Revan blocked Bastila's first strike, and countered the second. As she pinned her student to the ground, Revan said, "This one isn't going to work out."
"What am I doing wrong?"
"You don't feel comfortable fighting with two blades." Revan said, taking the two blades, and putting them back on her belt, and tossing Bastila her original weapon. "Let's see how you handle a two-bladed one."
Bastila nodded as she caught the weapon thrown her way.
-=0=-
Meetra leaned back, as she looked at the data. Kreia said, "Do you know what it means, Meetra?"
"Mandalore is coming after Revan. He wants to keep her out of the war."
"He fears her. As time progresses, he will become more and more desperate to prevent her entrance."
"You think this was the first move?"
"Yes."
"Why tell me?"
"Because, you will be affected by this."
"He'll send people after me because I'm a friend of Revan's... Bastila and Revan just are his first targets."
"Precisely. You should be prepared for attacks coming your way. You should be safe for a while, but as the mandalorians come closer to victory, he will become more and more worried about Revan arriving in the combat."
"I'm guessing the only way to end these threats would be to have Revan join the war."
"There will be a time for that." Kreia said. "I merely came to tell you that a time will come when you are a target of the mandalorians."
Meetra sighed, "Why couldn't Revan just be another Jedi, not one that has the attention of Mandalore himself?"
"She was never meant for a regular life. Some are destined for greatness."
-=0=-
Revan blocked Bastila's first strike, and barely caught the second. She pushed Bastila back, and countered, as the Padawan caught it with the lower half of her weapon. Their blades clashed again and again, hours passing as they fought.
Their four blades were a blur, as they moved across the plains. Sweat beading on their brows, as they struck at each other. Revan continued to catch each of Bastila's blows, twisting and turning to catch each of the strikes. Her blue and violet weapons always catching Bastila's yellow.
She twisted to deflect a blow from Bastila that had manage to get behind her. Turning around, she pushed the Padawan against a wall, the younger woman breathing heavily. Revan smirked, one arm beside Bastila's head, and said, "I think we've found the style for ya."
"Yeah." Bastila said, as she leaned back against the wall.
"You okay?"
"I'm just tired."
Revan nodded, and offered her student a helping hand. Bastila took it, while Revan said, "We'll work on improving your endurance. Boost it up to over ten hours."
"How long were we training?"
"Four and a half hours." Revan said, walking back the way they'd come. "We'll do more tomorrow. Push you to your limits until you can get past them."
Bastila just nodded, looking around at the plains. "How much time do you think we're going to have? Before you need to go?"
"It'll be months. The Council's too stubborn to admit they're wrong before it's too late, and I'll need to provide sufficient proof that revenge isn't my main concern. Otherwise no one will be willing to follow me."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I still feel somewhat responsible."
"There's no reason for you to. None of your actions have caused the situation I'm in."
"I know. But, I feel that there are things I could have done to help more."
"You're still learning. And, there's nothing anyone can do. It just takes time."
"Time seems to be the one thing we don't have right now."
"We'll have to make more time. Besides, this way if I fail when I go to war..."
"Revan, don't talk like that." Bastila interrupted.
"If I fail after I defy the Council, then at least there'll be someone who knows my tactics. Knows how to fight a war the way I would."
"You better not die and force me to take your place. I'm not as good as you are, Revan."
"It's not a matter of being as good as me, it's a matter of being good enough to get the job done."
"I really don't want to be your successor..."
"I don't want that to be forced on you either. But, if it is necessary for someone to take my place, I can't think of anyone who would be better for the job."
"I can think of at least one person who would be better suited."
"Meetra would be horrible as a replacement for me."
"She'd still do a better job than I could."
"Than you could currently. But, give me a couple months teaching you, and you'd do fine."
"Still, you had better do everything in your considerable power to keep that from happening."
"I will. But just in case that isn't enough, I want to be certain that there's someone who'll be ready to take my place at a moment's notice."
"It's madness to think that I could handle a situation if it were too much for you."
