Chapter 8
Skye spirited stride for stride alongside the Jedi out of the stadium when she suddenly stumbled over her own shadow. The world around her faded in a haze of swirling consuming fog.
One moment she was rushing out of the arena the next she was on the bridge of starship. Bastila was still at her side. No that wasn't right. Because Skye wasn't even there, she was watching an event. A past event.
Bastila was onboard a Sith starship, Revan's starship! She was fiercely dueling with dark Jedi, with her own squadron. Bastila was extraordinary: a lioness amongst the rest of the Jedi sheep. She was graceful, fluid-flawless. Her single bladed lightsaber swung in a constant arch, blocking, parrying, each attack of the Sith turncoats. She drew her blade across one dark Jedi's wrist causing him to lose the appendage, his fallen red saber blinked off as rolled away from the dead hand. He fell to his knees screaming at the cauterized stump. The screams stopped abruptly as his head fell near his hand.
One of her own fell as she was choked to death by another Sith's telekinetic power of the Force. The young padawan looked around her noting that she was now down to only her jedi teammates, the squadron of Republic commandos had been felled by the Dark Side of the Force.
The last was effortlessly killed by the Dark Lord. Revan cavalierly approached the six Jedi. A snap hiss of two ruby blades shimmered to life. One blade in reverse hold nearly parallel with the Sith's left forearm, the other held above the Dark Lord's head. She had taken the Makashi form: lightsaber to lightsaber. The form favored by the greatest of battlemasters.
The Force flowed so easily around the Revan, beckoning, bending to her will. It was so powerful it was palpable as a lover's caress.
Bastila swallowed her fear, pushing it away from her. "You cannot win Revan!" she boldly proclaimed, raising her lightsaber.
She knew her opponent well. She had trained with Revan in the academy. Her former friend…lover…switched forms flawlessly. It was bewitching to watch, nearly impossible to defend against. Revan would go from Makashi to the more elaborate and demanding Ataru within a hair's breadth, then just as suddenly switch to the dueling variant of Djem So. Master Kavar however had trained Bastila for this very battle, how to defeat the former Jedi knight who now called herself Darth. The Light cannot be defeated, Bastlia believed in this axiom whole heartedly. Her battle meditation insured victory.
Three other Jedi rushed forward flanking the dreaded Sith Master.
"It need not end this way Bastila." Revan said, her voice a menacing mechanical sound behind the Nagai death mask. "Surrender now and I shall show mercy. Resist and death shall surely follow. Even outnumbered I am not outmatched"
Bastila was just about to lunge forward, when the Force flared in her mind a warming to black-flipped instead. Bastila's full unrelenting trust in the Force saved her. For that very moment the bridge exploded!
The force of the impact huddled the padawan back into the bulkhead behind her. Three of the six remaining Jedi lay dead, crushed by the blast's explosive power. Revan was amongst the fallen. Scurrying over Basilia check for a pulse it was so weak, so thready. If she didn't take drastic measures soon the Dark Lord would die, the mission would fail. Failure was not an option.
Skye shook her head trying caste the waking dream away.
"What's wrong with you?" Basilia said though not unkindly.
"Nothing." the scout outright lied. They both knew it, but the Jedi allowed the matter to drop.
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Ravensong's earlier prediction about a brawl after the race had been spot on. So, had her advice that rather than trying to search threw brawlers and fleeing patrons that they'd all meet up in the apartment in the Upper City.
As soon as the apartment door opened reveling the lost Jedi and Ravensong, Carth practically tossed himself into an ecstatic dance of joy. Mission practically tossed herself at her new hero, smiling and full of pride. Skye hugged the girl and gave a nod towards Zaalbar's direction.
"Bastila you're alive!" he exclaimed. "Finally, things are looking up! Now all we need to do is figure a way off of Taris."
"You mean you don't have a way off Taris by now? What have you been doing all this time?" the Jedi scolded.
"Trying to find you remember?" said Skye with sarcasm dipping from her voice.
Bastila gave her a searching look before she continued. "I see. Well now that I am back in charge of this mission, we can start doing things properly. Hopefully our escape from Taris will go more smoothly than when you "rescued" me from Brejik."
"Oh-oh." Mission flinched taking a step back from what she was positive was going to end up with Bastila getting an earful from a seriously pissed off Nagai.
Carth too sensed a fight in the air. There was no way Skye was going to let that go, just because the other woman was a Jedi. He did what any good officer did. He stepped in. "I know you're new at this Bastila but a leader doesn't berate her troops just because things aren't going their way. Don't let your ego get in the way of the real issues here."
