Mical turned gently in his sleep, reaching sideways to pull his love close. His reach was met by the cool emptiness of sheets. The realization that she was gone hit his sleeping brain like lightning and he jolted upwards, wide awake. He threw one leg out to the floor as the covers slid from him and took a moment to rub the blurriness from his eyes. As his vision cleared he scanned the room.
She wasn't there.
Dread filled him as he noticed the silent flash that was coming from the message terminal. He knew that whatever it was, it could only be from her. He stood and tied the first thing he grabbed around his hips. He quickly padded across the suite and sat, hitting play on the message.
"Mical, I am sorry that I have been compelled to leave your side so abruptly…"
He listened in horror as she detailed her mission and her reasons for leaving them all behind. How could he have not suspected or felt any of this? He could feel her emotions as clearly as he could hear, taste or smell yet any hint of this had been utterly blocked from his perception. His brow furrowed in concern as he wondered if some other power had been at work. Something beyond the bonds they had forged.
"If I do not return, remember that I love you with all of my heart…" she concluded, "May the force be with you."
In that moment, he had his answer. She had been so concerned for him and his safety that she had managed to block any hint of her true plans. His raised his hand, running his fingertips over the image of her on the screen. "I love you too," he whispered. He had vowed to protect her, to stand by her side and he would not fail her now. He punched in a call to Admiral Onasi's private quarters but was met with an orderly on the other end.
"Admiral Onasi's quarters, how may I help?" came the inquiry.
"I need to speak with the Admiral immediately," he said, "Clearance Oh-Four-Two-Omega."
"Ah...yes…" the guard continued, "I am sorry but the Admiral is currently unavailable, can I take a message?"
Mical's eyes narrowed, something was wrong, "Where is the Admiral?" he asked.
"I am sorry," came the reply, "But he left strict orders that his whereabouts were not to be released to anyone."
"I certainly can appreciate that," he said, "But surely my level of clearance would preclude such an order?"
"No Sir, I am sorry but his directions were quite clear," the orderly answered.
"I see," Mical said smoothly, "Well, in that case I apologize for disturbing you at this hour and could you please advise Admiral Onasi to contact me at this suite when he returns?"
"I will Sir, good night."
The transmission ended and Mical pounded his fist on the side of the terminal, suppressing a curse. Onasi was deliberately stonewalling him which meant he had either gone with the Exile or was planning a pursuit. Either way, he had to get to the docks.
He moved from the terminal to the centre of the room, letting the sheet slide away from his strong body and down to the floor. He grabbed his clothing and gear, throwing it all on as quickly as possible. Grabbing his boots he headed for the door, yanking them on roughly as he went.
He stepped out into the hallway and checked his chronometer; it read 2:23am. He had noticed that the Exile's message had been time-stamped for roughly 2 am and he was pleased that she didn't have too much of a lead. He also suspected that she hadn't known about the web of emergency access tunnels that wove through Citadel Station. If she had been forced to go through the crowds, she may have been delayed just enough for him to catch up.
He headed towards the nearest concealed access panel and forced it open. Climbing inside he bowed his head slightly in the cramped space and ran as quickly as was possible towards the Docks. As his feet pounded towards his destination he was filled with thoughts of her.
Her smile, the fire in her eyes, the silky feel of her hair, the warmth of her body…
She was more beautiful to him than the sun, more precious than a thousand Krayt Dragon pearls. His heart ached at what she had felt compelled to do just to protect him. He had to get to her, he felt incomplete and somehow broken inside without her. He would not allow any thoughts of failure to enter his consciousness.
He would get to her.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, he pushed the panel aside and jumped out into the docking area. Two doors were open and empty, the third was sealed. He did not have time to argue with the technician so he placed him in a Force stasis field, drew and his lightsaber and stabbed the cyan double-blade into the heart of the sealed Bay door. Within seconds the heavy steel had melted away and the door slid open. He raced in and was greeted by the sound of approximately twenty Telosian Security Force officers raising their weapons in his direction.
