Chapter 49
Hold On
"Here we are," Elena said, lowering the small shuttle on the landing platform of the Dantooine Enclave, the stone surface glistening under the morning sun. Unbuckling her restraint harness, she glanced over at the thirteen year-old child who was seated to her left, unmoving and seemingly without emotion. "Come on, Bastila, it's time to go," she said, gently tugging at the young one's shoulder.
Without so much as a sound, Bastila shifted from her seat and walked beside Elena after the Jedi Knight had undone her harness for her. Eyes fixed solely on her feet, she winced slightly when the ship's ramp opened up, blasting her sight with radiant sunlight and further exacerbating the irritating itch on her face from her dried-up tears.
"Don't be frightened," Elena smiled, gently holding Bastila's hand. "I promise, you'll like it here. Believe me, I remember just how it felt to be surrounded all day by great stone structures and all those monuments of the great Jedi of the past," she chuckled quietly. "The pressure created by the Coruscant Temple gets to you no matter how hard you fight against it. But not here." Relishing the fresh air as she breathed deeply in and out, she concluded. "Your lessons with me will take place not in an enclosed stone chamber, but the open meadows. I will help you in any way I can."
"Th-thank you," Bastila murmured, having finally summoned up the strength to speak after what was a lengthy bout of silence.
"It's been a long trip, so for today I'll get you set up with your own dorm room so you can rest up after we get something to eat. But first thing's first. I have some friends here that I'd like you to meet, and I think I know just where each of them are."
Walking through the long, wide corridor which connected the landing platform to the rest of the Enclave, Bastila marveled at just how much truth there was behind Elena's words. In stark contrast to the austere, bureaucratic and diplomatic atmosphere that was prevalent among the Jedi of the Coruscant Temple, the close-knit Jedi of Dantooine seemed almost to be intertwined with the general public, warmly answering all queries and offering to resolve problems as if they were a neighbor or a friend. Every Jedi seemed to both know and genuinely appreciate one another, as several smiled and waved at Elena along the way, earning a response from her in kind.
After passing through the beautiful open-air central courtyard which housed a grand old tree, Elena led her leftward down another corridor, soon arriving at the main audience chamber where the Council members would regularly hear the locals' concerns. Turning her head to look to her right, Elena smiled when she saw two figures emerge from the adjacent training room while talking to each other.
"I told you that you're too aggressive in your approach, Alek," chuckled a woman dressed in the standard brown robes of a Jedi Knight. She wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead, brushing aside strands of her shoulder-length dark blonde hair from her blue eyes. "Really, I don't know why you insist on it. It's every time with you, where you go all-in or nothing. Can't you be a little more patient?"
"The only reason you got lucky is because we've sparred so many times now, Meetra," replied a bald-headed and physically imposing man in an orange set of Jedi battle armor who seemed to absolutely tower over his lean friend. "Besides, who knows when a threat like Exar Kun may present itself once again? I hardly think that an approach like yours would help to do anything except delay the inevitable."
"Keep telling yourself that," she scoffed and nudged him in the side. "It's gonna come back to bite you one day, I'm sure of it. Now—!" Stopping in her tracks the moment she spotted Elena with her young Padawan, she surged forth with a smile on her face to greet her old friend. "Elena!"
"Meetra," Elena grinned as her long-time companion wrapped her arms around her. "It's so good to be back. How have you been?"
"Oh…same-old, same-old. You get the idea," Meetra grinned. "Things have been real quiet since you left for Coruscant two weeks ago." Looking down at her friend's young Padawan, she bent her knees to be more at an eye-level with her, a pleasant aroma reminiscent of honey and flowers emanating from her as she smiled warmly. "Hey there. You must be Bastila. Elena told us about you shortly before she left to find you."
"Hello…," she answered meekly, still feeling ever smaller due to being surrounded by people whom she sensed were overwhelmingly stronger than her in the Force.
"Meetra, where are the others? I'd love for Bastila to meet them as well," Elena said.
