First off, I would like to inform you all that I am, in fact, not dead, and have been doing a lot of writing while I've been away. I have drafts of the next 8 chapters of Grey Empire sitting in front of me on paper, as well as a few other stories that have been swimming in my head during my computerless days. So, I've got a lot of updates coming, but they may be sporadic until my schedule settles down.

I know it's been a long time, but we're going to get back to Mission and crew here, and I hope I managed to keep up with the expectations you've held for this story.

DISCLAIMER: The Meatbag writing this story seeks no profit from the use of all characters and the Universe belonging to Lucasarts LTD.

WARNING: this story contains graphic depictions of violence, including dismemberment, and contains a number of adult themes. Reader discretion is advised.

I was quickly separated from Mar and Juhani by three dark Jedi, and the light of my violet sabre seemed to be drowned out in the crimson glow coming from theirs.

"Isn't this cute, boys? Little Twi'lek thinks she can play Jedi." One of them, a bald man with a scar cutting across his right eye, jeered. He slowly twirled his double blade as if sizing me up.

"Council must be getting desperate if they're sending kids off to war, eh?" The second, a short guy with close-cropped red hair, remarked. His voice reminded me of the spice addicts that I remember seeing back on Taris. My cheeks burned with anger at being called a child again.

The third one leered at me like a cantina rat loaded on Juma Juice. "Try not to hurt the little brat too damn much, will ya? Ain't been able to help myself to any of the servants lately, and she'll do just fine." He chuckled, causing a cold shiver to run through my lekku, right alongside a clear image of just what he had in mind. Hutt-slime!

"You always did like 'em young!" Baldy shouted back, laughter in his voice. "I'd rather break off a piece of the Cat-bitch."

"Nah, i just like the taste of a scared little alien." The Rat called back. They were really doing a good job of pissing me off, and I nearly jumped at them in blind rage. But, Mar'Kul would be upset if I were lose my cool so easily, so I focused myself. Anger, hatred, rage, raw and strong, yet poisonous, would only serve to get me killed if I gave in to them. I took a deep breath: This was why he trained me, to control my emotions and direct them. My Master would not fall prey to petty cat-calling, and neither will I.

Red started forward. "Why don't you put down the toy, Girly, then the real fun can-"

'Space this!' I thought. These Sith were disgusting and criminal. They had likely done similar things to others, other sentients with far less chance of defending themselves, of fighting back. Fury swelled in my chest, a desire to strike down these sleemos. So, I lowered my head and blade, taking a submissive stance. Red, taking it as a sign that I was giving up, reached out a pale hand.

And quickly lost it. I snapped up my blade in an arc of amethyst energy that took his outstretched arm off at the elbow. As he screamed, staring at the charred stump of flesh, I Pushed him back and squared off with Scar-Face. "Am I still cute, Sleemo?" I asked innocently.

"Alien Bitch!" He shouted, charging at me, sabre-staff burning like scarlet fire. He swept at my legs before bringing the other end down at my head. I jumped the first strike before locking blades with him. He pushed hard, and being stronger than me, forced me back a bit before I managed to slide out from under him and break the lock. I kicked at his knee caps, hoping to dislocate one, but he jumped away before I could make contact, double-blade spinning wildly.

There was no form to his strikes, and i found myself falling into Shii-cho, easily blocking his wide-arcing attacks with little effort, save what it took to stop his powerful swings. I was beginning to get tired, and I still had Cantina Rat to deal with, so I searched for any opening, hoping to see a pattern emerge. Lo and behold, every time he struck at my right side, he would twirl his staff in a feint and try to come up on my lower left, at my hip.

I began to gather Energy, letting it mix with my fury until the right moment. He went to spin his blade, and I drove forward, blade in my right hand slashing straight up. It cut through the center of his hilt, rendering it useless. I didn't stop, though. I continued forward, grabbing his confused face with my left hand and channeled every bit of Energy I had gathered through my arm as a wave of Lightning straight into his brain.

He foamed at the mouth and started bleeding from every hole in his face. I cut the flow, and he fell, smoking and definitely dead, to the ground. I stared, more than a little squicked out, at the corpse. Even if he deserved it, I still felt that maybe it was a bit too gruesome. I found myself unable to breathe, choking on disgust for my own actions, unable to look away.

Until I felt the prickle of Force Energy that told me something else was choking me, constricting my airway. I saw the third man, arm out, hand bent and claw-like toward me. "You've got some spunk, don'tcha?" He didn't sound at all concerned about his comrades as he stepped forward, look like a hungry Hutt on his face. "I got ways of dealing with that, ya know." Dark spots were gathering in my vision as he stepped up to me. He had put away his lightsabre, and with his now free hand, he stroked my cheek.

