Disclaimer: I don't own this. Not sure if I put that in the prologue, but I don't own that either.
A/N: All right guys, let's get rolling! A huge thanks to anyone who reviewed, I'm so glad to see at least some of you all stuck around even after my unforgivably long hiatus! Also welcome to all the new folks! I really hope this story lives up to all your standards. Without further ado, let's get on with Chapter 1!
Chapter 1: Mission
Thalia May led her into the medical center they'd set up in the abandoned, still mostly intact, Sandral estate. The Sith who'd deserted when Revan descended on the colony had fled the civil war on Korriban to join the Jedi, only to find the Enclave in flames. But they'd stayed, trying to help the people who were left there recover and rebuild. They'd send scout teams back to Korriban from time to time, stealing supplies and assessing the situation. Even after the planet was abandoned and the Republic had bombed the Academy into oblivion, they still searched. And they reported any interesting findings to Mission Vao.
Their numbers had been few at the beginning, only about ten, but over time, especially after Malak's defeat, other Sith survivors who had seen the error of their ways but didn't want to join the Jedi had sought refuge with Thalia. Four years after Malak's fall, their numbers were well over a hundred, and they had set up a colony of sorts, helping the surviving farmers to rebuild and continue farming, as well as defending them from the wildlife.
They hadn't found anything interesting on their missions to Korriban in almost two years, and Mission had been wondering why they didn't just stop the missions altogether, but they kept doing it, searching the ruins for artifacts, supplies, anything they could find to help their settlement. And then, after the most recent mission, they had contacted her.
A young man, they said, in unusual clothes had been found outside the tomb of Ajunta Pall. He was unarmed, and he bore in his pocket a strange device which seemed electronic, but could not be turned on. By the time Mission had arrived the previous day, he had already been there for almost a week, unconscious the entire time.
But now, they said, he was regaining consciousness. Thalia thought he might somehow be connected to Athena. Mission was not so hopeful, but she figured she might as well check it out-she had nothing better to do anyway.
Stepping into the medcenter, she glanced over at the young man. He had a square jaw, with short brown hair on the lighter side, as well as a scruffy-looking half-beard. He wore distinctive sandals with rubber soles and diagonally-crossed straps, as well as a T-shirt with what looked like a Mandalorian helmet made of differently colored music notes and cargo shorts. His sunglasses, the lenses a shiny bluish-purple color, had been folded on the table next to his bed. And his brown eyes, eyes which had the tiniest touch of green, were slowly blinking open.
Slowly, as they finally opened without shutting again, the eyes focused on her.
"So it is true…" he muttered.
"I'm Mission Vao," she told him. "What's your name?"
"I lost my memory," he stated, eyes unfocused, "but it's back now. Sort of. Gideon," he added, focusing on Mission again. "Gideon… Stewart." His hesitation made her suspicious, but she chose not to comment on that.
"What do you remember?"
"Don't know how I got to Korriban," he said. "My sister, Claire… she just disappeared… maybe that happened to me, too. What's happened, what's going on? In the galaxy, I mean?"
His memory must still be recovering, Mission thought. "Darth Malak, Lord of the Sith, was defeated by Revan four years ago." She figured that was as good a place as any to start. "You're on Dantooine."
"But it was destroyed! Right?" He still looked confused.
Mission nodded. "Some renegade Sith students from Korriban fled here and started helping the settlers rebuild. They've been at it for almost three years, and they've got a colony now. They're the ones who rescued you from Korriban. You still have no idea how you got there?"
He shook his head, and she thought she heard him mutter, "...coat, or…" She decided not to question it.
"I need to contact Dustil," she decided, speaking more to herself than him. "He's been studying Force healing, he might be able to help you."
"Dustil Onasi?" he asked. "Carth's son?"
She looked back at him. "I didn't know people knew Carth had a son."
He shook his head. "I don't know how I knew that." He looked up at her, eyes wide and somewhat scared-looking. "I just did."
"How old are you?" she asked.
"Twenty-one," he responded.
"All right, Gideon Stewart." Mission decided that was enough questioning for the time being. "You should get some rest, you're still not completely healed from… whatever happened to you."
He nodded, smirking slightly, and when she saw the expression on his face, she did a double-take. There was something startlingly familiar about this young man, almost as though she'd seen him before. Had she? I think I'd remember, she told herself. But there was that strange familiarity in his expression… Maybe it was a dream. Or a Force vision or something. Whatever, it doesn't really matter. We just have to get him better and figure out who he really is. She had her own suspicions about this Gideon character, and most of her instincts agreed that he was not nearly as ignorant as he was claiming to be.
A/N: So what do you think? Opinions, questions, suspicions? Post a review. I promise it'll get more interesting in a few chapters, we've just got to get it going. You all are wonderful, and again, thanks for sticking around with this story! It means a lot to me. See you all next time I feel like posting!
-Athena
