Chapter 46
Lost
Pushed beyond all physical limits he thought imaginable, Carth fell to his knees and reached out to lean against the base of another wroshyr tree on the lower surface of the Shadowlands, gasping for breath as he finally came to find cover after a grueling fight. Streams of sweat fell from his forehead, dampening his knees which were soaked black with the blood of countless of the shrieking creatures.
"Carth," called out Revan who soon arrived behind him, along with HK-47, "Carth, are you okay?" He clipped his deactivated lightsaber to his belt and then bent a knee, reaching down to lay a hand on the pilot's shoulder.
"I'll be fine," he dismissed, turning around to sit with his back against the tree, shrugging off Revan's hand in the process as he continued to pant heavily. He loosened the straps of the large bag that was secured over his shoulders, letting the load land on the ground with a thud. "Just…just give me a moment to rest a little while."
Once he saw that they were safe for the time being as a lengthy branch with many leaves hung over them to grant them cover from the eyes of potential predators, Revan took the opportunity to also take a breather, sitting himself down in front of Carth while HK-47 continued to stand vigilant and observe their surroundings.
Looking around, Revan began to worry as he wondered just how in the world they would now reach their objective, let alone find the other members of the Ebon Hawk who had all scattered during the mad descent. The Lower Shadowlands was truly a maze: not only was it filled with intertwining tree branches that were as thick as the trunks of other worlds' trees; but countless muddy ditches that formed as a result of heavy rains, persistent and disturbingly high humidity, and there was virtually no sunlight that managed to shine through the thick forest cover. Adding to their misery was the presence of thorny bushes which blocked many paths, as well as the ever-present faint growls of creatures far away in the distance.
Having had a moment to get his bearings straight again, Carth sniffed three times as a nasty odor came to his attention, then looked down disparagingly at his coat. "It stinks," he muttered, wiping his finger on the ground after reaching up and touching his shoulder which was still damp with black blood. "Still, not exactly the worst spot we've been in when it comes to smells, considering that we've been through the Tarisian sewers."
"You're wounded. Badly," Revan observed, spotting the nasty gashes left on Carth's right forearm and left shoulder, the latter which had extended down his chest in a diagonal line, thankfully stopping well short of where his heart was located.
"Well, I'll be damned," Carth sighed, tilting his head sideways to spot his wound before leaning back against the tree once more. He winced and inhaled sharply through clenched teeth, the pain steepening now that his adrenaline was fading. "Hurts like hell now that you've brought it up."
"Here, lean forward a little," Revan asked, gently pulling Carth towards him by the upper arm so that he could closer inspect the more serious wound on the shoulder. As he leaned closer, he grimaced at the grisly sight – the claw of one of the animals had struck him deep, penetrating the thick coat and slicing a line into his flesh. "I need to patch you up. Hold still."
Carth snorted. "It's not like I have much choice, is it?" He closed his eyes and relaxed his body as much as possible, as Revan began to heal his wounds through the Force. "Heheh…y'know what this reminds me of?"
"What?"
"That day we crash-landed on Taris. You were knocked out and helpless, and I honestly thought that we wouldn't make it to safe cover before the Sith scouts caught up to us. Except now, instead of kindly strangers who were willing to help us out and keep our location quiet, we have countless shrieking monsters that are dying to eat us."
Despite the grim circumstances they found themselves in, Revan played along with a quip of his own. "I take it you would rather be on Korriban right now, then?"
"Hah. Right where you belong, you mean. Some of them would probably roll out a red carpet in front of you if you declared yourself to them first thing after setting foot on that planet." He fell silent for a moment, closing his eyes as he let out a restful sigh, taking comfort at the fact that Revan's efforts were paying off much quicker than he expected. The stinging pain in his shoulder began to subside, and blood no longer seeped from the deep cuts as his flesh mended anew.
"Not like they would, considering just how short of a leash Malak probably has them on. None of them would believe that I'm alive, anyway. Besides, there's nothing left for me among the Sith, and I wouldn't trade Elena for the galaxy, even if it were offered to me on a silver platter."
Carth fell silent, instead shooting a cautious gaze at Revan as the two men stared at each other, their eyes exchanging fire as if they were daring the other to back down. Revan fought tooth and nail to subdue to feelings of bitterness and resentment that began to fester in him, instead focusing his mind again on the ironic act of healing the man who still viewed him with distrust.
"Let me ask you something, then," Revan said, administering the finishing touches on Carth's shoulder before moving on to a more minor wound on the leg. He let out a short sigh of relief as the once grievous wound was mended – almost without a trace of what was originally inflicted aside from residual aches – and felt a surge of gratitude towards Juhani who had helped him to reacquaint himself with the Force technique. Bringing his eyes up to face Carth again, he continued on. "Why do you trust Audrey?"
The pilot narrowed his eyes, as if he were personally offended. "What do you mean? Are you seriously comparing yourself to her?"
"That's exactly what I'm doing. In fact, if you think deeply, she and I are not that different after all." As soon as Carth opened his mouth to object, he continued. "Do you remember the day we met her in the Taris sewers? What she was like back then? What she did that day in front of us?"
