Author's Notes: Thanks again for everyone who continues to be interested! I thought I was going to have wonderful news to share with all of you, but my little hope of over two years ended in a miscarriage. I think this chapter is good timing despite that tragedy as this part of the story is something positive I need to enjoy right now.

As always, I continue to hope that I am doing justice to the spirit of Star Wars as well as 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.

Disclaimer: I make no money, and I only write about what I enjoy. I own none of Karen Traviss' characters, and I hope she is not too upset that I have borrowed them to help tell the tale. Crimson Squad, the Tochin people, Gan Pohin, Moff Harkin, and anyone else I create are mine. Everything else belongs to George Lucas. All opening chapter quotes are my own design, unless otherwise specified.

Chapter 19

Any member of the royal family that is within consensual age to wed is forbidden to marry a consort born out of the ranks of royalty. There may be only one exception to this law and that is in the rank of a knight. The loyal protector is required to take the sacred vow of duty and honor and must have a definitive understanding of the proceedings during royal court. Before the marriage can be finalized, however, the knight must forfeit active duty in the military establishment in lieu of personal duty to the royal family.
Early Tochin law pertaining to a royal marriage, adopted towards the end of the Ancient Era

Tochin Moon II
787 Days ABG

Crimson moved about the hallways towards the hangar in unusual silence. Normally, Dusty would have made a dozen comments and Mouse would have threatened him with bodily harm by this point. Jas would have laughed and smiled the entire way, adding his remarks to both parties, just to keep from taking sides, and Gath would have had to intercede to keep them from actually doing something stupid.

Jas' silence, however, had bled into the rest of Crimson, and they all realized that he was reshuffling his emotions and mentally restacking his deck of priorities. They each knew that by the time they would be on their way to the next mission, Jas would have pushed Tochin and Les'ika behind him. The longer they lingered on this world, the harder it was for Jas to let go of his emotions for the princess, and now that the time had come for them to begin their deployment, Jas could begin the process of getting on with the reality that his life was nothing more than being an enslaved soldier in the GAR.

The doorway to the hangar loomed before them, and Jas turned his focus to the place where he last saw Les'ika. It seemed a lifetime ago now that she was pulled from his hand and lost in the confusion of that moment. He barely had a glimpse of her wrapped in the king's arms before the duchess beckoned them elsewhere, and all Jas could remember of Les'ika with her father was how a father and daughter's bond could be so extraordinary.

Stepping through the doorway to the hangar, Jas' eyes caught sight of the small Republic transport that was to take Crimson off Tochin and onto whatever clandestine mission they were assigned next. The ship was only slightly larger than a LAAT/i, but it was equipped with a hyperdrive, making it distance-worthy.

Jas felt his thoughts linger away from the ship, knowing that he had done everything he could to ensure Les'ika's safety now that he had received his endex. He had no choice but to follow his next set of orders, and he was certain that Tarj was the best man for the job of protecting Les'ika. He could feel it in his gut that Tarj would ensure no harm would come to her again.

Jas had also decided that he would not make a request of Tarj for further information about Les'ika's life, but he was confident that if he ever wanted to be updated on how she was doing, he had no doubt that Tarj would indulge him with everything from who she married and how many younglings she had. However, Jas didn't want to know any of that. He didn't want or need that kind of distraction. Once the transport was going to lift off Tochin's soil, Jas was going to send this mission into the black abyss of his memories and never think of it again. He would only use his memories of Les'ika's kindness as his means to continue fighting, to know that he was going to save her and others like her. He should be grateful for the moments that she had given him, the moments of something the civilians called romance. However, he knew it would be safest for him to never entertain the idea that he would see her again.

Movement suddenly caught Jas' attention and he pulled his eyes away from the Republic transport only to be struck by the sight of Les'ika trying to maneuver around pallets of supply crates. He watched for a bare moment as her long curls bounced around her shoulders, the tight spirals tamed once again to frame her face rather than look like an unruly tangle. The indigo dress she wore was bordered with a long, sheer overcoat made from a thin material that was fitted to her body, and the light blue color gave a sparkle to her eyes.

