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Chapter 6
The rain was pounding for the sixth day ceaselessly. There was no dry place in the Republic camp, except for the makeshift Command Center that was locked a few hundred meters from the trenches. The ground beneath the soldiers' feed has long since turned into a mud that was sticking to anything. The grass has perished under their boots, crumpled into the wet dirt. The constant moving across the camp left plenty of holes in the ground where the rain could gather and create puddles.
Dxun's atmosphere perfectly imaged the ambiance amongst the Republic soldiers. No words other than orders were being spoken. Everyone was busy with their regular routines that helped to kill time like clearing weapons, which was crucial in the conditions like that. Others were eating the daily rations that did nothing to satisfy hunger but still they were better than nothing.
Everyone was soaking wet. The military uniform was stuck to their bodies, causing everyone to shiver out of cold every now and then. In the trenches, a few of the Republic soldiers were standing, keeping guard. The heavy weather condition was making it impossible for any sensor device to be used so they had to leave a few soldiers on guard in case of any potential attack from the Mandalorians.
The stalemate was what Revan hated the most. He joined the Republic forces over a year ago and something like this was happening to him for the first time. In few months he got so used to turning out victorious in each battle that the siege of Dxun that began around four months earlier was driving him crazy.
He was sitting in the makeshift Command Center with Meetra and Alek and few other Jedi Generals and the Military Generals. Admirals Jimas Veeltra, Noma Sommos, Saul Karath and Forn Dodonna were with the Republic fleet, fighting in other corners of the Galaxy. Studying closely the Dxun's maps and the latest reports, Revan was trying to come up with any plan possible. His soldiers were eager for a fight and the slow moving forward of their trenches – two kilometers north per week at its best – wasn't satisfying their needs.
They haven't seen a single Mandalorian for over a week now. It was something that worried him greatly. Of course, the lack of casualties wasn't that thing that troubled him. It was the sudden silence from their enemies. Usually, they were quickly coming up with some aggressive plans, doing their best to slow down already the sluggish progress of their campaign on Dxun. Many times in the past four months the Mandalorians tormented the Republic soldiers, sending a few scout teams to harass them but never before have they stopped bothering them for longer than a week. Which is why Revan was worried now and, unfortunately, the Force wasn't carrying with Itself anything, other than the cries of pain and suffering from the countless men and women who were fighting on the Demon Moon.
He would curse his intuition if it wasn't for what happened in the next few moments, that has fully occupied his attention. Suddenly, their deadly silent camp was filled with loud sounds of explosions, and screams of shock and terror, soon followed by cries of pain and yelling for the medics. Revan and his top Generals left the makeshift Command Center, running into the camp. What they saw left an image in their minds they would never possibly get rid of.
The Mandalorians have bombarded them.
Many of the Republic soldiers were laying on the ground, either dead or seriously injured. Revan was unable to do anything other than walk amongst the people that have put their trust in him, believing that he was destined to lead them to victory. Now, they were laying in mud, killed on the uncivilized celestial body or crying for the medical help. The rain has mixed with blood and other body fluids.
Revan and his top Generals watched in horror as the soldiers were struggling to get up, slipping on mud and falling into puddles of blood that was either their own or of their companions.
Few seconds have passed since the bombs have fallen on their camp, though to everyone they seemed like hours. But after those few seconds the most horrific thing happened that written itself in the memory of everyone who was still alive.
Combined with rain, blood and body parts started dropping out of the sky onto the Republic soldiers.
The thing that broke Revan out of the spell was a severed arm that fell directly onto his hooded head. He blinked few times, snapping out from the stasis. Soon, other limbs followed, hitting him or other Generals, forcing them to find some kind of a shelter.
They ran amongst the soldiers lying in the mud, who were pleading for help. They ignored their requests, running back towards the Command Center, splashing mud and blood around them. Few times one of them tripped over a severed part of someone's body, almost falling onto the ground.
Suddenly, another bomb exploded, not far from them, causing the Generals to lower down instinctively, attempting to protect themselves from the potential debris that could have flown in their direction. The explosion silenced down the screams of the Republic soldiers for few seconds, only for them to return escalated. The cries of pain were louder than before and yet another wave of blood and severed limbs began to fall down from the sky.
Then another bomb fell on their camp. And another one, and another one, immersing the Republic soldiers in anguish.
Revan woke up with a scream. The image was as fresh in his memory as if it happened yesterday. He was breathing heavily, supporting himself on the makeshift bed that he received in the Mandalorian Command Center. He managed to reach an agreement with the Mandalorian leaders and was ready to leave the Demon Moon if it wasn't for the heavy rain that kept on pounding for the last few hours that was making it impossible for any shuttle to take off. He and those who came with him received a place to rest from Bendak, being assured that nothing would happen to them.
