Standard Disclaimer: Neither Star Wars nor Knights of the Old Republic
belong to me. All are George Lucas' and Lucas arts, etc. The only thing I'm
claiming is the impressions of the main characters and, in later chapters,
the A/U plot. Which, believe me, isn't all that original to get all
bothered about. "Things Left Behind" is a Sequel to "Unbalanced" and "There
is no Peace but Passion". They are only connected through time; one can
definitely be read without the other.
Things Left Behind - Family Reunions
Waves played around the Ebon Hawk's struts once more. The ship powered down, conservative of fuel when possible. The door began to open and the gangplank extended.
"So are you sure they're here?" Mission asked, first at the door and first to walk her way down. Her stride was compressed energy, as usual, though her demeanor reflected the worry.
"Yes, Mission. I am certain," Bastila replied, "I told you."
"I know. But it's not like you haven't been all oblique with us before." Mission pointed out.
"Oblique? You're stretching your vocabulary girl." Canderous' coarse voice was amused, "Just say it like it is. She's kept things from us before."
"I only kept things when I had to," Bastila was quick to point out, annoyance now quite evident in her aristocratic tone, "And I never lied."
"Yeah, well, keeping it from us isn't that much better," Mission muttered.
"No, Mission. She is here. And Carth too, I feel it." Juhani had no problem letting her enthusiasm be felt.
As the group milled outside of the ship, Canderous shouldered his rifle. "So which way?"
"Here." Revan stepped forward from the forest, crashing through foliage like a mad thing but hardly caring.
It was hard to tell which reaction to turn to first. Mission threw herself into her arms, hugging tightly and talking non-stop. Juhani was beaming, Canderous was not smiling, not really. But there did seem to be a general tightening of the mouth muscles that could have indicated the beginnings of the expression, or at least some satisfaction. Jolee gave a quick one-armed hug and while Zalbaar remained to the side, his hoots - most of them in response to Mission - overlay the whole conversation. The droids did not approach. Neither did Bastila.
"Are you alright?"
"Bastila said you were dying?"
"What happened with Malak?"
Revan held up a hand. "Hold up. Hold up. It's alright. We're fine. Carth is back at the ship." Her eyes flickered. Jolee's narrowed, and she hurried on. "I was hurt pretty bad. I was dying. But Carth showed up with all those life packs and, well, enough said. And Malak. He's gone. Do you really need more details?"
"Revan must be tired," Bastila said smoothly, "And we need to get back to the Council. I know they are most anxious. You said Carth was back at your ship? Perhaps Zalbaar and Jolee could fetch him?"
Revan's brow furrowed, "Its fine. We can go whatever," She began to smirk, humor rising. They'd come. Bastila'd come. She wasn't going to be trapped here. "What, Bastila? Aren't you happy to see me?" She raised a brow.
"Don't be foolish," Bastila said. Their eyes met, "Of course I'm glad to see you. I just - " The dark haired Jedi broke off. She lost, or won, a battle and stepped forward brusquely. She gave Revan a quick hug. "Of course I'm glad to see you," she repeated, quieter, then stepped back. "Very much so. We just have a lot to do."
Revan sighed, "I was afraid you'd say that."
"Glad you could stop by. I see you managed to take care of the Ebon Hawk just fine." Carth's voice invited another round of chaos and greetings. Mission again bounded forward in a hug, perpetually in the lead with her gestures.
They began to walk back to the ship, unhurried.
"You said that we had a lot to do." Revan ventured as they boarded, hating herself for it. "You mean clean up? Ships, Sith, that got away?"
"Not exactly." Bastila walked straight through the ship. "There is to be a celebration. The Council wished to speak with you as well."
"The Council?" Revan looked behind her and met four five sets of curious eyes looking back and two sets of sensors. Carth wasn't looking at her. She turned back to Bastila. The cockpit loomed and the Jedi took a seat. Brush by - Carth moving to take his own position.
"You know, Carth, you could like take a bath first." Mission chimed. She was ignored.
"This has been a very important situation, Revan." Bastila continued. "The Council is going to wish to speak to you. But I wouldn't worry. We've won."
