CHAPTER SIX: INTERVENTION

Carth stepped back from the engraved gates and swiftly turned away from the wreckage, ignoring the few scattered tears that had spilled over his eyes and blurred his vision. Even after all this time the memory laid as fresh in his mind as if it had been yesterday. He would never forget the sound of her last words, for they had haunted him in his dreams every night...until he met Revan. She had changed his world in one brief moment and slowly the dreams began to fade.

If ever a human being had the power to twist fate, it was Revan. Carth was still mesmerized by her sweeping presence and the control she seemed to have over the stars. He had watched her overpower the Council, bring Malak to justice, and save all of her comrades from their own demons.

On the Endar Spire, amazingly and thankfully enough she had found her way through the ship's winding passageways and to the escape pods. But the moment the doors had whooshed open revealing a petite dark-haired woman, he had been dazzled. It wasn't her beauty, which she had in abundance, nor was it her obvious skill in combat, but rather something else. Something had drawn him to her, as if there was this force upon them. He hated to use the word for fear of sounding too much like Jolee, but destiny was the only way to describe it. Fate had been at hand.

This in particular had scared the hell out of him. He already had an issue with trusting people, but to have this huge feeling of purpose surrounding him when he looked at her pushed him over the edge. From that point on, he knew he would be wary of anything that had to do with her. As Jolee had plainly put it, when Carth looked at Revan, his eyes played tricks on him. There were moments when had had seen the sheer lightside of her. The honest, loyal do-gooder that the Jedi were revered for being. But other times he had seen a deep stigma within her, watching her act on her baser emotions, disregarding everything the Council and Bastila had repeated to her so often.

But now, Carth smiled as he thought of Revan. When he looked at her he saw a vibrant array of life and a successful second chance. But even at present he still felt a nagging in his mind. He was in love with his wife's murderer. Carth was sure that thought would never stray, but he would keep it buried under his love for Revan, and that was quite a lot of weight for one doubt to withstand.

Carth began to walk in the opposite direction of the base, wondering where to even begin looking for Dustil. His mind running through all of the places they could be, Carth finally remembered Dustil mentioning something about restoring an old freighter. Turning at his next right, Carth found himself in front of an old mechanical hanger bay. Once belonging to Dustil's best friend's Dad, Carth wondered if he still owned the place.

He began to walk through the doors but quickly he stopped himself. Carth instead opted to lean against the frame and watch the scene play out before him.

Dustil had turned almost rigid upon hearing Revan's abrasive words. "You were also a part of Malak's command. You were joined with the Sith, Dustil. By joining, you showed them you supported their actions and that includes the destruction of Telos."

The harsh truth in her words snapped in him. When Selene had proposed the idea about joining the Sith, Dustil thought it was great one. To be a part of something so unified where only the best of the best made it, he had felt that he actually achieved something on his own for once in his life. As a child, everything had been handed to him strictly because of the way the people revered his father. It was as if the people felt the way to honor a war hero was to place his son on a pedestal, giving him anything he needed in hope that one day he would turn out as great of a hero as his father had. He had gotten everything so easily, and for what...Dustil had never thought his dad a hero.

Heroes to him had been men like his best friend Kai's dad. He made it to every single one of Kai's academy functions, every speeder race, and had even taught him to play dejarik. Dustil couldn't even remember playing a game with his father, much less his father actually taking the time to teach him something as involved as dejarik.

Sighing, Dustil shook his head. Maybe his father deserved a break. Maybe he needed to let go of his childhood grudges. His father couldn't exactly help when he was shipped in or out, where he was stationed, or control the beginnings of war. But Dustil did still blame him for signing back on with the fleet. He had served his years; they had been dually paid to the Republic. But it was when Carth returned to the frontlines in the middle of the Mandalorian Wars that Dustil's rage for his father had peaked. His mother became distraught. Though she was strong, she had already endured over ten years of constant fret.

Anxiety does terrible things to a person. It chews them up inside, constantly gnawing on their innards, savoring every bit of hope from them until all that they can think about is the fear itself. After ten years, Morgana's struggling attempts to push her fear aside had become futile.

So she had thrown herself into growing herbs for the hospital and then decided to take up gardening just for the sake of doing something. Dustil knew that nurturing the flowers had been her therapy and without them she would have let the fear eat her alive.

