Star Wars Republic Commando: Knight of Honor ✓

Chapter 49

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.

There are no Mandalorian (Mando'a) words in this chapter.

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Chapter 49

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

Arlesse looked up to the overcast sky of the afternoon, expecting the next round of rain to begin any moment. The past two days had brought nothing but gray clouds and intermittent periods of showers. A thunderstorm had rolled through the palace just after dawn, and it had awakened her from her restless sleep, rescuing her from her nightmare of Jas' execution.

Arlesse had hoped that the nightmare wasn't some kind of premonition, but she had begun to fear more for Tarj and herself. As she suspected, the noblemen and women who had accepted Moff Gillard Harkin as their new leader was offered advisory roles in the hierarchy. They were given insignificant assignments, tasks that seemed to give the Empire more means to watch over them than if they had simply just given up their titles to live quietly and unnoticed.

Even though Harkin had made the palace his home, he had kept his distance from Arlesse since the executions that had taken place just over a week ago. He had offered his sympathies for the loss of her family after they were cremated, and he further promised her that he would talk with her in a couple of days after the minor upheavals on Tochin were subdued. The moff explained that there would be many fires to control with the loss of so many respected leaders, but he would not leave her forgotten without any direction for her future.

Arlesse had likewise kept her distance from Gillard Harkin, allowing Tarj to shield her whenever she saw him in passing. She could not see the moff as anything but the man who murdered her family and stole her dreams.

Sitting on an outside bench in the little alcove off the main ballroom balcony, Arlesse had hoped no one would find her here. She had been doing all she could to keep clear of the stormtroopers, and she found their lack of personality more disturbing than protective. She even found their helmets less friendly than the Mandalorian-inspired helmets that the cloned men from the war used to wear.

Arlesse knew she had only one true friend now as Tarj continued to remain loyal to her. He had explained that Harkin ordered him to do so, to be certain she remained safe, especially with the disturbances that had come about on Tochin after the executions. Even though Arlesse was sheltered and sometimes naïve, she knew that Harkin was using Tarj to be his eyes and ears on her life, to learn who she talked with and how she spent her days. However, Arlesse trusted Tarj to be selective on what he reported, and she knew that Tarj would never reveal anything that would compromise her. She understood that Tarj's loyalty had been to Jas, and when he promised his brother that he would protect her, she had no doubt that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.