Author's Note: Sorry for the wait on this chapter. I had a very hard time writing this one. I didn't much care for the second half of it, but felt it was something I wanted to try and work with.

Chapter Six: A Life Left Behind

There hadn't been much to "collect" as far as Revan's things went. After he had finished getting dressed and had pulled his hooded outer robes on, Revan had grabbed his lightsaber and had clipped it to his belt. He tried very hard to ignore the impression that the hilt suddenly felt a little too small in his hand.

Revan then took a moment and looked around at what had been his sleeping quarters for a good portion of his life. Even when he had been taken as a Padawan Learner by Kreia, and they would be assigned to go off-planet on a mission, he had always felt that he would be able to return here to "his room" to flop down on "his bed" to rest. Looking around however, Revan realized that it wasn't really "his" bed after all. Like everything else in this room except for the clothes on his back, his lightsaber, and the small statue sitting on the table, everything in this room, as well as the room itself, belong to the Jedi. Jedi didn't have personal possessions, or at least they weren't supposed to. Now that he was finally leaving Dantooine as a Jedi Knight, and wasn't even sure when he might return, or if he would be able to return at all, there was no guarantee that this room would be available to him again. More than likely it would be assigned to another youngling, as it had been to him when he had first come here, and as it had been long before he had even been born.

Looking at the one possession he did have besides his lightsaber, Revan grabbed a small carrying case and gently placed his small statue inside. Though any other Jedi would have left this planet with nothing more then their lightsaber, Revan would not leave behind his one and only link to the homeworld he didn't even remember in a room that had never been his to begin with.

Carrying case in hand Revan left the sleeping quarters. By the time he reached the courtyard Revan had already left Dantooine behind in his mind. The place that had been his home base for as far back as he could remember was no longer so, and a part of him knew he would not miss it. The galaxy was now his to explore, not as a Padawan, but as a Knight.

With this established firmly in his mind, Revan's thoughts turned to the one person whom he would miss. Sadly this was the same person he had failed to consider in all this. He hadn't spoken with his friend Malak since the previous day, and while this in and of itself wasn't unusual, it seemed that so much had changed in Revan since then, and somewhere along the way, Malak had been forgotten.

Guilt flooded Revan's heart. Malak was his best friend, why had he not thought of him sooner. Odder still was the fact that when Revan had mentally left Dantooine behind him, he hadn't left Malak behind with it. In a way it was as if Revan had taken Malak with him.Revan quickly pushed the guilt down into the small area of his stomach where he kept all his emotions that were "un-Jedi-like". He still had time before Kreia's transport left for Coruscant; he would find Malak and tell him what had happened. Though it was short notice, Revan would say his farewells to his lifelong friend. Malak would understand.

Then, as if conjured by Revan's thoughts of him, Malak was suddenly entering the courtyard. A broad smile lit his face as he made eye contact with Revan and began to stride purposefully towards his friend. Revan suddenly felt worse. Obviously Malak was happy about something, and Revan would be forced to bring him down with bad news. There was nothing to be done about it now unfortunately. As Malak reached the spot where Revan was standing his smile widened, threatening to cut his face in two.

"You seem in a good mood my friend," Revan said bracing himself for what he had to say. Forcing a smile to his lips that didn't touch his eyes, Revan tried to make light of his friend. "What happened, did the serving droids give you an extra helping of Yamru melon with your breakfast?"

"Very clever my friend, but you won't be able to damper my mood today," Malak said. Revan was sure his smile would reach all the way around to the back of his head at this point.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Listen…Malak…there's something I…."

"Me first," Malak said interrupting his friend. "I have to tell someone the good news!"

"Very well Malak," Revan said with a sigh. "What is your good news?"

"I just received a communication from my Master Thaa on Coruscant. She told me that the High Council has agreed that I am ready for the Trials. I am to find passage to Coruscant because the Council is insisting she remain there for some reason."

Surprise hit Revan like a charging Bantha. Maybe the fact that he hadn't thought of how his leaving would affect Malak wasn't so odd after all.

"That is great news Malak, congratulations!" Revan said suddenly feeling better about things.

"So what were you going to tell me?" Malak said, curiosity creeping into his voice.

"It would seem I will be accompanying you off-planet. Master Kreia is leaving for Coruscant as well, and I've asked to go with her."

"Wow…that's an amazing coincidence," Malak said as a perplexed look crossed his face.

"Now Malak," Revan said with a grin. "You know there is no such thing as coincidence…"

"…There is only the Force," the two young men said in unison, parroting countless Jedi Masters. The smile returned to Malak's face.

"Do you think Kreia will mind if I join the two of you?" Malak asked.

"I can't see why she would," Revan replied. "Though her transport leaves shortly. If you are going to come with us, you must hurry."

"I am ready now my friend," Malak said grinning at Revan.

The two friends made their way to the landing platform. As they walked Revan couldn't help but wonder at what had just occurred. Though they joked about the assertion of the Masters, Revan himself had never given much credence to coincidence, but if it was only the Force guiding them all together to Coruscant, what did it mean? Revan found himself feeling very unsettled suddenly as they neared the landing platform.

Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan leaned against the wall of the corridor leading to the landing platform. She wasn't sure why she had come or why she was standing here. She felt as if she were hiding in the shadows, like a common stalker. But that was ridiculous. She was a Jedi, and yet a part of her was very ashamed of herself for being here.

