Selena asked, "Care to tell us why we're going back to Taris when we don't have any orders to do stuff on the planet?"
Revan said, "Because, Baldy asked for our help. And, I don't see any reason not to."
"It could be a trap." Selena said.

Revan sighed, and said, "Meetra, please talk some sense into Selena."

Meetra said, "Okay." before turning to Selena and saying, "It would be pretty damn rude to tell Baldy we won't help him when he asked quite civilly. And, nothing about the situation seems fishy."

"Nothing seems fishy about going into the Lower City to find his parents? Doesn't it strike you as a bit too convenient?" Selena asked.

"None of us sensed any deception in Alek when he requested help. So, either he is an incredibly good liar, or he truly believes that we might find his parents." Bastila said.

"And besides, I don't want to die like Johnson." Alek said.

"Good." Revan said, "I don't think the Council would be okay with only Meetra, Bastila, and I returning from this mission."
"What if Baldy decides to stay with his parents?"
"That won't happen." Alek said, "I'm a Jedi. If I stayed with them, I would be sacrificing that."

Revan sighed, and said, "There are some things more important than the Jedi Order." as she landed the shuttle.

After they stepped out, Bastila asked, "Is the Lower City really as dangerous as everyone says?"
Selena said, "It's not the safest place on Taris, but not as dangerous as people would have you think. The Hidden Beks do their best to make sure that the people who live there and aren't in gangs are safe."

Revan asked, "What is the probability that we will be attacked when we get down there?"
"I'd say they're pretty low." Selena replied, "Assuming we stay in Bek territory. For a bunch of gangsters they actually aren't all that bad."
Meetra just laughed, and said, "What, so they're a merry band of thieves who take from the rich and give to the poor? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"No, they're not good people by any definition of the word, but they aren't as bad as most of the other gangs."

Meetra just nodded, as Revan started to walk ahead of the others. "Whoa, Rev, what's going on?"
Revan was silent, continuing to walk down the pathway, until she suddenly turned around, and said, "That's a very fucking bad idea."

"What?" Meetra asked.

"Not you, Meetra." Revan replied, turning her head and saying, "You may be hidden from my eyes, but I can sense you there with the Force. I would strongly recommend that you don't pull that trigger."
Everyone turned to where Revan was looking for a moment, then a blaster shot fired from a cloaked individual standing there.

It flew towards Bastila, but before it could connect, the Padawan deflected it with her lightsaber. Before the Bith assassin could react, he was slammed into the wall by Revan, his blaster falling to the ground. The Knight asked, "Who hired you, Davik?"

"Mr. Kang is not my employer." he replied, through Revan's arm on his throat.

"Then who hired you?"

"A woman you foolishly insulted."
"You've got to be kidding me. That spoiled brat actually sent an assassin after me and my friends?"
"I was only hired to assassinate Shan. Ms. Lavin thought it would be the best way to make you suffer for insulting her."

Revan sighed, and said, "Nope. Ms. Lavin just pissed me off. Now, I'm going to give you a chance to save your ass. Tell her that if she knows what is best for her and the rest of her family, she'll never send another person after Bastila, myself, or any of my other friends."

Bastila asked, "Why did you single me out?"
"Because you were targeted." Revan quickly replied.

The alien said, "I'll tell her! Just please don't kill me."
"Deal. If any other assassins come for us I will find you, and I will kill you."

He nodded, and ran away immediately after Revan released him. "Okay, now that distraction is taken care of, let's head on down to the Lower City." as she stepped up to the elevator. Standing beside was a single Republic guard who said,

"Ma'am, I am required to warn you that the Lower City is a dangerous place, and you should not go down there if not armed and aware of how to use your armaments."
"We're all either Jedi or military." Revan said, "We'll be fine."
"Understood Ma'am. I can't keep you from going down there, but if you get killed your family cannot expect any reparations from the Republic." the guard said, clearly sounding bored out of his mind.
"They wouldn't try to even if they were alive." Revan said, as she stepped into the elevator.

As they rode down the elevator, Meetra said, "Do you know which way to get to who you think your parents are working for?"
"Yeah." Alek said, "It isn't far from this elevator."
Revan was silent, then said, "Jade, you say your parents are nobles here."
"Yes... why?" the Sergeant asked, her voice cautious.

