Meetra's grip tightened around the hilt of her lightsaber. The Force flowed through her, strengthening her limbs. Every fiber of her being heightened, stronger, faster, ready for the coming battle.

This time they would find the answer to why these Sith were here and what they were after. Well, beyond having followed that one Sith woman and her mother here.

Meetra charged. The hum of her lightsaber and the silvery glow aided in adding a cooler light to the space than that brought by the reds of the Sith pikes. Her blades thrummed as she blocked a blow from one of the Sith. She danced as if this were far from a battle between life and death, the light and dark, rather merely one of the practice fights she had with the padawans during their travels. All that mattered was the blade in her and the force flowing through her.

Her senses were spread beyond that of just the battle. She could sense Jasper had engaged on the other side of her with Bao at his side while Visas had joined Meetra. It was as balanced as they could get with the few they had. Yet, their group was still imbalanced without the aid of a consular.

Sparks flew inches from her face as her blades slashed and parried the Sith's. Each blow matched. They were good.

Visas leapt back, narrowly evading being struck by the Sith's pike.

Meetra pressed forward. Sparks scattered, flashing in time the thrum of their clashing blades. Each strike quickened until she became a blur of robes and silvery light. The Sith staggered under her onslaught. Just a little more.

The sound of racing footsteps could just be heard over the noise of battle.

Bastila rounded the bend with Mira and several soldiers. Blaster fire joined the heated blaze of sound, complementing the hum of lightsabers as it had been during the Mandalorian Wars. As it had been early on in her travels with the now five padawans.

Meetra broke through the Sith guard's defenses. Her blade slashed through Sith's wrist. The clatter of the pike striking the ground rang distant, drown by the music of battle. Meet leapt forward and seized the Sith's remaining hand. She slammed the Sith to the ground. A soft, sickening pop told her she'd broke the Sith's arm.

"Retreat!" the voice rose from a different Sith than usual as Meetra had the leader pressed against the ground.

"Not this time!" Bastila raced forward to block the only means of escape. "Surrender, you're surrounded."

"Never." The Sith leapt forward.

The younger master easily dodged the attack. In the same motion, her lightsaber slashed through the Sith's exposed stomach.

"No you don't." Jasper intercepted one of the two who remained. He dispatched the Sith with ease while the Sith's back had been too him.

Bao took down the last one with Visas's aid.

"That was almost too easy." Jasper straightened. His lightsaber sheathed, gaze locked on the Sith he had killed.

The Sith struggled in Meetra's hold. Meetra pressed against the broken arm. The struggles lessened.

"Help me restrain this one," Meetra called to Jasper.

Jasper nodded and moved to her side. Together they got the Sith to her feet and bound her wrists… well, her remaining wrist to her arm.

"Bao, remain here and aid with the cleanup," Meetra instructed.

"Understood, Master." Bao bowed his head.

"Visas and I will also remain here," Jasper offered before her turned to the newly arrived security personal.

"Thank you for coming." Meetra turned her attention to Mark Kane and the security team that had arrived shortly after Bastila's group.

Mark nodded as he took in the scene around them. "This makes for five dead among this group if we count both the one who attacked the security office, the one Master Darious killed at Alan's diner, and the one Master Tarvon killed at the diner as well. Seven in total if we count her." He tilted his head in the captured Sith's direction. "Do you remember how many attacked you on the first day they showed themselves?" Marked asked, gaze on Meetra and Jasper.

"Seven," Meetra replied with a small smile.

"So, we can account for all seven then. Unless there were more that is," Jasper gave a small laugh.

Meetra nodded. "We should get her into a holding cell."

"A few of you remain here with the Jedi," Mark ordered his men. "The rest of you are with me, and Master Meetra and Master Bastila."

They saluted before a few broke away to aid Jasper and the two padawans.

Meetra and Bastila left with Mark, escorting the Sith to the security office. It wasn't long before Meetra released the Sith into one of the cages there. The field hummed as it was activated. The woman hadn't uttered a single word the entire way to security office. Even now she remained silent, staring at them with her yellow gaze. Her helmet had been removed to reveal a woman in her seventies around the same as Jeri and Alan. Her hair was gray and face holding deeper lines than either Alan or Jeri. All of which pointed to just how far this woman had fallen to the dark side of the Force.

