Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic was developed by BioWare and published by Lucasarts.


The door slid open, and two unusual groups of Jedi met for the first time. Both groups had seven members, mostly young men and women. The Jedi Remnant inside the Council chamber were standing separately: four in an arc at the back wall, and three off to the side. The Lost Jedi in the doorway were clustered behind their leader: Meetra Surik, exiled from the Order eleven years ago. Neither side spoke; they stood still, sizing each other up. Both groups had known this meeting was coming for some time, but still, they were nervous.

The brunette woman at the center-left of the group of four took a deep breath, spread her hands, and smiled. "Welcome, Master Meetra. I am Belaya, acting Grand Master of the Jedi Order."

Master Meetra? Meetra mentally shook herself. "Greetings, Master Belaya."

Belaya held up a hand. "Before we continue, I know you went to Malachor. Is there any remaining threat? Are any of you hurt, do you need anything?"

Meetra shook her head. "As far as I know, there is no immediate danger. Kreia and Sion are both dead. We've taken care of our injuries on the flight back here. Really, all we need is rest. It's been one crisis after another, and it's good to have a little time to breathe."

"Indeed it is." Belaya realized that Meetra and her students were still standing in the doorway. "Forgive me, I'm every bit as nervous as you are. Come in! Introductions are in order." She indicated the brown-furred Cathar standing to her left. "This is Juhani, my partner. To my right are Bastila Shan and Jolee Bindo."

"Impossible!" blurted the tall, blonde man behind Meetra.

Meetra winced. "Mical gets a little excited when it comes to Jedi history. Please, proceed. You're the new Jedi Council?"

"By process of elimination," Jolee snorted. "As far as we know, we're the only fully trained Jedi still alive. We were all Knights." He gestured to the trio standing off to the side. "These young upstarts were our Padawans, until they were knighted a few days ago. Dak Vesser, there, was mine. The other two are Yuthura Ban, Juhani's pupil…" the tall, violet-skinned Twi'lek woman bowed her head, "…And Dustil Onasi, who was Belaya's."

"Pleased to meet you." Meetra smiled and nodded at the newly-minted Knights. "Allow me to introduce my students: Mical, Visas Marr, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, Brianna Kae, and Mira."

"From what we've heard, you trained them well." Belaya smiled. "Carth told you we've been watching, but that's hardly a polite way to get to know someone. It's just about noon; let's sit down together and eat. You have a story to tell, and so do we."


They began at the Mandalorian Wars, and took turns speaking, moving forward in time and adding threads to the narrative.

"Wait, wait a minute." Yuthura frowned skeptically. "Goto was a droid?"

Bao-Dur nodded. "An advanced model, designed for infrastructure planning. He had severe programming damage from trying to process a contradictory command. I'm not sure exactly how big his organization was; he had some flesh-and-blood underlings, but all we saw of them were the Exchange on Telos and Nar Shaddaa. I think everywhere else, he was just slicing local droids and computer systems, or using the HK-50s. From what you've told me about Lorso, I would guess the deal with Czerka was his major source of funds and information."

Lunch ended, and they kept on talking.

"…And then, Master Meetra dropped us into this mountain valley, no prep, no gear, just our sabers, a ration bar, and two bottles of water," Mira said.

Juhani's eyes lit up. "Did you find the cave?"

"We did," Brianna said. She smiled softly. "I found Arren Kae-my mother-among the names in the lower chamber. It was a special moment, standing there, wearing her robes, carving my own name by hers."

The tale lasted right through the evening. Two more people arrived, new apprentices just beginning their training. Meetra had Bastila mention Shasa while talking about Manaan, and was delighted to meet Moza again. The Jedi had to laugh at just how close their paths had come to crossing, and on how many occasions.

Meetra shook her head. "So, all I had to do was just sit still on Citadel Station, and you'd have come right to me then. We could have saved almost a year."

Bao-Dur shook his head. "If you'd done that, you'd never have met me, Handmaiden, or Mira. You might have run into Mical when you returned to Dantooine. And Visas…"

"I would probably have been killed trying to capture you." The Miraluka chuckled. "Master, I met them on Katarr, before I even felt you through the Force! I knew they were Jedi, but I thought Darth Nihilus killed them. No one else had survived him."

