"Meetra!"
Meetra sensed Jasper enter the room she was in with Bao-Dur. She lowered her practice blade.
"What is it?" Meetra met the younger Jedi's gaze.
"It's just, I've been thinking on the disturbance Master Tarvon sensed," he started with a glance towards Bao-Dur.
Bao straightened. He backed out of the practice ring.
"He sent Darious, Mical, and Atton to investigate," Meetra pointed out.
"Yes, but something still feels," Jasper hesitated, "off. As if a darkness is pressing down on Telos." Jasper shook his head. "I confess to not being the seer Revan is, but still," he trailed off.
Meetra frowned. There might be something to Jasper's concerns. Yet, she wasn't the one to discuss this with. While her time with Kreia had helped her hone such senses as Force sight, she wasn't the most apt at it. In all honesty, Revan was the only true seer left.
"We can try to contact Revan over this matter." A small laugh escaped her. "I should say Alvar, not Revan."
Jasper gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, it's odd going back to his real name. And I even knew him by it before he took the name Revan."
A small smile flickered across her face. Revan would always be the name which suited her old master. "Bao, join Mira and Visas. The three of you should train together today."
Bao bowed his head. "Very well."
Meetra tracked his progress from the room. "We can't just interrupt what he's doing today. The meeting with his family will help us gain Senator Tarvon's support."
A small breath escaped Jasper. "We could contact Master Darious," he suggested.
"Perhaps. I doubt what you're sensing is unrelated to what Revan," her lip twitched, "Alvar sensed this morning." She shook her head. "Let's bring this matter to the admiral first then go from there."
Jasper frowned. "I doubt he can do much in matters related to the Force."
This was true. Carth, while Force sensitive, might not understand what they were talking about or why they were hesitating in going to Revan over the mater.
"The order of old wouldn't have relied so much on the Republic," Jasper continued to point out.
True.
Meetra took a deep breath.
Revan had wanted them to aid the Republic. Yet, she doubted this meant for them to rely on the Republic so much for everything. The Order did need the finical aid of the Republic. This didn't mean Revan had an idea of taking it further than that.
"Perhaps you're right," the words fell from her lips as a breath. "But they would have let the fear of losing the last of the Jedi control their actions." Meetra straightened. "We should investigate what you sensed.
Jasper bowed his head. "Thank you for agreeing. We can't just inform Revan about everything which is going on. I doubt he would want us to as it is."
"Yes." Though, this might also cause problems if something happened to her and Jasper. "We should see what Mission and Zaalbar are up to. The two did come as guards for the Order."
"They did?" Jasper frowned. "Shouldn't one of them have gone with Revan then?"
"I don't even know if they know he's the grandmaster," Meetra confessed. "It wouldn't be like him to mention it."
"True." Jasper frowned. "I'll see if Mission is free. We'll meet at the exit in thirty?"
"Sure." Meetra bowed her head. "We should take the padawans with us."
Jasper nodded and raced off.
Meetra looked at the few items Revan and she had worked on for training the new order and the five padawans they had. There were the basic training droids Revan had built only two nights ago, one tucked away in need of repairs from when Atton had destroyed it, and the practice blades Meetra had gathered with Carth's aid.
Ten Jedi.
It was far better than where they'd been before Revan had joined them. Yet, their existence tittered on the edge. If they did loss Revan, then what? She knew they could track down other Jedi and Mical could learn the way of a consular without Revan, but with him it would be far easier. Mical was fasnicated by the history of the Order, but Revan, if he could regain his memory, might be able to recall everything he had ever read within the Order's archives.
If they lost him…
Meetra shook the thought from her mind.
Fear was the enemy.
She was the last guardian. It was her duty to see the last consular and three other sentinels made it through them starting to come into the open. Perhaps, just perhaps, Revan's plan to split them so early was the wrong way to go. It would allow for them to aid Telos and gain more Force sensitives. With so much uncertainty, not even Revan being their last seer might be able to see what lay ahead of the Order.
There was no point dwelling on future problems now.
Meetra left the room and headed through the halls. While perhaps not the wisest move, it didn't make sense to leave Mira, Bao, and Visas behind. All three of them had experience with fighting on the field thanks to her dragging them around the galaxy while trying to find the council then trying to stop Kreia. They weren't new to being Jedi thus leaving them behind would be more an insult than anything else. Especially given Atton and Mical were already on a mission. A mission set to them by the grandmaster.
"Exile." Visas was the first to notice Meetra when she entered. She broke off from her practice duel with Mira, head bowed to Meetra.
"It's just Meetra now, Visas," Meetra remined her with a soft smile.
"Yeah." Mira placed her hand on her hip, the practice blade held loosely in her hand. "You sent Bao to us, why are you here now?"
"To collect the three of you," Meetra informed them. "Jasper and I are heading onto the station."
"Is it wise to take all three of us?" Visas asked.
"You and Bao-Dur are Jasper and my own padawans. Given Bastila is otherwise engaged, I figured it would do Mira some good to join us today."
"Finally." Mira stretched. "I thought we'd be trapped on this ship forever." She grinned. "Where are we heading?"
"To aid Master Kane in an investigation." Meetra led the three of them to the meeting point with Jasper.
"Thank you for getting the padawans." He grinned, his eyes shifting to Visas. "Mira, what has Bastila been training you in?"
