A/N: It has occured to me that this story is turning into one long conversation... oops... I'll try to add some action to the next chapter and go a little lighter on the talkie-talkie. :)

Alevia settled to the floor across from the older woman and slipped quietly into her meditation pose. In the three weeks that had passed since she had first joined Kreia here, the pose had become familiar again and almost instantly granted her a degree of rest and introspection.

Alevia eased into her meditation and tried to clear her mind of the constant clutter of thought and just listen. The Force welcomed her with a swirling eagerness and enveloped her.

Eventually Kreia's regal voice broke the silence. "Have you come with questions?"

"Yes, I wanted to discuss some of the things Master Zez-Kai Ell said."

"Very well, what did he say?"

Alevia paused briefly, trying to sort her thoughts. "He said that he decided to leave the Order when they exiled me."

"Odd," the older woman replied, "considering he did not leave the Order until after the Jedi Civil War."

"I thought so as well, but he did seem to be truly sorry for what The Council did to me."

"I see. And what makes you believe his words?"

Alevia looked up at the older woman, surprised at her implication. "He was not lying. I'm sure of that. But something about it all doesn't quite make sense. He blamed The Council for Revan's fall."

"Very interesting indeed. And did he say just what they had done to cause it?"

"I think he blamed their arrogance more than anything – their unending belief that they are always right and made no mistakes. He also said that Revan had no choice in his redemption. What do you suppose he meant by that?"

"The arrogance of the council is truly astounding. They captured Revan and wiped his memory once, but if they believe that they could erase the essence of who he is, they are nothing but fools."

Alevia chased her own thoughts for a moment. The mention of Revan's name always made his face clear in her mind. She remembered the way he looked at her when she entered his quarters at his summons after the Dxun campaign. Her robes were still wet and her body smudged with mud, but he had given orders for her to report to him immediately after boarding the cruiser and she had without question.

He stood behind his desk and just stared at her when she saluted him. She shifted awkwardly under his perceptive gaze, knowing that he was seeing more than just the surface.

"Reporting as requested, Sir," she barked, hoping to disrupt his inspection of her.

"Allie, you look like scrag," he said with a chuckle. "You should have gone to your quarters and cleaned yourself up first, my dear."

She shifted nervously. The last week or so of the campaign she had caught Revan studying her several times. It had been as though he'd seen her for the first time there on the moon and his treatment of her had shifted from one of commander to…no, not friend, prospective buyer was closer.

He crossed the room to a small panel on the wall and pressed a button. Part of the wall slid out of the way revealing a small counter with a sink. He grabbed a towel, wet it and walked back towards her. He stopped in front of her and held her chin in his hand as he began wiping the mud from her forehead. She froze, uncomfortable with his touch but unable to protest. When he got to her hairline and found traces of blood mixed with the mud flecked in her hair, he threw his hands up in protest.

"I need to speak to you, Allie, but I can't concentrate when all I can see is mud."

"I'll go clean up then, Sir, and report back when I'm done."

"No need. Use my 'fresher," he said as he crossed back over to the wall and hit another button on the panel. Another portion of the wall opened and a luxurious 'fresher appeared. "These used to be Diplomatic Quarters," he explained as her eyes widened at the opulence of the small room.

She took a few steps toward the open door before she paused. "I don't have any clean clothes."

"I found some robes on Dxun that I think will fit you nicely, I'll get them for you while you clean up."

"Found robes on Dxun?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, Allie, I found them in some ruins, but they're in good shape and quite unique. Too small for me, though. Now, go get cleaned up." He pressed his hand into the small of her back and pushed her toward the door. His touch made her jump slightly as she quickened her pace and sealed herself in the 'fresher.

The shower was the most luxurious thing she had ever had the privilege to enjoy. She fought off a twinge of guilt as she thought about her soldiers who were probably making use of the communal showers now, with their low water flow and never enough hot water, and plunged her head under the invigorating spray, steam clouds billowing up around her.

