Disclaimer: Copyright LucasArts, Obsidian, Bioware, and whoever else. Except for the story, certain characters, certain places, etcetera. I sound like a mantra.
Author's Note: Anyways, this is an edited version of the prologue. Originally I was trying to think up an explanation for why HK was found all strung up in that compartment at the start of KOTOR 2, and I thought I was being rather clever about it, making Revan the cause of it, but Star Wars Wiki ruined it all for me and I discovered everything I had done wrong. ;) I couldn't change everything because that would ruin the story I had already started, but it's close enough. Hopefully? Anyways, here is the story. I hope you like.
-tWiNkLeT.
Prologue of The Fate of the Wandering: Into the Dusk
Once again at the beginning of all things, Elaine Skylar stood at the ramp of the ship she had come to know so well. Her dark violet eyes, now tinged with light tints of deep red, surveyed the scene.
They would be asleep now, unaware of the fact that she was returning. Unaware that she would be leaving once again. Images of Malachor V were still imprinted in her memory, vague enough to still lure her to curiosity, yet sharp enough to remind her of her pressing duty. Her return visit there had reminded her, if nothing else, of what she still had to do.
She exhaled slowly, and turned to her two droid companions. "Alright, so this is our stop. Home sweet home, and all that. But I've never been fond of reunions. You do understand what I'm trying to say?"
HK-47's red eyes glittered as he spoke. "Recitation: Ah, yes, Master. Summarization: That the knowledge you've regained on that black hole of a planet we just left has reminded you of a duty you possess that consists of killing many, many Sith. And that you have returned back to our ship only to regain certain materials, most specifically of the edible sustenance kind, so that you can leave to another black hole of a planet that you have to attend to. Query: My programming is only wondering why you do not connect 'Killing many, many Sith' to bringing along me, who is, if you will find the strength within yourself to recall, Master, an assassin droid. Humble Statement: My programming may or may not be as advanced as your squishy brain cells; however, I find my logic is quite intact."
T3-M4 beeped and swirled around in circles in what seemed to be passionate and indignant agreement.
Elaine gave a small, reluctant smile, but she shook her head. "While I appreciate your obvious and somewhat expected enthusiasm for slaughtering hundreds or more of Sith, this 'duty' you speak of is something that I need to solve myself. HK, you've been a faithful companion of mine for a long time, and you too, T3, but while my duty lies elsewhere, yours lies here. I have important missions for both of you."
As she talked, the droids listened, and a figure by a window in the Ebon Hawk chanced upon glimpsing them at the bottom of the ramp. The figure waited.
"Not a word, okay?" Elaine reminded T3 and HK. "They can't know I've returned." She turned back towards the ship and ran a hand through her long dark curls. She let out a low, soft whistle. "Here goes."
Inside the Ebon Hawk, it was cool, dark, and quiet, save for the low hum of the Ebon Hawk's engine; however, it was a sound Elaine was so used to that it might as well have been deathly quiet. Although this atmosphere mirrored their outside surroundings of the planet Deralia, Elaine's feelings of guilt, fear, and cowardice seemed magnified by a hundred in here. Get what you need, then get out, she told herself. As fast as possible. Just focus on that. Don't think of anything else. Don't think.
HK and T3 parted ways, heading stealthily, or in T3's case, gliding, towards their previous 'claimed' locations. Elaine watched them go, then brought her mind back to her objective.
It should be easy. All she needed to do was turn left, and she was in the Starboard Dormitory once again. Except it wasn't empty, of course. Mission lay fast asleep on one of the beds, her blue head-tails curled around her shoulders. She was breathing gently, curled up into a fetus position. Elaine bit her lip and kept moving to her bunk, where she reached into the secret compartment.
She replenished the pack on her back with medpacs, food, water pouches, and grenades, before standing up and quietly closing the compartment. As she swept towards the door, she heard Mission mumble something like, "Don't want to…play pazaak…with gizka…they cheat…"
It was something that would earlier have made her laugh, but now it just made her heart ache. "Good-bye, Mission," Elaine whispered, and left through the door.
She had one last thing to do. She walked forward into the main hold and reached into her pockets to take hold of a holovid. She held it briefly, running her hands over the contours hesitatingly, before leaving it there on the table, and walking away. The table was still littered with near-empty cups of jumas and caffas. She wondered how they had spent their time while she had been away.
Elaine paused at the intersection, although she knew she should be long gone by now. One way would take her back, down the ramp, mission accomplished. The other…She slowly turned her head left, towards the cockpit. Her violet, eyes, full of emotion, passion, and memories, never seemed to hold as much conflict and longing as now. And shame. Most of all shame.
