Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's notes: Sugar and caffeine are the reasons this chapter is done so soon!

Chapter 9: Bountiful Bounties

Upon later reflection, Revan discovered that Tatooine was not a pleasant world. True it was isolated and far from the reach of the Republic and the Sith but it was also sandy and hot and dry and did he mention sandy? Trudging through a sandstorm, Revan thought about getting a drink at the Cantina; pardon, the only Cantina in Tatooine's only actual settlement, Anchorhead. Seating himself down in a cloud of dust at his workbench where his Basilisk was being repaired; the former Dark Lord of the Sith pulled his pistol free from his holster, intently cleaning the sand from the weapon before moving onto his lightsaber and wrist blade. Where his second lightsaber had gone he had no idea, likely lost somewhere outside. He just needed something to get his mind off the astrometric droid that had followed him from Taris. The damn thing wouldn't shut up about him killing Davik and he couldn't really destroy it because it was actually helping repair his Basilisk.

"How often do these storms last?"

Revan asked an old man who was selling what looked suspiciously like womp rat jerky. The old man who appeared to be about as sunburnt as you could get, his once pale skin charred to a dark red-brown and looking more like a Bantha hide merely gave Revan a toothless smile, earning a death-glare from Revan before he abandoned his work of maintaining his weapons in favor of doing a little drinking. The hangar he had chosen for his ship was sealed but Revan had a sneaking suspicion the sand would find a way to get to his precious ship and scowled darkly at the thin trail of dust seeping in through the building's ceiling. He had already had to replace two of the Basilisk's four Ion engines intake ports because they had become clogged with sand upon arriving. Another reason he had chosen Tatooine. Aside from its isolation there was never a shortage of ship parts. Too many people had come to the sandy world and never left for there not to be.

Aside from the engine intakes, Revan had also had to completely overhaul his hyperdrive and refuel the blasted thing as well as rearm the expensive but extremely useful missile armament. The blaster cannons on the Basilisk appeared to be fine and the hyperdrive he had added as well as the small living space and bunks had given the ship a use beyond troop transport but Revan was sorely tempted to just scrap the thing and be done with it. Still it was near completion and he could get to the rendevous point he and Mira had established on Nar Shadda. The fact that he had received no word from her troubled him but he merely pushed his concern aside. The sandstorm could easily be blocking communications or if they had fled to a Jedi Enclave it was likely Mira was getting a long winded speech from one of the many Councils over the dangers of the darkside. Something Revan knew intimately well and did not envy.

"Maybe I can just get one of the new Interdictor cruisers. Bloody well costs nearly that much to maintain this junk heap."

With a sign, Revan rose from his workbench in his sealed hangar and wearily began his journey towards the cantina, stopping just after the entrance when his mask's sensors informed him of someone speaking about him. Curious, Revan turned his head to look at two middle aged humans seated in the corner of the cantina, far from the band and prying eyes. Seeing one of the humans, the woman look away quickly, Revan turned fully and stalked towards the two, doing his best to be menacing.

"Its not polite to talk about people behind their backs."

Revan began, crossing his arms and looking down at the two through his Mandalorian-like crimson mask. His once black cloak was dulled to a tan-gray from the sand yet his crimson armor remained unblemished and completely recognizable. The woman flushed darkly, her blue eyes looking at him in open fear though Revan could see the hints of anger on her face.

"Please sir we're nobody. We didn't mean to speak ill of you."

The man, an older human male tried to interject. Revan kept his gaze on the woman, the corner of his eye seeing the man's hands fidgeting as the silence stretched on. Nearby several other sentients looked on with interest, though many were used to this type of display on Tatooine and returned to their drinks, their thoughts mostly on how many more it would take to forget their lack of luck in ending up on the dry world. "Meaning to do something and doing something are two different things and it doesn't matter if you didn't mean to. You still did and in the spirit of curiosity and a fair amount of boredom on my part I do wonder why a simple couple such as yourselves would be speaking of one such as me? Did you serve with or against me in the war or are you referring to my recent career choice?"

Seating himself drew some shaking from the woman's hands and her face flushed, her fear only betrayed by her blue eyes. The man sighed shakily, running a hand through his hair and trying to ignore the open terror he felt. He and his wife may not have been important people but they were not blind, they had seen the reports coming from the Republic and knew that their daughter was an important person. So important in fact that the Sith Lord Bandon had placed a bounty on both his and Helena's heads for a live capture. No doubt wishing to use them to turn their daughter against the Republic. Thinking of Bastila brought a pain in the old man's heart and he closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath.

