Bastila walked into the Council Chambers, where she had to quickly duck beneath a lightsaber hilt flying her way. She grabbed it when it clattered to the ground beside her. She ignited it, and said, "What in the name of the Force is going on?"
Vrook stepped forward, and said, "The time for mourning Revan's passing is over. The time for you to resume your training, with a proper teacher, is now."

Vandar stepped forward, and said, "Vrook, the harshness in your tone is unnecessary. Bastila played no role in persuading Revan to her defiance."

Bastila stood up, tossed the lightsaber aside, and said, "I will not train with a new teacher while my current one still lives and has not been proven incapable of properly passing on the skills and wisdom of the Jedi Order."

Zhar sighed, and said, "Bastila, it has been months. Had Revan not died upon passing through the portal, the lack of food would have killed her by now."

"We know nothing of what is on the other side of such a tear. She could still live, for all we know it has only been a single instant for her."

"Or a thousand years." Vrook growled. "Revan knew it was certain death to go to the other side. She abandoned the Jedi Order that die, when she left this life forever."

As he said so, a pulse of Force energy burst out over the planes, pushing through the walls of the Enclave, and knocking all four Jedi over. Bastila stood up straighter than before, and said, "The time of Revan's return is nigh, Masters."

Vrook shook his head, and said, "These are not a sign of Revan's return, Bastila. You must accept that woman is dead and gone. Let the dead sleep, for that is their wont."

"I will not accept that she is dead for she is not. Had she truly died those pulses would never have ocurred."

Vandar stepped forward, and said, "I am truly sorry, Bastila. I too hoped that Revan would return from the other side. That we would learn more about the Force, and that she would gain wisdom from the journey. But... it is not meant to be. A thousand years may pass before she returns to this place. The time for hoping that she will return is past. And the time to train in case the Jedi must join the war in order to save the Republic, and our own Order, is now."

A bright light flashed, and Bastila felt Revan's all-encompassing pressence consolidate into a single point. When the light cleared, and the Knight stood in the center of the chamber, she said, "That is indeed the truth, Vandar."

Vrook looked shocked, terrified, and furious all at the same time. Revan turned to him, the light behind her eyes seeming to have aged a great deal in the short time since she had been thought to die. She spoke, her voice seeming to boom with even the softest words. "You need not fear me, Vrook. I mean you no harm."
"That is Master Vrook to you, Knight."
Revan laughed, a melodious sound that almost made the very stones of the enclave shake from the power behind it. She then said, "Once there was a reason for me to call you Master, Vrook. That time is long past. When last we met I was a mere woman, one who had such little understanding of the true nature of the Force. I was as blind as all who have only seen one side are.

"But now, having journeyed through the Light, Dark, and what lies beyond both, I have learned things that would make your mind crumble away were you to try and comprehend them. The few months ago that I disappeared on this side I was a child compared to you, Vrook. But I have lived a hundred thousand lives on the other side. I have seen what both the Light and Dark truly are.

"And I have seen the Force, uncorrupted by mortal understanding. Pure, unfiltered. How it truly is. And Vrook, child, I can tell you that despite what you believe, the Force does not have a mind of its own. It has no plan, for how can that which possesses no consciousness form such things?"

Zhar stepped forward, and said, "Are you proposing that the very basis of our understanding of the Force is wrong, Revan?"
"I am not proposing that, Zhar, I am telling you it is. The Force simply is, so long as there is nothing endangering it, the Force will sleep. For there is a consciousness behind the Force, but it is not the Force. Three that are an aspect of the power held within that Force." Revan said, her voice echoing throughout the room.

Bastila stepped closer to Revan, and said, "Rev, who are these three?"
Revan smiled at her student, and said, "I don't know. But I have seen some of what is to come. And I know what must be done. The time for war is not now, but it is nigh."

Vrook looked at Revan cautiously, and said, "Your words regarding the Force are madness, yet you are certain of them. And even your words carry power now. What have you become, Revan?"
"Enlightened, Vrook." Revan said.

