Conclusion

Sitting at the controls of her ship, Revan fought back the tears. She wanted to focus on the good memories she possessed. She did what her soul mate asked her to do: she pressed her palm against her belly and searched for his presence. She still had a part of him inside. She smiled. She was afraid it would die with him. She was unsure what it all meant, but she knew it was a good thing; she wanted to keep him forever. She didn't know how she would survive without it. It was so tender, so pure; she needed it. She wished it was his hand on her belly. She wished he was there in the flesh. She wished he was there to see for himself the life he brought back to the force. By closing the rift, he was able to destroy the emptiness in the galaxy. It wasn't just a matter of destroying this horror: If fact, it was more like replacing one plague with another; only this time, it was meant to restore life and peace in the force. It was the greatest gift anyone could give to the galaxy, and, yet, no one knew about this… no one knew of Steve's success. Revan could only hope people would eventually know what happened here this day, but that would be improbable. Most likely, this would remain a secret amongst the few Jedi masters who actually believe it. And then, of course, there are those, who consider themselves family, who would be more than proud to know what really happened in the galaxy this day. As for everyone else, this would just be remembered as a good day; a day the crops grew and the birds sang and the suns shined. It would be the beginning of the end of galactic scale wars… It would be a day of great peace and harmony, and no one would ever know why. At least for as long as Revan was alive, no one would acknowledge her doings or those of her beloved mate. History was full of flaws.

Revan dropped out of hyperspace and landed on the miraluka's homeworld. It looked disastrous. There was no motion anywhere, no feelings, no vibes. There was only that which had been shielded from the plague. Only those that were privileged enough to have been in proximity of her lover were alive. Still, Revan could see how far the force had regained territory over the vast death marches. Life would restart in no time. Revan didn't even want to exit the ship. She didn't want to speak to the Jedi. She had done enough for them. It was time they started to look after their own and learn from their mistakes. It was up to Bastila now to teach them to look past their stubbornness. Bastila once had to deal with her own hard headedness, but, when she was with Revan and Steve, she was another person. She learned how to be more whole. Revan was honored to have her as a friend… and more… she was family now.

"I need to leave. I told you everything you needed to know, for now. I need to speak with Revan and her companions. There's much more she can tell us and she will only speak with me." Bastila fought back as the Jedi masters urged her to stay with them for a while longer. Master Vrook let go of her arm and the young Jedi walked up the Ebon Hawk's ramp. She stopped at the top and took one look back to see only the faces of disappointment. The Jedi wanted to know more, but Bastila couldn't tell them what she didn't know.

"Don't look at me like that, I don't deserve this. I will transmit whatever information I find. What you do with that is up to you. I urge you, master Vrook, to take another look around you and reconsider your position. Everything will be better from now on, you'll see." Bastila said before she pressed the retract button on the topside of the ramp. Bastila joined Revan in the cockpit. She sat on the copilot chair and sighed. Then she noticed Revan was looking at her attentively. Bastila looked back but didn't say anything.

"It's done." Revan finally said. Bastila nodded and looked out the window sadly and crossed her arms. Bastila wanted to hear every detail of their mission, but her mind was busy processing the every meaning of what Revan said.

"I want to know how he died…" Bastila said as she looked away to hide the water that was building up underneath her eyes. Her eyes were rotating about frantically, giving away her state of anxiety that was otherwise invisible. She had become a much more patient woman than she used to be, but, now that Steve was dead, it was different. Everything felt different. Revan was not the same person without him. Bastila couldn't tell if things would fall apart or the lingering remnants of Steve were enough to keep everyone together. She was scared.

"You won't be disappointed. He died in the best way anyone could. He died a hero." Revan reassured her Jedi friend. Bastila nodded and tears rolled down her cheeks. Revan turned on the engines and lifted the Hawk into the air. She entered the commands on the autopilot to order a return-home and sat back on her seat. Then she gave Bastila the details.

