Book Two – Rebirth
Chapter Nine
Going Down
Her already fair skin was even paler than normal. Sure, she didn't share the natural olive tan of her apprentice, but today the color of her face was particularly unhealthy. Her eyes were swollen with dark rings and her normally lush lips were dried out and itchy. Sleep deprivation was a killer for your good looks, and Bastila's infuriating padawan had a knack for making her night's rest as uncomfortable as possible, even when she wasn't there. Or rather, especially when she wasn't there.
Bastila should've known making Xana sleep somewhere else would only backfire on her. Over the six months she had become accustomed to sharing a room with the former marine. Once she had gotten over the fact that the beautifully toned and tanned woman loved making a show of shamelessly undressing in front of her master – which admittedly reduced Bastila to a coy mess of raging hormones without fail – sharing a room with her had become very pleasant. Xana had the innate ability of making you feel safe, like she possessed an aura assuring you everything was going to be alright.
Of course the maddening woman had to do something intolerable, in this case encouraging the little brat in her mischief. Someone had to set an example for Mission, and if Xana wouldn't do it, it was up to Bastila to provide the necessary guidance. She really wanted the best for the young Twi'lek – with her tragic false start in life – although she was pretty sure Xana and Mission thought Bastila was just being cranky, or exploiting her authority. When she was even sacrificing her own night's rest by removing the soothing presence of her apprentice from her room! Ungrateful girls, the both of them.
The events of last night made things even worse. Something had happened between her and Xana inside the crystal caverns. She doubted Xana had noticed, but after the declarations of trust between them the Force Bond had changed. Xana was clinging to Bastila like a lifeline in a dreadful storm and the Bond reflected it. It had tied them together even stronger, as if to tell them never to let go. She had seen it in Xana's green eyes as they were locked in that warm embrace, the desperate need for Bastila. And Bastila felt the same need for Xana. She had felt the strong urge to just close her eyes and kiss the tanned woman, give in to her desires, but she had resisted those temptations by strongly meditating on the Code. Barely.
It would be wrong, incredibly wrong. Giving in to her feelings would be a complete violation of Revan. The former Sith leader still lingered somewhere in Xana's mind, and Bastila was torn between both women.
Her promise to her padawan had been genuine, she really cared about her and would do anything to protect her. And yes, that did include withholding her true past from her. It might be unfair, but Bastila was convinced nothing good could come from Revan returning right now, certainly not when the galaxy was so strongly divided between light and dark. She was protecting Xana by not telling her about her true identity, so she didn't have to feel guilty about it.
And then that Mandalorian had come in to ruin their intimate moment together, after which Xana had ruined it beyond repair by questioning Bastila's ability to lead. Preposterous! Bastila had turned the tide of many massive battles, had seen so much more combat than Xana had. There was no doubt in her mind that she was the better candidate to be in charge, not the amnesiac woman with barely two and a half years of life experience. And today she was determined to prove it to her apprentice, during the beginning of what might become a very long mission.
As she made her way through the enclave to pick up her apprentice, she tried rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and stifling a yawn for what felt like the hundredth time. Even an ice-cold shower hadn't helped her to wake up completely. Darn Xana with her insufferable big mouth and irresistible charisma. How a woman could be so insolent and charming at the same time was a mystery to her. She sighed deeply, things had been so much easier when she had still been on her own. Women.
She entered the enclave's courtyard and went straight to Xana's favorite tree. The thought made her chuckle and cringe at the same time, the number of times her apprentice had slept out here was almost cruel. But each and every time Xana had only herself to blame for her misery, so Bastila steeled herself and did what she had to, even though she didn't like it.
What she saw when she arrived at the tree made her gut wrench in what could only be jealousy.
Xana was lying on her back in the grass, with Mission draped all over her. The Twi'lek had buried her forehead in the human's neck and her arms wrapped around Xana's shoulders. Xana had her arms and legs wrapped possessively around the smaller girl, with one of her hands placed between Mission's head tails. They were both smiling contently, like they were completely at peace. It would be a downright adorable sight, were it not for the fact that Bastila strongly wished she was the one lying in Xana's arms.
