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Chapter 17
Bastila was slowly coming back to consciousness. She was waking up from a strange dream. In that dream, she was locked in a cage. All of a sudden, Revan has appeared. He rescued her, by slaughtering everyone around. He used many Dark Side techniques, the most frequent one was the Force Lightning. That's all she remembered from that dream.
And with this, came a memory. Before her eyes appeared the vision of her encounter with the Dark Lord of the Sith. It wasn't the full flashback, but only a glimpse. And then, her consciousness began to come back to her.
When she has opened her eye, she saw something, that caused her heart to a bit faster. Her cheeks slightly reddened at the sight in front of her.
In the middle of the room was actually he. Revan. Alen, she corrected herself mentally. And he was shirtless. It was a sight, that many girls in the Jedi Academy were dreaming about. A lot of the female population of the Enclave used to drool at that. Many times, when Revan and Malak, formerly known as Alek, were working out, they were being watched by some young girls. It was always driving Bastila mad, though she has never told that to anyone. Not even to her beloved one.
Though she couldn't help to be amongst these girls. It was almost hypnotizing, seeing Revan performing different exercises. Every time, he did it with the biggest precision, that he could afford. He practiced many various skills. Sword fights, using the blaster rifles, melee combat, and many others, but rarely, he trained with the lightsabers. He literally spent hours in the training rooms. This made him more similar to the machine than to the living being. Most of the teachers actually, were afraid of his wellbeing. But he refused to stop. He kept on spending most of his free time on the training. He even used the neural disruptor to use his physical strength and not the Force. That was… uncommon, to say the least. She even came to ask him once about his training methods, and he cared to explain it to her.
Take away the lightsaber from the Jedi, and what will he do? He'll turn to the Force. Strip him out of the Force, and who does he become? No one. He has no means of defense. The Jedi Masters teach us to depend on the Force as if it was the only thing we have in life. And this turns us into invalids. If we don't learn how to use everything, that surrounds us, we will, eventually, become defenseless beings. These were his words. She could see the point in his way of thinking. But his point of view wasn't shared by the Masters. At least not by most of them.
Eventually, she retreated from those memories and came back to the presence. Revan was standing next to the bed, dressed only in a towel, that was wrapped around his hips. This gave her a perfect view of his torso.
His abdomen muscles were very well developed and his chest had a nice V-shape. The muscles were tightening, while Revan was drying off his hair. His skin was slightly pale. It was the same shade it used to be when Bastila took off his mask back on the bridge of his flagship. But it wasn't unhealthy color. She was more disconcerted with the wounds, that covered Revan's midsection.
Many small, and few bigger scars were scattered on his torso. Some of them looked to be quiet old, while different ones looked like the fresh ones. For a moment, she contemplated how these wounds found their way on Revan's body. On his perfect, mouthwatering body... Bastila mentally cursed herself for such thoughts. She was supposed to become a Jedi Knight soon. She was above such things as passion. Yet still, she couldn't help but to think about tracing her fingers on each of these scars, and finding out how they have appeared on him.
And he said that he loves you, the second part of her – her heart – has spoken. This caused her to close her eyes back again in order to hold back tears, that threatened to go down her cheeks. She couldn't believe it. For how long would she be crying because of Revan? He's dead, after all. There is nothing left from the former Dark Lord. Now, there was only Alen Royce. But this thought didn't help her. It even caused her to shut her eyes more tightly, as the tears were growing and growing.
"Bastila!"
She was brought back to the present by a sudden yell. She opened her eyes and saw Carth's face above her. He had a worried expression. His brows were furrowed and his orbs expressed a deep concern. Bastila more felt, than saw the Republic officer's hand on her own.
She moved her gaze from the soldier and looked around her surroundings.
She was in a small room. Way too small for a number of people who were in it. There were only three beds. One was occupied by her, the second one by Revan, and the third one by some strange blue shape. Bastila noticed a Wookiee standing next to the last bed.
In the far corner of the room was a small table. Four men were sitting around it on the small chairs. They were fast asleep, she judged by the snoring, that was coming from that direction.
"You're finally awake!" Carth exclaimed, leaning closer to her. Bastila felt herself being pulled upwards. Her back was placed against the bed frame. She gladly accepted a glass of water, that was handed to the young Jedi Padawan. She drank the whole contents of the small cup. The cold liquid brought a relief for her dried throat.
"Thanks," Bastila muttered when she has felt her voice returning to her. "What happened?" she asked. Certainly, it was good to catch up with the latest events.
"We've crushed on Taris" Carth answered, taking an empty cup from her. "Me, Alen, and three other soldiers landed not far from here, while your escape pod has fallen to the slums. We've spent the previous day on finding you. If it wasn't for Alen you would most probably be now in hands of a member of the local gang" he explained, mentioning to the man, who was laying on the bed. "He and his four companions have managed to save you from your cell."