"Why then do you bear such disdain for the Jedi Order?"
"I do not bear any disdain. But to refer to you as Master, Vrook, would be as if you were to refer to a youngling as such. The difference in knowledge, in experience, in power is so great that to do so is to remove all meaning behind such a title." Revan said. "But, I fear that the time for speech is over, and the time to train has begun once again. If you will excuse me, I must resume Bastila's training."

The Council looked at Revan for a moment then Vandar said, "You may go, Knight Revan."

Revan nodded, and walked away, followed by Bastila. Then Vrook said, "What are you planning, Revan, why do you now preach patience as we do?"
The Jedi turned, a smirk on her face, then said, "Because I am choosing the path that will give me a life after all the war that lies ahead. On the other side, I saw what would become of me were I to enter the war now. Without the Dark Side clouding my vision of the future. Were I to go down that path ten years from now I would be nothing more than a memory. A hundred years from now I would be nothing more than a name in the historical log. None would remember me for more than a decade. Going there, I saw what really mattered.

"After seeing it, I know what I need to do. I saw what I want, and I am now fighting towards getting that. I'm not just here to get revenge anymore. I know what matters more, and I am going to fight for that."

Vrook asked, "And what matters more to you than revenge?"
"I know you too well, Vrook. That question's a trap." Revan replied, walking away.

-=0=-

A few meters outside the Council Chamber, Bastila asked, "What does matter to you more than revenge?"
Revan leaned her back against a wall, and said, "I'll explain it to you when you're older, Bas."

"Still insisting on talking in riddles, Revan?"
"Would you rather I spoke in parables?"
"I'd prefer it if you would just be open and frank."

"I wish I could, Bas. But, it's best that we don't talk about that now. For now you must learn the arts of war, in case the Dark Lord strikes me down."

"Why would he make such a move?"
"Because he knows that I understand what he is now." Revan replied.

"What is he?"
"The art of war, for now, Bas. The nature of the Force and the Dark Lord are not a matter for this day, or even this year."

Bastila leaned against the wall beside Revan, and asked, "Why do you always insist on keeping so much secret from me?"
"Because if anything were to happen to you, Bastila, I would go to any length to make the culprit pay. I would destroy the Force itself if that were necessary."

"You don't have to protect me from the universe, Revan."

"You're wrong, I do." Revan growled.

"Why are you getting angry, Rev?"
"Because I know that what I would put you in the sights of are so powerful that not even this immense power I wield now can challenge. You would die in a single moment were you to face them. The end of the day it comes down to this, I can't let anything happen to you. If I did... I wouldn't be the only one broken by seeing you die."
"Why would my death break you?"
"Because I care for you as much as I do Meetra. If anything were to happen to you, to Meetra... it would be a mess after I got done with those responsible."

"What would you do to them?"
"I would rend them apart at an atomic level. Light up the pain receptors like a sun going supernova while denying them death or unconscious. For ten thousand years they would suffer that, and in the end I would send them into the darkest depths of the void."
"Still not any less psychotic, I see." Bastila said, smirking.

"I'm a tad bit less. Before it would have been until I kill the very universe and let them know as they pass away that the death of literally everything was their fault."

"It seems like if you had that kind of power you could just bring Meetra or I back to life."

"True." Revan replied. "I mean, if I had the power to kill the universe, why wouldn't I bring back the most beautiful woman in the galaxy?"
Bastila blushed, and said, "Revan... really?"
Revan laughed, and said, "I see you're just as easy to fluster as ever. I was thinking that maybe since you'd had to stand up for me for so long, it would be a touch harder."

"I guess you just know how to push my buttons."

Revan grinned, and poked Bastila in the stomach. "You make it too easy."

Bastila laughed, and said, "Now that's a bit ridiculous, even for you Revan."

"I always try to please the women who are closest to me."

"Wow, that was so obvious even I understood what you were getting at."

Revan smirked, and said, "Dammit, I am really going to have to give Meetra a lecture. I really thought she wouldn't kill your innocence this quickly."

"Geez, you don't have to act like you've got a lightsaber up your ass."

Revan smirked, and said, "Well, maybe if a cute girl really wanted to try that I might be open to it. But... I don't know, that sounds kinda painful."