"Please, spare my wife. She's ill and hasn't much time. It would be cruel to turn her to the Sith now..."

His raised brow hidden beneath his mask, Revan stared at the man as his wife, Helena chided him.

"Eric Shan I will not sit by idly and let my husband be taken away from me!"

The man rose his midnight blue eyes to his wife's pleading with her to be silent. Revan noted the flush of the woman's face and her irregular breathing and knew immediately that her husband had been telling the truth.

"Helena please this is the only way..."

Feeling sadistic and still bored out of his mind, Revan chuckled darkly, drawing both of the human's attention.

"There are other ways. I have to say you've made this extremely easy and I have but one question for you, Mister Shan."

The man's face flushed and his hands trembled with anger. Pausing to give Revan a dark look, he waited for the question, part of him curious as to how such a crude man such as the bounty hunter Raven had picked up such a perfect core accent.

"Why would I let her go?"

Revan turned his masked gaze fully to Helena, part of him pleased at how pale she looked at that moment. A muscle ticked in Eric Shan's jaw and he swallowed hard.

"Because our daughter would never let you get away with this."

Unimpressed, Revan waved down a waitress, ordering three Corellian ales and sitting back, pulling his mask free, though keeping his hood up and giving the two humans a sickeningly pleasant smile.

"Your faith in your daughter is admirable..."

Thinking of Mira, whom Revan had begun to look upon as a little sister, perhaps even a protege, Revan allowed the hostility to bleed from him as he gave both humans a genuine smile.

"Perhaps you haven't heard but I only take clean contracts."

Neither human relaxed and the woman looked as if she would pounce on Revan.

"What about your last contract?"

She spat icily in a way that was vaguely familiar to Revan. Raising a brow and only pausing in his answer to thank and tip the Twi'lek waitress, Revan leaned back thoughtfully, swirling his drink around in his hand and taking a sip in a manner one would a fine wine.

"My last contract was for Bastila... Shan. I have no active contracts at the moment and to be honest she is quite the handful."

The looks of horror on both of the human's faces confirmed Revan's suspicions and he motioned to both to take a drink. Neither moved, merely giving him pained and hateful looks.

"None of this unpleasantness now... things are not as they seem..."

Confused but still unwilling to back down, both parents glared helplessly at the man they believed was tracking and perhaps had even captured their daughter.

"Some time ago, three years to be exact. The Sith Lord Darth Revan captured a Jedi Padawan, Bastila Shan..."

Pausing to see the looks of horror on the parent's faces grow, Revan continued, feeling slightly guilty over his actions.

"Darth Revan was betrayed and ceased to be. I myself was a prisoner of the same world and freed by young Bastila. I felt I owed a debt of honor to her and aided in her escape from Taris moments before... well actually during its destruction."

Pointing to a bruise that was still healing on his forehead, Revan smirked.

"She's a big girl and also gave me that when she thought I was after her. No worries though. She's safe and sound in the hands of the Jedi Order along with my colleague, Mira. I have no love for the Sith and I assure the both of you that-"

Revan stopped, his eyes narrowing as the back of his neck was struck with the sensation of ice. The Force was diminished within Revan but was still vaguely accessible and over the three years of his inhibition, Revan had learned to make due with the dulled senses even if it was like walking around blind to him. Acting almost instantly, Revan rolled to his side and out of his seat, his boot sweeping the tabletop and sending the two glasses of untouched Corellian ale into a dark hooded figure that had been approaching him from behind. The crimson beam that had been activating in the figure's hand ignited the potent Corellian ale and Revan quickly recovered, his hand pulling his blaster pistol and sending a single bolt into the burning Dark Jedi as his screams and the scent of burning flesh filled the cantina. At that same moment, two more lightsabers, one a crimson staff and the other a violet single blade ignited, drawing an uncertain look from Revan.
Acting on instinct alone, Revan tossed the remains of his own glass that was still in his hand at the two Dark Jedi, causing the one with the saberstaff to catch ablaze though only on her cloak. Shifting his blaster to his left hand, Revan's right found his lightsaber and he waited, his right side hidden from view of the Dark Jedi. The Dark Jedi took no notice, rushing with inhuman speed towards Revan. A single shot from Revan's blaster was deflected harmlessly to the floor though it slowed the approach and Revan dropped his pistol, sidestepping and lowering his body, activating his own lightsaber and cleaving the rushing Dark Jedi in two. As the torso and lower body dropped to the ground, the top screaming in agony, Revan rose his blade into the second lightsaber form, Makashi. Seeing the Sith throwing aside her cloak, Revan ignored the recognition in the woman's eyes as she looked upon him, simply using his superior form to attack her while she was still staring at him in disbelief.