"This hardly strikes me as an appropriate way of addressing your commander, Carth. I am a member of the Jedi Order and this is my mission. Don't forget that. My Battle Meditation has helped the Republic many times in this war and it will serve us well here I'm sure."
Skye all but rolled her eyes. She did let out a hurmph of Jedi's so called mighty Battle Meditation. Fat lot of good it did in the battle over Taris.
"Your talents might win us a few battles but that doesn't make you a good leader! A good leader would at least listen to the advice of soldiers who have seen more combat then she ever will!"
Both Ravensong and Zaalbar nodded in agreement. She might not actually have liked Carth but he was a good bridge officer. She had to give him that.
At first Bastlia looked startled that anyone had the audacity to speak to her like that, then she sighed and lowered her head. The warnings of the Masters' against pride echoed in her mind. The tone she used now was apologetic "You're right of course. I've been…under a bit of …stress recently, forgive me. Of course, I'm willing to listen to your advice. What do you suggest we do?"
"First of all," said Carth "we can't get hung up on who's in charge. We're gonna have to work together if we want to get out of here alive. The answers out there we just need to find it."
"Well said Carth," agreed Bastila, "And the sooner we start looking for it the better." Her body trembled slightly, barely perceivable save for the trained eyes of a scout. "I've already been a prisoner of the Black Vulkars, I don't want to be captured by the Sith."
"Yeah they wouldn't be as fun. No sense of humor." Skye jibbed watching the Jedi very closely for more the tremors she spotted earlier. She highly doubted they had anything to do with the cold that seeped into the apartment. "Never trust anyone without a sense of humor."
Ballista was about to chastise the cheeky scout for such insolence then suddenly realized she was being deliberately baited for just such a reaction. Another part of her felt a pang of regret as she recalled the same sort of levity in another, now lost to her. Skye was such a harsh reminder of someone from the past.
"Yes, well I think it would be quite horrible to hear Malak laugh. Mechanical sounds do nothing for a jovial environment."
Skye was taken aback. "Did…did you, the mighty Jedi Princess just make a joke?"
Blastila crossed her arms in front of her chest, daring the Nagai to goad her further.
"There's hope for you yet, Jedi." Skye flashed a very charming grin. As soon it was there it was gone and Skye's face took on a more serious expression. "Bastila, I need to see you in private."
"Why…" the Jedi started but she felt unrest in the older woman. Something was heavily troubling her. "Very well."
Ravensong led the proud Jedi into the refresher. Skye waited until the door was secure before she spoke. Her voice was soft, tender almost apologetic. "I know you will not want to answer this question, but don't think it is any failing on your part." She sighed. "When you were with the Vulkers did…they…were you violated?"
"Violated?" at first Bastlia bristled. Of course, there was a violation, she was taken prisoner, a restraining neuro-collar snapped around her neck, her lightsaber snatched up like some trophy and now forced too… Then she realized what Skye was asking her, why her voice was so tender, why so hesitant. Skye believed she may have been raped.
"I know you're a Jedi, but you had a collar on…until the brawl you didn't have the will to remove it. I know you're a proud woman, a strong woman Bastila. But if you were hurt…there are precautions that maybe needed to be taken. There is a healer nearby…"
"Skye, I wasn't violated. I'm sure the thought crossed Brejik's mind more an a few times. The price for me being unspoiled as it were was high enough to stay even his lusts. It's also why I suspect I was moved to more secure location than the Vulker base. He didn't trust any of his people."
Skye nodded. She recalled the human female slave. There was no doubt in the scout's mind that young woman had suffered more than having her ass and tits groped
For a moment, the Nagai hesitated, searching Bastila's face before she relented.
"Skye, I promise you apart from stripping me of my robes, and lightsaber I wasn't violated. Well perhaps my dignity but I was not hurt, not in the way you fear."
The older woman nodded seemingly satisfied. It was as if Bastlia was going to reach out and touch her arm but hesitated then pulled back her hand.
"I…I thank you for the concern, Skye. And the discursion you tried to give me."
"The galaxy isn't kind to women."
"Unfortunately, your words speak the truth." The Jedi studied the other woman for another moment; there was something else in the woman's face. "Is something troubling you?" she asked.
"Something weird happened just as we were leaving the arena. I had a waking dream about you. More like a vision than anything else."
"A vision of what?"
"You were fighting a dark Jedi. Revan, I guess."
Bastila was genuinely startled by this revelation, but she quickly schooled it beneath her Jedi training. "That is strange. Such visions are often a sign of Force sensitivity."
Skye cocked her head, stymied. "What do you mean?"