"Commander Varnon, would you mind if we interrogated her?" Meetra asked without removing her gaze from the Sith.

"Not at all." A wary laugh escaped the commander who had joined them. "If you didn't, then I would given all that's happened."

Meetra's lips twitched, but she didn't smile. "Thank you, Commander." She bowed her head. "Who is Inlustris?" Meetra began. "Your group originally were tracking Jeri and Sighta so why change targets?"

A smile curled the woman's lips. Her eyes glittered as she glared at Meetra. "A soft hearted ex-Sith lord," she sneered, "that's who Inlustris is."

"Then why target him instead of Sighta and Jeri?" Meetra repeated. Soft hearted? Perhaps he as was more light than dark? Still, it was troubling there was another Sith here they had no knowledge of.

The Sith chuckled. The sound almost haunting as it crackled with her corruption. "Why? Because Sighta is insignificant compared to the threat Inlustris's offspring pose to the emperor. Even if Sighta is one of them, she is far too weak to be the one the prophecy spoke of."

"Prophecy?" Bastila asked.

The Sith sneered at Bastila, eyes glittering with malice.

Well, that would explain why the woman's group had abandoned the search for Sighta and Jeri after the first encounter. But when would they have spotted this Inlustris? If another Sith was here, then he was disguising himself extremely well. Especially given the fact Revan had meditated to find all Force sensitives in Republic space. Granted that was assuming Inlustris had arrived before Sighta, her mother, and this group had.

"How long ago did Inlustris come to Republic space?" Meetra asked. She attempted to probe with the Force.

The woman just glared at her.

Well, so much for attempting one of Revan's tricks. Revan was far better at this Meetra. Point her at an enemy, sure she could take it down and perhaps knew more about combat with a lightsaber than her remaining master did, but there was no denying Revan could out do Meetra in many fields. Interrogation was among them.

"How long ago?" Meetra repeated.

"Humph." The Sith snorted. "If you really must know, over forty-years-ago was when he faked his death and fled the empire."

"But why would he flee?" Bastila asked. "Had he done something to draw the ire of the emperor or something?"

The Sith laughed. "He existed and thus was a threat." Her eyes narrowed. "That soft hearted fool was the most powerful Sith in generations." Her eyes turned to Meetra. "As strong as your so called champion of the Republic, Revan." Her eyes narrowed. "That bloody slave had the gale to have more strength and cunning than any who actually carried Sith blood." Her lips curled. "But after so long, I know I could put him in his place."

Meetra glanced at Bastila. Bastila shook her head, showing she had no idea who Inlustris could be.

The two of them left the holding area with Darrell.

"Do you have any idea who she could be referring to?" Meetra asked after the door had slid shut behind them.

"No," Bastila confessed. "But I can't shake the feeling I've heard his name before."

"Same," Darrell frowned. "It is odd to think there has been a Sith here for forty years." He blinked before his eyes widened. "No way, it couldn't be."

"What?" Meetra asked.

"Alan immigrated here forty years ago."

Meetra frowned. Alan was the furthest from a Sith as one could get. The man was kind from what she had seen of him at least… well, excluding when he had pulled a blaster on Revan for killing his son.

"That's it!" Bastila straightened. "Jeri tried to call Alan Inlustris when we brought him after learning Jeri was Alvar's mother."

"So, Alan?"

Darrell shook his head. "I can't see it. Alan has helped so many here on Telos. He almost died during the bombing trying to save as many people as he could. Reca was the only reason he survived from what I've heard."

"Perhaps he was a light sided Sith?" Meetra put the idea forward, though it seemed ridiculous even as she spoke the words. It would have been extremely hard if the Sith worlds were anything like the Republic. It was next to impossible for a dark sided Jedi to go unnoticed in the Order. It had to be just as difficult for a Sith to do the same when aligned with the light.

"She kept calling Inlustris's soft hearted," Bastila pointed out.

"True. We should speak with R—" She cleared her throat, "Master Tarvon over this matter. He might have further insight into it."

