Author's notes: (marches back from a beat-up pile of lawyers, deactivating her lightsaber) (Ahem) Yesterday, I woke up and turned on my computer, expecting a whole lot of criticism about the second intermezzo. To say I was flooded by reviews is an understatement. And when I opened them (quite nervously), I found out that it wasn't criticism. It was praise. So, many thanks for your support, guys. I greatly appreciate that you take the time to read my little story.
Dantooine was a challenge in many ways – the Council, the meditation grove (yes folks, the grove is there… along with a rather jumpy Cathar…) and the beginning of the whole Quest for the Star Forge, which takes the better part of the game. This is just the first meeting, but it took me a while to give Revan (and the Council as well) good comebacks to statements the Council (or Revan… you get the point) says. Wait and see how it turns out… it's all in the next chapter.
Tiamante Salazar Tameran – (crawls from underneath the pile of your reviews) So, your answers:
Yes, she remembers everything and everyone. Which is useful... but also painful... You'll find out why.
The name is from babynames. com... both names, actually. I wanted something symbolic for Revan, not just something the kind of weird name you sometimes see in fanfics…
I adore Jedi Academy! Well, not the missions… but the main storyline is fun! Yes, Gavrilla´s appearance came mainly from there. I assume you own the game? Gavrilla is the third Zabrak female head – the one with the braid, but I gave her black hair. The dress is described quite well enough, I think.
Brynn – my words exactly. How lovely to encounter someone with such an agreeable disposition. Wait... I quoted Shaardan! Aaah!!! (tackles Shaardan the Monkey Man)
sammie teufel – Thanks. You'll be seeing more of the cuteness... in the next intermezzo.
Dark Lord Daishi – Thanks. Read on.
X X X
"A man does not have to be an angel in order to be saint."
Albert Schweitzer
X X X
Chapter 9 – Refuge
X X X X
In the present, Revan had other thoughts in her head than reminiscences of the long-gone past. The destruction of Taris had left her affected. Such a pointless slaughter… and to what effect? To what purpose?
Malak, Malak. She sighed to herself, even then seeing his face before her, like all those years before when they used to play Dejarik together. Not one match had been lost by Revan. You never understood. But I don't blame you. You came closer than anyone else… which is why you were my friend.
Idly, she wondered if he ever though of her since their last encounter. Whatever her intentions in the war had been, she had come to realize that she had ruined him, because he allowed circumstance to manipulate him. He had never been strong when it counted, never had the will to resist. Pity was all she could allow herself to feel, however. Years ago, she would have given up her own life to save his. Now, she was attempting to calculate a way of avoiding what she knew, deep down, was inevitable – she would have to kill him. Pleas, if she would lower herself to that for him, would be useless, and now, the entire organization, the strong empire she had been attempting to turn the remnants of her armies into, would have to be either crushed or completely reorganized, the former being the more probable in her eyes.
Bastila and Carth were in the cockpit when she entered, finally choosing to seek out company. They would have to find a new course of action now, because none of them had a plan, not even Revan, who was vaguely aware that they needed to disappear for a while before resuming their quest. Once she would decide what end that quest would have, that is.
"We've taken some damage while passing through the blockade, but it's nothing a good mechanic couldn't fix. I told Mission and the wastebasket, T3, to take a look at it." she informed them. "The shields held out, though I'm not sure how long it'll take to repair them. But the Hawk's a solid ship, it'll hold. Might I ask where we are heading?" Revan asked, seeing that the navicomputer was set.
"Dantooine." Bastila sighed, but smiled. Revan´s eyes narrowed slightly. Her assumption was correct. "It seems like a lifetime since I last set foot on her surface, though in truth it has only been a few months. We should be safe from Malak here. For now, at least."
"Safe?" Carth repeated, staring at Bastila. "You saw what his fleet did to Taris – there wasn't a building over two stories high left standing!"
"Even the Sith would think twice about attacking Dantooine." Bastila remarked calmly, as if her ears were imperturbable when it came to such remarks. "There are many Jedi here, including some of the most powerful masters of the Order. There is great strength within this place."
"In that case, I would be much obliged if you would drop me off at the nearest Republic outpost." Revan said at once. She had no intention of going to Dantooine again, if she could prevent it.
"We can't just keep running – Malak will find us eventually. We need to regroup. We need a plan." Bastila persisted.
"I'm a scout for the Galactic Republic, milady, not your personal bodyguard. Onasi and I need to report to our superiors about the outcome of this mission."
"She's right." Carth interjected before Bastila could snap something back. "The mission to Taris has been a failure, but we need to report it nevertheless. As soon as we drop you off on Dantooine, we'll have to part ways, Bastila. We're always glad to assist the Jedi, but our part in the mission is over."
