Disclaimer: n. 1. the act of disclaiming; the renouncing, repudiating, or denying of a claim; disavowal

Chapter Thirty-Six

JOLEE POV

Ignus the hotel manager was well-turned out, but was also surly, rude, and seemed uneducated. "You're the one defending Sunry now, eh?" he greeted Aithne without any pleasantry or beating around the bush. "Well the hotel's open for you and I guess I got to answer any questions you want, too."

Aithne nodded. "I'll try to keep it relatively painless," she promised. "Who are the witnesses in the hotel?"

"There were only two other people in the hotel when it happened," Ignus related. "One was a Rodian named Gluupor. Seems like a really dirty, shifty type. Normally I don't let his kind in here- I'm a reputable business man, you know!- but there weren't many people here, so I decided to take a chance. The other is a regular named Firith Me. He's a Pazaak player. Probably an addict, but he claims he's big in some circles. Don't know anything about him other than that."

Jolee processed this. Both lowlifes, not necessarily reliable witnesses. He frowned. This case just got darker and darker. "Thank you," Aithne murmured. "What do you know about Sunry and Elassa?"

Ignus sneered. "Elassa used to come here every week or so," he said. "Then Sunry would come by a couple hours later and stay all night. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was going on."

Jolee didn't like that. First Sunry was supposed to be a murderer, now he was supposedly being unfaithful to Elora, too? How much had his old friend changed? Aithne merely replied, "Indeed. What did you see the night of the murder."

Ignus answered easily. "The Sith woman Elassa rented a room in the hotel. An hour or two later Sunry comes in and goes to her room. A couple hours later I hear a blaster shot and see Sunry running. He can't run good 'cause he's a cripple, but still he was going pretty fast. I could swear he started after the shot, though."

Aithne focused quickly. "Could it have possibly gone off afterwards?" she wanted to know.

Ignus considered. "No, I don't think so. I mean, it's possible, but just barely. I wouldn't say that to the court."

Aithne sighed. "I wouldn't ask you to. Very well. Thank you for your gracious assistance. I'll see you in court."

She took leave of the manager and led them to the back of the hotel. They found the Pazaak player, Firith Me, first. "You with the Selkath?" he demanded. "You here to see me about the murder, too? I told the damn fish everything I knew. What more do you all want from me?"

Aithne raised a single eyebrow, and the man quieted. "You'll have to forgive me, Mr. Me," she said with dignity. "I just started as Arbiter, and I haven't heard your testimony yet. What do you know of Sunry and Elassa?"

Firith shrugged. "Sunry I only heard of once or twice in passing. Some sort of old time war hero, wasn't he? Seen him around the hotel, too. Going to Elassa's room always, of course. Kept the rest of the building up half the night with their damn antics, usually."

Aithne's lips tightened. "You mean to say they were in a relationship."

"I'm not saying anything like that," Firith equivocated. "What they did in that room, in private, is their business. And there isn't any rule against Sith and Republics seeing each other for personal reasons. Although if you think her Sith Master didn't know, heh, you must be fooling yourself."

Jolee took in a breath, and Aithne jumped on it. "I couldn't think any such thing," she said. "Until just now, I hadn't been aware that Elassa had a Sith Master."

Firith's eyes darted about the room, and a sweat broke out across his brow. "Uh…well…Elassa was a Sith," he tried to backtrack. "So of course she'd have to have someone above her."

"She would have if she were Republic, too," Aithne pointed out.

"I didn't see anything," the Pazaak player protested.

Press him, Jolee thought. Aithne layered her voice with the Force. "C'mon," she coaxed. "Tell me."

Firith's eyes cleared. "You know, I think I can trust you," he said brightly. "Heck, I don't know why I shouldn't tell you. One time, I saw Elassa coming in wearing this big cloak," he related. "I was on my way to my room, and she normally wore stuff like that, so I didn't pay her too much attention. But this time I accidentally brushed up against her- accidentally, of course- and her cloak fell open…"

He held up his hands, some of the fear coming back now. "Now, I don't have no qualms about the Sith," he clarified. "I leave them alone and they leave me alone. And seeing as how Elassa had a Sith lightsaber under her cloak, I'm not going to poke that hornet's nest."

Jolee looked at Aithne meaningfully. She inclined her head at him. "That's…extremely interesting," she told Firith finally. "Thank you."

Firith shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm not getting myself in any further with the Sith. I know how ruthless they can be. I'll testify it to the court, but that's all I know."

Aithne sighed. "No, Mr. Me. It's not. What did you see the night of the murder?"

Firith rubbed a hand in his thinning hair. "Oh, that. I was in my room, minding my own business, checking out the latest copy of Pazaak weekly, when I heard a blaster shot. Being still alive- and therefore smart enough not to stick my head out immediately- I didn't go out right away. I looked out after a minute and saw Gluupor in the hall by Elassa's room, and Sunry running like the wind. You can't tell me that someone who was running like that- and he was pretty fast for a cripple- isn't guilty."

Aithne paused for a moment. Then, she said to Firith, "That'll be all. Thank you." She led them out of the hotel room, and turned to Jolee. "It's not looking good," she murmured.

"It's not, at that," Jolee agreed. "But we have to keep looking until we find all the evidence."

Aithne's jaw tightened. "I'd planned on it," she assured him. "I'm the last person to judge anyone before all the evidence has been weighed."

Canderous scowled, but Jolee felt a bit better. He hoped something would come to light that would clear Sunry.

