Welcome back! Thank you all for your feedback. I'm glad that new people are also commenting. It pleases me greatly. Also, keep in my mind that if more and more of you leave a review, it makes me want to write another chapter even faster.

Also, I think I have to explain something. One of the anonymous reviewers has said that Revan swearing and smoking is something he doesn't buy. I agree with it wholeheartedly, but let us look at it from another perspective.

Revan right now is around 30 years old, and this is the third war he participates in. I've never been at war (thankfully), and I hope I'll never be (hopefully), but I'm pretty sure it can make someone a little… darker, I guess? Also, let's not forget that he's fighting to keep his wife and his son safe, so he's stressed like hell, especially that he's losing this war. As for smoking, I'm a smoker myself, and I know how much it helps to calm down, even if only temporarily. So, in my opinion, at least, swearing and smoking can get along with Revan's character, wisdom, and intelligence. BUT you can think otherwise, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 30

"Wake up!" a voice next to her shouted, startling Meetra. She opened her eyes, only to find herself back in the cave, though this time it was illuminated by blue light. She was gasping loudly, looking frantically around. Her mind was filled with the images from the tomb, especially with how Atton came to her and shot her. "Calm down, Meetra," the same voice said, and only then Meetra noticed who was standing right next to her. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar face of Master Lonna Vash. "You're safe."

"What?" she asked, not believing her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asked, quickly standing up. She noticed immediately that Lonna's ignited lightsaber was the source of light. She backed away instantly until she hit the stone wall behind her.

"I think it's fair to say that I have managed to rescue you," Lonna replied with a small smile, pretending she didn't notice Meetra's reaction. "So I guess I should be the one to ask you that question," she countered. "I must admit I've never expected to see you again after… you know what."

"I came to Korriban looking for master Raana Tey," Meetra informed her, still eyeing the blue lightsaber cautiously. "I want to know what has happened to me all those years ago."

"Raana is here?" Lonna asked, sounding surprised. "That's strange that I wasn't able to feel her through the Force," she commented, looking at the ground. She was lost in her thoughts, contemplating what Meetra had told her. "Well, I guess I should expect that after living for over five years away from the Jedi Order," she added, looking back at her. Meetra looked questioningly at her.

"What do you mean away from the Order?" she asked, watching the Master carefully. "I thought that the Jedi would have never scattered?"

"And did you travel with another Jedi during your exile?" Lonna replied with a question, looking at her with a subtle smile that was supposed to calm Meetra down. "It can be said, that I have followed in your wake after I had met the same fate."

"You have been exiled?" Meetra asked, wanting to be sure that she understood her correctly. Lonna replied with a nod of her head.

"I, and Vandar, were cast out shortly after the end of the Jedi Civil War," she clarified. "I bet Nomi would have suffered the same fate if we didn't help her run away from Coruscant before it happened."

"Why?" Meetra couldn't help asking. A wrinkle appeared on her forehead when she frowned.

"Because we have finally realized our mistake of electing Atris as the Grand Master," Lonna replied. Meetra wondered for a few seconds if she should be asking so many questions at once. After all, they hadn't parted on good terms all those years ago. But the Jedi Master didn't seem to have anything against that.

"Took you long enough," Meetra countered with a serious voice. Lonna only sighed heavily.

"If you want me to tell you what has happened, you might want to sit down," the Jedi Master said, turning off her lightsaber. The part of the cave they were in was, again, consumed by darkness. Meetra listened to her suggestion and sat down, finding a single rock that would separate her from the ground.

Lonna filled Meetra in details of the Jedi Civil War and everything that has happened since she has been exiled from the Order. The ex-General of the Mandalorian Wars listened mostly in shock, especially when she found out about Revan's captivity. She found it difficult to control her emotions when Lonna told her what the Council tried to do to him. It took the Jedi Master some time to explain to the Exile that they have failed to do anything to her friend, despite their best efforts.