She used her boot to poke Xana in the side, unable to stomach the sight any longer. "Wake up," she snarled.
The sleeping beauty slowly stirred, much to Bastila's dismay wrapping the girl in her arms even closer. Then she popped a single eye open, giving her master a puzzled look. Her eyes drifted to the girl in her arms and slowly she remembered where she was. A warm smile spread on her entire face as she saw the girl cuddled up to her and she gently caressed the blue head for a moment, after which she yawned widely and stretched underneath Mission's body. When she was properly awake she gave Bastila a smile. "Morning ma'am," she muttered weakly.
"We have a meeting with the Council in half an hour," the knight curtly told her, ignoring the feigned respect. "Better hurry up if you want to catch a shower and breakfast beforehand."
Xana pouted slightly, an expression which somehow made her look extremely sexy. "Always the same shit," she mumbled. She looked at Bastila with a hopeful expression. "There's still time to install my new lightsaber crystal, right?"
"We have no time for such things," Bastila answered impatiently. "Probably not until the evening, we have a lot to do."
The Padawan's pout intensified. "My first day out in the field and I have to use an ugly yellow glowstick, that sucks."
"Stop whining and get up already," the knight groaned, sick of her apprentice's antics. "Honestly, how old are you?"
The tanned woman chuckled a bit, before grabbing Mission's shoulders and shaking her gently awake. "Wake up, Blue. Boss says it's time."
The young Twi'lek stirred and buried her face even deeper in Xana's neck. "Not my problem." Her weak mutter was barely audible.
Xana chuckled again, but shook her shoulders once more, a little harder this time. "Bastila's face betrays she's in 'no bullshit'-mode," she told the girl with a wicked smirk at her master. "Get up or you'll get me in trouble."
"Fine," Mission huffed. She slowly sat up until she was straddling Xana at the waist. Bastila felt another pang of jealousy and wanted nothing more than to pull the girl off her Xana, but she resisted the urge. The young Twi'lek made a great show of rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning and stretching extensively. When she was done she gave the tanned woman a wide smile. "Good morning Xana!" she greeted brightly.
"Good morning little-me," Xana greeted affectionately, before gently stroking the girl's cheek and head tail. Mission shuddered from the contact and was positively glowing from the attention. "Sleep well?"
"Better than ever!" She looked around to Bastila and her face fell ever so slightly. "Hullo Miss Bastila."
"Yes, good morning," Bastila answered impatiently. "Please get up so your boss can prepare for her important meeting."
Mission looked back down on Xana uncertainly. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Nah, she just has a particularly bad morning mood," the padawan soothed. She sat upright, holding the girl in her arms to prevent her from falling back, and placed a kiss on her cheek. Xana placed a kiss on Mission's cheek, for crying out loud. What was going on here? Mission once again basked in the attention. "Why don't you run off to Zaalbar and have some fun? I deal with the master."
The little thief gave the former marine a grateful nod and got to her feet, before swiftly escaping into the enclave with a final uncertain look at Bastila. Xana watched her go with a warm smile on her lips, before getting up as well. She took her time to rub sore muscles and stretch to get some flexibility back in her spine and neck.
Bastila watched her with some disdain and turned on her heels, marching back into the enclave. "What's your problem?" Xana asked Bastila when she had caught up.
"It's nothing," Bastila huffed.
Xana snorted in disbelieve. "Yeah right. Your face is as pale as a cloth and I've never seen you this cranky. You're not fooling me by saying nothing is wrong."
"It's nothing," she snarled, getting more and more irritated by the minute. Like she was ever going to admit she was jealous of a fourteen year old girl.
"Fine, whatever," the tanned woman snarled. "I can't read minds and I'm not aware of doing something wrong, so if I offended you in some way it's up to you to tell me about it. I'm more than prepared to make amends, but I can only do that if you talk to me." Xana glanced at her sharply, but Bastila kept walking in silence, ignoring her apprentice's piercing eyes. When the knight said nothing Xana clacked her tongue. "Whatever, crop it all up."
