Chapter 13

The Voice

"Fascinating indeed, young Revan. Continue," Master Kreia mused, impressed by the young Padawan's passionate and stubborn arguments as he stood before her openly criticizing the Jedi Code itself. Revan's individuality and firm convictions regarding the Force and the ways of the Jedi were unprecedented amongst all her pupils, including Alek, Meetra and Elena who were also present in the meditation chamber on Dantooine.

"How can there possibly be peace without emotion?" the twelve year-old insisted, displaying wisdom and insight well beyond his tender years. "How can there be serenity for all, without the exertion of passion by others? I can't help but feel that the tenet of the Jedi Order itself is wrong."

"How can you say something like that, Revan?" Elena argued, kneeling on her meditation mat in the same way that Alek and Meetra did beside her. "Don't you trust in the wisdom of the great Masters of the Order?"

Undeterred, Revan continued. "Without emotion and passion on the part of those who seek to use their powers to protect others, there can never be peace or serenity. To sit idly by and do nothing for fear that the slightest bit of passion will lead to outright corruption is in itself a false belief. How can a Jedi remain still when there are injustices continuing to be inflicted in the galaxy? Is it not our duty to protect the Republic and the lives and liberty of the trillions who comprise it?"

"Your observations are remarkable indeed, Revan. And just what do you believe, then, to be the duty of the Jedi?" Kreia smiled slightly, pulling back her hood to reveal her long, dark-brown hair which was tied in two side ponytails, and her pale skin which was yet to be blemished by age. Her light blue eyes were calm and collected, but were evidently slightly mesmerized by the wisdom of her pupil.

"An order which claims to be the keepers of the peace in the galaxy cannot simply remain detached emotionally from the events occurring in the galaxy. Even as I speak, countless Jedi Knights are setting forth on missions to restore peace and order to various corners of space. Are they not acting out of emotion – their own sense of justice? If there truly must not be emotion as the Jedi Code claims, then what is it that drives them to perform their duty?"

"But you cannot let your passions get the better of you, Revan," the young Meetra scolded her friend. Revan looked back at the Padawan of light golden hair and deep blue eyes as she continued. "Have you learned nothing from studying the history of our Order? Aren't you aware that such passions have led many down the path of the dark side, turning them into mere shadows of themselves?"

"Passion in itself doesn't lead to the dark side," Revan argued, though in truth he made sure that he only expressed such opinions in front of Kreia and not his other Masters. "You yourself are well-read into the history of the Order, Meetra. You should know about the many cases in which powerful emotions, if kept controlled and in check, can enable Jedi Knights to perform great feats that adherence to the Jedi Code alone couldn't possibly ever accomplish. And just what did irrational restraint and self-righteous 'serenity' lead to in the war against Exar Kun? Unnecessary and inexplicably high civilian casualties, that's what."

Elena could only sit and marvel at the passion that emerged from Revan's voice. Even a loyal and committed adherent to the Jedi ways like her couldn't help but be enthralled and captivated by his passionate claims that now seemed to seep into her mind and replace many of the mantras spoken to her by the other Masters on Dantooine.

"Apathy is death, I tell you," Revan proclaimed. "Powerful emotions are inherently neither good nor bad; it is the actions of the individual which determines the moral consequences of his or her acts. And standing idly by in snide and arrogant self-righteousness doesn't qualify as being 'good' in my mind."

"Most interesting, Revan," Kreia remarked, then took a glance at Alek who looked down as he was locked in thought. "Your convictions will take you far, I am sure."

-o-

"Elena? Dantooine to Elena, are you there?" Kael said with slight humor in his voice, stirring the Jedi Knight out of her temporary trance in the middle of their meditation session. They were kneeling in front of each other on circular and cushioned meditation mats in one of the rooms in the west wing of the Enclave complex which was reserved for training and meditation purposes. The soft and muffled intermittent voices of Bastila and the Jedi Masters could be heard through the sealed door, and Elena earnestly yearned to leave the room and have Bastila come and take her place.

