Author's notes: And so the Mandalorian Wars begin. I was actually waiting for the Chronicles on the official KotOR II site to come out, just to add some canon SW into the fic. So, here's the first part of the intermezzo – the next will be released soon, after a few Manaan chapters. By the way, making Manaan interesting is really hard. Also, I couldn't choose between several song lyrics from Nightwish, so I decided to hell with it, I'm using all of them! They're a great band, be sure to listen to them, it's very inspiring.

See if you can find the names of two Egyptian gods here – one should be easy enough.

MilenaSkywalker – I feel your pain. But don't worry, Korriban will come. Well, I'll be making a KotOR II fic once I finish KotOR II… so I suppose this fic will be finished by February, then there will be a two week pause so I can have my wave of euphoria about KotOR II and then I'll write the next part.

Dark Lord Daishi – Hey, he's rumored to be Mandalore in KotOR II! And based on the fact that John Cygan (the voice actor who does Canderous in KotOR I) is named on the voice cast list for TSL as the voice of Mandalore, I think he should also have brains.

X X X

Intermezzo V - Burning

Part One

X X X X

"Honorable representatives of the Senate. My name is Revan, a Jedi Knight. Perhaps you believe that the Council has sent me? That is a nice idea, so I regret to disappoint you. No, the Council still refuses to help you in the Mandalorian war. I came by my own will, not to represent the Council, but the other Jedi. Many of us are, too, displeased with the Masters´ decision to remain passive. For months have we called for action – but it's time to take destiny into our own hands.

You could say we lack wisdom and experience. Most of us are young, true, but we are also willful and determined. And we are Jedi, with all that comes with it. After all, we aren't going to try to make the Mandalorians surrender diplomatically, are we? You could say that there are few of us. But I can assure you, Senators, that more Jedi will come once they see our success, our victories. And you can't compare Jedi with regular soldiers, can you now? Maybe you ask yourselves, why are we helping you when the Council isn't? The answer is in the core of out teachings – Jedi are to be detached from emotions. We cannot grieve, pity or love. Yet some of us have embraced the only emotion we are allowed to feel – the one essential to a Jedi. Compassion. That has driven us to disobey our mentors. Their own teachings. So what can they say is wrong about our actions? Nothing. We are as the Jedi were meant to be. We see the Republic suffering… and until peace is restored, we want to put away the ancient codes, committees and persuasion and finally raise our swords under the banner of the Republic."

Jedi Revan, speech to the Galactic Senate on Coruscant

X X X

An angel's face smiles to me
Under a headline of tragedy
That smile used to give me warmth
Farewell - no words to say
beside the cross on your grave
and those forever burning candles

Needed elsewhere
to remind us of the shortness of our time
Tears laid for them
Tears of love, tears of fear
Bury my dreams, dig up my sorrows
Oh, Lord why
the angels fall first

Nightwish, Angels Fall First

X X X X

The Lower City of Taris was an unfriendly looking place. But the streets were mostly clear today. That was certainly unusual – there was no reason why the citizens would prefer to stay home when they could freely walk the streets without being endangered much. Sure, the Black Vulkars were scum, but it wasn't that bad – he Beks still had the upper hand. A cloaked figure stood with a Rodian informant, trying to convince him to cooperate.

"Look Reeda, we both know something important to the other. I know where your friend is being kept and you know where the slaving operation headquarters are. We can both get what we want."

The alien seemed hesitant. "Perhaps, but how can Reeda trust you? Me don't know you very well – they only said something about an offer. Why you cover your face?"

The cloaked figure smiled – she knew it would come to this. "Why do you cover those who you betrayed? Your Exchange friends have terminated the rest of your party because of the little private business with the Vulkars. Don't think I don't know about it."

"Reeda…Reeda did what had to be done. The Exchange double-crossed us – they nearly killed us and we couldn't let them get away with that! But why you care about their operations?"


"We have reports of a former ally of the Mandalorians being seen around the Lower City for some time. Anything that concerns the Mandalorians concerns us. And the disappearances of several non-human Lower City citizens were too sudden not to attract our attention – a throughout background search on the Twi´lek revealed that he is very interested in…exotic species. A collector, it seems."

