Hello again. I really have to thank you all, cause my story has already little over 100 reviews and over 20000 views! Thanks for the amazing support you show me, this really encourages me to keep writing it. Of course, writing this story gives me fun, but your support is really helpful as well. So, just as always, I'm asking for reviews, favorites and follows. Also, recently I started writing my original story, and I published it on FictionPress. If you guys like the vibe of the Game of Thrones, then you should check out my story. It's called 'Story of Rozdgalen: War'. On FictionPress I have the same nickname as on Fanfiction: TheProdigy99. And I'm sorry for the long waiting, but it just sort of happened XD.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 31
"Excuse me, ma'am," Revan said, coming to the older woman who was standing next to the wall in the cantina. The whole place was dark – in opposite to Tatooine's regular brightness. But, nevertheless, it was bright enough for the former Dark Lord to see well the woman he was talking to. He didn't need the Force to recognize who was standing in front of him.
The similarity between her and Bastila was too big to mistake her for someone else. She had the same grey-blue eyes and brown hair. Her face expression was similar to the one her daughter had, though this one was much harsher.
"Yes. I'm sorry, do I know you?" the woman asked, clearly confused.
"I'm here, Mother," Bastila said, stepping forward. "Or don't you recognize me?" she added with an obvious sarcasm in her tone. A small trail of shock was visible for a split second, but, as soon as it appeared, it turned into an expression that reflected Bastila's tone. If the older woman felt guilty somehow, she didn't show it anyway.
"What do you expect when I haven't as much as had a picture of you since you left?" she replied with the same sarcasm as her daughter used. It was obvious to Revan form who Bastila inherited her attitude. It was as if the female Jedi was standing in front of a mirror that was adding the one who looked into it twenty years, or so."Do you know how long I've been trying to find you?"
"You knew as well as I communication would be impossible once I joined the Order" Bastila replied, her tone still not softening."Now, what is this about? Where is father?" she asked, changing the topic.
"Then you haven't heard" Helena murmured quietly under her nose."I should have known" she added, still directing it to herself, but Bastila heard it.
"Has something happened to him?" she asked, her tone now shifting into a caring one."Are you going to tell me or not?" she added when he only response coming from the older woman was silence.
"Your father is dead, Bastila" Helena replied finally with an angry snap."That is part of the reason why I was looking for you" she added quickly with much calmer tone than before.
Bastila's eyes widened at that. Her expression changed into a shocked one and her mouth formed a small 'o' as she was looking blankly at the woman who gave her life. The words made their way to her mind, but she still had some problem with deciphering them. This was something she completely wasn't prepared for. All sixteen years of her Jedi training certainly didn't prepare her for that.
"Dead? What happened? What did you do to him?!" Bastila kept overwhelming the woman in front of her with questions, not waiting for her to reply to the first one, as she was telling yet another one. Her tone wasn't sarcastic anymore. It has now turned into a worried one.
"Isn't this a lovely reunion? Already she is flinging insults at me. Tell me…" this time she directed her sarcastic tone at Revan."You're one of her friends. Do you treat your mother this way?"
"My mother is long dead if you must know" Revan, who was all the time listening silently to their conversation, replied simply. The answer didn't seem to take Helena off guard. In fact, none of the muscles on her face didn't as much as flinch at the response. Revan had to admit it – he didn't expect such coldness and emotionless from anyone. Even Malak himself was capable of showing feelings every now and then.
"Is that so? Well, I'll be joining her soon enough, I suppose" she replied with now emotionless tone.
"I was told you were sick. Are you actually dying, or is it merely melodrama for my benefit?"
"Such sweet things you say," she said with a sigh."Perhaps I should tell you everything, first, before we start arguing again."
"You could start by telling me what you got father into that killed him," Bastila said, crossing her arms over her chest. Helena rolled her eyes in response.
"I hadn't realized Jedi were so spiteful" Helena commented quietly."You want me to tell you I brought your father here for an expedition, do you? Do you want to blame me for his death? You never accepted that your father loved going on his treasure hunts, leaving you alone with me. I was always to blame for everything, what else is new? So yes, fine. I brought your father here to look for Krayt Dragon pearls. He took an expedition into the Tatooine desert, and he died" she said as if she was talking about some daily events, and not describing the death of her beloved one.
"How can you be sure of that? father is an experienced…" Bastila tried to say, still not accepting the thought of her father being possibly dead, but was quickly cut off by her mother.
