"Focus," Darious told his new padawan. "Hone both the body and the Force equally. Balance is the key to being a sentinel. This goes for more than just Force ability and lightsaber technique." Darious paced around the space he was training Atton in.

Atton was in a hand stand while Darious tried to teach him to focus his force ability at the same time to levitate a datapad placed not too far from the man. Sweat coated the man's face, his eyes closed, and face flushed, more from excretion than concentration. Atton swayed on his hands.

"Lift the datapad," Darious's voice was soft as he knelt down. He knew Atton could do this. The man had enough focus to keep trained Jedi from reading his mind while focusing on other tasks.

Thud! Atton landed hard on his back. His breathing hard. He swept his sweaty hair back from his face. He was the only one out of the group of padawans who had yet to go for the traditional braid and more shaved look padawans tended to wear.

"You want me to lift the datapad while listening to you talk and standing on my hands." Atton shook his head. "You're insane."

Darious took off his robe and set it down. "Continue talking," he told his padawan. He swung up into a handstand, balancing on one hand. He didn't have Revan's full strength to move onto his fingers as his old friend could, nor Revan's control to not only lift one object but always cause others to lift and move them around him, but he did have enough focus and control for this.

"What are you doing?" Atton demanded.

Darious closed his eyes, listening to his new padawan's voice turn from demanding to shock as Darious focused on the datapad.

Darious flipped from the position and caught the datapad. "Focus on training both your body and mind, and this task will become a simple one." He held out the datapad to Atton. "I know you have the focus to do this."

Atton let out a breath as he took the datapad. "How long do you want me on this task?"

"Until you can lift the datapad while maintaining a handstand."

Darious sensed someone enter the room. It felt like Bastila. She had tasked Mira with training exercise before heading off with Carth to find Revan.

Atton set down the datapad and flipped back up into a handstand.

"Continue your training," Darious advised his padawan. He crossed the room to Bastila. "Did you tell him?" Darious asked in way of greeting.

"No," she confessed. "His family showed up."

Darious frowned. "The Tarvons?"

"You knew?" Bastila asked.

"I've known Revan since we were younglings. We were brought to the Order on the same day and trained together, of course I knew his birth name was Alvar Tarvon." Darious managed a small smile. "I figured if Revan wanted to know he would ask."

Bastila shook her head. "I'll have to tell him later. We're having a council meeting to discuss the matter of family in the new Order. Revan has concerns about us needing to work with Senator Tarvon especially now given the senator is his blood brother."

"All right." Darious looked at Atton. The task would have Atton occupied for a while yet. It would have to do. He gestured for Bastila to lead the way. "There isn't a section of the ship we've yet decided to meet in, is there?"

"Not to my knowledge. Meetra and I were too busy looking for you and Revan was doing what he does best."

"Making droids and plans." Darious chuckled to himself. If nothing else, he knew Revan would at least never change. Or those aspects of him wouldn't. "It's a good thing he wants to discuss the matter of family, we had to cut the last meeting short when Revan walked out. It didn't allow us to settle the matter of love let alone touch on the finer points of the way the Order needs to be run."

Bastila nodded.

"You're worried about him," Darious stated.

"It's just his memory is brothering him again and I don't know how we're going to manage another child, Vaner, and responsibilities to the new Order," she confessed.

"Then it is a good thing we're going to discuss family and such matters today." Darious placed his hand on her shoulder. "No matter what, the Jedi Order will help with whatever children are born to its members." He smiled at her. "And I might not be Malak, but I can still knock some sense into that thick skull of Revan's when needed. Granted," – he chuckled – "it doesn't always work."

"Why is it you act so much wiser than he does?" Bastila looked at him.

"I believe Revan is wiser than he wants people to think he is."

"This is true," Bastila admitted.

Darious turned his attention ahead of them. He could sense Revan approaching with Meetra and Jasper. Sure enough, Meetra and Jasper rounded the corner. Revan was only a step behind them.

Darious felt himself relax. There had been a moment where he had thought Revan might not want to join them for this meeting. The group met in the middle of the hall.