"Oh, sure thing. I'll bring them over right now. Revan was definitely keen on meeting you, Bastila. I'll be right back!"
As Meetra quickly departed, Elena and Bastila's looked at Alek who approached at a measured pace. His sheer size and the battle-focused appearance of his attire were enough to intimidate Bastila who swallowed nervously as her hand subconsciously tightened around Elena's.
"Hello to you both," he greeted them with a smile. "You must be happy to be back with us, Elena. I see you've taken on a Padawan! I had a feeling that you would be the first of us to take one under your wing."
"Well, you know, Alek," Elena sheepishly smiled. "I wasn't built for sparring like you and Meetra. I'm more of a people person, myself. Bastila, I'd like you to meet Alek – he's one of my old friends, just like Meetra. We all grew up together learning in this Academy."
"P-pleased to meet you," Bastila reached out, as Alek's large hand came forth and delicately shook hers with his fingertips, as if her hand was made out of delicate crystal.
"Likewise," he said, then peered at her lightsaber. "Ah, a double-bladed lightsaber! You're an ambitious one, aren't you? It's a rare sight among full-fledged Jedi Knights, let alone a Padawan to use one!"
"Feel free to give me a hand in teaching her, if you'd like," Elena laughed, then patted Bastila on the back when she noticed her freeze up in fear. "It's okay, Bastila. Don't be so intimidated by Alek's size. He's not going to pummel you with a flurry of Djem So, if that's what you're wondering. Truth is, he's got a soft spot for such a refined variation of Makashi, believe it or not!"
"I'm sure that both of you would understandably feel a little…overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events," Alek remarked, looking at them one after the other. "A new Master, and taking on your very first Padawan. Still, I have no doubt that everything will work out in the end. You will make a fine Jedi, Bastila – I see that determination in your eyes."
Her confidence boosted by Alek's kind words, Bastila opened her mouth to speak, but was distracted by Meetra who returned to the chamber, all the while chatting to and tugging along another friend of hers who looked reluctant to be present at all.
"Come on, Atris, just one minute and you can go back to your books. I promise!" Meetra groaned, then looked at her friends once more with a smile. "Bastila, I'd like you to meet Atris, another of our friends."
Bastila was forced to blink for a split second, momentarily dazzled by the sheer radiance of white and silver that encapsulated Atris from head to toe, glistening under the lights above. Whereas Alek was a sight to behold with his imposing physique and armor, Bastila froze up at the mere sight of Atris, who seemed to be the embodiment of perfection in an unnerving, unnatural manner. Immaculate beauty with perfect facial symmetry and proportions; a lithe, graceful figure, accentuated by the silver sash that was wrapped around her torso; and an uncompromisingly straight posture, as if she were not a Jedi Knight but rather a sovereign monarch belonging to one of the most rigid and conventional royal houses across the galaxy.
Furthermore, unlike Alek who managed to convince Bastila to warm up to him through words of encouragement, Atris seemed all too determined to stay aloof, merely glancing down at her with an almost demeaning expression while not making the slightest attempt to lower her chin. Looking into her cold blue eyes was like peering at a deceptively calm ocean – serene and still on the surface, but with unseen horrors lurking underneath.
Seeing that both Bastila and Atris were unwilling to be the first to initiate conversation, Elena walked forward and gently squeezed Atris's right arm, whispering to her. "Atris, it's Bastila's first day in the Enclave. I can have a guess that you want to get back to your books, but please, at least make her feel welcome."
With a grumbling sigh, Atris obliged, greeting her with signature coldness. "I bid you welcome, Padawan. You would do well to commit yourself to your training in the years ahead. However, I find it intriguing…what made you come out here to Dantooine, when you had access to the great library and the tutors of the Coruscant Jedi Temple itself?"
Although she was tempted to answer on her young Padawan's behalf to spare her the pressure of answering to the notoriously cold Atris, Elena looked back at Bastila with gentle eyes and nodded slightly, encouraging her to respond.
