Author's notes: Phew! Talk about long chapters. We're getting to the ruins soon, so I'd guess about two more Dantooine chapter before we fly off to the first Star Map. Any guesses what planet that might be?

There's a modified line from the Bible here… I'm a sucker for quotes. See if you can find it!

In case you'll be wondering, the Jedi robe-lining colors are based on karate belts (I hope), white being beginner, black meaning master.

And for those who have trouble imagining Revan´s attire – it took me a while to design her robes, even though I had them sketched before I started posting this fanfic. They're based on both Episode II Jedi robes (see if you can find out who's) and Bastila´s standard clothing. Plus, they have quite a few elements of the coolest robes ever to be created for Star Wars – Darth Revan´s outfit. The link to the pic is in my profile… just click the thumbnail (and yes, the guy standing next to Revan is Malak…)

Brynn – I noticed the glitch, too, but didn't have time to change it. It's fixed now. If you read the chapter thoroughly, you'll see that I've written the word ´look´ quite a few times there… but it was needed. So, I guess I automatically wrote the double o there. And, of course, Microsoft Word only cares about grammatical failures… when the sentence doesn't make sense, you're the fool, not the program.

Dark Lord Daishi – You flatter me. Here's some more evilness and cruelty, fellow Sith Council member. (maniac evil laughter)

X X X

Chapter 11 – Reborn

X X X

Under the watchful eyes of Master Zhar, the pair of them were to undergo a series of "sessions" to see if they were able to coexist on the mission. But Bastila, despite her initial enthusiasm, found herself frustrated. Mo matter how hard she tried or how much she concentrated, there never came a time when she was able to finish the battle without a blade pointing at her while she was lying on the ground, helpless. Revan´s blows were too quick and precise, and although she tried not to harm the other Jedi, she always found an opening in Bastila´s technique. Always, Revan was able to point out the weakness, never being complimentary, which Bastila found slightly unfair.

Whenever she wasn't meditating or battling, Bastila studied several datapads that Master Dorak had provided her. It wasn't any dangerous information, merely thoughts of the great Jedi Masters that also fought against the ancient Sith or tales of redeemed Knights. Dorak thought this might interest her, given the situation. Bastila studied with passion, dreaming, in a way, that she would be the one to achieve the impossible with Revan. There had to be a way.

Meanwhile, Revan found out that the Jedi had also gotten some sort of insane idea that if they would bore her to death, she might reconsider joining them… which actually was a good way of torturing people, but Revan couldn't even pretend the things they gave her to read through didn't interest her to annoy the hell out of them. The fact that they believed her politeness signified interest seemed to launch a twisted kind of euphoria – Revan enjoyed studying, all things considered, but learning the whole Jedi archives by heart was a little too much… not that she didn't know them already.

In fact, during those few days, it was hard who the Jedi and who the Sith was – Revan was the perfect example of discipline, calm and quiet, never striking out in anger, never letting her emotions get the best of her. Bastila, on the other hand, frequently became passionate or frustrated, depending on the situation, and to Revan´s eye seemed more of a Sith Hopeful than a Jedi in training.

During the sessions, Revan scarcely saw any of her companions from Taris, except for Bastila, even though she slept on the Hawk.

She adamantly refused the Jedi robes that were offered to her, claiming she wanted decent clothing, not those rags that even a beggar wouldn't consider wearing in a million years.

When the Jedi finally got tired and Vrook threatened to take away her lightsaber (which she found to be the best joke since 'Malak the meatbag'), she wore the Dark Jedi robes she had with her on Taris for an entire day, completely infuriating the Council. The next day, however, she wore new robes – no one knew where she got them, but they looked exactly like those she used to wear after she left to join the Mandalore wars… but she always wore an auburn cloak over them, so probably no one recognized them. And she wore them only briefly, until she swapped them for jet-black and dark gray.

During the first training, she wore light copper colored Jedi robes, lined with an amber fabric that almost matched her hair and the Jedi Knight inscriptions. It was more of a teasing of Bastila, showing her, in a mocking way, what a true Jedi should be like. Now, her clothing was almost gown-like.

