Chapter Nineteen-Revan and the Exile

Canderous sat up, wincing sharply as his battered body armour crushed his bruised chest. His breathing rasped deeply, and he grimaced at the metallic taste in his mouth. Coughing, he got to his knees, and spat a gobbet of blood on the ground.

Revan.

He stared all around him, wondering where she had gone. The last he remembered was Kex firing on him, and he felt a sharp blot of anger and indignation run through him. His blaster lay on the floor, where it had fallen off his chest as he had sat up. Where the hell did that come from? he wondered, the last time he had seen it was in a long distant corridor…

He leant heavily against the wall, waiting for his implant to kick in.

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Mira glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky, and pulled her ballistic jacket tighter around her slender frame. Ominous clouds rolled forbiddingly across the skyline.

She pulled her bedroll form out of her pack, and laid it across the ground. Their camp was small, and she noticed with amusement, that Mical and Jennras bedrolls lay near to each other. Oh well, she thought wryly, making up for lost time, I do wonder…

She glanced across at Atton, Sheesh, he looks so miserable. His eyes kept darting to the where Mical and Jennra were sat, their heads bowed together as they talked in low voices.

"Hey, Atton," she whispered to him as she sat next to him on the hard ground, "What's up?"

"I don't want to talk, Mira," he replied, not looking at her.

"Yeah, well, I do!" she grabbed his arm, and turned him to face her, "Hell, I don't know what's gotten into you lately…" she stopped when she saw the pain in his brown eyes, "Sheesh, Atton. Talk to me?"

"Why don't you go over and talk to him…seems like you've got plenty in common!" he spat, pointing at Bao-dur who was sat on the ground cross legged, working on modifying his pistols some distance from them.

A wry smile touched her lips, "Wow…are you jealous, Atton? I didn't have you down as that type of guy."

"Yeah, well there's a lot about me that you don't know, or would even want to know about. So just leave it, and back off, okay?"

"Is this about them?" she indicated the two Jedi to their left.

"No," he said in amazement, "I'm not bothered about…"

"You are, Atton. Gees, get over it, will you?

"You don't know what you are talking about."

"I think I do. Listen, they care about each other, it's so obvious. Just let them be, Atton. You wanted her happy, well she is."

Atton sighed at her in annoyance, "Go use your wannabe Jedi counselling somewhere else kid, its not wanted here."

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Across the dark scrubland, the Mandalorian warriors marched unceasingly. Revan strode resolutely at their head, with Kelborn at her side.

Kelborn frowned beneath his helmet. He was becoming concerned with the Jedi woman who walked with them. Her face was drawn tightly; her eyes still had that empty look to them. What happened in the temple? he wondered to himself, and more so, what went on with the Mandalore and her that seemed to cause this rage. He knew that they had been close, well as close as allies could possibly be, and that the Mandalore had an unwavering respect for her. If they had had a relationship of sorts, Kelborn thought wryly, it was nothing to do with him. Just as long as his decisions were not compromised in any manner was all that mattered to the Mandalorian. He laughed to himself at his whimsical notion, as if the Jedi and the Mandalore…

He stared ahead in the deepening night. The cold tore through him, and he shivered in spite of the clothing he wore beneath his battle armour. The only sound was the heavy tread of the Mandalorians feet as they marched through the scrubland.

Since leaving the temple, they had come across two small bands of patrolling Sith. They had despatched them easily, the Jedi had slain them with a wild abandon that brought a cheer to many of the warriors. She was starting to really show her mettle on the battle field, she fought with the determination and passion of a Mandalorian. No wonder he respects her so.

He felt a hand grip his arm tightly, and he glanced down at her.

"Shhh," Revan whispered, "I sense a small camp ahead of us."

Kelborn strained his ears, and then heard it; the sound of muffled voices dead ahead of them.

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Mical sat leaning with his back against a low boulder, Jennra snuggled up against his chest. The stone dug into him, but he ignored the discomfort, instead he leant down and kissed the top of her head. She huddled up to him closer as a chill wind stole through the camp. Mical reached down, and pulled the blanket tighter around her.

"What happened to you at the Sith facility?" he asked gently.

She glanced up at him, a ghost of a grimace on her face, "I don't really want to talk about, Mical."

"But it still troubles you, even though your wounds are cleared, there are still marks that you carry inside of you."

She sat up away from him, "I left Bralor there…isn't that enough? What I did was wrong. I should have gone back for him."

Mical shook his head in disagreement, "No. From what I saw of your wounds and your general physical condition-and also from what Bao-dur has told me, you could not have. You were nearing a state of exhaustion, Jennra-do not blame yourself. A lot worse could have happened if you had gone back, and I have to admit that I am thankful that you did not, for purely selfish reasons of my own."

Jennra laughed wryly, "That isn't a very Jedi like attitude, Mical,"

He leant towards her, and kissed her softly, "I know, and that is something that worries me. I have been having doubts about the Order…"

She frowned at him, "Why?"

"It is all running well enough and there are more students that arrive whom wish to learn the ways of the Force, and the path of the Jedi. But I have thought a lot about you since you left, and I have come to realise that the life of servitude that the Order demands, is not what I wish to be apart of anymore. I am thinking of stepping down, and letting Juhani take over."

