"The dark side is strong in this place, I can feel its power!" Malak closed his eyes, savoring the exhilaration he felt as he fed upon the power from the ancient ruins.

Revan ignored him. He paced back and forth in front of the ancient sealed doors, feeling his blood tingle with the power of the dark side that seemed to come from the very walls. He could feel the artifact beyond the sealed doors calling to him, begging him to find it. He was certain that this artifact held the key to finding the Star Forge, but even so, he was not foolish enough to rush blindly into the unknown.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Malak said, his voice heavy with uncertainty. "The ancient Jedi sealed this archway for a reason. If we walk through these doors, we can never go back. The Order will surely banish us."

"Then turn back now, if you are such a coward!" Revan hissed. "Come or stay, I care not. But if you chose to follow, you will not question me again."

Revan turned back to the ruins, reaching out with the Force to open the massive doors that had not been unsealed for countless generations. He strode confidently into the depths, not bothering to wait for Malak. Revan knew he would follow, he always did.

The interior was shrouded in an impenetrable darkness, giving the place a foreboding atmosphere. He could sense the danger ahead, a distant and unrecognizable threat that Revan had never felt before. It was not any human or alien that he had ever encountered. In fact he could think of nothing that could possibly give off such a strange disturbance in the Force.

He could feel Malak behind him, his fear more prominent than his own. It was why he had been granted the role of apprentice; he always let his emotions get in the way of rational thought.

A voice penetrating the darkness froze both of them in their tracks.

"Welcome, traveler."

Talan's eyes snapped open, a cold sweat soaking his forehead and a paralyzing fear gripping his heart. The darkness of the ruins, or cave, or whatever it was he was dreaming about was replaced by the familiar surroundings of the Ebon Hawk.

He slowly sat up in his bunk, his heart still beating rapidly in his chest and pounding loudly in his ears. He was still reeling from the dream; the fear that he had felt was very real even if the images were not.

Revan. Again.

He rested his head in his hands, trying to shake the feeling of the dream. Revan's voice had been his voice. It was gravelly and breathy, and much darker than it normally was. But it was his, there could be no mistake. He could read Revan's thoughts, because they were his thoughts. He spoke to Malak, but it was not Malak the dark lord; it was Malak his companion.

He shivered involuntarily. He was not a weak man, but he was also not foolish, he knew when to be afraid. And right now, he was very much afraid.

The room was filled with the simultaneous snores from Zaalbar and Canderous still sleeping peacefully in their bunks. Talan was somewhat amazed at himself for having slept through the rumbling noises in the first place. He found the sound oddly comforting in a way. At least the sounds were familiar, even if they grated on the nerves after a while.

His breathing slowed, and gradually returned to normal, but traces of fear and uneasiness still gripped his heart. He silently dressed, doing his best not to wake the others. Although he doubted he could be heard over the snores anyway.

The rest of the ship was quiet, save for the occasional whirring noises coming from T3-M4 as he rolled around. He silently envied his companions who were still sleeping peacefully, their dreams free of torment and dead Sith lords.

The ship suddenly felt very cramped and confining, giving the impression that the walls were closing in on him. He did not know if he was still feeling the effects of the dream, or if he had suddenly developed claustrophobia, but either way he felt an overwhelming urge to be anywhere but on the ship.

He stepped into the early morning light, breathing in the crisp air. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, tinting the sky with various shades of orange and pink. He could see why the Jedi had built an enclave here, there was a certain serenity to the planet that Talan could not explain. The fresh air and wide open plains were calming, no doubt making it easier for the Jedi to meditate and become more in tune with their powers.

He was beginning to feel more like himself, but he could not shake the unsettling feeling that he had felt since he had woken up. He did not understand why he was suddenly dreaming of Revan so much lately. Before Taris, Talan barely knew that the man existed at all. He had heard the name of course, he had seen the devastation that his lust for power had caused. But Talan had scarcely even given him a second thought, having never been personally affected by him.

He had no family to speak of, so there was no immediate threat posed to him. He had been a soldier, but he had never been sent to the heart of the Mandalorian Wars, or any of the battles that came after. He had always been stationed on remote systems, never close enough to make a difference even if he had wanted to join. There was nothing in his past connecting him to Revan, but now it seemed that he was speaking through Talan somehow.

The thought made his stomach churn.

"This morning is getting stranger by the minute," Carth's voice said from behind Talan making him jump. He was already on edge and Carth's sudden appearance did nothing to calm his nerves.

Talan turned to face him, hoping he did not look as awful as he felt.

"First Bastila runs out looking like she saw a ghost, and now you"

Carth's words rang truer than he knew, but Talan was in not in the mindset to discuss things with him. Carth still operated with a level of distrust that Talan did not know the nature of, and revealing that he was dreaming of Revan would do nothing to lower his guard.

"Did she say anything else?" His voice was hoarse and he was suddenly very aware of how dry his throat was.

"No. She didn't seem well either, and come to think of it neither do you. Are you alright?"

"I had a rough night," Talan said. It was a cheap answer that did not begin to cover it, but thankfully Carth let the matter drop.

