Jedi Knight Talon Oaksmith smiled gently as he enjoyed his cup of tea and read the newest release from The Bard, titled The Tale of Heracles.
It had only been released a few weeks ago, and already Talon could tell that it would soon be considered a masterpiece, just like all the others that the Bard had written so far; Talon couldn't help but snort in amusement at the thought of how those same readers would react were they to learn that the Bard was a Mandalorian teenager.
Thinking of said teenager made Talon sigh slightly, almost breaking his relaxed attitude; Talon had been searching for Killian Farr for nearly a year now and was no closer to capturing the boy than the Hutts were of putting forth one of their race for the Ms. Republic pageant.
Forced to rely on rumor more than anything else, Talon had spent the last year jumping from one planet to the next in a seemingly never-ending quest to track down the nephew of the Mandalore.
Yet, whenever Talon would arrive, all he would find was the devastating aftermath of battle. For the last two months, Killian Farr had been stationed back on Mandalore, forcing Talon to rent a room on a sparsely populated moon near Mandalore, enjoying tea and trying to stay anonymous as he waited for the boy to once again be sent out into battle; Talon was not fool enough to try and capture the boy on his home planet.
Pausing from his reading, Talon took a deep drink of his tea, enjoying the way it slightly burned as it went down his throat; around him, the tavern echoed with laughter and music, and Talon couldn't help but enjoy the tune that was playing, another of the Bard's releases, titled "Shut up and dance with me." Thankfully, this moon was the exception to the rule and had an excellent town attached to it with few criminals; instead, the town's proximity to Mandalore seemed to deter any would-be outlaws and instead became a safe haven for those who simply wanted an easier life.
The fact that most of the moon's wealth came from trade with Mandalore was another reason criminals gave this nameless little rock a wide berth. In fact, the only thing that made this moon worth anything was the ore mined from the nearby mines and traded to Mandalore in exchange for food and other necessities.
As a new song began, Talon turned back to his datapad and picked up where he had left off; he had to admit that Killian was an extraordinary storyteller, and this one was shaping up to be just as good as all the others.
XXXX
Killian couldn't help but grin as he stood in front of the large cake that the servants had prepared for his and Aola's birthday; beside him, the smiling pink Twi'lek eyed the cake with naked greed as their friends and family cheered the two of them. Everyone who had come was dressed simply; no armor was needed here among kin and friends, after all. Killian was dressed in a simple sleeveless white V-neck shirt, with black pants and matching boots; as he stood there awkwardly next to Aola, Killian couldn't help but blush as he noticed more than one female his age (and several far older) staring at him with an appraising eye.
His muscular form, mixed with his long black braid that ended just past his shoulder blades, already made him a handsome catch, but his achievements so far on the battlefield, mixed with his status as 'The Bard, ' made his worth almost as great as that of the Mandalore's son, Alexander.
Aola, like Killian, was also dressed simply, wearing only a dark blue long-sleeve shirt and brown pants that led to a matching pair of boots, while her lekku were wrapped in plain leather. She wasn't as muscular as her brother. Still, her abilities on the battlefield were matched only by her beauty, which was becoming more apparent as the years passed.
More than one boy had made the foolish mistake of trying to become 'more than friends' with Aola Farr, only to be sent running after Argyle or Terra found out and used the idiotic boy as target practice.
"Ah, look at the two of you," Terra said with a smile as she stepped forward and wrapped Killian and Aola in her arms, "You're both all grown up."
"Mom, get off!" Aola laughed in mock-embarrassment.
"Just a little bit longer," Terra whispered, "Let me pretend you're both still my little ones a little bit longer. That you still need me for a few moments more."
"We'll always need you, Mom," Killian whispered back, causing Terra to sniffle once, "No matter how big we get."
"Enough of that, woman!" Argyle said with a loud laugh, echoed by the nearby warriors watching as he approached his two children; as Terra pulled away and quickly wiped her eyes, Argyle slapped a warm hand on each of his children's shoulders.
"Happy Birthday, you two! Sixteen, I can't believe it. Seems like only yesterday you were born, daughter," Argyle said warmly, making Aola duck her head in embarrassment. Turning to Killian, Argyle could not help but smile proudly at the man his son had become,
"And you, my boy. I can't believe how much you've grown! I'll never know how you went from the scrawny little brat to this!"
