Chapter 10

All In

The four Jedi Masters stood uneasy at the landing pad outside the Academy complex, staring out into the night sky at the freighter vessel which descended with its weary crew. A scowl stretched across the disgruntled Vrook, who was the most vehement out of all of them in his opposition to greeting the return of the man whose actions could lead to the salvation or destruction of not only the Jedi Order, but of the entire Republic itself. The other masters - Vandar Tokare, Zhar Lestin and Dorak - were equally as unsettled as their exasperated colleague, but knew in their hearts that the inevitable had to be faced if they were to stand any hope of overcoming the evils unleashed by Malak.

At last, the Ebon Hawk made its descent, the winds it created blowing the robes of the Masters out behind them. The ship's engines let out a hiss before dying down, and down the lowered landing pad walked, as expected, Elena Adarné and Bastila Shan.

"Good evening, Masters," Elena greeted her superiors with a bow, extending her hands sideways in a respectful bow which was mirrored by her former Padawan learner.

"Our warmest greetings to both of you," Vandar spoke, his voice lacking in strength but the air of wisdom it produced not to be dismissed. "No doubt your journey has been long and perilous. It is good to see you both safe."

"He is with you, is he not?" Vrook grunted with narrowed eyes. "To think you have brought him back on such short notice without previous warning. Are you aware of just what consequences may follow as a result of this?"

"We are, Master," Bastila sighed regretfully. "We know what kind of risk we have incurred in bringing him here, but we have no choice. The war is turning grimmer by the day, and this is the only way we can ever hope to save the Republic before all is lost."

Taking notice of the swaying of the bodies of the two Jedi who looked to be utterly exhausted, Dorak turned and gestured to the Enclave building. "There will be much time available for us to discuss the issues at hand inside the Council chambers. For now, you and your companions are in need of much-deserved rest. The east wing of the Enclave's living quarters should have plenty of spare accommodation available."

"Thank you, Master Dorak," Elena responded with another respectful bow. "I shall inform our friends and escort them to their rooms."

Stubborn and hardly even lukewarm as ever, Vrook grumbled at Elena. "You will join us in the Council once you have shown your friends and…the shame of our Order to their living quarters. Many questions remain to be answered, the least of which is whether or not we shall take the risk of training him once more."

"Come along, Bastila," Vandar said with a supportive smile, which at least calmed Bastila's heart somewhat after being given a frosty reception by Vrook. "You will undoubtedly feel fatigued, but the matter is most urgent." The senior member of the Council then turned towards the Enclave building and was followed by all the others, with the exception of Elena who moved back into the Ebon Hawk to lead her tired companions to their new living quarters.

-o-

Dragging his tired legs along the paved surface of the Enclave's exterior corridor, Kael followed after Elena, passing by several dorms which were occupied by the numerous students and residents of the Academy complex. Only Canderous stood resolute and upright, his warrior heart forbidding him to show even the slightest hint of tiredness, otherwise his pride would have been stung. Carth walked with a glum expression beside Ice, who had her arms warmly wrapped around Mission. The young child still could not stop crying after being woken so that they could move to their new temporary home. The destruction of Taris left a deep scar in her mind that could never possibly heal.

"So," Kael said to Carth. "Have you made contact with the fleet?"

"I have," Carth confirmed, his exhaustion being obvious from his dull tone. "I told Admiral Dodonna that I may have to stay here awhile, depending on what the Jedi Council decides to do with you. I just…" He sighed deeply, venting a fraction of his frustration which he was forced to suppress as best he could.

Ice hazarded a guess. "You want to get back to the action, don't you?"

Carth nodded. "Yes, you have it exactly right. Every second I spend idly standing by, I can't help but feel that another planet is going to share the same fate as Telos and Taris. I can't just sit around and do nothing – I'm simply not built for that."

"Jumping up and down like a Tach chimp and rushing back into the action isn't a good course of action either, kid," Canderous gently scolded his impatient companion. "You stick your head into the fray of combat in your current physical and mental condition, then you're asking to be killed."

Carth muttered and cursed silently to himself, loathing the presence of an old enemy. Canderous found his private soliloquy amusing, and smirked as he turned his gaze back forward.

"That reminds me, Canderous," Kael noted. "Just what are you going to do, now that Taris is destroyed? Do you still have a contract of some sort with the Exchange?"

