Saviour, Conqueror, Hero, Villain

by VMorticia

HUGE SPOILER WARNINGS FOR KOTOR! Evil PC character! And it's finished, alternate ending and all. Read, review, and I'll be eternally grateful.

6. Water

Saviour, Conqueror, Hero, Villain.

Author's Notes: I loved the Genoharadan side-quests. I almost wrote them into my other KotOR fanfic, but they didn't mesh well with my plans, so I cut them out at the last minute. I've decided to use artistic licence with them, though... because Kira can smell deception a mile away.

RollingSkull: I'm glad you like her - it's not easy to write an evil character people feel sympathy for (I read Chamber of Secrets, and fell in love with Tom Riddle... but other than that, they're not easy to find). What's MC? And she didn't have the credits to afford the EC belt, otherwise she'd have jumped at the opportunity.

Prisoner 24601: Canderous, in this fic, is very intelligent... that was just the first real conversation Revan had with him - there will be more. I loved killing Tanis, too... and the man in the locker on Manaan. As for that line you quoted: "You girl, you" is something a man I know says all the time (usually to other men, as an insult) - I thought it was fitting of Revan's attitude.

arrow maker: What sort of reason is that for me to update quicker, huh?

NathanPostmark: Thanks, glad you like it.

darth poop: Because they're evil! Hippity hoppity evil little breeding machines, like Tribbles and bunnies!

Firera: Yes... that line will be relevant to the first scene, in this chapter, too. As for Kira's attraction to Carth... well, she knew damned well it'd shut him up... even though it was true.

Data: Thanks. So you like my HK? Cool - I was afraid I wasn't making it sardonic enough.

talar: Actually, in theory, those Sith teachings should help Bastila defy Malak... but I've planned for that eventuality... mwahahahahahaa! Carth's a stubborn, suspicious git when he wants to be... and he has trouble trusting Kira... he's even more pig-headed about trusting Revan. His honour and chivalry (and suspicious gittyness) are all parts he writes himself - he also has a vicious streak that's born of his hatred and lust for vengeance, which he also writes himself - you will get to see his dark side in this fic, if only a few brief glimpses of it... but trying to get him to fall for Revan is my doing, and it's a real challenge! Yes, by all means use that line as a sig - it's one of my fav lines, too.

snackfiend101: Glad you like it.

rockerbabe: Glad you're enjoying it.

gammoreanprincess: Interesting penname. Glad you're enjoying it. I'm amazed that people are recommending my fics, though... I never thought I was that good a writer.

x x x

Chapter 6 - Water

The flight to Manaan was short. Only a few hours, during which most of us got some sleep.

HK-47's gizka massacre didn't go as well as planned. For every one he blasted, dismembered, electrocuted, boiled in oil, eviscerated, decapitated, or threw out an airlock, two more appeared. They bred at an exponential rate. Disgusting little vermin.

"Stop doing that! Just stop it!" Mission shrieked.

I bolted into the common room to find her staring in horror as HK-47 wrung the neck of yet another gizka. "HK, cease." HK dropped the gizka corpse on the floor. "And what did I tell you about my floors?!"

HK quickly swept up the gizka, and threw it out an airlock. Mission looked horrified.

"What's the matter, kid?" I asked.

"That droid's killing all these cute little creatures!"

"Suggestion: organic meatbags may find these miniature meatbags go incredibly well with a light marinade and salad." HK-47 put in.

"Gizka salad." I said brightly, "Well, at least we'd not have to stock up on so much food."

"That's horrible!" Mission whined, "They're so cute! How can you kill them?!"

"Um... like this." I shot Force lightening at a nearby gizka, frying it to a crisp.

Mission shrieked in horror, "Stop it!!"

"What is going on in here?!" Bastila demanded.

"Kira and that droid are killing the gizka!" Mission shouted, picking up one of the surviving gizka, and hugging it protectively.

Bastila gave me a piercing glare, "Why are you doing such a thing?" she asked coldly.

"Because they're vermin, infesting my ship." I said flatly, "Not that it's doing any good. They're breeding faster than HK can kill them."

Bastila glared at me, "I suggest you stop killing them, then. Perhaps there is some way to dispose of them on our next planet."

"Right. I'll find some schmuck to unload them on, who'll want these little breeding machines." I shuddered, "Foul, loathsome, evil little creatures."

"Look who's talking." Carth said, appearing from the direction of the male sleeping quarters.

"Oh, great. All three points on my moral compass have come to stop my little gizka massacre!" I said, half laughing. Bastila, Carth and Mission were the only three people I would protect, on this ship.

While I liked Juhani, I wouldn't defend her (partly because she can defend herself) unless it was to my tactical benefit. Canderous is a fellow warrior, with all the honour-bonds that carries, but no more. Jolee is an annoyance at best, a powerful Jedi at worst, and I wouldn't go out of my way for him. T3 can go rust in a corner for all I care about it. HK is practically invincible, anyway. And while Zaalbar swore his life to me, but I made no such promise to him.

Mission is a child I feel the instinctive need to protect. Bastila is my bond-sister, I couldn't help but protect her. And Carth... well... he reminds me of... someone I used to know... I find myself drawn to him, against all my common sense.

"Since when did you ever have a moral compass?" Carth asked incredulously, "I don't remember that when we met on Taris."

I smirked darkly, "I only developed it from living on the same ship as you three goodie-goodies for so long. I think you've rubbed off on me, Carth." I said, managing to keep a straight face. Bastila caught my thoughts on the double-entendre in that, and couldn't help snorting with indignant laughter. Mission remained innocently oblivious.

Carth raised an eyebrow, noticing Bastila's laughter and my evil smirk, but decided this was not the time to retort... not with the kid in the room, "I agree with Kira." he said, instead, "The gizka have been getting out of hand. Look." he pointed behind him, where a group of three gizka were fighting a tug-of-war over a pair of boxer shorts. I had no clue who they belonged to, but it was an amusing sight... especially since one of the three gizka had a sock on its head, and another was wearing a crimson bra.

I raised an eyebrow at the three gizka, barely restraining myself from falling into fits of giggles in the middle of the floor, "Whose underwear is that?"

"Canderous, Jolee and Juhani." Carth answered, smirking, "You decide who owns which."

"Well the bra must be Candy's." Mission chirped cheerfully.

My eyes widened, "Kid, don't call him that!"

"Why not?" Mission asked innocently.

"Insulting a Mandalorian's name is grounds for a blood duel. His name is tied to his honour." I said, "And such an insult would deserve death, if he hears it... especially such a bloody funny one." I finished, smirking.

Mission couldn't decide between grinning and looking scared, "But I'm allowed to imply he wears women's underwear, right?"

"Of course." I said brightly, "There's nothing in Mandalore's code that says there's any dishonour in wearing women's underwear... or implying someone else does."

Mission giggled, Bastila gave us a disapproving look, and Carth laughed, "Where did you learn all this?" he asked.

"I studied a lot of different cultures, before the wars." I said flatly, in a 'that's all I'm saying about it' tone.

He nodded, accepting this, "Interesting. So how many Mandalorians wear women's underwear, then?" he asked, with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Nobody really knows, but I'm not one of them." Canderous said, snatching the sock from the Gizka, and glaring at Carth.

Carth tried not to look like he wanted to laugh, but he really couldn't help it, "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, trying to sound innocent, "It was Mission who started it."

"Hey!" Mission whined.

Canderous snickered, and shook his head, "Whatever." he turned and left, with his sock.

Mission blinked, "He took that well."

"Like I said." I said brightly, "He doesn't take it as an insult, like normal people would. He probably thinks we're very immature for thinking it's so funny."

"Immature?" Mission snapped, "I'll show him immature." she left the common room.

I'm not sure I want to know what she's up to, but, "HK, make sure she doesn't get killed. And don't kill Canderous, either." I said flatly. The droid nodded curtly, and left the common room as well.

"We're dropping out of hyperspace in fifteen seconds. Belt up, back there, kids." Jolee's voice called over the ship's comm system. There was a scuffle for the only two empty chairs in the common room. Carth and Bastila won. I shot a brief glare at both of them, before sitting on Carth's lap.

The startled look on his face made me smirk. Bastila glared at me, 'You little harlot.'

I wrapped my arms around Carth and the chair he was seated on, as the ship jolted out of hyperspace, 'You flatter me, Bastila.'

I smiled innocently at Carth, not failing to notice that his hands were on my waist. We just stared at each other for a few moments, before I came to my senses and stood up rather quickly. Carth and Bastila both stood up as well, Bastila glaring at us, and Carth still staring at me.

"We have a Star Map to find." Bastila snapped at us.

I turned slowly to glare at her, "Must you be so rude?" I asked coldly.

"In this instance, yes." she said coldly. Then she projected her thoughts on the matter to my mind, 'Do you know how much it would hurt him if you were to court him like this, and then he were to find out who you are?'

I tilted my head to one side, 'I am aware of that, yes.'

'Do you care?'

'... yes.' I frowned, 'I don't want to hurt him. Strange... I shouldn't care about him, really.'

She gave me an odd look, but was interrupted by Canderous storming through the common room in the direction of the ship's fresher unit. He was covered in rotten fruits, and seemed to be dyed an odd pinkish-purple colour. He totally ignored us, but seemed mad as all hell, as he passed through the room.

Mission and HK-47 entered the room moment's later. Mission was giggling maniacally.

"Statment: Your blue meatbag companion has an imaginative sense of non-fatal torture, master."

