How do we look? Revan asked telepathically from the aft cupola.
The immediate area is clear, she reported as they dropped their stolen ship into the atmosphere. Nothing's moving to intercept…yet.
I sense our contact is on the move.
Don't worry, I'm on it, she assured him as the friction of reentry began to buffet the ship.
Coming in a bit hot, aren't we? Revan asked. This ship doesn't have shields.
I'm watching the temp gauge. I want to press the armor a little before I back off the descent.
Just so long as we don't melt or break up.
The Exile frowned in the pilot's seat. We may have been out of it for a long time, but I still remember how to fly.
Very well, General. Proceed at your own discretion.
Twenty uninterrupted minutes later the captured V'tol transport bottomed out its descent just above the treetops and glided north toward the unnaturally strong lightside presence still on the move. Revan stood by the gangway as he sensed for signs of battle, but could find none locally. The rest of the planet was in turmoil, but this area of Kashyyyk was quiet…aside from the thick cluster of lifeforms inhabiting the forest below.
The Human's lifesign would have stood out amongst the throng regardless, but the potent lightside signature made it impossible to miss at this range. As the Exile began to slow the ship, Revan touched the control panel and lowered the boarding ramp. When the trees below stopped moving he stepped outside into freefall.
Using his well practiced Force Drift he restricted his fall to a controlled descent and angled east towards a small break in the canopy. He slid through without incident, then found himself tangled in the branches below.
He got a foothold on one and caught his balance, then began to hop from branch to branch as he gradually made his way towards the forest floor. He dropped the last ten meters directly, crouching on impact to fully absorb the landing.
Revan stood up and turned to his left…where he saw a lone, shirtless figure standing far off amongst the trees looking back at him. Without warning a blue blade shot out of nowhere beside him and crossed perilously close to his throat.
"Don't move."
Startled by getting caught off guard, Revan couldn't find his voice for a moment. After quickly gathering his wits he turned his neck ever so slowly toward the voice.
"Relax, Jedi. I'm on your side," he said as their eyelines locked. The man holding the lightsaber to his throat twitched in surprise when he saw his face.
"How are you still alive, Revan?" he asked, his lightsaber moving even closer.
"Long story," Revan said, being extra careful to form his words so they didn't push his throat into the blade.
Luke ran up beside them, his yellow blade springing to life and pointing toward Revan from the opposite side. "What do we have, Ki?"
"A traitor," he said simply.
Luke studied his face closely. "I don't know him."
"You've seen his face in the archives. He's supposed to have died millennia ago."
Luke took a second look at the man when realization dawned on him. "Revan?"
"Who's your friend in the ship?" Jyr asked.
"Rey-len Tarren," he whispered.
"Ki," Luke said, motioning with his hand.
Jyr pulled his blade back half a meter, but kept the tip pointed at Revan's throat.
"What are you doing with the V'tol?" Luke asked directly.
"Is that what they're called? We stole one of their ships when we escaped," Revan said as he mentally relayed the conversation to Tarren.
"Escaped from where?" Jyr asked.
"A planet in the unknown regions called Nathon."
Luke and Jyr exchanged glances. "Nathon, you say. And why did the Rakata imprison you?" Luke asked.
Revan blinked in surprise. "There are no Rakata on Nathon. Why would you ask that? How do you know of the planet?"
"You're familiar with the star map on this planet," Luke explained. "With some hacking we obtained a map of the former Rakatan Empire. A planet called Nathon was the one and only entry still labeled as active."
Revan processed that for a moment, but it was Tarren that put the pieces together first. "Nathon is populated by a reptilian species known as the Exerket. We surmised they had other masters, but we never suspected the Rakata. It does answer a few questions though."
"Time for that long story you mentioned," Jyr said icily.
Revan sighed heavily, then began to recount his days in the Mandalorian Wars, their subsequent excursion into the unknown regions, their initial capture by the Exerket, his and Malak's conversion and release, his quest for the Star Forge, his corrupted efforts as a Sith Lord, his loss of memory and second Jedi training, the eventually recovery of his memory, his futile attempt to destroy the Exerket, his second imprisonment, Tarren's futile rescue attempt, their attaining self-sufficiency and enduring thousands of years of torment up until the V'tol invasion and their fortuitous escape.
Throughout Revan's tale Luke and Jyr had a continuous side conversation telepathically that revolved around one final conclusion: if they had attained self-sufficiency then they couldn't be darkside.
Jyr deactivated his blade, quickly followed by Luke. "If your captured ship only has a handful of destination plots, then I think we're better off taking the cutter, if we can ever get the shields working."
"Tarren can probably help with that," Revan offered. "She's a wizard with tech. How far away is your ship?"
"Far enough that we could use a lift," Luke suggested.
Revan's face blanked for a moment, then he gestured to the west. "She's going to wedge the ship into the upper canopy. We'll have to climb up."
With perfect timing a loud series of crunches could be heard, but not seen, nearby. After a few seconds they faded out and Revan jogged off into the trees. Luke and Jyr followed, both surprised by his agonizingly slow speed.
Their climb up was also slow, but they made it into the ship without incident. The threesome headed forward into the cockpit where Luke nearly backstepped in surprise. Unlike Revan, his companion showed an incredible amount of physical damage and decay. Luke found her face unrecognizable, even though her history was as well documented in the archives as Revan's.
Jyr sensed his hesitation and stepped forward, directing her towards their hidden ship. Given the smaller size of the V'tol vessel, Tarren was able to slide it between the trees and land behind the Corellian cutter without too much trouble.
Jyr left the ship first and quickly calmed the enraged Wookiees who were busily firing their hand weapons at the ship's nearly impervious hull armor. Luke then introduced the pair and sent Tarren off with the Wookiees to work on the shield generators. Jyr took Revan off into the forest for a continuation of their discussion while Luke walked off into another section of the forest where he found Siley hiding behind a thick tree.
"I don't suppose there are any extra clothes on the new ship?" she asked bashfully.
"We can look," Luke offered, suppressing an amused grin, "if you're willing to let go of your tree."
She grimaced. "Sorry. I got used to you two and the Wookiees…"
"Don't look at the situation as a problem," Luke instructed, "look at is as an opportunity to test yourself. What they think of you doesn't matter…it's how you handle yourself that counts."
"Right," she said, blowing out a frustrated breath as she stepped out from behind the tree. "You probably want your shirt back."
Luke glanced down at the few cuts and scrapes his torso had received from running through the forest bare-chested. "I'm fine as is."
