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Chapter 21: Ruins

Wearily, Revan rose from his bunk and trudged to the refresher. After a long, cool shower, Revan returned to his quarters and dressed in his obsidian Jedi robes. Eyeing his appearance for a moment, Revan nodded once and made his way to the Council chambers. Bastila had already been waiting and was speaking with the Councillors as Revan entered.

The former Dark Lord of the Sith tuned out most of what the Council was saying. Congratulations, cautions and whatnot, all things Revan really did not care for. He already knew where they were asking him to go. After feigning interest for nearly an hour, something caught Revan's attention.

"Who did you send to investigate these ruins?"

Revan asked warily, narrowing his eyes. The Councillors looked at each other before they turned their attention back to Revan and Zhar answered.

"Knight Nemo was dispatched two days ago to investigate the ruins and failed to return... we fear the worst."

Revan closed his eyes for a moment. He knew Nemo. The man was old and fairly unskilled for his age but competent and kind. He held more compassion within him than the entire Jedi Council. Scowling darkly, Revan's eyes snapped open.

"I will leave immediately..."

Revan turned to leave, but was stopped by Zhar's voice.

"It would be unwise to so alone... Padawan Shan and Commander Onasi will accompany you."

Revan's shoulders tensed for a moment before he nodded his head once.

"I hope that damned droid doesn't recognize me without my armor..."

Revan waited outside the Council chambers, knowing that the Council was likely cautioning Bastila about what he might discover within the ruins and what the implications could be if he discovered his true identity. The entire situation made the former Sith Lord want to laugh and at the same time scream in rage.

"I feel like a damned first year Padawan."

Revan grumbled as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. Shouting drew Revan's attention as he saw a middle aged man push his way past a sentry and rudely storm into the Council chambers demanding something be done about his son's disappearance. Revan smirked slightly at the irritation written on Vrook's face as the ageing Jedi Master pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"Perhaps I may be of some assistance."

Revan spoke from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention. The man, Alan Matale narrowed his eyes at the dark figure standing at the entrance of the Council chambers. Eyeing Revan for a moment, Alan nodded his head once in approval.

"You look like you may be able to solve my problem. I demand that you go at once and free my son from those Sandral fools."

Revan raised an eyebrow.

"I will return your son to you..."

Revan said, loud enough for everyone to hear before he stalked closer to Alan.

"In what condition is entirely dependant on what level of respect you show me."

Alan gasped before he glared hatefully towards Revan. Revan laughed heartily and shook his head.

"Find Carth and meet me at the ruins, Princess. I'll be back with Shen within the hour."

Alan's anger vanished at that promise and he nodded, whispering to Revan.

"Bring my son to me and I will make certain your time was not wasted."

Revan's eyebrow rose once more.

"I have enough money, just make certain you watch the way you speak to others."

Alan looked indignant for a moment before he rolled his eyes and waved Revan away dismissively. Seeing this, Vrook's glower turned to a neutral expression. As close as the aged Master ever got to smirking and the other Councillors allowed the beads of sweat to roll down their foreheads.

Revan left without another word, making a mental note to cause Alan Matale as much grief as he could. Footsteps slowed Revan's retreat as he turned to see Bastila approaching rapidly.

"That was not a wise thing you said to Mister Matale."

Revan shook his head, turning and quickening his pace. The former Sith Lord stopped at a nearby corridor and looked back to Bastila.
"Coming? Better make sure I don't kill anyone because after the way that man spoke to me..."

Revan shook his fist angrily towards the Council chambers and smirked.

"I need some fresh air, what do you say, Princess?"

Bastila wore a confused expression, trying to contemplate the random meaning of Revan's speech before she shook her head and glared at him.

"Do not call me that!"

The Padawan snapped. Revan's smirk widened.

"I'm sorry, Princess Padawan."

Bastila's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as she placed her hands on her hips and huffed.

"Why do you insist on being so childish all the time?"

Bastila screamed, causing Revan to look at her, offended.

"I do not act like a child you spoiled brat!"