Bastila marched on in silence, convincing herself wanting to lie in Xana's arms so desperately was merely the dark side playing tricks on her. Like she was ever going to fall for such petty temptations.
After a hot shower and a good breakfast with strong, black coffee, Xana entered the Council chambers together with a still very silent and tired looking Bastila. She wasn't exactly sure what the brunette's problem was and didn't have the energy to go fishing. Why couldn't the knight just be straight whenever something was bothering her? Women.
As expected the four Councilors were present in the large circular hall, but to Xana's surprise there was a fifth Jedi standing before the Masters. The padawan recognized the knight and was shocked out of her wits, feeling like a concrete brick just dropped into her stomach. Juhani must've felt the same way, because when she looked around at the two newcomers she briefly watched Xana with a 'fuck-my-life'-expression. It was gone as fast as it came, because when Xana blinked the Cathar's yellow eyes were as blank and inscrutable as ever.
The yellow eyes never left Xana when the duo walked up to the five waiting Jedi, adding only to the sinking feeling in her gut. She was less than happy with the feline's presence. It wasn't hard to guess why there was a powerful Guardian at a briefing with two Sentinels, for what could very well be one of the most important missions of this entire war.
Only when Master Vandar took the word Juhani's eyes left the Padawan. "Bastila, Xana, good morning. As you can see, young Knight Juhani has joined us this morning. She too will play a role in the investigation of the Star Forge. Her expertise with the lightsabers, as well as her training as Jedi Guardian, might prove invaluable during the dangerous mission you are about to undertake."
Xana groaned mentally, her fear had become reality. This was just her luck, instead of being on the road together with Bastila they'd now be babysitted by a hellcat. She gave the Cathar a dark look, which was returned steadily. There was a silent challenge behind those yellow eyes, but Xana knew better than to voice her disgust with the situation. It wouldn't change anything and would only make Xana look like an ass, while the Cathar could take the position of wronged little kitten.
"We have just informed her about the visions shared between you two," the small master continued like the tension between the two didn't exist. "She is aware of the importance of this mission and the secrecy surrounding it. She is also willing to bind herself to your command, Bastila."
Juhani's gaze finally left Xana and shifted to Bastila. She gave the older knight a bow. "It's an honor to serve under such an experienced knight as you, Knight Shan." Xana might've imagined it, but there seemed to be a slight hint of bitterness in Juhani's voice, barely noticeable.
"And I'm glad to have you aboard, Knight Juhani," Bastila replied with a tiny smile. She clearly hadn't picked up on the Cathar's strange tone and her ego was nicely stroked by the trust in her leadership. "Do you mind if we skip the honorifics and stay on a first name basis, considering we're of the same rank?"
"As you wish," the Cathar answered with a slight bow of her head.
Xana watched it all in disgust, this wasn't a development she welcomed. Bastila had been entrusted with command by none other than Master Vandar, who was certainly backed by the three other Councilors. Juhani had accepted her without a hitch, and she highly doubted the feline would take to Xana just as easily. Challenging Bastila for command wasn't a good idea right now, it wasn't a battle she'd win. Besides, openly questioning Bastila's skill would only undermine the brunette's standing with the Council and hurt the trust between the two. So she wisely kept her mouth shut… for now.
"Excellent," Master Vandar said with a faint smile. "The mission you are about to undertake is a dangerous one, so it is critical the three of you work together in perfect unison. I stress that you take the time to get well acquainted to each other and that you maintain a healthy working relationship."
The last comment seemed to be aimed at Xana, which she thought was highly unfair. The Cathar had been a bitch to her, not the other way around. "Just give us the mission details instead of micromanaging our 'working relationship'," she snarled using air quotes, rewarding her with a low hiss from Juhani and a disdainful look from Bastila and Vrook.
"It would be wise to heed the advice from your superior," Vrook told her.
Xana pointed a finger at him, planning to tell him to mind his own damn business, but Bastila cut her off. "Xana, silence. Right now." The commanding tone of her master shut her up with an audible clap from her jaw. She folded her arms gruffly, shifting her gaze back to small Master Vandar.