That long night, neither of the two women could sleep. Instead, they simply sat down on a bed, facing each other, and talked as friends… no, as family. Bastila was pleased that Revan was not drowning in sorrow. Even now, she was a good person to talk to about anything. The young Jedi was more afraid that she may lose it but not in the comfort of her friend and idol. Time went by fast. The two women had so much to share and so little time.

A proximity signal echoed in Atris's underground facility of Telos. It was very early in the morning. Both Echani women got up first. In a heartbeat, they were both in the corridors, mostly dressed. Soon later, Mira followed. She entered the corridor while she was still slipping into her pants. She hopped up and down past the door and paused to finish the job. When her pants were secured, she ran to the hangar. The shield lowered and the great ship landed. The two Echani women came down and stood next to Mira, waiting for the ramp to lower from the ship. When it did, everyone looked up the ramp. Revan and Bastila were up there, side by side. Mira smiled at first but noticed the hesitation in the face of the two women that were up the ramp. She knew something was wrong. The redhead ran up past the two women and looked in every room of the ship. Revan and Bastila walked slowly down the ramp and waited at the bottom. They looked towards the inside of the ship and then kept walking towards the Echani. Mira was finished searching the ship and ran back to the ramp.

"Where the hell is he? You didn't leave him with the Jedi, did you?" Mira was worried.

"Come down here. We need to talk." Revan said sadly. Mira stood up straight and her jaw dropped. She closed her mouth and then she walked slowly down the ramp. She stepped up to Revan and looked at Bastila, then back at Revan.

"So where the hell is he?" Mira's voice was crackling. Revan could sense the woman's heart was accelerating. She could sense her angst. She sighed and then gulped.

"He's dead." She said simply.

"What! No! NO!" The younger woman cried. She put her hand on her mouth and looked Revan in the eyes. Fear and rage were swelling in her just as much as her eyes were swelling with tears. She looked at everyone's reaction for confirmation that she didn't hallucinate what Revan had said. The two Echani women were didn't look very surprised, but they looked sad. The white women were looking at the floor and blinking with their eyes in calmness. They frowned but didn't cry. Bastila was also looking at the floor, but, in addition, she was gulping, and she was searching for a comfortable spot on her sides to place her hands. She couldn't find any. She was insecure. Revan was perfectly still, but her eyes spoke a million words. She looked like she was living elsewhere… buried in her thoughts. Mira looked into those eyes for a moment and then let go of her mouth. She swiped her arm sideways and opened up her palm to slap Revan in the face. Before it could land, the older woman caught it. Bastila was reflexively prepared to act, but she saw it was already taken care of.

"You knew he would die, didn't you? You know these kinds of things! How could you let this happen?" Mira cried before taking another swipe of her other arm, only to be caught again. Revan held both her arms near her chest, preventing any other violent outbursts. Mira fought to gain her arms back, but she was too depressed to do anything more than fidget in futility. Then she arched her back and buried her face between Revan's perky breasts. She cried.

"It isn't like that… He knew what would happen to him as well as I did." Revan said soothingly. Mira lifted her head up and said:

"What?" Revan looked down into her face and explained:

"Do you remember the last diner we had together? Remember how he was acting differently… how he looked miserably sad?" She began. Mira Looked into Revan's eyes but was completely silenced. She put her head back on the older woman's bosom and cried some more.

"He was like that because he afraid to tell you… He didn't want to cause anyone pain." Revan rephrased in a fashion her lover would say it.

"Why? Why couldn't he tell us?" Mira moaned.

"Come on; what would you have done if he told you this mission would be his death?" Revan asked frankly.

"I would have… I would have thrown him in a force cage and fused the lock so nobody could get him out!" Mira said honestly.

"Why did you let him go with you? Why couldn't you just go alone? You could have left him here with us! He isn't some Jedi! They didn't need him! We need him! Why did he have to go? Why?" Mira fought again for her release. When Revan let her go, Mira fell back on the floor. She sat down with her knees tucked against her breasts and her hands covering her face.

"I know what you're capable of. You didn't need his help! You're a damn war god Revan! What the hell did you need him for?" Mira cried.

