The two weeks Revan had deemed 'freedom week' had been, in all honesty, the happiest she had ever been since she had been at home with her father. They had taken to the sights of the planet, looking at all the tourist type spectacles, generally spending way too much time together. They had dinner just about every night in those two weeks and he had surprised her by coming several mornings with breakfast and twice he was able to make a Talravian breakfast, the kind she had enjoyed as a little girl. Revan had certainly taken to the task of courting her appropriately. She smiled, fingering the pendant he had given her the night before.
But wasn't that the problem?
She was a Jedi and already Revan's rebellious nature was seeping into her own sense of rules and order. She had now broken two of those underlying rules of being a Jedi. What was happening to her? She had told herself she would be quite above the little fluttering in her stomach whenever he looked at her, that she could maintain the distance whenever he was near, that what she was feeling was just a symptom of their bond. So, how in the Force did she get to here? Where she was in love with Revan, prodigal knight who became the ultimate dark lord of the Sith who had just finished becoming a redeemed soul, who had redeemed her.
She could feel her anxiety start to spike when she thought about what she would tell the council. They would of course want to know everything on her part, of her mission in redeeming this former Sith leader. But how could she tell them that somewhere along the way, she began developing feelings for this man; that she had fallen to the dark side believing if she could lure him back, they could fully live out their love; that it was his love for her that had saved her and in turn, her love had prevented her from truly harming him. They wouldn't understand it, certainly Master Vrook would look at her in distain and that would be hard. He reminded her of her mother, someone who she could never please, even though she tried her hardest to do so.
But Revan…she guessed her mother was corrected. When she thought about it, the young knight did remind her of her beloved father. She had always loved going with him to the beach during the early mornings to watch the sunrise and then at night, they would watch the night sky for passing ships and stargaze. Bastila admitted, with a blush, in her younger days she wanted to have a husband who would be like her father. Someone who was as kind and caring as he was; and the young woman couldn't hold back a slight smile, thinking that Revan was that kind, caring man, with a determination that matched her own, and a sense of humor that never seemed to fail in getting her to smile or laugh.
Sighing, she berated herself. She was supposed to be clearing her mind of Revan, not filling it with reasons of why he was such a wonderful man and how much she…shaking her head, she massaged her temples. This was obviously going no where. The sound of a knock brought a sense of relief, having found something that would at least take her mind of the young, handsome knight. Standing, she left the bedroom and headed for the door. Checking the view screen, she noticed that Carth stood there, patiently waiting for the door to be opened. Going over and opening the door, she greeted the pilot.
"Good morning, Carth." She replied. "What can I do for you?"
"Morning, Bastila." He responded, nodding to her. "I'm actually here on behalf of Revan."
Inwardly, she groaned. "Revan's behalf, hmm?" she questioned. "And what exactly has he done now?"
"Nothing." He insisted. "To my knowledge, anyway. Look, Revan wanted me to come by and give you this." He pulled a flower from behind his back, one she identified as a Talravin lily, one of her favorite flowers. She smiled, taking the flower from the pilot.
"Where is he?" she asked, staring at the lily dreamily.
"Uh…" Carth replied. "Well…I believe when I left him…he was…on his…second heat."
She looked at him. "He's swoop racing?" she asked. "On the morning we're called before the Jedi High Council and he's swoop racing?"
"See, I told him Canderous would've been a much better messenger…"
"How could he be swoop racing at a time like this!" she continued. "Carth…"
"I told him not to, I swear!" he said, startled when she turned to him.
"Good morning, guys!" came a voice, causing the two to turn, seeing as Revan, dressed in his Republic uniform, approached them. "Guess what? I had such a great race and the whole thing panned out and look!" He held up a credit stick. "Five hundred credits! We are eating so good tonight!"
"Revan!" Bastila exclaimed. "Have you forgotten what we're supposed to do today!"
The young man shrugged. "We're appearing before the council." He said. "Big deal."
"Big deal!"
"Darling," he said. "I think you're putting too much strain on yourself."
"Revan, do you have any idea how much our future in the Order is hanging in the balance?"
He regarded her shrewdly. "I didn't know reaching the rank of master was such a priority." He said.
"It's…it's not a priority." She replied, weakly.
"Well, I'm glad I could at least make the list." He joked, but with a slight embittered tone. "Assuming I am, of course, on the list."
"Hey, come on, you guys," Carth interrupted, seeing the way this could possibly end. He had been lucky enough to never have seen a fight between them, not including the one on the Leviathan, and he really didn't want to start now. "Don't you think you should be getting ready?"
Bastila took a deep breath. "You're right, Carth," she replied, chin up. "I have to continue my meditation before going in. I suggest, Revan, you do the same." She turned quickly, closing the door in their faces.