"Well, she went into the enclave. I'm sure she's still there discussing Jedi secrets with the rest of the tight lipped Masters."

His voice held a bitter undertone it, but Talan ignored him. It was the first time that he found himself agreeing with Bastila's thinking. If there were answers to be found, they were held by the Jedi Masters.

Talan entered the Council chambers, surprised to discover that they had been waiting for him. He had met with them only briefly when they had first landed on Dantooine two days earlier. They had expressed their gratitude for his role in returning Bastila, but he had no idea what else they could possibly want from him.

"Bastila has told of us of a most...unusual development." Master Vandar said in his cryptic voice. "She claims that you and she have shared a dream. A dream of Revan and Malak in the ruins not far from here."

Talan was taken aback, unsure that he had heard the ancient Jedi correctly. If he was going to share a dream with her, it definitely would not be the kind that involved Revan and Malak.

"Shared a dream?" He echoed. "How is that possible? And how would she even know if we shared a dream?"

"She claims she felt your presence within the dream." Master Dorak replied. "It is not unheard of, such dreams are often a sign of Force sensitivity."

Talan was growing weary of the phrase "Force sensitivity." It seemed that the Jedi were content to attribute almost everything to being Force sensitive, and not only did Talan not understand what it meant, he didn't care very much. He preferred to have definitive answers, something concrete he could use to navigate whatever challenge was facing him. He had never faced a problem he could not overcome, but that was before he tried to get a straight answer from a Jedi.

"It seems there is a bond between you," Zhar said, sensing his confusion. "There is a link, a connection that binds you to each other. It is much deeper than a bond that is found among friends. It is a deep powerful connection, something that will link you forever."

Talan tried to wrap his head around what he was hearing. He glanced at Bastila who seemed determined to look anywhere but at him.

"You and she are linked" Zhar continued, "as is your fate to hers. What one of you does will affect the other. It is not unheard of, such bonds often exist between Master and apprentice. But rarely does a bond form so quickly. Or so powerfully."

"But...how did a bond form between us?" Talan asked. "I barely even know her."

"We admit the nature of the bond eludes as well," Master Dorak chimed in. "Perhaps the events on Taris stirred your own dormant Force abilities. But we believe the Force brought you together for a higher purpose."

"What sort of Higher purpose?" Talan said, not bothering to hide his frustration. "I already rescued Bastila from Taris, as far as I am concerned I have done more than what was required of me."

He did not need a bond to know that Bastila was giving him a look that would make a rancor retreat in fear.

"The Force works in strange ways," Zhar said. "We feel that it is driving you towards a conflict with Malak. We believe that the Force is giving you clues, so to speak, calling upon you to retrace Revan and Malak's footsteps to finding this Star Forge you heard mention of."

Talan wanted to shout in frustration. Not only was he no closer to understanding how he was even having these dreams in the first place, but now there was the added confusion of this bond he seemed to share with Bastila.

"We cannot send you on a mission to stop Malak without equipping you with the necessary skill set." Master Zhar continued, fixing Talan with a look that seemed to stare into his soul. "I will not beat around the bush. We are considering you for Jedi training."

Talan stood in stunned silence, trying to think of something intelligent to say. But all he could do was stand there dumbfounded, trying to imagine what the wisdom in their plan could possibly be.

"Master Zhar speaks out of turn perhaps," Vrook said. "We cannot afford to take any action without definitive proof of your abilities."

"Proof?" Bastila finally said. The others all looked at her, surprised by the amount of force behind the words. "Surely you can feel the power of the Force within this man! And I have already related to you the events that took place on Taris."

"Perhaps it was simple luck," Master Vrook said, unfazed by Bastila's outburst.

"We all know that there is no luck," Zhar argued. "There is only the Force."

"Not to interrupt," Talan said. "But why me? Shouldn't you send a Master on this mission? How can you expect me to defeat Malak by getting a crash course in Jedi training?"

"Sending a Master would draw unwanted attention," Vandar replied. "Jedi are falling to the dark side at an alarming rate. Each day more of our brothers leave the Order and flock to Malak's cause. Our only hope is to send someone that Malak will not suspect. The Force is working through you, guiding you to follow the path Revan and Malak once took. And with Revan gone-"

"Are we certain Revan is truly dead?" Vrook interrupted. "What if we were to accept this one for training and the dark lord should return?"

Talan was truly confused now. Having dreams of Revan was one thing, but were they truly concerned that he would somehow revive Revan should he become a Jedi? He had come here to find answers, but it seemed he only had more questions.

"Enough," Vandar said. "These are matters best discussed in private. Bastila, you and your companion must return to your ship until we summon you. And do not discuss what you have heard with the others until we have come to a decision."

Talan wanted to protest that nobody had bothered to ask him his opinion, or ask if he was even willing to agree to undergo training. And since when did the Jedi accept adults for training? None of this made any sense to him, and he somehow doubted that he would ever get the answers that he so desperately needed.

He turned to follow Bastila out of the Council chambers, wondering how many other people could point to the exact moment when they felt their lives change forever.