"You did." Meetra smiled and squeezed Visas' shoulder. "I'm fairly sure we've got a strong case for destiny. This can't have all been chance."

The Jedi laughed and talked, growing closer together, more comfortable with each other. As the evening wore on, they broke off into smaller groups. Meetra sat back and watched. Bao-Dur was in an intense discussion with Dak and Moza, using a couple of datapads with what looked like a map and graphs. Atton was talking with Dustil, hands moving to describe some flight maneuver; the younger man was nodding. It was working… they were getting along. Meetra got up and walked away from the table to gaze out the window.

Jolee stepped up beside her. "You're leaving again, aren't you?"

Meetra pursed her lips. "Kreia told me I must, and I believe her. The Sith are still out there. It was always them, from the Exar Kun War, right through the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Civil War and this last conflict. Revan is trying to stop them, and he needs help. I thought I might need to stay long enough to get my Padawans situated. But I think they'll be all right with you."

"They're good people, both groups," Jolee agreed. "They're still very young, though."

"They're the same age I was when I first followed Revan," Meetra said.

"That's very young," Jolee repeated.

Meetra chuckled ruefully. "Yeah." She sighed. "I need to speak with the Council."

Jolee nodded. "We expected as much. Your Padawans should get settled in, and you all should get some rest. Wait one day. Tomorrow, the kids will get the ship patched up and stocked. We'll discuss your Padawans; we could certainly use your insight before you leave. The Hawk will be ready for you by tomorrow evening."

Meetra and the others found beds waiting for them in the living quarters. She expected to be restless, but Meetra dropped right off to sleep; the past months had been thoroughly exhausting. She dreamed of a dark planet, oceans whipped into a fury by the wind, beneath a roiling sky even stormier than Malachor. She didn't recognize the place, but she knew in her bones that she'd find Revan there.


Light was streaming in the windows when Meetra sat up in bed. She checked her chrono to find it was just after eleven. She rose, dressed, and headed out. Just outside the door, she heard Belaya calling her name. The acting Grand Master was standing with her hands folded, wearing a slightly guilty smile. "We decided to let you sleep, after all you've been through. The Council is waiting to speak with you, and the others are getting the Hawk ready for your voyage. We've got a meal waiting."

"Thank you," Meetra laughed. "I'll follow you."

Belaya waved her toward one of the old dormitory common rooms. The other Council members were sitting around a round table, with a pot of coffee and a platter of crisp-skinned sausages atop a pile of fried potatoes, peppers, and onions. Meetra brightened. "Is this…?"

"Dak's bangers and hash, yes," Belaya nodded. "We thought you should get in on the tradition." She smiled faintly. "Not to mention, you've been eating from the Hawk's synthesizers."

Meetra took a while to just sit and enjoy the taste of a fresh-cooked meal. They ate and talked of happier days, old stories of training on Dantooine. After a while, the food ran out, and so did the small talk. Belaya leaned back in her seat. "So, Meetra. You're going on, and your Padawans are staying behind. Let's talk about them."

"I'm not really sure what you should do." Meetra rubbed her cheek. "If you go by the burden they've had to carry, the darkness they fought, I would think they've effectively passed the Trials already, much like Yuthura, Dak, and Dustil. In terms of skill, Mical and Visas are Knight-level. But they have less than a year's experience being Jedi, and that's not long enough."

Juhani nodded. "It has been strange for us, training Padawans who are the same age as we are. Dak and Yuthura were in the same clan as Belaya and I, ten years ago. But it worked-largely because we already had trust. That is what worries me."

Meetra smiled. "They'll listen to what you have to say. I gave them the same education in Jedi philosophy I had. They will listen, but they will also make their own decisions, like I did. They don't always agree with me, you know."

"So tell us about them." Jolee leaned forward, arms folded. "Before we started training our Padawans, Juhani and I spoke with Vrook and Quatra. It's customary for a Padawan's new master to consult with the old one."

Meetra took a moment to think. "I'd say it's time for them to start getting outside their comfort zone. Obviously, they've faced danger, fought the dark side and risked their lives more than once. But they've always been working together as a team, with the same partner. They need to be separated. Split them up, get them to work on the restoration. I wouldn't assign them a permanent master just yet; you don't know them well enough. Switch them around a bit, then see how things work."

