#Mandalorian Knight Tari perhaps?????

[justaballoffluff]

on the one hand, I really like the idea of Jedi Tari following Revan into fighting the Mandalorians because she may not care about the Republic, but she can't stand to see so many people put in danger

but on the other, Jedi Tari who's just like "nah fuck the Order and the Republic" and she just goes and joins the Mandalorians

[venndaai]

hey, you said you would try prompts from the soulmate list, so Revastila, 2

At first I was like, hey, haven’t we discussed this before? but actually we discussed a different Revastila soulmate AU, lol. Anyway here’s 1.5k words

Once, when she was quite young, Bastila asked Master Vandar why Jedi didn’t simply remove their wrist names. She wasn’t particularly surprised at the answer she got in response. “When the Force speaks, we do not stick our fingers in our ears,” he told her, lightly admonishing, but amused. She’d been right to ask him and not Master Vrook. “We simply choose not to place undue importance on such things. We dedicate ourselves to serving the Light Side, and loving all beings equally.”

Which was fine, Bastila supposed, except she wasn’t sure about loving all beings; she couldn’t even manage to love the other children in the training school, who never wanted to talk to her at break and were often stupid anyway. And she tried to love the Masters, but they were so unlike her father, even absentminded Master Zhar.

She retreated to her bunk, ignoring for the moment her heaps of assigned meditation practice, and curled on her side, studying the elegant black letters on her wrist, barely visible in the low light. Maybe whatever path it represented was already in her past. Maybe it referred to somebody she would have met if her mother never gave her to the Jedi, if she’d stayed with her father and traveled across the Rim with him instead.

–

“Have you heard, she’s even changed her name,” Belaya said, from above and behind Bastila’s head. Bastila disliked Belaya on principle. She was a year younger than Bastila and yet had been a full knight for several months now, and liked to remind everyone of her new status by scolding padawans who ran in the hallways. Right now Bastila wanted to tell her to be quiet, some people are trying to meditate here.

“No, really?” The other speaker was a padawan like Bastila, but also significantly younger than her.

“She’s calling herself Revan now. Perhaps she thinks a more dramatic moniker will attract her more followers.”

The pebble Bastila was trying to levitate shot upwards until it cracked the glass dome of the ceiling. Bastila barely managed to catch the falling shards with the Force before they hit her. She crunched the glass into a ball of shimmering shards, and stood up. Belaya and her friend were staring.

Stupid, she thought to herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Everyone knew that particular Jedi already had a soulmate, that it was another Jedi, that the Masters had tried to keep the two separated when the Knight now calling herself Revan had been a Padawan, that they’d failed miserably and probably driven a wedge between Revan and the Order even before the mess of the Mandalorian situation.

Bastila didn’t even like the woman, and she knew Revan didn’t like Bastila. She had a very clear memory of two older padawans laughing at a smaller child’s attempts at lightsaber practice. They probably didn’t remember; the two of them had tried to recruit her to their insane cause, a few days ago, and had given no sign that they knew her as anything other than that oddly old padawan with the useful ability.

Still, the rejection hurt. It hurt all the worse that it wasn’t in person. Just the casual crushing of something Bastila hadn’t even known she still possessed. Maybe Revan was, somehow, someone Bastila could have been happy with, in another life, but Bastila wasn’t anything to anyone.

Unless-

The thought was an insidious worm, one she tried to kill even before it had fully emerged, but she failed, she couldn’t stop it- unless Revan had somehow known- unless this name change was just one more tactic to try and win Bastila’s project, her Battle Meditation-

No. No. Nobody knew what was on her wrist except the Masters, and they’d never have told. Would they? No, it was impossible.

Still. She was all the more resolved; she would not abandon the Order for Revan’s foolish rhetoric.

–

When Revan and her followers vanished, after the war, Bastila thought that was the end of it.

When they came back, when they started burning Republic cities, Bastila thought maybe the Masters started watching her more closely. Wondering what kind of Jedi would have a Sith for a soulmate.

This kind of Jedi, Bastila thought bitterly, throwing herself into each battle, stretching her mind until it felt like it would snap trying to hold every ship in a fleet together in synergy.

–

Revan was dying.

Later, Bastila would lie awake for many nights, interrogating the motives behind the decision she had only had a minute to make. She would want to believe that she would have saved her enemy’s life regardless of wrists and names and soulmates. She wanted to be that kind of person.

Whatever the reason, she made the decision to save Revan’s life. She held that broken body together through the force of her will, and when she felt the Sith slipping away from her she tore off Revan’s black gloves, pressed their palms together skin to skin. Couldn’t stop herself from looking at the wrist, at the large round looping letters of Alek shiver and disintegrate into blotches of ink that themselves then dissipated, leaving what looked like white scar marks behind.

Later- days later, but it felt like only minutes- she sat on a bench outside the Enclave medical center, waiting, rubbing the inside of her wrist so hard she left dark red marks on the skin. She could feel what the masters were doing, inside. She could feel what Revan was feeling.

Master Vrook came out into the filtered sunlight. He looked more tired than she remembered ever seeing him look before. When he turned to her she felt sick dread in the pit of her stomach.

“Did it work?” she said, quickly, words stumbling in her mouth.

Vrook nodded. “Come in,” he said, uncharacteristically terse. “There’s something you should see.”

The Dark Lord was only average height, Bastila knew, but even unconscious on a medical table, she seemed larger than life. She was dressed only in utilitarian undergarments. Her muscles gleamed, still slick from the kolto tank.

Gingerly, Vrook picked up the left wrist, and rotated it so Bastila could see her own signature, placed right over the white marks that looked like scars.

“We can remove it,” Vrook said. He sounded almost- almost sympathetic.

Bastila shook her head, and ran outside to throw up.

