Chapter 25

Like Father, Like Daughter

The three Jedi walked through the streets of Anchorhead, ignoring the several stall merchants on either side of who beckoned to them to buy trinkets, jewels and equipment which, upon close inspection, could easily have been given the label of fraudulent quality. Instead, Kael and Elena waled beside each other, with Bastila a few feet ahead of them, the young Jedi Knight's eyes glued to her datapad which showed she was drawing closer and closer to where her mother supposedly resided. The closer she came, the slower her pace became, letting her two friends know that she more than loathed the idea of seeing her mother again.

Not willing to incur the risk of being overheard by potential spies after being warned of them by Admiral Dodonna, the three of them kept their mouths shut all the way, then finally saw the building the datapad pointed to when they turned a street corner. Ahead of them was a simple apartment complex, presumably containing multiple storeys underground in order to keep its inhabitants cool. The domed stone architecture showed obvious signs of wear and tear, its surface displaying numerous cracks.

All three stood still and silent for a moment, Kael and Elena looking upon Bastila who stared at the apartment, extremely hesitant to even take one more step forward. The young Jedi breathed in and out deeply, her shoulders visibly rising and falling. Deciding that there was nothing else for it, she put the datapad back into the right pocket of her robes and walked towards the apartment. The wooden door let out a groan and creaked open, and Bastila turned to give her two companions a sullen look before descending the stone staircase, the door closing back up behind her after she released it.

After ensuring that the coast was clear of any suspicious onlookers, Kael and Elena followed after Bastila, Elena having a sullen look on her face after seeing her dear friend in such a downhearted state. Elena gave a small smile to Kael who courteously opened the door for her and entered after her, and the two of them breathed a sigh of relief after finally being able to speak their minds in the privacy of the apartment complex.

"Thank you for being so supportive of Bastila," Elena said in almost a whisper. "It…it means a lot to me."

"I told you, didn't I?" Kael smiled at her. "I care about you both. Deeply. I'm not going to neglect either of you just because we're on an important mission."

The instant Kael spoke, Elena felt the chill inside her replaced by soothing warmth. Deep inside, she knew that he meant that he loved her with all his heart, and was just as protective of Bastila as he was before he departed for war.

"Thanks. It gives me a lot of peace of mind to hear that," she sighed. "I'm worried about her. This is the worst state I've seen her in besides the few days which followed after the death of her former master many years ago."

Kael reflected on the story that Elena told him about during their time on Dantooine about Bastila's former master who died on Ryloth. Ever since they first came to Dantooine, he noticed that Bastila and Elena's bond was closer than that of a simple Master and Padawan. The two were far more affected by emotions than other Jedi, as evidenced by their desperate attempt to save his life during his Padawan trial in the crystal cave. And after reading possibly a mountainload of texts on the history of the Order, including information about prominent Jedi and the bonds between Master and Padawan, there was ample reason for Kael to suspect that the relationship between the two ran far deeper than it initially seemed.

"I'm…sorry," Kael said weakly, much to Elena's surprise.

"Sorry? About what?" she asked, looking at him with perplexed eyes.

"I should've spent more time with her and given her more attention after she first heard of her father's death," Kael said, continuing to walk with her down the winding staircase. "I guess I was just too accustomed to our daily routine, and I just let you take the entire burden of looking after her. It must have been a heavy weight on your shoulders."

"Kael, don't talk like that," Elena said strongly, holding his hand. "I know you care about us very much, and I appreciate it. But you can't be there for us all the time, so don't blame yourself for such things. Don't let guilt build inside you for no reason, as it's just going to eat away at your heart. You rescued us on Taris, and you saved my life aboard the Endar Spire. You don't owe us anything, so just relax and focus on the mission. Ok?"

"I guess you're right," Kael smiled, and his angel soon smiled back at him. "After all, Bastila made sure that I didn't need a chiropractor for at least two years with that stick she used in our early combat training sessions."

Both shared a slight snicker as they descended the staircase to the bottom level, where a single door could be seen to the right. Silence ensued after Kael and Elena released each other's hands, and Bastila let out a sigh, knowing that she would now have to face the inevitable. She raised a trembling hand to the door, hesitating awhile before knocking on it three times. Her head hung downwards after she did so, and her hand fell back down to her side before forming a fist as the anger simmered inside her.

