still hung about. His stride was of upbeat fashion, having gotten used to his new leg, and when he was not Cornelius and could simply be himself; he hummed or sang or whistled, which Shadie absolutely adored, or so she had said.  Though her mood seemed to darken with worry with each passing day. Knarf could only guess that it had to do with Kromus. Perhaps his power was growing, or simply she was scared to face him again. It troubled Knarf how easily Shadie had fallen, no, almost fallen, to the dark side. It made him doubt his choice and wonder if she would be better off on her own for now.  Sometimes he wondered if he truly wanted to be there when the Sith attacked, to fall prey to another trap, perhaps be killed for real this time.
Knarf cursed himself for having such thoughts.  Shadie was his Lady, his Lady of Light. She brought him happiness, and the energies they shared, never had he known that before, and he doubted he would ever know it again, if ever he left her.
Knarf sighed as he sat in Shadie’s quarters, in the living area, awaiting her return from a meeting. It used to be so simple, or so it had seemed. He’d had his life planned out: work, slice, program, have fun, perhaps have a few women on the side, no attachments, no commitments, no obligations, just pure freedom. Yet he could not deny the emotions he felt towards Shadie, and he feared for both their lives. She had come into his life unexpectedly; he needed to find his balance, choose between his old path and a new one with Shadie. He did not want to lose Shadie, he knew that much, he did not want to leave her side. So what was he supposed to do now?  Flee? And protect himself, revert back to complete freedom, and deny himself the one person for whom he cared most, who he knew cared for him even more than she led on, the person who brought him so much happiness? Or remain with Shadie and risk everything, including life? Then again, he’d done it before, he could do it again.
There was a sound coming from the far corner of the room and the ventilation access hatch near the floor was pushed open from within the shaft. A figure emerged, and when Knarf finally recognised him, he drew a breath.
‘Talyc!’ Knarf was shocked.
‘Good to see you too,’ replied the Mando in purple and brown armour.
‘What?’ Knarf shook his head in confusion. He could’ve sworn he’d guessed Talyc’s mood.
‘You must leave here and come with me,’ said Talyc.
Typical Mandalorian, straight to the point, no introductions.
‘And why would I do that?’ Knarf scowled.
‘Because you’re a dead man if you don’t.’
Knarf leaned forwards confrontationally.  ‘Is that a threat?’
Knarf crossed him arms.  He’d always trusted Talyc and had considered him a friend.  Talyc had been the one to let him in on the Holonet news when Shadie had been in trouble. He could not understand why Talyc would suddenly turn on him.
‘Knarf, you barve!  You’ve got a bounty on your head.’
‘A bounty, me?  Placed by whom?’
‘Kromus!’
‘How would you know?’ he asked suspiciously.
‘Because I’m the one who took it.’
Knarf backed away and pulled out his blaster; it wasn’t much against a Mandalorian, but it was better than nothing. Mandalorians always fulfilled their bounties. Knarf began to shake.  He had rather he died in Shadie’s arms after Lahnius had drained him of life and cut off his leg than alone and betrayed by a friend.
Yet, Talyc just looked at him.  He shook his head. ‘I’m not here to kill you.’
‘But you just said…’
‘I took it to protect you.’  There seemed to be desperation or urgency to his voice, Knarf could not decide, perhaps it was both.
‘Oh.’ Knarf holstered his blaster.
‘I had a bounty on Nar Shaddaa, and when I overheard someone placing a bounty on you, I killed the Devaronian taking it, pretended he had been my bounty…’
‘Clever, so you never really lied.’
‘No, and I could tell. He did that Force mind trick hand thing. It was Kromus, all right.  He wants you dead.’ He paused. ‘I’m putting my life at risk for you here, Knarf.’
‘I still don’t see why I need to come with you.’
Talyc pulled a large bag out of the shaft and placed it on the floor.
‘Mando’ade armour, finest beskar, stealth field generator included, jet pack included, a slot for your ysalamir.  I bring Kromus your Cornelius outfit as proof, and you become a member of my clan, Bes’laar. Kelbourn has already agreed.’
‘Wow, you really thought of everything,’ said Knarf.  He creased his brow. ‘Bes’laar. Not sure I like it.’
‘You’ve got no choice, it fits you. It means music in Mando’a. You, who’s always singing.’
Knarf’s heart sank.  Talyc had not thought of everything.
‘What about Shadie?’ asked Knarf.
‘Yes, what about me?’

