Writer's notes: Updated 11 NOV 06. We look more into Bastila's past and her relationship with Revan. I wanted to portray the two as alpha chicks gone berserk and to present a girl 'best friends' type of situation. I see the Academy as sort of a prep school/OTS kind of experience and dysfunction abounds despite the instructors' oversight.
Look Into the Eyes of the Dragon – Part I
The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine – Years in the Past
Young Bastila sat in the reception room of the Jedi Enclave, waiting to be inducted into a clan of apprentices. She sat, terrified, her mind swirling with horrible fears that she had been abandoned by her parents and her memory replayed the last, divisive conflict revolving around her mother.
What's going on? Why is this happening? Her eyes welled up with tears and stuff ran down her nose.
Helena Shan screamed at Bastila's father while their child wailed. "Hurry up and take her," Helena commanded Jedi Master Vrook as the cloaked stranger hustled the girl out of the Talravin home. The child was numb as she looked back at her father.
Father, no! Where are we going? Who is this man? I want to go home.
Shellshocked, the Bastila sat silently aboard the transport to Dantooine, her only comfort being the soft blue penguin doll she cherished along with the ceremonial brush given to her by her beloved father. She clung to the penguin like it was her last hold on a lost reality.
A raven-haired girl sat next to her, seemingly just as miserable. The girl was perhaps a year younger and dressed in finery befitting royalty. Young Bastila looked at her. Is she just like me, ripped away from her family? I just want to go home.
She scanned the interior of the cabin to see a mob of forlorn children. A blonde girl sat nearby, fidgeting nervously and a skinny, dark-haired boy wept softly. Beyond them, a white-haired Echani girl rocked back and forth. What will happen now? Where are we going?
As the shuttle rocketed through hyperspace, Bastila sat, feeling more alone with every light year. She tried to get the raven-haired girl's attention, but the girl ignored her. Her anxiety increasing, Bastila stood and headed for the rear of the shuttle. She stopped next to the two girls. "My name is Bastila," she said quietly, almost fearfully.
The blonde girl looked up. "I'm Mai-Lyn," she said, sounding a bit distant.
"My name is Atris," said the other girl. "He's Bandon," she continued, pointing to the crying boy.
Bastila tried to force a smile. "Do you know what's happening? Why are we all being taken away?"
Mai-Lyn sighed, seemingly bored. "It's the Jedi," she said knowingly. "They are taking us to be trained. You see…we all have a special talent. We're very powerful, you know. One day, we will keep the people from hurting each other."
"Oh, I see. I didn't know that."
"How could you not know that?" asked Mai-Lyn. "They should have told you."
"Well, they didn't. My…my parents were having a fight. They just gave me to Master Vrook."
Mai-Lyn made a face and rolled her eyes. "I guess you'll have to figure it out when we get to Dantooine then."
Bastila did not like her attitude. She seemed haughty and distant. She looked over to Atris.
"Don't worry," said Atris in a friendly way. "We'll all be in it together. We'll take care of one another."
Bastila forced another smile and looked over to Bandon, who was still sniffling.
Despite Bastila's inauspicious entry into the Order, she grew to accept its ways and soon grew into an obedient and faithful apprentice over the years.
The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine – Years Later
"She has come a long way," Master Vrook told Master Vandar. "The young apprentice has discipline and restraint. It bodes well for her."
The diminutive master nodded. "Yes, but what of your other pupil, Revan? The High Council is always interested in her progress."
Vrook smiled, secure in the knowledge that his star pupil was on everyone's mind. "Revan has passed her trial to become a Padawan. Her strength in the Force is great."
Vandar looked away, his attention caught by a flight of puffer birds. "I fear Revan is headstrong and willful. Her outlook tends to rub off on the other student, especially Bastila Shan."
"Do not worry, Master Vandar, Revan is an adolescent; it is only a phase. I have complete confidence in her," Vrook said with a bow before departing. He returned to the instruction room, where a sixteen-year-old Bastila sat in a meditative pose with small stones floating about her.
