Disclaimer: I don't own Star wars or harry Potter in anyway shape or form
A/N: Hey all here's another chapter of Raven's Rise for you all to enjoy, it took a bit to sort out and get it all betaed but I sure you all well enjoy it and leave lots of reviews, I'll try and get the next chapter done as soon as possible but writers block has kicked in.
Chapter 4: To War My Brothers and Sisters.
A month later found the Tigress landing on the platform for the Jedi on Coruscant. Bastila quickly ran from the ship not long after Harry finished the final checks. Her cries of protest over taking such a roundabout route to get to the main Jedi training grounds fell on deaf ears as Harry and Raven were leaving the ship, Malak a step behind them.
After a few moments of putting up with her complaining, Harry turned sharply and lashed out with one of his sabres, the silver blade cutting the top of her tan and brown outfit that she seemed to favour wearing. Her complaints went silent as she stopped dead in her tracks looking at the silver blade that had just missed taking her life.
"I have had enough of your complaining girl, when I was a Padawan no matter my special talent I would have been trained to within an inch of my life for even thinking the way you act; now be silent or I can happily spar with you again and as we both know I will put you into a bed for a week." Harry said sharply to the girl who looked at Harry with fear at his words.
"Do calm down Harry, I have been fighting back the urge to throttle her myself for the past two weeks. What those masters were thinking treating her like she was some princess is beyond me, makes me wish Kreia was still in the order; she would have had her acting like a proper Jedi in one week." Raven commented from under her mask turning sharply to signal a taxi speeder to come down and pick them up.
Bastila threw the masked woman an angry look at her words but didn't say anything as Malak walked past her and entered the taxi that had stopped. Raven stepped into the back while Harry took the front. What really got Bastila upset was the fact that she couldn't see Raven's face to read her like she could most other Knights and Masters; in fact even without a mask she couldn't read Harry, his mind and body language were totally unreadable.
After she got into the taxi Harry gave the droid that was driving the place they wanted to go and the speeder took off and headed off for the temple.
'Damn girl is either going to fall to the Dark Side or going to become a walking breathing example of a council puppet.' Harry thought to himself before settling back in his seat willing to just sit and doze for the trip.
Arriving at the temple, Bastila quickly ran off to report to the training master of the temple, as she didn't want to be near Harry or Raven any longer then she needed to be. Both Knights just snorted at her clear fear of them before heading off to the mess hall to see what was to eat, Malak followed along behind them wondering who he was going to spar against now as Bastila had been a nice change from being thrown against the bulkheads all day.
They had barely crossed into the mess hall when a familiar face walked up to them. Xune hadn't changed much from the last time they had seen her, her hair still long and a light shade of blue, her skin and face seemed to remind Harry of the Asian peoples back on his home world, her eyes still the same deep green as when they had first met.
"Knight Potter, Knight Raven…" She said with a formal tone to her voice. Both of them just raised an eyebrow at her, even if she couldn't see Raven doing as such, before she started to laugh, "It's good to see you both again, what has it been…a year?"
"Close enough." Raven said with a smile behind her mask and moved forward to hug her old friend, whispering that she would take her mask off once they got someplace private. Harry just shook her hand when Raven stepped back from the hug.
"Well, let's not keep you three standing here," Xune said with a smile, leading her three friends over to a table in the far corner while saying a quick hello to Malak who returned it, "So what have you three been up to in the last year?" She asked once they had all taken a seat and ordered some food and drinks.
"Not much mostly training Malak here to join the ranks of the Knights, which he should be able to do in another month or so provided he works hard and finally scores a hit on me." Harry said with a laugh. Malak just shrugged his shoulders as he was working out in his head how to get by all six of Harry's Lightsabers. "Anyway anything interesting coming down from the council, perhaps a decision to go to war and help the Republic?"
Xune gave a sigh at this and said softly playing with some of her food, "The Republic generals came the other day and asked for a few knights and masters to come to the front line not to fight really but to help plan and boost morale."
"Let me guess, they turned them down again saying that they would only move once they know who or what was driving the Mandalorians." Raven said, the anger in her voice only just showing through at the moment as her fist slammed into the table top, "How many more have to die before they do something?"
"You got it in one Raven, they also said that they sensed something dark was behind the Mandalorians and that until it would reveal itself they wouldn't move… the question is how much of the Republic will be left before this so called Darkness moves." Xune said looking down at her drink; the tray of food lay to one side, untouched. Knowing that the council was more than likely about to get a visit by two very angry Knights, she just hoped that Harry and Raven wouldn't hurt the two Knights guarding the entrance to the council chambers.
"Those fools are only leading the Jedi and Republic to ruin," Raven said sharply, standing up just as sharply and storming from the room, Harry only a few seconds behind her after giving Malak a look that seemed to carry the message of find out who else here wanted to join them on the front lines.