The hall echoed with laughter at Argyle's words. Killian himself couldn't help but smile back at his father's exuberance as he continued speaking once the laughter had died.
"You've become a man before my very eyes and one that I am very proud to call my own," Argyle said solemnly, his voice echoing throughout the hall as Killian's eyes widened slightly; a moment later, Argyle extended his arm toward his son.
Unwilling to shame himself in front of all these witnesses, Killian quickly blinked away the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as he extended his arm and grabbed Argyle's forearm in the warrior's grip.
An instant later, Argyle pulled Killian into a hug as the warriors around them cheered their throats out.
"Thanks, Dad," Killian whispered softly, "For everything."
"You don't need to say thank you to family, kid," Argyle replied softly back.
"Hey! Where's my hug!" Aola joked, causing several warriors to boo Argyle, causing the Twi'lek to laugh as he released Killian and pulled his daughter into his embrace.
"Of course, I have a hug for you, my little star beam!" Argyle roared, picking up an embarrassed Aola and spinning her around as she yelled at him to put her down; warriors hooted and laughed around the pair.
Finally deciding that enough was enough, Terra reached up and grabbed Argyle by the ear, causing him to drop Aola mercifully to the ground; a moment later, Terra was dragging a groaning Argyle away as the warriors laughed themselves silly.
"Enough of my brother's foolishness!" Lec Farr cried from where he stood nearby, raising his cup into the air; he turned to his niece and nephew and toasted them with a broad smile, "Let us raise a toast to my niece and nephew! True warriors of Mandalore!"
The hall echoed with cheers and raised glasses, and Killian and Aola both bowed respectfully to their uncle as he turned back to the crowd,
"Let the feast begin!"
The hall echoed with laughter and music as the servants brought out tables filled with food while others brought out huge barrels filled with Mandalorian Ale; as Killian grabbed a cup and moved toward one of the barrels, he suddenly found his way blocked by a stunning blonde-haired, blue-eyed female about his age.
"Um…. Hi?" Killian said after a few seconds, causing the girl to snort slightly and making Killian blush.
"Very articulate, Killian Farr," the girl replied in a voice that seemed to sing in Killian's ears, causing a lopsided grin to appear on his face.
"Well, I'm usually much more articulate when not cornered by such a beautiful young lady."
The girl immediately blushed before hiding her mouth behind one hand and beginning a gentle laugh, which made Killian's heart skip a beat.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Killian thought, "And why is this woman having such an effect on me?
A passing servant carrying a tray of drinks stopped next to the two. Killian placed his empty cup onto the tray before taking two drinks with a grateful nod, which the servant returned before stepping away.
Passing the cup to the smiling girl, Killian couldn't help but stare at her as she gratefully took the cup and began to drink; she was pale and, stood only a few inches shorter than Killian and was wearing a light blue blouse with a black pair of pants, and brown boots.
A pair of golden bracelets rested on her wrists with strange symbols engraved on them that Killian couldn't quite make out; her long blonde hair hung to her shoulders, save for a few elegant braids that swayed about her head in beautiful patterns.
"She's so beautiful…" Before giving himself a rough shake, Killian thought, "Okay, seriously? What the hell is going on with me!"
It wasn't that Killian was ignorant of the fairer sex; after all, on more than one occasion, Ben would come and tell Killian, or anyone else that would listen, of his many 'conquests' since Bomodon. But between always being sent to the front line and being brought back to Mandalore only to rest and recover, Killian only had a little experience talking to women outside of war.
"I've been wanting to meet you for quite some time now," the girl said as she finished her drink, "Since the Massacre of Bomodon, yet time and again, circumstances have prevented our meeting."
"Seems a real pity," Killian replied before taking a drink, smiling behind his cup as the girl laughed again.
"Indeed, quite a pity," the girl remarked,
"Forgive me for asking, but you know my name, yet I don't know yours," Killian smirked, "Perhaps we could rectify that?"
"Of course," the girl replied with another dazzling smile, "How rude of me. You must forgive my manners for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Sophia Wren of Clan Wren. It is an honor to meet you."
Killian's eyes widened momentarily as he heard which clan the girl belonged to. For a moment, his mind flashed back to before he had come to this Galaxy and the cartoon that he had loved to watch, which featured Clan Wren on more than one occasion.
Draining the last of his cup, Killian motioned at a passing servant to bring him another to help calm his nerves; his empty cup was soon joined by Sophia's, and both quickly took another drink before moving out of the way of the other partygoers.