Due to the constant rain on Dxun she hadn't been dry in weeks and she had sworn to herself that if she never saw water again, she would have been thrilled. But now, with the warm soapy water washing away the mud, grime and blood of their campaign, she reveled in the tingling sensation of the high pressure water jets on her body.

When she finally exited the shower, an unfamiliar restlessness had crept over her. The last few weeks on the moon she had been running at a constant grueling pace and her mind hadn't had time to register all of the horrors of war. As she dried herself off, images started filtering in. Dead soldiers, dead Mandalorians and dead Jedi all haunted her suddenly. She shuddered as she wrapped the oversized towel around her and stepped out of the 'fresher.

Revan looked up from his desk at her and his eyes brightened. Something in his expression made her suddenly self conscious about her lack of clothing. She chided herself mentally for her nervousness. Since she had joined the war effort, she done all of her washing in the communal showers, with soldiers of all ranks leering at her. She had brushed them off without a second thought, but this was a fellow Jedi. He wasn't supposed to be looking at her like this.

She gulped as he crossed the room toward her quickly. His expression changed to one of amusement as he stopped just in front of her and pulled the robes out of a compartment in the wall and handed them to her. She sighed audibly in relief and he chuckled.

"You're a beautiful girl, Allie."

She shook her head. "No, Sir, I am a Jedi."

His chuckle broke into a grin. "Are any of us really Jedi anymore now that we've disobeyed the council?"

"I'd like to think so, Sir."

He reached out and ran his fingertips over her bare shoulder and up her neck lightly. "Tell me about yourself, Allie. So many years at the Enclave together and I feel like I hardly know you."

"You know what there is to know, Sir," she said forcing herself to not flinch under his touch.

"I know you're a talented Jedi with a propensity towards forming bonds, even with those she shouldn't, and that you were always causing the Masters headaches."

She nodded. "That's correct."

"But what about you?"

"What about me, Sir?"

He laughed as he gave up and settled into a nearby chair, gazing up at her.

"Who are you, Allie?"

"I am Alevia, Jedi Guardian."

Revan shook his head. "When I look at you through the Force, I don't see you. I see…others."

She nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"A product of your bonds, then?"

"I suppose so, Sir."

He let out a sound of exasperation. "Force, Allie, three months of living with soliders and you sound like you've been in the military since birth. Quit calling me Sir, my name is Revan."

"And mine is Alevia."

He grinned, "Of course it is, Allie."

"If I may go get dressed, Sir," she said a grin creeping into her eyes and gesturing with the folded robes he had given her.

"No, you may not go until you call me Revan." She shrugged, dropped her towel and began to pull on the undergarments from the stack of clothes. He watched her pointedly as she dressed. "For someone who doesn't know who she is, you certainly have a strong will."

She grinned. "That's Master Kavar's will, not mine."

"Is it? Now, how in the galaxy am I supposed to seduce you when you're using Master Kavar's iron will?"

"You're not, Sir," she responded, but a twinkle had crept into her eyes and he saw it and took her hand in his.

"Let's find you a different will for this evening," he said as his strong hand massaged her palm gently sending electric tingling through her arm and into her chest. "Who else have you got tucked in there with you? Any women?"

She blushed slightly. "Not really, Sir."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Ah, I see now."

'What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Who needs physical intimacy when you carry all your lovers around in your head?"

Her eyes grew large at his suggestion and she yanked her hand away from his and crossed her arms over her chest. "Lovers?" she demanded.

He nodded. "Yes, I think so."

She scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Well, Allie, we could perform a little experiment and see what happens when you have a real lover." His eyes twinkled merrily as she glared at him coldly.

"If we're through here, Sir, may I be dismissed?"

"No, have a seat," he said as he gestured to the chair across from him. She sat as instructed but on the edge of her seat, ready to bolt if need be. "What is your impression of the war effort so far?"