The Rodian slowly nodded, obviously impressed. "You are good, that must be said – information about that is hard to come across. And your offer is a fine one. The Republic could still have a chance to win with you aiding them – you are tough, human. Very well, then. I will show you the coordinates. But you must act quickly, if you wish to rescue the slaves. The auctions begin today."


The human woman pulled down her hood. Her braided strawberry blonde hair was tied around her head in an Alderaanian fashion. She pushed a few buttons on her wrist communicator. "Master Revan, the informant has agreed," she quickly said in Mandalorian. The Jedi doubted any sentient nearby would understand it. Besides, it was already agreed.

"Good work, Ariana. We'll be there in a few minutes." Another female voice, somehow more powerful, noted, though in Basic. The transmission was cut off and Ariana nodded to the Rodian.

"Why you show your face now, human?" he asked quizzically.

"It's a sign of sincerity. Now lead on – my friends will be following us and then I'll send some of them to escort you to our base. There you will meet your companion."

The slaving operation was one of the newest "escapades" of the Exchange. A quick and sure way to earn money, those who couldn't pay off their debts were captured and mostly killed, but if they were aliens they were sometimes enslaved and sold to the right buyer. Ariana was positively sure that Davik had something to do with this. But he always seemed to keep a clear record, although he was known to be the local crime lord.

After a few minutes of waiting, the Jedi and soldiers promised her by Revan arrived, along with Revan herself, heavily cloaked and a half-mask covering her face. Ariana knew well this personal appearance only for one reason – Revan disliked slavery at the best of times. They quickly proceeded through the Lower City. As the group reached the base of the slavers, Revan quietly thanked the informant and sent him away with an armed escort. The entrance was guarded by several Vulkars.

Typical. Mercenaries doing the Exchange's dirty work, just in case someone catches them.

She looked at an Ithorian Jedi, who merely nodded. According to plan, he suddenly jumped in front of the guards. Before they had a chance to react, they were paralyzed. Revan merely smiled and waved to the soldiers.

"Good. Time to knock, my friends."

Several Republic soldiers took out some grenades and placed on the locked door. Everyone took cover and a large explosion was heard. Several of the Jedi ran through the now opened door, immediately drawing their sabers.

"Secure the entrance and cover us!" Revan quickly ordered the soldiers.

"A pleasure, sir."

The captain dodged a shot aimed at him and readied his rifle for a sniper shot. As Revan entered, she saw several of the buyers trying to flee. She ducked as a Gammorean tried to strike her down with an axe and swiftly stabbed him. When his fat corpse fell to the ground, she assumed that this was the leader, seeing as he had the keys to the cages with him. The large hall was now a battlefield, but she didn't see anyone who matched the description of the Twi´lek man Xor. There were some dead Twi´leks lying on the floor, but none of them was purple or wearing anything even close to Mandalorian armor or any other symbol of the warriors. The Jedi opened all the cages with the Force, releasing the slaves. But the aliens were too terrified of their saviors to even flee. Revan´s violet blade disappeared and she clipped her weapon back to her belt. The other Jedi followed her example and went to search the estate for suspects and take care of the slaves. Even motion detection goggles didn't help. There was no trace of the man she was looking for.

"Commander!" she heard a female voice call her.

Revan hurried to the human Jedi, putting the visor away. She was sitting next to a cage with a Cathar girl. "We have records about most of the other slaves, but this girl tells me that her parents are probably dead."

"Who…who are you?" an unfamiliar voice said. Revan looked at the young Cathar girl. She did smile, but her mask hid it.

"I'm here to save you. Can you tell me your name?"

The girl seemed no longer afraid when she heard Revan´s kind voice. "I am Juhani. But I have already told this lady that I do not have a family anymore. Please…please do not send me back there…not to them."

Revan knew who she meant – the Exchange was brutal. "We're not going to send you anywhere you don't want to go. You can leave once we make sure that you get some food and rest." she turned to the Jedi, "Thea, you and Dyam take the rescued prisoners to the medical facility. They are now under your care."

Thea nodded as Revan´s communicator flashed to life. "Any news?" she simply asked when she pushed a button on her armband.

"It seems that we captured or killed most of them, but none fits the description of the Twi´lek. Are you certain he was there?"

"Positive. He probably fled as soon as we entered. He couldn't have gotten far. But now he knows we're after him. The man isn't stupid – he won't be wandering in public from now on. At least we cannot be sure whether he's still with the Mandalorians – we know he was crippled in war. Continue the search nonetheless and report back if you find something. I will take someone with me and meet you in an hour, as agreed."