Jennra shook her head, "No, Mical, I cannot allow you to do that…"

He smiled at her, "No, it is something that you cannot decide for me. Since we found you, my priorities have changed greatly. It is something that never occurred to me before…." he trailed off with a distant look in his eyes.

Jennra leaned towards him, "What is it?"

"No, we will talk off this again, at a more appropriate time," he pulled her towards him, and she cuddled up to him again, listening to his heart thumping steadily beneath his robe.

She closed her eyes drowsily.

Revan and an army of blue warriors surrounding her, strode angrily into the small camp. She stood in front of Jennra angrily, "It's your fault he's gone. The blame lies heavy with you, Exile!"

Kelborn stood at her side, "The Mandalore is dead, and it is your fault, Exile."

Revan stared at her, dark emotions swirling like phantoms all around her. She reached down and placed her hand across her stomach. Her eyes shone blackly as she raised her other hand and pointed at Jennra accusingly, blue energy dripping off her fingertips. "Exile."

Jennra opened her eyes with a start. Her head was still resting on Mical's chest, and his arm was around her shoulders. She pushed away from him abruptly, her eyes searching the small camp.

"Jennra…? What is it?" Mical asked in surprise.

She turned and faced him, a look of wonder on her face, "It's Revan. She is very near…"

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Kelborn ordered a small group of warriors to encircle the small camp that they had stumbled across. He glanced across at Revan, who stood like a wraith with her blue saber glowing eerily in one hand. Absently he wondered why she only used one blade lately.

He signalled the men to take their positions, watching as the small group activated their stealth field generators, and disappeared in to the night. They remerged several seconds later behind the camp. Kelborn gestured to warriors either side, and with Revan, they crept into the camp.

Jennra stood up quickly, the blanket sliding to the ground, "Mical….Atton," she hissed.

They stood up, and went to her side, their hands flickering to their light sabers. Mira and Visas walked across, their sabers already in their hands activated.

Revan stepped forth out of the night, "Exile…" she said quietly.

Jennra felt the breath freeze in her throat.

"…it is good to finally see you! I feared greatly for you, when you were captured," Revan smiled grimly at her, and Jennra felt staggered to see pain shining in her eyes.

"Revan. It has been some time….have you news of Bralor?"

She shook her head, "No, I thought that he was with you?"

Jennra glanced at her, "Revan, we must talk. There is a lot that you don't know."

They sat in the camp, with the Mandalorians grouped around, and scouts patrolling a make shift perimeter. Jennra felt a wave a reassurance wash through her at the sight of the Mandalorian soldiers. She looked across at Revan, and felt concerned. Even without the use of Force sight, she could see the dark shadow that loomed over the female Jedi.

"I am aware of this Sith military facility," Revan was saying.

Jennra noticed that Kelborn's head shot up at this news, "I was held captive there, with Bralor," she replied softly, "I don't know what is going on or how there are so many Sith…"

"Yes. There numbers have increased. We have encountered quite a few patrols."

Jennra looked across at Boa-dur, indicating him to speak.

He glanced at Revan, "I have been watching their camp for over the past year…or so. They have a large landing site, with many ships, many that are alien in design. Recently, there has been a surge of activity. It is like they are preparing for something!" he whispered loudly. "Their patrols have been gathering both in size and in frequency."

Revan nodded towards Kelborn, "Yes, we have had our own encounters with them," she stood up abruptly and strode form the camp.

Jennra stared after her, and glanced at Mical.

"You should go after her," he murmured out of the hearing range of the others.

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Jennra approached the other woman with trepidation. There was something very wrong with her. She stood at her side, "Revan?" she asked quietly.

"The Mandalore is dead," She replied dispassionately, "killed by the hands of one of his own warriors. How ironic is that?"

"Are you sure…"

"I tried to bring him back. It can be done with the Force. Alas, I wasn't strong enough for that."

Jennra frowned worriedly, "You cannot bring back the dead, Revan…its impossible!"

She glared at the dark haired woman, "I tried healing him, but it didn't work. I left him there…."

"Did you care for him, Revan?"

"As you do the historian, Jennra?" Revan shook her head, "No, it was not like that."

"Where did he die?"

Revan laughed bitterly, "In the old temple. And I left him there to rot with the corpse of his killer, but enough…I do not wish to discuss this further. If you are wise, you will not bring this subject back up with me, Jennra." Revan turned from her, and marched angrily back towards the camp.

Jennra stood there silently pondering Revan's words. She closed her eyes, and reached out with the Force.

In a dark place, the wounded Mandalorian struggled to get to his feet. He fell back to his knees angrily cursing….

Hands were about her shoulders, and Jennra blinked her eyes rapidly, "Mical," she breathed in relief, as she sensed his familiar presence.

"What did Revan want?" he inquired gently.

She looked up at him, "She thinks he is dead….but he is not. He lives still," she grasped his arm tightly, "We must go to him…you can heal him."

Mical gazed at her in confusion.

"If we do not find him, I fear greatly for what will happen to her. Already the dark touches at her. She must see that it was not her fault…she feels that she failed," Jennra muttered with the impact that the Force sight was having on her, "but she did not. We must find him, before…" she grimaced, "I fear for her, Mical."

"Then we will do what needs to be done, Jennra. I will follow you."