Chapter 2: Words of War

1 year 3 months later

"Congratulations Revan. Welcome to the rank of Jedi knight. And at our youngest age ever!" exclaimed Master Zhar pleasantly.

Revan couldn't help himself. A grin came to his face. However, seeing the Jedi master's around him full out beaming he couldn't help it and broke into the widest smile he possibly could.

"Thank you masters, I won't let you down." He bowed, and the formal assembly broke up and turned into a celebration

Revan knew the celebration would continue for the rest of the night. Whenever a Padawan became a knight, there was always a grand celebration. Revan had attended several, and this one felt more… special. Not just because it was his own party, but because it seemed like there were more people, and it was just a happier occasion…

He felt a rough hand land on his back. He turned to see it.

"Congratulations Revan…" beamed his best friend, Malak.

"Thanks. It's been a long trip, but it was worth it. You'll be a knight in no time," Revan replied.

"Ya well, that little princess is going to beat me to it if you don't stop helping her… she's 2 years younger then me and almost my equal," he said, fairly loudly.

"Princess! Why I never… how dare you call me that!" came an exasperated and indignant voice from behind them.

Malak and Revan chuckled softly as they turned around. "Hey, who said I was talking about you…"

"Well who else is he helping?" Bastilla asked sarcastically.

"Calm down, I'm sure he meant nothing by it… Princess Padawan," said Revan as seriously as he could muster.

Bastilla immediately flushed. "Not you too! Look what you've done Malak!"

Malak and Revan immediately broke out laughing. "Malak, that's a great name for her, why didn't I see it before," Revan said as he turned to look at Malak.

The slightest of looks crossed Malak's face before it disappeared and he just shrugged. "Dunno… listen, I have some business to attend too… I'll catch you later Revan. Cya… princess."

He dodged Bastillas smack and took off.

"So Princess, the night is young. What shall we do?" he asked softly.

She scowled at him. "Don't call me that." She paused. "Do you know what day it is?" she asked quietly.

Revan already knew exactly what she was referring to. What had started 1 year ago this day. "Hmmm… the day I became a knight? No that can't be it, that's to obvious. No idea." If the look she was giving him could have been a lightsaber, he would be in 2 pieces… possibly 4 or 5. "Wowa easy, of course I do… but… it's best not to speak of such things… or really even think of em in this crowd…"

She nodded slowly. "It's… It's so hard to not..."

Revan nodded. "That will pass. Come on; let's get back to the party!"

"I still say that he is not ready…"

"Well of course you do. You fear he will be our fall!"

"Well he will… his future is clouded with the darkside…"

"He is strong, he will beat it."

"Enough. Been over this enough, we have," said Master Vandar.

Kreia and Vrook bowed there heads to the senior master.

"Merit there is to Vrook's argument. That deny we cannot. However, Kreia's argument, merit it has as well." They both bowed there heads again. "I think however that to hold him here, the darkside we would invite even stronger."

Beside Vandar, Zhar spoke up. "Indeed… he may think we were holding him back, much like many of the younger Padawans are. We must trust in him to take the right path. I do believe that Revan must be sent on this mission. The true issue I see is sending his Padawan friend with him."

Vrook nodded sagely. "I do not believe sending Revan is wise, but there is little other choice. However, sending Malak with him is just asking for trouble. Revan has power, but he is new to his knightship. Let another more experienced knight or even a master accompany him."

Kreia shook her head. "To do that would hurt them more then you know. These are 2 of the most powerful Jedi we have. Although Malak is learning slowly, his potential is vast. Incredible even! To split them up would only hurt them."

Slowly Vandar nodded, as did the majority of the other council members.

Vrook shook his head. "I think this decision is one that will doom us, but I see little choice… send them if we must."

Revan and Malak walked out of the council chambers, the excitement barely held contained within them. Bastilla could feel the nervous energy that they held easily within themselves. She knew what that meant… They were leaving.

No… he wouldn't… Revan wouldn't leave her. He couldn't. She'd be alone again… no friends… no one.

Even as she told herself this, she knew he was leaving. Her time with him, and even Malak as a friend was drawing to a close. She slowly walked up to them, unable to hide her disappointment.

"You're leaving aren't you," she said sadly.

Revan slipped his arms around Bastilla into a hug, and she could feel him stretch his sense out around, checking for others in the room.

"Yes, we are. We have been given a mission, and we have to carry it out." He slowly pulled back, kissing her on the forehead lightly.

She could feel Malak jerk in surprise.

She pushed him away, roughly. "Fine! Leave me. I didn't want to be around you anyways!" she exclaimed roughly, starting to turn around, before running back and hugging him tightly.

Revan merely stood there, letting her cry herself out on him. He knew how lonely she felt. She had confided in him about what had happened when she was young… how the other children always jeered her, always disliked her for her natural abilities. She was alone aside from him… and he was leaving her.