Too angry to do anything else, Bastila slapped Revan across his face and rushed past him, stopping in the same manner he had before and turning back at him, glaring.

"Well are you coming or not because I am not about to let a childish man like you give the Jedi Order a bad name."

Revan stood with his mouth hanging slightly open as he rubbed his cheek.

"Yea..."
Revan replied softly as Bastila turned from him and stalked through the Enclave. Revan licked his lips and pulled his hand away from his sore cheek.

"I suppose she's been holding that one in for five years now..."

Feeling like the lowest form of life in the galaxy at his own train of thoughts, Revan followed Bastila silently, allowing her to cast her anger into the Force with no further fuel to her anger.

"She has every right to be angry with me... Force I shouldn't even be here right now."

Revan silently cursed Atris and the second chance she had given him. If he had known it would hurt so much to not be able to hold Bastila and tell her what she meant, being reduced to distant banter and mission briefings. Shaking his head, Revan cast his eyes downward.

"This is my time in hell... I don't deserve her and this is what I do deserve..."

The former Sith Lord allowed his eyes to fall on the beautiful young woman walking ahead of him.

"I deserve to suffer..."

Closing his eyes to rid himself of her image, Revan felt his eyes burn slightly.

"All that glory and power I held is gone. All the money means nothing... My best friend is now my worst enemy and the woman I loved... Force did I even love her if I could betray her so carelessly? She hated me, despises everything I ever stood for and is forced to endure my presence and live that pain because of my own foolishness."

Ashamed, Revan cleared his mind of his own desires. Only two things mattered and he would concentrate on those.

"Protect Bastila and fix your mistake. Destroy the Sith."

Releasing a long breath, Revan quickened his pace and spoke softly to Bastila.

"I'm sorry if I upset you before, Bastila. I never wanted to hurt you..."

Bastila stopped, her shoulders tense though they shook slightly.

"I shouldn't have struck you, Tauryn. It was not... fair of me."

Revan shook his head.

"It was, I deserve far worse..."

Bastila turned to Revan, seeing an unreadable expression on his features as he sighed and gazed beyond the horizon.

"If you need anyone to listen... I shouldn't slight you, you've done nothing to deserve that."

Bastila narrowed her eyes as she contemplated his words. She was angry, yes. She was heartbroken and she was feeling guilty as well. Revan or not, what she did was uncalled for.

"Words do not hurt you unless you allow them to."

Bastila said softly. Revan tensed as he heard his own words repeated on her lips.

"Why does it bother you?"

Revan asked as he fought not to remember the many intimate discussions he and Bastila had shared years before. He already knew the answers to all the question he would ask her but to hear her soft and cultured voice speak it was enough to make him forget the rage and guilt that burned deep within him. Or in the very least, make it bearable.

"My- When I first came to the Order I was not used to the rather spartan lifestyle of the Jedi. My father was not a rich man... but he doted on me. He gave me anything I could ever want. Love, a family... Force I miss him sometimes."

Bastila's azure eyes held a distant look before they slowly focused on Revan's.

"All the things he gave me never mattered. It was that it was he than gave me them... I was mocked by many of the other children... They often said I was spoiled or that I thought I was too good to be around them."

Bastila's eyes gleamed for a moment before her Jedi control covered the slip of emotion.

"Each time I heard that I was reminded that I wasn't with my father and that I would never see him again... It was so hard then... And it just stayed with me."

Bastila gazed intently into Revan's eyes before she looked away.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Revan shook his head.

"No, I think you needed to. I won't mock you, Bastila. I'm sorry that I crossed my bounds milady."

Revan bowed slightly and stood, looking in the direction of the Sandral estate.

"If you never need someone to listen... I won't make fun of you, Bastila."

Bastila nodded, following Revan's gaze.

"I know... Force knows I do."

Revan allowed the words to sink in and scowled mentally.

"Of course I wouldn't if that was what the Jedi made me into. The perfect little slave."

Revan's train of thoughts was interrupted when he felt Bastila place her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Work calls, Padawan Katarn."

Bastila smiled sheepishly as she said this.

"If this man is anything like Revan..."

