Part I

Out of the Blue, Into the Black


Chapter 11

Instructions


Canderous and Revan left the conference room for a private conversation, leaving Bastila, Juhani, and Carth inside. The three of them were all baffled completely and none of them could individually make sense of what they had just heard.

The silence between them was broken by Juhani. "Do either of you think there is any way to stop Revan?"

"I can't have him arrested or detained, if that's what you mean," said Carth. "He hasn't broken the law."

"Bastila, you and Revan have a bond…anything you could do?" Juhani had turned to face Bastila.

"Our bond gives me glimpses into his mind every once in a while, but I can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to."

"I feel like we have to," said Juhani. "We need all the Jedi we can get," said Juhani. "The order has still not recovered from Darth Malak, and Revan is crucial to our rebuilding."

"As a figurehead yes," said Bastila. "But Revan is no teacher, and the council doesn't trust him enough to increase his rank to Master."

"So are we all agreeing that this is a bad idea?" interjected Carth.

"Unless you do not," said Juhani. They both turned to Bastila.

"I…" Bastila paused without the resolve to continue speaking.

Bastila was still stuck in a whirlpool of emotions at this point. She wanted nothing more than to be in Revan's arms; to be loved as a lifetime companion. She wanted it so badly, she was even willing to leave the Order in order to do it, but she knew that no matter what, she could not divulge this feeling to anyone. The mental stress was absolutely searing.

"Bastila, are you okay?" asked Carth.

"There's something else that's troubling him," she finally said, apparently ignoring Carth's question. "I can't sense any major deception in him, but I've got a really strong feeling that he knows more than what he told us."

"Are you suspecting him of telling us the truth, but not the whole truth?" asked Carth.

"Again," said Bastila. "I don't know…there's just something not right about this."

"Revan is about to leave everything behind for a suicide crusade in the Unknown Regions," said Juhani. "That is what is not right about this."

"But it seems fairly clear that a group intervention isn't going to work," said Carth.

"But an individual intervention might," said Juhani.

"No it wouldn't," said Bastila. "But it could stall him…"

"For what?" said Carth.

"Well…" began Bastila. "I could sneak aboard the Ebon Hawk and find out if there's any information in there that could tell me where Revan is going." Carth and Juhani looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "So we can stop him…" she recanted.

"You're out of your mind!" said Carth, slightly raising his voice. "There's no way Revan won't find out!"

"But if you stall…long enough for me to go in, snoop around for a bit, and get back, he might not notice."

"I agree with Carth," said Juhani. "You seem a bit too emotional right now Bastila. Perhaps it is best if…"

"No," snapped Bastila. "You're right Juhani, I am being emotional here, but this isn't about me. This is about all of us…as loyal friends and companions stopping Revan from making the biggest mistake of his life. After all…we've agreed that this would be the biggest mistake of his life…right?" Carth and Juhani exchanged glances, and slowly began to agree.

"Do you really think you can do this?" said Carth.

"I'm a Jedi Sentinel," said Bastila with an air of pride. "I know how to be discreet."

"Go then," said Juhani. "We will do what we can to cover for you."

"Thank you," said Bastila, as she stood up and left the room.

Juhani stood up right after her. "You can stall Revan on your own. I will need to go to security and see if I can stall them so Bastila can get in without being noticed."

"Alright," said Carth nodding his head, and Juhani left the room.


Somewhere in the Unknown Regions…

Amicus Trek sat in his office in a low postured sense of frustrated boredom. It had been months – almost a year since his rebellion had done anything remotely exciting. After the successful undercover heist that captured not one, but two Sith shuttles along with the crew of the second, the fleet could do nothing but meander around and continue surveillance of Sith naval activity in the hopes that somewhere along the lines they could get ambushed by a pirate fleet or something and take a little damage.

But no – even the pirates that were notorious for their raids in Tryton and Crispin space were laying low. And Trek had known that he could not intervene even in the slightest or else the Sith would know what he was up to so he had no choice but to simply not get caught. It wasn't easy but it wasn't difficult either.

Trek flashed back to a smiley moment when Clieve Vesta returned with twice what he had been assigned for as well as a living human crew taken prisoner. Trek had never seen anything like that and he was quick to reward him with a small fighter squadron under his command. The human crew were interrogated for information, using the typical brutal and torturous tactics that he was so infamous for and once they had told them all that they knew, they were free to go. Of course that was only what they told them – the reality was that those prisoners were forced out of the ships via airlock and asphyxiated in outer space.

