Endor, my ass, thought Yustan Wes-Tar as she punched in her coordinates for that particular hyperspace route. She glowered and stared miserably at the black reach of space before her. She would much rather have gone directly to Revan for help – this detour seemed unnecessary and the delay could cost the Republic so much more. She bit her lip in worry. The Republic...and hence, democracy itself was walking with the aid of crutches. Should a new enemy rear its head and attack, there was no telling how hard the Republic would fall, for fall it would. And then from where would deliverance come? The Jedi?

They had been far too slow to respond the last time. Perhaps, in this instance they would be quicker. But that was quite a supposition and since a lot rode on a preemptive attack, they could not solely depend on the mere possibility that the Jedi would lend a helping hand. Therefore, going to Revan seemed to be the most logical move. He had brought forth a tremendous and powerful army to come to the Republic's aid during the Mandalorian Wars, and she had no doubt that he would do the same for this emerging threat. Ben's doubts were surely misplaced.

Or were they?

Her thoughts meandered towards Ben. Had he become one with the Force, or was he in some state of transition? Yustan was perplexed as to this new turn of events, but simultaneously did not seem too enthused in pursuing an answer. She was just grateful that he had been with her when she needed it.

And boy, had she needed it. Yustan refused to focus on the details, but needed something to direct her anger at. With a touch of nostalgia, she suddenly remembered the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Apprentices, Padawans and sometimes even the Jedi Masters themselves, often sought solace and rejuvenation in the Healing Chambers within the Temple after traumatic missions. These chambers were not intended to heal physical wounds, but emotional ones. She smiled as she remembered Master Roteru Wei – who was placed in charge of meditation within these chambers – spend all of her efforts in healing the minds of those affected by the wounds of battle. But focusing on anger as a temporary means of release, as she was doing, was not Master Wei's practice of healing.

But she was no longer part of the Jedi Order, and the luxury of the Healing Chambers would be something she would have to do without. But it sure would be nice, she thought wistfully. But she did not have much time to dwell in her reverie.

A blue light blinked on her cockpit console followed by a soft beeping. She was about to enter hyperspace.

Ben, I sure as hell hope you know what you're doing.

"So you can't say anything about where you before?" asked Javin, as he sat opposite her on the bed.

Avoiding his gaze Mataki said, "Not right now...well, not...I don't know. I don't quite know where I am right now. We could give it a name if we want. "Crossroads", "transition", "limbo"...it doesn't make any difference. But it's there. And I've got a feeling this could be heading towards a good light, although I'd rather be sure before I tell you about my entire sordid past."

"Ah. That bad, eh?"

She chuckled and grinned sheepishly.

"I thought you trusted me." he said, cocking his head to one side.

"I do," and then on seeing his doubtful expression, "I do. I don't want my careless words to put you or Kepp in jeopardy. That's all."

"That's all? That's all? If simple words can get my uncle and me in hot water, then you must've come out of a sauna. Try to take this in from my perspective. You show up out of nowhere, claiming a connection to one of the villagers here, ask an endless barrage of questions and decide to shack up with my uncle and me for heaven knows how long and then not provide any answers? Trust me, it can be a tad frustrating."

"I don't exactly know what I should imply from that comment..." mused Mataki as she scratched behind her ear. "But yes, I do see your point."

"And...?"

She studied him thoughtfully. Their relationship was strange indeed. It amazed her how they could become friends, then fight like animals, reconcile and then suddenly sit down to a civilized discussion without any animosity whatsoever. Perhaps this pattern was comprised of a certain amount of logic, but she had never encountered anything like it before in her life.

"And I still maintain my position."

"You're a stubborn ass." he said, without anger in his voice.

"You're a persistent mule." she retorted, equally calmly.

"Have we reached a stalemate?" he asked.

"I detest stalemates."

"So do I."

"So I guess the only way we avoid this scenario is if – "

"– one of us gives some ground." finished Javin.

"How about some exchange of information, then?"

"What could I possibly tell you?" exclaimed Javin.

She grinned wickedly at him. "Let's talk about your "voices"."

"Ohhh...no. No, no." he shook his head in protest. "And it's not something you should make fun of, at that."

"I'm not making fun. I simply thought that I would approach the subject lightheartedly. Given your reaction to it the last time..."

He sighed. "Was I that bad? Oh, I suppose I was. It's just a touchy subject with me. But since we've already breached the gates, why not have a good old romp throughout the territory?" Javin said sarcastically. He then paused, narrowing his eyes. "This...give and take of info, it'll work both ways you say?"

