Chapter 16: Shyra

"So, how are you going to find this missing princess?"

Shyra groaned, and shook her head, she had almost been asleep.

She looked upward, her chin resting on her lover's chest.

Kort looked down on her stroking her neck.

She couldn't deny it, she enjoyed the sensation…

…in fact…she enjoyed everything about this.

"The Force will guide me," she purred, turning her head, and rubbing against his chest.

He smiled.

"Still seems like you are looking for a pebble in an asteroid field. I don't doubt your skill, Shy, but this seems like something even a Jedi is going to have problems with."

"Maybe," she had to agree.

But what choice have I, she wondered.

It has to be done. We need to find Jas' daughter.

She could escape the feeling that something bad was coming, and at the heart of it stood her old rival.

Shyra's eyes narrowed.

Darth Avaryss had been quiet for too long. The fact that she was making moves now…

…they could not afford to wait.

They needed to stop her, now!

The dark lord was up to something.

It fell to her enemies to stop her.

The Resolute was currently in dry dock, they had taken some damage dealing with some slavers off Rishi. It wasn't rare to find such people working in the outer rim, but the number had increased in the years since the rise of the Eternal Throne.

The Zakuul don't care, she recognized, not as long as their tributes are paid, and their home system secure.

Arcann cared only for fealty, the safety of people didn't seem to mean much to him.

Which meant that the Resolute would not be able to stay here for long, the shipyard they were using was small, operated by an independent company, barely big enough to cater to a military vessel, but it was only a matter of time until someone here talked, decided to make a few credits by giving the location of a Republic warship.

Then the Eternal Fleet would come…

They would need to be gone before that happened, as they had every time they stopped for some reason. Miss Beniko claimed they were working on a plan to neutralize Arcann's navy, but so far that had not materialized.

So we run and hide, again.

Shyra almost growled.

She hated the fact that they had to avoid the enemy. The people deserved to know that they were being protected.

That time will come, she thought.

Our time will come.

If she didn't believe that, she wouldn't have joined the alliance.

She shifted slightly in their bunk, trying to get comfortable again, the thought of their many enemies had driven the thought of sleep from her.

Though, she knew she had to at least try and get some rest.

She was leaving in the morning, starting her new mission.

Find Bayla Istillo.

If she succeeded, they would be one step closer to stopping Avaryss once and for all.

She rested her head against Kort's bare chest, he continued to stroke her neck and shoulder.

She sighed.

She couldn't help it.

She had come to love his touch.

"You're early," he said.

She smiled.

"How do you figure?"

"We've done this enough times, Shy. I know the times of your life cycle. The burning isn't for another couple of weeks. Yet, here you are?"

She could hear the concern in his voice. It was the doctor speaking to her now, not her lover.

"Is everything okay?

Considering the state of the galaxy, she thought, everything was far from okay, but if they were just talking about her, her and him.

"Everything is fine," she replied, "This…me coming to you, sharing your bed, it was not about the burning, it wasn't about a biological need."

She looked up at him, her brown eyes filled with both affection, and contentment.

"I chose to be with you tonight because I wanted you. I need you," she nuzzled against him, enjoying the sweet sound of his heartbeat.

"I didn't want to be alone."

Her confession touched him, she sensed that through the Force. Even as that goofy smile she knew so well sprang up on his face.

What she had said wasn't a lie.

She had been tired of darkness.

Love…

…Love was life.

She had been meditating when the desire had come to her. She had been surrounded by darkness, Avaryss, the attack on Staukhause, Arcann, and his eternal fleet…

It had almost overwhelmed her, there was so much against them, so many foes they needed to face.

She had risen without a single thought, went to Kort's quarters. He had opened the door, before he could even say the first words of greetings she pushed him inside, closing the door behind her, pinning him to the wall, and sought his mouth.

After that, everything had been heat, heat and need, they had torn off each other's clothes and fallen into bed, and for a time, there had been nothing in the galaxy but them.

Now that it was done, only now did reason take hold again, in the sweet moment of afterglow, and contentment.