"Maybe, Bas. But, sometimes the only difference between two people is training and experience. My goal is to give you those two things."
"I'll never have your natural talent, Rev. I'll never have the aura that you do that seems to draw people to you, despite your best efforts to push them away."
"Who says that I have an aura? I'll throw them down a cliff!" Revan said, grinning.
Bastila chuckled, and said, "You know what I mean."
"I do." Revan said, sitting on a rock. "But, I wish that people wouldn't describe it like that. It makes it sound like I'm inadvertently mind controlling everyone around me to be my minions."
Bastila sat beside her, and said, "The only people who would accuse you of mind controlling people are fools or your enemies trying to discredit you."
"There do seem to be a lot of those as of late."
"Unfortunately." Bastila agreed, as they sat in silence on the rock. A moment later, Revan stood up, and motioned for Bastila to follow her.
-=0=-
"The orders are clear. Follow them, Operative Shadow." An aging man said, as he slid a datapad to a small woman in front of him.
She looked it over, and said, "This does not seem to be in line with the operational parameters we have previously followed, Sir."
"These orders come from the top, soldier."
"But, Sir, this is in direct conflict with the regulations of our activities. We are forbidden to operate in friendly space when there are other sources that could handle the situation without our intervention. This individual is surrounded by others who could handle it without our involvement."
"These orders come from the top."
"But they are in direct violation of our regiment's mandate."
"This is an exception to the rules."
"But sir..."
"Operative, you understand your orders, correct?"
"Yes, but I fail to see any potential benefits to this action."
"Your job is not to question your orders, it is to carry them out."
"Sir, I cannot in good faith pretend to be one of the enemy, and attack our own people."
"Your job isn't to attack our own people, Shadow. It is to kill."
"Sir, these actions will lead only to hostility, and my death."
"When you joined this unit you took an oath to sacrifice your life in the line of duty. Are you going to break that oath, Operative?"
"Sir, no, Sir. However; I would like to not die following orders that are against what I was told this unit stands for."
"I understand, Operative. You have your orders, and ten days to carry them out. Dismissed."
She nodded, and walked out of the room, shaking her head at the orders.
-=0=-
Vrook stared down at Bastila, and said, "Tell me, Padawan. Have you ever seen Revan behave in a manner that is unbefitting of a Jedi Knight?"
"Any time that Revan has been out of line, Master Vrook, it has been because it was the only way to save the optimal number of lives. Of Jedi, Republic Soldiers, and civilians." Bastila replied.
"You have never seen her act in a manner that would indicate she has fallen to the Dark Side?"
"Revan has shown that the very idea of falling terrifies her. When she suspected that stress affecting her too much was a sign that she was falling, she was willing to take her own life."
"Who talked her away from that?"
Revan then walked up, and said, "Master Vrook, this is most unorthodox. Typically when an interrogation is held, the teacher of the student being interrogated is informed. Or, at the very least the rest of the Council."
"Do not show such disrespect here, Revan." he growled, "The rest of the Council may coddle you out of pity, but I will not."
"Master Vrook, I am not showing disrespect. I am merely pointing out the fact that your actions here are not befitting a member of the Jedi Council. You are doing an interrogation, but not following standard protocol. I do not mean to offend. If you wish to question Bastila, I just want it to be done according to procedure."
He glared at her for a moment, then walked away. Bastila asked, "Are you sure that was a good idea? He's already furious with you."
"He wasn't following the rules that he's mad at me for breaking." Revan replied. "So, he can either follow his own protocols, or deal with the fact that I didn't."
"Still, do you really want to push him?"
"If he's going to interrogate you without following proper procedures, then I have to. You don't deserve to be put through his shit because he's mad at me, and is looking for any tiny thing he can to get me put behind bars."
"Still, aren't you the least bit worried about what he's going to do?"
"If he tries anything, I'll handle it."
"Revan, you have to treat this more seriously. He is out for your blood because of what you did. With his skill and reputation, he will make life a living hell for you."
