Star Wars Republic Commando: Knight of Honor ✓

Chapter 63

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

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Chapter 63

My men and I are soldiers assigned to Moff Harkin. Politics and civilian troubles aren't our concern, just doing what we're ordered. The clones before us got personal and involved with civilians, and everyone around them had allowed it. We were bred not to make that kind of error, and to ensure that we don't, we keep our distance from anyone who is not authorized to give us orders. If any of my men don't follow this simple instruction, I have no reservations about sending him to be reconditioned.

TK-2857, Moff Harkin's Stormtrooper Captain

Tochin Moon III, 87 Days after Order 66

Arlesse clung to Jas' hand as he slipped her through the small maze of crates that had hidden the back door to the shop. She was reminded of their time together on Hazar's ship and how she had, at that time, simply trusted this nameless soldier. Thinking back on it for a brief moment, she recalled how she blindly followed him out of Hazar's prison cell, holding his hand like the lost child she had been then. She knew at that time that she had no reason to trust this armored man any more than she had to trust Hazar.

 However, all Jas had told her all those months ago was that she was going home, and the sincerity in his voice had created a faith in her like she had never experienced before. She had never imagined that Jas' unofficial promise to keep her safe would be the beginning of shared emotion and that they would grow to be so deeply in love that neither a galaxy's war nor a moff's seduction would prevent them from being together again.

Arlesse felt the fingers on her other hand instinctively brush over the star pendant around her neck. She would swear that the metal radiated heat from the small shell inside it, the only gift that a clone soldier could afford. Just yesterday, the star had felt so cold and foreign, as though she had lost Jas forever, but today the pendant was enveloping her in warmth and protection. Without thought, she squeezed Jas' hand stronger and smiled as his helmet turned to face her.

And then in a matter of a split moment, a new realization struck Arlesse. She didn't think about it until her fingers touched upon her locket, and as her smile faded away, she felt a new emptiness.

"I know I have to leave it all behind," she whispered, her eyes searching for Jas behind that darkened T-visor.

Jas had melted in the reflection of Les'ika's smile, but almost instantly he felt his heart drop to the floor when he saw her smile fade. He suddenly grew worried that Arlesse had developed some kind of regret for her actions earlier by marrying him hastily. It didn't seem likely that she had changed her mind about him, especially not with the emotions that filled her eyes while she looked at him. However, there was no denying that something was deeply troubling her.

Even though she had just confused him considerably, Jas' military training was nagging at him, reminding him that they had no idea what was taking place behind them in the shop. With every passing moment, he feared that Harkin had managed to pry himself away from the guardians and the citizens that had agreed to delay the moff from following Les'ika into the shop.