Continue reading Chapter Three.

As it turned out, Shadie, Brenum, and Trylia didn’t wait too long.  A few standard days following the Council meeting about Kromus’s resurgence, the Masters had announced to the three Jedi that their contact on Nar Shaddaa had met with a witness, who apparently had a holorecording of Kromus purchasing ship parts.
‘He’s amassing an army,’ said Shadie, as she, Brenum, and Trylia sat in the Krayt Dragon’s cockpit.
‘You think?’ said Brenum.
‘I know so. I know him, he used to be my Master, remember?  I know how he thinks. He needs his followers, and he knows he cannot return to the Crypt, so he needs a ship, and not just an old or battered frigate. He needs a destroyer or dreadnaught, something big enough to hold and transport all his Sith.’
‘Do you believe he’s as strong as he was before he died?  The first time.’ Trylia frowned. ‘Sorry.’
‘It’s all right,’ Shadie assured her. The subject of Kromus’s death was still a raw and touchy matter, but Shadie had to face her darker side. Then again, she’d been granted a second chance, as Brenum had told her several times already, the opportunity to kill Kromus the right way, with the full power of the light side.  ‘No, I think he needs to regain his strength. Otherwise why sneak about or not come kill me as soon as he’d returned. He’s hiding in the Force, but he must be weak in his new body. The Force needs to refill in him.’
‘Speaking of sneaking,’ said Trylia, ‘I noticed Master Juun’s young apprentice, Fane, lurking about yesterday.  I asked him if I could help him and he ran off on me. I’m telling you, we have faced Kromus and Lahnius, and because he returned, it’s haunting everyone here.  Since we are the ones to go after him again, I don’t know, the younglings especially are afraid for us and of us. I just didn’t think the young Jedi padawans and knights would be as well.  We’re not Kromus himself. We’re just going after him.’
‘Gareth was Fane’s friend.  Remember? We are a constant reminder of the return of threat and danger of the dark side,’ said Shadie.
‘Well he doesn’t have to run off on me,’ said Trylia offended.  ‘I like the young man.’
‘Well, talk about sneaking about,’ said Brenum, in a tone that meant he was slightly changing the subject, ‘what’s with the witness our contact met? Why couldn’t he just send us the recording via Holonet?’
‘He wants something in return,’ said Trylia.  ‘Remember? And it’s more secure.’
‘Yeah, but he didn’t say what,’ insisted Brenum.
‘Well, if it were credits he was after, he’d have given a price,’ said Trylia.  ‘No, something’s awfully odd with this witness and I can’t put my lekku on it. He specifically asked to meet with Jedi and that he would tell them his price.’
‘I know his kind.  Very shady,’ said Brenum.  Shadie looked up. ‘Uh, no pun intended.’ Shadie laughed. ‘All I’m saying,’ Brenum continued, after a short pause, ‘is he better not start asking for that holocron in return, ’cause it’s going to get destroyed when Kromus does… for the second time.’
There was a pause.
‘Are you nervous?’ Trylia asked Shadie.
‘Well, no. Well, yes. I mean we’re meeting him at the place we met Vorum and got captured by Lahnius.  I mean, why do all the shady folk on Nar Shaddaa choose that canteen to meet with people.’
‘No, I meant about having to kill Kromus a second time.’
‘Oh, well, at least I can do it the right way this time, for the right reason.  But no, I’m not scared. I did it once. I’ve had good practice.’
‘Coming out of hyperspace,’ announced Brenum.

Continue reading Chapter Two.