–

“Bastila,” Revan said. She sounded a little nervous, but determined. “Hey, are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not avoiding you,” Bastila said.

“It’s a small ship, and we’re stuck in here together til we get to Dantooine. If you don’t like the way I smell, just let me know and I’ll stop stealing Carth’s deodorant.”

That startled a laugh out of her, before she pressed her lips together and looked away.

“Listen, there’s something we need to talk about. I wonder if maybe that’s why you haven’t said a word to me since we got off Taris.” Don’t say it don’t say it- “Look, Bastila, I have your name on my left wrist.”

“Indeed?” Bastila said. Vague. Disinterested. But she already knew that wasn’t going to deter Revan.

“I’ve got a confession to make.” The woman paused, long enough that Bastila glanced up at her, saw her chewing her lip. “I kind of- joined up because of you. Because I heard your name on the newsvids. Even managed to get myself assigned to the Endar Spire, hoping I’d meet you somehow.” She laughed. “Didn’t really imagine all of this.”

Some response was evidently expected, but Bastila didn’t have the faintest idea what it might be. So she just waited until Revan sighed. “Well, anyway,” Revan said, “if you don’t have my name on your wrist, or you just want nothing to do with me, I’d appreciate you letting me know.”

Bastila swallowed. “I have your name.”

Revan sucked in a breath. “I thought so. Can I see?” She was already reaching.

“No,” Bastila snapped, and pulled her hands to her chest, lacing her fingers so she could feel the comforting thickness of her gloves. She took a few deep breaths. Revan was staring.

Fortunately, she had an explanation at hand. “Jedi don’t have soulmates,” she said. “We ignore the writing. It’s a distraction from our dedication to the Force.”

Revan raised her hands placatingly. “All right,” she said, and then again, softer than Bastila had ever heard her before, “All right.”

“I was trying to meditate,” Bastila said, harshly. “Before you interrupted me.”

“Okay,” Revan said. “I’ll be in the cockpit. Let me know if- if you need anything.”

“I will,” Bastila said, staring at the metal floor.

Revan left. Bastila remained where she was, unmoving.

[ladyrevanhalin]

ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE MERCY OF THE JEDI

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/38375939#workskin

For the first time since returning from Dxun, the woman stood before the Jedi Council. Once she had come here as Halin Chan, the promising Jedi Knight who wished to serve the Republic. Once she had come here as the Revanchist, who sought to turn the Council’s heads and make them realize their hypocrisy. But now, she was coming here for the first time as Revan. What Revan wanted… what Revan wanted was more than Halin or the Revanchist even realized was at stake.

The red and silver of the mask the woman wore contrasted sharply with the deep sapphire color of her robes, with both colors standing boldly against the black of her cloak. She appeared as some sort of a strange Jedi-Mandalorian hybrid there in the center of the Council Chamber. It was clear that some of the Council Members were intimidated by the fact that they could not see her face beneath the mask she wore. She would have been lying to herself if she denied the pleasure she felt at knowing that her presence there intimidated them. A certain degree of fear bred respect—a respect that the Council was used to being on the receiving end of, but not necessarily the opposite. It felt nice to have a shift in the tides for once.

However, Revan did notice a shift in some of the seats on the Council. Replacing Master Dorjander Kace on the Council was Lucian Draay, one of the Masters who had formerly been in charge of the Jedi Tower on Taris. She wondered as to what could be the reasoning for such a change, particularly at this time. Master Dorjander Kace had been one of the last left to have fought in the Great Sith War, and had been captured by the Mandalorians for a period of time. Dared she hope it was possible he resigned his position after voicing support for the Revanchists’ cause?

While the possibility did give her hope, it was irrelevant at the moment. In light of the shared vision on Cathar, which all of the Council had seen with their own eyes, Revan had come before them, once again, to ask for the Council’s support in the decision regarding Jedi aid for the Republic against the Mandalorians.

“I believe all of you already understand why I am here yet again,” Revan said as she addressed them. “You have all now witnessed with your own eyes the truth that I and that the Revanchists have known now for some time. You have all now witnessed the mass-genocide of an entire race from their home planet. You have all witnessed the atrocities of which the Mandalorians are capable of. With these things in mind, I ask you, once again, for the support of the Jedi Order to the Republic during this war.”

There was an uneasy silence in the room. Revan stood tall and with as much confidence as she was capable of displaying. If this had not changed their mind on the matter, then she did not know what would. Either way, she would not allow them to stop her. She would fight on her own if she had to. But if she could convince them finally to sanction the movement, then any Jedi would be free to join the Revanchists—free to fight for the protection of the Republic!

“We do share your concerns,” one Council members finally said, “However, things are a bit more complicated than us simply giving permission for you and your followers to run off into battle…”

“There are… political reasons. The reputation of the Jedi Order is also at stake here. We are not warriors, or soldiers. The Jedi are scholars, healers, teachers…”

“Many rash decisions can be made amidst the desperation caused by war. If such a decision were to be made by a Jedi, and it held negative repercussions, it is the Jedi Order as a whole that would be held responsible.”

“So what all of you are saying,” Revan put rather bluntly, “is that the possibility of negative repercussions on the reputation of the Order outweighs the countless lives that would be saved. Is that the excuse that you are making?”

“We’ve said no such thing!” Master Lemar stated in protest.

“That’s exactly what you’ve said though! You’re still not willing to let the Jedi aid, and yet you know how many people suffer as a result!” The woman was having none of their petty excuses. It needed to be now or never. If they waited too long, there would be no chance of helping.

“We didn’t say that we did not want to help them…”

“You want to, and yet you continue to make excuses not to.”

“We cannot sanction a military unit…”

Revan thought. Surely there must be some way around the stupid politics which surrounded the whole situation. The Council admitted now that they wanted to help… The only issue was getting them to overlook propriety and niceties long enough to take action and give their word.