Revan's mental scowl reached his face.

"Hey! Don't start that with me. I don't like all those titles."

The former Sith winced slightly. He had killed people for not calling him Lord Revan before. Bastila laughed softly before she grinned devilishly.

"I know!"

Before Revan could retort, Bastila took off with Force-enhanced speed towards the Sandral estate. Shaking his head, Revan's eyes suddenly fell on a body, surrounded by a small group of Kath Hounds and other scavengers.
"Bastila!"

Revan shouted, causing the Padawan to stop her retreat. Furrowing her brow, Bastila looked back at the distant speck, seeing Revan motion to something. Following his extended arm, Bastila felt her brow rise in surprise as her eyes fell on a corpse, surrounded by creatures. Using the Force to frighten the beasts, Bastila moved in to examine the mangled body. Revan arrive moments later and knelt by the battered corpse.

Revan pulled a small datapad from the body and examined it quietly.

"Cassus Sandral?"

Bastila frowned as she examined the young man's mauled body.

"I see no evidence of foul play here..."

The Padawan said slowly as she lifted a tattered piece of armor to get a better view of the wounds. Revan held his hand over Cassus' head and sealed what remained of the boy's eyes.

"Since we're on our way..."

Revan nodded towards the Sandral estate and pulled his cloak off, covering Cassus' body.

"I have no intention of leaving this body to rot."

Bastila nodded as Revan handed her the datapad and lifted Cassus' body.

The trip to the Sandral estate was uneventful as the two Jedi stood by, watching Nurik Sandral examine the body of his son.

"Kath Hounds..?"

The old man said, as if it were the last thing he had thought possible. Seeing this, Revan and Bastila exchanged a glance.

"I was so sure the Matales were responsible..."

The dark skinned man said more to himself than to the Jedi.

"He did not have many possessions on him... This is all we found."

Bastila said softly, handing the boy's journal to his father. Nurik took the datapad and nodded his thanks to the Jedi.

"I- I thank you for what you've done... now please, just leave me to my grief."

Bastila looked to Revan for a moment, not knowing what to say. They were under orders to investigate the disappearance of Shen Matale and they could not do that if they were not given the chance to question the main suspect.

"Go ahead Bastila. I would like to have a moment to speak with Mister Sandral."

Bastila nodded and walked outside while Revan turned to Nurik.

"Could I possibly have a moment of your time, sir?"

Revan asked as he clasped his hands behind his back and stood with his feet a shoulder length apart. Seeing the military stance, Nurik frowned.

"I suppose it is the least I could do for what you've done."
Revan bowed his head once before he looked to an opening door to see a young woman walk in. The woman looked at her father and then to the body on the floor before gasping and rushing to her brother's side.

"Rahasia!"

Nurik tried to comfort his daughter though the young woman ignored the gesture, weeping over her lost brother. Seeing that nothing was going to get finished, Revan left the family in peace and spoke quietly to Bastila away from the audio receptors of the nearby droid sentry.

"Cassus' body was found on Matale ground..."

Bastila said thoughtfully as she stared at a distant beast sailing overhead.

"They had nothing to do with Cassus' death. I sensed no malice from Alan, only anger."

Bastila raised an eyebrow to that.

"With the way that man was carrying on I am surprised you had time to read his thoughts."

Revan smirked slightly.

"I purposely made him angry so his thoughts would be easier to read. Anger has a way of stripping away the layers of a person."

Bastila nodded slowly as she thought over her companion's words. Seeing a far away look in Bastila's eyes, Revan frowned.

"Something wrong?"

Revan asked in concern. Bastila snapped from her thoughts and looked away, a faint pink reaching her cheeks.

"I- no. You.. Its just that what you said reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago..."

Knowing she meant him, Revan did not press the issue, instead choosing to nod and take in Dantooine's serene beauty. The moment of peace was lost when Revan sensed distress in the Force. Turning back to the Sandral estate, Revan furrowed his brow as he waited. Moments later, the young woman he had seen grieving over Cassus appeared, quickly wiping her swollen eyes and bowing to the Jedi.