Mataki held her breath. She was about to enter dangerous waters here. What if he reacted with hostility to who she was? Perhaps it would not enter his head to ask her if she was his sister, but a host of questions could eventually lead down that road. And then there was this issue with the Jedi that he seemed to have. Maybe he'd reconcile with that aspect of her past if she told him that she had been expelled from the Order. In short, there were a lot of "what ifs"...and frankly, she did not want to deal with uncertainties. Right then, let's get this over with.

"Deal."

"Are you a Jedi?" he blatantly asked.

She raised her eyebrows with a little bit of shock. Subtleties in his questions, there were not. "I was."

Javin did not appear to be surprised by this news. "When did you leave and why?"

"I left..." she put her hand to her mouth as if to clear her throat, trying fruitlessly to buy time to steer around his questions, "...a while ago. And I was exiled from the Jedi Order."

"Exiled?" he repeated. "Why?"

"My turn," she threw in. "You can perceive your environment clearly, at times more clearly than others. Do you have any inclination as to why this is?"

"Yes." His mouth tightened; it was obvious that the reason perturbed him. "I'm Force sensitive."

"I have reason to believe that it's more than that. If the Jedi had found you at a younger age, it's very likely that they would have taken you in for training."

"Is that what you're going to do?"

She shook her head. "I'm not a Jedi, I told you. Plus I wouldn't train you even if you wanted me to."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say it's not too safe these days," she muttered, barely audible. Her mind momentarily drifted back to her encounter with Revan.

"Why were you exiled?"

"I fought in the Mandalorian Wars. The Jedi Council did not approve."

"You fought alongside Revan...?"

She flinched at the mention of the name. "You could say that."

"...as did your friend who died, I suppose." finished Javin.

She looked intently at his eyes. She wasn't sure whether he'd completely taken in that story as fact or fiction. She swallowed. This little game of questions was taking a tense turn and it was her turn to fire the turrets. She needed to see if he had any recollection of his parents...their parents. "What was your mother like?"

He looked at her strangely. Mataki chastised herself for opening with something so blunt. The boy wasn't dense, and he would wonder why she chose the question that she did. Would he use it to his advantage, she asked herself? "She was...much older than myself. Well, enough to be my grandmother, if you look at it that way. She was terrific with making her way around the forest – a good scout. She was tall, very pretty...and kind."

Mataki shook her head: it was obvious that he thought of Kepp's mother as his own. He didn't seem to remember much regarding the events that separated him from his true parents. "Why didn't she want to talk about you being Force sensitive?"

"Presumably because of what the Jedi did from before. You know, taking that child away. Your friend. It wasn't right to take someone away from their family. Not at that age."

"Is that why you don't acknowledge these feelings? Because you share her hatred?"

"Whoa boy." he breathed out. "When we agreed to this, I didn't know how hard it would be to pour out my soul. I...I think I kinda see where you're coming from. I mean, I see why you were reluctant before."

Mataki jumped at the opportunity. "We can stop now, if you'd like. Take this up later...or not."

He leaned forward and met her gaze, looking earnestly into her eyes. She tried to pull away, but couldn't, he was part of her...part of her mother and father. And he too, was filled with some unidentifiable pain. Being Force sensitive could possibly amplify it, and he was undoubtedly driven to seek answers to quell his distress. "I feel like...like I should know you. And that you know something that you keep holding back. I could ask you what that is...but if I do...I'll be changed. I don't know if I'm ready. I'm afraid."

You are my brother, Javin. You are my brother... "Then perhaps you should wait," she said instead. "You have a life here with people who undeniably care about you. You shouldn't have to change that."

"When you asked me if I shared my mother's distaste for the Jedi...I feel as if I should." He looked down at his knees guiltily. "I feel like I should. But I don't really. And now that you said that I could have been a Jedi – part of me wished it was me that was taken and not your friend."

Her heart gave a sickening lurch. God, no. She was thankful that the positions hadn't been reversed. And yet, however illogical, she was afraid that it still had the potential to be so. She would do everything in her power to stop this from coming about. Absolutely everything. "You should be glad of your place in this life. My friend...was not at peace when she died. You wouldn't have been either."

"Maybe I would have made different choices."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well, we'll never know now will we?" And thank goodness for that.

He settled back against the bedpost. "You up for a brew of tea? I think I could use some right now."

She nodded absently, still wrapped in her own thoughts.

He ran back into the room, and yanked her off the bed by her arm. Mataki was somewhat too startled to ask questions, but allowed herself to be led by her brother. She stumbled behind him – still being pulled – towards the ladder. Javin immediately let go of her to untie it from its position and let it drop softly to the ground. He began to descend.

She instantly came to her senses and almost shouted out, "It's the dead of night you idiot! Where the heck are you going!"

He looked up at her from his position on the ladder. "Uncle's down there right now with someone, I want to see who it is,"

Just like a little kid, she thought. "Hasn't it even entered your head that this visitor might not be of the kindly sort?"