Canderous grinned. "Consider the contract cancelled – not that there was any in the first place to begin with. As far as I'm aware, I'm dead to them now, so I can start on a clean slate. I just need to find myself a damn ship so I can go where I please. Say…you wouldn't happen to need more recruits now, do you?" he looked at Carth in curiosity.

"We are," Carth dully said, "but certainly not in the need for your kind."

"Hah!" Canderous heartily laughed. "I never liked being in the company of pansies anyway. I remember the ranks of the Republic forces being full of them during the war."

Meanwhile, Zaalbar let out a tired grunt to Elena, voicing his discomfort which was caused by his aching legs.

"Don't worry, Zaalbar," Elena replied tenderly. "Just a little bit further, and we'll reach your dorms."

"Let's move faster," Ice said with an impatient puff in her voice. "Mission is spent. She needs rest, and she needs it soon."

"Ice is right," Kael sighed. "We've all had a traumatic day, but Mission's copped it worse by far."

"Shut up, all of you!" Mission snapped to everyone's shock. "I don't want your pity! I don't want your apologies! Just shut up and stop bothering me!"

"Mission…," Ice murmured, deeply concerned for the girl's distressed state.

"That never would have happened to Taris if your stupid Bastila never came along! It's all your fault!" she shouted at Elena, not caring at all whether her voice stirred the people who were resting in their dorms.

Elena sighed deeply and whispered as she continue to walk forward. "I know. And I am sorry, Mission. The destruction of Taris and the death of your beloved Beks was our doing. I can only say to you that Bastila and I will do our utmost to keep you safe here on Dantooine during your stay."

Mission seethed in anger, her chest rising and receding with fiery breaths as she glared at the Jedi who simply did not understand what kind of hell was boiling up deep inside her. She wanted to hit her. Wanted to hurt her. She wanted to give the pretentious Jedi a slight taste of the pain that tore away at her bit by bit.

However, not allowing her anger to get the best of her, she released the fist that was clenched ever so vengefully, and followed along without even a whimper. Elena did not turn but glanced sideways, feeling the overwhelming amount of hatred that was brimming inside the girl who walked behind her.

After coming to a row of vacant dorms on the far-eastern section of the Enclave, Elena stopped and turned to face the others. "These are the rooms you will be staying in during your time here. Rest easy – this place is well protected."

"T3 better hurry things up and get the ship in shape again soon," Carth grumbled as he walked to the middle dorm and pushed open the door. "I don't want to squat here for more than a day if the Council decide that I'm not needed here." He pulled the door hard after entering, and it closed with a light thud. Canderous silently took the dorm to Carth's right, and Ice took Mission towards the dorm to the left, leaving Kael standing together with Elena.

"We should…check on her for a little while longer," Elena suggested weakly to Kael and started walking to Mission's dorm.

"It is for the best," Kael agreed with a nod and accompanied her. Zaalbar gently pushed the door, which opened with a slight creak. He stepped in and hit the lights, revealing two single beds located beside the left and right walls of the room. A closed door further inside the room led to an en-suite bathroom, a feature common in all the dorms. Turning around, he growled softly at Ice who still had her arm wrapped around Mission to comfort her.

"Are you going to be fine?" Ice asked, placing her hands on Mission's shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"Yeah," Mission said, trying to lie even to herself. "Just give me a day or two. I should be alright."

"If you need anything – anything at all – I'll be here for you in the room just to the left of yours," Ice assured her. "I know it's only been a few days since we met in the Undercity of Taris, and so I don't expect you to be that warm towards me, but…I just want you to know that I'll be there to look after you, ok?"

Mission simply looked down and sighed, too dejected to give a proper response or a word of thanks.

"Mission," Elena said as she approached them. "Mission, I just want you to know that—"

"Get out," the Twi'lek hissed, warning the Jedi away from her dorm. "Go away, and leave me alone."

"Mission, I—" Elena made a second attempt at reconciliation, but was stopped the moment Mission turned violently towards her, brushing away Ice's hands in the process. She furiously raised her hand and dealt a savage slap across the face of the Jedi Knight, who was left dumbfounded for words and with a reddened cheek.

"Mission…," Ice gasped, looking on as the child stormed into the room and slammed the door in everyone's face. "I'm sorry about that," she looked at Elena and apologized to her. "She's probably been through the roughest patch of her life. I'll talk to her in the morning – see if she's gotten any better."