A chill emanated from Carth's heart, rushing through to his arms as his finger twitched at the gruesome images that came to his mind. "Her old friend…and also the Twi'lek woman." He recalled the haunting, petrified eyes of the woman who cried out to Audrey for help, only to be shot in the head in an act of mercy during a desperate escape from the Vulkar base. Worse still, she had executed her best friend's own cousin who was begging for her life, disarmed and helpless on the floor, even as he shouted at her to stop.
Seeing that Carth was lulled into reflective silence, Revan spoke again. "I'm asking you to tell me honestly, Carth. What made you trust her?"
After a long pause, Carth stared up into the skies in the hopes of seeing the bright stars to give himself hope. Instead, blanketing them above was the insufferably dense fog from where they came, dashing his spirits. Still, he answered as best he could. "Because I saw potential in her. Something in common with me, as well. Not just the fact that we've lost so much and want to right the wrongs that have been done against us, but because we both wanted to find our families again, and…somewhere to belong."
"You see? We're not so different after all," Revan replied. "We've all made mistakes, and many of us have done horrible things – me most of all – but that doesn't stop us from trying to make things better."
"Hah. Would you look at that? Looks like you have," Carth snorted as he looked at where his wounds were formerly located. "I hope the others didn't sustain as many cuts and blows as I have, and…shit," he cursed, gritting his teeth.
"What is it now?"
Carth reached behind him, tapping three times at the large pack which he was leaning back against. "The camping gear; we've got two out of three packs, while Canderous has the other. We were supposed to split 'em up once we reached the bottom, remember? Dammit, Audrey and Mission will be freezing overnight at this rate."
Revan couldn't help but crack a tiny smirk. Even in their own perilous situation, Carth was still more concerned for his loved ones – a virtue he had always held onto, even after losing everything on Telos. "HK," he spoke to his droid, "do you have a status update on the others? Can you get a signal?"
"Report: Yes, Master," HK said, turning around to face him. "I still have a firm signal with the T3 unit, who is confirmed to be accompanied by the Mandalorian and Cathar meatbags."
An unexpected silence followed, causing the sense of doubt that festered in Carth's heart to grow. "That's it? What about the others?"
"Analysis: Searching…expanding signal strength…Statement: No, pilot meatbag. There are no other responses or signals to be found. Confirmation: The lost signals include the meatbags referred to as Bastila Shan, Elena Adarné, Mission Vao, and Audrey Girard."
"Right. Well, that's just…just perfect," Carth huffed, grabbing his forehead which suddenly began to throb with pain. "It's just like…just like Telos all over again. And that can mean only one thing." He practically shot up to his feet, wincing and cursing silently as the aches in his exhausted legs flared up.
"Carth, wait. Where are you going?" Revan said as he began to pace after the pilot who headed down the dried-up remnants of a downward-sloping ravine.
"To find my family," he flatly replied. "I'll be damned if I lose it a second time."
"Rushing in blindly isn't going to help, Carth," Revan shook his head as he overtook his companion and turned around to stop him in his tracks. "I know how you feel about all of this, but marching out there without a plan isn't going to do anyone any favors – not you, not me, and certainly not Audrey or Mission."
"I've had enough, Revan," Carth shook his head and sighed, too tired and broken on the inside to even show his deep frustration. "We followed your plan time and time again, and to be honest, I'm done with it all. I'm tired of seeing the people I care about get hurt as a result of going along with your ideas. You may have been a great leader once, but that time is past. I trust my own instinct from now on." He took one step to the right to go past Revan, only to be halted by a firm palm against his chest.
"You can't just go off on your own – that's suicide, and you know it. We need to stick together."
"Cut the crap, Revan," Carth grunted, grabbing his hand and throwing it aside. "What do you think we can honestly achieve here now? We're scattered, lost, have no idea where our friends are, and we're expected to not only find them again but also locate the renegade Wookiees as well as the Star Map, all within just a couple of days, at most. I don't wanna discuss a plan with you at this point, since we both know what, or rather, who you'd prioritize over everything else."
"Mission," Revan flatly replied.
Carth was visibly taken aback, having expected an altogether different answer. "What?"
"We'll go after Mission. We'll find both her and Audrey. I promise."
The intense frown written on Carth's face relaxed ever so slightly as he looked into Revan's eyes, probing for any sign of false promises. "How can I trust you on that? What's gonna stop you from heading straight for the Star Map once we get an idea of where it is, abandoning them in the process?"
"Carth," Revan said, taking one step forward so that they were face-to-face, staring directly into each other's eyes. "I swear on my life that we'll find Mission and make sure she's safe."
Carth gazed at him for a long time, looking to feel a sense of hope within himself. But no matter how hard he tried, all he could see and hear were the harrowing scenes of Telos he remembered all too well – flames, ashes, blood and screams of despair. Memories flashed in his mind once again, as he relived that hellish night on Tatooine which saw both Mission and Audrey come perilously close to death.
Still, despite all of the conflict which was reflected in Carth's eyes, Revan did not back down. The former Dark Lord of the Sith, once known for sacrificing entire planets for the sake of accomplishing his strategic goals, was now adamant on saving the lives of his companions no matter the danger.
At last, Carth relented, giving him a silent nod. "Fine, then. Let's go."