They crossed the hall to Gluupor's room. The Rodian sat on the end of the bed, swinging his legs idly.

/You here with Selkath?/ he asked AIthne. /You have questions for Gluupor? Gluupor already say everything he knows./ His tone was matter-of-fact, and it was immediately apparent that this Rodian was not the sharpest vibroblade in the pack.

/Yeah, well, I haven't heard everything Gluupor knows,/ Aithne told him in his native language. Gluupor brightened. Jolee guessed that he didn't normally run into people willing to speak Rodian.

/Gluupor have no reason not to say,/ he said genially without rising. /Gluupor tell everything. Everything about murder, everything about Sith Lady's room,/ he rattled on.

Jolee raised an eyebrow. That was interesting. Aithne thought so too. She held up a hand. /What about Elassa's room?/

Gluupor's eyes suddenly darted away, and his fingers twitched nervously. /Gluupor just curious,/ he mumbled unconvincingly. /Just curious to see what had happened. Gluupor have no reason to go into room…no one pay Gluupor to do it./

His eyes flicked to the footlocker by the wall, and Jolee had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. /Did they not?/ Aithne chided gently. /Gluupor, did someone pay you to do something in that room?/

The numbskull actually was astonished. /How did you know someone pay Gluupor? Well…Sith man come up to Gluupor after murder, before Selkath arrive. He say he give Gluupor good money if Gluupor put medal into Sith's hand. Gluupor good. Gluupor plant evidence and leave no trace. But Gluupor not recognize Sith man anyway,/ he confided. /Gluupor not recognize humans very well./ He shrugged. /No use to Selkath, so not bother to tell them. Well, that, and the Sith man say he will kill Gluupor if Gluupor speaks./ The poor creature gulped, suddenly looking sick. /Uh…oh no…Gluupor think…Gluupor think he can't talk now. Gluupor feels the need to lie down…maybe just stay here./

"That imbecile," Canderous said after Aithne had led them quietly from the room. "If the Sith don't kill him, someone else will. He's too idiotic to live."

"Maybe," Jolee said. "But nevertheless we have our evidence."

"It's not a shock that the Sith planted the medal," Aithne said thoughtfully, "And if Elassa was a spy as Firith's observations suggest, I can hazard a guess as to how they got it."

"True," Jolee agreed. "It's all very simple, but something seems fishy, even so."

Canderous snorted. "If your Sunry was messing around with this Elassa, based on the testimonies, he's the only one with any real motive to kill her," he offered.

Aithne considered. "Yes, perhaps if he'd discovered she was a spy. But then why would the Sith plant the medal?"

Canderous grunted, "My gut says check out the Republic Embassy," he said. "This whole damn mess is all politics, especially since it's gone to court now." He sneered. "We Mandalorians would just shoot the smirks off those smug fish faces."

Aithne's eyes went oddly out of focus at this, and a dreamy smile broke across her face. Jolee tried not to laugh. Canderous' suggestion must have appealed to Aithne. She could do subtle, but he knew her well enough by now to know that she preferred the direct approach every time. He looked over at Canderous. The Mandalorian was looking pleased with himself, but Aithne shook off the smile. "You're right, Canderous," she said. "I think, just to be thorough, we ought to check out the Republic Embassy. While we're at it we can ask about the Star Map." She closed her eyes, and Jolee felt a spike in her emotional aura and knew she was thinking of Bastila.

The Republic Embassy was spacious and elegant, with low ceilings and orange wall hangings. It might have been an impressive place, but the soldiers there all looked thin and angry, and there were far, far too few of them. Aithne led them up to the reception desk and the tall, dark-skinned man that looked like he was in charge.

"Mr. Wann," she addressed him. The man looked surprised to be greeted by name, and Jolee smirked, seeing the nameplate on the desk. "I am Aithne Morrigan, Padawan," Aithne was saying. "These are my companions Canderous Ordo and Jolee Bindo."

Roland Wann recovered himself. "Master Jedi. What brings you here?"

"Actually, I'm doing my best to save the galaxy," Aithne said lightly. Jolee smiled at her forthrightness. "I'm on an important mission from the Jedi Council. I wonder if you could render me assistance?"

Roland Wann's brow furrowed. "I don't know what I could do for the Jedi Council," he managed, "but I'll help if I can."

Aithne was quiet for a moment. She licked her lips then, and said, "I'm looking for a Star Map," she said then. "The remnant of some old, probably forgotten empire. At least, the Jedi don't know much about it."

Roland Wann's eyes narrowed, and he seemed to be trying to recall something. "An ancient and forgotten race…" he mused, rubbing his chin. "And you think it may be here on Manaan? Hmm."

"You know something," Aithne stated. "Tell me."

Mr. Wann looked at Aithne speculatively then. His eyes flickered to Jolee and Canderous, too, and a gleam suddenly entered his eyes. "Perhaps. But you'll have to do something for me, first."

Aithne went tense. "And what, ambassador," she said in a quiet, icy tone, "would that be?"

Jolee caught disgust, impatience, and anger rising from Aithne now, and he didn't blame the ambassador for being a bit taken aback. He didn't really think that he'd want to be the one that tried to use Aithne Morrigan, now that she knew her story. Roland Wann actually shuddered, but then he continued. "Er…yes. Well. We were using a submersible reconnaissance droid in the ocean surrounding Ahto City and it was…damaged. It took a data recording of the outside of the city before being driven off by the firaxan sharks. But while it was returning to the surface it encountered difficulties and was disabled. Its auto systems floated it to the surface, but we could not retrieve it in time. The Sith were applying subtle pressure to the Selkath authorities for some reason we have not determined, and were able to delay us long enough that they could retrieve the droid before we did. The droid's data centers are heavily encrypted, so it will take the Sith several days, we believe, to get to its data. It was captured twelve hours ago. It is imperative that we get it back!"