What a sick sense of humor you have, Master Vandar, she grumbled in her thoughts as she stared at Kael's eyes. Sending me in here with him to begin his initial training while I'm still emotionally unsettled. You must think that the most appropriate way to teach a child to swim is to dunk her straight into the deep end of a pool, instead of letting her start off by treading water at the shallow end.

"Yes, I'm…I'm sorry," she said. "I seem to have lost my focus there for a moment."

Kael grimaced. "Just how am I going to learn to focus and control my emotions like you said, when my teacher is having difficulty focusing herself?"

Touché, Elena admitted, somewhat glad by the fact that her unknowing fiancé still possessed every remnant of his old wit. "Alright, I admit – you got me there," she said. "But try to maintain your concentration, yes? I can sense that your mind is as unfocused and chaotic as a rancor."

"I'm sorry about that. It's just that I'm still deeply concerned about how the war is going. I'm used to being in the thick of action, you know?"

And I'm glad that you're not, Elena glanced downwards. I may very well never see you again if you were.

"You heard what Master Zhar said, didn't you?" she reminded him. "You need to be patient while you're here. Rest assured you'll be seeing through the Force in due time. But that's not going to happen until Bastila and I can know for sure that you're capable of disciplining yourself."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Kael insisted like an ignorant child, causing Elena to give a slight puff of frustration. "I'm a fast learner – I'll most definitely be able to handle it with diligence and care."

"It's not like that at all," Elena shook her head. "If you open yourself up to the Force without being prepared for it, it's like asking for trouble. You need guidance and restraint. I still remember the first time I was opened up to the Force by my old Master on Coruscant. It comes with a deep, eviscerating pain which tears at you inside. It's not an easy thing to be able to feel the life, the pain and the emotions of billions of other beings through the Force. There have even been many cases in which unready and undertrained initiates have been overwhelmed following their initial experience. Some have even died instantly due to trauma and shock."

"Boy…that sounds intense," Kael remarked. "Now I'm beginning to understand why Jedi place so much importance on self-discipline."

"Which brings us to the very first line of the Jedi Code," Elena said. "There is no emotion; there is peace. Only by constraining your own emotional impulses can you hope to be a wise Jedi, and fight the darkness not only of those who seek to inflict harm, but also within yourself."

"You say that a Jedi must constrain his emotional impulses," Kael observed as he questioned her. "Does that include all emotions, or just certain ones such as ambition?"

"All," Elena flatly said. "Ambition, arrogance, greed, obsession…," she paused a moment before uttering the final word. "Even love..."

"That far? As far as prohibiting you from even loving? I know I have to discipline myself, but that seems to be taking it too far. After all, don't the countless Republic soldiers fighting out there continue to persist in this desperate struggle in order to protect the ones they love? How could love possibly be such a bad thing?"

"There is a different standard as well as expectations placed on Jedi, which makes our Order unique," she explained. "We warn against love and possessive emotions, as they are the path to the dark side. Jedi are hence forbidden from forming emotional attachments, even love."

"That seems…tough," Kael frowned. "Never knew I was voluntarily submitting myself to a state of eternal abstinence. That's a hard pill to swallow."

"No, you misunderstand," Elena told him. "Jedi are not required to be celibate. The Order most definitely recommends that all Jedi exercise abstinence in that regard, but such actions are not prohibited. It is only the risk of forming emotional attachments that we warn against."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "So…you're saying that as long as Jedi don't form emotional attachments to anyone, they can go about their business in the galaxy exercising their…free will in that regard? Kind of convenient, I must say."

Elena's eyebrows tensed into a disapproving frown. Over my dead body you will, you damned scoundrel of a fiancé.

"Ugh, we have spoken enough of this," Elena sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come – we must continue your meditation. Bastila will instruct you in the basics of lightsaber combat later."

-o-

"I've got to say, you're doing pretty well for an asshole who never really had a good sense of money management," Canderous said as he stepped into Varku's residence which was located within an apartment complex a short way west of the Enclave. The wooden floor of the living room was heated from underneath by a thermal insulation system, and the surroundings were laden with simple, yet decorative ornaments and furniture. Hanging on the walls were numerous weapons of all classes, presumably from Varku's former days of glory as a Mandalorian warrior.