-o-
"Why did you do it?" Carth asked as they walked through a long and wide valley flanked by many large trees on either side. A thick hazy mist shrouded the entire forest floor, rendering it almost impossible to even look down to locate their own feet. Two hours into a so-far fruitless search, his hope was quickly fading, as was his energy and will to continue on much farther for the night.
"Do what?" Revan replied, his gaze fixed forward while he did his best to ignore his aching legs and growling stomach, having had no proper time to rest or eat since the long descent.
"Choose Mission, I mean. I thought for sure you'd go straight after Elena, Bastila, the Star Map or the renegade Wookiees, in that order."
"How should I say it?" Revan looked up, hoping to see the bright stars of the night sky, only to be denied by a wall of overlapping tree branches which drowned him in darkness, causing him to look straight forward again. "For one thing, she trusts me unconditionally. She's always there to greet you with a smile, especially when you feel like you're at your worst. The fact that she manages to stay positive and bounce back so quickly even after going through the most horrible situations and getting hurt in the process…that's what I love about her. I just can't imagine her gone."
"I don't get it, though. What makes her so different and special compared to Elena in that regard, then?"
"Good question," he admitted with a shrug. "While Elena does stand by and support me through this, I…I feel a constant shadow looming over me. A burden. She expects me to do the right thing and tries her hardest in order to help me redeem myself, but whenever I look at her, I can't help but feel as if the world itself is weighing down on my shoulders: the promise we made to each other, the outcome of the war, whether I stay true to the light, how hard I need to fight in order to keep everyone safe. But Mission? I don't feel that pressure when I'm around her. I just have a good friend who believes in me."
"It's because she's a child," Carth muttered. "She's seen her fair share of loss and betrayal but she's still so innocent and naïve, and…lost," he let out a deep sigh of frustration, shaking his head as he stared down at his feet which continued on in limbo despite his legs being on the verge of giving out for the night. "I just…can't believe this is happening. It's the second time I've lost my family because of things that were beyond my control, and…damn it!"
"Carth," Revan said as calmly as possible, knowing that the pilot's nerves were at their peak. "I told you we'll find her. I promise."
"Easy for you to say, Revan," he shot back. "We're talking about Mission here. Just how well do you think she can handle being alone out there? She's no Jedi; she's got no tent; she's got nothing but a blaster pistol, shortsword and lightsaber she barely knows how to use; and hardly enough food and water to last her a mere couple of days, provided she doesn't freeze to death. What hope does she have when—"
He froze the instant his foot fell upon a solid, yet weak surface that gave way as his weight pressed down on it, followed by a faint crunch. His first instinct leading him to believe that he stepped upon a booby-trap, Carth glanced down and carefully moved his foot aside, dissipating the mist surrounding it.
A human hand – or, rather, what remained of it. Far from being a long-dead and completely decomposed set of bones, the hand still had rough patches of skin and torn-up clothing on the surface, indicating that it had belonged to a poor soul who had been devoured by beasts. The limb was severed from its body, which was nowhere to be seen.
"Ugh…just what I needed," Carth groaned, instinctively shuffling his foot against the ground to wipe off the putrid grime.
"Hmm. Looks like it belonged to one of the Czerka poachers. Strange, though. You'd think that if you find one set of remains, there would naturally be others as well."
"Could've been a runaway, don't you think so? He might have tried to make a break for it and got separated from his group, just like we did. I know we're not actually trying to help these corporate rats to continue to operate on this planet, but…poor guy."
Revan nodded and looked straight ahead, pulling his lightsaber from its clip. "Maybe. Let's keep going."
They struggled through the filthy mist which attacked their lungs with humid and freezing air, their senses on high alert. Although nothing could be heard except the ceaseless cries and chirping of insects, there was no telling what – or even, who – might be watching them as they continued to tread onward, finding an increasing number of remains which turned their stomachs further.
Then, at last, they came upon a most sickening sight. Suddenly out of the mist appeared three rotting corpses of human males, their necks hanged on vines which dangled from the branches of the trees overhead. Their skin showed signs of heavy decomposition in the face of the moist air, as well as showing countless lacerations and bite marks, and their empty, glossy eyes stared down at Revan, Carth and HK in a way that would have made any man's blood run cold.
"Fuck," Carth stumbled backwards, "what the hell is this? Who could do such a thing?"
After he took the time to compose himself, Revan replied. "I have an idea, although it doesn't bode well for—" He stopped, just as everything seemed to quieten down to a deathly hush. The insects all ceased their cries, and the only thing audible was a gentle breeze of wind which blew over them from behind the corpses, assaulting their nostrils with a foul stench.
'That feeling,' Revan thought to himself, his thumb hovering over his lightsaber's switch.
'We're being watched…'
"HK," he whispered under his breath, "Use your thermal imaging scanner. See if you can pick up heat signals. Don't answer back – just keep your hands on your weapon and point your finger at the threat."
The assassin droid did as he was told. After briefly peering in both directions, he raised his weapon slightly, then raised his left index finger slightly above the rest, pointing it to the group's right. Taking a quick sideways glance, Revan saw nothing but thick bushes and ferns – the perfect setting to launch a sudden attack.
"We have to be quick," Revan whispered, eyes kept forward. "HK, the instant I move, you fire the opening round. I'll follow its direction and engage. The two of you can then lay down covering fire. Ready?"