"And what do you intend to do with the rest of the crew?" Bastila demanded, folding her arms. "You intend to abandon them? The Mandalorian, I can understand, but Mission and Zalbar have nowhere else to go. They are depending upon you. Especially now."
"Maybe you're right. It's hard to witness the annihilation of an entire planet." Carth admitted. Neither he nor Revan had come to realize that Mission had lost her homeworld. "I know Mission must be taking this pretty hard."
But Bastila, despite her initial concern, seemed to wave the thought off. "She will come to terms with her grief. She is stronger than she appears. Now I must go speak with the Council. I need their advice on… recent developments. After I've met with them, I'll meet you at the ship." The Jedi made her exit rather hastily and Revan and Carth thoroughly avoided looking at each other.
Both of them were beginning to feel it they were being too indulgent with Bastila.
Jedi or no Jedi.
X X X
"I've spoken briefly with the Council – they request an audience with you." Bastila declared the moment Revan decided that she might as well enjoy the brief peace their stay on Dantooine would offer her. "We should go at once."
Though Revan had been prepared for such a preposterous proposal, Carth was taken by surprise. He looked at Revan, then at Bastila again. "An audience with the Jedi Council? That's pretty unusual for someone who's not even a Jedi. What's this about, Bastila?"
The Padawan shook her head. While she trusted Carth Onasi, she was well aware that save for herself and the Council, telling anyone of Revan´s presence was foolhardy. "I'm sorry, Carth, but I cannot tell you. All I ask you is to trust in the Force and the wisdom of the Council."
Him? Trust? That's a laugh. Revan thought privately, observing the exchange between her two shipmates. She was just about to have her say in the matter when Carth seemed to decide that as long as Bastila wasn't going to enter her prissy mode again, things were alright.
"Well I don't like being left out of the loop, but I'm not looking to get you into trouble with the Jedi Masters. We'll do things your way for a while."
"Come, they are expecting us." Bastila noted, gesturing to Revan to follow her, doing her best at ignoring the cold stare it got her.
"Listen, little Jedi" Revan began calmly, "My refusal is the only answer you will be receiving today. I don't intend to cause harm here – I wish to leave this planet whenever possible. My duty is to the Republic, not to your Order."
"Is it too much to ask that you simply talk to them?" Bastila said, forcing the same calm into her voice, "They only want to talk to you. You cannot keep avoiding them forever. Please, we shouldn't keep the Council waiting." And she immediately bolted back into the Enclave, Carth close behind her, though he appeared quite stupefied by the whole thing.
Revan stared after them. The absurdity of the whole idea struck her as too much. There was only one reason the Council might want to talk to her – well, perhaps two, but the second one wasn't an alternative to the first. It would be the consequence of her refusal of their proposition to cooperate. But perhaps she should get it over with, she decided, so that she wouldn't have a bunch of children with lightsabers searching for her. And her disguise with the Republic was too valuable to be thrown away.
Her pace was slow, as if she was forcing her every step. But the inevitable was delayed for a moment when a Jedi, or, more likely, one of the brash Padawans, blocked her path in a very Bastila-like fashion.
"You there! Padawan! Why are you not wearing the customary robes of the Jedi? Do you mock the honored traditions of our Order?" she was unremarkable, average in every way possible, this girl. But arrogant above the usual, that was certain.
"Your Order is not mine." Her eyes seemed to be frosty now, "Your ways are not mine. Let me pass, Padawan, so I can forget your brashness and your error."
This astonished the Jedi to the very core, it seemed. But she didn't have the sense to back off. "If this is some kind of jest, it is in very poor taste. The Jedi Order is not a subject for jokes."
Revan didn't reply. She simply resumed her slow stride away from the woman, towards the Council chamber. The girl seemed to call out something, but Revan wasn't listening anymore. this was why she had no wish to return here. she passed the waiting Carth without a glance or a word, though she could tell he had wanted to say something to her.
The audience chamber doors sealed themselves after she had entered, making this audition as private as possible. For Revan, it meant there was no escaping until she would listen to what they had to say. Four Jedi Masters in different colored robes stood in a circle.. She recognized all of them from her brief stay at the enclave.
Zhar Lestin, one of her former tutors, was the first to approach her. "Thank you for coming, Revan." He said quietly, facing her without fear. "We only wish to speak with you, as we didn't have a chance to do so before. Be assured that you are in no danger here." Her silence and apathy made him add: "Please don't look at me like that. Deep down, I know the brilliant young Jedi is within you. The one I knew and taught and honored. Give me a chance to bring her back. Please."