"I'm…I'm not sure. It may you have some talent with the Force." Bastila said quickly. "It would not be unheard of. It may be that your talents fed off my own Force abilities and in the aftermath of the brawl, The Force allowed you to witness one of my more intense memories." The last sentence was said with notes of regret.
"This isn't the first time I've had a vision like this," Skye admitted, "It happened right after I first woke up on Taris. And several times after that. At first I couldn't make out what was happening, just a very familiar hum and flashes of gold, and crimson. Now in context I know what it was- lightsabers yours and Revan's. Though it seemed wrong. Revan's blades should have been violet and green…she wielded two blades, not one. So, it couldn't have been the brawl that was the catalyst. Something else triggered them."
"The Force is complicated; even I with all my training do not fully understand it yet. This is a matter best left to the wise Masters of the Jedi Council." Bastila drew in a breath, as if to steady shaken nerves. "Once we escape Taris we can seek the guidance of the Council if you wish. They will be able to tell you the significance of your visions. If there is any. Right now, we should stay focused on the task at hand."
"Right like getting you to take a shower and probably attired. Hey, I don't mind if you want to go around Taris half-naked but we probably should try to avoid that kind of attention."
"I don't suppose you have something in mind? If it's a mettle bikini you can just forget it."
Skye's mouth dropped open before her lips curled into a very mischievous and flirtatious smile. "You know I can't un-imagine that." Skye slipped past the Jedi and winked. "Thanks for the mental image. But yes, I do have something you can use; I picked some garments up at Kelba's Emporium. It's even in dull Jedi earth tones: all oranges and browns. Hard to say if you'll like it though, it's not at all pretentious."
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It seemed everybody including Zaalbar (under extreme duress and a nudge of a Jedi's mind trick, though only because it was sonic and not water. But then no one wanted to smell wet Wookie even if he stank of sewer poodoo) took their turn in the refresher. Clean cloths either fresh or newly cleaned by sonic shower were donned. And bellies were filled which nearly whipped out Skye's prepaid Czerka credit chit.
Sleeping arrangements were a little odd. Both Zaalbar and Carth took to the floor on sleeping mats. The two beds were given the women, Bastila had her own bed previously Carth's and Skye shared hers with Mission.
Bastila was the last to fall asleep. For a time, she didn't think it would come to her, her mind troubled not only by what Ravensong had said about the visions, but the fact she had them at all. There was significance to them, one she wasn't yet prepared to face. Not yet. Not so soon after Revan's…fall. If she could only stop the slight shivering she felt when near the Nagai. Bastila knew she had to get herself under control, Skye surely had noticed, how long before Carth did or their two new members of their team? It had been far too long before she felt peace. In meditation, she could center herself, find control and a stillness she hadn't felt in a long time.
The Jedi sat cross-legged on the bed, closed her eyes and fell into a restful meditative state. She followed the threads of the bond she had forged with another nearly a year ago. She felt herself slipping into a Force-vision.
Gray clouds, black swirling mists spiralled in and out of the mindscape. Voices in the distance becoming clearer…closer.
"You must heed the words of the Masters, Reven. Don't go off on this fool mission of yours. Please my love…don't do this.'
'We are Jedi, Bastila. It is our duty to protect. The Mandalorians must be stopped. They aren't hitting military targets anymore. They're destroying innocents by the billions! If the Jedi sit by and do nothing then we do not deserve to be called peace keepers, or guardians. I will not turn my back on my duty. I don't see nor understand how you can!"
"We must trust the in the wisdom of the Jedi Council!"
"While whole worlds burn, I cannot! I will not! How can you? You are no Jedi if you turn your back this slaughter!" Revan roared. "Nor are the Masters."
"You don't mean that!"
Reven touched her head. "I can hear them. All of them. Worlds screaming out in pain, in blood and the Masters will do nothing but sit by and watch it happen. No more. We're going. Come with me. Alec and Meetra have joined so have many others. Bastila…beloved, join me."
"I can't, Revan. Even if you are my heart's love, I can't disobey the will of the Council. Not like this. We are already defying them with our…love. You cannot win against the will of the Masters, they will cast you out. Or worse. What if they strip you of the Force? Don't you think Master Atris will push for it after you take her beloved Meetra away from her? Master Vandar…he'll demand your exile! Please, I'm begging you don't do this."
"I truly am sorry Bastila." She kissed her lover deeply. "But this is something I have to do."
Bastila shuddered back into consciousness. Memories flooded her mind, and her heart. Her fingers touched her lips; the taste of her beloved still lingered there even after all this time. Her grey eyes fell on the woman who was so much like her former lover and yet they were so very different.