Aithne crossed her arms. "Mmhmm," she said, unimpressed. "And where is this droid, exactly?"

"It is heavily guarded, we believe," Roland said nervously, "in the Sith Embassy here on Manaan. Since we have no remaining soldiers to spare…"

Aithne cut him off. "I get it, okay? Before you help me get the Star Map the Council ordered me to find before Malak slaughtered them all, I have to invade the Sith base illegally and forcefully retrieve valuable information you have not the physical strength, the political power, or the gumption to retrieve yourselves." She took in a breath. "See, this is the problem I have with the Republic. Noble-talking opportunists, the lot of you." She broke off. "Still…"

Canderous laughed. Jolee stepped up beside her, though, so his shoulder just touched with hers. She nodded once. She stared off into the distance, thinking rapidly, formulating a plan. Roland Wann was staring at her. He looked a bit insulted, very much confused, and just as resolute as before. Finally, Aithne sighed. "I'll do it. How will I get in?"

Apparently there were three ways they could get in. Roland Wann had obtained an access card to the Sith landing bay. They could hijack a boat from there and go in the back door of the Embassy. There was a prisoner they had captured that possessed the entrance codes, too. But he had been heavily trained to resist interrogation. Still, the chore of breaking him was Aithne's, if she wanted. Finally, there were a bunch of Sith access cards that they had nicked, but all were heavily encrypted, and would have to be decoded before she used them. To do this, she would require access to the Republic database.

Aithne yawned as the representative finished telling her about these different strategies. "Think I'll try decrypting an access card," she informed him, and led the others to the back. The young technician in the computer room gave them a few quick instructions on how to go about the decryption, before confessing his absolute hopelessness at it and vacating the premises. He looked glad to break, Jolee thought.

Aithne looked at Jolee. "Spike," she said. Jolee understood at once. He was carrying the healing and repair pack, and he got out one of Mission's many, many computer spikes and handed it to Aithne. Aithne jammed the spike into the interface and began searching the Republic files. She wasn't on the computer long before she found what she was looking for.

"Jolee. Come here. Secret surveillance video."

The tape was grainy, but the story it told couldn't have been clearer. Sunry had aged twenty years, but it was unmistakably him that rose out of a bed containing a pretty, sleeping young woman. And It was unmistakably him that pulled the blaster from the bedside table and shot her dead. The tape ended.

Aithne turned to Jolee. She was pale. "Well, that's that," she said.

Jolee felt sick. Cheating on Elora, murdering that young woman? How could Sunry have changed so much? "It…it certainly is," he managed.

Aithne nodded once, and pulled out the datapad the Selkath had given her to record her investigations on. She copied the file to it before removing pad and spike from the Republic system. She picked up one of the access cards stacked up beside the computer. "Force, where's Mission when you need her?" she murmured.

"You're really going to do this, lass?" Jolee wanted to know. "You could get into some serious trouble with the Selkath."

Aithne shook her head. "Not if I find all those kids that Shaelas thinks they've abducted and prove something's up," she said shortly. "And pardon me if slicing through some Sith won't feel amazing after all this sneaking around, doing favors, and talking nice."

"Damn right," Canderous said.

Jolee frowned. "Be careful, kid," he warned. "You know impatience and anger are weak points of yours, and this is a vulnerable time for you."

Aithne didn't look at him. "A lot worse than vulnerable for Bastila," she snapped. "We're doing whatever it takes, Jolee. And these-" she gestured violently at the closed door, unable to come up with a bad enough word. "They won't help us until we do their dirty work. So- what time is it?"

"Nearing four," Canderous told her.

Aithne was quiet a moment. "We don't have time to raid the base tonight," she said. "That and Sunry's trial will have to wait until morning. But…I'll see if I can't break that Sith. Should be a piece of cake. Who knows Sith and finding stuff out like me, right?"

Jolee wasn't happy with this. "What's the plan tomorrow?" was all he asked, though.

"First the trial," she said. "Then the base."

"The trial," Canderous grunted. "What're you going to do?"

Aithne bit her lip. "I'll have to talk to Sunry first," she said. She didn't look like she liked the idea. Jolee's stomach turned again, and he was ashamed that he felt relieved it wasn't him. "Right now, though, that Sith in the interrogation chamber is of more significance."

She turned her backs on them and strode out, crying her frustration loudly as if she'd spent considerable time trying to decipher the access codes, rather than looked at them for a mere ten seconds. Canderous looked at Jolee.

"What can we do?" he asked, shrugging, then followed her.

The interrogation officer was more than willing to allow Aithne to assist in breaking the Sith prisoner. He was having trouble balancing convincing interrogation against the truth serum and its effects combined with the prisoner's considerable training.

The prisoner was a youngish, brutishly handsome man, sturdy and defiant-looking. The interrogation officer informed Aithne that he had a wife, and that a friend had been with him the night of his capture. "That's good," Aithne said, gritting her teeth. Jolee wanted to leave, but he couldn't resist watching.

He knew she'd interrogated many people before. Not just as Revan, either. He had felt her torture that Mandalorian on Korriban, interrogate him until he broke just for empty prestige. Now there was more at stake, and Aithne seemed more, too. He could feel fear and anguish and pity roiling underneath her stern face, along with flashes of recognition that he knew were ghosts of memories. But her voice was honeyed as she questioned the Sith, though steel threats ran strong just below its surface.

