"This is a bad idea."
"Shut up, Atton."
"I promise you," snapped Revan, "no one will put you back in a cell. Unless I wish it."
The entry to the Telos Academy was blocked by Brianna's half-sisters, the Handmaidens. The eleven Jedi were standing outside the entrance, surrounded by snow and wind. "You are no longer the last," said one of the sisters to the Handmaiden. "But you have brought madness to our mistress. We cannot let you pass."
Revan covered Brianna. "Echani! This is Jedi business."
All of the sisters eyed Revan. "Do you know who this is, sister? We can tell who she is, even without her mask. This is the Dark Lady. This is the one that killed our father."
Bastila looked at her friend. "Surely you didn't…"
"That was a long time ago." Revan didn't want to add that Brianna's Jedi mother was killed on Malachor. Brianna had been polite, but Revan was worried that it was only because of Soner's relationship between the two of them. These pesky sisters could make things difficult.
But Brianna wouldn't be bullied by her five sisters again. "The Jedi before you is not the same woman that our father challenged. Now let us pass."
The Handmaidens pulled out their weapons. Revan gritted her teeth. "I know I should have brought HK."
She was about to activate her lightsaber when Soner grabbed her wrist. "They didn't bring their weapons with them."
"What?"
Soner knew a little more about these particular Echani ladies. "They are masters of hand-to-hand combat. They don't need weapons."
"Oh." Revan put the saber back on her belt. "I suppose they would like a fair match then. Not my area of expertise, wouldn't you say?"
Soner nodded to Brianna. "Time to show our seniors a trick or two."
"What!" shouted Jolee. "Senior?"
Revan folder her arms. "You can say that again."
It was nearly a month ago when Soner first arrived on the Telos Academy. The Echani girls challenged him even then, stripping him of most of his gear and forcing him to learn how to fight with his body. They were good teachers. Even now, they ducked and dodged his punches and forced their fists into the spots he forgot to guard. And their eyes were always darting back and forth, studying his moves. To an Echani, a fight was the more sincere form of communication. Soner wondered what they thought of him now.
Out of the corner of his eye, Soner spotted help. Bao-Dur and Atton joined the fight, making the odds a little more even. They also had been the Academy before, back when Kreia was still on the team.
The fifth handmaiden turned to Revan. "I was the first of the Handmaidens before she returned with him."
Revan raised an eyebrow. "He has that affect on people."
The Handmaiden sneered. She twisted her neck, popping the joints. "Brianna may have forgiven you, but we cannot. Murderer!"
A few days back with Carth in a soft bed and some warm meals had restored some of Revan's strength, but she wasn't prepared to deal with an Echani solider half her age. The Handmaiden struck Revan on the jaw. She fell back and nearly landed on Bastila and Juhani. "We can take her."
"No," said Revan. "I'll deal with her in my own way."
Brianna was fighting the second strongest, and she was the only one that didn't seemed overwhelmed. Bao-Dur favored his right side, since he really wasn't able to use his mechanical arm for combat. But it was impossible to block and attack with one arm. Atton was distracted by the Handmaiden's form-fitting top and her heavy lashes. He didn't seem to notice half the hits the girl was slamming into his chest. Soner was also feeling overwhelmed. He was beginning to regret this idea of 'playing fair'.
Revan spent a good deal of time dodging the Handmaiden's punches before she struck. It was just one simple move—Revan drove all her weight and strength into her palm as she struck the girl just below the sternum. She fell backwards, and Revan didn't waste the opportunity. Her hand was at the girl's throat.
The Handmaiden got the hint. "Back down." Her five sisters obeyed. She looked up at Revan and gave a coy smile. The Knight was tired from her fight—her skin was pale and she was breathing fast. "Our father told us something about the way you fought in battle, my Lady. He said your were proud and you were cold. You were vain about your own talents and you do whatever it took to win a battle."
"Most would say that was what led me to the Dark Side."
"He also said there was one redeeming feature in your stance. He said you were driven. That you would exhaust yourself to complete your appointed task. All for the Republic. You were driven by devotion."
Revan nodded. "And now?"
"You fight like one that has been to the edge of the galaxy and back. You have absolute faith in the path the Force has led you on. Soft looks hide your great knowledge. The pride is still there, humbled and in check. But the coldness is gone." She turned back to her sisters. "We cannot revenge our father by killing this Jedi. Our father would not want us to. This Jedi…this Jedi has walked a very different path."
Revan stood up and the Handmaiden arose as well. "We need to see Atris."
The Handmaiden bowed. "I will show you to where the Exile locked her up."
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Revan and Soner reached the door to the library and the private chambers. "Be careful. I left her in there with all those Sith holocrons."
"It would have been kinder for you to kill her then." She motioned to Soner. "Open the door."
Bastila was right behind them. "I remember Atris on Dantooine. Hard to believe she became so evil."
Jolee snorted. "Jedi like Atris already have one foot into the Dark Side. They just need the proper catalyst to drive them to the deep end." Jolee immediately regretted what he had said. Bastila and Atris were somewhat alike in their pride and arrogance. And Bastila herself served Darth Malak for a time.
"She can be saved, can't she?" Bastila put a hand on Revan's shoulder.
"I'd like to think that redemption is available to everyone."
"Atris wouldn't be needing redemption," said Soner. "Revan, come and see this."