"Ready when you are," Carth said, his finger curling up on his blaster trigger. His tone gave a clear indication that he was far from convinced, but had to follow out of necessity.
A tense silence followed, with each passing second feeling like a lifetime in itself, until Revan finally gave the order. "Now!" he shouted and activated his lightsaber, immediately breaking into a dash in the direction of the threat. HK-47 then followed up with two well-aimed blaster shots that flew past Revan's shoulder, causing the concealed figure to rustle amidst the bushes.
Having seen the position of the predator, Revan continued onward, mentally preparing himself to use Force Pull after gauging its exact location after it was forced to dodge HK's attack. With so much at stake on Kashyyyk, he was eager to put down this threat as soon as possible so that they could continue the search for their friends.
But then, the unexpected occurred. Instead of being struck down by the blaster bolts or making a clumsy leap to dodge, the hostile responded in kind.
A green lightsaber…?!
As it blazed into view, HK-47's shots were deflected right back at Revan who barely managed to react in time to block them away. Undeterred, HK-47 continued to fire, as did Carth who now joined in the battle, not willing to let up the pressure and give the enemy time to plan out his attack. As Revan was temporarily forced back on the defensive while reassessing the situation, the mysterious figure then let forth a surging wave of Force Push. While his two companions were knocked back by the sheer power of the attack, Revan managed to stand his ground, his boots digging hard into the ground as he resisted the Force powers of the attacker.
Unable to overcome Revan with his power, the saber-wielding opponent finally revealed himself, leaping out of the bushes with frightening speed augmented by the Force. His green lightsaber was held high overhead as he approached, but as Revan mustered up his defenses to counter it, he suddenly changed his attack trajectory to that of a heavy horizontal swing at the torso. Fortune was on Revan's side as he had just enough time to adjust his stance and block the attack, leading to an intense saber lock with his attacker.
Glaring at him with determined eyes was a dark-skinned human male, displaying physical prowess on par with a Jedi Knight in the prime of his life despite his wizened face and grey beard and eyebrows.
Noticing that the man wore Jedi robes of tan and brown which provided superb camouflage in the dark forest, Revan spoke to him, all the while maintaining his defense in the saber lock. "You're not a Sith?"
"Neither are you. Fancy that," the old man replied, sensing that Revan intended no real harm towards him. He broke off the engagement and stepped back three paces, although he opted to keep his lightsaber active and ready for further combat as Carth and HK-47 rushed back to reinforce Revan, who raised his left arm horizontally, extending his palm out to signal his companions to stop.
His adrenaline still pumping after taking the impact of the Force Push, Carth took in the signal just in time and paused before he could fire another shot to resume the fight, although he remained on high alert and kept his pistol pointed at the old man who continued on.
"Could've fooled me with that overwhelming aura you carry with you. Your presence feels about as dark as the forest itself!"
"You thought I was a Sith?" Revan asked, his eyes narrowing out of distaste as he looked at the man.
The stranger looked him up and down before flatly replying. "Could say that. Someone with your temperament trying to pass himself off as a Jedi is like an asyyyriak trying to blend in with a herd of banthas! Just how in the blazes you ended up all the way out here instead of being hounded by the Jedi Order all across the galaxy is beyond me."
Although his mind started to race with a million questions, most of all regarding his own identity, Revan knew that this was not the time or place to hold a back-and-forth interrogation. "Well, I assure you that I'm not a Sith, nor are my two companions associated with them in any way." He deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt as a show of good faith and began to introduce himself. "My name is—" he paused, quickly reminding himself to use his past alias. He lifted his right hand to offer a handshake in order to draw attention away from the brief silence. "Kael Deren. Jedi Padawan. With me are Republic Commander Carth Onasi, and my droid, HK-47."
"Query: Shall we not proceed with the fight, Master? My arm blade has been repaired and enhanced, and I have been eager to engage in another melee fight ever since my first encounter with the Wookiee meatbag on Tatooine."
The old man took a curious glance at HK before facing Revan again. "Your droid is quite the loose rocket, if you don't mind me saying."
Revan smirked. "He does that. Rest assured, he follows my commands to the letter, and my command right now is to cease fighting."
"Statement: Most disappointing, Master. Most disappointing…"
"Well, in that case, I guess a proper introduction is in order," the man said, satisfied with the gesture as he deactivated and put away his lightsaber and shook Revan's hand. "Jolee. Jolee Bindo. I must say, I'm surprised to see folks like you all the way out here on Kashyyyk. The only people I tend to see down here are Czerka poachers. Damned pests, all of them."
Carth holstered his pistol and stepped forward. "It sure is nice to know that you're no longer trying to lop off our heads, but first thing's first… Did you kill those men?" He pointed at the rotting corpses of the hanged Czerka personnel behind them.
"No," Jolee shook his head. "It was the Wookiees, whom I'm fortunate to be on good terms with – they have no mercy towards poachers like these. I don't have the stomach or the heart to do such things; usually just stick to subtly spooking them off from time to time. But what are you doing down here in the Shadowlands, if I might ask? There are only two kinds of people who come here: poachers, and in my case, those who want to get lost. Now, my instincts may not be as sharp as they used to be, but you don't come across as poachers to me."