Several seconds passed, and yet no response came from inside. "This is the right door, isn't it?" Elena asked.

"It is. I'm sure of it," Bastila said under her breath, doing her best to hide her boiling hate.

"Why don't you try again? Maybe she's preoccupied," Kael suggested.

"No," Bastila declared and turned around with a fire in her eyes. "She is not here. I shall not bother trying again. Let's go."

"Bastila, stop," Elena said, resolutely standing in her former Padawan's path.

"I'm not going to try again. Let me pass and let me be," Bastila said, frustration creeping into her voice.

"You promised me that we would get through this," Elena replied sternly. "You promised me that you would make an effort to speak to your mother. That's what we're going to do."

Bastila remained stubborn. "There is no point. No matter what she says, I would not believe it. She destroyed my father. I could never bring myself to speak to one such as h—" She was cut off by the creaking of the door behind her. She immediately spun around, and in front of her was the sight of a figure which became more and more visible as the door opened further. Illuminated by a waning yellow light was a human woman, her brown and messy hair showing signs of grey strands here and there, and her blue eyes heavy with fatigue and depression. She was wearing simple brown robes with beige leggings, symbolic of the below-modest lifestyle she was forced to adapt to.

"Stubborn, as always," the woman weakly said, a small smile cracking across her lips as she looked upon Bastila. "Just the way I remembered you."

"Y-you are…," Bastila stammered and pointed her finger at the woman, unwilling to believe her eyes.

"So you remember your mother after all," she chuckled. "So…what brings you here? Are you here to mock me for the travesty I have gotten myself into?"

"I'm here to find out what happened to father, mother," Bastila said full of contempt, her hands placed on her sides. "Nothing less, nothing more. Tell me what happened to him, and I shall quickly leave you. Just like you were glad to see my back all those years ago when you gave me up to the Order."

"Well, then," her mother puffed. "It would be rude of me to leave your friends standing in this dimly lit place while I talk to you. Come in and close the door after you." With that, she turned and walked down the hallway, entering an open room at the end and disappearing from view. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come in!"

Doing as requested, the three Jedi entered, Bastila fuming as she walked in first, and Kael and Elena exchanging worried glances before coming in after her and shutting the door behind them. Upon coming into the living room, they saw Bastila's mother seated on a wooden chair with a small coffee table in front of her, and a wooden couch opposite.

"Sit," she said, her tone bordering on a direct order. "Make yourselves comfortable."

With a pout, Bastila seated herself on the right-hand side of the couch, with Elena next to her and Kael on the left. A moment of eerie silence followed, with the four people exchanging glances with each other. Then, breaking the silence, Bastila's mother spoke to Kael and Elena.

"Apologies for the lack of a proper introduction. My name is Helena Shan."

"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Elena Adarné, and I am Bastila's Jedi teacher," Elena said, bowing her head slightly out of respect, although she was beginning to dislike the woman's attitude. Slowly but surely, she thought she was beginning to understand why Bastila loathed her mother so much.

"Kael Deren, Bastila's Jedi companion," he introduced himself.

"Her teacher, you say?" Helena looked at Elena with a surprised gaze. "Whatever happened to her old one? The one who took her away from me? He said that he saw great potential in her, I remember that much."

"He, uhh…," Elena sighed. "He died on a mission to Ryloth when Bastila was around 13 years old. I've been teaching and looking after her ever since."

"So I see," Helena nodded. "Shame. And you? What relationship do you have with my daughter?" she said, looking at Kael.

"I'm a Jedi Padawan," he explained. "Bastila and Elena are my teachers. We're on an important mission on behalf of the Jedi Council."

"A Padawan? You?" Helena raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe, given your obvious age. And here I was, thinking that my little girl had finally found someone to have a family with."

The instant Helena spoke, Kael could've sworn he saw Elena's left index finger twitch. He fought down the urge to chuckle, but now had sure evidence that Mission's teasing and insinuations at least had some weight behind them. Bastila seemed furious, her eyebrows almost comically searing downwards in a disapproving glare aimed at her mother.