I smiled brightly at Mission, "From HK, that's the closest to a compliment you're ever going to get, kid."

x x x

Carth, Bastila, Juhani and Jolee insisted on accompanying me off the ship.

We passed a random Selkath who asked us, [Greetings! Forgive me if this seems an odd question, off-worlder, but might you have any exotic species for sale? Nothing dangerous, mind you.]

"Thank the Force." I said gratefully, "Yes. I have some gizka, if you're interested."

[Gizka?] the Selkath asked warily, [You speak of the small, bipedal amphibians with the overly high reproductive rate, correct? Oh, no, I am afraid I cannot take those. A compatriot of mine made the mistake of purchasing a pair of such creatures several months ago. Within weeks our storage facilities were nearly overrun.]

"But you want to take these gizka off my hands..." I said, using the Force to back up my words. Bastila shot me a reproachful glare for that.

[Hmm. But maybe we could use these gizka, after all.] the Selkath said, [It is better then having nothing at all to show, I suppose. Since they are so difficult to maintain, however, I would ask that you provide one hundred credits. Then I will take them off your hands.]

I tilted my head to the side, not wanting to give him my money for someone else's screw-up.

"But these are special gizka. They don't reproduce like the others do." Jolee said, with an enigmatic smile, 'They're far worse, right kids?'

'Technically not a lie, then. I'll let you get away with that one.' I replied mentally. Jolee looked too innocent.

[They do not?] the Selkath asked hopefully, [Well, that is marvellous news! We would have the benefit of obtaining the gizka without the inconvenience of their numbers! If you wish, I will send some others over to your vessels right away to remove the gizka.]

"Yes, please." I said eagerly.

[Thank you for your assistance, off-worlder.] the Selkath said, [Dealing with you has proven far more pleasurable than I anticipated.]

He left to arrange the gizka transportation, and I sniggered as soon as he was out of earshot, "Thanks, old man. You're not totally useless, after all."

"Hmph." Jolee said sulkily, clearly taking offence at the suggestion that he was useless.

I used the Force to persuade the docking authorities that I didn't need to pay them. Bastila and Juhani both took offence at this, Jolee turned a blind eye, and Carth tried to look like he didn't know me... which must be difficult, when I can literally feel his gaze on me, most of the time.

When we got into Ahto City, Bastila tried to take charge, "We need to find a submersible." she said, in a tone that made it sound like both an order and an urgent request.

"That's true." I said, nodding, "The Star Map is on the ocean floor."

"How are we supposed to know where on the ocean floor, though?" Carth asked, "It's not like those visions of yours sound too specific."

"It's near the Hrakert rift." I said flatly, "Which is sacred to the Selkath, so we can't afford to screw anything up." I didn't screw anything up last time.

Carth looked at me, "I thought you said your visions were just images and feeling, Bastila?"

"They are. Kira seems to be afforded more details than I." Bastila said flatly.

Carth continued to regard me with suspicion, "Well, then. I suppose we start looking for a submersible."

"You three go ask around the mercenary bar." I said to the three Jedi, "Carth, you follow me."

That instruction seemed to be accepted, though, as the three Jedi left, heading west. I led Carth towards the eastern section of the city.

x x x

We walked through the streets of Ahto City, in the general direction of the Republic and Sith embassies. I didn't particularly wish to deal with either of them, but it was the opposite direction from the mercenary bar, and I wanted to talk to Carth.

As we walked, I could literally feel his gaze on me, even though I wasn't looking at him to see that he was watching me.

"You're watching me again." I said flatly, not turning to face him, "Why do you watch me like that?"

Embarrassment at being caught staring flashed through his aura, before he answered, "Oh. I hadn't thought you'd noticed..."

"If you were any more obvious, your eyes would fall out of your head." I joked.

"Err... I'm not that bad, am I?" he asked.

"I'd still like to know what you see that interests you." I noted, finally turning to face him. I now had my back to the railings that stopped people from falling out into the open ocean.

"Damn it, woman, if you keep hounding me I'm going to put you over my knee and teach you a lesson!"

I laughed, "Is that a promise?"

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way." he said quickly.

"Sure you didn't." I taunted.

He was incredibly embarrassed, now, "Well, I ah... I've just been admiring you. Not, uhh, not anything like that, though... I've been watching you in action. Your, your skills... you have a natural talent that is incredible. Not that, ah, all I do is watch you or anything. I don't mean anything by it."

"Uh huh." I said, not believing that last part for a moment, "Any other observations?"

He avoided looking at me as he said, "Well... maybe a few. I hope you won't mind if I keep those to myself."

"It's alright. I don't mind if you watch me." I said, smirking.

He laughed, "Why didn't you tell me that sooner? You would have saved me a lot of trouble." he said, smiling, "But then, I should have guessed that after what you said on Tatooine."

I tilted my head to one side, "What did I say on Tatooine?"

"That you were attracted to me." he gave me a slightly confused look, "What do you see in me, exactly?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you're a cruel spiteful woman, and I'm one of the good guys. We're hardly made for each other." he joked.

"Aside from your obvious good looks..." I said, smirking as he blushed slightly at that, "Reading your aura shows you have a good heart... but you wear anger and darkness like a cloak. As if it's there to protect you from being hurt again. After what you told me about Saul, it doesn't surprise me. Your aura reminded me of... someone I used to care about... that's why I mistook you for him when I was delirious on Taris."

He looked at me for a second, "You're attracted to me because I remind you of your old lover? The one who tried to kill you?"

I smirked, "No. I gave you more than a second's notice because you were so like him. So strong, too. For a Force-blind, you have incredible strength of will. I was attracted to you because of that. Which I may not have noticed if I hadn't seen the similarity in you."

He blinked a few times, "You really don't pull any punches, do you?" he asked.

"I do believe in honesty, yes." I said, frowning, "Although if I were truly honest with you, you'd hate me."

He looked confused now, "I know I've joked about it in the past... but I don't think I could hate you, even if you are a bit evil."

"Who said it was only 'a bit'?" I asked, smirking darkly.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"You'll find out in good time." I said distantly, stepping towards him, "I don't want you to hate me, though. I know you're the paranoid type who can't stand a secret to be kept from you... but trust me, you're better not knowing, for now."

He couldn't seem to take his eyes off mine. I couldn't look away, either. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, for now."

I smiled, "Thank you." I took another step towards him, and kissed his lips lightly.

I could sense a torrent of conflicting emotions passing through his mind, including (but not limited to) surprise, desire, and a hint of fear. Then he seemed to relax slightly, returning the kiss gently, and wrapping his arms around me.

I wanted to lose myself in this moment. It felt so right... yet I knew exactly how wrong it was. After an indeterminate length of time, I backed away from him, breaking the kiss, and staring at him with fascination, "I really do like you, Carth." I said, with a faint, kind of distant smile, "And that was a damned good kiss."

"You sound like you've never been kissed before." he joked.

"Not in the last four years, anyway." I said flatly.

"Is that when your mystery man tried to kill you?" he asked, with genuine curiosity. I could sense that he would love to give the aforementioned 'mystery man' a good punch in the face for trying to hurt me. I found this thought amusing, no end.

I smirked darkly, "Oh, no. That happened a few years later."

"So why-"

"You don't want to know." I said quickly.

He raised an eyebrow, "Whatever you say, beautiful." he said sceptically.

I smiled innocently, "Don't we have a Star Map to find?"

"And here I thought your current 'evil master-plan' was to get the Jedi to do the dirty-work while you seduced me." he joked.

"Well that took less time than I expected." I answered, "So now you could go ask at the Republic embassy while I... do something else."

"Such as?" Carth asked, "Ask at the Sith embassy?"

I wrinkled my nose, "They're not the charitable type." I said flatly, "I had other plans, actually."

"Always scheming." he muttered.

"Yep." I said brightly, "It's a habit I happened to be very proud of."

"All right. I'll go ask the Republic embassy." he said, giving me one of his near-patented suspicious looks, "I'll meet you back at the ship. Ok?"

I nodded, "Ok."

x x x

I wandered around the streets of Ahto City, a little aimlessly. Manaan is a big place, thankfully Ahto City is the only place an air-breather would be found, on the planet. Still, I had no idea where to begin to look for Hulas. I didn't even know what species this person was - gender is also debatable, because while that name may lean towards masculine, some species would give such a name to a girl.

As I passed not far from the Republic embassy, I sensed an aura nearby that radiated the same sense of detachment, power, and knowledge that they had that power, yet without any Force-sensitivity, as the Twi'lek who had given me the datapad. It was a Rodian, and when I turned to look at it, I saw a short and fairly plain-looking Rodian, who blended in well with his environment.

I approached the Rodian, conscious of how dangerous he was in spite of his appearance - that sort of power and confidence, coupled with the skill at concealment of such power, made him incredibly dangerous. Not a real threat to me, but the type of power he radiated was that of great influence.

He noticed me before I spoke, and seemed to sense my interest, even without the Force to aid him, [A human?] he asked in his own language, [There are Selkath everywhere, but you choose to speak with me. Am I so different? Do you think I have answers that others do not?]

[That's a rather strange greeting.] I said flatly, in the same language.

[These are strange times.] he replied, shrugging, [The Sith and the Republic battle to control the galaxy, but their war destroys what they both seek to possess. The war sows fear and confusion, people are lost. They want guidance, direction. They have questions, and they want answers. That is why I am here... I too seek answers.]

[What is your name?] I asked the mysterious Rodian.

[A name? There is power in names, yet in the end a name alone means less than nothing.] he said, trying to be cryptic, but I knew how profound his words were - he spoke the truth, [I am Hulas, a traveller from the world of Duro. And what is your name, human?]