"I couldn't do it alone, Mira… Steve was…" Revan started.

"He was what? Special? Don't give me that shit! He had nothing, no skill, no experience! He told me himself! He told me he was nothing special! Are you calling him a liar?" Mira yelled as she kept her aggression from rocking her over to her back.

"I… I'm sorry Mira." Revan couldn't find anything to say. It wasn't the right time to confuse the bounty huntress. Mira lifted herself from the floor and shook her head at Revan before she ran back to her room. Revan looked down in shame and tears dripped down her cheeks. She couldn't concentrate with all the disturbing emotion that surrounded her. She felt naked without Steve. She simply couldn't say the right things at this time.

For the first time ever, Bastila Shan could feel Revan's distress. Though it wasn't quite enough to make everything better, it did inspire some confidence. She was finally able to look at Revan as being more human, more lost, though it wasn't always so. Now she could learn how to be a good friend. Now she could learn what it is to take care of others. The young Jedi rubbed her hand on Revan's back. Revan looked up and gave Bastila a hug. As the young Jedi hugged her friend back, she looked at the two white women. They reminded her of something, something she had to do. She pulled back from Revan without looking away from the two handmaidens.

"I'll go talk to her." She said before she looked Revan in the eyes. Revan looked back and nodded. She also remembered something.

"You remind me of him, you know? And you hug in a similar way… I can feel what you feel. I'm so proud of you Bastila." Revan approved and placed her hand on the Jedi's shoulder. Bastila smiled. She thought that was the greatest compliment she could receive. She no longer let her sadness ruin what she was now capable of accomplishing. She was a new person. She wanted to make things better, the way Steve did. Just like Steve wanted, she would talk to Mira… she would take care of Revan. Bastila hugged Revan again and whispered:

"Thank you." Then she left to Mira's room.

Bastila didn't bother knocking because she didn't expect a welcome. She found Mira jamming things into her bags. They were random things. It hardly looked like she was paying any attention to what she was doing. She was on edge.

"Are you leaving?" Bastila asked softly.

"There isn't much point in me staying here anymore, now is there? I don't belong here anymore. This place was great, but it isn't the same now." Mira said without even turning back to look at the Jedi.

"This isn't what Steve would want…" Bastila began.

"What difference does it make? He's dead! There's nothing left for me here anymore!" Mira moaned.

"What about the rest of us? What are we to you?" Bastila asked.

"I'm sorry Bastila… I don't mean to insult anyone. I just can't stay here anymore. I don't think our friendship will stand long… not now that its foundation was ripped out from underneath us…" Mira said.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I was hoping to get to know you better." Bastila said sadly.

"You didn't know did you? You didn't know he was gonna die?" Mira paused from her packing and looked back to ask Bastila.

"No. Not until the night before the mission… on our way there…" Bastila started. Mira looked back at her bag and sniffed.

"Look, before you go, Steve wanted you to know something…" Bastila continued. Mira dropped her bag on the floor and gave Bastila her full attention.

"He told me how much you care about him and he thought you may want to know that well… after he told me he was going to die, we… we made out." Bastila didn't know how to explain it.

"You mean you kissed?" Mira smirked.

"No… I mean, well yes, but, what I really mean is that, well, he told me how he really felt about me, and I told him how I felt about him." Bastila said defensively.

"How DO you feel about him?" Mira asked softly.

"He wanted you to know that I loved him. I love him so much… I can't describe it really… I just know how much I care about him and… well, it's overwhelming." Bastila said. Mira sat down on the bed and smiled. Then she was tapping on the bed with her fingers.

"I can't imagine something he wanted more than to hear that from you." Mira said honestly.

"He died happy… with a smile on his face. He did what he had to do, you understand?" Bastila said. Mira kept fidgeting her fingers on the bed.

"He didn't owe anything to anybody. He didn't have to die… But I know how he is… how he was. I know that he must have done the right thing." Mira said.