The two men stared at the door, before turning to look at each other. "I have a feeling the rest of my day is going to be exactly like that." Replied Revan.
"Come on," Carth said, chuckling nervously. "She's just a little upset you're not preparing the way she is. I'm sure things will be fine."
Revan shook his head. "I have a bad feeling about this." He muttered, walking from Carth and heading to his own room, leaving the seasoned pilot worried as well.
Things were still tense between the two younger Jedi as they made their way inside the Jedi Temple. The elevator ride was painfully quiet and the two didn't speak until they had entered the council chambers. The chamber was a large circular design, with the image of a sun dial in the center. Around the center were ten chairs, and in them were seated the ten members of the council. Behind them, was a large picture window, to which you could see the entire city and the blue sky that hovered above it.
"We apologize for making you wait for such a long time." Master Vandar replied, ushering them inside. The two followed the alien until they both stood in the center of the circle. Bastila gasped as she saw Master Vrook, sitting in one of the chairs. "Master Vrook!" she exclaimed. "I hadn't thought anyone else had survived the…"
"It was difficult," Vrook replied, in his gruff manner. "But fortunately, Vandar and I were not seriously injured."
"And the others?" Revan asked. "The academy?"
"The academy…is gone." Vandar replied, bowing his head. "It is truly nothing but a crater. The shell does indeed exist, but the heart of the place is completely destroyed."
"Your master is one with the Force, Revan." Vrook said, staring at the young man. "Or at least one of your masters is."
Revan quirked an eyebrow at him. He went to asked what the elder master meant, but Vandar waved him off, instead directing their attention to the other members. On the end, in seat number one was a rather tall bothan, who stood and bowed to the two Jedi. "I am Dorril Sevadjian." He said, his voice a regal bass. He gestured to the Mon Calamari beside him. "This is Master Titus Ahleme." The Mon Calamari nodded, then gestured to the two Twi'lek females on his left, one an emerald green, the other a light pink. "Those are Masters Pura Motzer and Ali Thul." Dorril continued. He pointed at a human female and the elder male on her left. "Masters Pernin Kaminska and Villard Baster." They both nodded at the Jedi. "Next is Veroba Dee." The bothan continued, gesturing to a female Falleen.
A Falleen? Revan thought. That's certainly of interest. Falleens were known to be the epitome of perfect Jedi, valuing logic over emotion. Though despite that, they had the reputation of being irresistible to the opposite sex, thought they had ways to displace their pheromone in order to do business. "You already are familiar with Master Vrook Lamar," the bothan was saying, continuing on to the younger male that sat in between Vrook and Vandar. "Master Dario Kully." The young man nodded, smiling at them both. "And of course, Master Vandar."
"We are quite honored to have such talent amongst our ranks," the emerald Twi'lek replied.
"It's not everyday we see your kind of talent." Dario spoke up. Seeing the look from Vrook, he amended, "Not that those who train are scruffy. Oh no. They're the best."
"Just not as good as us, right?" smirked Revan.
"That arrogance!" Vrook muttered. "Must I remind you where your arrogance led the last time?"
"Please," Vandar interrupted, stopping any protests or comments Revan could say. "Let us not bicker when we have matters to attend to." Looking at the two Jedi, Vandar continued. "We feel you hold the last piece of the story, young padawans. Seeing as it was you we assigned this quest."
"And we'd like to know the whole quest." Master Veroba replied, stoically. She looked at each of them, a frown similar to the one Vrook usually wore was plastered on her face.
"From your points of view, of course." Pernin finished, casting a look at the Falleen.
"If I may clear up some things," Balster commanded. "Young Bastila, it is to our knowledge, that you were given the task to capture the dark lord Revan. Is this true?"
"Yes sir," Bastila said, her voice cracking slightly. "When Revan and Malak had returned as dark lords, it was my understanding that the High Council hoped to turn one or both of them back to the light."
"This is true," replied Ali. "We had hoped they weren't so far gone. We requested in retrieving Revan. He was always the more…mature of the two. At least concerning the…important matters that concerned him."
"We already know this." Vrook responded. "It is the events after they left our academy that we are concerned about."
"That's rather impatient, don't you think, Master Vrook?" Revan quipped. "Impatience leads to the dark side."
If Bastila could just disappear…or better yet, shrivel up and die, she would have. What was he thinking? And was it her or were those Twi'leks spending more time looking at him than they were at her?
"Enough." Dorril said. "Vrook is correct. Perhaps we will begin with you, Padawan Shan. Tell us everything, from when the time you reported to the Endar Spire until present."