"Affirmative. Malak out."

Revan sighed as she turned off her communicator. She had a feeling that they wouldn't be seeing their Mandalorian friend very soon.

"Maybe you should go to the medical facility with us. You seem tired." the Jedi named Thea suggested.

"No – I'm uninjured and you can handle a few civilians just fine." She then turned to Juhani.

"You are safe now. Farewell, and May the Force Be With You."

Revan walked into the center of the room where a soldier was waiting for her, saluting immediately. "At ease, lieutenant. Search the base for any other slavers and make sure that they are brought to justice. Do a thermal scan of the surroundings for any life forms. Secure the area and report any problems or discoveries to me."

"As you wish, Master Revan." He went away to inform the others of her orders. Revan turned to two alien Jedi that were searching through the wrecked cages and the dead bodies.

"Zach, Gen – you two come with me – the second team is waiting for my arrival. Everyone else will continue the search and report any findings to me." The Duros man and the green Twi´lek woman immediately left the room, closely behind Revan.

Juhani was still staring at the door when the three Jedi left. She didn't manage to see Revan´s face fully, since the hood was veiling it, but she managed to get a glimpse of the sky blue eyes underneath it. Thea smiled and handed her a warm blanket.

"Take this before we can get you some clean clothes."

"Who is she? It was almost as if her feet weren't touching the ground. Is she a goddess?" she seemed amazed.

"A goddess?" Thea laughed, clearly amused. "No, no, she isn't. And perhaps that is unfortunate." She paused for a moment, "Did you say "she"?"

Juhani shrugged slightly, "It just… seemed right to me. I do not know why."

Thea tilted her head to the side in interest, squinting her eyes for a moment as she gazed through Juhani´s aura. The Force was there. Wind and untamed, but strong, just like the entire Cathar race. "She brought us here. Once we get to the medical facility, I can stay with you and tell you a bit more about her. But first I must follow her orders and take care of you." Perhaps more than I was ordered to.

X X X

"You might have convinced the Senate with slick words and big promises, but I want proof of your capability." The first meeting with Fleet Admiral Paytah didn't exactly go as smoothly as Revan would have wished. After their success on Taris, this was not an acceptable welcoming committee. The Republic sure knew how to encourage people to join their cause.

Revan, cloaked, a gray shawl wrapped around her head, over her face (except for the eyes), watched the yellow Twi´lek man with some degree of patience. "That won't be a problem, Admiral. May I propose something?" Her voice was low, neutral and perhaps almost dark.

"Speak."

"The Mandalorians are pushing you from three sides, until they squash you like insects. You divided your forces into three relatively equal groups to defend the ambushed worlds. Pull them back."

The Admiral paled and spluttered immediately, "That's preposterous!"

"Reinforce the first group and drive out one wave of Mandalorians – the one occupying the most strategic planets. Form strongholds on them to support their defenses. Then focus on the remaining lifeless rocks."

"Now listen there, young man." Paytah said, raising his right index finger as a father punishing or lecturing his child would. "I have led Republic forces when you were still playing with toy starships. This is not a game – this is war."

"And I have studied military technology while playing with toy starships." Revan snapped back, "This is war, yes. So what matter the means if we win battles? Why not abandon barren, lifeless worlds to protect the inhabited ones? Give my strategy a chance, Admiral. If it fails, I'll never speak against you or your orders and submit to your command."

"And if it works?"

Revan´s smile was clear in her voice. "I'm flattered you have actually considered the possibility. If it succeeds, let me continue playing with your life-sized toy starships."

Paytah arched an eyebrow and observed Revan for a moment. The Jedi didn't move a muscle. "Alright. We suspect that Mimban is the next target. Circarpous System. I trust you'll have your strategy ready before the game starts?"

Revan bowed slightly and left without answering, the enigmatic air around her thickening.

A week later, the battle over Mimban took place. Circarpous I, II, III and IV were taken by Mandalorians without a fight… but Circarpous V – also known as Mimban - held out. And the combined forces from all five planets were strong enough to repel the assault, completely surprise the Mandalorians and push them back. The tropical climate of the planet worked in the Republic's favor – something that had never happened before – the ground assault was repelled. The space battle didn't go well for the Mandalorians, either - half of the ships were destroyed, the rest fled. Within three days from that, Revan was officially admitted into the Republic military forces and was the first person ever to be promoted to captain five minutes after that.