He eventually broke. There was no way he could hold out, with Revan questioning him. But when Aithne typed the code into a datapad and turned away, there was no triumph in her face. Only pure, undiluted self-loathing. Jolee felt compassion for the child. He squeezed her shoulder, but she broke away. "Let's go," she growled.

AITHNE POV

Aithne was glad Jolee didn't try to talk to her on the way back to the Ebon Hawk. What was there to say, really? He was disappointed in his friend, but didn't want him to die. He was worried for her, even a little afraid of her, after she'd made that Sith back there spill his guts. She knew all that. Canderous was excited about the prospect of slicing up some Sith. But he was worried about her too, in his own way. They all were. Well, except Carth. At least for the most part Canderous and Jolee didn't say anything. Not like Mission, always trying to get her to talk. Or Zaalbar, always trying to get her to eat something. Or Juhani with her big cat-eyes that could have delivered a Senate address about her hurt and worry and faith.

Aithne grabbed an energy bar from the cargo hold once they arrived, and sat out again. Alone. Just like before, Carth was the only one that got it, though also just like before, his reasoning was totally crazy. So she wasn't Revan anymore. So the Jedi had stolen her memories and filled her head with lies. So she just about killed herself nowadays trying to do the right thing, and couldn't hurt him or any of the Ebon Hawk crew in a million years. That still didn't mean she wouldn't screw up. It still didn't absolve her of all the nameless atrocities she'd committed. She was a monster. And the entire crew should really only be worried about Bastila.

Eight o'clock found Aithne outside the Ahto City detention center. Elora was still pacing in front of it. Aithne sighed, and went up to her. "Ma'am? I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm Jolee's friend, Aithne Morrigan. I've…"

"Been appointed Arbiter in the case, yes," Elora said. "Oh, please, have you found anything?"

Aithne gripped the woman's shoulder. "Come over here," she said. "You better sit down." She led the woman over to an out of the way bench in a corner by one of Ahto City's innumerable fountains. "Ma'am- may I call you Elora?"

Elora waved impatiently. "Of course, of course. Just tell me what you've found."

"I've discovered…more than I expected," Aithne managed. "Elora, was Sunry having an affair?"

At first Elora was indignant. Her face flushed. She sat up straight, and her mouth opened in an angry rebuke. But then she seemed to collapse on herself. "Yes," she said quietly. "He started seeing Elassa last year. I…I had my suspicions for a while, but he was careless. Pretty soon everyone knew. But…but even though I'm sure that harlot was only using him, I know he couldn't have killed her. He came and confessed the affair to me. He said he was going there to break it off- to end it. Maybe the Sith woman attacked him and he had to defend himself?" she guessed. She looked directly at Aithne then. "Even though he cheated on me, inside Sunry's still the man I loved…love. He is too kind and gentle to have killed her in cold blood."

Aithne grabbed Elora's hand. "Elassa was a Dark Jedi," she said quietly. "You're right to suspect she was using Sunry. After her…death, the Sith hired the Rodian Gluupor to plant Sunry's medal on her."

"Then he's innocent?" Elora said. Hope flooded to her cheeks. Aithne winced, and pulled the datapad out of her pack.

"No, Elora. He's not. I think you should see this. It's a surveillance video I uncovered in the Republic Embassy."

She played the video. Elora gasped, and in the dark, tears shimmered on her cheeks. "Sunry," she exclaimed. "No…"

Aithne closed her eyes. Her stomach turned over.

Elora released Aithne's hand, shaking with silent sobs. Finally, she quieted. In a dead voice, she asked. "What will you do?"

Aithne bit her lip. "I'm going to go talk to Sunry," she said finally. "I have to know why he did it."

Elora nodded. Aithne rose to go. As she went, she heard a small voice after her. "Ms. Morrigan?"

She turned. Elora looked at her with haunted eyes. "Please," she whispered.

Aithne swallowed, turned away, and kept walking. She flashed her ship's record at the guard at the prison door. The Selkath nodded and escorted her inside to Sunry's cell. The man himself sat on a bench in the tiny room, staring at the wall intensely.

Aithne cleared her throat. "Mr. Sunry?" she said. "I'm a friend of Jolee Bindo's. My name is Aithne Morrigan. I'm your Arbiter."

Sunry rose immediately. "Thank goodness you're here," he said in a quavering voice. "You'll get me off, Master Jedi. It's all a frame-up. It's obvious."

That set Aithne off. She held up a hand. "Don't bother," she said quietly, holding up the datapad. "I found this surveillance vid in the Republic archives. I know you did it."

Sunry's entire face collapsed. "So the truth is out," he said in quite a different tone. "I never meant to kill her, you know. I loved her." He gave a short bark of laughter. "Guess you probably know that by now."

"I guess so," Aithne replied. "Why'd you do it?"

"When I found out she was a Sith spy using me to gain information, something inside me just snapped," Sunry confessed. "I waited until she fell asleep and then I…I killed her." He shrugged, and his face was remarkably serene. "Simple, really. I contacted those spies from the Republic to help me. They found the illegal monitoring device that the Sith had planted in the room. They cleared up the evidence."

Aithne looked levelly at him. "But the Sith found out," she said. It wasn't a question.