"No…no, I'm the one who should be sorry," Elena insisted, rubbing the sore of her cheek as she looked back at Ice. "I shouldn't have exacerbated her anger like that. I should have just left her alone and given her time."

"Yes, well…," Ice sighed, then turned around to enter her own dorm. "Goodnight, I guess."

"Goodnight," Elena replied, and heard Ice's door quietly shut.

"Are you alright?" Kael whispered gently, holding Elena's upper arm to show his concern.

"Yes," Elena nodded, gently patting Kael's hand in reassurance as he retracted it. "You worry about me too much."

"Really?" he raised a puzzled eyebrow. "It's just that…well…you were in danger so many times, and have been hurt a lot as of late, so…"

"That reminds me," Elena noted as she walked Kael to his dorm which was situated on the far left of the eastern face of the Enclave. "I never had the chance to properly express my thanks to you for rescuing me from the Vulkars."

"Oh, it's nothing," Kael shrugged. "After all, you looked after me while I was unconscious in the apartment. It was the least I could do."

"Still, I find your personal feats to be most amazing indeed. You carried yourself in the Undercity with the composure and resolve that even few among the ranks of the Jedi Knights could muster. Your swordsmanship is already impressive – I can only imagine what you could achieve should the Masters decide to train you."

"Let's not jump too far forward, for the time being," Kael took a more realistic view of things. "And besides, it's not like I could have done things on my own, without the help of Carth, Mission, Ice and Zaalbar. But frankly, if you ask me, what's done is done; how it came to be or who did it is unimportant. What matters to me is that I focus on the here and now."

A cold shudder rippled through Elena's heart, and she tried her best to not let it show on her exterior. She stayed silent until they came before Kael's new living quarters, then informed him of what was to come. "I'll be going to the Council chamber now to discuss the…visions you've been having. They will be waiting for me, and I should hurry off."

"But what'll it mean for me, though?" Kael questioned, still unsettled as to what it'll mean for his future. "I can't help but feel that something…something big is going to happen."

"Neither Bastila nor I have the wisdom or knowledge of the Force that the Masters possess. I assure you that things will be all cleared up by tomorrow morning."

Kael sighed as he looked down at the ground, still afflicted by deep anxiety and uncertainty. More than that, he shared Carth's sentiment and impatience when it came to sitting idly by while the Sith were still wreaking havoc across the galaxy.

"Don't worry," Elena softly whispered, holding the side of Kael's forearm. "Everything will be fine. Trust me. And, uhh…" She exhaled, then took one step forward and looked into his dark brown eyes. "Thank you, Kael. For everything. I'll make things up to you – I promise you that."

She momentarily found herself captivated by his soothing warmth and gaze, and ever so slowly closing the gap between them. He merely stood on, unmoving and fazed by her unexplainable advances. Her free hand subconsciously went over her collar, grasping once again at the wooden pendent which was strung around her neck.

A gust of wind suddenly blew over them, and Elena's long hair fluttered up against her eyes, bringing her back to reality. She immediately withdrew away from him, before leaving him to the privacy of his room as she quickly turned and walked in the direction of the Enclave's Council chamber.

-o-

A small bead of sweat trickled down the side of Elena's face as she looked upon the man who once meant the world to her. Illuminated by the bright ceiling lights of the Dantooine Jedi Council chamber, a makeshift interrogation board held him strapped upon its cold metallic surface with bonds securing every inch of his body in place. Through a combination of heavy sedatives and life support systems, the badly wounded Dark Lord lay unconscious and at the mercy of the six Jedi who looked upon him with emotions ranging from heartfelt sympathy to outright indignation and loathing.

For hours and hours, they pressed at him while he was still conscious and struggling under the blazing heat of the interrogation light above. Again and again they attempted to delve into his mind through the Force, searching for the secrets about the Sith war effort. He would not yield, and only repaid them with an indignant smirk as they were forced to sedate him in the hopes that they could extract his knowledge by preventing him from making a conscientious effort to resist their attempts.

And yet they failed miserably. Even when subdued, they could not overcome the barrier that was his will. The will that was instilled within him by his first and foremost teacher, who was duly exiled.

