A slight delay occurred because I was ill, sorry. The amount of reviews under the previous chapter is… unsettling XD. Please, spare those few seconds to write your thoughts about my work. It really helps me. Also, my winter holidays have just started so it's possible that the next few chapters will be written quicker and perhaps I'll post even two updates per week. Oh, and by the way, thank you all for 1000 views :D.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 4
"Bastila cannot stay here" Vandar stated. Hours have passed since the Council meeting and now he and two other Masters were wandering across the empty halls of the Jedi Temple. Knights and Padawans have already retired; the Temple Guards were the only ones still up. "She's not safe here."
"I agree" Nomi replied. She remained in deep thoughts since the middle of Bastila's trial. Jolee's revelation about what happened to the young Padawan terrified her.
"We must hide her" Lonna observed. Vandar nodded, agreeing with the Master. "Far from Atris's and the Republic's reach. As long as Bastila remains on Coruscant, she still is in danger."
"How could she even suggest something like that?" Nomi queried, looking directly in front of her. "That violates most of the lines of our Code!"
"Atris stopped listening to the Code long ago" Vandar observed. "She doesn't care if her decisions will go against the fundaments of Jedi beliefs as long as it will allow her to do as she likes."
"But removing the pregnancy? You know she's not going to stop until she has it done her way."
"Which is the exact reason why we must hide Bastila" Vandar replied.
"She cannot stay anywhere in the Republic Space" Lonna commented. "We have to take her somewhere to the Outer Rim, far from Atris and the Senate."
"It can't be any random planet" Nomi observed. "Even with her young age, Bastila is extremely strong in the Force. Giving how much time she spent with Revan and that she's carrying his child now, it won't be difficult to find her." Vandar nodded in agreement.
"We'll have to act quickly" he stated. "The Chancellor will not let her out of his sight for a split second. We must be careful."
"But we can't wait with this forever. The longer we wait, the easier it will be for Atris to find out about our intentions."
"That's also true" Vandar nodded in assent. He would say something else if it wasn't for the patrol of the Temple Guards that passed them by. The three Jedi Masters lowered their voices, not wanting to alert them. "We should act now."
"Bastila is locked in the hospital wing," Nomi said. "That place is not secured well, but nevertheless, she won't be left without any guards. If we chose to do it now, we must be wary as to not alert them."
"There's still the matter of leaving Coruscant" Lonna observed. "Our disappearance will be quickly noticed. Not to mention the fact that all of the Republic ships are registered in the database and require a permit from the Main Command. We won't make it."
"No one said that it is us who need to leave" Vandar countered. "We should remain here to watch Atris to make sure she doesn't do anything… reckless. Bastila's companions will go with her. She can trust them and she needs persons like them with her now. But it wouldn't be wise to send them alone. Not to mention that the Republic pilot, Carth Onasi, or whatever his name is shouldn't come with them. He is loyal to his superiors, which is not a flaw but it can prove to be disastrous in this matter. I think it would be for the best if one of us accompanied her."
"I will go" Nomi volunteered. "Bastila is going to need someone experienced. I'm not downgrading that blue Twi'lek who came with her, but she still is just a child. I've been through pregnancy myself and I know perfectly well what Bastila will be going through. I will be able to help her get through this."
"What about your daughter?"
"Vima is already an adult woman. She'll manage on her own."
"Very well. Lonna and I will remain here on Coruscant and we'll keep our eyes on Atris. We shall inform you if anything goes wrong here."
"And what about the transport?" Lonna queried. "We still don't have that one covered. The public transports are monitored by the Republic security and there is no sense in thinking about hijacking one of the military ships."
Vandar pondered on that for a while before replying. "The ship they arrived in, the Ebon Hawk, shouldn't be in the Republic database yet. It's located in the main hangars not far from here. And if the reports about this ship are correct, it is a pretty fast one. They may be able to outrun any possible chase."
"And where are we supposed to hide her?" Nomi asked.
"Take her to the Telos System" Vandar declared. "Even if it's in a close relationship with the Republic, it's a perfect place for a Jedi to get lost. Echo of the Malak's assault still runs strong across the Galaxy, scaring out those who can hear it. That planet is a wound in the Force – a perfect one for Bastila to hide."
"The best place to hide her… is the last place the Republic and the Jedi Order would expect her to be in" Lonna observed. "And even if someone will come searching for her, he will be overwhelmed by the omnipresence there."
"Lonna, go for Bastila's companions and head towards the main hangars. I and Nomi will meet you there once we have Bastila out of the hospital wing."
"May the Force be with you, Masters," Lonna said before going to the guest quarters that were offered to Mission, Zaalbar, and Jolee.
"May the Force be with you, Lonna" Vandar replied, turning in the opposite direction to the hospital wing, being accompanied by Nomi who walked right next to him.
