Knight & Warrior Ch. 00

Prologue

Joran Karn hurtled into the atmosphere in answer to the distress call he'd received from Tattoine's surface. He'd been called everything from a maverick to a heretic by his Jedi colleagues, and though he was a full Knight, had no padawan. He wore his hair longer than the current fashion, but didn't give a damn. He did his job, and he did it well. He kept civilization safe, thus ensuring peace. His shoulder length black hair was tied back in a short tail that kept it from getting in his eyes, which were ice blue. his Defender class frigate was empty of life except for himself, and when he'd first had it issued to him, had shakrn his head at the opulence of it.

"Kssshhhhh This is..ksssshhh requesting assistance from any nearby.. kssssshhhhhh please respond. Surrounded by... ksssssshhhhhhh at coordinates 714 by 318... Please respond immediately!"

The distress call had been repeated several times, and even though he recognized the Imperial accent, he was determined to see what was going on. If the Imp was surrounded by Republic soldiers, he would aid his comrades. If not, well.. that remained to be seen. Landing control hailed him.

"Anchorhead landing control to Remnant of Justice. You are clear to land in docking bay two. Welcome, Master Jedi." Came the voice over the com.

"Negative, Anchorhead. I will be responding directly to a distress call, and I don't have time to clear customs. I'll pay the fines later." Joran cut the com before they could reply.

He punched the coordinates into his nav computer and followed the flight path it called up for him. He landed 500 meters from the distress signal and was sprinting down the boarding ramp as soon as it started opening. He shot towards the coordinates at uncanny speed, unencumbered by the usual Jedi robes, in favor of smuggler style leggings and a brownish red leather jacket. He took in the situation at a glance.

A lone Sith warrior was standing her ground against at least fifty red lightsabers. Her lightsaber, violet in color, was what set her apart from her erstwhile allies. Joran wasn't a big fan of Sith, but he'd always had a thing for helping out the underdog. He ignited his orange blade and threw it in a sweeping arc that decapitated three Sith from behind. It returned to his hand and he leapt at the nearest Sith, running him through and using his momentum to slash through the next Sith's chest, severing his heart and continued down the line, a whirlwind of doom. By the time he was within spitting distance of the lone Sith fighting her own, He'd cut through 12 of them altogether.

She glanced over her shoulder at him but kept defending herself. "You shouldn't be here, Jedi. This is not your fight!"

"Well, if you didn't want my help..." He slashed through another one and leapt to avoid a second slash from a different Sith. His lightsaber was almost too fast for the eye to follow as he slashed and stabbed, and Sith fell by the score to his blade. He'd noticed the bodies around her, and she had given a good accounting of herself, so far. "...then you shouldn't have sent the distress call, sweety."

"Back to back then, Jedi." She said as she cut another challenger down.

"Works for me." He replied, reaching back and blocking a slash that would have taken her head, then slicing the offending attacker's hand clean off. The Force was his eyes, ears, senses, and he could see the entire battlefield around him. He was engaged again, and slammed the hilt of his saber into the Sith's nose, breaking it before twirling his saber around to finish him off.

There were suddenly only two living Sith left against the rogues. Two masters, who had used their apprentices to wear them down. The double blades of a Marauder were closing in on them as the Sith with the violet blade sent her saber flying at him. He blocked it and sent one of his own back. Joran threw his and intercepted the blade before it could strike her, sending it into the sand. He reached with the Force and summoned it to his own hand before its master could do it.

She was tiring, but the Jedi had saved her life at least twice by this point, and she knew that without his help, she would have been dead already. She knew her crime was great, even if the order had been unjust. Her master had ordered her to eliminate an entire village, including women and children. She had refused, and was now defending the settlement against the retaliation of her master's forces.

Joran threw the captured saber at the single blade opponent, and it was deflected back to him. He caught it and leapt at him, two blades flashing in the bright light of the twin suns overhead. His strikes were meant to break through the defenses of the Juggernaut he was facing, and they were doing the trick. He was tiring, and Joran feinted high with one blade while stabbing underneath with his captured weapon. The feint worked, and the Juggernaut fell with the red blade of his comrade still embedded in his chest. Joran looked to his right and saw his violet bladed ally decapitate her opponent. She looked at him then and turned in a defensive stance.