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do in order to get a paycheck here and there," Varku laughed, leading Canderous further into his living quarters. Varku's bedroom was modest at best, with a single unassuming bed and a couple of drawers showing Canderous that his former comrade-in-arms still possessed the humble and down-to-earth mentality he always had during his days of battle.

"I'm curious, Varku," Canderous said. "Just what is it that you wanted to show me?" Noticing that Varku stopped after walking in front of a door to an adjoining room, he looked on as Varku opened up the door to reveal his collection of memorabilia from the old wars, including a dozen medals which were awarded to him for acts of honor and courage – some even by Mandalore himself.

Varku stepped inside and reached for the lock of a large rectangular metal locker which stood upright in the middle of the room. Unlatching it, he pulled back the locker door, revealing the dusty object inside. Canderous's attention was captivated by the sight of a full-bodied set of combat armor emblazoned with the red insignia of a Rally Master, the rank that Varku held prior to the surrender of the Mandalorian forces to the Jedi Knight Revan.

"Is that…," he gasped, walking forward in order to confirm to himself what his eyes were telling him.

"Sure is. Pristine as hell like it's always been, except for the dust," Varku proudly smiled. "Well, except for that one nasty gash on the upper-left chest area which I earned from the Battle of Althir."

Sure enough, when Varku hit the light, Canderous saw the remnants of a vicious vibroblade wound he recalled Varku take from a petty Althiri warrior who was cut down instantaneously after landing a lucky blow during a desperate battle in the hangar of the Mandalorian command ship. The sight of the armor brought back proud and glorious memories of the battle which was won despite all numerical odds.

"How the hell did you manage to keep this?" Canderous questioned. "I thought all of our armor was destroyed by Revan and his forces after our surrender!"

"You'll recall I was posted to take part in the defense of Dxun," Varku explained. "I was one of the only survivors left on that forsaken fortress world after Mandalore gave the order to evacuate. Staying in hiding on that empty mudhole sure took its toll, alright. We were stuck there for months after the evacuation, as we concealed ourselves in the jungle after the Republic raided and destroyed the main fortress as well as all of our vessels. Lucky for us, they didn't bother to investigate the stashes of equipment including emergency food supplies we kept hidden and well-protected in numerous ruins."

"So what happened next? How did you get off that planet?"

"Soon enough, the war had ended with the Republic's victory. We weren't aware of it until a search vessel came and luckily managed to extract us months later and take us back to planet Mandalore with all our equipment intact. Naturally, since none of Revan's nor the Republic's forces remained to enforce the terms of the treaty, I decided to keep my armor as a memento ever since, and eventually ended up here on Dantooine."

"So what's the deal with this? Why have you brought me here anyways?"

"Simple. I want you to take my armor, Canderous," he said. "It's seen better days, and I can tell that it longs to taste combat once more."

"But what's the matter with you?" Canderous asked. "You look just fine to me. Why not make a living by being a merc like many of us?"

Varku grunted. "I'm not getting any younger, and I'm not an expert on implants like you. You've always said that a warrior should know his limits, and well, I know that mine have crept up on me already. My bones and deteriorated muscles won't allow it."

Canderous walked forth and placed his hand on the cold surface of the lustrous metallic armor, brushing away a layer of dust to reveal the smooth yet peerlessly hard and durable protective layer. The sensation of hard durasteel was something he had not felt for a long time since the beginning of his mercenary days. Closing his eyes, he could still recall in his head the glorious cries and the howling of the mighty weapons of his people during their many campaigns. A passion and desire for glory that had been long extinguished in him ever since his self-imposed exile burned again like a wildfire.

"I'll take it," he declared. "Your armor will taste honor on the field of battle once more."

"Excellent. But do yourself a favor: don't wear that thing around in public while you're on Dantooine. The locals will be terrified, and the security forces and the Jedi might just issue an arrest warrant for you. The armor is yours, including its casing. Take good care of it."

