Six days later, Andra stood in front of the workbench in the Ebon Hawk's cargo section, glaring at her nearly completed lightsaber.

"Alright, what did I do wrong this time?" She opened up the casing and began to examine all the different wires, connections, and components for the reason why her weapon still refused to ignite properly, comparing them against the schematics Master Zhar had given her. Finally, she saw it: she had switched the wires connecting to the power cell so that the one which was supposed to connect to the positive end was at the negative end and vice versa. Her palm connected with her forehead with a resounding smack and laughter sounded from behind her. She twisted to glare at the source with mock ferocity. "You knew. You saw when I was connecting it that I was doing it wrong and you let me keep going, didn't you? You are unbelievable sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey, didn't you say Master Zhar told you this was something you had to do yourself?" Carth Onasi replied in a falsely sanctimonious tone.

Andra rolled her eyes and returned her attention to fixing the problem. When she finished reassembling all the pieces, at last the deep blue blade hummed to life.

"Yes!" she cried, laughing for joy as she swung her new weapon through a complicated series of twirls, then shut it down and set it aside to grab Carth and swing him around in an excess of enthusiasm. "I did it! I finally did it!"

After a few seconds, the pilot disentangled himself from her arms with a low chuckle which sent shivers running up and down his companion's spine. So not fair of him to do that to me she groused to herself.

"Well, I guess it's official now… Padawan Andra," he teased.

She grinned. "Not quite. It's not completely official until I am formally accepted as a Padawan by one of the Masters. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I should go tell Master Zhar that I've finished."

The Twi'lek Council member was sitting in the Council chambers, conferring quietly with the other three Masters.

"Ah, apprentice!" he greeted her warmly, smiling when he saw what she held in her hand. "You have finished it, then? May I see?" She held out the lightsaber for him to take and he examined it for several moments, even turning it on and taking a few test swings.

"Congratulations," he said as he handed back the lightsaber. "The craftsmanship is excellent. And Juhani has told us of your meeting in the grove; you did very well in halting her journey down the dark path. You may be pleased to hear that her master, Quatra, in fact survived her injuries."

Andra's eyes lit up. "Really? Juhani must have been thrilled to realize she didn't kill her master after all."

Zhar nodded. "She was. It was Quatra's choice to test her student this way, and it seems to have made its point. Juhani is on her guard now lest her anger lead her back down the dark path, and you also have seen with your own eyes the terrible, corrupting evil of the dark side. I believe that you are ready now to become a full member of the Jedi Order, and I would be greatly honored to call you my Padawan should you choose to accept." Andra bowed her agreement and the Twi'lek nodded. "It is settled, then. Now, I believe it is high time we dealt with the matter of the dream you and Bastila shared. Master Vandar?"

"Under ordinary circumstances, a newly chosen Padawan would spend a night in meditation before taking up his or her duties. But I am afraid your situation has been anything but ordinary. I will send word for Bastila to join us; we can begin as soon as she arrives." The diminutive Jedi Master called in a protocol droid and gave it some brief instructions. A few minutes later, it returned with the young Jedi in tow. "Excellent; you are here. As we discussed previously, Master Dorak recognized the location in your vision as one of a series of ancient ruins on this planet. This one in particular lies approximately ten kilometers to the east of the enclave. A week ago, we sent a Jedi to investigate, but he has not returned. Perhaps it was a mistake to send him."

Andra's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why do you say that?"

Vandar sat back in his chair with a sigh. "Of all the Jedi in the galaxy, it was the will of the Force that you two, and no others, be the ones to receive this vision. It is possible that exploring the ruins is somehow tied to your destiny. Had we recognized this before, we could have saved poor Nemo his tragic fate."

"You wish us to discover what it was Revan and Malak sought?" Though Bastila kept her outward appearance mostly calm, her nervousness showed in the way she tucked her Padawan braid behind her ear.