"How?" she asked, trying to hold off fear in her voice. Perhaps that dream of her was something more than just creation of her imagination?
"From this what I've heard, they sneaked into the room your cage was in and took you from there. I don't know much of the details, cause I wasn't with them in that moment" Carth replied. Bastila looked at him with concern in her eyes. If this what he told her was true, the anxiety of Revan coming back to his mind has lessened. Perhaps it was only a dream, she reasoned herself.
"We have almost everything to escape this planet" he continued. "The only thing we don't have yet is a ship. But we should be able to handle this."
Bastila only nodded in response. She was still too exhausted to fully register what Carth was saying to her. She closed her eyes again but didn't intend to fall asleep. She slept long enough. But few more minutes of rest would certainly help her regain her strengths.
"Wake up princess!" Bastila was brutally brought back to the consciousness by a sudden yell, and hands clapped against each other, right in front of her face. She opened her eyes and saw a pair of palms being pulled backward. Apparently, she has fallen asleep once again.
It was Revan who woke her up. Alen, she corrected herself. But this time, he was wearing a black shirt with long sleeves. Bastila quietly winced at that. Subconsciously, she wanted to see him topless again. But he couldn't spend the whole day with his chest bare, could he?
Unwillingly, she picked up the covers, that were on her. And when she did, she immediately pulled them back on her.
"Care to explain this?!" she shouted fully enraged. Alen took one step backward at her sudden outburst and raised his hands defensively.
"Why so mad?" he asked. "This is what you actually had on yourself when we've found you. I thought, that you would appreciate it if we didn't strip you. But now I guess that I was wrong. If you want, I can repair this mistake" he added with a cocky smile on his lips. Despite his playful tone, Bastila remained enraged. Of course, these clothes were better than nothing, but still, it was embarrassing to wear them.
"Do you at least have something I can put on myself instead of this?!" she asked through clenched teeth. But the man she was speaking with wasn't going to step down.
"Why? I think you look gorgeous" he replied with the same cocky grin. Bastila fought an urge to send this man through the window of the apartment they were in. But instead, she only pushed Alen at the second end of the room, causing him to hit the wall with his back. He was struggling to stand up, but eventually, he succeeded.
"Okay, okay. I see that our little Jedi Princes doesn't have a sense of humor. Jeez!" he commented, straightening himself. He stretched his back, and in response, it let out a loud crack. Alen came to the stack of clothes, that was laying on the floor and picked up a black shirt – similar to his own – and a pair of brown trousers.
"Here, put that on, if you want," he said, handing her the clothes. There was no trace of the previous tone in his voice. She accepted them and pulled them towards her. Alen said nothing at that. He just went back to the bed he was previously laying on.
Bastila took the clothes and rose up from the bed. She had the sheets wrapped around her tightly. She went to the room, that seemed to be the refresher. When she was in, she locked the doors behind her and began to get changed.
Revan watched in silence as the doors closed behind Bastila. She seemed even more beautiful now when the distance between them wasn't that big. But despite that, she still remained distant to him. Years ago, she would have no problem with cracking different jokes. And now? Now she was doing her best to shorten their talk to the minimum.
He let out a small sigh and looked at his companions. Mission was slowly waking up. Zaalbar was all the time next to her. Carth was doing something at the workbench. From what little he has seen, the Republic officer was working on his blaster.
Rex, Fox, and Wolfie were slowly beginning to stand up from the chairs, stretching their limbs. Canderous was still fast asleep. Revan smirked at that. He still was impressed with the older man's possibility to sleep like the dead.
The former Dark Lord came up to the small astromechanical unit, that was standing next to the wall. It was turned off.
Revan knelt next to the droid and turned it on. Dozens of small diodes began to shine with different colors. When it all was stabilized, the droid let out a series of beeps and whistles.
"Give me an access to your memory," Revan said. T3 responded with beeps and whoops. After few seconds, the former Dark Lord was watching the contents of droid's database.
He searched through many records. He was looking for only one thing. A map of the Galaxy.
He has managed to find it after few minutes. Revan checked carefully one solar system. But, as he expected, it wasn't there. No database contained the information about the system called Rakata Prime, or Lehon. He let out a small sigh. If he wanted to get to the Star Forge, he would have to find all of the Star Maps over again.
"What are you doing?" Bastila's voice broke the silence. Revan rolled his eyes.
"I'm checking our possibilities" he replied. "It's good to have planned few moves forwards."
"I say, that we should go to Dantooine," she said. Revan frowned at that.