"Hold right there!" one of the Temple Guards ordered when he noticed a small figure approaching the hospital wing from the shadows. "This is a restricted area."
"I'm Master Vandar from the Jedi Council" the small figure introduced itself. "And I wish to see the prisoner."
The two Temple Guards looked at each other in confusion before replying. "I'm sorry, Master Vandar, but the Grand Master Atris ordered us to not allow anyone inside… not even the Council members. Only she and few of the Healers can enter the hospital wing" the first one said. The second of the Guards nodded his head in agreement.
"I see" Vandar commented, supporting himself on a wooden stick that recently started to be more and more useful for him. Surprising the two Guards with his speed, the Jedi Master turned around as if in purpose to walk away, only to turn back to face them, pushing them against the wall with the Force. Having no time to react, the Guards hit the wall hard, causing a loud crack to be heard across the hospital wing. They both collapsed on the floor unconscious. Vandar walked between them, not paying any attention to them.
"Won't Atris be suspicious about that?" Nomi queried, following the small Jedi Master.
"Of course she will" he replied, not stopping for a second. "But long ago I stopped caring what she thinks. We've made a mistake by choosing her on the place of the Grand Master and we must suffer the consequences now but I'm not going to allow her to harm Bastila nor her child."
"Well, that's it for a discretion" she commented quietly.
Together, they both hurried through the hospital wing, heading towards the place where Bastila was held. Encountering no resistance on their way there, they quickly reached the only occupied room in the entire hospital wing. Not even the Healers were present here during the night.
Nomi used the Force to slide the doors open. They cracked a little in a protest what meant that they were locked up before the Jedi Master unlocked them. Bastila was asleep, laying on the bed that was located at the far end of the room.
"Bastila" Nomi spoke softly, moving her hand on the young woman's forehead. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly before she woke up. A grimace of fear crossed Bastila's face when she saw someone standing above her. It quickly disappeared, though, when she noticed a carrying smile of Master Sunrider.
"What… what's happening?" she asked quietly. Nomi had to actually make an effort in order to hear her.
"We're taking you out of here, Bastila" Vandar replied, appearing from behind the taller Master. "Rise up" he ordered.
"What?" she asked, still not fully comprehending what the Jedi Master meant.
"We'll explain on the way, Bastila" Nomi answered. "We have to make our way out of here before anyone will notice what's happening."
"Do you have any belongings here?" Vandar asked.
"Yes," Bastila nodded in affirmation. "My robes."
"Pack them. You won't be returning here. Oh, and let me remove this thing" Nomi said, bringing her fingers closer to the neural disruptor that was locked around Bastila's neck. The young Padawan smiled with gratitude when the metal ring stopped muting her connection to the Force. She caressed her neck as if massaging it.
"Hurry, Bastila. We don't have much time" Vandar urged her on.
The young Padawan nodded and hurried to collect her robes. Not having any sort of suitcase or anything like that, she carried it in her hands when she and the two Jedi Masters made their way out of the hospital wing.
Passing the two Guards who still were laying on the ground unconscious, the three Jedi turned right, heading straight to the exit of the Jedi Temple. Vandar did his best to keep up with the two women, though soon it started to become more and more difficult for him as his age and the need to use a walking stick caught up with him. Luckily for them, or thanks to the Force, they were able to make their way through the Temple unnoticed.
Surprising the two Temple Guards who were standing at the exit of the Jedi Temple, Nomi knocked them both unconscious just as Vandar did at the entrance to the hospital wing. Moving carefully, the female Jedi Master unlocked the heavy doors manually, not using the Force for that. Creating a small aperture large enough for a human to fit through it, she walked out from the Jedi Temple, being closely followed by Bastila and Master Vandar. There, on the landing pad, Lonna Vash was waiting for them with the Ebon Hawk prepared for a departure.
"What's going on here?" Bastila, whose senses have already returned to her, asked after noticing the ship that she used to travel with recently.
"You're not safe here on Coruscant" Nomi replied, not looking at her. She was practically dragging her towards the Ebon Hawk. "And we have to get you off of here as soon as possible."
Dragging her hand even stronger, the Jedi Master signalized that the time for more questions will be later. Bastila could only comply as they were approaching the ship. Lonna walked up to meet them.
"The ship is prepared for the departure" she announced. "Though her crew is not enthusiastic when it comes to leaving in the middle of the night. It's a miracle I managed to drag them out from their beds at all."
"Thank you, Lonna," Nomi said, embracing the Jedi Master. The woman returned the gesture.
"Safe journey, and may the Force be with you" she replied with a warm smile that was mimicked by Master Sunrider.
"Come on, Bastila" Nomi urged the younger woman on, dragging her to the ship's interior.