"So, why would you want to meet me?" Killian asked with a smirk,
"Who wouldn't?" Sophia smirked, "You're the nephew of the Mandalore and The Bard, responsible for so many wonderful stories. You saved a group of Mandalorians from being captured by the Republic during their Verd'goten. You fought at the battle of Bomodon and have fought in a dozen battles since as a member of Killer Frost."
Killian couldn't help but snort at the nickname the third squad had gotten from the other warriors as a result of the battles they had been involved in since Bomodon; due to their white armor and the ferocity with which they fought, the third squad had soon gained the moniker of 'Killer Frost.'
The nickname had come about after one particularly brutal battle a few months prior, after which, during the celebratory feast, one drunk warrior bragged that Killian and his squad had "Descended on the enemy like a killer frost, leaving nothing behind but devastation."
"Something amusing?" Sophia asked with a raised brow at Killian's reaction,
"Sorry," Killian replied quickly, not wanting to seem rude, "It's just that as clever as our people can be, we really do come up with the dumbest nicknames sometimes."
Sophia snorted at that and was about to reply when Ben, Dani, and Aola decided that was the right time to suddenly appear and interrupt Killian's conversation.
As if to make the situation more embarrassing, the band began to play 'Killer Queen,' causing Killian to groan as a song he had only recited once was suddenly sung in front of over a hundred people. Naturally, some of those people looked over at Killian and tipped their glasses at him in recognition of his song, while Sophia smirked slightly at his discomfort.
"Good thing I'm not on Earth anymore," Killian thought with a snort, "Queen's lawyers would skin me alive!"
"There you are!" Aola cried, "You abandoned me to the mercy of our guests!"
"Sorry," Killian replied sheepishly, "I went to get a drink and made a new friend."
"New friend? Who?" Aola asked in surprise before spotting Sophia standing beside Killian with a shy look on her face. A Chesire Cat grin slowly began to spread across Aola's face before she turned back to her brother with a knowing smile.
"Oh, I see, now," Aola sang, making both Sophia and Killian blush and causing Aola to giggle. Ben watched the show with a bored expression. At the same time, Dani stared at Sophia with an annoyed look, which Killian couldn't figure out.
"I enjoyed our discussion," Sophia said with a smile as she turned back to the still-blushing Killian, "Perhaps we can continue it another time when you're not obligated to entertain party guests."
"I'd like that," Killian replied with a small smile, which was returned by Sophia before she nodded at Aola, turned, and walked away, quickly disappearing into the crowd as Killian and his friends watched.
"About time you started noticing women!" Aola joked, punching Killian on the arm and making Dani scowl further as he began to rub his arm.
"You want to be careful with that one," Dani said softly, making the others turn to her,
"Why's that?" Killian asked as he eyed his friend. Dani wore a sleeveless black blouse and brown pants with too many pockets. As usual, her hair was shaved on the left side and hung loose on her right side, save for a few braids woven into her hair in a sporadic pattern.
"Her mother is the head of Clan Wren," Dani replied with a sneer, "She's a completely ruthless bitch of a woman whose ambition has seen the destruction of a dozen different clans, and the survivors are forced to join and swear loyalty to Clan Wren. It's due to her that Clan Wren has grown to triple its size in only two decades."
"You think she sent her daughter to make nice with me?" Killian asked in confusion, "Why?"
"Sarah Wren is a master manipulator," Ben said, making his friends turn to him; he was dressed in a plain red V-neck shirt and black pants, his bulging muscles making the shirt seem one size smaller than it actually was, "Rumor has it that she and her clan have managed to climb as high as they can, but her ambition still isn't satisfied. Makes sense that she'd try and get in good with the Mandalore by sending her daughter to make nice with his family."
"But if that's the case," Killian replied, "Wouldn't it make more sense for Sophia to target Alexander instead?"
The four of them looked toward where Alexander was sitting, enjoying a conversation with an older warrior as they shared a drink.
"Perhaps she believes it would be easier to get in with the Mandalore's nephew rather than his son," Ben concluded, earning surprised looks from those around him.
"Wow, Ben," Aola joked, "That was surprisingly insightful of you,"
"Oh, shut up!" Before grabbing a cup from a passing servant's plate, Ben joked, "I'm going to grab some more food!"