"Sir!" yelled Archie Saww, commander of his flagship the Hammer of Judgment as he stampeded into the room. "We got it."

"Where?"

"Our man had to do a lot of digging – the Sith were trying to keep this one on the down low…dreadnought class vessel called the Sonic Boom took a few more dings than the minimum requirement for repair and is scheduled to leave Azarith in approximately twenty seven hours."

"Why hide this? Was it something petty like pirates?" Archie nodded and Trek continued to think. "Sonic Boom…I rather like that name. Now we won't have to change it." That was the go-ahead. Archie Saww left for the bridge while Trek radioed the other commanders to give them the scoop. They were finally going to see some action and accomplish their so desperately needed task.

When the fleet hit hyperspace for the moon of Azarith Trek smiled and began to contemplate the plan for the attack, as well as joyfully anticipate the opportunity he will have to slaughter the Sith and make their human mind-slaves scream in horror.


"I still think you're being stupid," said Canderous. "Going on this spirit walk, or whatever the hell it is; that's not what I'm protesting. I ought to be by your side out there, just like before."

"I thought you told me on the Star Forge that this was the end of our partnership," said Revan.

"Well that was before I knew you were planning on taking a jog in non-Republic space," countered Canderous. "My people are still living on the edge of the known galaxy. They might be able to help you."

"No I'm pretty sure they can't," said Revan. "I have thought of that you know…"

"Well I can still help you," said Canderous. "My life isn't over yet."

"I'm not denying that you'd be useful," said Revan. "But I know that there was something behind the Mandalorian War."

"Yeah…about that," began Canderous. "Why don't you actually explain your reasoning behind that."

Revan sighed before speaking. "I do owe him that much," he thought. "He's really not going to like this."

"Before I do though, let me just turn the question on you. Why do you think the Mandalorians originally went to war?"

"A number of reasons," said Canderous with full confidence and expecting the question. "First, we wanted to test our mettle against a worthy foe and gain the honor in battle that we had failed to gain during the Great Sith War. We chose the Republic and the Jedi just as before, but we gathered the clans in an effort to wage the war ourselves."

"And the second?"

"We wanted to establish a legacy," said Canderous. "Not just as the greatest race of warriors in the history of this galaxy, but as supreme rulers who achieved and maintained power through strength. It seemed like a very idealistic vision to us, but it became so close to a reality during the war, I still wonder if it ever could have been that way."

"Any other reason?" asked Revan.

"Those are really the two main significant ones," replied Canderous. "We wanted to fight the best of the best, and take from them the entire galaxy by force, proving our race supreme by genetic favoritism. That's really it. Knowing me, you don't think that's enough?"

"There are a number of logical flaws in that, which has led me to believe that this wasn't the real reason." Canderous gave Revan an odd look, as if he had just been slapped hard across his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Canderous, somewhat defensively.

"I believe that it was never actually the Mandalorians' choice to go to war. It was something else, and I said this earlier, but I'll explain my theory a little further. You were manipulated, possibly by your own leaders. It was likely an alliance between the Mandalorian higher ups and whatever faction of people they served under."

Canderous' mouth started to gape open. Revan could tell that Canderous was somewhat hurt by this. The Mandalorian stood in shock, as if he had just been told that all his childhood friends hated him and simply kept him around to poke fun at him behind his back.

"I…I don't know what to say Revan, except I think you're crazy," said Canderous. "We wanted this war. We wanted to fight the best of the best. We Mandalore have never been corrupted by anyone in our entire history!"

"But here's the thing Canderous…why now? Why when we were weak? If you really wanted to fight a strong opponent, why did you do it when we were weak?" Canderous raised an eyebrow at Revan. "Of all the times you could have hit us…you chose to do it nine and a half years ago. The Republic had not even recovered from the Great Sith War, and before we knew it…in came you guys, and we barely survived."

"It was our chance," said Canderous, still on the defensive. "Our timing couldn't have been better. C'mon Revan, we almost won!"

"But that's the thing," said Revan. "Mandalorians are warriors at heart. You're not rulers; you're not politicians; taking over the galaxy is not what Mandalorians do. They fight, and they seek honor and glory in battle and war. But your people aren't Sith."