I felt sick to my stomach: How dare he touch me like that? Only my Master had that right! My vision cleared, even as the grip tightened and his hand trailed down my chest. I wanted to spew so badly, right in his face. Instead, I treated him like any other grabby scum. "I reeled my leg back and kicked him square in the flight-stick.

He lost his focus as he curled up on himself, and we both dropped to our knees, gasping and groaning. I pushed myself up, re-igniting my sabre, just as my opponent did. I could see a dark fire in his eyes as he limped forward. I had crippled one, killed a second, and injured him. He wasn't going to take me lightly, anymore.

"You're good, girl." He wheezed. "Too good for the fracking Council. My Masters would be able to teach you so much more than they ever could."

I smiled, then. "You're right. The Council hasn't taught me a thing."

"Join us, then! When we take under the Galaxy, the Sith will fall upon those old fools once and for all." His lecherous grin turned positively sadistic. He just liked to hurt people.

"You misunderstand me, Sleemo." I said with a grin as pebbles and small rocks began to pelt him from all angles. "My Master, Revan," I used a name the man would recognize, and if the widening of his eyes was any indication, it worked. "is not of the Council, or the Order at all. And, he has taught me a great deal." I channeled Lightning into my blade, sapphire and amethyst light glowing around my body. "Enough talk, Hutt-breath, let's dance!"

I leaped at him, a shimmer of blue and purple as my blade swung down. He easily blocked it, but I didn't linger. I dropped to the ground, thrusting my weapon forward. He parried it just as easily, but a fork of Lightning stabbed out and singed his robes. His parry shifted into a downward slash which I twisted around, kicking his hands away.

He was faster than the bald guy, but he had only a single blade, so his attacks were easier to read than Scar's. I found myself dancing around his swings, my body twisting in ways you only ever see Dancing Girls do, my smaller frame making it all the easier to do. Each time my own blade came near him, it sent out a painful jolt, and before long, the grey under robe he wore was burnt and smoking. He refused to give in to the pain evident on his face, however.

I, on the other hand, was getting tired, and it became increasingly difficult to hold the energy and focus required, so I cut it, crackling sapphire light dimming. He saw this and grinned. He thrust his palm out and a wall of wind Pushed me back three metres and to one knee, breathing heavily.

He stalked forward, sick smile twisting his face. "That all you got, Girlie?"

I centered myself, the battlefield laid before me, and I saw my victory. "Not yet!" I shouted, once again hurling slightly larger rocks at him. His blade worked furiously to block them, but they weren't my focus. Red's lightsabre lay behind the Rat. I gripped it with the Force and ignited it with a hiss of energy, spinning rapidly at Rat's back, throwing my own at the same time.

He stopped my blade cold, and was about to jeer at me when a shaft of red light burst through his chest. He looked in wonder at his wound, unable to believe it existed. Then his eyes dulled, and he knew no more.

There was a sudden flash of light from where Carth, Canderous, and HK-47 had been shooting it out with the Sith troops who had been hiding behind a piece of space junk. I got to watch as Juhani lifted the their cover out of the ground where they were quickly mowed down by the Mandalorian's heavy repeater and the Droid's augmented rifle. Oh, I suppose old man Onasi helped, too.

They all ran toward me, and Juhani helped me to my feet, keeping her hand in mine. "Are you unharmed, Mission?"

"I'm good, just tired." I assured her, though my throat still felt a little raw.

"OBSERVATION: This one is still alive, though his systems seem to have entered a state of shock." HK was pointing his rifle at the head of the dark Jedi who I'd 'disarmed'. "EAGER QUERY: Should I put and end to hostilities, Meatbags?"

Carth didn't like that idea. "Now hold on, the guy's already-" There was a sudden flash of orange light, and the Sith's head exploded in gore, splashing all over Onasi's precious Republic jacket. "The Hell was the for?" He almost screamed.

"PLACATING ANSWER: It appears that my targeting matrix has suffered a violent -if minor- miscalculation." He responded, getting an amused snort from the mercenary behind him.

"What?" Carth stuttered.

"He means his finger slipped, duh!" I said with a weak laugh. It was ruthless, and I was a little sick to my stomach, but I was beginning to appreciate the Droid's sense of humor. "Where's Mar?"

Juhani answered as we turned around. "At the summit with Bastila, I believe."

I shuddered, recalling her eyes. But we limped up the stairs, stopping only as we reached a force-shield barrier surrounding the platform the array sat on. Bastila and Mar stood there, staring at each other, her crimson staff the only one lit. She sneered. "It seems your people survived, Revan. But then again, they have always been good at that, just like you."