“Surely there have been Jedi to help in past wars, even on a smaller scale, outside of the Great Sith Wars…?”

“Well,” one said, scratching his chin, “Occasionally they’ve joined one of the volunteer mercy corps as healers, but outside of that…. No, no, I can’t think of any specific cases…”

Revan’s heart leapt in her breast. A Jedi Mercy Corps… Maybe there was a chance after all…

“Has the Jedi Council ever denied a Jedi’s request to join such a mercy corps?” Revan asked the Council. The Council was somewhat confused by her question, but they did choose to humor her with an answer:

“A request to join the mercy corps has never been denied, no. During times of great destruction, there is always need for healers to take away the pain. It would be immoral for us to deny such a request…”

“Then I ask the Council for permission for the Revanchists to join the Republic Mercy Corps.”

The Masters glanced among the order. ‘Halin’ had never been much of a talent for healing. Her marks in the area were acceptable, but nothing beyond the basics. And while there were several talented healers among them, such as Opela and Fiolli, and even Ferroh to a lesser degree… the majority of the Revanchists were not primarily healers. No, no, they suspected that there must have been some sort of an ulterior motive behind Revan’s request.

They hesitated to respond. She had put them into a position of great conflict. While they strongly suspected that the nature of the Mercy Corps missions were not her primary intention… to deny the quest would go directly against their own morals. Halin had always been a clever girl, but Revan’s psychoanalysis of the situation was beginning to border on manipulation. Either they denied her request and proved to the onlooking galaxy Revan’s views of their hypocrisy… or they granted it at the risk of her overstepping those boundaries…

Master Vrook Lamar regarded the woman who called herself Revan with an expression of concern combined with admiration on his face. He’d always been warry of her rebellious nature when she was training at the Academy on Dantooine, but these current issues… they were different than the ones he’d faced with her then. He knew that there was no alternative to granting her request. As they told her, a Jedi had never been denied the ability to serve on the Mercy Corps. However, he remained wary. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t change her mind about the Mandalorians. ‘Justice’ was the word she had used on Cathar upon taking up the mask which she wore now. However, Master Vrook understood from observing Jedi during the Great Sith War that all too often ‘Justice’ was confused with ‘Revenge.’

“The Jedi Council grants your request, Revan, to join the Republic Mercy Corps.”

Much to the woman’s surprise, it was Master Vrook Lamar who finally dared to speak up on the Council’s behalf. She could tell from his expression that he did not trust her, but respected him for realizing that he knew he could not deny her. However, he continued.

“We do, however, have conditions to granting you this permission.”

She knew it. She knew that there had to be some sort of catch to this.

“And pray tell what those conditions might be, Master Lemar?”

“You are to accept no more Padawans into the Revanchists. Any Padawans who have already joined you are to return to their Masters at once. You are also required to be under the command of a Republic officer during any and all missions under the banner of the Mercy Corps. And our final condition is that any major decisions involving Jedi activity in the Republic war effort, even under the banner of the Mercy Corps, must be brought before the Council first for approval.”

Revan thought about this proposal. It would mean that Nisotsa would be unable to return to them, and that Fiolli would have to leave. It would be a shame about Fiolli, since she was the best healer and pilot among them. But if they had a Republic escort now, there would be no necessity for pilots. These were losses she could manage. In regard to the second issue, it would be a matter of ensuring that the Republic officer in charge was sympathetic to their case, which was nothing beyond a bit of persuasion…. But the last clause… the last one was what made things tricky. The last one risked the effort being dragged to a stalemate due to the sticky backward nature of Jedi politics.

“May I ask what it is I’ve done to breed such distrust among you?” Revan asked the Council. “I have killed no one during this war, and neither have any of the others.” That is, as far as she was aware. True, Hazar had died because of her naïveté, and she’s nearly killed Demagol while trying to resist the Sith holocron when it was onboard…. But her hands remained clean of blood thus far. Though she’d never gotten all of the details from Malak about what happened aboard the Arkanian Legacy… She was still sour about the situation leading up to it, and so she tried to avoid bringing it up. Though perhaps… “And you cannot think that we would choose to deal in potentially system-devastating weapons. That’s simply ridiculous.”

“That’s not what the report from Admiral Karath states,” one Council member stated.

Ah, that’s right…. Malak did mention that he was there…

“And what did the reports say? I was not there. I wouldn’t know.”

“You weren’t there?”

“No. I was….” She searched her mind for the correct words to phrase what had happened. “Incapacitated,” was what she came up with. “Malak went in my stead.”

“We should have expected such,” Master Atris nearly hissed. “Sending your comrades in your place when the situation turns dangerous!”

Revan could feel her temples boiling beneath her mask. Her core felt unusually hot and seemingly burning from within. Her hands trembled. She couldn’t place what it was that she felt in that moment. It was so intense she had to mentally brace herself.

There is no emotion… There is no emotion…

But she could only brace herself against so much. “I never sent Malak on such an errand,” she said through her teeth. “In fact, I specifically ordered him not to go. He left for Lord Adasca’s flagship without my knowledge or permission.”

She leered at Master Atris from beneath her mask. The visibility from the visor was surprisingly good, considering the fact that no one could see in from the outside. She should have suspected so much though. After all, Mandalorians were warriors, and good visibility was a necessity when in the heat of combat, particularly for those unattuned to the Force.

The air was stiff, yet full of electricity, as if a great storm were brewing. Everyone present knew it. Everyone present felt it. The tension was high. Revan continued.