"Wait for me, you Rancor!" Aola cried in mock outrage as she followed after Ben, "It's my party!"
"She seemed so nice," Killian said softly to Dani as he stared into his drink, "You really think it was all an act?"
Dani bit her lip and seemed to decide what to say for several seconds before finally releasing a sigh,
"I don't know, Killian. Maybe she was being honest, or maybe she was following orders from her mother. All I know is that you should be careful when dealing with Clan Wren. With them, there's always a price."
Seeing her words had put a downcast on her friend, Dani wrapped a warm arm around his shoulder and steered him toward where Ben and Aola were quickly filling their plates with food,
"Come on, let's get something to eat before Ben and your sister render the table empty!" Dani said with a laugh that instantly brightened Kilian's mood; draining his cup, Kilian tossed it toward a servant, causing the old man to gasp with surprise as he tried to catch it before it hit the ground.
"Too right, my dear!" Killian replied with a warm smile that Dani soon returned, "It's my party, and I think we need to have some fun!"
"Oh?" And just what did you have in mind, Killian Farr?" Dani asked coyly,
"Well, my dear," Killian replied with a wink, "That's simple; I challenge you to a drinking contest! The winner gets one request of their choosing. Within reason, of course."
Dani blinked for a moment before an enormous smile began to spread across her face and a blush that Killian didn't understand.
"Oh, you are so on!" Dani said happily, punching Killian softly in the chest. Dani immediately grabbed her friend's hand and pulled him toward where one of the large barrels of ale sat. Grabbing two empty cups, Dani instantly filled them both up before handing one to Killian,
"May the best woman win!"
Rather than reply, Killian immediately began to down his cup as Dani copied; seeing what was happening, warriors began cheering them on, each cheering for their favorite to win as Killian and Dani kept draining and refilling their cups as fast as possible.
"Come on, Bard!" One warrior with short, dirty blonde hair yelled out,
"Beat him, Dani! You can do it!" Aola shouted out, earning a dirty look from Killian, which made the Twi'lek laugh.
Killian didn't know when it had happened. Still, at some point, someone had steered Dani and himself to a nearby table, and Killian had promptly collapsed into the chair in front of it; across from him, Dani had done the same. Ben, it seemed, had been put in charge of keeping the contest going; as he began to slam ale-filled cups in front of the two, people around them cheered and made bets on who the winner would be.
When the cups were emptied, new ones would immediately take their place. Killian was happy to see that Dani was having just as hard a time continuing as he was.
"Come on, boy!" Argyle shouted with glee, "Don't let me down, now!"
"Shouldn't you be discouraging your son from overindulging in alcohol rather than encouraging him?" Terra asked with a slight smirk as Killian drained his fourth cup.
"Oh, don't worry," Argyle replied with a laugh, "The kid's hangover tomorrow will do that!"
As Terra watched her son finish his fifth cup, she couldn't help but smile as she thought of what awaited Kilian tomorrow. It should prove to be quite a life lesson.
xxxx
Several hours later, or so it seemed, Killian and Dani were both incredibly drunk, having both drunk more than anyone thought possible, and yet a winner had still not been decided.
"You might as well just give up…" Dani slurred, "You'll never beat me…!"
"Ha!" Killian slurred, "I'm not even breaking a sweat! You're the one who looks like she's about to pass out!"
"Whaddaya think?" Lec asked Argyle as they watched Ben place a fresh cup in front of the two contestants,
"Next cup," Argyle replied, "They've both hit their limits. Next up will decide it."
Hushed whispers followed Argyle's words as Killian shakily brought his cup to his lips before slowly draining it with a disgusted look on his face; just as he lowered the empty cup to the table, he suddenly felt as if his head weighed ten tons. Before he knew what was happening, Killian found himself lying face-first on the table as men and women around him cheered and booed in equal measure.
Killian barely had time to see Dani's happy smile of victory before darkness consumed his world, and he mercifully passed out. As men and women began to pass one another money, Lec and Argyle could be heard issuing booming sets of laughter as Terra knelt by her son to see if he was alright.
"A fine match! Well done, young lady!" Lec boomed at Dani, making the girl fidget in her seat as the most powerful man on Mandalore stared at her; she was beginning to feel very ill and dearly hoped that she didn't throw up on the leader of her people. She didn't think she would be able to live with the shame.