"Thank you," he said with an amused twinkle behind his eyes. The little fucker was clearly glad his puppet knight had her puppet apprentice tightly under control. Luckily she'd soon leave this disgusting puppet show. "Your training is now complete, young padawan. The time has come to deal with the matter of the dream you and Bastila shared."
"Do you have any idea where we might start our investigation?" Bastila inquired, while shooting Xana a warning glance to keep her mouth shut.
"When we heard of the ruins in your dreams, Master Dorak recognized it as one of a series of ancient structures here on Dantooine. This one in particular lies to the east of this enclave. We sent a Jedi to investigate... but he has not returned." For a moment the Master shook his warty head. "Perhaps sending him in the first place was a mistake."
"Badmouthing your own student, Master Jedi?" Xana remarked with a cocked eyebrow. "Practicing what you preach not your style?"
Bastila rolled her eyes and the Cathar watched the padawan like she wasn't sure if the human really just had the nerve to lecture the wisest of Council Masters. Vandar chuckled though. "You are right, and I must apologize, as I have spoken out of turn. No matter, the Force is guiding you through your visions. Like we discussed at the beginning of your training, it may be that exploring the ruins is a task tied to your destiny. That is why the Council has decided you two should investigate this, with the aid of Juhani."
Xana clacked her tongue, angry that he so easily skipped over her very just accusation and that he was once again trying to feed her bullshit. "Destiny again, huh? Is that why I have the ability to crawl into Revan's head?"
"We have no reason to believe you possess such an ability," Vandar answered evenly. "As far as we know, the Force is giving your brief glimpses in either Revan's or Malak's life, guiding you on your way. In this case to the ruins here on Dantooine. The secrets to stopping Malak may be hidden within those ruins. You must investigate them and find what Revan and Malak were looking for."
"Once again your ability to address a topic without addressing it astounds me," the padawan dryly remarked.
"Xana Grey, that is enough!" Bastila's words were harsh and as steely as her eyes. "You will show your superiors the proper respect."
Xana grimaced at her master, but found herself unable to disobey. She turned back to the Councilors with a neutral face, her words already planned out: I apologize for offending you with my analysis of your words. Hearing the stone cold truth is of course too confrontational when you're locked up in your ivory tower, I should've been more thoughtful.
Unfortunately – or fortunately, her head was swimming in so much rage she had a hard time thinking straight – Bastila intervened by stepping in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders and meeting flaming green eyes with molten silver ones. "Definitely not a wise course of action," the brunette muttered under her breath, words sharp as razors.
The concerned and angry stare of her master brought some sense back to her. "Definitely not," she concurred softly. Pissing off the Council wasn't a good idea, for either of them.
With a final stern look Bastila turned back to the Council. "I apologize for my apprentice's behavior, she is under a lot of stress lately."
"I understand," Master Vandar said in his sickening fatherly tone. "I suggest increased meditation to help ease her mind."
"Yes master, I shall do so after our investigation. We will return with our findings."
Once the trio exited the Council Chambers into the adjourning circular patio, Bastila turned to her apprentice with a face contorted with anger. "Have you got no self-control whatsoever?" she demanded.
"I'm done with all the lies, Bastila," Xana snarled. "I want answers."
"And even if they are outright lying to you, do you think acting like a rude know-it-all will sweet-talk them into giving you all the answers?"
Xana let out a frustrated growl and pulled her hair, knowing just how right Bastila was. She took a deep breath to center herself. It was time to accept she'd never get a straight answer from the Council, no matter how hard she tried. Her frustration was only eating away at her from the inside and was becoming detrimental to her relationship with Bastila as well. Council be damned, from now on she'd go her own way, find her own bloody answers.
She turned to Bastila and briefly touched her arm. "You're right, sorry for embarrassing you in front of the Council. It won't happen again, I promise."
The knight looked surprised by the sudden change in Xana's demeanor, but her face softened from the padawan's honest tone. "I know you don't make promises lightly, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. But I must remind you those four are among the most powerful people in this galaxy. Don't get on their bad side." Xana nodded and squeezed the brunette's shoulder gently to let her know she got the message.
