All I've got to say is that I'm sorry for the inactivity.

Chapter 14:

Weeks had passed. Mace had healed quite a bit, but not completely. He and Reach have trained alone each day for hours, preparing for the day they'd come to need it. Rumours had spread throughout the town of a weapon, a battle station in space. It was nearest to Coruscant, a giant planet-looking object made purely of metal. It was said that this battle station was still incomplete, this weapon of the Empire.

Mace often tried to view it when the weather was decent, through the misty clouds of Tantra and into the much colder air of deep space. He could only get small sights of it before clouds covered it, or before it began to snow. He'd shown it to Reach too. They'd talked about the plan and whether or not they should go to this battle station to enlist into the Empire.

They'd come to the conclusion that if they did, they'd probably get killed rather than accepted in. They needed to find a proper Imperial Base on one of the planets, not one floating in the center of the former Republic.

"And what happens if we get sent there after we're enlisted?" He'd asked her.

"Then we do it, because otherwise we'd look suspicious." She'd responded.

The former Jedi Council Member nodded. "Alright, sounds like the safest way to play it."

"It's the only way, Mace." The Jedi Master told him. "You know that as well as I do."

But those weren't the only rumours. Another had spread. Something about the Empire setting up a base on the other side of the planet. Right there, on Tantra. But this rumour had come long after that of the battle station by Coruscant. They'd heard it just mere minutes ago.

"Mace, we should go there." Reach decided.

"I know, but, Reach, think about it. How are we supposed to go to the coldest part of the planet without any gear or armor to keep warm? We'd freeze to death." Mace pointed out.

"Maybe we could wait for them to come to this town." She suggested.

"Perhaps, but by then it may be too late already." He sighed.

"What's your idea then?" She asked in exasperation.

The former Jedi Master looked thoughtful for a moment before saying,"We buy the gear we need- food, armor, everything- and we head out to their base. That's my plan."

"Well, it's better than waiting for them to come here." Reach responded with a sigh. "When do we do it?"

"As soon as possible." Mace answered, standing up from where he sat at the table in the kitchen. "Which is now."

"Are you sure that we can do it, Mace? Do you really think that if we get gear that we can make it?" She asked.

He gave a small, sad smile. "We ought to try it. I believe we can make it. We survived the Jedi Purge, we can survive this."

"I hope you're right." She responded, glancing at him before standing up and taking a blaster from the table, handing him one.

He took it in his metal hand, gazing at it for a second without replying. He wasn't thinking about the blaster, he was thinking about everything they had to lose. They'd lose their lives, possibly the remainder of the Jedi Order, and maybe even destroy the only hope in the galaxy. They had a lot to lose. Yet they had much more to gain if they won. They'd gain the galaxy itself back. They could rebuild the Republic if they won. They had to try it. They had to cross the planet and had to get enlisted into the Empire. It was the only way. They both knew that.

Mace hooked the blaster up to his belt and glanced at her, finally answering. "We have to. It's the only way, Reach."

Reach nodded solemnly, replying quietly. "I know."

He signalled towards the exit with his head. "Let's go get what we need, gear up, and then head out to the base."

"Mace." She stopped him as he was halfway to the door.

He turned towards her, hiding his curiosity as he raised an eyebrow, patiently. "What?"

She waved him back. "Come here for a second."

He obeyed, walking over to stand in front of her, looking down to meet her gaze. She wrapped an arm around his back, the other one pulling the back of his head down so that her lips met his as she went onto the tips of her toes. He wrapped each of his arms around her, one on her shoulders and the other on her lower back. They kissed each other passionately, even as she stumbled and nearly fell. He scooped her up, holding her in his arms and continuing the kiss, even deepening it. Her arms were now holding his chest and shoulders. His were around her shoulders and under her butt as he supported her, holding her against his body. He moved to sit down on the couch so that he didn't have to work as hard to hold her. He sat down, the tension in his legs diminishing immediately. He held her tightly in his firm grip, the warmth of her body comforting his mind and pushing his thoughts away. At ease, he closed his eyes in pleasure of the kiss.

Finally, they had to pull apart to breath. Reach lay against him in his arms, panting as she caught her breath. He leaned back against the couch, filling his lungs with air. After they both caught their breaths, they sat there in silence, him hugging her close to his body.

"I love you." She murmured, making him smile for the first time in a long time.

"I love you too." Mace responded, kissing the top of her head. He went silent for a moment before continuing,"We should go get the gear now."