"Because Master Adarné wanted me to come with her. She wanted to give me the chance to learn directly from her, one on one, rather than leave me under the care of another master as part of a group of Padawans. I…I wanted that as well."
"I see," Atris remarked, taking note of the little girl's answer. "Well, I will not question you any further. But if it is knowledge you seek, I would advise you to return to Coruscant again at some point to continue your studies – I shall likely do the same."
"Sorry I'm late. Am I interrupting?" called out the voice of a man from the entrance to the chamber, his deep and gentle tone being carried through the air. All at once, before she could turn around to look at the one who spoke, Bastila noticed Elena's whole expression light up in an absolutely beaming smile, far detached from the uncomfortable state she was in while conversing with Atris. While she had come to appreciate the kindly, reassuring smiles Elena offered her upon first meeting her on Coruscant, she had never before seen her react in such a positive way to anyone, including her other friends gathered around her.
"Revan!" Elena called out, immediately embracing him once he was among them. Looking at the faces of her tutor's friends, Bastila observed that all of them smiled except for Atris who, if only for a fleeting moment, expressed not her typical cold indifference, but genuine emotional pain.
"Good to see you back," he said, turning alongside her to look at Bastila. "You've taken on your first Padawan already! I told you you'd turn out to be a late bloomer, Elena."
"Revan, this is Bastila. You remember I told you about her, yes?" Elena said, stepping beside her student once again and gently imploring her forward with a pat on the back.
"And I was very keen on meeting her myself," he replied, bending a knee so that he could talk to her eye to eye. "I'm happy to see you, Bastila. You're in very good hands, I can assure you. Elena's not only one of the nicest people I know, but also one of the most hardworking."
As Revan extended his hand to greet her, Bastila was captivated by the sheer energy that exuded from him. Not only did he have a dashing and rugged look about him, with dark brown eyes and hair and a light stubble about his face, his presence through the Force was unlike any she had ever encountered. Furthermore, perhaps subconsciously, all of his long-time companions orbited around him, as if he were their natural leader and focal point. Meetra's charm, Alek's physique and Atris's aura of peerless knowledge…all paled in comparison to his enthralling influence.
The look in his eyes... Truly, it was like staring into the very heart of the Force itself.
She reached out with her hand, completely unaware of the ways in which he would change her life forever.
-o-
"Bastila, wake up," Elena's voice called out to her. Opening her eyes, she could feel Elena's fingers wrapped around her hand, gently shaking it to call her to action.
"I…oh," she yawned, still feeling sluggish. "How long were we asleep for?"
Audrey chuckled as she strapped her rucksack straps around her torso and shoulders. "You were asleep long enough that the two of us finished our breakfast before you, princess. Elena thought it'd be best to give you some extra rest. Now eat while you can, because it's time to get moving soon."
"Are you alright, Bastila?" Elena asked, noticing her dim expression. "Is something wrong?"
"Just the dream I had," she shook her head, then immediately began to open her pack. "But I've kept the two of you waiting for too long – give me a brief moment, and we'll get going."
Setting out from the hollow tree once Bastila finished another bowl of the dull gruel, the three women set out on a fast walk through a vast expanse of open ground before slowing down as they approached some thick bushland, Audrey in the middle with her blaster pistol drawn while Bastila and Elena were ready with their lightsabers on the flanks. The temperature, while still uncomfortably chilly, was much more bearable than the freezing conditions of the previous night, and slight rays of sunshine even managed to break through now that the thick fog had lifted.
After a lengthy and uneventful period, Elena felt comfortable enough to speak. "I'm curious, Bastila, what was that dream you had? If you don't mind me asking."
"It…," she started, then took a deep breath in considering how painful it was to recall that one time, due to everything that had transpired since then. "It was the day you first brought me to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. The day I met all of your friends."
"I remember," Elena replied, finding enough reason to smile as the fond memory returned to her. "You were very intimidated – full of doubt. But look at you now, Bastila – how far you've come. I'm proud of you."