Bastila let out the breath she had been holding and began. She started with being assigned to the Endar Spire as they were to follow up on reports of Sith patrol ships around Taris. She had met Commander Carth Onasi, who was assigned an observer for the ship and its Republic crew. She admitted, with some shame, that she and other Jedi had taken over the lead on the ship, pulling rank above other officers. She then told them, sometime in the middle of the evening, the Sith had seen their ship and began an offensive attack. She had tried to use her Battle Meditation, but she had still been tired from sleep and the Sith forces seemed overwhelming.
Another Jedi, Holden, had told her Dark Jedi under Malak's command were searching for her. Unable to officially aid in the fight, Bastila had worked her way through soldiers and commandos to the escape pods, where she managed to land in the Undercity of Taris. The crash had affected her enough she was unable to focus on her Force powers, which had lead to her capture by the Black Vulkars. Dorril held up his hand, indicating for her to stop. Then looking at Revan, he asked the young man to describe his experience on the Endar Spire.
Revan began his story; how he was a smuggler by the name of Jayden Korr and how, in penance for his crimes as such, he was offered work for the Republic to battle against the Sith. He admitted he couldn't really recall what he had done as a smuggler, what places he had been to, etc. He had been asleep when the first attack began and his roommate, a Republic soldier named Trask, had awoken him and together they had made it the bridge. On the way to the escape pods, however, they had been stopped by a Dark Apprentice – who Revan would later learn was Darth Bandon, Malak's apprentice – and Trask had gone ahead to battle the Sith, allowing Jayden Korr to make it to the escape pods, where Carth Onasi awaited him.
He went on to say that as soon as he arrived on Taris, he began having strange dreams – dreams of which he now realized were actually memories – which even Carth had picked up on. They had found refuge in an abandoned apartment in the Upper City of Taris which they proclaimed was their headquarters. He and Carth then set out to find out about Bastila's crashed shuttle. They had gone topside, finding a medical facility that had a few Republic soldiers recuperating. They then headed to the cantina, where Revan had been only a fight away from facing the Taris champion. Well, after that defeat, they had learned more about the Sith and the city gangs that had stumbled upon the crashed pod.
After talking to Gadon Thek, the leader of the Hidden Bek gang, Revan agreed to be the racer for the gang in order to win Bastila back.
"You actually enlisted the help of a city gang in order to 'win' back a colleague?" Vrook asked, incredulously.
"You know another way to win back a captured Republic officer, who just happens to be a Jedi?" Revan asked, rolling his eyes.
"You must admit, padawan," Dario replied. "You encountered a rare set of circumstances."
"Exactly." He said. "That was the only way to get Bastila back, so I did it. And became champ. Though a lot of good that does me now, seeing as no one ever believes me. So I just have to prove that I am, indeed, the best."
"Are you saying you still participate in these…races?" asked Veroba.
Revan gave the Falleen a confident smile. "You're looking at the new Coruscant swoop champion." He boasted.
"Surely, Bastila, you were quite surprised to see Revan as your rescuer." Pernin wondered.
"Well…yes…" she began, still in shock over Revan's blatant disregard for the masters. "I was…unaware that there were any survivors on the ship. I had known, however, that Revan was aboard, but I had not seen him during my time on the Endar Spire."
"Imagine my surprise to discover I was added as a late entry to the ship's roster." Revan muttered, bitterly.
"So," Balster asked. "You had no knowledge of your former self, but you had a vision?"
"Revan…told me later, after we had gotten back to the hideout, that he had a vision…" Bastila began. "A memory of when we fought on his ship."
"That's when she told me I could be Force Sensitive." Revan finished.
"How did you manage to get off of Taris?" Titus asked. "The Sith had a complete lockdown on the planet before Malak destroyed it."
The two Jedi looked at each other, as though wondering which of them would answer. Revan cleared this throat and told them how they had gone back to the cantina and had run into Canderous Ordo, who was working for the resident crime lord, Davik Kang. "So after participating in a swoop race, sponsored by one of the local gangs," the Falleen said, sarcastically. "You then enlisted the help of a Mandalorian, who was working for a crime boss for the Exchange. I wonder why you did not put a stop to this, Padawan Shan."
Bastila blushed in embarrassment. "And how else were we supposed to get off Taris?" Revan retorted. "Or perhaps it was your wish to see me completely wiped out, seeing as you failed to completely wipe out my memories."
"You will do well to remember who you are addressing, Revan." Vrook demanded. "It seems we've had this conversation before."
"Have we?" Revan questioned, his anger mounting. "I wouldn't know."
"Revan, please." Bastila whispered, willing him to control himself.
"We see your anger has grown since the last time you stood before us." Pura replied.
"Perhaps we should continue this at another time." Vandar ventured, but Revan shook his head in disagreement.
"No." he said. "Let's have this out right now."