Bastila shook her head, and said, "Revan, get your head out of that bloody gutter."

"Do you want me to clean it out? I mean I could, but it seems like a lot of effort. Especially after Meetra visits. I mean, those friends of hers often end up making it really dirty."
Bastila laughed, and asked, "Why is Meetra visiting your gutter?"
"I can't afford the rent on a gutter alone, Bas. She's a roommate."

The Padawan laughed, but did not respond. She ran a hand through her hair, when Revan asked, "What would you do if I asked you to come with me when I go somewhere tomorrow?"
"I'd follow you, I figured it would only be something serious."

Revan laughed, and asked, "What if I told you it was just my place for dinner?"
Bastila blushed, and asked, "Are you asking me on a date?"
Revan blushed even deeper red, and said, "N-no, of course not. I uh, was just, uh, thinking it would be a good idea for our relationship, that is our student-teacher relationship, nothing romantic. Anyways, I was, uh, thinking that, um, maybe it would be good if we just had some time that was a little less formal. So that we're friends, as well as student and master."

Bastila laughed, a little bit awkwardly, and said, "Why not, there's nothing romantic about two friends having dinner."

Revan sighed with relief, and said, "Good, I was worried it looked like I was coming onto you."

"I'm sure a lot of men and women wouldn't mind if you were coming onto them."
"True, but none of them are actually in my head all day every day."

"With how often you block me out I don't think it can really be considered being in your head all day."

Revan nodded, and said, "Maybe that's for the best. Anyone who had to be in there all day every day would probably go crazy."
Bastila laughed, and said, "The only crazy person here is you."

"Ouch."

"How long is it, until you leave?"
"I don't know. I wish I could say, but on this side my vision of the future is clouded. And by the time I had learned how to look into the future on that side, I had lost interest in learning details of the war. I just wanted to get back."

"You said you saw what is to come and that if you went into war now it would lead to you being nothing more than a memory. What did you mean?"

"If certain things are not completed here before I go to war, I will die." Revan replied, walking towards the plains.

-=0=-
Carth leaned against a broken down wall, breathing heavily as mandalorian repeater fire pinned him down. When it paused for a moment, he leaned around the battered wall he had been using for cover for the last half hour, and returned fire.

He landed a single shot on the leader of the mandalorian attack team, who simply shrugged it off and returned fire. The Republic soldier sighed, his sweat soaking the fiber armor he was wearing. He looked up, just a few weeks ago he'd been back home with Morgana and Dustil for three short days. He had returned refreshed, and now he was pinned behind enemy lines, his only hope of getting back being to take out this squad of mandalorian hunters who had found him.

Cathar was a wasteland, following the Republic's defeat above it. Now he had been sent to recover a few dozen survivors. Help the species recover from the cataclysm the mandalorian invasion had proven to be.

He leaned around once more, sweat dripping into his eyes, the heat of the cathar jungle proving to be just as dangerous a foe as the mandalorians. He missed his shots, and was kicked to the ground by the mandalorian commander.
The mandalorian looked down, his face hidden behind a golden helm. Carth groaned, his blaster knocked out of his hand when he hit the ground. The soldier reached for the pistol, but his arm was crushed by the boot of the mandalorian. He looked at Carth, and said, "You have courage, for a Republic dog. What is it that compels you to try and fight even after you have been defeated?"
He looked at him, and said, "Look around you, mandalorian." as the mandalorian did so, his men keeping an eye on Carth so if he tried anything it would mean his end.

After a moment the Commander asked, "What about this place inspires you to fight?"
"You animals have reduced it to a wasteland." Carth said, as the mandalorian placed a boot on his torso.

"It will still grow, with strong mandalores training on these lands."

Carth laughed, and coughed up, "You're going to lose this war, no way around it."

"What makes you so certain, the greatest warriors of your Republic refuse to even enter into battle."

He looked up at the man who had him pinned, and said, "Because among those who refuse is someone who I've seen is too powerful for anyone to stop. For any group of people. She hates your kind, and will see you all dead or broken."
"Such a warrior belongs on the field of battle, not hiding away in some temple on Coruscant. She will do your Republic no good there."