Jas realized he was staring when he had to force a breath into his chest. He glanced at his brothers long enough to comprehend that they had turned away from the transport, wanting to take the opportunity to say goodbye to the princess.

Jas swallowed hard, wondering how he could possibly leave Tochin, especially now that everything he had tried to realign with his emotions had exploded out of his mental box, and the thought of trying to start over again with picking up and packing those pieces was just too large of a task to take on right now.

Suddenly an unfamiliar male voice broke out in the hangar, the words more of an annoyed reprimand than a concern. "Highness, this is no place for you."

Jas pulled his attention away from himself and looked over to Les'ika, watching as she had stopped short in her movements. Near her ankles, the bottom hem of her dark blue dress had caught on the corner of one of the crates, and she gave the impression of being in a hurry, as she started to tug the fabric gently trying to pull it free.

The older guard, the one who had chastised the princess, moved towards Les'ika and put a hand out to stop her from pulling on her skirt. Jas noted that this guard's dark green uniform was tight around his midsection and his lack of action was obvious in the pristine appearance of the clothing he wore. His short, dark hair framed his serious face, and he gave the impression that he didn't have time to be bothered looking after some inquisitive royal who decided to make an adventure in the hangar.

Arlesse briefly looked to the guard, but her attention quickly returned to Crimson, as she realized that they were no longer progressing towards the transport ship but was moving towards her. Ignoring the guard's hand, she pulled once again on the skirt and heard the sound of it tear, but she wasn't concerned with the small gash in the fabric. Glad to be free, she started again towards Crimson, only to be stopped by another of the guards.

"Please, Highness," a middle-aged woman said, gently trying to restrain Arlesse by grasping her upper arm. This guard was dressed the same as her older counterpart, again the uniform showing little to no use other than a means of rank. The woman's straight brown hair was tucked neatly into a bun on the back of her head, and her blue eyes bore into Arlesse like some kind of scolding mother. "You've damaged your clothing. You father would not approve of you wandering here."

Arlesse tried to pull her arm free, growing increasingly frustrated. "My father knows I'm here. Please, I have to…"

"Let's get you somewhere safe," the woman smiled patronizingly, ignoring the princess' protest.

"You don't understand…" Arlesse tried again, feeling that everything was crumbling around her, and she couldn't grasp the pieces without dropping more of them.

Jas felt like he was stuck in some kind of thick fog as couldn't move fast enough, and his fists instinctively clenched at how they treated Les'ika like she was nothing more than a child who needed to be herded back to within the enclosure that they used to keep her safe. He opened his mouth to tell them all to stop and back away from her when Dusty suddenly stepped ahead of him.

"With all due respect, Ma'am," Dusty said, smiling like some kind of military propaganda poster boy as he walked confidently up to the guard. Charismatic charm exuded off the cloned soldier as he spoke, his words accompanied by an innocent grin and a twinkle in his eye. It was a tactic that Jas knew he had no ability to pull off, yet he watched in surprised awe as Dusty nailed it flawlessly. "We'd like the opportunity to wish your princess a fond farewell before we embark on our next mission. We would be honored if you could spare us just a few minutes to graciously thank this fine noble woman for the opportunity we had to rescue her."

The guard eyed Crimson, seeming to decide if it was something she should allow, and after a moment, she smiled with a strange blush as Dusty winked at her. Relaxing her grasp on Arlesse, the guard decided to let the princess continue on her way towards the Republic soldiers.

Dusty looked down at Les'ika and gave the top of her head a little ruffle with his fingers. "That's better. I didn't recognize you all cleaned up and royal. At least with the gash in your dress and your hair unkempt, you're the girl I'm used to rescuing."

Arlesse smiled with an embarrassed blush and touched a hand to her hair, trying to move some of the curls back to where they belonged but gave up when she realized she couldn't do so without a reflective panel. "Do you really have to go? Is there any way to…"

"Not our choice," Mouse interrupted quietly with a shrug. "Orders."