Although her old teacher's compliment drew a grin on her face, it soon faded once her thoughts returned to the two men who would change the galaxy forever. "I can't believe how much things have changed since then. Meetra disappeared without a trace; Atris has not only abandoned her friends, but now seemingly the Republic itself; we thankfully have Revan back because in the end he could never abandon us; but Malak…"
A brief silence ensued, as the two women reflected on how far the former Jedi Knight, now Sith Lord, had fallen from his once loyal and friendly persona.
Audrey scoffed. "Don't tell me that you honestly believe that Malak can be redeemed. Revan saved the two of you because he loves you, but tell me, who does Malak have that's so important to him?"
Neither of them spoke, and therein lay their answer. Emptiness was the only thing that Malak had left, and deep down, Elena knew that there was little to no hope of redemption for her old friend.
"I take that as a resounding 'no-one', then," Audrey snorted, stepping over a fallen small tree trunk. "Well, enough of this depressing talk. Let's instead focus on the depressing task at hand, shall we? We were lucky enough to run across each other last night, but there's still absolutely no sign of the others, and— shit." She stopped when she walked over some stones and set foot on the ground beyond, only for her foot to become mired in sticky mud which was difficult to spot due to vast swathes of low-lying vegetation.
"Do we go forward?" Bastila asked. "There's no way for us to see how far this path stretches on for. We can try to go around, but that in itself would take several miles."
"Are we even going the right way?" Audrey muttered. "Who even knows if we're genuinely getting closer to the others, or we're just digging ourselves into a deeper hole?"
"Nothing's certain," Elena admitted, shaking her head as she looked forward at the horizon beyond, which seemed both hauntingly empty and full of imminent danger at the same time. "All we can do is try and—" Her eyes flashed when she caught sight of an item that lay half-concealed in the mud, soon drawing Bastila and Audrey's attention to it as well.
"A datapad!" Bastila let out a subdued exclamation of hope.
"It's inactive," Audrey commented. "Who knows if it's broken, or if it even belongs to one of the others?"
"Let's see," Elena said, reaching out her hand to call the datapad to her through the Force. Upon a short inspection of the battered and scratch-ridden device, she realized that it did not resemble any of those which were carried by their companions.
"This isn't one of ours," Bastila stated, confirming Elena's inner thoughts. "That's not helpful, but…good in a way, I suppose."
"You're right. None of them would have willfully discarded their datapads at all," Audrey added, then studied the ground. "No footprints to be seen either, and it hasn't rained since we arrived on Kashyyyk, which would've washed away any signs that anybody was here recently. It looks like this one's been lying here for quite some time. Czerka, perhaps?"
"Only one way to find out," Elena said, reaching for the power switch on the side of the datapad. To the great surprise of the three, the device soon flashed to life despite being in a worse-for-wear state, although the screen flickered intermittently due to the damage sustained. "Let's see…last transmission…"
Although scratchy and muted, the last recorded message played back with the voice of a man panting for breath. "Been running…for god knows how long now. No food or water, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only one left. Please, if anyone out there can hear me, I'm begging you for rescue. This is the third time I'm sending out a distress call, with the previous two being useless.
"Everyone in the expeditionary team is dead. Everyone except me, it seems. The two Jedi…if they were even Jedi at all…they promised us payment for our help in finding an ancient artifact of some sort. Once we finally arrived, timestamped and locked in the coordinates of our findings in our datapads, they warned us to stay back, telling us that it was a nexus of dark energy that had to be cleansed. So we did, keeping at a respectful distance. They came back a short time later…then started slaughtering us.
"I was the only one to escape. The only one who temporarily walked away from the others, saved by a call of nature. When I heard the carnage start, I just legged it. All our equipment and supplies were left behind. I thought for sure they'd catch up to me and kill me, but somehow they didn't. I ran non-stop as far as my legs allowed me and got back to the cave we were using as an advanced base, but…
"Everyone was dead. Everyone. The two Jedi got there first, somehow. How they overtook me and didn't spot me, I don't know. All of the communications equipment in there was destroyed. I feel…I feel this is it.