"Look, I want to tell you everything; I want to tell everybody everything. Why don't you stay a while? We could talk over breakfast." Bastila suggested. Mira looked over to her awfully packed bags and smiled to the Jedi.

"What the hell am I doing, Bastila? I love this place! I have things to share with you as well. I'm staying." Mira said.

Two weeks later, Revan woke up alone in her cold bed. She had a dream during the night, but she couldn't remember what it was. As she got out of bed, she felt the start of a cramp. She was a strong woman though; she quickly dismissed it and got dressed. She had enough of pain for a while, and so she reflexively ignored it. She was still feeling melancholy over the death of her soul mate. She didn't talk much, but she did what Steve wanted her to do: she kept a positive attitude. She tried hard to make things comfortable for everyone, but she mostly had Bastila to thank for that. That Jedi had been transformed the most by his death. Though her sorrows were still there, she had much more confidence in everything she did. Revan taught her more of the force. Like Steve said, she found it very comforting to be around her. Bastila was becoming more a mirror of him every day. The two Echani women were far too quiet to say what they felt, but it was obvious by their actions that they took things much less seriously than before. They wanted to smile sometimes; they wanted to share a laugh here and there. Steve had left his mark with them as well. Mira was the one that didn't gain anything positive. She was living too much in the past. She seemed distracted. Her mind was wandering in the if-and-when while the rest of her waited patiently for something. She was in denial. She didn't see him die, and she wasn't really convinced of Revan's story either. She expected her little-brother like friend to come back. Dead or alive, she wanted to see him again. The rest of the gang tried cheering her up as best they could, but there was always just a touch of something missing to heal her completely. To Revan, it was obvious; Mira needed a man to cheer her up. She remembered what Steve told her of his night with her. What Mira needed could only be given by the comfort of a man. What he had given her was even more than just that. He had a way of transferring things with his hands and his face that simply couldn't be described in words. Revan knew very well what it was, but Mira only had a glimpse of it, yet it was enough to change her forever. Even if Steve wasn't at his best that night, he was still the greatest lover there could ever be. He never let go; he was always focused.

Revan finally got off the bed and walked to the shower room. She got undressed and started to take a warm shower. She took soap into her hands and rubbed it over herself. She looked down as she was cleaning her inner thighs and noticed the water change color as it dripped down between her legs. She froze. She closed her eyes to deny it and slid her hand on her sex. She slipped a finger between her inner lips and opened her eyes to look at it. As she looked at the finger stained in blood, she felt some spit up crawling up her esophagus. Her eyes denied her finger, but she couldn't deny the vomit that spilled beside her foot.

"No… no… that can't be! I'm supposed to be pregnant!" She cried as more vomit was making its way up.

"Kreia told me I was! This isn't happening!" Revan screamed. Revan stood up straight and looked at both her hands. She trembled at the sight of blood and vomit.

"How can this be happening? Oh Steve!" Revan cried as she washed off the proof of her failure.

"What did I do wrong? Is this a new fate the force has cast upon me? Am I not to bear his child?" Revan continued. She had a new reality to face, and it was the most painful one yet. Revan needed her strength now more than ever. She had to keep herself together. She still had a piece inside of her, a strong brick that was able to do that. Revan placed her hand on her belly and closed her eyes. She let the warmth of the water take her to a better place. If only she had looked into the future before, she could have been prepared for this. Revan shut off the shower and sat up straight in a cross-legged position. She closed her eyes and looked into the future. She saw a young boy, a very young boy. He looked very happy. He was running towards someone. She couldn't see who it was; there was shadow cast upon the person. Along side this shadow, she saw herself standing there with a smile she had forgot she was capable of. The boy was hugging both her and the person next to her.

"Mummy, Daddy! You're back!" The child was happy.

Revan opened her eyes.

Who is that? Who is standing in the shadows? Whose child will I bear? Why can't I see this? This doesn't make sense.

Revan closed her eyes and searched more. Each time, there was a shadow cast on her mate. Each time, she was happy. Each time, there was a boy… and many times, Bastila was there.

"Hello aunt Bastila." The boy called her.