Carth coughed up blood as the mandalorian pushed his boot further down onto his torso. He then smirked, and said, "The one I'm talking about isn't Revan." as a lightsaber blade flew through the air, severing the leader's head. A moment later four more mandalorians were dead, and a Jedi clad in white robes as well as a hood and mask that hid her face walked up, recovering the blade as it flew towards her. She helped Carth up, and said, "Sorry about the wait. The cathar are on the shuttle."

"Took you long enough, Ava." he grumbled, rubbing the bootmark."
"You should just be grateful I'm here at all. Do you know how many of those goddamn mandos I could have killed on any other front?"
"A lot more. But you have to stay a secret. Not like the Jedi would be happy if they learned a long dead Jedi was still alive, and actually working with the Republic."

"The Council can burn for all I care." Ava replied, running a hand over her hood. "The time for their cowardice ended a year ago."
"Hey, not like we can do anything about it."

"True. But if I could..."

"You sound like Revan right now."

"Hey, I'm not trying to say I don't love someone I obviously do, now am I?"
"Not right now. But... are you Revan? You're just as strong as she was. Came to us with an offer of help a month after her disappearance. And you hate the mandalorians as much as she does."

Ava turned to Carth, the mask seeming to darken with rage as she said, "Do not compare me to that horny teenager. She turned her back on the war effort in the hope of getting some pussy."

Carth laughed, and said, "Too true. How far out is the exfil shuttle?"
"Five minutes. We got four basilisks coming in from the south. Their ETA is three minutes. Think we can take them out in two minutes?"
"Can exfil get here any faster?"
"Not without messing up the stealth drive."

Carth sighed, and asked, "Did you manage to bring the cannon?"
"Half a mike out. Had to leave it there since you let the mandos get the best of you."

"Let's get to it then. Not like I'm going to be nay help against four basilisks with a blaster pistol."
Ava laughed, and said, "I don't need your help. Besides we've got ninety seconds before they show up, no time to reach the cannon."

Carth sighed, then said, "Fine. I'll take cover, let you do your thing."

"Sounds like a good plan, Carth." Ava replied, "We've got forty-five seconds to wait."

What seemed like a fraction of a moment passed in silence as Carth took cover, before the droids burst through the underbrush. Ava then raised a hand, freezing all four in a cage of Force. She then clenched her fist, and crushed the droids. She turned to Carth and said, "Ninety seconds til exfil."

"Damn... not even Revan could do that..."

"She'll learn to." Ava said, anger seeping into her voice.

-=0=-

Revan sighed. Bastila's party was set up, Meetra had managed to secretly arrive. The air was filled with the younger Knight's nerves. Meetra laughed, and said, "Geez, Rev. Relax. I'm just here to provide moral support. Also HOW THE FUCK DID YOU NOT DIE!?"

Revan chuckled, and said, "I had to travel through the light, dark, and what lies beyond. Saw a lot of things. Did some things that technically speaking aren't possible. And learned a lot out there. Things that it took a thousand years to understand."

"What was it like, in the Force?"
"Mere words cannot comprehend. It felt like I was everywhere at once, and yet nowhere. I could see so much from beyond where the light and the dark were clouding my vision."

"What about Marthan, do you know who he is, where he is?"
"I learned much, but not all. There are some things that so long as I am a mere human I am not meant to know. I would have to transcend all that makes me a mere mortal before such a thing would be safe for me to learn.

"If I knew where Marthan Ordo stood at this moment, that is where I would be. I would travel across both space and time to get my vengeance."

Meetra sighed, and said, "I was hoping your feelings for Bastila would mellow that."
"It has, but I have a feeling that when I find Marthan, some of the questions that I have about my parents will be answered. That he holds some of the truth, and will be very willing to share that if he knows he'll die otherwise."

-=0=-

"Operative Shadow, are you aware of the reason that you are in this courtroom?" a judge asked, as the young woman with scarlet hair sat in a chair, her arms bound.

"Due to my failure to bring the Jedi Knight known as Revan into the war via the termination of the Padawan Bastila, under the guise of a mandalorian attempting to break her."