Sunry nodded. "They must have been spying on me and Elassa," he speculated. "Checking to make sure she wasn't a double agent. They must have seen the Republic spies, and so they planted their own evidence. Elassa must have stolen that Hero's Cross from me a while ago. I thought it had just gone missing. But the minute I heard, I knew the Sith had put it there." He looked at her through the energy bars of his cell. "Now you know the whole story. What are you going to do?"

Aithne remembered how this man had helped Jolee. She remembered the love his wife had for him, even after he'd cheated on her. But when she thought of the tape, and of how calmly he'd shot the sleeping Elassa, she felt sick.

"I don't know," she confessed.

Sunry's face twisted. "You think I'm some kind of monster, don't you?" he demanded. "All I did was kill a Sith! How many Sith have you killed? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?"

His words punched her. Aithne flinched. Lashowe and Lahad seemed to rise up from the ground to stand behind Sunry and accuse her. Her thousand other unknown crimes swooped in, too, pressing on her lungs. Who are you to judge, a nasty little voice whispered in the back of her mind. You, Darth Revan, Lord of the Sith? Aithne let out a strangled gasp.

Sunry looked at her in satisfaction. "I don't see how the two of us are any different," he said firmly. "Elassa was a spy! She was using me to get information so Malak's army could destroy the Republic! She deserved to die!"

Aithne blinked. "No," she murmured quietly, then again, more loudly. "No. You didn't kill her because she was a Sith. You didn't kill her in a war. You didn't even kill her because it was your duty, or because she was in your way. You killed her while she slept, because she had betrayed you." She looked at Sunry. "Similarly to how you had betrayed your wife, I might add."

With every word her voice gained conviction, and the specters of her past retreated to bide their time until a more convenient hour. Sunry's face hardened. "I can't confess tomorrow," he informed her. "If I do, it's twenty years in prison! The Selkath…" his eyes brightened. "They might even place kolto sanctions on the Republic Embassy. Without kolto…"

"Those are excuses," Aithne said flatly. "'Fess up, Sunry."

"No," he refused. "I can't do that and put the Republic's supply of kolto in danger. If you turn me in, the Republic will likely lose its kolto export privileges, and then we'll lose the war for sure. Are you going to send all those thousands, millions- like on Taris- to their deaths, just for your sense of justice?"

Aithne glared at him, and hatred coiled in her gut. She saw Sunry's argument for what it was: a puppet he held between him and prison or death. At this point, Aithne knew he didn't really care whether the Republic burned or not. But he very likely spoke the truth.

"I know what I did," Sunry said. "But I also know what's at stake here."

Aithne turned on her heel and left without a word. Elora was gone when she made it to the fountain. It was near ten o'clock at night. Few Sith, Republic soldiers, or Selkath roamed the broad streets of Ahto city. Aithne sat down heavily next to the fountain.

Where were right and wrong these days? And who was she? Darth Revan? An evil Sith Lord. Would she be doing a favor to the universe in general if she just let Carth put a blaster up to her head, as he'd said he'd like to do once? She thought of the people she'd heard that she'd tortured. The worlds she'd heard she'd burned. Force, the respect Canderous and Aytchkay spoke with when talking of Revan indicated it might be a favor to the universe if Carth shot her.

She thought of all the things she'd done, even as Aithne. She didn't know how far that went- back to the Endar Spire? A couple of months before? Still. She'd lied. She'd cheated. She'd tortured people. She'd killed dozens and dozens. People that deserved it. People in the way. People she could have easily worked around and left alive. She couldn't even save the galaxy properly without being evil.

Aithne stared at her hands. She didn't feel evil, though. Mostly she just felt confused, and angry, and afraid. But she also felt compassion, regret, and love. Weren't those supposed to be Jedi traits? Light Side and all that? I walk the knife's edge, and the blade is starting to cut my feet. On one side of the knife was the Light, bright and hard and good. On the other was the Dark, subtle and seductive and familiar. Trouble was, nowadays she didn't know which was which.

Good guys, bad guys, they were all muddled in her head. Lahad, Yuthura, even Canderous and sometimes Jolee. Were they supposed to be bad? Personally, she found their honesty refreshing. On the other side there were people like Master Vrook and Roland Wann, manipulating her cold-bloodedly for some greater good that really just felt like the same old thing. There were people like Sunry, too. People like Carth, that turned on her in an instant. Were they supposed to be good?

Aithne sighed. That wasn't fair of her. Carth was good, through and through. She was the messed up one in the equation now, and even now, when all was lost, she couldn't stop loving him.

Or the other ones. The ones that really walked in the Light. People like Bastila and Mission and Zaalbar. Like Master Dorak, and Elora, and Dustil. The Republic was a terrible mess. Aithne knew it. But when she thought of the Sith, of Malak and Uthar and Jorak Uln, she knew which side she'd be taking.

CARTH POV

Everyone was worried when she didn't come back that night. Jolee, the Jedi on board closest to her, could only say that she was not hurt or in trouble, just that she was thinking. They decided she'd return or call eventually, and one by one, the crew members went to bed.

Except Carth. He'd tried to break the habit of worrying about her. Darth Revan certainly didn't need his help to do anything. But…she seemed so fragile these days. So on edge. And she really hadn't known…

But she kept going. And she was going it alone now. Sure, she'd taken Canderous and Jolee out today, but he'd be damned if she'd actually talked to either of them. He figured she'd taken them specifically not to talk to them. She walked around, eyes hollow, jaw set, snapping if she ever said a word at all. And if she ever even looked at him, she flinched and turned away. What was going on inside her head? What was she doing?