The upper robe was of a deep mahogany color, the hem reaching her ankles, similarly to her trademark Sith robes. The sleeves, which consisted of three pieces of fabric sewed together to appear like petals – where one ended, the other began from underneath it – were wide, lined with gold, but ended just under her shoulder. From there, a tight crimson fabric followed, like a jumpsuit, ending with gloves of the same color.

Her legs were hidden under the mahogany fabric, but when she walked, the lower part of the crimson bodysuit sometimes became visible, along with heavy steel gray boots. She wore wide brown armbands, covering her hand from the wrist to the elbow, and a stream of this material also protected her hands. The only embroidery was on the fabric she wore on top of it all. Two streams of fabric rising from her heels, passing over her shoulders, uniting below her neck and forming a vest, which was bound by the wide black and red belt she wore, and then returning to the width of a single stream, with a single line of embroidery, falling to her feet.

The patterns on the fabric were very elaborate, even though most consisted of simple geometric shapes, like sleek triangles framing an X pattern, followed by a golden square that could almost seem like an eye at first glance, because of another brown shape in the middle. The patterns also united just below Revan´s neck and with a single large golden 'eye', they formed a single stream. Earthy colors like khaki, dark yellow and light brown were quite easily recognizable on the honey-colored fabric, framed with maroon patterns and a final khaki line on the hem.

The Council never ceased to wonder where she got the idea for the robes or how she managed to create them over such a short period of time.

"The idea came to me in a dream." She said simply when Vandar finally asked. In truth, the 'eye' was chosen as a symbol of all seeing and the X was either a symbol of swords… or vengeance.

The secret of the robes wasn't actually too difficult to figure out – Revan, never one for wearing the same clothes for months, had kept a few spare robes in a little hiding place of the Enclave.

Occasionally, she sneaked out of the Enclave, to have a rest from Bastila and the Jedi. Their company was surprisingly pleasing, despite her misguided ways, for they gave off an air of peace, which was rare in the current state of the galaxy.

She spent an entire day modifying her lightsaber with the crystals she discovered in a kinrath -infested cave. Though reluctantly, she removed the red crystal from her lightsaber and replaced it with a purple one. Dorak then asked her why she chose that color instead of the usual Jedi colors – she reasoned it with the fact that since red aura signaled darkness and blue was often associated with the concept of light, she wanted to find a balance, a crossing of both, so it would reflect her own beliefs. That effectively silenced him. He probably didn't think of the fact that she also chose the color since a few Dark Jedi also preferred a multi-color combination – a red and purple lightsaber were considered a nice contrast, even among the Sith.

"I would like to know what happened after you crashed on Taris. I'm curious as to what you and Carth were doing before we all joined forces." Bastila asked her once after combat training.

"Before we rescued you, you mean." Revan corrected her.

"I managed to free myself from that neural disruptor, as I recall. I could have gotten out of there without help." Bastila snapped.

"You didn't escape the Black Vulkars until we arrived, as I recall." Revan noted, giving her practice sword a little twirl. She had forgotten about these flimsy little weapons…

Though sulkily, Bastila had to nod. There was no getting out of that one. She hated being wrong. "I admit that I probably wouldn't have been able to free myself if not for the brawl after the swoop race. So… thank you."

"For what?"

"For rescuing me." Bastila muttered.

"So noted, Jedi." Revan said, glancing at her briefly.

Shaking her head in frustration and slight amusement, Bastila departed, leaving Revan to have some fun destroying the Academy's training droids. Not that there was much else she could kill… except for the kath hounds on the plains. The Jedi found it unnerving that Revan never smiled. She wasn't one for joking either, but the coolness of Revan´s façade left her a bit nervous. It was like speaking to a statue, she thought, as if the mask was still in place. She chose to meditate on that for a while.

"Greetings, young one. I trust your training goes well?" an elderly voice asked her when she was once again sitting in the deserted Council chamber, studying a datapad. Master Vandar was standing beside the table. The small green alien's head barely reached the top of the table. Revan bowed her head for a moment, but didn't smile.

"Quite well, I think."

Vandar chuckled, "Master Zhar tells me you still hunger for knowledge. I can see that it is true, given all those datapads."

"Master Dorak has given me some of the datapads from the Archives – most of them are about redemptions and Sith wars. I know much about these events, but it's an interesting read. This is more detailed than what I've been allowed to read back as a Padawan." Revan explained, quite nonchalantly.