"Republic citizens always were a bunch of cowardly pansies, anyway," Canderous chuckled and shut and secured the case. "They'd probably start running in all directions at the mere sight of one of us."

"They actually have," Varku informed him. "It was only last month that a small band of Mandalorians raided the outskirts of a settlement around two miles east of here. Depressing, really…they've turned into mere brigands, devoid of any honor they once possessed."

"Such scum don't deserve to call themselves Mandalorians anyway," Canderous dismissed. "If I ever come across them, they're going to get what's coming to them. They'll be sorry for ever straying from the path of honor."

"Speaking of straying, when are you ever going to make contact with our people back on planet Mandalore? Many of our clan are wondering just where the hell you've been the past few years, especially your wife."

Canderous frowned and sighed deeply. "I'll return to them when the time is right, and when I deem my honor to be restored. The clan is in good hands under the leadership of Veela, and nothing needs to be changed."

Varku chuckled. "Well, if you're going to return someday, better make it sooner or later. Everyone knows that your wife is goddamn temperamental and impatient, and the fact that she's quite the looker means that you probably don't have that long to—"

"Shut up, you damned ninny," Canderous laughed as he knocked Varku with a nudge to the rib, knowing all too well that his wife's beauty and fiery nature was much sought after by many warriors before he managed to captivate her during the course of the war.

Looking over his shoulder at the clock which lay on the counter close to his bed, Varku turned and spoke. "Damn, time goes fast. I'm gonna have to be heading off soon. There's some errands that need to be taken care of. The armor is yours, and I'll lend you a wheelbarrow to move it. You can come back with the wheelbarrow here tomorrow afternoon – I'll be available all day."

"And you're comfortable with just letting your armor go easily like this?"

"I've got a hunch that you'll be needing it someday," Varku shrugged. "Wouldn't want your wife to throw one of her famous violent tantrums if she found out that you died."

Canderous grinned humorously. "When is she not throwing a tantrum over trivial things?"

-o-

Kael sat miserably, looking down at the dinner plate of meat and vegetables on the same dining hall table where he and the others had breakfast. He held his hand against his pounding forehead which sported a noticeable and embarrassing blue spot, symbolizing just one of many bruises dealt to him by Bastila during their melee practice session. Beside him sat Elena, who couldn't help but share smirks and barely audible giggles with Bastila who sat opposite. Seated next to Bastila, Carth gave a sympathetic look to the demoralized Kael before consuming the first forkful of food.

"Go ahead and laugh. I couldn't care less," Kael muttered, too tired to even lift his fork and knife. From his right, he could hear Zaalbar hoovering away at the food, and inwardly guessed that the Wookiee would eventually have to go back to the serving table repeatedly until he at least had six servings.

"I'm so sorry!" Bastila laughed with her hand over her lips. "I know I should have gone easy on an Ensign whose swordsmanship isn't up to the task!"

"Hey, it was adequate enough to rescue you and Elena from the Vulkars, alright?" Kael defended himself, at last summoning up the strength and will to dig his fork into a piece of meat. "But what a hell of a way to repay the guy who saved your life – just smash away at him with a wooden stick like he's a Tatooinian piñata."

Canderous gave a smirk. "We should have spared some time during the Sith bombardment of Taris and saved those two Twi'lek masseuses. Looking at your downhearted expression right now, you could sure use their…expertise."

Elena sighed at Kael. "I told you you have to make an effort to anticipate the other combatant's movements, didn't I? We'll have to work on it again tomorrow."

Kael's face went blue and his fork clanged down upon his plate. "Kill me now…"

"I almost could have in the Lower City ring, you know," Ice smirked, seated next to Carth and with Mission to her right. "Could have spared you the world of pain which you've obviously been through a couple of hours ago. You were lucky I went easy on you because I could tell you were a rookie who was an off-worlder."

Kael winced at her. "You were down on the ground faster than a bantha fainting as soon as it saw a mouse."