There could only be one future. One truth. Why is there a piece of it missing? What is the force trying to show me?

Revan gave her meditation a rest. She was getting cold now. The water had time to disappear off her flesh. She went back into the changing room and got dressed.

Revan walked to the dining room table where her friends were sitting. She stopped and looked at Bastila.

"What is it?" The younger Echani woman asked noticing Revan's hesitation.

"I just had my period this morning…" Revan whispered in the saddest way possible. She could hear the sound of a spoon drop in a plate as Bastila turned around to face Revan.

"Oh my gosh Revan! How can… no! You have to be pregnant! You can't not be!" Bastila panicked.

"I don't understand… I'm so confused!" Revan admitted. Bastila stood up and held her friend close to her.

"You can't blame yourself for that. I mean, you didn't have much time to try, did you? Oh Revan… Maybe we all just wished it was true… but the facts are against us. Tell me, how many time did you try?" Bastila asked softly.

"Three… in the same morning." Revan cried.

"That isn't much Revan… besides, Steve was… wounded. Maybe he just needed more time to heal. I'm so sorry Revan." Bastila said. Everyone at the table looked down sadly. Mira was devastated.

"Maybe… I don't know. But there is something about all of this that doesn't make sense. I looked into the future… I am supposed to have a child. I know this! It is my destiny! I was sure of it!" Revan said defensively.

"What exactly did you see?" Bastila was curious.

"I had a boy. A beautiful little boy. You were there too. I don't understand why, but I can never see who the father is. Every time I look, I see a shadow. Every time I try to feel or hear him, I go numb and deaf. There is something about this future that isn't right. I see myself happier than ever. I see you happier than ever. I see my child, a wonderfully happy child. I don't understand." Revan cried.

"Let me help you get to the bottom of this. Let's meditate together." Bastila suggested.

"Wait… I have a theory… I don't know much about… about looking into the future, but there is something I believe in strongly…" Mira interrupted before the two women walked away from the table. Revan and Bastila turned around to give Mira their complete attention.

"There is but one future. I was told this by a Jedi master… but that isn't the point. The fact is… I believe that, if there is something you can't see, something that isn't certain in your vision, it's because something's interfering with it… not because the future itself is unsure." Mira began.

"What are you suggesting, Mira?" Bastila was curious.

"I'm suggesting that Steve is the father of your child. I'm also suggesting that his fate is being made unclear." Mira continued.

"What are you saying?" Bastila asked.

"I'm saying that you haven't actually witnessed him die. You saw him disappear. You saw him go away, and you don't even know where. What if he was still alive?" Mira observed.

"If he was alive, I could sense his presence from anywhere in the galaxy." Revan affirmed.

"What if he was no longer part of the galaxy? What if that rift he closed was not even part of this dimension? What if he's simply stuck elsewhere, finding a way back?" Mira gave her hypothesis. Revan was thinking of the rift. It looked completely out of the ordinary. She tried to relate it with the shadow she saw in her vision, but there was still something missing.

"It may have led to another dimension, but that still doesn't explain everything…" Revan said sadly.

"Doesn't it? What if the future is just waiting to be revealed, but all it needs is for Steve to come back to our dimension? If he isn't connected to the space-time continuum anymore, it could actually change the perspective of the future." Mira continued.

"I know you want him to be alive by some strange miracle, but…" Bastila was saying before Revan interfered:

"Wait, I think she may be right."

"Prove me wrong. I keep expecting him to show up, and I wasn't sure why until now. He will come back for you. Give him a chance. Give him time. Look for him… tell me if I'm wrong." Mira said softly. Revan gave a nod and stood there staring into the redhead's eyes.

"You're a smart woman, Mira. I can see now why he likes you so much. If he's out there, I will find him." Revan assured the younger woman.

"Bring him back to us. If anyone can do it, you can." Mira said.