I smirked, [Senni Vek gave me a message to see you, Hulas.] I said, [Though I am unsure of the name you were told I went by. I have several.]

[Senni did not think you would come, but I knew better, Kira Lunari. It is good that you have come alone, for if you ever come with others I will not speak to you of these things.]

[You should know, Kira Lunari is merely an alias I use.] I said flatly, [I have several others.]

[That does not concern me.] Hulas said, with a dismissive wave, [I trust you do not object to my use of your 'alias'?]

[Not at all.] I said.

He nodded, [I am Hulas of the Genoharadan - a secret society of bounty hunters. For a thousand generations we have existed, but always hidden beneath an impenetrable veil.]

[I heard the name Genoharadan, once. It was a child's fable, I never believed it was true.] I said quietly.

[Few are so lucky as to even hear that much.] Hulas said, [We are shadow, darkness and night. We are less than a whisper or a thought. We have managed to keep our existence a secret far longer than most could ever imagine. If you are ever foolish enough to tell anyone about this meeting or the Genoharadan's existence, they would not believe you. They would probably think you were paranoid, or mentally unstable.]

"I know a few paranoids, and a couple of mentally unstable people, as it is." I muttered in Basic, "I'd fit in just great." it was clearly a joke, but Hulas didn't take it as such.

[Not even those closest to you can know we have approached you.] he said pointedly, [If you ever speak to me around any of your companions, I will not discuss the Genoharadan. Do you understand, Kira Lunari?]

I sighed, [I'll not tell anyone about you. Now why, exactly, did you approach me in the first place?]

[Excellent, Kira Lunari.] he said, [We have high hopes for you within the guild... if you prove yourself worthy. Listen closely and I will give you a first glimpse into our secret world.] I nodded, and leaned against the railing, paying close attention to what he was saying, [We Genoharadan are an ancient guild of elite bounty hunters. For thousands of years we have been at work throughout the galaxy, eliminating our targets in near total secrecy.]

[How does anybody hire you if nobody knows you exist?] I asked flatly.

[In the highest corridors of power a handful of people know we exist, and how to contact us. Of course, these people are smart enough to keep this knowledge a carefully guarded secret.] Hulas explained, [And on very rare occasions, when we are seeking new clients, one of our guild-masters will approach a powerful political figure and offer our services when the time is ripe.]

[What does this have to do with me?] I asked bluntly.

[By killing Calo Nord, you have shown you have great potential.] he said, [The Genoharadan could use someone like you, if you are willing. And your work for us could be of great aid to the Republic.]

I gave him an odd look, [Does this mean you serve the Republic?]

[The Genoharadan have a vested interest in preserving the Republic.] Hulas said, [It is the perfect cover for our work. We operate behind the scenes, manipulating events through subtle machinations. Do you think the Republic has persisted for fifteen thousand years by mere accident? If not for our influence - distasteful as our methods may be to some - the Republic would have collapsed long ago! We understand the bureaucracy of the Republic, we have learned how to alter the course of political events under the existing regime. We have no wish to see the Republic fall.]

My upper lip curled, [You would see their stale and corrupted system persist, just because you know how to manipulate it?] I snorted, [When the Republic falls, you will probably fall with it.] I gave him a penetrating look, [A true tell of strength is the ability to persist when your life-line is ripped out from under you.]

[You sound as if you wish the Republic to lose this war?] Hulas asked.

I shrugged, [I wish Malak to lose his other jaw, and the Republic to get its collective asses kicked.]

[You seem to contradict yourself. You wish both sides to lose?]

[The Sith can prevail without Malak... in fact I believe they would do better without him. Though if the Republic can survive a serious ass-kicking, they might deserve to win.] I shrugged again, [I'm not sure I know who I want to win, anymore.]

Hulas looked out over the ocean as he began to speak calmly, [War is the tool of empire building. The Sith conquer world after world, taking resources as they want. They came to Manaan to plunder the most valuable resource of all - Kolto. But Manaan is different, it is difficult to conquer. If the Sith attack the Selkath can slip away to safety far below the oceans. They can hoard their Kolto - or give it to the Republic. So Manaan gives us a glimpse of how the Sith will react should they win this war. Here the Sith must use diplomacy and negotiation: tools they will need to maintain their empire.]

I nodded, [Tools Malak is ridiculously unskilled in the use of. He much prefers the 'push the big red button to blow up the enemy' type of plan... even then, he needs to be told which button to press.]

Hulas eyed me in a calculating way, before he continued, [The Republic comes to Manaan with offers of alliance, but the Selkath are wary. They have no wish to join the Republic, given recent history. The Republic say they protect the galaxy, but they have seen much war: Exar Kun, the Mandalorians, the Sith. Why does the Republic breed so many enemies? Until they know the answer, the Selkath will not join. They have no wish to make the Republic's many enemies their own. More than this I cannot say.]

I nodded, still watching the Rodian carefully.

[I am an observer, a seeker of answers.] Hulas said, [The Sith and Republic vie for control of the galaxy, and I am anxious to know as much as I can about the eventual victor. On Manaan, I can observe both parties in relative safety. The Sith and the Republic co-exist here, unlike anywhere else in the galaxy. Here I watch, and study, and learn.]

[So what do you want me to do, exactly?] I asked pointedly.

[As you can imagine, joining the Genoharadan is not a simple process.] he explained, [To begin, we will need proof of your loyalty and your competence. When you feel you are ready, I will give you a task: a target who must be eliminated. Of course you will have to come alone whenever you wish to discuss Genoharadan business.]

I nodded, [Who is the target?]

[We will begin with something simple. Your first mission is to eliminate either of two targets: a Gran slaver named Zuulan Sentar or a Rodian anti-Republic terrorist named Lorgal.] he said.

[Tell me details.] I said, my tone clearly all business, now.

[Lorgal is a radical who wants to destroy the Republic through terrorist acts. He is responsible for over two dozen bombings, leaving hundreds of civilians dead. He was recently captured and is being held prisoner in the Republic base here on Manaan awaiting transport to Coruscant for trial - and a chance to publicly voice his radical beliefs. We do not want to give him that chance. You must find a way to kill him before he leaves for Coruscant, but you must be subtle. It must look like an accident or an unexplainable death. The Republic would be glad to get rid of Lorgal, so they won't investigate his death closely. As long as he isn't struck down by a weapon in his cell, the Genoharadan will be satisfied.]

[What about the slaver?]

[Zuulan was a common inter-galactic slaver who tried to kidnap the daughter of a Coruscant Senator. He failed and the girl was recovered, but Zuulan himself escaped. He will probably try another similar kidnapping soon. If he succeeds, he might ransom his victim in exchange for dangerous political secrets that could threaten the Republic itself. The Genoharadan want to eliminate him before this happens. Our latest information places Zuulan on Dantooine - he often sells illicit goods to the wealthy settlers of that world. His land speeder was spotted near one of the settler's estates on Dantooine. Zuulan rarely strays far from his speeder in case he needs to make a quick escape. You should look for him there.]

I stared out over the ocean, thinking, [Either a terrorist who's against the Republic, who I can find here on Manaan... or a slaver who screwed over the Republic, and I'd have to traipse all the way to Dantooine to deal with. Ok. I'll eliminate one of them for you.]

I turned to leave, but Hulas stopped me long enough to say, [Remember - tell no one about this. If there are others with you when you confront Zuulan or Lorgal, make it seem as if you are acting on behalf of the Republic, not the Genoharadan.]

I nodded, and sidestepped past him, making a beeline for the Republic embassy.

x x x

When I entered the Republic embassy, I could not sense Carth's presence. He seemed to have already left. I made my way into the base unquestioned, and eventually found the terrorist, in a holding cell. I spoke to him, and discovered that not only was he a radical terrorist, he was also a raving lunatic. I had no problems killing him, either way, but somehow this seemed to make me feel better - I must have been improving the galactic IQ and sanity ratings a few points by killing this one Rodian. Then again, I think wiping out half the Galactic Senate might have a similar effect.

I idly chatted to the guard on duty, about minor things. The weather, the war, Taris. Nothing about the Rodian in the cell nearby. And as I chatted, I curled my fingers into a fist, using the Force to crush the air out of the Rodian's lungs.

He soon dropped dead in his cell. To anyone but me, as I was the cause of death, it would look like some strange illness had claimed his life.

I returned to Hulas, immediately, [Done.] I said flatly.

[Yes, Kira Lunari, the agents I sent to watch you have reported back to me concerning Lorgal's death.] Hulas said calmly, [You should take pride in a job well done. And, as promised, here is your reward for the task: a poisoned vibroblade forged exclusively for the use of those within our guild. It will serve you well, I am sure.]

He handed me an incredibly well crafted sword, which was tinted a slight green colour. Its handle was dark grey, rather than the standard blue or bronze colour of normal vibroblades. It felt perfectly balanced, in my hands, and looked so sharp it could likely split a hair.

[Impressive little toy.] I said, examining the blade carefully, [I like it.]

[This assignment was only the beginning, Kira Lunari.] Hulas said calmly, [A small test, which I am pleased to say you passed. But now a more difficult challenge awaits you. There are three targets that the Genoharadan want you to remove. If you can eliminate all three, then you will gain full membership in our ancient guild.]

I nodded slightly, [The sort of power your guild weilds... it would be greatly to my advantage to be a part of it. But please, tell me more about the Genoharadan.] I put some Force in my words, in the hope of bypassing his natural instinct to secrecy.