“I’ve done everything within my power to keep every member of this company safe, and while I deeply regret that there are those I have failed at protecting, to even suggest that I would do such a thing is simply beyond despicable! I care very deeply for Malak; I will not hide this. I would never knowingly place him in danger. I sent him to Suurja with the expectation that fighting had ceased and there was no military presence left from either side. And after the nameless tortures which he endured as a result, I have regretted it ever since. I tended to his wounds myself. His pain was my pain, and I felt dead knowing that I could have prevented it all…”

Her voice had become progressively choked with tears. Her words were genuine. Even the Council could not deny that. No one knew the words to respond to this. Even the Jedi were not so void of emotion that they could not understand remorse and pity.

Revan swallowed. She was becoming distracted. She could not risk this. She needed to focus on the goal at hand. “I accept the Council’s conditions,” she managed with what strength left to her voice that she could muster. “I do not know what you have heard of the Battle at Omonoth, or of the Arkanian Legacy, and perhaps you know more of what happened there than I know myself… and while I do not agree with Malak in his decision to undermine me and go on his own, I do trust him. I trust that he would not have done anything to mar the name of the Jedi. You trust him too—that much I can sense from all of you. What I don’t comprehend is why you distrust me.”

><><><><><

           Malak approached Revan as she exited the Council Chamber. He tried to catch her eye as she moved, but her hood was up and her mask downcast, as if deliberately trying to avoid eye contact with the world. The mask was like a shield. It did not let others in, and it did not let her expressions out.

He had been listening behind the door the entire time. He’d heard her conversation about the Mercy Corps… and about him. There was so much he needed to ask her about…

“Revan?” he said, calling to her softly. He humored her with the new name she had chosen. He had to admit that he did prefer it to the Revanchist. It seemed more like a name than a title, a bit more humanizing in that sense. It was also much easier to say. While he hated to admit it, a part of him never wanted to call her the Revanchist because it made him feel stupid trying to pronounce it correctly as he struggled to imitate her inflections in the Deralian tongue. But the main reason why he preferred Revan was in the context of her choice. The Revanchist was bred from the death of innocence—the death of Halin. Revan was bred from the determination of justice.

Justice….

That was the word she had used before, in her attempt to explain to him what it meant to be Revanchist…. Yet it seemed to bear more poignancy as Revan. If a Revanchist was, as she had told him before, one who serves justice to the innocent, then Revan must have been justice itself.

The woman stopped, exhaling a sigh as she did so. Somehow her victory in obtaining the support of the Council didn’t feel like a victory at all.

“We did it,” she said, not turning to him. “The Revanchists are now officially serving as a ‘Jedi Mercy Corps.’ We are to meet with the Republic at the Embassy at planetary noon tomorrow.”

“Why do I sense that you are unhappy?” The question was more of a formality. He’d heard most of the conversation from outside.

“They’ve imposed conditions on our involvement even within the Mercy Corps,” Revan stated, resuming her previous pace. Malak followed at her side. “I don’t understand why it is that they still do not trust me…”

“They feel threatened by you, Rev,” he said, tasting the feeling of it in his mouth. It wasn’t entirely bad. There was a certain mellifluous feeling as it danced on his tongue, the fricative leaving a lingering vibration on his lips. His abbreviation of the name caused her to stop again in confusion. Malak had not been anticipating this, and found he had to turn back around to face her after having stepped too far ahead. Unsure if he had offended her, he quickly continued speaking, as if in an attempt to retract the thing. “They’re not used to having someone counteract their logic or point out their flaws. They are threatened by you because you think for yourself…”

The woman sighed. Malak half expected her to correct him of her newly chosen name, but she did no such thing. She was silent again. Malak wondered what his friend and Master was thinking. She had always been quite careful about her own mental blocks and was elusive to those who tried to read her. The mask only deepened the elusion, for her face was now unreadable as well…

Finally, he dared to ask her the question that was really on his mind after what he had heard: “I’m… dear to you?”

The mask looked up at him, and he wondered what expression shone in the blue-grey eyes which lie underneath. He reached out slowly, as if to lift the mask and meet her eyes beneath, but she raised a hand and turned her face away.

“I’ve said too much already… We should find the others. They should know about the shift in operations. Xaset Terep will be free to rejoin us also, should he choose. I’ll break the bad news to Fiolli personally. She has served with honor as a Revanchist…”

Revan continued walking.

‘She’s avoiding my question,’ Malak thought. It seemed to have struck a nerve with her, like whatever it was that she was refraining from telling him was something that she had yet to even fully admit to herself…

Maybe it was for the better though. There is no emotion, there is peace… It would only serve as a distraction from their mission. He decided to drop it for the moment. It would be best for everyone if they focused on the goal at hand.

><><><><><

Revan regarded the strange-looking man who had been there to meet them at the Republic embassy. Captain Telettoh had goldish-pinkish hair similar in color to the juice of cloudberries from Bakura, which he kept clipped very short in a typical military fashion. His nose and mouth were rather wide-set for a human male, and his eyes were difficult to distinguish beneath the sheen of his glasses. It made the woman wonder if he could even see at all, given their nearly opaque appearance. A blind military officer would have been laughable… except for the fact that he was in charge of the Mercy Corps. There was no combat he would need to see.

Revan sat alone with the Captain and with Malak in the Embassy. The other Revanchists were enjoying the moment of respite before the movement returned to the Outer Rim. Revan couldn’t say that she blamed them for wanting to do such. After all, there wasn’t much to see in the Rim right now other than war-torn worlds and destruction… She had tried to convince Malak to do the same, but he refused to leave her, insisting that this was an important moment for their movement, and that he wanted to be a part of the conversation.

Despite his odd appearance, Revan found Captain Telettoh to be rather agreeable. She had learned from their conversation that there were, in fact, many military leaders among the Republic who had wanted involvement of the Jedi sooner.