'Oh Revan…why? Why did you turn to the Dark Side? You went to protect but came back…a monster…worse than those you went to fight. Now even more worlds are burning, more lives cry out. More blood is spilled. ...Why my love…why did you chose that path?'
She lowered her head closed her eyes and allowed exhaustion to finally take her. Her mind thankfully free of dreams of dark lords, lost love and painful memories: her heart…not so free.
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Dawn broke over Taris, in cool crispness of the late autumn season. The companions ate a light quick breakfast curtsey of credit cits taken off of the dead swoop gangers.
Even as they all sat along the dinner table, Bastila watched Skye, her expression practically unreadable. Ravensong met her gaze and held it then cheekily winked.
"Keep looking at me like that Princess, and people will start talking."
"I…what?"
The scout simply smiled.
"Can we concentrate on what is important? Like how we can get off this planet? I think we should try and find someone who can aid us. Perhaps one of the cantinas…"
"Maybe you should try and ask I don't know this party's only scout. It is after all one of the reasons I was placed on the mission in the first place, wasn't it? Or did you just hire me on because I'm a polilinguist?" The tone in Skye's voice was suddenly very serious.
"Very well, then what have you learned?" Bastila asked.
"First off: a way off this planet is the Ebon Hawk- a smuggler's ship owned by the guy who thinks he is the big bad. His name is Davik Kang. He's part of the Exchange, he's a mad man, but I doubt he is as big as he thinks he is in the entire organization. He's big enough here however that the Sith pretty much leave him alone, probably because they've made a deal with larger bosses of the Exchange. Killing Kang off will hurt them in the long run so they leave the motherfracker alone, for the most part. Though with that blockade in motion it's halted Kang's slavery, drug running and extortion gigs. His extortion racket on Taris however hasn't lessened; in fact, I believe it's increased, so much so he's pressing the swoop gangs.
"It was one of the reason's Brejik was so intent on putting you up as a prize Princess, he wanted to rally the others gangs to press Kang's people back. One of them includes a Mandi merc named Canderous Ordo. He's a kath hound straining against the muzzle Kang has on him. But he's a good little doggy and comes when whistled. Literally.
"Kang has an arrogant little shit of a pilot. I'm guessing Holden was newly promoted to being his lead flier for the Ebon Hawk. The slimeo has enough pull to put bounties on women who stand up for themselves as he tries to rape them. But he is enough of a cowered and egotist that he pulled back like any bully when bested." Skye gave a wicked grin before she continued her briefing.
"Now getting a hold of the Ebon Hawk another matter. Holden might be a way; this Ordo might be another. And you're right; Princess starting in a cantina is what we need to do. And I know just which one to start in. I'm positive that we'll find either Holden or Canderous there. Holden will be easy to manipulate, easier with that handy dandy Jedi mind trick of yours. Despite the fact Canderous is Mandalorian, mental manipulation isn't impossible with them despite what they claim. You just have to push hard enough. Sometimes it will give them a brain hemorrhage but no great loss."
Carth was just about to about to ask how Ravensong knew that Mandies could be manipulated when he remembered that he had told Skye he knew the Force was capable of doing terrible things to people including wiping their minds.
"I must say I'm impressed." the Jedi commented
Skye scrunched up her face puzzled but the complement. "Why? I'm a scout. It's what I do, ferret out information."
"Believe me; she's very good at it. One tiny conversation with the lady next door and she had almost everything fingered out including this planet's political climate. Kang, the Sith and the gangs and how their interactions created the currant infrastructure." Carth admitted. "You should watch her work, though don't question her about it, it's a touchy subject."
"What you didn't figure that out until just now?" Skye teased.
"Actually, I'd like to speak to you about that. I would like to ask you some more about what happened to you after the crash." Bastila said.
"Before I rescued you, you mean," said Skye. There was no way she was going to let the Jedi get off that easy after the hell she went through the past few days.
.
"I managed to free myself as I recall. If I hadn't been there, Brejik might've killed you in that fight. It's probably more accurate to say I rescued you."
And there it was. The gauntlet was through. Carth and Mission both winced. Zaalbar just shook his head.
"You didn't manage to free yourself until after we arrived as I recall," said Skye, pressed.
"I'll admit that I probably wouldn't have been able to successfully escape if not for the brawl after the swoop race. I should thank you for that at least." But before Skye could make a witty or indigent response, Bastila continued with a rapid-fire speech. "Actually, you presence at the track is what I'm most curious about. It couldn't have been easy to find me there, yet you managed it. You also avoided detection by the Sith, discovered I was a Vulkar prisoner, gained sponsorship for the race and became the Taris Swoop Champion. That's quite a resume."
Skye's lips curled into a genuine smile.
