CHAPTER SIX
MANDALORE’S HONOR
SIX AND A HALF HOURS FROM RAKATA PRIME
Alana moved quickly down the corridor of deck nine toward the training rooms. She had opened herself completely to the Force, and to the bond she shared with Javen. Emotions she had trained to suppress all of her life were now coursing through her unchecked. Her fists clenched and unclenched as she walked, crew members directing themselves out of her path, sensing that she would brook no interruption. Alana came to a halt outside the training room where the earlier ceremony had taken place and leaned against the wall. Her breaths came in deep gasps as she tried to center herself against the onslaught of emotions pouring through her. She could feel his anger; his hate; his love. She could also hear the loud smashing sounds coming from within the training room. She slammed her hand down on the panel, causing the door to open and she moved into the training room.
Her first sight was of the several destroyed pieces of weight training equipment in several piles, and the sight of another machine tossed almost casually through to the air to smash against the bulkhead with a resounding thud and shatter into five different pieces. Emotions poured from Javen like the ocean waves breaking onto a beach, so powerful that they caused her to shudder. She could feel a rippling of emotions pouring out from him. The anger for having to take life; the hate of Tlon Fett and his followers; the rush of his blood during the short battle, and the satisfaction he felt at their destruction.
Alana could feel the compassion for those innocents he had been unable to save, and the fortitude to lead his people wisely. She could feel the weight of so many on his shoulders, and the decisions he had had to make in the past as well as those he would have to make in the future. She could feel the absolute and unconditional love for Runi that raced unheeded through his body. She could also feel…
Alana’s eyes grew larger as she felt the warmth wash over her like a blanket engulfing her in its warmth. She could feel the absolute and unconditional love… for her. It was his warmth that engulfed her, caressing her spirit. She could feel the power he commanded, yet within that maelstrom of power was a control she had never before witnessed. Just under the edge of that maelstrom of power was a calmness that embraced her in its warmth and serenity, as his turbulent emotions began to subside and once more sink into the calm ocean he projected. At that instant she felt something else, another mind within her head, a mind of clarity and power and love. Her eyes grew even larger when she realized it was Runi’s spirit she felt within her, and the love that poured forth from that spirit for Javen… and for her.
Alana found herself walking forward slowly to where Javen knelt, and settling to the mat in front of him. She looked at his face now, and could feel the ripples disperse into nothing as his face became relaxed and at peace. Javen’s eyes opened to reveal his sapphire colored orbs, and for a fleeting moment, Alana saw his eyes glowing brighter than ever before.
“Javen?” She asked softly.
“Alana you should not have followed me.” He said.
“Why?”
“I—I did not want you to see me like this.” He answered quietly, almost as if he was ashamed.
“You didn’t want me to see who you truly are?” She asked. “But why?”
Javen looked into her jade green eyes and found not disgust or fear as he had suspected, but instead found concern and curiosity.
“You known… you know the history of my people Alana.” Javen spoke. “We are, by our very nature, a war like people. Conflict is in our nature, its part of our existence. There are times when that nature—my nature, clashes with the values I hold as bearer of the Heart of the Guardian. As you have witnessed, it is not a pretty sight.”
“You suppress those emotions?” She asked.
Javen shook his head. “No, I embrace them. To try and deny we have these emotions is the bigger crime in my opinion. I control them; however there are times when I need to vent.”
Alana looked at the smashed machines all around them. “I see your point.” She said. She turned back to face him. “Javen… I felt your emotions. I felt them as if they… as if they were my own.”
Javen nodded. “The bond we share allows us to feel powerful emotions from the other.” He explained. “I—I allowed my control to slip for a short time and you felt what was inside me. I apologize for that.”
Alana reached out tentatively and put her hand over his. “You don’t have to apologize Javen.” She told him.
“I have tried over the years since becoming Mandalore to move my people away from our more war like nature and traditions.” He told her. “I have succeeded in some areas, but I refuse to change what my people are at our core.”
“Walon told me what Tlon Fett would have done had you not defeated him.” Alana said.
Javen nodded. “He has an intense hatred for the Alliance, and for the Jedi, something I have never been able to determine the why for.” He told her. “I have no doubt he would have used all our most recent military and non-military advances in a lost cause against the Alliance.”
“Like the Ion Pulse?” Alana asked.
Javen nodded. “Like the Ion Pulse.” He said. “That weapon is not equipped on all our ships because of the great power drain, and it takes a murderously long time to recharge.”
