Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 3
"Attention! We're about to leave the hyperspace in around five minutes. Prepare yourselves, and welcome home!" A voice said via a speaker. Bastila blinked slowly and grunted slightly, irritated because of being woken up so abruptly. She turned around on her mattress to lay on her back.
Her quarters weren't anything special; a simple, small room with a bed, a table, a dressing table, a shower, and a toiler. Unlike many high-ranking Officers in the Republic Military, she didn't use her position as the Commander to get any special living conditions. Throughout her life, she became used to modesty – it was a side effect of being raised by the Jedi Order. The only thing she specifically requested was a private toilet and a shower cabin. No matter how modest one would be, everyone would want some privacy. Not to mention that using the sonic showers wasn't nearly as refreshing as washing oneself with normal water.
Slowly, Bastila rose from her bed. Her muscles weren't sore anymore, and the headache had subsided. She removed the covers from her body and sat on the edge of the mattress, placing her legs on the cold, metal slabs that made the floor. The young Padawan wiped her face to get rid of the sleepiness that was still trying to maintain its hold on her.
She got up slowly and walked up to the refresher. One of the privileges of being a Commander and having a private toilet was the fact that she had access to the running water – something she was incredibly grateful for. Bastila splashed her face and looked at her reflection in the small mirror.
That time, she looked much better. Before she went to bed, she took a shower, and her hair looked fresher than earlier. Bastila began putting it into her regular pigtails. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was comfortable and practical – the two most important aspects in times of war. When she was done, she left the refresher and approached the chair where she placed her clothes before falling asleep. She threw a Jedi cloak on top of her usual, formfitting outfit. Without realizing it, Bastila smiled slightly. I do look good in beige, she commented in her mind after checking her reflection in the mirror. She completed her attire with a pair of simple dark brown knee-high boots made of leather. She groaned immediately, feeling the small blisters on her feet being irritated again. She made a mental note to get into a bathtub as soon as possible.
Bastila tried to relax when she felt the Endar Spire leaving the hyperspace. A familiar strange feeling in her stomach alerted her to the fact that they had already reached their destination. Casting a quick glance at the dressing table, she approached it quickly, deciding to put on a small layer of make-up to cover the bags under her eyes. All of the Republic must already know that our mission was a success. She breathed in deeply to try to calm herself down. We're back, she repeated to herself. We're on Coruscant, we're safe, and we've accomplished our mission. The mission that the Jedi Council announced to be her ultimate test before facing her Jedi Trials. She couldn't help but smirk. She was a few months younger than Revan was when he became the Jedi Knight.
After checking her appearance one last time in the mirror, Bastila stood up and walked out of her quarters. Soldiers were walking in different directions, anxious to return to their families or simply to celebrate their most recent victory. Those who have passed by the young Padawan saluted her. Each time, Bastila returned the gesture with a simple nod of her head. The youngest Commander in the war has slowly made her way towards the back of the Endar Spire, where the loading ramp was located.
By the time she had reached her destination, the ship was already in the Coruscant's atmosphere. Bastila caught the railing to support herself in order not to lose her balance when the turbulences had begun. After a few minutes, the rocking has stopped, and the ship has landed on the platform in the military part of Coruscant. Practically the entire crew was gathered around her, waiting for the loading ramp to be lowered.
The ramp was lowered, and the first rays of the setting sun entered the hall of the Endar Spire. Bastila squinted her eyes. After a few seconds, when her eyes got adjusted to the sudden brightness, she noticed the tall skyscrapers of Coruscant as well as hundreds upon hundreds of small speeders and freighters flying high in the air in every direction.
The next thing Bastila has noticed was the crowd gathered on the landing pad around the Endar Spire: senators, every member of the Jedi Council, a handful of the Jedi Knights and other Masters with their Padawans, and even the Supreme Chancellor with the Defense Minister, surrounded by the Senate Guards and the rest of the government. The press was there as well. Bastila sighed heavily. The attention of the journalists was inevitable after such a daring and risky mission, especially since the mission turned out to be a success.
Dozens of flashes have attacked her eyes, and she was forced to cover them with her hands. Bastila felt an arm around her waist that pulled her towards the exit of the ship. She raised her head, only to notice that it was Master Vrook who was pulling her. Unintentionally, she let out a disappointed sigh. For a split second, she hoped that it would be someone else's arm wrapped around her midsection. Vrook didn't show any sign that he had heard her.
The press has attacked them instantly after their feet touched the ground, but the Jedi were quick to intervene. They've created a protective cordon around Bastila and Vrook, shielding them from the masses. The Council members have escorted them quickly, dismissing the aggressive journalists and reporters. Bastila was extremely grateful for their quick reaction. She most certainly didn't want to be forced to deal with the press. In her dreams, she was already relaxing in the hot tub, putting all worries to the side. Unfortunately for her, her dreams would be left unfulfilled for the time being.