"If you don't mind, mother, could you now please tell me what happened with father?" she demanded, eager to shift the conversation along.

Helena tilted her head sideways. "If you don't know what happened to him, then why are you here instead of elsewhere?" She breathed out and straightened her posture before going on. "But since you ask, I will tell you again what happened to him. He went out with a couple of his hunting friends into the Dune Sea about three weeks ago, searching for treasure. While he was out and about, a group of Sand People ambushed him and his group. Most of the group were killed, with some barely managing to escape with their lives. As for your father, he…," she paused momentarily, displaying what Bastila couldn't believe – anguish. Or at least what was faked to be anguish. "He was captured by those monsters. I never saw him again, nor did anyone else."

"And how often did he go on such hunts?" Bastila asked, her voice still hostile as ever.

"Perpetually," Helena sighed. "He only stayed home for a couple of days at a time before disappearing for weeks. Dewback hides and bantha meat was all he could gather most of the time."

"And you just let him go? Just like that?" Bastila fumed. "Did you ever think about his safety?"

"Just what are you accusing me of, girl? Spit it out!" Helena growled, finally having lost her temper.

"I think you know," Bastila replied, her eyes so fierce that they were more fear-inspiring than even Juhani's. "You just don't want to admit the truth."

"I told your father that it was unnecessary – that it was pointless. But he kept on going out on hunts. All for me. Believe me, Bastila, I tried. I tried to stop him." The anger in Helena's voice was gone, replaced by desperation and despair. She wrapped her face in her hands and stared down at the floor.

"Mrs. Shan, why did you try to stop him? What was the reason?" Elena asked, hoping to give the woman respite from her daughter's dagger-like tongue.

"I…," she stammered, slowly looking up at them. "I would like a moment alone with my daughter, if you will excuse me. It's personal, and I would like some privacy." She got up onto her feet and began to move to the corridor, specifically towards a door that was situated to the right. "Bastila, if you will, please…"

Although her heart was still filled with rage, her mother's sudden change of tone unnerved her. Curious as to what caused her mother to act so flustered, Bastila followed after her. After Helena opened the door to what looked to be her bedroom, Bastila entered, her eyes expressing nothing short of disdain. Helena closed the door behind her, leaving Kael and Elena alone in the living room.

"She's so…full of anger," Elena sighed and leaned back against the couch out of hopelessness. "I had my hopes up, but now I see that she will never reconcile with her mother. Not at the rate they're progressing."

"Do you think there's any hope? Of finding her father, I mean," Kael asked, as silly a question as it was.

"About as much hope as the Republic has in winning this war without our help," Elena shrugged. "We should thank the Force if we ever manage to even find that Star Map out in the desert, never mind find Bastila's father."

"We have to try, Elena," Kael looked at her somberly. "I can't just break my promise. I know what her father means to her. As much as I know how important it is to retrace the journeys of Revan and Malak, I can't neglect her in her current emotional state."

"Mm," Elena nodded, then peered downwards at her feet, losing herself in thought as she closed her eyes. Her head drooped a little, almost as if she was falling asleep out of fatigue. Unexpectedly for Kael, a small smile etched across Elena's lips, and suddenly her necklace came out from beneath the collar of her robes and dangled beneath her chin.

"Elena?" Kael said, gently touching her shoulder. "Elena, are you okay?"

"Hm? Me? Oh…oh, yes," she said, flustered and leaning back into place. "I was just…tired. Drifted into momentary thought."

"About what?"

Her heartbeat quickened and she found it more difficult to breathe, but Elena managed to speak her mind. "Of Revan. Of the vision we shared as soon as we landed here."

As best Elena tried to keep her composure, her efforts were in total vain due to their emotional bond. "Go on?" Kael said, lowering his hand into his own lap as he looked at her.

"We all heard the stories. How Revan turned into an absolute monster hellbent on conquest and accumulating power. But as fallen as he was, he…he actually spared that Tusken woman. He even ordered Malak to spare her. I…I was shocked to see that."

