Lambert's POV

Several hours later found Lukas was sitting in the cockpit. Watching the hyperspace in front of him calmed him. Worry still filled him about where they were going.

Onderon was a good planet. It was run by Queen Talia who was loved by all her subjects. She worked with the Republic and the Jedi that had come to fight the Mandalorians. There were a handful of times Lukas had met her. Most of the time she was helping treat the injured. They hadn't really spoke during the war.

Lukas knew that Kavar was friends with the Queen. It made him wonder why Kavar didnt go to the war. Talia would have wanted him to help the war. Then again he was a member of the Jedi Council. They had sent him to try and prevent the war.

Part of him even if he didnt want to accept it knew the truth. If Kavar had gone to war with them he would have fallen. Like so many of his comrades he wouldn't have been able to stand up to the darkness that built within his heart.

Even now Lukas could feel the echoes of was within his own heart. The call for battle still resonating within him. He was able to turn away from war but only just. Revan had tried to convince him to stay and hunt down the remaining Mandalorians with him.

It had been tempting and he was almost unable to turn away. Only the reminder of a promise he had made before he left kept him from taking Revan's hand. He made a promise to Kavar that he would return to the Temple alive. And that was what allowed him to step away from Revan. To make the journey back from the outer reaches.

Running a hand down his face he turned his attention to the navi computer. On the charts he could see the moon of Duxon. Duxon... it was one of the few places that was just as bad as Malachor.

He was one of the few who went to Duxon as part of their service. Under his command was a handful of soldiers and a fellow padawan. Their duty had been to hold the line until Revan arrived.

Two weeks on almost nonstop fighting had left him with a massive wound to his right side and less than half his men. XIII the other padawan had a dislocated shoulder and blaster wound to his upper thigh.

Revan's arrival had brought reinforcements. While the reinforcements sent the Mandalorians into a retreat. Revan had helped his two injured comrades to medical.

He had been thrown into the wall as soon as his injuries had been treated. Revan's growled words rang within his mind, "Are you trying to die?! Why didnt you retreat?!"

Lukas didnt understand why his commander had been angry. The Force rang with his anger and disappointment. It was a feeling that he never wanted to feel again. In the end it was Alek who had to explain why their friend was angry.

Revan considered him a good friend and he was angry to think that Lukas could have been killed. For whatever reason he thought higher of the padawan than many of the Knights that served beside him. It was an honor that he tried to live up to. Battle drew them closer together.

The drive of war what had broken him away from Revan's side. Malachor V had shaken his faith of what they were doing. The Force still screamed when he tried to use it months later. He hid himself from the Force completely because of it.

Lukas could feel himself shaking from just the thought of Malachor V. It was only a few months ago. Fear still filled him and made sleeping difficult. Meditation was impossible without the Force. He was exhausted from the constant fighting.

Revan had been shaken when he returned to the man's side. His lack of a presence reminded him that war had consequences. It wasnt just the loss of life they were facing. There was the risk of losing themselves completely. Their commander had been around those within the Force all his life. To see someone so disconnected from it had to induce some fear.

Still he wanted Lukas to stay by his side and break the promise. It had been tempting to break that promise. Staying with Revan would be remaining within his comfort zone. Returning meant facing the Council and their judgement.

Lukas wasnt naive enough to think he would get anything less than exile. It was surprising when Kavar had turned up at his room. The choice of exile or relearning the ways of the Jedi from Kavar. There was no choice in that. He chose Kavar.

There was a silent shifting behind him. A gentle presence enveloped him. Kavar. The presence that could calm him under the worst of circumstances. He had to wonder how things would have been different if Kavar led them into battle.

The presence pushed on his trying to calm the agitation. Lukas took a breath to slow his breathing. Kavar's presence didnt retreat even when his heart rate returned to normal.

Gently the man asked, "Can I approach?"

Lukas hesitated before nodding his assent. He was appreciative of the fact that Kavar didn't just barge into his space. He wanted Lukas's permission first. After everything that happened it was probably a good thing.

Kavar moved to the the copilot chair his eyes on Lukas. He slowly sat in the chair as he asked, "What is going on in your head, Lukas? I could feel your emotions through the Force."

"Its nothing," he tried to deny.

Thoughts of war would not be what Kavar wanted to hear. Even if he could feel Lukas's emotions he didnt need to know.

"Its not nothing, Lukas," frowned a hurt looking Kavar, "Do you not trust me?"

Lukas looked away as he denied, "That's not it," he paused briefly, "I just... I dont know where to begin."

"If I asked direct questions would you answer me honestly?"

There was a moment of silence before Lukas replied, "I will. However I reserve the right not to answer your questions."