Harry got to the level the council cambers were on in time to see Raven stand over the two unconscious bodies of the Knights who had been guarding the chamber this day, one of her Lightsabers in hand and the two knights showing cuts on arms and legs but noting life threatening. "Raven calm down before you go in there." He called out only to be greeted by a snarl as the doors to the chamber were blow open.
"Who dares disturber us?" demanded Master Vrook, the old man standing up sharply only to be pushed back down by Raven who stormed into the room, Harry a few steps behind her. The other four masters quickly found themselves unable to get up at the moment.
"I demand to know how many more lives have to be lost before you will get off your lazy self centred asses and help those people on the rim?" Raven shouted coming to a stop in front of the five members in council at the moment; all of them just narrowed their eyes at her comment.
"We will not march to war as it is not the Jedi way, you above all should know this Knight Raven." Atris said from the side, her blue eyes narrowing far more than the other council members. Using her command over the Force, she broke Raven's hold on her, the other members following her lead.
"I know this and I am not saying we march to war, I'm saying we offer our support and knowledge to make sure that the Mandalorians don't take any more worlds on the rim. With every world they burn, we lose another mine or shipyard that is being used to hold them back." Raven commented sharply, Atris being thrown back down into her chair at the look.
"It is not our way Knight Raven, the council will not do anything to escalate this war until the Dark forces behind the Mandalorians' move to attack and not before." Master Zez-Kai said, his large moustache hiding most of his mouth's movement but his hand had slipped down to his staff sabre on his belt, stopping however as Harry moved to stand in front of the main pillar in the middle of the chambers.
Harry didn't say a word as he looked over all of the council member, all of them watching him closely as they all knew that Harry was one of the most dangerous Jedi to ever walk the universe and would more than likely be the most dangerous to ever, his skill and control over the force to control four sabres while also fighting off people in close quarters only growing shaper with every battle he entered.
"How many more must loss their lives then, until you decide to move I ask again? How much of the Republic will there be left when this darkness moves? Will this temple be here when they decide to move? Will there even be a fleet of Republic ships left in this galaxy by that time...will there be anything left?!" Raven screamed at the council, her hand moving to her hip to grip one of her two Lightsabers.
Master Vrook sharply looked at the young woman who was daring to question their orders and judgment, "As many as will be needed for this darkness to step forward, the Republic will not fall for it has stood far longer than this council has, you are young and impulsive and as such you do not see the whole picture."
"The whole picture is closed to you all as all you do is seat here and debate over how to train the next batch of Padawans or what the latest information was that had been found deep within the archives. You have distanced yourselves from the real world, the real universe…and you sicken me." Harry said all of a sudden, breaking his long silence while stepping up to Raven's side, putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down a little.
"How many of you wake to the screams of the Mandalorians' victims? How many of you feel the Force cry out at every life lost?" Harry asked softly, looking down at his feet for a moment, a single tear falling from his eye as he whispered ever so softly, yet to everyone in the room it was like he was screaming, "I haven't had a good night's sleep in close to a year… save those nights that Raven has come to my bed or I hers."
"You would dare perform a forbidden act, and with a fellow Jedi no less? You know the rules, Knight Potter, stating that no Jedi may take either a lover or a wife or husband and yet you spit on that rule." Lonna Vash said getting to her feet her Lightsaber in hand ready to cut down the two rogues who dared question and break the order's rules.
"We do not spit on the rules, we merely bent them, the rule states that a Jedi Knight or Master may not take on a lover or husband after being knighted or granting the title of master, we were Padawans when I first asked Harry here to my bed." Raven commented, moving forward to stand nose to nose with Lonna who was the biggest stickler for the rules out of all the council members, "And don't change the subject, how many nights have you woken up screaming from the horrors the Mandalorians have inflected on the innocent?"
Lonna just snarled at Raven and brought her hand up to slap the marked woman before her Raven's head moved with the blow as the mask went flying across the council chamber. Her brown eyes locked with Lonna's a moment later, saying calmly after spitting the little blood to gather on her lip onto Lonna's shoes, "So what, I won't obey you so you'll force me to follow your orders? You'll beat me into submission?"
Harry gave a flick of his wrist and as the mask came to his hand his four sabres left his vest to hover around his head, all of them activating a moment later. "This council is completely corrupt and I refuse to follow another one of your orders or rules. I, at least, will move to the front line and help however I can." On that note Harry's sabres all plunged into the stone that was marked with some of the oldest teachings of the Jedi order all of the masters eyes widened as a moment later the blades ripped out at defiant angles, the pillar collapsing into four parts behind him; the blades quickly returned to float above his head.
"How dare you, you traitors!" Atris yelled out while getting to her feet. The green of her Lightsaber appeared her as her feet started to carry her towards Harry only to have Raven stand in her way, Lonna having been put into stasis a moment before hand.
"Call us whatever you want, but we are leaving for the front and we are going to offer everyone else who wishes to join us the same chance. I can't see us making a big difference but we at least will be fighting to protect the Republic like we had sworn to do on our Knighting." Raven said thrusting her chin forward a moment later as Atris was thrown across the room and into her chair.