"Indeed." Vandar nodded, "Your experiences with the Dark Side could make you a very wise Jedi… if you would wish to rejoin the Order that is."

There was no reason to be surprised. "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?" Vandar retorted.

"Because I've had a taste of the real world." Revan noted, "And the real world isn't as peaceful as you make it out to be."

Vandar shrugged slightly, "It is your choice."

"No persuasion? I'm disappointed… Master. "

Vandar smiled slightly, "Humility is a difficult lesson to teach, but you learn quickly."

"I try not to make the sarcasm too obvious."

"Then you are doing very well. Master Vrook still disapproves our truce… given your little escape last time." Vandar´s lip actually twitched with the chuckle he was trying to contain.

"Last time, you wouldn't accept my choice. But I can understand him. I don't have to like him, but I understand him. Don't think I can't tell that it was him who ordered Bastila to act the mentor. My guess is that he trained her, correct?" Revan asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. He trained Bastila. She will also be a great Jedi someday. Even among the Masters, it is rare to find one so skilled in Battle Meditation. But I fear that her youth and dedication is what ultimately consumes her. She has a great pride in her own talents…she has yet much to learn. Perhaps you were right – she might not be an entirely correct choice for this task. " The miniature Jedi Master sadly shook his head. When he looked up at Revan, she could feel that he was concerned about her as well. "But I will leave you alone, so you can finish your reading. After that, you should go see Master Dorak. It has been very long since he has last had a chance to talk to one so knowledgeable." Master Vandar smiled once more and slowly made his way to the exit. After he left, Revan quickly finished reading the last datapad.

But she heard voices outside… one of them was clearly Zhar. The other, she also recognized. What surprised her was that they seemed to be discussing something. It appeared that the young scoundrel and her Wookiee got bored or just went out to explore the plains outside the Enclave, which they did quite often. She cast her best Force shields and moved closer to the door.

"Thanks for the tip, Master Jedi." Mission's cheerful voice said. "Guess we'll go explore it, huh, Big Z?" The Wookiee roared a yes in response. Mission hesitated. "Um… could I ask you something else, Master?" she nervously asked.

"You just did, young one." Zhar said, the smile clear in his voice. "But you may ask again, of course."

Nervousness flashed through Mission's mind. "Well… I was wondering whether you could tell me something about Revan and Malak." It took all of Revan´s self-control not to cringe and make herself visible to Zhar.

"Why would you wish to learn about them, young one?" Zhar asked, warily, but not angrily.

Mission seemed to shrug. "I'd like to know who we're facing. Y´know, know your enemy or something like that? Alexa always says you should be prepared when you face your adversaries."

She couldn't read Zhar at all… that disturbed her. But she saw him nod. "Alexa would make a fine Jedi then."

"Yeah, if she could get past her hatred for the Jedi." Mission said sulkily.

"Hatred?" Zhar said, with an obvious false surprised tone.

"Well, not hatred, but she turned very cold ever since we came here… I dunno why, I like it here. Serious dislike, y´know?" Mission noted, "Dunno, she never talked about it, but she didn't seem too happy with landing here or going to see your Council."

"That is understandable. You will find that Alexa Denali is much of a… free spirit, if you will." Zhar noted.

"Still, I just can't understand why she acts like that. Well… Bastila is annoying, but she's an exception! No one in their right mind could hate a Jedi!" Mission quickly said, though Revan could sense Zhar remained smiling.

"I wish you were right, young one." A pause, "Few mention the names of Revan and Malak around here anymore..." he sighed, "but I suppose it is just as dangerous to deny they were ever part of the Order. When I was still on Coruscant Revan and Malak often came to me for additional training. In particular, Revan's hunger to learn seemed insatiable. I should have recognized this as a warning sign. But I perceived the young Padawan's lust for knowledge as simple exuberance and eagerness. Revan was my most promising pupil, one I felt sure would someday become a champion of the Jedi Order."

"What happened to change that? You don't describe these guys as someone who'd turn Sith at any moment." Mission noted.

"The Jedi Order moved too slowly for Revan and Malak; we were too cautious in their eyes."