"Do you think I would look for you if I wasn't sure? They were attacked by the Krayt Dragon and one of the guides fled the battle. He saw your father killed" she replied with a tone that was turning slowly into the angry one. In order to emphasize what she meant, she accented every single word of the last sentence. Bastila's face has literally dropped at that. Despite how much she wanted, she couldn't find any trail of deception in her mother's voice. She spoke the truth, no matter how hard it was.
"I… see" she commented quietly, not looking at the older woman. For the first time in Force knows how long, Revan saw her so depressed."So what do you want from me? Credits?" she asked in emotionless tone, still looking at her feet.
"Don't be insulting" Helena replied with a disgusted wince."I want you to use those senses of yours. I want you to find him. I want you to bring back his Holocron" she said in a demanding tone.
"Why? So you can sell it?" Bastila asked sarcastically, finally looking at her conversationalist.
"Is it too much to ask that I have something to remember your father by?" Helena replied with a rhetorical question."Of course it is, isn't it? You couldn't be bothered" she mocked.
"We're very busy on a mission from Jedi Council" Bastila answered with the same mockery in her tone."I doubt I'll have the time. Ask my companion, if you doubt me" she said, turning to Revan who zoned out at some point in the conversation. He wasn't even looking at them – his sight was directed at the three men who walked into the cantina right before them. They were standing at the counter, sipping drink after drink. Apparently, they managed to make some friends, cause they were surrounded by a group of various humans and aliens. Revan was somewhat calm, cause he didn't sense any hostile intentions from the strangers. Thankfully, Canderous, Fox, and Rex were capable of taking care of themselves.
He turned to the two women after a moment of silence, and few elbows from Bastila. He looked disorientated, as he eyed the smaller and younger woman who was standing right next to him. After few or so seconds, his eyes widened in realization that he was supposed to answer.
"Why don't you find the Holocron yourself, Miss… Er… Helena?" he asked with hesitation, making his best to recall what the conversation was about.
"As my daughter was quick to point out, I haven't the coin to hire another expedition. Nor am I the adventurer my husband was" Helena replied, acting as if she didn't notice the man's absent tone. The reply only made things worse for Revan. He was supposed to say something else, cause he still didn't give the answer that his lover demanded from him.
"Don't you want to find your father's remains, Bastila?" he asked, trying to make her do all the talking, as he still wasn't fully aware of the topic.
"What remains there would be? Krayt Dragons are huge predators, easily able to devour a human, and the desert is a harsh environment. Finding my father's remains would be even more difficult than finding his Holocron. An ignoble end to a fine man" Bastila replied, crossing her arms over her chest. There was no way she was going to let Revan escape this. After all, he said that he always was, and always will be there for her. He was already an adult man and had to learn to take consequences of his words.
"What about your mother's sickness?" the man asked, skillfully avoiding the responsibility of leading the talk.
"It doesn't seem to have anything to do with what she's asking. Are you actually sick, Mother?" Bastila asked doubtfully.
"What difference does it make to you? None, I'm sure. Just find your father's Holocron and you won't have to worry about me again either way" Helena replied, clearly showing that the conversation was over.
"That's the kind of response I would expect. Very well. We'll look for the Holocron if we have time. I can't promise anything more than that" Bastila said, also considering the conversation for done.
"I believe your father was headed north towards the Sand People enclave. I would check along that route, dear. Do please hurry" Helena said as the two of them started to make their way towards the exit of the cantina. Bastila said nothing in response.
They picked up the three soldiers who were a little drunk already, and left the building, walking directly into the blistering heat of Tatooine. The contrast was enormous. The cool, friendly air of the cantina was quickly replaced with a suffocating hot wind that was spreading throughout the planet's surface, caring with itself countless amounts of sand grains.
"Well," Revan began after a short moment of awkward silence. "That was rather easy."
"Yeah" Bastila mumbled. She seemed… distant. Her walking was automatic – it seemed that her feet were caring her without her acknowledging it. Every now and then she stumbled upon some small rock, losing balance for a blink of an eye, but she was immediately regaining her footing. Her gaze was cast downward on her feet. Her expression was emotionless, just as the tone of her mother. Revan used the Force to gently probe her mind.
Just as he expected, her mind was one big mess. Her thoughts were pacing back and forth on the subject she was talking about with her mother just mere seconds ago. The sudden information of her father's death caused Bastila to lose control over her emotions. Pain, longing, anger, disappointment and many others were raging inside of her mind, causing her to wage an inner battle.