X X X

"Dammit! Revan, I refuse to play with you anymore!" Malak threw away his final Pazaak card after yet another lost hand. Not for a second would Revan stop thinking strategically, Pazaak was no exception. The only thing he was glad for was that she refused to bet with him – seeing the group of broke sulking Jedi in the corner of the room in the Academy one day and Revan counting a number of credit chips, Pazaak cards and decks surrounding her, he decided it would be best to be careful about betting with her.

Revan caught the card in mid air and levitated the card back to the main deck, collecting her own items. Even with no one else in the room, her concealment was complete. Only her eyes were visible.

"You're a fast learner, though." she smirked slightly, "Wonder what other things I could teach you."

Despite the obvious compliment, Malak felt a slight mental wound – she could teach him much, true. How to make the entire fleet gawp at her whenever she went past, for instance, even though they had no idea of her looks. But just once, he would want to be the one who teaches. Superior. He mentally slapped himself for the thought – it was Revan, the best friend that was with him at all times, not a rival. Just the witty, charismatic, clever, perfect…

He slapped himself again. Jealousy was bad.

Revan frowned, "Are you okay? You've been rather on edge lately." He wasn't exactly happy with the idea of running away from the Jedi to join the war, even though it was the right thing to do, and he knew it.

"Base to Revan – we're in the middle of war, in case you haven't noticed yet." He joked, "Besides, you're masking yourself like some bounty hunter, no wonder you're turning blind. You would probably win the Coruscanti New Year Parade."

"It makes me look enigmatic." Malak was highly amused that Revan actually began pouting – she rarely did that, "And it grants me respect. They need an icon, someone to look up to. Whatever they imagine under the mask, they respect me. An incorporeal or undefined threat is always more feared."

"So you plan to be a scarecrow or something like that? Because you're doing a rather perfect job. Take that thing off."

"No."

"You look much better without it, Rev."

"Don't. Call. Me. Rev."

He grinned, "Glad to see you're not jaded yet."

"With you around to tease me? No chance."

Malak was just about to say something when the entire ship shook violently and the alarms began humming loudly. Revan sprang to her feel immediately, activating her wrist communicator. "Report."

"Mandalorian warbirds, sir – three starboard, two larboard. We're outnumbered, badly." True enough, the pair of Republic cruisers would have had a hard time against equal numbers, but this was overkill.

"I want all fighter pilots out there. All energy into shields. Send the repair crew to damaged spots. Ma´at and Eirene, stay close to each other and continue on course."

"Affirmative, Master Revan." An older, firmer voice of the Eirene´s captain answered. The ensign was probably speechless.

"Duty calls, I guess." Malak noted with a sigh, "I'll round up the misfits." The group of Jedi stationed on the Ma´at consisted mostly out of Revan´s friends (though Malak said more than often that they were more of a fan club). Nothing special when it came to the Force, but a few were capable pilots. Those few formed the core of Green Squadron, as it was formally called, green being chosen because it was the symbol of a Jedi Consular. The Jedi would have preferred a different name… and the fact Malak nicknamed them "Shyracks" didn't help things. He didn't call them that in front of Revan, though – as amusing as she would probably find it when used on someone else, she disliked nicknames. And she sometimes flew with the squadron, when they needed encouragement and one hell of a gunner as backup.

"Get them and go. I'll take Horus and join you in a minute. Here," she took out another communicator, identical to her own, grasped Malak´s hand and adjusted it to his wrist. "Now you'll be my eyes."

He examined the polished metal bracelet-like device, nodding before he bolted away to the hangar. Revan remained motionless for a second, watching, and with a twirl of her cloak, she sprinted to the other direction.

The "misfits" were fortunately already rounded up by the time Malak got to the hangar – obviously, the alarms were difficult to miss.

"Ready to show the morons who's boss?" Vidor, a rather bubbly Twi´lek Jedi, was saying to the others.

"They aren't, but we'll try anyway." Everyone jumped at Malak´s comment. So much for drawing attention. "Let's move."