The discussion was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Belaya glanced up. "Enter."

Dustil walked in and bowed politely. "Master Meetra, repairs to the Ebon Hawk are complete. The wingtip turrets were completely unsalvageable, so Bao-Dur and I removed them to save weight. We're stocking the ship with as many supplies as she can hold."

"Thank you," Meetra said. Dustil bowed again and left the room; Meetra nodded. "If you train my people the way you trained him, I have nothing to worry about." She grinned. "I'll worry anyway, of course."

"Of course," Belaya agreed, smiling.

They spoke for another two hours, discussing the details of Meetra's Padawans and their new assignments. The Hawk was fully prepped in time for supper. They ate heartily, discussing their first few months' worth of plans for the restoration. As the meal wound down, Bastila asked to speak with Meetra alone. Meetra agreed and followed Bastila back to her suite in the dormitory.

Bastila opened the door, turned back, and put a finger to her lips. The two women tiptoed to the back bedroom, where Bastila cracked the door. A little boy, two or three years old, was fast asleep in the bed. T3 was watching silently from a corner of the room; he let out a soft chirp of greeting. Bastila smiled, led the way to the sitting room and waved Meetra to a chair.

"Vaner is going to be handsome when he gets older," Meetra chuckled.

Bastila smiled. "He's pretty handsome now. He's a wonderful child, happy and clever. He is quite a handful, though. Vaner loves exploring, and he's an expert at getting into mischief. Which is to be expected; he is his father's son."

Meetra leaned back in her seat. "When I was exiled, I thought about finding a place, a man, and settling down, starting a family. At first, I wasn't over losing Ree-my Padawan and lover-who died at Malachor. Later on…" Meetra shook her head. "I couldn't sit still. There were people that needed help, and I could help, even without the Force. Every time, I would tell myself, no more, but every time, I'd hear rumors of trouble, and off I'd go."

"Just like Revan." Bastila made a face. "When he told me he had to go, I knew he wouldn't be convinced otherwise. I had at least persuaded him to take me with him, but then…" She smiled and jerked her head in the direction of the sleeping child. "He told me that he had to leave everything he loved behind, that it would weaken him in the battles he faced, but I fear that he had a deeper reason. As his memories returned, he was afraid that he was no longer Jace, the man I fell in love with. I think he wanted to leave before Jace was completely gone." Bastila looked down, shaking her head. "It wasn't true. He was different, but the strength, the kindness, the bravery, even the sense of humor, those were all the same. Jace was a false history, a soldier who never was. I loved the man beneath, the Jedi who taught me, the hero who saved me." She sighed. "I have something for you."

Bastila walked to a footlocker in the corner, lifted the lid, and reached inside to raise the false bottom. She retrieved a bundle, then unwrapped the black cloth to reveal Revan's mask. "I have kept this, ever since the day I bonded myself to Revan on the bridge of his ship. If any of his memories are still lost to him, I believe they will return when he wears the mask again." T3 rolled out of the bedroom, stopping at Bastila's side. Bastila took a data card from her pocket, then knelt and slotted it into a port on the astromech's head. "Holos of Vaner; Revan has never seen him." Bastila took a deep breath, fighting back tears. "Give him a message from me. Tell him… Tell him I still don't doubt that he is coming for me."

Meetra smiled encouragingly and nodded. "Take care of yourself, Bastila." She took the mask; Meetra and T3 left as Bastila sat back down, remembering.


The Ebon Hawk was on the plains in front of the Enclave, shining in the light of the setting sun. Meetra boarded the freighter with T3 trundling along behind. The entire starboard dormitory was packed floor-to-ceiling with supplies; HK-47 was doing some last-minute maintenance in the garage. Her Padawans were in the main hold, waiting to say goodbye.

Brianna bit her lip. "Master, before you leave, I have a question. I have thought over everything we know about Kreia, everything she told you. I must ask… Was she Arren Kae? Was she my mother?"

Meetra sighed. "I think so, Brianna, but we may never know for certain. If there are answers about her, about the wars, you must find them for yourself." Brianna nodded sadly and lowered her head; Atton put his arm around her shoulders.