Revan didn't feel very reassured. She leaned back against the wall. The Council. "If they try to erase my memory again," she said without thinking, "Bastila, if they try to destroy me again.."
"That's not going to happen." Juhani spoke now, accented voice certain. "They have no reason to hurt you, Revan. This is a time to rejoice."
Zalbaar howled, making his emphasis that no one would be doing anything to Revan or Revan's mind as long as he stood.
Revan nodded, "Of course. You're right." She parroted, automatically soothing. "It will be fine. I'm just worried."
"You have no need. The Council took action against Darth Revan." Bastila said, "Not you."
Revan half smiled. "Right."
The Ebon Hawk shuddered as it began to lift off.
"You and Carth should get cleaned up." Bastila took the lead again. She was becoming quite good at it. "We've some time."
"I'll go first then?" Revan asked, suddenly stiff again.
"Sounds good." Carth agreed without turning to her.
+++++
There had been bright colors against an azure sky....
"Prodigal Jedi you have been named. But your training has barely begun."
The sound of native instruments playing songs so ancient that she could not guess how long ago they'd been composed. They were the cheery counter point as the medals were hung around necks....
"You will return to Coruscant to complete it, Padawan."
HK was gleaming. He'd made her smile just moments before by referring the Admiral in his customary style. He'd made her smile, but the good Admiral had choked at being referred to as a meat bag....
"You frown. Do not mistake yourself, Revan. You've defeated a great evil, but power does not indicate mastery. Not mastery of self. A Padawan learner you were, and in control, a Padawan leaner you remain. Bastila is proof of what your darkness can do."
The ships were dots on the horizon. She couldn't see them, they were behind her. But she was somehow aware. They were distant, bright and beautiful. So far off as to be untouchable. But then, without a breath they were there. Glittering as an unsought gift. Screaming overhead like demented birds as they approached the sound barrier...
"The Ebon Hawk? A Jedi does not worry over material possessions. You will not need it. We will remain here for a day, perhaps two more, but then we must return. There is much in the universe that needs to be put right, Padawan. You must learn to bend the Force towards that effort, and not your own. Go. Celebrate this victory over the Dark Side. We will talk again later."
..... and then they were gone. It was all gone. Only vapor trails marked that it had ever been.
Things Left Behind - Family Reunions
Waves played around the Ebon Hawk's struts once more. The ship powered down, conservative of fuel when possible. The door began to open and the gangplank extended.
"So are you sure they're here?" Mission asked, first at the door and first to walk her way down. Her stride was compressed energy, as usual, though her demeanor reflected the worry.
"Yes, Mission. I am certain," Bastila replied, "I told you."
"I know. But it's not like you haven't been all oblique with us before." Mission pointed out.
"Oblique? You're stretching your vocabulary girl." Canderous' coarse voice was amused, "Just say it like it is. She's kept things from us before."
"I only kept things when I had to," Bastila was quick to point out, annoyance now quite evident in her aristocratic tone, "And I never lied."
"Yeah, well, keeping it from us isn't that much better," Mission muttered.
"No, Mission. She is here. And Carth too, I feel it." Juhani had no problem letting her enthusiasm be felt.
As the group milled outside of the ship, Canderous shouldered his rifle. "So which way?"
"Here." Revan stepped forward from the forest, crashing through foliage like a mad thing but hardly caring.
It was hard to tell which reaction to turn to first. Mission threw herself into her arms, hugging tightly and talking non-stop. Juhani was beaming, Canderous was not smiling, not really. But there did seem to be a general tightening of the mouth muscles that could have indicated the beginnings of the expression, or at least some satisfaction. Jolee gave a quick one-armed hug and while Zalbaar remained to the side, his hoots - most of them in response to Mission - overlay the whole conversation. The droids did not approach. Neither did Bastila.
"Are you alright?"
"Bastila said you were dying?"
"What happened with Malak?"
Revan held up a hand. "Hold up. Hold up. It's alright. We're fine. Carth is back at the ship." Her eyes flickered. Jolee's narrowed, and she hurried on. "I was hurt pretty bad. I was dying. But Carth showed up with all those life packs and, well, enough said. And Malak. He's gone. Do you really need more details?"