Gath smiled, allowing regret to show in his eyes because they couldn't stay on Tochin, and he was glad that Jas had recommended Tarj remain here in their place. He could see that the princess would need the support of someone like Tarj who wouldn't treat her like a helpless child. "There's a war that needs us."

"I wish there wasn't," Arlesse said softly.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be here much longer anyway," Dusty said, ruffling Les'ika's hair again and giving a glare at the guards as he dropped his voice for a moment. "I'd be too inclined to shoot everyone."

Arlesse tried not to laugh as she followed Dusty's eyes. "They don't mean any real harm. They just know no other way…"

"Tarj will teach them other ways," Mouse interrupted with that mischievous but playful glint in his eyes when Les'ika's words didn't really finish.

Gath nodded his head to his brothers, silently advising them that it was time to go, and he decided that it would be best to give Jas some privacy with Les'ika before it was too late. "Come on, vode, we need to check in with the pilot."

Putting a hand on Jas' shoulder and making his words nearly inaudible, Gath told him in Mando'a that he couldn't stall their departure forever, but he would do what he could to give Jas a few extra minutes.

Jas didn't waste the opportunity Gath was offering, and he began to close the gap between Les'ika and himself, pausing once to look back at his brothers. He saw that they had already caught up with the clone pilot in the hangar and were conversing with him. Turning his attention back to Les'ika, Jas had a million questions and a thousands words he wanted to say all at once. His emotions begged for him to pull Les'ika into his arms and hold her, and all he could think about was pressing his lips on hers.

"My father said we can be together," Arlesse said quickly, making herself say what needed to be said before there was no more time to do so. "There's an ancient law no one uses anymore because there has been no need in centuries, but the law is still valid."

Jas felt like someone had just kicked him in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs. He was still trying to comprehend that Les'ika was actually standing before him again, and now he was entirely confused at the concept of being able to legally prolong his time with her.

Arlesse took a couple more steps towards Jas and stopped when she was within arms' length of him. She shook her head, thinking that maybe Jas didn't understand what she was trying to say so she began explaining it again in a calmer tone. "My father spoke with me this morning. He said if you vow to be my knight, we can be together."

Holding the braid her father had cut off her head, Arlesse looked at it and tried to explain the law the way her father had told it to her just before she ran out of the garden. "Nobles are restricted as to who they can marry, but Papa said that centuries ago, a duchess had challenged that law when she chose a knight for her companion. In her time, she used the argument that knights were exposed regularly to the etiquette and knowledge that occurs in royal court. Because of this, knights were not only protectors back then but were believed to have an understanding of the functions of a monarchy."

Taking another daring step closer and smiling with hope, she finished, "No one ever removed the law from our doctrine so it's still valid. For us to be together, all you have to do is vow to be my knight."

Jas felt his blood suddenly run cold as it seemed to have stopped pumping through his body, causing a sickening chill in him, and it pained him to have to reject Les'ika. He didn't want to leave her, and the thought of her offering him her companionship wasn't something he ever expected he would have in his predestined life. Unfortunately, he was a clone, a being cursed to a shortened existence, either because he'd die in war or because his body's accelerated aging would just force him to die too quickly.

Feeling his voice break, he told her sadly, "I can't. I'm obligated in duty to the Republic, and it would be considered desertion and betrayal to the Republic if I stayed here when I am ordered elsewhere."

Arlesse risked another step towards Jas, closing the gap between them, and she raised her hand to his arm. She could see in his eyes how his own words stung him, and she remembered the stories of her childhood, the tales of valiant guardians and noble heroes. A wild thought occurred to her, and she dared to offer him such a bold idea. "Knights are known to go on long quests. Think of your duty to the Republic as a quest you need to fulfill, and when the war is over, we can then be together."

Jas glanced at her small hand upon his armor, her touch not an invasion but a comfort and a need. He briefly wondered if the war would end in enough time for him to ever be with her before he's too old. "What if the war takes years?"

"I'd wait for you," she told him softly. "But, I can't force you to do this, Jas. It has to be your choice, your decision."