"Yes," confirmed Master Vrook with a nod. "The secrets to stopping Malak may be hidden in that ruin. And you and Bastila share a powerful bond that may be the key to unlocking those secrets. I still don't like it, but you are the galaxy's last, deperate hope. I pray you are up to the challenge."

With that dismissal, the Jedi returned to the Ebon Hawk to grab their gear.

"I'm back," Andra called as she marched up the loading ramp, Bastila just ahead of her. Carth looked up from where he stood at the workbench tinkering with one of his blasters, then did a double-take. "Uh-oh, I know that look. You're heading for trouble, and you want me to come with you." He let out a resigned sigh and began reassembling his weapon. "Sure, why not? It's what I get paid for."

This time, the Council loaned them a landspeeder to make the trip. A five minute flight later, Carth was parking the vehicle in front of the ruin.

"Well, here we are… wherever 'here' is. You never did say exactly why the Council is so interested in this ruin."

Andra froze in the middle of climbing out of the speeder. "Oh! That's right, I forgot you weren't in any of the meetings Bastila and I had with the Council. Do you remember the morning I started my training?"

"Yes… you and Bastila were both acting very strangely. This has something to do with that?"

The older Padawan nodded. "I told you I had a rough night. You assumed it was because of Taris, but it wasn't. Bastila and I had a vision of Revan and Malak here in this ruin, looking for the secrets of something called the 'Star Forge'. The Council thinks knowing what they found here may be the key to stopping them." She stepped onto the grass and began to advance toward the stone door. To the eye, the structure in front of her seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, but even from this distance, she could feel the dark power radiating from the place. She resolutely blocked out the strangely seductive feeling and began searching for a mechanism to open the door as she drew closer. None revealed itself to her inspection: no motion detector or retinal scanner or switch of any sort. "Carth, Bastila, do either of you see anything? The ones who built this place must have had some way of gaining entrance."

"No," they both replied. Andra sighed and unclipped her lightsaber from her belt. "Well, I guess we do this the hard way, then." She stabbed forward into the stone door with her blade… and nearly dropped the hilt in surprise when the weapon flickered and died almost immediately. She breathed a sigh of relief when it reignited normally. "I thought maybe I'd made a mistake building it that I failed to notice. I guess… not…" She swung again, but once again, the blade shorted out within milliseconds of contacting the stone. "What is this?" she exclaimed. Bastila also tried to cut the door, with the same result. Three gouges perhaps two centimeters wide and deep marred the previously undamaged surface of the door.

"The stone must contain some cortosis ore," said the younger Padawan. "At this rate, it could take us hours to cut through. Perhaps even days if the cortosis is throughout the door, depending on how thick it is. Explosives could get us through, but then we would run the risk of burying, possibly even permanently damaging, whatever is inside. The ancients who designed this must have had a simpler way to get inside."

Andra's eyes lit up. "Of course! I just remembered… the Force! In our vision, Revan used the Force to open the door inside. Maybe this one opens the same way…" She raised her hands and opened her mind, probing the door to feel how it was built, how it had been designed to open. There! The doors slid slowly apart, and the three companions proceeded inside, every sense alert for danger. The inside was identical in every detail to the vision the Jedi had shared: broad stone pillars, intricately carved, supported the weight of the ceiling. Low walls approximately waist high sectioned off rooms from each other while allowing visitors to appreciate the full scope of the ruin. An impressive view. I didn't expect the place to be so… big. The sense of darkness that had present outside was even stronger here, and lent the place a rather claustrophobic atmosphere despite its size. The ceiling, though nearly twice Andra's height, seemed to be pressing down on her, as if just waiting for the right moment to collapse. It occurs to me that we are in a rather vulnerable position. If someone was waiting in ambush, all they would have to do is lock the door and we would be completely trapped. Or, far more cruel, a well-placed blast could simply bring the place down around us. Buried alive… An image flashed through her mind of another ruin on another planet, a stone casket in a small circular room, but it faded as quickly as it had come, leaving the two Padawans and the soldier standing in front of the only part of the room which did not leave a gap to see through: the door leading further into the complex. Andra opened it and stepped across into the next room… and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice speaking in the darkness. Then the beam of Bastila's glowrod fell across the source—a vaguely spiderlike droid in the center of the chamber—and she relaxed slightly.