Kavar caught his gaze suddenly as he said, "Then let us make an agreement not to lie to one another. If we dont want to answer the question then we wont. However lying is completely off the table."

"Agreed."

Kavar's POV

Thankfully they now had an agreement in place on lying. He knew that Lukas would lie in order not to worry him or anyone else. He preferred to be out of the way and avoid the spotlight. Part of that had to come from the nature of his ability. To naturally hide oneself in the Force was no easy task. It was difficult for masters to even shield themselves. That was nowhere near enough to make themselves invisible like Lukas could do.

Most masters couldnt sense the youngling unless he wanted them to at the temple. It made him sought after when he was old enough to become a padawan. Shioon Lee had been the only one able to successfully get Lukas to agree. Everyone else had been met with a cold glare and no.

Kavar hadn't been interested in a padawan at the time. He had just been knighted and wanted to explore the galaxy. The Knighting had come as a surprise to most of the padawans. Most did not go through their trials until they were in their early twenties. His 18th Life Day had only been a few days before. While not the youngest to ever be Knighted it was pretty close.

It was only two years later while he was on Onderon that he heard Shioon had been killed. While they had never been close as Shioon was five years older than him it was still a blow. The older had been a Weapon's Master. It shouldn't have been easy to take him down. Unless he was protecting his padawan.

The Council had come to the same conclusion that he did. Whoever killed Master Shioon had threatened Lukas to get close. In the two years leading up to the Mandalorian Wars Lukas had become a recluse. While he wouldnt show it Vrook was worried about the young padawan. To lose a master at such a young age was hard on anyone. For someone who forms bonds so easily it had to destroy the boy.

When Kavar had returned to Dantooine for rest. He had earned his Master status as well ss taking a place on the Council. Taking a place on the Council had given him even more work to do. Having spent a lot of time on the battlefield and trying to negotiate peace between the Republic and the Mandalorians he was looking forward to having a peaceful time. Peaceful time his ass.

From the moment he arrived the enclave was in chaos. A certain young padawan had disappeared simply for his own amusement. To everyone's surprise Kavar was able to sense the padawan. Tracking him was difficult even with the ability to sense him.

Lukas was able to slip past them with the kind of ease that wasnt natural. Eventually he was to corner the boy in the unused training rooms. Kavar had locked the door behind him when he could sense the warring emotions. They were dangerous emotions and Kavar knew he couldn't let the kid leave.

Kavar forced the boy to spar with him in order to calm him down. The first time they sparred it took over two hours for him to calm down. When he was allowed to leave Lukas had looked back at him. There was something in the dark blue eyes. He didnt understand what he saw in them the first time.

He spent a lot of time training with the boy in the months leading up to the Mandalorian. More than once he was brought in to search for Lukas. Vrook had been annoyed by the way Lukas seemed to bond with Kavar and Revan.

Only an idiot couldn't see the way that Lukas bonded with the two. Kavar was able to calm him in ways no one else was. They practiced on a near daily basis.

With Revan things were slightly different, almost unnoticeable at first. Like with Kavar, Revan would spar with Lukas. Their spars were much faster and instead of the calm pace that he and Kavsr went at. Everything was fair game in their spars. It was as if Revan had been grooming the younger for war.

With everything that he had learned since the start of the war. It wouldn't surprise him if that was exactly what Revan had been planning.

Then that fateful night came right before Revan and Alek were to leave for the war. Kavar knew that they were going to war and he knew nothing he could say would stop them. His goal was not stopping them but to stop Lukas.

He had gone to Lukas's room only to find the boy packed and ready to go. The boy had been going through his katas with practiced ease. Their meeting that night did not go as planned.

Lukas made a promise that he would return to face him. But he insisted on following Revan to war. A promise to return one day was given.

Listening to the tides of war made him wonder if Lukas was still alive. If the promise made would be broken. Now he had the chance to ask the questions that ate at him for two years.

For now he asked the most important question on his mind, "Are you injured?"

Lukas shook his head as he said, "No. I was treated for injuries before I left for Coruscant."

Kavar frowned. So he had been injured before he came back.

Lukas questioned glancing up at him for a moment before his eyes returned to looking at his hands, "What have you been doing since I left? Did you take any padawans?"

Kavar laughed lightly, "No. No padawans for me. I helped train younglings but as for taking one for myself I havent. For the most part I spent it on Dantooine or Coruscant."

Lukas hummed but still wouldnt meet his eyes.

Kavar questioned gently, "I have to ask. Why did you return to face the Council?"

Lukas rubbed at the back of his neck as he said, "I promised you the night before I left. I promised that I would return and that is what I did. Even at the chance of being exiled and losing my lightsaber."

Oh... he was not expecting that as the answer.