"Whoa there, sweety! I'm not going to hurt you. If I'd wanted you dead, I would have let them have you." He smiled as he extinguished his lightsaber and holstered it on his belt.

"Who are you, Jedi? And why aid me here?" She asked. Her red skin, orange eyes, and spiked ridges over her eyes marked her as a pureblood Sith.

"Well, you sent a broken distress call, and you seemed to be defending that town there. I'd say that deserves aid. Don't you?" He smiled at her as he slowly walked towards her. She was athletically built, and her toned body was barely hidden by her short sleeved top that showed her bare stomach. Her leggings were skin tight as well, and he had to admit that she was a lovely woman. Her orange eyes were untainted by the dark side, which was curious to him. "My name is Joran Karn. And you are?"

"I am Lord Shivalka," she said in reply, extinguishing her own lightsaber and holstering it on her belt as well. "My now former master, Darth Tormen, ordered me to destroy this settlement, but I refused. Those were his minions coming to claim my head." She smirked.

Joran grinned and nodded. "Well, any enemy of Darth Tormen is a friend of mine. I've faced him before."

Shivalka looked surprised. "And you lived? Impressive, Jedi." She smiled a genuine smile at him and nodded in respect.

Joran lifted his shirt and showed her the scar running down the left side of his torso. "He left this as a calling card, while I nearly severed his head. Honestly, until about a month ago, I thought he was dead."

Shivalka's eyes widened. "That was you?? You nearly killed one of the most powerful Sith who ever lived!"

"Well, should we stay and help them or go? Which does Tormen want more? These people dead, or your head on a platter?" His blue eyes gazed into her orange ones.

"Those were his other apprentices, and their apprentices. He lost a lot of his power base today, thanks in part to your intervention." She inclined her head with a warm smile. "Thank you, Joran."

Joran bowed. "You're very welcome, Lady Shivalka."

"You know that he's going to hunt us both now, right?" She asked with a wry smile.

"I've been hunted before. I'm still alive." He grinned back. "Want to be hunted together?"

She thought for a moment, then smiled slowly. "Do you have a ship? It sounds like we could really do some damage to his operations."

"You saw my Defender touch down over that dune, right?" He smiled and pointed.

"Of course." She smiled genuinely again.

"What happened to your ship?" He asked.

"Shot down across those dunes to the North." She pointed, and Joran could see the column of smoke still billowing from the crash site."

He nodded. "Let's go then, and we'll contact Anchorhead to get some shuttles out here to evacuate this settlement." He led the way back to his ship.

Shivalka couldn't help but admire him. He was built like an acrobat, with wiry muscles that spoke of speed and agility over raw power. She recognized his Ataru form, and nodded as it suited him well. They walked up the boarding ramp and he made for the cockpit with her right behind him.

He switched on the com and addressed landing control. "Remnant of Justice to Anchorhead. This is Jedi Knight Joran Karn. The settlement of Northern Sands was under attack by the forces of Darth Tormen, but that attack has been eliminated. The town is safe for the moment, but they need evac ASAP."

"Copy that, Remnant of Justice. Evac shuttles will be dispatched. ETA is 10 minutes. Thank you, Master Jedi."

"I'm no Master, pal. Just a Knight." He grinned. "Remnant of Justice, out." He stood from his pilot's chair and looked at the Sith standing behind him. She was smiling, and he smiled back.

"Joran, you are... different than other Jedi I've met." She smiled a confused smile at him.

"I get that a lot." He shrugged. "Probably because I don't believe in acting like a robot."

"I sense your emotions." She nodded and stepped towards him. "You feel them, but don't let them rule you."

"Exactly. I keep calm while still feeling the need to deliver some fatal justice when the need arises. I've been censured five times by the Council." He grinned and stepped towards her as well.

She chuckled. "Why would they censure you?"