"WAIT!" a rough voice called.
Running down the ramp of the awaiting ship, Admiral Onasi crossed the Bay to where Mical stood.
"What are you doing here?" he asked severely.
"I have come to accompany you;" Mical replied calmly, "The Ebon Hawk is missing so I assume she has taken it. I also know that you intend to follow her to Malachor V. You will not do so without my presence."
Admiral Onasi squared his large shoulders, his jaw set and dark eyes blazing, "Look kid, I don't know what kind of crazy heroics you're aiming for but this ship is leaving in five minutes - without you on it."
Mical paused, boring his gaze into the Admiral's, "I did not come here for heroics," he replied tersely, "I came here for her. She faces unimaginable odds on Malachor; surely you are aware of this? I have maintained continual contact with you as I traveled with her, we have worked together to ensure her safety to this point. Why would you deny her my protection now, when it matters the most?"
Carth's eyes flashed, "I'm not denying her anything," he said, "She asked me to keep you and the other Jedi here. She said that you need to be kept safely hidden from Kreia and the Sith until this is over. She said that you're the key to training the others; that you have to lead if she can't. Don't you see how selfish it is to abandon the others? You can't leave them untrained and alone, what if the worst happens?"
Mical's jaw tightened, "Selfish? Is that what you believe this to be? Do you not understand that if she dies on Malachor then there will not be any Jedi left to train?"
"What?" Carth replied sharply, "What do you mean?" He waved his arm downwards and the TSF lowered their weapons, moving back out of earshot.
"If Kreia succeeds at Malachor V she will murder both herself and the Exile." Mical replied gravely, "Such an act at the heart of a dead planet will create a terrible echo. It will strip all sensitives of their ability to feel the Force. It would be akin to stripping a human of their ability to breathe. Both Jedi and Sith would perish almost instantaneously. I cannot allow her to face this alone."
"Why didn't she tell me this?" Carth asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Mical was silent, his jaw tight as his cheeks burned.
"Answer me!" Carth demanded.
"…Because she loves me…" Mical whispered sharply, "She omitted that one crucial point to protect me, to keep me safe. She could not bear to expose me to the dangers of Malachor so she left without warning, leaving only a message to explain where she had gone. She begged me not to follow…"
Carth straightened as if he had been struck; he was only too familiar with this sort of abandonment.
"…But you have to understand that I must go," Mical continued, "I vowed long ago to protect her with all of my power, regardless of the circumstances. I know that you of all people will understand this…"
Carth flinched as the memory of a similar vow he had made surfaced. He had once promised to protect Revan with his very life and had been unable to do so for four years. The recollection was painful, "DON'T tell me what I should or shouldn't understand!" he growled.
Mical sighed, "I apologize," he said quietly, "My intention was not to insult or goad you, but I am trying to make you see that by hiding here my capabilities are wasted. You must understand that if she fails, we will perish and be of no use to the Republic."
Carth was silent.
"I know that you have many responsibilities placed upon you as an Admiral in the Republic fleet," Mical continued, "But I ask you this. If you knew where Revan was right now, if you could see her set to face incomprehensible danger, if you had the opportunity to get to her, would you not abandon everything to get to her side?"
Carth shot him a sharp and dangerous look. His dark eyes flickered with untold emotion but he paused, allowing Mical's words to sink in.
"I will not attempt to harm you or your men," Mical said firmly, his blood pounding, "But I will get to Malachor V this night. The decision rests with you as to whether or not to aid me in my journey. If you will not help me then I respectfully request that you stand aside."
The young Admiral paused, giving the young Jedi before him an appraising look. Mical was bristling with intensity, his eyes filled with determination and sincerity.
"I'm sorry," Carth said gruffly, his jaw muscle rippling, "I didn't know it was like that between you two. But I will tell you one thing, I'll be damned if someone else gets stuck waiting like me…Get on board. We leave in one minute."