"We're here on an important mission on behalf of the Republic and Jedi Order," Revan explained. "But more urgent than that at this point, we're trying to find a young teenage Twi'lek girl. Our party got separated during our descent here. Force knows, she might be fighting for her life all by herself out there."
"I see," Jolee remarked, studying the figures in front of him who were quickly proving to be the oddest ragtag bunch he'd ever encountered during his entire time down in the Shadowlands. "Well, first thing's first; if you want to accomplish any of those things, you should come back with me to my hut to rest up and plan things through properly. You may be desperate and think that time is of the essence, but believe me, the last thing you want is to be weary while walking around aimlessly in these parts of Kashyyyk. Hell knows, you might even come face-to-face with a Wyyyschokk if you're not careful – that is, if you even manage to see it at all before it pounces on you."
"Say that again? Wee-shock?" Carth asked, unfamiliar with the term.
Jolee's eyebrows drooped as he felt tired already, not wanting to get into deep definitions. "Big spider." Seeing Carth and Revan exchange nods of agreement with each other after pondering the idea of following after him, he turned to lead the way. "Come on, then, and keep the noise down!"
-o-
Enduring several more minutes of a grueling sprint through the forest while carrying all of his camping gear, Revan let out a heavy sigh once Jolee stopped in front of a peculiar wroshyr tree which stood at a noticeable angle relative to the ground, its sturdy roots on the far end keeping it from keeling over. The upturned front end of the tree presented a small opening through which a man could carefully slip through and descend, as Jolee stepped forward to lead them. After reaching the bottom of the slope, he pushed against a sturdy wooden door, beckoning Revan and his companions to follow.
Although he expected little more than a hollow hole which could provide shelter from the rain, Revan was surprised to see that it was in fact a well-equipped subterranean dwelling, with small lamps suspended from wall hooks illuminating the area in a warm yellow hue. The place was furnished with simple, yet sturdy objects made of wroshyr wood; a small table was set up against the wall accompanied with two benches, and a shelf decorated with numerous memorabilia was set up at the far corner. At the back of the chamber was a shining fireplace, its smoke being ventilated out via a small hole cut out of the side of the tree itself.
"Welcome to my home, as basic as it may be. Make yourselves comfortable by the fire, if you want," Jolee said, gesturing towards the warm embers which greatly appealed to Carth after the long trek in the freezing darkness. Walking in further, Carth noticed a hammock that was strung up between two support beams on the eastern side of the room, as his eyelids suddenly grew very heavy. After laying their gear down to the side, the three men sat in front of the fireplace along a large thatched straw rug which was warm to the touch, while HK stood silently behind them, eyes fixed on the entrance.
"Sure beats the idea of spending the night out there in the cold," Carth remarked, holding his hands out in front of him to thaw. "Although…it does make me feel worse, knowing that they're out there somewhere, lost."
"These companions of yours," Jolee asked, scratching the top of his head which shone against the bright fire, "just how many are we talking about?"
Revan replied. "Besides the three of us and the Twi'lek girl we mentioned, there are three more Jedi women: two of them human and one Cathar; plus another woman who accompanied us from Taris; an astromech droid, and…" He stopped at the thought of mentioning Canderous, but soon realized that it couldn't be helped. "A Mandalorian warrior."
"Bantha's breath! A Mandalorian?!" Jolee raised an eyebrow, his fingers curling up with alarm. "That's on top of all the other members of this 'expedition' of yours. You sure you haven't come here hoping to set up your own little junta?"
"It's been a long and complicated story that got us to this point, but rest assured, our Mandalorian isn't like the others," Revan insisted.
Jolee scoffed. "Tell that to the Wookiees. Bringing him down here to the Shadowlands is just asking for trouble with them. It would probably be a miracle if he survives even a single week down here by himself!"
Carth's expression grew dim. "Which brings us to our next point: we probably don't even have a week to accomplish what we set out to do. You see, we originally came to this planet looking for an ancient artifact called a 'Star Map', which may be located somewhere near these parts. But one thing led to another, and now we've got a whole lot more issues staring us in the face."
The old man began to rub his temple, his instinct kicking in to tell him that the situation was far more complicated than he initially thought. "Let me guess…ran into good-old Chuundar, did you?"
"It would have been impossible not to, given how he controls Kashyyyk like it's his own fiefdom," Revan shrugged. "Or at least, that's what he thinks is the case; Czerka probably have a completely different picture in mind. Now that you've mentioned Chuundar, I should tell you that he's holding one of our friends as a hostage – a bargaining chip, if you will."
Jolee's eyes narrowed, his fingers curling up out of discomfort. "Go on…"
"Our captive companion is a Wookiee. In fact, he's none other than Zaalbar, son of the old chieftain Freyyr—" Revan sought to continue, but was suddenly cut off as Jolee began to cough heavily.
"Sith spit! You must be wanting to blow up the whole planet in a state of war! Do you know what this means?" He rubbed his now throbbing temple, covering his eyes as he did so. "Okay, so let's sum up all of the troubles you've got to deal with: save the young girl, find your friends, find the Star Map, and carry out whatever little task Chuundar has set for you. Now what is this task, exactly?"
