Star Wars Republic Commando: Knight of Honor ✓

Chapter 44

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

Aru'ela (AH-roo-AY-la): hostile, enemy (adj)

Buy'ce (BOO-chay, BOO-shay): helmet; Colloquially: pint, bucket

Dadita (dah-DEE-tah): code used by Mandalorians, like Morse

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

Ni kar'taylir darasuum gar (nee kar-TILE garh dah-RAH-soom): Colloquial: "I love you."

--- --- --- --- --- 

Chapter 44

I'm sorry my first message to you probably isn't what you expected, but we barely had any time before I departed to explain. Because of the nature of my missions, we must be careful in how we communicate so that if my comm. is ever found, your identity remains unknown. First, we must never use our names. These messages will only be between you and me so it would be unnecessary anyway. Second, I cannot go into detail about where I am assigned. Much of what I do is classified, but I will try to share with you what I am permitted. Third, I will teach you more Mando'a so that we can build our own dadita, our own code. Lastly, I have to ask that you please delete this message after you read it. Perhaps I am being overly cautious, but I would just feel safer if you did. Also, before I forget, I realize that you didn't understand 'Ni kar'taylir darasuum gar' means 'I love you.' Stay kotyc.

Private comm. message from RC-1147 "Jas" to Princess Arlesse Psach of Tochin

Tochin Moon III, 38 Days after Order 66

Arlesse nestled herself in her usual place in the garden, under the orchid willow tree and buried herself in the sweet blossoms that hung from the branches. The lavender flowers cascaded down the yellow vine-like branches seeming to cover her in an umbrella of natural yellow and lavender.

She brought forth the special text-only comlink that Mouse had given her over eight months ago, the one that would link her directly to Jas. Her fingers began touching on the small keys, never thinking of writing him as any kind of labor. It was always a gift to be sending him a message because that meant she had received one prior, and it meant Jas was still alive. A couple of weeks ago, Jas' message had told her that he and his brothers were going to a planet he was certain she would find beautiful. He couldn't tell her where exactly he was, though, because of the nature of his missions. This way if anyone did intercept the message, there was no way to pinpoint exactly which planet he was describing because it could very easily be any number of planets in the galaxy. Jas had also told her how much he continued to miss her and that he wanted to be there with her. After that, his messages had grown extremely inconsistent, almost to the point that they had stopped, and even though Arlesse's heart broke every moment they were apart, she needed to write him once more in the hopes that this time he would be able to answer her.

Arlesse let her fingers continue to gently touch the keys, feeling her fear for Jas begin rising again as she thought about how a couple of weeks ago she and Tarj were discussing some of the pranks that he and Crimson had pulled on each other while on Kamino. As Tarj was laughing in his memories of capturing Gath in the net he had made from discarded bodysuits, a message came across his communicator. Arlesse remembered the eerie vision of the man in the black robes, and how his gravelly voice simply uttered three words: "Execute Order 66."