"So, are we having a council meeting in the middle of the hall?" Jasper asked. His eyes glittered.

"I contacted Carth on our way here," Revan stated. "There's a conference room we can use." Revan took the lead to one of the smaller conference rooms aboard the vessel.

The group settled around the small table. They didn't even fill half of the seats there. Darious sensed Revan take a place closer to the door. He didn't sit down and instead leaned against the wall.

"Revan." Darious looked at his old friend. "It will be easier to discuss this matter if we're all seated." He gestured to the seat between himself and Bastila.

"Just know if I take that seat, it's not me joining the council." Revan crossed the space to join them.

"Except it is," Jasper teased. "Besides, we need you for this, Master."

This didn't stop Revan from taking the seat, though he did hesitate before doing so. "As all you no doubt now know, Senator Tarvon, his father, and daughter arrived on the ship less than an hour ago," Revan informed them.

"Does he want to try working with us again?" Jasper asked. "I mean, his father did pull blaster on you from what I've heard." Darious's former padawan looked at Revan. "Is it really wise to continue working with him after that?"

"It was a misunderstanding," Revan informed him. "They believed I killed his younger brother Alvar Tarvon."

Jasper gave a snort of laughter. "You killed yourself."

Revan frowned.

"Keep in mind, Revan, I've known you since we were younglings. Jasper met you before the Revanchist movement started so he also knows that's your name." Darious leaned forward a little.

"Ah, so out of everyone here only myself, Meetra, and Bastila didn't know I was the senator's younger brother." Revan looked from Jasper to Darious. "Nonetheless, even my padawan agrees the senator who is the best option to gain senate support from is my," – there was a slight pause – "brother as well as the fact Bastila and I are married with a child, we need to discuss family and how this new Order is going to handle it."

"We had this conversation," Jasper stated. "Well, in part, when Meetra and Bastila found Darious and I."

"I agree marriage and love shouldn't be something the Order condemns," Darious informed Revan. "There are still dangers to aspects of it such as passion, but if the Order works together to aid its members in seeing these dangers, marriage should be allowed. There is good in it as well." He smiled at Revan and Bastila. "The two of you prove this much."

"This raises an issue if we have to train children away from their parents," Revan pointed out. "If the child's parents are both Jedi, it makes it harder for the parents and child to avoid one another."

"Which is why we're not going to rip children from their parents," Darious stated. "There are cases where some of the Jedi who followed you to the Dark side used their rage and anger, even resentment towards their parents to fuel their fall. These emotions should be faced and resolved."

"Agreed." Bastila bowed her head. "If Revan hadn't helped me with my mother, it would have been far harder for me to return to Light given I would never have faced her and come to terms with my mother."

Darious looked at Revan and Jasper. "And given your brother is a senator and you are the last consular, it will make it impossible for you to handle political matters if we reinforced the old rules.

"This being said, not every tradition should be thrown out. But we do need more Force sensitives and the surest means is to let members of the order marry. Most children of Jedi are strong in the Force. They can be brought up surrounded by others like them."

"There is another tradition we're going to have to waver for a time," Revan said. "If we hope to have the order return to stable numbers, we'll have to take on multiple padawans."

This wasn't a good idea. Still, Revan did have a point. There were five of them and it could take years to train a padawan. One of them would also be charged with the younglings. It was all too clear to him which of them would be the best suited for the task.

Revan.

His knowledge of the Force coupled with the ability to keep the tone light and not be too harsh, would make him ideal.

"For the time being we're also going to have to take in apprentices," Darious used the adult term for youngling, "as well. I don't much like the idea, but we need to grow our ranks. If we keep a watchful eye on those we bring in, it will help stave off or even prevent any from falling to the Dark side."

"And I know the place we can start." Jasper grinned. "Revan, your family is bound to have Force sensitives in it. Plus, there's your and Bastila's children."

"Vaner isn't a Force sensitive," Revan stated. He frowned. "What do you mean 'children'? We only have the one child."

Bastila stiffened. She shot a glare at Jasper as if willing the man to shut his mouth.

