Author's Notes:

Usual disclaimers - I do not own any characters in the Star Wars Universe or KOTOR. Any characters other than Revan and Vandar are thought up by me. This story is based on events before KOTOR following a male Revan. I loosely tie the timeline to the one used in Wookipedia and may reference events there from time to time. If I have violated any of this canon I apologize in advance. I write purely for my own amusement. So if there are any criticisms please keep it focused on story quality and not on canon. Constructive feedback appreciated.

"Him? Yes I know of him. The problem is

no-one seems to know his real name since

everyone calls him something different. Though

I've heard people who know him well use the name

Revan. Some sort of private joke I'm told. He

doesn't seem to mind though.

-attributed to a Jedi padawan

Dramatis Personae

Revan: Jedi Knight, ambassador to the Jedi Order

Vel'shar: Jedi Master, ambassador to the Jedi Order

Milas: Jedi padawan to Master Vel'shar

Ailene Egala: Primary equerry to Governor Chiel

Governor Larek Chiel: Governor of Chiron

Pavel Soth: Advisor to Govenor Chiel

Tarken Erssavel: Technician, communications specialist

Kessler Daal: Head of Chiron law enforcement

Darth Mreth: Sith Lord Talon Cult

Darth Vreeshar: Sith Warror – subordinate to Darth Mreth

Darth Excrutiatus: Sith Warrior – subordinate to Darth Mreth

Jorek Kreen – Commander of the Blooded

Prologue (3968 BBY)

Transmission to Alpha Wing 1

Encryption level: Beta

Decrypting

……

Decryption complete: verification required

……

Identification confirmed:

Revan

Rank: Jedi Knight

Status: Standby

Source: Jedi Council Dantooine

Mission Priority: Vermillion-2

++Transmission Started++

Revan, this is Master Vandar of the Jedi Council. I am transmitting along with this message coordinates for a planet within the Fenix Star System in the Galactic Core. Oberon II is a remote agricultural outpost with a standing population of 1000,000. Most of that population is concentrated in the capital city of Chiron. Two weeks ago the planet's communications had sent out a distress signal indicating pirate activity on the planet. Colonists have been reported missing and the local security forces have been listed as MIA. We had sent two members of our order to deal with this disturbance a week before: Master Vel'shar and his apprentice Milas. No word has been sent about their status every since touching down on the planet's surface and communications with the planet itself has been cut off. The Jedi council has determined that you should investigate this mystery and report any findings regarding their disappearance. We have sent a message to the planet's surface foretelling your arrival, but have not received any response. Expect hostile activity as soon as you set foot on the surface. The Force be with you Revan. Vandar out.

++End Transmission++

Equerry Ailene stood at the docking bay 41 at Sulcher's pass nervously biting her lip. It had been almost 10 minutes since the arrival of the Jedi ambassador was supposed to arrive and this drawn out affair was not helping her nerves. She scanned her datapad again to determine the nature of the person's arrival.

"Of all the assignments to land…"

She had not been present when the previous two Jedi had arrived to 'assist' the planet but she had a pretty good feeling this assignment wasn't something she wanted. Everyone had been relieved when the Jedi order had sent two of their members to help with the pirate activity on Chiron, the primary hub on Oberon II. But since they had set off to find the source of the disturbance, neither Jedi had been seen again. The local guide assigned to their exploration was found a mutilated pile in the isolated steppes of the Ghaine grasslands, ostensibly where the attacks had originated. The reports she had read, had been particularly detailed about the nature of the death. At least hundreds of cuts to the abdomen and chest area. Right arm severed at the elbow joint. Evidence of blaster and flame weapons. Overkill was apparently not a word within the pirate's vocabulary. Of the two Jedi, there was no sign.

Now as far as Ailene was concerned, she was lined up for a particularly nasty death, in the same vein as the previous unlucky guide. She tapped her finger on the dataslate again to determine if she could drudge any useful information that wouldn't make her look like an idiot when meeting with the new arrival.

The datapad indicated that the member of the Jedi order was called 'Revan' and held the rank of Jedi Knight. She tried in vain to find any records regarding his previous activities or exploits that may have been public knowledge in the Galactic core but surprisingly nothing was in evidence. The only relevant data was the gender and appearance of this individual.

"Human Male: Dark hair, brown eyes, pale white skin, 5-10" muttered Ailene. That described about half of the population in this world. She glanced down at the age, which was marked as 'unknown'.

"Why do they even bother with a report?"

A shuddering noise caught her ear and Ailene looked up to see the shadow of a craft descending from the sky.

"'Alpha Wing 1' identified" came a voice behind her. Ailene turned back to see the docking master nodding in her direction.

"Primary descent initated. Beginning landing sequence".

She looked back up to observe the scene unfolding before her. The starship was an elegant craft resembling a bird of prey. Its snout was elongated and hooked like a predator and its hull was sheened in silvery light. Its descent was slow but controlled. Ailene couldn't help admire the ship.

