Upon activating the holocron, the cargo hold faded to dark, lit up only by the Dark Lord Revan.
"Who are you to stand before me?" Darth Revan asked.
"My name is Arman Clash, Jedi Knight and friend of your general Meetra Surik." Arman said humbly.
"I wasn't designed to assist the Jedi, Arman Clash. I'm afraid I won't be of any help." Revan said stiffly.
"What exactly is your purpose?" Arman asked curiously.
"I am a teacher designed to conform students in the ways of the dark side. Unless you are a defector, my programming is not designed for a Jedi such as you." Revan said simply.
"Perhaps not, but you can still be of help: I need to contact Meetra Surik. She has left me with a connection in the force, but I haven't been able to contact her. Your droid HK-47 told me you had information that could help with that." Arman said.
"If my general has need of you, she has the means to find you herself." Revan said.
"Your droid tells me otherwise: Meetra Surik is searching for you... the real you. Your wife believes you are in grave danger and your general believes I can be of help." Arman said.
"My wife?" The hologram was stunned.
"Much has happened since the days of your programming. You have a wife, a child and a baby on the way." Arman said.
"I see." Revan was thinking.
"How do you know my general needs you if you haven't been able to contact her?" Revan asked.
"Your droid tells me she has had many force visions involving me; visions that specifically serve her in her quest to help you." Arman said.
"Visions in the force are very powerful tools only available to the most powerful of force users. I am not surprised that my general has had some of them. Do you know of the visions she had?" Revan asked.
"HK tells me it's not for him to tell me. Meetra Surik needs to share them with me herself." Arman said.
"Then I will help you find her. What you seek is a nexus strong enough to reestablish your connection from your end. Such a vergence in the force is commonly found in the tombs of the Dark Lords like the ones found on Korriban." Revan said.
"I need to find one that is far more discreet than Korriban." Arman said.
"There are others, though not many. If you want discreet, I would recommend the tomb of Freedon Nadd on Dxun. That is if you consider the Mandalorians to be more discreet than the Sith of Korriban." Revan said.
"Thank you for your help, Lord Revan." Arman bowed politely.
"I would very much like to talk to Meetra about this." Revan requested.
"As you wish." Arman said as he disconnected the hologram.
Arman Clash returned to Zel and Bastila.
"I have a way of contacting Meetra Surik, but it will require me to persuade Admiral Onasi to allow me to continue on my own for a while. If you wouldn't mind a quick pitstop on Admiral Onasi's flagship Sojorn to visit an old friend of yours, it could help me gain his favor." Arman suggested to Bastila while she tended to her family.
"Absolutely. It would be a treat to see him again. Anything I can do for you to help my husband, Arman Clash." Bastila happily accepted.
"This is commander Arman Clash, requesting permission to dock." Arman said.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit commander?" the Admiral replied himself.
"Zel's mission has brought some of your old companions back together again. I was hoping to bring you up to speed on recent events in person Admiral." Arman said.
"Hello Carth." Bastila said.
"I'll be damned. Bastila Shan. It's been too long." Carth Onasi said in shock.
"Permission granted commander. I can't wait to hear this." Carth said.
Bastila held her daughter on her hip and greeted Carth with a warm smile. Arman Clash and Zel were standing back with Helena and a few of Zel's crew.
"Looks like Revan's been busy." The Admiral said as greeted the mother and child warmly.
"Arman and Zel came to our rescue. I wanted to thank you personally for allowing Commander Clash to come help us." Bastila said.
"I had no idea what his Zel's mission was, but I'm happy he was helpful to you." Carth said.
"If we can speak more privately Carth, Arman has more to say about where this mission is heading." Bastila said. The Admiral looked at his Jedi commander hanging back with the twilek.
"I was looking forward to giving him more responsibilities under my command. This story might be worth the delay."Carth explained.
"I am grateful, Admiral." Arman bowed to his commanding officer.
"My mission is leading me to find Meetra Surik, a great general in Revan's army, a legendary Jedi and a personal hero of mine." Arman said after everyone explained what happened on Tatooine.
"I didn't know you knew her personally; you've never mentioned it." Carth Onasi said with a frown.
"Meetra Surik came into my life at a very traumatic time many years ago. It isn't a subject I talk about much except with Zel." Arman said honestly.
"I understand. The Jedi life is not an easy one; it leaves some of us with many scars." Carth said woundedly.