Revan’s gaze was intense beneath her mask as she subtly probed the Captain’s mind while he was explaining the history of the Mercy Corps and their mission. She was trying to determine how receptive he would be to a change in tactics. While she was happy to finally be working in cooperation with the Republic directly, she needed to be certain that it wouldn’t cause additional political hoops she would be forced to jump through in order to make any sort of actual progress.

Her mind gently brushed against his, waiting to see if there would be any sort of a reaction. The Captain paused mid-sentence, scratching his head a moment as if he had lost his train of thought before he continued on. A small smile appeared on the masked woman’s lips. The man’s mind seemed susceptible enough. It was possible that this whole crazy plan might just work… Proceeding with caution, she went in further, slipping past his mind’s barriers.

There’s no reason for the Republic to limit the Jedi’s aid to them.

“There’s no reason for the Republic to limit the Jedi’s aid to them,” Captain Telettoh continued.

It would be a waste of available resources to use them only as healers

“It would be a waste of available resources to use them only as healers.”

Malak subtly glanced over at his companion with suspicion. He knew Jedi mind tricks when he saw them. He didn’t understand why she would even think of risking a thing like this now though. They’d only just gotten approval from the Council, and already she was risking them getting shut down by doing such a thing. He personally thought the act to be quite irresponsible, but he dared not speak up now, lest he risk her tactics being caught.

Revan continued.

There’s no need for you to tell the Jedi Council or the Republic media about our actions. All will remain in complete confidence.

“There’s no need for me to tell the Jedi Council or the Republic media about the Revanchists’ actions. All will remain in complete confidence, I assure you both.”

“Well then, Captain,” she said aloud, “I thank you for your trust in the matter. You have been most agreeable. We shall do our best not to disappoint the Republic.”

She stood, bowing politely in a gesture to take leave. “It has been a pleasure, Captain Telettoh.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Jedi Revan and Jedi Malak. I look forward to working alongside the Revanchists when our task force leaves Coruscant.”

The two groups parted ways. It was only after they had left the embassy that Malak dared to address Revan about what had happened in their meeting.

“What were you thinking!? What if something had gone wrong—”

“His mind was weak, susceptible,” Revan replied plainly. “It was not an uncalculated risk, I assure you. I had been testing the malleability of his consciousness ever since our arrival…”

“But why? Our meeting at all was already a step forward.”

“One step forward isn’t progression if it’s followed by two steps backward. We’ve been at this far too long already with nearly nothing to show for result. I will not have our next eight months be just as unproductive as the first… It’s better this way. If the Captain will not report our actions, then we are free to move as necessary in order to end this war.”

><><><><><

It was one of the first truly successful battles of the war for the side of the Republic. The Mandalorians had been slowly shifting their route on conquest and turning inward toward the Core Worlds of the Republic. The Mandalorian forces had attempted a sort of pincer movement by capturing Ithor and Iridonia, however, in a second battle at Iridonia, the Republic had managed to liberate the Iridonian system from Mandalorian control.

The Republic needed this victory. Their war efforts thus far had been met with little to no success, and the Mandalorian front was gradually closing inward on Republic space over the past year of fighting since the Republic had first entered the war. With all of their resources and trained soldiers, the thing that the Republic was lacking was the Mandalorians’ almost fanatical views of honor in battle. Every action was for the glory of battle, for the thrill of meeting an opponent and facing them to the death.

It was largely these views that made the Mandalorians so ruthless in their conquests. Try as they may, the Republics tactics could not seem to effectively counter the warrior race. At Iridonia, the Republic had been lucky enough to have the aid of the Zabraks in repelling them.

But Iridonia and Ithor were Mid-Rim systems. That the Mandalorian front had managed to progress this far at all was a startling realization in and of itself. When the Mandalorians had begun attacking unaligned planets in the Outer-Rim thirteen years prior, the Republic had not expected them to be a threat other than perhaps the occasional supply raid. However, what had resulted now because of their ignorance toward the situation had become potentially fatal to the very existence of the Republic.

><><><><><

Jedi Master Arren Kae entered the Chamber of the Jedi High Council on Coruscant. Her nearly white blonde hair hung gently over her shoulders like a crest of gold-rimmed clouds atop the olive and chestnut forest of her robes. Her dark blue eyes seemed as deep as the sea. She was an attractive woman to be sure, but an even more deadly warrior should she choose.

The woman had spent much time among the Echani people, a race of near-humans originally from Eshan who were widely regarded for their swordsmanship and mastery of unarmed combat. For the Echani, the only way to truly know a person was through combat. To them, communication best came through the exchange of motion in their ancient martial arts customs.

During her time among the Echani, Master Kae had learned much in the terms of their battle techniques. It was an ancient tradition, to know another through sparring—No weapons, no armor, no tools… only two bodies and two souls, their every motion speaking beyond the capability of words.

The woman stepped to the center of the Council Chamber and bowed in respect to the other Masters present who formed the Jedi Council. “The Council has requested my presence?” The woman asked them. She’d heard much recently regarding trouble with one of her former apprentices. She assumed that the reasoning for her summons had to do with this—that they would ask her to speak to the apprentice—but she knew that they were wasting their time if this was their purpose. While the Jedi Knight Halin Chan had always treated Kae with respect while under her tutelage, she had also always been quite independent. Miss Chan was a good-natured pupil though, and Master Kae was confident that her intentions matched this nature.

The Mandalorians and the Echani were very much alike in some ways, yet very different in others. Both were warrior races, feared by those who opposed them. But Mandalorians only sought conquest and the glory of battle. The Echani sought understanding through combat. As her former teacher, Master Arren Kae was confident that her former apprentice was closer to an Echani than to a Mandalorian.

But these things were not why the Council had requested her audience.

