A discovery
- Canderous Ordo -
The sun glinted annoyingly into my eyes, hampered by a sub-par visor. Sand was collecting underneath my battle armour. What am I doing here, following these idiots? My skin chafed underneath sweaty, stifling clothes, and it irritated me that Bastila was dealing better with the elements than I was. Maybe the Jedi had some sense in mind when designing those ugly robes, other than trying to look like a bunch of pansy old women. Haar'chak, but I need to see some action.
I should have followed Jen. Now what a sight she had been yesterday, liberally smeared in blood and utterly exhausted, but still with spirit in her eyes. About kriffing time she started acting normal again.
Still, it was probably time for me to split. Take my share of the credits and find some work worthy of my skills. Onasi had already consumed significantly more than half of them, it seemed, simply for the freighter's repairs.
Ah, but that was the rub. Half the ship belonged to me, by rights of acquisition. Yet this lot wasn't going to part with the freighter on Tatooine, and I wasn't sure I felt like tagging along to some Jedi rendezvous just to get my share.
Following the Jedi princess around was about as exciting as duelling with a Mimbanite; and while Jen had a pleasing propensity for violence, her unpredictability and that odd meek act lessened the chances of a worthy battle. I'd found her amusing at first, but whatever her game with Bastila was, it smacked of female politics I had no time for.
I should go talk to some of the spacers. There was bound to be one travelling out of Tatooine in the next few days. Might head for Corellia or Nar Shaddaa. Find some mercenary work to make use of my talents.
I missed the glory of the old days. When we fought for the clans, for the honour of Mand'alor and the challenge of a worthy foe. Before the clans had been crushed and scattered, and Mand'alor's helm discarded. While it wasn't strictly necessary for a new leader, it had been disheartening when Mand'alor's victor had taken it, and presumably cast it aside. Revan may have been an outsider, but it would have been interesting if she'd decided to lay a claim to the title. The clans likely wouldn't have backed her. Ordo might have, though, if she'd consented to an adoption into the clan.
"Bah," I muttered to myself, disgusted at this lamenting of the past. The ronto underneath me squawked, and I held onto the leathery strap tighter.
Bastila had halted up ahead, busily dismounting. We were in the shade of a craggy range of cliffs to the east of Anchorhead, and the Jedi princess was busy consulting a datapad clutched in her grasp. A slight breeze wafted a film of sand against the ill-fitting visor, and I cursed again. That was idiotic, not bringing along adequate equipment. You are becoming careless, Ordo. I needed something to stir my battle instincts, and one incident a day with a bunch of poorly equipped primitives just didn't cut it.
A shame we are not further south, into the heart of the Sand People territory. They were reputedly fierce fighters in packs, but so far we had only encountered a few lone individuals.
"There is a cavern up ahead," Bastila informed me, motioning for me to dismount.
"Dark and shady places your cup of caffa, huh, princess?" I replied as I slid from the ronto's back. We had already explored three small caves etched into the weathered cliffs, all exhibiting nothing bar nocturnal bats and their respective droppings.
Bastila refused to answer, looking towards Juhani as the Cathar walked closer.
Juhani had barely spoken two words to me, presumably because of the plain and simple nature of my heritage. A shame, really, I would have liked to hear why both she and Jen had been so beaten up yesterday. But no, the Cathar had to be predictable and despise me because my people had been victorious over hers.
"It is high noon," Juhani murmured to Bastila, so quietly that I had to strain to hear. "Do you not wish to go after her now?"
Bastila's eyes tightened with irritation. Earlier, she'd thrown a fit worthy of a teenager upon discovering both her hunting licence and a lightsaber had gone missing. As amusing as the ensuing confrontation between her and Jen was likely to be, I rather thought I'd prefer to leave them to it.
"As I said earlier, Juhani, I have no idea where she is," Bastila replied, after a significant pause. Her voice was low, and I strained to hear it. "I may as well continue on with my quest until she deigns to return."