She opened her eyes slowly as her teacher approached. The stones settled to the ground and Bastila uncrossed her legs and stood. With a bow, she said strongly, "Master Vrook, my friends, Revan and Malak have become Padawans. I am a year older than Revan, why have I not been given the same opportunity?"
Vrook was taken aback. Never before had Bastila spoken out of turn or questioned anything that the Order had said or done; something in her was different...edgier.
"Apprentice Shan, you are very gifted, but mind your place. You will be given the same opportunity when you are ready."
"But this is very unfair…."
The look on Master Vrook's face silenced any further complaint, but a seed had been planted in her heart.
As the young woman walked away, she thought, I am use to unfairness. My mother taught me to endure it.
In the garden, Bastila found Mai-Lyn and Atris, playing a game. "May I join you?"
While Mai-Lyn nodded offhandedly, Atris smiled and handed Bastila some tokens. Apprentice Shan accepted and took her turn bouncing the red ball and catching it. As she flipped tokens into the ring, she looked at her two companions. "Fellow apprentices, I am bothered by something. Padawan Revan has been promoted ahead of us. I think it's unfair, but Master Vrook does not want to hear it. He is enamored of her."
Mai-Lyn reached out to seize the ball and began her turn at flipping tokens. "Don't worry about it," she said with a cold edge. "Revan's command of the Force will make her powerful in the Order. We've been thinking that she'll become a Knight before the age of twenty."
"I agree," said Atris. "But, Mai-Lyn will be just as strong. You can be too, Bastila. You just have to work harder."
"But I am working harder. What am I missing?"
"Why not make Revan your friend?" asked Mai-Lyn seriously. "She and Atris are my best friends. Revan has shown me things that I did not think were possible. She has already mastered the Makashi."
Bastila frowned. "Makashi? I'm still working on the basics of Shii-Cho. Maybe you're right. Do you think that Revan would be my friend?"
Atris nodded. "I don't see why not. Revan is very friendly once you get to know her. Everyone loves her."
The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine – A Year Later
Bastila Shan took the advice of her friends and soon became a close companion of Revan's. As her interests and learning grew, Bastila began to spend a greater portion of her time with Revan and they would talk about philosophy far into the night. Together with Malak and Mai-Lyn, they would solve the galaxy's problems and developed their own, progressive ideas.
Revan has vision, unlike these old masters. I swear, I will never be as self-absorbed and stodgy as they are, Bastila thought with some frustration. We must make changes to suit these changing times.
Soon, under Revan's influence, Bastila would find her own place in the sun; she found her own voice and her own will and it would eventually have a most unexpected result on the fate of the Galaxy.
As they all grew in power, Revan, Mai-Lyn, and Bastila enjoyed a prominent place within the microcosm that was the youth of the Jedi. Even in the most rigidly controlled training facilities for children, dysfunctional societal dynamics will emerge and the Enclave was no exception. Gossip and petty jealousies abounded and Revan was always in control of these things with her best friends at her side.
In her heart, Padawan Shan reveled in the power she exerted over others, finding small compensation for her feelings of abandonment years ago. Despite the meditation and the lessons on peace and control, the Order could not completely erase the childhood traumas of its members nor could it completely suppress the emotions of their hearts.
One day, as Bastila sat in the gardens examining some Irises, Master Vandar happened by. The young woman wore new robes of earth tones and was being careful to avoid soiling them. She held herself with a dignified air and a slight chip on her shoulder.
"Congratulations, Padawan Shan, your trial went very well," voiced Vandar.
The new Padawan bowed, proud of her new status.
"You are very gifted, young one, but I have noticed something within you. Only a year ago, you were a model of discipline. Now, I sense much rebellion in you. I see how you have come to put your faith in Padawan Revan. Remember, your faith is in the Order and the Code. The other path is darkness."
Bastila was without words.
