by: Sam Lincoln
Rating: PG
Summary: Will Trouble ever let a pair of Jedi Knights be?
Spoilers: If you haven't finished the game you'll be damn lost.
Trouble: Chapter Two
The Intrepid finished hauling the Ebon Hawk into its tractor bay before Revan reappeared. Bastila saw that a small crowd was gathering around the boarding ramp of the Ebon Hawk. With some annoyance she noticed that a few of the soldiers were carrying large blaster rifles. She turned and walked into the main compartment where she found Revan. "It appears that they do not trust us," she announced."Their captain is prudent. I wouldn't trust us if our roles were reversed." Revan handed Bastila a Mandalorian blaster. "Here, put this on."
"I would much rather carry my lightsaber," Bastila grumbled as she strapped on the holstered blaster.
"But spacers don't carry lightsabers," Revan pointed out as he checked the charge on one of the highly modified blaster pistols they had acquired over the course of their adventures.
"They also don't wear customized fiber armor stolen from the corpse of a dead Dark Jedi," Bastila shot back.
Revan looked down at the black armor he was wearing. "It's comfortable," he said with a shrug. "Now come on, we don't want them breaking the front door down. HK guard the ship."
"Affirmative."
"But you cannot use lethal force to do so."
"Statement: Even though it will hinder my performance I will do as you request master."
"T3, come with us, we might need you." The droid whistled its understanding. "Ladies first," he told Bastila as he lowered the boarding ramp.
They were met at the base of the ramp by a group of officers flanked by members of the ship's security detail. An older man with close cropped gray hair and steel blue eyes stepped forward. "I'm Selvik Brecktan, Captain of the Intrepid."
"Dannil Keld, I'm the owner of the Elder Sparrow, and this is my first mate, and wife, Bashel," Revan extemporized. "It was quite a stroke of luck you found us Captain."
"Luck had nothing to do with it," Brecktan said. "This sector of space is about to be used for a live-fire wargame. All civilian vessels are prohibited from entering it. We detected your ship dropping out of hyperspace and came to investigate."
Revan wondered to himself if the Captain had a Mandalorian or two in his family tree. "Still, it was good luck for us, if this sector wasn't off limits you never would have found us."
"What I want to know is how you ended so far off course," Captain Brecktan asked. "That is assuming Coruscant is your real intended destination."
"As I said before, we suffered a near catastrophic failure in our hyperdrive. It seems that it threw us far off course."
"What is your business on Coruscant?" the captain demanded.
"Surely you don't think we were doing something illicit!" Bastila exclaimed.
Captain Brecktan stared at Bastila, "You are armed with an overpowered blaster that's banned in half the systems in the galaxy. What else am I supposed to think?"
"We've been trading along the Outer Rim," Revan said. "You need all the protection you can get out there."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Is it so wrong that a pair of Republic citizens wish to visit their capital?" Revan asked. Bastila could feel Revan reach out with the Force and sooth the captain's mind.
"No, nothing wrong at all. You'll have to pardon me, your appearance is rather suspicious."
"And you're doing your best to protect the Republic we both love from any threat. I understand that Captain, but believe me when I say that we are no threat."
"That's not entirely true now is it Revan?" Bastila thought to herself. "You are the greatest threat this galaxy has ever known. I know you don't like to admit it, but the Dark Side calls out to you everyday. You brought the galaxy to its knees the last time you fell, I doubt it would survive if you succumbed again."
"Of course, we'd be happy to repair your hyperdrive, but we'll first need to scan your ship for illegal cargo."
Revan nodded, "Of course, we have nothing to hide."
Captain Brecktan cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sure that's the case Mr. Keld. Why don't you come with me. I can give you a tour of the Intrepid while the techs work on your ship."
Revan looked around the large hangar bay and took in the unfamiliar ship designs. "Yes, I think I'd like that very much," Revan paused. "T3, why don't you escort the captain's men into the ship, and make sure our protocol droid behaves himself," The droid chirped its understanding and wheeled it's way back up the ramp.
Captain Brecktan lead Revan and Bastila through the large ship. Revan was amazed at how similar everything was to what Revan expected, but at the same time everything looked slightly different. The design of the snub fighters reminded Revan of the fighters he was used to, but differed in several key points. The uniforms he saw were without a doubt Republic issue, but the colors were altered. Even the layout of the ship felt foreign. Revan could feel Bastila reaching the same conclusions he was and he reached out for her hand to comfort her.