"Me too," Kael agreed. "I also believed Revan to be nothing more than a petty tyrant and sadistic monster. He—"

"He wasn't!" Elena fiercely retorted, her hand flying up and grasping at the pendent around her neck. Her eyes which initially formed a glare gradually widened, the Jedi Knight realizing in shock what she had just allowed to slip from her tongue, let alone her heart. Furthermore, the necklace she thought was safely concealed in her robe was completely exposed for Kael to see. Her heartbeat grew even more intense and she looked up at him with trembling eyes.

"Elena," Kael murmured, gently placing his hand on top of her left which lay upon her lap, "what do you mean?"

Elena felt a chill run up and down her body as she nervously held onto her left upper arm in fear. In an outburst unexpected even by her, she had taken a first step in what was to be an endless tumble. Now, whether she liked the idea or not, she would have to reveal her fiancé's past to him, little by little, bit by bit.

Sighing deeply, she explained. "He wasn't the tyrant everyone believes him to be. At least not in the years prior to him becoming the Dark Lord. Before his descent into darkness, he was…very kind. Generous, caring, loving, and full of affection." She glanced up and looked directly into his eyes as she whispered softly, squeezing his hand. "Very much like yourself."

Although he was truthfully always captivated by Elena since the moment he first met her, Kael's desire for the Jedi Knight grew tenfold when her words entered his ears, practically beckoning him to embrace her. He refrained, however, as he spoke again. "Was he truly like that? How do you know?"

Elena went on. "He was…my best friend. We grew up together on Dantooine, learning from various Jedi Masters. We were very close and often drew strength from one another when faced with grueling trials. Revan was headstrong and always so virtuous, challenging even the Masters when it came to Jedi morality. His independent attitude caused him to despise the Council's position when it came to the Mandalorian threat years ago, and he thus formed a resistance group he personally christened as the 'Revanchists'. He departed for the war after bidding me goodbye, and…the Revan I knew and loved never returned to me."

Loved.

A Jedi Knight like herself, openly admitting to loving another.

"And that necklace?" Kael pointed out. "What does it mean to you, really? I noticed it ever since the first time I opened my eyes on Taris."

"This?" she said, grasping it in her free hand. "This belonged to him, and before that, his mother. He always kept it as a memento of her. He gave it to me the day he left, and promised to one day return as the same man that he was after defeating the Mandalorians. He never did."

"You mentioned on Taris that you and Bastila were part of the strike team that captured Revan on board his flagship. Did he display the same kind of emotions that he showed towards the Tusken woman when you fought? Or didn't he?"

"He did, but…," Elena turned her body away, uncomfortable with continuing her story. "I don't really want to talk about it. Perhaps another time. War does terrible things to a person, especially those you care about. I spend every single night wishing that the current one would end."

"You're not the only one," Kael said, and Elena looked at him. "I know this quest of ours is important, but a part of me just wants out. Like I told you before, I want to leave the Order as well as the military after all of this is finished. I stick by those words. What about you?"

"Me?" Elena's eyes flashed. "Well, I haven't really decided yet. I guess I want to see my family again, and to be with them. I'm…tired. I could use a period of leave."

"They're on Deralia, aren't they?" Kael asked, believing her family to be on the planet she falsely told him that she was born on.

"Possibly. Maybe. Like Carth and Audrey, I'll have to look for them." She was, of course, lying. Her parents were both deceased, taken by the war unleashed by her own fiancé. But like Taris and Telos, it wasn't Revan's doing.

"Lucky you," Kael smiled. "I couldn't find my parents back on Deralia even if I wanted to, seeing as I was an orphan. I don't remember anything about my childhood, pretty much."

"Where will you go, though? When Bastila and I saw your service records on the Endar Spire, you had no residence because of this war."

He looked into her eyes and chuckled softly. "I'll figure things out. I always wanted to just settle down somewhere and live a life of peace and quiet. A loving wife, children, things like that."

Far too focused on the words they exchanged, Elena completely forgot that their hands were still joined. Quite intimately, at that. Then again, Kael didn't withdraw, and neither did she. Chuckling at Kael's cheesy dream, Elena smiled and spoke to him. "Better keep that face of yours clear of harm if you want to stick to that dream. But really, what kind of places did you have in mind? Or woman, for that matter?"

