Seven months after Relsor’s defeat.
Talyc stood trying out his new suit. It looked strange to be dressed so formally. He was used to his armour or casual clothes, not anything this fancy. Fane whistled at him as Knarf kept pouring in the compliments. The ladies were eyeing him as though he were candy in a candy store.
‘I see the way you’re looking at me,’ he said to them.
‘I was just thinking Knarf should dress like that,’ said Shadie.
‘And so should Lian,’ said Nriwe.
‘And I can’t wait to see you both dressed handsomely,’ said Alegna. ‘Oh, but it is a shame.’
‘What’s a shame!’ said Fane.
‘That both of you are spoken for, of course!’ Alegna winked. Talyc shook his head.
‘Well, I’ve asked Lian to officiate and he accepted,’ said Talyc. He turned to Nriwe. ‘Are you certain he doesn’t feel left out? I mean, ceremony at the Crypt and party on Mandalore.’
‘He understands,’ said Nriwe. She walked to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. ‘He’s getting used to it anyway. Thera is going to stay with her father so that I can join you for the after-party. Void is probably going to stay at the Crypt as well. I don’t think he’s much of a party-goer.’
‘You think?’ said Knarf.
‘Lian knows you can’t have all the clans at the Crypt. He’s happy to be able to be a part of your special day in some way.’
‘In some way?’ said Fane. ‘He’s a major part of it!’
Alegna looked at her datapad at then brought her eyes back up. ‘We have developments! A contact of mine on Nar Shaddaa, a dancer, claims that she overheard one of the Hutts discussing with a woman called Maranna via holocall, only audio. Apparently, this woman requires regular maintenance for her ship and picks up supplies from that Hutt’s cargo ships.’
‘This means that if it’s Maranna, then she’s never left her ship,’ said Shadie, ‘and that she probably jumps here and there like Relsor did to remain undetected.’
‘It’s good to know she has contacts with the Hutts,’ said Knarf. ‘Maybe affiliates from earlier in her life? Who knows what her story is.’
‘Yeah, well get this,’ Alegna continued, ‘the Hutt addressed Maranna by her name and told her that her payment was late and that if it didn’t come through, that next time she required anything, he would need her to work for him serving tables or dancing.’
‘I’m guessing she’s going to choose the former,’ said Nriwe. ‘Had I had the choice, I know that’s what I would have chosen, back in the day.”
‘So when do you think she might end up docking at Nar Shaddaa?’ asked Fane.
‘Beats me, could be next week like it could be next year,’ Alegna replied. ‘Should I go there, station myself with my contacts?’
‘No,’ said Talyc, ‘we want you at the wedding. It can wait.’
‘I can inform Storimbu and the others to keep an eye out for a ship arriving near Nar Shaddaa, or one that keeps making hyperspace jumps at random intervals,’ Shadie assured.
‘Let’s not forget it might have stealth capabilities,’ said Fane. ‘Even if our allies have used anti-stealth prototypes, she’s still managed to evade. She’s hiding and she’s good at it.’
‘Does Awgro know about the child?’ asked Alegna.
‘Unfortunately, chances are he does,’ replied Knarf. ‘Storm told us that a few remnant True Sith who decided to leave their former faction and return to Sith Space claim that the other remnant True Sith have joined Awgro. They’re calling themselves the Reformed Sith.’
‘Great,’ said Nriwe, ‘so he probably knows the kid’s Chiss too.’
‘These former True Sith,’ Talyc began, ‘are they allied with the Protectors of the Force?’
‘No, but they divulged some information one night when Storm got them drunk.’ Knarf chuckled.
‘In the holovid,’ said Nriwe, ‘the child Maranna was holding was too big to be a newborn. My guess is it was around one, if not a bit more. A child of a Force-user, a powerful one, if Thera is anything to go by, would develop more quickly than a non-Force-sensitive child. My guess is that child is perhaps two now, probably knows how to walk, how to talk, might even look a bit older.’
‘I’ll let Storimbu know what to look out for,’ said Shadie.
Fane sighed. ‘It’s ironic, isn’t it, how we spent so many years trying to destroy this child’s father, and now we’re trying to protect it? That kid’s going to hate me.’
‘It’s not going to hate you, Fane,’ said Talyc. ‘That child will surely understand. Or at least will later on in its life. You saved the galaxy. You had no other choice. And that child will be a lot safer with us than with Awgro. If Awgro finds the child first, then chances are Maranna and the child will hate you and come after us.’
‘So it’s a race of who can convince the two of them to be an ally first?’ asked Fane.
‘We’re not going to force Maranna or her child to do anything they don’t want,’ Shadie reminded them. ‘I promise. We just want them to know they are being hunted, offer them our protection, but ultimately, if Maranna chooses otherwise, we can’t force her to come with us.’
Fane shook his head. ‘It all worries me.’
‘Well, worry about it later,’ said Knarf, ‘because the two of you have a special day coming up. Focus on that, on your love, on your happiness. We’ll worry about the rest later.’
Fane smiled; he looked so handsome. Talyc was grateful for his friends. He looked at himself again.
‘It’s missing a bit of a Mandalorian touch-up,’ he said, smoothing out the creases in his shirt.
‘Want me to put a blaster mark on it?’ Knarf said chuckling.
‘You know what, that gives me an idea!’
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