"With how heavily I've alienated the Lavin clan, I doubt that scaring one assassin off will be enough to keep them off of my ass. But, if I have a powerful noble family watching my back, they might be able to exert enough pressure on the Lavins to keep all of us safe."
"I wouldn't count on it. My parents would probably say you deserved it."
Bastila said, "I still don't get why she had them target me. I was just trying to keep the noise level down at the time."

Revan sighed, and said, "Everyone says it is painfully obvious that I'm in love with you."
Bastila nodded, and asked, "Why do you people say that?" looking at Meetra.

Meetra was quiet for a moment, looking for the right words to explain. Then, she said, "It's because you got under Revan's skin when you suggested she just get over Deralia. I'd seen her laugh in the faces of dozens of other people who had done so. There had to be something going on between you two if it actually affected her. Then, there is how she's so protective of you. I know Rev, and she does want to protect people. But with you, it always seemed personal. Like the idea of you getting hurt pissed her off.

"If you getting hurt pissed her off, it only cemented my theory that she is interested in you. I know Revan, and while she gets... irritated, but not pissed. It never seemed like she'd take out an entire camp of mandalorians just because one almost hurt an innocent.

"Then there were the times she denied having any feelings for you. Every other time I'd teased Rev about having a crush on someone, she'd just laugh it off, and point out their biggest fault and say she loved it about 'em. But with you, she got furious with me. Said it was inappropriate."
"Because what you suggested is."
"You seemed pretty into it when you were going at her in Davik's estate." Meetra replied, with a small grin.

"I had to give off the appearance of enjoying it. Otherwise worse would have happened to her." Revan replied, blushing at the memory of her kissing Bastila.
"Looks like someone might need a change of underwear." Selena said, laughing.

Revan shot her a glare that said, 'I will cut your arms off and make you eat them if you don't shut up right now.' but said, "Yeah, I think that guy who I slammed into the wall shit himself in fear."

"Revan..." Bastila sighed.

The Knight sighed, and said, "Bas, how about we make a deal? I continue to cut down on my swearing, and you don't sound so irritated when I slip up."

The Padawan nodded, and said, "What if you quit improving?"
"Then you can sound irritated with me again."

"Fair enough." Bastila said, shifting slightly in the elevator and fiddling with her robes.

"You seem nervous, Bas." Revan said, "Is something wrong?"
"No." the Padawan lied.

"You know, you're a pretty terrible liar." Revan said, stepping closer to Bastila, "What's the matter?"
Bastila sighed, and said, "It doesn't matter. You'd think I'm being silly."

"Even if what's bothering you seems silly, I'll listen. If it'll help you be more comfortable."

"I'm just... worried that something's going to happen to you." Bastila said, shifting nervously.

Revan smiled, and hugged the younger woman, "Don't worry, Bas. I'll be fine. After all, I've got you watching my back."

As she said this, Selena whispered into Meetra's ear, "Awww, isn't that sweet?"
The Knight simply nodded as Revan released Bastila from the hug, and said, "Don't give them a hard time. They're in a tough situation."
"You still haven't told me what she wanted to talk to you about." Selena said.
"It's not my place to say." Meetra replied. "It seemed pretty clear to me that she wanted it to be kept a secret. And, if I told other people about it, the chances of them leaking it to people it would be better didn't learn about it increase."

Selena laughed, and said, "You're just a big softie, aren't you?"
"You know you love it." the Jedi replied, as she glanced at Revan and Bastila, simply standing quietly in the elevator.

Then, as the elevator stopped, Revan said, "Before we step out of this elevator, I think I need to make something clear."

"What?" Alek asked.
"We're not letting any Black Vulkars we come across live."
"Aw." Selena said, "I thought you were going to come out about being in love with Bastila."

Revan shook her head, and said, "Not going to happen." before opening the door.

They were immediately greeted by a human woman saying, "I didn't expect a group of Jedi to come to the Lower City. What brings you here?"
"We're here to speak with the leader of the Hidden Beks."
"How can we know you won't try to bring Gadon in for his so-called crimes?" the woman asked.

"Because, I have more important matters on my mind than a swoop gang." Revan replied. "And, I'm only here because the bald Jedi wants to meet his parents. He's heard news that they're here in the Lower City."

"This way, Master Jedi." the woman replied, walking them down the hallway. "Be careful. There's a lot of tension going on in there right now."
"What happened?" Revan asked, reaching for her lightsabers.

"Gadon injured himself in a swoop race. Brejik expected him to turn over command to him, but Gadon has decided not to. Said that he wasn't ready. Now, the fool is in a fury. And, now he's even worse to outsiders."