The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine – Another Year Later
Time passed and the Mandalorian invasion changed everything. The Jedi Enclave was abuzz with the latest news and Bastila noticed Revan and Malak's restlessness. She sat with Atris on the balcony overlooking the vast, open plains of Dantooine as fluffy, white clouds rolled by.
"Atris, it seems that the Mandalorians will win the war. The news is not good."
"I've seen it, Bastila. I don't know what will happen. What if the Order is destroyed? What will we do?"
"I don't think that will happen," said Bastila, forcing herself to be cheerful. "The Order is far too powerful."
"I am afraid, Bastila. The masters are advocating patience. I see so much unrest now in the students. I know Revan wants to intervene…Mai-Lyn too. I wish they would calm down and listen to the masters."
"But Atris, things change. The masters need to learn that."
Atris shook her head. "No, they are wise and knowing. How else would the Order have survived so long?"
"But I know Revan. She wouldn't do anything rash. I'm sure it will turn out."
Atris continued to shake her head. "I'm not so sure. I feel it in the Force. It will come to a head and we will both have to make a difficult decision…a decision that will alter the course of history."
Bastila chuckled. "I don't think that we will have a huge impact on the galaxy," she said, but somehow, she knew Atris to be speaking the truth. "I always enjoy speaking to you, Atris. I'll take my leave now."
Atris reached out to her and grabbed her by the wrist. "Bastila, please…whatever you do, please remember the Order. The Order must endure if the Republic is to be a place of peace."
Bastila nodded and tried to smile. With a heavy sigh, she bowed and departed.
As Bastila traveled to her meditation hall, Padawans Sion, Moritz, and Indraal approached her. "Padawan Shan, there will be a delegation going to Coruscant to propose the Order's intervention in the war," announced the massive Sion. The giant Padawan had taken to wearing tight shirts to accentuate his physique.
The three young Jedi had become pawns of Revan's and were known to enforce her will among the youth. The physically powerful Sion flexed his muscles, adding emphasis to his words.
The auburn-haired Jedi cocked her head. "I'll have to tell Revan, she's been waiting for this."
Bastila continued down the hallway wearing a concerned expression. There, she encountered her friend.
"Revan, what is going on? Everyone is talking about Master Vrook going to Coruscant."
Revan smiled knowingly; she enjoyed being on the inside of things. "Bastila, Malak and I will accompany Master Vrook to the High Council. We are going to propose that the Jedi join the Republic in the war."
Bastila's expression was mixed and she felt a cold pit in her stomach. She bit her lip. "But we are not soldiers…. We fulfill a different role in the Republic."
"Things change, Bastila. We must adapt. We must think of the greater good."
Revan placed her hand on Bastila's arm in a supportive way. "We must stick together if we are to have an impact on events. I know you are strong."
The auburn-haired Jedi nodded weakly and Revan smiled. For the first time, doubt in Revan's vision clouded her heart; her own will was making itself felt.
Bastila watched as Revan walked away to join Malak. The die was being cast for the fate of the galaxy and all Bastila could do was watch and worry.
Is this really what is good for the Republic? My friend, Revan, tells me one thing and the masters tell me another. I am so confused. Who do I believe?
Frustrated, Bastila returned to her quarters and thought deeply on what Atris had told her. She picked up her jeweled brush and twirled it in her hand. It always seemed to bring her comfort.
She dragged the brush slowly through her thick hair and felt it massage her scalp. A snippet of an image of her father's face came to her, but it was hazy and indistinct. A flood of emotions crashed into her and she set the brush down…and, for the first time in a long time, she wept.
When Revan returned from Coruscant, she was sullen and petulant. Something had not gone her way and she vented her disappointment on those around her. Bastila began to keep her distance, but Revan failed to notice, being so involved in covertly gathering support to join the war.
A year and a half passed and Bastila saw her friend disciplined for inciting unrest at the Academy through her outspoken support for intervention. Revan seemed to accept this and became silent, refocusing her efforts to learn and gain in power with the Force. Revan's attention paid off and she was soon made a Knight, among the youngest to ever attain that position.