Dustil stared at Revan, surveying her. He concluded that she was everything his mother wasn't. Revan had an aura about her. Something that almost made you see double, almost as if she had two faces, though one was much more vibrant. At close inspection, one could tell she had been redeemed, but her dark past tainted her. He could sense the abyss that sunk endlessly within her, knowing it was a hollowness she would never be able to fill.

"Thanks," Dustil said, nodding. "For helping with the ship."

"Of course."

"So…" he began after a somewhat tense silence passed between them.

"Yes?" Revan replied.

"So should I call you Master then?"

Revan was slightly taken aback, though her expression never wavered, "No."

"Well, if I am to be your padawan, what should I call you?"

"And when exactly was it clarified that you were going to be my padawan?" she turned to look at a smug Canderous. "Did I miss it?"

Dustil looked at her in a frustrated awe. "But the Council..." He stopped abruptly seeing her amused expression, feeling anger begin to rise into his cheeks. "Then what do you want?"

"I'm assessing you," she stated plainly.

"Assessing me? What exactly are you assessing? I thought the Council asked you to train me."

Revan smiled at him softly, she had all the patience in the world. But the question was, did Dustil? "They did, Dustil. But just because they ask me to do something doesn't mean I'm going to do it." Her smile grew a little as she thought of her defiance in the Council with Carth. "And your father, whether you believe it or not, plays a very big role in it."

"My father has no say over me anymore. He's been out of my life much to long to suddenly come charging in and barking out orders. Regardless of what he may think, I'm not one of his soldiers that he has command over."

"Yes, you're right. He doesn't, but as far as I'm concerned in this whole Master-Padawan ordeal, what he has to say plays a part."

Dustil's patience was waning, "I'm sure you've talked to him, then. What does he have to say?"

Revan didn't answer right away. She looked perplexed for a brief moment, then smiled again as her entire face lifted in a grin. "Mission."

Dustil looked at her, baffled.

"I don't know, Dustil. Why don't you ask him that yourself," Revan suggested to him, suddenly whirling around. "You father's here."

Dustil craned his head and looked past Revan, his gaze settling on the silhouette leaning against its frame. He shook his head. He should have known. "Well, we're really one big happy family now aren't we, Father?"

"Look, Dustil. Neither one of us has any idea where the Council planns on going with this," Carth explained as he came to stand beside Revan. "But I've done a lot of thinking and I don't agree with this," he turned to look at her. " I don't like it one bit, but I've learned enough to know now that I can't stop you. So whatever you're going to do, whether you decide to train him or not, know that I'm not going to stand in the way."

"Well, it all depends on Dustil really. Will he look past all of the entanglements and conflicting emotions he has to see me as his teacher? If he can do that, then I will train him."

A few hours later, Carth and Revan had strayed away from Dustil, leaving him to mull over his options and Canderous to carouse around the city.

They were sitting up on a ridge, overlooking the little settlement Telos had left. Night had fallen and Revan, for the first time in years, had the time to look up and admire the stars. "What made you change your mind?" she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Well, Jolee gave me the distinct impression that the only other option would be for Dustil to train under Bastila, and I couldn't subject my own son to suffering of that caliber," he joked.

Revan smiled, "Give her break, Carth. She really has lightened up," she laced her fingers through his. "Honestly? Why the sudden change of heart?"

She felt Carth tense slightly. "Like I said, I don't agree with it. Not because of you, though," he answered, sighing. I really am no good at this. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I know my words came out a bit…harsh."

Revan silently agreed. They had definitely left their mark.

"I just, I know the Council is up to something and-" he stopped as he saw Revan break out into a grin. "What?"

"Thrown me to the wolves yet again, have they?" she asked, the words sounding all too familiar to them both.

"I'm being serious, Revan. Don't chalk this up to my paranoia yet. It's all just a bit odd."

Revan again agreed silently, but decided she'd had enough of the Council for one day.

"How did you crack Mission?"

"Crack her? There was no cracking to it. I don't get it. I've seen her lie to Hutts and Sith troopers without missing a beat, but somehow she can't tell a decent one to me."

Revan laughed lightly, "Because you're like a father figure to her. When she rescued us from the brig on the Leviathan, you promised her that medal from the Republic.When she was commended at the ceremony on Coruscant...that sealed the deal."

They were both quiet for a moment, just simply relishing the cool night and being together again. Staring out over what was left his homeworld, Revan tried to envision it as it had been before the attack, imagining the tall buildings and unique architecture that he had described to her so many times. She eyed Carth, gazing at him for a few moments before she was brought out of her thoughts and back into the present.

