Author's notes: Yes! A double update! This is my Christmas present for you guys. Expect the second part of the intermezzo soon (or at least after the Christmas break). Merry Christmas and enjoy the chapters!

Dark Lord Daishi – I doubt anyone noticed. Besides, Revan doesn't yell. It's that kind of cold calmness that leaves you wonder whether the person even has a soul. As I said before, I write Revan as myself in that kind of situation. No worries. And yes, DS-ness is on its way. But before she can fall, I have to get her to Dantooine. And I already have a reason for her to go there. Wait and see. :)

X X X

Chapter 24 – Aquamarine

X X X

The world around her was strange…she breathed air, yet there was only water around her. She was standing on the ocean floor. The Star Map hidden in the ruins slowly unfolded itself. None of the creatures lairing near the Hrakert Rift dared to approach it. The Guardian let her pass, sensing that the time of destiny had arrived. Although the envirosuit covered her face, she saw the ancient artifact clearly.

A powerful darkness… the true power of the Force, within the palm of her hand, as she almost touched the orb that rose from it slowly. Her power.

She gazed at her prize. Darkness was emerging from it, as it was flowing through her veins by now. She gathered all the data she needed here.

X X X

Revan didn't want to disturb the others – she and Zaalbar were the only two awake and the Wookiee was probably once again massacring the food supply, so it was up to her to land the ship, deal with the docking formalities and have a bit of a look around in Ahto City. Hopefully, she would finally find a way to get rid of all the gizka before they multiply too much – the ship was almost overrun with the pests, and not even the daily clean up (HK-47´s routine) managed to exterminate them completely.

"Exploring already?" Canderous noted from the swoop hold as she walked to the loading ramp. She didn't really bother being stealthy, so it was no wonder he noticed her.

"Good morning to you, too." Revan said when she noticed him modifying weapons at the workbench.

"There's not much good about it. Being stuck on a rock like Manaan is not quite what I'd call an excellent choice."

"Then you'll be happy to hear that I don't intend to make you wander around the Manaan streets., I'm doing this for the sake of the Selkath race"

"So, who's coming, then? Your pet killer droid is quite out of the question."

"Yeah, he'd massacre the Selkath for annoying me. Don't worry – I won't leave you here with Princess or Onasi like last time… besides, once they wake up, Princess will freak out to see that I'm gone." The nicknames were quite suitable, actually.

"What about the kid and her Wookiee?"

"They can handle Manaan, so I won't stop them exploring the city. The kid's in a bad mood already, some fresh air might do her good." En route to Manaan, Mission constantly kept whining about her brother until Revan finally couldn't take it anymore and agreed to go back to Tatooine. Mission gave Griff one of the tach glands (after some arguing with Revan about its price and better uses), but it turned out that the moron didn't know anything about brewing Tarisian ale after all (very surprisingly, as Revan commented) and ended up running away so he wouldn't have to face the Exchange. At least Mission decided it was time to move forward and swore on Bacca´s blade (Revan wanted some proof) that she wouldn't whine throughout the rest of their journey. "But Juhani stays, just in case you or HK-47 think of something suicidal."

"What, don't you trust me?"

"Don't you trust me, Mandalorian?"

He got what she was getting at, "All right then, do what you want. While you're at Fishtown, I'll try to upgrade some of the stuff you have here."

A soft beeping from behind made Revan realize that T3 followed her into the room. "Hey, T3. I'm leaving for a couple of hours – I'll go check out the city." Revan noted.

"Beep-beep-boop-whzzt."

"Guess the bucket of bolts wants to go with you." Canderous remarked.

"I guess so. All right then, you can come. We'll be back soon."

X X X

The astromech droid was the first to leave the ship, beeping happily. Revan grinned as the port doors opened in front of her.

"Entering Ahto City security zone. Security cameras activated. Welcome to Manaan." A Selkath voice said. The next door opened, revealing two soldiers arguing. Revan´s grin widened a bit – Sith and Republic, judging by the uniforms. She just hoped they would tear each other apart in front of her eyes.

"You Republic scum are so pathetic, sitting around groveling at the table scraps the galactic Senators deign to give you. It makes me sick." The Sith said, miming vomiting for a second.