"I'm fine," Bastila told him through their bond.
"No you're not," Revan chided. "You can feel it too, this place is different."
Bastila shivered, "It's starting to look like that ridiculous notion of yours is actually correct."
Revan squeezed Bastila's hand, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
Captain Brecktan came to a stop in front of a set of blast doors. "And this is the bridge. For security reasons we cannot allow civilians onto the bridge." An ensign walked up to the captain and handed him a datapad. Captain Bercktan looked down at the pad then at Revan and Bastila. "Would you mind explaining to me why you have enough firepower on board your ship to level a city?"
"There are a lot of unpleasant people in the Outer Rim," Revan said. "You need to carry adequate protection."
Captain Brecktan arched his eyebrow. "I've met Mandalorians who would consider this list excessive."
Revan shrugged, "I don't want to be caught unprepared."
"And that preparedness extends to war droids?" Brecktan asked. "My techs report that your 'protocol' droid acts suspiciously like a war droid. You are aware there are very stiff penalties for owning a droid designed for combat."
"HK is a protocol droid," Revan insisted. "But over the years he's picked up some basic combat training. When you're dealing with some of the shady customers we have a little extra protection is a good thing."
Captain Brecktan considered Revan's excuse. "Well I suppose the regulations only apply to the Core Worlds, but keep that droid on your ship and put a restraining bolt on it when you get to Coruscant."
"Certainly Captain, I would hate for there to be any unfortunate accidents," Revan smoothly replied.
That seemed to satisfy Captain Brecktan. "My engineers say they'll have your ship's hyperdrive replaced in about twenty-four hours. The ensign here will show you to your guest quarters. Now if you excuse me I have business to attend to on the bridge."
"Thank-you for your time captain," Revan said. "Lead the way ensign," he told the fresh-faced young man.
"It's right this way sir," the ensign said. Revan and Bastila followed the ensign down the corridor. Revan paused long enough to watch Captain Brecktan enter the bridge.
Revan frowned, something about the Captain's behaivour struck him as wrong. "Ensign, does the door to the bridge normally stay closed?"
"Oh no, that would be too big a hassle," the ensign replied. "But regulations clearly state that only people with the proper security clearance are allowed on the bridge...this is a warship not a luxury liner."
"Have you seen much action?" Bastila asked.
"No but it's only a matter of time. Everyone knows we're going to war with the Separatists sooner or later."
"The Separatists? Who are they?" Bastila asked.
"You must have been living under a rock if you don't know who they are," the ensign said.
"We don't get many news updates in the Outer Rim," Revan explained.
"I guess not, the Separatists are trying to break away from the Republic."
Bastila frowned, "But isn't that the right of any system in the Republic?"
"They're threatening the stability of the whole Republic is what they're doing!" The ensign said fiercely. "If anyone can just leave the Republic then the entire system will fall into chaos."
"It has been my experience that marginally organized chaos is thebest description of the Senate when it is in session," Bastila dryly noted.
"In any event Chancellor Palpatine won't let the situation get too out of hand. He understands the need for a strong hand at the controls." Revan shared a concered look with Bastila. Both of the Jedi could detect the hint of fanatacism that lay under the boy's words. The ensign came to a stop in front of a closed door. "These are your guest quarters, if you need anything else just press the com." The ensign opened the door for Bastila and Revan.
"Thank-you for your help ensign," Revan told the boy as he and Bastila entered the room.
"My pleasure sir," The ensign said before closing the door. Revan couldn't shake the feeling that they had just been locked in a cell.
"Well this is...charming," Bastila said as she examined the Spartan contents of the room.
"It's a warship, not a luxury liner," Revan quipped. "And I don't intend to stay here a moment longer than is neccesary."
"Then you can feel it too?" Bastila asked. "This sense of...unease, not quite the Dark Side and yet..."
"Something is about to go horribly wrong and the only place we can find the answers is Coruscant," Revan said. "But that doesn't mean we can't start here." He withdrew a set of tools from his utility belt and sat down in front of the computer terminal in the room. "They've locked the workstation down, but it should be a simple matter to...there we go, I'm in." Revan navigated through the computer network until he found the security system. "First things first, let's turn off the security cameras in this room. Then let's see what I can..." Revan's voice trailed off.
"Revan, what is it?" Bastila asked.