"Anywhere where I can just enjoy the sight of nature, I guess," Kael shrugged. "Alderaan, Naboo and the like. As for a woman…" He smiled and looked at her shyly. "Ideally she will be very kind. Loving and supportive. Always there for me, as I will be there for her." He paused before adding in another quip. "And a pair of gorgeous dark eyes wouldn't hurt, either."

A surprised look was written all over Elena's face as her lips slightly tightened together, and she struggled to fight down a budding smile. It was futile, however, as her awkward lips stretched more and more until she was smiling and laughing alongside Kael, not even making the slightest effort to conform to the Jedi ideals she pretended to follow devotedly while they were on Dantooine.

"You keep that up, and I just might have to consider extending my leave after the war," Elena beamed at him, their hands still joined and reminiscent of the loving touch that they always shared in the old days.

Then, although she didn't will herself to, Elena found herself moving closer and closer to Kael, inch by inch, her breaths growing deeper. Her lips opened slightly ajar as she looked down at his, longing for the sensation which she had been missing for years. Admittedly, she had been unable to contain her emotions in the past, stealing a kiss from him while he was unconscious following their arrival on Taris as well as after his Padawan trial in the crystal cave. Part of her laughed at her, as she behaved like a little girl who believed fairytales where a kiss could bring a loved one back from the brink of death. However, Revan would always be a source of obsession to her no matter how frequently she recited the Jedi Code in her mind.

By the look on his face, Kael was clearly surprised, but he didn't draw backwards as he knew that he longed for this moment just as much as Elena did. He still remembered the feeling of anguish which flooded him inside the crystal cave in the final moments before he lost consciousness. The thought of never being able to see Elena again and not get the chance to tell her that he loved her was soul-crushing.

He leaned in towards her, his movement growing slower the closer he came. Their heated breaths bounced off each other's faces, and for a moment, Kael thought he saw a tear form on Elena's eyelid. She never let go of his hand for a moment, and in fact fondled it lovingly and curled her fingers over his.

Their lips hung mere inches from each other, the gap closing up with each passing second. Then, closing their eyes and embracing the blissful emotions which stirred deep inside, they finally—

"Enough!" Bastila fumed from inside the bedroom and violently pulled the door open, prompting Elena and Kael to quickly separate from each other's embrace and assume neutral positions on the couch. They looked up with shocked eyes at the woman who stormed over and stood over them with a look on her face that expressed nothing but pure anger. Her breaths were quick and full of heat, and she was currently more fear-inspiring than even a terentatek.

Bewildered, Elena peered up and spoke. "Bastila, what are you—"

"We're leaving. Now," Bastila said in a fear-inspiring and harsh tone. For all the lectures and teachings she provided Kael about the Jedi Code during their first few weeks on Dantooine, Bastila certainly proved herself to be nothing short of an absolute hypocrite. Her heart currently possessed neither peace, serenity nor harmony – quite the opposite. "Goodbye, mother," she quickly turned her head and glared at Helena who stood weakly at the bedroom door before pacing out the apartment and slamming the entrance door behind her, her steps echoing in the stairwell.

"What…what could have gotten into her?" Elena shook her head, disappointed and ashamed in her old Padawan.

"Headstrong and stubborn. Just like her father. How typical," Helena smiled glumly from the bedroom doorway. She walked quietly back to the living room to speak to Kael and Elena, knowing all too well that Bastila would not bear to listen to her words any longer.

"Mrs. Shan, what exactly did you talk to her about?" Kael asked.

Helena sat on her chair again and spoke. "I didn't want to speak about this to the two of you since it was a private matter, but I will anyway, since Bastila has decided to take on the persona of a brick wall." She leaned her forehead against her palm, her elbow digging into her lap as she took a deep breath before revealing the truth. "I am dying. Cancer of the stomach, I'm afraid. Bastila told me that you plan on going into the Dune Sea for your own reasons. I know that the possibility is slim to non-existent, but I requested to her that she retrieve my husband's holorecorder should she ever find his body. It's all that I have left of him, save for memories which will fade over time and still pictures that will not let me hear his voice."

"But why did she lash out at you?" Elena said.

Helena chuckled. "She cut me off before I could further explain my motives. The moment I mentioned the holorecorder, she accused me of being selfish and self-interested. She said that I just wanted to sell it to prospective hunters for the money and didn't care at all about her safety or her father. And here I was, thinking that joining the Jedi would enable her to develop a sense of empathy. Ha."