The Dark Jedi made a quick parry, though her fear was rising at facing the previous Lord of the Sith. Revan was thought to be dead yet here he was, allying with her charges. It took only a moment for Revan, using only a single hand on his weapon to destroy her weapon and in the same move pierce her heart. The Dark Jedi crumpled to the floor, dead before she even hit the ground and her destroyed saberstaff flickered in her hands before dying. Turning to the still burning corpse of the previous Sith, Revan casually kicked sand on the body before kneeling down to recover his lost blaster; his crimson lightsaber still active in his hand. The cries of the remaining, maimed Sith continued and Revan silenced them with a single shot to the head from his pistol before holstering the weapon and raising his still active lightsaber.

"These are my bounties, my contracts. Anyone who thinks otherwise can join these three."

No one challenged Revan's claim and the former Dark Lord of the Sith extinguished his lightsaber, returning to his seat and ordering three more drinks, smiling pleasantly at the looks of complete shock on Helena and Eric Shan's faces.

"Now where were we before I was so rudely interrupted?"

Revan continued, smiling brightly at the two and flashing his teeth in a very Mandalorian smirk.

Across a good part of the galaxy, Mira was having her own troubles trying to convince Bastila Shan to keep quiet about who Revan was. Needless to say it didn't work and for the week following the destruction of Taris Mira was sitting in a holding cell until the Council reviewed her case. Bastila would often visit, asking questions about Revan and relaying messages from Carth, Canderous, Mission and Zalbaar who had all been forbidden by the Council to visit the Sith under investigation.

"I'm sorry about all this but you can see where the Council is coming from can't you?"

Bastila began hesitantly, already having received Mira's wrath earlier. Mira sighed heavily, closing her eyes and counting to ten before turning to the blue-eyed Padawan.

"If you'd have just gone along with my plan I'd be out of here and you wouldn't have to worry about anything!"

Bastila's sympathetic features melted to a stoic Jedi mask as she looked down her nose at Mira, her eyes narrowing to match the Mandalorian bounty hunter's. Placing her hands on her hips, Bastila glared at Mira as the Mandalorian smiled sweetly at her.

"You're mad because I'm right."

Sputtering a moment in surprise and indignation, Bastila quickly retorted.

"He was a Sith Lord and mass murderer. Aside from the loss of his Force abilities he still contains all of the knowledge and is a great danger to us all."

To this, Mira snorted, voicing the doubts echoing in the back of Bastila Shan's mind.

"He was- is a good man. Was when he was a Jedi Knight and is now. He may be a bit ruthless at times but never to anyone who hasn't earned his ire. He is dangerous, I'll give you that but he won't provoke an outright attack unless you give him a reason to. Maybe the loss of the Force opened his eyes to what he was doing, I dunno but I do know what I've seen these last three years I've been with him. He's- he's been like family to me and I can't turn my back on him. I won't help anyone against him no matter what they have on me I don't care. Revan saved my life and more and that means more to me than the Sith and the Republic and anything."

Having the decency to look thoughtful, Bastila slowly seated herself in a chair, looking past the force field at the woman who was being held for simply knowing who Revan was. She hadn't done anything wrong, quite the contrary and she was already guilty by association in the Jedi Council's eyes. Bastila paused at that thought. It wasn't entirely true; Revan still had some support in the Council, the Jedi Master Atris being his main defendant and using the argument of Revan setting Bastila free after she was his captive and at his mercy.

At the thought of Atris, Bastila frowned. The Echani Jedi Master had been ostracized by her fellow Masters first for her vehement attitude towards Ian Kenobi, who had suffered a similar affliction as Revan and was outcast because of it. Atris had seemed to calm greatly after that incident and looked pained when Revan or Malak's names were mentioned. Atris was also cast aside from most of the Council's debates simply because the Grandmaster of the Order, Nomi Sunrider believed her to be too connected with Revan, Malak and Kenobi to be unbiased.