"And by extension, you." Revan sighed, "I suppose I should try to repair the bridges I burned by my idiotic behavior on Cathar and Taris."
"And that planet where I got that injury..."
"That place too." Revan agreed, as she sat on the edge of the Enclave's roof. "I can't help but wonder if I'd be happier if the Deralia raid hadn't happened. It bugs me, day and night. The question of if I would be happier, having never known the people I do now. It's like a constant itch, begging to be scratched. Like a voice in my head, begging for an answer. But I can't find a definitive one. It's all maybes and possiblys. Nothing concrete."
"Maybe you aren't meant to know for sure. Maybe it's supposed to be one of your life's questions. Always there, pushing you to do what you can to forge a concrete answer."
Revan just nodded, looking at the area around them.
-=0=-
"Nine months. Two weeks. Six days." a small man sitting in a corner struggling against a straight jacket said.
"Why does that amount of time matter so much? You always say a number, one day shorter than the previous one. And always shorter each day that passes." a doctor asked, her voice impatient.
"Nine months. Two weeks. Six days." he said, looking at her with irritation.
"Yes, I know. Nine months, two weeks, and six days. Tomorrow you will say nine months, two weeks, and five days. Why does that period of time matter to you so much?"
"Nine months. Two weeks. Six days."
"Will you please say something else? Something that can tell me why that amount of time matters."
"Nine months. Two weeks. Six days."
"What is it about that date that is so important that you feel compelled to repeat it over and over?"
He looked at her with the same irritated madness for a moment, before it seemed to recede a bit, and he said, "The visions. They show something important happening then. Nine months, two weeks, and six days from now a hero will accept the call to action that she has been resisting."
"Who is this hero?"
"I do not know. The visions are always unclear." he said, before returning to his stupor, and repeating the phrase.
"Jason, can you please clear your head?"
"Nine months. Two weeks. Six days." he said, again struggling his bonds.
"You've said that already."
His voice then went quiet, and he said, "She stands at the precipice. On the edge of light and dark. The slightest push in either direction could destroy her. And if she is lost, the Dark Lord will rise and conquer all."
"You are delusional, Jason."
"In nine months, two weeks, six days she will defy her Masters."
"Jason, who is 'she' and who are these masters?"
"She will lead her peers to war. Two foes shall they crash against, before their destruction. In the end, one shall stand, all others shall fall.
"The army is formed and ready to march out. Only a general does it require. She stands ready, but unwilling. She has seen the army, and is not prepared to lead it."
"Who is she?"
"Her face is obscured. Shrouded in darkness. Only a faint light illuminates her form." he said, his voice returning to normal.
"Jason, what are these... visions? What causes them?"
"I feel them tug on my mind. Pull me away from reason, and into their madness. I can try to push them away. But, they are stronger than I am." he said, his voice switching back to the soft, gravelly tones of his madness, "Ten months. Ten months. Ten months." he said.
"What?"
"Ten months. Ten months. Ten months. Ten months left to live. Ten months. Ten months. Within ten months she must stand before us. She must hear us."
"Us?" the doctor asked.
-=0=-
"Three units of product? That's all you have produced this month?" Davik asked, glaring at the low-level spice cook in front of him.
"Yes, Mr. Kang. The latest batch got contaminated during the Jedi raid. Any that we would have sold could have had serious side effects, including death of the clientele."
"What did you do with it?"
"Following standard Exchange protocols, we destroyed the bad product. No remnants."
Davik threw his goblet at the spice dealer and shouted to a guard, "Put this failure in the torture chamber for three days, then have him return to work."
The guard nodded, and dragged off the screaming cook.
-=0=-
As Revan stared at the stars, Alek asked, "What's on your mind, Revan?"
"An old myth told to me by father." she replied, before looking down from them, and returning to working on a locomotion servo for HK-47.
"Why are you thinking about something as irrelevant as mythology?"
"Understanding where we came from can help us move forward."
"It still seems like a waste of time to bother yourself with ancient shit like that."