Ice shot back. "Your fault for going so damn harsh on a beautiful lady. They never taught you manners or chivalry? But really, if your skills are truly as shocking as Bastila makes them seem, I might have to consider stepping into the training room with you. After all, I need to keep my skills and senses sharp. And next time, I'll kick your miserable ass."

Bastila teased him further. "If you think the beating I dealt you was bad, wait until you face off against Elena. I'm nothing compared to her, since she was my teacher."

Carth looked incredulously at the Jedi. "She was your teacher? You never told us that."

"Oh. I, umm…," Bastila stammered. "Well, yes. She was my teacher for a long time. I was her Padawan learner until I became a Knight."

"So what exactly is going on with Kael and the Jedi Council, Bastila?" Ice said, interested more in the present than in the past.

"He's going to remain here to be trained for some time," Bastila explained. "Elena and I don't particularly know what's going to be in store for him, but we can guess that, like all initiates, he will eventually face his Padawan trials before we can set out to stop Malak."

Canderous, seated next to Elena, shifted forward and questioned her. "Padawan trials?"

"The first two are relatively straightforward," Elena said. "They consist of reciting the Jedi Code, as well as giving a deeper explanation of it. The second is constructing a lightsaber…," she paused, teasingly looking at Kael from the corner of her eye, "…and using it in a sparring exercise."

"Great," Kael sighed. "Now I can probably look forward to losing an arm."

"Well, look on the bright side," Bastila grinned. "If that happens, you'll be one step closer to becoming a full Knight, since you would have passed the Trial of the Flesh."

Kael sighed and consumed a forkful of food, not wishing to think of the matter any further. After swallowing a piece of meat, he spoke to Carth. "You've spoken to Admiral Dodonna, yes?"

"I have," Carth nodded. "She's given me clearance to stay here, and then accompany you, Elena and Bastila as needed. There's plenty of good hands with the main fleet who can keep the Sith advance in check while we're here."

"Might as well tag along myself," Canderous grunted after swallowing down some food. "I'm tired of mercenary work. You're gonna be setting off on a quest to stop the Sith, and my warrior senses tell me that that means plenty of battles can be fought if I follow you."

"Yeah, well, let's just hope that that armor of yours you brought into the ship won't cause us any trouble with locals," Carth muttered.

"Armor?" Kael said.

"Yeah," Canderous replied. "I received a suit of Mandalorian battle armor from a retired friend of mine I ran into in the street market. Still good for action, like all reliable Mandalorian armors are."

"Speaking about the ship," Ice said, looking to her left at Carth, "have you been in there all day? I haven't seen you at all until just now. What have you been doing?"

"Oh, me?" Carth replied, surprised by Ice's question. He looked at her cold blue eyes, slightly unnerved by their intent gaze. "Yes, I was working with T3 to carry out maintenance checks and repairs to the Ebon Hawk, after the beating we received from those Sith fighters. Wanted to make sure that the ship is primed and ready for when we eventually leave this place."

"That's not going to be for a long while, considering the fact that Kael keeps on getting his arse kicked instead of properly learning," Ice said in dismay, further dampening the spirits of the prospective Jedi. "But really, there's no need for you to fret and worry – at least not in the short term. Take a real breather and relax, Carth. You definitely need it, and it's not going to help your state of mind if you keep on acting like a distressed and cornered fox."

"I guess you're right about that," Carth said, taking a deep breath. "It's just my nature to be…prepared for things, you know? But I'll definitely take on your advice and calm myself down. I certainly could use some peace and quiet while we're here."

"That's good," Ice smiled warmly. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Umm…Ice?" Elena said, looking with curiosity at Mission who was doing nothing but poking at her food with her fork. "What's wrong with Mission? Is she still grieving the loss of Taris?"

"We both are, but that's not the reason she's so down right now," Ice answered, and then turned to whisper something into Mission's ear. Once she received a nod from the young girl, she spoke on her behalf. "You see, while we were out shopping in the streets, we ran into another Twi'lek woman called Lena. She was the former girlfriend of Mission's brother, Griff. They met in the Lower City cantina, where she worked as a dancer. She was the one who convinced him to set out from Taris in the hopes of making a fortune."