"Honestly sir? Dxun was a bloody, awful mess. I wasn't expecting the Mandalorians to be so… brutal…"

"They've destroyed colonies of civilians, including women and children and you didn't expect them to be brutal?"

She sighed. "To us, war has a purpose. Something we're fighting for. As far as I can tell they just fight to fight. I don't understand that, sir."

He nodded. "It's something we're going to have to understand if we're going to beat them."

"I hope I never do."

"Well, that's the thing, Allie. With your particular abilities, you are our best hope for understanding them."

Her eyes darted to his, startled by his suggestion. "The bonds don't work that way, Sir. They are Force bonds. They only form with willing Force sensitives."

"Well, if you would, I'd like it if you could start visiting the cell blocks and making friends with the prisoners you find there, see what happens."

"Yes, sir," she said without vocal argument, but her whole body had gone stiff in protest.

"You don't like that idea?"

"No, Sir."

"Anything we can do to shorten this war is worthwhile, don't you think?"

She sighed. "Yes, it would be."

"Good, then we're agreed. Go visit them, take them treats, be nice to them, get to know everything you can about them."

"Yes, sir. Is that all, sir?"

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and pressing the tips of his fingers together. "I must say, I am intrigued by you, Allie."

"Why's that, Sir?"

"You are a puzzle that doesn't make sense, and I have this desire to understand you, take you apart and put you back together again, know you inside and out."

She gulped again. "The easiest way to do that, Sir, is with a bond."

"Can you form one with me?"

She shrugged. "I've never tried to form one purposefully, Sir, they just happen."

"And when do they, 'just happen'?"

"Generally after I've worked with someone for an extended period of time."

"Hmm, we don't have time for that." He clucked thoughtfully as he inspected her further. "Meditate with me," he commanded as he stood and held out a hand to her. Tentatively she reached out and took it.

"Ah, now I see," Kreia's gravelly voice interrupted Alevia's thoughts.

"What is it you see?" the younger woman asked irritably, wondering just how much of her reverie Kreia had seen.

"I see why Revan is always close to the surface of your thoughts."

"Is he?"

"Yes, strange that you have not noticed before." Kreia's sarcastic tone grated on the younger woman's nerves.

"Everything changed with Revan."

"Yes, I see that. Very curious, indeed. But then again, perhaps nothing changed, and you merely became more of yourself."

"No!" Alevia argued angrily. "I lost myself with Revan, you can see that clearly if you're paying attention."

"Can I?" Kreia's shrewd voice echoed in the small room. "What I see is a girl who was never willing to embrace what she was, before or after Revan."

"And what am I?" The younger woman's anger boiled beneath the surface.

"Ah, finally, you are asking the right question. When you become willing to accept the truth, the answer will become obvious for both of us. Until then, I know no more than you."

Alevia grunted in frustration as she rose and wordlessly left the room.

The remote's friendly chirruping welcomed Alevia as she slipped into the garage and sidled up to her mechanic as he worked on a spare set of power couplings.

"Hey, General," he greeted her warmly as she perched herself on the right hand side of the workbench. "How did your meditation with Kreia go?"

Alevia grimaced as she sighed.

"That bad, huh?" He chuckled as he looked up from his work.

"Yeah, I go in trying to learn and all she does it twist me up and confuse me more."

"How's that, General?"

"We started talking about Revan," she admitted with another sigh.

"Ah," he said with a chuckle as he patted her knee. "That particular subject always did twist you up and confuse you."

"Exactly! You knew me before Revan, you know how much he changed me."

Bao studied her face for a moment. "I know how much you seemed to change in those first few months of the war, but I'm not sure how much of it he was responsible for, nor how much of it was real change."

Alevia frowned again. "Maybe Atton was right, maybe I need to stop listening to the old hag so much."

"There's no harm in listening as long as you take it for what it is."

"And what is that?"

