Author's notes: Here we go, final chapter before the Leviathan (dun dun DUNN!!!)

Dark Lord Daishi – here you go.

X X X

Chapter 28 – Ruby

X X X X

"Statement: I assume that you have collected the data that you needed, Master." HK-47 noted once Revan and Canderous dumped their envirosuits near the airlock. There were considerably more Selkath corpses on the floor, bearing the marks of a blaster shot or two. But the assassin droid still seemed eager to continue doing its job. "Query: Can we blast the hysterical meatbag at the entrance now? There are no more fish left."

"I doubt that the meatbag is still there, but if he is, you have my permission." Revan noted, straightening up her robes.

"Observation: For a meatbag, Master, you have the right priorities."

The human arched an eyebrow, "I thought I hard-cored into you that you are to call me "Master" at all times?"

"Amendment: I mean… nice Master… good Master." HK warily said.

The T3 unit beeped happily to congratulate Revan for successfully managing win the fight. The entire Hrakert station was now filled with bodies – the scientists killed by the insane Selkath and the insane Selkath killed by the newcomers.

"We should get outta here as soon as possible." Canderous grunted, "The place is too quiet."

Their submersible was quite close – just a corridor or two away. The station seemed to be as it was before, but something was different. Revan stopped suddenly, listening to the Force. Something wasn't right.

The Mandalorian also stopped, "You sense something?"

"A… visitor." She noted, glaring at the closed door in front of them. The Twi´lek mercenary wouldn't be brave enough to close it by himself and there wasn't anyone else there. Well, so it seemed. "And I think a familiar one. This might get a bit messy."

Canderous drew his vibroblades and the droids backed away a bit. With a soft wave of Revan´s hand, the door opened. Behind it stood three figures. Revan recognized the one in the middle – it was the one she remembered from the Endar Spire. And she was finally able to place a name to that face – Bandon, one of the Padawans that followed her and Malak during the Mandalore wars. He was older than she remembered him, the black armor making him seem ghostly pale.

"At last my search is over! I was beginning to fear someone else had killed you and deprived me of the pleasure." the Sith apprentice said smugly. "You may have defeated the pathetic bounty hunter my master sent after you, but you are no match for me! I have studied at the foot of the Dark Lord himself!"

"Hello, Bandon." Revan said softly, a glint passing through her eyes. He had his chance to cringe before she was upon him. Not really aware of what Canderous or the droids were doing, the woman drew her own lightsaber, attacking the Sith swiftly. Their lightsabers clashed about thrice before Bandon felt a sharp pain, then… nothing.

Revan lowered her weapon. "And goodbye. She said to the headless corpse.

X X X

After informing Wann what happened to his precious facility, telling the others some things they wanted to know about the journey and adding the new datapad to her collection, Revan entered the cockpit.

"Next stop – Korriban." But Carth didn't even reply, which made her frown. "Why the bitterness? No one died while I was gone, did they?"

"Would you care?"

"No, I need to know if T3-M4 is going to be cleaning the ship or not."

The pilot shook his head in frustration, "I don't know who's colder – you or Darth Malak."

"Well, I'm cooler, definitely. If you ever meet him, which I don't doubt, as you're traveling with Bastila and me, you'll see what I mean."

"How do you know him?"

"Manaan to Paranoid Pilot Onasi – he's probably the most famous person in the galaxy right now:"

"No, I mean personally."

"What makes you think I know him? I thought it's common knowledge that he's cruel."

"It's just… aah, never mind."

Revan folded her arms. "Enlighten me."

"Well, it would make more sense to send someone who was close to him on this kind of mission rather than a novice to the fleet." Revan didn't say anything – he took it as agreement. A "yes" that made all fall into place… well, everything about the purpose of Alexa Denali among the Ebon Hawk crew. Some questions still remained, but he would ask them later, if possible. "It would explain a lot."

Revan delicately arched an eyebrow, but still said nothing. If only it were so simple. Carth´s sigh broke the silence. "We, uh… didn't finish out last conversation. At least, not very pleasantly."

"Don't bring that up."

"Damnit, Alexa – I just want to make things right between us!" after that emotional arousal, he sighed again, "I need to know if you feel anything… feel anything for me."

"Love is a distraction. I cannot afford to have distractions in my life."

"You haven't answered me."

"You're learning. But I think you got a clear answer. I cannot and don't want to have such a relationship with anyone."

"That must be a very miserable life you lead, then. Don't you feel empty at all?"