"But surely that mind-link-"
"Does not work that way," Bastila cut the Cathar off, glowering at me when she noticed I was still within hearing distance. I smirked, and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
"What?" I said innocently. All morning the two of them have been waffling on in secret. As if I give a mynock's tail about their Jedi crap. The one and only reason I had for deliberately eavesdropping was purely to aggravate the Jedi princess. I took my sport where I could find it.
Bastila lifted her snooty nose in the air, and turned her back on me. "I can sense emotions and Force use, Juhani. But not location – well, not accurately enough to be of any help. She will return." Bastila gave another angry sigh, and muttered under her breath. "She had better."
I quirked an eyebrow in interest. Most of what Bastila was spouting didn't seem to make much sense, other than she was talking about Jen. Bastila had been in a black mood all day, and the only reason I'd agreed to tag along was out of sheer boredom.
"We should get on with things," Bastila said briskly, walking towards the nearby cliff.
"Time to slaughter some more bats, then," I commented as I slung my heavy blaster over a shoulder. Taking pot-shots in the earlier caves had been a way to kill some time and severely piss off Jedi princess in the process, but it was hardly stimulating.
"You should have a little more respect for life," Bastila said softly.
I rolled my eyes. Curse you, Jen, for not asking me along today. And hadn't Bastila been ready to spit daggers when she woke and found the entire party gone bar us three.
"And you should have a little more sleep, princess. You might wake up in a better mood then."
"I had a... disturbing night," she responded, thin-lipped.
"I can feel something. This place…" Juhani murmured distantly.
Bastila blinked, looking at the Cathar in surprise. She closed her eyes, and breathed in sharply. "Yes... I feel it too."
"Feel what? The blasted heat of the sun, or the annoying mites biting at your face?" I growled. It was unlike me to get so frustrated with my environment, but I usually wasn't so ill-prepared. The cloth wound around my head didn't cover the entirety of my face. And for armour, all I have is a dented suit that looks to be a complete replica of the hideous one Davik liked to parade about in. It probably was, seeing as I'd found it on the Ebon was as ugly as it was tight-fitting. At least it is some protection. Davik wasn't a complete di'kut. I didn't want to explore the real reason for my aggravation. This planet reminded me too much of my homeworld, and too much of a glorious past that far overshadowed my present.
"No, you simple mercenary!" Bastila snapped. I swung to face her in surprise, my brows lowering in oncoming temper, when she sighed and then followed with a genuine apology. "Forgive me, Canderous. I am sorry." Her gaze was genuine on mine, even as her cheeks flushed with emotion. "I am afraid my emotions are getting the best of me."
I snorted, but nodded in acknowledgment, willing to let it go this time.
Bastila had turned to face Juhani. "Come, let us explore this cave. Be guarded, I fear the Dark Side may be strong here."
I groaned audibly. All day Bastila had been harping on about the Force to Juhani, and had even gone as far as giving the Cathar a lightsaber, after discovering that Jen had taken both Juhani's and one of hers. Now that's ballsy. Stealing a 'saber from not one, but two Jedi. I had to assume the Cathar was a Jedi, though it appeared as if the warrior spirit of her race had departed her in defiance at such a weak role. Jedi. What am I doing, surrounded by mystical fools? Jedi were powerful enough, to be sure, but most of them preferred sitting on their fat behinds and talking to each other solemnly than actually taking any action. The Sith are just as bad, with their lust for pain and needless waste. I enjoyed victory as much as any Mando'ade, but did not see the point in creating suffering unless there was a reason for it. The Sith didn't need a reason.
Bastila and Juhani had approached the mouth of the cave up ahead, and I walked briskly to catch up. The cavern itself appeared to be rather large from the outside, and my interest was piqued. Could be something in here, for a change. Maybe even Bastila's precious relic.
The two paused just inside.
"This is it. This is the cave she dreamed of," Bastila murmured to herself, as she eyed over the cavern walls and rocks.
"Dreamed?" Juhani queried. "What do you mean?"