Juhani had been watching the duo's interactions from a small distance. Her face betrayed nothing of how she felt about their quarreling, although she must've been full of questions why Xana was acting so hostile toward the Council. When the master and apprentice appeared to have settled the matter she addressed her new commander. "Bastila, I'd like to have a word with your apprentice, if you'd allow me."
The brunette looked uncertainly between Xana and Juhani, clearly having a hard time reading the Cathar's intentions. It didn't surprise Xana, if she wasn't able to read their new team member, Bastila certainly wouldn't be able to. "If it doesn't take too long," the commander answered tentatively.
"It won't," the Cathar assured. After an affirmative nod from Bastila she grabbed the much smaller human by the arm hard and pulled her along to a nearby crevice in the wall, which gave them some privacy. Xana was pushed against the wall and met with Juhani's yellow eyes, which were just a few inches away from hers. 'Comfort zone' was clearly a foreign concept to the hellcat. "How did you find out about me and Belaya?" she hissed.
The question came so much out of left field that Xana could only blink. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The Cathar hissed even lower and grabbed Xana's collar, pushing her in the wall and leaning in on her even further. The tanned human could feel the alien's hot breath and couldn't help feeling slightly intimidated. This woman was as unpredictable as she was powerful. "Don't play dumb, whelp. If you think collecting dirt on me would give you leverage against me, you're dead wrong."
Slowly the pieces clicked into place. "You think I'd sell you two out to the Council? That I'd tell them about your relationship?" She barely believed her own words. "Just what kind of monster do you think I am?" she growled. She tried pushing the feline away, but to her surprise she didn't budge an inch. This woman was strong, there was no doubt about it.
"How should I know to what depraved lengths you humans will go to," the Cathar snarled, but she looked a bit uncertain about her earlier accusation.
"Well, if you think I'd commit such cruelties you don't know shit about me. Jedi life is fucked up enough as it is, I'm not about to make this any harder for Belaya by ratting you two out. Although I can't fathom why she'd date you," she added with venom.
"And I can't understand why Bastila would fall in love with someone as rude as you," Juhani countered with equal spite.
"Bastila's not in love with me," Xana said defensively. Sure, the brunette had feelings for her, but had never given Xana any indication it was anything more than a need for a very close friend. And perhaps some sexual curiosity thanks to years of living in celibacy. The padawan wasn't the ugliest bird in the pond, after all.
The knight snorted. "Her feelings for you go far beyond simple attraction. She's expelling more pheromones than a classroom full of sixteen year old Twi'leks," she said in that dead serious voice of hers. "And so are you, for that matter."
"T-that's just… wrong." She didn't know what to make of that. Juhani didn't seem like a person to lie, certainly not about something like this. If Bastila was truly in love with Xana, why hadn't she acted on her feelings a long time ago? Xana had given her enough signs that she was really interested. And what the hell was Juhani doing, sniffing in her private life like that? It was extremely intrusive. "Look, can't we just drop this immature shit? We've got us a mission here. Why don't we make a deal? I don't rat you two out, you don't rat us out?"
"If you destroy Belaya's life I'll destroy yours."
Xana rolled her eyes, getting tired of the open, undeserved hostility. "Duly noted." She tried pushing past the Cathar. "Can you let me go now?"
"One more thing," the feline said while pushing the former marine back effortlessly. "For whatever reason the Council is very lenient with your gross disrespect. Don't expect such clemency from me. Back on Cathar we had very effective methods for washing insolence out of the system."
The tanned woman watched the tall alien in disbelieve. "You're planning on torturing me?"
The Cathar blinked. "Humans sure have strange terms for pedagogical punishment. And I'm planning nothing, whether or not I have to act on my warning is entirely up to you." With a final intent glare Juhani walked away, back to the waiting brunette.
Xana watched her go with mixed feelings. At one hand she felt sorry for the feline's childish fears. What kind of monsters were Jedi if you had to fear for them selling out your happy relationship? She massaged her upper arm that still hurt from the Cathar's iron grip and she felt her sorry vanish instantly. Juhani was just as cruel as the other Jedi, terrorizing her with threats of physical punishment. And the bad part was she was probably going to have to deal with this woman for a very long time.