The Jedi all nodded, before they walked up to a door. "This is the entrance to the base. Be careful in there. Who knows what Brejik will do if he sees outsiders in there."

Revan quickly glanced at Bastila, and said, "If he tries anything, he'll be dead before he'd have a chance to hurt any of us."
"He's got a lot of men loyal to him, if you kill him, it won't just be one man you have to fight."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. I've faced more, and deadlier, opponents before." Revan said as she stepped into the Hidden Bek base. Inside was... not what she had expected. She'd been preparing herself for a smelly, smoke-filled room where you could barely see two feet in front of your face.

Instead, what she was greeted with was a simple, yet homey room filled with men, women, and children of multiple races. She walked through the room, and saw a man standing in a corner, glaring at everyone. Amongst the relative calm of the Bek base, he was a storm of fury. "That guy in the corner must be Brejik." Revan said, pointing at him. "Would probably be best to steer clear. No need to start an incident." before walking over to a man standing behind a desk, his eyes a foggy grey.

He looked at her, and said, "Hello, Ms. Is there an issue that the Hidden Beks can help you with?"

"Not me personally, but my tall friend is looking for his parents. They originate from a remote system, and a village with an incredibly long name starting and ending in the letter S. Do you have any idea where they might be?"
"I know who you're speaking of." Gadon said, closing his eyes, "And you showed up in the last few hours of their lives. They suffered severe injuries two days ago."

"What happened?" Revan asked, curiosity clear in her voice.

"They were out on patrol, when a strangely dressed man attacked them. We've examined the wounds, and they're designed to make the victim die a slow death. I've never seen so sadistic a killing in all my time."

Alek asked, "Could you take us to them? Before..."

"Of course, Zaerdra, guide our guests to the infirmary."
"Of course, Gadon." the twi'lek replied, irritation clear in her voice. "This way."

They nodded, and started to follow her when she said, "I don't get why your kind would even be interested in them. You're Jedi, your Order forbids contact with family."
Revan replied, "Sometimes the Council is wrong about what is and is not good for Jedi."
"You still shouldn't be here. Your presence could push Brejik over the edge. We can't afford a civil war, it would make us vulnerable to the Vulkars."

"We're not here to cause trouble." Revan said, "Just here to see Baldy's parents, and then leave."

"Well make it quick." Zaerdra said, as she opened a door. "This is the infirmary."

"Couldn't you send them up to Zelka?"
"They're too injured. We called him here, and there was nothing he could do. Even if they would survive the trip up to his kolto tanks. We aren't idiots, Jedi." Zaerdra said, as she walked off.
Revan turned to Alek, and said, "Go in. Talk to them. We'll wait out here."

"Alright." he replied, stepping into the room.
Revan sighed, ad leaned against a wall. "Every time it seems like something good might happen, we learn that something actually has gone horribly wrong. Will there ever be a time when things could be simple?"
Meetra laughed, and said, "I don't know. I think the galaxy may have a grudge against you."

"I never did anything to it." Revan said, running a hand through her hair.

"Sometimes the galaxy's a dick. You just have to learn to deal with it." Selena said.

"Glad to hear that Meetra chose to sleep with the most eloquent soldier in the Republic army." Revan sighed.

"It doesn't bug you." Selena replied.

"No, but I know it bugs Bastila. And, feeling someone's irritation in the back of my head does bug me."

"Why can't you just say that it bugs you when something bugs Bastila because you have feelings for her."
"Because, even if I had feelings for her, it would be boring to just admit it. You've gotta play hard to get if you're trying to get with someone. Try to mislead them, make them think you aren't interested. Give them time to build up interest of their own."

"That is the creepiest thing I've ever heard." Selena said.

"You clearly haven't watched any horror movies." Revan replied, when Alek shouted,

"Guys, get in here!"
Revan opened the door and asked, "What is it?"
"Mom and Dad, they have a message for you." Alek said, pointing to his mortally wounded parents.

Revan walked over to them, and asked, "What is it?"
"The... man who... attacked us... told me to give you a... message." Alek's father wheezed out. "To... tell you that he knows that what you fear is the loss of your friends."
"Who told you this?"
"A man... dressed in robes of the darkest black. His face obscured by a mask. His voice... synthesized as if he were trying to hide what it really is like."
Alek said, "Don't worry, Dad. We'll find him and make him pay."