"Four times for 'disobeying direct orders', and once for 'corrupting a fellow knight'. That one wasn't my fault, by the way." He shrugged again and smiled.

"Corrupting a fellow knight?" She laughed aloud. "Do I have to ask how that happened?"

"She was partnered with me for a mission to Alderaan, and we got pinned down by Imperial forces. We finally managed to fight our way through them, and they fell back. As soon as we got back to the ship, she thanked me and kissed me. One thing led to another and... well... something happened between us." He grinned and blushed slightly.

"So she was thinking exactly what I'm thinking now?" Shivalka raised one eye ridge as she stopped right in front of him.

Joran smiled warmly as he looked at her. "Depends. What are you thinking right now, my Lady?" Her closeness was intoxicating, and he could feel her warmth. She was untainted by the Dark Side, despite her former masters' teachings.

They were nearly eye to eye, and she was only shorter by an inch or two. She spoke very quietly. "I was thinking this, Joran." She slipped her arms up around his neck and pulled his lips to hers.

Joran was taken slightly offguard, but returned her soft kiss. Her lips parted, and her tongue slipped between his lips and into his mouth, where they duelled slowly. Not in hate, but in a sensual feeling of completeness. His arms slid around her waist with his hands at her back, kissing her slowly. He was hungry for her, but knew better than to give in to that hunger. He would not go down that path, but take a gentler road to their goal.

Shivalka was feeling the same. She was just enjoying the kiss, and seeing where it would lead next. She was amazed that a Jedi was such a good kisser, but then she realized that he was the best kisser she'd ever met. She'd had several lovers, but none who enjoyed the soft sensual kissing that she did. But here was a Jedi Knight, a 'soulless' defender of the Republic, who was kissing her like she had always wanted and needed.

Her mouth on his felt right to him. Her tongue between his lips felt as if it belonged there. The kiss was both thunderous and gentle as their embrace tightened, seemingly of its own volition, and their bodies melded together. He could feel her breasts pressed up against him, and he hardened below his belt.

She felt his manhood rise, and she gasped into their deep sensual kiss as she felt the size of him. Her arms tightened a bit around the back of his neck as her breathing grew faster. She broke the kiss and pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. "Joran, I need you." She said in a low whisper. "Please, my love."

"Shivalka, we should go someplace else for this. I know a place, if you would like to go there." He replied. He knew what she wanted and needed, and he needed and wanted the same.

"How long will it take to get there?" She asked.

"Not long, since that place is called a long journey through Hyperspace." He smiled as she did at the same time.

Joran took his chair again and fired up the engines. The Defender raised in the air and the landing skids retracted. He pushed the throttle forward and pulled back on the control yoke, shooting into space. He plotted a quick course for Coruscant and engaged a 6 hour trip through Hyperspace.

He stood and turned back to her, taking her hand in his and lifting it to his lips. He kissed her hand, then kissed her sweet loving lips again. Their kiss was slow, like before. Enjoying the feelings of each other through the Force. He felt the Sith Code, and her own unique interpretation of it.

She felt the Jedi Code, and realized that he only used it as a rough guideline for his duties as a Knight. She felt the times he had disobeyed direct orders from his superiors in order to save lives. She even felt the female Knight who had given into her desire for him, but couldn't handle her own emotions afterward. She realized then that she loved him, and would not be complete without him in her life.

Joran knew how she felt. He had felt incomplete until this moment. He had never felt real love for any other woman. His masters in the Jedi Temple had preached suppression of his emotions, but that had been the way of ruin, as he had seen so many times in the history holocrons. When something did crack through a Jedi's control, the fall was swift and deadly. His approach accepted all things equally, not denying half of them. There was emotion as well as peace. There was ignorance as well as knowledge. There was passion as well as serenity. There was chaos as well as harmony. There was death as well as the Force.

He felt her need to be loved. He felt her want for peace in the galaxy. He felt her sense of right and wrong and realized that she felt the same as him, and he loved her as he loved no one else. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. The Force had drawn them together. Both of them knew it. There was a reason, and it was the completion of them both within each other. He took her hand and led her to his quarters. She went willingly, not a word being said between them.

