Dantooine, AR: day 8

In a small room on a remote world, two figures lay on tables in the medical section of the Jedi Enclave. One was dead, preserved in a wrapping of the Force that prevented decay, kept the semblance of life. It might be breathing, but it was not living.

The other was merely unconscious.

Around them stood several obviously alive figures: those of the Jedi Council, and one young padawan. . .

"We're running out of time," Bastila said, worry plain on her face. "If this doesn't work. . ."

"It will," Master Zhar insisted. "We have learned from our mistakes."

Bastila frowned. "I hope so."

She closed her eyes, reached her awareness out through the maze of un-thought that was the dead body and into the bald stranger. He was an explorer, one who happened to be on Dantooine and accepted the Jedi Council's offer. A fortune, and a job. Hazard pay, it would be considered in any other occupation.

Her thoughts wandered, but that didn't matter. The link held, through the dead Jedi, into the stranger.

The Council members did the rest. Following the thread she held, they collected what they needed from the dead mind, imprinting it through her onto the living one.

It was a long process, hours and hours. Had she not been trained in meditation, Bastila suspected her limbs would have gone numb from the physical inaction, but she was a Jedi Padawan and well prepared for it.

The fact that they had done this every day for a week made it both easier and more unbearably dull. She no longer watched the Masters with curiosity or eagerness to learn, she didn't care any longer what they were doing. It was complicated. It was cutting-edge.

It was very boring.

She let her thoughts drift to nothing in particular. Her job was to provide a mental tether that connected the deceased Sith Lord to the volunteer. The Council was doing all the hard work and so long as her connection didn't waver she could think whatever she pleased.

At last she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Well done, Padawan," Master Zhar said. "The process is complete. Revan is reborn, on the path of Light, ready to return to us in the proper time."

Bastila let her mind snap back into itself, and only then did the fatigue hit her. She blinked dizzily.

"You will take him to the distant world of Taris," Master Vandar said. "I sense the threads of the future gather there. Knight Cora will accompany you."

"Shalli?" Bastila groaned. The older girl had been a padawan during much of her own training, but recently had been raised to Knight and would not let anyone forget it. Her arrogance grated on Bastila, and the two young women had clashed more than once. "Why her?"

"She has a connection to this matter as well," Master Dorak said. "The future depends upon everyone being in their proper place."

"You put too much trust in this padawan," Master Vrook said. He didn't glare at Bastila, but she felt the disdain oozing off him. "One of us should accompany the reborn Revan. He will need guidance that one so young could not possibly provide."

"Peace, Vrook," Vandar said. "The future is never sure, but in this I feel confident that things will work out as they should. Trust in the Force. It has guided us well so far."

Vrook snorted. "Guided us well? Is that what you call a week of wearing ourselves out in this futile attempt to recover the dead?"

"Yet we have succeeded," Vandar said, gesturing to the unconscious man. "Once a simple explorer, yet now you can feel the strength of the Force flowing through him. In his mind, in his dreams, you can see that he has become Revan."

Bastila stood, almost fell over. She was so tired. It hadn't been so bad the first times, but day after day after day of maintaining a mental connection through a dead mind was one thing she had never trained for. Physically, she was fine, but mentally she was on the verge of passing out herself.

"Rest, padawan," Master Zhar told her softly. "Our debates need not keep you. Your quarters on the Endar Spire are prepared. Knight Cora will join you soon. The crew know what to do, you'll leave before morning."

Bastila shakily executed her trademark bow, flourishing her hands to the sides. "As you say, Masters."

Vandar shook his head as the padawan exited the room. "That one has much to learn," he said quietly, so she would not hear.

"And this madness is folly," Vrook said, gesturing to the unconscious man. "Revan reborn? He was enough trouble before, what business do we have bringing him back."

—=====—

Author's Note: POV characters' names, when not pre-existing, were taken from the Kotor and KotorII 'random name' functions. I generally use whatever it gave first, as I think this adds to the atmosphere of this silly thing. There were a few that I took out-of-order because it fit the story better. (i.e. siblings having the same surname)

Personal Note: Once upon a time, I thought I would never write fanfictions. Then I started Fall With Me, first as a quick thing for myself, then a longer thing, then I decided to start posting it. And then I discovered while writing it that I have more ideas, ideas that go farther away from the base game, ideas that go strange places and don't pretend to know what they're doing.

This is a silly thing, a hiccuping romp that I'm not trying to do 'well', casual and ridiculous by design.

(And for those of you following Fall With Me, don't worry. My main focus is still on that story, this will not be causing any delay in updates.)