Carth walked out to the main room, and found that he wasn't the only one awake. Mission was up, too. She was staring at the wall.

"You think she's alright?"

"Aith…Revan can take care of herself," Carth told her.

Mission looked him over once and laughed. The sound rang out hollow and mocking. "Then why are you still up, geezer? You look like you ain't slept in a year."

Carth looked at the floor. "You said it was bad, this morning. How bad is it?" he asked.

"Pretty damn awful, now you ask," Mission said.

"Don't swear," Carth told her.

"Why not?" Mission demanded. "It's the truth. She keeps having nightmares . Heh. You've seen her. She looks worse than you do, and that's saying something. She's a mess." The words were hostile.

"And what- that's my fault?" Mission glared.

"Don't flatter yourself," she snapped. "You haven't helped, but you think she's happy Bastila's gone? She knows…" her voice cracked. "She can feel Bastila being tortured in her head, Carth. She told me that most of the time she blocks it out. Can't function with it. But sometimes? She can't help checking. And it's…it's bad."

Carth flinched, imagining. "Besides," Mission continued in a harder voice. "She's not exactly thrilled about being Revan, either. The only time she's ever told me anything was just this morning. She didn't tell me much. She doesn't like letting anyone in. She's like you that way. But I can pretty much guess what's going on. She's found out that for twenty-eight years, she ain't been doing what she thought she's been doing, because some totally wrong old men messed with her head. It kills her, knowing she's committed all these crimes but being unable to remember. She said this morning that she has to imagine 'the depths of her own depravity' or something like that."

Carth shifted uncomfortably. "Revan did a whole lot more good than she did bad," he objected. Impatient, Mission cut him off.

"Yeah, I know. You taught me en route to Dantooine that second time, remember? But Revan also did bad. Really bad. And she knows." She looked at him speculatively. "And yeah, you aren't helping, treating her like she's the Dark Side itself after all this time, after all she's done for us. She never meant to love you, you know. But that doesn't make it any easier to stop. She hates herself more than you hate her anyway, and you hating her just makes it about a gazillion times worse."

Carth sighed. "I don't hate her," he admitted. Mission crossed her arms.

"Really? Could've fooled me. You know, if I were her, I might not come back either." She sniffed. "Well, that, or fire your sorry butt."

She might just possibly be right, and it killed him. Carth spread his hands helplessly. "Mission..." Something in the teenager's face softened, and her lower lip trembled.

"Look, I know. But you can't blame me for being a little mad. She's…"

Carth sat beside her. "She really means a lot to you."

"You both do, geezer," Mission said, moving over to give him a little more room. "You ain't been yourself this last week, either, Carth. Stomping around, moping, not talking to anybody. The two of you- you work best when you're together. I'm not saying how. But-" she broke off. "I miss you both, okay? I know I'm always trying to skip out on lessons and telling you both I'm not a kid, but…you're family. I mean, all you guys have been there for me. Juhani. Jolee. Canderous. But you and Aithne most of all. More than anyone, even Big Z. After Taris. My birthday. Helping me find Griff. All the stupid stuff, everyday. Getting me clothes. Teaching me stuff. Treating me like an actual person. Like I matter."

Carth smiled a bit. "You do matter, Mission. So much. You have to believe that. No matter what happens, we'll take care of you. I will. I promise. I…I promised her that, way back on Taris. Aithne, that is. And if I know one thing, it's that even after all this, she loves you, Mission. She's not going to leave you." He sighed. "On Kashyyyk, she told me: 'I'm on your side,' she said. She didn't mean the Republic. She meant us. All of us here on the Hawk trying to take down Malak. And- and I believe it."

"Do you?" Mission asked, looking straight at him.

Carth nodded once. Mission looked away. "I hope she's alright," she said quietly.

"Me, too, Mission," Carth said. "I think I might need to apologize again."

"Yeah," Mission agreed. But she leaned up against him, and Carth put his arm around her. And together, the two of them waited through the night for some word. For anything.

Carth woke up when Mission jerked her head off his shoulder in the morning. Her com-link was buzzing. He was wide awake in a second. "Yeah?" Mission said.

"Mish?" came a colorless voice on the other end.

"Aithne, where are you?" Mission demanded.

"I'm at the Selkath courts," came the reply. "Sunry's trial's about to start."

"Aithne? What the hell?" Carth began. Mission held up a hand.

"Shut up," she said. "Alright, Aithne, who in the galaxy is Sunry?"

Aithne's sigh rattled over the com. "Just get Jolee," she said, exasperated. "And tell him to bring Aytchkay, just in case."

"Why do you want the psychopathic droid?" Mission asked. Carth very much wanted that answered, too, but Aithne wasn't having it.

"Mission!"

"I'll do it, I'll do it," she said. "Over and out."

"What do you think is going on?" Carth asked.

"No idea," Mission grumbled, "Better get Jolee and HK-47, though." She left the room.

Carth wondered what Aithne had got up to now as he heard the inmates of the Hawk shift to go to Sunry's trial, whoever that was. In the other room, an irate metallic voice sounded.

"Query: Where are we going in such a hurry, meatbag?"

JOLEE POV

By the time Jolee and HK-47 arrived at the courtroom the preliminaries of Sunry's trial were over with. Everyone knew exactly what it was he stood accused of, and they'd all heard the testimony of Ignus, the primary witness. Jolee sat down just as Aithne stepped up to address the judges for the first time.

Her face was hard, and her eyes empty. Jolee's stomach sank. "I will find Sunry innocent," Aithne said in a clear, ringing tone.