It took the pilots just a few seconds to get to their fighters and take off. The following battle was long and unpleasant. Revan, wherever she was on the Ma´at, kept giving them instructions. What she was doing and how she kept track of both that and the battle was a mystery to Malak. The fact that her tactics helped them take out the main shields of two warbirds and destroy the third one was more than enough for everyone else, though.

"They're divided!" Red-3 shouted through the comlink as the warbird on the far left took yet another hit. True enough, the four remaining warbirds divided into two groups, the damaged ones shielded by the heavy firepower of the intact ones. Even Mandalorian self-sacrifices had measures.

"Target the closest ship's weapons." Revan´s voice boomed, "Green, distract them while Red and Blue head in. Leave a few ships behind for another strike. Zeta attack formation."

Two blue ships exploded in a rain of sparks before they even formed the convoy. The battle was getting chaotic. More Gray and Red-7 and 8 were shot. Red advanced on the main Mandalorian ship, quite slowly, considering the firepower coming from said ship. Finally, they managed to get into range.

"Gray-3, 4, 5 – into the breach!" One of the squad leaders ordered. The trio quickly said "Affirmative" and all three fighters headed in. While Green was effectively distracting the Mandalorians with dangerous attacks and acrobatic moves (which proved fatal for several pilots), the Gray ships managed to take out the main ship's weapons. But all of them were shot down in the continuing onslaught.

Very few ships were left, mainly Green, though several Red were still intact. Their greatest achievement came when one of Green's maneuvers made two warbirds crash into each other, sending a wave of electricity through their surfaces.

When it seemed that the resistance was doomed to fail, Horus, the elite squadron, had finally arrived, attacking the breached hulls of the two warbirds. Some cheering was heard through the comlinks when the ships went down, probably from the Ma´at and the Eirene. The remaining two Mandalorian ships began retreating, eventually blasting their way through the fighters and quickly escaping into hyperspace.

X X X

When the remaining fighters landed back on the Republic cruisers, the tense atmosphere seemed to have disappeared. Malak quickly climbed out of his completely intact fighter and looked around. Very few pilots of Gray and Red survived, Green was also missing a few. Only Horus was undamaged. Only three pilots, all human – most probably the squad leaders – weren't celebrating. They were quickly talking about the battle and all went to congratulate Malak for the feint that crippled the two warbirds.

"If you ever consider a different career, we'll be saving you a place with the Air Forces, Master Jedi." Horus leader noted, though it wasn't meant as a joke.

"I'm no Master, but I'll keep the offer in mind. You did well out there, all of you. At ease," Malak noted, waving his hand dismissively when all three of them automatically saluted. "Formalities aside, please. This probably wasn't the last time we met."

"Well, you've got that right. The Mandalorians don't accept defeat easily."

"Aw, come on, Onasi – don't spoil the victory that much." Gray leader noted with a hint of mock-whine. Horus leader rolled his eyes with annoyance – clearly, he also wasn't too happy about the loss of so many pilots.

After some short peaceful conversation mainly regarding the battle, two soft beeps came from somewhere. It was then that Malak remembered the communicator Revan gave him – he completely forgot about it. Excusing himself from the pilots who probably went to finally join the celebrations, he activated it just like he saw Revan do it. Her voice immediately spoke, as clearly as if she were standing a few feet from him.

"You've survived. Congratulations."

"You've just sacrificed many good pilots with that move. Should I congratulate you?" He said snappishly. Sending Horus in at the last second was a dangerous move. It worked perfectly, according to plan, but it was still too much of a risk.

"It's regrettable. But they have served their purpose well."

"'Served their purpose'? Revan, what's the matter with you?"

Silence. Then… "Sernpidal has just been taken. We're too late. Those Mandalorians did their job well – they distracted us long enough. The convoy's pulling back. We can't take back a whole system with two ships and weakened defenses. We dock on Manaan in two hours."

The transmission was cut off. But Malak was too stunned to even notice it. Besides the fact that Revan honored every single life, viewed every being as something unique and magnificent, she never took defeat easily. And they had no idea Sernpidal was being ambushed – they were headed there, true, but they had no idea of this trap. Another world gone. Expressionless, he stormed out of the hangar and followed the barely audible crying echoing through the Force.