"Don't make me pull out the oldest counter-argument in the book..." Revan said, removing a small chip from the left side of the servo.
"Did you just remove the primary stabilizer chip?"
"Damn thing is a piece of shit. Can't handle the range of motion that I need HK to do. If he's going to be even slightly useful at CQC."
"There a particular reason you want your droid to be good at CQC?"
"That way if he's in a situation where he can't safely use his firearms, he'll not be defenseless."
"What are you going to have this droid do that will make it need firearms?"
"Guess, Baldy." Revan replied, fiddling with the servo.
"He's going to be an actual hunter-killer droid?"
Revan just nodded, continuing to fiddle with it. Alek, in turn, returned to working on deconstructing a shoulder. A few minutes later, Vrook marched in. Revan looked up, and said, "Master Vrook, while this is certainly a privilege to have a Master of your caliber visit my home, might I ask what brings you here?"
He ignored her, and said, "Alek, it is time for an extra training session. If you are going to achieve the rank of Jedi Knight in a timely manner you can ill afford to waste time working on this pet project of Revan's."
He quietly rose, and left the building with Vrook. Once both were gone, Revan grabbed what Alek had been working on, and carefully examined it, checking for a bug. Once she was certain that it was clean, she returned to working on the locomotion servo.
Then, a voice said, "You really shouldn't be working on this with your door open, Knight."
"Who goes there?" Revan asked, not even looking up, as she fiddled with the part.
"I don't even warrant you looking around, Knight Revan?"
"I'm very busy. If this isn't important, please leave." Revan replied.
"You could try being a little bit more polite."
"Whoever you are, I don't have much time to spare to work on this project. So I would rather not lose it to talking with someone I do not know."
"I possess intel that you would find most interesting."
"There are very few people with intel that would interest me. What's this about?"
"The raid on Deralia."
"What could you have to say that would interest me?"
"A young woman has been found on Deralia. She claims to be another survivor from the raid on Deralia, Knight Revan. She referred to you by your first name only. Fortunately yours is quite the unique name."
What is this woman's name?"
"She said her name was Tara."
"I never knew a Tara on Deralia. Whoever she is, I doubt she has anything that would interest me."
"She said she was a bit older than you, and stuck mostly to herself. She says that she has new information regarding the raid, but will only share it with you."
"Sounds like a trap."
"The Republic thought so too, so we ran the proper background checks. Everything she said about her history was confirmed."
"It easily could have been gathered by someone else. Did you perform a DNA test?"
"Of course. There were no signs of genetic modification. No markers that would indicate anything had been changed."
"So, you want me to go to Deralia?"
"It would be appreciated, Knight Revan."
"Your answer is no."
"Knight Revan, information on the raid could be useful. What if it is information that would permit Jedi involvement in this current war?"
"It would take proof of collusion between the Sith and the Mandalorians for the Jedi Council to approve such actions."
"What if it is? If we lose our only chance to get this information, it could have desire consequences for the Republic."
"So be it."
"How can you be so callous? This information could save lives."
"I saw enough of the raid to know what the mandalorians are capable of. To see the worst of their tactics. There's nothing a different point of view could give me other than open an old wound. I see no potential benefit to my returning to Deralia. To revisiting the night when the entire way I viewed the galaxy was crushed."
"Knight Revan, please. If not for yourself, then maybe seeing another survivor will help Tara deal with what has happened."
"The answer is still no. Seeing another survivor alive and well will do this Tara no good. Now leave my home before I forcibly remove you."
"Very well, Knight Revan. If you change your mind, I will be staying at the main spaceport."
"Have fun with that." Revan replied, "Now go away."
The man nodded, and walked away. Twenty minutes later, Revan was standing at the edge of a small cliff. Staring out at the plains of Dantooine. The similarities between it and her home were striking to the Jedi Knight. As she looked at it, she heard Bastila ask, "What's wrong, Rev?"
"Someone just visited me at my cabin. He said that there was another survivor of Deralia. A woman named Tara. Said that she'd only speak to me."