Everyone followed Revan into the chamber. Mira let out as gasp. Atris had taken part of her robe and made it into a noose. The ceiling was too high, so she hanged herself on the wall using a holocron to hold the end of the noose. Her eyes were still open, and her lips were parted open, but her teeth were clenched tight. All around the Jedi, the Sith holocrons shouted in their foreign language.
"What are they saying?" asked Atton.
"'Sith do not tolerate failure'." Both Revan and Visas said this at the same time.
Revan crept closer to the body. "And so it ends for Atris. She had no idea how far she had fallen, really. She thought she was doing the right thing." She leaned towards the eyes and closed them shut. "Find some peace now, Librarian. You and I weren't as different as you thought."
The holocrons continued to hiss and shout. "Can we get out of here?" asked Atton. "This is creepy. I'd rather be back on that weird tomb the Mandalore found."
"Fair enough," said Revan. They made their way back to the chambers, similar to the ones on Coruscant. She walked over to Mical and put her hand on his shoulder. "Mical, I can think of no one better for the next record keeper than you."
"Me? But surely some of the better-trained Jedi…"
Soner interrupted him. "You've been to dozens of planets looking up information on the Jedi. As a simple medic, you've done a superb job—as a Jedi you'd be great."
"He's just a kid," said Jolee. "He doesn't even have a beard yet."
Bastila rolled her eyes. "And your beard is gray. You've forgotten most of your history anyways."
Revan and Soner looked at each other, both thinking that another fight was about to erupt. But Mical stepped forward. "Actually, I've read a lot about you, Jolee Bindo, and I'm sure you'd be a far better historian than I. While I admit I am well traveled, nothing compares to the places you've seen. You're exploits throughout the galaxy have always been a fascinating subject to me. How did you manage to destroy five of Prince Fen's battleships with only three bombs?"
Jolee raised his eyebrows. "Wait a moment. You actually found all those stories exciting?"
"Of course! When I found records on Coruscant, I spent days studying your travels. I actually considered editing a biography of your life after I finished my thesis on the first thousand years of Sith existence. Who wouldn't find your stories a fascinating lecture?"
Jolee scowled and pointed a finger at Revan. "Her, for starters!" He turned towards Revan and Bastila, who were both still recovering from Mical's narrative. "This boy reminds me of Kan Stillwater. Lots of untapped potential and the mind of a genius." He grabbed Mical by the neck and rubbed his hand in his hair. "Leave it to the two of us and the Order will be restored in three weeks. Now, I've been sober for forty-eight hours. Where does Atris keep her ale?"
Jolee left. Revan turned to Mical. "No one can get through a collection of his stories."
Mical gave a slight bow. "I do apologize for exaggerating my interest in his personal chronicles, Lady Revan. But I thought it better to start off on the proper foot with someone like Jolee."
Bastila laughed. "Yes, I do believe both of you could be instrumental in aiding the Order with restoring the glory of it's past."
"Yes," said Revan. "Jolee can serve as your supervising master."
Bastila looked at Revan. "A master?"
"Of course. I told you the Order needs to be restored. And we must have a Council. There has always been a council." She placed one hand on Bastila's shoulder and one on Juhani. "And I can think of no one better suited for the task. Jolee will join you as Jedi Masters and members of the Council."
Bastila couldn't say anything, but Juhani placed her own hand over Revan's. "I know my time in the senate has prepared me for this. And I know the time I spent aboard the Ebon Hawk has prepared me as well. As you wish it, Revan, I will serve on the Council."
Revan grinned and turned towards Soner. "The offer stands for you as well, Soner Nova. You've proven your strength to me."
Soner smiled sheepishly. "This isn't the first time you've made such an offer. But I have to turn it down."
Bao-Dur crept close to Soner. "General, why?"
"I have to turn it down, Bao-Dur. We need teachers too." He turned to Revan. "I wish to remain a Jedi Knight. Until my Padawans are Knights themselves, I cannot join the council."
"He's right, Revan," said Bastila. She looked at Soner. "I remember when you left for the Mandalorian Wars. You left Mical without a teacher. You left everything you had at Dantooine to fight in that war."
"I know. I was young and foolish then. I've learned to become responsible for my charges since those days."
Revan bowed her head. "As you wish. But you will not teach alone." She turned towards Visas. "Bastila and I talked of you earlier. Had you been taken to the Jedi Academy, you would surely be a knight now."
"Circumstances being what they are…"
"Visas, you are no new recruit to the Force," said Bastila. "And even under the Sith, you did not lose your compassion for life. You will aid Soner in teaching the new apprentices."
Revan then turned to the others. Atton, for the first time since arriving on Telos, seemed excited about the future. Brianna realized her life was about to change forever. Bao-Dur thought back to the Wars, when he used to take about the lightsabers of his commanding officers. Mical remembered the day when Soner left him for battle. Mira thought about the meditation aboard the Hawk. "And you five will be our first Padawans. Your time as students will prepare you for life as a Jedi Knight. And mark me—all of you have a role to play in this galaxy." She stopped to look at Mira. Soner wondered if Revan could see into the future—Kreia had predicted Mira would die sacrificing herself for others. "The path you have chosen is a dangerous one, Jedi." She pulled her hands behind her. "I do not fear the trials you will face. Everyone in the room—everyone aboard the Ebon Hawk—we have faced more than any Jedi were meant to face. We have all been broken, but we have all been remade."