"I can only hope and pray that you know what you are doing," the grumpy Vrook complained with his arms crossed at his fellow Jedi who began to proceed with the reprogramming of Revan's mind. "Should this little experiment of ours go awry, we may very well be risking the fate of the entire galaxy."

"We have no choice, Master Vrook," the calm and composed Dorak insisted. "You have heard what Bastila and Elena have said. As risky as this may be, we must be willing to take our chances. It is the only hope we have of discovering the secret behind the Sith war effort."

"In order to use Revan's knowledge to defeat the Sith," Vandar Tokare said, "we must preserve his memories so that they can resurface at a later time. For now, we must instead ensure that his memories remain dormant in the deepest recesses of his mind, including those regarding the Force."

"Just because the memories will be concealed, doesn't mean that he will never regain them through his own will," Vrook argued. "Just how will we ensure that he does not become a threat if and when he does?"

"It is inevitable that we will have to watch and monitor his progress," Elena voiced her thoughts. "I am in agreement with you, Master Vrook. It would be most unwise to simply assign him under the command of the Republic fleet and neglect him. With your permission, Masters, I…" She took a breath before continuing, knowing all too well that what she was about to suggest would lead to one of the most gruelling trials she would ever face as a Jedi. "I would like to volunteer to keep a watch on him."

"It would be the wisest course of action, yes," Zhar Lestin agreed. "You have informed us of the bond that was created between yourself, Revan and Bastila when you saved his life aboard his doomed vessel. With due diligence and care, we may ensure that he stays on the right path and does not stray."

"The question still remains regarding his character," Dorak informed them. "Every attempt we made to alter his personality so far has been blocked by Revan's inner conscious. His knowledge may be malleable, but his emotions most certainly are not."

"If his personality cannot be altered," Bastila suggested, "then the only thing we can do is arrange his knowledge so as to passively suppress the more negative aspects of his character while still enabling us to benefit from his strengths."

Master Vandar looked attentively at the young Padawan, intrigued by her insight. "Do continue, Bastila."

"If-if only…," Bastila stammered, finding herself to be nervous after having the spotlight of attention turned on her. "I believe that his independent and headstrong nature is something we cannot ever hope to change in him. But he still possesses a very strong sense of duty and justice. Perhaps have him be a recent recruit to the Republic navy? That way we can benefit greatly from his old natural instinct to serve, whilst also keeping an effective check on his ambitious nature by giving him a role which will result in him being constrained in his ability to act independently."

"And so he shall possess no conscious knowledge of his past or of the Force," Vrook began to summarize. "He shall be a soldier in the Republic fleet, and will not have knowledge of anyone from his past. Is there anything else?"

"No," Bastila shook her head. The other Masters did the same.

"Elena?" Vrook questioned her.

Feeling the gaze of all eyes concentrate on her, Elena took a deep breath as she locked herself in thought. Her mind revolved around the one thing that could potentially bring their entire plan to crumble to ruin. The one problem that arose not from Revan's knowledge and memories, but rather from an irreplaceable and indestructible place in the depths of his heart.

"No," she finally said. "I cannot think of anything else."

"It is decided, then," Zhar concluded, wrapping his hands behind his back. "Masters Vrook, Vandar and I shall now commence with the remolding of Revan's memories. Bastila and Elena, would you care to await us outside the chamber?"

"Of course, Masters," Elena said, bowing with her Padawan. "We shall await your summons outside, and—"

"A moment if you will, Bastila," Vandar politely interrupted, giving an apologetic gesture to Elena with his hand. "There is a matter which we must discuss before we proceed with Revan's reprogramming. Elena, you have performed admirably; do rest yourself until we summon you."

"Of-of course," Elena bowed again, then walked slowly backwards to the door. "I shall be waiting outside."

After closing the door after her, Elena collapsed onto her knees, the pale moonlight shining through the windows of the Enclave and beaming down upon her. It crushed her to see one whom she loved so dearly be treated disrespectfully like a mere experiment and pawn by the Jedi Order. Forcibly suppressing the sobs which threatened to escape her lungs, she wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her dark brown robe. She clutched at the gift that she wore around her neck, knowing that the one who gave it to her would soon be robbed of his memories and his very identity.

Five minutes later, when she was curled up into a ball on top of a couch which lay outside the Council chamber, she looked up when she heard the door quietly creak open. Bastila walked out, her face pale and shocked as if she saw a ghost. The young Padawan slowly treaded towards her teacher and sat beside her.