"It looks a lot fancier than the previous starship to plod through here"

The ship came to a gentle landing at the hangar bay, its engine growl gradually diminishing. The dockmaster fiddled with the controls of his console and the magnetic clamps around the ships attached. He nodded in satisfaction. "Landing protocol complete. You may disembark". A clicking sound was heard in acknowledgement.

"Well he's all yours" remarked the dockmaster. Ailene nodded her thanks and turned her attention to the hatch which was slowly opening below the belly of the craft. At first she could not see anything beyond its gates, as if a permanent darkness had settled upon the interior. Gradually an outline was faintly visible as a figure slowly detached itself from the purveying darkness. Ailene had to squint to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. It literally seemed as if this person was made of the same gloom as the interior itself though that could have just been the bad lighting in this hangar.

"Well might as well take the initiative." She thought stepping forward to meet the figure halfway. As he left the last steps of his craft, the platform immediately began retracting back into the ship to close without a sound. Upon proximity to the approaching figure, the first thing she noticed was the heavy cloak the man was wearing. Even in the dull glare of the headlights above her, she registered the color as dark grey as opposed to the dull brown worn by most other members of the Jedi Order. His head was hooded and she could not make out any features which made her uncomfortable.

"The light" she thought "It's only the light."

The visitor's gait was calm and his movements did not seem to make any sound on the hard granite floor although his posture was slightly hunched. When Ailene was about 3 feet from him he stopped.

"Greetings ambassador" said Ailene formally. "I am Ailene Egala, primary equerry to the governor of Chiron. He bid me to welcome you on behalf of his office." Ailene put out her hand in greeting. The hooded figure reached out his right hand and put it in a firm grasp. The hand was covered in a gloved gauntlet of unknown material. Ailene noticed markings on them she didn't recognize.

"Greetings equerry" replied the figure. His voice was low and measured. Ailene paused thinking that he had more to say but he simply retracted his hand and made a gesture of 'you first'. She shifted a little, obviously wrong-footed but proceeded to walk in the direction of the exit. "This way sir."

The ambassador followed suite as the equerry walked away, slowing his pace so not to outpace her.

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice. We had received a distorted message relaying your arrival but could not put any reply forthwith. Our local communications array has been damaged and our technician suspects jamming as well as sabotage."

The figure nodded as he moved, but did not reply. As they walked the empty metal corridor, Ailene continued:

"The governor has requested your presence at your earliest convenience to brief you personally on the full situation."

"I will be glad to meet the governor in person". Replied the ambassador.

"We have a transport awaiting outside this hangar. In the meantime if I can get you any refreshments or anything …". Ailene trailed off when she heard a thin sigh emanating from the other ambassador's lips.

"Forgive me equerry, but you do not need to stand at parade attention for me."

"I-I meant no offense. I only wished to make sure standard protocol was followed."

The figure stopped walking and turned towards Ailene.

"I understand. But I find these formalities usually hampers getting to the meat of the matter. I think that's partly my fault too. A moment."

Ailene watched as the figure slowly took his hood and pushed it back. In its place was a patrician face that caught Ailene off guard. His hair was brown and his skin pale and white, that the report had got correct. What caught Ailene off guard the most is how young he actually looked.

"He cannot be older than me"

His features were sharp and his skin smooth without blemish, beardless. The hair was cut short, almost cropped in to his skull. He would have been considered handsome but his serious expression stifled that effect. Everything about this person spoke of control and discipline. Ailene swallowed. Following her brief analysis her eyes caught his and it was something that she would remember for the rest of her life. Young he may have looked, but his eyes were incredibly old. Dark pools of brown, almost black, they swallowed everything but gave nothing away. She immediately felt small in his presence. Ailene realized she was afraid although there was nothing menacing in the other person's posture. She had seen the other Jedi during their meeting with the governor and their countenance had been completely different. Perhaps they had been formal and aloof but they had never made her squirm like he did now.

"Allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Revan, Jedi Knight and representative of my order, tasked with helping your world recover from its recent tragedies." He followed this with a bow of his head.

Ailene struggled to keep her composure in the light of this development.

"An honor ambassador."

"Please, just Revan."

"As you will. Please Revan, our transport awaits."

As the speeder crossed the sandy streets of Chiron towards the governor's office, Revan had asked Ailene to describe the world and their functionality.

"As you know, we are primarily an agricultural world recently colonized, tasked with producing foodstuff for neighboring star systems. Most of our produce is grain and dried foodstuff with some cattle exported offworld as well. We also maintain several major ore refineries across this continent".

"Most of your trade goes to Coruscant I assume?"

"Yes, about 60%. While we are by no means a major supplier, trade from the core world keeps us relatively prosperous." She pursed her lips. "I imagine the sudden cutoff had garnered due attention."

Revan nodded.

"You have questions equerry." His tone suggested he was stating a fact.

"I no-not at all. My primary function is to take you to the governor and answer any questions you might have."

"I am well satisfied at the moment. But please, if we are going to work together, a level of trust needs to be established."