"Are you aware of the severity of your failure, Operative?"
"Yes sir." she said, her voice tense.

"Do you know the penalty for your failure to achieve your operational goals?"
"Traditionally it is removal from the corps and transfer to a secure prison's solitary isolation for five years followed by execution."

"Do you have any defense for your failure to achieve your objectives?"
"Mandalorian interference led to Revan and Bastila being separated before I could act. Reports from a trusted source indicates that the Knight found caring for the Padawan to be a weakness that had to be culled. Though they also theorize that it may have been simply fear that something would happen if the asset stayed. This made the operation seem unlikely to provide any benefit."

"What about following her return?"
"The separation had brewed hostility on the side of the student. As such the effect of the termination would be less logical. The asset and Padawan's reconciliation occurred during an event that was causing highly unnatural weather. Following that incident the asset was reported dead by the Jedi Council. Assuming that the individual who we wished to see join the Republic war effort was dead there seemed to be no reason to target the Padawan. It would be another meaningless death of a potential asset."

The judges present nodded, and said, "We sentence you to the traditional punishment as dictated by the corps."

Shadow nodded, and said, "Such is your right." before the building shook as Ava walked in and said,

"I am afraid that the right to condemn operatives to death for failure to achieve mission objectives is no longer in your hands."

"Asset Ava, this is not your concern."

"It was not before; however, we have entered a state of emergency, the spread of the mandalorians is out of control. As such I have been granted command of these corps for the goal of anti-mandalorian operations. Following a Republic victory in the war your command will be returned. And your mission for Operative Shadow is redacted as of now. All details have been purged from the system, the asset known as Revan will not be target for any further operations to hasten her joining this war. The mandos have already sealed their fates. Within a week Revan will defy the cowards on the Jedi Council."

"Why?"
"I have seen their next target, and we're going to let them take it."

"What?"

"It will force her hand." Ava said, releasing Shadow. "And Operative Shadow must be there to report to the Knight."
"Why Shadow?"
"A familiar face will be good for Revan." Ava said, vanishing.

-=0=-

The air shaked, as a pair of blades clashed. Revan turned, and dashed out the door. Flames were everwhere. Revan stepped out, blades glowing blue and violet. And then stepped forward Marthan. He walked towards her, eyes glowing a dark red. He marched forward, a blade of flame in his main hand, and a flamethrower in his off hand.

Revan took a deep breath, and said, "Begone." As the words left her mouth, Marthan disappeared. Revan then opened her eyes, and Meetra asked,

"How long are you going to wait? This is your best chance."
Revan glanced at Bastila, and said, "I know. Gimme a minute."
"Don't delay much longer. We both know how little time mis left before we'll have to fight."
"Yeah." Revan said, again glancing at Bastila. Excitement and nerves flowing through the Knight in equal measure. But as she looked at the younger woman, fear grew ever stronger. Her nerves got the best of her, and Revan simply stepped back into the shadows. "Not today." she whispered to Meetra, walking towards the door.

"Revan!" Meetra growled, as they both left the building. "What is with you?"
"I can't... not yet."
"Why not? You can't use the she's a minor argument anymore."

"Fear." Revan replied, looking up at the stars. My fear is too great."
"Grow a fucking pair." Meetra said. "You've wasted enough of your life mooning after her and saying that she's unattainable for one reason or another. Quit being such a coward about this, and do what you always do. Act."

"Soon." The Knight replied. "But, it grows late."
"You're afraid she'll turn you down, aren't you? You'd rather go through life asking yourself what if, rather than taking the risk that she doesn't feel the same."

"I know i'm beign a cowardly idiot, Meetra. But... I can't bring myself to take the risk."
Meetra nodded, and said, "Tomorrow then. And if you don't... we'll be coming to blows."

"Why do you care so much if I try to be with Bastila.

"I want you to be happy, and you won't be if you keep avoiding telling her how you feel."

"Maybe. Tomorrow it'll be."

-=0=-

A/N: Well next chapter will be the one that inspired this whole thing. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. And if you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review.