"I can sense you, you know?" she asked him after no longer than a minute since Revan entered her mind.
"Sorry" he apologized, leaving her mind. "I just wanted to…" he started but was cut off by Bastila.
"It's okay. It's just… I'm… I don't know what to think about all of this" she said, looking down at her feet. "I guess I just haven't expected my father to be dead. I haven't seen him for sixteen years, it's… difficult to think about it" she muttered, still not looking into his eyes.
"I understand" Revan replied. He was eyeing her carefully. It seemed that some of the pain now vanished, once she spoke it out loud, but some of it still remained in her. It was sensible with the Force and visible with the bare eye.
"Revan," Fox said, coming to him. He was breathing heavily, and sweat was running down all over him. "Revan, you need to see it."
"Calm down, Fox" he replied, shushing him. "And not so loud. Now, what is this that I have to see?"
"It's… difficult to describe it" the man replied, after a moment of hesitation. "I just found something in a nearby shop. I promise, you will be pleased when you see it."
Thoughts of Bastila's current state abandoned his mind in that moment. He really got intrigued with his companion's words. His thoughts were too much of a mess to read them clearly, so he just had to follow him. His words also intrigued all the rest of their group.
It wasn't long before they reached one of the buildings made of sandstone. It was a droid shop, ran by an Ithorian. Revan didn't know what was supposed to interest him so much at first, but then he noticed a rusty-red droid, standing in the corner of the shop. His lips immediately curled up in a smile.
"Oh no," he heard Rex speaking behind him. "Not this again." Revan's smile grew even wider.
"What is this?" the seller said, coming to them. "A customer I don't recognize? Perhaps you bring off-world money to Yuka Laka? I have one droid ready to go. I just finished making him. An HK-47."
"You haven't made him" Revan replied simply, not even looking at him. He came closer to the rusted droid, and examine him carefully.
"No? I mean… I… I repaired him, yes. I repaired him. I found him in the garbage next to my shop."
"You haven't repaired him" Revan replied with the same emotionless tone. "He lacks the armor for the main body part, there are holes in many spots, and the electrical wiring is visible. It's a miracle that it's still standing. You cannot say that you repaired him, because, if anything, he was barely touched by a mechanic. It's in a lamentable condition, to say the least."
The Ithorian seller had an expression like after seeing a ghost. He clearly didn't expect this was coming, and reddened visibly, not saying a word. He turned around and returned to the counter, murmuring something to himself, but Revan wasn't paying any attention to him. He was fully focused on the droid in front of him.
"Greeting:" the rusty-red droid said with a mechanical voice. "Hello to you, prospective purchaser. I am referred to as HK-47, a fully functional Systech Corporation droid, skilled in both combat and protocol functions. Query: Would you be so kind as to purchase this model from Yuka Laka? It would serve my purposes to be removed from his ownership."
Revan suppressed a laughter. At least HK's main programming remained untouched. It still was the same sarcastic, mostly hostile droid it used to be.
"I'm taking that droid" he announced loudly, so the seller could hear him. This seemed to work magic on the Ithorian.
"Good. It's a very solid machine, in good shape. I can't let it go for less than five thousand Credits" he replied, completely forgetting Revan's comments about HK's condition.
"You must be kidding me" the former Dark Lord replied, looking at the Ithorian as if a second head suddenly grew on his body. "There's no way I'm paying that much."
"Then I'm afraid we won't have a deal, off-worlder."
"No, no, no, no, you haven't understood me" Revan replied, fully turning to him. "I said that I'm taking this droid, and I didn't change my mind. You lower the price, or I take this model without paying. Make a decision, Ithorian."
"Four thousand! Not a Credit less!"
"He lacks the most important armor parts, the electrical wiring is visible, and you call it a good shape? You really have to change the way you see the word because this droid clearly isn't in a good shape. I'll have to spend some additional Credits for the repair parts, and this will cost me also my time, and I don't have much of it. You have to lower the price."
"Lower? How low are you expecting me to go? These are difficult times. The debt the droid covered was a large one."
"I'm not interested in your life story, Ithorian. You will lower the price" Revan said, waving a hand in front of the seller's face. Such influencing on others' minds wasn't bringing him any sort of joy, but right now it was necessary.
"I will lower the price" Ithorian repeated absentmindedly. "Three thousand Credits."
"It's still a little too much" Revan insisted, adding even more of the mind control. "Drop to two thousand, and we have a deal," he said, looking Ithorian directly in the eye. The mind control trick worked its magic.