“The Council has been informed of some rather… disturbing news recently, and we wished to address you in person about the situation before coming to any of our own conclusions,” one of the Council members stated.

Master Kae furrowed her brow. The statement had been a confusing one to her. “What news is it that the Council has heard?” she dared to ask.

“A source, who has asked us to remain anonymous, has come to us recently with some rumors regarding your time spent on Eshan approximately eleven years ago,” they continued. “It is these rumors which we wish to discuss with you.”

“As you are well aware,” spoke another, “much has changed in our time as a result of the Great Sith War… Changes among the practices of the Jedi Order have been put into place for the purpose of avoiding the temptations which lead so many to yield to their passions and fall to the dark side during those difficult times.”

“Yes, I understand this,” Master Kae said to them. “Such changes were put into place with the best intentions for the future of the Jedi Order in mind. However, I must admit that I’m unsure what this has to do with my time on Eshan. As you know, I was stationed there to aid in diplomatic proceedings between the Echani and the Jedi Council. There were many young Echani who were sensitive to the Force that you wished to have sent to be trained and potentially join the rank of Padawan.”

“Yes, and we had you test a great deal of Echani children for Force-Sensitivity… Including the daughters of one of their generals… a General Yusanis, if I recall correctly?”

A flicker of emotions briefly rippled over Master Arren Kae’s naturally calm demeanor, but she regained her composer so very quickly that the only way one could have noticed would have been if they had been looking for such a thing in advance.

“Yes,” Master Kae replied. “He had five daughters, though I did not sense that any of them had any talent in the ways of the Force…”

“His sixth daughter wouldn’t have been born at that point, I suppose… Like but unalike to her sisters, the child bears the face of her mother… Your face, Master Kae. Do you deny this?”

Master Kae’s eyes were as deep as the sea, lost in reflection of the past. She remembered General Yusanis fondly. He was an expert in combat, and the two of them had sparred often while she was on Eshan. He was one of the finest dualists among the Echani, and his children were among those that the Jedi Council hoped to have tested for the potential of becoming Jedi.

While all five had failed the tests that Master Kae had given to them, her interactions with the General had continued through the entirety of the duration of her stay on Eshan. He was fierce and masterful in the way he moved in combat. She had learnt much of the Echani and their traditions from him. Their martial arts, their traditions of honor… he had even shared with her some Echani poetry, though it caused her to understand why they preferred poetry in motion to the use of words.

To the Echani, words were clumsy things. The only true expression of a person could be achieved through the own dance of their body in hand to hand combat. It was a communication so pure to them that they felt it could be used to truly understand another’s soul. It was through combat that she had come to know the soul of the Echani General… and through combat that he had come to learn hers. Such had been the case on the occasion in which the two had consummated what they had come to understand as love.

It had been after a particularly intense sparring session. As tradition mandated, there were to be no weapons, no shields, no armor… only warrior against warrior, flesh against flesh… The two were an equal match, the intensity of their attacks showing the respect they held for one another. There was no restraint, no hesitation, only pure, unadulterated motion. Poetry in motion. A dance in the duel. A duet spun of martial art. The intensity climaxed until there was nothing left but the two of them. Warrior and Warrior. Man and Woman…

“Master Kae?”

The Council Chamber had grown silent waiting for her response. Master Arren Kae swallowed, bringing her thoughts back to the present.

“I do not deny this… The child bears my face because I am the child’s mother.”

“You understand that such things have been forbidden among the Jedi Order, Master Kae?”

“I do,” she said simply. While she had hoped otherwise, she’d always known that it would be impossible for her to hide the situation forever. She had not personally seen the child since soon after it was born. Yusanis had begged her to leave the child to him on Eshan in order to avoid the punishment of the Jedi Council and a scandal among the Echani political scene.

“Then you understand that we are left with no choice,” the Council continued. “Arren Kae, the Jedi Council finds you guilty of knowingly yielding to your own passions and defying the Council’s mandates proceeding the Great Sith War. It is with deep regret that we are forced to expel you from the Order and must ask that you relinquish your lightsaber.”

Silently, Arren Kae closed her eyes and bowed respectfully in acceptance of the Jedi Council’s decree. She removed the hilt of her saber from her belt, her hand lingering there for a moment, as if to reflect upon the way that it felt so that she might clearly remember it later, and laid it in the center of the chamber before turning and exiting in silence. For the Echani, there was more spoken in movement than in words. And for Arren Kae, there was more spoken in silence. Motion, simple and pure, filled a void of connotation which words could not.

><><><><><

In every war, there were tragedies on both sides. However, there were times when true tragedies came to a side from within themselves. Much was at unrest within the Jedi Order on Coruscant. While the dispute with the Revanchists movement had been largely settled, problems which had lurked in the shadows for some time now were finally beginning to come to light.

The truth had finally come out as to what had happened during the Padawan Massacre on Taris near the start of Republic entry into the war. As it turned out, the Masters in charge of the Jedi Spire there had a collective vision that they believed to be a sign one of their Padawans would turn to the Dark Side and become a Sith Lord that would destroy them all… and so they had chosen to kill the Padawans in an attempt to prevent that from happening.

What they hadn’t anticipated was that one of the Padawans, Master Lucian Draay’s, would survive the massacre, and so the poor thing ended up as the scapegoat, having the whole blame of the situation put on him. Consequentially, the Padawan, Zayne Carrick, had been on the run ever since, trying to clear his name. The situation had brought him to Coruscant.

One thing led to another and the situation culminated with a servant of the Draay estate overriding the weapons systems to a Republic command ship in orbit and firing on the planet below. As it turned out, it was the servant, a failed Padawan, who had been corrupted by the dark side and had begun amassing his own following of Dark Jedi who had been loyal to the Draay Family Estate. When the weapons had been fired on the planet, the Council and several of the Masters and Knights at the Temple had immediately swarmed the scene of the Draay Estate in order to put down the Dark Side uprising.