“Javen… Javen I felt… I felt your love.” Alana said. “For your people… for the Jedi… for Runi…” She looked directly into his eyes. “For me?”
“Does that surprise you?”
“I have felt it Javen.” She said. “Ever since I met you on Ossus I’ve felt something. The way you look at me. Perhaps your control is not as complete as you think.”
Javen nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. “Alana… it is hard to explain… but in that you may be correct.”
“Javen… you don’t know me.” Alana said softly, her eyes dropping from his face to look at the mat. “What I have… what I’ve done.”
Javen smiled. “Don’t I?” He asked, causing her to look back at him. “I’ve been aware of our bond Alana Skywalker since I was sixteen years old. I have had the benefit of Master Tokare’s teachings enabling me to shield my mind from yours. You have not had that training Alana. I’ve felt your emotional highs and lows. Your passions. Your desires.”
Alana’s face turned crimson and she looked away again. “If you have felt that, then you… then you know…”
Javen pulled her chin back up with his hand. “Alana…”
Alana had tears in her eyes now. “After… after my Padawan was killed I felt so much rage… so much anger. I failed her!”
“You did no such thing.” Javen said, stroking her cheek. “Something instigated the conflict you and your Padawan were sent to defuse. The man or woman that killed your Padawan was very well trained, and their only purpose in my opinion was to destabilize the Jedi; more importantly, to destabilize you. Your Padawan never stood a chance. They mutilated her body in an attempt to cripple you, knowing the effect it would have on you. They sought to cripple you, cause doubt and uncertainty.”
“And I played right into their hands!” Alana spat. “I beat myself up for months. I let… I let…”
“The Jedi Council had to see how it was affecting you, yet they did nothing because they did not know how to combat it.” Javen said.
“So they let me continue on the path I was on?” She asked. “Javen… I… do you know what I did? I let… I allowed men to… to take me to bed. I wanted them too. I wanted to rid myself of the pain. I let them use me because I was weak!” She shook her head. “I should have been stronger! Now… now they call me a schutta when they think I can not hear them.”
Javen took her face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. “Alana Skywalker, you are many things… weak is not one of them.” He said. “And the one who calls you a schutta in my presence will lose the ability to speak three seconds afterwards.”
Alana looked at him, her green eyes teary and red. “I… I do believe you mean that.” She said.
“Alana Skywalker I have loved you since I was sixteen years old.” Javen said seeing her eyes widen. “There is nothing I would not do for you. There is only one other woman I know with your strength of character and will.”
“Runi?” She asked.
Javen nodded. “Yes, Runi.” He smiled. “I see you have talked with her.”
Alana nodded, her thoughts going back to her sparring match with Runi, their talk afterwards and the encounter they shared. “She is… she is an intriguing young woman.” She said. “And utterly in love with you.”
Javen nodded. “And I love her just as completely.” He said.
“Then… then how can you say… how can you love me?” Alana asked.
Javen smiled. “That is somewhat more difficult to explain.” He said.
“Javen… how can you love two different people?” Alana asked, feeling somewhat silly asking the question.
“I don’t know.” Javen said. “I love Runi just as utterly and completely as she loves me. I also love you with the same intensity and devotion.” He shook his head. “Explaining it is far more complicated.”
“Runi… Runi told me she holds the part of your heart that is Mandalorian. And that I hold the part of you that is Jedi.” Alana said.
Javen nodded slowly. “Accurate… if a bit lacking in explanation.”
“How can that be?” Alana asked him.
“If I could explain it to you I would.” Javen said. “The only thing…” He stopped looking at her.
“What?” Alana asked.
“The only thing I can do is open our bond. It would allow you to feel what I mean. Perhaps not understand it, but you would feel it.” Javen said.
“I sense a but.” Alana said.
Javen nodded. “If we were to do that, it would open you fully to the bond. There would be no going back. Once it is open, it can not be closed. I can teach you to shield your mind, close off your thoughts from me. But open the bond more than it already is, and we will forever be linked. That is something I’m quite sure the Jedi Council would not want.”
“If we did that… I would understand better?” Alana asked.
Javen nodded. “It would give you an insight. Perhaps not complete understanding, but it would allow you to see things from my point of view. It would allow us to share experiences and emotions, and…”
Alana nodded. “I get it.” She said.
“As I said, I can teach you techniques that would allow you to shut off parts of your mind to me. But it will always be there.” Javen said.
“So… so we’ll always be able to sense the others emotions?” Alana asked.