"The date on the system," Revan said quietly. "See for youself."
Bastila leaned over Revan's shoulder and stared at the screen. "But that's, four thousand years in the future!" She gasped.
"That's what T3 calculated," Revan pointed out.
"I know, but it's one thing to hear a mathematical formula and quite another to see it staring you in the face."
"It hasn't sunken in with me yet either," Revan admitted. "Everyone we know is..."
"Gone," Bastila finished for Revan. "They're all gone, Carth, Mission, Juhani, Jolee, Canderous, Zaalbar...my mother..." Bastila stumbled into a chair.
Bastila I..." Revan started to say, then stopped. He knew there was nothing he could say that would comfort Bastila. One of the reasons she had been so eager to return to Coruscant was for the chance to see her mother. According to the messages Bastila received on a regular basis Helena was responding well to the treatmens her doctor was giving her. Desipite that the overall prognosis remained poor and Bastila didn't know how much time her mother had left. Bastila had never gotten a chance to know her mother, and now that chance was irrevocably gone.
"I know Revan, you're here for me, and that does mean a great deal to me." The pair sat in quiet contemplation, mourning the loss of friends long dead. "Do you think there's any way for us to get back to our time?"
Revan shrugged, "I'll have T3 analyze all the data leading up to the accident, maybe something will pop up there. Other than that I don't think there is much we can do."
Bastila nodded, "We shall just have to trust the Force and that there is some reason for our being here."
"And with a little luck the Force will let us go home when we finish whatever we have to accomplish."
"You really think the Force has some mission for us in this time?"
Revan shrugged, "It's as good an explanation as any."
"True, but I must admit that after all we've been through it seems like cold comfort indeed," Bastila confessed. "I had hoped that we would be able to live out our lives in relative peace and quiet.:
"You know as well as I do that the Galaxy doesn't work that way," Revan said as jokingly as possible in an attempt to lighten the dark mood that hung over both of them.
"No, I suppose it does not," Bastila sighed. "Especially for us."
"Bastila, I was joking when I said that, the galaxy isn't a sentient being, it doesn't know you or I from a kath hound."
"Perhaps," Bastila allowed. "but the Force does."
Revan could sense the guilt growing in Bastila so he thing he could think of. He grabbed her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Bastila, listen to me, the only person whose forgiveness you need is yours. Yes you fell but you can't let that fact consume you."
"I know that," Bastila snapped. "We must trust that the Force put us here for a reason, but a part of me wonders if this is also a punishment of sorts."
"In that case let's accept the punishment and show that we can overcome it." The sound of the door chime interupted their conversation. "Come in," Revan called out.
The ensign who had lead them to their quarters walked into the room. "Captain Brecktan requests your presence in his quarters for dinner."
Bastila nodded, "Tell the captain we would be delighted to accept his generous offer."
Captain Brecktan was waiting for Revan and Bastila when the ensign lead them into the Captain's private mess. He looked up from the datapad he was reading and rose to greet them. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation, please sit." Brecktain indicated an empty pair of seats at the table.
Before sitting down Revan took the time to examine the room. He knew very often the personality of a ship's captain was reflected in the captain's private quarters. Revan was not surprised to see that Captain Brecktan left his mess sparsely decorated. There was little sentiment expressed for the past on display. Instead a large map of the galaxy dominated the room. Revan reflected on the practicality of the mpa. Clearly Brecktan was not a man who enjoyed the diplomatic demands of being a captain. "But if that's the case then why invite us to dinner?" Revan wondered to himself.
Bastila, who obviously believed that dining with the ship's captain was the natural order of things, sat down immediately. "Thank-you for doing this captain. I'm sure you're a very busy man."
"I always make time for meals," Captain Brecktan said. "You never know when you'll have to do without."
Revan sat down at the table and surveyed the food arrayed before him. "Have you been in space long?"
"It's been quite a few months, how could you tell?"
Revan indicated the simple fare on the table. "It's been my experience that the exotic foods are the first to get eaten on any patrol."
"You've been on deep space patrols before," Brecktan said with a laugh. "Even so, I'd rather eat standard rations over more esoteric foods. Don't get me wrong, when I'm not in space I enjoy sampling dishes from various systems, but we're not here to be gourmets, we're here to be soldiers."
"Captain, if I can ask, is that a trace of Mandalorian in your accent?" Revan asked as he continued to probe the captain.