"In the hopes of ruining his life, more like," Mission grumpily mumbled loudly to herself. "Like father, like son: getting in on a wild and crazy scheme, only to find that it burst up in flames in your face. He better stay away from the alcohol, otherwise he's going to drink himself to death just like…like…"

"Lena said that last time she saw him, it was in the Czerka office on Tatooine," Ice said, affording Mission the comfort of silence. "She dumped him after finally having enough of his reckless schemes."

"And you came with us because you wanted to find him, correct?" Elena asked, receiving a silent nod from Mission.

Bastila remained cynical. "Considering our primary objective to stop Darth Malak and the Sith, would we be able to afford to spare time to go out in search for her brother?" She winced when Mission looked up at her with a fiery glare, incensed by her criticism of the idea.

"She lost her home because of us, Bastila," Elena reminded her. "It's the least we can do for her."

"Don't worry about Taris," Mission murmured. "That place is dead now…and dead to me."

"I promise we will find your brother, Mission," Kael swore a vow to her. "If it wasn't for you, Zaalbar and Ice, none of us would be here right now. I'll redouble my efforts in my training, and do my best to progress as quickly as I possibly can, so that we can go and search for your brother."

"Aren't you forgetting a little something?" Carth said to Kael. "Mission's not the only one who's looking for her family, you know."

"Will do, Carth," Kael nodded, disappointed that for a moment he forgot about Carth and Ice's motivations. "We won't forget about your families as well."

And yet you don't know about mine, Bastila glumly looked down at her plate of food which was now threatening to go cold. Oh, father…how I miss you so…

Take heart, Bastila, Elena's voice whispered softly in her head, causing her to look into the eyes of her former instructor who communicated with her through Force Telepathy. Take comfort in the fact that Revan cares about the wellbeing of others.

He cares because the others in question are relatives of his friends, Bastila answered. It may still be a different question altogether should he be forced into a situation where he must care for the security of strangers.

"Are you two alright?" Ice said puzzlingly at the two Jedi. "You decided to have a staring contest or something all of a sudden? Because I can tell you that Bastila just lost by blinking."

"What? Oh, nothing," Elena insisted, avoiding the wary gaze of Carth. Fortunately for her, his attention veered away as Zaalbar rose to go and help himself to another full serving of a second plate of food.

The Republic captain's emotions were well guarded, even for one who did not possess an understanding of the Force and the ability of Jedi to use it to screen the minds of others. Elena felt in her heart that Carth's presence, as welcome as it was given his combat abilities, would provide a stern and grave threat to the secret which she and Bastila tried so desperately to keep buried.

-o-

"You did well today," Elena complimented Kael with a pat to the shoulder as they walked with Bastila back to their dorms after an exhausting day. The near-full moon shined with a pale yet brilliant and beautiful light, illuminating the stone pavement path which led the three of them back to their dorms.

"Ow…," Kael moaned, for Elena patted a spot which was struck mercilessly by Bastila during their training exercise.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Elena smirked as she apologized and swiftly withdrew her hand back against her side.

"I must warn you, Kael," Bastila chuckled at the man who walked in between her and Elena. "I'm not quite done with my stress-relief sessions just yet. I'll be looking forward to tomorrow – you can count on that."

"You keep that up, and I just might be forced to stay in a hospital for the rest of the war," Kael laughed. "Wouldn't want that now, would we?"

"You may think your progress to be slow," Elena said, "but believe me when I say that you are growing stronger. You've grasped the basics of meditation in a single day, Kael. Keep that up, and we may be able to finally open you up to the Force in a short while."

"Yes, well, one door opens when another one closes," Kael muttered. "To think that I was dreaming of settling down with a beautiful lady after the war ended. Responsibility simply sucks, sometimes."

That's not true, Elena thought as she sighed. There is still time for us…I know there is…

"Deal with it!" Bastila teased, knowing that it drove the man's hormones insane. "You're on the path to becoming a Jedi now. Your mission is the most important thing there is."

