"I don't care," was the first thing Ariv heard as he came to his senses, "We need to talk about what happened, it wasn't normal."Ugh,he thought, Carth was complaining about somethingagain.
"We will," came Bastila's terse reply, the sound of her voice still slightly muffled, "But now is not the time."
Slowly, Ariv got up from the bed. He was in a small med-bay and the voices were coming from outside, beyond the door, which was shut. Around him, machines beeped softly. He was surprised that he felt no pain at all, not even the sting of kolto, despite the fact that his arm and head had been bandaged and cleaned.
Teethree beeped in happiness when he saw him and rolled around Ariv in greeting as he stood up. He smiled, patting the little droid on its head, the droid was…cute. The door whoosed open and he was greeted by the sight of a tired Bastila who huffed something aboutannoying menandCarthand paused when she saw him awake.
"Hi," he said softly.
Bastila nodded, "You're awake," she remarked, "The crew was worried."
"How-how long was I out?" He asked.
"Two days," she answered and he sighed – the last time he'd been knocked out for a week on Taris.
Taris.The mere thought of the planet made him feel utter sorrow and pain. No doubt all that was left of the bustling ecumenopolis was glass and rubble. Bastila frowned as though she could sense the direction of his thoughts.
"How do you feel?" she asked, busying herself with rearranging the cluttered kolto shots, bandages, and other medical equipment that must've fallen out of place when theHawkfled the doomed planet.
"Better," he answered, "It's like I never got hurt in the first place."
She smiled for a fleeting second, "I am…glad you are well," her smile dipped, replaced by a frown, "I was unable to heal you properly using only the Force–unable to focus enough because I could still hear, still…feel…what Malak did."
Ariv was shocked by the revelation:Bastila had healed him using the force.
"You..you healed me?" he asked tentatively.
"Yes," she answered, still looking away, "There wasn't enough kolto. I healed you to the best of my abilities before using what little we have."
"Thank you," he said and she nodded again.
They stood in the small room for a few awkward moments, Teethree's head swerved as he looked between the two people who were his new masters. The droid beeped once before rushing out. Bastila bit her lip and instructed, "Sit."
"What?" he asked, confused, he felt fine and did not need any more healing—what he needed to do was check on Mission and the rest of the crew but the Jedi turned to him, pulling out another patch of kolto, and said, "I need to redress your wounds. We still have a few hours of hyperspace travel before we reach our destination."
Ariv sighed but acquiesced to her request, sitting back on the bed. Bastila came to sit beside him, pulled up the bloodied sleeve of his jacket, and he grimaced seeing the state his forearm was in, but Bastila did not even flinch and peeled away the old bandage. Taking a ball of cotton in a pair of tweezers, she began to dab at the blood that emerged from the gash.
"Our destination?" he asked, unfazed by Bastila's prodding.
"Corvis Minor IV," she answered and Ariv frowned, trying to remember where he'd heard about the place, when nothing came to mind, Bastila filled him in.
"It was Ordo's idea," she answered, "he said that he knows mercenaries there, they'll fix up the ship, let us reload our supplies, and be off without trouble."
Ariv huffed, "Is it safe?" he asked, "Malak has already shown the galaxy twice that he is a crazy bastard who'll raze an entire planet."
Bastila stiffened at that but replied, "Ordo assures us that they won't sell us out. They may not care to side with the Republic, but they most certainlydo notsupport the Empire," she continued, discarding the blood-stained cotton and picking up a fresh bandage, satisfied that the wound had not developed pus.
"In any case, we do not have a choice. The Republic fleet is scattered across the Outer Rim, we have no way of contacting them through a secure line. TheHawkonly has little fuel left – it will only take us so far," she added, wrapping the bandage around his arm, pausing for a moment to study his tattoos, "Do not fret," she assured him, continuing to tighten the gauze, "Corvis Minor IV is an unimportant world, I am certain that the Empire has no interest in such a small, insignificant planet."
Moments later, she was done, and the bandage was secured properly around his arm. She repeated the same process for the wounds on his head, which were thankfully not as bad as he'd assumed. He frowned once Bastila was finished with her work and went to the small sink nearby and clean up. This was the second injury he'd taken to his head in the span of less than two months, if this continued, it would be a wonder if he was able to remember anything at all, let alone recall what happened to himbeforehis accident last year.