Needless to say, Master Lucian Draay was expunged from the Council and from the Jedi Order. The wanted charges for the Padawan Zayne Carrick had been dropped and the involvement of the Draay family had been covered in order to keep the reputation of Krynda Draay, who had been one of the greatest Seers and teacher of Seers within the Order, and who had died after being removed from the stasis tank in which the rogue servant had placed her. The official account released to the press was that Mandalorians had hacked the fleet’s weapon systems and launched an attack on the estate, hoping to blind the Jedi and the Republic. The Jedi Order was very thorough about coving up any potential scandals.

><><><><><

When Revan had heard the news of the expulsion of her former Master, Arren Kae, from the Jedi Order, she had determined that she needed to find the woman before the Revanchists were to leave again for the War. The recent events at the Draay Estate there on Coruscant had caused chaos and disruption among the Jedi there, and the Order and the Republic alike were scrambling for a coverup of the incident, blaming much of the damage on ‘Mandalorian hackers.’ Personally, Revan thought that the notion was ridiculous, and didn’t see how anyone would buy it. After all, the method would have been very un-Mandalorian, but the general population did not know anything of the Mandalorians’ views of honor in battle.

The first place that Revan had thought to seek her former teacher was a public garden that the Master had been quite fond of on the Coruscant skywalk. She had personally preferred it to the Meditation Gardens at the Jedi Temple. While the meditation gardens were peaceful, the skywalk garden provided a view that was unparalleled. It sat atop one of the tallest spires in the planet-wide city and allowed visitors to see for miles in every direction on a clear day, or to sit among the clouds themselves on one less so.

That particular day was moderately cloudy. The atmosphere was thinner here due to the altitude, and so it behooved one to remain calm and breathe deeply in order to avoid a lack of oxygen. Master Kae had brought her here many times to meditate, but also for teaching what Revan had learned of Echani dueling. Her reasoning was that, when the air was so much thinner, the body was forced to perform at maximum efficiency in order to not tire out too quickly. One must retain supreme focus and remain true to their body, as was the goal in the Echani martial arts—a pure expression of the body through movement.

She found Master Kae seated on the white stone pavement beneath a tree, deep in meditation, when she approached her.

“Master Kae? May I join you?” Revan asked her.

“You may join me, though I’ve no right to let you call me ‘Master,’” the woman said, her eyes still closed, though she recognized the voice and presence of her former student. “Call me Arren.”

“Arren then,” the younger woman said, sitting facing the former Jedi Master.

“I hear you’ve taken upon a new name yourself, my former apprentice… ‘Revan’ is what they call you now, is it not?”

Revan swallowed past a lump in her throat. She could not help but to feel guilty for Arren Kae’s current predicament.

“….Master Kae, I’m so sorry…”

“Arren,” she corrected. “And there’s no reason for you to apologize to me. I’d always known that there would be a time when this day would come. That I would not be able to hide Brianna forever…”

“But thirty years ago, you wouldn’t have needed to hide anything—and you shouldn’t now…”

“Much has changed since that time, Revan. The Council has done what they have in an attempt to prevent future generations from falling to the darkness the way that so many did then. Whether I agree with their methods or not is unimportant.”

“The timing and severity of all of this though… I cannot help but to think that their punishment was provoked by the emergence of the Revanchist movement… You were my teacher…”

“As were several of the Council Members themselves at one point or another. Master Tokare, Master Dorak, Master Lestin… You had many teachers, Revan. I was but one. You cannot blame yourself for my being outcast.”

A silence passed between the two, the faint hum of air speeders buzzing in the distance from the traffic lanes below. In retrospect, the garden was a rather strange place. It was like a little Eden hidden away from the glitz and the grit that formed Coruscant. Below them, crime lords and politicians alike were at work. People from hundreds of races moved about their daily lives. A crew worked to hastily repair the damages that, according to official media outlets, were caused by ‘Mandalorian hackers.’ And the Jedi went about in their Temple, teaching, meditating, debating politics… But here there was none of that. Here, there was only the sky, the two of them, and their own thoughts and reflections.

“You said her name was Brianna?”

“Yes,” Arren replied, opening her eyes finally. “My own mother’s name.”

“I must say… I don’t quite understand… The rules of attachments have been in place since before I was born… what does it… feel like?”

“To be a mother?... Or to fall in love?”

“Both, I suppose…”

Arren Kae smiled at her pupil’s question. “I’m afraid I’m not a very good example of a mother… I’ve not seen Brianna since she was only a few months old… But I know that she is safe. A mother can sense these things. Such is the bond with her child… She’s ten now. She’s on Eshan with her father and his family…”

Revan was beginning to realize how very little she actually knew of her former Master’s life. She had always been all-business as a pupil, not just while with Kae, but in general, seeking to gain as much knowledge and experience as she could possibly absorb. While she had been an apprentice to many, it would have been a stretch for her to claim that she was truly a friend of any of them.

“But surely the Jedi must have sensed something before,” Revan said, “when you were with child.” She’d not encountered many pregnant women before, but in those she had, it was possible to sense the new life growing within the Force. It would have been difficult for the Jedi not to sense sooner.

“I had help,” Arren said.

“From whom? From other Jedi?” Revan could see no other way that anyone could have helped with such a thing.

“From the Mak’Tor,” the former Master explained. Revan had heard of the Mak’Tor on Coruscant, but she didn’t know anything of them other than the name. Kae continued: “They are great healers, and while they are in the Jedi, they are not of the Jedi. I went to them during my pregnancy. They were willing to help me keep my secret… Brianna was born here, on Coruscant. I come to them hoping for help with my rather precarious situation.”