Meanwhile, a dozen miles away from Anchorhead, Tatooine, a very dark storm system formed above the dune sea. It was rare enough to have storm clouds in the desert, but it was impossible for one to form above land… not under normal circumstanced anyway. One of the suns was already set and the other one was disappearing from the horizon. There were violent bolts of lightning descending from the sky, turning the sand into glass the moment they hit. Soon later, there was a shockwave that emitted form just below the cloud. Suddenly, the winds were stilled around the center of the storm. There was a crackling noise in the air as a thin tare of pure dark stretched out from underneath the clouds. The lightning viciously struck this tare at each end point as it grew in size. When the tare reached its full size, the cloud began to dissipate and the lightning ceased. A rift was formed. Exiting it, a man dressed in black fell from the elevated point down to the glassy surface of the sandy dunes. He was not conscious of his fall. After he fell out, the rift closed up behind him and the sun set completely.

Steve woke up to a burning sensation of his hand and face. He laid in a puddle of shattered glass over a sand dune. The twin suns were shining brightly above him and he was far too hot in his suit. His hands were red, but he could still feel only one of them. They were not only red by the blood of his cuts but by the burns of the suns. His face also burned, but, because he landed on his back, his face was unharmed by the unnatural puddle he was in. His sweat was mixing with the blood and was washing his hands off. When he had enough energy to stand, he walked out of the glass to meet the burning hot sand of Tatooine's vast deserts. Now his feet were burning. He yelled in pain and unzipped half of his suit off. He let the sweat from his back and chest drip to the ground, and then he looked around him. There was a city, but it looked awfully far away. He could feel the suns burning his flesh almost instantly. He pulled his suit back on and started walking towards the city. He already felt parched and dehydrated. He wasn't going to reach the city, not by some miracle. An hour later, he couldn't stand. He collapsed into the hot sand and fell unconscious.

Many hours later, he woke up. He couldn't see anything but realized it was because there were kolto soaked bandages covering his face. He slid them off his face and looked around the room he was in.

"You're awake. I didn't think you would live through the day. You're lucky I found you when I did." A woman with tattoos said as she inspected his face. She reached for a glass of water and fed it to him. She was about to offer his some food, but Steve declined it.

"You didn't have a hunter's pass… you know you aren't supposed to go outside the gates without carrying a permit authorized by a Czerka corporation officer. Actually, I didn't find anything on you, no ID, no money… how did you get there anyway?" The woman asked. He didn't answer. He looked under the soaked sheet that covered him and noticed he was naked.

"Where are my clothes?" He asked.

"They needed to be washed. Look… I can have you fined for being out there without a pass… and I also have a heavy medical bill this week because of you. How are you going to pay me back for all of this… I work for Czerka, you know? I can own you if you owe me something you can't pay for…" The woman said.

"I've heard of that greedy corporation before… spare me the threats. Tell me what you want." Steve was to the point.

"You're not from around here, are you?" The woman asked.

"No." Steve answered.

"Why don't you tell me your name?" She asked.

"Steve." He said.

"Are you a slave, Steve? I didn't see any markings on you… it's safe to say I can claim you…" The woman started.

"Look, I… I'm not some slave and I'm not interested in working for that awful corporation of yours." Steve said honestly. The woman pulled back and frowned.

"It isn't wise to insult me, you know?" She said.

"Forgive me for being blunt, but I had to say it. I need transportation off this planet… if you could arrange for something, I'm sure we can make a deal…" Steve started.

"I don't think so stranger; that's not how it works… not around here anyway. You have to show me the credits first… and if you can't, you need to ask someone else who can." The lady said.

"I… I can't do that." Steve said honestly.

"I didn't think so. Like I said, I could own you." She persisted.

"That won't be necessary… I hope." Steve said.

"Well, until you work off your debt, I'm afraid that's the situation." She said.

"How much do I owe you?" Steve was straightforward.

"Seven hundred rubles. If I gave you the full fine for your intrusion, it would be a little more than that, but I can be reasonable. I can see it wasn't your intension to go out there without permission. Whatever reason it was, you're lucky it didn't cost you your life." The woman said honestly.

"For that, I am very grateful. Thank you. Still, I don't know if I have anything to offer you." Steve said.