Startled from her thoughts by the hissing of the doors, Bastila and Mira both turned to see the Jedi Master in question. After hearing that Revan had been found, Atris had immediately taken a leave of absence from the High Council and made her way across the war-torn Republic to Dantooine to find and face him and to get answers to many unanswered questions. Mainly what the Hell he had done to Kenobi, Malak and himself. She was still reluctant to accept the Council's decision that Revan had fallen so far into the Darkside to feel the Force. If that were true then how could Exar Kun have been so powerful and how did that explain Kenobi. There were scars from the war on Kenobi's aura but not the taint of darkness that had been seen etched into Revan's aura by the few Jedi who had faced him and escaped with their lives.

"Master Atris."

Bastila quickly executed a deep and precise bow to the Master, startled that she had arrived unannounced and as if summoned by her thoughts. Atris eyed the Padawan a moment before tilting her head in return and looking past Bastila to Mira. Mira immediately felt uneasy in the Jedi's presence. It looked almost like Atris was the exact opposite of a Dark Jedi, her hair as white as her robes and her eyes unaffected by the Darkside. Still, something about the Jedi told Mira to be wary and she remained composed, merely raising a brow to hide her discomfort.

"How's it going..."

Mira sighed, waiting for the Jedi to speak. Atris's features were set in stone and Mira wondered briefly if the Jedi was reading her mind before jumping slightly when the Master spoke, her voice cultured much like Bastila's though deeper and more refined. It was similar to Revan's accent.

"I hear you've been keeping interesting company, Mira."

Mira crossed her arms unconsciously, feeling slightly intimidated but trying to hide it.
"Yes well not like I had much of a choice but I wouldn't change it for all the credits on Coruscant."

Raising a pale brow to that, the first expression she had betrayed, Atris nodded.

"Revan likes his followers loyal."

Snorting at that, Mira shook her head.

"I'm not his follower. We're partners."

To this, Atris raised her other brow, leaving her doubts unspoken. Silence filled the holding room and Bastila shifted slightly, clasping her hands together at the small of her back as she waited. Mira finally began telling of how she had met Revan during the Mandalorian wars when he had rescued her from Mandalore's vessel. She spoke freely of her experiences on Nar Shadda, not bothering to hide what had nearly been done to her on that world from the other two women who looked nauseous and sympathetic. A small smile crossed Atris' lips as she heard of what Revan had done to the assailants though it turned to a disapproving frown when Mira explained in detail the brutality Revan visited upon the Exchange in the following months.

Mira also took a great deal of time explaining how entering the bounty hunter profession had been her idea and how they had only accepted clean contracts, live captures for the most part though Revan did kill quite a number of people in that time they had all been fairly unpleasant criminals. By the time Mira had reached Revan accepting Darth Bandon's contract, she paused, wondering if Revan had made it away from the fight. She wanted to believe it and she trusted his abilities but she still couldn't stop worrying over it and it seemed Bastila and Atris picked up on her feelings since Bastila shifted uncomfortably and Atris drew in a deep breath, expelling it slowly before speaking.

"Well I sense no deception in your story and it appears Revan has behaved himself. I will petition the Dantooine Council to release you and return to Coruscant though I hope you can relay a message to Revan for me if you see him again."

Mira nodded immediately and Atris scowled as she spoke, her annoyance clear.
"The next time I see him he's getting smacked. Jedi control or not and he owes me a bloody good explanation for what he's been doing. I know Revan and I know he wouldn't have just suddenly fallen to the darkside by simply leaving the Jedi Order. Tell him I know he's hiding something from us all and I will force him to tell me if necessary."

Mira swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling sorry for Revan. He'd have to deal with her for making her think he'd died on Taris, Bastila for whatever unresolved issues those two had and now Atris for Force only knew what. Smirking at the sudden mental picture of Revan backed into a corner by the three of them screaming at him, Mira decided she didn't feel that sorry for Revan.

"He has it coming to him, I'll tell him and make sure he's there in person when you two talk."

Having picked up on Mira's mental image, Bastila and Atris both smiled before the Echani Master excused herself, heading towards the Dantooine Council Chambers to get Mira released and get to the more important issues at hand.