"So?"

"Meaning, that even if you had won, it wouldn't have mattered because considering how your people are simply not bred or groomed to control such a chaotic galaxy like this, someone else would have come along and ousted your regime. With the memories that have returned to me, much of it has come with the understanding of your people I developed in the war. I poised this exact same question to myself during, but I don't know if I actually acted upon it." This was another terrible lie by Revan, and he wondered if Canderous would catch on, but the middle aged Mandalorian looked to be reeling state of confusion and a mild form of rage.

"I…" Revan stopped Canderous from speaking further, with the hint that his point would be made clearer soon enough. Canderous took the hint and Revan went on.

"It seems to me that the Mandalorians were pushed into this war, or convinced by other means to weaken the Republic, not to destroy it." Revan looked into the Mandalorian's eyes. "If your people really wanted to face us at our best they would have waited until we had recovered. As well as that, your people were perfectly content fighting on as you had for years. Then suddenly you decide to take over the galaxy? It makes no logical sense!" Revan paused for the moment, but Canderous still did not interrupt, expecting to hear more. "Maybe Canderous…maybe whoever drove your people to war with the Republic wanted you to lose. Perhaps they saw you as a possible threat to their own plans and used you to weaken the Republic, and eliminate your people as an obstacle at the same time. And honestly, if it was really the choice of your people to wage a war against the Republic in the hopes of winning and taking over the galaxy, then your people seriously miscalculated."

"About you I assume you mean…right?" replied Canderous, and Revan nodded. "It's true that we had never heard of you or Malak before. We were counting on this Jedi named Kavar to lead the Jedi to war against us; not you."

"And yet, in came Malak and I, and it cost you the war."

"Yeah," said Canderous. "And I have no grudges. You beat us at our own game fair and square."

"But Canderous," replied Revan. "Mandalorians are way too smart to make such a dire miscalculation. That's why I truly believe that this was never really your war to begin with. Did you not ever once question the true intentions behind this war?"

"Sure, I did," said Canderous. "At the beginning though…Mandalore was charismatically inspirational, just like you. I asked myself hundreds of times if this war was really worth the casualty cost, and if we could really win. And then as the war progressed, I slowly began to figure…what does it matter? What difference does it make? We're already in, we were in it to win, and we were winning. So I stopped caring about the idea of Mandalorians winning or losing, or the idea that we could control the galaxy. It was nice to think about every once in a while, but I just focused on myself."

"So you don't believe me?" asked Revan.

"No," said Canderous rather boldly. "I don't believe you in your assessment that we were coerced and made into puppets for some larger scheme; not for a second. But it doesn't even matter."

"Why not?"

"Because that's in the past, and no matter what, we Mandalorians have left behind a legacy that this galaxy shall never forget. Whatever agenda Mandalore himself had for this galaxy, is irrelevant. He's dead. I myself wanted to fight for the honor and the glory of Mandalorian victory, which is why I went to war with the rest of them, and even though we lost the war, I think I found myself there; and that's why I'm still not ready to give up this life of fighting."

"Well I'm glad you aren't," said Revan. "But I believe that the past actually does matter, and I am absolutely convinced that there was something else behind the war; and that's why I have to go, and I can't ask you to come along. Aside from the droids, I can't take anyone." Revan wondered how difficult it would be to convince Canderous of this after all of this, but Canderous seemed rather indifferent at the moment.

"I never said you had to ask," retorted Canderous. "I'd follow you anywhere, especially if it concerns my people. You know that."

"I know. But it's not just you. I can't take anyone with me. It would just put them in unnecessary danger."

"You can't seriously be worried about that," said Canderous. "C'mon Revan, I'm not dead weight…you know I have my uses. I won't slow you down, and how many times have we saved each other's life?"

"Over 9000 times, but that's not what this is about."

"What do you want from me then!" asserted Canderous.

Revan stopped and took a look around to where they were. They had been walking through the entertainment promenade. In front of them was the entrance to the Cantina. They had walked quite a distance from the conference rooms and had taken the monorail away from there. Revan had not forgotten about the brilliant idea that had suddenly come to him while in the conference room and he could not have been more anxious to tell Canderous about it. Getting there was the hard part. His excitement and slight nervousness of it provided somewhat of a mental shield to the turbulence and troubled whirlpool of pain that had been eating away at him with every lie he issued to his friends.

