KotOR Roots

It was two full years sincehe had laid eyes on her. Two full years of intense battle training, harsh work-out regimens and grueling days upon days of mediations. Kreia seemed to have no end of torture to throw at Revan, and in isolation, there were no voices of reason to say, 'enough.' The longest time, by far, he had not been with people, Jedi s. The longest time alone with her, and damn, it'd been tough.

Yet still, he took everything she threw at him and more. While she kept putting down his every move, taking all opportunities to scold him, she was actually shocked and impressed on how he was taking it. He was completely willing to take a beating for nothing. The pain seemed to flow right through him, affecting him only for a second, then he would counter. His connection to the force flourished ten, no twenty-fold. Meditation times increased to days. Days without food, days without water, days without sleep, or human contact: days without her.

Kreia saw him as an opportunity to win this war against the Republic, a tool if you will. When-, if used properly could conquer all enemies that stood in front of him. Him and the Republic. Him, and his Master. She saw a way to end suffering, pain and Sith dominance. And it stood infront of her.

However, to unlock this power, his connections would need to be severed. She already had a plan in action. All in time. Revan would not take this well, she knew it; but she would allow the Masters to tell him that. An opportunity was opening, an excuse for action. A Rubicon so to speak. She knew what he would choose, however why he would choose his certain destiny was still clouded in the force.

All in time.

"Revan, awake." Kreia moved fluidly, cloaks masking all the subtle movements underneath them. Revan stood, back facing his Master, eerie dark clouds, masquerading across the sky. The moon shone down, silhouetting him against the horizon of bleak gray.

"Sit, child," Revan's stomach irked at the word 'Child.' "Sit, you have been meditating for two days now. As you know, this is 36 hours longer than the above-average padawan. For this, amongst other, various accomplishments Revan, an honor I have for you."

Revan turned and looked at his master. Even though she was now an old woman, she was a few inches taller than him. And he was not short.

"What would that be, Master?"

"Young pupil, the time ofyour trials has come. We shall return to the Enclave on Dantooine. You shall be held against the Council, and you shall be granted the title Jedi Knight." Kreia bowed her head, for the first time bestowing such an honor on her student.

Revan felt a surge of energy course through him. Unfamiliar warmth ran through him.

"Yes Master, thank you."

"You have earned it young one, you have proved yourself against everything I have been able to throw at you; and you still got up and took more. The reason for such actions, are beyond my own grasp." Among few other things, she thought to herself; something she was not used to thinking. Kreia raised her hood up.

Revan stumbled back slightly, but did not falter. For the first time in fifteen years, a majority of his life, he looked upon her face. Half of it was flooded with shadows, but some stray rays of moonlight allowed him to look upon the other side. There where not as many wrinkles, or scars as he had expected. Her hairline had not receded in her years, and it was still thick, even if it was graying a bit. Her chin did not protrude, and her cheekbones were prominent and her jaw was defined. She looked as if she would have been attractive in her early years.

As his eyes rose, he found something that intrigued him greatly, her eyes. Blue, no, not blue; deep, piercing sapphire. The entire form seemed to be possessed by the azure gaze. It looked as if there was something behind them, something hiding from him; something that did not want to be found. He watched for a long while, and then managed to pull his stare away from them.

He peered up again, but the hood was down again, they were covered. Only slightly deterred and only for a moment, he fell to his knees as she left the room.

FINALLY!

He screamed to himself in his head, caught between whether he thrilled with the fact he was finally achieving the title and respect he had worked for, almost his entire life; or whether it was because finally, after his years of training, grit and determination he would see her. He would be near her. Has she changed? What does she look like? Beautiful.

Then, acold winter blew over him, scattering the warmth that had brought him some much comfort. Doubt, swept through his mind and thoughts; he remembered one of the many lessons that had chronicled themselves in his skull. It had only been an age ago, and Kreia had emphasized that if he couldn't keep up, he'd be dropped in the blink of an eye.

"What, my apprentice, is the worst emotion to flood your being? What ultimately, pushes people to the Dark Side, and drives away the light in their lives?" She turned and faced him. "What makes people crumble?"

Revan bowed his head, stuck in thought. His instruction over his life had taught him that a wrong answer, if worse than no answer at all. Unless of course, he felt that she needed an answer, in which case, no answer, would result in punishment.

He decided that he would answer.

"Anger." he spoke with full confidence and Kreia had noticed that he never showed any signs of hesitance, or fear. Kreia chuckled to her self, slightly amused at his reply. This, probably was the reason others followed him, while amongst them he had demonstrated considerable leadership skills. That is something you are born with, it cannot be taught.

"No, child." She contemplated why he had said what he had. The council, of course.

"Doubt. Doubt is what clouds the mind, and the senses. Doubt is what makes men crumble. Doubt, my pupil, is what destroys armies." She spoke quickly, forcefully as if she knew exactly what she spoke about.

Revan tried desperately to force it out of his mind. What if she forgot about him? What- What if she had moved on and forgot about him. He then tried to rationalize. He figured that he can't, and didn't love her. But, why do you care so much? A small voice said to him. 'She does loves me… doesn't she? So, you do love her. 'No, no of course not. But what if, what if she had another man? What if someone else, someone there had… What, what if she had never received his message, what if she had reacted badly? Oh my god, what if she had been angry, what- if- sh' Revan keeled over and hit the ground with a thud. Then all went black.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two years, too long. She swung again, the air leaving her lungs, as sweat dripped down her forehead.

She had remained true to herself, to him, even though nothing had happened before. I do love him. She thought as the blade cut through the air, and breathed in again. She drew the weapon back again, and attacked.

"Bastila, your thoughts are clouded. Go, rest and recuperate. Your training will resume tomorrow." Vrook ordered.

"Thank you Master." Bastila bowed quickly and left. She arrived at her room, and lay on the bed, too tired to get in the fresher. Lately, her thoughts had been occupied with Revan. Unable to concentrate, she had tried to meditate, and failed; she tried to rehearse Katas, and failed.

She rose again, and opened the closet. She stood on her tippy-toes, and reached above the ledge searching for the box. She found it and brought it down, lifted the lid, and removed to sole content of the container. She reread the contents, circling the buttons below the screen. She wiped her hands on her skirt and finished. She drove her into her pillow and closed her eyes, unaware of the surprise that lay for her tomorrow.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thanks to Silversentinal21, bandgsecurtiyaw, leogrll9, Dante-Raven, Devoted99, and HeavenClaw for reviewing! Please, please keep reviewing, it's "the lifeblood of us FanFiccers, so please spare a quick comment on your way out.