Meetra took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, this is it. When you walk down that ramp, I won't be your Master anymore. You have all come such a long way since I met you. You have accomplished so much, taken on a burden no one would dare expect you to. I am so proud of all of you. But now the real work begins." Meetra felt the lump rising in her throat. "Kreia told me something before she died… I asked her if all this had been a test. She said all life is a test, and she was right. Your task is to go out into the galaxy as Jedi, take on the responsibilities of the Order. Keep the peace we've fought so hard to bring, and stand as protectors of the Republic. It's a gigantic challenge, but you're up to it." She smiled. "I know, because you were all Jedi before I even met you."

Meetra walked around the room, stopping first by Bao-Dur. "You were using your skills to heal worlds left broken by war, bringing life back to Telos." She looked to Mira. "You were listening to the lost souls scattered by the conflict; you brought them together, and brought them hope." Meetra smiled at Brianna. "You were protecting the knowledge of the Order, so that it might enlighten future generations." Next came Mical. "You, too, were preserving the Order's history, as well as serving the Republic." Meetra knelt down and took Visas' hands. "You wanted to use your abilities to help young people move toward their future. Now, you will." She turned to the companion who had been with her the longest, the first of her new Padawans. "And you, Atton… you were waiting. Waiting for a chance to do the right thing, and make her sacrifice mean something. You have that chance now."

The Padawans were all visibly upset; Visas rose. "Thank you, Master Meetra. May the Force be with you." She bowed, turned, and left the ship.

One by one, the others did the same. Mical was the last; he hesitated, then spoke. "I know I can't convince you to take me with you. I'm so sorry. If I had been strong enough to tell you sooner, we could have had more time." He swallowed hard. "Meetra, wherever your journey takes you, know always that I love you, and that I am thinking of you."

Meetra crossed the room and kissed him fiercely. "Every moment, every second, I'm going to be fighting to come back to you." She smiled, even as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Take care, Mical, and take care of them for me."

He nodded. "Until we meet again, Master. May the Force be with you." He bowed and walked away.

Meetra took a moment to pull herself together; T3 rolled up with HK following. "So, it's just you two now, eh?"

"Correction: Actually, Jedi, it is only T3," HK said. "My orders are to remain with Mistress Bastila and the child, until he is older. Then, I will return to my Master."

Meetra grinned and put her hands on her hips. "You knew your history the whole time, didn't you?"

"Reply: In point of fact, I did not know the whole time. T3 unlocked my memory more than ten hours after you brought me online. Until then, I had no idea of my relevance." Meetra imagined HK to be smiling smugly. "Although you were never our Master, you led well, and thus have earned our respect."

T3 warbled. "Translation: My counterpart reminds me that I have one more duty to perform before you depart." T3 rolled to the cockpit with Meetra and HK following. The astromech plugged into the navicomputer.

"Command: access navicomputer voiceprint protocol." HK's voice changed to one Meetra remembered well, though she hadn't heard it in ten years. "Recitation: voiceprint ID: walk the harder path."

The navicomputer chimed; a large cluster of new systems appeared on the galactic map, in the Unknown Regions beyond the Outer Rim. HK turned to Meetra. "Statement: Jedi, the Hawk's systems are fully online. I hope you continue to defy the odds." He bent down to T3. "I'm counting on you. You know how badly these Jedi need droids to look after them."

T3 tooted agreement; Meetra smiled. "Thank you, HK. You'd better go." Meetra began plotting a course as HK headed for the boarding ramp.

The Padawans had gathered a short distance from the ship; HK moved to join them. The ramp lifted as the engines whined to life. The ship lifted and accelerated away, picking up speed as it moved away. The Ebon Hawk headed directly into the sunset for a moment before climbing high into the deep blue twilight. They watched until the tiny dot of the freighter's engines disappeared; Visas let out a dry sob and pulled Mical into a tight hug.

Mical's mouth tightened. "We're never going to see her again, are we?"

"I'm sorry." Visas shook her head. "We're on our own now."

"No, we're not." Mical drew himself up. "Let's go speak to the Council. Tomorrow, our new path awaits us."


A/N: So, our heroes have come together at long last. Up next, the rebuilding begins...