Hello guys, I have an update for you. I've finally started rewriting 'Price of the Sacrifice'. YAY. I have already remade the first 6 chapters, so there's still much to be done but I've finally started doing it. First of all, I've corrected many grammar mistakes so the story will be much easier to read, and second, after reading a few of the reviews, I've changed some of the events that happened in those chapters. The biggest change is in Revan's trial – I've made it more… realistic I guess? Most importantly, I've deleted some shitty scenes, and others have been altered so it's not Revan vs. Atris and Vrook anymore, but Revan vs. the entire Council. I haven't published it yet, because I want to rewrite the entire story before I update it but I wanted to let you know that I'm already working on it and you will be notified when I'm done correcting it. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy 'The Tragedy of Revan' and if you do, make sure to write a comment after reading.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 28
All twelve Jedi Masters were sitting in their armchairs in the Council chambers in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They were staring at the door, waiting for Meetra to enter the room. They didn't have to wait long. Meetra entered the chambers, walking confidently, though her eyes were unfocused. Her body showed that she was self-confident, but her mind wasn't there. She didn't record the exact moment when she appeared in front of the Jedi High Council.
"Do you know why we have called you here?" Vrook asked her. His voice was cold, and his eyes were piercing her, hoping to find a way into her soul. Meetra shivered unwillingly under his gaze, though she remained straightened out. She refused to look down, but she wasn't looking at the Jedi Masters either. Most of the Masters were looking at her accusingly, wordlessly showing their support for Vrook's attitude towards her. She knew that there was no hope for mercy. Not after what she had done at Malachor V.
"I came because I wanted to," Meetra replied proudly, making sure that her voice could be heard in the chambers. She wouldn't show remorse if they were not willing to show her forgiveness. "Not because you summoned me."
"As Revan summoned you," Kavar spoke. She turned to look at her old master. Even he wasn't showing any signs of sympathy towards her. Once again, she felt betrayed by them. "So you have come full circle to return to the Jedi."
"Why did you defy us?" Zez-Kai-Ell asked her. His gaze was a little softer but still harsh, as was his voice. "The Jedi are the guardians of peace and have been for centuries. This call to war undermines all that we have worked for."
"Is Revan your master now?" Atris asked. Out of all of the Jedi Masters gathered in the chambers, her gaze and her voice were at most filled with the accusation, that came dangerously close to hatred. Meetra looked at the Grand Master of the Order as she spoke. "Or is it the horror you wrought at Malachor that has caused you to see the truth at last?"
"You have shut us out," Zez-Kai-Ell spoke again. "And so have shut yourself to the Galaxy."
"You are exiled," Lonna Vash announced. Meetra looked at her with disbelief. The words cut through her like a blade, penetrating her very soul. She felt that blade stop at her heart, though it remained embedded in there. Meetra expected to be punished after returning to Coruscant, but not to be exiled from the Order. "And you are a Jedi no longer!"
"There is one last thing," Vrook said. Meetra didn't look at him at first, still watching Lonna with disbelief as clear as day on her face. "Your lightsaber – surrender it to us," he ordered.
She didn't realize she was holding her lightsaber – the weapon she used to cut down countless Mandalorians on some distant planets – until Vrook demanded her to let it go. Meetra turned her gaze from Lonna to Vrook slowly, gripping the metal hilt with full strength. She noticed that Atris, and a few other Masters, moved their hands to their lightsabers, anticipating some form of aggression from her side. She had to admit that the temptation to attack the closest member of the Jedi Council was almost too strong for her to resist.
"Meetra," Master Nomi spoke, sensing the anger that threatened to take full control over her. She was in the closest proximity to Meetra – no more than four meters away from her. If the younger woman attacked, she would be her first target. She decided to take that risk, though. "Don't do anything you might regret later," she said, attempting to calm her down. Meetra looked at her, still clutching her lightsaber. Nomi seemed not to care about her increasing anger, though she knew that it would be foolish to underestimate the old Master. Meetra, just as many others, was well aware of Nomi's actions during the Great Sith War, and she was sure that age didn't compromise her abilities in any way.