"And after the final battle of the war, Revan sent Bastila back to the Jedi Order, claiming that she wouldn't be safe with him. We've found out then that Bastila was pregnant with his baby, and Atris…"

"Woah, woah, woah, hold on a second," Meetra interrupted her. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Bastila is pregnant?" she asked, wanting to make sure that she didn't mishear.

"Was," Lonna corrected. "I have never been a mother, but I'm sure that the pregnancy wouldn't last for five years," she said, chuckling slightly. Meetra laughed as well, nodding her head.

"Well, that means I'm an aunt," she joked. Lonna laughed at that.

"Yeah, the worst hidden couple in the history of the Jedi Order has finally made it public," the Jedi Master commented, still chuckling slightly. "What?" she asked after noticing Meetra's questioning look. "You think that only you and Malak knew about them?" she queried, guessing what the Exile was thinking. "Oh, please. There wasn't a single Master who was unaware of Revan's and Bastila's relationship, though we had nothing more than suspicions. We've got the first real confirmation of it when we were judging Revan. That was also a part of the reason why we've sent Bastila to capture him. It was a risky gambit – we weren't sure if their confrontation would weaken her or him, but it paid off in the end. At least that's what we thought," she added shamefully, recalling the events of Revan's trial.

"Why were you trying to kill him?" Meetra asked. Lonna's words reminded her of what she had learned from her about Revan's captivity. "Why were you trying to kill a defenseless prisoner?" she clarified, demanding to know the truth.

"Defenseless?" Lonna asked, sounding amused. "Believe me, Revan was all but defenseless. You should have seen Atris's rage when he has managed to cast us out of his mind while having no control over the Force whatsoever. It's fair to say that we were defenseless against him back then."

"What happened to him after the war?" Meetra asked, reluctantly accepting Lonna's explanation. She had no way to check if her words were truthful, but she was willing to believe her, at least temporarily. "I've heard that he has disappeared. Also, you haven't clarified why you have been exiled," she reminded her. Lonna sighed heavily.

"Yes, he disappeared," Lonna confirmed. "That's all I know. I haven't seen or heard from him for five years now. I knew that he remained in touch with Master Vandar, but I haven't been able to contact him for some time now, so I don't know if that's still true. As to your second question, when we've found out that Bastila was pregnant, Atris was enraged," she said, examining Meetra's reaction. "She ordered her to remove the pregnancy," she whispered shamefully, looking at her feet. Meetra's eyes widened at that.

"She did what?!" she exclaimed, enraged, standing up from the rock she was sitting on. "That bitch," she commented, considering returning to Telos once again.

"Calm down; it didn't happen," Lonna quickly said, attempting to make Meetra control her emotions. The Exile was breathing heavily. "We've managed to send Bastila away to safety," she informed her. "And I can assure you she's under the best protection we could have provided her with."

"Where is she?" Meetra asked, looking at her expectantly. "And who is with her?"

"Nomi went with her," Lonna said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Meetra trembled slightly, though the Jedi Master seemed not to notice that. "We've sent them to Telos. She and her son are safe," she assured her.

"Atris is on Telos," she replied. Her face paled, though it went unnoticed by the Jedi Master. "They're in danger!" she exclaimed.

"I assure you they're not," Lonna countered quickly. "Even if Atris is there, she won't be able to find them. Trust me, we've seen to it," she attempted to calm her down. Meetra looked down shamefully.

"I haven't seen her for so long," she admitted. She was breathing shakily. "I haven't seen her for ten years," she clarified with a small sob. "I've always considered her to be my little sister, you know?" she asked Lonna, still not looking at her. "And I've failed her when she needed me most. If only I knew what she was going through, I would have returned earlier," she added.

"Don't blame yourself, Meetra," she comforted her. "You couldn't have known. We all failed each other in the past few years," she admitted hesitantly. "We've all made mistakes we're ashamed of now. Besides, it wasn't your duty to protect her. At least not after Revan married her," she clarified. "He is the one who should be with her."