Zhar said sadly. "They always sought to learn far quicker than their Masters felt was prudent. It is one thing to understand a lesson, but to truly comprehend it takes a wisdom that only comes with time. Several years ago, when the Mandalorian threat first arose, Revan and Malak were eager to journey to the Outer Rim to defeat the enemy of the Republic. But the Council felt it best if we moved with care and caution. The true threat, the Council feared, had not yet revealed itself. But Revan would not be dissuaded. Charismatic and powerful, it was inevitable many of the Order would flock to Revan's seemingly noble cause. Malak was the first to join his closest friend. Others soon followed, many of our youngest and brightest, intent on saving the galaxy from the Mandalorian threat."

"So what happened to them?" Mission asked yet again. It was getting on Revan´s nerves.

"They were foolish to disregard the Council's wishes." Zhar said sadly. "I do not know what happened to Revan, Malak and their followers on the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim, but something corrupted them. Their ideals became twisted, their spirits were tainted and they fell to the Dark Side. There is a lesson in this: the Dark Side can corrupt even the most noble of Jedi."

"Yeah. Guess the threat was close the entire time, huh?" Mission said, slightly distantly. "I guess you're right. Well, thanks for the info, Master Jedi." The kid and her Wookiee moved away, it was easy to hear.

Revan stepped out of the shadows easily, not surprising Zhar. "That is what you see my life as? A foolish mistake?"

"Never." Zhar shook his head, "You were never foolish, simply too stubborn. If you would simply tell me what happened to you, I could tell the tale differently." He didn't seem at all surprised to see her there. "I have known you since you were a young girl and this decision you made has always struck me as strange."

"Sometimes the strange is the necessary." Revan noted, ignoring the reverse psychology. "A small sacrifice for the greater good."

"For the greater good." The Jedi repeated. "How I wished I could understand you and thus believe you. I don't suppose you will explain… perhaps you will change your mind someday. For now, we tell the tale as we see it, from what we know. But with Revan now forever silent and Malak as he is, we might never uncover the truth." The gleam in his eyes challenged her to prove him wrong. But she knew better than give into such simple manipulation.

"I respect you, Zhar. I do not ask you to respect me… but I ask you to respect my silence."

"I do not only respect you – I admire you. To carry the weight of so many lives, so much pain… and choose to be alone."

The only response was her confirmation of that – she walked away. Zhar watched her sadly. Such a tragic fate it was, to be unique, to be strong… she would always be alone, he knew, even if she would choose a different path than the one she walked now.

X X X

"How goes the training?" A light voice asked from behind Revan as she went to get some caffa from the Hawk (there was no caffa whatsoever in the Enclave… not even chocolate, for that matter, and Revan needed much energy to stop herself from falling asleep during the sessions with the Jedi).

"Is that some kind of strange Jedi greeting? Because every Jedi I meet asks me that." Revan noted, attempting to sound cheerful as she stopped and turned around.

Juhani laughed, "Is there anything normal when it comes to you, Alexa?"

"Not really." Revan admitted, almost kindly, "So, you're a Knight now?"

The Cathar was now wearing brick red robes lined with embroidery identifying her as a Jedi Knight – apprentices wore simple robes with no color difference or markings, yellow inscriptions on white lining were the symbol of a Padawan. Green on yellow fabric meant Jedi Knight. And finally, green on red signaled Jedi Master, green meaning kindness and compassion (also the symbol of a Jedi Consular – thus a marking of a diplomat preferring non-violent solutions, if possible), which conquered red – the darkness. That was also why Revan´s Sith armor was red on black – darkness filling the void, which ceased to be empty. Plus, blood and blackness were more than a signature sign of the Sith.

Each inscription was unique, mostly meaning something the Jedi did or simply a quote that reflected their beliefs. It was also mostly in their native language, which really meant that there probably weren't two identical robes in the galaxy… though it was a small difference, since most Jedi clothing was somewhat of a uniform. From what Revan could see, Juhani´s read: 'To this point you may come, but no further.'

"The Council believes I am ready to continue my training, as I told you." Juhani explained, "Though I am unsure whether I deserve the honor. My outburst was… uncalled for, at the very least."

"I see. Well, my sessions are going quite well, thanks."