"So…" Bastila began, tentative, as they made their way out of the med-bay and into the main hold, "Carth and Canderous…they told me about what happened in the Hangar bay of Davik's Estate."
"What do you mean?" he asked, brow furrowed. The two of them sat on the crescent bench, continuing their conversation. No one else was here save for him and the Jedi.
Bastila sighed, but before she could say anything the door whooshed open and Teethree rushed in, brandishing a pair of veg-meat and K-18 ration packets in a spindly metal claw, extending it towards them and grumpily beeping something about how the two of them hadn't eaten in a day. Ariv smiled, grateful for the little droid's concern, and made to get up and prepare the meal but Bastila beat him to it.
"You need to recover," she admonished and thanked Teethree for his help. Both the veg-meat and rations could be activated by using water only, and they did not require a food synthesiser, so the two were prepared within seconds. He looked around as the two of them sat quietly for a while, half–heartedly chewing on their bland meal, appetite long gone. Ariv got his first chance to observe the interior of the Davik's prize ship — theHawk'smain hold was rather large, many round hallways branched into long corridors that led to the rest of the ship. There was a massive, short, and flat cylindrical console at the centre with thick wires wrapping around its base, and it glowed a faint blue as it plotted their course through hyperspace.
Small square panels lined the walls and he was certain that at least some of them could be used to smuggle goods. He and Bastila were seated on the small table and bench in what he presumed was a kitchen area of sorts. A food synthesiser was set against the wall, below empty shelves.
Ariv finally spoke, asking the Jedi, "Where is the rest of the crew?"
"Carth and Canderous are working on whatever repairs they can. Zalbaar is watching over Mission, he and Carth managed to get her to finally sleep some time ago. We thought it would be prudent to let her rest…after what she's been through," Bastila answered, finishing her meal.
"As I said earlier," she continued, finally able to bring up whatever she'd been thinking about, "Carth told me that when you all were in the Hangar Bay, a massive chunk of the ceiling came loose —and it would've crushed the ship…and that you…well," she hesitated for a few moments, "...you stopped it. Pushed it away," she bit her lip, "Using the force."
Ariv swallowed trying to remember what had happened. The events of the Hangar were a blur, but he remembered that moment clearly, but it couldn't possibly be, "I don't…I mean, I couldn't have."
Bastila frowned, and another voice joined in, "But you did, kid." He and Bastila turned to face the Mandalorian, who was wiping sweat and engine oil from his face.
"I fought against the Jedi for a decade. I know your little tricks," he continued.
"I am not a Jedi," Ariv answered tersely.
Ordo guffawed, "You might become one."
"I don't think so," Carth said, finally joining their conversation, "Jedi train only children."
"All the better to get kids indoctrinated into their little cult,"Canderous muttered and Ariv silently agreed.
"They prefer to start training at a young age for the Force comes easier to one with experience," Bastila snapped, "But there have been exceptions in history. Special cases of Jedi recruiting adults. My own Master–Nomi Sunrider–she began training when she was little older than I am."
Carth frowned, ever suspicious, "It's not normal for the force to just…randomly spawn in someone like this."
Bastila looked at him before answering, "The force works in mysterious ways…I cannot say for certain why this has happened. The Jedi Council can give us a better idea. All I ask for you is to remain patient."
Before anyone could say anything more, she got up from her seat, "Come, Carth, we are nearing Corvis Minor IV. We ought to ready the ship for landing."
𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪
Corvis Minor IV was a small, tropical world. The majority of the planet's surface was dominated by large swathes of deep blue ocean water, which was occasionally interrupted by a group of islands clustered together that even from space, looked like they were covered with rainforests. Carth brought the ship to a slow descent towards one of the few cities dotting the continent. Tall banyak trees rose above the ground, shrouding the metal.
Mission slowly peeked her head out from the hall leading to the Starboard dormitory. She had been woken by Zalbaar to join them and leave her quarters for a while.
"Hey Mish," he greeted softly, careful not to spook the young girl as she sat beside him, "How are you doing?"
Mission did not answer for a few moments, "I…" she began, but her voice was hoarse, so he offered her a canteen. The Twi'lek accepted, slowly drinking the water and swallowed, answering, "I don't know. I can't believe you…you didn't let me go.To save Gadon."
