Chapter 3: Heading to War

Ben reached for the lightsaber hooked on his belt as he kneeled on the floor. He looked up at Valin with mischief in his eyes as he spoke, "You remember that service tunnel that we discovered right?"

Valin didn't understand Ben's glee at the situation. "Yeah, but that tunnel ends in the kitchens. What is so great about the floor?" he asked in frustration. Ben was brilliant but it frustrated Valin that he had to catch up with him all the time.

Ben was his usually calm self as he explained it to him, "At the bottom of this lift there is an emergency hatch. It was made so that if there was a lift malfunction or something like that, you could use that to escape the spire. It leads to the kitchens not far from the tunnel we found. So start cutting."

Daylight dawned on Valin and he got down and helped Ben cut a whole in the floor o the lift. They cut a circular block out as they neared the bottom. Ben looked down at the bottom of the lift tube approaching. He saw the hatch that would lead them to a temporary freedom. He turned to Valin who was also gazing through the hole they had made. "Alright we got only one shot at this. You go first and I will follow before the door opens. Got it," Ben said. Valin nodded and leaped through the hole on Ben's command. He flew downward at a faster rate than a normal person with the assistance of the Force. He landed with a soft thud and quickly opened the hatch and slipped inside. Now it was Ben in yet another trying situation. As the lift scooted to the inevitable stop it would make, he noticed that he was slightly off in his calculations for cutting the hole. It would be an extremely tight fit. The turbolift was mere meters from the durasteel bottom as he swung his legs down through the lift. With his legs safely inside the access tunnel he let himself fall through the hole. He felt a rush of pain enter his side as he crashed into the side wall before slipping inside the tunnel. On the way down he used the Force to pull the block he had cut out of the floor back into place as the door of the lift opened.

He could only guess what happened above him as he flew down the tunnel. He didn't dare try to grab the ladder within the tunnel for fear of slowing down. He felt Valin's Force signature approaching faster as he fell and decided that it was time to grab on to the ladder. He came to an abrupt stop, hovering about ten meters from the bottom of the tunnel. He let go and fell the rest of the way landing with a soft thud. He saw Valin crouching on his hands and knees in the adjacent tunnel. Valin grinned at him as he crawled in to join him, "I was beginning to think you didn't make it."

"Let's get out of here," Ben told him as he crawled ahead. Valin quickly followed him through the twists and turns of the tunnel. Ben could feel an increase in activity as they neared the kitchens. He could only hope that the cooks were the only ones there. He came to the hatch and opened it seeing no one nearby he lifted himself out of it followed by Valin. "We are almost there," he said under his breath. They darted to the other side of the room and opened up the hatch of their favorite tunnel. Valin entered first and began to speed away. Ben was just about to enter when he saw his family running toward him with hard looks on their faces. "Hurry they've found us!" he cried as he launched himself into the tunnel. He could hear them scurrying down the small tunnel behind him.

When he finally came out he saw Valin standing on the edge of a platform overlooking the entire waterworks of the temple. At the bottom there was a giant lake of water that had a hatch for excess water that would lead them outside the temple. He started to run toward him and shouted, "Jump! I'll be right behind you."

He saw Valin disappear behind the giant spews of water. When he got to the edge he heard his father's voice over the noise of the falls. "Ben don't do this. This is not the right path."

The voice seemed to get closer and closer. He turned around to see his parents and the Solo family standing only a few steps behind him. Kriff! They are good. He felt his heart break at the sight of his mother, her face a mask of pain. He looked straight into his father's eyes when he spoke, "And you believe your plan is? I can't believe that. The Republic will die if we don't save them!"

Jacen attempted to calm his former apprentice but to no avail, "Ben just listen to reason the threat we feel is legitimate. You know this. Why can't you see that we must remain strong and ready." He instantly regretted his words when he saw Ben's features became a tight scowl.

Ben's anger was ignited by his cousin's inability to see the Republic for what it was. The Republic was a dieing beast just trying to survive. He had thought that Jacen of all the councilors would have supported him but now he could see that the council was completely united together. "Why can't you see that there will be no republic to defend if we don't act now," he nearly yelled at them all.