"A puzzle, General. A mental game. Meditate on it, understand it, but never believe it."

She nodded slowly and a smile trickled into her lips. "How did I ever survive without you, Bao?"

His smile reflected hers. "Lots of booze and men, I believe, General."

She grinned as she leaned closer to him. "The booze let me pretend the men were almost as good as you."

"You always did have an overactive imagination, General."

Her lips brushed his as his right hand slid around her waist, pulling her off the workbench and pressing her against him. Their kiss deepened as one of her hands slid under his shirt and the other cradled the back of his head.

"Oh Sith Spit," Mira's startled voice rang out from the garage door, "I did not need to see that."

The kiss ended as Alevia broke into a giggle and glanced at the redhead, but did not move away from her mechanic. "Did you need something, Mira?"

The younger woman just stared at the two of them for a moment then finally responded to the question, "Nope, sorry, just… umm…" Suddenly Mira stepped backward through the door and closed it again.

Alevia let out a chuckle as she tightened her arms around Bao-Dur and purred, "Now, where were we?"

When Alevia finally staggered to her own bunk some hours later, she found she was being accosted by Mira's penetrating stare. Alevia tried to ignore it by pulling her blanket up around her ears and trying to sleep, but it didn't take long for her to finally open her eyes with a sigh, sit up and meet the younger woman's gaze.

Mira had her legs pulled up to her chest and was leaning against the wall of her bunk studying the older woman. "So… I knew you and Atton had a thing going…" Mira began hesitantly.

Alevia's amused grin lit up her face as she waited for the younger woman to finish her question.

"I mean, that much was obvious, but… Bao-Dur, too?" Her voice rose to an incredulous pitch. "What kind of Jedi are you?"

"Not much of one, really," Alevia said with a chuckle. "Never have been."

"Well, you have to be pretty damn powerful to have managed to keep those two from killing each other."

"I don't' know about that. I've known Bao a very long time. We were… close during the war. Atton and I had already hooked up when Bao joined us. It's been… interesting… ever since, to say the least."

Mira scoffed. "I'll bet."

"They don't seem too hell bent on killing each other, for the most part. At least not yet."

"Let's just hope neither of them falls to the darkside," Mira said dryly, "that wouldn't be pretty."

Alevia couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "I'll feel bad if you get caught in the crossfire on that one, but just remember, it was you who decided to join this little adventure. No one twisted your arm."

"Right. I'm beginning to think maybe it wasn't such a great idea." Mira said with a chuckle. "Though really, I'm just glad you're not into girls."

Alevia let a sultry look slide over her face and decided to tease the younger woman. "Who says I'm not?"

Mira laughed. "I have a feeling that if you were, you'd have already managed to take me to your bunk, regardless of what my preferences are."

Alevia's lips twitched into a grin as she collapsed back onto her bunk. "I tried a few women during my exile. They're more trouble than they're worth though – emotional, needy creatures who just aren't hungry enough."

"Hungry?"

She flipped on her side and pondered the question a moment before she continued. "Most guys, it doesn't take long going without before they start getting a little desperate. There's a need, a hunger. I like that."

"Okay, I think that's about as much as I want to hear," Mira said with a disturbed expression on her face.

Alevia chuckled. "Thank the Force, I can finally get some sleep. Bao wore me out."

"Ugh, good night!" Mira flipped onto her side and stared at the wall of her bunk.

Alevia's chuckle transitioned into a sleepy yawn. "G'nite Mira."

Alevia ran her hand along the wall of the ruined enclave as memories of her time here flooded in. She had spent her youngling years at the temple on Coruscant, but once Master Narev had taken her as his padawan, she moved here and they lived at the Enclave when they weren't out on the routine missions that were a constant part of Jedi life.