"Master Jedi I- I wanted to thank you for bringing my brother home."

Bastila frowned.

"No thanks is necessary. We were just doing our duty."

Revan's eyes had narrowed since the young woman, Rahasia had begun speaking.

"That is not the only reason you were here, is it?"
Bastila's frown deepened as she turned to Revan. Revan's head was turned, a small glare on his face as he looked beyond the estate's grounds.

"Bastila why don't you speak with Miss Sandral while I report our latest findings."

Confused momentarily, Bastila looked in the direction Revan had and stretched out with the Force, sensing the approach of an agitated and nearly enraged aura.

"Of course."

Revan quickly took off in the direction of Alan Matale's approach to delay him while Bastila spoke to Rahasia, surprised at the young woman's openness and slightly fearful for the safety of Shen Matale after hearing of what Rahasia's father had done.

Alan Matale stopped when a dark figure stood in his way.

"Why do you think-"
Alan's words were cut off as Revan sent the two battle droids accompanying the man flying away with the Force, leaving Alan alone with the former Dark Lord.

Bastila quickly made her way through the Sandral estate, easily finding the room Shen was sealed away in. After a brief explanation, Bastila found herself speaking with Rahasia once more, trying to convince the young woman to leave for her own safety. After several minutes of persuasion, Bastila was several hundred meters from the estate with the young couple, watching their reunion with a bit of sadness.

"The first time I saw Revan after his fall what did I do? Threatened him?"

Bastila sighed and looked to the ground. A warning through the Force caused Bastila to look up, seeing a rather pale Alan Matale shouting to his son with Revan following at a leisurely pace. The father and son argued slightly at the presence of Rahasia before a warning glare from Revan silenced Alan. Alan was preparing to leave with his son when the doors to the Sandral estate opened and Nurik stepped out, followed by several sentry droids.

"So much for my plan."

Revan grumbled angrily as he motioned to Bastila to protect Shen, Alan and Rahasia. Revan approached Nurik, using the Force to disable his escort and remove his weapon before he grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and drug him off. Seeing this, Rahasia turned to Bastila with a concerned expression.

"He isn't going to hurt my father is he?"

Rahasia asked warily. Bastila was expressionless as she stared at Rahasia and then back to Alan Matale.

"Is he?"

Bastila asked pointedly. Alan was speaking lowly to his son, nodding when Bastila's voice reached him.

"The young man over there said he would only hurt someone if they earned his ire."

Alan said shakily. Bastila frowned looking back to Revan as he spoke to Nurik rather forcefully keeping the man's struggles at bay. After several minutes the man calmed and actually listened to what Revan was saying. Revan nodded, giving and receiving a bow from the man before returning to the others with Nurik in two.

"Alan... I think we should all go inside and speak about this..."

Alan nodded quickly, heading over to Nurik and leaving a speechless son and two young women behind.

"What-"

Shen said with a confused frown as Rahasia gave a nearly identical expression. Revan merely sighed.

"My heart bleeds. Bastila, our work is done and no one is filing charges today."

Bastila narrowed her eyes, mouthing later to Revan before she politely said goodbye to Shen and Rahasia.

Revan commed Carth, asking the Republic soldier to intercept them on their way to the tombs and bring another cloak to replace the one Revan had covered Cassus with.

"So..."

Bastila hissed as she and Revan were well away from the Sandral estate.

"What exactly did you say to those two men to get them to agree to their children being together."

Revan smiled slightly, slowing his pace.

"I told Alan that Nurik had just lost his son and that if he didn't watch what he said he would lose his too. I told Nurik that he had lost his own son but would gain a son-in-law if he listened to his daughter. On top of that I added a little aggressive negotiation and there you have it."

Bastila was speechless for a moment before the last part of Revan's speech struck her.

"Aggressive negotiations? You should really be more mindful of how you handle negotiations Tauryn."

Revan's smile turned to a smirk.

"It worked out, didn't it?"

Sighing, Bastila relented and walked alongside Revan as they made their way to the ancient ruins that Knight Nemo had disappeared in.