Proving Sunry innocent was not an easy task. Jolee guessed that the lass had stayed out most of the night working out how to manage it. He still wasn't sure it was the best idea, or why she was doing it. He hoped she wasn't lying for him.

Her defense basically came down to three basic points. First, no one had actually seen the murder. Firith, Gluupor, and Ignus had all heard the shot, but no one had actually seen Sunry kill Elassa. There was only the Sith camera to bear witness to that, and Aithne didn't make the video public to the court. Next, Aithne had Firith testify to Elassa being a spy, and Sunry confess that he had found out. From there, she had Gluupor admit to planting the medal. The Selkath knew the Sith, as neutral as they said they were. Aithne was able, if only just, to insinuate that Elassa was a spy, and that the Sith were framing Sunry.

He got off. /This court hereby finds Sunry innocent of the murder of the Sith Elassa,/ Shelkar announced, bringing down the gavel.

"Your honors!" the Sith prosecutor protested. He'd really tried very hard to convict Sunry, Jolee thought. Maybe for Elassa, maybe to bring down the Republic, but he'd tried. "No!"

/Silence!/ one of the judges ordered him.

/The verdict has been delivered and this trial is now over,/ Shelkar insisted.

The shackles binding Sunry were removed. He went to his wife, who embraced him. "Sunry!" she whispered. "I'm so glad."

"Elora," Sunry said.

Jolee frowned. It would have pleased him better to get off an innocent man, the friend he'd known years ago. He walked over to Sunry, and Aithne joined him. "We have done all we could for you, old friend," he said. Sunry averted his eyes, and Jolee saw that his old friend knew that he knew.

"Thank you for saving…" he began to Aithne.

"Don't thank me," Aithne cut him off. "If it hadn't been for what you did for Jolee and for the Republic, I would have seen you punished to the utmost for what you've done." She kept her voice low, but her words punched. "Get out of here. You make me sick."

Sunry took a step back. "I…I see. The Republic will not forget what you have done for us," he offered. "We'll…we'll leave here. Leave this behind."

Aithne stared at him. "Jump planets if you must," she said quietly. "The blood of your lover will never leave your hands, nor will the shadow of your betrayal leave your wife's face. Let these be your punishments."

Sunry looked over at Elora, but she didn't meet his gaze. Jolee nodded once, satisfied, and didn't say anything. A vague discomfort flitted across Sunry's face, but then he nodded, and with Elora, he left.

"That was well done, lass," Jolee observed to Aithne.

"Query:" Aytchkay inquired. "You don't like that meatbag, do you, master? May I shoot him? Please say I may!"

Aithne sighed. "HK-47, we're going to go to a place where you'll be able to shoot near everything you see," she told the droid in an undertone.

"Exclamation: Delightful! Oh, master, you are too good!"

It took the three of them a while to cross Ahto City to the Sith Embassy. When they got there, though, Aithne quietly told the Sith official manning the desk the password, and expressing mild surprise, he let her in.

Of course their good luck didn't hold. The password Aithne had extracted from the guard the night before was an older one, and in a trice Aithne's promise to HK-47 was fulfilled. The entire base was on high alert. They had dirt to dig up and droid information to find. When Aithne and Jolee couldn't come up with a plausible reason for their visit, or provide suitable credentials, the entire base attacked.

Jolee didn't particularly care for times like this. Wanton slaughter was much more Canderous' or HK-47's cup of tea than his. Indeed, as Revan's psychopathic droid blasted Sith left and right, he frequently let out exclamations of glee, and expressed wishes that they might do this sort of thing more often. For Aithne's part, she cut through Sith troops with a brutal apathy as uncharacteristic of her as her recent silence and gravity. They were all spattered with gore, and Aithne's hair was flecked with blood and sweat by the time they found the droid they were looking for. But they kept going. And far in the back, in a little enclave all their own, they found Selkath.

For the first time Aithne showed a flicker of interest, as they ran into young Selkath that matched Shaelas' description. They were perhaps the equivalent of human children fifteen or sixteen years of age. They also attacked on sight.

"Aytchkay!" Aithne shouted. "Hold. Stun, don't kill!"

"Statement:" the droid replied. "How disappointing, master. And I was having such fun." Nevertheless, he switched the setting on his blaster rifle.

The Selkath dropped, and Aithne stepped over their unconscious bodies and began to poke around the little establishment. It was formatted in the shape of a cross, with four rooms leading off in different directions. "Try that one," Jolee said, picking out one at random,

Aithne nodded, picking the lock to get inside. She gasped upon entry, and Jolee swallowed hard. No fewer than four bloody, mutilated Selkath children lay sprawled on the floor. Three of them looked to be dead already. But one blinked up at Aithne. She knelt beside him.

/Master…Jedi…/he croaked. /Tell Shasa…/ he reached bloody webbed fingers up to Aithne and pressed something into her hand. /The Sith…/ he gasped, and then his eyes rolled back into his head.

Aithne held up the item the Selkath kid had given her. It was a small coral charm. She nodded once and tucked it into a pocket. "I'm glad we came," she muttered. "C'mon."

She led them into another room, where they found the master of the base, along with two other Selkath apprentices and two trained Jedi . "Aytchkay?" she directed. "Kill the Sith. Stun the Selkath. Got it?"

"Resignation: If I must, master."