She had shared his bed on and off for almost four years now. At first it had only been about dealing with a biological imperative, a need built into her blood.

Now…it had become more, so much more.

What that was, she couldn't say.

She was still a Jedi, after all.

What did this all mean to a member of the Jedi Order?

They lay together, simply enjoying the warmth, and connection they shared. Part of her wanted to go again, to awaken his passions, and have him take her again.

It would not be so hard, she knew him well, and he knew her. He…

"I love you."

He spoke the words with such conviction, and that conviction radiated out through the Force, only like a slap in the face.

She looked up.

"What?"

He looked down, and gave her a wry smile.

"I love you."

She tried not to show the sense of panic she felt in that moment. She…

She smiled back.

"I know," she answered.

He gave her an arched look.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Her brow furrowed.

What, she wondered.

What more did he want from her.

"You know how I feel," she said, "Does anything more need to be said?"

He didn't answer with words, but he didn't need to.

They had been together a long time. Bound by more than just physical urges.

She knew what he was thinking.

I can't do this, she knew.

Why can't he understand?

On a datapad, Shyra Viel looked like the perfect Jedi candidate. No home world, no family, and no attachments. The order had become her life, its members her people.

Yet, not a single one had helped her with her burning. She was far from the only being in the order that dealt with a mating cycle. Dozens of races had a time when their biological need took hold…

And not one Jedi healer had suggested she find someone for relief, not a single one. They had always told her to simply endure it, that by enduring it, she would become stronger in the Force, by rising above her base needs.

Only Kort had offered her release, and had stayed with her all this time, made sure she had a place to find it. Even if, and when they could not be together physically, he would speak to her, over the holo, sooth her. Even his voice had been enough sometimes. It had given her the strength to get through, and continue on.

I love you.

He had said the words, this man who had given up so much to be with her…

Why was it so damn hard to admit in words what she knew in her heart?

She sighed, and lay against his chest again, but she felt a slight sense of distance between them now.

Her eyes narrowed.

She didn't want that.

"I wish that I could be what you want me to be," she said, "I know what you have given up for me."

"I've given up nothing," he answered.

She frowned.

"I know that is not true. I know that your father has distanced himself from you."

"I distanced myself from him long ago."

"And I know he has remarried, that his young wife has given him another son."

"It had to happen sooner or later."

Shyra growled.

"As a doctor, you know what I am better than most. Genetically, I'm an oddity. I should not have existed if not for Terrog's desire to create me. I'm a person, you proved that to me, but I can't be much more than that."

She only just suppressed a whimper.

There were so many things she could not be.

She was a Jedi Knight, the council could not deny that, Vey had completed her training, but before everything had fallen apart, they had chosen that was the end of her role in the order. They had dismissed all her requests for a Jedi Padawan. The high council had felt that she was not…ready to train a student, and suggested that she should focus on duties.

The order, like her life, seemed to suggest that all she knew would end would her. She could not produce offspring, Kort's tests had confirmed that, her biology was too different to allow reproduction.

Her brow furrowed.

I truly am a race of one.

She would end with her. She could leave the order, marry, play the role of mate and wife, but she could not be a mother, and the council had forbidden her training an apprentice.

Even if she found someone, trained them, they would not be accepted into the order. Vey could, and may have spoken in her defense, but the council still would have dug in its heels and forbade her going forward with the training of any student.

She wanted to say that it wasn't fair. She was a Jedi after all, but given her origins, and what she had come to know with Kort. She had to ask the question…

Did they have a reason?

Was there something wrong with her?

Admitting love, physical love, was a step away from the order…

…but was that really such a bad thing. They had decided she could only go so high.

Without an apprentice, she could never be confirmed as a Jedi Master.

Did they think her unwilling of that title as well?

Her head spun, making her growl.

It was too early for such thoughts, too late in the eve.

She should be resting, but now…

…She was not sure how she was going to find her rest.

"Shyra?"

She looked up again, seeing the concern in Kort's eyes.

"What is wrong?"

Seeing a chance to escape the trap his words had opened up, Shyra took it.

She changed the subject.