Her blonde head was lowered for a moment before she looked up at Zhar, her eyes not cold, not warm, simply staring. "Despite what you may think, I still hold you in high regard." It was uncertain whether she was talking only to Zhar or to the Council as a whole. "But you wish for the impossible. I have passed through too many trials to resurrect an old faith in goodness within me."
"Then what do you believe in, Revan?" Vandar asked, taking a step forward. "We seek to understand you, but your intentions always evade us. I do not see the Dark Side in you." He shook his head. "It isn't ruling your thoughts, nor guiding your path. Together, we would be stronger than alone. You do not have to be a Jedi to be on our side."
"But you couldn't be Jedi if you wanted to be on my side." Revan retorted, with the shadow of a smile passing through her eyes. "You will never understand me because you are Jedi. I never understood myself when I was a Jedi. Jedi are too simple, too predictable – then what am I?"
"Whatever flattering opinion of yourself you might have, eventually, Malak will discover you live." Vrook interjected, in his usual friendly fashion. "He will hunt you down and kill you."
"He will try. Thus speed is of the essence. And when have Jedi been known for speed?" Revan asked smartly, despite Bastila´s glare. "Alone, I am quicker, harder to spot. With you at my heels, the Sith will quickly notice me. As you may have noticed, I have been rather slippery for the past few months."
"We know you intend to go to Malak and stop him." Zhar took over, as he seemed to have the most success when talking to Revan. "We ask only for the chance to offer you help and attempt to persuade you…"
"Speak plainly and honestly, as I do: you intend to attempt to influence me. You should consider that rarely has someone succeeded in doing that."
The Twi´lek Jedi Master smiled sadly. "I know, Revan, but I intend to try. The Republic has been notified that you and captain Carth Onasi are here. we have requested your presence officially and a report has been made about your mission. Stay, I implore you… if only for a few days. Give me a chance to talk to you in private. If I fail to persuade you, I will ask this Council to let you go on your way."
For a long time, Revan simply looked at him, judging this or that opinion. "Very well." she said finally. "Supplies are always appreciated and if I find that I have something to gain by forging a temporary truce, then I might change my mind. But do not seek to persuade me to fight under the banner of your Order again." she warned, "If that was your intention, I will leave immediately."
X X X
The cold and dark surroundings showed no sign that the planet they were standing on was in fact the farm world of Dantooine – the home of many Jedi. It was obviously night, because the ones who entered the alien stone structures didn't want anyone to follow them.
Two figures were standing in the shadows of what looked like an ancient temple. One of them was walking back and forth. Obviously thinking, the figure was dressed in elegant black robes and wore a cape with dark ornaments on the bottom half. A black mask with bloody markings covered all features, making it impossible to see who it was, but the graceful moves of the slender form showed that it was in fact a woman, hiding her face for some unknown reason. The scene was silent, except for the echo of her footsteps and the soft swishing of her cape.
Uncertain, her arms moved from her chin to her hips as she walked back and forth.
The other figure was a tall young man with pale skin, dressed in reddish-orange and black Jedi robes. Although he was much taller than the dark figure, there was no doubt that the dark robed woman was the one in charge. He was watching the dark figure closely, really as if waiting for orders, but his expression was nervous, perhaps tense.
"The Dark Side is strong in this place – I can feel its power."
The black figure turned to face the man. Even without the mask, her emotions would be impossible to read. She wanted to make them unreadable, unreachable, even to herself.
He knew nothing of that. It was a strange prank from the Force that although they knew each other for over a decade, neither could summon the courage to face their own demons.
Her thoughts remained hidden and she didn't intend to share them with anyone. A thought changed to a decision, hope to certainty. Without saying a word, she walked to a stone door nearby.
"Is this wise?" the man asked, but it was questionable whether he was asking the dark figure or himself. "The ancient Jedi sealed this archway. If we pass beyond that door, we can never go back. The Order will surely banish us."
The black figure paid no attention to him. She was ready for whatever lied ahead, for whatever the Force put into their path. She opened the door.
"Are the secrets of the Star Forge so valuable? Can its power truly be worth the risk?"
She didn't seem to listen. How could he even ask? They were priceless! They were worth every risk and more! Unending power, the apex of the legendary Infinite Empire… within their grasp!
Without hesitation, she started walking to the other side of the room. All she cared about now was what lay in the darkness. Seeing her determination, the man followed her through the archway. A strange object unfolded itself and a black orb arose, creating a holographic image. But before the map was complete, the dream faded and shadows consumed the beginning of their dark path.