"He…," Revan hesitated, his eyes glancing momentarily at the fire before focusing on the face of Jolee, who stared back at him with a menacing and attentive gaze. Opting to make his intentions known up front to the old man, he sighed and noticeably shook his head. "He wants us to kill the renegade Wookiees down here who are fighting against his rule, and bring proof of their deaths to him by the time the blood moon has disappeared. All of us who came here are in agreement in that we don't want to do Chuundar's dirty work for him, and that it's the wrong thing to do, but…"
"Statement: Oh, Master, not all of us are in agreement," HK gleefully said, earning a disapproving glare from Carth in the process.
"But what?" Jolee pressed.
"We want to avoid bloodshed if at all possible," Revan said, reflectively staring into the fire. "I know it's a long shot and probably not going to happen, but the thought of a great battle breaking out on this planet all because of us, causing countless deaths… It's something I want to prevent. I've seen too much suffering already."
"How long do we have left? Before the moon fades, I mean," Carth asked, unfamiliar with the lunar cycle of the planet.
Jolee answered flatly. "Four days."
Carth snorted and sunk his head. "That…that's just fantastic."
"If you two want to hear my advice, then listen up close. The answer to all your problems is simple: find the Wookiees you're after."
Carth disagreed. "And get strangled and strung-up on a rope, like those men we saw back there? That's our only option? Are you out of your mind?"
"Stop interrupting me and hear me out, dammit!" Jolee grumbled. "Darn kids these days. Anyways, like I said, your best bet is to receive the aid of the Wookiees, since they're the ones who know the entire forest like the back of their hand. They have eyes and ears in places you're not even aware of, and as an outlander, they'll try to kill you on sight, which is why you need my help in contacting them."
"So I take it you'll be willing to help us find them in the morning?" Revan guessed.
Jolee crossed his arms. "I can't."
"You're not gonna help us? Even with the fate of the Republic at stake?" Carth sighed.
"As much as I'd like to help, the big camp of Czerka and Mandalorian poachers further east have other ideas. You see, after all these Mandalorians started landing in numbers looking for work over the past few months, those Czerka boys finally summoned up the courage to send larger hunting parties of their own down here. The Wookiees have been pushed back and driven deeper into the forest as a result."
"So let me get this straight," Carth said, nursing a steadily growing migraine as it dawned on him what they must do. "To find and save our friends, we have to clear out those hunters, which is exactly what Chuundar doesn't want us to do if we want to both save Zaalbar and get off this planet in one piece?"
The old man shrugged at him. "What, you thought a quest to save the galaxy would be like a picnic?" The casual air in his voice died down once he looked at Revan, his eyes growing serious as he relayed firm words. "Now listen closely. You ought to know firsthand as a Jedi that there are some situations that you simply can't run from – this is one of them. Whether you like it or not, the path is set in stone in front of you. Clear out those Mandalorians, and you can take your next steps."
Expecting more guidance from Jolee, Revan remained silent, but then spoke up once he realized that the elder Jedi wouldn't budge. "Anything else? This isn't really giving me much to work with."
"No," he shook his head. "That's all from me. The rest is up to you. Think things over tonight, because come daybreak, you'll be off in search of those pests. I'll tell you where you can expect to find them, in the morning."
Dismayed by the realization that a confrontation was unavoidable, Revan stared off into the fireplace which was growing dimmer and weaker with each passing moment, much like the hopes of the Republic itself. The thought that every little spark of light extinguished represented yet another world that he not only couldn't save, but condemned to slavery or outright destruction by his past deeds… The guilt was excruciating.
He could picture it now. The carnage. The screams. The blood. His mind begging him to stop, even though his hand inevitably never would until the last poacher was dead. Zaalbar would be condemned, and the last of the great wroshyr trees of the village burned to ashes in the endless war that would follow.
There are beings in this world who only respond to power…and fear.
If I let myself be guided by the Jedi Code, then others will suffer and die.
If I follow my own heart, I fear that it'll lead me down the path of no return.
Bastila's heartfelt words gnawed at him still, but then, just when he was on the brink of accepting the inevitable, Elena's soothing voice filled his mind, calming his thoughts.
Even if I can't fight for my own survival, I want to fight for your soul.
-o-
A loud crack of thunder roared in the skies above, jolting Carth from what was a peaceful sleep. To his confusion, everything about his surroundings felt so familiar – the bed in which he lay, the scent of the cool sea breeze, the faint rays of moonlight which shone through the windows.
…Telos? Am I home?
He rose at the very thought, stumbling out of the bedroom as his heart began to pound with anticipation. Passing through the corridor and arriving at the living room, he stopped in awe as he realized that everything was as he remembered: the sofa where he and Morgana would read books to Dustil; the fireplace where they spent many happy moments in the winter months; Dustil's sporting and academic achievements which they proudly kept displayed on the shelf above; and to his greatest delight, photos commemorating the happiest moments shared by Morgana, Dustil and himself, framed atop the hallway table.
His curiosity peaked, however, when he approached the table closer, upon which he saw another photo of his new life placed next to those of his past. It was of he and Audrey's wedding, taken on top of a balcony overlooking a stunning sunset. A beaming Audrey in a beautiful white wedding gown and holding a bouquet was flanked by Mission on her left, dressed in a deep blue bridesmaid's dress, and Carth on her right, wearing a black suit.
Just as he began to fall into a moment of calm and bliss, he was alarmed by yet another round of thunder, as a flash of lightning briefly lit up the corridor before him. A gust of wind blew over him from the front entrance, where the left door was revealed to have strangely been left open.