"That stupid son of a bitch," Meetra commented, though hatred couldn't have been heard in her voice. Lonna nodded her head, silently agreeing with her words. "How did you find me here?" she asked, getting rid of her thoughts about Revan.

"I've been hiding in this cave for some time now," Lonna informed her. "I sense everything that's going on in here, and so I've felt you coming to this place. I've tried to find you before you encountered that cursed tomb, but I was too late," she admitted. Meetra lifted her head after hearing those words. She has completely forgotten about the recent events in the depths of the cave.

"The tomb," she whispered, recalling everything that has happened there. Her eyes widened after a few seconds. "Two of my companions were with me," she informed the Jedi Master after a moment of hesitation. "They were with me in that tomb. And… others were there as well."

"Impossible," Lonna disagreed immediately. "Unless they were Jedi, they couldn't have entered that tomb. It is hidden from those who haven't been trained properly in the ways of the Force," she clarified. "And I haven't felt another Jedi in here," she added.

As if on cue, the two women heard the yells that were coming from the depths of the cave. The sound was slowly getting louder, signalizing that, whoever that was, was coming closer to them. After a few seconds, Meetra was able to recognize those two voices as those belonging to Atton and the handmaiden. It wasn't long before Meetra noticed the shapes of their bodies not far away from where they were. Her face paled again.

"There you are," Atton said after seeing her. He sighed loudly with relief. Her pilot was panting heavily; he bent in half and rested his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths. Meetra couldn't help taking a few steps backward after seeing him. "Where were you?" he asked after a few seconds. "We've been looking for you for two hours now," he clarified. Meetra failed to find the strength to answer him.

"You have shot me," she replied after making sure that her voice wouldn't fail her. She whispered those words. "In the tomb," she clarified. She noticed with the corner of her eye that the handmaiden was standing right behind Atton. She gasped again, recalling how the young woman hit her with her staff.

"What are you talking about?" Atton asked, not understanding what she was saying. "What tomb? We didn't find anything here."

"Don't lie to me," Meetra countered, still watching him carefully. She was waiting for him to draw out his blaster and point it at her again. "I know what I have seen."

"Sweetheart, we have been separated," he informed her, approaching her cautiously. Meetra tried to back away again, but the wall behind her made it impossible. She gulped loudly. "We didn't know where you were until this moment. We've searched the entire cave but couldn't have found you."

"She's telling the truth. She was trapped by the power of the Dark Side in a tomb of an ancient Sith Lord," Lonna replied for her, sensing Meetra's uneasiness. "I've managed to find her before it was too late," she informed the Exile's companions. Only after hearing her speak, Atton had noticed another woman standing right next to Meetra.

"What?" he asked, not understanding what she was talking about. "What tomb?" he asked her again. "And who the hell are you anyway?" he queried, directing his words to the Jedi Master.

"The one in which you have attacked me," Meetra replied, looking at Atton warily. She was standing next to the Jedi Master, keeping a safe distance between herself and her two companions.

"Don't blame him for what you have seen, Meetra," Lonna countered, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Meetra trembled slightly from the touch again. "You have entered the tomb of Ludo Kressh, but none of your companions could have followed you. It's hidden from those who are not trained in the ways of the Force, remember?" she reminded her. "Whatever you have seen was the result of the Dark Side, not the actual events. I am Master Lonna Vash," the woman introduced herself, turning towards Meetra's companions. "Though I think I should only call myself Lonna Vash right now," she clarified, chuckling slightly. Meetra shook her head.

"It was too real to be just a vision," she argued. "The handmaiden had attacked me, and Bao-Dur has shot me. Then, Atton walked to me and shot me in the head," she explained, pointing with her finger the exact spot where the blaster bolt made contact with her body. Only then did she realize that she should be dead if that had been real. "Oh," she said, after a few seconds. Atton chuckled unsurely.

