Chapter 14

The dusts of the Eastern Dune sea were kicked up as the Ebon landed a few clicks away from the cave they had found the star map. Bastila and Drake very reluctantly broke their embrace and Bastila went to stand up.

"Bas…" she turned to look at Drake who approached her slowly. "I think it would be best if you remained here…" Bastila frowned and Drake continued "you may see something you won't want to see and plus you may not be ready to deal with it just yet" Drake finished and Bastila looked down taking a shaky breath.

"You might be right," she whispered and she looked close to tears again "I would like to keep the holocron but I know that would be selfish" she looked up at Drake "What do you think I should do?"

"Bas…that's not something I can answer…that's up to you" Drake replied, "If you want my advice try to look past what happened when you were younger…but like I said it's your choice not mine…" Bastila nodded and sighed.

Drake acting on his instinct and drew her into his arms. Bastila closed her eyes taking what comfort she could from the embrace, this time the voice of her training was silent, she had no reservations, no concerns and she needed him there. Drake rubbed her back soothingly then releasing her, stepped back a step. Bastila looked up at him and saw his cyan coloured eyes gazing at her. She felt a small flutter in her stomach.

"Stay here ok…" he said, "I'll be back as soon as I get your fathers holocron…" Drake made to move by her and Bastila just couldn't hold herself back any longer.

Catching his wrist she turned him round slightly and caught his lips with her own. Drake surprised at first didn't respond but eventually kissed her back for five seconds before they broke apart. Drake looked at her for a second. Bastila looked slightly embarrassed that she'd just kissed him outright and was blushing a little. Drake smiled and brushed his hand down her cheek for a moment.

"I won't be long…" he murmured. Bastila nodded and Drake moved past her out of the dormitory. Bastila brushed her finger against her lips for a second before sitting down on the bunk and took her head in her hands. Waiting for Drake was going to be painful she could already guess this but she needed to wait no matter how horrible or agonising it was, she had to wait.

Drake slowly descended the ramp and taking a step forward, stopped and looked around the dunes his eyes narrowing slightly. There was no sign of life. No banthas, no wraids, no dewbacks and no sand people. It was like the desert was suddenly just devoid of life, like all the animals had been exterminated or just ceased to exist, disappearing from the frame of reality.

But that wasn't what troubled him. It was the tension in the air. Even with the creatures gone, it was still there. A desperate and painful pulse that emanated in the atmosphere around him. It was hinted with a dark undercurrent, like something was driving it. Drake felt the familiar darkness of the Star Map from the cave but there was something else, something more violent, more… sadistic.

Drake shrugged it off and headed for the cave, keeping a cautious eye out for anything out of the ordinary, as the dark pulse continued to flow over the dunes.

Falcan was sitting in the garage section of the Ebon Hawk, modifying his zabrak heavy pistols. On close inspection they resembled revolvers, with a small chamber at the back to place the power cells. After finishing his work, Falcan picked one of them up and twirled it in his hand expertly, catching it so the barrel was aimed at the wall. As he looked it over, he suddenly moved his gaze a little to the left and muttered under his breath to himself.

"What was that?" he felt a sickening feeling in the air but couldn't make out what it was.

Jolee stopped what he was doing in the med bay and looked up and around the bay, feeling something like but didn't know what to make of it. Juhani too, broke her meditation feeling a presence in the air, and the hairs on the back of both hers and Jolee's neck stood on end.

Bastila felt it as well, and began to feel uneasy, almost as if she was being watched by a presence she couldn't determine. She looked at the dormitory door and silently began praying that Drake would get back on board soon.

Drake entered the cave and walked to where the star map was located. He used the force to seal the map shut not wanting it to open. Looking round he saw the fallen body of a hunter.

He slowly approached the carcass and knelt down beside it. Respectfully turning the body over, he found the dead gaze of a man fixed at him. The man's eyes, they were exactly the same as Bastila's or would have been in life. This was her father he could feel it. Sadly reaching for the man's pouch, Drake rummaged through it before pulling out a small holocron. He knew this was the holocron Helena spoke of.

Quietly putting the holocron in his inner jacket pocket, he closed Bastila's fathers eyes and closed his eyes for a second, paying his respects to the man that had been Bastila's father.