He once again told of meeting the Mandalorian in the cantina and getting aboard Davik's ship. He made a special mention of the massage he received from Davik's slave girls, saying it was the best he had ever received and causing a deep blush on Bastila's face - and some rather high feelings of jealousy as well. He then told them how they reached the hanger of the ship, after receiving the codes from a prisoner, and had a face to face with Davik and another bounty hunter, Calo Nord. After the battle, in which Davik was killed and Calo had been crushed – so they thought – they flew the ship out of the hanger, picked up the group they had assembled and barely escaped the planet as Malak had it bombed into oblivion.
"Then I suggested that perhaps we head to Dantooine." Bastila piped up, hoping to end this round of questioning. "I wanted to give the masters my report and to tell them of the visions that seemed to be shared between Jayden – Revan – and myself."
"It seemed even after having extensive head trauma, Revan was still able to command the Force as though he was born to do so." Vrook said. "In just two weeks, Revan had re-mastered all the tasks which we usually put a padawan through. Zhar even said he put together his lightsaber in record time."
"One of the tasks we set forth was one to test to see if anything of Revan remained in this Jayden Korr." Vandar replied, taking over the conversation. "We sent him to the grove, where Juhani had fled after she struck Master Quatra. His task was to cleanse the grove. Not only did he perform it perfectly, but he brought Juhani back to the light and the young Jedi requested to join him on his quest to find the Star Forge."
"And from Dantooine?" Dorril asked. "Where did you head?"
"I wish to know who else was in this…crew of yours." Veroba stated.
"Commander Carth Onasi, decorated hero of the Republic forces," Revan began. "Remember his name too, cause he'll an admiral one day, you wait and see. Then there's Mission and Big Z…"
"Mission?" asked Ali.
"Big Z?" asked Balster. "What is a 'big z'?"
"Mission Vao and her wookiee friend, Zaalbar." Bastila explained. "Revan and Carth had met them while looking for me."
"Taris was Misson's home." Revan said. "If it wasn't for Mission, I wouldn't have been able to break into the Vulkar base and get that prototype engine in order to win the swoop race."
"You stole a prototype engine?" Vrook asked.
"They stole it first!" Bastila exclaimed, quickly shutting her mouth as her face once again took on the telltale signs of embarrassment.
"The Vulkars stole that engine first," Revan explained. "Besides, if I hadn't gotten it back, Bastila would've been the plaything for any number of people."
Dorril motioned for the two to continue their story. Revan told them how they had decided on Kashyyyk, which was where they met up with Jolee. Jolee was the one who initially told them of the ancient part of the Shadowlands where the Star Map was being kept. After they received it, they helped Zaalbar and his father defeat the wookiee's brother and Czerka from taking over the planet entirely. The young knight had completely left out the fact that Bastila had learned of her mother's illness and her father's death on the wookiee home world.
"It is late, Dorril." Titus whispered to the bothan.
"Agreed." The bothan replied, nodding at the two Jedi. "We won't keep you any longer this day, but we do request you return to us in the morning."
The Jedis nodded, turning and walking out of the chambers. "Such anger," Vrook spat. "Such vengeance. Am I the only who can feel it?"
"No Vrook," the Falleen replied. "I feel it too. There are parts within this story they have not told us. And their emotions are out of control."
The Mon Cal nodded. "I sensed that as well." He said. "Revan covered up something in his story and Bastila knew what it was, but yet she did not correct him on his error."
"They are hiding something between them." Dario agreed. "But what?"
"I believe they have become…closer." Vrook replied, a thoughtful look in his eye. "Closer than they had been since we saw them on Dantooine."
"Perhaps it is a side effect of the bond." Vandar speculated.
Dario shook his head. "Things felt…tense between them." He murmured. "You could feel it when Revan had his outbursts, as though…"
"We mustn't speculate." Dorril said. "They have only just begun their tale. But I shall agree you on your line of thought. The most important thing is for us to discover how it was that young Bastila fell to the dark side. Was it the dong of Malak? Or Revan? And these visions. How can we be certain that they are small and few in between? What if…what if Revan regains all of his former memories? And if you all are correct, that he and Bastila have indeed become closer, what will that do to her? To us? To lose Revan was devastating, but Bastila along with him? We couldn't cope!"
"And what of those they traveled with?" Vrook asked. "A Mandalorian? A wookiee? You remember how Revan was. And even in his new personality, he is still able to gather followers to him. If he should ever fall again…"
"Listen," Vandar interrupted. "We are getting ahead of ourselves. They have only just started their story and we only have a small portion. We can decide these things when the story becomes clearer."
"Let us not wait too long, Vandar." Pura said. "Remember what happened the last time we did."