She hadn't been told the details, no Padawan or Youngling had. All she knew was what they all knew by this time; all the Jedi Masters currently on Dantooine, including her own, were departing the Enclave for Coruscant. This was unheard of naturally since, as a Training Enclave, there were supposed to be Masters here at all times. Even stranger was the fact that all of the Padawans currently apprenticing with a Master, including Bastila herself, were being left behind. In fact only one Padawan was leaving Dantooine and that was Malak, and that was why Bastila was here, among the shadows.

Bastila had gained this information from Palin Aquista, a Chadra-Fan Padawan who was notorious for being an accomplished gossip. Palin had been sitting in the courtyard when Revan and Malak had met there to discuss Malak's trip to Coruscant to face his Trials and the fact that Revan had asked his former Master Kreia to be allowed to join her on the trip. Neither Revan nor Malak had noticed that Palin was there, something that tended to help her in her quest for the latest gossip. Normally Bastila would never condone nor engage in something so very improper and un-Jedi-like, but when Palin had mentioned that it had to do with Malak, she discovered that she was listening in spite of herself. Two minutes later she was standing in the shadows and she didn't know why.

Bastila had first become truly aware of Malak when they were mere Younglings. Bastila herself had arrived at the Dantooine Enclave only two years earlier. She was still having a difficult time being away from her father, and overcoming the hatred she felt towards her mother for sending her away. The Masters had tried to console her, to tell her that she must let these emotions go, that they were dangerous things for a Jedi to feel.

She didn't get along with the other Younglings. They seemed to have fun playing together and running around together. Bastila kept to herself, played by herself, and ate by herself. She would see the others point at her and whisper. Bastila was a very miserable Youngling despite the fact that she excelled at everything she did.

Then one day she was building a tower out of some blocks. Without thinking about it she had been nudging some of the blocks into more complicated positions with the Force. Then out of nowhere this boy had fallen into her tower knocking all the blocks across the floor. That had been the final straw for young Bastila. In a fit of anger she had started chasing the boy. They had run through half the Enclave before she had tripped and fell, skinning her knees. In frustration and pain she had started crying. Suddenly the boy had been standing above her with a concerned look on his face. He had helped her up and had taken her to the Infirmary. He had left after speaking briefly with another boy that had also been taken to the Infirmary for skinned knees. The entire time she had been there the other boy had glared at her as if she were a Wampa. She had glared right back at him.

Later she would learn that the young boy who had knocked over her tower was named Malak and his glaring friend was named Revan. She had never properly thanked Malak for helping her to the Infirmary, but then again, a part of her felt that if he hadn't been so clumsy as to knock over her tower in the first place, she wouldn't have been chasing him and therefore wouldn't have fallen and hurt herself. Another part of her would remind her that a Jedi accepts responsibility for their actions and that a Jedi does not place the blame on others. In Bastila these parts were constantly at odds, and this fact drove her quite to distraction.

Even after the whole matter, Malak never really paid any attention to Bastila. Occasionally she would say hello as they passed, a couple times she even offered her assistance when she saw him struggling with one aspect of his Force training or another. Each time he would give her a confused look, nod his head, and more or less go on with whatever he had been doing not paying her any more mind.

This might have annoyed or discouraged a normal girl, but Bastila, as a Jedi, kept such feelings at bay. She actually wasn't sure why she would even care whether or not Malak noticed her or paid any attention to her. And yet here she was, waiting.

She saw the two friends walking her way and she stood a little away from the wall. The two boys hadn't noticed her yet. Then Malak looked up and saw her, that confused look crossing his face. Revan noticed and he too looked up to see what Malak was looking at. Rather than confused, Revan actually looked marginally perturbed.

"Bastila," Revan said as if he were commenting on the corridor wall, instead of the female standing by it.

"Hey Bastila," Malak said, sounding as confused as he looked. "Uh…what are you…you know…doing here?"

"I…uh…I heard that the Masters were leaving for Coruscant and I wanted to see mine off. Nothing strange about that…is there?"

"No…I suppose not," Malak said. "But…why are you waiting here? Shouldn't your Master already be with the ship?"

"Yes well…what are you doing here?" Bastila said trying to avoid the direction the conversation was moving in. She wasn't quite sure why she was pretending that she didn't already know why Revan and Malak were there.

"My Master has summoned me to Coruscant. I'm to face my trials," Malak said unable to keep the smile out of his voice.

"Oh…congratulations! And how nice that Revan decided to see you off." Bastila said turning a condescending gaze in Revan's direction.

"Actually, Bastila," Revan said saying her name as if doing so was an annoyance in and of itself, "some of us don't have to get approval to leave planet anymore." Revan walked past Bastila and kept walking towards the landing platform. Almost as an afterthought he called back. "I guess you'll find that out…you know…someday."

"Don't mind him Bastila," Malak said. "He's just…well…Revan." And with that Malak followed after his friend.

"Yes well," Bastila said to herself, "wouldn't it be splendid if he weren't." And then Bastila left the corridor and headed back to the Enclave. She felt as if she had accomplished nothing but embarrassment for herself. After all…Malak hadn't even said goodbye.