"A droid in here? And it's still functioning? How old is this place anyway?" sounded Carth's voice from behind the two Jedi.

"I don't know," answered Bastila. "But I cannot recognize the language the droid is speaking. Do either of you?"

"No," the other two replied. The droid began to speak again, but in a different language from the previous time, a strange hooting , honking, and screeching that was just as alien to Andra as the first.

"I'm sorry, I still don't understand you."

"The droid seems to be cycling through a variety of languages trying to communicate with us. It can probably understand us, but the problem is it may not be programmed to speak a language we can understand.

"I can reproduce any of the languages spoken by the Builders." This time, the droid spoke in a flowing dialect full of hissing and spitting, and though the syntax was rather archaic, the words were clearly understandable.

The two Padawans exchanged a look of surprise. "Hey! I understood that!" exclaimed Andra.

Bastila regarded the droid with a very confused expression. "I recognize the language as well. But why is a droid on Dantooine programmed to speak ancient Selkath?"

"Communication was vital to ensure the slaves constructed this temple according to the wishes of the Builders. But you are not of the slave species. Nor are you of the Builders. You are like the one who came before."

"'The one who came before'… it must be referring to Revan. The Dark Lord and Malak likely encountered this droid when they came here."

"But what is it? Why is it here?"

"I am the overseer. The Builders programmed me to enforce discipline among the slaves while this monument to the power of the Star Forge was constructed. At project completion, all slaves were executed. I was reprogrammed to serve should a Builder return in search of knowledge about the Star Forge."

Bastila jerked upright. "The Star Forge! That is what Revan and Malak were interested in. What can you tell us about it, Overseer?"

"The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest."

"But what is it? What does it do?"

"The… the Star Forge is glory of the Builders, the apex of—"

"Oh, enough already," Andra muttered in irritation. "We heard you the first time. This can't be all Revan and Malak found. There must have been something more."

"The ones who came before you, the ones like you—not builders, but not slaves—sought the secrets of the Star Forge locked behind the sealed door behind me. They proved themselves worthy and were allowed to enter. But there was another who failed to unlock the secrets and paid the ultimate price." Only then did the humans notice the body of a man just past middle age sprawled on the floor to their left. His tan Jedi robes were stained with blood and blackened around the edges of the blaster wound in the left side of his chest. Though he was clearly dead, and the cause was obvious, Bastila still knelt to examine him more closely.

"I recognize this man. Nemo… he was always very kind to me in my apprentice days. The Council sent him here to investigate, and it cost him his life." She straightened and even in the shadowy light, Andra could see the resolve on her face. "Too many Jedi have lost their lives in this war. Revan is gone, but Malak still remains, using this Star Forge to fuel his conquest of the Republic. We have to learn what is; we have to find out what they uncovered. The Republic and the Order are counting on us."

Ten minutes and two battle droids later, they had passed the tests in the proving grounds to the left and right of the Overseer droid. Andra tucked her vibroblade back into her belt sheath with a sigh of relief. "Droids with lightsaber-resistant armor plating. Somebody sure went out of their way to make life difficult for any Jedi trying to get access to whatever is on the other side of the door. But I think it should be open now."

The three humans approached the door, and the force field which had been blocking it shimmered and died. After all the effort they had gone to, the sight that greeted them on the other side seemed almost anticlimactic: another hallway with yet another door at the end.

"This one better not be… locked." A powerful wave of déjà vu made Andra hesitate mid-step as she crossed the room. "No, it's not. This is the door we saw in our vision, I'm sure of it." She stopped in front of the door, but paused before reaching out with the Force to open it.