He began to move down the ladder. She opened her mouth noiselessly in frustration. Then finally, "At least let me go down first! I'll tell you if it's safe!"

"And let you have all the fun?" he chortled excitedly and quickened his pace.

Damned if he wasn't the most irksome person she'd ever met, thought Mataki. She had dealt with great warriors and leaders, even Mandalore himself, and yet could not quite fathom this creature that was her brother. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and followed him down the ladder.

At the base of the tree, they saw a faint flicker of light and then Kepp's tall form. He was conversing with someone, a woman...realized Mataki. A native of Endor? Something told her that she wasn't.

"...or someone. I was told that they would be here. No, I don't know who! But it's imperative that I find them." finished the voice.

Then Kepp's voice, undoubtedly attempting to remain calm despite the woman's urgency. "I can't tell you where to look if I don't know who you're looking for. Are you sure Endor's the correct location? No, I'm not insinuating that your source was inept...I – "

Javin's feet touched the ground and he suddenly came into Kepp's view, causing him to nearly leap out of his skin. After overcoming his fear, Kepp yelled in anger, forgetting any nightly dangers. "What the blazes are you doing down here! No!" He stabbed an emphatic finger in the air. "Go up that damned ladder and stay there!"

The next second he saw Mataki emerge from behind Javin and rolled his eyes in complete vexation. "Oh, swell! Let's have a communal gathering, shall we? Bring down the rest of our village, why don't you!"

"We will if you keep yelling," interjected Javin. He then turned his attention to the woman. "Who are you?"

"I can't divulge – "

"– any information? Don't worry, a lot of our visitors feel the same way these days." He winked at Mataki.

She studied the woman's face in the light of the flame. Although it cast flickering shadows against her face, it was easy to tell that she had either fought in a bloody battle or undergone some kind of torture. There were obvious signs that Kolto packs had been used – given some swellings in one half of her forehead and none on the other half – and this indicated that the woman had been in a hurry to get to her intended destination. She doubted that she landed in Endor out of choice. Whether circumstance or an individual had directed her choice, Mataki was uncertain.

The woman had seen Javin wink, and instinctively turned her head towards the gesture's recipient. Her eyes widened in realization. "My God. Ben...General..."

Oh hell, thought Mataki. Being recognized on Endor wasn't something she had counted on.

"General?" repeated Javin. He turned to Mataki. "You never said you were a General,"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Kepp spoke fiercely in as quiet a voice as he could muster. "I've just about had enough of surprising encounters, so I want all three of you to get your feet on that ladder and start climbing up. I mean it. I don't care if you're a Major-General, Captain, or Commander... Over here, you'll do as I say. Now move it. The lot of you."

"We must leave now, General," insisted Yustan.

They were granted some privacy within Kepp's bedroom, but it was partial, as the door proved to be an ineffective sound barrier should someone want to eavesdrop on their conversation. Mataki knew this was so, and lowered her voice considerably whilst Yustan swung the other way. She had an overwhelming sense of urgency that enveloped her, and Mataki knew that if the other woman could, she would literally drag her off the planet. Thankfully, for now, she chose to reason with words.

"My...I...Ben was right, there was a reason to come to Endor. You are that reason." she continued.

"Yustan," Mataki lowered her voice to an even, calm tone, hopeful that it would sedate the other woman somewhat. "I need to get my bearings on what you're telling me. So let's go about this one question at a time. Yes, I'll be doing the asking." She sighed and then gestured to a simple wicker chair against the wall. "Look, why don't you sit down first." Yustan accepted this invitation and sunk herself into the comfortableness of the seat. "Now. Who is Ben? Is he your source?"

"Well...yes, he was. Is." Yustan shook her head contradicting herself. She completely sure now that Ben was right. And it made her nervous with tension, because that would imply that he was right about so many other things. Including Revan. She wished that she was a datapad, and the other woman a data receptacle...she could then simply transfer all this information without having to deal with the formalities of chronology and logic. "Ben Fria. He fought in the forty-third battalion alongside me. We were stationed at Dxun – but only for a few weeks." Yustan studied Mataki intently, knowing how much of a hold Dxun had on her, but did not see any visible reaction to the mention of the name. She continued. "After the war, we were given...we, meaning a lot of the Jedi who fought in the war...orders by Revan to meet certain contacts who would then inform us of our next goal. Each directive was very specific, unique to each individual or a group of us. Ben and I did as we were told. We were misled."

Mataki, all the while had sat on the edge of Kepp's bed, with her hands in her lap. They had gone cold at the mention of Revan's name, and sweat began to cover her palms as she knew where this was going. Had Yustan already met with him then? Had he tried to convert the woman as he had done to herself? Or was this a trap – bait set by Revan? If so, it was clear that she was not consciously playing a role in this entrapment. She was an ignorant pawn.