X X X

White man came
Saw the blessed land
We cared, you took
You fought, we lost
Not the war but an unfair fight
Sceneries painted beautiful in blood

Wandering on Horizon Road
Following the trail of tears
Once we were here
Where we have lived since the world began
Since time itself gave us this land

-Nightwish, Creek Mary's Blood

X X X

Revan´s personal quarters were one of the few computer coded areas on the ship – the only area, probably. Even Malak didn't know the password to "Master Revan´s" private kingdom. The computer console next to the entrance flashed to life as soon as he approached it, requesting either the password or a message for Revan – there was also an active communicator there.

"Revan, it's me. Open the door."

Nothing happened.

"Open the door, please. We need to talk. Please."

Almost as if the door itself was reluctant to let him in, it lazily opened, revealing a neatly organized office. Metal sounds were heard from the next room – the small bedchamber where most of Revan´s belongings were. Malak walked directly to that room. It was completely spotless, contained few personal objects. Some datapads and holobooks on the table, a small drawer and random droid parts. Revan was sitting in a white plasteel chair, tinkering with something that looked like the core systems of a new droid. Her cape and shawl were on the bed. She seemed to be perfectly calm, but Malak noticed the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I need a new set of cables." Revan suddenly noted, matter-of-factly. "I hardly finished adding the cognitive systems and all my supplies are gone."

"They won one battle; the war's not over yet."

She didn't even raise her head from the parts. "I'm afraid, Malak."

He was taken slightly aback by this – if there was any Sith principle Revan believed in, it was not showing weakness under any circumstances. "Of what?"

"Of losing control." she noted quietly. "We need to change strategy."

"Defense is fine, but we need to push them back, too." Malak was somehow relieved – she was taking the defeat quite well. "Show them who's boss."

She finally raised her gaze, smiling slightly, "Spending too much time with Vidor, aren't we?"

"I'll never understand how that moron made it past apprentice." Malak muttered.

"I sometimes wonder the same about you."

"Hey, that fire alarm wasn't my fault! They should watch where they put those things in the dueling arenas!"

"Whatever you say, Pyro." Revan patronized with a grin.

Malak rolled his eyes, "So, what's that thing?" he asked, pointing at the parts.

"My new soon-to-be droid. And don't give me that look, I'm far better than I was when I was building the first one!" Her first droid ended up running rampant through the Jedi Temple for the better part of a week, until finally blowing up in the Jedi Masters´ faces when cornered. Malak still sometimes laughed at the memory of Vrook´s new hairdo.

"It's gonna be the most amazing droid ever! Protocol, languages and combat focused." Revan beamed, "But I have a lot of work ahead of me."

"Can you even see what you're doing through those tears?" A risky move, but they really needed to talk about this. True enough, she looked up once again, failing miserably at blinking back the tears. They rolled down her cheeks, silently.

"Before I was taken to Coruscant for training, I… sometimes visited Sernpidal. My family… my father moved to Deralia from there. If there was some… any… chance that they escaped the bombardment, then there. A vague chance, but…" she trailed off. "Don't listen to me." She smiled, the forced teary smile making Malak wince. "I saw the space battle from the bridge – I sure wish I could fly like that."

"Why don't you fly with us next time?"

"I prefer keeping my distance from all the chaos, but I'm willing to try. Sit down, you don't have to defer to me, you know." Revan summoned one of the chairs from her office, the fine velvet-like material contrasting sharply with the simple furniture in the bedroom.

"You know, you're giving that bucket of bolts more attention than you're giving me." Malak suddenly noted, with a hint of jealousy.

"And that bothers you?"

"Yes." He said flatly. "You spend half the time commanding the fleet and the other half locked up here, doing Force-knows what."

"My pastime choices are rather limited, you know. But I suppose we haven't talked much over the last few… days." Try weeks. Malak thought. "Except for the little Pazaak game." Revan shrugged, "I just didn't want to ruin your solitary hero image."

He snorted at that, "Then you obviously spend too much time deaf and blind. The only thing that fascinates the entire fleet is the mysterious Revan. After the stunts you pulled off today, they'll soon be worshipping you." Revan actually laughed. "By now, all the pilots are probably drunk and celebrating. Why don't we go get a drink too – we're still far from Manaan. You need some fresh air."

"We're in space. The air on the ship is recycled."

"Revan!"

She sighed and carefully put the droid parts on her table. When she reached out for her cape, Malak caught her arm. "How in the world are you planning to drink something with that thing over your face?" he asked, half-laughing.

