Thank you to everyone who has kept up with story despite the slow updates. Special thanks to Darth revan1998 and general-joseph-dickson for their reviews on chapter 11.
Revan rejoined the others at the table.
"What was that over?" Rana asked.
There was no getting around it. Bastila knew some of what was happening, it would be for the best to inform the senator as well. Though – Revan glanced around the table laden with food – he would rather have done it at another time. And with fewer children around.
"Earlier this morning," Revan started, "I sensed a disturbance in the Force."
"Big deal," Nalin muttered. He stabbed his fork into the meat, growling under his breath.
"I sent Master Darious, his padawan, and my own to investigate," Revan continued. "It led Darious to the security station."
"I've not received anything from them," Justin said. He gave a small laugh. "Granted, unless it concerns my safety, it's unlikely I'll hear much from them."
Alan frowned. "What did he discover?"
"This morning, two women entered the station going by the surname 'Tarvon.'"
"Tarvon? Like they're related to us?" Hanna asked. She looked to her father and grandfather.
"No." Justin leaned forward. "I take it they sliced into Republic systems?"
"From what the commander and Darious both gathered, it's only way they'd have the surname." Revan didn't look away from Alan and Justin.
Alan took a bite of his food.
"Hmm." Justin frowned. "I do hope Darrell arrests the two without incident."
"I sent Darious with the security team," Revan informed Justin.
Bastila nodded. "A Jedi is a good deterrent."
"Good." Justin straightened. "We can eat in peace then." He smiled.
"It is odd, though." Tina frowned. She took a small bite of her food. "I mean, there are only our family, adopted or otherwise, who have that surname. I can't think to as why anyone would want to pretend to have our last name."
Revan gave a hallow laugh.
"You can?" Tina asked. Her eyes widened.
"Yeah right," scoffed Nalin. He glared at Revan. "You're just making it seem like you know the reasoning someone would have."
Revan smiled at the boy. "Perhaps."
"So, yummy!" Vaner exclamation broke the silence. He drove his fork down and shoveled more food into his mouth. "Daddy cook more."
Bastila smoothed Vaner's messy hair.
"Your grandfather did most of it," Revan informed his son.
"Yum!" Vaner beamed. He took another large bite.
Alan laughed. "I doubt he's listening." His eyes glittered.
Tina shot a glare at Nalin. "Why would anyone want to take out last name?" She turned her gaze on Revan.
"Your father is the senator of Telos," Revan started. "Claiming relation to him could mean these two have away around Telos without drawing negative attention to themselves or," Revan broke off. Perhaps it was better not to mention the other option with so many children around. Not the version he had been about to. "Or, away to get in close to him."
Justin's gaze swept over his children. "Commander Varnon and Master Darious will have it well in hand. It doesn't do us any good to speculate why these two would want to take our surname."
"Hmm." Tina rubbed her chin. "Father was still the senator of Telos at the start of the Jedi Civil War," she started. "Why didn't you use your relation to get in close then? I mean, without your mask and armor you don't really stand out." She laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "No offense meant."
A chuckle escaped Revan.
"What?" Tina tilted her head to the side.
"You've never seen a Sith or a fallen Jedi, have you?" Revan smiled.
"Well, not in person, obviously, but I've seen the images of Darth Malak. He looked paler than he did back during the Mandalorian Wars and his skin looked bad, but otherwise he looked normal." She flushed. "Well, normal outside of his jaw." She gestured to her face.
"His eye color did change," Revan informed her, "from the corruption of the Dark side of the Force. He used to have vivid blue eyes. They turned gray after his fall."
"Meaning?" Tina frowned.
"The Dark side can have a number of affects on those who have fallen." How could Revan put this? "You could say the Dark side ages a person in some ways. As an example, when I had fallen, my hair was greyer than before the fall. Skin starts to crack and for most, not all, their eyes turn yellow or worse." He leaned forward. "Suffice it to say, if I wanted to go anywhere without my mask and robes, people would still know something was off just by appearance alone."
"Oh." Tina blinked, frowning. "Why would anyone want to turn to the dark side if it makes them look old?"
"Perhaps another topic is in order," Alan stopped Revan from replying.