Meetra diverted her gaze from the old Jedi Master, directing it at the center stone in front of her. She clenched her teeth and activated her lightsaber, focusing the attention of other Masters on herself. She didn't attack them, though. Directing all her anger into her actions, Meetra stabbed her weapon into the structure in front of her and turned around on her heel. She left the Council chambers quickly, refusing to say anything to them. The door was shut behind her with a hiss.
"Much defiance in that one," Kavar commented with a sigh. He rubbed his forehead, watching carefully Meetra's retreating form.
"You were correct, Kavar," Lucien Draay said, also watching the door. "When she was here, I felt it. It was as if she was not there, more like an echo."
"The war has touched the youngest of the Order," Lonna commented. "Many of them have lost themselves in the battle against the Mandalorians."
"We have not lost a Jedi this day," Atris declared firmly. "You felt it… she has lost herself. She is no Jedi – she walked Revan's path, but she was not strong enough," she said, looking at every Jedi Master.
"I fear it is our teachings that may have led Revan to choose the path he did," Nomi commented, rubbing her eyes.
"We are not the ones who taught him," Atris countered firmly.
"We take responsibility, Atris, not cast blame," Vandar replied, scrutinizing her with his eyes. "Besides, Revan learned under some of us, and even if not all of his teachers are here, we are responsible for creating them."
"The choice of one was the choice of us all," Kavar agreed, nodding his head. "Revan's teacher intended no harm. And Revan had many teachers since."
"Yet they all stem from the same source," Atris countered. "Her master is long dead, and I refuse to take responsibility for her teachings. They violated the Jedi Code, and lead all who listened to the Dark Side, as they did Meetra."
"You are wrong," Lonna disagreed. "The Dark Side is not what I sensed in her. Surely, the rest of you felt it as well. That emptiness we felt… she has changed," she stated.
"Whatever that wound was, it was of the Dark Side," Atris countered. "We should not have let her depart. She will simply join Revan again, or perhaps worse!"
"What would you have done with her, Atris?" Zez-Kai Ell asked, reprimanding her. "Be mindful of your feelings! That was not Revan who stood before us. This one walks a different path."
"No, although that may come in time," Kavar agreed, thinking about what has happened. "We let her go because we must. Where she travels, she carries her destination with her."
"Malachor V should have been her grave!" Atris exclaimed, clenching her fists. "You saw it in her walk, and in the Force. It was as if she was already dead!"
"No," Master Q'Anilia disagreed. "Not death. Many battles remain for that one if what we have seen is true. But the future is a shifting thing, and she cuts like a blade through it," she explained. Her face remained emotionless, partially hidden behind the veil that was covering her eyes.
"We should have told her the truth," Vandar spoke for the first time, leaning forward in his armchair. "A Jedi deserves to know," he said, earning a few nods of agreement from some of the other Masters.
"No good would have come from it," Vrook countered, shaking his head. He ran his hand through his grey hair. "Even if what you believed was true. There is still the matter of Revan, and such truths could leave us vulnerable on two fronts."
"And what of Revan?" Nomi queried, watching Vrook carefully. "He disappeared; we don't know where he is."
"The war didn't end for him yet," Atris commented. "If it did, he would have returned to us as she did."
"Are you so certain that he would, Atris?" Vandar asked. "She has returned because she was… scarred on Malachor. I doubt Revan or Malak have suffered the same fate."
"Perhaps in many years, we will call her before us and explain what happened to her and how she may be healed," Kavar offered, changing the topic. They would talk about Revan later. "Until then, she must accept her journey."
"But she may never discover the truth," Raana countered. "And she will never know why we cast her out."
"Then that is the future we must accept," Xamar replied, straightening himself in his chair.
"Those Jedi sure like their secrets, don't they?" Atton commented sarcastically when the record was over. T3 beeped sadly.
Meetra was stunned. She didn't remember much of that day; it was as if she was in some sort of a trance. When she contacted the Jedi Council during her return to Coruscant after Malachor V, she expected to receive some sort of help. She was sure that they would punish her, but overall, she was sure, that they would at least listen to what she had to say. Instead, they've judged her and sentenced her in a matter of a few short minutes.