"What is it?" asked Carth.

"Just a feeling. 'If we pass beyond this door, we can never go back.'" Something tells me those words are as true for us as they were for Revan and Malak." The new Padawan took a deep breath as she crossed the threshold.

The room beyond was much larger than the one they had left, but surprisingly bare given that fact. Besides the usual carvings on the walls and the pillars, the only other object was a strange three-pronged device at the back of the room. It began to unfold with a mechanical screech of long-unused mechanisms as the defenders of the Republic warily approached, and when it was fully opened, a holoprojector flickered to life. The image it created was clearly a map of the galaxy, though more detailed than the map an average citizen might have. Four planets in particular were highlighted.

Bastila peered carefully at the projection. "So this is what Revan and Malak found. This is where their journey toward the dark side began. They must have used this map to lead them to the Star Forge." She paced around the image to the first of the highlighted planets. "See here. This looks like Korriban, a Sith planet. Which would make that Kashyyyk, and the one over there is Tatooine, and there's Manaan. But there are pieces missing. Incomplete hyperspace coordinates, corrupted data… and there doesn't seem to be anything indicating the location of the Star Forge itself."

"Perhaps those worlds you named have more clues," suggested Andra.

Bastila nodded. "I was thinking that too. During the year when Revan and Malak disappeared into the Unknown Regions, people on several worlds reported seeing them, and I know they visited Korriban at least once. Perhaps they discovered something more there. Perhaps they found something on each of the other worlds that completed this map. Maybe if we retrace their footsteps, we can find all the pieces to lead us to the Star Forge… and find some way to destroy it."

Carth was leaning against the wall, arms folded skeptically across his chest. "I heard an awful lot of 'maybes' and 'perhapses' in there. What if you're wrong?"

"What if I'm right?" countered Bastila. "We can't just ignore this. Finding the Star Forge might well be our only hope of winning this war. We must inform the Council of what we have discovered. They will decide our next course of action, though I suspect our task has only just begun."

"If you say so."

The trip back to the academy passed in silence. Even when Bastila informed Carth that he would not be allowed to join them in the special emergency meeting of the Council that was being called, his only response was an angry huff before he stalked off toward the Hawk.

As she stepped into the Council chambers yet again, Andra tried to straighten her sweat-stained clothes and smooth her tousled hair. The scene was almost identical to the previous audiences she'd had except for the time of day: the sun was nearly set and glowpanels around the edges of the ceiling provided illumination for the room. As usual, it was Master Vandar who began the meeting.

"You have returned, Padawans. Have you discovered what it was Revan and Malak sought in that ruin?"

Bastila bowed slightly. "Yes, Masters. We found an incomplete galactic map with four planets in particular marked: Korriban, Kashyyyk, Manaan, and Tatooine. We also found a droid that spoke of a 'Star Forge', which is the same thing the Dark Lords were speaking of in the vision Andra and I shared. The map itself did not show the location of this Star Forge, but I believe that the marked planets may contain more clues, perhaps even additional maps that will allow us to locate and hopefully destroy it."

The Jedi Master's ears twitched in a gesture Andra had come to recognize as meaning he was deep in thought. "This news of a Star Forge is disturbing. We must act, but not in haste."

"We should consult the Jedi archives to see if there is any mention of this 'Star Forge' and what it might do. We must learn why Revan and Malak sought it out."

The Council members exchanged glances, then Vandar nodded. "Return to your ship, Padawans. We will summon you when our investigation is complete."

While they waited, Bastila was already poring over a map of the galaxy, noting distances and typing out fuel calculations on her datapad.

"Don't you think that's a little premature, Bastila? The Council hasn't decided yet whether to approve your plan, and even if they do, there's no guarantee we will be the ones to carry it out.