"Uh, nothing," Bastila stammered, taking a few steps futher into the dark, musty interior. There was an unpleasant odour in the air, like that of rotting flesh. The cavern rose high, perhaps five metres or so, and stretched deep into the cliff. The light from outside did not penetrate all the way in.
"It is that mind-link, is it not?" Juhani persisted.
"Please, I would rather not speak of it," Bastila said stiffly, disappearing further into the shadows.
The rotting stench grew as I stepped deeper into the cave. "Mand'alor's balls, what is that kriffing smell?"
"I would appreciate it if you watched your language, Canderous," Bastila retorted. "Particularly around Mission, she is impressionable enough without listening to that."
She really is priceless. "I think the kid's already got an impressive vocabulary, princess," I drawled. My eyes were drawn to the sandy ground, relatively sheltered here near the opening of the cave. The light had dimmed, here, but there was still enough for me to take notice of the sand. There was something off about it.
"What is this creature? This must be the source of this smell, but I have never seen anything so large before," Juhani called out from further inside.
In the centre of the cavern's opening, the sand made a repeating pattern which appeared a common effect of the incoming breeze. But around the edges parts of it looked smoothed over. I frowned, scanning around for any tracks as I walked closer to the cavern walls to investigate. There wasn't much to see.
"That is the remains of a krayt dragon," Bastila's voice came from deeper in the cave; she had followed Juhani. "It was slain about four years ago."
"Are you sure, Bastila? I would have thought there would be... less to see, as such. Natural predators and scavengers surely would have picked the bones clean, rather than leaving it to rot for so long."
That roused my interest, so I followed them to investigate. The sand thinned as I walked further in, the ground hardening to rock under my feet. A monstrous corpse loomed before my vision as I approached, dim light from the outside world glinting on the discoloured bones. The flesh had rotted and decomposed, but Juhani was correct. Even had scavengers not found this beast, the flesh should have been completely gone by now.
"The Cathar's right," I stated. "I'd say this animal bit the dust maybe a year ago, at most."
"I said before, the dark Force aura of this place will keep most creatures away, other than mites and flies," Bastila replied. "It will slow down the decomposition, too."
More Force crap. "If your dark Force keeps creatures away, then what was a krayt dragon doing here in the first place?" I challenged.
"Some animals have a natural resistance to the Force, while others are attracted to such an evil presence," she answered. "Krayt dragons belong to the former category. Which makes it all the more impressive that this one was killed."
"Well, if you two are so afraid of this scary Force presence, then your little relic better be here," I grunted.
"It is," Bastila said, and walked around the huge rotting corpse to further descend into the bowels of the cave. I amused myself by rifling through the various decaying humanoid bodies that surrounded the has-been dragon. Looks like many hunters tried to take this thing on. I found little of use; a few grenades that were probably past their use-by date, some poor fool's holocron, and a bottle of Corellian whiskey. Now this is a find.
"Is this it, Bastila?" Juhani's voice rang out from the shadows, and a second later I heard Bastila gasp.
"Yes. The first of the Star Maps. We have done it!" Her voice was wondrous, almost; a tone I'd never heard from her before.
I heard a faint click, and the whirring of something mechanical. A glaring blue-white light blinded my vision, and Juhani gasped in awe.
"This is the source of the evil taint we can feel? What is it, Bastila?"
"A navigational chart, of sorts."
She was right, I discovered as I closed in on it. A large blue orb made of light hung in the dank air, depicting galaxies and planets of the known universe. I wonder where this map leads to, what its purpose is. I doubt Jedi princess will tell us. Bastila had taken out a datapad, and inserted it into a slot near the base of the relic. We spent several minutes in silence as Bastila tapped away on her datapad and I stared at the map of the galaxy. I could see several planets I knew, but there were some missing. I frowned. Where's Dxun? Corellia, too, is not there. Lines etched through the map that weren't hyper-lanes, but maybe directions of some sort.
"I have what I need. We should leave now." Bastila deactivated the device, and the glowing chart vanished. Thin metal arms of the device closed in on themselves as my eyes readjusted to the darkness.