[The Genoharadan were created by the galactic tyrant Xim the Despot, five thousand years before the Republic itself was even founded.] Hulas said calmly, [During Xim's short but brutal reign he used Genoharadan agents to eliminate his most powerful enemies. When Xim was finally overthrown, it was believed the Genoharadan disbanded. But the Genoharadan did not disband. Instead, we vanished into the darkness. Now we carry on our work from the deepest shadows, dispatching the enemies of those who hire us.]

I nodded, [Tell me more.] I said, again with Force in my word. I could sense he had decided that was all he would tell me, but I wanted to hear more of this organisation, if I was to do anything for them.

Hulas hesitated for a moment, before speaking again, [In the first few centuries after Xim was overthrown, the Genoharadan were nothing but hired killers. We were a mere tool to be used by those who were rich and politically ambitious. But slowly the guild evolved. We began to shape and alter events through our actions. We ceased to be a servant of the political elite; we became a powerful faction in our own right. The organization of the guild itself also changed at this point. Instead of a single guildmaster, it was decided there would be four Overseers to guide and lead the Genoharadan.]

[Four?] I asked, [Why so?]

[By distributing the power in this way we were protected against becoming a tool of a single person. The Overseers' individual ambitions would serve to balance each other out.] he explained, [The Overseers are a secret cabal of four individuals who control the Genoharadan. For their own protection, nobody knows the identity of an Overseer. They are anonymous even to each other. Through agents and go-betweens, the Overseers consult with each other on all guild business. The system ensures no one person can manipulate the guild for their own benefit.]

[What happens if one of the Overseers is killed?] I asked.

[As you can imagine, the method for choosing and replacing an Overseer is complicated. The anonymity of a candidate must be protected at all costs, or the entire system will break down.] Hulas explained, [If one Overseer were ever able to somehow eliminate the other three at the same time, he could seize all the power for himself and the guild as we know it would change forever. More than this I cannot tell you, for the sake of the guild. Besides, many of the details are hidden from me, as well. They are known only to the Overseers themselves.]

[I see.] I said. Interesting. I wasn't stupid... I was on to this greenie's scheme, already. But I would play along with him for now. [And who are the three target you wish me to eliminate?] I asked.

[The first is a Gammorean named Vorn Daasraad. The second is a shapeshifter called Rulan Prolik. The third is a Selkath known as Ithorak Guldar.]

I looked at him, sharply, [A Selkath? Are you nuts?]

[I am not insane. And to prove yourself worthy of our guild, you must find a way around the Selkath laws, unharmed.]

I tilted my head to one side, [Tell me more about the Selkath target.]

[Ithorak isn't violent like Rulan or Vorn, but in many ways he's far more dangerous.] Hulas explained, [He's a con artist and blackmailer who's taken millions of credits from rich and powerful families. He also deals in secrets and information, and these can be far more deadly than any blaster. But Ithorak is careful - we know he's somewhere here on Manaan, but we don't know where. All we know is how to contact him. There's a Twi'lek named Vek at the Manaan swoop track. He can set up a meeting between you and Ithorak.]

[Why would he want to arrange a meeting with me?] I asked sceptically.

[Ithorak poses as a merchant of rare antiquities. It's the perfect cover for his real work - it gives him access to rich and powerful families without drawing suspicion. You'll have to convince Vek that you represent a buyer interested in purchasing some rare art from Ithorak. Convince Vek, and he'll set up a meeting. The meeting is your one chance to take Ithorak out, but be careful. He'll choose the time and place, and he's not going to leave himself vulnerable.]

I nodded, [Still sounds like a crap assignment.] I smirked, [I'm only doing this out of morbid curiosity, regarding your guild.]

Hulas nodded, [I will be waiting here, to inform you of your next assignment, once Ithorak is dead.]

x x x

I found Vek at the swoop track, [Greetings, human.] the Twi'lek man said in his own language. He was wearing a Sith uniform, but he didn't look like a Sith to me. [Have you come here to watch the swoop races? I find they are an excellent way to relieve stress. And in my business, I need all the stress relief I can get.]

[What sort of business would that be, exactly?] I asked, conversationally.

[My name is Vek.] he said calmly, [I work for Ithorak Guldar, a merchant who deals in very rare and expensive art. He serves as the go-between for buyers and sellers throughout the galaxy. I serve as Ithorak's security advisor - a highly demanding job. The fact that Ithorak seems to delight in insulting and berating me makes it even more difficult.]

[You're wearing a Sith uniform. But you're not a Sith, are you?]

[To be honest, no. Not really.] he admitted, [I just wear this uniform to gain respect. People are less likely to give me trouble if they think I MIGHT be with the Sith.]

[And you don't think the Sith would have a problem with that?]

[Well, maybe. I guess.] he said, shrugging, [But the Sith here on Manaan aren't about to do anything to get them in trouble. Not if it means getting sanctions against their Kolto shipments. As long as I don't actually SAY I'm with the Sith, they don't seem to mind. So I use this outfit to give me the psychological edge I need. Being Ithorak's security advisor isn't easy!]

[I imagine not.] I said flatly, [I want to meet with Ithorak Gulder. Can you set it up?]

[You need to meet with Ithorak?] Vek looked highly amused at this idea, [Forgive my scepticism, but you hardly resemble our typical client. We deal in the kind of pieces found in the chambers of a galactic senator.]

[This meeting is quiet important.] I said calmly, [You might want to let me see him.] I used the Force in that last line.

[Yes.] he said, nodding. His eyes were glazed with the Force persuasion, [Very well, I'll set up a meeting with my boss. The Sith permit Ithorak to conduct his private business in their non-secured hangar. Go to the docking bays and we will meet you there in one hour.]

I nodded, [Thank you, Vek.]

I needed to pass some time before I went to meet with Ithorak, so I raced a couple of swoop races, beating the third tier time on the second tier. Something which is incredibly frustrating, because it doesn't count for the third tier.

Then I went back to the docking ring.

x x x

Vek met me outside the docking bay we were to meet Ithorak in, [Ithorak is waiting for you inside the hangar. As you probably know, there are no security cameras there: the better to conduct our business away from prying eyes. However, before we go in I'll point out this rather large assault droid standing beside me. I and the droid will both accompany you in to see Ithorak, just to make sure there is no trouble.] he explained in his own language.

I nodded, [Okay, let's go in and see Ithorak.]

[Excellent. Follow me.] he led me into the docking bay, where I found myself facing a Selkath man.

[Greetings, human. I am Ithorak.] the Selkath said, [Vek has not told me much about you. Simply that this meeting is important.]

I tilted my head to one side, sensing out the room. There was one human hiding nearby, watching us. Other than that, the three of us were alone.

I held out my empty hands, palms out in a gesture that made my lack of hostility clear. I stepped close enough to whisper to Ithorak, in Basic, "What do you know of the Genoharadan?"

He gave me a startled look, and stepped back, [Vek, leave.] he snapped.

Vek scowled, but nodded and left the room obediently enough.

[What do you want from me, human?] Ithorak asked coldly.

"Firstly, do you know we're being watched?" I asked flatly.

[I arranged no surveillance for this meeting.]

"Then you won't mind me doing this." I turned to the human I had sensed. Hiding behind crates, and wearing a strong stealth field. No normal person would notice them. I used Force grip to lift them by the throat, disrupting their stealth field, and dropped them unceremoniously on the floor, still alive, though barely.

[You are a Jedi?]

"Not exactly." I said coldly. I left the unconscious spy where she was, and turned to Ithorak, "Now, why did a Genoharadan agent send me to kill you?"

The assault droid twitched and aimed its blasters at me, but my lack of hostile action towards its owner meant it did not attack me yet.

[Why are you bothering to ask?] Ithorak asked coldly, [Our assassins do not generally stop to make small talk with their targets.]

"Your assassins?" I asked, smirking, "I was right. You're an Overseer, aren't you?"

[What makes you think that?]

"The person who sent me... I 'persuaded' him to explain about the Genoharadan. He told me about the four Overseers, about how if one were to uncover the identity of the other three he could take control of the entire guild. Then he immediately asked me to kill three people for him." I smirked darkly, "There are no coincidences - there is only the Force. Therefore, this 'coincidence' made me highly suspicious, and I decided to speak to you rather than kill you."

[I see.] Ithorak thought for a moment, [You met with this person, then? You know his identity?]

"That is correct."

[Very well. Your guess was correct. I am one of the four Overseers. I know the species of my fellows, but not their names, or whereabouts.] Ithorak explained, [Such an attempt as this, to gain total control, is unprecedented. But I believe my fellow Overseers would appreciate if this... usurper... were eliminated. You have no idea the threat he poses. If the Genoharadan were controlled by one person, it would shift the galactic balance more than this war ever could.]

I tilted my head to one side, "Which side of this war would you see win it?" I asked.

[That is of little concern to me.] he replied, [Which side are you a part of?]

"I am honestly ambivalent, at the moment. My personal feelings conflict one another, over this issue." I said flatly, "But your opinions are more to my best interests than his. If I were to eliminate this dissident for you, would you give me the guild's allegiance?"

[It depends on who you are. We do not serve common assassins' goals.]

"I am no common assassin. Your defector had no idea who he was hiring." I said in a dangerous tone, "He approached me because I eliminated an infamous bounty hunter, Calo Nord, and he thought I would be able to eliminate his enemies as well. My identity is a well kept secret that only... half my shipmates and the Jedi council know."

[And what is your name, then?]

"I have many aliases." I said, smirking, "Which one do you want?"

The Selkath smiled, [Give me one of your older fictitious names. I should be able to identify you from that.]