"Nomi, one last word of a warning," Vandar said before they could disappear inside of the Ebon Hawk. "Do not use the Force. Atris will not give up on her and she will not rest until she gets her. If you use the Force, you'll only announce your position. Live as if you weren't connected to the Force until I or Lonna contact you. We'll keep you informed about Atris's plans. Now go!"
Nomi nodded, sending them both silent goodbye, before fully entering the ship with Bastila right behind her. Soon, the Ebon Hawk's engines roared to life and Vandar and Lonna watched as the ship floated high into the air, making its way through the upper layers of the Coruscant's atmosphere. After few minutes, it disappeared entirely from their sight, causing the two Jedi Masters to return to the Temple.
"How was the meeting with the Queen?" Fox asked when Revan reunited with them.
"Surprisingly well" he replied, stopping in front of his men. "She wasn't particularly fond of the fact that I made a deal with the Mandalorians but she'll have to learn to live with that."
"So we're returning to the Star Forge now?"
"No. Back on Taris, I met one of the Field Marshals – Gorse Bendak. He's waiting for me on Dxun with the remnants of the Mandalorian Clans and that is where we go now. Also, Talia insisted on being present during the negotiation with the Clans so we'll be going in a little larger squad compared to that we arrived in."
"What happened to the title of 'Queen' before the name of Her Highness?" Fox teased.
"I reminded our host of our common past" Revan replied, earning yet another knowing smirk from his men, though it went unnoticed by the Dark Lord due to the helmet his man wore.
"I'll go prepare the ship" Wolfie announced, only to be stopped by Revan.
"It's not necessary. Talia said that we'll use one of the Onderonian transports, designed specifically for the travels to Dxun and back to Onderon."
"When do we set off?"
"As soon as Talia gets ready. What can get pretty long, giving that she's not only woman but also a queen" he chuckled slightly. "But be ready at any time. We'll have to leave this system as soon as possible and I have a feeling that the negotiations with Mandalorians will take a while."
Contrary to what Revan said, Talia appeared in the hallway much quicker than he expected. Dressed in her usual formal attire, the queen of Onderon left the Throne Room, accompanied by a squadron of her Royal Guards. Revan and his men received back their weapons when the captain of the Guard arrived at the head of his squadron.
"I think we are ready to go" Queen Talia announced.
"Very well" Revan commented. "We shouldn't allow the Mandalorians to wait too long, should we?"
"No, we shouldn't. Let's go" Talia ordered, passing the Dark Lord, heading towards the hangar of the palace. Queen's men, as well as Revan and the group of four that came with him, made their way in the direction where the planetary transport was located in.
The hangar Guards saluted when they arrived. Queen Talia returned the gesture with a nod of her head. They entered the shuttle, allowing the Onderonian pilots to take a seat in the cockpit. The rest of their small team took the passengers' seats, buckling up. It was odd for Wolfie and Atton to not pilot the ship but, nevertheless, they complied, fidgeting nervously in their seats.
"Ignite the main engines" one of the pilots ordered.
"Ignite the main engines, eye" the second one replied, working at the console.
"Enabling the stabilizers. Prepare for the takeoff."
As soon as those words escaped the pilot's mouth, the ship shook slightly, leaving the ground of the hangar. They left the palace and soon flew over the walls of Iziz, heading in the direction where the Demon Moon was floating steadily above the planet. The mere thought of landing on Dxun sent shivers down Revan's spine. He spent the fourth part of his contribution in the Mandalorian Wars on that moon and he wasn't very enthusiastic as to landing there again. He could still hear the screams of his men dying under the heavy assault of the Mandalorian artillery.
The Demon Moon was approaching steadily. More and more flying beasts that lived natively on Dxun began to appear in front of their transporter; some of them even hit them straight at the viewport. Soon, the jungle surface came into view, allowing the passengers to clearly see the trees and other forms of life.
"We're entering the atmosphere" the pilot reported. Their ship began to shake again as they left the vacuum of space. "Hold on. The landing may be a little tough." As if in confirmation of his words, a lightning almost struck their transporter, missing them only by centimeters. "Sorry" the pilot apologized after another violent bump that shook their ship.
"There is a clearing in a sector nearby" the second pilot reported. "We can't fly any further under these conditions. I'm putting us down."
The small team unbuckled themselves when the transporter was put safely down on the ground. The loading ramp was lowered down, enabling the humans and the droid to leave the ship. Immediately, the heavy air of the Demon Moon made its way into their lungs, causing their breathing to get a little louder. If it wasn't for the rain, most probably they would have already begun sweating, due to the heavy jungle climate.
"Be careful" Revan warned them, taking place at the front. "Something much worse than the Mandalorians hides in these woods."
"Remain on guard" Talia ordered her men. Her six men formed a protective barrier on both sides of their team, keeping their weapons at ready.
"Observation: This rock is one big mud" HK complained after stepping into a pool of wet ground, splashing it around himself and on the men around him.
