Author's notes: So, Calo better have his epitaph ready, huh? Many thanks for your reviews. Yep, the title is from Ep.II – probably the only dialogue between Anakin & Padmé that isn't too sappy. And I like it. Next stop, planet G5-623! You don't know that planet? Aw, come on, you do! You just don't remember…

thesnowman – Thank you – that was the most rewritten part really. Read on.

Dark Lord Daishi – here you go.

MilenaSkywalker - Reviews are always missed. :-) HK-47 and Jolee are two of the coolest KotOR characters (certainly the funniest party members), so I'm taking extra care with them.

You have a Malak/Revan romance in your fic? Post it then– you don't seem to have your story listed in your profile. I've seen a lot of attempts on handling it… and some were really terrible. It has to be carefully done to actually make sense and fit into the storyline – I had a bit of trouble with "Revan´s death" from Malak´s POV – yep, that's going to be an intermezzo. Consider this a little… reward… (cough)tobribeyouintoreviewing(cough) ;-) . This is actually my fav romance (I like Carth, but still – this romance was actually able to bring me to tears once… it adds so much tragedy to the final battle. And it's really, really cool).

X X X

Chapter 18 – Aggressive negotiations

X X X X

Tracking the Ebon Hawk was no easy task… even the most famous bounty hunter in the galaxy found it to be quite a challenge. Fortunately, the trace was correct – Tatooine, a practically uninhabited desert rock in the middle of nowhere. What the most wanted Jedi in the galaxy wanted to find here, he didn't know and didn't really care. He couldn't afford to ambush them in the city – it had to be a quiet, distant location where no one would disturb them… where they couldn't hide.

Czerka weren't immune to the lure of easy credits, so it was easy to find out when exactly the group was leaving Anchorhead. This day was fortunate – both his targets left the city together, accompanied by his personal target. Shan and Ordo didn't trouble him that much – he fought against Jedi before. They have better reflexes, but they scream, bleed and die just like normal people. And he knew the Mandalorian´s fighting style from the past. The woman accompanying them was the one that seemed to be the bigger threat.

When it came to looks, she seemed to be more or less like Shan – similar constitution, powers, etc. But the way Saul Karath paled when he confirmed the image the Admiral showed him based on the descriptions of their encounter and even Darth Malak´s tension when he first saw the hologram of this woman was really interesting. Nevertheless, they gave him the order to either capture or kill her – and judging by the way they spoke, Calo figured that neither would be easy. They both looked as if they saw a ghost, really.

When he saw the woman slay the krayt dragon with her powers, he gritted his teeth in both jealousy and irritation. Jealousy because he had long sought to kill a dragon and collect its pearls. Irritation because he understood why the Sith felt threatened by the woman. The Twi´lek that was with them left, which saved his life. And while the three entered the dragon's lair, it was easy for Calo and his cronies to take position outside. There was no escape for those three this time. And after a few minutes, they came out and immediately froze in their tracks. Calo smirked.

The hunter spotted the pray. Or so it seemed. And Revan finally understood how come Malak had become aware of their escape so quickly.

"I have to give you credit. You've led me on quite a chase. But nobody gets away from Calo Nord in the end!" he noted smugly.

"I see you brought up some back-up, Calo. Realized we were a bit too much to handle on your own?" Canderous taunted the bounty hunter, smirking widely. Calo completely ignored him and from what was visible on his face, he was more than calm. The smugness was also noticeable, though. Weakness. The thought immediately crossed Revan´s mind.

"You got lucky on Taris – the Sith attack saved you from a quick and gruesome death. But I promise you, the Sith won't be getting in my way now." The bounty hunter noted, almost nonchalantly.

"You're the one who'll need luck, Calo." Revan calmly called at the bounty hunter, because the wind was beginning to grow stronger. There was no sight of anyone else – even the dewbacks seemed to disappear to the other side of the desert.

"Let's go boys – show time!" Calo ordered the thugs. They all aimed the heavy blasters at the three figures. Two matching Mandalorian heavy blasters and opened fire, one in each of Calo Nord´s hands.

And at the same time, two lightsabers, a piercing yellow double-blade and the single blazing purple beam immediately flashed to life. Bastila and Revan blocked the rain of shots and covered Canderous. He seemed to be skilled enough to find a way to fire in between the lightsaber blades, so that they wouldn't deflect the blasts right back at him – obviously, he dealt with Jedi like this before. A Rodian thug failed to dodge the blaster fire and ended up with a smoking hole on his forehead.

Revan and Bastila closed into attack range within a few seconds – they aliens didn't even have time to draw vibroblades before they were dead. Even Calo Nord had a tense expression on what they could see from his face. The heavy Mandalorian blasters in his hands were firing bolts in two directions – at the two women, who quickly finished off his back up. Canderous posed no relative threat to him, seeing as he was wearing his custom armor. But even the advanced technology used to create it could probably not withstand too many lightsaber blows.