Jas took a deep breath and brought one of his hands to the one she had placed on his armor. He gently took hold of her fingers, absorbed in the petite size of them, still amazed by their vast differences. As he looked into her eyes, he felt lost at the concept that she offered her companionship to him and was allowing him to make a choice. He wondered if he would ever meet any other woman who would dare to be so fond of him, and the more he thought about it, the more he was certain that he would be a di'kut to walk away from the life Les'ika wanted to share with him.

"What if I never return?" he asked, his fingers grasping hers tighter. He couldn't imagine letting her go now, not after he finally touched her again. However, he needed to understand what his absence would cause for her, especially if it would be permanent.

Arlesse took a heavy breath, caught between the joy of Jas' touch and the fear that he would not be able to promise her what she hoped he could. "Without proof of your death or disloyalty, I am to assume until I die that you will return."

Jas thought of the clone trooper from Hazar's ship who had never been identified, and if that happened to him, Les'ika would be doomed for the rest of her life waiting for someone who would never return. He shook his head now and looked at their entwined fingers, knowing he had to let her go but was unable to release his hand from her. "I can't do that to you. You deserve better than me."

Arlesse didn't try to hold back any longer the observations her father had made. The words just escaped her, and she saw no reason not to say them. "Jas, I don't need a lifetime with you to understand what I feel…" she paused long enough to allow the tidal wave of emotion to wash over her and let herself drown in the brown infinity of his eyes. "I'm in love with you. There's no one else I want to spend my life with."

Jas felt the chill in his body suddenly warm his chest, sparking into an inferno. Words he never entertained in his wildest daydreams were honestly told to him by a woman far beyond any kind of societal ranking that he would ever imagine knowing. Jas knew he was never supposed to be anything more than a man used to fight a war that wasn't his and now he had a princess – a royal-born woman of all people – declaring her love for him. What kind of man would he be to walk away from her and what she wanted to share with him?

Jas was vaguely aware that with every exchange of their conversation, the gap that was between them continued to close tighter. However, the part of him that was a soldier spoke, still trying to make sense in the absurdity of them being together. "I'll die before you're even old."

"I'll take twenty years of happiness, if that's all you can give," she told him softly, seeing the turmoil in his eyes as he fought against the restraints of his duty. "You can't tell me you don't feel the same."

This time Jas closed his eyes and took a deep breath wondering how she could fall in love with a cursed man like him. He couldn't even give her a full lifetime, and he was enslaved to the obligations of a solider in the Republic Army. However, his hand moved on instinct and reached forward, cupping her cheek. He felt his gloved fingers gently comb into her unknotted, but coiled hair. He leaned his forehead onto hers, his voice quiet. "Les'ika, it would be wrong of me to make you wait, just to share a fraction of our lives together."

Arlesse melted into Jas' touch, words eluding her, as she only wanted to remember every moment she ever shared with him. She felt the heat of his breath as it passed over her lips, and she closed her eyes waiting for him to close that gap. She held her breath in expectation of the final kiss they would share before he would walk out of her life forever, a soldier driven by his sense of duty, leaving behind forever a princess that was destined to live in the shadows.

For a long moment, Jas thought about everything – everything from how they met in a mercenary's prison cell to the journey they shared in Tochin's forest that had led them to where they are now. He thought about her being forced into a relationship with someone who would never respect her or give her the compassionate affection she deserved, and he understood Duchess Janelle's words about Les'ika needing someone who will teach her everything while being able to protect her. It now made so much sense to him, Janelle's riddle so very clearly showing him why she interrogated him in the manner that she had. Last night, the duchess had provided Jas with the expectations that Vollan and she had for any suitor who dared to pursue Les'ika.

Understanding so much more than he ever dared to in such a monarchial society, Jas sympathized with Les'ika's preference to be alone for the rest of her life, waiting for a man who might not ever return rather than give her affections to someone who would never see her as anything more than some pawn to be used as a means to access a higher ranking in the royal society.