"They've promoted me to Knight," she murmured.

"Knight? Is that true?" Elena gasped.

"Master Vandar has said that by facing Revan and enduring the physical pain and torturous fatigue that followed as a result of preserving his life, as well as overcoming the inner conflict in me regarding whether I should have spared him, I have passed my Jedi Trials. I…I did not think that I deserved to, but I did."

"We won't be going on missions together so often from now on, then," Elena smiled weakly.

"Your face," Bastila noted, peering forward at the dampened cheeks of the older woman. "Have you…have you been…crying?"

"Obvious, isn't it? Maybe it's guilt, or maybe it's selfishness – either way, it makes me hardly deserving to be called a Jedi."

"Back there, when Master Vrook asked if there was anything else that needed to be known before Revan's identity could be re-written…You knew something else, didn't you?"

"Always keen in your observations – I've taught you well," Elena complimented her with a pat on the shoulder. "I knew that even if Revan's knowledge and memories were erased, that his heart would still feel the same way for me. He loves me with every fiber of his being, as I love him. Even if he does not remember my face, his heart will recognize the emotions he once held so strongly for me. He will, even if he does not realize it himself, seek to protect me with his life if our paths cross again. And if I told the Masters this, then they would have expelled me from the Order then and there."

"This must be a secret kept between us," Bastila concluded. "Your love for one another may very well be the key to unlocking Revan's memories when the time is right."

Elena looked up to the bright moon and sighed. "Let us just hope that by that time, our actions will not have brought us into the jaws of disaster."

-o-

Kael breathed deeply as he rested upon the modest, yet comfortable bed of his dorm, still struggling to force himself to fall asleep. His curiosity forbade him to rest easy, and he was swamped by nervousness about what the day ahead would bring.

The soft sounds of wildlife far away reminded him of his homeworld of Deralia. He was orphaned at a young age, and perpetually felt miserable at the orphanage center that housed him along with dozens of other children of all ages whose families were lost either in the war with Exar Kun or the Mandalorians. Now, many years later, he could not remember the faces of his mother and father, and the peaceful ambient sounds of the animals of Dantooine only served to bring back painful memories he'd much rather forget.

His dreary eyes were about to finally close in tandem with his mind that was about to succumb to fatigue, but shot up instantly as he heard a foot fall onto the floor just outside his room. He reached for the blaster pistol lying on the counter beside his bed with lightning speed, and its red precision dot lay square on the middle of the door.

Then, a quiet voice came from outside. It was Carth. "Kael…Kael, are you awake?"

He sighed with relief and put the blaster pistol back in its place. Rubbing his throbbing head with his hand, Kael answered. "Yes, come in."

The captain carefully opened the door, being mindful not to wake Mission or Zaalbar with any unnecessary noise. He knew by instinct that Ice was well aware of his movements, and so didn't think much about disturbing her. He shut the door again after he entered, and moved over to sit on the chair next to the small desk that lay against the wall to the left of Kael's bed.

"We need to talk," Carth said.

Kael drearily mumbled. "About what?"

"I've spoken to Admiral Dodonna while Bastila and Elena were resting," Carth explained. "And I'm telling you – don't get too warm and friendly with them. Something fishy is up, and I can feel it."

Kael kicked his bedcover aside and sat up on the side of his bed. "What do you mean, Carth?"

"The Admiral herself has said that the High Council of the Jedi Order has been keeping her, of all people, in the dark in relation to the activities and operations of Jedi Knights serving alongside us regular soldiers. Whenever we make inquiries about operations that don't go along with our strategic insights, the Jedi almost never give us the explanations we seek. They're keeping us out of the loop of something big, and I mean big."

"It's understandable, if you ask me," Kael said, not feeling as pessimistic as his superior ranking soldier who was evidently wreaked with frustration. "They're Jedi, and they're obviously driven by the Force, however it works. You can't expect them to think that we ordinary soldiers can understand it the way they do."

Carth remained stubborn and insistent. "You might be able to sit pretty and keep on nodding your head while they continue to pull you along their strings, but I most certainly won't. I'm too accustomed to betrayal, after what happened with Saul. Betrayal is preceded by deceit, and deceit is preceded by a lack of transparency. I can feel where this is going, and I don't like it one bit."