He beckoned Canderous to follow him in. Inside, they found a private booth, away from the eyes and ears of the common folk.

"There is something else I need you to do," mumbled Revan, in a quiet and rather shady tone of voice that Canderous was barely able to decipher. "This is something that only you can do, and it's very important and necessary that you do this."

Canderous stared at Revan with a stumped look on his face. "What?" he finally said.

"When does the next session of boot camp end?"

"Nine weeks or so, why?"

"I want you to stay on with the Republic for this session…and then I want you to leave."

"And do what?"

Revan sighed. "He's going to think I've lost my mind," thought Revan. "I just hope I have the stomach to ask him to do this…C'mon Revan. Just like before…say it!"

"Do what!" said Canderous louder and Revan sighed again, hinting him to silence his voice and not attract attention.

Without any more hesitation, Revan spoke. "It is time that the Mandalorians regrouped and reassembled, this time as an ally of the Republic and the Jedi, and under new leadership…a new banner."

Canderous was baffled by Revan's statement, and he had no idea what to say, even though he had to ask. "Whose banner?"

"Yours," whispered Revan while still staring straight into his steel eyes.

Canderous leaned back and hit the wall behind him in shock and looked at Revan trying to figure out if he was actually serious. "Wh…what!" he said finally.

"You heard me."

"You're serious…"

"Yeah," retorted Revan in the most serious tone of voice he could use. This had been his idea that had come to him when Canderous mentioned that he needed a real reason not to join him. A group of Mandalorians allied under the leadership of a friend would prove to be highly advantageous tactically and strategically, and Revan knew it.

"C'mon," said Canderous. "You better not be joking about this."

"I want you to gather the clans and do everything in your power to restore the lost Mandalorian strength. Find your people, gather them together and make them ready for war. I need an army Canderous…and I want you to lead it." He let this assignment sink into Canderous' head. For a few seconds, they said nothing but merely exchanged looks.

"Even if I wanted to," said Canderous, finally coming to terms with what Revan was asking of him. "You took Mandalore the Ultimate's helmet after the war and denied it to us. Even though it is possible to create a new helmet; I could never claim the title of Mandalore without the real thing. The tradition is ingrained in my blood…"

"You'll find the helmet on Rakata Prime," interrupted Revan.

"That Star Forge world…" Revan nodded. "Ugh, damn it. I was relieved when we got off that rock, and now you want me to go back." Revan nodded again. "So…you want me to become the new Mandalore?"

"Yes," said Revan. "You're the only one who can do it, and I want you to be ready for anything."

"You want me to gather the clans and then just wait around?"

"Partially," said Revan. "Your main objective is to be ready for my return, but as you gain strength in numbers and loyalty, I want you and your kind to serve as an invisible shield for the Republic."

"How so?"

"There are a number of covert camps scattered throughout Dxun," said Revan. "Right?"

"Yeah."

"If I remember correctly, Mandalorians have a rapport with the jungle. Take them there, and watch over Onderon…and obviously don't tell the Republic what you're doing."

"Onderonians aren't exactly fond of us, considering what we did to them in the war."

"As I said," belayed Revan. "Invisible shield…I need you to make sure that Onderon stays with the Republic and stays strong militarily and economically. Onderon is a beacon of civilization and Republic strength. If that world falls, countless others will fall like dominoes."

Canderous thought for a moment and recognized the intelligence and wisdom in Revan's analysis. For several seconds he merely pondered to himself. What Revan was asking of him was next to impossible, even after telling him where to find the helmet, and yet the very idea of it made it look all the better. "I can't believe I'm about to say yes to this…" Canderous thought.

"Do we have a deal?" asked Revan.

Canderous looked back at Revan with a nod. "Alright, I'll do it," he finally said. "But only for you." Revan smiled.

"Thank you Canderous," said Revan. "Just one thing however; before you do this, I want you to formally retire from your post with the Republic. I want you to gather the other drill instructors under you and find a good replacement. Make sure that your position is left in good hands."

"Right," said Canderous.

The two of them left the table after laying their money down and began walking out of the bar. As they left, Revan remembered one more thing.

"Oh by the way…also keep this between us," said Revan. "When the others ask you what my instructions were, tell them I want you to retire from the Republic and find someone to settle down with."

"A girl?" said Canderous who was smiling slightly.

