Star Wars Republic Commando: Knight of Honor ✓

Chapter 65

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

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

Haran (HAH-rahn): hell; Literally: destruction, cosmic annihilation

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Chapter 65

You took an oath to be one of us, and outside distractions lead to sloppiness. If you wanted a normal life, you should have stayed a civilian. Here, we don't have the time or the luxury for courting. Your sole obligation is to the royal family, not finding a mate. If you find you changed your mind and want to live the home life, you tell me up front, and you'll receive an honorable discharge, but you'll forfeit ever being one of us again.

Davi Saun reiterating the relationship policy with newly sworn-in palace guardians

Tochin Moon III, 87 Days after Order 66

Tarj stood guard, prepared to stay behind and sacrifice himself if necessary so that his brothers and Arlesse could get safely free. Tarj had argued with Dusty that if he was going to be captured or killed for deserting, he didn't want Dusty's smart mouth and stupid grin joining him in the prison or the gallows. 

It was enough of a ruse that Dusty relented by saying he was the prettier of the two of them anyway and that Saun was supposed to follow them out to hide the tunnel opening. Then, without any further instructions or teasing, Dusty quickly disappeared into the ground.

Tarj knew it was his turn next, and he didn't totally like the idea of being trapped in a tunnel with few avenues for escape. Still, this was the plan, and Tarj had already tried to think of a new strategy with no success. Dusty and Jas had already run that gambit with the palace guardians they befriended so it was either deal with the tunnel or risk being shot for betrayal to the Empire.

Not bothering to mull over the obvious, Tarj stood before the hole and peered down, taking a deep breath.

"Wait!" a woman's voice called.

It was enough of a distraction that it stopped him from lowering himself toward the opening, and Tarj turned to see Chora Wsau slipping out of the back of the shop. She handed two small flimsi novels to him, practically forcing the objects into his chest.

"Take these for the princess," Chora explained quickly. "She had submitted a request for them, and I just found them in the back inventory."

Before Tarj could do more than stuff the novels into one of his side pouches, Chora had brought her hands to his unmasked face and cupped his cheeks. He felt the calluses of her warm but combat-trained palms and swallowed hard at the cool tickle that rippled down his neck from her touch.

She smiled as she looked at his eyes, and Tarj had never felt so vulnerable before. There was a mesmerizing quality to the moment, as he was able to truly look upon her face and see not a woman in her early thirties, but instead, he saw a female whose attraction was not lost in her years of military service. Although her role as a palace guardian was during a time of peace, Tarj was aware of how she always maintained her skills by practicing basic combat and blaster targeting.