"I have nothing left. I don't know how much longer I can go on. All I know is…wait…what's going on over there? Oh, god! Aaaaggghhh!"
"Bloody hell," Audrey exhaled once the transmission was drowned out by the monstrous bellowing of a great beast, a collective chill running up and down all three women's spines.
"He murdered them. After they helped him. He…" Elena whimpered, a small tear forming in the corner of her eye. Even now, after all that had transpired since her and Bastila's confrontation with him aboard his former flagship during his reign as the Dark Lord, learning of yet another of her fiancé's atrocities lay heavy in her heart.
"So that's what they were," Bastila realized. "All those bones we saw in that cave…"
Audrey's expression darkened. Despite opting to take Revan's word and oath of loyalty seriously, she still held reservations when it came to trusting him unconditionally. "Well, there's that. As for whatever the hell that beast was, I sure hope we don't encounter it ourselves."
"Those co-ordinates he mentioned," Bastila remarked once the shock had settled down. "Can we pinpoint them? It can't be anything other than the Star Map."
"Let's give it a try," Audrey said, leaning over and tapping the interface, navigating to the holomap. Sure enough, a prominent position of interest was highlighted by a glowing gold dot, far to the southeast of their current location. "Reckon that's it?"
"Has to be," Elena nodded, gladdened by the fact that they finally seemed to be going places – and in the correct direction, at that. "We should continue on, then. Even if we don't encounter the others along the way…there's a chance we might find Revan. If we're lucky, he may have had another vision to guide the way."
"Only one way to find out," Bastila concluded, staring off into wilderness. "Let's go."
-o-
Jolted awake by the loud metallic thud of equipment from outside her tent, Mission rose from beneath her blanket, rubbing her dreary eyes. All around her, the rustling and growls of the Wookiees could be heard, heavy footsteps pounding on the ground as they moved back and forth within the camp.
Rising to her feet and peeping through the open gap of the tent, she was amazed to see that the Wookiees were quickly making preparations to move out, the fastest among them having already packed away their tents. Not a single hint remained of the campfires that were lit before, the burnt-out sticks as well as the stones used to contain them completely removed. The heavy fog of the previous night having lifted, there was just enough light shining through from above, illuminating the shadows of the Wookiees.
"Hello, Mission!" said Kuriiima who came by her tent. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did, all thanks to you," she smiled back. "Who knows what might have happened had you not found me?"
"My pleasure," Kuriiima smiled, giving her a friendly tap on the shoulder. "I'd love to stay and talk with you, but we must leave very soon. Once you've eaten, I will help you pack your tent."
Opting to return to the inside of her tent to quickly eat a few strips of jerky and pieces of dried fruit, washed down with several gulps of water from her canteen, Mission then carried out another check of her equipment before moving out. After inspecting that the energy cell and other components of her blaster pistol were in good condition, she stared with a nervous sigh at her vibroblade and emergency lightsaber, hoping that she would be fortunate enough to never have to use either.
Last of all, she pulled out and looked upon Zaalbar's totem of his mother, making a silent vow that she would return to set both him and his entire planet free. After holding it against her beating heart, she placed it back into the secure leather pouch of her utility belt when she heard Kuriiima approach to help her.
Once everything was finished, she went over at once to greet the leader who stood at the edges of the camp. "Good morning, Chieftain Freyyr!" she said to him cheerfully, with the same energy and heart-lifting smile that endeared her to many of the Ebon Hawk's crew even in the darkest of times.
In complete contrast to the icy, suspicious glare he shot at her upon their first meeting the previous night, Freyyr's expression was warm and gentle. "Good morning, Mission. I take it you are ready to move out?"
"I am," she nodded. "Are we going to head out there and find my friends?"
"I had sent six of my best scouts to scour the perimeter before speaking with you for the first time last night. Five of them returned an hour ago. One…has not." He hung his head in disappointment, knowing all too well the implications.
"I thought everyone was assembled in the camp! Isn't that what you meant when you said last night that you were reluctant to send your warriors out to search for my friends?"