No longer able to fight his attraction for this complex young woman, Jas could not stop himself and finally gave in to that consuming need he had for her. He allowed his lips to take hers and suddenly heard commotion around him as the guards had begun verbalizing their concerns that the princess needed to be escorted out of the hangar right away. However, that distraction was quickly followed by an accent that mirrored Jas' own.

Jas pulled back from Les'ika, catching the sight of the familiar green and white armor of his brother intervening between the guards and him. He saw Tarj give a quick salute, a silent signal that he would keep the guards at bay for them and that he had already taken on his duty to protect Les'ika.

Dropping his attention back to Les'ika again, Jas wondered how he would cope with not being able to see her or touch her while he was deployed, but he would be damned now if he allowed himself to get killed and not return to her. Not realizing just how buried he was in his thoughts, he made no resistance when Les'ika leaned up to him and continued the kiss he had broken off, pressing her lips to his, unconcerned with who might be watching them or what repercussions she might receive because of the emotions that they shared.

After a few moments, though, Jas gently released her lips and pulled back to study Les'ika and the symmetry of her face that he thought was so attractive about her. He knew now what choice he had to make, and he knew that she was the only woman in the galaxy for him. Why she wanted to be with a clone who aged too quickly to enjoy life, he didn't care. He knew what he saw in her eyes when she looked at him, and there was no one else who would ever give him that kind of compassion.

"I don't want to leave you, Les'ika," he breathed softly, finally putting into words the emotions he had been feeling for the past couple days. "I would die for you and not because of orders but because of my own choosing. I want to be your knight, but I have no choice, and I must leave for now."

Cupping her face with both his hands, Jas buried himself in her blue irises, finding everything about her that made him unable to walk away and forget her. "Les'ika, I swear that I will come back to you."

Arlesse trembled at the depth of his words and the truth she saw in his eyes. She knew there was no other man who would ever feel this strongly for her. She could clearly see that he would come back for her to protect her and die for her if he needed to do so. His emotions for her showed clearly though his dark irises, seeing her for more than just the invisible title that hovered above her. She knew she was right to choose Jas and as she felt the braid in her hand, she remembered the purpose it would provide in their lives.

Bringing forth the small, woven lock of her hair, the lock that her father had cut from her head only a short time ago as part of his acceptance of her suitor, Arlesse kept her eyes locked with Jas' brown eyes. "Traditionally, a braid of hair is the gift a noblewoman gives to her suitor as a promise that she will remain faithful and wait for his return."

Out of the speakers on Jas' helmet, they heard Dusty's voice and Jas had nearly forgotten that he had the piece of equipment attached to his hip on an open channel. "You need to speed it up, ner vod. Gath is running out of excuses."

Arlesse took a soft breath, allowing herself to drown one last time in his dark irises while she took one of Jas' hands from her face and placed the braid in it. "We don't have time to make our words any more official so I accept your promise and take you as my knight. In return, I am your devoted lady-in-waiting."

Jas collected the lock of hair and released her as he started to reach for his buy'ce. However, Les'ika was quicker and grabbed his hand again before he unclipped the helmet from his belt.

"You are required to give me something as a promise that you will remain faithful to me until you return, just as I have. Without such a token, another suitor could contest my loyalty to you or make a proposal to my father in your absence."

Jas tried to think what he could possibly offer her. He had nothing and owned nothing. Everything he ever wore or carried was standard issue from the GAR, and he wondered how he was supposed to give her what he didn't own. Precious seconds were ticking quickly away, and Jas mentally inventoried his kit as well as the compartments on his armor that were used for storing things.

Suddenly, inspiration struck as Jas remembered he never empted out one of his belt pouches. Jas put her braid in an empty pouch on his belt while he pulled open another one. Bringing his hand forward, he carefully laid in her palm one of the violet shells he had found in the cavern by the lake where they shared their first kiss.

"I don't own anything, and I can't offer you something that you deserve," he said.

Arlessse looked to the small token and gasped softly. "Jas, where did you find this?"