"Agreed." Bastila turned to her padawan. "Mira, remain here. Contact us if the Sith attempts to escape."

x – Revan – x

A tremor came through the force, so soft it was almost no existent. The softness of it was enough to know it was either very distant or that it was close; yet, why would it be so soft, so light to make it seem as if it wasn't there at all?

Revan forced himself to focus on the two apprentices as they trained. This was what mattered and what needed his full attention. He could figure out what the tremor meant after Hanna and Sighta had finished their training for the day.

Hanna was sitting on the ground, meditating to focus her force control on a datapad before her. Her task was to hone her force abilities. It was the first step in her becoming a consular.

Sighta, on the other hand, Revan had assigned a far simpler task. She was to practice her blade and force technique. A quick assessment of her abilities had revealed she lacked even a basic understanding of lightsaber techniques, forget using the force to see let alone to move objects. She must have made it to her rank of lord merely through Jeri's intervention on her daughter's behalf. Mainly her being there and manipulating the battle in Sighta's favor.

A sharp intake of breath came from Sighta. The small practice droid had shot her arm.

"Keep your focus on the droid. Let the force became your sight," Revan reminded her.

"Then take this helmet off me," she snapped back. "It's impossible to see what the droid is doing, let alone block it."

Revan chuckled. "I do believe I have already demonstrated how it is far from impossible. But, I suppose, this is above your current skill level. Perhaps I should drill you on even simpler basics in the force."

Sighta stiffened before a soft hiss of pain escaped her as the droid hit her side.

A fresh youngling was better at this than she was. Revan rubbed his eyes. The force had a sense of humor to not only have all his blood family reappear to him within a few days of each other, but to also drop his twin in his lap for training. A task which had toiled all morning on.

Revan strode over to Sighta. "Focus the force through your body and outward. Not in an attack but as extension of your senses."

Sighta's entire body went rigid. "Get away from me then," her words bore little heat, rather they trembled with a hint of fear.

It hadn't been Revan's intention to make her afraid of him. Yet, it seemed the threat to remove her force sensitivity had done just that. Great, yet another problem to deal with when it came to her. If he had been aware of this, he would have taken training Nalin over Sighta today and passed her off to Darious. Still, Nalin would've presented his own problems when training under Revan.

Revan flicked his wrist which shut off the droid. "Focus on me then." He switched tactics. "Sense my intention towards you rather than the movements of the droid."

"What?" Sighta stammered. She took a step back from him. "Your intention is clear, you want me to be useless."

Revan sighed. "That is far from what I intend," he stated. "If you reached out with the force this would be more than clear to you. Or you could keep practicing with the droid, if you would rather."

"Yes!" she exclaimed and turned back in the general direction of the droid.

Revan stepped back and flicked his wrist again. The training droid reactivated.

Sighta moved the blade as if to block an attack. She missed by an inch. She gritted her teeth and continued to move the practice lightsaber. The next shot was blocked. But the one following struck her.

"Breathe and take your time," Revan instructed. "There is no rush in sensing the droid's movements."

His comm link went off before Sighta could reply.

"Yes?" Revan asked.

"The situation is under control. Three were killed and one was captured," Jasper updated Revan on the situation. "Meetra, Bastila, and Padawan Mira went with security to escort the prisoner."

"There were seven in total then," Revan half asked, half stated. Five now dead. This left the survivor as the only source of information. Well, one of the few. Sighta and Jeri could also be a source.

"Yes," Jasper confirmed. "That's the number that attacked us."

Revan frowned. It was odd they had managed to get the situation in hand before now. Yet just because seven had originally revealed themselves didn't mean there were only seven of them.

"We should remain vigilant incase there are more." Revan lowered his hand from his chin.

"Agreed," Jasper's voice was solemn, tone almost akin to one who had resigned himself to a long stent on the field of battle. "If there are more of them, they might come after the one Meetra captured."

"Join Meetra and Bastila when you can," Revan instructed. "It would be for the best we moved the Sith to the Sojourn."

"Understood, I'll pass that along to Meetra and Bastila."

The comm link went silent.