"You've stepped into a bloody minefield," she muttered to herself. "Great fucking job, Xana. Should've stayed in that Republic prison, you stubborn bitch." As she went to join the other two Jedi she silently wondered how bad the crimes were that she had committed in her pre-amnesiac life. Karma sure was a bitch if it had decided to set everyone in the galaxy against her.
The trio had taken a landspeeder to reach their destination. Determining who'd be behind the wheel was the first little struggle between the three of them, as none of them trusted their life with the other's driving capabilities. In the end Xana had stubbornly entered the driver's seat and threatened to leave without the other two. After all she was the one that had received Advanced Vehicle Training during her time in the Lieutenant-program.
She had steered the vehicle to the ruins without a hitch. There had been an uncomfortable silence between all of them; Juhani flat-out disliked Xana and didn't seem to be particularly fond of Bastila, Bastila was probably tearing her own mind down over her supposedly nonexistent problem with Xana, while Xana was fed up with the shit she had to endure and contemplated if she shouldn't just let the Jedi fix their own mess. All in all the padawan was glad they arrived at the entrance of the ruins, so they could leave the confines of the vehicle before the walls closed in on them.
The black wooden door was looming in front of them, not exactly looking inviting. A chill went through Xana's spine, it was almost as if the door itself radiated hatred. She wasn't the only one thinking that, because Juhani said, "The Goddesses have long forsaken this place."
The Padawan gave her a sideways glance, unable to contain her curiosity. "Cathar are polytheistic?"
"We have three Goddesses," the feline answered curtly, clearly not in the mood for light talk.
The tanned woman wanted to ask more about Cathar religion, but Bastila cut her off with a sharp glance after seeing the insatiable glint in Xana's green eyes. "Another time," she muttered with a sheepish grin, silently cursing her curiosity.
The Cathar moved to Xana's side and looked her over. "Stay close to me," she practically ordered the tanned woman. Seeing Xana's offended look she added simply, "It's my job to protect you."
"Great," Xana said in a low hiss.
"You're welcome," Juhani answered evenly. The alarming thing was that she sounded completely serious, almost appreciative in her calm voice.
"Do you even know what sarcasm is?" Xana inquired with a snarl, just to make sure. The feline gave her a blank look, telling the Padawan enough. A typical Jedi, no fun allowed.
Bastila was already investigating the wooden door, and had quickly figured out how to open it. The door slid open with a deep rumbling noise, revealing a grey stone hallway beyond. Juhani was the first to enter the ruin, eyes vigilant and hands on her lightsabers. Xana and Bastila followed suit, making sure to stick close to the Cathar.
The hallway led to a wide set of stairs that descended deep into the ground. As they moved down the stairs, the air around them cooled down, becoming musty and stale. When they reached the bottom they came across another door, similar to the one leading outside. This one led into the large, rectangular chamber Xana immediately recognized from the vision.
It was ancient and a dull grey, covered in dust and cobwebs. Massive pillars with crumbling edges held the entire structure up. The trio moved cautiously through the room, Juhani making sure Xana was not straying too far away from her. She actually felt more nervous about the powerful Guardian constantly watching her than the possible dangers of the ruins.
She noticed Bastila was tense and lacking her usual confidence, which didn't surprise Xana much. This was something vastly different from the large space battles she had served in. During those there was a very visible, very real enemy to face head-on. In here, there was only the dull, ominous silence coupled with a tingling sense of darkness, warning them of looming danger. Xana briefly touched the brunette's hand and reached out to her through the Bond, attempting to reassure her. To her relief Bastila did indeed calm down.
The calm only lasted until they reached the center of the camber, where the feeling of danger was turning into a very real threat.
From the other side of the room they were approached by an apparition. It appeared to be made of energy, consisting of a ghostly silver body that flickered from time to time. Once it got closer Xana saw it represented a human male, bald with large tattoos adorning his scalp. Seeing his face made something throb in the back of her mind, giving her a strange feeling of… comradeship? It was gone as soon as it came, making her doubt if it had been truly there. What she did know was that she recognized the Jedi from a very recent vision.