"Why don't you want to go back to Deralia?"
"Because, there's no point in going back. If I return to Deralia, it won't bring back the dead. It won't magically alter history so that day never happened. All it will do is bring back memories that are better left forgotten."
Bastila sat beside Revan and said, "Maybe. But your going back may help this person. Give her someone to talk to. And maybe it will give you someone to vent to who has been in a similar place."
"What good will it do me to walk on the ground I knew as a child? How will it help me to move on by going back to the place that I'm trying to forget?"
"You know why, Revan. If I told you, it would be you talking to yourself through me."
"Do you really think I should go back, Bas? That I should, even for a short time, dwell in the past?"
"I think that it might be good for you. I can't say for sure, but I do know that either way, what happened on Deralia will always be a part of you. With how horrible it was, saying that you should just move on and forget it would be an insult to everything you lost there."
Revan laughed, and said, "I seem to remember you telling me to do just that."
Bastila just nodded, and said, "I've learned a lot since then."
"I don't know. I mean, going back would also disrupt your training."
"Who said that I'd let you go without any backup?"
"I doubt the Council would let you come along. You're a Padawan, and with how traumatic my last moments there were, they will probably forbid my going at all."
"You'll never know until you check."
"True. But... should I go? What if the memories from there affect me negatively?"
"You've always said Jedi should take risks. That over-caution is one of the worst things in the universe."
"Why do you want me to go?"
"Because, I'm hoping it will help you make some peace with what happened."
"I don't know... I really don't want to risk snapping."
"I'll have your back." Bastila said. "Or if the Council forbids my accompanying you, I'll make sure that Knight from the group who wants you to lead them against the mandalorians goes along. Just to be sure that you're okay."
"I'm not sure she's the best choice. I'm half expecting her to pop up from out of nowhere and stab me."
"That's just your paranoia speaking."
"Maybe. I still don't trust her."
"I don't think she'll try to kill you."
"I was always told to not trust strangers."
"You should talk to the Council about you and I going to Deralia. Me so that you have backup if its a trap, and so that my training will not be negatively affected. Sooner rather than later."
"I'm still not sure this is a good idea."
"Like most of what you did on Cathar was a good idea?"
"Touche." Revan said, "I'll talk to them in a bit. Right now I just need to sit here and think."
Bastila looked out at the plains. Observing the setting sun. And said, "It's a gorgeous sunset."
"Yeah." Revan said, leaning slightly forward. She continued to watch, and then said, "I should go see the Council now."
"Indeed." Bastila agreed, as the older woman walked away.
-=0=-
The next morning, Bastila was greeted by Revan right outside the door. "Come on. The Council just approved the travel request."
"You don't seem exactly pleased."
"If they had denied it I would have an excuse to not go back."
"I never thought that anything would frighten you, Rev."
Revan laughed, while thinking, 'If you had any idea of how scared I am of losing you, then you'd run as far away from me as possible.'
They walked down the path, to the spaceport, as Bastila asked, "Will there be anywhere large enough for training on the way to Deralia?"
"I'll see to it that there is."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I made it clear to the Council that if there were nowhere suitable for training I would not go back. So, if they really want me to come with them, they'll make sure my demands are met."
"You really think that they'll do that? They are Republic officials."
"Historically that has improved a Jedi's chances of getting their demands met. The Republic is always concerned with making the Council happy for the few times they need Jedi help they'll do whatever I ask. To a certain extent."
"What is that?"
"I don't know. I've never tried to push my luck with them. If you want I could try when we get to the space port."
"That seems like a really bad idea."
"I never said it wouldn't be."
"Don't do anything that will have horrible consequences because you're curious."
"Well great. There goes that plan of getting a group of strippers for your birthday party." Revan said, laughing.
"If you do that, no one will ever forgive you for it."
"Yeah. Meetra would probably die laughing, and she'd be the only person not bothered by it."
"If you ever end up like Meetra, I will die of shock."
"Well then clearly for both our sakes I have to do everything I can to prevent that from happening. I mean, the bond breaking might kill me too."
