The twin suns blazed down onto the sandy land below. The inhabitants of the mining town of Anchorhead wiped sweat from their brows and went about another tiring day of work. Through the small town walked three figures; two walking together and laughing and one lagging behind, seemingly reluctant to join the others. The third figure brushed her brown hair away from her beautiful face and stared after her charge and the young Twilek, who were talking and gossiping as if they had known each other for a lifetime. If only the man knew, she thought.
"I'll kill all of you! Every last stinking one!"
The young man strained and raged at the metal cuffs that kept him secured to a metal table. Around him several Jedi, hands linked, eyes shut, held his Force powers in check through an effort of will. The atmosphere was charged with power. Blood trickled from the nose of a white haired woman in white robes who shuddered and gritted her teeth. A purple skinned Twilek in blue robes made his way to the head of the table where the young man was pinned and placed his hands on the sides of the man's face. The man leered.
"Do you really think that your puny powers can hope to hold Darth Revan? When I get out of here I will murder each and every one of you! Starting with you, Bastila!"
The young man twisted his head to the side. "Remember my words, slave of the Jedi. Revan cannot be contained! Uuurrr…"
The man's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. The purple-skinned Twilek closed his own eyes and…
"Bastila? Bastila!"
The young Jedi realised that someone was gently shaking her shoulder. Her eyes snapped back in to focus on the face of Re…Vash, that was his name now.
"We were just wondering where the best place to start looking for your mother would be. Mission thinks it's the cantina."
"I…what…yes of course…we should focus our efforts on finding the location of the Star Map." Bastila spluttered. "My mother will just have to wait."
"Really?" Vash grinned. "I always thought it was appropriate for a girl's mother to meet the guy that she's dating."
Mission giggled and Bastila's eyes widened as if she had been struck. "I…that is…you…why must you be so impossibly infuriating? Jedi do not form emotional attachments. They are dangerous things that can all too easily lead one down the path of the dark side."
Vash put his hands behind his head. "Lighten up, I was just teasing."
"I think you two would look cute together, y'know." said Mission. "Vash and Bastila, Jedi in love."
"I think that we should focus more on our mission and less upon…silly things." said Bastila, sweeping past the teen Twilek. Mission followed Bastila like a kath pup, trailing comments like "Don't you think he's cute?" and "C'mon, you can tell me." Vash smiled and walked after them. The three of them rounded a corner. Vash tensed up. His hand flew to his lightsaber. Something was wrong…
Two cloaked and hooded figures melted from the shadows at the sides of the walls. Two red lightsaber blades sprang into existence. The snap-hiss of Bastila's double-yellow blades and Vash's blue one soon followed, yet there was something flitting on the edge of Vash's senses that wasn't right. He felt a presence behind him. Vash turned to warn Bastila but a jet of white lightning smashed into Bastila's back, causing her to drop her lightsaber with a yell and fall to her knees. Vash sent a wave of Force energy at the hidden attacker which lifted him off his feet and smashed him into a wall. Civilians ran for cover. The other two dark Jedi advanced.
"Mission, get behind me!" shouted Vash as he parried a strike from one of the dark Jedi's double red blades. Both Sith hammered blows down on Vash with their laser swords and it was all Vash could do to stave them off. He parried, he blocked, he struck, he dodged, he parried again, his movements as fluid and graceful as a dancer but still the Sith attacked. Beads of sweat ran down Vash's face and he realised that he could lose this battle. He would have failed them. Carth, Mission, Zaalbar, he would have let them all down. In desperation Vash pushed one of his attackers away with the Force. This was only a temporary solution. The remaining Sith came at him even harder, fuelled by dark hate. Vash had an idea. He blocked the dark Jedi's attack and flung out his left hand behind him, summoning the downed Sith's lightsaber to his other hand. The blade blazed into life as it reached his hand and Vash struck back with two lightsabers, one red, one blue. The other Sith rejoined the battle and Vash realised that they were attempting to trap him in a pincer movement, leaving him unable to defend himself on either side. Another idea occurred to Vash. As the Sith circled him, he shut his eyes and focused the Force within. Both dark Jedi charged at him at the same time. Vash leapt into the air with the Force and the two Sith impaled each other with their laser blades. Vash landed on his feet and watched the two dark warriors fall to the ground, dead. He hurried over to Bastila who was lying on the ground, her face scrunched in pain.
"Bastila! Are you all right? Can you hear me?"
Bastila opened her eyes and grimaced in what was intended to be a smile. "I'll live." she said.
Mission pulled a medpac out of her belt and injected Bastila with it. Out of the corner of his eye Vash saw the dark Jedi whose lightsaber he had taken stir. Vash strode towards him and ignited both of his lightsabers. The Sith had barely made it to his knees when he was trapped between two crossed lightsabers.
"Take off your hood." said Vash.
The Sith obeyed. Beneath the cloak was a boy scarcely older than Mission. Vash's eyes blazed like the laser swords he was holding.
"You hurt someone very important to me and for that you should be punished." said Vash. The young Sith looked up at him in fear.
"I'm not going to kill you, although I will keep your lightsaber. The Sith are no place for one as young as you, with his whole life in front of him." Vash retracted the lightsabers. "Get out of here. Find something else to do, to be."
The Sith stared at him in shock and wonder before scrabbling to his feet and running away through the town. Vash didn't watch him go. Instead, he returned to Bastila's side and helped her to her feet.
Two days later, Vash and Carth were playing Pazaak in their bunk room when Bastila walked in. Vash was accusing Carth of cheating and could not believe that he had lost five games straight when he saw Bastila. His face bloomed into a smile.
"Carth, may I have a moment with Vash? There is something I wish to discuss."
"You got it." The pilot stood up and walked out. Bastila sat down where Carth had been sitting.
"Are you all right, Bastila? You were injured pretty badly in that battle."
"I'm…fine." Bastila shifted uneasily in her chair. "Vash, I must know something. Why did you spare the life of that Sith who attacked me? Why did you let him go?"
"Because vengeance is not the right path to take. It has no end and eventually it will consume you." Bastila looked as though she was about to say something when Vash interrupted. "Bastila, when I first met you I was just a scout. Now I'm a Jedi. I have been given these powers for a reason and that reason is not to destroy others." Vash shifted in his seat. "Besides, it's horrible to see people as young as Mission turn to the dark side. Life is about so much more."
Bastila remembered how young he had been when he defied the Council and went to war against the Mandalorians. She remembered his words as he thrashed and writhed on that metal table as the Jedi Council took his mind, so long ago. Maybe he truly had changed. If so, it boded very well for their mission and the fate of the Galaxy.
"I see." she said. "Your actions were those of a true Jedi, and for that I commend you."
Bastila stood up and made to leave. As she did, she heard Vash say "We could still go on that date."