"Thank you, Lord Mandalore," Dani replied after shakily rising to her feet and offering a respectful bow, which made Lec laugh and shake his head.
"You will not thank me when you awaken tomorrow, my dear. I can promise you that."
Before Dani could ask what he meant, Ben suddenly lifted her out of her chair, causing her to cry out in alarm,
"Ben! What the kriff are you doing! Put me down!"
"You're as drunk as a Hutt!" Ben laughed back as Dani tried in vain to get loose, "All I'm doing is making sure you get to your room safely!"
Laughter echoed from around the hall as Dani continued to struggle and protest. Even as Ben took her out into the hall, her words could still be heard, though she was growing fainter.
Smiling down at her son, Terra looked at Argyle and nodded at him, indicating that she needed his help; with one last chuckle, Argyle stepped forward and helped his wife lift their son out of his chair. Throwing one of his arms over each of their shoulders, Argyle and Terra both dragged Killian out of the hall, to the laughter of those watching.
xxxx
Satele Shan smiled with genuine delight as she read her datapad; Killian had released a new story, and the entirety of the Republic was filled with people talking about it, critiquing it, or otherwise discussing why "The Bard had done it again!"
The story was titled: The Tale of Heracles and was a magnificent story about the trials and tribulations that one lone hero suffered as he searched for peace; that wasn't to say that there weren't some genuinely awful scenes; Satele had almost cried at Heracles' anguish after discovering what the goddess Hera had made the poor man do to his children.
But those sad scenes were minuscule when compared with the heroic adventures that Heracles embarked on to redeem himself. Satele had just begun the battle between the Nemean Lion and Heracles when the bell on her door rang; a moment later, an elderly dark-skinned gentleman entered her chamber, followed by a pale-skinned Zabrak. Both were wearing the traditional robes of the Jedi, and Satele quickly put away her datapad before rising to her feet and offering a respectful bow to the two of them.
"Master Po. Master Teeg," Satele said simply, bowing first to the elderly human and then to the Zabrak.
"Knight Shan," Master Teeg replied softly, "I apologize for interrupting your peace, but a situation has arisen that we must take care of immediately."
"What has happened?" Satele asked at once, her mind running through a thousand different scenarios as she tried to figure out the sad expression on the Zabrak's face.
"It would seem as though the Sith are making a push toward the mid-rim," Master Po replied before his associate could, "And we've received information that their next target is the planet Dathomir."
"Dathomir…?" Satele said in a soft voice, as though she couldn't believe it, "But isn't that planet protected by the witches?"
"Indeed," Master Teeg responded in a harsh voice, "If the Imperials can convince the witches to ally themselves with them, this war may take a far bloodier turn in the future."
"And if they cannot?" Satele asked,
"The Empire will not allow an enemy at their back," Master Poe said simply, leaving what was unsaid to the listener's imagination, "If they cannot convince the witches to ally with them, they'll destroy them. And everyone else on the planet."
"Enough worlds have been burned to the ground because of this filth," Master Teeg spat, forgetting his calm momentarily and surprising the two other Jedi, "No more."
"What are my orders?" Satele asked, instantly slipping into her warrior form, almost effortlessly,
"You are to be placed under the command of Master Durango," Master Po said at once, instantly surprising Satele.
"Master Durango?" She asked, caught off guard by the Master's choice. Jedi Master Durango was a Lannik and, like all his people, was primarily a warrior and a Jedi second. He had won several battles for the Republic, but more than one of those battles had been at significant cost, as the diminutive Jedi master had refused to end the battle so long as a single Imperial remained able to fight.
Many in the council, and even more without, felt that Master Durango was playing far too close to the Dark side with his love of battle. Due to these suspicions, he had been placed on 'administrative leave' for the past six months. Still, the situation seemed so dire that the council had chosen to suspend his 'leave' and immediately put him back into the field.
"Believe me," Master Po replied with a weary sigh, "If the situation were not so dire, I would never have agreed to this."
"Nevertheless," Master Teeg added, "Dathomir MUST NOT fall! If it does, then the whole of the mid-rim will be open to the Empire, and that cannot be allowed to happen."
"It is for that reason that we have decided that you will accompany Master Durango's army, alongside a dozen other Knights and Masters," Master Po continued, as though he had not been interrupted, "Your orders are to hold that planet for as long as possible. Retreat is not an option."
"And if we are overwhelmed?" Satele asked, "If we cannot hold?"
