Love and Redemption: Hero's Return Part 0
Bastila stood in her quarters onboard the Spearhead, a hammer-head class Republic starship, staring out the viewport into empty space. The stars and planets that once held such hope, such intrigue, such life for her, were just as cold and empty as the frozen wastelands of Hoth. The only thing she cared about was him... Revan...
Why did he have to go? Why couldn't he stay? Why couldn't he take anyone? These questions stampeded all her other thoughts like a bantha crushes the sand beneath its feet. For Bastila, it was as though she was slowly crumbling like an ancient castle lost to the elements.
Her thoughts were interrupted, by a quiet scratch at the door.
"Come in," she answered.
"Master Shan?" came a soft female voice, soon followed by a young woman with pure white hair and wearing white and grey robes.
"Brianna." Bastila recognized one of Jaden Taler, the Jedi Exile's, padawans. "Is there something wrong?"
"I sensed that you were grieving. I came to ask if there is anything I can…."
"I was..." Bastila did not feel comfortable speaking about Revan with a person whom she barely knew. "...I was thinking on...old memories..."
"I...see..." Brianna replied, looking downcast. She had been hoping that she and Bastila would connect easier given their similar situations of being in love with fellow Jedi. But all attempts to do so far had ended uncomfortably. Perhaps if she talked more about herself? "I have to confess, I have been thinking on 'old memories,' too..."
"Oh?" Bastila came forward to listen.
Brianna nodded, looking nervous. Bastila offered her a seat. She accepted the seat, and took a breath.
"I wanted to talk to you because you, like me, love another," Brianna began. "It is about the Exile, Jaden. I..."
"You miss him," Bastila said without thinking. "You wonder why he left without you and left you alone."
"Yes... That's exactly what..."
Bastila went over to the caffa dispenser and soon brought back two steaming mugs of hot brown liquid. She gave one to Brianna, who sipped it slowly, her silver eyes looking forlorn, and then took her own seat on the opposite side. They sat there for a while without exchanged anything further, simply sipping the caffa in their hands. Finally Bastila broke the awkward silence.
"I don't know why they left the way they did," she said. "I don't know why he just didn't tell me outright or offered me a chance to go with him. But I think he was doing it because he knew I would object and try to stop him, causing us more pain. So, in a sense, he was doing it for our happiness, for me..."
"I believe I understand..." Brianna replied. She looked up and took Bastila's hand, as a sister. "We will see them again, I feel it. Until then, we will keep each other strong, we will endure."
Bastila, reaffirmed, smiled and nodded at Brianna. They would make it, it was what their loves would have wanted. Just then another knock broke the moment. Both women stood and answered the visitor.
"Master Shan?" came the soft, rich voice of Bao-Dur. "Admiral Onasi asked me to bring you and Brianna to the bridge. I think you had better see this..."
At the urging of his tone, both women exchanged a confused looks and left the room with the Zabrak They followed him and his new remote, since his old one had been destroyed at Malachor V, up to the bridge of the ship where they found Carth, Atton, Mira, Visas, Mission, Zaalbar, the new Chieftain of the Wookies, Juhani, Jolee, and Canderous, now known among the Mandalorians as Mandalore, staring at a control station where a nervous Republic crewman was working.
"Are you positive, Ensign?" Carth asked excitedly. Something had certainly caught his attention.
"Aye, sir," the young man replied. "The signature matches that of the Ebon Hawk. She'll be coming out of hyperspace any minute now."
Revan, Bastila thought. The Hawk had returned home, carrying her love. At last, they would be reunited and could start again with their lives like it was supposed to be. Bastila glanced over at Brianna who looked the same way. Her own love, Jaden could be on the Hawk too. Bastila felt happy for the Echani since she understood as well what it meant to be in love.
"Here she comes," Mission stated, almost bouncing with glee. "Z, pinch me to see if I'm dreaming!"
"I don't think I should do that, Mission." Zaalbar grunted, an apologetic smile on his face. "I'm so excited, I might pinch too hard and hurt you."
As everyone chuckled at that remark, the Ebon Hawk appeared in a flash of light. Everyone was stunned. The Hawk looked like it had just flown straight through a mine field! There were scorch marks all over the surface, loose wires sparked and fizzled from their ports, not to mention several hull breaches varying in size and severity! Everyone was frozen in stunned silence before Carth finally shook himself out of it and began barking orders.
"Activate the tractor beam! Get the Ebon Hawk into Hangar Bay C, and send med teams and engineers. Double time, people!"
Soon the bridge was scurrying with activity so that the rest of the party had to leave. Carth soon rejoined them and together they ran to Hangar Bay C. As they entered into the large landing bay, the party was almost overwhelmed by the amount of noise and bustle.
"Get Fire Control over here!"
"The loading ramp is down, Med Teams go!"
Bastila and Brianna sped ahead before the rest could even begin to move and got to the ramp to see several black droids with deadly rifles, led by a red droid that looked exactly the same as its brothers, march down the ramp with menacing looks. Beside it, rolled down a silver astromech droid beeping in it's near incomprehensible language.
"Query: Excuse me, are you the meatbag, Bastila Shan?" the red droid asked suddenly.
"HK-47?" Bastila responded surprised, "T3?"
"Sardonic Statement: We'll take that as a 'yes.'"
"HK," Bastila for once was depending with every fiber of her being on the insane assassin/protocol droid and his information. "Where is Revan? Tell me please!"
Before the droid could answer, the brown robed figure of Jaden Taler came down the ramp. Draped over his shoulders was the limp, gray robed body of Revan, his face pale, sweaty, and his brow covered in dry blood from a cut on his forehead.
"No!" Bastila cried almost animal like, and wrenched Revan's form off of Jaden into her own arms. As Bastila wept, Brianna leapt onto the ramp and pulled Jaden's tall, battered frame into a tight, emotional embrace. Before anything else could happen, though, a finger reached up and touched Bastila on the lips tenderly.
"You really haven't changed," the barely conscious Revan hoarsely whispered to the shocked Bastila. "Kinrath-pup face..."
Bastila managed to croak out, "I'm going to get you for that..." before Revan pulled her face down for a gentle, passionate kiss. He then pulled away as the med teams loaded him on a stretcher.
As he was carried away to the Medical Bay, Revan managed to whisper with a worried face: "They're coming... I couldn't stop them..."
Bastila called after him, "Who? Who's coming?"
"Them..."
Bastila turned toward Jaden, who's hazel eyes were dark and serious. Brianna looked confused into Jaden's face. He returned the gaze with a look of resignation, and finally finished with:
"The True Sith..."