"No we won't." Revan said, her voice trembling.

"Revan, what are you talking about? We can't let whoever this is get away with it!" Alek shouted.

"Nor are we strong enough to punish him." Revan replied, "This man, he did strike you with a lightsaber, correct?"
"Yes." Alek's mother said, her voice faint.

Meetra looked at Revan and said, "He did this?"
"Yes." Revan replied, turning to leave.

"Wait..." Alek's father said, his voice almost entirely gone.

"What?"
"He also told... us to say to you... that 'she' is quite beautiful. And that it would be a shame if... any harm came to her."
The look in Revan's eyes switched from one of fear, to one of fury, and she said, "If he tries to do anything to her, I don't care if it costs me my life, I will kill him." before walking out of the room. Standing there, rage emanating from him, was Brejik. The man said, "You are not welcome here, outsider."

Revan said, "I was just about to leave." before turning towards the exit.

"You shouldn't have come here in the first place." he said, anger clear in his voice.

"Clearly." Revan replied, continuing to walk down the hallway, extending her Force senses as far as she possibly could.

"Do you think I'll just let you walk away, after everything you've done!"
"What are you talking about?" Revan asked, turning to look at him.
"I know you're the one who injured the two who are dying in the infirmary. They were my friends."
"I didn't do anything to them. I wasn't even in this system when they were injured."

"You can try and fool me all you want, but I know the truth!" Brejik shouted, running at Revan.
She sidestepped his attack, kicked his dagger out of his hand, and pinned him to the wall in a second, and growled, "I didn't kill them. I didn't even know they existed until last night. But, I know who did kill them."

"Who?" he choked out, looking at Revan with fear.

"A Dark Jedi. One who has approached me before, but always disappeared before I could apprehend him." Revan replied, as the others walked out of the infirmary. She nodded at them, and let Brejik go. They walked out of the base in silence, then Bastila asked,

"Revan, what has gotten into you? I've never seen you act like this."

"He's going to come after you, Bas." Revan replied, "We have to get back to Coruscant ASAP."

"Who is going to come after Bastila?" Alek asked.

"Venerus. The Dark Lord of the Sith." Revan replied, looking Alek in the eye.

"You can't be serious, the Sith died out ages ago."
"What about the three we buried on Dantooine, Baldy? What about Nicole who attacked us on Coruscant? They're all followers of Venerus. And now he's targeting Bastila to get to me."

"He could just be trying to get into your head."

Revan was silent for a moment, then said, "Of course. It all makes sense now."
"What?" Bastila said.

"He's going to confront me with a choice. Let Bastila die, or join his cause."

"Do you really think so little of me?" Venerus asked, as he stepped out of a shadow.

Revan turned to him, and said, "Venerus. You agreed to steer clear of me."
"Yes, but not of those close to you." the Dark Lord replied.

"Do you really think that I'll let you do anything to Bas?"

"No, you would sooner die than let anyone hurt the woman you love." he replied, "I gave your bald friend's parents that message after I wounded them to bring you to this exact spot. As I knew you would."

"What are you talking about?" Revan asked, looking at him in confusion.

"The point of desperation. You know you cannot defeat me, but you desperately seek to protect Shan. You fear that if anything happens to her, you will lose your reason to live. You even faked a mere lust to protect her.

"And, what you did to Davik. That was particularly cruel. I personally would have used lightning to remove them. Far more painful. But, it was still a beautiful act. An act of pure rage. And, Bastila was the catalyst of it."
"Are you trying to say that my caring for Bastila will push me down the same path as you, Venerus?" Revan growled, "After you manipulated my mind to make me think that I'd already fallen?"

Revan sensed some surprise from him when the words left her mouth, and he said, "You are more intelligent than I initially credited you. How did you know?"
"I only just figured it out. You wanted me to go through the airlock. So that you could pull me into the same darkness you are in by preserving my body, and using my catatonic state after exposure to vacuum to influence my mind. But you didn't plan on Bastila being so stubborn."

He said, "Most impressive. But, do you really think it will help you when I can kill her with a single move of my hand?"

"You do anything to her, I don't care what it takes out of me, I will kill you." Revan growled, drawing her twin sabers.

Venerus laughed, and said, "Such protectiveness. If you ever confess your feelings to her, she will be quite happy with you."