"You will hold," Master Po said simply, "Dathomir must not fall, is that understood?"
"But not at the cost of your life," Master Teeg added, glaring at his associate, "If the situation proves untenable, you are ordered to retreat. The Republic does not need any more martyrs."
Master Po shot Master Teeg a dirty look at that, which was entirely ignored by the Zabrak as Satele nodded at him in obvious relief at the change in her orders.
"Understood, master," Satele said with a bow, "I will begin making preparations immediately."
"Good," Master Teeg replied warmly, "Your ship leaves tomorrow at dawn, so don't be late."
Without another word, both Masters turned on their heels and strode out of Satele's room, leaving her alone with her thoughts; as she slowly sat back down on her bed, she couldn't help but glance at her datapad. It had been years since she had last seen the child named Killian Farr. Ever since she had overheard Master Po bitterly complaining about the fact that the boy was secretly the Bard, Satele couldn't help but wonder what kind of man Killian had grown into. Many of the council, and even those without, believed that Killian was evil and needed to be brought back to the Republic before he could do more damage. Satele, however, was of a different mind, especially when she read his stories; stories so varied and wonderful that she couldn't help but wait impatiently until his next story or song was released into the Galaxy.
It was Killian who had forced Satele to reevaluate the nature of good vs evil, for how could anyone who had made such beautiful tales be evil? As Satele picked up her datapad and began to read again, she couldn't help but hope that Killian would be on this mission as well; she would dearly like to see what kind of man Killian had grown into and whether or not that sweet kid she had let go on that small planet was still there or had been crushed under the boot of war.
xxxx
The following day found Killian and Dani leaning against one another at breakfast, each holding a bucket and trying desperately to make the beating in their heads stop; they received no sympathy from anyone else, especially their parents, who felt as though they had received their just rewards for such foolishness.
"So, you know I won, right?" Dani asked after swallowing down her latest round of puke,
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Killian groaned, "So, what do you want?"
For a few moments, Dani simply stared at Killian, anxiously worrying her lip before shaking her head as a blush appeared on her cheeks,
"I'll think of something, don't worry."
"Can't wait," Killian groaned before ducking his head back into the bucket as his stomach emptied against his will.
As he finally stopped throwing up, Killian saw his parents approaching with mixed emotions stretched across their faces; amusement was mixed with worry and something else that Killian couldn't quite place.
"So? What did we learn?" Terra asked with amusement as she saw the state of her son,
"Alcohol is the devil and should be made illegal," Killian replied, earning laughter from all those listening nearby.
"Now, let's not get hasty," Argyle laughed, "The galaxy would be a far less merry place without alcohol in it!"
"If you say so," Dani groaned before ducking her head back into her bucket to the laughter of those watching.
"We've come to fetch the two of you to a meeting," Terra said with a smirk, "The Mandalore has received a visitor from the Empire."
"Who?" Aola asked, from where she was seated eating her breakfast.
"A Sith," Terra spat, all trace of humor gone, "Apparently, the Emperor wants to take the war further into Republic space, so she's come to ask Lec to give her troops to bolster her own when she attacks the planet."
"And the target?" Ben asked with excitement in his voice that made the others around him frown.
"Dathomir…" Killian replied, remembering the battle from his own history; the others looked at him in surprise, none more so than Terra and Argyle, and for a few minutes, an awkward silence descended on the table before Ben managed to shake it away by asking,
"How the kriff did you know that? Did the Force tell you?"
"Um… yes," Killian replied uneasily as everyone stared at him, "It just popped into my head. Was I right?"
Terra and Argyle exchanged a look before Terra managed to find her voice and replied,
"Um… yes. Yes, you are. Though I would have preferred to keep it a secret a while longer to build the suspense."
"When do we leave?" Alexander asked from where he sat next to Aola, "Mission parameters?"
"All that will be discussed when you meet with Lec and the Sith bitch," Argyle snapped, taking a calming breath afterward and plastering a smile on his face. After a moment of stressful silence, Argyle reached behind his back and pulled out two carefully wrapped items before handing one to Aola and Killian.
"I never got to give these to you last night, but Happy Birthday all the same. These are from your mother and I."
Slowly reaching his arm out while balancing the heavy bucket on his legs, Killian took the present and unwrapped it, his eyes growing wide as he saw what his parents had given him for his birthday.