I raised an eyebrow at him, and smirked, "When I was a teenager, and too young to get into bars on Coruscant, my false ID bore the name Rianne D'Umbrae." I had bought that false ID in an Undercity dive, on Coruscant. I doubted he would have the connections to have traced it, let alone the inclination to remember it.

[Hmm. One of my operatives observed a pair of young Jedi, eleven years ago, purchasing illegal identity cards on Coruscant. The names on the false IDs were Rianne D'Umbrae and Andre Merrec.] my eyes widened as he said this, [Such an event as a Jedi purchasing illegal and frivolous materials was worthy of note. He reported this to me. You are implying that you are Revan.]

I smirked, "I hadn't thought you would work it out."

[But Revan was killed, a year ago.] Ithorak said pointedly, [Are you saying that you cheated death?]

I smiled brightly, "That's me, the Dark Lord, cheater of death, at your service." I mock-bowed to him.

[Fascinating.] he regarded me for a moment, [I have an ocular implant that senses the alteration in body-heat caused by dishonesty. Even a Jedi cannot conceal such a reaction. You truly are Revan.]

I smirked, "So do we have a deal?" I asked, "I eliminate this dissenter, and your guild will ally to me?"

[If you do eliminate him, we will be in your debt. We do not swear alliances, to anyone. But a debt from the Genoharadan is worth your time, I assure you, Revan.]

I nodded, "I'll see what I can do." I looked at the spy on the floor, "What will you do with her?"

[Extract information from her. Then kill her.]

I shrugged, "I'll leave you to that, then. Have fun."

[I wish you luck, Revan.] Ithorak said calmly. I turned to leave, but as I reached the door I distinctly heard him say quietly, [Whichever path you choose.]

x x x

I stepped out into the main docking ring, a few seconds before Mission and Juhani bolted round the corner, headed in the direction of the Ebon Hawk. I might not even have seen them, even though they were running, if I hadn't been able to read auras - their stealth skills were quite spectacular.

Juhani ran on past me, but Mission stopped and deactivated her stealth belt right in front of me. It would have startled anyone else, but I had seen her coming, so I didn't jump, "What's the matter, kid?" I asked.

"We've got a little problem... but we can't talk about it here." she said quickly, glancing up at the security surveillance cameras with a scowl.

"Ok." I said, nodding, "Let's go back to the ship." I put my hand on her shoulder, and led her back to the Ebon Hawk.

When we were back on the ship, I noticed Zaalbar, Jolee and Juhani were waiting for us in the common room.

[Mission. You're all right.] Zaalbar said, [I was worried about you.]

"I'm ok, Big Z. It's Carth that got caught." Mission replied.

"Got caught? What do you mean got caught?" I asked pointedly.

Mission giggled, "He insisted on coming with us." she muttered, "It was a stealth mission, me and Juhani coulda done it fine without him. But he insisted."

"What were you three up to?" I asked warily.

"That's what I'd like to know, kid." Jolee said brightly.

"Bastila, Jolee and I were still investigating the mercenary bar when Carth found us." Juhani explained, "He told us the Republic ambassador could provide us with a submersible, in exchange for recovering a data module from a republic droid the Sith had illicitly acquired. We agreed it was a stealth operation, and we returned to enlist Mission's assistance as well. As Mission said, it would most likely have gone more smoothly without Carth's presence, but he did insist on accompanying us."

"So we break into the Sith base, all stealthy-like." Mission said brightly.

Juhani smiled faintly, "She means Carth eliminated the Sith in the docking bay, and we stowed away on their transport ship to the base."

"Then we go looking for this droid." Mission continued, "I found it, and got the data module thingy." she held up a palm-sized metal cube, that was the item in question, "There were Sith all around me in the room, but they didn't spot me." she said proudly.

"But then Carth would walk into the room." Juhani said flatly.

"Long story short, there's a lot fewer Sith on Manaan." Mission said brightly.

"We did encounter a Sith 'master' - not that I would call him a master of anything. A ten year old Padawan could probably have dealt with him." Juhani noted.

"And there was this bunch of Selkath teenagers there." Mission put in, "They were being trained as Sith."

"Specifically as dark Jedi." Juhani added, "They were being trained in the use of the Dark Side of the Force."

"And you shoulda seen it." Mission said, enthusiastically, "The way Juhani talked them out of the dark side. You'd think she could talk a Hutt out of credits."

I frowned at that, "Why did you talk them out of it?" I asked.

Juhani scowled at me, "While you are entitled to your opinions, Kira." she said the name pointedly, as she knew it wasn't my real name even if she didn't know what my name was, "These young Selkath were being tricked and lied to. They were being used, and I simply showed them this fact. They chose to leave. Mission is exaggerating."

I shrugged, "Fine, whatever. Get to the part where Carth got caught."

"We were leaving through the front doors, because there was no other way out." Juhani explained, "The transport ships would not return for forty-eight hours."

"But while we could stealth past the authorities, Carth walked right into them." Mission said, "The Selkath carted him off to prison, saying they monitored -" here she used air-quotes as she spoke, "- 'an alarming number of weapon discharges and detonations from within the base'."

"Did you find anything else in the base?" I asked sharply.

"Well, there was this datapad that explained the evil plot about the Selkath kids." Mission said, holding up the datapad in question, "But other than that... I mean, you'd think there was some cool stuff to steal in a Sith base, but I found nothing. And I'm thorough."

I nodded, "Can I have the datapad?" I asked. Mission handed me the datapad, obediently. "I suggest you two give the datacube to the Republic ambassador, and discuss transport to the ocean floor. I'll go save Carth's ass... again."

x x x

"Well, well, well. Isn't this a pretty picture?" I said brightly, as I stood in front of the jail cell. Carth had been stripped of his weaponry, and his offensive orange jacket had also been confiscated, likely by a rare Selkath with a fashion sense.

"What are you doing here?" Carth asked dully, "Come to gloat?"

I smirked darkly, "The authorities said you rejected their arbiter." I said flatly, "What do you plan to say you were doing in the Sith embassy?"

"I was killing Sith. See? Simple." he said flatly.

I literally laughed at him, "Don't be stupid, Carth!" I said, shaking my head, "If you say that in court, you'd get the death sentence!"

He blinked, "Well it's the truth."

I rolled my eyes, "I talked to Mission and Juhani. I think I can defend you, if you'll let me be your arbiter?"

"I'm not sure I trust you."

"I know you don't trust me. But I've already saved your life twice. Once more won't hurt, will it?" I asked cheerfully.

"I suppose not." he said, smiling slightly.

I looked around, sensing the surveillance devices in the room - it's not easy to sense electronic devices, but it is possible to someone whose Force senses are well honed, as mine are, "Video surveillance only. No audio." I muttered, "Good."

"Why?" he asked warily.

I turned to face him, with my back to the surveillance cameras. My expression darkened, dropping all the levity I had shown a moment ago, "If you say my name for that camera to see, I will find more imaginative ways of torturing you than you can possibly conceive of." I growled.

"What the-?"

"You are alone, unarmed, and behind bars. Perfect time for me to tell you the truth." I said flatly, "I certainly don't want you shooting me for it."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. I could sense mild fear from him, but he did a good job of hiding it.

"On Taris... when I you first asked my name." I said, giving him an intense look that told him there was no chance I was kidding, "I did not make a joke."

He stared at me for a minute, then whispered, "No."

"Yes."

"But..." he shook his head, "You... you can't be."

I smirked darkly, "I am."

"There is no way in hell I'm letting you be my arbiter now." he said coldly.

"I'm not letting you commit suicide just to spite me, Carth." I growled, "If you defend yourself you will have no chance. I, at least, know Selkath laws."

"Just you wait till I get out of here, woman." he growled.

"Careful, Carth. Don't make threats on Manaan." I taunted.

"You... you evil little..."

I smirked, "Thank you."

x x x

The trial was quick and painless. I showed the judges the datapad, and they let Carth off without so much as a warning. We returned to the Ebon Hawk to plan our next move.

The second we stepped onto the ship, the simmering hostility I had sensed from Carth flared violently, and I could sense the blaster pistol aimed at my head. I turned around slowly, to face him. We stared at each other for a minute, the anger and hate from him made my senses tingle.

"Carth." I said quietly, "Put that thing away."

He shook his head, and tightened his grip on the blaster he was holding, "No way. You... you ruined my life, Revan."

I closed my eyes, and reached out through the Force, calling Bastila. I watched Carth's aura in the Force carefully, as I did so, so that Bastila would know why I was calling her, and what was going on. "How did I ruin your life, Carth?" I asked softly.

"My homeworld. My family. Everything I cared about, you destroyed!"

I opened my eyes and looked at him, "I didn't." I tilted my head to one side, really looking at him. He really did want to kill me, "Malak gave the order to bomb Telos. I told him to - and I quote: 'eliminate the military installation on the outskirts of the city' - he took overkill to new levels for his own personal amusement, and I did punish him for it." I watched the disbelief and conflict on Carth's face and in his aura, for a second, before I added, "Probably not as much punishment as you think he deserves for ruining your life, but I assure you, I made him suffer for his moronity."

Carth still had the blaster pointed at me, and though his resolve was wavering, his hand was perfectly steady, "But you led Malak to the dark side in the first place."

"Everyone makes their own choices, Carth." I said calmly, "He could have chosen not to follow me. And are you really going to choose to murder me in cold blood? I am unarmed."

His hand shook for a moment, before he lowered the blaster, and shook his head, "I can't do that. Damn you."

I heard footsteps trotting towards us, and Bastila appeared, "What is going on, here?"