"Enough, Venerus." Kreia said, stepping into the area. "How many times do I have to tell you to leave Revan be before you will actually do so? Do I have to bring him here to convince you?"
Venerus turned to her, and said, "You wouldn't."
"Do you wish to press your luck, Venerus? Leave Revan and those she cares for me." the Far Seer said, her voice stern.

The Dark Lord looked at her for a moment, then said, "Very well, Kreia. I shall cease my actions for the time being."

"Master, how did you just show up?" Revan asked.
The old Jedi replied, "It is a secret that I cannot share with you. At least not yet. Perhaps in a day that is yet to come we shall be able to discuss it in great detail. But for now, all you need to know is that I am looking out for you. Working to keep Venerus away from you and those you care for. So that you can make your own decisions."
"Why?"
"Because you have endured enough hardship without him interfering with what little peace you have managed to find."

"So, you're acting like my guardian angel?"
"In a sense." Kreia said. "But, do not worry about it."
"How can I trust you? You use the same techniques Venerus and his people do?"
Kreia was silent for a while, then said, "Because, I am the opposite of Venerus. He is a servant of darkness, I a servant of the light. I have faced him before, and will do so again if necessary."
Revan was silent then said, "Very well, Master. Will you be staying here long?"
"I only came here to aid you with Venerus, Revan. I am needed on Coruscant."
"What's going on there?"
"It is not my place to tell you." the elderly woman replied, before vanishing.

"Okay," Meetra said, "that was weird. Are we the only people in the galaxy in the dark about this stuff?"
"No." Revan said, "I think Kreia is simply another anomaly who knows things about this."
"How many people are there?"
"Not many more than we've already met." Revan said, "Kreia has always been... strange. You can never be certain what she does and doesn't know. I think that we won't have to deal with anyone else knowing about it."
"How do we take out that bastard Venerus?" Alek asked, rage clear in his voice.

Revan was silent, and said, "We can't. He's too strong for us. The best we can do is stay out of his way, and hope he stays out of ours."

"You saw what he did to my parents!" Alek shouted.

"I did. And, if we could make him pay for it we would. But we can't." Revan said, "All we know about him is that he's powerful, and he has more experience than all of us combined."

Alek shook his head, and said, "You're just being a coward. I'm going after him."
"No you aren't." Revan said, looking him in the eye. "The best you'll do is get yourself killed. If I'm not capable of taking him out, there is no way you can."

"You seemed pretty damn determined to take him out when he threatened Bastila." Alek growled, "I'm not asking for you to think this is smart, I'm just asking for your help."

"It won't be enough."
"So, you'll throw your life away for Bastila, but won't even help me find Venerus."
Revan looked Alek in the eye, and said, "I'm not going to help you get yourself killed, Alek. That's all going after him will do."

"What would you do if he were the one who killed your parents?"
"I would let him go, because I know that sacrificing myself in a foolish attempt to avenge them would be the exact opposite of what they'd have wanted."

"How can you always justify hiding from any danger, Revan?"
"I don't hide from danger, Alek. I avoid pointlessly throwing away my life."

He glared at her, and said, "I'm going to start looking for him. You're welcome to come along if you want."
"No you aren't." Revan said.

He drew his lightsaber, and said, "If you try to stop me, I'll kill you."

"I'm not your enemy, Alek. You aren't thinking straight because you're upset about losing your parents. I get it, I was the same way when mine were killed. I wanted revenge. But, it doesn't do you any good. All going after revenge does is bring you down the level of the people who you're going after."
He looked Revan in the eye, and said, "You're just afraid that helping me will hurt your chances of getting into Bastila's pants."

"No." Revan said, glaring at Alek, "I'm worried that you're going to get yourself killed by taking on a threat beyond the level of any living Jedi."
"Any one. But as a team we could take him out."
"If we got lucky. I'm not going to throw my life away, and I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself. There's a hell of a lot more you can do for the galaxy than die fighting Venerus."
"Like what? Help you get your revenge on the mandalorians?"

"I won't deny that I have no love of the mandalorians, but I was actually thinking that you have skills. You may sometimes fight like a rank amateur, but most of the time you fight with actual skill. A talented warrior. I don't want your skills to be lost, because they could help thousands. They could save countless lives.

"You could either focus on trying to get a revenge that you'll never be strong enough to get, or you could focus on making so that others don't have to suffer what you did. You can either sacrifice yourself in this quest you want to embark on, or do great things with your life. Things that will put you in the history texts as one of the greatest Jedi who ever lived." Revan said, "Think about that, before you go out for revenge you'll never get."