Bastila wandered through the Courtyard, glad that her friend seemed to accept the will of the Order. She turned her hand in front of her face, allowing the Force to enter her. Power surged through her mind and she found that she could reach out to those around her. Almost as if on instinct, she sat and meditated.
As she focused her energies, immense power flowed through her and she gasped, losing contact with the Force. Her mind reeled in the vast expanse of the mystical power and she shook her head to clear it. Then, she felt a presence behind her.
"Bastila," announced Revan, "I'm sorry that I have been so busy. You have been like a sister to me and I have missed our chats."
"Knight Revan, please have a seat."
Revan sat, inhaling the scent of Gardenia. With a strange smile, Revan looked Bastila in the eye. "My Sister, I have seen how you have grown. Your power has manifested itself nicely. I am going to tell you something in confidence and I know you will listen."
Bastila nodded.
"I am going to join the Republic. I have the support of most of the young Padawans and I know you have the foresight to join me. With you and Malak by my side, we will be invincible."
Bastila's heart froze. This was the conversation she hoped would never happen.
"Knight Revan, please…do not speak like that. You are talking about treason to the Order."
"It is for the greater good, Bastila. What good is the Order if the Republic falls to Mandalore? We would be nothing."
Bastila fought her pounding heart and turned away from Revan's intense gray eyes, a fierce and dangerous dragon's eyes. "Knight Revan, go if you must, but I shall respect the will of the Order."
Revan fell back as if struck. "You fool, how dare you defy me. We are friends…." she added, holding out a last hope that Bastila would relent.
"Not any more…leave me."
Bastila wept as Revan stormed off in search of false glory...and darkness.
The Jedi Enclave on Dantooine – A Short Time Later
Full of turmoil, Bastila went to Atris at her quarters. The pre-dawn air was chill and foggy. Bastila burst into the room to find Atris awake. "They are going to leave!" she told her friend, urgently.
Atris' white hair was disheveled and her eyes were full of tears. "Yes, I know. Mai-Lyn approached me and I told her no. She was so full of arrogance and anger. All she could think about was going to war and stopping the Mandalorians. Force help me, Bastila, but I hate her now. She was my best friend and now I hate her for what she is doing?"
"Don't be like that, Atris. Please…we are all friends. I don't know what to do. I am lost without Revan's guidance."
Atris stood up and set her jaw firmly. "We must tell Master Vrook. He will know what to do."
Together, they ran through the fog to the masters' dormitory and shook Vrook awake. "Master," they said. "Wake up! You have to do something. Revan is leaving with a third of the Jedi."
Vrook Lamar's eyes fluttered open. "What?" he mumbled as he grabbed his red robes. He focused on Bastila's distraught face and he leapt out of bed, grabbing his lightsaber. He led them toward the space port at a quick pace, his face twisted in internal agony. "I must do this alone," he said. "Do not waken the other masters. This is my failure. This is my folly."
They followed Vrook into the foggy clearing where shuttles had landed to transport Revan and her crusaders to the war. Bastila saw a rail thin man with wavy brown hair waving to Revan.
"Atton, I thank you for coming," Revan told him. Then, the rebellious Jedi sensed their presence and she turned to face Master Vrook. The master stepped forward and Bastila knew that nothing would ever be the same.
She watched in horror as Revan defeated Master Vrook in a lightsaber duel. As the master knelt before the Padawan, Bastila's gut twisted in knots. This cannot be. Why Revan, why must you do this? Why must you destroy everything we've known and loved? For a brief moment, Bastila was tempted to join her friend, to join the crusade, but Atirs put her hand on Bastila's shoulder and the spell was broken.
They watched as the shuttles lifted off into the heavens and Bastila collapsed.
Coruscant
Time passed and Mandalore was eventually defeated by Revan's might. The news of Revan's victory rang hollow in Bastila's ears. Filled with feelings of betrayal and self doubt, the young woman withdrew into herself and became cold and haughty. Her friend, Atris went down the same path and the two became distant.