"You missed the show." I said flatly.

Bastila turned on Carth, "Why did you do that?"

"How do you know what I did?" Carth asked snappishly.

"She called me, because you were pointing a blaster in her face." Bastila said bluntly.

Carth glared at me, "You called her?"

"Yes." I said flatly, "Bastila, I told him my real name."

Bastila shot me a reproachful look, before turning to Carth, "Besides the fact you probably could not kill her if you tried, Carth. We need her for this mission."

"Why is she so important?" he asked coldly.

"She is the only one who knows how to find the Star Forge." Bastila looked at the floor as she added, "And she is the only one who can fight Malak."

"I thought you fought her?" Carth asked acidly.

"I faced her on the bridge of her command ship." Bastila said quietly, "I would not have survived had we done battle. She was grievously wounded by an electrical discharge when Malak fired on her ship. It would have killed her, but I... I had orders to capture her, so I did my best to heal her, and brought her back alive."

Carth frowned at both of us, "You saved this monster's life?"

"What would you have done? Let her die?" Bastila snapped at him.

"Yes!" Carth snapped right back, amazed that Bastila could think otherwise, "She is the enemy! A mass-murderer! I would not only have let her die, if I were you, but if I had been there to witness her death, I would have spat on her corpse!"

I scowled at the deck plating and muttered sarcastically, "Oh, you're so sweet, Carth. I love you too." I then shoved angrily past him, and stormed off to the female sleeping quarters.

x x x

The dream was so vivid. I knew it was a memory, I knew it was a dream. I knew I shared this memory with my bond-sister, for I could sense her presence, watching me, as a passive observer.

A couple of young dark Jedi scurried out of my way as I stalked through corridors, on my flagship. The latest battle with the Jedi had taken a toll on all of us. Battle Meditation was used against us, and if I hadn't given in to my Force Rage they might have defeated us. Capture... death... I had no idea what they had planned for us, but we were safe now. In orbit of Manaan - neutral territory - no one would dare pick a space-battle in their orbit. The Kolto is too valuable to both sides.

Especially now.

I entered the medbay. "How are you feeling?" I asked, in a gentle tone, as the door clicked shut behind me.

"I can speak again." a barely familiar metallic voice growled. The figure, sitting on the edge of the medical bed, with his face in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, and his back to me was clearly in pain... though not the physical variety.

"I asked how you feel. I already received the report on your physical condition from the medbot." I said pointedly.

"I've just had my jaw cut off." Malak snarled, turning to face me, anger radiating from him in near-tangible waves, "I'm sure you can guess how I'm feeling."

I stared at him for a minute. The wound had been healed on the battlefield - he had used the Force to drain the life-energy from one of our enemies to heal it enough for him to breathe. The medbots had done all they could for him, but the damage was irreparable. A skilled Force healer might have been able to regrow his jaw, but that is a skill of the light side.

The scarring looked, quite frankly, hideous. The implant the medbot had given him, to aid breathing and allow him to speak, was clearly visible where the back of his throat had been.

"I'm sorry, Malak." I whispered.

He turned his back on me, scowling so angrily at the floor that I'm surprised the metal deck plating didn't melt from the intensity of his glare. I could see his face reflected in the mirror on the wall, and the pain I saw there tugged at my frozen heart.

I lowered the hood of my cloak, then removed my mask and set it on a nearby table. My own face didn't exactly look the best, either - my skin was an unhealthy shade of white with a few veins visible around my temples, my eyes glowed an eerie gold colour and my black hair was tied back in an attempt to conceal the fact it was a greasy mess - I bathe properly every day, but I still look like I've never heard of the word shampoo. I admit it, I'm vain - that's why I wear the mask and cloak, to conceal my less-than-appealing appearance.

"It wasn't my fault." I said distantly, as I walked slowly around to stand in front of him.

"How was it not?" Malak growled, the metallic tone not detracting in the slightest from the anger and resentment in his voice, as he looked up at me, "It was your blade, in your hand."

"You know how Force Rage works." I said quietly, "You saw me sink into it, you should not have stepped in my way."

"I was backed toward you by a Jedi." he hissed, "He was stronger than the rest. And that cursed Battle Meditation made it worse!"

I sighed, sitting next to him. He glared at me - resentment hit me as if he'd slapped me in the face. "I had no way of distinguishing you from an enemy, in that state. You've used Force Rage yourself, you know that." He resumed glaring at the floor. "It was an accident, Malak."

"Don't do it again." he said, his tone half pleading, half trying to sound threatening - the combination doesn't work so well.

"Don't do what, exactly?" I asked.

He looked at me, his golden eyes practically boring into mine with intensity, "Force Rage. Don't do it again."

"We would have lost that battle, and the whole war, if I hadn't!" I snapped, taking offence at the request.

He looked away again, angrily. I reached around, to run my fingers lightly down the far side of his face, turning him to face me as I did so.

"It was an accident, Malak." I said quietly, "I still love you."

I could sense that he didn't believe me, even before he said, "If that were true, you would have had the will not to turn your Force Rage on me, even accidentally, it wouldn't happen. Didn't you once say 'love conquers all'?"

I closed my eyes, fighting back tears. He didn't believe that I still loved him. How could he think that? It was an accident! It's not like I was plotting to murder him, like a proper Sith should for her insolent, smart-mouthed, disobedient, powerful apprentice! Well... insolent, disobedient and powerful, now, anyway.

"Malak, if I didn't love you, you'd never have got away with your screw-up at Telos." I said flatly.

He didn't buy it.

I leaned closer to him, and he flinched away - I could literally hear the thought in my mind, from him, that he thought he was hideous now, and he didn't want me to touch him. My hand snaked around the back of his head, stopping him from pulling away again.

Our eyes met, and I got a clear look into his mind and soul. Even if I did still love him before this injury, which he believed I didn't, he was absolutely certain his new appearance would repulse me. But I was never attracted to him for his looks. He hadn't been ugly, but nor was he drop-dead-gorgeous. I loved him for his soul, the emotions I sensed in his aura, and... well, what he lacked in good looks, he made up for in... talent.

I kept my eyes on his as I leaned in to kiss his cheekbone lightly. Only when my lips touched him did my eyes flicker closed, and through the Force I could sense his eyes close as well. I kissed lightly down the edge of his scars, to his neck, moving to sit astride him.

But he pushed me away, "Revan, please. I... I need time to think about this."

I frowned, knowing if I gave him time he would grow more resentful, but if I refused him what he asked for he would know I didn't care about his feelings. Neither outcome was desirable... but I couldn't refuse his request, because I really did care about him.

I nodded, a sort of sad resignation washing over me, "I understand."

x x x

"What was that?!" Bastila's sharp voice brought me fully back to the present.

I sat up in my bed and smirked darkly at the Jedi woman sitting on the next bunk, "What did it look like?"

"It looked like... like you and..." she shuddered, "That was quite an unnecessary memory for you to share, Revan."

"Actually, I need to talk about it." I looked at her carefully, "I need to confide in someone."

"I don't need this." Bastila muttered.

"I thought the Jedi believed in helping people?" I asked innocently.

"But there is nothing in the Jedi tenet about having to endure mental pictures such as that memory!"

I laughed, "It can't have been that bad."

"To look at, it was." Bastila muttered.

I smirked, "I didn't love him for his looks."

"That much is obvious."

I glared at her, "Hey, are you going to be useful, or should I tell the morbid details of my past to Jolee and listen to him ramble about 'swirling Force' for an hour again?"

She snorted with suppressed laughter, but quickly regained her composure, "Very well. I would not wish to sentence Jolee to such torture, and as my mind is already permanently scarred from that memory... what do you need to talk about?"

"I assume you can tell from that conversation that I removed Malak's jaw in a Force Rage."

"I also sensed your thoughts and feelings throughout the memory." she put in.

"Then you could sense that I really did love him?"

"Yes."

I nodded, "After about a week, he eventually let me touch him again." I smiled bitterly, "We were still 'lovers', but I could tell that he didn't love me. I should have seen the betrayal coming, but my own love blinded me." my bitter smile darken considerably as I continued, "He could have killed me as I slept - I trusted him enough to give him the chance. I honestly don't understand why he chose that moment to betray me."

"Perhaps the opportunity to eliminate several Jedi at the same time influenced his decision." Bastila suggested.

"It's possible." I frowned, "I think this is why I so eagerly agreed to stop using Force Rage, for you." I looked at her carefully, "I wouldn't want to hurt someone I loved, again."

She raised an eyebrow at that, "Love?"

"Yes, I love you, Bastila." at the look on her face, I smirked and added, "Like a sister." I could sense relief, which just made me smirk more. "But once bitten, twice shy. I won't give myself the chance to hurt you... or Mission or Carth... like I hurt him. He was lucky to survive, honestly."

"He may have been lucky, but the rest of the galaxy, yourself included, were not so lucky." Bastila noted.

I glared at her, "Since when does a Jedi condone murder?"

"I don't. I simply feel that the galaxy would be a better place without Malak."

I continued to glare, "His attempt to murder me may have destroyed my love for him, but he was my best friend for years, and you'd bloody well better not say something like that about him again!"

She sighed, "I apologise, Revan."

I frowned at the floor, "He hates me, now."

"Who are you talking about, exactly?" she asked.

I sighed, "Honestly, I'm not certain." I frowned, "Carth..."

"You care about him?"

"Yes." I tilted my head to one side, "I... I saved his life three times... why doesn't he trust me?"

"You have done a lot of evil deeds." she said calmly, "I believe you would have to prove you have changed... that you have been redeemed... for him to even give you a chance."