They would need to convene the council once everyone returned to the ship. This would allow for Meetra and Bastila to pass on whatever they learned from the prisoner. Though, the information might only explain why they had chosen to attack Alan's diner when their so-called targets weren't there. That being Sighta and Jeri. Alan was from the empire originally this much Revan knew, but what could the group have sought in killing Alan? Especially forty years after he had fled. It wasn't as if Alan had warned the Republic about the empire. Not that the Republic would have believed him if he had. No, it had been too soon after the Great Sith War for another threat to truly be seen by the Republic or even acted upon if it was currently threatening them.

This meant Alan wasn't likely to have passed on intelligence about the empire. Thus, he hadn't betrayed the empire in that sense. Nor could Revan see him as being a spy. Sure Justin's position in the Republic would have been prefect for a spy, Alan had shown very little interest in political talks. He had been speaking with his granddaughter throughout the first one and had been cleaning dishes during the second.

It was also highly unlikely Justin was a spy. The man was many things, but a traitor wasn't one of them. If he had been, he would have been killed during the Civil War as that was just the kind of corruption Revan had been removing from the Republic. Justin wasn't corrupt. He was the kind of leader to sooner join his people in laboring to restore their world than see it as a weakness the Republic was focusing on this matter.

At least as far as Revan could see. The man was also honest and, while he could fool other politicians, he had one of the worst poker faces Revan had ever seen on a senator.

It was a matter to think on later. For now, he needed to focus on training Sighta and Hanna.

Sighta's stance had slipped again. Her head tilted more in his direction. So much for that. What she had learned today would have to suffice.

Revan crossed over to the two of them. "That's enough for today," he informed the two apprentices.

Hanna stood.

Sighta let out a deep sigh and removed the helmet. "About time," she muttered.

"Hanna, I would like you to continue reading the material I provided."

"I will!" Hanna grinned. "It's going to be amazing reading more over the force and how it can interact with the body. It is a great start to learning how to heal."

Revan chuckled. "True enough." He turned his gaze on Sighta. "Sighta, practice meditation." Revan held out his hand. "Your practice lightsaber."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, making a face. She placed the lightsaber in Revan's hand before she turned and headed for where several guards were. They would escort her back to her room.

"Thanks, Uncle Alvar!" Hanna cheered before she raced over to where her siblings were wrapping up with Darious.

Revan watched them go before he turned and headed for where they were keeping the only four practice lightsabers Darious had made. Darious was already there. He placed the two in the chest. Revan added the two he had to it before locking the chest. It was more a deterrent for the soldiers than to keep the weapons safe.

"How did the training go?" Revan asked as they started off.

"You were right that removing yourself from Nalin's training would help him focus. Still, we will need to find a more permanent solution."

"Agreed." Revan bowed his head. "Has he spoken more on what specialization he wants to follow?"

"Guardian, the same as Tina."

Revan winced. That would place three under Meetra. He had complete faith in her abilities, still it wouldn't be easy to handle three. Especially when one of them needed more attention to overcome his hatred and resentment. If Nalin had chosen sentinel, it would have been simple enough to place him under Darious who could monitor Nalin and help him through these problem by giving more attention to the boy. It was unlikely Bao would be through his training by the time children were ready for a master. Yet, more guardians were necessary. They made up the backbone of the Order and they would need to be one of the larger groups. Four didn't make that the largest group, not when there were currently six sentinels and only three consulars. It would be better if they had a fourth consular to help even everything out… it was unlikely Dustil would choose to become one. He was more likely to become a guardian than a consular or sentinel which would mean he might not be able to train under Bastila as was originally planned.

Ugh. This line of thought was going nowhere. It wouldn't help to dwell on where the children wanted to be placed in the order. Rather to just train them and allow for them to choose their own path. It was far better than being forced down a path they had no desire to follow as Revan had with his original master. No, he would never follow her example when it came to training the next generation of Jedi.

"We should regroup with the others and exchange information." Revan led the way to where the temporary meeting space for the council was.

(Author's note: Life got really busy for the past several months. That's why it seemed as if I had vanished without warning. I have finally found a good time where I can get some writing done. I am not going to announce a writing schedule or anything like that, just know as long as my fanfictions don't have an update that says they've been dropped, they're still going. I try to announce when I drop a story as it is only fair to those who are enjoying reading them.)