"Malak," she heard Bastila gasp beside her. Before she could even recover from shock, Juhani had already activated her dual lightsabers and positioned herself between her new teammates and the strange apparition of a young Malak. This wasn't the Dark Lord that currently tormented the galaxy, but rather the one that had just survived the Mandalorian Wars only to search for new resources to prepare for a whole new war.
Xana quickly recovered from the first shock and immediately instinct took over. Before she could even think about designated roles she was already barking orders. "Juhani, engage him on melee, keep him busy while I analyze him. Bastila, veer right, support Juhani where you can, then engage him from a distance." The brunette did what she was told immediately and even the Cathar complied after a quick, surprised glance at the padawan. Xana smiled to herself, her no-bullshit commanding aura hadn't withered during the six months of relative peace.
Her glee left her as she grabbed the Force to enter her battle trance. It was surprisingly easy to clear her mind to the point of complete emptiness, thanks to Bastila's trick with feeding her thoughts to a flame and letting it consume her. Once she had become one with the Force she opened her eyes to see the world in a completely new light.
She saw Bastila as a bright blue flame, lighting up each time as she weaved the Force around Juhani, bolstering the feline's speed and defense by adding a powerful barrier. Juhani was more like a blue streak of light, moving faster than anything she'd ever seen, except maybe Master Vrook demonstrating his skill. Her blows were as fast as they were strong and accurate, but to her surprise Ghost Malak had little trouble with them. He had drawn a red lightsaber – which Xana quickly noticed was a real one, not an apparition – and used it with great vigor.
The apparition was beyond anything she had ever seen. It was made out of Force energy and seemed immune to any attacks. Xana noticed Juhani's attacks passed through him harmlessly. Even the Force pushes and pulls Bastila threw at it after she was done buffing the Cathar didn't have an effect on him. Ghost Malak seemed to be immortal.
Xana grinned almost giddily, she knew a good challenge when she saw one and took it with both hands. Immortal, her ass. Someone had made this thing – probably Revan to defend the secrets of the Star Forge – which meant it could also be taken down again. She started analyzing his form to figure out how, while keeping an eye out for her two knights to keep them safe.
Hovering around the battlefield she bellowed a command from time to time, repositioning her knights as she deemed necessary, or ordering a strike when she saw an opening. Using her own powers she tried adding distractions for the ghost, but it was completely focused on Juhani, who was trying her hardest not to be overwhelmed.
Whatever Revan created, it was good. It seemed to have inherited all skill from the real Malak. The fact that Juhani was able to keep up told enough about her melee skills, and for the first time Xana appreciated she was on her team. Bastila was also pulling her weight with her wide array of supportive powers and Xana made sure to fully exploit them, guiding the brunette whenever necessary. She had spent enough time with the knight to know exactly what tricks she had at her disposal.
Juhani was fighting the phantom with disciplined venom. She was going at it much harder than she had against Xana in the ancient grove, confirming the padawan's suspicion that the feline had been going easy on her. That was perhaps an even more frightening thought than a Ghost Malak popping up out of thin air. It truly was a sight to behold, the Cathar going nearly berserk with her two lightsabers.
While Juhani was locked in her deadly dance, Xana was frantically trying to work out what made this phantom tick. Using her improved Force senses she tried unraveling its construction, hoping to trace the strings of Force energy back to its core. She tried different manipulations to tear it down, but none of them affected the ghost. She had to hurry, Juhani was showing serious signs of fatigue and Ghost Malak was starting to get hits in, leaving searing wounds on her yellow skin.
"C'mon Malakboy… how do you work?" she desperately muttered under her breath. Slight panic started taking over, if she didn't deal with the Sith Lord right now things would look very bleak for the trio.
Suddenly she was hit by a revelation and laughed at her own stupidity. She had been thinking way too deep into this, as always the simplest answer was the correct one. Just as she raised her free hand and molded the Force, the ghost sharply turned and took a lightning leap at Xana, red lightsaber aimed for the kill.