"Hey, Denali!" Revan whirled to the general direction of the Aratech store – the only shop in the Enclave, "There's talk of some pathetic deserters giving us a bad name on this rock. Have you seen any Mandalorians out on the plains?" Canderous called to her.

"No. Want some help exterminating them?"

The Mandalorian shrugged, "If you can handle it, you could use your new Force tricks."

"Be right with you." Revan noted, turning back to Juhani. The Cathar seemed to have trouble containing her anger.

"I do not approve that you keep such company, Alexa, but it is your choice." she growled quietly.

"One of the ironies of life. And yet, I find his company preferable to that of most others. He is the only one who is at least slightly like me."

"Yes. It is just…" Juhani sighed, "My homeworld… they destroyed it. Bombing civil targets, killing innocent people… I do not trust any Mandalorian."

"If it helps you… my world was also bombed, just after the wars began." Revan quietly noted, "I was just a child back then… lucky enough to survive by hiding underneath wreckage."

Juhani blinked, then lowered her gaze, "I am sorry. I did not know."

Revan shook her head. "I had my vengeance on the person responsible. But I'd rather not discuss my past. Care to join the conversations with the Mandalorians?"

The Jedi smiled slightly, "You are strange. The Force is very strong in you, but you are different from any Force Sensitive I have ever known. But I admire you for that. You are fearless in a way I shall never know."

Revan shrugged, "As you wish. I will be seeing you soon." Juhani smiled, recited the traditional Jedi farewell phrase and departed with a swirl of red robes.

Revan briskly walked to the Aratech store, waving back at Mission, who was heading for the plains once again. Aratech was run by a pair of Twi'leks, one of them managing the droid supply shop, the other taking care of weaponry and armor.

"Mandalorian raiders here?" Revan asked, briefly examining the merchandise. Most was high quality stuff… she would send the Wookiee to stock up on top-notch weaponry. It could be useful.

"Pathetic ones, too. They're attacking scraps when they should be taking worlds." Canderous grumbled.

"Deserters who fled the final battles, right? This should be enjoyable." Revan noted, her saber flying into her hand, though it remained inactive.

"Why do you obey the Jedi, anyway?" Canderous asked as they headed towards the exit of the Enclave.

"I obey no one. But what are you getting at?"

"Oh, come on, Denali. You were the one drawing a lightsaber on Taris. Even before that, you fought like a Jedi - or Sith – would have done. I met quite a few of those during the wars, you don't fool me."

"So?"

" 'So?' You fight like a Jedi, but with a Sith lightsaber. And now this."

"Do I make inquiries as to where you learned to fight?"

Canderous snorted, "That should be obvious."

"True." she paused, "I might have killed a Sith and taken their saber."

"And you learned to use it from their ghost. Quit the act, Alexa. You're a Sith. Or, most likely, an outcast at that. No one ever learned Jedi-tricks through self-study. So don't try pulling that one."

Revan sighed, "Annoying Jedi, stubborn Mandalorians and paranoid Republicans. Wonderful company."

"I'll take that as a confirmation." Canderous remarked gruffly, following her as they spotted a group of raiders near the edge of a cliff.

Though they didn't find their leader, there were a lot few Mandalorians on Dantooine that evening.

X X X

Within the week, the Council decided – Bastila was to go with Revan. More than that, they were to go to the ruins together that very day. Unfortunately, they had also been gullible enough to send a Jedi to investigate the ruins, which, Revan knew, had most likely cost him his life. Nevertheless, the meeting was rudely interrupted.

"I demand justice! The Sandral family is a blight upon Dantooine! They must be punished!" An elderly man, about as old as Vrook, marched into the Council chambers, yelling. Although the Masters showed no emotion whatsoever, Revan could see Vrook quietly sigh.

"The Council will look into this matter, Mr. Matale." Vandar said, but he seemed awfully tired and slightly irritated, if that was even possible, "You must be patient. Your accusations have no proof, and we do not want you stirring up trouble with the Sandrals if there is some mistake."

"Mistake? My son Shen is missing!" Matale shouted, "How can there be any doubt the Sandrals are to blame?"

"There are other possible explanations for your son's disappearance." Vrook said calmly, but his eyes showed that he was willing to punch Matale in the face if he didn't stop whining. Revan found it amusing to watch.