"Bastila, please." He implored, and I could feel love, compassion, and no small amount of regret flowing from him. He was already blaming himself for her situation. "Come back to us, to me." The last words came out as a desperate whisper, but they carried easily on the Force.

She scoffed. "To what? vague hints at affection that the Order would not allow to be? Why not simply give your attentions to the Cathar, she seems eager enough. Or better yet, the child. I am sure she would gladly sit at your feet, an eager slave."

That Schutta! I wanted to get in there and rip her pretentious face off. So much so that I didn't even realize what was going on until the energy shield started to crackle and groan with strain. I had been trying to rip open the barrier with rage alone. I quickly pulled myself back, settling for a fierce glare.

Shan's eyes shot to me. "And you have let her grasp the Force, too, Revan? Will you use her as you planned to use me and the Cat? A poor surrogate for your beloved Exile?"

Sunborne stepped back as if struck. Doubt once again washed through me. Was that all this was? A way to play out fantasies from ages past? This was not my doubt, but his, he was truly worried that her words were true. But I wouldn't believe it. I saw the way he looked when thinking of Meetra Surik, his gaze upon Juhani,felt the truth of his heart when he sat with me. And, last but not least, I could sense the strength of his feelings for Bastila. All different, yet each equal in their own ways. Why was she being so cruel? It was breaking his heart. I made sure to send each of these thoughts through the Force, hoping he would hear them. I would not allow doubt to destroy everything we have worked towards.

Mar'Kul seemed bolstered by this, because he stood taller suddenly. "Bas, please." He begged. "Do not make me choose who may hold my heart." I saw tears welling up in the corner of his left eye. "I have never put it plain, and I will take all the blame for that. At first, I didn't think you could bear to put the teachings of the Order aside, so I held back.

"Then, I began to realize who I truly was, and I did not want you to forsake the Order for a fallen Dark Lord, for me. By the time I was truly myself again, you had been taken from my reach, our Bond closed. I could no longer tell you, even as I had found the words.

But now that I have the words, I realize that it is not just you that the Force has brought to me to feel infinite love for." He said it, the word I longed for. Love. My heart swelled, and I felt the same joy echoed in Juhani, though it felt as though she had waited so much longer than me. Infinite love, I liked the sound of that.

I could have sworn that some color returned to Bastila's pallid cheeks, and her yellow gaze shifted toward brown for a moment. "All you needed do was ask, and I would have forsaken even my own life, just to be with you, Revan." She looked pained, and I felt a little sorry for her.

Mar'Kul held his hand out, "Then I ask now, Bastila Shan, my Princess. Come back with me. Allow me to show you the depths of my heart, of my love."

Bastila gripped her head, shaking it. She was fighting with herself, or something was fighting her for control. A moment later, she stood, seeming even paler than before. Apparently she lost. "No, Revan, it is too late! Malak has shown me the truth behind your lies and honeyed words. I will not be tricked." She pointed one end of her glowing staff at him. "I will bring you to my Master, and he will decide your fate." She charged at him, a tornado of scalet fury.

I screamed. I had to get in there, to help him stop her. I had to make her see that he spoke the truth. Juhani wouldn't let me, she kept her hand firmly on my shoulder, though she was vibrating with emotion as well.

Mar'Kul danced around her attacks, refusing to ignite his own staff. He ducked, weaved, jumped, and dove under her strikes. Strikes meant to kill didn't so much as singe his robes. He was everywhere and nowhere all at once. A blur of grey, gold and steel.

Without warning, his hand shot forward, and Bastila stopped cold, shock evident on her face. He had reached out and grabbed her spinning staff, halting her mid-swing. Mar's right hand reached up and cupped her cheek. "I will never lie to you, Bas." His words echoed through my mind, as if meant for me as well. "I love you, and need you by my side."

For a moment, she nuzzled into his hand, seeking the warmth that only Mar'Kul Sunborne seemed able to provide. The next, she screamed in rage and anguish, a wave of power washing over the platform, pushing Mar nearly to the shielding. Still yelling, she came at him, blade spinning high. She swung, an arc of scarlet bearing down on him.

And then the light was gone. Bastila stood, her disengaged hilt lifeless in her hands. Mar stood, unflinching, as if he had wanted her to cut him down.

"Why won't you fight me?" She demanded. "I could have killed you!" The tears flowing down her face told a story of how much that would have hurt her.

"You know why, Bas." He whispered in response.