"Meetra," he spoke softly, getting her attention. He took a hesitant step forward, keeping his hands in front of himself. "I would never do such a thing," he promised her. "I would never hurt you," he added, looking her straight in the eyes. Even in the darkness of the cave, Meetra could see his hazel orbs shining brightly.

The Exile wasn't sure what dictated her next actions, but before she realized what she was doing, she found herself wrapped around Atton. Her arms encircled his neck, bringing him closer to her. She rested her head against his shoulder, allowing a few small tears to escape her eyes. She marveled at the warmth of his body, even if they were separated by clothes. It was a pleasant contrast to the chill of the cave and the icy coolness of the tomb.

Atton was stunned by Meetra's sudden actions. The hug was the last thing he has expected from her. Fighting off the initial shock, he brought his hands up, wrapping them around her back cautiously. He returned the embrace gladly, though awkwardly.

"Well, if that's the result of you going into that tomb, perhaps I should encourage you to go there again," he commented, chuckling slightly in order to attempt to break the awkwardness that began filling the air as their hug continued. Meetra pulled back a little after hearing his words and punched him in the arm. Atton let out an unmanly yelp.

"That's what you get for being a dick," she replied in a serious tone, though she was smiling lightly. Atton only rubbed the sore spot on his shoulder. The handmaiden remained silent, deciding not to comment on their behavior. Meetra sobbed again slightly.

"I must admit I'm surprised that you have managed to enter that tomb," Lonna commented after wondering about that for a while. Until that moment, she remained silent, observing the interaction between Meetra and Atton. "It seems you have found the Force again… and something else, I see," she added with a knowing smirk. Meetra blushed at that, though it went unnoticed in the darkness of the cave. "I'll be honest with you, I didn't believe that would ever happen," she revealed. "Not after what I've felt from you when you stood before us eight years ago."

"What do you mean?" Meetra queried, looking at her questioningly. "The Council has cut me off from the Force," she said, remembering her anger at the Jedi Masters. Lonna lifted her eyebrow.

"Do you really believe we have done this to you?" she countered. "Blame us all you want, but, deep in your heart, you know it's not true. You've come to us because you had stopped feeling the Force," she said, looking her straight in the eyes. "Something has happened to you during the Mandalorian Wars, something that has deafened you to the Force, but we had nothing to do with that."

"Then what has happened to me?" Meetra queried, demanding to know the answer. "I am familiar with how the Jedi punish their own. And each and every one of us was the subject of the arrest warrant, and I'm sure that the Council is responsible for that."

"That's true," Lonna confirmed. "Every Jedi who followed Revan, Malak, and you to the Mandalorian Wars had an arrest warrant, but we've never punished anyone except for you. And all we have done was cast you out. We did not cut you off from the Force. We have wondered what has happened to you, however. When you stood before us, it was unlike anything we have ever felt. Trying to understand what has happened to you has given us countless sleepless nights, but we have failed to grasp what has caused you to lose your connection to the Force."

"And you didn't think I deserved to know it?" Meetra asked, reluctantly accepting Lonna's explanation. "I have seen the record of my trial and what has happened after I left the Council chambers. You knew back then that something has happened to me, and yet you've chosen to keep that to yourselves!" she accused the Jedi Master. Atton exchanged wary looks with the handmaiden, deciding not to interfere with their discussion. The servant of Atris has made a similar decision.

"Believe me, Meetra, there is much about that day that I wish we'd done differently," Lonna said with a sad look on her face. "During my exile, I have come to despise almost everything I've ever stood for and what mattered to me, what defined me," she revealed, not looking at her. "The teachings that I believed wholeheartedly to be correct have failed me, and the other Jedi, in our greatest time of need. The teachings of our masters, which didn't allow the Council to see what Exar Kun would have become, have blinded us during the Mandalorian Wars… and after. That's why I came here. I've assumed that going where Revan did would make me see where the Jedi teachings have failed. So when the time comes to rebuild the Order, we would be wiser than we used to be," she justified herself, not daring to look at Meetra. The Exile was watching the Master carefully, sensing that she was telling the truth. She wanted to be mad at her, to be angry with the entire Council, though she couldn't deny that Lonna's words were convincing.