"You say? And who made you leader here?" he asked with a clear annoyance in his voice. His reunion with Bastila wasn't as smooth as he expected it to be.
"Isn't that obvious, that I should be in charge here?" she asked. "I have the highest rank in here, and I am the most experienced member of this group" Bastila finished. Revan couldn't believe what he has just heard.
"Excuse me, your highness, but, as I recall, you were the only one, who was captured. If it wasn't for us, you would be still locked in that cell, or even worse" he replied, keeping his anger at bay.
"Oh, please," she said with a mocking voice. "I am a Jedi. Sooner or later, I would find a way to break myself free. They were no match for me."
Revan had to fight back the anger that dwelled in his chest. I must congratulate Master Vrook when I meet him. His apprentice is equally arrogant and shortsighted as he, he thought. He breathed in heavily and let it out slowly with a hiss. Maybe being annoying was common amongst all of the female population of the Galaxy? He had no idea. But through these four years, he hadn't seen her, she has certainly changed a lot.
"Then, almighty Jedi, why don't you find some way of escaping this planet?" he teased her. Bastila visibly frowned at that. "After all, it's a commanders duty to come up with a plan."
The woman's frown, in response, only deepened. She certainly didn't expect him to give such an answer.
"But I can also point anyone I want, to do this task for me. And I give it to you" she said, looking at Revan. He only rolled his eyes in response.
"As you wish, Jedi Princess."
It was then, that she realized what he had said. He used the last nickname he had given her moment before setting to the Mandalorian wars. This raised suspicions in the back of her mind. Did his true identity start to come up? She had to contact the Council.
"Well, well, well, can it be the great Gorse Bendak?" Canderous' voice rang at the cantina, as he and Revan came up to the man dressed in the Mandalorian armor.
"It's good to see you too, Canderous… it can't be" he replied, as he saw the younger man. Revan only grinned in the response.
"I'm touched, that you still remember me, field marshal" Revan replied.
"What are you doing here?" Bendak asked, still being shocked.
"It's a long story" he replied. "Why don't we have a drink?" he proposed. The two Mandalorians cheered at that. They came to the counter and ordered three drinks. They drank them at once, after receiving them.
"There is no time for talking about the past. We have to talk about the future" Revan said, placing the empty glass back at the counter. "I will be needing your help, field marshal. Yours, and of any Mandalorian, who has survived the Malachor."
"What is it?" Bendak asked, leaning in closer.
"To tell it shortly: Revan wants to help us regain our honor" Canderous replied. The said man only nodded in affirmation. Bendak watched them for a moment, and then, he started to laugh.
"I'm sorry," he said after he has managed to regain his breath. "But this is impossible. We have lost what little honor we had when we invaded the Republic."
"And now you have a chance to take it back" Revan replied calmly. "Another war is coming. One, that can erase us from the face of the Galaxy. I want to stop this conflict, but to do it, I will be needing help."
Bendak was thinking over that. Many times in the past two years, the thought of regaining honor has entered his mind. But he knew that it was impossible. And now, out of nowhere, appeared Revan with an offer of taking back, what the Mandalorian have lost. And by doing this, what they did naturally. By a fight.
"Besides, you owe an obedience to the Mandalore" Revan continued. "And so it happens, that I own this mantle" he added with a small smile. Canderous smirked at that. He used all of his cards wisely. It wasn't long before Bendak gave an answer.
"I'll follow you, to hell and back. And your enemies shall be mine" he said. Revan grinned and extended his hand. The Mandalorian took it and both men shook for agreement.
"Very well. Now, do you have any way of getting out from here?" Revan asked.
"I have a small ship, that can fit one person" Bendak replied.
"Good. I want you to set to Dxun. Gather as many Mandalorians as possible and wait for my command. You can also try to talk with Queen Talia. Mention my name and I'm sure she will speak with you. So go now! We have no time to lose!" Revan said, ordering Bendak to leave. The man stood up, gave a slight bow to the younger one and left the cantina.
"So what now?" Canderous asked.
"Now, I hope that our friends have managed to gather all the supplies we will be needing. It's time to get out from this bloody planet" Revan responded. He and the Mandalorian also stood up to leave.
They met with the rest of their group not far from the entrance to the cantina. From there, Canderous led them to the Davik Kang's place. It was time to fulfill the last part of their plan.
Woah, finally Taris is getting closer and closer to the end. I had a hard time writing this chapter, mostly because I was writing most of it on my mobile phone, and the second reason, cause I was writing it in the middle of night XD but I just had to finish this chapter. Let me know what you think of it, as well as how you enjoy my whole story. If you have any suggestions, feel free to write them in the comments. And if you enjoy this story, then add it to your favorites and follow it. See you next time!