"In the cave by the lake," he answered, concerned that he had done something wrong. "I thought we might have needed them for bartering if we ever reached a town. They look expensive."

Her blue eyes came to his brown irises, and she shook her head smiling while she reached behind her neck and loosened the necklace of the seven-pointed star. "Value-wise, it's worthless, nothing more than a pebble on a beach. But, to me, it's everything. This tiny shell holds more than it was ever meant to."

When Arlesse opened the star, Jas once again saw the images of her mother and the letter from when she left Les'ika. He didn't speak any more of the locket and the contents it held because as far as he was concerned, she had shared that part of her with him already. Instead, he watched silently as Arlesse set the violet shell in the locket and put it back around her neck.

"As far as the pilot and anyone not of the Reject Squad is concerned, you're saying goodbye to her permanently, and I'm trying to convince you that you need to get your shebs onto the ship," Mouse said after he silently stepped toward the two of them. His hand, however, came before him, and in it was the pair of comlinks he had finished refurbishing just the night before. The angle he stood at had hidden the transaction, not allowing anyone else in the hangar to notice his contribution to his brother's insanity. "Use these to keep in contact…privately."

Jas understood the tone of Mouse's voice, and he nodded in thanks recalling how Mouse had reworked the two comlinks, so the devices would be on an old, secure line. Jas knew that this would allow the two of them to communicate without their signal getting sliced.

Both Jas and Arlesse each took one of the comlinks. Jas stuffed his into the pouch on his belt with the braid. He was going to find safe places to store the tokens as soon as they lifted off.

Mouse disappeared just as silently as he had appeared, and Dusty's voice again came over Jas' helmet speaker. "Shab! Did you marry her or what?"

"I need to go," Jas sighed sadly. He took a quick look over his shoulder and saw that Dusty had his helmet on and was sending his question over the helmet's private channel. Gath and the others had started to step onto the transport. Jas knew that time had expired, and he could not delay his next mission any longer.

"Tarj will protect you for now," he told her quickly. "But, I'll be back. I promise."

Arlesse started to take a step back, to let Jas know that she was able to let him go for now. However, Jas was quicker as he pulled her against him unexpectedly and kissed her strongly. His hands gently held Les'ika captive to him, daring to prolong the moment, as he knew it was the last contact he would have with her for an extended amount of time, and he dreaded the thought that he may never see her again.

"Five seconds, ner vod, or you're classified as a deserter." Gath's voice was serious, with an urgency that he could not delay their departure any longer.

Arlesse brought one of her hands to Jas' chin and with regret she gently pushed him back, breaking the kiss that she longed to finish one day. The last thing she wanted to have happen right now was to see Jas punished because of her, especially after she saw what had nearly happened to Dusty in the forest.

Arlesse's words were hushed with breathlessness, her voice soft. "Jas, go."

"Ni kar'taylir darasuum gar," Jas whispered to her. Then, he set his buy'ce on his head while he was in the midst of turning from a confused Les'ika and running towards his brothers. As he tried to climb onboard the transport, the vehicle began lifting off the ground. He reached his arm up and found another arm gripping his forearm, helping to haul him into the craft.

Looking back at Les'ika once more, Jas saw her fingers graze over the pendant around her neck, and he knew he was a part of her now. The grip on his arm never lessened and Jas turned to see which of his brothers was holding onto him, as he was preparing to argue that he had no intentions to jump ship, literally.

Realizing that it was Gath, Jas wasn't certain what to expect, other than the usual complaint and lecture about bending rules. However, his brother surprised him by making a solemn pact. "You're coming back to her, ner vod, and I'll personally see to it that you do."

Jas didn't know what to say by Gath's unexpected gesture and as he turned once again to try and find Les'ika in the hangar, the transport's doors closed around them.

"Vor entye," Jas said looking at his brother once more and releasing his hand. He could only thank him for finally understanding. Then, Jas reached into the pouch on his belt, pulling out the comlink, hurrying to send a message to Les'ika before he was involved in a mission briefing and wouldn't have time to explain the things he needed to tell her.