CHAPTER 4

Revan shook her head. For the past fifteen minutes, Anakin had been running around like a child. No, worse. A three-year-old on caffa. She could have sworn that she had actually seen him petting the control board once.

She sighed. She was going to hate herself for this, but it was the fastest way to earn his trust. Actually, Bastila was going to hate her for this too…

"Anakin? Do you…Do you want to fly us back to Corusant?"

His eyes lit up like aforementioned three-year-old on Midwinter. "Force, yeah! A-hem. I mean, yes, Master Raven, I would."

Revan laughed outright at that. "Don't worry, Anakin. I'm not a stogy old Master with my lightsaber so far up my ass I can't see it any more."

Anakin froze. How often he'd had that exact same thought…. Even about Master Obi-Wan, once or twice. "I…I..."

She laughed again. "So that much hasn't changed in four thousand years, then? Come on, admit it. They're stuck up pricks, the lot of them."

"I will not." Anakin said, in his best imitation of his Master. Seeing the skeptical look on Raven's face, he added, "I will not say that they are stuck up pricks with lightsaber hilts up their asses, even if it is true."

Revan grinned broadly. "Oh, I like this one! Hey, I've got someone I want you to meet."

She led him to what looked like a garage of some sort. His eyes lit on the swoop bike, and he was on his knees examining it before she could blink.

"While I like that you show so much enthusiasm, that's not who I want you to meet. HK?"

Anakin turned. Behind him was an old, beaten-up, rust-colored droid. It's eyes came to life, glowing yellow.

"Statement: Affirmative, Master. Query: What meatbag may I kill for you? Joyful Statement: Is it that one?"

Anakin blinked. "Did that thing just ask to kill me?"

"Yeah, and he called you a meatbag, too."

"Should I be offended?"

"No. I like HK. He has personality."

"Still, he's sort of a weird droid for a Jedi, isn't he?"

"Hurt Statement: Master, this meatbag has caused my feelings to suffer damage. May I terminate him?"

"No, HK, there will be no terminating of meatbags unless I tell you to."

"Query: Then may I terminate that inferior droid specimen you keep around?"

"No, T3 is useful. Something you might want to be a little more often, HK."

"I'm sorry, your droid's fascination with killing things is frankly creepy." Anakin cut in, feeling he would have to keep these two in hand. They bickered like sister and brother, for Force's sake!

"Anakin, I have to tell you something. I'm not being entirely truthful with you."

"Wha…what do you mean?"

"I told you that my name is Raven Star, but that hasn't always been my name. In fact, I've only been Raven for about two months. Well, okay, four thousand years and two months, but you get the idea."

"But…you're…"

"Twenty three."

"Twenty three? You seem so much…older."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"I'm not sure."

"Sorry, we're getting off topic. Listen, I need you to promise me something. Promise me you won't get all wigged out and attack me or something?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"We should have a little more privacy. Come on." She led Anakin to a cabin, where they were alone. "Take a seat."

Anakin sat, uneasily.

"As of, well, four thousand years and three months ago, I was not Raven Star. I was Darth Revan, the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"WHAT?"

"Anakin, look at me. Anakin, calm down. Let me explain-"

"No, damn it! I trusted you, and you turn out to be a SITH!"

"NOT ANYMORE!"

Anakin paused. "What do you mean?"

"About two and a half months ago, my flagship was boarded by a raiding party with a young Jedi named Bastila in the lead."

"Bastila? Like…" He gestured.

"Yeah. So, I was about to kill them, me being all Sithy and all, when my apprentice, Darth Malak-"

"Isn't he the guy we just fought?"

"Yeah. Stop interrupting. Malak fired on me. My body was dying and my mind was already dead, but Bastila was able to keep me alive. She brought me to the Jedi Council on Dantooine, and they put fake memories in my head. Memories of being Raven Star. Anyway, Bastila went and got herself captured and I rescued her. Long, long, long story short, I ended up being trained as a Jedi and sent on a quest to find the Star Forge and kill Malak. Along the way, I discovered who I really was."

"Revan."

"Yes. The Dark Lord."

"What did you do?"

"I decided it didn't matter. I was Raven Star, a Jedi Knight. And I had to fulfill my mission. So I did. Only, some sort of stasis got put on the Star Forge, and you were there."

"So…"

"So. Now you can either decide that I am still Revan, Dark Lord, or that I'm Raven, Jedi. It's up to you."

"I…I…I guess that…since you told me about Revan, when you could've easily lied to me, I guess that I can trust you." He looked her in her strange, topaz eyes. "Raven."