Star Wars Republic Commando: Knight of Honor ✓

Chapter 30

Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

As always, I continue to hope that I am doing justice to the spirit of Star Wars as well the respective authors and characters from which I borrow. Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

Mandalorian (Mando'a) words

Kandosii (Kan-DOH-see): Nice one! Wicked! Well done!

Koytc (koh-TEESH): strong

Ika (EE-kah): diminutive suffix written as 'ika - also added to a name as a very familiar or childhood form, e.g, Ord'ika - Little Ordo

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Chapter 30

As a child, Arlesse used to carry around a heavy-bound flimsi novel that contained a collection of fantasy legends. She read that novel faithfully, even though the flimsi pages were falling out of the bindings and the pictures had faded. I got her a new novel to replace the one in disrepair, but she told me that the new flimsi didn't read the same. At first, I thought she meant that the printers had reworded the stories and changed some of the text, but when I compared the flimsies, they were exactly the same. I was baffled by what she said, and I didn't understand it then, but at some point I finally figured it out. Arlesse had so much of her childhood embedded in that old novel that to remove it from her collection would erase the comfort those stories initially gave her. The new flimsi remained unread on the shelf in her room, but the old one was devotedly left in plain sight. As she grew older, I would occasionally see her run her fingers through the pages, and memories of her younger days would pass through her eyes.

King Vollan Psach, recalling a memory of his daughter while preparing the speeches for her memorial service

Tochin Moon III, 786 Days ABG  

"You're certain we're safe out here?" the Koorivian CIS commander asked, skepticism and distrust clearly evident in her deep voice.

"These woods are abandoned, Commander Gunna," Zech responded. "Eons ago, the natives migrated to the land where the towns now exist. These trails were once used for equine outings, but the farm where they were kept had burned to the ground about six years ago, and the trails had closed down shortly afterward."

"And you're certain that no one decided to take over the farm?" the CIS commander asked, uncertainty clearly evident in her voice.

"Looking for a retirement?" Zech offered with quick sarcasm, as though he was in a hurry to get back on topic.

"Just being cautious, Baron," the Koorivian replied, changing the subject now to the task at hand. "Have you heard anything else to confirm the girl's demise?"

Zech paused, and a trickle of regret began to enter into his voice. "She's a princess, not just some common..."

"And you said nobody would miss her, that she's useless..."

"I also said she was harmless, Gunna. You promised me that she would be safe."

"I promised you that Hazar could behave as long as he continued to receive adequate payments. I forewarned you to keep him on his credit leash, and I even threw a clone trooper his way to keep him distracted from her."

Jas swallowed hard, knowing now who was ultimately responsible for bringing one of his brethren to the hands of Hazar. He quickly looked to Les'ika and saw her hands over her mouth, but her trembling was no longer solely from fright. He saw the anger in her eyes at the way these two beings were talking about her and the murdered clone trooper. Silently, Jas put his hand on her shoulder and felt her tension ease slightly.