"Two thousand then," the seller said. Revan smiled victoriously.
"Here. Take this" he said, handing him few Credits chips. He turned around only to see Bastila watching him closely with a look that could kill, and her hands crossed on her chest.
"What?" he asked, pretending as if he didn't know what she was trying to tell him by her posture.
"It troubles me to see you behaving this way" she replied with the same look that could have ashamed even Master Vrook Lamar himself. "Such acts can lead to the Dark Side" she added. Revan burst out laughing at that.
"I'm sorry, but hearing you lecturing me about the lure of the Dark Side is quite funny. After all, you aren't so immaculate. We spent the previous night together, remember?" he asked her, not caring if the rest of their team could hear him. Bastila's face turned into a deep shade of red.
"That's something different," she said, still trying to look down on him. She earned yet another series of laughing from Revan.
"And just how exactly is that any different?" he asked, wiping a tear of amusement from the corner of his eye. "Both go against the Jedi Code, which I don't give a fuck about."
"Next week," she said through clenched teeth. "you sleep in your own quarters." With this, she turned around and left the shop.
"It's really interesting to see you two arguing" Canderous commented. Revan turned around to see the three men standing next to the wall. They all had somewhat amused expression and were suppressing laughter. Revan looked at them with a criticism written on his face.
"There's nothing to laugh at" Revan snapped at them. "Better count for something and drag HK to the Hawk. I got the make some repairs on it" he added, turning around to leave. He ignored the still laughing three men, and walked outside.
He expected to see Bastila somewhere around, but she was nowhere to be seen. When he tried to reach to her through their Force Bond, he found out that she blocked him. He smiled somewhat unwillingly under his nose. Even if Bastila was an adult, and, by all means, was a woman now, she still could act like a girl. Especially when it came to reacting to being ashamed publically. That's something that still hasn't changed in her since she was a little Padawan girl.
He decided to let her go. Perhaps she needed some time on her own, or maybe she was on her way to the Ebon Hawk? He didn't know. Nevertheless, she couldn't go anyway far – she had to be somewhere in the city. If only she returned before the nightfall. Nights on Tatooine could be dangerous, even in the city.
Abandoning all thoughts of Bastila, he walked towards the Ebon Hawk. He might as well spend the rest of the day on repairing HK-47. The twin suns were already starting to set, and soon the night would fall. He wouldn't go for the Star Map today, that was sure.
He got to the Hawk rather quickly. Fox, Rex, and Canderous were right behind him, with HK walking on its two legs, though his walk was somewhat unstable. Revan was certain of one thing: he would spend a LOT of time on repairing his favorite killing machine.
He had no idea how much time passed since he returned to the Ebon Hawk. Could be minutes, or maybe hours, or maybe even a day. Lack of any clock could make one's life misery, but, nevertheless, he was content with the result of his work.
In front of him HK-47 – the best assassin machine this Galaxy has ever seen – was now repaired, and could stand firmly on his two legs. In the cargo hold of the ship, he found some parts that allowed him to remake the main body armor, and to patch up some loopholes every here and there. The last thing was programming.
Even if he remained somewhat the same, one thing was different. He didn't have his assassination protocols activated. This, and he still didn't recognize him. Something was wrong with his programming, but Revan still didn't know what.
He was checking the most complicated part of all of his electrical wiring – his head. It was a masterpiece indeed, but finding something in this was almost impossible.
Almost.
It took him yet another long while, but Revan finally found what was responsible for HK's dysfunction. A restraining bolt. It was a standard ploy of the droid sellers. It made sure that the droid wouldn't run away from its owner, but at the same time it was cutting back some of the droid's programming. With little to no effort, he removed it, tossing it aside. It seemed that everything was now fair and square, so he turned the HK unit on.
Its eyes glowed red immediately, and, after initializing some of the processes, it straightened itself up, looking at Revan.
"Greetings: Welcome, purchaser. Thank you for purchasing me from that pathetic meatbag Yuka Laka. I was wasting myself right there, and now I can put my skills to a good use. Query: Do you want me to annihilate someone for you? It's been a while since I killed some meatbag."
"Welcome HK" Revan replied with a smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you last time. I wondered where have you gone missing."
"Amazed statement: Excuse me, master, but I don't recall us ever meeting before, and if we did, we wouldn't be speaking, and… Commentary: I am… experiencing something unusual, master. My programming is activating my deleted memory core. I believe I have a… a homing system that is restoring it, master."