"Ass." Bastila said.
"You really don't have to compliment my ass, Bas. I can tell from the bond you like it." Revan said, smirking.
"Would you give anyone else you train this hard a time."
"Too much information about what you've got between your legs, Bas."
"Revan, please quit being so irritating."
"Alright." Revan replied, "But how do you ever hope to be my friend if you can't handle the occasional merciless teasing?"
"Every time you do this it surprises me. You're usually so serious."
"Well occasionally I get a chance to let my hair down, and I try to take advantage of it."
"By making other people want to strangle you?"
"Well, I tend to try and intimidate them to the point that they wouldn't consider doing that. Seems I need to intimidate you some more."
"You could just try to be normal for once."
"Where's the fun in being normal? Have you seen those normal people? Their lives are boring. Just sitting at home, never having to worry about killing other people. Not dealing with war, or deep mental scars. Or people saying they're in love with minors when they aren't. Well some of them probably have to deal with the last one."
"I wonder if the reasoning would be similar to why people insist you're attracted to me."
"I'd be curious to see someone who has similar reasoning for being accused. Find out what horrible shit they went through."
"Invasion by survivors of the Exar Kun War and being sold on Tatooine?"
"That would be pretty impressive, considering that the odds of there being any hostile survivors is slim to none. Even if you went as far back as twenty years ago."
"Who says it had to be enemies? Maybe some Republic vets went crazy and attacked a planet."
"That's not likely. If it did happen it would have been way more publicized. The military wouldn't have been able to keep the press quiet about it." Revan said, as suddenly they were hit in the side by a large transport.
Their vehicle tumbled through the air, before crashing on the nearby plains. As Revan's head hit something sharp, she felt blood start to flow down her cheeks. Fighting to maintain consciousness, she looked around in time to see a man in black armor walk towards her.
She continued to look around, her mind fogging, before she saw Bastila lying on the ground. Unmoving. Revan pushed herself towards the Padawan, her mind racing. She could hear her heart pounding, and feel herself slowly fainting.
She slowly crawled towards Bastila, away from the man in black armor. When she reached Bastila, she could faintly sense a pulse through the bond. Turning around, Revan croaked, "Who are you? Who sent you after me?" to the man.
"You'll see. But know this, it was not Mandalore."
"Venerus?"
"I know of no Venerus."
Revan looked at him, and said, "Whatever you do to me, don't hurt Bastila. If anything happens to her, I. Will. End. You."
"My orders are to capture, not kill."
"Why are you answering my questions?"
"It was part of the contract that I make it clear that you know what is happening to you."
"What are you going to do with Bastila?"
"My client has been told that you have an inordinate fondness of Ms. Shan. As such she will be held as a bargaining chip. Unless you act in a way that would injure my client, she will be treated fairly."
"You expect me to believe that when both Bastila and I are bleeding from you knocking us out of the sky?"
"You Jedi are well known for your combat skills. I wanted to ensure success, and not risk dying by your hand."
"So why waste time explaining everything to me, instead of just taking me captive?"
"Orders. And I thought you would be unconscious by now. You Jedi are more hardy than I expected."
"We try to be." Revan said, struggling to her feet. Before she could get stable, he struck her to the ground, and stabbed her with a needle.
She immediately fell unconscious, her body hitting the ground with a dull thud. The man looked at her for a moment, making sure it had worked, before he gathered the two Jedi, and returned to his ship.
-=0=-
A/N: Well, another chapter done. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, please review and let me know what you did/did not like about the chapter. And, if you're really liking the story, please also favorite it and follow(assuming you haven't already.)
Oh, and as for the one-shot related to review counts that was achieved, it is ready and up now. Hopefully you guys'll enjoy it. I went along a slightly... different path.
Also, if you're going to just read it to try and get spoilers about this, don't bother doing that. I still want ya'll to read it. But not for stuff about this. I did not put that in there. I in fact, carefully pruned anything that would be spoilerific.