The young Padawan watched in silence as the rest of the Endar Spire's crew left the ship. Those who have already walked down the loading ramp have quickly become the journalists' next target. However, that changed after a few seconds as well when the four prisoners were carried out of the ship.
One of them was strapped to a metal slab with his wrists, ankles, and neck bound. He was being accompanied by the medics and the soldiers who kept their weapons ready. Bastila closed her eyes and sighed quietly. Revan's state at that moment was something that certainly didn't suit his reputation. Silence fell upon the entire landing pad as everyone's eyes were focused on the man under such a heavy guard. Bastila raised her head slowly after hearing a few whispers next to her. She looked to the side, noticing Grand Master Atris speaking to the Supreme Chancellor.
"We'll take care of them," she said, covering her mouth with her hand to prevent others from listening. The Supreme Chancellor raised one of his eyebrows.
"They used to be part of the Republic Military," Tol Cressa countered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Revan was first a Jedi," Atris reminded him. "We'll judge him, and then we will hand him over to you."
"What about the other three?" Koa Delko – the Defense Minister - asked. "They've never been part of your Order."
"Their Revan's closest men," Vrook informed them. "And they've killed many of our Knights and Padawans. Let us interrogate them first."
Tol Cressa only looked back at the four prisoners, just in time as the silence was broken on the landing platform. A first reporter took a photo of Revan and then another one and one more. Soon, the landing pad was filled once again, with the sounds of cameras and flashes as well as the voices of the reporters who were broadcasting that event live.
The next three that Koa Delko spoke of left the Endar Spire, also accompanied by the soldiers, though they were walking on their own. Their hands were cuffed behind their backs, and their armors were stripped of them, leaving only black trousers and shirts on them. Bastila had to admit that Revan's guards didn't look intimidating anymore. All four men, accompanied by the soldiers, were escorted to a small shuttle that was already waiting for them. The Republic Military formed a protective cordon around them, just as the Jedi have around Bastila, in order to keep the masses away from them. Only Force knew what would have happened if everyone had free access to the most hated man in the entire Republic.
The shuttle took off. Bastila followed it with her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows when she noticed that they weren't heading towards the Senate or to the prison area but the Jedi Temple. For as long as she could, the young Padawan watched the small shuttle, until it disappeared behind the tall skyscrapers. And then, the journalists' attention was, once again, focused on her. Bastila sighed heavily, knowing well that the hot bath would have to wait.
She had enough. She most definitely had enough. Bastila has almost given up to the temptation of turning the entire room upside down with the Force. Five hours have passed since the Endar Spire has landed on Coruscant, and she remained under a constant attack from the media, even though the Jedi Council has tried to protect her from that assault. But it was actually impossible to keep the reporters at bay for a longer period of time, especially during the press conference.
"How do you feel after accomplishing such a difficult task?"
"What can you tell about yourself being a Commander at such a young age? Do you feel the pressure, knowing that Revan had the same title when he was about your age?"
"Is it true that you and Revan had a romantic past?"
What are these questions? She wondered. Where did they come from? She had no idea, and, most certainly, she wasn't going to answer the last one. And how exactly the reporters have come up with the idea of a 'romantic past' between her and Revan was something that intrigued her. She couldn't reveal the truth, of course. But still, she was interested in that question. Has someone ever spied on them? No, it was impossible. Every time she and Revan sneaked out of the Enclave, they've made sure that nobody followed them. Only Alek and Meetra knew about their little secret, but they would have never spoken about it to anyone. So how did the reporter come up with that question?
After a few seconds of thinking, Bastila shrugged her shoulders and chuckled slightly. She blamed it on the reporter's fantasy. After all, the scandals were something that attracted the most attention. She certainly had nothing to worry about.
However, that single question has woken up in her plenty of painful memories once again. She had found herself not listening to her surroundings. Instead, she was thinking about her 'romantic past' with Revan. A flashback of her last 'meeting' with the Dark Lord of the Sith came back to her mind. And that thing that he had told her at the end, that he loved her. Bastila was once again on the verge of tears. She closed her eyes not to let them fall. Luckily for her, no one seemed to notice that.
She tried to get rid of the painful thoughts, and that's where the reporters came in hand. As for once, they've turned out to be useful. For the next few hours, she was forced to talk about their mission. She has skipped some of the details, of course. Some things are better to be left untold, she thought, glancing at Master Vrook, who was sitting next to her. And that interview has managed to effectively distract her from thinking about her past with Revan, although, she could have easily come up with a few much more interesting things to do at that moment.