"I actually know her myself, now that we are on the subject. It happened seven years ago, actually. She was in exile at the time, as I recall. She helped defend Telos from a deadly Sith attack. My family and I owe her our lives." Carth said gravely.
"Meetra Surik is the connection that has brought us together and it is her prerogative to help Revan on his secret mission." Arman said.
"Bastila, you are married to Revan and bear his children: have you really been kept in the dark about this mission of his?" Carth asked.
"Revan's concern is that the details of his mission are a direct threat to all Jedi, myself included. He refuses to tell me anything at all." Bastila said defensively.
"How is it that Meetra Surik seems to be aware of this mission?" Carth asked confused.
"If I may, Bastila: Meetra Surik has been having force visions revealing the nature of the threat Revan faces as well as a way to help. I don't know what these visions are, but from what her droid HK-47 says, I'm an important part of those visions." Arman said.
"HK-47? Revan's assassin droid?" Carth asked.
"Yes, he's on Zel's ship, finishing up repairs on himself." Arman said.
"As far as stories go, this is a good one Arman." Carth said.
"It would seem the force has set him on my husband's path, Carth." Bastila said.
"Revan's path is the most difficult one for sure. It CAN be rewarding for the career IF you survive it." Carth said honestly.
"Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Carth asked his officer.
"I also owe Meetra Surik my life. Besides, a force vision isn't something to be contested." Arman said seriously.
"No choice then?" Carth asked.
"No choice, Admiral." Arman repeated.
"Then who am I to stand in the way. May the force be with you." Carth nodded. Arman looked at Zel.
"Take Bastila to the council. I'll take a starfighter down to Dxun. I'll meet you at the tomb of Freedon Nadd." Arman said to Zel. The Twilek smiled and nodded.
Zel and her team landed in the jungle of Dxun after bringing Bastila back to Coruscant. Arman had healed Helena at the cost of some strength. His journey to Dxun was a painful one. His muscles and articulations were in agony and his force power to lighten the pain was weakened through his sacrifice for Helena. By the time he had arrived on Dxun though, he was mostly functional.
Zel was a half day behind. Her journey was restful though. She trekked through the jungle alone, barely able to see the spire that kept Freedon Nadd's entombed. She felt the disturbance in the force, its presence ominous and tainted by the dark side. The jungle ahead was darkened by the thick canopy. It looked clear, but Zel could feel eyes on her. She was not alone. She was warned about the mandalorians and Arman had told her to remain friendly towards them. It wasn't before she stepped into a sensor grid that she felt she might be in danger.
She heard an activation whirl from somewhere ahead followed by a second one not too far from the first. Suddenly a pair or red droid eyes stared at her from above the foliage and laser fire spat all around her. She stepped away, dodging all of them and activated her blue lightsaber uponseeing a second set of droid eyes aimed at her. She deflected the next volley back to its source with no effect, just like in the training room. She leapt to the first droid and slashed at its eyes with little effect. The droid was resistant to her lightsaber's heat. An elbowed arm erected itself from the top of the four-legged praying mantis looking droid. Along its shiny dorsal armor, the protruding arm activated. Zel felt the air tingle around her. She enveloped herself in a protective shield and flicked her blade in front of her, narrowly escaping a bolt of electricity that arced into her lightsaber.
The second droid activated another weapon, a flame-thrower, this time. Zel extended her hand to redirect the flame away from her and into the droid in combat range of her. The ground lit ablaze. Zel leapt high into the trees, brushing away the flames with the force as she reached the high branches. She cursed herself for not having sniffed out the oil from the ground before now. The droids fired bolts from their laser weapons up into the trees. Zel deflected them. Seeing how their armor resisted all that energy and how they could walk over the fire, she started thinking of another way to disable them. She threw her lightsaber down to the base of the trees, slicing through the thick wood like a circular saw. She jumped from branch to branch with speed and agility, elegantly avoiding the laser fire and nudging the trees with the force, felling them down on the droids. One of the droids was crushed by the larger tree, while the other one was merely pinned down. With a clunk, the droid crawled away from the pile of trees, snapping one of its legs free while doing so. It continues its battle awkwardly. Zel heard a new buzzing sound coming from the top of the trees. She dived down to the ground, evading a wave of saw drones chopping up branches and leaves where the twilek had been standing. Zel sent two of the drones slicing into each other while deflecting an electrical discharge from the droid with her blue blade. She charged the droid, clipping his dorsal weapon off with her lightsaber and sliding under its belly. The drones blew by, avoiding the droid. Zel quickly poked at the droid's belly and remaining arms in an attempt to find a weak spot in the armor. Her lightsaber reached much more deeply into the metal from underneath. She chopped down two of the three remaining drones and sent the droid spiraling onto its back with a flick of force push. She quickly followed it and stabbed it repeatedly at the very center of its belly until the last drone came swooping in on her. She jumped off the droid, escaping the drone's flight path andclipping it with her blade. The drone lost control and dug itself into the ground that was not long ago ablaze. The droid ahead of her whined in protest, but could not right itself. Zel took in a deep breath and finished it off.