They stood and slowly undressed each other. His lips on her neck as he slowly undid her breastplate and she slid his jacket off his shoulders. They let their tops fall to the deck and she lifted his undershirt off over his head. His lips moved down to her breasts, licking and sucking one dark red nipple into his mouth. She reached around his neck and pulled his face to her breasts as she moaned softly, her eyes closed and enjoying the feelings she was having with him. His hands went to her behind, squeezing it gently. Her hands went to his trousers, undoing the catch and pulling down his zipper. She let out a surprised gasp when she discovered that he wore no underwear.

Joran kicked his boots off and sat on the bed, pulling her down beside him. He then knelt between her legs and helped her take off her boots before hooking his fingers in the waist of her leggings and pulling them down. She raised off the bed with a smile to allow him access to pull her pants the rest of the way off. Once she was naked, she bid him rise and removed his pants the rest of the way. He stepped out of them and sat again next to her, kissing her softly and tenderly as his hand went to her breast, squeezing and pinching her nipple.

She moaned in pleasure as his lips caressed hers and their kiss was once again the center of their universe. All the feelings that kiss revealed to the other. All the emotions on display to them, yet they did not give in to their animal instincts. Their love had all the time in the world to fulfill their higher desires to be loved and held, to be touched and satisfied in a way that pure animal lust would never accomplish. He laid her down in the middle of the bed and kissed her lovingly, her arms around his shoulders. He kissed her neck, her ears, and down across her collarbone. He kissed her chest ridges between her breasts, and over to her left nipple. Gently licking around it, sucking it between his lips, and nibbling gently, causing another gasp and moan of pleasure from her lips. His kiss went to her right nipple, licking, sucking, and biting gently until she was moaning even more. Her eyes were closed, enjoying these slow sensual moments in their lives that they could share with each other. The Force flowed through them and around them, and his kisses dropped lower to her flat toned stomach. He could sense and smell her sweet arousal as he lowered himself even further. Her thighs spread for his probing lips and tongue as her fingers tightened in his hair, pushing him lower.

He slid his tongue out and tasted her for the first time, licking from the base of her wet slit up to her nub as she moaned again. He licked her again, then thrust his tongue into her. She shuddered and came, flooding his mouth with her sweet nectar. She moaned his name in a whisper, feeling him love her with his mouth on and in her most sacred place. She felt the animal urge, yet discarded it in favor of the long slow pleasure he was giving her. He moved up her body then, kissing her stomach and up to her beautiful breasts. He kissed her rock hard nipples and entered her as their lips, too long apart, met again. They both moaned in ecstasy as he entered her, thrusting all the way in slowly until she was full. She opened her orange eyes and gazed lovingly into his blue ones.

He read her eyes and knew that what they had was what no other had known before. He moved slowly inside her. Retracting and thrusting, moving in and out as his hips moved in slow circular motions. She gasped and moaned, and he moaned with her as their pleasure built slowly but steadily, with the inexorable force of a thunderstorm. They reached their brink together, and held onto one another as the quiet storm of their lovemaking crashed exquisitely down upon them. He came with her in a symphony of moans and as she came again, screaming out in pure joy with his seed pumping deep inside her. He moaned her name as he came, declaring himself to her.

They lay motionless for a long time in the glow of their lovemaking. Her arm and leg were draped across his body. She had sought and longed for this all her life, but had never found it until now, with someone who by all rights should have been an enemy, yet was more of a friend and lover than any of her own kind were to her.

Joran held her in his arms. "My Lady," he whispered softly.

She lifted her head. "I am here, my love." She whispered back, smiling with all the love she felt for him.

"I love you, Shivalka, Lady Warrior." He admitted it finally. He had given voice to his feelings of completeness that they shared.

"I love you as well, Joran, my Knight." She smiled as she drifted off in his arms, and as sleep took him, he knew that the lives they both knew were now over, and a whole new life together had begun.

To Be Continued....