First of all, the hot bath that she's been dreaming about for the entire day. She had a shower not long before returning to Coruscant, that's true, but it was nothing compared to lying in hot, steaming water. Bastila has nearly drooled at the mental image.
The next thing was her bed - her own, soft bed in which she could wriggle as much as she wanted. Her mattress on the Endar Spire was very small and uncomfortable. She didn't have that much space to sleep in a position she desired. And when she would return to her own room in the Jedi Temple, she would finally get some good, proper rest.
Bastila smiled at the nice thoughts. She could handle the interview. There is no emotion, there is peace, she repeated to herself. After all, it wouldn't be long until this whole conference was over, and she would find herself back in the safety of her own room. Vrook has already reported everything to the Jedi Council, so she wouldn't have to meet with the Masters as well. She smiled again. She could most certainly survive the media for just a little longer if the hot bath and the warm, soft bed were supposed to be her reward.
They were on Coruscant - he has sensed that. He had mostly felt a large presence of the Force Sensitives, and the capital of the Republic was the only place in the Known Galaxy with such a large amount of Jedi.
Revan has sensed his guards as well. For some reason, they were with him, although they were imprisoned, just like him. They've always been by his side, ever since the battle of Corelia that marked his entrance into the Mandalorian Wars. They would have never abandoned him, even if that meant their certain death.
The Jedi presence began growing. We're approaching the Temple, he assumed. However, he couldn't care less; he was safe. The actions of the last few hours have nearly cost him his life. What he had done has proved to be extremely exhausting, but it was worth the effort.
At that moment, he had to focus on regaining his consciousness. If the Council saw that he hadn't woken up yet, they wouldn't be so gentle with his mind. Gathering his mental strength, he pushed himself back into his body.
Revan slowly lifted his eyelids. The first thing he saw after lying unconscious for over a day was the light - extremely bright, white light, that has caused him to shut his eyes immediately.
He tried to use his hands to wipe his face, but he had found out that he couldn't move them. They were strapped to something, something above his head. Revan tried to open his eyes, though he was much more cautious that time.
Except for the bright light, Revan noticed something else – a force field glowing with an orange color. He decided to open his second eye. After doing it, he saw a room - a very small one, to be honest. There was no bed, only one chair, and a table. He tried to move his legs, but they have disobeyed his orders as well. They were strapped to something, just like his hands. Revan sighed heavily, trying to make out some details of what was lying beyond the force field.
He has noticed other cells similar to his. Behind them, his most trusted men were imprisoned. Revan smirked and reached out with the Force in an attempt to free himself from the uncomfortable position.
However, the Force turned out to be beyond his reach. Instead, a sudden jolt of electricity ran through his body, starting in his neck. He gasped heavily when the sensation had ended. He blinked a few times before realizing what caused the sudden pain. When have they put it on me? He asked himself, knowing full well that his mind wouldn't be able to give him the answers. The cold metal of the neural disruptor turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise due to how warm his neck was at that moment after being electrocuted.
"Good morning," one of the prisoners acknowledged him before Revan remembered that he wasn't alone in the room. He quickly recognized that voice as the one belonging to Rex. He didn't bother himself with answering, though. He turned his head to look at his soldier and simply nodded.
"Was all of this a part of your plan?" the second one has asked. It was Wolffe – one of the greatest pilots Revan has ever known. It didn't escape his attention that they didn't bother themselves with addressing him formally, though he paid that no mind. They were his friends, not only his soldiers.
"Not exactly," Revan replied with a heavy sigh. He had to admit that their position sucked, to say the least. At that point, there was nothing they could do.
"So, what do you plan to do next?" Fox asked. Revan looked around the room that their cells were located in. Surprisingly, he didn't find even a single camera. He smirked under his nose.
"Right now, let's sit back and see how the events unfold," he replied. "The Jedi have prepared some sort of scenario for us, and I'm curious to see what it might be. If they want to play a game, then we shall accept their challenge," he explained. The truth, however, was that he didn't have any plan at that moment. His actions were based on assumptions, but those could easily turn out to be wrong, though. However, he had to keep a good spirit amongst his men.
"Yeah, and that scenario will be an execution," Fox countered, sighing heavily. They were the only ones who ever dared to question his words, but it was more like a friendly banter rather than insubordination. They often fought like that, but in that particular moment, Fox's voice lacked the playful tone. It was a serious one.
"Ah, ah, ah, don't forget the Jedi Code, Fox," Revan reprimanded him teasingly. "The Jedi value all life. Execution is not our future," he added. Fox only hissed at that, shaking his head. The rest of his men seemed to share his doubts.