Revan thought for a moment, "You might get too drunk and forget my alias is I go unmasked." Malak arched an eyebrow at that – she knew damned well that he refused to drink more than one glass per hour. Bad experience from Coruscant´s bars was a really good lesson. It was just an excuse. Revan took her cape and lowered the hood as much as she could. Through the Force, she checked how it looked – her eyes were covered completely, the rest of her face was shaded. Perfect.

"Why do you keep wearing that?" Malak asked, once again.

"I already told you. To deceive the enemy."

"But the Republic soldiers aren't your enemies."

Revan lowered her voice to the level she used in public. "Every will can be broken. I'm not taking any chances."

"I thought Mandalorians didn't take prisoners."

"They don't. But the soldiers don't know that. And not all Mandalorians are honorable." Satisfied with the concealment, she nodded to herself. "Let's go."

X X X

Oh, do you care,
I still feel for you
So aware,
What should be lost is there

I fear I will never find anyone
I know my greatest pain is yet to come
Will we find each other in the dark
My long lost love

-Nightwish, Long Lost Love

X X X

Somehow unsurprisingly, a young ensign stopped Revan on the way to the bar and informed her that the Admiral has received the news of the space battle and wishes to speak with her via the holocom. She shot Malak an apologizing glance before marching away with the soldier.

He hated when she did that. He hated the entire war, even though the thrill of battle sent eruptions through the Force that could be compared to a volcanic explosion. He hated it because of Revan.

When a battle began, chaos took place or there were troops to command and inspire, she had no equal in strategy. It was fascinating to see her carefully observe the battlefield, pointing out details from unstable rock formations to flight attack formations. It was fascinating for someone who barely knew her. For him, it was becoming harder to endure.

He hardly recognized Revan now. And sometimes, she acted as if they were little more than fellow Jedi. At first, it seemed to be a defensive pattern. The revelation of her face and voice was unacceptable for her – the whole fleet looked up to her, imagining nothing short of a god beneath the veil. And her eyes really seemed to shine an unearthly, inhuman light. But she refused to take off her disguise even in his presence. Even in the precious moments when they were alone.

Why? Was he not worthy of looking at her face when he supported all of her insane ideas over the years? When he endured all her lectures, teasing, endured the fact that she was the Master's Princess Perfect and he was but her loyal shadow? They didn't even mind the fact that several Masters taught her over the years – Zhar was responsible for her specialized training, of course, but they soon delegated more high ranking Jedi with the task of training her.

He shoved those thoughts out of the nearest airlock, quickly. The Dark Side. He spent too much time skating on the edge of falling and prevailed. This was a test of his will – Revan wasn't the one to blame. The war made its mark on them.

And when it would all be over, they would be happy again. Well, as happy as they could be, in a galaxy full of turmoil and the endless arguments with the Masters that would surely follow. But at least he would finally be able to speak to her about everything, without the risk of being dismissed because of a new attack.

X X X

The convoy landed on Manaan shortly after that, offering the crew some relief. The planet was of no interest to the Mandalorians, since they considered themselves above the need of kolto. Thus, the Selkath welcomed the Republic with open arms.

Revan didn't want her presence among the crew known, so she settled for a Republic-issue flight suit as disguise. It felt relaxing not being stared upon some sort of god for a while, but she still put her best stealth abilities to use while sneaking away from the docking bays. She avoided the crowded cantinas of Ahto and quickly disappeared to the far end of the city – the storage houses were nearby, but other than that, the plaza was empty. The water was quiet, the occasional ripple didn't disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

The commands have been given out before the landing - Petula, the unnaturally patient human Jedi responsible for the Eirene, was delegated with the task of dealing with the kolto transactions. The other Jedi went off to relax a bit, the soldiers were mostly dealing with repairs.

Revan, as a perfectionist, had to know what everyone was doing. Only her conversations with Malak troubled her. She knew what she was going… and she saw what it was doing to him. He was, in truth, quite terrible at hiding emotions, but this anger was like a sudden storm – the change was very visible. But it was for the best. Revan needed solitude. She needed to focus on the war, the important thing. And it wasn't easy to focus on that when she was purposely avoiding his gaze – her emotional control was put through tough trials in the moments when eye contact was inevitable. This couldn't go on. The war had to end quickly. And then…

"Excuse me, miss?" Revan clutched her fists a bit tighter. A practiced smile appeared on her face as she turned around. The man who approached her couldn't be older than thirty, with jet-black hair and green eyes. It was easy to understand why he approached her, when you saw the same uniform Revan was currently wearing. "Has the transport crew arrived yet? We were supposed to help out with the shipments."