"I will be facing Avaryss soon," she said, "I can feel it."

"You said once that you always knew that would come to pass."

She nodded.

"We first met years ago, on the Wreck, a station on the edge of Hutt space."

She shivered.

"That was the first time we crossed blades. I was stronger than her then. I should have ended her life on that station. If I had…if Master Jas had not stopped me…"

"You said she helped you against your creator. That you were able to see his end because of her."

"Yes, but that didn't change anything."

Shyra nuzzled against him, making him resume stroking her neck.

She shuddered.

Yes.

She needed that.

"Kort," she said after a few moments.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

She looked up at him, settling her gaze on his.

"This fight that is coming, between me and Avaryss. It will be the final one, I'm sure. Only one of us will walk away."

"I want your word, when it is over. If…if I don't…"

"You will," he said.

"If I don't. I want you to move on. Find a life, something more…someone…someone more than me."

"That wouldn't be possible."

She glared at him.

"I'm serious."

"And so am I," he said gruffly, 'I know what I want."

"And sometimes even that is taken away," Shyra whimpered then, she couldn't help it.

This was not easy for her.

Then again, it should never have been.

"I want your promise."

"Shy?"

"I can't do what I need to if I don't have it. Unless, I'm sure you will be okay."

The look he gave her, she could see the conflict there, would have felt it, even if she didn't have the Force.

She hated to do it, but what choice was there.

She had envisioned her final duel with Avaryss many times.

In more than a few of those visions she had not walked away.

"Promise me, Kort."

"Shy…I…"

"PROMISE!"

He lowered his eyes, he didn't want to do this, she knew that too.

But…again…it had to be done!

Winning the final duel with Avaryss wasn't the only way she could stop her.

If the witch was too strong, well…

Shyra knew what had to be done.

If she couldn't win, well…

…she could still take the witch with her.

She had felt that possibility again during their brief time on Staukhause, when she had taken that young miner's, mind and will into her own.

The Force had shown her a vision. One that seemed clearer than it ever had before.

She saw herself lying on a beach. She and Avaryss both, they lay entwined in each other's, arms, entwined in death. Their eyes had been open staring blankly at each other.

Avaryss' blade had pierced her heart and lung, yet that had not been the end, she had still had enough strength to tear the Sith's throat out with her teeth.

They had both fallen dead, bloody and broken.

So there, in the light of the coming dawn, they had lain, sisters in death. The tide rolling in over their bodies, and in the distance…a little boy was screaming in terror.

The vision had been unsettling enough, especially the scream at the end. Yet, it seemed more certain now than it ever had before.

We are so close now, witch, she thought.

We're almost at the end of our tale.

Even thinking about that made her shudder. Yet, her eyes remain fixed on Kort.

She needed him to promise.

It was the only way she would have the strength to do what needed to be done.

"I don't want to make that promise," he said.

"Kort?"

"If I do that, it would be too easy for you to accept your death. I won't make it that easy for you Shy. I want you to fight to come back. I NEED to know that you will fight.

The heat of his word, his cold resolve touched her.

How few people in this galaxy cared that much about her to admit that. To most Jedi Master she was just a warrior, a tool to be used to strike against their enemies.

To her lover, she was more.

She always had been.

"I will not throw away my life," she promised, "But I still need to know that if something goes wrong, you are prepared to move on. Mourn me, as you will, but know that I want only for you to be happy, to have the life you deserve, and that you want."

It took him a bit to acknowledge it, but finally, he did just that.

He nodded.

He didn't speak the words, but he at least tried to see things from her perspective.

He was willing to accept that what could happen, might happen, and was brave enough to accept what she was saying.

That acceptance, that bravery, made her smile. It warmed her from her heart always down to her fingers and toes.

She could do what she needed to do now.

He…her lover…understood.

There was no better gift than that.

She kissed him again, kissed him and nuzzled his cheek.

She growled low in the back of her throat, not in anger, but in desire.

He responded to her caress; it awakened the heat within him as well. Kort Antilles was a disciplined man…normally.

Here, in their bed, he could be as animalistic as she…

It was another thing she loved about him.