"Bah! You Jedi are good for nothing but talk! I shall only wait so long before I take action on my own!" Matale snapped, before storming out of the Council chambers again.

Vandar sighed, "As dangerous as the threat from Darth Malak and the Sith may be, we Jedi cannot simply abandon our other responsibilities. The Council has promised Ahlan Matale we will look into his son's disappearance. Should you have time, you may want to investigate this matter."

"These two families have been settled here for some years now..." Vandar began.

"And causing me no end of trouble!" Vrook noted.

"Indeed. They have been settled here for some time and feuding ever since." Vandar agreed. "I do not know how the original feud started, but they want nothing to do with each other. As you may have heard, Ahlan Matale believes that his son, Shen, has been kidnapped by Nurik Sandral."

"Curiously, Nurik's son Casus has been missing for some time as well... I fear Nurik may suspect Ahlan in this..." Dorak added.

"Your task is important, of course." Vandar noted, "But the Jedi are not a cloistered Order. Our influence and teachings must spread beyond the walls of our Academies. It is in the real world that we truly prove ourselves worthy of the title Jedi. It will be a good test for both of you – as you are masquerading as ordinary Jedi, you will probably face similar tasks in the near future. Thus you should be ready for this."

How Revan stopped her hand from twitching at the thought of masquerading as a Jedi, she had no idea.

X X X

Carth Onasi was feeling quite fed up with the Jedi these days. First, he was stranded on this farm rock with nothing to do, now, his partner was becoming one of them! Or so it seemed – it was hard to tell these days. He would most certainly have a talk with both Bastila and Alexa, but as the two women left the Council chamber, Bastila happily ignored his demands for her attention. Revan didn't actually pay any attention – she was already walking to the exit.

Two settlers approached the trio, asking her whether the Council chose to hear out their petition. Bastila apologized that she didn't know and found out that there were some Mandalorian raiders giving the settlers trouble, especially some man named Jon, who was supposed to be nearby. Revan recognized him from the manner he lashed out at her when he spotted the lightsaber on her belt.

"Are you a Jedi? How long can you people sit around claiming to protect us? Protectors – ha!" he snorted. "If you even cared about us, you would put a stop to those Mandalorian raids! Those Mandalorian raiders killed my daughter!" he cried. "There was nothing I could do! Too many Mandalorians and their Duros allies! I have come here to ask of you, Master Jedi, to bring those brutes to justice!"

"Revenge is never a good reason." She calmly answered.

"Please! I beg of you! Find those Mandalorian raiders! Their leader had lightsabers with him!" Revan, who had just turned around to walk away, sharply turned back.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'lightsaber'?"

"Yes it was." Jon frantically nodded, "Those Mandalorian brutes were never open to your ways, so I believe it might have been from some poor Jedi he had slain. Now you see it's your problem as much as mine."

Aside from this problem, another woman approached them when she finally entered the plains. "Greetings, young Jedi. I was wondering if you could help me find my…companion." The mid-aged woman asked of Bastila.

"Excuse me, could you please tell us who you are?" Bastila asked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't give you a proper introduction." she apologized. "My name is Elise Montagne. I own the farm to the north from here. We were working on the farm when I suddenly heard something and I found the door wide open and he was gone!"

"I see. Does anyone hold a grudge against him?" Bastila asked.

"Ehm…no." Elise said that in a rather strange manner, as if she was hiding something. "No one actually knows he's there. Maybe it was the Mandalorian raiders! Or kath hounds! No, kath hounds are not intelligent enough to open doors!"

"Calm down, Mrs. Montagne." Bastila politely advised. "Have you considered that it might have been opened from the inside?"

"From the inside?" Elise asked, dumbstruck, "But he couldn't have! I mean, his programming…"

"Your missing companion is a droid?" Bastila could only stare. Revan found herself understanding, much to her disgust.

"Well yes. But he is very valuable to me at the same."

"Um…what exactly did you use him for again?" Revan innocently asked. Carth choking with laughter made it clear he was clearly thinking the same, but he was too decent to mention it.

"He is a personal assistance droid." Elise patiently explained, aware of what they were asking, but her tone made it clear she would deny it. "The only thing left after my dear husband. He's the only companionship I have on all of Dantooine!"