"Like that's ever going to happen." I muttered sulkily, "What time is it?"

"About an hour after sunrise." she replied.

"Let's go find a Star Map." I said with brightness in my tone that I didn't really feel.

x x x

I entered the common room to find Carth, Mission, Zaalbar and Juhani waiting for me.

"Let me guess... you told them?" I asked Carth.

"That's right, yes." he said coldly, "They deserve to know."

I looked at Mission, Zaalbar and Juhani carefully, then smirked at Carth, "What happened when you tried to tell Canderous?"

"He laughed in my face and said he already knew." Carth said grouchily.

I sniggered, "I thought it would be something like that." I muttered.

"So it's true?" Mission asked, "You're Darth Revan? This is... this is big."

I smirked, "Still want to hang out on my ship, now, kid?" I asked.

She seemed to consider it, and glanced at Zaalbar, before saying, "I'll admit you're a bit creepy sometimes, but I don't see the Sith Lord standing here, I see an ally who's been with us through thick and thin! Remember - Malak's the one who tried to destroy Taris! And when the cards were down, you were the one with the /-1 up her sleeve to save us!"

[I agree with Mission.] Zaalbar said calmly, [I swore a life-debt to the person you are, not to the person you were.]

"Don't you two get it?" I asked, "I've not changed. I am Darth Revan."

"It, uh... it all makes sense now... Revan." Carth said coldly, "I've watched you, I've seen your cruelty. I've seen your... your dark side. And now this! I don't know if I can trust you. Can any of us?"

"Probably not." I said flatly, "But you need me for this mission, don't you?"

Carth glared at me, "I should have figured it out." he said coldly, "I just can't... was, was everything a lie, then? Everything we talked about?"

I tilted my head to one side, "I don't lie."

"We have only your word on that." Juhani reminded me, and I shot her an amused half-glare for it.

"What about when you told me your name was Kira?" Carth pointed out.

I smirked darkly, "I said my service records stated my name was Kira. Fictitious service records that I think the Jedi Council made up for the false identity they tried to program into my mind."

He shook his head, "And what about when you said that you..." the sentence hung unfinished in the air, but I knew what he was thinking. What about when you said that you were attracted to me?

"I was telling the truth, Carth." I whispered.

He looked at me, unsure what to say or think. Eventually, he shook his head, and reverted to his angry ranting, "The whole time we've been chasing after Malak we've had his old Sith Master right at our side; listening to our secrets; hearing our plans!"

"And such fascinating secrets they are, too." I said sarcastically, "The most interesting secrets I've learned on this ship are that Bastila snored and Canderous wears underpants with little pink hearts on them half the time."

Mission fell into hysterical fits of giggling at that, and Juhani smiled faintly.

Carth glared at me, "Well, the others seem to trust you... and I don't see any other way that we can stop the Sith. And I suppose that Malak is the real enemy here... I really don't have any other choice, do I?" I opened my mouth to reply to him, but he spoke quickly over me, "Don't worry - I won't let my personal feelings get in the way of my assignments or this mission. But don't forget: I've sworn an oath to defend the Republic! As long as this mission stays on course I'll stick with you. But I won't let you betray the Republic under any circumstances!"

I stared at him intently, "You have to find a way to deal with this, Carth. Your anger is controlling you, and even I can see it will only hurt you."

Juhani blinked and looked at me in a much more calculating way for that.

Carth was also surprised by it, "Don't worry about me - I'm a soldier." he said, some sarcasm in the thought that I might worry about him, "I can put aside my misgivings for now. We can, uh... we can talk later, you and I. Just give me time."

"Time." I hissed the word like it was the source of everything I despised, "If that's what you want..." I nodded, gritting my teeth angrily.

Bastila walked into the room, clearly recognised the hostility radiating from both Carth and myself, but choosing to feign ignorance, "I suggest you take Juhani and Carth with you, Revan."

I glared at her for that. 'After that yelling match, you want me to take him with me on a mission? Are you nuts?'

'Trust me, Revan.'

I raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't respond. Instead, I turned to the rest of the crew assembled there, "You heard the Jedi."

x x x

The journey down to the ocean floor was long. The submersible was on auto-pilot, programmed to take us to a Republic base near the rift, but Carth still insisted on sitting in the pilot's seat, just in case.

So Juhani and I spent the journey talking (because while fish-spotting might be a fun pastime for a normal feline, Juhani was above such things... and besides, I found it boring).

She told me about her past, how she had been rescued by Jedi who had been following me to face the Mandalorians. I remembered the stop on Taris, but honestly, no one had told me about a raid on a slaver's auction - if I'd known about it, I might have put in a personal appearance, to kick some slaver ass, but no, the Padawans have all the fun.

She seemed more eager to confide in me now that she knew who I was, and I found that strange. Bastila would probably call it disturbing. Juhani told me about her family, and her life on Taris. I told her some of my own memories of childhood in exchange. Growing up in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the only interesting stories I had (other than war stories) were of my misbehaviour as a young teenager, before the wars broke out.

And though he did a good job of pretending he wasn't listening, I knew damned well that Carth heard every word of our conversation, paying specific attention to my stories of my youth.

The station was within sight, in the murky waters, when we felt a jolt. It was like a wave of anger through the Force, ripping through the water, but there was no physical manifestation of it. I saw Carth's hands tighten on the ship's controls, so much so that his knuckles turned white, but he didn't seem to be hit as badly as Juhani and I were.

"What... what is that?" Juhani asked.

"It felt like..." I frowned, trying to get a feel for the source of it, "Fear... anger... pain... panic... whatever it is, it's big."

"It feels like it's screaming in my mind." Juhani said, frowning.

"Try to block it." I said flatly, using an old Sith technique to block mental influence - it worked well.

"How?" she asked me plaintively, "Every time I try to clear my mind it seems to get louder."

"Then don't clear your mind." I said, smirking darkly, "Try thinking of something that inspires strong feelings in you, and focus on that. Your own emotions, and no one else's. It's working for me."

She looked at me with surprise, for a moment, then I saw her eyes clear, "You... you are right."

"We need to get this over with as quickly as possible." I told Carth. He grit his teeth and nodded.

We made our way quickly through the base. The Selkath seemed to be much more badly effected by the psychic venom than we were, and we had to kill any of them that we crossed paths with. We encountered one mercenary in the submersible docking area, but he was insane, so I just left him to his ravings.

The second mercenary I found, however. We were in the storage room, trying to loot environmental suits to get out onto the ocean floor, when I heard a manic giggling from one of the lockers.

I walked over to it, and tapped it lightly. The giggling stopped, "Is somebody out there? Fishy, fishy, fishy? Coming to eat me, too? You can't get me little fishy. Not in here. I'm safe behind my walls."

I could sense pure insanity from him... he actually sounded saner than his aura suggested, "I'm not a fishy." I told him, "Why don't you come out here. We'll keep the fishies away."

"Oh, you'd like that - wouldn't you? I walk out and - BAM! Selkath swarm in from everywhere, ripping and rending! Fishy move fast and silent."

I stared at the locker, "Actually that's beginning to sound like a fun thing to watch... but it's not going to happen, so get your cowardly ass out here, you lunatic!"

"No, no, no, no, no." he whined, "That's what the others said. Mercenaries like you. But they're dead. The Selkath ate them! Lunchie-munchie! Only the ones left in the south part of the base might still be alive, where the kolto is. Few fishies there! But many, many fishy in between in the water!"

"Come out of there, or we'll blast our way in." I snapped.

"Ha-ha! That's what you think! Fishy think that too. These walls and door are six centimetres - no... twelve centimetres! - of durasteel! I'm invulnerable behind my walls! Nobody's getting in here!" he said, laughing maniacally.

I rolled my eyes, "He's never going to leave that locker... you guys do know that." I said to Carth and Juhani. They both looked sad about this.

I took out my lightsaber, and set the unlit hilt to the door of the locker.

"What are you doing?!" Juhani snapped, pulling my hand away from the locker before I could activate the blade.

"It's kinder to kill him now, rather than let him starve and rot in there." I said flatly.

"Strange concept of kindness." Carth growled.

"If you had a pet that was sick, suffering and dying, you would be arrested for not having it put down. Put out of its misery." I said flatly, "This human is at least as miserable, yet you're disgusted by the concept of putting him out of his misery. There is no hope of him surviving, down here. Death is kinder."

"There is a difference between pets and sentients." Juhani growled.

"I know that. But that doesn't change what I just said." I replied.

She scowled for a minute, then let go of my hand. I looked at Carth, who looked away, effectively saying he would let me do it, but he didn't have to like it.

I ran my lightsaber through the locker, killing the hapless fool. He fell out of the locker, dead. I looked at the door of the locker, which was an incredibly thin piece of plasteel, and smirked darkly, "He though that-" I indicated the thickness of the door, "-was twelve centimetres?" I said, sniggering, "I pity his girlfriend."

Carth coughed, trying not to laugh, because it was highly inappropriate to make jokes like that. Juhani blinked a few times, but didn't seem to think it was all that funny.

x x x

The rest of the base went by without much incident... kill a few insane Selkath, underwater trek that's so mind-numbingly slow I listened to the screaming in my head for entertainment, threaten a few scientists, blow up some machinery, record the Star Map coordinates, and return to the main building. Really uninteresting.

Until... "Juhani, do you sense that?"

I could practically feel her unblocking her mind, to sense out for what I was asking about, "It feels like dark Jedi. In our path, no less."

"Three of them. One of which could even be considered a threat." I said, smirking darkly, "At least they're not sending complete incompetents after me, now."