But she was strong, and she would grow stronger from this. At least… that's what he hoped. She felt so frail in his arms… and he realized again that she was not as strong as one thought… that the face she showed everyone was perhaps just that… a face, hiding a scared young girl…

"We have to go Bastilla… Joe and Joanna will still be here… you can talk to them anytime you desire. I'm sure of it."

She slowly nodded. The two of them were other more distant friends of Revan's who sort of knew Bastilla… At least she wouldn't be completely alone.

She slowly released Revan, who pulled her into one more hug before starting to walk away. Malak stood there awkwardly, looking like he didn't know what to do. She smiled at him, he smiled back.

And then they were gone, as a bad feeling emanated from Bastilla's stomach.

"What was that all about?" asked Malak.

Revan was silent for a moment. "Nothing…" he said abruptly.

"Revan, this is the first time you've ever kept a secret from me… what is it?"

Revan shook his head. "This is one thing you… you wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't understand! I understand it just fine!" he said loudly. His voice dropped to a whisper. "You love her don't you."

Revan hesitated for a moment. "Love… is a complicated word."

Malak could see that pushing it would accomplish nothing, so he fell silent. They were going on a mission… they could discuss this later…

"3… 2… 1…" said Revan calmly as he reached out and pulled the lever back. The ship came out of hyperspace into the outer rim system of Chalwad.

"Holy… holy crap…" was all that Malak was able to say, sitting beside Revan in the co-pilot seat of there small freighter, Lunar Grace.

The planet itself was on fire… All around them, pieces of ships floated lazily. In some cases, blackened hulls passed by them.

"What… what happened?" asked a stunned Malak.

"I don't know…" replied Revan, as he brought the shields up and activated the turrets. "But we'll find out. Pull in as much data as you can on the data recorders… see if we can find out what..."

The sensor system started blaring out loudly.

"Contact… 3 Large ships, classified as a Dreadnought and 2 Frigates… They're launching fighters and are on an intercept… ETA 1 minute 15," said Malak beside him, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Calm yourself Malak… Get to a turret, I'll fly the ship… I'm having the navicomp calculate a route out for us…"

Beside Revan, Malak scrambled out and headed aft. Scanning the sensors, Revan read over the bogies… 24 fighters…

The navicomp spat out the co-ordinates… It would take them 5 minutes to reach it because they'd drawn so much closer to the planet… and the fighters would be on them in less then 30 seconds.

So he did the only option left to him. He opened a wide-beam comm channel.

"Attention inbound fighters, identify yourself. This is Jedi Knight Revan aboard the Lunar Grace. Identify yourself."

Nothing answered but static. Revan watched as the fighters closed in on them, and braced for impact as they reached firing range…

They didn't shoot. Instead they took up escort positions.

"Attention Lunar Grace. This is the Mandalorian vessel Introvertin. Stand down and prepare to be boarded. We promise you will not be harmed, and will be allowed to leave freely afterward."

"Very well. Lunar Grace coming about."

He heard Malak descend the gunwale and come forward as he turned the ship back to the Introvertin.

"Is this wise?" asked Malak.

"Not in particular… but we don't have much choice… and the one thing I know is that as dirty and horrible as Mandalorian's are, they would never break there word…" he said spitefully.

Malak merely nodded beside him as Revan guided them in and landed inside the ship.

The door hissed open, and one of the mandalorian guards gave him a slight shove in. They had been 'escorted' up to the bridge by the mandalorians who refused to say anything.

"Ah, Jedi Revan. Good to meet you," said a man in a full suit of armor. "I am Mandalore… and I have invited you here to tell you of some things."

Revan nodded slowly as Malak stepped up next to him. "Proceed."

"Good good… As you know, we mandalorians seek one thing the most… Honor. Most of all, honor in battle. Finding an honorable foe is difficult these days, as most are merely brigands and the like. Tough to make a name for yourself that way. But we have devised of a way to gain great honor…"

Revan understood immediately. "War with the Republic?"

Mandalore nodded. "Very good. Yes, we will be bringing war to the Republic's core worlds soon. But for now we will be hitting the outer rim. I expect us to be attacking the Republic within a standard month. I tell you this freely that you may ready the Republic… we would not want to attack an unprepared foe."

Revan nodded, anger rising within him... this could have been the man responsible for his parents death… "I will do my best to rouse our warriors… but are you sure this is wise? You Mandalorians are strong, but the republic, if roused, will be stronger."

Mandalore rose his hands out as if to encompass Revan. "That is how we gain our honor Revan… Now, you may freely leave. You have 36 hours to leave the system. You may do whatever you feel is necessary until then, including landing on the planet. Goodbye Revan, and may you bring honor to your name."

Revan nodded slowly before turning and leaving.

They lifted off quickly, and flew down to the planet, quickly scouring the surface to find survivors.

There were none. Over 20 million people on the planet. And not one could be found alive…

Surely they should of felt a disturbance in the force. They must of, but… they didn't… a dark omen to be sure.

21 hours after lifting of from the Introvertin, they left the system, bound for Coruscant.