BAD NEWS

Thank the salt gods for northern loyalty. Dalla inks a large, black check mark next to House Harkon's name on her list. They were the first to return her request for assistance with just the answer she was hoping for: House Harkon is House Blackwell's oldest ally and they've supported them as long as they can remember. Why would they stop supporting them now?

Now how many ships do the Harkons have? She goes back to her datapad and adds their numbers to her family's own. With a few more houses, they have a fighting force in case Count Dooku changes his mind about those droids. Now it's just a matter of getting the others to work for her.

As if she needs one more thing going on, her comlink rings. She answers it without looking. "Hello?"

"Lady Dalla," a deep male voice replies.

"Just Dalla," She says automatically before remembering she knows that voice. "General Tandin? How did you get this number?"

"Dalla, we have an issue." General Tandin says, sounding like he needs a cup of caf.

"What kind of issue?" She asks, resisting the urge to repeat the question of her comm number.

Tandin answers it anyway. "I got your comm number from your cousin Kason's comlink. That's our problem."

Dalla looks down to the caller's identification. "This isn't Kason's comlink."

"No, it's mine and it would be a good idea to memorize the number or save it in yours."

That doesn't add up. "When you came to Blackhold, Kason was on a fishing trip. How were you with him long enough for him to give you my number?"

"I was apparently with Kason far longer than I thought," he groans. "When I arrived in Blackhold, your cousin Emoth heard what happened on the docks from Cade and contacted Kason. He and his friends turned around, dropped him off at the Hold, and left again without him. They're still on their voyage, which is why your aunt and uncle never realized he was back on land."

Oh no.

"I'm not sure why he did it or how I didn't notice, but while we were talking to Maris Kason stowed away in my cargo hold and I didn't realize until we reached the port in Iziz."

Dalla momentarily drops the comlink and fumbles to catch it again. "He's in Iziz? Is he okay? Put him on the comm!" So I can lay into him good for doing something so dumb.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, Dalla. When we docked, Rash was in the harbor waiting. He expected me to have you on board and wanted to give you a proper welcome." If you could bottle sarcasm, Tandin's could supply a factory. "He heard me arguing with Kason in the hold, assumed it was you, and ordered his droids to board."

Dalla's stomach sinks. "Did he -."

"I told Rash I had taken him as a hostage and since Kason doesn't know the finer points of my trip to the north, he didn't argue."

"Rash has him?" Dalla bleats. This is her worst fear come to life: if Rash has Kason then he can use him as a bargaining chip for her - even her father might cave if Uncle Jamos and Aunt Shara are upset. Or he could kill him to make an example and shake the other houses' resolve; torture him for Blackhold's secrets (not that Kason knows many) to crack the stronghold and drag her south and straight to his bedchamber.

"He does," Tandin says woefully.

"Is he okay?!"

"I checked on him a few minutes ago and he seems fine. Rash was affable at first; he smiled and gave Kason a lesson on guest right while we were in the royal carriage."

"Kason is a noble hostage. Hostages don't get guest right." Be it the north or the south, Onderonian hospitality law is the same.

"Exactly. Rash claimed I'd only kidnapped your cousin so he could act as a representative for House Blackwell to voice your family's grievances over the match. He was polite and answered the boy's questions, but he seemed rather...shocked."

"Aunt Shara," Dalla mumbles. "Kason looks just like Aunt Shara. He could have been Rash's kid if he hadn't been such a frakking-."

"That certainly explains a lot," Tandin cuts her off. "I thought even I couldn't save him after what he did, but Rash seemingly has no intention of hurting him."

"What do you mean, after what he did?"

"I mean that after Kason outlined your many reasons for refusing the match, Rash mentioned he would be willing to call off the betrothal if Kason stayed in the south for a while to learn its ways. Your cousin agreed, thinking the visit was temporary."

"Which it would not be."

"Dalla, I daresay he was trying to groom Kason as an heir and thus wouldn't need you. Later Count Dooku contacted him for a status report, and Rash introduced Kason as his stepson."

Dalla resists the urge to shout every bit of colorful profanity the north has to offer. "He has no right!"

"Kason thought that too. He said 'no way, not after what you did to my mom' and then he flew at the king before anyone could stop him." This time she really does spit one of those profanities and Tandin raps out "Young lady, you are not speaking to a sailor!"

She's about to tell him he's speaking to the lady of the north, but decides it would be a bad idea. "What did he do, try to kill him?"

"Not kill him. He threw himself at the king kicking and punching, trying to do all the damage he could. Got in a few good blows from what I saw."

"You said this was in front of Count Dooku." Dalla feels sick. "He saw the whole thing?"

"You don't need me to tell you being beaten down by a twelve-year-old in front of Count Dooku is extremely embarrassing. When the droids and I pulled him off Rash threw him into a cell. Right now he's in Dendup's prison chambers and Rash has made no move to transfer him to interrogation."

"Oh gods." She sits down hard, her forehead in her free hand. "Oh gods, oh gods - Uncle Jamos and Aunt Shara think he's fishing!"

"Not for much longer. Rash plans to contact your family with his new demands in a few hours. I contacted you directly because I worried your father might be in close proximity with Jamos, and if I'm going to stay here to help Kason their surprise needs to be genuine or Rash will get suspicious."

"Break him out." Dalla orders. "You're a militiaman; you have the access codes. Break him out, bring him north, and I swear by your gods and mine that House Blackwell will make you a wealthy man." What in the universe could Tandin want that Rash can't give him? "Credits, ships, a lordship, a position in our navy - name it, and it's yours."