"Neither Elena or Bastila are Saul Karath, Carth," Kael reminded him. "You're being irrational about it."

"Irrational?" Carth snapped, forcing himself to exercise immense self-control to keep his voice down as he stepped towards Kael with an angry scowl. "Irrational, you say? You're telling me that you never try to look things deeper than the surface? Why can't you freaking understand? First they lure you in with a friendly grin and a warm assurance, and then they stab you in the back!"

Kael said nothing, instead simply giving Carth a disapproving and cynical stare with his arms firmly crossed. Several seconds passed, and the silence was not broken by either men. Then, finally having been able to douse his temper, Carth looked down and sighed deeply, rubbing his sore temple.

"You're…you're probably right. I'm sorry," he admitted. "I'm probably just cranky because of a lack of a proper night's sleep ever since we crashed on Taris. The anxiety's killing me."

Kael nodded. "Don't worry, Carth. We're all anxious and a bit jittery after what we've been through."

"I'm just probably being too possessive at the moment. After all, I was betrayed by the man who was my own mentor and most trusted fellow soldier, so you'd probably understand where I'm getting at. I'm much more used to playing a leading role in operations, because I'm petrified of what may follow if I don't keep a close watch on things. And for the short time that we've known each other, I've been relegated to being little more than a passenger. You haven't followed a single instruction of mine since we started off on Taris. All of it, it uhh…makes me feel edgy."

"Understandable," Kael shrugged, now being able to know more about Carth's personal motivations and nature. "Given your past, I can't blame you for thinking about such things. Just try to get some rest, and hopefully all our questions will eventually be answered."

Carth turned around and looked through the small square window of the room at the night sky and full moon which was shrouded by murky clouds – much like his clarity and understanding of the events which were happening around him.

"Fingers crossed, Kael."

-o-

Elena's heart pounded as she walked into the Council chambers on Dantooine, the very place she always dreaded as it brought up painful memories of the day when her dear friend was robbed of his very identity. The room was dark and without any source of light except the moonlight which illuminated the surroundings in a dim bluish hue. The Masters and Bastila were standing as they discussed their next course of action with two colleagues whose presence was enabled through holographic projections. Elena recognized them instantly: Masters Kavar and Atris, members of the High Council on Coruscant.

"Knight Adarné," the holo-image of the fair, yet deathly cold Atris greeted her in lukewarm fashion. "Late, as usual. I am not surprised."

"My apologies, Masters," Elena bowed to her superiors and approached, taking her place next to Bastila who stood on the far right of those who were gathered. "Escorting our companions to their new accommodations has taken longer than I expected."

"It is good of you to join us, Elena," Vandar Tokare acknowledged her presence more kindly. "We have been discussing the significance of Revan's visions from his past, and of the bond in question."

"A most stupid decision, to have ever allowed such a bond to develop between you," Atris scolded Bastila and Elena with an icy glare. "We should simply have executed him in order to set an example – a warning for others to heed."

Bastila and Elena's hearts sank the moment they heard such words; such words of cold heartlessness towards one of their own, who was once friend and protector to both of them.

"This bond," Master Kavar inquired to Elena, shifting the attention away from the sombre mood instilled in them by Atris. "Both of you share it with Revan after you saved his life, correct?"

"I am confident that you are right in the case of Bastila, Master," Elena nodded, then looked down as she exhaled to afford her conflicted heart a little respite. "But in my case…"

"Continue. Spit it out, girl," Atris demanded pushily.

Elena looked up at the holo-image, with which she had to remain as calm and composed as possible. "As you all know, Revan and I have been good friends ever since our childhood years, as we both were with Malak. Our bond therefore began long before Bastila and I saved him after Malak turned against him and fired on his ship. I still do not know whether our actions on that fateful day has resulted in the formation of a collective bond shared between Revan, Bastila and I, or that it is merely the case that Bastila has developed an individual bond with Revan."

Master Zhar agreed. "The true nature of the bond is yet to be determined, and only the two of you will be able to answer that question as more visions come to light. A more pressing matter at hand is whether the time is right for us to instruct Revan in the ways of the Force once more. We have had discussions and debates aplenty – it is time now for us to make a decision."