But the similar conditions – Dxun and the heavy rain brought back the memories that Revan, as well as countless others, have tried to erase from their memories. Never before have the events of the Mandalorian Wars returned to Revan in the form of nightmares and his dream terrified him. Everything just seemed so… real. The screams, the sounds of explosion, and the heavy odor of blood, piercing through the smell of rain and mud… it was just so real to him. He took a few more deep breaths to calm himself down before rising up from the bed.
He reached out for his undershirt that was laying bundled up on the nearby chair. Despite the rain, the temperature was high enough for him to sleep without his top. He put on the black shirt and began attaching the armor pieces that were laying beneath it. He was pretty sure he wouldn't sleep any more that night.
Revan moved his hand in front of the doors, sliding them sideways. The corridor was empty and dark; the lighting hadn't been repaired in that part of the building yet. The Dark Lord of the Sith walked through the corridor, passing by the rooms that his men and Queen Talia and her escort received as the provisional sleeping quarters. He made it all the way to the large room where he was speaking with the Mandalorian leaders previously. To his surprise, he saw Fox, Wolfie, Atton and the turned-off HK sitting at the table or standing at the wall.
"Couldn't sleep?" he guessed. He received a silent confirmation from his men. "Me neither."
"No one who participated in the Dxun Campaign can sleep soundly here" Fox commented, pushing himself away from the wall he was standing at. Other two nodded their heads in confirmation.
"Even HK hates being here" Wolfie commented, aiming to lighten up the mood. The assassin droid was standing at the wall, turned-off in order to protect his system from the dampness that was noticeable all over the Demon Moon
"If he was here two years ago he would have loved this place" Revan replied, not even smiling at his best pilot's small joke.
The awkward silence fell upon them. Their recent flashbacks took away all joy from them, leaving them in deep thoughts. The only sound that could be heard was a loud pounding of the rain on the rooftop of the Command Center and on the ground outside. Every now and then they could also hear the heavy footsteps of the Mandalorians bustling about the camp. With each splash, their anxiety was rising, causing them to look nervously around themselves every now and then.
"Mandalorians accepted your terms?" Fox asked, aiming to break the uncomfortable silence even if he knew the answer perfectly well. Revan nodded his head in confirmation.
"It took them a while to reach an agreement amongst themselves but nevertheless they did. They were almost consentaneous in their decision."
"And you take their word for it?"
"Yes," Revan replied simply.
"Is it a wise idea?" Wolfie queried, raising up from his seat. "I know about their understanding of honor but no one sane in this Galaxy would follow a man who brought them to a near-extinction and slew their previous leader."
"They will follow me" Revan answered, leaving no room for 'ifs' and 'buts'. "They must follow me" he added after a few seconds.
"Is there no other way?"
Revan shook his head. "No. If we hope to win this war, we'll be needing as many allies as we can possibly get. The Mandalorians are perfect for our cause, we can't just turn them down. They are always eager for blood and we must exploit it to its fullest. As for Onderon, as an individual planet, it has quite an army. Except for the Republic, I don't think if there is any other fraction in the Galaxy large enough to support us."
"There is the Trade Federation" Fox suggested. "And the Hapes."
"I'm not going to ally myself with the Trade Federation" Revan replied. "The only thing they could possibly give us is money and we don't need that. With the Star Forge at our side, we do not need Credits to pay for the production of droids and the ships. As for the Hapes, I thought about it but I'm not sure yet. They are a closed society, ruled by women. I doubt they will be eager to ally themselves with a man, let alone Darth Revan himself."
"But wouldn't it be worth to at least try to speak to them?"
"It would be" Revan admitted. "They are skilled warriors even if they are few. Speaking of which, there are also the Echani."
"Another society whose leader you have slain" Wolfie commented. "As I recall, you didn't even appoint HK to deal with Yusanis – you killed him yourself" he chuckled.
"It may complicate a few things," Revan said quietly.
"So that's it? We have only remnants of the Mandalorian Clans and a handful of Onderonian soldiers?" Fox asked skeptically.
"For now" Revan replied. "But it will be enough."