"From what I could tell, Senator Tarvon wasn't Force sensitive either. Neither was his daughter," Revan pointed out, moving off the topic of another child.

Darious bit back the urge to chuckle. Focused as ever on the task at hand, Revan had missed the fact everyone else in the room knew Bastila was pregnant outside of Revan.

"Your father is," Bastila pointed out.

"It might be a trait in your line where a few children aren't born sensitive to the Force," Darious stated. "Though it is a rare one." Especially given how strong both Revan and Bastila were in the Force. Vaner would be the odd one out among the pair's children. Darious cleared his throat. "We also need to set a few ground rules about relationships and marriage in the order." He turned to Meetra. "It's more than a little clear Atton and Mical both have feelings for you." He chuckled at the sight of her blush. "This being said, it is causing them to compete."

"It's natural for younglings and padawans to compete," Revan pointed out. "Though, I do see where it can be problematic when it comes to relationships. You want to place a rule in a Jedi can't marry until a time after their knighting?"

"It would be for the best."

Jasper nodded. "I agree. Becoming a knight is a moment of proving yourself to the Order, but perhaps a knight should be given time to settle into the role before entering a relationship."

Revan was frowning beside Darious.

"I was still a Padawan when I fell in love with Revan," Bastila pointed out. "It was our love which pulled me back from the Dark side."

Jasper chuckled and shrugged. "I'm not saying there aren't any exceptions to the rule, Master Shan. I'm just saying as a general rule it would be a good one."

"It will also allow Mical and Atton to focus on their training."

Revan gave a soft laugh at Darious's words.

"What?"

"I doubt anything will pull Atton's mind too far from winning Meetra." Revan smirked. "Perhaps a father talk is in order," he teased Meetra.

Meetra let out a breath and shook her head.

Darious chuckled. It was just like Revan to see Meetra as almost like a daughter than anything else. "I will see to it Atton focuses on his studies and learns to trust his fellow Jedi." Darious bowed his head. "I doubt you need to play the part of the over protective father just yet, Revan."

There was a long moment of silence where Revan just looked at Darious. "I suppose you're right." Revan smirked. "But it would have been fun."

Bastila shook her head. "Honestly. I swear you're more a child than Vaner is and he's only three."

"What is life without a joke or three thrown in every few seconds?" Revan's eyes glittered.

Darious turned the subject back to the matters at hand, "With you getting knowledge back on your real name, you could take the seat of the grand master with no one being the wiser you were once 'Darth' Revan."

The smile and laughter melted from Revan's features. "You mean by taking back my birthname." A small breath fled his lips. He rubbed his eyes. "It will be a lot of paperwork to bring a dead man back to life, but it would be for the best I did this anyways to make Bastila's and my marriage legal as it is."

"You will take on the mantle of grand master?" Jasper half stood, his eyes intent on Revan.

Darious held his breath.

A small breath escaped Revan. "None of you are going to drop this matter, are you?"

"Of course not." Jasper grinned and winked. "Not until you're the grand master of the order."

Revan bowed his head. His hair draped around his face.

"No one is exaggerating when we state you have an ability to pull people together," Darious spoke in calm tones. He looked at his oldest friend. "Taking back your name presents an opportunity for the order to seceded. I can't pull the order together in the same way you can."

"As long as it's understood I will never sit back on Coruscant like other masters did," – Revan straightened – "or stay in a temple and only leave it when it is absolutely necessary." His gaze swept the table. "The order shouldn't hide, separated from the people of the Republic. I've always believed the Jedi should be there to aid those who are in needed. And that is still my belief.

"No more using the excuse our numbers are what is holding us back from aiding the Republic. No more hiding away in our temples."

"It would be safer for the time being to remain on the move as it is," Meetra pointed out. "There are still bounties on our heads. Despite my taking down some of the main sources of the Exchange."

Darious nodded. "Agreed." It had been excepted of Revan to take a more active role with the Republic and galaxy as a whole than the pervious council would have.