He saw the purple beam coming and dodged it just in the nick of time. But Bastila managed to leave a cut on his back. The bounty hunter yelled in pain, but dodged the other side of the lightsaber. In one last desperate effort, he managed to find an opening. Bastila took a step back as the bolt hit her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and leapt into the air while Calo was busy trying to fend off Revan. With a quick whirl, she delivered a powerful attack, her blade slicing through the bounty hunter's flesh. Revan raised her blade for one more strike. An ear-piercing scream. And the most famous bounty hunter of the galaxy was dead.

When the corpse made no move, Revan quickly began searching it. Bastila looked up to see Canderous approaching, his heavy blaster still ready.

"He's dead. But I guess this isn't the last surprise Sith attack waiting for us." Revan noted as she was prying the blasters from Calo´s now cold fingers.

"Good. The more, the better." Canderous remarked gruffly.

"It could have been a personal revenge on Canderous or something. Not that I would blame him." Bastila shot the Mandalorian a dirty look. "What makes you think that he was sent by the Sith?" she curiously asked. Revan took out the datapad she carried with her just in case and handed it to Bastila.

"This. When we arrived here, several Dark Jedi ambushed me and Juhani in Anchorhead." Bastila studied the message, eyes wide. "I mean, who else could have informed the Sith that we're alive?"

Bastila looked up at Revan.

The message mentions you. Malak knows about you.

Of course. But, contrary to what you may think, he isn't entirely thick-headed. Not enough to order: "Kill Bastila and Revan. Yes, THE Revan. Can you spell suicide? But you still have to do it!"

The Jedi rolled her eyes, "I'll go check the swoop bikes – they might have tampered with them. Once you're done, we should leave." And she stormed off.

"We better answer her royal summons. There's no telling what kind of lectures we'd have to withstand if we wouldn't do as Princess commands." Canderous said darkly.

"I can handle her." Revan said with a curt nod.

"I can see that. More 'Jedi' like you and I could actually understand why your people defeated mine in the wars. The proper stimuli actually makes you warriors, not preachers."

"And what stimuli is that?" Revan asked, keeping her awareness off her voice.

It was more than obvious that one doesn't become a Mandalorian general without brains… but this particular general was subtler than he would really admit. He was trying to figure something out. Something about her. And the disturbing thing was that he seemed to be making progress. She wondered how many hints one needs to work out who she is.

Upon remembering that she tested the Mandalorians, once – in the battle over Laazrau (a gas giant in the Core Worlds, where she wasn't really risking any lives), she figured that not many, in this particular case. She tested how long it would take them to figure out the Republic's strategies, when she chose an unexpected move and decided to send several ships out to create a circle around the battlefield, blocking the enemy's escape routes. It cost the Republic several capital ships and many fighters, but the losses of the Mandalorians (who were pushed into a small space) suffered were greater. The point was that they opened fire on the ships about thirty seconds after they began moving into formation – pretty quick reflexes, she admitted back then.

"Maybe you could tell me, Denali." Canderous said pointedly, the double meaning clear, though the gleam in his eyes left her slightly worried.

Instead of showing that… "Suffice it say that when they kill your family, destroy your homeworld and throw you at the mercy of the Jedi, you get really angry at the Mandalorians. Add a little bit of dislike of the Jedi – since the Republic was practically on the verge of collapse - again - and they left it undefended. Well, that sort of thing really turns you into a warrior, wouldn't you say?"

The Mandalorian nodded and helped Revan strip the remains of Calo´s armor from his corpse. When they finished looting it, they deliberately slowly (in order to piss off Bastila) walked to the swoop bikes.

"So, how many Vulkars were there, actually?" Canderous suddenly asked.

"It must have been an entire army!" Revan said at once.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, there were so many of them that the last lines didn't hear her lectures, so they weren't bored to death." Revan explained. Bastila shot them disapproving glances when they reached her, but she probably didn't hear their last conversation. A blessing, Revan thought. The Force was still on their side, at least in minor things like this.

X X X

The return to Anchorhead was rather short, though the city was closing early because of the sand storm that seemed to be nearing itself. It was relatively deserted, even though the wind wasn't that bad yet. Canderous left for one reason or another, Revan told Bastila to "be the first one to give your mother a break" before heading to the hunting lounge and Bastila went to find her mother in the cantina.

Helena was still there, sipping her drink in the corner as Bastila nervously approached her, "Hello, again, mother." she said warily.

"Back already? Have you even looked for the holocron, yet?" Helena asked snappishly.

"I have the holocron, Mother. I'm just not sure I want to give it to you." Bastila said coldly.