"To take on the Dromund Kaas?" Atton asked, speaking for the first time. He chuckled nervously when he didn't receive any response. "I'm sorry, My Lord, but I've been there for quite some time and what I saw was enough to terrify me. The planet is protected heavier than Coruscant itself, not to mention the City. It is fortified even better than the Onderon when we first tried to take it back from the Mandalorian hands. Any unauthorized ship will be blown out from the sky in no time and if someone is fortunate enough from being obliterated, the shield that's spread around the City will block anything from getting inside. The City Guard is heavily armed and on highest vigilance. And there's still a matter of getting into the Palace. I wasn't able to come close enough to collect the data but I'm pretty sure that it's guarded much better than the City itself. And that's only Dromund Kaas. Their Empire is stretched throughout few other systems as well."
"Did anyone catch you?" Revan asked, focusing on the reason why he sent one of his best assassins to Dromund Kaas. Atton straightened himself up; his pride was almost palpable.
"Not a chance" he replied smugly. "They weren't even close as to guessing why I was truly there."
"Your thoughts could have betrayed you" Revan commented, looking at Atton. The man hissed after hearing it.
"You can't be one of the best Pazaak players in the Galaxy if you don't know how to hide your own thoughts" he replied, smiling cockily. His smile faded, though, when he saw Revan wasn't smiling at all. "Nothing like that happened" he clarified, this time sounding much more seriously.
"Good" Revan commented. "Do you have some sort of datapad where all that information is or are you recalling it from your mind?"
"I should have the datapad somewhere in the Star Forge or on the Leviathan. It depends on what Malak did with it."
"When we'll return to our fleet, you'll present that information to other Generals as well. It may be crucial in the next war." Atton nodded his head, signalizing that he understood.
"It should stop raining in an hour or so" Fox announced, looking out through the window. "Another hour and the ship will be dry enough to use it."
"Good. I don't want to stay here anymore. Those six months were certainly more than enough."
Atris couldn't deny that Tol Cressa's tone was slowly getting on her nerves. Of course, the Supreme Chancellor was a respected person and had control over the Republic but not over the Jedi Order, let alone the Jedi High Council. Which is why Atris was… surprised, to say the least, when Cressa DEMANDED to speak with the Grand Master. And he didn't bother to come to the Temple, no. Instead, he insisted that the Jedi Master come to his office in the Senate building. Not to mention the fact that the day hasn't even fully started yet – the sun has risen not more than two hours ago. The subtle warning she was receiving from the Force also wasn't helping at all, given that she didn't know what it could possibly mean.
She passed by the Senate Guards that didn't show any signs of noticing her. The Grand Master of the Order made her way straight to the Chancellor's office. The Senators that she passed by acknowledged her presence with nothing more than a nod of their heads. Atris didn't bother to reply in any way.
She reached the Chancellor's office rather quickly. The two Guards that were standing at the door saluted her, allowing the Jedi Master to enter. Apparently, they were instructed by Tol Cressa to let her in as soon as she reaches the office.
This time, no one, except for the Supreme Chancellor, was present. Tol exceptionally wasn't sitting at his desk but was standing in front of the large window that was located behind the chair. He didn't acknowledge her presence; he kept on looking on the vibrant life of Coruscanti people who were living so deep in the Republic Space that they were unaware of the horrors of wars. Atris walked up to the desk on the opposite side of the Chancellor's seat.
"I didn't give you a permission to take a seat" Cressa spoke suddenly in an angry, yet controlled tone. Atris rose up before she could sit down fully. She eyed the Supreme Chancellor suspiciously.
"What is it you wanted to discuss, Chancellor?" she asked in her usual cold tone.
"An interesting thing reached my ears recently, Grand Master" he replied in a similar, official tone. "The Ebon Hawk disappeared the last night."
"And what of it?" she queried, not understanding where their conversation would go from there.
"That's the ship that joined the Republic fleet in the battle of the Star Forge" he explained. "The one Revan used when you sent him to roam freely across the Galaxy."
"That wasn't my decision" she reminded the Supreme Chancellor.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was one of the Jedi Masters from the Jedi High Council who allowed that war criminal to do as he pleases without anyone controlling him. If that's the case, then you failed as the Grand Master to keep order even amongst your own." Atris said nothing to that. "But I didn't summon you here to discuss something that has happened so long ago. As I said, the Ebon Hawk has disappeared from Coruscant last night. As you pointed out, Grand Master, what of it? Well, I wouldn't summon you if I didn't think it bothered your precious Jedi Order. Apparently, you had a yet another prison break."
"What do you mean?" Atris asked. Her annoyance was rising steadily.
"I contacted someone in the Jedi Temple, not more than an hour ago. That woman that was arrested in the battle of the Star Forge and which you promised to keep a prisoner, has apparently sneaked away from your custody."