"It will also allow for us to gather apprentices and younglings," Bastila pointed out. "We don't have the numbers to keep it tasked to one master given all of us need to take an active role in the training of padawans."

"This being said, we need one master to be assigned to the younglings and apprentices," Jasper stated. "I vote Master Revan," – he laughed – "I mean Master Tarvon takes on that role. I'd not be very good with the slower and littler ones." He rubbed the back of his head.

"Nor would I. I could help with the older younglings, though," Meetra confessed.

"If a Jedi is also with child it would be for the best they remain with the younglings," Revan stated. "Only—"

"Excuse me, but what does that have to do with anything. Are you saying we can't defend ourselves and padawan while pregnant?" Bastila scowled.

"It wasn't meaning right away, Bastila." Revan gave her a small laugh and smile. "I meant such as in the third trimester of the pregnancy, not the first and second. Nor was I saying they couldn't keep training their padawans. But it would end up helping with the younglings and apprentices."

Bastila let out a breath. "I suppose, later down the line when we do have more younglings and apprentices it would allow for them to have a change in master."

A small breath escaped Revan. It was more than clear he hadn't meant to upset his wife.

"It's a matter we can discuss more in depth later," Darious told them. "For now, we have kept the senator and his family waiting long enough. You had best go speak with them again. Unless you would like all of us to accompany you."

"No." Revan stood. "I'll speak with the senator after collecting Mical. All of us need to focus on training our padawans. It wouldn't do if all of us went to speak with Senator Tarvon at once."

"Understood." Darious stood as well. "I left my padawan with a task. I'd like to see if he's completed it."

The others also stood. Darious left the room. His heart and mind were light with the knowledge Revan had, at last, agreed to take his role as the grand master.

x – Revan – x

Revan was soon left alone with Bastila. It was odd she had reacted so fast and hadn't let him finish what he had been planning. He was well aware she was capable of defending herself while pregnant, but he also wanted to make certain the next generation of Jedi were safe and protected. The dangers which lingered were all too real. Even when they had gone to ground, it had been a constant struggle to stay one step ahead of the exchange while hiding everything from Vaner so their son wouldn't have to grow up fearing tomorrow.

"Listen," – Revan turned to his wife – "I understand you can defend yourself. I honestly didn't mean to make it out a woman who is with child is defenseless. I need to understand why you overreacted."

"Overreacted?" Her eyes narrowed. "You of all people are well aware I was more than capable of taking care of myself when I was pregnant with Vaner." Her eyes bored into him. "You were making it out as if I am incapable of defending myself and our child."

Revan frowned. "I know you can defend yourself and Vaner. I just—"

"Open your eyes!" Bastila snapped.

His heart fluttered. "Bastila, calm down." He lifted his hands a little. She couldn't overreact further or let her frustration he sensed coming from her turn to rage.

"Calm down? Calm down?!" Bastila was on her feet in a heartbeat. "I shouldn't have to tell you point blank every time I'm pregnant."

"What?" Ringing filled Revan's ears. He spread out his senses, heart fluttering. Sure enough, he could sense the life growing within Bastila. "Bastila, I—"

She huffed, turned on her heel, and strode from the room before he could fully register what he had just sensed.

A small breath escaped Revan. He collapsed back into his seat. This, it just didn't – how could he have been so blind again? He ran his fingers through his hair. This time she had walked out instead of being patient with him like she had been with Vaner. He had screwed up. Failed as both a husband and a father by focusing so hard on the Jedi Order and his own problems to the exclusion of his wife.

To top all of this he now had to deal with his birth family. A matter he never expected he would even have to worry about. Especially because he had no memory of them and add on top of that having been a Sith Lord. Not many families would have been so open as to want to get to know him or even associate themselves with the man who had tried to take over the Republic only a few years ago. This family didn't seem to care though. Well, not after the attempt on his life the other day.

Revan would need to speak with Bastila tonight. His heart twisted. He could go after her. But they had left their son with Carth and the senator. Both of whom would be waiting for Revan to return and tell them the results of the council meeting.

