Chapter 2: The Ravages of Time

The sound of dripping liquid finally awakened the battered young Prince.

Luke's head was spinning, aching, but he noticed that his face had bandages carefully placed where his face had been cut. With painstaking effort he brought his vision into focus, discerning that he was in some type of single bed medical bay. He finally sat up with a groan, and came to the realization he was not alone in the room.

He looked over to where a small droid stared back at him with a large radar eye. It was unlike any droid Luke had ever seen. It had a flat head, with a large blue radar eye. Its body was a block of metal with mechanical apendages hidden within. It had two forward leaning arms, and its rear 'legs' were small roller like wheels. It tilted its 'head' in a curious fashion, and Luke stared back at it for a moment. Then it beeped like any other astromech he had heard, and it rolled in reverse from the room. Luke, on unsteady legs, struggled to follow the small droid.

He entered into a hall way that reminded him of the interior of the Millennium Falcon's central hub. There was even two ladders that led up and down to twin turbolaser batteries. The droid beeped again, heading towards the 'center' of the vessel. Looking behind him, Luke saw the pulsing light from an old style hyperdrive still thrumming with power. He heard the droid's insistant beeps, and he turned back to the chamber. In the middle of the room was a large holotank that was empty for the moment. He saw other hallways leading off into other sections of the 'ship', but the small droid had been joined by three others of its kind. Each was a different color, mostly tan, grey and sand colored, but they all defered to the first one that Luke had seen, which was a light blue color.

Luke finally asked a question. "Who are you?"

The lead droid beeped, and plugged an arm into the holotank. Images swirled in the ancient device, and finally they coalesced into the image of a man wearing a long dark cloak, his face hidden in the folds of his hood. The image finally spoke, and Luke listened in rapt attention.

"You do not know who I am... for I will be one with the Force long before you are born. I have had many visions of the future, and yet this is the one I chose to act upon."

"My name is Revan."

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In the main hanger deck, Chewie, Han, the Jawa Het Krex, Davin Felth and Dash Rendar were finally finishing up getting the Millennium Falcon ready for takeoff. Chewie looked up from his work to see a rather curious trio of figures that had just appeared from around a nearby corner to mingle with the usual Rebel activity in the hangar.

None of the three were human, although one of them had a humanoid shape and gave the impression of a man in knightly golden armor. His movements were precise, almost too precise to be human, as he clanked stiffly through the corridor. His companions required no manlike legs for locomotion, for they were doing quite well rolling their shorter, barrellike body along on miniature wheels.

The blue colored unit of the two smaller droids were beeping and whistling excitedly.

"It is not my fault, you malfunctioning tin can," the tall anthropomorphic droid stated, gesturing with a metallic hand. "Talk some sense into him, Red. I did not ask you to move all of Mistress Skywalker's clothes to Commander Antilles quarters. I merely commented that they made a good couple. They're supposed to be in the same squadron! Not in the same quarters! OH switch off!"

Red, who had once been R5-D4, but was now an R6 body, beeped and booped in laughter as he followed his two closest friends. R2-D2 tried to sound innocent as he beeped his own excuse, but C3-P0, the golden droid in human shape wasnt listening any longer.

"Master Solo, sir." Threepio called, the only one of the robotic threesome equipped wiht an imitation human voice. "Might I have a word with you?"

Han was not particularly in a mood to be disturbed from his sensitive work on his 'baby'... especially by this fastidious droid. "What is it?"

"Mistress Leia has been trying to reach you on the communicator." Threepio informed him. "It must be malfunctioning."

But Han knew it was not. "Sorry, Threepio. I left it in the cockpit, and Im out here. What does she need?"

The droid mimicked a human gesture as he added, "She is looking for Master Luke and assumed he would be here with you. No one seems to know - "

"Luke's not back yet?" Immediatly Han became concerned. He could see that the sky beyond the hanger doors had grown considerably darker since he and Chewbacca had begun to repair the Falcon together. Han had a bad feeling about this situation. Luke might have had an accident, or worse.

In a flash he jumped off the Falcon's lift, not even looking back towards the others. "Bolt it down, Chewie. Officer of the Deck!" Han yelled, then brought his comlink to his mouth and asked. "Security control, has Prince Organa reported in yet?" A negative reply brought a scowl to Han's face.

The deck sergeant and his aide hurried up to Solo in response in his voice. "Is Prince Organa back yet?" Han asked, tension in his voice.

"I havent seen him," the deck sergeant replied. "It's possible he came in through the south entrance."

"Check on it!" Solo snapped. "Its urgent!"

As the deck sergeant and his aide turned and rushed down the corridor, Red emitted a concerned whistle while Artoo asked a beeping question. "I dont know Artoo," Threepio answered, stiffly turning his upper torso and head in Han's direction. "Sir, might I inquire what's going on?"

Han turned to face Threepio with concern in his eyes. "Go tell Leia that she needs to round up Rogue Squadron real quick."

-------

Luke listened intently to the man known as Revan.

"Prince from a lost world, I have forseen the far off future, and I know of the pending trials you will face. The Jedi have fallen again, and your enemies will fall upon you soon. I know that you, and others with you, shall be the first of the new Jedi, but you yourself have not found your way."

"I have ordered my droid T3-M4 to stay where you would eventually arrive, using whatever means necessary to keep this ship, the Ebon Hawk, operational, and ready for your use upon your eventual arrival. They are also to give you a gift to help you focus your potential."

With those words, a small hatch opened on the droid T3-M4's head, and a small cylinder emerged. Within, Luke could see two silver colored crystals.

Revan spoke again. "With these force crystals, you will find your way. Know that you are connected with others on your side in ways you cannot imagine. You have family you do not know about. Stay close to She Who Walks The Sky, for she is the key..." Revan hesitated, and then smiled a small smile.

"... the key to what, my vision cannot specify. T3-M4 will give you my holocron, that I have filled with Jedi training you will need to assist you on your endeavors. Use the Ebon Hawk as you see fit. Even as old as it must be, she is a vessel of extreme potential... she has served me well, and has also served many others. Many of them Jedi of Legend... and now it will serve the New Jedi."

"Know that your enemies even now plot against you... and against each other. I sense a civil war approaching that may help, or hinder your cause."

"Take care of my gifts, young Prince... and may the Force be with you."

And with that, the image of the man known as Revan finally vanished. Luke looked down at the little droids, all of them staring at him intently ,and he stepped forward to take the crystals from T3-M4. Holding them in his hand, he could feel the Force flow through them, and knew they would assist him in his training. T3-M4 opened another hatch on its head, and a small cube shaped holocron emerged. Luke gently took the holocron and felt the weight of destiny on his shoulders. Finally, he looked down at the small droids, and asked a small question.

"So how long have you guys been waiting for me?"