"Not only that she blew up Fido! She got a rancor to swallow a whole backpack full of frag grenades! It was awesome! " Mission supplied. "Before that she rescued Big Z from grammarian slavers, took on whole swarms of rakghouls and stormed the Vulker base to get back the accelerator so Gadon would let her race. Only he knew it'd blow up on her, but Skye raced anyway knowing she was probably going to die. She wanted to save you. She even made Gadon and Zadora swear a blood oath that if a Bek won you'd go free all the same. She also became the grand champion of the arena to get enough credits to get to you." There was no doubt of the hero worship in the young Twi'lek's voice.
"Mission you're selling you Zaalbar and Carth contributions short. All of you helped." Skye turned to Bastila, "Though you didn't leave out rescuing a fair damsel in distress."
"Ah the rescue again. Very well I concede you did, rescue me. That aside Skye, your modesty is admirable but though others helped, you were the catalyst for these events. When you were chosen to join this mission, none of us expected this much from you. A Jedi could have done such things of course, but only by drawing heavily upon the Force."
Skye didn't know what was worse the Jedi's arrogance or the backhanded compliment.
"I think you may be underestimating us non-Jedi."
"Perhaps, but the Force works through us all in one degree or another. There are some individuals who grow up outside of the Order whom we refer to as Force Sensitive. It is obvious to me that the Force has been working through you; I can see no other reason for your great success though I am not certain what to make of this discovery." It was very clear on Bastlia's face she was extremely troubled by the prospect. "If you were younger the Jedi might consider you for training…"
"Wait a minute, are you saying that I could become Jedi?" asked an astonished Skye.
Bastila hastily concealed the look of surprise on her face and quickly composed herself. "I'm sorry, I've over-stepped my authority. These things are best left to the Jedi Council. For now, let's just accept the fact that you are… gifted. Hopefully between your talents, my Jedi training and the skills of our companions we will be able to escape this world. Your idea to confront and manipulate either this Holden or Canderius seems solid enough."
"I've been wondering something myself Bastila," Carth spoke up. "You sorta skipped a lot of details last night. How did the Vulkars even manage to capture you in the first place? Were you unconscious?"
"Ah…No I wasn't. But my Force powers were exhausted from the battle. Without my help, you may not have gotten off the ship alive."
Skye rolled her eyes at this. 'And here I thought the Order frowned on such arrogances in their padawan learners and knights. Tsk tsk Princess, your master would most certainly disapprove of all your displays of self-importance.'
"Fair enough," said Carth, braking into Skye's internal thoughts. "But I've seen you Jedi in action, there's no way they could have been able to get past your lightsaber."
Bastila instantly looked genuinely embarrassed. All the previous arrogance drained way, not even her Jedi training was able to hide it. "My lightsaber was… misplaced. The Vulkars came and overwhelmed me even as I was searching for my weapon."
"Wait a minute, let me get this straight," Carth managed to strangle back a full out bust of laughter, "You lost your lightsaber? I mean, isn't that a violation of some kind of Jedi code or something?"
"Of all the Jedi in the galaxy why do we get the one who's absent-minded," ginned Skye. She didn't even make the attempt to hide her pure amusement. She and Mission both giggled.
Bastila bristled. "This is no laughing matter! It must have… it must have fallen off my belt and rolled somewhere I couldn't get to it. I searched everywhere for it!"
"And I'm betting this is where you flounce some unfeasible excuse on how they got a hold of it, like it rolled under your seat or something despite the fact you looked everywhere for it?" Skye teased.
The look of murder flared white hot in Bastila's grey eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't get mad. I'm sorry," said Carth trying to placate the woman with what he hoped was a genuine tone of warmth, "It's just funny to think of a legendary Jedi who destroyed Revan losing her lightsaber to a bunch of swoop gangers. Take my advice; this is one detail you should keep out of the history texts."
"I hardly consider myself a legend Carth. Though I will consider what you say when I report to the Jedi Council. There is no need for them to know every detail of what transpired."
'Yeah like the truth of the rescue, I bet you tell them your version how you saved us poor pathetic non-Force users with your extra ordinary Jedi prowess and Battle Meditation.' Skye mentally added.
Bastila turned sharply to her almost as if she had heard the internal monolog. Skye frowned at this as she knew Jedi and their Sith counterparts were mindreaders. To combat this, she started listing hyperspace routs and star charts. It was one of the few ways she knew to combat mental intrusions. Though she had to admit she might simply becoming as jumpy and suspicious as Carth. That prospect didn't at all sit well with the young Nagai scout.
"Enough chatter folks, we should head out and see if we can't get off this bloody rock." the scout said going for her gear.