"Drake?" Drake looked up to see Mission standing above him. "I'm sorry about Bastila's dad" Drake raised an eyebrow at Mission "I just overhead you speaking about it, I'm really sorry…"

"It's ok Mission…" Drake replied. "Come on let's get back on board…" Mission nodded and the two exited the cave.

As they entered into the open desert, Drake felt a fierce dark pulse twisting around them. Bloodlust, sadism and violence all mixed into pure, unbridled darkness that was like a cancer, robbing the dunes of life, slowly and painfully.

Drake, beginning to feel unnerved, broke into a brisk jog. Mission surprised struggled to keep up with the pace he set. Drake didn't pause as he hurried back to the Ebon Hawk. As they drew nearer, Mission began to fall behind, losing her breath since she didn't have Drake's unnatural level of stamina.

"Drake! Wait up! You're going too fast!" Drake stopped at her shout and turned sharply to her and his eyes widened slightly.

Behind the unaware Mission, a speeder bike was rocketing towards them. Riding it was a figure clad in black, from head to foot. He had his hood up but Drake could sense the murderous intent within the figure's thoughts.

"Mission! Drop!" Mission didn't need telling twice. Mission immediately fell flat on her front, as the bike narrowly zoomed over her.

The rider leapt off the bike, igniting a blood red lightsaber: a Sith. Drake ignited his blue electrum saber, parrying a strike from the attacker in mid-air. The assailant landed and Drake quickly blocked a downward strike, then responded with a strike to the left that received similar results.

"Mission go!" he yelled at the girl taking a step back, his saber held vertically beside his head, noticing the long hilt of his opponent's identifying as it a double-bladed saber. Mission shot passed the combatants heading for the ship "Tell them to take off!" he shouted after her.

Drake struck high once again and his blade was caught by the Sith, then shoved away, his opponent spinning round. Drake, caught off guard and not at his best, was quickly on the defensive, being forced back by what he recognised as Juyo, the ferocious form VII of lightsaber combat. He blocked a downward strike, then a right one, then a left strike.

The dark-sider spun round, his saber held out to his right. Drake ducked under it, and then blocked an upper left slash then a middle right one. He ducked another spinning strike, before quickly blocking an additional four attacks as he back peddled trying to create some distance between himself and the attacking Sith.

Mission sprinted onto the ship, running straight into Canderous who toppled catching himself on the wall.

"Hey! Watch it kid!" he protested.

"Canderous! Drake's fighting a Sith out there!" Canderous immediately went into combat mode looked out seeing the clashes of red and blue in the distance. He quickly headed for the cockpit where Falcan and Carth were with Mission right behind him.

As his heavy booted footsteps echoed up the corridor, Carth and Falcan turned to see him enter the cockpit.

"Drake's in trouble!" He announced immediately on entering. Falcan and Carth turned to look out the cockpit.

"Take off…" Falcan ordered, Carth didn't argue and immediately lifted the ship off the ground keeping the boarding ramp down "Over there Carth fly low" Falcan pointed to the flashes of blue and red in the distance and the ship slowly hovered over the sands towards the duelling warriors.

Drake rolled under another sweep and quickly battered the warrior's blade away. Then with an increased speed, the Sith swung again and Drake narrowly avoided losing his head. He howled in pain, clutching the right side of his face. While his right eye was still intact, he now had a vertical scar running up his right eye.

" I could have taken your head off that time worm" the Sith drawled, "Maybe with my next stroke I will, but first…I wanted you to know that I could" The Sith leapt at him again thinking Drake was blind, but the young Jedi could still see clearly with both eyes.

As the Sith landed behind him, Drake turned, his rage reaching a boiling point and with the force-empowered strength provided to him by his practice of Djem So, he assaulted the Sith with a vicious strike, knocking the dark-sider off balance, as the Ebon Hawk flew over them and the sands whirled up.

Drake looked up and propelled himself with the force to the boarding ramp, quickly moving inside. Bandon stood up, and extinguished his saber watching the ship leave into orbit seething in rage and humiliation.

Falcan leant back in his chair letting out a deep breath, as did Carth.

"Nice work Carth…" the pilot nodded "Set an orbit round Tatooine for half an hour…Drake still has some business to attend to" Carth nodded doing as instructed. Falcan got up and hurried back to the boarding ramp where Drake was sitting down in exhaustion, Bastila kneeling beside him, looking at him anxiously.