"That's impossible" she commented quickly. "No one is able to leave the Temple unnoticed."
"Without a help, perhaps" Cressa replied. "And I highly doubt she did it all by herself. Others who were traveling with her and Revan disappeared as well."
"This can't be," Atris said sternly. "If Bastila were to escape the Temple she would have needed a help from the inside. Those companions of her wouldn't be able to do anything to aid her and I doubt any of the Jedi from our Order would help her as well."
"Are you calling me a liar, Grand Master?" Chancellor asked through half-clenched teeth.
"This is Grand Master Atris to the Jedi Temple," she said through her personal communicator, ignoring the person who invited her to the office. "Contact me with the medical wing, now" she ordered after receiving a response from the other side. Tol Cressa was eyeing her now carefully, fully clenching his teeth. His lips curled up in a humorless smile when Atris dropped her communicator, not believing what she heard.
"Vandar" she muttered quietly, knowing well who was responsible for that. Her eyes slowly began to change from blue to gold.
"You failed, Grand Master" he commented. "For the second time already you have failed to keep your promise as the defender of the Republic. First, you allowed Revan to live and now you allowed someone to help Bastila escape from under your nose" he hissed. "Your incompetence is alarmingly high, Grand Master."
"Is that why you summoned me, Your Excellency?" she asked bitterly. "To humiliate me?"
"No, Grand Master. Something like that is beneath me and I certainly don't have time for that. Not yet, at least. I summoned you to announce you that you have wasted your last chance I gave you for redeeming yourself and the rest of your Order. The number of mistakes you and the other Masters did in the last few years is alarmingly high and I cannot tolerate it anymore."
"And what will you do with it, Chancellor?" she asked confidently. "Will you imprison me?" she said, almost laughing at the mere thought of it. Even if the man in front of her was the most powerful man in the entire Galaxy, there was no such thing he could possibly say or do to threaten her or the Order. Or at least that's what Atris was thinking.
"No, Grand Master. I'm not a fool and I'm aware that your magic will allow you to set yourself free pretty fast. I have something completely different in my mind. I cannot entrust the safety of the Republic to your safekeeping anymore, nor can I be sure that you won't commit anymore 'mistakes'. In order to prevent any more harm that came from your oversight, I cast you and the entire Jedi Order out from Coruscant" he announced. It took Atris a full minute to comprehend what she just heard.
"What?"
"You heard me well, Atris" he replied. It didn't escape her attention that he didn't refer to her as the 'Grand Master'. "You and your Jedi friends are bound to leave Coruscant in the next twenty-four hours."
"Or what?" she asked challengingly.
"Or you shall regret that you didn't listen to me right now. I have ordered the troops to start destroying your Temple in twenty-four hours. It's not my concern if someone remains inside. In my opinion, you could all just stay there and perish together with your precious Temple, I don't care. Consider it to be my goodwill that I warned you about it. Pack your things and leave Coruscant."
"I think you allow yourself for far too much, Chancellor" Atris replied angrily. Her exasperation was clearly noticeable in her voice and she was doing nothing to hide it. "You have no power over me let alone the Jedi Order."
"And that's where you're mistaken, Atris" he replied quickly, holding firmly his ground. "My order is to make sure that the Republic is safe and I can do whatever I think is necessary to ensure it. The recent actions of the Jedi Order made me question if you are really worthy of calling yourselves the defenders of peace in the Republic. Your recent actions and mistakes brought almost as much harm to our people as the Mandalorian Wars. You are not welcomed here anymore, Atris. Leave Coruscant or perish together with your Temple."
"You can't!" she insisted.
"Yes, I can, Atris" he replied immediately, not backing down under the cold and hateful gaze of his conversationalist. "I heard that the birthplace of that religion of yours was on Tython. Feel free to go back to your real home" he added with a wry smile. "That's all I wanted from you, Atris. Go back to the Temple till it still stands, pack your things and leave Coruscant. You have twenty-four hours."
"If you think you can intimidate me, then…"
"I'm not trying to intimidate you, Atris" Tol said, interrupting her. "I just degraded you and you have to cope with you. If you won't do it on your own, my Guards will make sure you will" he added pointing at the two men who were standing at the door. "That's all I wanted from you, Grand Master. Have a nice day" he dismissed her, turning around to face the window again.
Okay, that's it for today. Sorry for the delay, I'm really trying to post updates on weekends but sometimes it's just impossible :( so I ask you all for forgiveness. Also, I tried to make the conversation between Atris and Tol as good as I could so feel free to comment it. Let me know in the comments below what you think about this chapter and the story overall as well. See you in a week.