"That is not my problem." Revan commented.

"Alexa! We will help this woman!" Bastila persisted.

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" Elise beamed.

Revan sighed and stalked away, but she heard Carth sniggering. "Wow, she really misses her droid, doesn't she?" He asked, amused.

"There is no need to make fun of her." Bastila noted. "She is obviously desperate!"

"I'll say…" Revan added.

The Jedi shot her a glare. But then realization hit her. "You… you mean?" She blushed.

"That doesn't take the Force to notice, Bastila." Carth noted, smirking.

"That… that is sick." Bastila commented, flushed.

"For once, I agree with you, Jedi." Revan noted.

She stopped dead in her tracks, seeing the ruins straight ahead of her. It took a bit of her strength of will to turn away from them, but she recognized the familiar pull well enough. Bastila seemed to notice something in the air, but didn't know what it was. Instead, they headed for the Matale grounds, dispatching several Mandalorian raiders along the way, who shot first and talked later.

There were no kath hounds near the Matale Estate – understandable, considering the security.

The group approached the droid standing in front of the entrance. "This is private property. By what authority are you trespassing on this estate?" it asked.

"We are here on behalf of the Jedi Council, to speak with Ahlan Matale." Bastila reported.

"You have come from the Council?" The droid repeated. "Master Matale wishes to speak with you. Remain in this location until he arrives."

Several other droids marched out of the estate, taking position by the gate. Seconds later, Mr. Matale stalked out behind them in a most aristocratic manner. "My protocol droid tells me you have come from the Council. I was beginning to think my demands have been ignored. Though I believe your time would be better spent interrogating the Sandrals."

"Any information you could provide would be helpful." Bastila noted.

"The Sandrals are a blight on Dantooine!" the man said. Anger. Passion. Pure hatred. Revan found it interesting to watch the dark emotions swirl in his aura. "Many years ago I brought my family here to Dantooine to escape the crush of humanity on the Core Worlds. Soon after we settled here, the Sandrals arrived. And they have been a plague upon my house ever since!"

"Somehow I think the story from the Sandrals would sound just the same, don't you?" Carth noted.

"The injustices the Sandrals have committed against the Matales are far too numerous to name, but the Council is well aware of our many disputes. Recently, I discovered several Sandral droids trespassing on my land. My own security droids destroyed the invaders - not a single one survived. I have no idea what nefarious purpose lay behind their arrival - my own assassination, perhaps." Matale said. "Destruction of my property. Maybe a simple spy mission. I wasn't about to find out. It was shortly after this incident that Shen, my only son and heir to the Matale estate, vanished. Obviously Nurik, the unscrupulous head of the Sandral clan, has abducted my son in retaliation for the destruction of his droids!"

"You cannot accuse the Sandrals without proof." Bastila noted with the passion and energy of a dead and cold womp rat.

"Why does the Council insist on stalling?" Matale whined, "The life of my son is at stake! Is it possible... yes, of course. Now I understand. I am a man of the world, Jedi. I know how things are done. I will make a... contribution... of one thousand credits to the Council in exchange for rescuing Shen from the Sandrals. I will present the credits directly to you, of course. Whether the Council ever learns of this 'donation' is completely up to you."

Bastila's eyes widened in shock. "The Jedi cannot be bought! I will remain neutral despite your attempted bribe!"

"Nevertheless, my offer still stands – 1000 credits for Shen´s safe return." Matale conspiratively noted. Then he frowned. "Know, however, that I will not sit idly by much longer. Eventually, I will take whatever action is necessary to rescue my son… including razing the entire Sandral estate!"

Carth stared at him. "You would be willing to risk open war over this?

"It is the Sandrals who have started this. Not I." Matale defensively retorted.

"And here I thought you would blame us, if we failed. It seems everyone is responsible for your actions except for you." Carth noted.

That completely infuriated Matale. "I don't need to stand here and listen to such impertinence!" But for once, Bastila didn't snap at him for that. In fact…

"I'm impressed, Carth. That interjection was very Jedi-like."

He shrugged. "What can I say? You pick up a few things."

"Until you find Shen, Jedi, we have nothing further to discuss!" Matale snarled. And he marched back into his estate.