"No, they haven't been here in the past few minutes." Revan replied in her normal tones. But it didn't sound like her own voice to her anymore.

The soldier sighed, "Damn. Thanks anyway." He then tilted his head to the right in sudden surprise, "Say, I don't remember you from the ship. You're new to the squadron?"

"I've just been transferred for this flight. Coruscanti patrol flights aren't as important as the war right now, they said they need capable pilots in terrain."

"I'll say. I'm Jace Dalit, by the way."

Revan shook his hand, creating a name for herself quite easily. "Leila Isis, nice to meet you. I've just been promoted to the squadron, so I guess that's why you haven't seen me around before."

"We lost some good pilots in that last battle – every new one is welcome." An impish grin appeared on his face, "So, can I get you a drink? I heard the Selkath make some good alcohol and have a wide range of off-world drinks to offer."

Revan arched any eyebrow, "Is this how you welcome new pilots?"

"Only the amazingly beautiful ones. So you're the first." Jace replied with the slightest blush.

"I'll pass. But I appreciate the offer." Come… a voice in her head whispered. Revan blinked.

"What's wrong, Leila?" Jace asked, concerned. Revan´s lips parted to say something, but her breath caught. Her eyes widened. Her heart seemed to stop beating as she listened to the ocean. The waves sounded differently.

The cool metal of Ahto was gone. A tropical beach, framed with palm trees. Clear waters of a sea, mere feet from her. She was awed. A creature passed around her, oblivious to her presence. It was human-sized, but very different – a pair of eyes on stalks, thick auburn skin. From the size of its head, it would seem that its brain had to be far more developed than that of a human. It reminded Revan of the Cereans, though only because the Cereans had similarly constituted heads. Otherwise, it looked like nothing she had ever seen before.

A set of marvelous stone temples, made entirely out of polished marble. A group of those strange aliens were ceremoniously clad. They commanded the Force as if it were just a toy. But something shadowed the spot they were standing on. Revan looked up to see what the rest of the aliens were watching. An object shadowed the sun. Beautiful and frightening. Alive. It had a beating heart. One of darkness.

Come… What are you?

Find… What's happening?

Rule… Wait!

The sun blinded her.

"Leila! Leila, wake up!" Her eyes flickered open, slowly. She felt strong arms holding her, hard steel underneath her feet. The sun was different. The calling had faded. The creature was gone.

"Thank the Force! You freaked me out there. Leila?" Revan stood up, oblivious to the world around her. The voice called her name before it faded. And it was… enchanting. Powerful and inspiring. She was ensnared. But where was it? She had never seen that planet, nor the species that walked it so proudly.

"Leila!"

Revan jumped, turning quickly, as if she were caught red-handed at a crime scene. "I'm alright."

"You just completely zoned out! I'll take you to a medic, c'mon – just to check if you're okay."Jace suggested, "Maybe it was a shock for you, breathing unrecycled air all of a sudden…"

"That will not be necessary." Her voice was low again, despite her attempt to speak in her normal tones. No… these were her normal tones.

"But-!"

Her eyes flashed with gold. Enemy. It was an enemy. Why else would he want to stop her? Her hand flew up. As if mad, her eyes now shined completely golden. She was oblivious to the lightning bolts emerging from her fingertips, to the strange words coming out of her mouth. She ignored the screams, the sent of burnt flesh. A Force Wave sent the burnt corpse into the ocean.

Revan stumbled slightly, as if a demon had left her body. Her eyes were wide, but now, with horror. What in the name of the Force had she done?

Weak…the word echoed through her mind. She frowned. Perhaps it was just the aftermath of her vision. No… innocent blood was on her hands. And the Dark Side lightning… she backed away with fear. How? Why? She couldn't see the reason for it anymore. But what was done. And one more problem – Leila Isis – was out of the way.

Vengeance…the thought came back so easily. She would remember this trick when dealing with Mandalorians. She held her head high, her eyes narrowed. Malak was right. Enough of playing nice with them.