Bastila turned to head back to the desert with Juhani in tow. I stayed for a moment longer to eye over this relic with interest. What had she called it? A Star Map? Bastila had also informed Onasi earlier that this was the Republic's only chance of gaining victory over Malak and his forces. Maybe if I stick with them, I'll get to see some action.
I frowned, and decided against it. I'd kill Bastila within a week. And the Republic didn't look too kindly at ex-Mandalorian heroes. Face it, Ordo, you'd have better chances with the Sith.
But there was greater honour in fighting for the side with weaker odds, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the Sith. No. I don't wish to see either the Republic or the Sith win this fight. I'm going my own way.
I noticed that the two Jedi had halted ahead, just within the entrance of the cave. The stiffness in their stance alerted me, and I pulled out my blaster, further back in the shadows. Someone or something had discovered our presence.
"How nice to see you again, Bastila Shan," a deep-throated and very familiar voice yelled from the desert outside. I stiffened in surprise. Calo Nord? My muscles clenched in readiness as I stalked forward cautiously. Not bad, tracking us to Tatooine. I was impressed despite myself. It was too much to expect him to die back on Taris. Though it sounds as if he's after Bastila, rather than me.
"Calo Nord, the bounty hunter," Bastila acknowledged. I closed in behind her, and saw Calo's shadowy figure standing outside, alone. He was also unarmed, though he appeared to be clutching some small object in one hand. That immediately raised my suspicions. "I urge you to walk away, Calo. I do not wish to indulge in any violence that is not necessary."
Calo laughed mockingly.
"It's your end, Jedi," he sneered. I lifted my repeating blaster to aim. "You and that Mandalorian worm, I know he's cowering behind you somewhere. What a shame you didn't bring your little leashed Sith Lord along. She, at least, is worth more alive than dead."
I realized Calo's intention before he depressed the trigger on whatever he was holding. It's a detonator! The ground was disturbed near the walls – he's lined this place with mines!
A deafening blast ripped through the air, and the cave wall collapsed. I had already grabbed both Jedi by their robes, and was dragging them further into the cave as an explosive wave crested over us. The ground rumbled and roared, and rocks began to spit down on us from the sides of the cavern.
"Get deeper into the cave!" I yelled hoarsely, stumbling as a rock slammed into my shoulder, dislodging my grip on the Jedi. "It's our only chance!"
Mines were still being triggered; Calo had been meticulous in his work. But the cavern was large, and we had not even closed in on its depths. It would be more stable further in.
"The Force! Juhani, help me push these rocks!" Bastila screamed. The light from outside had already winked out as the cavern mouth collapsed in on itself.
"Don't be an idiot!" I growled. "Even if you do make it, Calo will kill you immediately!"
I ran further into the collapsing cave, blinded, with gravel and dirt raining down on me. Which is better than boulders, at any rate. I didn't bother with the Jedi any longer, they would either pick the smart choice or the fatal one.
One last huge explosion ripped through the remains of the cave, and I was catapulted forward. Headfirst into that odd Force device, as rocks rained down around me.
A sharp searing pain struck my head, and then nothing.
xXx
"He's alive." Bastila's words hazily threaded through my awakening consciousness. Not the first sound I wished to hear upon waking, and with a grim sense of irony I realized this was the second time she had come to my aid when I had been knocked unconscious. "A superficial head-wound, and likely some associated concussion, but it's not serious. How are your wounds, Juhani?"
"It is nothing," the Cathar spoke softly. "Nothing compared to our current predicament."
I flexed my shoulders and opened my eyes. Nothing met them.
"Canderous, you are awake," Bastila acknowledged in the darkness.
My armoured hands felt dirt and stones on the ground. I heard a faint rumble of rocks settling somewhere above us. My head throbbed. "Ugh, I feel like I've just downed a whole bottle of Corellian whiskey. Speaking of which..." I trailed off, and struggled to sit up in search of my pack which contained said whiskey. It was no longer on my back. "Where's my pack? How long was I out for?"