"Unfortunately that's not something I can do right now."

"Of course you can!"

"Not without exposing my disobedience and completely destroying my honor and family name, and eliminate any chance I have to help Kason in an emergency. One of the other militiamen is already suspicious, and Advisor Okalin asked how hard it could possibly be to kidnap an seventeen-year-old girl." Considering General Tandin could probably bench press her, she's inclined to agree. "And to be completely honest with you, I wouldn't make it out of the palace with Kason before the droids captured us and then it would all be over."

"I understand," Even though she doesn't like it a bit. "Has Rash mentioned his demands?"

"There's really only one - that you marry him by the end of next week. He plans to demand the Blackwell navy as a dowry."

"A dowry?" She sputters uselessly. "We haven't used dowries in centuries. His own family uses bride gifts."

"I believe he has a necklace he plans to give you."

Dalla's throat constricts just thinking about Rash's hands fastening something around her neck. "A necklace I'd sooner use to garotte -."

Tandin goes on like he can't hear her. "Whatever he says, you must stay in the north. The crown has a few ships, but the Blackwell navy can overtake them. It's the safest place."

"What about Kason?" she demands. "How safe is he down south?" Putting Kason in with Dendup can't be a good sign. Everyone knows Rash has no love for his predecessor.

"For now, relatively. When I last saw him, Dendup was talking with him and gave him something from his meal."

"That's reassuring." Dalla can't imagine Dendup gets a lot of food. She wants nothing more than for Tandin to put Kason on the line, but if he's telling the truth - and she can't think of a reason he wouldn't - then it's just too risky. If Kason has to stay put, the less he knows the better. "Thank you for the warning, General Tandin. If you'll excuse me, I have … arrangements to make."

"Stay in the north," Tandin urges and hangs up.

She has to admit, he's thinking ahead. At least Kason has somebody down south who can help him. For now. Didn't he say some others were already suspicious?

She pushes it out of her mind. Right now, she has an emergency on her hands and there's only one way to deal with an emergency of this sort. Dalla stuffs her comlink in her pocket and runs for her father's office. He's good at keeping a stony face no matter what people say to him, so un-surprise hopefully won't raise any alarms. At any rate the lord of Blackhold should have some kind of plan when they get the comm from Iziz.

…

"Father!" she shouts and shoves the door open without knocking. "Father, I just -."

Marlon wordlessly turns from the holotable and his grim mask turns horrified once he sees her. Dalla redirects her attention to the hologram, and her blood goes cold.

Sanjay Rash smiles politely at her. "Lady Dalla. It's a delight to finally meet you."

I'm too late. "My lord," she says stiffly.

"Is this how you conduct negotiations?" Marlon swoops back into the conversation. "You tell me you've kidnapped my nephew and then you flatter my daughter?"

"I'm simply making introductions with my future wife."

Marlon extends an arm in front of Dalla. "She is not your wife."

"For the good of Onderon, and the good of your nephew, she will be. For Kason's safe return, I simply request you accept the betrothal contract. Dalla will be brought south by droid escort to await her wedding. The rest of the family is free to attend if they so wish. You can use the Blackwell navy, which I will take as a dowry."

"Dowry," Dalla scoffs. "You want my father's navy, in exchange for what? A pretty ring?"

"You cousin Kason is my honored guest, my lady," Rash explains, with emphasis on guest. "He is to be the representative for your family if the others don't wish to attend our wedding."

He's covering his bases. It wouldn't bode well for this marriage to be invalid after what happened with him and Aunt Shara.

"Though if you would like a ring, I'm sure that can be arranged." Sure. He can get her one of those rings with poison barbs so she can do him in.

"A bride and a fleet." Marlon challenges. "These are your demands?"

"I have another," Rash preens. "House Blackwell will bend the knee to House Rash. You will renounce your allegiance to all other Houses and declare me your only bannerman and the rightful king in Iziz and in the north."

The Blackwells freeze. House Blackwell hasn't bent the knee since Queen Talia took her throne back from General Vaklu, thousands of years ago.

Blast it, Tandin. Dalla seethes. You didn't tell me this.

But there's no seething from Marlon. He balls his hands into fists and squares off with the holographic king.

"You ask me to abandon the pacts my father made," he growls. "Pacts I swore on my honor to uphold until the day I die." The truth dawns on him. "You want me to renounce the Bonteris so my sailors won't protest when you lead them against their bannermen."

"House Blackwell also swore an oath to serve the crown in all times of strife," Rash reminds them. "Onderon is in peril, and House Blackwell will do its duty when called upon."

"I swore no oath to the serpent banners." Marlon spits. "You call this duty. I call it spitting on the north's honor and redacting my word - and my daughter!" He presses his lips together in a stony line. "Dane Bonteri was twice the man you are. I'd sooner serve his ghost than you."

Rash's eyes grow to the size of Dxun at the lord's sudden outburst.

"Treason," he hisses.

"Aye, I see treason. It's treason to throw your king from his throne. It's treason to hold a boy hostage after you offer him the guest right."

Sanjay Rash's mouth falls open like a fish flopping on a deck for a moment, and then his eyes snap from Marlon and bore into Dalla.

Dalla stares right back like he doesn't scare her, even though she sees every inch of the threat in his eyes.

Marlon does too, and the staredown holds three.

"You want my daughter?" He growls, placing a hand on Dalla's shoulder. "Come and get her."

Thank you to Starwarshobbitfics and MusicKeeper for reviewing the last two chapters. And for more information on heraldry, Onderonian law, or anything else don't forget to check out our forum!