"Audrey?" he called. "Audrey, you out there?" He exited the door and looked around briefly at the outer surroundings. The night was calm and quiet, the palm trees swaying mildly to and fro against the gentle wind. Deeming her to be elsewhere, he turned to re-enter the house, but almost immediately stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes jolting upwards out of surprise when he saw Audrey sitting slumped up against the right hand side of the entrance, gazing blankly out into the distance. "Honey, what are you—"
He froze completely when he studied her face closer. Illuminated by the moonlight which shone through parting clouds, blood was seeping continuously from the side of her mouth, her piercing blue eyes lifeless and unmoving. Her white nightgown was drenched with blood which still poured profusely from an open wound in her heart. Most terrible of all, however, was the sight of her right hand which was still held protectively over her enlarged abdomen.
"A-Audrey?" Carth whimpered, falling to his knees before her as he cradled her body. "Audrey, talk to me. Please…"
He couldn't accept it. He couldn't. Not again.
Then, just as he was on the verge of shedding tears, he heard a yelp of pain from inside the house. The voice was unmistakable, and he could recognize it anywhere.
"Mission?!" he gasped, quickly but gently laying Audrey's corpse down before rushing back into the house, his head pounding with pain as he madly pursued the sound of her voice. He finally arrived at her bedroom door, his hand trembling as he twisted the handle to let himself in.
Before him stood Mission, her grey eyes filled with nothing but fear as she stared at him, her lips slightly ajar and trembling uncontrollably. She stumbled towards him step by step, extending her arms up to him as if she were begging him to hold her.
"I'm here, Mission," he panted, hugging her tight as she nestled her head against the side of his. "You're safe now. You're—"
He looked down to see a knife lodged deep inside her back, from which blood spilled out and drenching his hands. The last of her strength having left her, Mission released her embrace around him, her arms slumping to her sides as her forehead sank into Carth's shoulder.
Everything was lost.
His will finally broken, Carth despaired and fell to his knees with Mission laying in his arms, before peering up to see two dark figures looming over him. Rain began to pour from the skies above, and a vicious spark of lightning cracked, revealing the faces of the murderers who glared at him with gleaming yellow eyes.
Revan…and…Dustil?!
Before he could speak, his own son approached him, pulling the bloodied knife out of Mission's back in a slow, sadistic motion. As the thunder roared and Dustil raised his weapon over his head with a soulless expression, Carth closed his eyes for the last time, having finally accepted his fate.
-o-
With a sharp gasp, Carth lurched forward off his back, his entire body drenched in a cold sweat from head to toe. Several seconds had to pass before he realized that his right hand was clutching at his chest, where he was tightly holding onto a dead Mission in his nightmare. He sighed as he brought his hand up to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead, then looked to his side.
Despite all the pressure that must have been mounting in his mind, the former Dark Lord was sleeping soundly, his chest rising and falling in a relaxed motion beneath his sleeping bag. Resolving to do the same so that he could replenish his strength for the testing day ahead, Carth sank back into a restful state, gathering his hands atop his chest as he closed his eyes and willed himself to go back to sleep.
But he couldn't.
The screams. The blood. Those eyes.
Unable to cope any further, he rose as quietly as he could and headed to the door to get some fresh air. Peering at Jolee's empty hammock, he wondered for a moment where the old man could have gone off to, before hearing his voice faintly from outside. He crept further and silently opened the door to see Jolee sitting on the ground at the top of the slope, accompanied by HK-47 who was standing beside him, as the two were chatting away into the night.
"…ugh, sounds awful! Can't imagine getting all of that gunk out of my clothes. Good thing you're a droid, then," Jolee muttered, presumably responding to one of HK's statements which Carth personally didn't want to spend too much time wondering about. "Hm? You're up and about early," the elder Jedi said as he looked over his shoulder. "It's not even dawn yet. You're that keen on getting out there and chasing off those Mandalorians?"
Carth replied flatly. "Not exactly, no."
Jolee raised an eyebrow. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Something bothering you, sonny?"
"Bad dream, is all," he dismissed. "Nothing much to it."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"…Not particularly."
"Don't kid yourself. Come up and sit here," Jolee grunted, patting the empty ground next to him before looking up at HK. "Why don't you go around the perimeter for a little while? This little chat of ours might not be to your liking."
"Confirmation: Indeed, gray meatbag. Staying put to hear out the emotional word-dribble of meatbags is quite possibly the last thing that I want to do. Statement: Patrolling perimeter, as per the Master's original directive."
Although hesitant at first, Carth walked up the slope to join Jolee and sat beside the old Jedi. Despite the now freezing-cold temperature, Jolee largely seemed unaffected, breathing in and out calmly as if he were taking in a cool summer night's breeze, whereas Carth couldn't help but curl his fingers up in his lap.
"Not much of a view, is it?" Jolee scoffed, looking around at the moss-covered trees, patches of mud and various types of fungi surrounding them. "Now where were we? Oh right, of course. You were going to tell me about that little dream you had. So come on, then, out with it already."
Carth shook his head. "I don't know why you keep on insisting that it's important when it really isn't. It's more of a personal matter – not like I'd allow it to get in the way of our mission." His eyes grew sullen the moment he uttered that word.
