Xaset waited at an apartment on Coruscant for Meetra to return from her hearing by the Jedi Council. She had only been gone for an hour when she returned. She looked tired and resigned. Her lightsaber no longer hung from her belt. For a long moment, they just considered one another. Finally, Xaset murmured, "They took your lightsaber and exiled you."

It wasn't a question. It was an observation. Meetra nodded and sat down in a chair, looking exhausted. "Yes. They say it was because I followed Revan to the war."

"You don't believe them?"

She shifted in the chair and said, "Yes I do."

They were silent again. With a sigh, Xaset sat down on the couch - the only other piece of furniture in the room. Before he could ask her his question, Meetra answered it. In the small voice of a young woman, barely more than a teenage girl, she said, "I don't know what I can do now, Xaset. All I've ever known is the life of a Jedi and now..." and she trailed off.

She sounded so frightened and fragile. Xaset stood and hurried over, crouching in front of her and taking her hands. "Let me help you regain your power, Meetra. I know that it can't be gone for good."

Meetra remained silent and Xaset pleaded. "Please, Meetra I-" and he fell silent, just gazing at her. When she remained silent, he tried one last plea. "Forget Revan and Malak! Forget the Jedi and the Republic. Let's go, just you and me and we can start a new life."

Meetra smiled sadly. "I can't let you do that, Xaset. I know you believe that Revan has and is doing the right thing for the people of the galaxy. You need to fight. They need you. I'm no good to them anymore and even if I was, I doubt that I would fight with Revan and Malak again. Go on and do what you think is best."

Xaset looked pleadingly at her. Slowly, she stood and lifted him to his feet. "Help me pack and then we'll see what I can do."

Silently, he complied. Meetra packed her bag and they left the apartment side by side. They took a air taxi to the public transportation. Freighters and star liners were landing and taking off and they stood looking at the listings. "That one;" she murmured, pointing to one. It was departing for a military recruitment and trading post. "I'll go and become a mechanic. I was always pretty good with my hands when it came to mechanical matters. That way, I can still serve the Republic in my own way."

Xaset looked pleadingly at her one last time. "Meetra, I - I love you. Please let me come with you. Let me help you reconnect with the force."

With a sigh, Meetra folded herself into his arms and murmured, "I really liked you, Xaset. You were always so supportive and sweet and protective, even though it sometimes drove me absolutely crazy."

"Well you always could take care of yourself. I just thought that you shouldn't have to alone;" he replied before kissing the top of her head.

Meetra chuckled and they both fell silent. Finally, Meetra pushed away and said, "You and I, Xaset, we wouldn't... we could never have... even had I stayed I'm afraid..." and she shook her head, blushing fiercely.

Xaset took pity on her. "I know what you mean. I don't agree and I still want to try but if you aren't willing to-"

"Xaset, it's not that you aren't good enough. You are a noble young man and a powerful Jedi. I'm not willing to drag you into exile with me. As I said, they need you. Now go. Return to Revan's fleet or to Talvon's new academy."

Finally, Xaset excepted her words. With one more hug and a kiss on her forehead, he stepped back. "May the force be with you, Meetra Surik."

She smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that's impossible now. Regardless, may it be with you, Xaset - always."

Then, she adjusted the shoulder straps of her pack and headed towards the military transport. Xaset watched her go before turning back to the taxi pads. It was time to return to Talvon and his academy on the Outer Rim planet. The records had little information about it. It was called Honoghr and it's indigenous species were a short, sentient, bipedal creatures called the Noghri. The environment was a lush jungle and there were plenty of materials to build with.

The Outer Rim world of Honohgr

Talvon looked over the fortress academy's blue prints again before turning and facing the structure. It was already forming well and it would be a glorious structure when he was done with it. Until it was completed, the acolytes lived in prefab shelters and trained in the open. "This fortress academy will be worthy of Revan when he returns. When it is finished, I want it to rival the Enclave of Dantooine;" he murmured to himself.

The Republic military engineers were doing a spectacular job at it. Suddenly, his comlink went off. "Master Esan, more of the Noghri have returned. They want to know what it is that we're doing."

Talvon sighed. "Get the interpreter droid. I'll try to explain it again."

With a pair of elite commandos on either flank, Talvon strode to where five of the diminutive creatures were waiting. Three wore simple gray tunics and two wore brown robes. In a growling language, one of them spoke. The droid turned to Talvon. "It would appear that we are perilously close to a holy burial ground, Master Talvon. She wishes to make sure that we did not disturb the dead."

Talvon stroked his chin before saying, "Tell the Matriarch that we have no intention of disturbing the dead. I figured that that place was a burial ground of some kind and intentionally gave us plenty of space to make sure that we left it be."

The droid replied and the matriarch nodded in satisfaction before asking another question. "She also asks what it is that we intend to do here."

"Tell her that we wish only to take a small plot of land to train warriors to protect this and other planets from a dark and evil threat."

The droid answered for him and that seemed to deepen the matriarch's interest. After another interaction, the droid said, "This land is not used by any of the Noghri clans for anything. So long as the others agree, she has no qualms with you building here. She is also curious as to the way that you are training your warriors."

Talvon smiled and looked at his guards. "Have someone bring seats for all of us and I shall try to explain."

It was a long conversation with many questions being asked and answered. By the time the day had ended and the Noghri had retreated, Talvon was tired, hot and hungry. "We may have just gained an ally here;" he said to two of he fellow Jedi masters.

"But Talvon, what can those little creatures do for us?"

"We won't know until the time comes. All that matters now is finishing the academy and sending out Jedi to find possible candidates. We won't take the infants - that's what the complacent Jedi Order does and they are welcome to them. I want youths who can make choices for themselves."

The Jedi masters nodded and went to where some of the students were training with remotes. Talvon himself returned to the work table and looked over all the blueprints again. Tapping on a holo projector, a holographic blueprint hummed to life. "I want an extra power source here as well. Extending from this hall, let's add..." and he continued to outline and improve upon the plans. His mission was to train Jedi and he would do so from a fortress that would hold against anything from a ground assault to a fleet.

Xaset landed not far from the construction project. He was met by dozens of his fellow Jedi and Republic soldiers. Through the crowd strode Talvon Esan, Master of the academy to be. He didn't bother to ask where Meetra was, electing instead to state. "Welcome home, Xaset. Come and look upon our work."

Xaset was awed by the progress that had been made and all the alterations and improvements that had been added. "You're a genius, Master. This temple will be both academy and fortress against the Sith threat. Now, what can I do to help?"

Talvon smiled, pleased at the question. "You will help me teach our new Jedi when they arrive. The Star Forge is being turned into a military training facility for soldiers and the like. We will have an army and fleet large enough to fight any enemy as soon as the Master returns."

Xaset nodded grimly. "Excellent Master."

It was two years before the Master returned and when he did, it was in a manner that none of them expected. Revan and Malak were both very, very different. Malak had a strange apparatus on his lower jaw and Revan was in strange armored robes. As he stepped off the ship, every Jedi and soldier bowed. Revan surveyed the crowed before calling, amplifying his voice. "Talvon Esan, come forth."

Talvon strode forward and bowed again. "Master Revan, you have returned at last."

"I have, Master Esan. Gather the masters and take me to the academy's council chamber. There has been a change of plans."

Updated 10/16/2018