Yes, she had to admit.

She DID love him.

Why was it so hard to say those words aloud?

Of course, in that moment, there were no words, no thoughts beyond the most base.

Desire…lust…and need!

They gave themselves over to it.

Shyra Viel surrendered herself to the beast inside her, and did so with a sense of abandon…

If things went Avaryss' way, this would likely be the last time.

If so…

…she would make it something she would remember…

…remember…for all time.

IOI

The next day, saw the arrival of the ship, the one in which she would hunt for Jas Dar Bynn's daughters.

Shyra nodded.

It didn't look pretty, sure, but that was the whole point.

There was still a chance they could do this quietly, and that was for the best.

The fewer people who knew about this hunt, the better.

The witch was not without resources, or sources.

To be unknown was now, their greatest defense.

The old boxy freighter was one of several ships the alliance had impounded as it established itself as a power in the galaxy.

The ship, the Amanda Fallow had no alliance markings or registry. Its previous crew and skipper had made their way across the galaxy more than a few times. The ship would be noticed, true, but dismissed just as quickly by those in power.

It was so common that it made other ships look more exotic, which was the whole point.

This mission was not on the books.

It needed to stay that way.

As for her crew, they had been handpicked by Colonel Locke, people the old soldier was sure were on their side.

She took comfort in that.

Locke wanted Avaryss dead as much as Shyra did.

She would not take any chances on making that dream a reality.

The first looked upon her with a smile that nearly went all the way around his head.

"Shyra Viel! What a surprise!"

"Hello Erbba," she answered with a hint of a bow.

"I trust you are ready to get into a bit of trouble?"

Erbba, one of the first Hutts to join the alliance chuckled. Though small for one of his kind, the yellow slug with green eyes and green marking was still quite young, less than a century old Roxy suspected.

He was also hungry for glory. He didn't belong to any of the major clans, his own family having been defeated during one of the clan squabbles on the Hutt home world.

He saw the alliance as a chance to win back a place for himself in the cartel. Even the Hutts respected martial prowess, and if he helped bring down Arcann, he would be greatly honored by his people.

"Ready and willing, Master Jedi," he informed her, "As always, my contacts are yours, they might not be many, but they should get us where we need to go, if our destination is within Hutt space, of course."

"Of course," she agreed.

Locke was of the opinion that Bayla Istillo might be hiding somewhere within Hutt space. Arcann had not come down as hard on them as he had on the Republic and the Sith.

If she was in Hutt space, having Erbba along would be necessary. Bayla was a hunted woman, with a price on her head.

Having a Hutt along might convince fringe types like most of the bounty hunters in the galaxy to back off. Erbba might not be powerful, but he knew how to act like he was.

That was an advantage in itself.

The rest of the crew, two humans, would be of equal value.

Rix Hunt was a student of Galadriel Locke; he had been a fleet trooper that had gone through her commando training program and had emerged as one of her most successful graduates. A plain looking man with brown hair, and an easy demeanor, he could disappear into most crowds on dozens of human controlled worlds.

He was also a skilled sniper, slicer, and had some demolitions training. If Shyra needed to blow something up to cover Bayla's escape to the alliance, Rix could handle it.

He looked at Erbba.

"I'm afraid you are going to have spend the most of the time aft on this journey, big fella. The Fallow wasn't exactly designed with Hutts in mind.

"No need to worry about me, soldier," he responded, I'm perfectly happy to stay in the back out of everyone's way."

Her third crewer gave him a dirty look.

"Just remember Hutt. We are not your servants. We are all alliance soldiers, as are you."

She frowned.

"I trust you can carry your own…weight."

If the Hutt was insulted, he didn't' show it.

He merely laughed; a booming HOO, HOO, HOO!

"You will be grateful for my…weight if we get into a fight, dear Dunc. I'm quite fast for one of my people, as you will see."

The woman, Dunc Joyce snorted.

"We will see about that."

Shyra said nothing at that moment, but knew she would need to speak with Dunc before they reached their first stop.

She could not afford to have friction with her crew.