"A few minutes, no more," Bastila informed me. There was silence, and then a small orb of yellow light flickered into life, reflecting Bastila's strained face and Juhani's form behind her. I winced, but took the time to look at our surroundings. We were trapped. Caved-in walls of rock surrounded us. Near all of the cavern had collapsed, barring a small section surrounding that Force relic of Bastila's.
I laughed harshly. "Calo sure knows how to do his job, the bastard." I saw my pack next to me, ripped from my back as I had fallen.
"Except that we are not dead," Bastila replied.
"Not yet, until our air runs out," I told her dryly, but she had a point. As long as breath fills my lungs, victory can still be had. I would track down that bounty-hunting slime, and disembowel him. Death by either suffocation or starvation was an insult, and I refused to give him that pleasure. "So, how'd Calo track you down here then, princess?"
Bastila stared at me in silence, her eyes widening in alarm. Her mouth opened to say something, and then closed again.
"He must have known," Bastila whispered. "He must have escaped Taris and run to Malak. Dark Jedi in Anchorhead, Calo Nord by the Star Map. My worst fears are confirmed then. Malak knows of this quest."
Now we're attracting attention from Darth Malak. And I have yet to see any credits. The ones on the Ebon Hawk didn't count, they were mine by right. "Let's just focus on getting out of here," I said grimly. What are you doing here, Ordo?
Bastila glanced around at the jagged rocks surrounding us, obviously searching for inspiration.
"Maybe- maybe you can use that mind-link to call for help?" Juhani asked softly.
"No. She has enough things to deal with, at the moment." Bastila's voice was tight with edginess. "And I am sure we can figure out a way to escape between the three of us."
"I am surprised I didn't recognize her," Juhani's voice was a whisper in the shadows. "I met her once, when I was young. She came to Taris, with- with some of her fol-"
"Please, please, do not talk of this!" Bastila cut in, her voice high and desperate.
The silence that followed was electric. And, suddenly, Calo's parting shot slammed through my mind. What a shame you didn't bring your leashed Sith Lord along. My muscles bunched, my thoughts raced.
The only Sith Lord that had any connection to Bastila Shan was-
"Haar'chak," I muttered, the dazed feeling of sheer surprise both unfamiliar and unwelcome. Calo was not the sort prone to exaggeration or misinformation. And Bastila's reaction was not what I'd expect, had he been wrong.
Revan is meant to be dead.
Dead, by the hand of Bastila Shan herself.
Could this be? One of the few Jedi I actually hold any respect for, with me all this time? An incredulous bark of laughter escaped me. "I always thought you were too weak to be the end of Revan."
The little orb of lighted winked out, depriving me of my chance to see her reaction. The silence in the dark turned icy, but I couldn't hold back the smirk on my lips. Or the renewed interest that sparked within me.
"Jedi do not kill if they do not have to, mercenary." Bastila's words lashed out in condemnation. "You will forget everything that Calo Nord has just said to us."
Her words sounded heavier somehow, and were strangely compelling. "Not kriffing likely, princess," I drawled. "Revan is the one who defeated Mand'alor, in hand to hand combat." I sorely wished I'd seen that blood duel, done in true Mando'ade style. I'd heard the stories. Mand'alor had put aside his helm, the relic of his authority, and Revan Freeflight had wagered her mask against it. A simple Mando'ade mask that she had picked up from who knew where, and had become the symbol of the Republic's resistance to our Mando'ade might.
Hah, half the galaxy might think Revan was a man, but we Mando'ade know better. The stories that came back from the few survivors at Malachor were worthy of telling. She'd removed her mask, handed it to Malak Devari, and faced our Mand'alor – a man almost half again her height and twice her weight – without a flinch. No Force, had been the set rule. And the battle had lasted hours.
Oh, I would have liked to be there in person.
She'd won, and walked away with both her mask and Mand'alor's helm.