Zel cautiously walked away from the chaos and dying flames. When she was far enough away, she rested up against a tree, gathering herself. That creepy feeling returned. She gently pushed off the tree and ignited her lightsaber. Five mandalorian soldiers uncloaked around her, activating shock-staves and forming a circle around her. Zel frowned at them and signaled to them to stay back. The mandalorian's response was a coordinated attack from all sides. Zel blocked and dodged all of them but felt she would not be able to talk her way out of this one. The mandaloran's armor resisted her blade much like the droids, but with a little help from her force speed, she was certain she could safely guide her lightsaber down the gaps in their armor.
"STOP! Power down your staves. This clearly isn't the jedi we are waiting for you idiots!" A commanding voice said as a sixth soldier approached. This one's mask was different from the others and his armor shined like it was freshly polished.
"Sorry Mandalore; we were expecting a Jedi and..." One of the soldiers started after they turned off their shock staves.
"This is a twilek female, you imbeciles." Mandalore spoke harshly. Sensing the danger was over, Zel deactivated her lightsaber.
"Mandalore?" Zel asked cautiously.
"In the flesh." Mandalore said as he gestured towards his men.
"Beat it you morons, give the lady some room." Mandalore said as he stared down his men through his helmet.
"I'm sorry about that. We were told to expect a Jedi, but clearly, you're not him." Mandalore said with regret.
"Was this a trap for this Jedi?" Zel asked carefully.
"A trap? No. A test." Mandalore said as he gestured to all the damage that was done back where the droids had been.
"A test you seemed to be passing quite easily, despite it being made so that only the strongest of your order could pass." Mandalore said.
"I'm no ordinary Jedi. I'm curious though, who was this test meant for?" Zel asked politely.
"It was meant for a human Jedi, a man I haven't met before." Mandalore said in disappointment.
"I don't suppose there are more of these challenges on my way to the tomb?" Zel asked.
"Are you really here for the tomb of Freedon Nadd? Mandalore asked.
"Yes. I was supposed to meet my friend there." Zel said.
"Your friend, is he a human male... a Jedi knight?" Mandalore asked suspiciously.
"Don't bother with her Mandalore; her friend is already in the tomb." A lady spoke from behind him.
"Her friend has bypassed our test and contacted me from the tomb already." The lady continued.
"Impossible! Gannon, come in. Gannon, report!" Mandalore spoke into his helmet.
"Well, that's just great. I have to deal with these worthless idiots all day." Mandalore complained.
"Maybe you can leave us and tend to your affairs, Canderous." The lady said amicably.
"Of course, general. I'll be around if you need me." Mandalore said.
"Canderous Ordo?" Zel asked in the direction of the woman.
"You know him?" The lady asked.
"I know of him. And you are Meetra Surik, Jedi exile and general in Revan's army." Zel said.
"I was expecting your friend Arman Clash, not you. This test was set up for him to see if he was ready. Tell me, friend of Arman Clash, would he have done as well as you have?" Meetra asked curiously.
"Arman Clash made it into the tomb and contacted you. You already have your answer." Zel said.
"Who are you, Jedi?" Meetra asked.
"I am Jedi Knight Zel Tal'ok, Grand Champion of the Order." Zel said proudly.
"Who are you to Arman Clash?" Meetra asked.
"He is a very dear friend." Zel answered after a moment of hesitation.
"I have foreseen his coming here. I have heard his call. I have looked into his mind. I can see you are very deeply connected to him, yet I haven't seen you, present or future. So, I ask again Zel Tal'ok, champion of the order, what are you to him that he can conceal your bond to him from me?" Meetra Surik asked.
"I share a bond with him, like you say. We trained together at the academy for a year and became inseparable ever since." Zel said with reservation
"During this training, has he thought you something only he can do?" Meetra Surik asked.
"How did you... Yes. Yes he did." Zel was impressed.