"Yeah, but…is this a permanent deal?" Kael asked hopefully. "I mean, would it be possible for me to walk out of the 'no attachments' clause after we defeat Malak?"

"If we defeat Malak, that is," Bastila rolled her eyes. "And no, most probably not."

Kael's face and shoulders drooped instantaneously. "So what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" He asked as they approached Bastila and Elena's dorm room. "More meditation and…beatings?"

"That, as well as a history lesson, if you will," Elena said. "One which will be most invaluable, as you will be learning about Revan and Malak's fall. You have to learn from their mistakes in order to stay on the path of the light."

"But isn't that what the two of you are for?" Kael remarked. "To guide me?"

"We will indeed guide you, but you yourself must ultimately decide your own destiny," Bastila said. "However, I'm convinced that the wisdom of the Council, especially Master Dorak who is the Chronicler of the Academy here, will be able to help you greatly in that regard and put you on the right path."

"Another day, another batch of hours of pain, misery and more pain," Kael quipped and stopped in front of the dorm. "Really looking forward to it. Well, I guess I'll see you two in the morning."

"Certainly," Elena smiled back at him as she unlocked and opened the door. "Goodnight, Kael."

To Elena's right, Bastila simply gave a gleeful smile at the student who gulped in fear, before she followed Elena into the room and closed the door behind them. After hearing the latch of the lock close, Elena sank into her pillow and whispered.

"Goodnight, Revan my love…"

"It must have been a taxing day for you, I am sure," Bastila remarked as she entered her own bed and slipped under the covers. "As for me, treating your fiancé like a piñata proved to be a most invigorating and stress-relieving exercise after the dreary talk I had with the Masters about Revan's latest vision."

Elena looked at her. "He had another vision?"

"Not a vision exactly, but merely heard a voice in his head, he told me. And that voice just so happened to be the one teacher whom the two of you both shared in your early days."

"Oh, for the love of the Force," Elena sighed deeply and rubbed her face against her pillow. "And just when we needed him to listen and to obey the most."

"The Masters are all concerned by this, and especially Master Vrook."

"Since when is Master Vrook not whining and bitching about everything in existence? The fact that Revan dreamed of Kreia's old teachings is indeed worrying, but with due care, we should be able to handle him just fine."

"It's strange, Elena," Bastila remarked.

"What is?"

"Only last night you were petrified of what may happen. And now, you seem so…calm…assured."

"I'm not calm or assured, Bastila," Elena insisted. "It's just that…how should I describe it…Being with him again has given me…slight comfort."

"Comfort?" Bastila raised an eyebrow. "Just what were you doing in that meditation chamber while I was speaking with the Masters?"

Elena sighed, ever so slightly incensed at her former Padawan's subtle accusation. "Meditating. Nothing else. Well, except for explaining the rule that all Jedi must follow when it comes to personal attachments, and…"

"Speak no more – I understand perfectly where you're coming from," Bastila said. "I could tell from that little conversation we had coming here that you told him about that topic."

"But back to your original question," Elena went on. "Being with him gives me comfort because despite the shrouded and concealed state of his memories, his inner personality hasn't changed in the slightest. It just…makes me happy to be with him. He's irritating and cockily joking as always, but…that was the exact way I remembered him as being, and I loved him for it."

"Deep down, I suspect that his emotions for us haven't changed a bit," Bastila hypothesized. "I think the reason why he took such a walloping from me today was because he held back too much. Of course, you could make the claim that he didn't want to cause harm to me because I'm a young woman, but there was more to his hesitancy."

"I'm not surprised," Elena smiled. "He always sought to protect you before he left for the war. We were like a family, the three of us."

"Family…," Bastila sighed. "I don't know if I will ever have such a thing again."

"Your parents," Elena knew by instinct. "You didn't speak of them at the dinner table."

Bastila shifted herself about, lying stomach-down on her bed and buried the side of her face against her pillow and looked at Elena. "I didn't want to burden him. I can tell that he wants to help the others find their family members. I am a Jedi, and I know where my duty must lie. I can't distract him with my personal problems."

"That's very noble of you, Bastila. But really, how long has it been since you last saw your parents?"