Mara dared him to jump as she took a step forward. She looked on the son that she loved so dearly and spoke words from her heart as she said, "Ben, please don't do this. We love you. I can't lose you!" The last part she shouted out taking everyone off guard. She had only been able to have a single child and had nearly lost him on several occasions. She could see Ben was a man on the outside but in her heart he was still her precious little boy.

Ben's features softened but he would not let down his resolve. He loved his mother more than anything but he could not stay with her. "I love you too Mom," he said with a heavy heart, "but I cannot stay here. Goodbye." After he had said his farewell he flipped himself over the edge and into the water and his escape. Mara was the closest one to the edge as he fell. As she stood there she could feel water being sprayed on her face. She was just glad that it hid her tears.

Over the coarse of time, Ben and Valin traveled to many worlds, such as Ossus, campaigning for Jedi to join their cause. Many Jedi, mainly knights and padawans that were of age, flocked to their side. Though he had already fought many battles, Ben was far from done. He knew unlike the Jedi Council that this war would be decided by Jedi and Jedi alone. Admiral Pallaeon was providing him with everything he needed in his quest and soon he would fulfill his oath and enter the war. He only needed a few more people that were quite close to his heart.

They had just arrived on Coruscant only a few hours ago to the chanting of thousands of people soldiers and civilians alike. Over the three months he had been on this quest the HoloNet began to call him the Revanchist, claiming that he would avenge those the Republic had lost during the war by annihilating the Mandalorians. He had since adopted the name to rally the troops. They had gone over a briefing of the war effort before having a word with Pallaeon. "How many more will you attempt to recruit?" Pallaeon asked him.

Ben looked the admiral over. Pallaeon looked like he had aged a few years since their last meeting. He could feel the agony this man had been through the last few months. His heart quenched at the thought of all his men dieing for possibly no reason at all. He spoke with an ease that could only come from experience, "This is my last stop Admiral. Then I will devote my full attention to the war effort."

Pallaeon looked between Ben and Valin trying to decide what they were up to. He hadn't heard much from them in the past few months due to the Mandalorians efforts to make a push to the Core worlds. He had lost many men in those battles and now the Republic would surely fall if the planet Duro fell. The elderly admiral nodded his head before subtly saying, "Do you have a plan?"

Ben looked at Valin then turned back to address Pallaeon, "I have a plan that will require your fleet," he paused to allow Pallaeon to express his thoughts, but he said nothing so he continued, "Callista has arranged for us to speak to a large congregation of Jedi at the temple. I will try to persuade them with a speech. Then I will return here while Valin speaks to those that remain. Once they join the "Revanchists" as I have heard people call us, we will board your flagship and head to Duro. There they will either be cemented in their resolve to fight or they will walk away. But I believe they will be convinced to stay once the battle begins."

Pallaeon shivered at the mention of Cathar but he knew where his duty lied. "I can do that but please hurry. Duro is the last defense of the Core. We need you for that battle."

"You have my word Admiral, we will not abandon you. We will be victorious," Ben declared as he and Valin walked out of the room. One way or another he would get what he needed, he had no doubt of that. He and Valin were stride for stride down the hallway. Then Ben looked at his friend to say what was on both of their minds, "Are you ready to face them?"

Valin kept walking as he replied, "Yes . . hopefully you can convince most of those present to follow us. I know that if you succeed then they will listen to me but if not then we may have lost already."

They neared their transport that would take them to the Jedi Temple that they had not set foot in since they left. It truly was a magnificent building but one that recently held bad memories. He remembered the days that he had been greeted with large crowds and people he had never met congratulating him on another successful mission. He could picture his family waiting for him with open arms. But after all that had happened what would they think of him now? What would the council think of him? He tried to rid himself of these pointless thoughts. If everything went according to plan, he wouldn't see any of them. "Have faith Valin. Have faith."

Anakin Solo stood in the center of the council chamber waiting for his uncle to address him. He was here because he was troubled with his apprentice. While Ben was still with the order, Anakin had seen Ben and Vestara share a few affectionate looks here and there. There could have been even more to their relationship that he did not know of. Another fact was that he had a very strong relationship with Jysella Horn also. He had been very concerned for both young women because of the increasing number of Jedi joining the Revanchists.