"You're very good Mr. Keld, not many people notice. Yes, my father is a Mandalorian."
"And were you raised according to their old ways?"
"Those days are long gone Mr. Keld. I know what it means to be Mandalorian, and I try to honor my heritage, but no, I've never gotten the chance to prove myself in battle the way my forefathers idd. Instead I fight to preserve the very thing they tried to destroy."
"The Republic?" Bastila asked.
"Yes the Republic, it's the only thing that keeps order in the galaxy. Without the Republic our entire way of life would be impossible. Why these Separatists can't understand that is a mystery to me."
"Just who exactly are these Separatists?" Bastila asked, pressing the issue.
"You really have been out of touch," Brecktan commented. "They're nothing more than a few disgruntled systems that are putting their needs ahead of the rest of the Republic."
"But the Republic exists to serve the needs of its member systems, not the other way around," Bastila stated in a puzzled tone of voice.
"The Republic exists to provide stability to the galaxy. If it wasn't for the Republic the galaxy would crumble in dissarray. A thousand worlds each trying to dominate the rest. It takes a strong centralized government to keep the systems in line."
"Tell me Captain," Revan said choosing each word with care. "Do you think the Sith are behind these Separatists? Trying to sow dissension and distrust within the Republic?"
Captain Brecktan snorted, "The Sith ha! The Sith are nothing more than a story mothers tell their children to get them to go to bed on time. There are no Sith, the Jedi exterminated them ages ago."
"A fair point Captain, I guess I always put too much faith in my mother's stories," Revan said with a smile. He raised his glass. "A toast then? To the Republic may it never falter."
"To the Republic!" Captain Brecktan echoed lustily.
"That was certainly enlightening," Bastila said when they returned to their room.
"It did help explain a few things," Revan agreed. He reached into his belt and withdrew a communicator. "HK, what's the status of the ship?"
"Statement: The meatbag crew is almost finished with their repairs."
"Are they still there?"
"Statement: No Master, they left to replenish their frail organic bodies."
"Could you and T3 finish the work while they're gone?"
"Affirmative: Most certainly master, and we're bound to do a better job than the incompetants who have been working on it."
"Keep me informed," Revan ordered before shutting off the com."
"What was that all about?" Bastila asked.
"I want to be sure we can get out of here in a hurry if we have to," Revan replied.
"You don't trust Captain Brecktan do you?"
Revan shrugged, "No more than he trusts us."
"Which isn't very much, even I could sense that." Bastila sat down on the lone bed in the quarters. "He reacted quite strongly when you mentioned the Sith."
Revan unsnapped the clasps holding on his armored jacket. "He acted like the Sith haven't been seen in a very long time. Personally I find that hard to believe. How about you?"
"No, this separatist movement sounds exactly like something the Sith would do to try and destabilize the Republic as prelude to an invasion." Bastila waited for Revan to respond to her hypothesis. "Oh don't tell me you don't think so," she huffed in exasperation when Revan did not say a word.
"No I think you're right, this does have the feel of a Sith plot. I'm just trying to figure out why the Jedi of this time have no uncovered the Sith's involvement."
"Perhaps the Jedi are like Captain Brecktan; it's been so long since the Sith last threatened the galaxy that no one considers them a realistic enemy."
"All the more reason for us to get to Coruscant as quickly as possible," Revan noted.
"Are going to lie to the Jedi Masters on Coruscant as well?" Bastila asked tartly.
Revan sat down next to Bastila, "We'll figure that out when we get there," he told her. "But for right now I could use some sleep."
"Yes but Revan...there's only one bed," Bastila said, her face coloring slightly.
"I don't see the problem," Revan replied.
"We've been over this, I do...love you, but I'm not sure we should allow our relationship to become more physical."
"Well I just wanted to go to sleep, but if you have others plans I'd love to hear them,: Revan said with a playful lear.
Bastila sighed, "I swear, the Force put you in my life simply to test my control." She stood up and stripped down to the modest undergarments she wore beneath her armor. She then laid down on the bed. "There, does that make you happy?" She taunted.
"More than you can imagine," Revan said turning serious for a moment. He stretched out next to Bastila. :You know what, I don't care what's waiting for us on Coruscant."
"Oh and why's that?"
"Because I've got you with me. We've saved the galaxy once before. I'm sure we can do it again," He said before drifting off to sleep.
-to be continued-