"No, a choir boy," said Revan sarcastically. "Yes, of course I mean a girl!"

"Ha ha ha," growled Canderous, who did not find it very funny. "Fine, whatever."

"I understand," said Revan. "Did you have anyone special during or before the war?"

"I did," said Canderous, with a hint of regret behind his words. "She's gone though."

"Well…I'm sure you'll figure something out. Just don't tell them the truth. They'd never approve."

"No kidding," said Canderous. "But this is your last chance. Are you absolutely sure you want me to do this instead of coming with you?" Revan smiled, nonverbally indicating the answer as he reached out his hand.

"What's the code of the Mandalore?"

"Honor in battle, cheating death, comrades in arms." They smiled and shook hands, leading into a masculine embrace as if they were best friends since childhood.

"Safe journey…Mandalore," whispered Revan into Canderous' ear as they drew apart and turned away, going their separate ways. Revan left the cantina and went back to Republic Headquarters.

"One down, three to go," he thought as he made his way back up to the same conference room he left from. He entered the room but was surprised to see that no one was present. Revan scanned the room and walked further in, but a strange feeling got to him. As he turned around, he saw Carth close the door behind him. Revan gave him an odd look.

"Let's take a seat, shall we?" said Carth. Revan's stare into Carth's eyes did not falter, but when he saw the seriousness in his face, he simply obliged without question. "What the hell do you think you're doing Revan?"

"I told you Carth," he replied. "I have to do this. I don't have another choice."

"You always have a choice."

"What is this…some kind of one man intervention?" mused Revan.

"I just want a straight answer. That's all."

"I already told you why I have to leave," said Revan. "You said you trusted me."

"I know what I said," retorted Carth in a highly serious tone. "But I want to know why you're choosing to go alone. I mean if you're planning to go into the black of space, beyond the edge of the known galaxy, to find and possibly fight something you know nothing about, why the hell wouldn't you take at least some of our crew like before?" Revan sighed.

"Yeah, I guess I owe you an explanation." Revan did not like where this was going to go, as he was basically setting himself up to lie again.

This line seemed particularly useful for both cases, as it allowed Revan to take control of the conversation instead of letting his friends run rampant in their protest. Lying and deceiving them was still getting easier and easier and Revan felt no better. Each time he did it, he questioned to himself if lying to his friends was really the right thing to do, but every time, Lena's words flashed before his mind. "It will only put them in danger," she had said. "Just relax and think about it. I'm sure that you in your renowned ability to persuade will find a way." These words provided a bit of comfort for Revan, but the mere depth of deception seemed more and more like a big hole that he kept digging himself into and could not escape from.

"I'm all ears," said Carth, with the hopes that Revan would take a nice long time dishing out an explanation so Bastila would have more time.

"I have to go alone because it is too dangerous a mission to bring anyone with me…especially those I care about. But that's not all. I know that if I asked, you guys would probably follow me there. The truth is…I have a much more important assignment for you." Revan felt very redundant at the moment, but this idea was different and one that Revan had actually thought through fully before arriving on Telos.

"And what would that be?" asked Carth.

"I need you, to do all that is in your power to rebuild the Republic and keep it strong militarily. It must be fortified, and ready for another war, one that is brewing in the distant future."

"Well, I was going to help rebuild it anyway," said Carth who was now thinking to himself, "Where the hell is Bastila!"

"I don't think you understand," said Revan. "I need you to work tirelessly. The Republic must be preserved and it must be strong enough to last. This is of critical importance; it is the most important task of all, and I trust no one to do this but you." Carth gave Revan an odd look.

"I'm not sure I understand. Is there anything specific you need me to do?" asked Carth. "I mean, it's not like I can just ascend the ranks on a whim and take command of the whole Republic armed forces in a matter of days."

"I know," said Revan understandingly. "The Republic leaned on the Jedi like a crutch during the Mandalorian War. We can't afford that again. I hope that you do reach the rank of Admiral, because the Republic needs you. It will need strong and effective leadership, and it will need to be made strong for what is to come. There might be another war coming. If the Republic is caught with its pants down, all hell will break loose, and this galaxy will be helpless."

"A war against who?" asked Carth.

"I don't know," said Revan. "I wish I could tell you more, but as I said, I don't know anything more. But I do need you to do this, not just for me, but for the Republic's sake." Carth sighed while Revan mentally kicked himself with the repetition of that same stupid lie he kept using.