Luke was a little surprised that Anakin had come before the council. He had been trying to keep Ben and Valin's departure as ow key as possible but it did not last long. Now the councilors were conferring on how to keep the younger padawans from being swept away by Ben's speeches. He was thankful for Anakin's presence but also dreaded what it could mean. He had always loved him like the son he wouldn't have until many years later. He smiled at his nephew from his seat as the Grand Master, "Anakin, what brings you before the council today?"

Anakin looked around the chamber that he had frequently visited over the years. His family was present as well as many friends. He brought his attention back to his uncle as he replied, "I'm sorry if I am intruding, but I have an issue I would like to discus with this council."

Luke looked toward Leia to see if she knew anything but she shook her head. He leaned forward and looked back at Anakin. "Please continue," he said.

Anakin shifted his feet under the scrutiny but remained calm as he began his story, "As you know by now, Ben has returned to Coruscant. I am concerned for my apprentice. When Ben was still here, she had a deep emotional connection to him as does Jysella Horn. It seems to me that they have all been very close friends but I wonder if it is something more for both Jysella and Vestara. I am concerned that, should Ben decide to make an appearance, they may both join him."

Corran shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had seen his son leave to follow a sixteen year old boy to war. He did not want to see his precious daughter join them. He had faith that Jysella would stay with the Jedi. Her emotions often got the best of her but her commitment could not be challenged. He cleared his throat before speaking, "I have faith in Jysella. She is completely loyal to the Jedi."

Jaina leaned forward at the mention of her apprentice. Jysella had been Jaina's apprentice for many years now. They had grown a bond together unlike most master-padawan bonds. The Horn family had always been fairly close to the Solos partly because of their shared Corellian heritage. Though they were born over a decade apart, Jaina viewed Jysella as her younger sister. Her curiosity piqued, Jaina had to get involved, "She has come a long way since I've known her. She has a hard time controlling her emotions but she is quite capable. Anakin, do you truly believe there is any kind of relationship that could push them to join him?"

Anakin shook his head. He only had a theory without solid proof. It was a fact that both Jysella and Vestara had feelings for Ben but it was difficult to say if it was any more than that. Still Anakin had a bad feeling about Ben being on Coruscant. "I can't say. But I do know that their feelings could be influenced to get them to follow him. Only time can tell."

Luke watched Corran's reaction to this. He could see that he was still hurting from Valin's departure as he was his own son. "Regardless, we should keep an eye on them and keep them in a public setting. Where are they now?"

Anakin felt all eyes on him as he replied, "They are currently in the cafeteria."

"Good. Well I believe this council is adjourned. However, we should stay near them. Ben has to be here to recruit more Jedi. I am heading to the cafeteria. Will anyone join me?" Luke asked while he stood from his seat. As much as he loved Ben he couldn't allow him to get a foothold on any more Jedi.

Vestara Khai was one of the most talented padawans in the Jedi Order. Many believed that she would be knighted before the age of twenty much like her closest friend Ben Skywalker had, though she was nowhere near his potential. She had felt lonely since Ben's departure and had never been able to fill that void. She loved Ben and she wasn't afraid to admit it. At times she thought he had feelings for her when he stared at her but then she had seen him look the same way at Jysella Horn. Jysella irritated her like no one else. They had never been friends but in the few times they had spoken, Vestara had deduced that she was an astute follower of the council. Her own master Anakin Solo was involved with many council meetings and had assured her that they knew what they were doing. But as time dragged on her faith in the council had weakened. She still respected them but their decision no longer made sense to her. Now Ben's speeches started making more and more sense to her.

The cafeteria was unusually full. Most of the time there was a large group eating but today there was an overabundance of people, some she had never met. What is going on here? she thought. Suddenly there was a great commotion on the far side of the room. Vestara began to look around as more and more people began to stand. She stood up as well trying to gain a better view. Then she saw a group of men stand on the podium at the front of the large room and she understood what all the people were here for.

At the head of the group stood Ben Skywalker with his hood over his head and by his side was Valin Horn. They were flanked by many Jedi and Republic soldiers. To Vestara, Ben looked like he had been through many battles. She was well aware that many had begun to call him the Revanchist. But what was he doing here? She watched with anticipation as he began to speak.