"The Senators work for the good of the whole galaxy, not for individual gain!" The Republic soldier retorted, anger building up in his aura. He was on-edge. Revan choked with laughter. Was he talking about those Senators that cared about nothing more than their own wealth? The weak fools? No wonder the Republic was losing so badly when they had such blind fate in the weak.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh, you gutless simp!" the Sith jeered, "It's the destiny of weak-minded fools like you to be ruled over by the strong, like we Sith!"

"I'm warning you! Don't push me, or you'll get just what you're asking for!"

"Try it. Just try it." the Sith sneered. "I'd love to see you throw the first punch. And with all the cameras around the Selkath would be all over you inside of thirty seconds. You break their laws, you pay the price, Republic scum. But I can see that you're not man enough to back up your words anyway." he smirked smugly, "If you ever feel like relieving yourself of your worthless existence, feel free to come by our enclave here. We have many, many ways to fulfill your wish." the Sith, clearly having won that argument, turned and sauntered away, still smug.

The Republic soldier growled in frustration, there was practically smoke coming out of his ears (ignoring the helmet). The last time she was here, Revan used a different route to get to the Star Map, but since she had to play along, her best bet would be to ask around at the Republic Embassy.

"Excuse me," she began.

"Yeah, what do you…?" the soldier began, obviously frustrated. Then, he turned to locate the person asking. When he saw Revan, his eyes immediately moved from her face to the robes and stopped at the lightsaber attached to her belt. "Oh, I apologize, Master Jedi. I shouldn't have been so impolite."

Revan dismissed that, "It's all right."

"No, I really should apologize. I should try to control myself better, like you Jedi do." Why was he insulting her again? "Again, I'm sorry. It's nice to see members of your Order arrive on Manaan – the Sith have become quite bad these days. But enough about that. Is there anything I do for you?"

"Actually, yes. Could you tell me where the Republic Embassy is? I'm on a task here and I'll probably need the help of our diplomatic representative."

"Oh, of course. Ahto City is really big, but I'll try my best to explain. You need to go down the hall until you reach the second hangar and go left. Pass through the visitor's area until you reach the port authority. Once you're at the central courtyard, straight on and to the east. Then left at the second courtyard and right once you enter a corridor that leads either to the Embassy or to the visitor's hotel. Can you remember that?"

"Sure, no problem. Thank you, I need to get going."

"Of course. Have a pleasant stay, Master Jedi."

"Come on." Revan said, nudging T3 slightly. The droid followed its master down the hall, until she stopped when a Selkath approached her.

"Greetings, human. Forgive me if this is an unusual question, but don't you happen to have any exotic species for sale?" he asked brightly.

"Exotic species? Are you interested in gizka? I have a crate or two." Revan said hopefully.

"Gizka? You mean those small animals? Oh, I'm afraid our zoo wouldn't be able to accept them. Gizka reproduce quickly." He said, backing away slightly.

"Is there no way I could convince you to take them off my hands?"

The Selkath thought about it for a moment, "I…suppose having a few of these creatures wouldn't hurt. But I'll need a 100 credit fee for that, I'm afraid."

"You don't need to take credits for the gizka. You apologize for your absurd ideas." Revan was already slightly irritated by the soldier's behavior, so she wasn't planning on paying for anything. Force persuasion and a graceful motion of her hand accompanied the directive command.

The Selkath hit his forehead slightly. "What am I thinking? I apologize for my absurd ideas, human. I will send some of my people to your ship to take the gizka. Thank you and I apologize again."


Finally, the pesky little critters were dealt with, without the use of murderous methods. They were even beginning to infuriate HK, and that was saying something.

T3 beeped as Revan passed through yet another door, entering a large hall with a fountain in the middle. That wasn't surprising at all, since Manaan was a water world, Ahto City being the only "ground" on the planet. The rest of it was covered by water and the ocean floor was mostly unexplored even by the native Selkath. Quite naturally, the port authority was one of the Selkath, the native race of fish people. Although Ahto City was a neutral zone, Revan didn't fail to notice the guardian droid stationed near the entrance to the city itself.

"Welcome to Manaan. As you probably know, our planet is a neutral zone and we strongly insist that our laws are followed." The official greeted her.

"I understand – no illegal kolto shipments or violence in Ahto City security zones. Don't worry, I'll follow the rules."