"I believe they will. They know as well as we do that it may be our only hope of stopping the Sith. And we are the most logical ones to carry out this mission. We received the vision; we succeeded in gaining access to the star map when Nemo failed. I think the will of the Force is clear, and it never hurts to be prepared."

Nearly two hours after sundown, the summons came.

"Padawans," Master Vandar greeted them once they were back inside the Council chambers. "You have done well in discovering the map hidden within the ancient ruins. But there is more you must do in the battle against Malak and the Sith."

"I have consulted our vast archives, attempting to discover the nature of this Star Forge, but could find no data at all regarding it," stated Master Dorak. "Nevertheless, the Council are in agreement: the Star Forge must be found."

Andra let out a snort of laughter. "Even you, Master Vrook?"

The gray-haired man nodded. "Even I. Revan and Malak sought it out when they began their fall; it is surely a powerful tool of the dark side. The Council has decided to approve Padawan Bastila's plan: that you travel to the other planets named on the star map and seek out any information you can find."

"The Council appreciates the importance and the danger of this mission," explained Vandar. "Yet if we sent a company of Jedi Knights with you, we would surely draw the full attention of the Sith, dooming your efforts to failure. Secrecy is your best defense, but it would be foolish of us to send you and Bastila on this mission alone. We have also requested that Juhani accompany you, and she has agreed. The Ebon Hawk will be your means of transportation in your travels; Commander Onasi has already consented to serve as her pilot."

"What about the others who aided Bastila and me on Taris?"

The grey-skinned Master nodded agreement. "An excellent idea. Their different skills may be very useful in your quest. They may also come if they are willing."

"I suppose the only question left, then, is when do we leave?"

"As soon as you are ready," was Master Vrook's answer. "The sooner the better. Every day, Malak grows stronger. But a few words of warning before you go, Padawan. First, you will not be able to hide the fact that you are a Jedi, nor should you try. But the true nature of your mission must not reach Malak's ears. Second, be always wary of the lure of the dark side. Juhani nearly fell; perhaps her presence will serve to remind you how difficult to resist the dark side is, how easily one can fall. If not, I fear this quest to find the Star Forge could lead you down an all too familiar path. Go now, and may the Force be with you."

As fate—or the Force—would have it, the entire crew, including Juhani, was gathered at the Ebon Hawk when Andra and Bastila returned to the ship. The older woman immediately called them all into the central living area.

"Some of you already know this, but the Council is sending Bastila and me on a critical mission, to find the Star Forge and stop Malak from using it to conquer the galaxy. Those of you that have already agreed to aid us…" At this she raised her eyes to meet Carth's where he stood across the circle from her. "Thank you. It means a lot to me that you are willing to take this risk. The rest, I wanted to speak to now. Your company on this mission would be much appreciated if you wish to come, but I will not understate the danger of this mission. If you would prefer to seek your fortunes elsewhere, that is completely understandable."

"Going up against Malak himself is a battle any Mandalorian would glory in. I'm in," Canderous announced.

Mission's expression was as fierce as Andra had ever seen it. "Taking the fight to the guy who turned Taris into dust? I'm with you."

"And wherever Mission goes, I go," Zaalbar rumbled. "I will aid you however I can in this mission, Andra Gelan."

"My thanks to all of you. Rest well tonight because we will most likely be departing as soon as we are able tomorrow morning."

The small meeting dispersed at that point, and over the noise of footsteps and conversation, Andra heard Bastila speak.

"A moment, please, Carth?"

"What do you need?"

"I thought we might discuss what our first destination should be. Tatooine and Korriban are both fairly close, but I for one would like to learn more about what we are looking for before we go waltzing into a Sith stronghold."

"Yeah," Andra agreed, pausing near the two humans as the other crew members resumed whatever business they had been attending to before the gathering interrupted it. "We just spent a week on a Sith-controlled planet; I think I would prefer to be able to move about freely a little longer before we deal with the matter of Korriban. Is beginning with Tatooine an acceptable plan to you, Carth?"