She walked, but it felt as though something else had taken control of her legs entirely. Her thoughts were already flying ahead of her.
He was there, of course. Elaine tightened her grip on her pack and walked forward. Carth was sprawled, fast asleep in the pilot seat, snoring slightly, a stray strand of brown hair resting lazily on his forehead. Elaine smiled despite herself. The same as always.
She moved closer and made a gesture as though to gently brush his hair away, but stopped herself. She couldn't chance waking him. She stepped backwards and closed her eyes, attempting to breath. It's time to go. I can't stay.
When she re-opened her eyes, she was in the hallway again, heading back to the main hold, and then the ramp, angrily ignoring the wetness that had begun to gather in her eyes. I was doing just fine before that, she thought to herself harshly. What was I thinking, going there?
"Going somewhere, Elaine?" a voice pointedly inquired.
Caught.
Elaine turned around to face Bastila Shan, who was looking at her expectantly. She stood with poise and dignity as always. Her dark brown hair was in two ponytails, the tendrils softly falling around her pale face, and her blue eyes seemed older than when Elaine had seen them last.
"Of course," she continued. "I should think that ridiculous, considering that I believe you had just left us only a few days before to 'revisit your birthplace' and that you would 'return shortly.'" She cocked her head to one side. "Is that not what you told us?"
"I didn't exactly lie," Elaine said testily. She held herself straighter. "I am going to revisit it. Someone, to be exact. And I did 'return shortly,' didn't I?" She smiled, although the humor didn't reach her eyes. "No harm, no foul, eh, Bassy?"
Bastila shook her head vigorously. "Enough with the nicknames. You know how I hate that."
"All too well." Elaine smiled sadly, and Bastila saw, and knew that they would be able to reach an understanding.
"I know that you've re-discovered the things you needed to re-learn at wherever you escaped to," Bastila said. "And I know you have…somewhere else you need to be. I saw the worry in your eyes not too long ago on the beach at the Rakatan world. I just need your affirmation that this is really the way you want it to be. And if it is…it will be hard, but I will try to understand. I will let it go."
Elaine stared down at her feet for a moment, but when she re-joined her gaze with Bastila's, it shone bright. "It is. I've thought about this more than you can possibly know. If they found out, Bastila, they won't let me go alone. One person, in particular." Bastila nodded knowingly. "I may only be one person and this may be an immensely colossal threat, but I can't endanger anyone's life other than my own. Anyway, no one likes goodbyes. It's just…easier, this way. For all of us, I think.
"And what should I tell them, when they wake up? Our ship can't be on this planet forever, supposedly waiting for you. And since I'm the last one to see you, I might be held accountable. Of course," Bastila added hastily, "that's the least of anyone's worries."
"I left a holovid in the main hold. My way of saying goodbye without getting too much attention."
Bastila laughed hollowly. "Attention is exactly what you'll get beyond the Outer Rim."
They stared at each other for a moment, and then Elaine sighed and hugged a surprised Bastila who patted her back awkwardly as though not used to such devotion and affection. Elaine pulled away reluctantly. "Watch after them," she told Bastila. "They'll need to look to someone after I am gone."
"Watch your back," Bastila advised. "Especially since there will be no one else to watch it for you."
There was a pause. "That sounded oddly wrong, Bastila," Elaine jested good-humoredly.
Bastila rolled her eyes, yet could not resist a smile. "I will miss you and your somewhat barbaric ways. Good-bye, Elaine."
"Jedi Princess," Elaine said back teasingly, just as formally, yet there was a sincere 'thank you' in her tone and eyes. With the pack on her back, she descended down the Ebon Hawk's ramp and departed.
Outside in the dark, she tried not to look back at their ship, but found she couldn't prevent herself from doing so. However, darkness enshrouded her and made it nearly impossible. She could only distinguish a silhouette. And so she left it behind.
Later she was fastening her seatbelt in the small shuttle she had bought and taken to Malachor V previously. Elaine put on her Verpine Headband to help her eyesight that was steadily getting more blurry with each day. Then she lifted off once again, expertly navigating the controls, although once high up above the ground, she felt a little queasy. "Come on, Elaine," she prodded herself. "Whoever heard of a former Sith Lord afraid of heights?"
She knew she had to fight the real, unknown evil beyond the Outer Rim. And she knew someone would try to come after her. But she would make sure that she'd be very difficult to find.