Star Wars Republic Commando: Knight of Honor ✓

Chapter 51

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

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

Koytc (koh-TEESH): strong

--- --- --- --- ---

Chapter 51

Tarj has exhibited nothing but honest loyalty to the princess. I can see that governments mean nothing to him, only his need to keep her safe. There is almost something deeper in his devotion than merely following orders, but I can't quite grasp it, and I'm certain he would deny anything if I tried asking. He's quite taken with the girl—not romantically—but his connection with her is as true as if they were siblings. I have no doubt that his protection of her does not need to be questioned, and the princess will never be under threat while in his care. Tarj must remain her guardian simply because there is no one else who can be trusted to serve her with that kind of sincere respect and devotion.

Moff Gillard Harkin, sharing his observations with one of his advisors

Tochin Moon III, 73 Days after Order 66

Gillard couldn't believe her unshakable faith in that clone, that sub-human being. He saw how the gates in her eyes locked tighter and the way the blind devotion she had for that flesh droid could not be broken. He wanted to know more than ever how a clone could have won over such devotion from a royal monarch, and his words again reiterated the death of her fantasy. "Highness, you must understand that he's dead, and if he isn't, he has a death target on him. He can never return for you."

"I'll wait," Arlesse breathed, feeling more tears in her eyes that she would not allow to fall while she swallowed down the painful lump in her throat. She would not lose her faith in Jas. He was all she had left, and she was prepared to live the rest of her life believing in his return because it was better than admitting he had broken his promise or had died. In her mind, as long as he was unaccounted for with no proof of death, then she still had a reason to hope he was alive and would one day return.

"If you deny this proposal, I won't be able to protect you," Gillard told her, wondering why he was fighting so hard for her cooperation. It would take less than a day to strip her of her birthright and send her on her way, yet he could not stop trying to convince her otherwise. "Is that really what you want? I'm offering you a chance for a comfortable existence, to remain in the life you've always known."

Arlesse closed her eyes and held in the sobbing tears that threatened to come as she came to realize that this was the punishment Gillard Harkin had devised for her, the punishment for having been related to what the Empire deemed as traitors. He had decided that she had to give up Jas in order to live safely and protected in this new Empire.

Arlesse's eyes suddenly opened as she felt Harkin's hands cup her cheeks gently. She felt like she was watching from outside her body, her heart still roaming the Tochin forests with Jas and Crimson.

"I understand it's a difficult decision," Gillard offered with gentle reassurance. "You loved someone who's gone, and now a complete stranger is willing to share his life with you. If nothing else, consider your people. They will need to depend on your presence as a symbol of everything they had always known, and I want you to remain in a life where you will be cared for and safe."