45 Chapter 43: The Corellian Conference: Episode I

(Van: POV)

Blocking an upward slash from Marcellus' blue-bladed lightsaber with my own I pivoted behind him and then tried to slash him.

Only for him to avoid the attack by rolling out of the way and then immediately jumping to his feet, turning and facing me after he did.

The two of us are in one of the many training rooms of the temple, practicing our lightsaber combat skills.

Marcellus being the one who initiated the training.

Though from the way he's been fighting I can tell something is bothering him.

"Everything okay?" I decided to ask him.

"Yeah, never better." He quickly said.

"You sure?" I asked.

"I said everything is fine." Marcellus said a bit more forcefully.

Then before I could ask anything else he charged at me, and thus we engaged in lightsaber combat again.

Blocking Marcellus slashes I looked for an opening in his defenses, and when I saw it I exploited it without hesitation. 

Finding the opening near his chest I threw a punch at it and hit him square in it. The force of my punch knocking him on his ass.

Once he was done I quickly moved and placed my lightsaber blade close to his next. "Do you yield?"

"I yield." Marcellus replied.

Once I heard those words I deactivated my lightsaber and Marcellus did the same with his own. I then helped him to his feet.

"So, now are you ready to talk about what's really bothering you?" I asked him.

"You really aren't going to let it go, are you?" Marcellus asked me.

"Nope. I wouldn't be a very good best friend if I did." I replied.

Marcellus shook his head at my words. "Okay, so here it is." He began. Marcellus then told me what was truly bothering him.

Apparently for the last few months he's been getting flooded with requests for meetings with potential marriage partners.

Once Marcellus told me this I gave him a confused look. "Really, that's what's got you so off your game? Requests to meet with woman who are interested in marrying you?"

"It's not as simple as you make it out to be Van, nor as glamorous as you might think." Marcellus replied. "Also it's not just woman. I've also received requests to meet with some men who are interested in me as well." He said. His entire body shivering after he did.

I got a full body shiver as well.

Since although Marcellus has very effeminate features he is as straight as an arrow.

Yet some men just can't seem to get that through their heads.

That is one aspect of the looks Marcellus was born with I do not envy in the slightest.

He has to be on constant guard to protect his butt from booty warriors.

"Okay, I take back what I said before." I spoke. "But I really do think you're making into a bigger problem than it actually is. I mean these are just requests for meetings right? There is nothing that says you have to accept any of them."

"Oh if only it were that simple my friend." Marcellus replied.

He then told me as a member of the House of Antilles he can't simply reject all the requests for marriage meetings, lest he tarnish the name of his family. Even if he is just a member of a branch family.

"Damn." I said.

"Yeah." Marcellus replied.

"So, you have a plan yet?" I asked him.

"I do." Marcellus replied. "Accept some of the proposals, go through the motions, and then continue as I have been." He explained to me.

"I see." I replied. "But you never know. You might be that special someone who takes your heart during one of those meetings you choose to accept."

"Yeah, I doubt that." Marcellus said. "Most of the noble girls I've met are either after only money, status, power, or a combination of all three. And those that aren't are few and far between, or are already taken by somebody else."

"Well again, you never know." I repeated.

"Yeah I know you're right Van. It's just...I don't think I'll find the girl I'm meant to be with among the noble ladies of Aldeeran. I think I'll meet her somewhere else in the galaxy." Marcellus told me.

"Right." I replied. "So have you been watching cheesy romance holovid's lately or something, since what you just said sounded like it could be straight out of one." I spoke.

Only to get a punch in the arm from Marcellus.

Even after all these years it seems he still can't take a joke.

No idea why though.

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Sitting in my newly assigned Jedi knight quarters in the temple I was engaging in a meditation session.

For everyone needs some alone time every once and a while. Even me.

*Knock Knock*

Though my alone time came to an end when I heard a knock on my door.

Stopping my meditation I stood up and went over to open the door to see who it was.

In doing so I found myself staring at Marcellus.

"What's up?" I asked him.

His mood and demeanor back to normal after our chat after training a few days ago.

"We've got a mission." Marcellus spoke.

"We?" I questioned.

"Yes, we." Marcellus said. "As in you, me, and master Sifo-Dyas." Marcellus said. "The high council assigned this mission to all of us."

"Then it must be something interesting for them to assign a knight, a master of the high council, and his Padawan to it." I said. Feeling a bit excited.

For this will be my first official mission since I achieved knighthood over a month ago.

"Yes, you can certainly call this mission interesting." Marcellus mused. He then gave me the rundown of our assignment.

It seems him, Sifo-Dyas, and I are headed to Corellia.

Our mission there will be to act as bodyguards and help to oversee the protection of representatives from the different affiliates and companies of the Techno Union that are heading to Corellia to attend a two-week long conference.

Which we will be doing alongside members of the Green Jedi, or Corellian Jedi, as some people like to call them.

The moment Marcellus finished telling me all this I realized his earlier statement was right.

This mission will certainly be interesting.

Which is just how I like my missions.