"Fellow Jedi, I stand before you today to ask you what you believe is right. The Jedi Council may have good intentions but is it right to sit inside this temple completely sheltered from the war that wages beyond these walls." He waved his hand as a gesture as he continued, "while innocent men and women are dieing trying to protect this republic that they had fought so hard to build."

Ben could see that some were being moved by his words while others were holding steadfast to their superiors counsel. He had to admit that Callista had far outdone herself with this crowd. He had not expected this many. He had to work fast for he knew there was only a matter of time before the council interfered. "Innocent lives are being taken while we, the guardians of peace and justice, sit here and do nothing. I am asking you to take up arms with me to fight the threat of the Mandalorians before it is too late."

Just at that moment the members of the Jedi Council along with Anakin Solo and others came through the door. Grand Master Skywalker was at the head of the group with his wife at his right side. The councilors came straight through the crowd. At the mere sight of them every Jedi made way for them. When they got to the front Luke was beyond angry at his son. How could he do this to me! He stepped forward and was only a feet away from Ben as he said, "Ben stop this nonsense immediately." Then he got even closer to him and half whispered, "This is not the way to act."

But by now Ben had been firmly rooted in his beliefs. He would not turn back now. "By the time you act it would be too late," he answered his father's private question with a slight sneer. Then, raising his voice for the crowd to hear while taking out a Mandalorian mask, he exclaimed, "I found this mask on the burning fields of Cathar on one of my many trips there. When I touched it the Force surged around us as me and my followers were catapulted into a vision. We saw what happened on Cathar though I already knew. This mask belonged to a female Mandalorian who opposed the ongoing genocide of the Cathar people. She was killed by her own people while she attempted to show her people the truth and now our time has come to rise up and fight this madness. Now, before all of you, I take this oath and refortify my old one. This mask will remain on my face until the day the Mandalorians have surrendered." He slowly placed the mask over his face and proclaimed in an electronically altered voice, "So swears the Revanchist, Ben Skywalker!"

Ben knew that the council was more interested in him than Valin so he quickly swung around and, after giving a stiff nod to Valin, he began to walk toward the door that would take him to the Great Hall with the Jedi masters in hot pursuit.

As soon as Ben had left Valin took action. Ben hadn't counted on the council being present but now with most of them following him Valin had complete liberty to say his piece. "Do not heed the words of the Jedi Council. The Republic will fall if we do not act now. Already the Mandalorians have have taken most of the Outer Rim. Now they are making a push for the Core. They will only grow more powerful with time. Come stand with me. We will use our might to help the Republic in it's time of need. Join Ben and I. Together, we will battle this menace."

Vestara had moved her way to the front of the crowd. She stood merely a few feet from Valin along with five others. After Valin had said this one Jedi on the front row marched over to Valin's side. Following her many more Jedi from within the crowd followed. Vestara felt an urge to go forward but she couldn't. At least not yet.

Meanwhile Valin shook her out of her reverie as he once again began to speak. He would not fail. Normally it would be Ben that tried to recruit others but now it was all on his shoulders. "The Jedi Council is wise, but will take too long to deal with this threat. We must act now to stop the Mandalorians," Valin looked ahead of him as he said this and saw Vestara Khai, a very skilled padawan. He made the decision to speak to her outright. "I have heard of you. Your masters speak well of you, of your skills in battle. Join us."

When he had said this, he saw her walk toward his side with a few others. From his position on the podium, he could see that many Jedi had left while others were busy contemplating his offer. He heard some Jedi grumbling about going against the council. To this he decided to change tactics, "The Jedi Council is wise but can make mistakes. History has proven this time and time again." He took a quick breath to continue his speech, "The Council seems content to watch, to debate, while entire systems fall to the Mandalorians. If we don't act now, there may be no Republic army to assist in the future."

At that moment Valin felt a spike of doubt in the Force. He turned to the source to see a human female who was starting to shift on her feet. He would apply pressure on her just as he did the other two. He looked at her straight in the eyes and asked, "I sense you will join us. What are your reasons?"

The young woman lowered her head before answering, "I can't sit here. There is so much suffering."

Valin was pleased to see that there were so many Jedi that were as like-minded as he and Ben. "A good reason. Delay will only bring ruin, and there is so much suffering. You have to act." She followed like the others, with a group following her, and stood by Valin's side.