Mission…
"If it's important enough to make you go all quiet in the middle of a simple conversation, imagine what it'll do to you when it really counts. Go on, tell me what's bothering you."
With a deep sigh, he started. "I once had a…wife and a young son on Telos. Soon after the war against Revan and Malak broke out, I lost everything; my own mentor joined the Sith and ordered the bombardment of my homeworld. My home was burnt to the ground, my wife died in my arms, and I lost my son – perhaps forever.
"While on this journey, Kael and I joined up and fought alongside several of our companions whom we've already told you about. Among them, I've become extremely close with the woman from Taris, and the young Twi'lek girl, and…well…it feels now that I've finally regained what I had lost, in a sense. As if fate had reached out and offered me a second chance to make things right."
Jolee's eyes lit up a little at the mention. "I'm sorry to hear about that, son. But indeed, you should try to find joy in life when you can. What are they like, exactly? Force knows, with so many companions of yours running around in this jungle, I'd have to keep an eye out for them."
"The Twi'lek girl's name is Mission, and she should be easy to spot if you find her – and that's a big if. As for the woman I mentioned, her name's Audrey. Tall, long blonde hair usually tied in a ponytail, ice-blue eyes, pale skin, confident attitude…very beautiful, and—"
"Alright, alright, I get the picture. Hrmph," he grunted, rustling his feet against the ground. "Always thought it'd be best to steer clear of that stereotype of woman, if you know what's good for your wallet."
Carth shook his head. "She's not just some spoiled princess who came along for a ride. All of us have had close shaves with death and risked our lives to look out for one another, and she's no exception."
Jolee nodded in response. "If you say so. Well, go on about that dream, why don't you?"
"In my dream, I imagined that I was right back in my old home by the seaside of Telos, and that the three of us had made a fresh start as a new family with a baby on the way. But then…"
He leaned in. "But then…?"
"I found them both murdered. By my own son. He had joined the Sith; I couldn't believe it. His master was standing behind him, hooded and cloaked. That Sith scum had destroyed my family twice over, and I couldn't do anything to stop him. Anything."
"I see. I think I get where you're coming from now…and also what your problem might be."
"My problem? What do you mean?"
"That friend of yours…Kael, was it?" Jolee asked, turning a little in Carth's direction. "Do you trust him?"
"…" Carth couldn't answer. For all his flaws, dishonesty wasn't one of them. Even in the most uncomfortable times, a simple white lie was something that he found almost impossible to pull off. Seeking to brush it off as quickly as possible, he replied. "I don't understand. Are you saying that you think he's a Sith, when we've already cleared that one up?"
"No. His behavior has already proved to me that he's not. More to the point, I want an honest answer to my question: do you trust him?"
Faced with a difficult predicament, Carth replied numbly. "I guess so."
Jolee raised an eyebrow. "Don't sound too convinced to me, but rest easy – that's enough prodding from me for one night."
"Look," Carth muttered, finally letting loose now that Jolee's probing had concluded, "I'm just a guy who's seen his fair share of betrayals, to the point where I simply can't take anyone for granted. We've seen even the greatest of Jedi fall to the dark side, and that's why we're in this mess. They pride themselves as the guardians of the galaxy or whatever bullcrap title they come up with, but all it takes is for one of them to turn, and normal people pay for it with their lives. To the billions. How can I just trust someone unconditionally when they could change at any moment?"
The old Jedi's gaze sank to his feet, as if Carth had struck a painful nerve. "I hear you," he said, his head bobbing up and down slowly, "I hear you. But at the end of the day," he raised his head once more, "we all have to find something that we can cling on to. Because sometimes…hope is the only thing that keeps us going."
Having not received the answer that would've helped to calm his nerves, Carth stared off into the distance for a while, his thoughts centered on Mission and Audrey. To his pleasant surprise, memories of happier times began to cross his mind: the beaming smile on Mission's face as she tried cotton candy for the first time from a food stall on the streets of the Dantooine settlement; the day Mission, Audrey and he went to the lake together, whereupon Mission cheekily splashed Audrey with a kick of the water, prompting a grumpy response from Audrey who prized her pristine hair; and most beautiful of all, the night of he and Audrey's first kiss.
"Bah, time to go back inside. My bones are starting to chill," Jolee grunted as he rose to his feet. "Head back in; I'll tell your droid friend to get back to watching the front."
"If you say so. Goodnight, then."
"Likewise."
After rising to his feet, Carth withdrew into the dwelling and closed the door to the point where it was just slightly ajar for Jolee. Returning to his sleeping bag, he marveled at how Revan could manage to sleep soundly at all, then closed his eyes to rest up for the day ahead.
And from his position, Carth was unable to hear the whispers of Jolee, who stared out into the misty, dark shadows beyond.
"Cling onto what hope you have, son. You're going to need it."
A/N: Hi all, it was great to bring you this update after a long delay. Hope everyone is doing well.
This'll be the last update until probably a month or so after May 25th, which is when I'm taking the CFA Level 3 exam. It's a huge undertaking and I really want to get it done and pass the exam to avoid the possibility of any further covid-related delays, plus I'll be needing to blow off steam for a month afterwards.
Looking forward to hearing from many of you, as always.