And the holo record reminded her exactly what has happened all those years ago. The feelings she thought she had forgotten, were reignited, burning within her with full strength. Anger was the strongest one.
"So they knew what has happened to me," she commented quietly, addressing those words more to herself than to any of her companions. "They all did," she added, clenching her fists. For a split second, she considered returning to the Academy on Telos and attacking it with everything she had, only to get to Atris. "Those last few moments after my trial… I had no idea," she said louder, making sure that everyone else heard her. T3 beeped a few times nervously.
"Does she?" Meetra asked, surprised after hearing what the little droid has said. "Sure, display it," she ordered, and T3 plugged himself into the holo table again, showing what else he had found.
It was a small file, not even a holo record, but it took Meetra no more than a few seconds to realize that it was extremely important. T3 displayed the list of all Jedi Masters of the late High Council.
Master Atris: Telos, Master Vrook Lamar: dead, Master Kavar: dead, Master Lucian Draay: Taris, Master Lonna Vash: unknown, Master Zez-Kai Ell: Nar Shaddaa, Master Raana Tey: Korriban, Master Nomi Sunrider: unknown, Master Vandar Tokare: unknown, Master Q'Anilia: Dxun, Master Xamar: dead, Master Feln: dead. Meetra was surprised after finding out that most of them were dead, or their whereabouts were unknown. She didn't know if it was a pleasant surprise or not, though.
"Why are they all in hiding?" Meetra queried after examining the file. It was strange for the Council to scatter like that. Until that moment, the Jedi never went anywhere alone, always in pair at least. "All of them who judged me are now scattered across the Galaxy," she noticed.
"A strange coincidence," Bao-Dur commented, rubbing his chin.
"It is no coincidence," Kreia countered. "There is some larger plan at work here. And we are walking right into it," she added, turning her head in Meetra's direction. "This is too convenient to be anything but a trap."
"Be that as it may, those Jedi know what has happened to me," Meetra countered. "And I'm going to get that information from them, whether they're willing to cooperate, or no. Besides, we will need their help against the Sith," she added, earning a nod of approval from Kreia. "We have to find them," she decreed. "Atton, plot a course for Korriban," she ordered, addressing the pilot of the Ebon Hawk. The man nodded, accepting her words. "What better place to start than the homeworld of the Sith?" she asked rhetorically. "Hopefully, Master Tey is still there," she added.
"Those are Atris's records you have stolen!" a cold voice rang through the halls of the Ebon Hawk, startling everyone. Meetra turned around, only to see one of the Grand Master's handmaidens.
"What the hell are you doing on our ship?" Atton asked, instinctively reaching for his blaster. Meetra clenched her fists upon seeing the young woman who entered the main room of the Ebon Hawk as if she belonged there.
"I have come to join you," she replied immediately as if it was obvious. Meetra huffed at that, crossing her hands on her chest. "I can help you against this threat," she added after noticing the Exile's cold gaze. She lifted one of her eyebrows, judging if the handmaiden's words were true.
"Well, we don't want your help," Atton countered, taking a few steps in her direction. Although he was a dozen or so centimeters taller than her, the handmaiden refused to back down, accepting the challenge. She looked him straight in the eyes. "Or any of your sisters'" he added, standing right in front of her, towering over her.
"If it comforts you to believe that, then so be it," the handmaiden countered, also crossing her arms on her chest, refusing to look down. "But the enemies you'll face are many, and you will need all the help you can get, just as you've told Atris," she added, directing her gaze towards Meetra, who was still watching her without saying anything. The Exile's brow was still raised, and after hearing the handmaiden's words, her second eyebrow joined the first one, disappearing behind her hair.
"Indeed?" Kreia queried, scrutinizing the young woman with her unseeing eyes. "But of course, what does one more matter to our journey?" she asked rhetorically, shaking her head. "I have had enough of this," she informed the rest and turned around on her heel. "I'll be in my chambers," she said, leaving the main room of the Ebon Hawk.