Ariv stiffened, "We couldn't have, it was too late. We were far from the Lower City. It could've killed you, kid," he explained.
Mission looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears, "You didn't even try! None of you! Carth is supposed to be a Republic war hero and what did he do? He flew away! And Canderous, he's a veteran of the Mandalorian Wars as well! He didn't do anything to help the Tarisians!" With that, she burst into tears and Ariv patted her on the back trying to calm her down.
"They– we – couldn't have helped," he whispered, "You know that. Carth has lived through a tragedy like this. Tell me, do you truly think if there was something he could've done to save Taris and prevent another Telos IV, he would've just flown theHawkto safety?"
Mission cries died down to sobs, "But–we could've done–I don't know. Something, we could've at least tried."
"I'm sorry, Mish, I really am," he answered, "But this is another harsh reality of war – we can't save everyone. I wish it was different, I really do."
Just then, Bastila entered the main hold. She had been in the cockpit, assisting Carth but popped by to tell them, "We've made planetside. Carth is performing some post-flight checks and should be here shortly. I suggest that we split up, some of us can collect supplies while others can work on repairs."
Mission looked up at the sound of the Jedi's voice as she continued, "Oh! Mission! I didn't see yo–never mind that, how are you?"
The Twi'lek girl's expression twisted with anger, "You!" she hissed, "This is your fault!" she added standing up, voice shrill, "Malak wouldn't have put Taris under a blockade ifyouhadn't been there, let alone destroy the planet!"
Bastila's eyes widened and she looked like a spooked gizka caught in the headlights of a speeder. Ariv saw guilt and despair flicker over her face before a cool mask slid over her expression, making her look very much like a Jedi, but she did not speak.
It took him a moment to realise that Bastila believed Mission's words and he turned to the Twi'lek, "Mish," he said, trying to calm the girl down, "You can't blame Bastila for Malak's cruelty."
"No!" she said, "Even she's not denying it! It's her fault! All of it! Even your ship — theEndar Spire —it was ambushed because of her!"
"No,"Ariv said slowly, "The Sith attacked the Republic before they even knew about Bastila. You can't blame her for this. It isn't her fault."
"He's right," Carth added, returning from the cockpit, "I know what you're going through, kid. Men like Karath and Malak would do this again in a heartbeat. All they need is a flimsy excuse to unleash their anger and this horror. You can't pin this on someone who's been doing her best to protect the Republic since the war began." Mission slumped to her seat and said softly, "I don't want to leave the ship. I'll help with repairs."
Ariv opened his mouth to protest, wanting to say that some time around the planet may help her but Bastila caught his eye and shook her head. He understood her intent, Carth and Zalbaar were the only ones who could get Mission to calm down. They'd have to help with repairs–it would be better for her to stay with them– and be distracted, even for a bit, with doing what she likes.
"Alright," Carth said, "Me, Zalbaar, and Mission will stay with the ship. You both and Ordo help us resupply theHawk."
𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪
"Ordo!" The jovial attendant greeted the Mandalorian as soon as they got down theHawk'sramp.
"Rhurdaj!" Canderous answered and the two shared a handshake and a hug. The greeting and grins they shared made it obvious they'd known each other for years.
"Thought you were lost to us on Taris, but you come here with Davik's ship! Good to see that you left that dishonourable son of a bitch," the Mandalorian–Rhurdajsaid.
"Nah, you can't get rid of me that easily," Canderous answered, guffawing.
"It's good to see you old friend, it really is, especially after months of radio silence — and now you come here with a lovely young lady," he added, grinning at Bastila who only glared at him and he continued, unfazed, "And your friend here, I assume he's the one who broke into the Sith Base?"
Ariv smiled at the other Mandalorian and Bastila nodded in greeting. "How do the two of you know each other?" he asked in an attempt to be polite.
"From our days in the Mandalorian Wars! We aren't from the same Clan, but fought in many great battles together," Rhurdaj explained as they walked deeper into the docking bay.
"Since the War ended, Mandalore's army has split, scattered across the galaxy. Other clans have begun living on different worlds. I am here only for the time being."
"Well, where are you planning to go next?" Ordo asked.