"Very good, off-worlder. Now, there is a docking fee of 100 credits. If you pay the fee, you are free to enter or leave Ahto City. Whenever you leave Manaan and return to the planet, you will have to pay again."

"I don't need to pay the docking fee." While she respected the Selkath neutrality laws, she needed all the cash she could get. So she could afford a slight exception.

"Ah, yes. I see. Yes, you don't need to pay the fee." The Mind Trick worked once again.

"The gates of Ahto City are now open to you. Enjoy your stay." Right after the Selkath said the word "open", the sealed gate unlocked itself and the guardian droid stepped out of the way, revealing a magnificent view of the city. Most of the walls and buildings were white, just like the fountains. The circular or rectangular squares of the city always had at least a small fountain in the middle.

The central courtyard was quite crowded with – which was a very unusual sight in other parts of the galaxy, though on Manaan, things were always different – both Republic soldiers and Sith, Selkath and the usual day-to-day travelers. Of course, they were divided into several small groups, the opposing sides far away from each other. Not many people paid attention to Revan, who walked to the rim of the street and gazed at the vast sea. It was quite magnificent, although she knew that the creatures that lived in it were mostly dangerous.

"You shouldn't be worried about your future, kid. It'll come on its own accord."

Revan turned her head slightly to see Jolee standing beside her. "Hi, Jolee. It's a beautiful morning and Manaan is a wonder of a planet – I guess it's not surprising to see me here."

"No, probably not. But you're right about the first part. Ah, a shame that Sunry got arrested." He said, shaking his head sadly.

"Sunry? Who's Sunry?"

Jolee grinned, "I met an old friend here – you wouldn't know Davin Koltras, would you now? Well, he told me that Sunry – another friend – got arrested. For murder, here on Manaan. But that's preposterous!"

"How do you know him?"

"What, you think just because I've been a hermit for 20 years, I've always been a hermit? Just because I haven't seen Sunry for 20 years doesn't mean he's not a friend." Jolee protested.

"But murder?"

"He was a good man. Oh, sure, one can change a lot over 20 years, but murder? That's not the Sunry I knew."

"One can change much over a short period of time. The others are still on the ship?" Revan asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah, they're probably having breakfast or something. I asked Zaalbar to look after the kid when they go exploring again. Manaan´s not that dangerous and the kiddo´s got spunk." Jolee chuckled, "Reminds me of myself a bit. But anyway, I don't want her losing her temper. The others can take care of themselves – especially after I learned that HK-47 is grounded for the rest of our time here. A wise move on your part, I think." He then came to the unanswered question. "Canderous told me you went into the city a few minutes ago, so I figured you'd be somewhere near the port. You should be careful around here – Ahto is a big place."

"Figures, since it's the only dry land on the planet. I've asked a Republic soldier for directions to the Republic Embassy. I figured it would be the logical place to start our search, since I'm not supposed to already know where the Map is."

"Ah, yes – duty calls. Speaking of that, what did the Council tell you, anyway?"

"Not much. Find the Star Maps, find the Star Forge, defeat the Sith, confront Malak, May the Force Be With You, try not to die. That's about it."

"Interesting. Did they mention the fact that you're their only hope?" Jolee idly asked.

"Probably, I wasn't paying much attention." Revan said with a shrug.

"Now, now, girl, pay attention to the Council. Otherwise, they'll punish you and I'll congratulate you for successfully holding on to your own options."

"Thanks for the support."

The old man's smile widened – marauder agreement, obviously. "Anytime. Now, aren't you at all hungry? You stormed out of the Hawk as if a horde of terentatek was behind you."

"Well, maybe I should get a drink, at least. I don't drink, but the cantina is a good place to start our research. If I remember right, there should be a bar at the courtyard to the right, in the mercenary enclave. What do you think, T3?" Revan spared a glance at the astromech. "If you need to recharge, just tell me."

"Beep-wzzt-boop-beep-beep!" T3 beeped - an agreement that they should go to the bar and then to the Embassy. The droid was the first to make its way to the right, according to the soldier's directions. Jolee and Revan followed it.

"So, why did you leave the Jedi, old man?" Revan suddenly asked.

"Heh heh. Who said I left the Jedi?"

"You said you weren't one any longer." was the pointed reply.

"Well, technically, I was only a Padawan… not that it makes a difference to most. But as for the Order, it left me." The old man voiced.