Revan had honoured our traditions, and gained our respect. "There's even a case for her to have a claim to that title, should she consent to a clan adoption," I mused, my thoughts whirring with the possibilities.
"You will forget it! You will think of her as only Jen Sahara, and no more!"
Again, I had an irrational desire to listen to Bastila, to believe her. To believe that Jen was only…
I shook my head roughly. Wait… is she using some Force crap on me? A surge of hot temper broke in my gut, and I struggled to stand in the darkness. "You looking for a fight, Jedi?" I spat. There was pain pounding through my head as I moved. "You think you can do your little tricks on me and get away with it?"
It was time Bastila Shan was taught a lesson or two.
"You do not understand what's at stake!" Bastila cried in response, her voice unnaturally high-pitched. I cursed my inability to see in the darkness, and felt around the edges of the visor. It hung limply around my face, and I felt a jagged rent on the side-strap.
"She doesn't know, does she?" I bit the words out, as the truth became obvious in my head. It would explain some of her puzzling behaviour. And why Bastila wants to keep it a secret. "She doesn't know who she is. And you Jedi are hiding it from her. What did you do, lobotomize her?" I'd always assumed her little nervous act was exactly that – an act. Now I wasn't so sure.
"No! Her mind was almost totally destroyed – we did the only thing we could to save her!"
Another harsh laugh escaped me. "Well, maybe it's time she found out the truth about herself."
"No. No!" Bastila was breathing heavily in the dark, her voice strained and panicked. "I will make you listen to reason, Canderous!"
"Use those tricks on me again, and I'll kill you," I told her flatly, and I was completely genuine.
"Then, please, just listen to me!"
I paused, my fists clenched. "I'm listening, princess," I said in a low voice. I wondered if Bastila was considering using the Force again. I was by far stronger than her physically, but it was all too easy to underestimate Jedi and their powers, I knew that much.
I heard Bastila take in a deep, unsteady breath. "Canderous, her mind was almost destroyed when- when I captured her."
"Destroyed?" I taunted derisively. "Is that your scary Dark Side you always harp on about?" Dark or Light, I cared not. I had respected and admired Revan, and right now I was thinking of Jen in a whole new light.
But she wasn't what she once was. I had to admit that.
"No, not the Dark side. She was catatonic, Canderous. Comatose."
I frowned in the darkness, trying out this new, bizarre idea. Revan, who made the galaxy tremble, catatonic? The one who defeated Mand'alor, a vegetable? "She's hardly a vegetable now, princess," I grated out.
"But her mind is unstable, fractured! If she found out the truth, it could break under the strain-"
"This is rubbish," I said flatly. "You are trying to keep her weak."
"No!" she interrupted loudly, and I heard the rush of air at her wavering sigh. "Surely you have heard about the effects of amnesia. You seem to think highly of Revan." Bastila's crisp inflection tightened. "Are you willing to take that chance?"
I stayed silent, my mouth twisted in a grimace. Jedi tricks. Can I really believe this trash she is spewing? Revan was the opposite of weak. But if the Jedi have really screwed with her mind... I wondered exactly how much of Jen Sahara was still Revan Freeflight, Darth Revan, scourge and hero of the Republic.
"For the time being, at least keep quiet," Bastila's words were intense, heavy, and laden with meaning. "You will not let anyone know this knowledge."
My head pulsed with a sudden pain, and I felt dazed. Mild concussion. I gotta get a shot of kolto or at least a stim to counteract it. A surge of dizziness made me stumble in the dark, and my hand pressed against the side of my scalp. It was wet and warm through the short hair. "I won't let anyone know about this," I muttered, just to keep the princess quiet. I wasn't entirely sure what I was agreeing to anymore.
"Good." Bastila sounded relieved. I rolled my eyes in the darkness. Why am I giving her the victory? I couldn't remember what we had just been talking about.
Revan, we were talking about Revan.
Oh yes. I would be very keen to see Jen again, and find out for myself exactly how much she recalled.
But no one needs to know who she is.
xXx