"I haven't decided yet, but I can't stay here for much longer. Corvis IV is too quaint and boring of a planet for my liking. In any case, your ship looks pretty banged up, I assume you had trouble with Sith, eh?" Rhurdaj asked.
Ariv nodded and the man continued, "It will be fixed up quickly, shouldn't be longer than a few hours, so don't worry."
"We'll be out of your hair, Ordo," Bastila said finally, "I am certain you wish to…catch up with your old friend. We need to go to the local markets anyway."
"Oh, don't you worry about that—" Rhurdaj said but Bastila interrupted, "I insist. We are…thankful for your help, but have no desire to bother you anymore."
"Alright," the Mandalorian said, shrugging, "If you need help, I got a droid that can help you out."
With that he turned away, clapping a hand on Canderous' shoulder and leading him away. It seems that Bastila's judgment had been correct, the two friends were eager to speak to each other.
𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪
The local market was more crowded than either of them had expected. Species from a host of different planets milled about as hawkers and shopkeepers yelled over the din in numerous languages about offering cheap clothing, food, and other necessities. For the past few hours, Ariv and she had gone from shop to shop, buying rations, some fresh produce, and water to load theHawkwith. Bastila couldn't believe she'd spent the day buying groceries with theDark Lord of the Sithlike they were friends.
She had done her best to keep her emotions in check, especially since Revan….Arivmight be able to sense anything amiss. She sighed, it was already late afternoon by the time they were done with collecting supplies and he had decided to find them an open cantina to grab a quick bite before they returned to the spaceport.
Bastila sat on the high stool, picking at the skin around her nails. She knew it wasn't a good habit, but she was anxious and couldn't help it. It was better to do this than drag her nails down the skin of her forearms like she did other times.
She had chosen a corner booth for them, secluded from the prying eyes of the crowd. She had to be careful, if not for her sake, then Revan's because Malak or the Sith couldn't possibly know that their former leader was still alive.
A few moments later, Ariv returned after collecting their order of bofa treats.
"Thank you," she murmured, accepting the snack wrapped in brown paper like it was completely normal that Darth Revan had brought her some lunch. The man in question only nodded and sat opposite her, eating his meal.
Bastila took a bite of her own piece and sighed contentedly as she tasted the flavour of the fruit filling. The crust was perfectly crisp, and the filling was sweet and fresh- the dish was better than she thought it would be. This moment of calm was something she desperately needed after the whole ordeal of the past few days. But she knew she couldn't let her guard down.
In the background, soft music played accompanied by a holonews segment about the war. The two did not say a word as they ate, but she could tell he was listening to it just as intently as she was. Bastila bit her lip, dreading to hear about another devastating loss for the Republic on some world while she was separated from the fleet.
"It's been well over a day since we heard about the horrific destruction of Taris. However, the Empire denies that the world was glassed entirely. They claim that it is false Republic propaganda released in order to spread chaos and mistrus—"
As soon as they heard that, Bastila's expression fell and Ariv's hand tightened on the spoon he was using. She felt a surge of anger and couldn't believe Malak would lie about something like that. She remembered the destruction of Taris, how she'd felt every single citizen die. It had been the most horrifying thing she had witnessed in her twenty-two years.
"It's not your fault, you know," Bastila's head snapped up at the sound of Ariv's voice and stared at him for a moment before answering tersely, "I never said it was."
"But you feel otherwise, don't you?" he enquired softly and Bastila felt her anger only increase — both at the Dark Lord and the absurdity of the situation she was in.
Her face scrunched, "It's none of your business. Come," she added, getting up from her seat and discarding her plate in a nearby bin, "We must leave."
She heard him huff, but ultimately followed her and the two walked quietly side by side and she seethed. But unfortunately for her, he decided to speak again, "Look, I get that you don't want to talk about it," Bastila froze for a second before continuing to cut through the swathes of sentients, "But you and I both know Malak has done this before and if given the chance, he'll do it again. Whether or not you were present won't change that."
Bastila's expression twisted before she turned and jabbed a finger in his direction and she hissed, "I told you it's none of your business!"
Ariv stepped back, raised his hands defensively, and said, "Listen—"
But she wasn't having any of it, "I don't want to hear anything about this.Especiallynot fromyou!"