"So you want me to make the Republic strong enough to stand on its own without the Jedi?" Revan nodded. "You do realize that what you're asking me is next to impossible…right?"

"You don't think you can do this?"

"I can make the military wing of the Republic strong," said Carth. "But Revan, the Republic is not just weak militarily. And I don't believe it's possible for the Republic to function properly without the Jedi. They've been the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy for hundreds of generations. A Democratic-Republic needs guardians in order to survive. C'mon haven't you read your ancient political philosophy?"

"I'm not a political person Carth," said Revan. "You know that. But I'm sure the Jedi will always be there, at least to help you out. I just want you to make the Republic able enough to survive without them."

Carth sighed. "And what? You just want me to make the Republic ready for war, and then just wait for your return? You don't ever want me to look for you?"

Revan shook his head. "Absolutely not," he said in a tone so stern, he felt like Lena. "Don't forget your history. The Great Hyperspace War was started because a single ship…Starbreaker 12, was screwing around trying to find its bearings in an unfamiliar place. We don't want to repeat anything like that if we can help it."

"Not to undermine your little history lesson, but isn't that what you're about to do?" said Carth. "You're about to take the Ebon Hawk and start screwing around in the Unknown Regions."

"Just trust me on this Carth; don't look for me."

"Fine Revan, I won't. I'm just a little confounded by all this. You haven't given me much to go on, and you may never return to us."

"I know," grunted Revan empathetically. "You need to let me do this. I will return. That's a promise. Just make sure the Republic is strong and prepared." The tone of voice was exactly the same as before with the sternness he seemed to have picked up from Lena, but all the more kind at the same time.

Carth sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of him. "Alright Revan," he said. "I will work endlessly and tirelessly and do all in my power to help the Republic and prepare it for…whatever; militarily and politically if I can."

"Just do what you can," said Revan. "If you have any allies and friends in the Senate, now would be the perfect time to use them. Make more friends in the Senate if you have to, but you'll need their support. Keep the military presence strong at Muunilinst, Onderon, Alderaan, and Coruscant. Most importantly, don't let Telos get destroyed again."

"You don't have to tell me that," said Carth. "I'll die before I let that happen."

"I know, but those five planets are absolutely critical. How you do this is completely up to you, but that's my advice."

"I understand," said Carth. Revan stood up from his chair but Carth stopped him again, with the hopes of stalling him further, as Bastila had still not returned. "Hold on a second Revan…"

Revan turned around. "Yeah?"

"How are you planning on getting out of here?"

"Sneak out…"

"You're kidding," said Carth.

"No, I'm not," growled Revan. "I have to leave ASAP. I can't afford to linger around."

"Wait a minute," said Carth. "I've been getting grilled by Admiral Dodonna to get you to come in and give an official debrief on the Star Forge mission. If you just leave without doing this, I'm going to get grilled even more, and the Republic will get suspicious."

"Alright," said Revan. "So what do you propose?"

"This is good," thought Carth. "I can't believe Bastila is taking this long, but I can stall."

"Well?" asked Revan.

"Here," said Carth, pulling out some papers from his binder. "Let's draft a plan to get you out of here as fast as possible without this happening. After all, I can't be of much use to you if the Republic throws me in the stockades for facilitating your escape."


Meanwhile on Rakata Prime…

It had been all quiet on all fronts on the outskirts of the Red Settlement. The rising sun was beginning to glare brightly over the beaches and the wild animals were waking up and going about their day in full compliance and harmony with the forces of nature. The situation inside the home of the late Elder Rakata tribe however, was not so peaceful.

The wall between one bedroom and another suddenly came down when Darth Sion was sent crashing straight through it by the power of Jolee's Force blast. Jolee hopped through the newly formed gap and pressed his attack. Sion had already jumped to his feet and began to hold his own against Jolee. Jolee was using Form V Djem So and unleashed a massive flurry of blows all over Sion, with the intent on keeping him pressed and incapable of attacking. Sion switched to the same stance and was backing up slowly around the room, blocking and dodging the blows aimed at him.

The fight had been going on for a long time, leaving ruins in the hallways and rooms they fought through, but not once had either of them taken the fight outside the house. All senses of Jolee were telling him that Sion was merely toying with him in an effort to drain his energy, and that it would be futile to continuously engage him. However Sion's aggression when on the offensive had forced him to do just that.