"No, Mission," Kuriiima explained on Freyyr's behalf. "Whilst the majority of us stay in the camp, we always need a few brave warriors to venture out and act as perimeter scouts, otherwise we risk losing everything in one ambush from the Mandalorians." She looked down and sighed, shaking her head. "Sadly, it is also one of the causes of our dwindling numbers. It's a painful price, but one we must pay regardless if we are to survive."
"I have spoken with my most trusted advisors and squad leaders," Freyyr said. "We have discussed the prospects raised during my conversation with you last night. Since we would face almost certain ruin if we were to combat the Czerka and Mandalorian mercenaries' camp after pursuing and fighting the great beast by ourselves, we are willing to first risk an all-out battle against the poachers in order to stand a greater chance of finding your friends. We will immediately depart in a short while."
"I know that those Mandalorians will shoot you on sight…but what about me?" Mission asked. "We didn't get much of a chance to properly ask Chuundar questions, what with his warm welcome party and all, but he clearly said that the Mandalorians work for him. They'll be actively on the lookout for your approach, but what if I distract them for a bit? I can use my stealth generator belt to slip in and draw attention while you all creep up on them for an ambush."
"You are brave to suggest such things, but I cannot do that, Mission," Freyyr declined. "I am grateful for your aid, but I will not have a young girl with her entire life ahead of her put herself in such danger."
"I can't just sit on my hands and do nothing while you risk everything in this one attack," she insisted. "Please, there must be at least something I can do to help you. I'm an expert with stealth devices; I'm handy with a blaster; I can set up or disable and recover mines; and I can hack into any device like it's a piece of cake. Anything at all, all you need to do is ask and I'll gladly help."
"It's suicide for her to try and directly interact and reason with Czerka and the Mandalorians," Kuriiima said. "But she does not need to, Freyyr. She only needs to help us pick out their perimeter scouts, then distract the main camp while we get into position."
A distraction…
Looking out into the forest for a moment to gather his thoughts, the cunning leader soon came up with a daring idea as he turned to Mission, peering down at those determined grey eyes of hers. As fate would have it, all of his hopes and dreams for his home planet now rested upon the shoulders of a little girl.
"I have a plan, Mission. But I warn you; we have only one chance at this. Now listen closely."
-o-
"That can't be right! What do you mean you lost contact?!" said an exasperated Carth after he and Revan had emerged from Jolee's dwelling to set out for the day.
Unfazed by his companion's temper, HK responded coolly. "Answer: That is correct, pilot meatbag. The T3 unit has unexpectedly and suddenly gone offline. I am also unable to establish commlink connections with either the Cathar or the Mandalorian, as they were far out of range at the time when contact was lost."
"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," Carth replied, staring up at the sky while fuming irritably. "Now we've lost touch with everyone."
"We're not giving up. We won't," Revan declared, then spoke to his faithful droid. "HK, what was T3's last known location?"
"Answer: Due east, master. Approximately seven miles, to be exact."
"East," Revan remarked, looking at Jolee who came up out of his home to join them. "That's where you said that the Mandalorian and Czerka camp was located, right?"
"I did, yes," he nodded. "There you have it; yet another reason to go, and a personal reason now, at that. I've already told you where those pests can be found, so it'll do you good to get going as soon as possible."
"You talk as if you know for sure that they're still alive," Carth noted, looking incredulously at Jolee. "How do you know that?"
"Because they're poachers, sonny. They may be a bunch of immoral scoundrels who'd sell their own mothers for a quick credit, but they wouldn't murder any random stranger on sight. Well, unless that stranger both made it clear that they're not a mere mercenary and went out of their way to antagonize them...or if they were a Wookiee. Besides, if it were a fellow Mandalorian as well as a Cathar and a valuable utility droid who crossed their path, do you think that they'd blast them to smithereens?"
"I'll have to see it to believe it," Revan said, taking a deep breath in and out as he slowly closed and opened his eyes, focusing his mind away from the fear which was building up in his heart. "Wish us luck, Jolee. Carth, HK, Let's get moving."