"I apologize," Elena sighed. "I guess it's just part of her nature. I tried to soften her sharp edges while she was my Padawan, but…it didn't take."

"Like father like daughter," Helena shrugged and scoffed. "Some things never change." She looked towards the top-left corner of the wall behind Kael and Elena, where an analogue clock ticked silently. It was getting late into the hour, around the time where the last of the light would be snuffed out of Tatooine's skies. "Well, it's getting late. You better run along with her now. Unsavoury folk have been skulking the streets lately."

Getting up on her feet along with Kael, Elena gave Helena a small but courteous bow as she spoke. "I'm sorry for how Bastila acted towards you. We will do our best to retrieve your husband's holorecorder while out in the Dune Sea. And…I'll continue to look out for and protect her, as I've done since she was young."

Helena smiled somberly. "That sounds good to me. Goodbye."

Kael and Elena left without a word, silently shutting the door behind them as they stepped out the residence. The broken woman remained inside, unmoving from her position on her seat and continued to weep for all that she had lost.

"It breaks my heart to see Bastila act like this towards her own mother," Elena murmured as she and Kael ascended the stairs. "Helena may seem on the surface to be rough around the edges, but deep down inside…I feel that she genuinely cares for Bastila and loved her husband."

"I agree," Kael said. "You saw how she almost broke down before taking Bastila into her bedroom to talk privately, didn't you? I didn't sense an ounce of falsehood from her then."

"We should do our best to try and find that holorecorder," Elena said with conviction. "The Star Map obviously takes precedence, but I don't want to see Bastila broken and torn for the rest of her life."

Judging by not only Elena words but also her emotions, it was clear to Kael that she cared for Bastila in a way which was far beyond the ordinary bond between master and apprentice. Rather, Elena seemed to hold affection for her, perhaps even more so than Bastila's mother herself. And for all that Elena and Bastila taught Kael about emotional attachments during their time on Dantooine, the cracks and seams of their own emotional tendencies were as clear as day.

Furthermore, there was an even more pressing emotional issue which nagged at Kael's curiosity. "Elena," he said softly, "did you…want to talk about it?"

"About what?" she said, looking at his face before she realized what the topic was. "Oh…"

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to – I'll understand if it makes you uncomfortable," Kael told her.

"No, it's…it's alright," Elena replied, her steps suddenly slowing down. "It's just that…well…I've been thinking about our conversation on Dantooine. When you came to me in the morning following our argument the previous night."

Kael expected Elena to go on, but instead she trailed off into silence, leading him to prompt her. "And?"

"I said it to you, didn't I?" she said, looking straight into his eyes. "I'd be lying if I said that I feel nothing for you. You saw proof of that just then."

"Elena, I…I don't know what to say," Kael shook his head.

Elena smiled and looked down at her feet. "Frankly, I don't know what to say either. It's just that whenever I'm around you, I feel…I feel warmth. A warmth that I never felt since…" She fell silent again, her hand rising and grasping her necklace.

"Did you love him?"

"What?" Elena's head spun towards him again.

"Revan," Kael said. "Did you have feelings for him?"

"…" Elena said nothing, but the trembling of her lower lip did her speaking for her. Her fingers twitched and shook as she lowered her hand back down to her side and she looked away again, unable to meet Kael's gaze.

"Don't worry. Forget that I asked," Kael exhaled. "Let's just focus on keeping a close watch on our surroundings for now. There'll be a time and place for everything."

Just as Kael finished speaking, they can back up to the ground level once again, where Bastila had been awaiting them at the door. Her face was still smeared with anger as she gave them a slight glare before opening up the exit and stepping outside to the cool, dusty air. Like it was when they initially came to the building, not a single word was uttered by any of the three Jedi.

The streets were deathly silent, so quiet that Elena could have sworn she could hear her heart which threatened to leap out of her body to escape the torment she was in. She and Revan had gotten so close to truly rekindling their love. She desired it above all, and yet feared for it tremendously, believing that locking lips with him could trigger another fateful vision. And when that time came, no cover-up or lie would prevent him from realizing the truth.