Jolee continuously aimed strikes at Sion who was grinning somewhat sheepishly while blocking and dodging them with relative ease. Sion side kicked Jolee in the chest and sent him backward, but Jolee came at him again. As he aimed a vertical swing, Sion grabbed Jolee's left arm and swung him into the wall. Then he grabbed him again and launched him across the hallway, sending him crashing through an insulated wall. Jolee reeled at the slight concussion, but shook it off. Sion was slowly pacing towards him, but now Jolee was in an area of possible advantage.

As he looked around the room, he saw that he was just barely outside of an electric field. The main power generator for the Red Settlement was stationed in the center and the energy it was releasing buzzed around the room and through the open areas above the walls, giving power for lights, air conditioning, water, and other appliances the Elders lived on.

Despite the concussion, Jolee quickly gave himself an idea. Sion was now through the gap in the wall he had thrown Jolee through, but Jolee did not give him time to mount another attack.

Jolee hurled his lightsaber straight at Sion, which caught him off guard. Sion attempted to limbo dodge it and the fast spinning lightsaber brushed over his face, adding a few more scars to his already disfigured nose. Jolee then unleashed a storm of lightning into the air that merged and fused with the electricity of the room. The electricity mingled with the generator and sparks flew everywhere. With the power of Jolee's lightning, the generator began to overload. Jolee used the Force to tear a hole in the ceiling, and then leapt straight up through it, summoning the lightsaber back to him.

Sion was still moving towards Jolee to chase him down, but Jolee leapt off the roof of the building and onto the sands of the beach. As he landed in the sands, he began moving away from the shelter as fast as he could; diving straight forward into the sand as it blew.

The Red Settlement exploded into a massive fiery blaze that left only ashes and ruin on the sands of the South Beach. Jolee got back up and dusted the sand off his shirtless body, his head ringing from the concussion of the blast. His own wounds and scars from the recent battle, compiled with his own physical and mental exhaustion was enough to keep his mind off the horrors he had just witnessed and remembered, but now that it was all over, they all seemed to rush back towards the front and fill his mind all at once. It was overwhelming, and as a result, Jolee felt himself sink down to his knees.

Fighting Sion was adrenalizing enough, but Sion had been a part of his history he had hoped to forget. Jolee had no belief that fighting the Great Sith War was glorifying. He had suffered as much as all the other Jedi who had their padawans turn on them. He had lost everything; his friends, his wife, the Jedi Order, and when he finally found another lifestyle that made him happy, it was taken from him. The depression of it was absolutely mortifying, and the only possible comfort Jolee had was that the other crew members of the Ebon Hawk were safe and that his old friend Sunry escaped the wrath of the Selkath justice system on Manaan, but even he was nowhere to be found.

Jolee had no idea what to do at the moment, and aside from the emotions and vivid memories of his nightmarish past, several questions filled his head; namely concerning what to do, who to warn about this so called "Great Jedi Purge", how this happened, where the Sith came from, who were the members of the "Sith Triumvirate", and many others.

But the horrors and confusion blocks were suddenly washed away in an instant as Jolee's blood turned to ice once again. Looking at the rising ashes of the Red Settlement, a dark shadowy figure was slowly walking through the fire, his boots clanking over the large chunks of wood and rubble. It was Darth Sion, in the flesh, his skin was just as much the charcoal gray color as it was before, and the cracks and fractures in his skin were also all just the same. He exited the building like a hellish demonic figure, absolved and untouched by the fire.

Jolee was tempted to gasp, but his senses took over and the Force re-energized him instantly. He had not expected this, but somehow he was not surprised either. He had killed Sion once, and he had killed Sion again, but Jolee knew that he could find a way to put him down for good. All it would take was time; and Jolee was now ready.

Sion came forward and without uttering a word reactivated his lightsaber with a snap-hiss motion, which Jolee replied to him with the exact same gesture.


Meanwhile, inside the Ebon Hawk…

For the past hour, Bastila was rummaging through the cargo bay, going through every storage locker, canister, and supply compartment like a starved looter, desperately trying to find some piece of evidence as to Revan's intentions.