"What are you thinking about, beautiful?" he asked, admiring the glint of the moonlight in her soft blue eyes.

"The fact that we're here together with an empty ship, a whole night to ourselves, and no Council or Bastila to intervene."

"Yeah, only time will tell my foot," Jolee muttered as he left the Council chambers. "They'd just as soon wait until Carth was dead to take any action."

Juhani nodded in agreement, "They do not understand the anchorage Revan has in him. If he dies..."

"This is true," Bastila agreed, once again feeling conflicting emotion rise within her. "But its not as if the Council wishes him dead, Jolee. They merely do not have the information they need to make a decision at this point."

"Bah. I wonder if they thought about this scenario. If Revan senses Carth is in trouble, she's going to run off, half-cocked after him. You saw in that vision as plainly as I did. Revan was not able to help him."

"But that's just it! We don't know that Carth is in trouble," her face was flushed with frustration. They need to understand, but I can't tell them.

"Yeah not yet," he retorted, turning to look at Juhani, whose ears had flattened to her head.

Bastila continued, "I'll admit the Council shouldn't have been so quick to assess the situation..." she stopped mid-sentence, seeing their expressions. "I don't doubt the vision is from the future... Oh alright, fine." She threw her hands up in the air. "The Council might have been wrong about this."

Jolee replied somewhat indignantly, "I guess you're not as stupid as you sometimes act."

Bastila, who was still flushed, ignored the remark, "What do you plan to do?"

"First, we need to find out if Carth is actually in immediate danger, and second we need to inform Revan of a much abbreviated summary of what's going on."

Juhani spoke up then, "I think Mission can aid us."

"What are you proposing?" Jolee questioned.

"I have spent some time speaking with Mission. As you know we both grew up on Taris and we both knew some of the same people. I believe she knows quite a few of Gadon Thek's well-wishers."

Bastila looked at Jolee, following his gaze across the gardens. Bastila was skeptical, and none to willing to forget that Mission had lied to her, claiming the Council had asked to see her immediately, allowing Revan to take off to Telos. "Mission? Juhani, I know she's capable of many things, but what exactly are you getting at here?"

"I think I know what she's getting at, Bastila. Now use those Jedi exercises of yours and be quiet." Bastila opened her mouth as if to say something, then shut it again quickly, following the other two Jedi as they led the way across the gardens. Jolee continued, "Juhani, I've only been to Taris a couple of times and that was a long time ago. Who are Gadon Thek's well-wishers?"

"He's a fellow Jedi, or was at any rate, and an officer in the Republic Navy. Like you, he disagreed with many aspects of their teachings. He now works with Republic Intelligence. If this Dyok used to be a soldier with Carth, then there would be files of him."

Jolee thought about this for a moment, "And where does Mission come in?"

"Well, If I remember correctly, Mission got him out of a tight spot once involving Davik. Seems he owes her a favor."

The three Jedi glanced across the gardens where Mission and Zaalbar were playing pazaak on one of the many tables scattered across the courtyard. Crossing the space between them, the Jedi made their way towards the pair.

"Aha! That's six games in a role Big Z, you don't have much left," Mission stated as she glanced at his small stack of credits that had diminished by over half of its original amount.

"I'll win them back," Zaalbar declared in the deep tones of his native tongue.

"Suit yourself," Mission warned. She then smiled up at the Jedi, noticing their presence, "Heya guys."

"Hello, Mission," Jolee greeted. "I have a question for you. Juhani has informed me that you know of one Tadek Kasara."

"Yeah. He worked for the Republic. His ship had some problems a year ago and he landed on Taris for repairs. He was so surprised at the state of things on Telos that he started doing some digging. I guess he uncovered something the Exchange didn't want him to know. I happened to run into him while he was trying to get away from some of their thugs. Big Z and me hid him out at the Hidden Bek base," Mission looked bewildered. "I think he was a Jedi once, did you know him?"

"No, but Juhani did," he stated as sat down in the empty chair beside her. "We think that Carth may be in danger and Tadek might have the information we need to prevent anything from happening to him."

"Carth? In danger?" she looked quickly from Juhani to Bastila then back to Jolee. "What kind of danger? What about Revan? Jolee, if anything happens to Carth she'll-"

"Yes," Juhani cut Mission's words short. "We know. We need you to call on Tadek for a favor long overdue."