"Do you recognize me now, HK?" Revan asked with the same smile.
"Answer: Yes, I do, master. It seems that the homing system deliberately restores my deleted memory core upon… Upon returning to my original master."
"I was worried that I've lost you, HK" Revan commented, patting the droid's shoulder lightly.
"Observation: this was very meatbag-alike, master. Please, do not do it ever again to me. I can't stand this all water in your body, master. Commentary: How the constant sloshing doesn't drive you mad, I have no idea."
Revan laughed loudly at that. Apparently, HK was all safe and sound.
"Query:" HK continued on. "Where are we, master? Am I supposed to begin shooting? Just say the word, master."
"No HK" Revan replied, holding back yet another laughter. "We're amongst friends, and no shooting is necessary."
"Resignation: You're such a cruel master, master" HK replied with something that could be described as a sigh, if a droid could do so. "Query: But can I at least sever them? This won't kill them, but will allow me to stretch myself from the recent… stagnancy."
"Later, HK" Revan replied with yet another small laughter. "I promise."
"Resignation: Ah, as you wish, master" he replied, with a very human-like, resigned statement.
"I don't think I want to know where you found this droid the first time" Canderous commented. He was standing against the doorframe, with his hands crossed on his chest.
"I've made it myself" Revan replied, still not looking at the Mandalorian. He was still busy with cleaning after repairing HK-47.
"You did it yourself?" Canderous replied, repeating what Revan just said. "I didn't suspect you we were also an engineer, besides a warrior."
"Well, as you see, I have also a brain, not only muscles."
"Commentary: I do not know that meatbag, master. How can you be sure that he doesn't have any hostile intentions? Query: Can I deprive him of a limb or two, master? This way you would be sure that this meatbag can be trusted."
"Meatbag?!" Canderous exclaimed, straightening himself. "I'll show you a meatbag, you little trash compactor!"
"Answer: Come and do your best, meatbag. I'm sure you'll make a good punching bag."
"Relax, Canderous" Revan stepped in, before the Mandalorian and the droid could start fighting. "This is a part of its programming."
"Its programming?!" Canderous repeated, not believing his ears. "This piece of trash just called me a 'meatbag'!"
"Clarification: Not 'piece of trash', you pathetic meatbag, but fully capable protocol droid. I know over a million of the Galactic dialects, as well as dozens of martial arts. I'm specialized in assassin protocols."
"Yes, its programming" Revan continued on, pretending not to hear HK's interjection. "That's how I made it. I just found the term 'meatbag' very… amusing."
"Huh" Canderous replied, shrugging his arms. He still was watching HK with a mistrustful gaze.
"Trust me, you'll like this unit. Much of his programming was based on the Mandalorian behavior. Especially, his lust for combat. Just give it a chance. It'll continue on calling you a 'meatbag', but it won't mean that it doesn't like you. It's just its way to communicate with the others."
"Mandalorians do not call others 'meatbags'!" Canderous snapped at him.
"It's not something that I intended to add to its programming. It just came along. HK used this term for the first time to describe Malak. Since that time, I've made him use this term on everyone. Except for me, of course."
"You're kidding me" Canderous replied, quickly forgetting what HK previously said. "It called Malak a 'meatbag'? And how did he react?"
"Oh, he just felt offended" Revan replied with a laugh. "He turned around on his heel and acted like a princess. For two days on I couldn't stop laughing when I saw him."
Canderous laughed loudly at that. Imagining one of the most powerful Sith in the Known Galaxy acting like that could entertain literally anyone.
"I think I can find some way to find a common ground with that droid" the Mandalorian commented.
"Commentary:" HK interjected once again. "Just please make sure to stand few feet from me. This constant sloshing of your body fluids is really driving me mad, and now I'm imprisoned on the ship full of meatbags" it said. Revan and Canderous only laughed at that.
Okay, so there was another chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Now that we have HK in the crew, we can have some more fun every now and then XD. Just as I said earlier, I'm writing also another story, so the frequency of updating 'Price of the Sacrifice' won't increase very much. I won't abandon this story, and as I said, I will write sequel and prequel, but it will take me some time, so please be patient. As always, I encourage you to leave a comment, and add this story to your favorites, if you haven't done it yet. And if you're looking forward to seeing some 'Dark Side Revan', then please be patient. It will be included in this story, but later, as well as a duel between Master Vrook and Revan. Okay, with this said I'll rest a while, and I'll start writing another chapter, so see you guys next time!