Ailene hesitated. Of course she had dozens of questions for this strange man. Throughout her childhood she had heard the local legends regarding the Jedi Knights. Warriors without peer, tasked with protecting the Republic and ensure its prosperity. Righteous fighters that could bring salvation to the worlds in desperate times while being calming mediators when diplomacy was called for. Of course she had heard of the strange mystical powers these warriors employed. In a galaxy that embraced the scientific despite all its wonders, what the Jedi called the Force could only be classified as something supernatural. Trying to describe it in technical terms was like describing a painting by its base chemical components. But what drew her curiosity the most was the Jedi's signature weapon.

The lightsaber.

She had seen picture of these warriors in glorious battle fighting some savage alien or enemy across a nameless battlefield. Republic propaganda was very good at that. In their hands, the Jedi had wielded swords of pure light, a beacon of righteous power to anyone who saw it. No armor or shield could resist its touch as they sliced into the enemy like so much wet paper. Some said that lightsabres were another part of the Jedi's powers, their will manifested as a beam of energy, so potent were these warriors abilities. Ailene wasn't sure if she believed that part. Energy based weaponry was fairly common, ranging from the hand held blaster to the mighty starship cannons. Still the elegance of the lightsabre's design was something people held in awe and its secrets jealously coveted by outsiders.

Ailene had wanted to ask if she could see his lightsaber, but for some reason, it sounded like an extremely dirty pick up line.

Revan at this point was staring at her with a mildly bemused expression so she had to make some sort of response.

"Y-you're a lot younger than I expected sir."

"You are not the first person to say this to me." Said Revan leaning back on his chair. His gaze turned towards the front where the droid was piloting the vehicle.

"If it makes you feel better I do not know what my exact age is. Maybe I'm older than you think. Then again I have it on fairly good authority that I have not reached the standard age of twenty."

"Oh." Said Ailene. She shuffled in her seat.

"But if I may comment, you are not exactly the picture of a withered crone worrying at her desk that I suspected either."

Ailene didn't know if she should be flattered or insulted.

"In fact" said Revan turning his gaze back to her. "What is a girl less than the age of eighteen doing as the equerry to the governor of a major agricultural world?"

"I-What?"

"You haven't left your teen years is that correct?"

"I'm twenty four standard years of age sir!" Ailene huffed. She knew her face was turning a distinct shade of pink like the local fruit in this region.

"Oh?" Revan raised one of his eyebrows sardonically. "Then why are you stuffing your chest to amplify the appearance of your…maturity?"

"I am not!" Ailene was definitely on the edge of panic now. How did this man know? She was pretty sure Revan had not glanced more than twice in her direction and his eyes never left her face.

"Your 'stuffing' is showing"

Horrified, Ailene glanced down at her chest to see if she had someone humiliated herself in front of the Jedi Knight. She looked frantically to see if anything was amiss but as far as she could tell nothing was out of order. She glared back up at Revan who had adopted a faint smile.

"Forgive me equerry, but I felt the need to lighten the mood."

"I-I…"

"I am sorry, that was unprofessional. Jedi Knights don't get to socialize outside of their order much. What passes for humor may simply be crass to other people."

Ailene got the distinct feeling Revan knew exactly what he was doing. But she did relax a fraction when she realized the other man had made a genuine attempt at levity.

"Sixteen" she whispered. "I'm sixteen".

"I meant it as a compliment." replied Revan. "Only someone with poise, ambition and intellect could pull off your role and you've done a fine job hoodwinking the other staff."

"Thanks…I think."

"I think it's only fair if you ask me another question" Revan continued. They were approaching the main sector of the city now close to the governor's office. Surrounding them was the local bustle of commerce. Many species were in evidence here. Human, Duros, Twi'lek, Bith all going about their lives, haggling for prices on the latest droids on the market, shopping for food… Revan gazed out towards them but Ailene could not tell what he was thinking at that moment.

"If I may comment Revan, I find it odd that the Jedi Order would send only one person after two of their members had gone missing."

"A good observation."

"Maybe you could…put my concerns at ease."

Revan turned back to look at her rubbing at the bridge of his nose. His robes concealed everything on his person and Ailene had yet to see the fabled weapon brandished by one of his kind.

"Well I can think of several explanations. The first one being, the order was concerned about sending any more valuable souls to investigate so they decided to send me as a token gesture and write off this planet entirely."

Ailene reddened at that comment. "You're being flippant sir."

"Yes" said Revan without apology. "But to answer your question more seriously, I suspect it has more to do with the fact that previously, Master Vel'shar was burdened with protecting his apprentice. The Jedi council did not initially see this mission as dangerous as it is now. The amount of resistance encountered was greater than expected and Vel'shar was distracted with combat as well as ensuring his padawan was not killed. It was natural then for the council to send a Jedi Knight with no commitment to training or protecting their young at the same time as this mission."

"I guess that makes sense." admitted Ailene. She continued: "But I can think of another reason why they would send you."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Because you are more capable than either of them."

Revan's gaze betrayed nothing for a moment. He simply looked at her before a tiny smile appeared on his face. For some reason, Ailene felt more comfortable than she had since the stranger had appeared before her.

"I think we'll do just fine together equerry."