Mission shifted beside him.
"To curve my tongue," she stated, arms folded across her chest.
Meetra bit back a snort of laughter. Part of her knew Bastila and Mira were a lot alike.
"I meant in the Force?" Jasper blinked.
"Ah. To hone my ability with tracking through it."
"I see." Jasper cast Meetra a small look, eyes a little wide. "Right then, given you're already a tracker, and learning to hone such ability, as we move through the station keep your senses alert."
"For?"
"Anything out of ordinary."
Mira nodded. "Understood."
"You do the same Visas." Jasper looked at his own padawan.
She bowed her head.
"Bao, stay towards the rear of the group. Keep your senses alert for danger," Meetra informed her padawan. "If you sense anything alert the rest of us."
"Understood, general."
Meetra winced. It was proving harder than she'd thought to break him of calling her "general."
"It's 'Master' not 'general,'" Meetra reminded him.
Bao bowed his head. His golden eyes narrowed. "Right."
Meetra fell in beside Jasper as the group headed from the ship. There weren't onlookers as there had been the first time the ship had docked. A small breath escaped her, tension fled her shoulders. If there had been…
It was to be excepted to run into crowds now. They were the start of the new Jedi Order. Dressed as they were, it was bound to draw the eye of onlookers as well as questions.
"I hope it's nothing," Jasper whispered.
"As do I." Meetra scanned the passage ahead.
A few people stared as they passed. Nothing of a hint towards danger shuddered through the air. Perhaps they would have known more if they had disturbed Revan's work with the senator.
No.
Meetra shoved down the thought. She wasn't useless and neither was Jasper. If she placed everything on Revan, he might back away from the position it had already been a struggle to get him to take. If this happened, then the senate would be near impossible to persuade into getting the funding the Order once had. Darious was good. He wasn't Revan. Nor was she.
The experience she had from dealing with Justin, wouldn't help in a real senate situation. It took a certain type of person to navigate politics without losing their patients or not wanting to thrust their way forward. The only ones who would manage it would be: Darious, Jasper, and of course Revan.
"What are your thoughts on the senate?" Meetra broke the silence between herself and Jasper.
"Hmm, I've never dealt with them directly," Jasper informed her. "Politics was never really my thing. I remember listening to Masters Darious, Alvar, and Squint during the early Mandalorian Wars on it though." He chuckled.
Meetra smiled. "I image Squint wanted to force the issue and just thrust us into the war rather than taking the root," – she hesitated – "Master Tarvon took."
"Yep." Jasper grinned, eyes almost hollow. "Master Darious was more an intermediary between Masters Alvar and Squint. I don't know if he ever dealt directly with the senate like Master Tarvon did though."
Revan really was their best option.
"I'm glad he took the position of grandmaster," Jasper confessed. The hollowness spread from his eyes to his features. "I confess, it's hard seeing him doubt himself so much. Like looking at a shattered reflection of the man I grew up admiring."
Meetra bowed her head. "I know what you mean. He's pushing himself too much. Trying to take on more and more. It looks like he's not sleeping."
"I don't think it's just matters of the order keeping him awake."
"Hmm?" Meetra glanced around, keeping her senses alert even while they discussed Revan.
"I think the memories of the Civil War haunt him," Jasper confessed. "When we were talking this morning, the subject of Squint seemed painful to me for him. It's as if he doesn't see it as Squint becoming one with the Force."
"He did kill him," Meetra pointed out. "They and your master were akin to brothers." Her heart ached. "We need away to get him to see all the good he's done and not dwell on his mistakes or what could have been but what is."
"Good luck with that."
Meetra stiffened.
"I've been telling Rev he's great and stuff for ages," Mission huffed. "He never listens. It's like his ears are shut to complements."
Meetra grinned. "True enough."
"Have you tried anything else?" Jasper asked with a soft chuckle.
"Nope. But Rev's a good person. He just doesn't see it, you know?" Mission shrugged. "I keep telling his like a good older brother. One that doesn't just abandon you for a girl and quick credit. He just jokes and says 'you sure I'm not the villain of the story?'" Mission huffed.
Meetra laughed.
"Well, that just sounds like him." Jasper's eyes watered as he grinned.
Cold trickled through her. Meetra halted.
"Meetra!" Mira warned.
"I sense it."
The group stopped.
Meetra's hand dropped to her lightsaber, eyes skimming the disserted hall.
Mission's hands dropped to her blaster pistol, her other hand hovered over the hilt of her sword. "What is it?"
"I don't know." The sense was cold, dark almost like—
"Sith," Jasper breathed the word.
Several figures stepped from the shadows. Their red armor gleamed in the artificial light.
"My, my, look at this. We were sent to track down a traitor and find the ruminates of the Jedi instead." He pulled out a staff.
"Mission," Meetra whispered, "find Revan, warn him what's going on."
Mission stared at her. "But."
"It's important."
Mission nodded.
"Jasper, we need to create an opening for her."
"Roger."
Mission's form shimmered before she vanished from sight.
"So, are you Sith or just a group making a pour fashion statement?" Jasper taunted.
The soft sound of Mission sneaking away tickled Meetra's ears.
Good.
(Author's note: Chapters will be shorter, but I am going to be trying to update more often.)