"Sounds familiar."

"You know, there are moments when I think you're so much older than you seem… I suppose this is one of them." Was the old man actually admitting he respected her? "You know what I hate? Well… you know, lots of things, really. I'm old and easily annoyed. But that's beside the point. What I really hate is how most people view the Jedi. Everyone thinks the Jedi are perfect, that they can do no wrong. They think the Jedi Council is completely incapable of injustice." Jolee muttered.

"I completely disagree with that option." Revan voiced.

"And I'm not even talking about how some of us fall to the Dark Side. No, that's plenty indication of our fallibility, but it's something else entirely. No, I'm talking about how your average robe-wearing Jedi can try to do the right thing and still be completely wrong."

"Trying to be enigmatic, are we?"

"Someone my age is entitled to ramble, dammit!" Jolee snapped, but the gleam in his eyes showed he was just joking, "But for your sake, I'll try to explain. I'll tell you a little take about a Jedi Master I once knew. Hortath, I think. Or was it Hartoth? I could never get it straight."

"Is this going to have a point?" Revan asked impatiently.

Jolee sighed, "You know the problem with the youth today? They're young." Revan´s eyes narrowed, but she remained silent. The old man cleared his throat. "Where was I then? Oh. Oh, yes­… Master Hortath." The story of an old Master misdirecting a Padawan was rather amusing – it showed just how complacent a Jedi could get. Blindness. That was the point. And Revan knew a lot about Jedi blindness. "It was decided that the boy's fate was to leave the Order anyway… though whether that was out of respect for Hortath or because the boy went on to something else, we'll never know." Jolee finished with a shrug.

"So, what does the Padawan leaving the Jedi have to do with the Jedi leaving you?"

"Not much. I never knew the Padawan nor met Master Hortath himself. He was before my time. Before the Sith wars, actually. At any rate, think about it. Perhaps I answered a question you'll ask yourself sometime." Revan glared at him for that. She didn't like that one bit.

T3-M4 stopped as it passed a woman, whose eyes widened as she saw Jolee.

"Jolee! It is you!"

The old man stared at her with wide eyes. Evidently, he recognized her, "Elora! Of all people…how did you even know I'd left Kashyyyk?"

"I didn't no one knew where you disappeared, but I heard the Selkath talk about you and your friends. The Force is with us, Jolee! You have to help us!"

"Calm down, my dear. Davin told me about the trial. But it's preposterous! Sunry – a murderer?"

"It's all a horrible mistake, Jolee!" Elora – probably someone affiliated with Sunry – shrieked, "He's been accused for murdering a Sith woman, Elassa. He's being held at the Selkath courts, please, you have to help him!"

Jolee quickly glanced at Revan. With a sigh, she nodded. "Let's go." They hastily made their way to the courthouse that was conveniently mere feet from the mercenary enclave, running down a corridor that led to the large courtroom. A guard stopped them at the door.

"Please wait until this particular trial is over. Then you can direct your problems to the judges."

It really seemed to be a heated discussion - five Selkath judges were listening to a Republic diplomat. The Sith diplomat was only a few steps away. Judging by the level of yelling, this was something big. Most probably a fight that could ruin the reputation of one side.

"The Republic respects the laws of Ahto City, your honors! But the Sith are a violent people that engage violence at every turn! Three of my soldiers are at the medical facility now!" The Republic diplomat claimed.

"If the Republic soldiers were more capable, they would not have suffered such serious injuries. Are my soldiers to be punished just because they won a fair fight?" The Sith noted with an obvious sneer.

They proceeded to yell directly at each other. "I hardly call six against three a fair fight. The Sith are cowards who attack only when they have the advantage of numbers!"

"I am aware of the Republic's indignation." The judge sitting at the middle table calmly interrupted the yelling. He seemed to be the head of the judges, the one who always spoke the final verdict. "However witness reports clearly state your Republic soldiers were as willing to engage violence as the Sith in this case."

"They were provoked, your honor! The Sith goaded them into this fight!" The Republic diplomat nearly yelled at the judge. Jolee rolled his eyes. Of course the Sith would goad them into a fight! Provocation and reaction – and the Republic would pay a hefty tax for it.