The haunting sound of Kreia's voice rang in her ears as she walked the streets of Tatooine, chilling her in a way that the biting winds could not.

"Only your love can unlock his full potential and spare you from certain doom…"

-o-

Fumes of smoke wafted through the air in a line, the sound of a man's breath almost echoing from his private corner in the Anchorhead cantina. His cigar providing him no more satisfaction, he smudged it against the ashtray and let it fall. He took another chug from his mug filled with the strongest rum on offer, sighing deeply after the warm liquid rushed down his neck.

The surroundings of the cantina were poorly-lit, evidenced by the overhead lights which continuously flickered in a way that would have driven away any customer who had high expectations of the place as a venue. The smell of booze and the stench of smoke wafted through the air, but its less-than-savoury customers were unaffected by it as they continued to speak to one another in drunken and slurred tones and muttered incoherent cheers. At the back of the cantina, a string of private rooms could be seen, and three beautiful Twi'lek prostitutes of red, blue and purple would come out dressed in sultry dark lingerie which left almost nothing to the imagination and revealed their luscious curves, luring in any men they knew by a glance to be weak of mind.

But despite the Twi'leks' repeated efforts, this one man would not budge from his spot, instead insistent on continuing to drink as if he was a man who had lost everything.

Only, he truly did lose everything.

A black eyepatch covered his right eye, the lace extending around his head for support. Underneath his long black hooded cloak was simple clothing; dark pants and a white shirt for everyday wear. Concealed by his robe were multiple scars along his arms and upper body, testimony to the grievous wounds inflicted on him by none other than the Sith. The trauma he experienced during the war caused his once blonde hair to turn into an atrophied pale white, and a long scar stretched downwards in diagonal fashion on his face, directly through the area which his right eye once occupied.

He peered down at the contents of the mug and sighed, the liquid inside swirling about as he fiddled about with the glass. The red Twi'lek prostitute walked straight past him and towards another patron, but not before giving him an irritated stare which he simply ignored. She headed towards another man who sat on the stool located on the opposite side of the bar area and began caressing his face and reaching down to his private areas, as if to taunt and tease the dark and mysterious figure who simply scoffed as he took another shot of his beverage. He finished the rest of his drink in one gulp before quietly putting the glass down in front of him.

"Want another drink, big guy?" the barman, a rough-looking Chiss dressed in an almost tattered and downright unclean dark shirt and pants looked over to his customer as he wiped a beer glass with a cloth which no-one could possibly say had been.

"Heh. Why not?" the man chuckled, hanging his head and staring down at the bar surface as he pushed the glass forwards. Finished with cleaning (or defiling it, whichever you fancy) the glass in his hand, the barman put down both the glass and the towel and walked towards the man who was located just opposite the beer taps.

Then, just as the barman took the glass in hand and hovered his hand over the tap, the doors of the cantina swung open, and in stepped a company which contained the oddest collection of people any could have seen. The robes worn by four of them all too easily gave away their statuses as Jedi to the keen observer, and a couple more were dressed in unassuming clothing. They were of all different ages, from a young blue Twi'lek girl who by all rights shouldn't have even stepped into such a venue if it weren't for the total lack of rules for the bar owner to follow, to a gruff-looking and muscled man who had a mean-looking repeating blaster holstered over his back.

Then, the cloaked figure looked at the man who was at the head of the pack. He was young, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and dark eyes, with a light complexion. Beside him was a black-haired woman with light grey eyes who was highly attractive by any standards.

"On second thought," the man said to the barman, his eyes fixed on the group which walked in, "forget about that extra drink. I'm done with drinking for the night."

The barman shrugged as he went back to either cleaning or defiling more glasses. "Suit yourself, Ulgo."

A/N: I got the idea of bringing back Trask Ulgo a while back, and I think it'll lead to some interesting turns in the plot. You'll have to wait and see to find out what I have in store for him.

I was originally going to do scenes featuring the other party members prior to them meeting up at the cantina, but cut them out because they weren't really necessary. I'm eager to take them out to the Dune Sea as soon as possible, as I've got more original plot elements to explore.

As always, thanks for all your reviews! I hope to give you another update as soon as I can.