"Can you do it too? Is it even possible for two Jedi to possess this power?" Meetra gasped.
"To a certain extent, I can, but I'm very far from Arman's level." Zel Tal'ok explained.
"Before my visions, I never thought it possible for a Jedi to tame a ghost." Meetra said in awe.
"What? Tame a ghost? No, no. Arman has only theorized it in his research... He hasn't even encountered..." Zel was embarrassed.
"It's ok. Forget I said anything. Please forgive me, Zel Tal'ok. I was short with you because I believed we were short on time, but it appears Arman Clash is very early." Meetra Surik said. The woman sat down on a log with her hands clasped over her laps, pondering.
"I came here in support of his quest to find you. I also sense he has more to teach me. For what it's worth, I don't feel insulted or denigrated by your behavior; Arman feels time is short as well and has made it perfectly clear what this mission means to him." Zel said calmly with her hands clasped behind her back. She was feeling tense and uncomfortable.
"How is Arman Clash? What power does he have that he chose to teach you?" Meetra asked much more delicately than before and looked intently at the twilek.
"I've very glad you asked, General. You see, I've been going over and over in my mind for months now, trying to find the words I would need, should I finally get a chance to talk to you alone, face to face." Zel said anxiously, pacing around.
"You see, you haven't spoken to him in seven years and Arman Clash has been through such an ordeal since you entered his life. He's also reserved and secretive. So much so that I couldn't take hearing him talk about any of this to you himself. Not to you." Zel said almost aggressively.
"I've chosen words that would give you the true picture of Arman Clash, because so far, I'm the only person in the galaxy who truly knows him and I would be sad if he let this opportunity slip him by, you who are so important to him." Zel said as she paced around the log, trying not to seem as agitated as she felt.
"So let me tellyou with pride, because Arman Clash is too humble. Let me tellyou with arrogance, because Arman would keep it secret. Let me tellyou with criticism, because Arman Clash, the gentleman, wouldn't dare say it. Arman Clash the teenage padawan you saved some seven years ago from the Lord of pain Sion, has taken it upon himself to train every day to the point of torn muscles, broken bones, hemorrhages, lacerations, dislocated sockets, stretched out or torn ligaments. Every day since that day, he challenges himself in such a way that only a healer of his ability could survive. Every day, he feels terrible pain, pain that he keeps to himself. He has not once revealed any of what he can do to anyone but me. He has been in an exile of his own while he is already legend. He made himself into a weapon of such power that I still find hard to believe the force would even allow. He does that so that one day... one day when you finally come calling for him, he can be there to help you this time. So that he can help you destroy the Sith once and for all. Because he always knew you would call him and somehow ask him to do the impossible. I want you to know him as I do, because you need to know that it was the way you defeated Sion that made him revere you, not the fact that you saved his life. The way it ended with Darth Sion was not the way he would have done it. It was not the way any other Jedi would have done it. Ever since then, Arman has become obsessed with stories of redemption. As much as Arman has become a weapon, ultimately what he wants is to heal those that have chosen to be redeemed and bring balance back to the force. This is the man you have chosen to send on this important mission that you've already determined for him, and I'll be damned if you don't know who it is you risk losing here." Zel Tal'ok told in a heartfelt way. The words sank deep because Meetra didn't respond.
"I sensed his pain when I reached him. I had no idea of its significance." Meetra said with regret.
"He hid it from me for so long, but now there are no secrets between us." Zel said.
"How strong is he?" Meetra asked carefully.
"Machine-like. He can tear a droid apart." Zel said.
"I mean in battle." Meetra clarified. Zel paused to reflect.
"I have trained with and defeated all the Jedi masters who would duel me. I have won the title of Grand-Champion in a decisive victory against the best of all the Jedi knights who participated. I have trained my whole life to be the best. After training with Arman, I had to hold back during the tournament as to not draw any attention to him. When I fight Arman Clash in all of his strength, I am but a youngling by comparison. He is worth three of me and I mean it literally; he can take on triple my opponents, he is three times my speed and immensely stronger. Any duel against him is nothing short of humiliating." Zel Tal'ok explained.
"Perhaps it would be easier if you showed me. I confess, I've always been curious to know how I would have fared in such a contest if war had not taken me away. Though I do admit that war itself is where I have gained much of my skill." Meetra said as she stood up from the log.
"I thought you would never ask. Duels are my thing, where I feel the most myself. Fighting a legend like yourself is the greatest thrill I could ever experience." Zel Tal'ok smiled happily and changed the setting of her lightsaber to training mode.