"I shall be the first to voice my support of this decision, Masters," Bastila insisted. "I feel in my heart that it will only be a matter of time before Revan begins to suspect something of us, in particular myself and Elena. Questions have already been raised to me by one of our traveling companions regarding just why Revan was transferred under my command. I cannot risk incurring any more suspicion in any of those who have accompanied us here. We must divert their attention to other matters."

Elena reinforced her, looking around at the faces of the Masters who listened attentively. "Bastila is right. The Republic captain who follows us is very suspecting and naturally distrusting in nature. Sending myself and Bastila along with Revan on another mission as part of the Republic fleet will only heighten the captain's suspicions, as well as those of his superiors."

Vandar was more focused on the implications of Revan's visions as he spoke. "It is clear that Revan's recent vision is but a prelude to what is to come. As more and more visions are seen, the more he will remember of his past. Once he has seen enough, it will only be a matter of him putting together the pieces and seeing the truth for himself. If and when that day comes, his inner conflict and anger may lead us to disastrous consequences. We have no choice but to train him, and ensure that we keep an ever more vigilant watch on his progress."

"Revan is the only hope we have of discovering the true source of the Sith war machine's strength," Dorak said with great reluctance. "As dangerous it may rightfully seem, we must instruct him in the ways of the Force in order to ensure that he is able to control his inner demons."

"I give you my compliance with this scheme; nothing more," Vrook grunted at his fellows. "But do not confuse my compliance with my approval – I certainly do not give it. Revan's power, as supressed and locked away as it is, is simply gargantuan in magnitude. Based on what Bastila has told us of his actions on Taris, he is indeed loyal, but as independent and stubborn as ever in his actions. That unrestrained independence will lead to ruination if we are not careful."

"It is a great gamble, but one which we must be forced to take," Kavar sighed and looked downward. "The Force works in mysterious ways, and opposing its will would perhaps only lead us to even more unpleasant outcomes."

"Hmph. Do as you wish," the ever-negative Atris puffed. "I can only hope that he does not become corrupted sooner rather than later, knowing that he is in the presence of one who was instructed by the same heretic who once styled herself as a Jedi Master before her disgraceful exile."

Elena's expression darkened, for she knew just whom Atris was referring to. She still remembered the teacher that she and Revan shared during their early days as Padawans in the Dantooine academy. Where she was or what her fate had in store for her, Elena couldn't possibly know.

"I have heard enough," Atris glared into the dark-haired Jedi Knight's soul, evoking fear in her grey eyes. "Train him. Watch over him. But know that should he fall and succumb to the darkness once more and imperil the very existence of the Republic and our Order, then his life is forfeit. We will have no choice but to execute him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Atris," Elena bowed, swallowing hard in fear. "Bastila and I shall do our utmost to—" The moment she looked up again, the image of the silver-haired Jedi Master was gone. "…guide him…"

"I apologize, but I have most pressing matters and meetings to now attend to," Kavar spoke. "The Sith are threatening to run rampant in the Kwymar Sector after the destruction of Taris, and the Republic fleet cannot afford to enable them to seize control of the Mandalorian worlds."

"Understood, Master Kavar," Vandar acknowledged with a nod. "May the Force be with you."

Kavar gave a respectful nod back at his peers before his holo-image vanished. Dorak then turned to speak to Elena.

"The Council meeting is hereby concluded. Go now and rest, Elena. Bastila will inform you of the things we discussed prior to your arrival."

"Of course, Masters," Elena bowed reverently, and so did Bastila. "I bid you goodnight, and will bring Revan before you in the morning."

-o-

Exhausted after their session with the Council, Elena and Bastila made their way to their old shared dorm room located in the southern part of the Enclave. The air was must chillier than they remembered from years ago, as if it served as an omen to the cold and melancholy shift in the tide of the war that now seemed inevitable as time went by. The room was as they fondly remembered it – two single beds against the left and right wall, and a small circular mat upon which Elena would regularly instruct and guide Bastila in the art of meditation, and help her further focus and discipline her mind for the purpose of perfecting her Battle Meditation technique.

Except, as her performance in the Endar Spire proved, Bastila evidently still had a long way to go before perfecting it.

"I've missed this place so dearly," Elena smiled as she followed Bastila into the room and closed the door after them. "Do you remember when we used to stay here when you were my Padawan? I believe you were thirteen at the time."

"Yes, I remember those days very fondly," Bastila grinned, crawling into the bed that was situated on the right as she looked up at the stars. "You always took such good care of me."