It was for the best he didn't keep the senator and his family waiting forever for Revan to contemplate where he had gone wrong with Bastila. Revan stood.

The hall was empty when he exited the room. Revan spread out his awareness. Bastila was halfway to meeting up with her padawan. Revan rubbed his eyes. It meant he would have to wait for this evening to speak with her. A weight settled in his heart. This didn't feel right to just leave the conversation like they had.

Revan pulled out her communicator. "Mical," he started.

There was a pause. "Yes, Master?"

"Can you bring what you've found on the senate to this location?" Revan sent where the Senator Tarvon and his family were. "Say, in an hour."

"Of course."

"I would also like you to start compiling what Carth had his agents recover from the temples over the past few years. We will need to know what little knowledge we have left at our disposal and figure out what is left to recover."

"I will see to it."

"Thank you, Mical." Revan ended the communication. He headed through the halls back to where the senator was waiting for him.

"Is that so?"

Revan looked up when entered the room to see his son was now seated in Alan's lap. The boy's face was flushed with excitement as he chattered away. "Yep. I do it to, really!" The boy nodded. "Mommy say I brave." Vaner buffed up. The little boy's gaze turned to Revan and a large grin split his young face. "Daddy!" he squealed and wiggled off Alan's lap.

Revan stumbled when Vaner wrapped his arms around Revan's legs.

Vaner beamed up at him. "Where mommy? I tell grandpa 'bout being brave with bug at home." His eyes shown. "I tell mommy 'gain too."

"Is that so?" Revan unwrapped his son's arms from around his legs and lifted the boy off the ground. "Your mother went to train her padawan."

"Why?" The boy's face fell. "Mommy no want come?"

"I'm not good enough, that it?" Revan teased.

"What? Daddy good!"

Revan chuckled. He crossed over the table and sat down with Vaner on his lap.

"That was fast for a council meeting," Senator Tarvon commented.

"We had little to discuss," Revan chose a half truth. "We reached the decision family won't be treated the same as it had been in the past," he informed them. "As I am the last consular it would create issues when dealing with the senate given you and I are family if we did go by the old rules of family."

A small smile appeared on Alan's face while Justin let out a long breath.

"Was it only reached because you and I are brothers?" Justin asked.

"No," Revan confessed. "The other matter has more to do with the limited number of Jedi in the galaxy than anything else."

"I see," Justin spoke when Revan didn't embellish more on the matter. Senator Tarvon cleared his throat. "If family is now permitted among the Jedi, then perhaps we can take the time to get to know you, your wife," – there was an odd note to his voice at the mention of Bastila as well a flicker of curiosity Revan sensed in him – "and your son better."

It was unavoidable if Revan wanted the man's support for the Order. There was also a chance, as Darious had pointed out, there were Force sensitives among the rest of the senator's family. Alan was one, but he doubted Alan would have much interest in uprooting his lift to become a Jedi apprentice. Revan eyed the man out of the corner of his eye before turning his attention back to Justin.

The priority would be gaining Justin's trust. If the senator trusted Revan then it would be a simple enough matter from there to gain more senate support for the Order. Even with the plan for Revan to take back his birth name there was always the risk of someone learning he had once been Darth Revan. If this happened and the Force wasn't playing some sick joke with it turning out to be his family, the new Jedi Order could easily lose what support it had gained. It would then also come out Senator Tarvon was related to the man who had tried to conquer the Republic.

"Understand, Senator—"

Justin held up his hand. "Again, Alvar, it's just Justin to you."

"Justin then," – Revan cleared his throat – "if you do end up supporting the Jedi Order and my past is ever revealed you can end up in dire straights with the rest of the senate, losing what respect you have among them and your people."

Justin raised his eyebrows. "That's an odd tact for getting my support."

"I wanted to clear the air about this before we proceeded."

"Shouldn't this be about family right now?" Rana asked.

Revan withheld the urge to sigh. This girl just wouldn't drop the matter of family. The matter had been resolved when it was cleared for him to be in contact with them. What else did she want from him?

"I agree with Rana," Alan voiced. His gaze had never once left Revan since he had entered the room. "I would like to get to know you as you are now."