"Yeah, me too," Atton replied, also turning around, heading towards the front of the ship. "I'll be in my chambers," he added sarcastically, trying to mimic Kreia's tone. "But since I don't have any, I guess I'll just go to the cockpit like I always do," he said, shaking his head. He almost disappeared behind the walls before he turned around suddenly. "If she's coming with us," Atton said before he reached the cockpit. He was pointing his finger at the handmaiden. "She gets the cargo hold," he decreed. "Might remind her how funny it is to get locked up," he finished and disappeared in the hall that led to the cockpit, leaving Meetra, Bao-Dur, and T3 to deal with their guest. The little droid beeped uncertainly, looking at the Exile.
"General?" Bao-Dur asked, letting her know that the decision was her to make. Just as he did during the Mandalorian Wars, he allowed her to deal with that situation as well. He never made the decisions himself – he always remained in her shadow.
"The cargo hold is enough," the handmaiden assured her immediately. "I assure you, there is little I need. I will attend to myself," she added quickly.
"Fine," Meetra agreed reluctantly. "But if I see that you're not able to keep up, we're dropping you in the next system, no matter where that might be," she added. She turned around and walked towards the crew quarters, leaving the handmaiden alone. The young woman nodded her head and went to the back of the ship, quickly finding the room that was supposed to be her home.
After making sure that Meetra wasn't going to visit him, Atton locked the door to the cockpit. Switch the face of plus/minus 2, and the total is…, he kept playing Pazaak in his head, counting cards. After so many years of doing it, it became a habit that was almost impossible to break away from, coming dangerously close to addiction. But he learned long ago that it was a necessity.
He did as he was tasked, and set the coordinates for Korriban. It didn't take long for the Ebon Hawk to leave Telos and disappear in the hyperspace route. He turned his head around, observing the metal door that led to the corridor. No sound was coming from there, allowing him to get full privacy. It was time to send the report.
He wasn't willing to risk the Exile seeing him contact Revan again – the voice report wasn't an option at that moment. Without wasting time, Atton began typing his message, turning around in his chair every once in a while when he thought that he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. But no one entered the cockpit.
The message was simple - he only informed Revan about their recent actions and their current destination. It didn't take him more than a dozen or so minutes to send his report.
He didn't have to wait long for a response. Revan replied almost immediately, and just like the report, his answer was short as well. But there was one sentence that caught Atton off-guard. I'm sending someone to watch over you – she'll be helpful in your quest, the message said.
Atton leaned back in his seat, exhaling loudly. He had to admit that he felt hurt. It seemed that Revan didn't trust him to get the job done. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms on his chest. But there was nothing else he could do about that. He knew better than to question Revan's decisions; he was a soldier after all. But it didn't mean that he had to like the orders.
"General, may I ask you something?" Bao-Dur asked after gently knocking on the door that led to the crew quarters. Meetra was kneeling on the floor, meditating. It was the first time she did it since the day she was exiled, and she was surprised after realizing that it actually helped her find peace in her mind. She opened her eyes slowly, looking at the Iridonian mechanic that seemed to be hesitant to enter the room as if he was afraid of breaking her privacy. She nodded her head. "Is there a reason you don't carry a lightsaber anymore?" he asked with his gentle voice, whispering the question. He was almost afraid of saying those words. Meetra smiled at him.
"Atris and the Jedi Council took it from me," she reminded him. "You saw it on the holo record, don't you remember?"
"That's not your lightsaber anymore," Bao-Dur countered, shaking his head. "That belonged to someone who served under Revan in the Mandalorian Wars, not the person you are now. You could build another one," he said, still refusing to enter the room. "If you wanted to, of course. But you know that" he added, scolding himself.
"Ever since I remember, I was raised to believe that the lightsaber is a Jedi weapon," Meetra replied calmly. "When I was cast out of the Order, I've lost every right to carry it. I know it might seem odd that I obey the Council's decision after so many years, but… it's just difficult to simply forget everything that used to guide me through life," she revealed to him, closing her eyes. During her exile, she thought many times about acquiring a new lightsaber. After all, there were many ways to get one. She could build a new one, as she did over twenty years earlier when she has chosen her path as a Jedi Guardian, or she could purchase one on the black market. There was plenty of merchants who offered to sell it, especially near the end of the Jedi Civil War.