These hallways were so familiar to her. She had been thirteen when Master Narev had taken her as his apprentice – almost too old to be chosen. She had been afraid that she wouldn't be – that her bonds would prevent anyone from wanting to take her on and the complications that came with them. Narev had been a good master though. He had protected her from the council's further interference in her bonds and helped her learn from them and how to use them to heighten her skills.

Here she had found her place as a Jedi and found stability for the first time in her life. And the crumbling walls made her heart ache. This place had resounded with life and energy the last time she had been here, but now, the faint pall of death hung in the air. Even the plants and trees in the garden had died rather than living and reclaiming the Enclave.

"You okay, Allie?" Mira asked from behind her.

Alevia nodded slowly. "Yeah, just remembering."

"Well, don't get too lost in those memories, babe," Atton reminded her, "I'm sure there's more of those laigreks in here."

She glanced back over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Right over there," she said as she pointed to a low wall that had once contained a garden, "I fell and got that scar that's on the back of my knee."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "No scar-free Jedi healing for you?"

She shook her head as her face lit up with nostalgia. "Jeke and I were dueling after the padawan curfew, we didn't want the masters to find out, so we did our best to heal it ourselves."

"Dueling, huh?" Atton snorted.

"Yes."

"Didn't realize that's what kids called it back then."

"Believe it or not, Atton, before I left for the war, I followed the rules."

"Except for sneaking out for midnight dueling sessions with other padawan."

A slightly guilty, yet mostly pleased grin spread across her face. "Yes, except for that."

"And except for all those moonlit walks along the river bank with your dueling partner."

She snapped her head around and stared at him. "What, how did you..?"

His grin was wide enough for her to know instantly that he had just been guessing. "And let me guess, you developed a bond with that poor kid, too."

"Am I that transparent?"

Mira snorted this time. "I've known you less than a week, and I figured it out."

"Face it, Levy, you might not have been jumping them way back then, but you still worked the same way."

She paused in the hallway, a frown creased her brow. "Is it wrong for a thirteen year old girl to have male friends?"

Atton shook his head. "No, it's wrong for a thirteen year old girl to have male friends that she treats like lovers but never gets busy with."

"Lovers? We were Jedi."

"So? You think that stops teenage boys from relieving their natural urges?"

"I guess I always thought so, yes."

Mira sighed. "Force, Allie, for someone who's as experienced as you are, you sure are naïve."

The trio turned the corner and another group of laigreks came into view and started to swarm. In a flash Alevia and Atton ignited their lightsabers and began carving into the vicious beasts as Mira stood behind them, blasting away from a distance. Alevia was beginning to get used to her new 'saber and she enjoyed the feeling of energy and power the crystals within the hilt emanated.

She thrust her saber towards the closest beast as she twirled lightly in place, slicing through the laigrek's front pincers. The beast tried to lunge at her ankles but she jumped upward and then flipped, bringing her saber down in the middle of the laigrek's back, killing it.

She turned toward where Atton was fighting and became enraptured by his fighting style. It was a mixture of the Echani hand to hand combat, the lightsaber forms she had taught him and something entirely his own. He wielded his 'saber with a practiced grace that was surprising for one so new to the weapon and it occurred to her that it was probably time to start really challenging him on his dueling exercises rather than just teaching him the basics.

After he'd finally made the killing blow he turned towards her. "You could've helped me there, ya know."

She smiled. "I was helping. I was watching you and trying to figure out what to teach you next."

He rolled his eyes and extinguished his saber. "Thanks, master."

"Anytime, Padawan Rand," she replied with a grin as she pressed the control panel for the nearest door. This was the archive, if she remembered correctly, and she had a faint hope that they might find something more about her past in these abandoned files.

The door slid open and she became startled as a human face appeared. She hadn't been aware of another presence in the ruins with them, but what was most surprising was the intense wave of emotion that rolled off the man the instant their eyes met.

"Via," she heard echo through her mind as the man caught his breath and bowed suddenly in an awkward gesture that she sensed was primarily about giving him a moment to collect himself before their eyes met again.