"Revan must be tired," Bastila said smoothly, "And we need to get back to the Council. I know they are most anxious. You said Carth was back at your ship? Perhaps Zalbaar and Jolee could fetch him?"
Revan's brow furrowed, "Its fine. We can go whatever," She began to smirk, humor rising. They'd come. Bastila'd come. She wasn't going to be trapped here. "What, Bastila? Aren't you happy to see me?" She raised a brow.
"Don't be foolish," Bastila said. Their eyes met, "Of course I'm glad to see you. I just - " The dark haired Jedi broke off. She lost, or won, a battle and stepped forward brusquely. She gave Revan a quick hug. "Of course I'm glad to see you," she repeated, quieter, then stepped back. "Very much so. We just have a lot to do."
Revan sighed, "I was afraid you'd say that."
"Glad you could stop by. I see you managed to take care of the Ebon Hawk just fine." Carth's voice invited another round of chaos and greetings. Mission again bounded forward in a hug, perpetually in the lead with her gestures.
They began to walk back to the ship, unhurried.
"You said that we had a lot to do." Revan ventured as they boarded, hating herself for it. "You mean clean up? Ships, Sith, that got away?"
"Not exactly." Bastila walked straight through the ship. "There is to be a celebration. The Council wished to speak with you as well."
"The Council?" Revan looked behind her and met four five sets of curious eyes looking back and two sets of sensors. Carth wasn't looking at her. She turned back to Bastila. The cockpit loomed and the Jedi took a seat. Brush by - Carth moving to take his own position.
"You know, Carth, you could like take a bath first." Mission chimed. She was ignored.
"This has been a very important situation, Revan." Bastila continued. "The Council is going to wish to speak to you. But I wouldn't worry. We've won."
Revan didn't feel very reassured. She leaned back against the wall. The Council. "If they try to erase my memory again," she said without thinking, "Bastila, if they try to destroy me again.."
"That's not going to happen." Juhani spoke now, accented voice certain. "They have no reason to hurt you, Revan. This is a time to rejoice."
Zalbaar howled, making his emphasis that no one would be doing anything to Revan or Revan's mind as long as he stood.
Revan nodded, "Of course. You're right." She parroted, automatically soothing. "It will be fine. I'm just worried."
"You have no need. The Council took action against Darth Revan." Bastila said, "Not you."
Revan half smiled. "Right."
The Ebon Hawk shuddered as it began to lift off.
"You and Carth should get cleaned up." Bastila took the lead again. She was becoming quite good at it. "We've some time."
"I'll go first then?" Revan asked, suddenly stiff again.
"Sounds good." Carth agreed without turning to her.
+++++
There had been bright colors against an azure sky....
"Prodigal Jedi you have been named. But your training has barely begun."
The sound of native instruments playing songs so ancient that she could not guess how long ago they'd been composed. They were the cheery counter point as the medals were hung around necks....
"You will return to Coruscant to complete it, Padawan."
HK was gleaming. He'd made her smile just moments before by referring the Admiral in his customary style. He'd made her smile, but the good Admiral had choked at being referred to as a meat bag....
"You frown. Do not mistake yourself, Revan. You've defeated a great evil, but power does not indicate mastery. Not mastery of self. A Padawan learner you were, and in control, a Padawan leaner you remain. Bastila is proof of what your darkness can do."
The ships were dots on the horizon. She couldn't see them, they were behind her. But she was somehow aware. They were distant, bright and beautiful. So far off as to be untouchable. But then, without a breath they were there. Glittering as an unsought gift. Screaming overhead like demented birds as they approached the sound barrier...
"The Ebon Hawk? A Jedi does not worry over material possessions. You will not need it. We will remain here for a day, perhaps two more, but then we must return. There is much in the universe that needs to be put right, Padawan. You must learn to bend the Force towards that effort, and not your own. Go. Celebrate this victory over the Dark Side. We will talk again later."
..... and then they were gone. It was all gone. Only vapor trails marked that it had ever been.