The other Masters didn't try to move as Harry looked them over his hands hovered close to the two sabres on his belt.
Master Kavar couldn't help but be impressed with the resolve of the two former Knights before him as they walked from the chamber. It could be granted that the council as a whole would exile them both, yet somewhere deep within his soul he know that this had to be done, and if he could he would join them within a heart beat but like the others he thought they were right and that everyone outside of the council was wrong no matter what was said.
Both Raven and Harry soon found their way into the mess hall to find most of the Padawans and Knights gathered there. There were a few masters who weren't close to the current council there as well, all of them looking at the two of entering as it was known what had happened in the council chambers or what might have happened and given that Raven was without her trademark mask anymore and Harry's sabres were still active and hovered about his head, it was a clear sign that the meeting had not gone well.
Raven observed everyone there as they looked at her, all of them with a questioning look as if to see if she had the answer to all of their questions, looking over at Harry she was greeted with a small smile half hidden under his beard and a slight push towards one of the tables to one side. Raven got the message and stepped up to stand over everyone for a moment.
After looking over all of the faces looking at her for a moment Raven, glancing over at Harry who had taken up a guard post on her left hand side and at Xune and Malak on the right said, "My brothers and sisters, the council has forbidden us from helping the Republic, they have forbidden us from helping the people, the men, women, and children of this galaxy, the families and worlds we all swore to protect on our Knighting or Mastery, or even when we first joined the order… they have forbidden us from helping our loved ones on the rim."
She paused here for a moment, noticing that she had the attention of most of the younger Knights and Padawans as well as a few of the Masters in the room, taking a breath she said loud enough for all to hear, "I and Knight Potter have been exiled from this Order for disobeying the orders of the council who seem to be set on only sitting back and watching as everything we hold dear burns, I say this shall not be! I say we must fight for what we hold dear, not for power or control but for peace and love! For that is what the code states, does it not! To protect! To love! To live!"
There were a few mutters in the quiet as everyone talked to each other softly over what she had said. Raven gave a small smile at the number of people who wanted to fight but hadn't because of the council, "I will not command you or force any of you to the war with the Mandalorians, I will not take command of any army while this war is raging, I will just be another soldier on the front line, I will enlist in the standard forces and work my way up the ranks like any other solider, none of you have to do this but Harry and myself will, for to truly understand war one must start at the bottom, a soldier on the front and then work your way up so that then you know what it takes to keep as many of your soldiers, as many of your brothers and sisters in battle alive for the next fight for the next time the Republic needs its protectors."
This got a lot of their attention as no Jedi would do such a thing, in fact the Republic's mandate stated that a Jedi Knight or Master had the rank of General within the fleet, yet Raven and Harry were willing to join as normal soldiers and work their way through the ranks.
"I ask you, my former brothers and sisters, to choose what is right and not the rules laid down by the cowards in that room at the top of this temple. Choose to fight for freedom and love and no matter what choose what is right in your hearts for truly nothing else matters as long as you follow your own heart."
On that note Raven climbed down from the table and calmly left the room and the temple a few moments later, Harry only a few steps behind her, both of them only pausing to drop their communicators on the ground just outside the main door; a few of the Knights and Padawans who hadn't been in the mess hall looked at them with surprised looks at the action.
Everyone looked at each other for a moment before Xune and Malak both turned as one and left the room and walked right past Masters Vrook and Zez-Kai.
Both Masters, having only just gotten away to try and stop Raven and Harry from corrupting the others within the temple, looked on in surprise at how the two didn't even acknowledge the Masters were even there.
"Padawan Malak, Knight Xune where are you going?" Vrook demanded of the two people walking towards the entrance. Both of them kept on walking until he called out again for them to stop and explain themselves.
"We are going to help the innocent and do what is right and not what you cowards want." Xune said over her shoulder as she left the hallway and the temple Malak only a step behind her, like Raven and Harry dropping their communicators at the door as they went not even breaking stride to catch up with their friends.
Before either master could do anything a small stream of Padawans and Knights started to leave the mess hall some of them even going so far as to stop long enough to drop their Lightsabers and communicators at the feet of the two stunned men, it was when the first Master a female Twi'lek came through and just looked at them both before moving closer and saying calmly.
"I have had enough of waiting for those of you in that room to decide to fight this war and not just wait, I will be on the front line waiting for the day you wake up and realize that we are not the center of the universe." Her blue tendrils flicking over one shoulder as she turned sharply her Lightsaber the same one she had since she had first been given permission to make one on her own landing on the small pile of other sabres and communicators as she walked away from her life of the past fifty or so years.
"They are all fools who don't see what their actions will bring about," Vrook spat out narrowing his eyes at the people's backs as nearly half the people in the temple left, turning their backs on the Order the same Order that knew what they were doing and had done since the dawn of the Republic in his mind.