"Emptiness is peace. I have no reason to love. No time for it. And no real desire to love, anyway."

"It pains me to see this, Alexa. I've been down this path…. I don't recommend it. I…" he took a deep breath, "If, uh, if I'm gonna live past Saul, if I'm gonna find some purpose, it has to be in protecting you. Let me protect you, Alexa Denali."

She raised her gaze, somewhat confused and surprised. "Why would you want to protect me?"

"Because…" How was he to explain this if he didn't understand himself? Or maybe he didn't want to understand. "Because I didn't stop Saul when I had the chance. Because I never got a chance to save my wife and son on Telos. Because I finally have a chance to do it right – you are an extraordinary woman. You make me think I might have some purpose beyond simple revenge. I'm not the best of men, or the strongest fighter there is… but I'll find a way."

Revan´s face went blank. "You will regret this." She said tonelessly.

Still, the determination remained on his face. "As long as you don't regret letting me have a place in your life, I won't."

"You will, soon. Trust me, you will." She repeated, leaving him alone.

X X X

'Revan, please talk to me.' The Sith frowned, trying to shut out Bastila's pleading from her mind. 'Please, I just want to talk about what you said – that you wanted to help the Republic. I know that the Jedi Council would listen to you if you would tell them this – Master Zhar and Vrook know you well enough to see that you speak the truth and their support could help you gain amnesty…Revan, you underestimate the Council's influence.' Bastila's voice begged again, 'And Carth and I could support your defense – we're not insignificant figures in the Republic. I'm sure he'll want to help you as well… please say something. I… I know I made a mistake when I made you seem like a rogue child. Is… is there anything I could do to make it up to you? I would rather we were friends.'

'I don't need your apologies. '

'I know I have been too critical. Too demanding at times. But I wish to make it up to you, somehow. I do not deny that I fear what you might ask of me…but I will obey.'

Silence. 'You fear me.'

'Not without reason.'

'Untrue, Jedi. I wouldn't hurt you… though sometimes I want to. But I wouldn't. Partly because it might backfire the pain at me… and partly because you amuse me.'

'I… amuse you?'

'Yes. You think you are being tested for a promotion into the ranks of the Jedi, while you look up to me and the old man – Jolee – as you do to Jedi Masters. To some degree. It makes me regret I never had a Padawan of my own.'

'Weren't you too young for that? I thought you left the Order as a teenager.'

'Ah, yes. The teenage general. Allow me to correct your misinformation – your Council played a bit with my records after I left. They wanted the Senate to reject me as a child, so they changed my date of birth. I began bombarding the Council before the war officially started – I saw why the Mandalorians were stockpiling supplies, so I began gathering support. A year later, they attacked the Republic. But by rank, I'm a Jedi Master. Probably the youngest in history.'

'But the youngest Masters are at least…'

'I'm far younger than Vandar, Jedi. I saved a few Senators from a terrorist attack and they insisted that the Council would make me a Master no matter what. You can imagine how happy they were about that. But the Senators had great authority, so the Council had no choice but promote me. The pissed look on Vrook's face sticks in my head till today.'

'You really were…?'

'Yes. Jedi Master Revan. How cool is that?'

'I thought…'

'My face is young, my soul isn't.'

'But can you imagine what it seemed like when you just left, disappeared and a few months later, declared that you were a Sith Lord?'

'I actually can. I've seen almost everything now – except Vrook smiling, perhaps. But that's an utopia.'

'Must you keep joking?'

'I don't do jokes, little Jedi. That's a statement. And a true statement, at that.'

Silence. 'So you accept my apology?'

'Well, the journey will seem shorter if you don't sulk in the corner all the time and try to make me feel guilty, so I suppose I could forget about the disagreements we had. You have your chance. Don't waste it, Jedi.'

'I certainly won't.'

X X X

The Ebon Hawk slowly rose from the dock in Atho City, heading towards the stars. The hyperspace jump proceeded without any problems. A sudden crash clearly showed that something was happening. Each crewmember was thrown against the nearest wall, with the exception of Carth and Bastila, who almost fell out of the pilot seats. Mission, being the swiftest and quickest to recover, dashed to the nearby ladder and climbed to the gun turrets. When she glanced out, the sight in front of her stupefied her.

An enormous Sith Interdictor, which she recognized only because she saw pictures of them on the Holonet during the Tarisian blockade, was nearing itself. No… they were helplessly drifting through space, flying to the enemy ship. The otherwise cheery Twi´lek froze, her happiness gone. It was the end.

They were trapped in a tractor beam.