"I take it the rules haven't changed, you can use some powers, but not all of them are permitted?" Meetra askes as she warmed herself up.
"Arman tells me you have a power that I have no defense against." Zel mentioned.
"I promise not to kill you with power like that." Meetra smiled.
"Great! Then let's do this!" Zel adopted her famous pose. Meetra Surik ignited her two yellow lightsabers and took a pose of her own. Zel attacked at full speed, no holding back. Full force, full force speed and as much strength as possible while protecting herself in the force, beating down the dual lightsaber defense of the battle forged Jedi legend Meetra Surik. Zel kept Meetra at the defensive, just as Arman Clash taught her. Meetra was surprisingly fast and was able to defend from the twilek's fastest volleys. Meetra tried to push her away with the force, but Zel's shield absorbed it all. Zel's smile broadened. It was not every day she would fight such a worthy opponent, and now she felt that she had the advantage. Her next strikes seemed more difficult to defend against. The woman was beginning to slow down considerably. Zel's abilities were unchanged, however. Her speed and strength remained until Meetra was struck across the chest.
"Incredible." Meettra Surik said.
"Thanks." Zel smiled.
"You need to know, Zel Tal'ok, that I've bested the Sith Triumvirate that was comprised of Darth Sion, Darth Traya and Darth Nihilus. I've beaten monsters with unnatural powers. I've been targeted by hundreds of Sith acolytes and many thousands of soldiers and I have never been bested so easily." Meetra said in praise.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me." Zel was exhilarated.
"I can't imagine what Arman Clash is capable of." Meetra said dumbfoundedly.
"It wouldn't be like him to demonstrate it for you. I'm curious though, why did you think his power was to tame ghosts?" Zel asked curiously.
"Visions of the future, Zel. I have been burdened with the knowledge of things to come. These visions are never easy to talk about, they always show things that you can lose, but at times, they also contain victories. Arman's future is teemed with death, it can be disturbing to hear." Meetra said sincerely.
"Not his death... tell me, not his death!" Zel was taken by surprise.
"Everyone dies in the end Zel Tal'ok. We are destined to return to the force upon our passing. There would be no use for my visions to take me that far, except that whenever Arman Clash is concerned, death is not the end at all, but rather the beginning." Meetra said in a reassuring tone.
"I don't understand." Zel was confused.
"Have you ever had a force vision?" Meetra asked.
"Never." Zel shook her head.
"I'm surprised. Arman was only fifteen when we met and he had already experienced many of them. Has he had any more recent ones?" Meetra asked.
"He may have had some, but he hasn't told me. He does seem to know a thing or two about my future. Perhaps he doesn't want to scare me." Zel said.
"He cares a lot about you, doesn't he?" Meetra asked.
"He loves me." Zel confirmed hesitantly.
"That would explain why he shields you from me. Like I said, I can easily create bonds with others; I know how they work. Yours is much like a lover's union." Meetra said.
"Like Revan and Bastila." Zel said enthusiastically. Meetra Surik sprung at the names.
"Have you met them?" Meetra asked with an important tone.
"We just came back from a mission with Bastila. We have your droid onboard. I've never met Revan though." Zel explained. There was sadness in Meetra's eyes.
"My droid?" Meetra asked in surprise.
"HK-47." Zel said.
"I'm surprised to hear that; he hasn't travelled with anyone else in a long time." Meetra said.
"Maybe killing a bunch of Sith acolytes with Arman made him less shy." Zel said.
"That does sound more like HK-47." Meetra said.
"Should we join Arman at the tomb?" Zel asked.
"There is no need: Arman is on his way here. He's out of the temple, you should be able to reach him." Meetra said.
Arman I'm with Meetra Surik. Are you coming to meet us?
Yes. I'm on my way. How is she?
She's well. She was anxious to see you, but I told her all about you and now she's not sure she wants to see you anymore.
HaHa! She seemed in a hurry. I was worried.
It's fine. I fought her; it seems to have calmed her down.
You fought her? Really?
Oh, yes! You would be proud!
I am proud of you; you are my champion Zel Tal'ok.
I showed her what we can do. I needed her to know.
There was a brief pause.
It's alright. I trust you Zel, you can do whatever you want. I will support your choices.
Thank you, Arman. Thank you for believing in me.
No problem Zel. I'm on my way.
Ok. Be careful, there might be some traps out there set by mandalorians.
"He's coming." Zel said to Meetra Surik.