"Quiet, HK" Revan hushed his droid. "Stay calm. We're being watched" he warned those who walked behind him. Revan's and Talia's men looked nervously around, seeing nothing but the dense forest of the jungle.
Soon, they found themselves at the large clearing, somewhere in the middle of the jungle. Raising his hand in a sign for others to stop, he kneeled on the grass, checking something that, apparently, only he could see. Those who were following him looked nervously around as Revan kept on looking at something on the flat ground that was now soaked wet due to the rain that kept on pounding heavily on the moon.
"Weapons at ready" Revan ordered, raising up. He drew both of his lightsabers, but still not igniting them. His men looked even more nervously around.
"Statement: There are no life forms here" HK reported, scanning the area around them.
"Don't let your sensors fail you, HK" Revan replied. "They're closer than you may think."
As if in confirmation of his words, a full squadron of Mandalorians surrounded them, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Talia's men immediately lifted their weapons, bringing them closer to their faces. Revan's men did the same, aiming their rifles at the remnants of the Clans.
"At ease, men" Revan raised his hands, calming them down. "We're not looking for a fight," he said, addressing the Mandalorians who were pointing their rifles at them.
"Too bad" the one in a red armor replied. "Because we hate intruders. And we love a good fight and I'm sure that a Jedi like you could live up to our expectations."
"I'm not a mere Jedi" Revan replied, taking a few steps forward.
"Your mask means nothing" the Mandalorian replied. "For all we know, the true Revan is dead. You can be just a simple imposter who picked up his mask."
"I came here to speak to Gorse Bendak – a man who rallied you. And I demand that you take us to him."
"You're in no place to make any demands, Jedi."
"Your leader won't be happy if he finds out that you shoot us down" Revan countered. "Actually, I'm sure that he's waiting for me. In fact, I was the one who ordered him to rally the remnants of your Clans. Take us to Gorse Bendak. I will not tolerate any more refusals. So I think that it is you who is in no place to make any demands" he said, though the Mandalorian didn't move in the slightest. "You will take us to your leader" Revan added, empowering his words with the Force. It did the trick
"We will take you to our leader" the Mandalorian replied with an emotionless tone. "Move on!" he ordered to his men. Revan smiled beneath his mask.
"You worried earlier on how we would be supposed to find the Mandalorians, Talia. I told you not to think too much about that." The queen of Onderon said nothing to that.
Led by the group of Mandalorians, Revan and those who followed him made their way through the dense jungle, often hooking against the plants that were growing in the forest. Apparently, the Mandalorians had already a consistent route through the woods, cause all the time they were going alongside a trampled down ground where the grass wasn't growing anymore.
It wasn't long before they reached an even larger clearing that was filled with tents and makeshift command buildings. Dozens upon dozens of Mandalorians were walking in every direction or remained focused on clearing their weapons. No matter what they were doing, they all lifted their heads when a scout garrison brought the outsiders. The agitation amongst the remnants of the Clans was even greater when one of the intruders turned out to be Queen Talia herself.
"I came to speak to your leader!" Revan announced when they found themselves in the middle of the Mandalorian camp. None of them said a word.
"What's the meaning of this?" one of the Mandalorians shouted, making his way through the crowd of the skilled warriors. "Blast it!" the man in the yellow armor of the Field Marshal exclaimed after seeing those that were brought to their camp by the scout garrison. "You continue to surprise me, Jedi. Just like on Taris."
"It's good to see you, Bendak" Revan replied, risking a step ahead. His action caused a few Mandalorians to raise their weapons.
"I've followed your orders but I started to worry when you didn't reply to my message. Not to mention that those I managed to gather started questioning my decisions. But, nevertheless, it's good to see you too. Where is Canderous?" he queried after noticing that the old Field Marshal was not amongst Revan's men.
"Unfortunately, killed."
"It's sad to hear it. Canderous was a good man."
"I know. I couldn't guarantee him a death worthy of a Mandalorian, but I gave him a worthy farewell. I assure you that he joined the army of the Mandalorians in the afterlife."
"At least one good news" Bendak commented. "But let's not mourn him now. There will be time for that later. Now, our men would wish to find out why I was gathering them here in this wasteland."
"Very well, let's not make them wait. Mandalorians!" he shouted, addressing the people standing around him. "I was the one who ordered Bendak to gather you. I gave this order because I am the New Mandalore. I slew my predecessor on the bridge of Conqueror over Malachor V." He raised his hands to his head in order to remove his mask from his face. "I am Revan of Clan Raven."
Okay, that's it for today, please let me know what you think about this chapter and see you in the next update that, most probably, will come out in 2-3 days. Also, if you wonder how Vandar and Nomi knocked those Guards unconscious, watch the scene from Revenge of the Sith when Yoda enters Sidious's office and knocks the Imperial Guards unconscious ;).