A small breath escaped Revan this time.

Vaner blinked up at him. "Daddy, this boring, I play?"

Revan looked at Carth.

Carth chuckled. "I see no reason why you need myself and Vaner here. I can take him and find Zaalbar."

"Uncle Z!" Vaner cheered.

"Thank you, Carth."

Revan passed the admiral his son.

Carth nodded and left the room with a polite farewell to the senator and his family.

Silence crashed down on them once the admiral had left. Revan kept his gaze leveled at all three of them. They were all set on this matter of getting to know him. Yet, so many would have claimed such knowledge as "knowing" him from the news reports from the Mandalorian Wars through to the end of the Jedi Civil War. Though relaying on the news to truly know someone was foolish.

Revan folded his hands before him. "I suppose I can start with stating I do plan on going through the long task to bring my identity back from the dead, so to speak," he made his voice light as if referring to his "death" was more a joke than the serious matter it was.

"It would be for the best," Justin agreed.

Rana huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Still not family talk."

Revan looked at the girl. Well to call her a "girl" felt almost wrong considering she was around Bastila's age but to call her his niece also didn't feel right. He didn't know her outside of the fact they were blood related. Heck, he knew nothing about the senator's family outside of what little he had gathered on the man before the meeting the other day. This was only enough to know he had several children and was married. None of it had been important information unless Revan wanted to pull a Dark side stunt and use the knowledge to black mail the man. Thus, Revan had paid it let heed and moved on matters which had surrounded the man's personality rather than his family and life.

Justin valued family and held the people of Telos as something a kin to an extended family. This much Revan had paid attention to. Even after he had left office, during the Jedi Civil War, he had done everything in his power to aid his people. Especially after Malak's attack on Telos.

It was presumptuous to believe the man would just leave it be and drop the subject of family.

"If it wouldn't be too much to request," Revan started, switching tact and keeping his voice smooth and even, "I would like to discuss politics today, especially given my padawan will be here shortly. It might be for the best to discuss the matter of our family when all such members are present. Unless you believe it would be for the best to wait for such a time to then discuss the standing of the Jedi Order with Senate?"

Justin's eyes flickered to his daughter and father. There was a sense of unease which radiated from the man.

Revan had him.

"Very well," the words fell from Justin's lips as a breath. He rubbed his eyes as if this decision has caused him great fatigue.

(Author's note: Darious, I swear I didn't forget about you!

I've been replaying KotOR and padawans are running around without masters all the time in that game. Granted, I think "apprentice" was just used as the adult term for "youngling" in the game. Either that or they just didn't know the ranks of the Jedi Order when writing the script…

As a last note, I am sorry about the delay in updates. They will be slow for a time. I had finals then right after that my family and I moved. Life is being a little crazy right now.)

Reply to guest reviews:

Ssj Shadow: I believe that was done more to keep the imagination open on what his or her backstory really was. Such as a friend of mine had a very different view than I did with my original Revan and my original Revan was very different from this one (one she was female and two her backstory was different. Really the only thing the same is they are both related to a senator of Telos and came from Telos).

I always believed Revan blames himself to Malak. I am hoping to get more into that in this story. In the games it was mention Revan and Malak were close, very good friends and I always pictured them as such. It was rare in game for one to be mentioned without mention of the other. It did happen, but the point being is in my mind Revan viewed Malak as a brother. However, I believe most of the reason Revan went after the emperor has more to do with Republic than the empire. One of the largest part of his character (both hinted at in the game and novel (still hate the novel)) was he lived for the Republic and would do anything to keep it and its people safe. It was even brought up by Mical Revan wasn't just attacking the Republic, but rooting out the corruption within it as if he were trying to sheer up the defenses of the Republic while also tearing it down. In other words, if Revan had failed in taking over the Republic it wouldn't be left defenseless again an "unknown threat." At least this is what I drew from it and believe.

I would as well. I might end up having one of Rev's kids marry outside of human.

Thank you for the review and I am deeply sorry about the late update.