Revan bowed his head to the older man. A small breath escaped him. To tell another how the pull of the dark side was so addictive – no, it was for the best she never knew. At least, not if she never was to be trained in the Force.
Revan looked at Justin.
It was a matter to bring before Justin and Sasha. There was no denying the order needed younglings and apprentices. Revan had no desire to just rip them from their parents. It would have to be a matter between the children, their parents, and the order. Then there was the fact three of them were Force sensitive. This time around it wasn't like taking all of them would be the end of a Force sensitive line as it would have been before allowing marriage.
Revan was pulled from his thoughts when Alan stood. He limped around the table, collecting the dishes.
"Dessert will be ready soon," he informed them. His eyes glittered with his soft smile as he looked at Revan.
Revan cocked an eyebrow.
"Yay!" Vaner clapped, grinning.
Revan's comm. link went off. "Excuse me." He stood, bowing to Alan and Justin.
A small breath escaped Alan. He returned to gathering the dishes.
Justin frowned.
Revan stepped from the room so as not to disturb them further. "Yes?"
"Commander Varnon just finished placing the two into the force cages," Darious informed Revan. "I believe the council and the senator need to discuss this matter as it concerns both him and yourself."
A soft sound told Revan he wasn't alone. He looked out of the corner of his eyes to see Justin had joined him.
"We should assess the situation before convening the entire council," Revan informed Darious. "I would rather avoid having us meet over every matter which is brought up."
"What do suggest then?"
"I'll join you and the commander," Revan decided.
A pause.
"You don't agree?"
"We need the senator's support," Darious confessed. "This situation also concerns him but," he trailed off.
"Why don't I come with him then?" Justin asked. "I don't much fancy the idea of being left in the dark with two taking the surname 'Tarvon.'"
"I don't know if that's wise," Darious started. "The older woman demanded you be brought to her."
Revan rested his hand on his chin. "It's the senator's decision. Besides the security team, his security team, and we will be there. If the two manage to escape the force cages, then we should be able to stop them." They did have the numbers. However, this could mean little if the two women were skilled fighters.
"Very well. It would be for the best you assessed the situation soon. May the Force be with you." Darious ended the call.
"We should inform the others we're leaving," Justin stated. He hesitated. "Will Bastila be joining you?"
Revan shrugged. "It's up to her." He returned to the dining room Justin only a step behind.
"Now both of you go off," Rana huffed.
Alan paused in setting out the dessert. "What's wrong?" His gaze was locked on both of them.
"Alvar and I need to head for the security center," Justin informed him.
Revan looked to Bastila. "Darious and Commander Varnon apprehended the two who took the surname Tarvon," he informed her and the rest of the group. "Darious agreed it would be best for me to assess the situation before summoning the rest of the council."
A small breath escaped Bastila. Her hand rested on Vaner's head.
"Hmm?" Vaner blinked up at Bastila. "Pie, mommy?" he pointed to the pie placed at the center of the table.
"In a bit." Bastila soothed his hair. "Go. I'll stay here. Vaner should get to know your side of the family better."
Revan bowed his head. It wouldn't be wise to take Vaner to see these two as it was and Bastila wouldn't have liked to just leave their son here, relation or otherwise, given the events which had transpired just two days prior.
"I'll take Reca and Zeel with me." Justin kissed Sasha. "Hopefully we'll be back in time for dinner."
Sasha bowed her head in response. Her gaze flickered to Revan before sweeping over her children, Bastila, and Vaner. "Be safe."
Justin smiled and nodded.
Revan eyed the two who joined them as they left the senator's apartments. He'd seen both at Alan's diner as Justin's guard. The zabrak, Zeel, was head of Justin's security force while the twi'lek was his second.
"It's nice to meet you, again, Little Runner," Reca smiled at him.
Revan cocked an eyebrow. "Who's Little Runner?"
"You." Reca laughed.
"Ah." Odd nickname. Though, it appeared, he hadn't liked going by his birth name long before he had taken the name the Jedi Crusader. Or perhaps others had just taken to calling him that when he was a child here on Telos.
"You used to run everywhere," Zeel explained, eyes glittering. "Reca was always a step behind you."
"Hey!" Reca huffed. "I wasn't his shadow, Zeel."
Zeel smirked. "Yeah, right."
Air hissed between Reca's teeth. Her eyes narrowed.