"Taunts and threats are not sufficient provocation in the eyes of this court. Words can be ignored – which is what your men should have done." The head judge noted coldly, "I find both the Republic and the Sith to be equally guilty for this breach of the peace. I should throw all parties involved into the Ahto City jail. But since no Selkath were harmed in this conflict I will show mercy and levy a fine of ten thousand credits to both sides. The court is dismissed, though I warn you that further disturbances will not be viewed with such leniency."

Both diplomats frowned and from what Jolee could see, both of them would cast their own quarrels aside for the opportunity to go for the judges' heads. They practically stormed out of the room, but once the Republic diplomat saw the Jedi, he stopped for a moment.

"I'm sick of hearing about Manaan´s neutrality. It all seems like cowardice to me! Don't expect them to resolve your problems, whatever they are." And he stormed off, quite angrily. The head Selkath judge didn't even bother shaking his head in frustration – this was a common event on Manaan. Instead, he spotted Jolee approaching him.

"I am Judge Shelkar acting on behalf of the Selkath government here on Manaan." he introduced himself, "It is my task today to answer the needs of off-world citizens of both the Republic and the Sith Empire. If you have legitimate grievances with another party, you should speak to me. You should first, however, consult with the Republic Embassy before pressing formal charges. Is there something you wish to bring to my attention?"

"I'm Jolee Bindo and the lady is Alexa Denali. We are Jedi Knights," Revan didn't show a reaction, which made Jolee frown. "…and would like to investigate the murder case involving Sunry." he noted.

Revan but didn't interrupt him. She understood his logic, anyway. Even if the Selkath judges would find out she wasn't a Jedi anymore, she had her own fake records in the Jedi databases.

Shelkar nodded, "That is acceptable, I believe. As you are Jedi, I believe you will fulfill the role of Arbiters adequately. So be it! You are now appointed Arbiters in the case of Sunry vs. the Sith Empire. Your names and positions have been recorded in our files. I will now inform you of the pertinent facts in this case. You have a limited amount of time in which to investigate and organize a defense of your client, and I suggest you use it wisely." He noted, pausing for a moment.

"Sunry was seen leaving a hotel, leaving behind a dead Sith woman – Elassa Huros. He has been charged with murder and is being held in the Ahto City prison facilities. Due to his crippled status, he is being held in a solitary holding cell. Witnesses claimed to have seen the killing and are being detained at the hotel in question pending the trial. The manager of to hotel has now been informed of your appointment. Elassa was found dead of a blaster wound with an incriminating Republic medal clutched in her hand. You may question Sunry or the witnesses. The evidence in this case is heavily stacked against Mr. Sunry. I believe it will take some doing to absolve him of guilt."

"Yes… but it almost seems too heavily stacked, doesn't it? Too suspicious." Jolee said, almost to himself.

Revan decided to interfere. "We will go speak to prisoner Sunry. Thank you, your honor." She said with a curt nod instead of a bow and stormed out of the courthouse, Jolee following her.

The mercenary enclave was rather crowded when they got there, but it was a good place to get overlooked at. Jolee and Revan sat down at one of the tables, the old man ordering a glass of some soft drink, while Revan didn't waste time and order a Ruby Bliels. Drinking wasn't something she did often, but Manaan had drink supplies from all across the galaxy to make travelers more comfortable – plus, the prices were low. She instinctively scanned the cantina for any kind of threats visible, but didn't see any danger… not to her, anyway. They had already agreed that while Revan would search for the Star Map, Jolee would collect evidence concerning the trial. It was a good cover-up for their business on Manaan, actually.

"So … you never did tell me why you decided to come." Revan noted after some time.

"I'm old, damn it! I'm allowed to be enigmatic when I want to be and don't you go telling me otherwise." Jolee rambled, "You know, you remind me of someone else I knew ages ago. Pleasant enough fellow, great destiny… all of that. Breath like a bantha."

"You already suggested that I was the next Super Jedi and you're avoiding the question." Revan voiced, ignoring the last comment. No angry outbursts on Manaan. That would be trouble.

"So I am." Jolee admitted, smirking faintly, "Tell you what… when you get to be my age, you can go ahead and answer any question you like, too. You have my permission. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Andor Vex, was his name. The Force swirled around him like a hurricane, that's how great his destiny was."

"And you traveled with this man?" Revan asked, sipping her drink.

Jolee nodded, "I did."

The storytelling resumed.