Bastila had initially attempted to scan the ship through her Force senses, but something seemed to be blocking her senses, and preventing her from seeing the ship through the Force. It had taken some time to figure it out, but Bastila recognized it as the same all powerful source emanating from a person, that she had sensed on Coruscant when she was tapping into her bond to find him. This perplexed her very much, but Lena had taken precautions. She was safely hidden under the floor boards in the cargo bay; floor boards that Bastila did not even know about, and therefore Bastila had no idea that she was walking over her all the time.

Though Lena was somewhat squashed inside the floor, she was somehow relaxed and deeply enjoying the experience. "This is kind of fun," she told herself without speaking.

After tearing the entire cargo bay apart and coming up with nothing, Bastila quickly began to put everything back the way she found them as to not arouse suspicion. She fixed up the main compartments and storage lockers, but then had another epiphany.

"Davik's secret compartment!" she said out loud. She ran over to the other side of the cargo hold to what appeared to be a wall. She opened the panel and typed in the code "Red-47" and the compartment opened. Yet unfortunately for her, there was nothing inside. "Blast!" said Bastila softly yet forcefully.

It was clear that the cargo bay had nothing she needed. Bastila had checked the cockpit, the medical room, and now the cargo bay. Bastila looked at her watch.

"Oh no!" she whispered to herself. "I've lingered here too long…I need to get out before someone else finds me," she thought, but then another thought came to her. She remembered walking past the droids who were shut down in the engine room. Perhaps there was another way to make him stay, or return early. Or perhaps there was a way for him to go, but his safety guaranteed. Neither of these seemed viable at all, but Bastila was desperate. The thought of Revan leaving was still heartbreaking, but even worse was the thought of him never coming back at all.

Bastila ran into the room and approached T3-M4 and HK-47. She began tinkering with T3-M4's circuitry in an effort to wake him up. The droid suddenly began beeping and chirping with joy and excitement having seen Bastila again, but Bastila put her finger up in front of her mouth.

"Shhh!" she whispered. "T3, I've been here too long and I cannot stay any longer. Before I go, I have a message for you. Does your recorder still work?" T3-M4 happily chirped in confirmation. "Good. Start recording as soon as you can." T3-M4 beeped again.

"I better make this a good message…I don't have time for re-records," she thought as she saw T3-M4's red light turned on, hinting that his recorder was now recording.

T3-M4 beeped once again in confirmation and Bastila began.

"T3, you have been with us since Taris. Without you we would never have escaped that place…and for that, I thank you. I'm leaving this message inside you because I have seen glimpses of the future…and the bond we share does not allow him to hide everything from me. More of his memories have returned…and they trouble him.

He has remembered something, something on the edge of the galaxy, and he believes that he must go there to end it. But I'm afraid for him…afraid that he may not return. I fear that he is blindly and dangerously digging into his past and may forget about those who care for him. Even more-so, I fear for his safety. I fear my efforts to stop him have been a waste of time, for he is determined to do this. I will speak to him one more time, but if this does not hold, then I will need your help.

I cannot put a tracking device on you or the ship, because he'll know if I did; I can't stow myself aboard because of my other duties, and I can't ask you to relay messages back to me about your progress, for he would surely find out. All I have is our bond, and I'll never let that go, but his actions are causing us to slowly drift apart. And I cannot bear that. That is why I need you to do something just as important as the quest itself.

I need you to be the beacon T3. If he is lost out there, on the edge of the galaxy; if he finds what terrible thing he has seen, then he may not survive. If he doesn't make it back, then I need you to return to the Republic, find help. Seek me out. If you cannot find me, then seek out other Jedi, the Republic, Mission…anyone who can be of help.

Keep this message hidden as deeply inside your memory banks as you can, and only show it to someone if you know you can trust them. Most importantly, do NOT show this to him. I hope you understand T3, that you are the only one I can trust.

I can't lose him, even if he believes he is protecting me." Bastila nodded, indicating to T3-M4 that she was finished.

Bastila waited until confirmation that the droid had safely locked the recording into its memory banks. She gently kissed the top of T3-M4's metal head and then shut it down. She closed the engine room door, leaving it precisely where it had been before and began scurrying quietly back to the loading ramp.

But in exfiltration of the Ebon Hawk, Bastila stopped dead in her tracks, for someone stood right there as if waiting for her; a man she knew all too well. With a gasp of surprise, Bastila muttered one word under her breath.

"Revan..."


We hope you have enjoyed this addition to "The Prodigal Knight".

Please review our story.

- Gipper 40 & Sarge42