"I never saw them since the day I departed for the Order."

"And you don't want to see them?"

"I miss my father with all my heart, yes. But as for my mother…"

Sensing the spite and anger festering in her former Padawan's heart, Elena closed her eyes. "Come, come – we should sleep now. We have a long day ahead of us."

"O-of course, Elena," Bastila stammered, slightly scrunching at her quilt. "Goodnight."

"Sleep well."

If only that was possible, Bastila shed the smallest of tears from the side of her eyelid. I can't bear to have another of those horrible dreams where I harmed you…

-o-

Utterly exhausted and spent from his day as a human whack-a-mole toy by Bastila, Kael dragged his feet in order to return to his dorm room on the east wing of the Enclave. Despite the throbbing pain of his body and the small part of him which urged him to quit and simply return to active service in the Republic navy, Kael felt an overwhelming sense of duty to commit himself to learning the ways of the Jedi. It felt strange to him, since he could not clearly determine whether he was driven more by his responsibility to do his part to protect the Republic, or if he simply wished to be in the company of his new friends.

He was a loner all his life, having been orphaned at a young age and left abandoned on the front kerb of an orphanage house on his home planet of Deralia. With nothing to identify him except for a simple name tag around his neck, he was raised by the generous folk there, although he often did not get along with his peers due to his headstrong nature. Friends came and friends went away in his life, and as such he was truly grateful to have companions like the ones who were currently with him on Dantooine.

Turning into the east corridor, where the others were presumably all soundly asleep (except probably for Ice), he drew back in surprise when he almost bumped into another person who suddenly came from around the corner.

"Oh, sorry, ma'am. Didn't see you there," he said, apologizing as he saw beneath the hood of a brown robe the face of an old woman with grey hair. He could not see her eyes, for they were covered by the long hood. She was slightly shorter than him, and yet appeared to be relatively vibrant in her movements despite her advanced age.

"No harm has been done, and as such, no apology is needed," she said, and then drew her gaze slightly upward. "You are not from around these parts, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Kael answered with a shake of his head. "I arrived here only recently with others."

"I believe I saw you around the Enclave building," the woman remarked. "You were walking with a Jedi, no less. Tell me…have they been training you in their ways?"

"Why…why yes," Kael nodded. "It was very strange that they decided to train me. I guess the war is at such a grim stage, where the Jedi Order need to recruit new people in order to sustain their ranks."

"Not surprising. The war is, as you have said, taking a dire turn for the worst these past few months…" The woman then sank into a state of silence, only intently gazing at the man who stood in front of her. Sensing the curiosity build in his heart, she broke him out of her thoughts as she spoke again. "But I have taken up too much of your time already. I bid you goodnight, young man."

Kael looked over his shoulder at the old woman who walked past him and turned the corner, disappearing from his view. Unsettled by the strange encounter, and yet deciding to brush it off, he returned to his dorm room in order to rest himself for the day ahead.

Hearing the gentle click of the door's lock, the woman stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes as the moonlight shone down upon her.

And may the Force do with you as it wills…

A/N: Another rapid update. I'm simply ecstatic about this story lately, after leaving Taris behind me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I'm probably going to take a time skip in the next chapter. I simply couldn't possibly do a day-by-day recount as I've done for the past few chapters. I'll still focus heavily on character development at this point, but we're going to begin to see solid progress in Revan's training.

I'll also probably have to go easier on updates in the coming few weeks, unfortunately. University exam period is creeping up here in Australia in June, and I have to get ready for it. Investments, Microeconomics and Econometrics is definitely giving me a headache, but it's probably not as painful as Revan's head is in this chapter after he was beaten to a pulp by Bastila (lol).

As always, please leave your reviews. It gives us writers so much enthusiasm and energy to write. And speaking of reviews and enthusiasm, please head over to my other story "Heart of a Padawan", read and review that one as well. I'm kind of dragging my feet along with it, because it definitely feels like it's not getting as many reviews as it should, considering its sheer length and the amount of effort I put into it. So yeah, I would very grateful if you did that.