"What?" Carth asked.

"Get ready for a fight, Carth." I said cheerfully, "And I'd advise against using those." I indicated his blasters, "Because shooting at a Jedi or a dark Jedi who's holding a lightsaber is tantamount to suicide."

He glared at me, and put his hands to the pair of vibroblades he was carrying, instead.

I led the way back towards the submersible, and it wasn't long before we encountered the dark Jedi in question. I recognised him. Darth Bandon - Malak's favourite, and likely his apprentice now that Malak was Sith Lord. I liked his outfit. "At last, my search is over! I was beginning to fear someone else had killed you and deprived me of the pleasure. You may have defeated the pathetic bounty hunter my Master sent after you, but you are no match for me! I have studied at the foot of the Dark Lord himself!"

I laughed, "Look who you're talking to and tell me how ridiculous what you just said is."

Carth sniggered, "For once, I tend to agree with you." he told me, "And you were just warning me about inadvertent suicide."

"Your words mean nothing to me... unless you wish to beg for your life." Bandon suggested. He didn't give me the opportunity to answer before continuing, "No? Then I shall try to make this both quick and painful!"

"Bring it on!" I jeered.

The two dark Jedi accompanying him went down with a Force wave I sent at the three of them. Carth wasted no time in hacking one of them to pieces with his vibroblades, while Juhani neatly killed the other, leaving Bandon still standing, for me to play with.

I hadn't even put my hands to my lightsabers, yet, as Bandon stalked menacingly towards me. I smirked at him. "Is that all you've got, girl?" he taunted, "I thought you were stronger than that."

"That's what we call a warning shot." I said acidly, "Someone needs to teach your master the concept, by the way."

He swung his double-bladed lightsaber at me, and I dodged it, ducking past his defences, and kicking his right foot out from under him. He fell to one knee, and sent a bolt of lightening at me in the hopes of distracting me.

I sidestepped it, and returned the favour with a much stronger bolt of Force lightening. It should have been fatal, but it didn't seem to effect him as badly as it ought to.

I stared at Bandon, focusing on his thoughts. He stood up, holding his lightsaber defensively. I focused on his fears, and found what he feared most... he had an irrational phobia of heights, which would probably effect him more than the fear of death that most Sith have. I then made him see it in his mind - in his mind's eye, we were now facing off at the top of a precipice, and the rock was crumbling under his feet.

He stumbled and fell to the floor, clutching his head as in his mind he fell into a bottomless gaping abyss.

I knelt next to him, easily depriving him of his lightsaber, while Carth and Juhani watched us. "What did you do?" Carth asked, stunned.

"I brought his worst fears to life." I frowned, "Well... actually, like most Sith, his worst fear is death itself... but that's not psychically possible to recreate, so it's his second worst fear."

"Why?" Carth asked.

"It appears to have successfully paralysed him." Juhani said coldly, "Though it is an incredibly cruel way to do so."

I nodded, and took out my own lightsaber, igniting the crimson blade, "You are a weak fool, Bandon." I said coldly, holding my blade close to his throat as I pulled him out of his mental torture.

He looked at me like a cornered animal, "What are you going to do to me?" he asked coldly.

"I was thinking of turning you over to the Selkath authorities for attempted murder." I said brightly, "But without surveillance, they'd not likely believe me."

Carth watched with interest - I could sense that he wanted Bandon dead, but he also didn't want to encourage my homicidal tendencies. Juhani, on the other hand, was repulsed by the idea of killing anyone, even an enemy, in cold blood. The vote is in, two to one. Bandon dies.

I slit Bandon's throat, and stood up, putting my lightsaber away, "Total waste." I muttered, "The kid had potential, but he was too loyal to Malak."

x x x

The mercenary we had left alive was not so well off when we found him... fried by Force lightening, and decapitated by a lightsaber.

We took our own submersible back to the surface, and Carth reported to the Republic ambassador.

We were arrested, but the trial was as much of a non-event as Carth's trial. I told the brutal truth, this time, and they let me go, because they believed I had just saved the life of the progenitor of their species. In reality, I had just been trying to blow up the Republic's chances of extra Kolto, but I didn't tell anyone that.

Then I told Carth and Juhani to go back to the ship, while I took care of some unfinished business before we left Manaan. Carth was reluctant to let me out of his sight, but Juhani talked him into leaving me to my own devices for now.

I found Hulas where we had met before, [Hello.] I said politely to him. But as soon as I made eye-contact, I channelled fears and thoughts into his mind. 'I've told someone about you... your secret is ruined... you have to kill me... no, there's not time to plan a quiet assassination... you have to shoot me now... go on, it's worth it to keep this secret... shoot me.'

It worked. He went for his blaster, and fired a bolt at me, at point-blank range. If I hadn't known he would do it, it might have been fatal... but as it is, my Force shields held, and the wound was minor. I fell to the ground, clutching my chest. I focused and slowed my breathing and heartbeat to dangerous levels - any medic who is called to the scene will say it's a miracle I survived.

I sensed the authorities swarming around us now. Hulas was placed under arrest for disturbing the peace, manslaughter, and attempted murder. The Selkath medics who arrived were untrained in human medicine, but identified me as a 'dark Jedi, judging by her attire and lightsabers.' That was the last thing I sensed before I slipped into a Force healing trance.

x x x

I woke on a medical bed, in the Republic embassy. Bastila was there, glaring at me, and Carth was also skulking nearby, I could sense him. "What did you think you were doing?!" Bastila demanded, "I almost had a heart attack when I sensed you slip into a healing trance!"

I smirked darkly, "I was getting a criminal arrested." I said flatly, "He was ranting and raving about conspiracy theories and assassination plots, the other day, and he tried to hire me to kill people because I had killed Calo Nord."

"Like you would care about getting a criminal arrested." Carth muttered sulkily.

"This one, I wanted arrested." I said flatly, "Do you care why?" I asked innocently.

"Actually, yes." Carth said, "I care, because it means you're up to something."

I tilted my head to one side, "What happened to the Rodian, anyway?"

"He has been sentenced to execution, for his crimes." Bastila said coldly, "I hope you are happy."

I smirked, "Yes. Very." I stood up, checking where the wound had been - it was totally healed.

"I am impressed that you could enter a healing trance like that, to be honest." Bastila noted, "It is a skill of the light side."

"I tried to use Force healing before... on Kashyyyk... but it wouldn't work for me." I said, frowning, "A healing trance isn't so much light as that, though... it's a passive healing, not an active use of the Force."

Bastila nodded slightly, "That makes sense. Are you well enough to travel?"

I nodded sharply, "Yes. Let's get out of here."

Bastila led the way back to the ship, Carth tailing a few steps behind me, keeping his eye on me. The vicious anger radiating from him when he looked at me was beginning to make me nauseous, and I wanted nothing more than to make him stop hating me.

"Carth! Carth Onasi, is that you?" a voice called from behind us.

Carth spun around, but his hostility evaporated when he saw the speaker, "Jordo?"

"It IS you, isn't it?" the man said, walking slowly over to us, with an amicable smile on his face, "I knew it when I laid eyes on you! You old spacedog, how have you been? I thought for sure you'd be fighting on some ship out there."

"I was. I crashed." Carth admitted.

Jordo laughed, "That's pretty rich. I can't imagine what it would take to keep you on the ground." his eyes settled on me - Bastila had taken no notice of the conversation, and was now on the Ebon Hawk, if my senses were correct. "Must have something to do with your pretty friend, here, hey? How do you do, miss?"

"You're a friend of Carth's, I take it?" I asked Jordo.

"Sure am." Jordo said, "We joined the militia together back on Telos. That was a lot of years ago, of course."

"So, what are you doing here, Jordo?" Carth asked, "The last time I saw you was on, um... well, Telos, actually."

"Yeah... it's a shame about home." Jordo said sadly, "Telos still hasn't recovered. The family and I moved on, and I'm working for Czerka now. I didn't see you after... er, what I mean is, my condolences on your wife. I heard what happened. At least your boy made it through alright."

I looked at Jordo with new interest, now, as Carth seemed to take a few seconds to react, "My... boy? You mean... Dustil?"

"Yes, of course. I saw him at my last stop, on Korriban, though he didn't recognize me." Jordo explained, "You... didn't know he was there?"

"No! Jordo, Dustil has been missing since the attack on Telos! Are you... are you absolutely certain it was him?!" Carth asked, urgently.

"Yeah. I'd recognize Dustil anywhere. Positive. He's, uh... he's joined the Sith, Carth..." joined the Sith? Oh great. Carth's going to blame me for that, too, I'll bet.

"What do you mean he's joined the Sith?" Carth asked, totally stunned.

"There's an academy for the Sith on Korriban." Jordo explained.

"Everyone knows that." I put in, earning me a vicious glare from Carth.

"He's a student there. I saw him suited up in their outfit and everything. Sorry... I thought you knew." Jordo suddenly radiated an urgent desire to be elsewhere - I didn't blame him, that was one hell of a bombshell to drop on an old friend.

"No... no, I... I didn't. Well, thanks for telling me, Jordo." Carth said distantly.

"Sure, no problem." Jordo said, uncertainly, "Good to see you again, Carth. Hope everything works out with Dustil."

"Dustil... Dustil is alive!" Carth said. In spite of his loathing for me, his eyes were filled with hope as he looked at me, "We have to go to the Korriban academy and find him!"

"Carth, that is not a good idea." I said warily.

"No. No way! I'm not letting you stop me." he stormed off, towards the ship.

x x x