Jolee incapacitated the guards with the Force. Aytchkay shot and stunned them. Then they were face to face with the master of the base. "Who dares disturb…" he began. Then he looked over Aithne, and flinched. "Wait…aren't you…"

Aithne jerked her head. "Yeah," she said, hitting him with a jolt of Force Lightning right in the chest. Jolee followed the attack with an onslaught of his own. Aithne jumped to him and delivered a crippling overhead blow, and the Sith ambassador died.

Aithne stood there, looking down at him contemptuously. "He could kill children well enough," she said. "But when it came to a real opponent? Coward." She kicked the body aside viciously.

"He knew who you were," Jolee said.

"Aithne Morrigan or Revan, it doesn't make much difference. Any Sith with any communication from Malak whatsoever wants me dead. More than ever now, probably, now that he's got Bastila." Aithne said shortly. She was going through the office systematically now. She stopped when she found a datapad. "Here's the plan, Jolee. This is our pass out of here." She waved it once, then put it with the rest of the datapads. "The Selkath youth- what ones the Sith haven't killed and we haven't knocked out- are across the hall. About the only things in the base left alive."

She led the way across the hall, and sliced the locked door. There were maybe six of them there. These didn't attack. They took in Aithne and Jolee's battle-worn appearance and the fearsome rust-red droid. One, a neatly dressed female, spoke up.

/What are you doing here? Only masters and apprentices are allowed in here./

/That would be standard,/ Aithne replied. /The Sith don't want you getting any dangerous ideas. You're easier to control that way. I'm…well, you can call me Aithne Morrigan. You're Shasa?/

The Selkath girl stepped back. Now she looked annoyed instead of puzzled. /Did my father send you?/ she demanded. /Go away! The Sith are teaching us mastery of the Force. Our alliance with the Sith will bring strength to Manaan and the Selkath people./

Aithne snorted. Jolee looked warningly at her. She wasn't going about this right. /Alliance. Right. Seems to me that you've been locked up and are in the process of being brainwashed. This kid in the other room gave me something for you./

She handed over the coral charm. Shasa examined it, and grief and bafflement flitted across her scaly face. /Galas?/

One of the other Selkath examined the charm. /This is his,/ he confirmed. /I gave it to him when we were children. There's blood on it./

/Galas…he chose to leave,/ Shasa said. /The Sith returned him to Ahto City./ But she didn't sound like she really believed it. Jolee felt a little more hopeful, particularly when Aithne kept her answer gentle.

/The Sith are lying to you, Shasa. I know. It's all techniques I taught them, or so I presume./ She glanced at Jolee, uncertain. He shook his head.

"No, you're right." Aithne grimaced. Shasa looked at Aithne oddly.

Aithne shrugged. /I was Darth Revan, once./

Shasa's face, which had been showing signs of belief, hardened. /Yeah, right./

/Don't believe me? I found that pin on Galas. He'd been tortured. Now he's dead./

/You…you could have found it anywhere,/ Shasa protested, though some of the others were shifting uncomfortably. /For all we know, you killed Galas!/

Aithne shook her head. /You're smarter than that, Shasa. I had nothing to gain by killing him. I'm not trying to take over your planet. What's one Selkath boy to me?/

It was the wrong tack again. Shasa was backing up, going towards the footlockers. Presumably she sought her weapon. Aithne sighed. /But I see you don't believe me. Here then./ She got out the datapad she'd retrieved in the other room. /This, I think, belonged to the Sith Master I just killed./ She tossed it over to the Selkath girl. Shasa caught it deftly, and looked over it quickly.

/It is the master's own datapad!/ she exclaimed. /They speak the truth!/ she proclaimed to the others upon further perusal of the detailed report /I…I cannot believe it,/ she said presently.

/The evidence is overwhelming,/ another Selkath observed dazedly.

/The Sith wanted to use us to betray Manaan!/ Shasa cried, outraged. She turned to Aithne, and bowed low. /I must apologize for doubting you. The Sith are truly as evil as you claimed./

/We must report this to the Ahto City authorities,/ one of the other Selkath observed.

/Yes,/ Shasa agreed, grabbing a pack from a locker. The other Selkath followed suit. /We'll leave at once. We thank you, for showing us the truth,/ she said graciously to Aithne. /You have saved us from a terrible mistake./ The other Selkath proceeded her out the door, but Shasa hesitated. /Um…are you really Revan?/ she asked.

Aithne sighed. /Yes,/ she repeated.

/And you are trying to save the galaxy to atone for your past crimes?/

Aithne's face darkened. /Something like that, yes./ Jolee clapped her shoulder, and Shasa gave Aithne a long measuring look.

/I don't envy you,/ she said simply. /I can stay here no longer. I must flee this foul Embassy and warn our people against the plot to corrupt the Manaan youth./

Aithne nodded. /You won't have any trouble on the way out,/ she assured the girl. /I took care of it./

"Be careful with the gifts the Sith have taught you," Jolee called after Shasa. "Beware the Dark Side, or you may end up betraying your world regardless."

Shasa eyed Jolee with misgiving. /Yes…well. Um. Thank you!/ And she was gone.

Aithne sighed, picking up the datapad Shasa had left behind. "We'd best be going, too," she told the others. "We have to get back to the Hawk before some government official realizes that we've torn this place apart."

Famous last words, Jolee thought, as they emerged from the Sith base to the barrels of about five blasters. The Selkath surrounded them.

/Freeze, human!/ one demanded. /You are under arrest!/

A/N: All Manaan has been more extensively modified than anything else in this reboot. I'm particularly happy with the Carth-Mission stuff I've added. It needed to exist, and it didn't before. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this. Leave a review!

May the Force Be with You,

LMSharp