Alek looked Revan in the eye, and said, "It's a matter of principle. In my family's culture, you kill those who kill the ones you love."
"I understand the urge." Revan replied, exasperation starting to work its way into her voice, "But there is a difference between what your people would have had to face, and what you would have to. They would face other men or women without the ability to use a frightening amount of Force energy. Their foes couldn't teleport."
"I'm going to hunt him down, Revan. You won't talk me out of it."

"Then you force my hand." The Knight said, "Padawan Alek I am putting you in protective custody until we return to Coruscant."
"You have no grounds to put me in custody." he replied.

"As a higher ranking member of the Order I am authorized to put Padawans into protective custody if I believe they are going down a path that will lead to them falling to the dark side." Revan said, pulling out a pair of Force-Restraining handcuffs.

"Why do you have those on you?" Selena asked.

"Standard equipment for Jedi." Meetra explained.

Alek glared at Revan, and said, "If you think I'm going to let you do that, you're wrong."

"I don't." Revan said, "I expect you to let your guard down so Bastila can without you noticing." as the Padawan put Alek in cuffs.

He struggled against them, and said, "Dammit! Why do you insist on not just letting me have my revenge?"
"Because, the only thing that could come from it is your death, and Venerus coming after the rest of us because of you."
He glared at her, before Revan simply stabbed a needle into him, and said, "Get some rest, it'll clear your head."

"So, we're going back to the ship?"
"Yeah." Revan said, lifting Alek up with the Force, his body drooping like a wet rag.
"Uh, Rev, he's going to wake up with a killer headache if you float him all the way back to the ship like that."

"We aren't going to float him all the way back like that. We'll drop him on the floor of the elevator when we get there." Revan said, walking towards the elevator.

-=0=-

Fifty minutes later, they placed Alek into a relatively roomy cell in the brig, and Revan said to the guard, "Don't let him out, regardless of what he says."

"Understood, Master Jedi." the guard said, as they walked away.

Once they were out of his way, Revan sighed, and said, "This deployment has gone incredibly poorly. If I were superstitious, I would think someone was trying to keep the Jedi from joining this war."

Meetra laughed, and said, "Maybe some divine entity wants you to hook up with Bastila, and won't let the Jedi join the war until that happens."
Revan sighed, and said, "You aren't a divine entity, despite what you think, Meetra." a small smile sneaking onto her face.

Meetra just nodded, and said, "Well, let me know if you need any help with anything. I'm gonna go get some food."

"Enjoy it." Revan said, heading to her quarters. When she sat down, she pulled out her datapad, and saw a message from Nomi. She opened it, and saw that it said, "We just got word from Admiral Karath that he has a special ops unit that went silent. I've managed to arrange for you and the others to be a part of the search and rescue unit. You are to leave Admiral Dodonna's fleet, and join up with Admiral Karath's in ten hours from receiving this."

Revan grinned, as the door opened, and she saw Bastila standing there. "Hey, Bas." The Knight said, as the Padawan sat down beside her. "Did you get the same message from Grand Master Sunrider?"
"No." The Padawan said, resting her head on Revan's shoulder. "What was it about?"
"We're going to be leaving Taris to go and help a search and rescue team being put together by Admiral Saul Karath. Apparently one of their spec-ops teams went dark."

Bastila said, "Won't that be dangerous?"
"Possibly, but we'll be fine." Revan said, looking around the small confines of her quarters. "I won't let anything happen to you or the others." when suddenly Bastila shifted, and kissed her on the lips. The instant their lips connected Revan's eyes opened wide in surprise, and she placed a block on the bond so Bastila wouldn't be able to sense what she was feeling.
An instant later, Revan lightly pushed Bastila away, and asked, "Why'd you do that, Bas?"
"I was curious if you blocked the bond on Taris when you kissed me to hide something. Or if it was just because you don't really want to feel something very intimate with someone." Bastila said.

"That's what was bugging you?" Revan asked, her voice soft.

"Yes," the Padawan admitted, blushing, but sorrow clear in her eyes. "I was worried Meetra was right, that you actually did have those feelings for me. It's a relief to know that you just blocked the bond out of a desire to not have something so intimate with someone." her voice letting off a guise of being relieved, but the look in her eyes one of hurt and sorrow, as she added, "I should get ready to go. We'll probably need to leave soon if it's a search and rescue mission." before walking out of the room so quickly it was like she was trying to escape.