Ben had walked halfway down the Great Hall before the council members caught up to him. Luke put his hand on his shoulder to turn him around to face them. Now that he had a perfect look at his son, he could see how terrifying he would look to any enemy. And the mask was glowed with a fierceness that could make just about anyone feel fear. However Luke was a Jedi master as well as Ben's father. He would not be intimidated. "Ben stop this now!" he pleaded to him. He and Mara had felt an empty void in their lives without Ben and now seeing him leading a rebellion against the council, he couldn't understand where he had gone wrong.

Mara looked at her son with longing in her eyes as she said, "Please take off that horrible mask. We want to see your face."

Ben stiffened at this and anger started to slowly fill him. "You expect me to break the oath I have sworn. I keep my oaths, especially the one I took up to be a Jedi. I took an oath to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. To uphold the Republic and now you ask me to throw all that away by removing this mask. And I assume you will continue to try dissuade me.?" He was not interested in continuing this conversation but for Valin's sake he would.

Jaina took the initiative as she spoke with determination, "Why are you doing this Ben. It doesn't have to be this way. We need you here. With us!"

Ben had heard this before but he would endure it. "The Republic will fall soon if I don't act now. While you have sat here waiting for an enemy that may not show itself for years, people have been putting their lives on the line. More and more are dieing each day as the Mandalorians push forward. It won't belong until they attack Duro. Once Duro falls the Core will follow. Can't you see that we must take up arms and fight. Dad, you always taught me to fight for what I believe in. Well I believe in this cause and there is nothing you can say or do to dissuade me!" he shouted at his all the people standing before him, many of whom he loved dearly.

Luke did not wish to lose his son and now he had no other choice but to do what no father should do. "Ben as your father I forbid this. But now you leave me no choice. As Grand Master I hereby place you under the custody of the Jedi Order. This is for your own protection."

Ben smirked beneath mask. He would have laughed but he thought better of it. Oh, Dad you have another thing coming. He straightened as much as he could show how much he had grown over the months he had been away. He spoke in tone that could almost be called mocking, "Well as much as I would like to stay around here, I have been made completely untouchable. I have been promoted to the rank of general so if you even try to detain me you will have the entire Republic clawing at your throat."

They all stood stock still completely stunned by the sudden turn of events. Now Ben was the one that held all the leverage in this argument. They could no longer keep him away from the war by any means. Luke looked at Mara with dismay. He could lose his son at any time now and he would be powerless to stop it. Ben stood there watching them in triumph.

Corran Horn had been listening intently to the exchange between the Skywalker family when a thought struck him. You treacherous boy Corran said to himself. He couldn't believe they had all fallen into his trap. "You led us all away from the cafeteria. Now Valin will-" he cut himself off when another name came to his mind.

Anakin beat him to it as he realized his own mistake. "Jysella and Vestara," he nearly whispered before he and Corran ran down the hall followed by a few other masters.

Mara turned back to her son with hurt all over her face. She knew that he would leave and there was nothing that could keep him there but she took a few steps toward him and held him tightly which he almost seemed reluctant to return. "Be safe," she said as he wedged his way out of her arms and turned toward the temple exit.

Time to wrap it up Valin. Corran and Anakin are coming your way. Valin heard this message from Ben but he wouldn't bother to reply. He would finish this before they came. "It is within our power to end the war. And the Council chooses to debate behind closed doors while planets burn."

Jysella Horn was present during all of this. An accurate assumption of her was that she was a loyal follower of the council. She believed in them. To her Ben and Valin were wrong. She didn't want to lose them but now it seemed inevitable that she would lose her brother and her closest friend. Ben meant more to her than she would admit and now he would be heading to his possible death. "You haven't given them a chance. We have to trust in their wisdom," she said to her brother. She was hurting seeing him on the opposite side. They had always been very close knit but now he was breaking her heart.

"The Mandalorians are planning their final assault to crush the Republic. We must stand and push them back," Valin declared. He had never wanted this to happen but he knew that they needed more Jedi if they were to beat the Mandalorians. He saw more Jedi join him, but he was disappointed to see Jysella with her arms crossed over her chest. He wanted her with him but that hope faded to nearly nothing when he saw his father and the entire Jedi Council following.