"Talk about paranoid." Revan said, failing to notice the slightly annoyed look on Carth´s face.

"I'm afraid Ahlan is not just making idle threats." Bastila noted as they made their way further to the southwest, taking the longer route to the Sandral estate. "He is rash and foolish enough to attempt a full assault on the Sandral estate. Such action would result in all-out war between the families."

"I've seen men like Ahlan Matale before. He's so convinced that his hatred is justified he's prepared to do anything. And if we don't intervene, there will be war." Carth noted.

These comments clearly told Revan that they expected her to help them. With a dramatic sigh, she threw her lightsaber at some kath hounds that attacked them, and then spotted a human corpse there. It was chewed completely, so she was unable to determine who it was, but a diary identified him as Cassus Sandral.

"One missing heir located." Revan told the others. Bastila gazed at the corpse with some disgust.

"We should take the diary to Nurik Sandral." She noted, though her near-vomit expression made it clear she didn't want to be the one carrying the diary. Revan sighed and took it, following the Jedi to the grove.

Since Bastila insisted they solve the feud problem first, they trekked through the plains and encountered several people on a nearby bridge.

A Twi´lek, by clothing similar to Master Zhar (obviously a Jedi) was standing there with two men and a protocol droid. There was a corpse on the ground. A dead settler, it seemed. The orange Twi´lek spotted Bastila and beckoned her closer.

"Padawan, your arrival is well timed." He said in Twi´leki.

"Master Bolook." Bastila said, bowing, since she now recognized the Jedi. Revan simply nodded curtly.

"I have been sent to investigate this murder, but now that you've arrived, perhaps we could test your abilities." He told her, "Communication does not handle a problem, as both the suspects and I speak Basic and Huttese. I was going to handle this case myself, but now that you are here, this could be an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate how well you've been learning your lessons at the Academy. Though you are not a full Jedi yet, perhaps you could assist me in sorting out the truth from the lies."

Bastila seemed slightly edgy and gazed at her boots. "Um… perhaps you should try this, Alexa. I am not a good judge."

Revan blinked – the brat just admitted she was not good in something. Nevertheless, she nodded and proceeded with the interrogations. The basic info she had was simple – Calder Nettic was shot in the torso several hours ago with a standard hunting riffle. Handon Guild, unarmed, was found standing near the body along with Rickard Lusoff, who carried a blaster riffle. Still, both men accused the other and both denied guilt. They were both guilty – they radiated guilt. And she soon found out why, with the background check provided by the information droid that came with them.

"Master Bolook? I believe I have come to a solution." Revan said.

"Very well, young Knight. Enlighten us, please." Bolook encouraged her.

"So, Calder Nettic was shot in the torso. The weapon was found at the scene, along with Handon Guild, who was unarmed and Rickard Lusoff, who had a blaster with him. The weapon at the scene of the crime is Handon´s, but I caught him at a little lie – he didn't report it stolen. Both men had a reason to kill Calder – Handon´s wife was cheating on her husband with Calder and Rickard and Calder had bad blood between them. Speaking of blood, the sample didn't belong to the victim. I have good reasons to believe that it is Handon´s blood. He's clutching his side." She triumphantly finished.

"Hmm…Handon has been moving oddly since we arrived. Perhaps we should examine him closer." And with that, Bolook shoved Handon´s hand out of the way and saw blood on his tunic.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Handon cried.

"There is blood!" Bolook noted. "Could you repeat your conclusion, young one?"

"Like I said, both had a reason to kill the victim. They are both guilty." Revan decreed.

"Yes, well done!" Bolook clapped his hands once.

"Damn you! Damn both of you!" Rickard Lusoff spat.

"That's enough! I place you both under arrest of the Jedi Order. You will be taken to the Enclave for further procedures." Bolook turned to Revan. "You have studied your lessons well. I will inform the Council of your success here. Good day, and May the Force Be With You."

"Well done. I'm impressed. I don't think I could have done as well." Bastila noted.

"You did well. You might just be a proper Jedi yet, who knows?" Carth commented.

"Heaven forefend." Revan muttered, loud enough for both of them to hear, and stalked away before either could make a smart comeback.

X X X

AN: The original Bible line is: "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." (Job, 38, 11)