It's all your fault anyways,she thinks, furious, as they continue to stare at each other,everything traces back toyou.
"Fine," he answered at last but she knew he was only backing down for the time being to not antagonise her further.
Bastila nodded and a standoffish silence continued as they neared the spaceport. She had calmed since their earlier conversation, and with her newfound and tentative sense of peace, she got a startling sense of clarity. Her outburst brought her immense shame, it was no way for a Jedi to act.
Her Masters had warned her that she ought to be calmer and more rational and that she should think before speaking, lest she cut herself on the sharpness of her tongue.
Ariv finally asked, "Where…where are we going next?"
"Dantooine," she answered.
Ariv froze for a moment, but caught up to her,"Dantooine?!Of all places in the galaxy?"
"There is a Jedi Enclave there–"
"— Believe me, I am aware, but surely we could go to another world like _?" he argued and Bastila huffed, annoyed.
"The fleet might have relocated," she said, "And Dantooine is safe, untouched by both the Empire and the Wars. Even Malak would think twice about attacking it."
She stopped for a moment before entering the spaceport, staring atEbon Hawkin the late afternoon light and observing the glint of gold reflecting off the metal and Bastila considered her next words carefully, knowing that Revan had shown reluctance to being a Jedi. But it would be better to tell him now, rather than deal with this on Dantooine itself.
"There are many Jedi there," she began, "including several of the most powerful Masters of the Order. There is great strength within this place. The Academy is also a place of mental and spiritual healing; something the crew — especially Mission, could use."
Thankfully, Revan nodded and said, "Alright, we can stay on Dantooine for a bit before Carth and I rejoin the Republic fleet."
"Wait, what? No! You…you need to speak to the Masters. You have command over the force and a powerful one at that, we can't just let you return!" She said quickly.
"I don't — I mean, it's outlandish, alright? I'm just a soldier and I was a scout before that. I can't possibly have used the Force—"
"But you did," she insisted, knowing how stubborn the man was, "and earlier, you told me that youthoughtas though you could feel the death of Taris. The truth is…you did. As force-sensitives, we can sense all life around us, but we can also sense death."
Ariv sighed, not knowing what to say, but Bastila continued on, "A tragedy like that…it leaves a mark on the Force. You and I were…affected by what happened, more so than you think, because we felt it. We felt every flicker of life be snuffed out."
He sighed once more, perhaps knowing that there was no point in arguing further. Bastila decided to placate him by saying, "You are…powerful, more than you could possibly know, which is why it is best that we consult the wisdom of the Jedi Masters going forward."
He opened his mouth to argue but Bastila cut in, "This is not just for the Jedi's sake, but yours. You know that Malak would not let a powerful force‐sensitive individual galavant freely, especially since you side with the Republic."
𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪 𓆩𓆪
Ariv sat on the bench in the main hold of theEbon Hawk,going over what Bastila had told him earlier, he had finally found the solitude and peace to do so. Carth and Jedi were in the cockpit, flying the ship away from Corvis IV, meanwhile, Canderous was in the engine room, making sure that everything was in working order. Mission was fast asleep in her dorm room and Zaalbar was keeping a watchful eye on her, in case she had another nightmare.
Only he and little Teethree were in the main hold, and the droid was preoccupied with merrily talking to the ship's droid brain.
This gave him time to reflect on his conversation without a pesky Jedi, distrustful Captain, and Mandalorian from nosing around. He couldn't believe he was going back to Dantooine of all places. It wasn't that he hated the planet or anything of the sort, it was just that….well, a part of him would forever associate the world with the place he'd lost his memories.
He frowned, that wasn't quite right…he had lost his memories in a nearby system…not on Dantooine itself. Shaking his head, he sighed. Bastila wanted to discuss him with the Jedi Council. The thought made Ariv rather uncomfortable…he had spent the two Wars fighting by the Jedi's side, first with those who had opposed the Order and then those who had stuck by the Jedi Council's foolhardy decision during the previous one.
He was faced with the uncomfortable prospect that the Council might want him to train…but that couldn't be, the Jedi only train children. He was a grown man, thirty–two years old, surely far too old to start training.
Ariv sat with his head in his hands, thinking about his uncertain future with the Jedi Order as the stars around him dissolved into star lines and theHawksoared towards Dantooine and the Jedi.