"That is enough Valin!" Corran said harshly to his son. He loved him but he could not allow this to go on. He would not lose Jysella too. "Jysella, don't go with him. Stay with us while we sort this out." He put his arm around Mirax when he said this. He didn't want to lose his family.

Jysella looked back and forth from her parents to Valin. Valin's face dropped as he heard her answer, "I can't go with you Valin. I'm sorry. I love you brother." She went to stand by her parents who gladly embraced her. Out of the corner of his eye, Valin saw Anakin run up to Vestara. He knew she was set on her path. He wouldn't worry about her.

Anakin couldn't believe that Vestara had sided with Valin after all they had been through together. He and Tahiri had trained through the ups and downs of life and now she was leaving them. "Vestara why? Why have you joined them?" he asked her emotionally.

Vestara looked on her master and felt her eyes moisten but refused to let them fall. She loved him dearly but she had chosen the path that she thought was right. "I'm sorry Master, but I feel that I need to be with them. I will always have everything you taught me to guide me."

"Is this truly what you want?" Anakin asked her walking closer to her.

"It is. I've made my choice," she answered.

Anakin embraced her followed by Tahiri then backed away from her and said his farewell, "Goodbye Vestara and be careful."

Valin had been watching all of this unfold and now he knew it was time to go. "All that have joined me and Ben, we will be leaving to meet up with the Republic fleet at the military headquarters. Take what you need and meet us there," he announced before turning with a crowd following him as he left the temple to meet up with Ben. Now they had an army as well a faction of the Jedi Order backing them.

When Valin met up with Ben at the Republic HQ he was congratulated by many of the high ranking ranking officers of the Republic military for his success in recruiting Jedi. Now they were ready for war. Admiral Pallaeon had been discussing strategy with Ben by the time he got there. Ben was easily recognizable with his dark robes and mask. He had to admit that even he was intimidated by his appearance. "Ben we're ready for war."

Ben looked up from his datapad and looked at Valin through his mask. He was delighted to hear this news. "Congratulations Valin. You did far better than anyone could have expected. Valin, we are preparing for an assault to meet the Mandalorians head on at Duro. From there we have worked on a strategy that will push them back to the Outer Rim."

Admiral Pallaeon had to admire this young man's skill. He was a far better strategist than any of the men he had. "We will need your Jedi forces to be in the thick of the fire for this maneuver to work. I trust that you have chosen wisely on who to place in command?" he asked. He had heard stories detailing Ben and Valin's achievements but he was interested to see how many warriors they actually had.

Ben was confident in his decision even if she was young but so was he. "I have Admiral. Here she comes now," he said confidently as Vestara Khai strode up to them. He had chosen her for many reasons. She was a great fighter and had a leader's spirit but she was also a close friend of his whom he could fully trust and rely on.

She stood before them and said curtly, "We are ready to move out on your order Ben." She was truly grateful to Ben for giving her this position but she also knew that with it came a large responsibility which she didn't know if she could uphold.

As if he read her thoughts, Ben set a sympathetic hand on her should. "I have faith in you Ves. I know you can do this. We will all be tried and tested but we will prevail." He meant every word he said to her and was rewarded when her face lifted into a smile. "Now General Khai, inform the Revanchists that we are moving out. They will each be given a designated ship to depart on."

"Yes Sir!" she said as she strode off the she had come.

"So what is the plan Ben?" Valin asked intrigued. He thought that they would try to overwhelm them at Duro and keep pushing them back with strikes at military targets but he saw that Ben had other things in mind.

"Actually I was thinking about getting inside Mandalore's head. Surely we can use their own tactics against them. I think they would appreciate the enemy if they would meet them head to head in combat. We will do so but we will attack multiple targets that they wouldn't even think we would attack. The whole point is that we must be unpredictable and that is what we will be. Soon the Mandalorians will know that you cannot defeat a Jedi Knight so easily. The fate of the galaxy rests on our hands and we will not fail. Though it looks like the Republic is on the verge of defeat you must know this. The war has only just begun."

Author Note

Now that I have that out of the way I would really appreciate it if the readers of this story would tell me what they would like to see next. I have every intention of doing the battle of Malachor V butI would like to know what you would like to see before that. Please notify me if you have any thoughts and keep reviewing.