It was for the best to not get involved in this. More because Revan had no clue what they were talking about. With no memory of his time as a child outside of the one brief one with Darious and Malak, there was no way to take sides in this. Not without being wrong one way or another.
Justin chuckled. "You two would get in and out of so much trouble as children. All in the name of trying to help father."
Revan kept his gaze locked ahead of him.
"This is true," Reca confessed. "I suppose, looking back on it, Little Runner and I didn't help him that much. We just got underfoot more times than naught." She laughed. "Right, Little Runner?" She nudged him.
Revan stiffened. "If you say so."
"I guess you were a little too young to have many memories of back then." A breath escaped Reca. "I'd hoped you'd remember some of it." She looked at Revan out of the corner of her eye.
The security stations came into view. Revan spread out his awareness. He could sense more than just Darious, Mical, and Atton within. There was another Force sensitive. A powerful one who had no intention of masking their sensitivity.
Darious and Commander Darrell stepped forward when Revan and Justin entered.
"We took a lightsaber from the younger woman," Darious informed Revan. "The older woman carried a blaster pistol on her." He held out a datapad to Revan.
The names they'd taken were Jeri and Sighta.
This would be interesting.
x – Sighta – x
This was just great.
Sighta glowered at the Jedi from behind the force cage. She'd been stripped for her lightsaber and her mother of her own weapons. Blasted Jedi.
"The grandmaster and senator are on their way," the Jedi informed the commander.
The commander nodded. He looked at the two of them before he left the room with the Jedi.
Grandmaster.
The grandmaster was mentioned yet again. Then there was the way her mother had reacted to the senator's name.
"What were my brothers' names?" Sighta repeated the question. Her gaze slid away from the door to her mother. She kept her senses on the door in case the Jedi and commander returned.
A small breath escaped Jeri. "Your older brother's name was Justin. Your twin's," – she closed her eyes – "Alvar."
Alvar? "That's a weird name," Sighta stated. It was her twin's name.
A soft laugh escaped Jeri. The laugh sounded hallow.
Sighta's gaze snapped away from Jeri. A heartbeat later, the door opened. A new man entered the room with the commander and the Jedi from earlier.
The man in the lead looked like something out of richest worlds of the empire. He wore extravagant robes. They flowed and gleamed in the light of the room. He was almost flashy.
"Here I thought Jedi weren't supposed to be into worldly things. Here their grandmaster is wearing such wealth." Her lips curled.
"Pardon?" the sandy haired man frowned.
A sharp snort of laughter sounded from near the man.
Sighta sneered. "You can't hide your force sensitivity from me."
The man cocked an eyebrow. "I think you're confused. I'm not a Jedi. My younger brother is the grandmaster, not me." He gestured to beside him.
Sighta tore her gaze from the flashy man. She blinked several times. A forth figure stood as a living shadow. His dark hair was pulled from his face in a pony tail, dark eyes glittering despite dark shadows.
His robes mirrored those of the Jedi who'd brought her and Jeri here. Yet, he looked warn as if a good breeze would be enough to knock him out.
She scowled.
There was no possible way this man was the grandmaster.
"My, you mustn't be as well trained as I believed, if you couldn't sense the Force in me," the Jedi spoke in light tones.
"Are you mocking me?" Sighta snarled. Heat burned her face. Jedi spit, how could she have missed this man? There was no denying the power of the Force in him.
The new Jedi straightened. The laughter vanished from his unremarkable features.
No, she hadn't been wrong to miss him. Without his robes, even with his robes, he melded into the shadow cast by the other man. It was as if he wasn't standing there at all.
"I'm Justin Tarvon," the flashy man introduced himself, "the senator of Telos. This is Alvar Tarvon, the grandmaster of the new Jedi Order."
What?
Sighta's gaze locked on them. On her older and twin brother.
There was no way. No way her younger brother, her weak, sickly little brother could be the grandmaster.
Her eyes narrowed. Though, Jedi were weak. So perhaps placing the weakest of their Order at the top was common practice.
(Author's note: Trying to figure out why Revan is called "Prodigal" in the games. I mean it sounds as if, by the definition the person is wasteful or spends money without thought. Though from what I can gather to why, is he gives everything for the Republic? Perhaps…)