“That would be part of it, yes.” Javen replied. “From what I understand, it would also allow us to communicate over great distances. We can draw strength from each other, and at times draw on each others power.”
Alana looked at him. “You don’t seem to find the prospect of being bonded to me at all frightening do you?”
Javen didn’t say anything; he simply leaned over and kissed her. He kissed her deeply, her lips moist and soft. He could taste the caffa she had drunk recently, his tongue probing gently, hesitantly.
Alana felt all her senses come alive in that single moment. His lips were soft and warm, and the sensations coursing through her sent a soothing calm spreading to every inch of her body. She felt his tongue probing, searching, and she opened her lips a little further, accepting his advances and meeting his tongue with her own. Her hands went to his arms as their kiss deepened, and an undeniable heat raced through her. Her body felt alive, as every probe of their tongues sent new sensations rippling through her. She squeezed his arms gently, pressing harder against his lips, accepting all he gave her, and urgently wanting more. Alana felt him begin to pull away, but she was immersed in the wondrous feelings the kiss was causing her to experience and she reached up to hold his face, moving closer and deepening their kiss even more. Her heart sang as he reciprocated, his hands leaving her face and reaching for her body, pulling her into his lap, her legs extending out to the sides of his hips. Her long hair fell over her shoulders as he untied the pony tail, and pulled her closer.
After a few more moments, Alana relented and their lips came apart slowly, a small strand of salvia joining their lips for a few seconds. Alana licked her lips slowly before opening her eyes and seeing his sapphire eyes staring back at her, that very strange glow in them back. Alana blinked a few times and smiled shyly.
“Wow.” She said softly.
Javen smiled. “Wow would be insufficient in this case, but it’s a start.” He said.
“Suddenly… suddenly, the thought of being bonded to you doesn’t seem so bad.” She said with a grin.
Javen smiled. “We don’t have to Alana. I know the Jedi Council would not be happy, and your Grandfather might not be pleased either. They…”
Alana kissed him again quickly, but with incredible emotion, and it stopped his words. “What do we have to do?” She asked.
Javen grinned. “Meditate.” He said in reply.
Alana chuckled. “We aren’t… we aren’t exactly in a standard meditation position.” She said. “I could say you are just trying to get closer to me.”
Javen grinned. “I am.” He replied.
Alana put her arms around his shoulders as she settled into a more comfortable position in his lap. “Next time just ask.” She said with a smile.
Javen met her eyes. “You… you might find something you can’t live without.” He said shyly.
Alana kissed him softly. “You might find the same thing.” She whispered.
“I already know that to be true.” He said. He took her hands from his shoulders and placed them on his face, holding his cheeks. He reached up and did the same to her, his large hands seemingly swallowing her face. He brought his forehead to hers. “Are you ready?”
Alana nodded slowly. “Yes.”
MANDALORE’S HONOR
ORBITING RAKATA PRIME
The planet was covered in a world spanning ocean, thousands of islands dotting its bluish surface. The color of the blue varied from place to place, indicating the depths of the massive ocean in certain locations. The planet was smaller than Coruscant, but larger than Ossus in circumference and mass. Its bulk filled the other side of the force field bay door in the starboard launch bay of MANDALORE’s HONOR.
The starboard launch bay held two complete squadrons of the newest Mandalorian starfighter, as well as two squadrons of a heavier starfighter, neither of which anyone had ever seen before.
Named for the Venom lizards on Ordo, the RP-16 Venoms were the newest and most advanced fighter in the Mandalorian Defense Fleet. It was powered by a Novaldex 05z set of power cells that fed power to the 4J4 Fusial thrust engines giving the fighter unmatched maneuverability. The pilot and his astromech droid had six laser cannons firing in a linked state, as well as four proton torpedo launchers, and the most advanced avionics package ever designed by MandalMotors installed. It was a little larger than the latest version of the X-Wing series at 19.4 meters in length, but it’s short stubby wings made it slimmer and it’s MandalMotors Z300R hyperdrive engine gave it hyperspace capability.
The RP-16E Venom fighter/bombers were also a new starfighter for the MDF. Their most advanced heavy star fighter, it was better shielded and carried six of the deadly Mandalorian Viper anti-ship missiles. The 16E had a crew of two, with an astromech droid situated between the pilot and co-pilot.
All around the bay, scattered among the Venoms were half a dozen M21A Krayt Dragon gunships, two of which were being prepared for launch, and this is where Alana stood with Daniel and the others,a cadre of Mandalorian Protectors checking their equipment, all twenty four of them in full armor.