Later, Revan fell to the Dark Side and this time, the Order fought…and bled. Bastila found that she was not surprised by this now. It was her destiny. Her arrogance led her down that path. Now it is our turn to stop her aggression.
Bastila's immense power had manifested itself in the awesome Battle Meditation and now it was her turn to bask in the glow of adoration. She found that she liked the attention and the confidence that it brought her. Still, something always ate away at her insides. I have given so much for the Order. I bring such a special skill to stop Revan and still, I am but a Padawan. Atris was recently made a Knight and she has contributed only a little. It is not fair. Why am I ignored by the masters? They still fault me for my friendship with Revan.
Although the war went poorly for the Republic, Bastila had slowed the tide in small ways. Talk of a counteroffensive spread through the ranks. Bastila was determined to destroy her friend and it came as no surprise that she was approached.
"Padawan Shan," announced the Ithorian Admiral Chandraskatter, "We need your assistance."
Bastila snorted. "Of course you do. What is it this time?" The young Jedi had changed. Although she remained with the Order, Revan's influence had colored her heart and her attitude.
"We are going to kill Revan and Malak. You knew them well and likely know their weaknesses. We need you on the strike team."
"What?" the Jedi asked, incredulous.
The plan was laid out; they would engage the Sith Fleet in a near suicidal charge, but that was merely a diversion to allow strike teams to board the Dominator and the Leviathan to kill the traitorous pair.
The plan proceeded and Revan's fleet slaughtered Republic escort ships as the assault shuttle clamped onto the Dominator, blasting a hole through the hull.
"We've lost Assault Team Two! The Leviathan strike has failed. We must abort," yelled one Jedi in near panic.
Bastila opened the hatch. "It's too late, we must proceed!" She leapt through the gaping hole in the Sith dreadnought's armor and slashed two crewmen with her lightsaber. The Jedi team flew down behind her, cutting through the Operations Room of the Dominator. The team gathered at the hatch to the Bridge and it slid open. Grenades were hurled in, shattering the control room.
Dark Jedi rushed to confront them and the hum of lightsabers mixed with the screams of the dying. Bastila faced one Sith, taking her balanced stance from Shien with left hand extended forward. She let the Force flow through her and the Dark Jedi staggered under her power.
Seizing the initiative, Bastila launched her attack with an uppercut, which was parried away. Blades swung back and forth, throwing up sparks as they struck consoles and cables. The Sith spun, leaping past Bastila, but the Jedi turned and thrust her blade into the Sith's neck.
Corpses covered the deck now as the body count rose.
Suddenly, the Bridge became quiet. A dozen Jedi were left and they advanced cautiously against a lone Sith lord…the Dark Lord herself. The Sith was cloaked and hooded in black with a crimson mask. Bastila stepped forward. "Revan, you cannot win. Surrender and you shall receive mercy."
Darth Revan laughed, an eerie, high-pitched laugh full of malice. She twirled her ruby-colored lightsaber with unearthly precision, casting a bloody glow about the damaged bridge. Two Jedi advanced slowly and Revan countered, moving sideways. Her blinding attack came so quickly, her weapon became a red blur. Sparks flew upward with the sound of crackling and the two Jedi staggered. Revan stepped back and put her weight on her back leg, thrusting the point of the lightsaber upward. The two Jedi fell.
Bastila gulped hard and inched forward, her hands shaking. I could never defeat Revan in combat…I must fight hard. Fighting her mounting fear, she switched her grip and stance, taking an Ataru Form; this would be her best chance against such a powerful opponent.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw through the bridge window. Bolts of energy flashed from Darth Malak's ship, the Leviathan. Malak is firing on Revan's ship! The bolts impacted on the Bridge and Revan was engulfed in blinding light. Other Jedi fell and Bastila was hurled to the deck. Stunned, the young Jedi crawled forward to see Revan smashed on the ground. Bastila's face was filled with rage.
Something had fallen on the gore-covered deck of the Bridge. It was a jeweled brush.