"And why not? Would you deny me even that?" Helena asked.

"I've never denied you anything, Mother." Bastila sniped, "You may think I don't remember what it was like before I left for the Order, but I do. You were the one who pushed Father to go on one treasure hunt after the other. You loved living in wealth. You think I don't remember the fights? You were eager to send me to the Jedi, even though I didn't want to go. You took Father away from me, and now this holocron is all I have of him."

"Fool girl!" Helena snapped, "You have a strange way of remembering things. That wasn't -"

"No." Bastila interrupted, "I don't wish to argue with you any more, Mother. It's time we parted ways, now, for both our benefit." You'd keep it to yourself? That sounds selfish. She remembered discussing this issue with Revan – and she realized that it did sound selfish. But… well, she could remember her father well enough…"Why should you get the holocron" she demanded.

"Is it too difficult to believe that I am a dying woman who simply wishes to see her husband one last time?" Helena asked, almost pleadingly.

"I find it difficult to believe anything you say, Mother." Bastila replied acidly. Give each other a break… Bastila sighed as she remembered Revan´s words, "But I… you were right. I haven't learned anything. It shames me, but I just... I find it difficult to... let go of the past. I'm... sorry, Mother."

"I was hard on you, dear." Helena conceded, "I wasn't a very good mother to you, I know that. Your father loved you so. He wanted you to be just like him... he wanted to take you on his hunts, but I said they were too dangerous. I always tried to keep him from the dangerous ones, but he would have none of it. It was a reckless life we led, always moving... I didn't want that for you."

"So that's why you gave me to the Order?" Bastila asked, surprised.

"What do your father and I have to show for all those years of hunting? Nothing." Helena said, "That was no life for anyone, especially not someone as gifted as you. Your father... he spent all his last years trying to pay for my treatments. That's why he went for the pearls. I begged him not to, but..."

"Your treatments?"

"I'm dying, Bastila." Helena said bluntly, "I did not lie about that. It's been a long time in the coming, and there's really nothing that can be done anymore. I told your father to let me go, but you know how he was. Stubborn. Like you."

"I'm so sorry, Mother." Bastila said quietly, "I don't know what to say..."

"Keep the holocron, Bastila." Helena said, "It would do me good to know you have it. This... talking to you... this is what I really needed before I..."

"I know, Mother. Thank you." Bastila said, blinking back tears, "I'm glad we talked, too."

"Well, now. You said you had important business, and you were never one to mince words."

"Where are you going to go?"

"It doesn't matter, dear. Don't you worry about me." Helena said dismissively.

As if a light bulb had just appeared over her head, Bastila searched her pocket… taking out several credit chips, "Here. Take these five hundred credits. It's all I have. Go to Coruscant and find a doctor. I'll meet you there after... after what I have to do."

"But I already told you there's nothing that can -" Helena began.

Bastila thrust the chips into her hand, however, "Please, take it. I... want to see you again. When we can talk." she pleaded.

Helena sighed, "Alright, I will. Now you do what you have to, Bastila. You go make your father and I proud." she said - it was an order.

Bastila actually managed a faint smile, "I'll try. Farewell, Mother."

X X X

En route back to the Hawk to finally get off the dammed desert rock, Bastila met with Revan, explaining the situation to her.

"So do you feel better now?" Revan asked after the Jedi finished her story.

"Yes. That brought me a lot of peace. More than I thought it would have." she answered, smiling. "Thank you for urging me towards it. After all my training, I would have thought it would have been easier. Apparently I still have much to learn." Revan nodded slightly, but was tapped on the shoulder by someone.

"Forgive me for the intrusion, human. My name is Senni Vek." a green Twi'lek said to her, in his own language. Revan sensed him out – unremarkable at first glance, easily lost in a crowd. Powerful, yes. But he had no hostile intentions towards them. "I believe you dropped this datapad and I wish to return it to you."


"I didn't drop anything." Revan said flatly.

"I'm certain you did, human. Please, take the datapad. It's yours, I'm sure." He was persistent – his aura was solemnly focused on the fact that she must have the datapad.

"Uh... thanks." She took the datapad from him, earning a faint smile from him. Task completed – his aura radiated that.

"My pleasure, human. You should examine it to make sure it is not broken." he said pointedly and departed. And the cryptic message on the datapad read:

'The Genoharadan say to see Hulas on Manaan. Come alone or not at all.'

Revan frowned. Genoharadan… that word was familiar to her. She heard of it, once. But it was a myth, a fable. Nothing more…

"Is something wrong with your datapad?" Bastila asked, oblivious to the fact that it didn't belong to Revan.

Come alone or not at all.

Revan shook her head. "No, it's fine. Let's get back to the Hawk – I'm starving." She said dismissively, leaving the work of solving this new mystery for when she finished eating.