It was a beautiful dagger that appeared to be made from the canine of some enormous beast; the handle was made of Beskar and had words of Mando'a carved into it, as well as a line of gold that wove around the handle in a delicate pattern. Looking over, Killian could see that Aola had received a twin of his own blade, with the only difference being that hers had a line of silver instead of gold winding around the grip.
"It's beautiful…" Killian whispered, unable to give voice to anything more than that; even his hangover seemed to have disappeared as he looked down at his gift.
"Your mother and I hunted that Krayt Dragon down when we were both your age, a finer battle you'll not find in this Galaxy, I can assure you! Afterward, we fashioned these two daggers from its teeth so that we would always remember it."
Hearing the story behind the dagger, Killian hurriedly tried to give it back, holding it out to Argyle with the handle facing his father.
"I cannot take it if it holds such value!" Killian said at once, immediately copied by Aola, who tried to give her dagger back to her mother; both parents shared a look before gently pushing the blades back to their children.
"It is a gift," Terra replied warmly, "To remind you both of where you come from and allow us to protect you, even when we're not there."
Slowly, Killian looked down at the blade again, and tears began to form in the corners of his eyes, which he quickly blinked away.
"I'll never let it go…" Killian whispered; beside him, Aola quickly shook her head in agreement, her dagger held close to her chest.
"Be sure that you don't," the orange-skinned Twi'lek laughed, "Or I'll make you hunt down another one for me!"
The threat seemed to have its desired result as both Aola and Killian seemed to take their daggers in a death grip as around them, warriors tried to lean in closer to get a better view of the unique weapons that Killian and Aola had just received.
Ben looked like he was about to die of jealousy, while Dani smiled in genuine respect at her two friends for their gift; only Alexander maintained his stoic demeanor.
"Now," Argyle said, transforming in an instant from father to warrior, "The Mandalore is expecting the five of you in thirty minutes, so I think it would be best if you all cleaned yourselves up and got into your armor before then, wouldn't you?"
"You heard the man!" Ben cried at once, picking both Dani and Killian up by the scruff of their necks and quickly dragging the two away to gales of laughter from those watching while the two offered verbal threats of revenge against their large friend.
xxxx
Thirty minutes later, Killian was wobbling involuntarily as he made his way up to his uncle's throne room; beside him, Dani seemed to be equally woozy, and Killian was suddenly glad that at least he had someone with whom to share his misery. Both had their helmets clasped under their arms, and their armor shone like snow. Killian made a mental note to reward the servants for their careful maintenance.
As the elevator doors suddenly sprang open, Killian saw, to his annoyance, that he and Dani were the last ones to arrive; placing a hand on Dani's shoulder, Killian steered the grateful girl to their place at the table as the other warriors stopped talking and stared, some in amusement, others in disgust.
So glad you could join us…" A cold voice hissed, causing Killian to turn his attention to the dark-robed woman standing next to his uncle; she was young, only a few years older than him, and yet stood proud, tall and lithe, with long black hair that hung wild about her head, and almost reminded Killian of Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter movies of his world.
But, as Killian continued to stare, he couldn't help but feel as though he knew her from somewhere. Still, the more Killian tried to figure out where he knew her from, the more the memory seemed to escape him.
After a moment of silence, a grin seemed to stretch over the Sith's features, as though she too knew him and was evaluating Killian based on her own mysterious presumptions.
Taking his place beside Alexander and Aola, Killian stared straight into the Sith's eyes, refusing to be cowed; this seemed the right thing to do as the Sith nodded once before her eyes roamed from him to his teammates.
"So, this is the legendary 'Killer Frost,' is it?" The Sith asked with a sneer, "I expected more, to be honest."
"Watch your tongue, Sith," Lec replied with a growl, "That is my family you speak of…"
"Well, we'll just have to wait and see if they're worthy of such familiarity, won't we?"
Suddenly, a large holographic image of the planet Dathomir appeared in front of everyone. Killian couldn't help but swallow nervously as the table began to echo with different voices as the battle plans began.
"Here we go again…" Killian thought wearily; in his head, the sounds and screams of battle were already making themselves known, and despite himself, Killian felt afraid.
xxxx
Author's Note:
Yup, still alive, and this story is still going. The next chapter will be the battle for Dathomir and perhaps Killian's greatest test against the Sith and the Dark Side as he meets not only Satele Shan but also Jedi Master Talon Oaksmith.