"You alright?" Falcan asked as he approached. Drake was clutching his right eye as he stood.

"Yeah…" he replied, slowly lowering his hand, to reveal the vertical scar left over from his duel with Bandon "But I came a bit too close to losing my eye…" Bastila had gasped slightly when his scar had been revealed.

"That was pretty damn close my friend…" Falcan stated. "Well at least you're still breathing…" Drake chuckled dryly "We'll head back down to Achorhead in about half an hour…" Drake nodded and Falcan departed

Bastila reached up and brushed her fingers down the newly formed scar over Drake's eye. Drake turned his head slightly as she did so and then reached up to grasp her hand.

"Who was it?" she asked. Drake shook his head.

"I don't know…but he was a breed apart from the Dark Jedi we faced up till now…" Drake answered. Then remembering what he had come to Tatooine for, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small holocron.

Bastila took in a slow breath up seeing it, took the holocron and looked up at Drake.

"How did he look?" she whispered, Drake looked down and then back up at her.

"Peaceful…" he replied, she nodded before switching the holocron on briefly, but quickly turned it off and tears slowly began falling down her cheeks.

"I…I just wish…" she stammered, "I just wish I could have said goodbye" she finally let out a strangled sob and collapsed against Drake's chest. Drake's arms enveloped her and he hushed her gently rocking her body in his arms as she cried helplessly against his chest.

After a few minutes, Bastila finished crying and pulled back slightly to look at him. Drake nodded just gazed back at her. Finally Bastila spoke.

"If it's ok…I'd like to sort this out now…" Drake nodded and went to the cockpit to make arrangements.

About fifteen minutes later, Drake and Bastila re-entered the cantina and approached Helena, who looked up in surprise.

"Back already? Have you even looked for the holocron yet?" she asked incredulously.

"I have the holocron mother…but I'm not sure I want to give to you…" Drake looked at Bastila as she spoke.

"Why not?" Helena asked pain evident in her voice "Would you deny me even that?"

"I have never denied you anything mother, but I remember my childhood better then you think…the way you gave to the order even though I didn't want to go…and I remember the fights" Bastila spoke bitterly.

"Fool girl…that wasn't…" Helena began.

"No I won't argue with you again mother…I want to give you the holocron but I just can't let go of my childhood memory's…" Helena sighed and sat down.

"I was hard on you dear…I was never a very good mother…I know that" Helena replied "your father loved you so…he wanted you to be just like him…he wanted you to join him on the hunts, but I told they were too dangerous" Helena sighed again.

"Constantly moving from place to place, it wasn't the kind of life for anyone, especially not someone as gifted as you…" Bastila looked slightly shocked at her mother's words.

"So that's why you gave me to the order?" Bastila said sitting next her mother.

"Yes…and a few years later I became sick…"

"Sick?" Bastila replied.

"I'm dying Bastila…it's been a long time in coming and not much can really be done about it now…I begged your father to let me go but you know how he was: stubborn like you" Bastila felt tears fall from her face again.

"I'm so sorry mother…I don't know what to say" Helena smiled and touched her daughter's cheek.

"Keep the holocron Bastila…it was meant for you anyway…talking to you like this…" Helena paused.

"I know…it was peaceful…I'm glad we sorted it out…" Bastila replied.

"Well you must be something important and no doubt it's a Jedi affair…"Helena smiled then looked at Drake "You take care of my daughter you hear me?" Drake smirked and looked at Bastila.

"As if she'd let me…" he answered.

"You make her let you…" Helena replied looking at Bastila who blushed and then went to stand up. "She needs you more than she implies but believe me…I know she has a soft spot for you" Drake laughed slightly

"Where are you going to go?" Bastila asked standing with her.

"It doesn't matter dear just keep doing what you do…" Helena replied.

"Here…" Bastila held out a hand full of credits "Take these five-hundred credits…its all I have please go to Coruscant and find a doctor, I'll meet there once I've completed my mission" Helena looked at Bastila.

"But I already told you…there's nothing that can be…" Helena started only to be cut off by Bastila.

"Please take it…" she pleaded, "I want to see you again after I've done what I need to do" Helena sighed with a smile, knowing this one battle she wouldn't win and took the credits.