Another cry escaped her lips, and she fled, running behind the large satellite. I heard a shuttle take off just as Mar managed to get the shield down. The moment it fell, Juhani and I rushed to his side. He was on his knees, sobbing.

I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, allowing an enemy to have that kind of opportunity. But seeing my Master, a man who had been almost entirely unflappable in front of an entire Lower City Swoop Gang, cry... I knew he had never seen an enemy in front of him. Damn her for breaking his heart. I was so not going to go easy on her next time I saw her.

"QUERY: Should I disengage the Array, Master?"

Mar took a deep breath and stood, but his hair kept his face shadowed. "No. Simply transmit the codes to the Hawk. I feel it may be needed before too long." He made his way to the stairs without looking at anyone. "Hurry up, we have a Sith Lord to stop." As Juhani and I caught up with him, I heard only one thought traveling on wings of the Force. +And I pray that Bastila can fight him off long enough for me to find her again.+

The return trip was uneventful, for which I was thankful, and Mar'Kul had at least outwardly recovered by the time his boots tapped against the gankplank.

"Tee-Three, I want us in the air as soon as repairs are complete. Carth, get us to that damned Forge and let me know the moment we arrive. Canderous, Hk, Zaalbaar, prepare as many explosives as you can. We will be going in loud." He rattled the orders off without so much as stopping, leaving us all standing and staring at the closed door of his quarters.

Jolee Bindo looked from the door to us. "What's up with him?" He asked, no witty remarks masked as 'Elder Wisdom' for once.

"Bastila was at the Array when we arrived." Juhani replied, her face unable to hide her own sadness at the situation.

Jolee easily understood the situation. "He was forced to fight her." He stated calmly.

I shook my head. "He refused. Kept reaching out to her until she ran. Stubborn Nerf-Herder!" I didn't even know who I was angry at: Mar for the way he acted, or Bastila for nearly killing him. Probably myself for once again being totally helpless in a cruddy situation.

"Then it's plain that the boy needs comany now." He nodded sagely. "He may always act like he's unstoppable, but not all wounds are made with a knife. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that, though. Comfort him, do everything you must to remind your Master why he fights."

Juhani bowed. "Thank you, Master Bindo, for your advice."

He waved us off. "No Masters here, just an uppity old Forest Hermit." He headed off to the male quarters. "Now, I'm going to get my wrinkled butt ready for the fight. Go do your thing, ladies."

I went to the door to Mar'Kul's quarters, Juhani right behind me. "Master?" I started with a knock. "May we come in?"

He didn't answer right away, and I was about to try again when a breath of Force energy brushed through the door, opening it. I glanced around the darkness as we quickly slipped in. closing and locking the door behind us. More than the darkness, I could feel the despair rolling off of Mar as he sat, curled in on himself in the middle of his bed.

Without a word, Juhani and I removed our outer robes, leaving us in our tight grey leggings and our tunics. we crawled into the bed, helping our Master disrobe as well, though he didn't even seem to notice that we were there, his mind elsewhere. And, though we were not being sensual in any way - well, as non-sensual as Junahi can be - it was a little disconcerting.

Once his robes were removed, Juhani slid in behind him, her muscled legs splayed outward and her bare arms wrapping around his chest. He seemed so small and vulnerable as he wept. She purred for him, a soft, soothing sound as she leaned back against the head of the bed. She shifted him so that his head rested against her breasts, and her purrs shifted an octave, despite herself.

I pulled his legs away from his body and settled myself between them, much like Juhani had done with him. I sat there for a long while, holding myself in his arms. Something had to be said, and as I basked in the warmth of his embrace, it came to me. I turned and faced him, coming chest to chest with my despondant Master. "Tin Jaws won't be able to keep his hold on her forever, Master." I said finally, hoping that I sounded reassuring. "Next time, we'll all make sure she understands how much you love her. Together."

"She still loves you, my Master." Juhani added, her hands softly kneading the muscles in his arms. "I could see it in her eyes, hear the pain in her mind when she denied you."

He was silent for a long time. And for a minute, I was afraid he had fallen asleep before we could say more. I couldn't see his eyes from my vantage point, as they were still covered by his hair. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "I let her down. She fell because I was afraid. Because I could not tell her the depth of my love, just as I have been unable to tell the both of you. And when I began to discover who I was, I was afraid she would condemn me for my past and my feelings. She stands with Malak because I am a coward." His voice was soft, and I was certain he expected to be punished for these thoughts of his.