But wait, she told herself, let's hear the entire story before we come to that conclusion.

"Misled by Revan...?" ventured Mataki.

Yustan nodded. "At first, we thought something had gone wrong. That someone had gotten wind of our mission and sought to hinder us. But, I don't believe that to be the case anymore."

"What went wrong?"

Yustan brought her hands together nervously. "We were captured by someone and taken to Korriban."

"Korriban," whispered Mataki in fearful reverence.

"For conversion. Revan's turned. He's had this plan in his mind for after the war. He's got it down to every last detail. He's got this..."she paused, as she was venturing into painful territory, but continued bravely, "...new section added to the Sith monastery or academy – I don't know – but it's for, well, you know." She leaned back into her seat waiting for Mataki to respond.

"My God." said Mataki.

"So you see why we must go immediately to stop him!"

Mataki raised her brows.

Yustan sighed, thinking that she had failed to convey the need for quick action. "He gave me some coordinates – to the Charker system. He wanted me to meet him there should something happen. If we summon some forces of our own, and with you at our forefront, we might be able to defeat him."

The other woman shook her head. "No. One thing we will not do is play ourselves into his hands. If Revan has got everything planned down to the last detail – as you say – then what use will this tactic prove? No, he will have anticipated this move. Let's think this out first." She inhaled. She was now, she knew, a part of this nightmare again. She was a fool to think she could live the rest of days in peace in Endor. A fool to think all her sins would be forgiven. But let's not mope about, shall we? Let's get all our pieces onto the board and put them together, one by one.

"Yustan, is Ben waiting for you here on Endor?"

"He died."

"I don't understand, you said – "

"He speaks to me. I can't pretend to understand how. But he told me that he cannot guide me for much longer, so he led me to you."

"Ah. Me. I'm not a General any longer."

Yustan smiled grimly. "You can peel the label off, but it doesn't change who you are. And you were a formidable opponent against the Mandalorians. I have no doubt that you'll prove to be the same against Revan."

"Will I now? Hm. That's left to be seen, I suppose. In any case, I have to ask...while in Korriban, did you hear of anything? Learn of any plans...information that might be helpful to us?"

Yustan shook her head, no. "Believe me, as soon as I got free, I fled. I didn't bother retrieving any data...I couldn't." Mataki nodded at her patiently, empathizing with her. "But, there could be one thing. The man, who captured us. His name: Jaq." She spoke it with a certain amount of venom in her voice. "He knew what he was doing. He's deceitful above all else – not Sith – but heading down that road. And should he join them, he could prove to be more than just a nuisance."

"What did he do?"

Yustan left out the part of torture, both to Ben and herself, she didn't quite feel up to recalling every detail. "I believe he's the middle man. He...delivers...Jedi."

"And that's all you know about him? That his name is Jaq? That could very likely be an alias."

Yustan gave a sad chuckle. "I know. But he did stop at Nar Shadaar. Perhaps it's a convenient location for him. I know he stopped to speak to some Pazaak...oh Force, he has contacts there." she muttered in recognition.

Mataki smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"We can't go to Nar Shadaar!" exclaimed the other woman, reading Mataki's line of thought.

"Stealth is important here. If we're going to be moving against a Sith Lord here...we don't want him to know. So we'll start with following up on a lead. Because what we need now is information. However, the Council must be warned."

"They won't listen to us."

"We can't let that notion stop us from trying. Someone will listen. We'll send them a message. No, not from here. I don't want anything traced back to Endor. Let's get that straight, alright? Should any information get out, leave out our meeting here. If anything happens to – " she deliberately left out Javin's name, "– this place, I don't know what I'd do."

"Yes, General."

"And stop calling me that. Elori or Mataki will suffice."

Yustan was smiling now. It was a tremendous relief, really, to have someone on her side. Someone to share the burden with, to bounce maddening thoughts off of. And having a former General with her was an added bonus.

"We have to leave soon, Yustan. Was your flight line tracked at all, do you know?"

"I don't think so."

"In other words, you're not sure." frowned Mataki. "Alright. We won't leave this very moment. Why don't we get some sleep now – I believe you, of all people, could do with a bit of rest. We'll get going tomorrow evening. And the first thing we will try to do after we're off Endor is ditch your ship. I'm thinking black market sounds good." Mataki nodded to herself. "Yes, let's rest our heads for now. You can have my bed."

With that, she left Yustan in the room by herself, and walked away. The strength and all the energy she had previously been possessed with now drained away. Safe, she told herself, for the moment. Try not to worry anymore.

She put her hands to her head and wept.