She had to admit that it would feel good to hold a lightsaber again – the familiar weight in her hand that would remind her of the many campaigns that she took part in during the Mandalorian Wars. The metal hilt, that represented everything that used to matter to her when she was growing up. But in the end, she refused to betray the teachings of her masters. That's why she has never decided to carry a lightsaber again.
"But now you have returned from the exile," Bao-Dur countered. "You've already served your sentence, and now is the time for you to return to the Jedi Order. I've been watching you, you know?" he asked her, earning a surprised look from Meetra. "You have this… glow that I'd seen years ago, during the war," he explained. "I don't know how the Force works, but if you said that you had lost it after the Mandalorian Wars, I think It has returned to you already."
"When the Council exiles someone, they exile them for the rest of their lives," Meetra replied, standing up. She leaned against the wall. "I have returned from the exile, that is correct, but I can't return to the Order. Not now, at least."
"I understand, General," Bao-Dur commented. "But that doesn't mean I have to agree with what you're saying. I've seen many Jedi in my life. You are the last one that would deserve to be exiled, in my opinion."
"Thank you, Bao-Dur," Meetra replied with a genuine smile. She walked towards the Iridonian and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You've always been very kind to me."
"When you think that you can carry a lightsaber again, I can help you build one," he offered, gripping her hand. He smiled at her as well. "I know that it is a part of who you are. Without it, you're not complete."
"I know it," Meetra agreed, retreating her hand. She brushed her hair that has fallen on her face. "But I'm not sure if I can do that right now. I appreciate the offer, however," she added quickly, smiling at him again.
Before Bao-Dur could say anything, T3 rolled into the room, beeping loudly. Meetra was surprised by that, not expecting the little droid to be in such a hurry. Only when she focused and listened to what he was saying, she understood why he was so nervous.
"An assassin droid?" she asked in disbelief. "Here?"
T3 beeped in response, confirming it.
"I'm right behind you, General," Bao-Dur informed her, reloading the rifle that was strapped to his back. She nodded at him and followed the little droid that returned to the main room where everyone was gathered not so long ago. Meetra watched T3 approach the small door, right next to the corridor that led to the cockpit. The little droid beeped nervously, hiding behind Meetra's legs.
The Exile shook her head, astounded by the droid's reaction, and cautiously pressed the button that controlled the door. It slid with a hiss, revealing a small room that served as the storage compartment. In accordance with T3's words, an assassin droid was lying there. It was almost identical to the unit Meetra has encountered on Peragus, though it looked much older than that one. From what she could see, this droid was turned off. It had a small hole at the back of his hull. Meetra relaxed visibly.
"Why were you so afraid?" Meetra asked, looking at T3, who was still hiding behind her legs. The little droid beeped a few times. "It's turned off," she informed him. T3 beeped again. "But that brings up the question: how did it get here?" she asked, though she didn't expect to receive an answer.
"You know this droid?" Bao-Dur asked, walking past her. He knelt next to the assassin unit, examining it.
"Not exactly," Meetra admitted. "But I've encountered a similar droid back on Peragus. It tried to kill me," she revealed to him.
"This one looks to be mostly fine," Bao-Dur commented, still examining the droid that was lying on the floor. "And I've had the pleasure of encountering a few HK models in the past. I might be able to repair it. Those droids can be extremely useful, and they're not that cheap."
"One of those units has tried to kill me already," Meetra countered, crossing her hands on her chest. "I think I'd rather have this one scrapped to pieces."
"I don't think it's a good idea, General," Bao-Dur replied. "I can do some work on this one and return it to its previous glory. And I can reprogram it to serve you."
"I'm not sure."
"General, please trust me," Bao-Dur said gently, standing up. "I can work on it in the meantime while I'm repairing the ship," he offered.
"I trust you, Bao-Dur," Meetra replied softly. "It's the droids I don't trust," she added, earning herself a small kick from T3. "Except for you, of course," she said quickly, patting the small droid on his head.
"Please, General," Bao-Dur pleaded gently. "It might still be of use to us… to you."
"Fine," Meetra agreed reluctantly, sighing heavily. "But the Ebon Hawk is your top priority right now. Now please, excuse me, but I think I should check on our newest passenger."
Okay, that's it for today. Please, leave a review.