"Well, do you have any skills? Repairs, financing, languages? You know, useful stuff." The woman said. Steve shook his head.

"How about cooking, cleaning… house chores?" The woman persisted.

"I can't cook, but I can clean… But how much can you offer me to clean your house?" Steve asked sarcastically.

"It hardly pays for your food and shelter… you would be stuck here for a long time…" The woman said honestly.

"I thought so… Not interested." Steve said.

"Maybe I'm asking the wrong questions." The woman inspected the man carefully. She sat at the front of her stool and looked down at the man who was in the soaked bed.

"There is something else… We've been having problems with the indigenous tribes around here… they are raiders, they raid our shipments…" The woman began, but Steve interrupted her:

"No way! I've had enough of war and killing people. If they are giving you trouble, it's because you must have done something to them. I'm not going to do your dirty work." The woman stood up and frowned.

"You insult me again! Around here, there are penalties for when a slave insults his mistress! The next time you attempt to insult me will be your last, you hear me?" The woman spat. She sat back down on the stool. Steve waited until she was calm enough to continue.

"I didn't mean to insult you personally… I simply don't approve of the company you work for… I can't associate myself in any way with that awful enterprise! There has to be something I can do for you that doesn't involve stupid Czerca." Steve said. Steve could see that the look on the woman's face didn't change.

"Look, if it makes you feel better, I have a few friends that have done some awful things in the past. One of them in particular was in a very questionable line of work. I realize this isn't a perfect world and I can see how people believe they need to do these things… She's a great friend of mine though. Even though I didn't agree with what she did, I still respected her. So you see: I have nothing against you personally. I just despise the people you work for." Steve added. The woman stopped frowning and sighed.

"What about racing, could you race a swoop bike?" The woman asked.

"A what bike?" Steve asked.

"Never mind." The woman gave up. She thought some more.

"There is a game we play here called pazzak, a card game. Maybe you could wager your suit and try and win some money…" She was desperate.

"I've had all the good luck I can spare… I really doubt I can win anything right now." Steve said sadly.

"You have no skill, no credentials, no credits, no friends, you insult me and you refuse to work… There's only one thing to do." The woman said before she stood up again. She left the room and came back with a large stamp.

"What are you going to do…?" Steve was afraid.

"Give me your arm." The woman said simply. Steve hesitated and extended his right arm. The woman pressed her stamp down against the bottom surface of his arm and threw the stamp away.

"This is my name and address. I'm going to let you go. I'm going to keep your suit… and if you want it back, you'll have to come back and buy it from me… you know the price." The woman said. Steve was surprised.

"You're in danger of becoming a good person…" He looked at the stamp on his arm and read the first name:
"… Diana."

"Yeah, well don't make me regret it…" Diana said softly. Steve took another look under the sheets.

"Could I have my underwear back?" He asked.

"Yeah yeah… I'll get you a cloak or something too." She said as she left the room in search of something for the man to wear. Steve took a deep breath of relief. Diana came back in the room with a large cloak and helped the man get dressed.

"Do you think there may be a way for me to get a transport off this planet?" Steve asked honestly.

"I don't think so. Everything is paid for in advance around here." Diana said. The woman sighed when she was done dressing the man and said:

"You want my advice? Don't stay in the streets for too long. There are many here who don't tolerate beggars."

"I don't have much choice in the matter…" Steve said.

"I guess not. Just be careful then." Diana said softly.

"Are you just saying that to protect your investment or do you actually care?" Steve asked honestly.

"Why don't you come back here sometime and find out?" Diana said.

"I will, I promise." Steve said honestly and left the building into the hot outdoors. He walked towards the spaceport and started to do what he had to… he begged:

"Will someone please take me to Telos? I need to get home. I need to get back to my family." He said loudly for everyone to hear. Everyone ignored him.

"I'm here Revan. Do you hear me? I'm back. I can't wait to see you again." He whispered to himself.

We're coming baby… Sit tight. He heard her voice in his head.

The End.