"Alright I'll will…be careful Bastila and make me and your father proud" she stated with a smile.

"I'll try…" Bastila smiled "Farewell mother" Helena nodded and gently kissed her daughter on the forehead. With that done she made her way from the cantina with a smile to Drake as she left.

Drake turned to Bastila who looked much happier; Drake sat opposite her and gazed at her for a second.

"Feel better?" he asked, Bastila nodded with a genuine smile.

"Yes…it brought me a lot of peace…more than I thought it would have" she reached over and grasped his hand. "Thank you…for seeing me through it…" she said he nodded with a smile.

"Shall we?" he inquired. Bastila inclined her head and they both stood.

As they exited the cantina, Bastila guided her hand to grasp his. He looked at her and she smiled shyly unsure of herself. Drake made the next move entwining their fingers as they walked back to the Ebon Hawk.

Later on that night, Drake was sitting on his bunk, Canderous had taken to sleeping in the garage section of the Ebon hawk, while Carth spent most nights in the cockpit, Force knows why. As he sat thinking a heard a tentative knock at the door, Bastila's presence was behind the door.

"Come in Bas…" He called quietly. The door opened and Bastila stepped in somewhat sheepishly and the door closed. She approached him quietly and Drake moved over a bit so she sit down.

"What's on your mind?" he asked Bastila looked at him, and became aware of the fact he was in his sleeveless shirt and her gaze wondered to his tattoo.

"I remember we had deal about something" she replied somewhat playfully. Drake looked down at his tattoo and sighed. Well a deal was a deal.

"Yes we did…well fair's fair" he said and then hesitated for a second "You'll have to forgive me…this is rather hard to talk about…" Bastila nodded.

"That's ok take your time…" Drake took a deep breath and then looked at Bastila.

"This tattoo isn't just a fashion statement…it's a brand, a claim of ownership if you will…" Bastila frowned "it's the mark of a slave" Bastila's eyes widened at his words and she felt a surge sympathy and affection towards him.

"I don't remember much of it…too much trauma probably but I do remember the death of my parents and how physically punishing it was for a child" Drake continued.

"Your parents?" Bastila asked.

"I don't remember them very well…I was very young when they died…murdered by their owner" Drake answered "I barely remember their face's, but I can recall their death's, beaten to death simply because they were raising me…" Drake broke off, looking down.

"If it wasn't for the Republic I would have died a slave… I'm still here but…" he gazed at the tattoo again "the memory still burns…that's why I hate Czerka and slavery" Bastila looked at him full sympathy and gently brushed her hand over his right arm.

"It's understandable" she replied gently. Drake smiled and looked up at her but frowned something else was troubling her.

"Is there something else?" he inquired; she looked at him and fidgeted a little bit.

"Yes…but I'm not sure how I can tell you this…" Drake frowned.

"Tell me what?" she looked at him and in a second her heart took control. Her lips slowly edged towards his and in a moment they met in a soft, slow and chaste kiss. Drake somehow expected this and gently kissed back his hand resting on her cheek.

I want us to be together…after everything that's happened…I want to be with you Drake her voice practically sang over the bond as she continued to kiss him, her arms coming to wrap around his neck. Drake smiled into the kiss his arms wrapping around her waist.

They gently fell back onto the bunk, lips locked together. Bastila was half on top of Drake and they slowly broke the kiss. Drake looked up at Bastila, her blue eyes a passionate dark ocean colour and he smiled gently.

"Are you sure Bas?" he couldn't help but ask, she smiled affectionately and pecked his lips again.

"Yes…I've been thinking about it a very long time…and despite all my training, all the reservations I might have had…I've never wanted anything more than to be cared for by someone…as much as I think you care for me" Bastila replied. Drake smiled gently brought her lips down to his again.

"You mean… how much you know I care for you…" he whispered as their lips met again. Bastila sighed into his lips and they rolled over so they were gazing at each.

Drake's arm remained draped over her waist and Bastila turned so her back was facing him. She scooted back a little so her back was pressed against his chest. He kissed her hair lightly.

"Sweet dreams…Bas," he whispered.

"Sweet dreams…my love" Bastila replied, Drake smiled sending a loving pulse through the bond as they both settled down to sleep as the ship remained housed in the Achorhead dock until the morning.

There we go chapter 14, your thoughts please...reviews please!!!!!