Things would be tough enough without it.

Joyce had been just as much her pick as she had been Locke's. The two had fought together several times since the Survivors had fallen apart. In fact, she was the one that recruited Shyra into the alliance.

She also had a personal motivation to see Darth Avaryss driven off Bantoon, and why not?

It was Dunc's home world after all.

The woman had been born into an old military family on Bantoon, and it showed. In the early days of the matriarchy, they had used their genetic technology to enhance their soldiers, and thought it had been centuries since those days the results remained.

Dunc was big, almost two meters in height. She was also heavily muscled with broad shoulders and a thick neck. She wore her strawberry blonde hair short, though few would mistake her for a male.

She enjoyed reveling with the soldiers, and had many male admirers both aboard ship, and in the ports, they put into, or so ship rumor said.

She was definitely female, but she was strong enough to fight a Weequay heavy barehanded, and had several times, in this barroom brawl or that one.

She was a hand-to-hand expert, but loved blaster pistols and blades as well, and was lethal with both.

Shyra could not have asked for a better heavy for this mission. She had volunteered immediately when Bayla Istillo's name had been mentioned.

"She is our princess," Dunc had said, "Of course I'm down to rescue her."

Shyra nodded.

They were a good crew, all with skills that would prove useful.

This mission would not fail for lack of trying at least.

She turned to Dunc.

"Are we ready to move out?"

"The gear is all stowed. We are just waiting on our last crewer."

Shyra blinked.

Last crewer?

"Here I am."

Shyra's eyes widened.

No!

Kort Antilles rushed into the hangar, clad in the same brown jumpsuit worn by both Dunc and Rix.

Shyra blinked.

Wha…what?!

Her lover stopped before her, and saluted.

"Medical officer Kort Antilles reporting for duty, Master Jedi."

Shyra was speechless.

Kort…he…he…they…

UGH!

"Get on board, Doc," Dunc said, "Our clearance to leave expires in five."

Shyra's lover nodded, and followed in her wake. Erbba slithered up after them.

Shyra remained behind, staring after him, her eyes wide with shock. She had frozen and stood there unmoving.

"Is everything okay, Master Shyra?" Rix asked her, picking up his bag.

She blinked still trying to process this.

Kort…he wasn't a soldier.

She pointed after him.

"Why?"

The commando shrugged.

"Locke thought it might be a good idea to have a medical officer along. If the princess was injured when we ran into her. Dr. Antilles is familiar with Bann genetic tech apparently even spent a few months on the world. He even patched up Dunc in the past. He was the most qualified."

Shyra nodded.

"I…I guess…but…"

The Amanda Fallow rumbled to life, its repulsors firing up."

Rix gave Shyra a friendly tap on the shoulder.

"Let's move, commander," he said, "Our launch window is closing."

She followed him up the ramp, which hissed closed behind them.

Shyra shook her head. Trying to get it working again.

She had not foreseen this outcome!

Kort was not a soldier. Though he had worked in war zones, he…he couldn't…he…

…he was Kort.

She had always looked at her relationship with him as a separate thing from her life as a Jedi, an escape perhaps.

If he was on board.

After she had left him this morning, after she had kissed him goodbye, she had been grateful.

She would fight hard, as she had promised, try to come back alive, but if that wasn't possible.

She was willing to accept that this ship and crew were expendable. If they died saving Princess Bayla, so be it, but Kort…

He…she…

What am I going to do, she wondered.

What am I going to do?

Now you see the danger of attachments, don't you?

The thought made her growl. It sounded like one of the many teachers she had had back during her youngling days, after Vey and Jas brought her to the Jedi.

Those teachers didn't believe she had it in her to become a Jedi Knight.

She had proved them wrong.

Kort was here. She just needed to accept that.

What am I going to do, she thought.

Simple, the only thing I can do.

She turned with a determined growl.

She was going to find Bayla Istillo, and she was going to trust in the Force.

It is the only thing left to me; she knew.

Trust…in the Force.

Wherever Bayla Istillo was they would find her.

Stay alive princess, she thought.

...Wherever you are.