"And have you succeeded at that?" she asked finally, not really knowing what else she could say. Lonna nodded her head, smiling lightly.

"I did, though it was the hardest lesson I ever had to learn," she admitted. "Like you, I used to be the prisoner of Ludo Kressh's tomb and its dark power," she revealed, looking at her feet. "I don't know how much time I've spent there, but I have died there countless times, and yet, I've always been reborn again. I have faced the moments of my past in which I've failed others the most, including you. I was trapped in the never-ending cycle that has only stopped when I have managed to overcome my past choices and weaknesses. I don't wish anyone to go through what I did, and that's why I have followed you into that tomb as soon as I have sensed you had entered it," she revealed, looking at her. "This place is strong with the Dark Side, and I feared I might lose myself in here, but when I've felt your presence, it was like a beacon of light has appeared in front of me, destroying the shadows that were surrounding me. So I guess it's fair to say that I am your rescuer as much as you are mine. Thank you, Meetra. And I'm sorry for everything we did to you… For what I did to you," she added, surprising the younger woman.

"You're welcome," the Exile replied hesitantly, not expecting to hear those words from any member of the Jedi Council, ever. "And… please, don't mention it," she added, talking about her trial.

"Now, as I've understood, you came here looking for someone," Lonna replied, changing the topic. "I think you should return to your task at hand. We've spent too much time in this cave, and I'd gladly leave this place," she admitted.

"You can come with us if you want," Meetra offered. She guessed that it wouldn't hurt to have a Jedi Master in their team. It would certainly prove helpful in the challenges that were awaiting her. "There's enough room on our ship for you to join us."

"I think it might be a good choice," Lonna replied after a moment of wondering about Meetra's offer. "It would be nice to see some Galaxy instead of this rock," she joked. Meetra chuckled slightly.

"We're not leaving Korriban yet," she announced. "I'm heading to the Sith Academy in the Valley," she informed her. "And I'll gladly use your help, Master."

"I'll come with you," she replied, finally accepting the offer. "And please, call me Lonna. I'm not a Master anymore," she added, smiling genuinely at the Exile. Meetra returned the smile.

"Let's go then. I have had enough of this rock as well," she said, turning around in order to head towards the exit of the cave.

"Great," Atton commented after sensing that he could say something as well. "But how are we going to leave this place? I mean, this cave is a labyrinth, and we've been running through it for so long that I have no idea where the exit might be," he informed her, scratching the back of his head.

"I can lead us out of here," Lonna offered, stepping forward. "The Dark Side is strong in this place, but it will also help us find our way out. Besides, I've spent so much time here that this cave holds little secrets from me now," she added.

"Lead the way… Lonna," Meetra said, testing her name on her tongue. It felt… odd to address the Jedi Master in such a way.

"Before we go, I want to give you something," Lonna said, turning around towards Meetra. "I've found them in the Valley, and I took them for safekeeping," she said, searching for something in the pockets of her robe. Meetra's eyes widened when she saw what Lonna pulled out.

"Is that a…?"

"Lightsaber," she finished for her, handing two metal hilts to the Exile. Meetra accepted them gladly, marveling at the familiar weight of the Jedi weapon. "We did wrong casting you out from the Order," she said, looking at the Exile who was watching the lightsabers carefully. "I've passed the sentence, and I can undo it. You are a Jedi, Meetra," she announced. The younger woman lifted her head after hearing those words. Small tears of joy escaped her eyes. "And you deserve to carry a lightsaber again. May they serve you well in the trials ahead."

Meetra didn't reply with words. Instead, she ignited both of the weapons, illuminating the cave with a blue light. For the first time in eight years, she felt whole.

Okay, I must admit it was a difficult chapter. Nevertheless, I hope you all have enjoyed it. Please, leave a comment down below to let me know what I'm doing good and what I'm screwing up. See you in the next update!