Instead, Juhani held him tighter, nuzzling into his neck. "You can not blame yourself, my Master." She said, her yellow eyes glimmering in the darkness. "The Masters of the Order have had many years of practice in their brainwashing, And spend entire childhoods teaching the younglings that these feelings are evil and will lead them into darkness. Yourself a child of the Conclaves, you knew nothing of these emotions save what you had been told until you met the Lady Surik.

"Even then, there was a war, and you could not explore your heart until it was far too late." She placed a soft kiss on the curve between neck and shoulder, letting him know in no uncertain terms that even if he could never express himself fully, she would do so enough for the both of them. "Your words today have cast shadows over the lies that Malak has filled her head with in order to bend her to his will. As Mission says, we shall express our love together, and shed light on the darkness that grips Bastila's heart."

'That's all well and good, but how do we go about shedding light on his shadows?' I thought to myself. Juhani's last words echoed in my mind. 'Express our love.' Nothing I could say would ever convey the extent of love for him that I held in my heart. But no one ever told me expressions of love had to be verbal. So, I pushed myself up, and crushed my lips against his. I kissed him, hoping to pour every ounce of the love I felt into the simple touch.

At first, he didn't respond, and I could feel his confusion: Did he deserve the kind of devotion that I promised? Could he truly return those feelings earnestly enough to keep the three of us happy?

It seemed he decided that the answer was yes, because his arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me flush against his bare chest. His lips melded to mine, hands trailing up and down my spine, fingers brushing against the ends of my Lekku, sending delightful shivers up and down my body. His tongue probed my lips, and I was eager to let him in.

Amazingly, as my mouth opened to him, so did my mind, and the sublime happiness he felt, knowing he was loved almost made me lose myself. But, as tingly as it made me, and as much as I felt the way it affected him, I pulled away. My eyelids were heavy as I stared up into his eyes, smiling as I did so. My cheeks burned as he gazed at me, piercing eyes committing every moment to memory. I had absolutely no words for the way that made me feel, or, when a hungry look flashed across his face, how much I wanted whatever he would do.

Juhani nudged him then, a plaintive, "Masterrr..." whispering from her lips.

Mar smiled at me, then, a pleasant change from his expressions when we entered the room. He actually looked at ease, and a little mischevious. "See what you've done, Sapphire, you've gone and made our Kitten jealous."

She continued to nudge and his neck and shoulder, pawing at his arm. I felt his left hand slip from the small of my back, and I saw him reach behind the attention-seeking Cathar. I eased back, knowing exactly what he was planning to do.

In a flash of motion. he shifted his weight, hand gripping Juhani's ponytail. He jerked her head back, so that her was stretched out before him. She whimpered demurely as he placed soft kisses on her pulse-point, and I could suddenly taste the heat in the room. "Now now, Kitten. You know I could never forget about you." His grin was almost feral as he drew her down for a kiss. It was not the same tender exploration that we shared. No, he possessed her, practically devoured her, dominating the kiss from start to finish.

I felt another door open in my mind, and I was suddenly acutely aware of just how much she enjoyed being taken so savagely by the man she loved. She mewled in pleasure as he drew her bottom lip with his teeth, and I found myself enjoying it right alongside her.

All too soon, the kiss ended, the hand gripping her hair releasing it's hold, drifting to her thigh as we all panted, trying to catch our breath. He settled back against her heaving breasts. I decided to nestle against his chest as well, and I felt his hand drift back up to my Lekku, playing gently with them. Pretty sure I would need new unders in the morning if he kept it up.

+Should I stop, then?+ He asked, and I was barely aware that he was speaking directly into my mind. I shook my head. "Feels too good."

"I agree." Juhani purred. "Though it is odd to be receiving sensation from an erogenous zone that I do not possess."

Mar'Kul smiled again, his happiness echoing through our minds. "Thank you, both of you, for your love. I now feel confident that we can call Bastila from the path she is on."

"We can do it, Master. Together." We assured him.

The three of us laid like that all night long, Mar's gentle caresses relaxing our bodies while assuring him that we were still there. As I drifted off, I knew he was sending thoughts of love toward Bastila.

I hoped she received them.

AN: So, there it is. I finally got back to posting. Things got a little tense, there, and I added a little fluff. They've all had hard lives, so why not give them something nice, eh?

On a side note, I've been playing a lot of Warframe lately on the PS4, and have a few ideas I'm throwing around involving Valkyr, so let me know if something like that interests you guys, and if you haven't checked out Warframe, yet, do so, it's Free to Play on both PC and PS4, and I believe it is coming to Xbox One if it's not already there. Two words: Space Ninjas.

Hope to have the next chapter of something up soon, though. I won't keep you all waiting for 2 years again.

Until next time, Kitties.