"Sure, whatever." He turned to head back to the cockpit, leaving Andra staring after him. What's his problem? I don't think I've ever seen him be so brusque with someone, even when we were yelling at each other on Taris.

His mood didn't improve noticeably either over the course of the trip to Tatooine. He stayed in the cockpit except to eat, sleep, and use the refresher, even though there was little for a pilot to do in hyperspace besides watch for alarms. If someone spoke to him directly or asked him a question, he would respond, but only with the minimum amount of information necessary.

"Well, here we are," he announced when they finally landed. "Tatooine. Lots of desert, not a lot of people, and no real idea what we're looking for."

"Alright, Carth, mind telling me what's wrong? You've barely said two words to any of us since we left Dantooine and you seem a lot snippier than usual."

"Have I been?" He seemed to consider that for a moment. "I suppose I have. I guess I just don't like being left out of the loop."

"I haven't been leaving you out of the loop, Carth."

He raised his eyebrows. "No? Well, you certainly aren't helping matters either, and it's really starting to irritate me. For one thing, I want to know what the Jedi Council said to you. They never let me in any of the meetings they had with you two back on Dantooine and yet here I am getting dragged into all these missions they keep giving you. You want to know what I think? I think they had this planned right from the start, when they asked me to stay because they thought they might need my help." He twisted to glare at Bastila, who was sitting in the copilot's seat doing her best to ignore the conversation. "I wouldn't be surprised to learn that you were in on this even before that. The Endar Spire was traveling to Tatooine on a 'garrison' mission. Then we found that star map on Dantooine and guess what world happens to be first on the list."

"That is none of your concern, and you would do well to leave the matter be," Bastila sneered.

"No, damn it! We're all risking our lives here, and if we're going to do that, I think we deserve to know the truth. The whole truth. So if you won't talk to me, maybe somebody else will." The meaningful glance he cast in Andra's direction made it clear who that 'somebody' was. Bastila let out a soft "Tuh" and left to gather her things.

"About the Endar Spire… we've had this conversation before. She," the older woman jerked her head in the direction of the door her younger colleague had just exited through, "is the only one who knows about that and she's not telling. But when Bastila told the Council about the vision we had, they knew they had to do something about it."

Carth spun his chair around to face her and settled back in it, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'm not about to argue with Jedi visions. Not after Serroco." His expression clouded briefly. "But why you? Don't they have to train you more?"

"Master Zhar said there was little more he could teach me in a classroom, that some things you can only learn through experience."

"Exactly: experience. As a Jedi, you have almost none. You're a neophyte Padawan who's been saddled with the responsibility of finding this Star Forge. Why? That's not normal. I'm not trying to provoke you or imply that you're somehow responsible for the Jedi Council, but give me a hand here. They must have given you some sort of explanation."

"They said that it was the will of the Force. Bastila and I are the ones who saw the vision that told us about the map in the ruins. They sent Nemo to investigate, but he died. We survived to tell the Council what we found. They said that was proof enough that the Force sent the vision to us because we are meant to be the ones to act on it to stop the Sith. Bastila and I share some sort of… bond. Our minds are linked, which is why we both saw the vision, but it's more than that. Our destinies are linked as well. Whatever happens to one of us affects the other."

He snorted derisively. "More of that destiny garbage the Jedi keep talking about? Well, that can't be it. I'll tell you this much, I am not going to wait around until I'm betrayed again."

Andra shot to her feet so fast she nearly tripped over her chair. "I am not going to betray you. I am not Saul."

"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?" Carth muttered, then immediately clapped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he'd said. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I…"

"Yes you did. You wouldn't have said it if you didn't. I thought we were past this by now, but I guess not. If you don't want to be a part of this mission, then go. If you do, then you need to figure yourself out. Until then, I'm through trying to be your friend, or whatever." She stormed from the cockpit, the stomps of her boots against the deck reverberating throughout the ship.