As Revan set out to begin the long journey, Carth looked silently at Jolee for a fleeting moment, recalling the words that he was imparted with the previous night.
Sometimes, hope is the only thing that keeps us going.
He wanted to believe.
Truly, he did.
With a heavy heart, he dutifully followed after Revan and HK, disappearing from Jolee's view into the forest.
A long time having passed since they departed Jolee's home, Carth wiped away a stream of sweat from his brow as he continued the arduous fast trek through the bushland. He still remembered the boot camp training sessions from his youth, where he and the other recruits would go through grueling physical trials to as part of their conditioning requirements.
The jungle of Kashyyyk was an altogether different beast. In a land where every footstep left behind was a potential hint for either an enemy or a wild animal to take advantage of; where a single misstep could possibly lead to disaster, just like what happened during the party's descent down the fallen tree… He looked over at Revan, amazed how the former Dark Lord's face showed not even the slightest hint of doubt, let alone guilt.
"How much further?" Carth called out to HK, as the three of them continued on their medium-paced jog with so far no rest.
"Answer: approximately four miles further, pilot meatbag. We are on the correct trajectory."
"Any new readings at all?" Revan asked. "Are you able to pick up either Canderous or Juhani's comlink signals?"
"Statement: Negative, Master. I am not able to detect any signals apart from our own." Suddenly, he turned his head sharply to his right, dropped low beneath the bushes and instinctively aimed his blaster rifle, alerted by an unseen disturbance. "Warning: My short-range scanners tell me that a lifeform approaches."
Doing the same along with Revan who readied his lightsaber, Carth whispered as he pulled out his blaster pistol. "What is it? An animal?"
"Statement: A humanoid," HK-47 spoke as quietly as his vocabulator allowed, ominously signaling that the threat was very close by.
The forest fell eerily quiet, as the winds died down and even the leaves overhead didn't rustle in the slightest. Neither beast nor bird could be seen or heard, as Carth's finger lay restless against the trigger.
Then, as the thick bushes ahead of them fluttered and swished with motion, the pilot and droid took aim, ready to combat the unknown threat.
"Wait!" Revan whispered suddenly, beckoning with a gesture of his hand for Carth and HK to lower their weapons. Deeming the target to be too close for either of them to speak, the two companions could only look at Revan, wondering just what was going on in his head.
He stood up, then stepped forward without fear, halting a few feet in front of the duo who still dared not move from their prone position. Unbelievably, without warning, the very air in front of Revan began to shimmer and shift, as a person's figure began to materialize.
Trembling and weeping before him was a broken Juhani, her face awash with tears. Her rucksack of gear completely missing, she carried nothing but her lightsaber, all the while shivering in the face of the biting cold which seeped through the gaps of her torn, singed and bloodied coat.
"Revan…," she whimpered, stumbling towards him with her eyes locked upon his, while Carth and HK rose to their feet.
"Juhani," he answered, then rushed forward and threw his arms around her, breathing heavily as he was relieved to see her alive.
"They…they've been taken," she gasped, sinking her head into his chest out of despair. "Canderous and T3…they…"
"Juhani," Revan repeated again, slowly separating from her before gently placing his hands upon her shoulders. "Tell me everything."
A/N: I'm happy to be back with another chapter, and sooner than I had initially thought. My plans for Kashyyyk are now quite firmly set as well as trimmed down and made more compact than the original ideas I had, so hopefully the next chapter won't take a long while.
Hope all of you are well, or at the very least doing as well as you can in these current circumstances. I've been learning to code in Python recently, after successfully passing the CFA Level 3 exam and attaining my charterholder status (hence why this chapter took as long as it did, despite finally being down to my old favored length of around 5000 words. Apologies!). Despite the increasingly dark and depressing settings of this story these days, I find that both writing this and reading other people's fics definitely helps to act as a temporary distraction from the real world.
Take care everyone, and I'll see you soon in the next chapter.