Revan shook her head, and said, "What's going on with her?" before leaning back, thinking of how nice it had felt to be kissed by Bastila. 'For a second there, I could have thought she was actually interested in being with me like that. Well, having something like that when she's older.' Revan thought, as she stood back up, and began preparing for the long journey.

-=0=-

Bastila sighed, as she walked into her quarters, fighting back tears. Revan hid been surprised before she blocked the bond instinctively. Then the way she'd pushed Bastila away had confirmed it to the Padawan. She saw her the same way she saw Meetra. As a sister. The Padawan sighed, and said, "I was a bloody fool to believe what Meetra said. Rev wasn't trying to hide anything." as she started packing up her things.

Then, Selena dropped from the ceiling, and said, "No need to be down in the dumps, kid."
Bastila turned, and drew her lightsaber when she heard the voice, and lowered it a moment later, saying, "Force, Jade. If you don't want to have your head cut off, don't jump a Jedi."

"You should have been able to tell I was in the room."
"Why are you even in my room?"
The Sergeant nervously scratched the back of her neck and said, "Well... Meetra and I had a bet going on."
"What are you talking about?"
"We were running a bet on whether you'd notice me in your quarters first. Or if Revan would notice Meetra in hers. But then you looked so depressed I felt bad just hiding on the ceiling."
Bastila glanced up at it, and asked, "How did you even manage to stay up there."
"Magnets." The sergeant replied, showing Bastila that she had some small devices in her palms. "But, enough of that. Why so depressed about Tremaine?"
"I'm not going to talk about it." Bastila said, gathering her stuff.

"If you're going to be leaving because of it, it seems pretty serious."
"I'm not leaving because of it. I was told that we're going to be sent to help elsewhere. So, I need to get ready for that. I'm not so unprofessional to let a small thing like a broken heart get in the way of me doing my job."
"Wait wait wait... you made a move on Revan and she turned you down?"
"It wasn't exactly making a move as you put it. I just kissed her to see if when she blocked off the bond when she kissed me it was because there was something she was trying to hide, or if it was because she didn't want to have something personal like that.

"And, it turns out the later was accurate. She just doesn't want something like that."
Jade nodded, and said, "Give it time. Maybe try again when you're eighteen. You can never be certain. It could be that she just wants to wait until you're both adults." before saying, "And if not, there are a lot of other nice people out there. You'll recover eventually."

Bastila sighed, and said, "Not likely." as she continued packing.

-=0=-

Revan sighed, and said, "So, Meetra, how long have you been up there?"
"I sneaked in behind Bastila."
"So you saw it too..." Revan said, looking at her best friend, just relaxing on the ceiling.

"Yeah, she seemed pretty disappointed when you pushed her away."

Revan looked at her and said, "Don't get my hopes up, Meetra. She just wanted to make sure that I wasn't interested."
"Wow, you're so observant about everyone else's romantic matters. But in your own, you're helpless." Meetra said, shaking her head.

"Meetra, I just don't want to get my hopes too high so that when I do actually see if the interest is mutual and she rejects me, I'm not too disappointed."

Meetra just nodded, and said, "I guess you have a point. So, what are you going to do?"
"What are you talking about?" Revan asked.

"About Bastila? If she still seems down in the dumps?"
"I'll ask her what's wrong."
Meetra sighed, and said, "You say that she's an innocent, but you're almost as bad. What you did she could easily see as a rejection."

"Meetra, did you not hear what I said less than sixty seconds ago?"
"About not getting your hopes up? Yeah, I heard it. Decided to ignore it."
Revan sighed, and said, "Do you just want me to be miserable, thinking about the possibilities that are never going to be? She clearly said that she was relieved I made it look like I wasn't interested."

"Well, you have fun with that. I'm going to go get ready for the next job. Think we can get Selena moved with us too?"
"Probably. You'll have to talk to Dodonna." Revan said.
Meetra nodded, and said, "Don't stay up too late thinking about Bastila, Rev."

"I won't." The Knight said, "I need to finish packing, then I'm going to get a bite to eat and some sleep."
"Have fun with that." Meetra said, leaving the room.

-=0=-

A/N: Thanks for reading the latest chapter. I really hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please leave a review as well as follow and favorite, if you haven't done the later two.

Also, I recently put out another one shot called Mass Effect Post Bellum, please read and review that too. I would greatly appreciate it.