Their further talk was interrupted when the door to the room was opened, and a few Jedi Masters walked in, accompanied by the Temple Guards. Revan looked at his guests and grinned. Well, here goes nothing.
"Hello, Atris," he greeted the woman at the front.
Revan was tossed back unceremoniously into his cell; his arms and legs were cuffed. He let out a groan, trying to lift himself into a sitting position.
"Well, that was quick," Rex commented. The Dark Lord of the Sith glared at him.
"It looks like the Jedi don't like a bit of teasing," he murmured sarcastically.
Never in his life has Revan thought that the mighty Jedi Council could be driven out of patience so easily. And all it took was roughly half an hour to break them. Even some of the Padawans that his Assassins have caught were more difficult to break. Revan would have laughed if his rib cage didn't protest so much. After only a few questions, he was taken away by the Temple Guards and escorted back to his cell. His ribs were nearly broken at that point, but they've made sure not to hit him that hard. They still were bruised, though, and they hurt with each breath he took.
"What did they do?" Wolffe asked, sounding concerned. Revan raised his eyes and placed them on him.
"Let's just say that I have made them redefine the Code," he answered with a small chuckle. "Turns out that they do have emotions after all," he added. Although, he doubted if his actions were worth anything. He only made them mad, and he didn't think it served his own good. "And they, in turn, have made me redefine the definition of pain," he said, once again chuckling, although his ribs protested immediately. His guards laughed as well, but it was humorless and dry. All of them knew that they were, most likely, screwed.
"So, I guess that they didn't get anything from you?" Fox asked; he was watching his leader intensively. Revan shook his head.
"No, and the next time, they won't be bothering themselves with questions," he answered. A silence fell upon them that was only being disturbed by Revan's heavy breathing.
"So, what is going to happen next?" Fox asked another question, one that all of them had in the back of their minds. Revan didn't respond to that. Truth be told, he had no idea. Were their lives as safe as he had assumed in the beginning? And what if they weren't? It would mean that he had lied to his men – something he couldn't accept. No, there had to be some sort of an escape from that mess.
"I don't know," Revan answered honestly. At that, his companions one by one, let out a resigned sigh. Their future was something impossible to foresee at that moment.
Bastila has slowly woken up. It was a first sleep that has brought her relief. Any thoughts of Revan were gone after she had returned to the Temple and fulfilled her two greatest dreams. She had to admit that she had missed those walls. She's been on the frontlines for no longer than a month, but it seemed like an eternity to her.
She left her room and headed towards the Room of a Thousand Fountains. That place has always managed to soothe her, as well as all the other Padawans, and help her clear her mind. On her way there, she has passed by a few fellow Jedi, but she paid them no attention, even though they've greeted her and asked polite questions. However, her desire to be alone and rest was much stronger than any courtesy that she's been taught.
When Bastila had reached her destination, she has immediately found relief. That place has always helped her to calm her mind, and that's what she needed. The Jedi Mind Healers have taken care of her earlier, of course; Master Vrook has seen to that. He has insisted on that in order to make sure that Bastila wasn't affected by Revan in any way.
But no Jedi Mind Healer could even begin to compete with the magic that the Room of a Thousand Fountains held. The aura created by countless small waterfalls and shallow ponds with various plants that Bastila has never seen anywhere else in the entire Galaxy, and the sheer calmness of that place was some sort of a retreat for many in the Order, especially in those difficult times of war. The sound of fish swimming in the waters had a soothing effect on a mind – something Bastila intended to use at that moment. In that place, the Force almost seemed to be a material thing that she could touch with her bare hands. Her mind had stopped pacing. Even time seemed to slow down, or even come to a halt, in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. No wonder that it was also her favorite place to study.
She has approached the nearest pond and sat down on the edge, decorated with small stone slabs, examining the fish that were swimming in it casually, seemingly oblivious to someone watching them. They know nothing about the war outside these walls, Bastila realized. At that moment, she wished that she could become like those fish – blissfully unaware of the darkness that was spreading itself along the edges of the Republic, threatening to consume it.
She turned her head to look at the trees and bushes surrounding her. The grass was swaying softly, but she had no idea what was causing it. Bastila inhaled deeply, marveling at the pleasant smell that filled her nostrils and traveled down into her lungs. Even Dantooine, with all its beauty, couldn't even begin to be compared to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. She dipped her hand in the pond next to her, chuckling slightly when the fish increased their pace and fled from the intruder. The water was cold, though it was a pleasant feeling. Closing her eyes, Bastila allowed herself to be at peace for the first time since Revan had left to fight the Mandalorians. I've brought him home, she thought with a small smile. He can still be saved.