"Damn right, I did," Elena laughed softly as she lay down on her bed. "I still remember that one time I bailed you out after you lost your lightsaber and secretly took Master Vrook's in order to complete an Ataru lightsaber combat exercise with Master Zhar."

"Well, at least he never found out the truth about it," Bastila giggled, resting her head against her soft pillow. "But it was a good exchange of favors, no? You vouched for me that day, and in return I never spoke a word to anyone about you and Revan's rela—" She cut herself off, knowing that it was a sensitive topic.

The smile almost immediately vanished from Elena's face when she heard Bastila bring up the memory of her past ties to Revan. She shook her head as she sighed. "I never imagined that things would escalate the way they did after the day he first confessed his feelings for me. I always thought that I could resist his advances as I was committed to the ways of the Jedi, but I was wrong about everything. The harder I tried to resist, the more I succumbed, until finally I couldn't deny my feelings for him any longer."

Bastila turned her head sideways to look upon the conflicted face of her past teacher. "And you fear what may happen in the future, yes?"

"I don't fear it – rather, I'm petrified by it," Elena shuddered, taking deep breaths and turning about in her bed. "You felt it yourself when you were around him, didn't you? The raw emotions which flooded from him? The way his mind would race with deep questions whenever he was in my presence?"

Bastila guessed wisely as to the reason behind the man's behavior. "The Council could only manage to conceal and cover up his knowledge and memories. They could do nothing about his character and emotions, this much we remember. He is confused and unfocused. His feelings for you have not changed, but he doesn't understand why he feels so protective towards you. He still loves you deeply; he just doesn't know about it."

"I don't know if I can do this, Bastila," Elena sighed. "Should he relearn the ways of the Force and become able to read the emotions of others as we do, then I fear that my veil of secrecy will be torn apart. His current inability to harness the Force is the only reason why he doesn't realize what I feel for him."

"Perhaps it is best that you refrain from instructing him in the short-term. Seek Master Vandar's guidance. You do not have to confess your true feels for Revan to him; it will be perfectly understandable to him that your old friendship with Revan causes you to feel guilt. I am sure that Master Vandar can help you to focus your mind through meditation."

"You may be right, Bastila," Elena admitted. "I have the utmost faith that you are up to the task of instructing him for the time being."

"I will not fail you – I assure you of that." The confidence and conviction in Bastila's voice brought a great amount of peace to Elena's mind as she rested her eyes.

After bidding each other goodnight, they drifted off to sleep, allowing their fatigued bodies to finally catch up on much-needed rest. As always, Elena dreamed of treasured days gone by, her hand subconsciously holding onto the wooden pendent around her neck.

A/N: I'm still aware that I haven't delved any deeper into Mission's side quest regarding Griff. I didn't think that it was appropriate to bring that up just yet. Maybe in the next chapter, or the next, depending on how things go.

I've been considering whether or not I wanted to throw in another AU plot element in which Mission is Force sensitive and is trained along with Revan, but I'm concerned that that would only divert a bit too much of the main focus away from Revan. It's popped up in my mind after Firebirdie speculated about it in numerous reviews. By all means, I can write up even more original plots just for Mission if you guys want her to become a Jedi like she did in my other AU KOTOR fic, "Heart of a Padawan", but ideally I would like for her to remain as a non-Jedi so that she grows closer to and more dependent on Carth and Ice who are evidently her guardian figures. It's really up to you, and I could work it both ways.

I'm currently deciding on just what sort of pace I should advance all the romantic relationships while the characters are on Dantooine. It made no sense in the game that Revan's relationship with Bastila was still what could be described as "a little past the acquaintance stage", even after having spent weeks training in the academy. By all means, I'm not going to go "full steam ahead" just yet like Atruya's "The Grey Lord of the Sith" (absolutely great fic, by the way. Check it out if you haven't already), and I'm trying to get my mind around just how much I should go with it before leaving things alone for the time being so that I can build on their relationship further in later stages.

Once again, please leave your feedback in your reviews. Constructive criticism and suggestions – especially about the topic of the advancement of the relationship advancements and Mission's Jedi training, as mentioned above – are always appreciated.

I'll probably work on the next chapter of either "Heart of a Padawan", or my Walking Dead fic, "A Twist of Fate". So until next time!