“And they were able to hide your pregnancy?”

“Yes… The healer I had approached—I’ll never forget her—took my case to someone the Mak’Tor referred to as a ‘Master Singer.’ They’re quite a curious group. Their views of the Force are different from what the Jedi are traditionally taught. I asked once to Ta’Lona’Mack (that was her name) to explain it to me…. She described the Force as a song…”

Revan could not help but to laugh at the notion. “I’m sorry… but a song?”

“Yes,” Kae said, quite seriously. “They listen for a song, a sort of undercurrent symphony to all the universe… Some of the Mak’Tor, such as the Master Singer I mentioned, are able to use this song, often for healing rituals…”

“And this healer… this ‘Master Singer’… did they… sing to you?” Revan had to admit, she was puzzled by the concept. It seemed a bit silly… but, then again, the Force manifested itself in many strange and logic-defying ways. Who was to say it was beyond possibility for these people to hear it as a song? The Miraluka could see. And though the concept was different from what she could understand, why should the Mak’Tor not hear?

“Not exactly,” Arren explained. “The Master Singer presented the healer with a crystal, which she gave to me and told me to keep with me at all times… I’m afraid that I don’t fully understand the finer mechanics of how the remedy worked, but the crystal dampened the appearance of my unborn child in the Force.”

And with these words, a smile crept its way to Arren Kae’s lips. She rested a hand on her abdomen, as if fondly remembering the time.

“I decided that the best way to keep the crystal with me would be to incorporate it into my lightsaber… which I did. So in a way, Brianna has always been with me through these ten years…” Her face fell. “Though the Council asked me to relinquish my lightsaber when they cast me from the Order. I’m afraid the crystal will remain lost to me now.”

Revan felt it was only now that she was beginning to learn anything of the person whom former Master Arren Kae was and had been. She wondered though about her former Master… She pitied the woman. Only thirty years prior, the ‘crimes’ for which she was being punished were not crimes at all. And how, she was deprived of the life she had known, of her home, and of the only remnant she carried of her own child.

“You know, Arren… if you need a place to stay, you’re more than welcome among the Revanchists… It cannot be easy for you to have lost so much so suddenly… Most of the others have chosen to stay at the Temple while we are on Coruscant, but I’ve been staying with the ship we’ve been using… It’s not much, but you’re welcome to call it ‘home’.”

“Thank you,” the elder woman said softly. “It’s kind of you to offer, but I wouldn’t want to be a burden to your cause.”

“You wouldn’t be a burden. You could join us… Help us to stop the Mandalorians and to save the Republic… I don’t know what your thoughts are on the matter… But I know that you would be an incredible asset and a wise guide to our group. The Revanchists…. Well… We are young. We lack your experience…. You have every right to refuse my offer, but… we need your help, Arren Kae…. I need your help.”

Revan had realized since their movement began that there were difficulties in leadership beyond coordination and protection. She needed a mentor. She needed someone to teach her to assume the role herself.

“Your offer is quite tempting,” Arren Kae admitted. “but you don’t need my help.”

The younger woman looked at the other hopefully, but the expression was hidden beneath the cold and unwavering metal of the mask. “Please. It would bring me much ease to have you there for guidance….”

And while her expressions were not visible, Kae smiled at Revan, understanding the hopefulness in her words and in her aura. “I will consider then,” she stated. “After all, I still owe you an explanation to your second question… though I sense now is not the appropriate time. I wish to meditate a bit longer. I will meet you on this ship later on.”

“Thank you, Master Kae,” Revan said.

“Arren,” she corrected with a smile. “You should rest too. There will be a long journey ahead once the Revanchists leave Coruscant. Perhaps on the way, I can tell you more of Yusanis… that was his name.”

Revan nodded silently and stood. “Docking platform 32, the Stalwart Nightingale… Thank you, Arren. I look forward to hearing your explanation.” And with this, Revan left her former Master in the skywalk garden, the gentle moisture of the clouds dampening her robes and bathing them both in a soft mist as they parted ways.

><><><><><

           Malak had a different aura to him the next time that Revan saw him on Coruscant. Demagol had finally woken from his coma and was being put on trial. Given Malak’s experiences with the scientist on Flashpoint, the court had asked him to testify as to what had happened. The Force seemed to burn around him in a way that Revan had never seen before. Beyond the difference in the force, he was physically different too. Blue tattoos lined the entirety of his scalp. She’d remembered him mentioning the thought of getting them to cover the scars he had as a result of Demagol’s procedures, however, she’d assumed it had been a joke when he had said it.

           The sudden changes disturbed Revan in a way that she had not anticipated. What remained of Alex had been burned away. What was left in its place was only Malak. It was strange, really, that it disturbed her so, given the changes which had occurred in herself since the time of the Revanchists. But Malak… Somehow he had always managed to keep an air to him that had reminded her of their time at the Academy on Dantooine. He’d always been the optimist of the two and a sort of positivity radiated through him even when situations seemed at their worst. She supposed that this was why she was generally happier when he was around.

           She debated whether to approach him about the situation directly or let him come out with it on his own. She didn’t have to wait long though. Malak slammed a fist on the hull of the Stalwart Nightingale. Rage. This was the emotion, the aura, that seemed to burn around him. It terrified Revan. She’d seen nothing approaching it from him before. He had always been better at controlling his emotions than she was. For him to be like this… Something must have happened at the trial…

           “Escaped!” he shouted. “I don’t know how it happened, but that monster escaped!”

           “Escaped?” Revan repeated quizzically. How could Demagol have escaped from Republic custody during the trial?

           “The court entered recess and when the recess adjourned he was gone! It looked as if someone had switched places with the guards.”

           Malak slammed a fist against the hull again, and Revan could not help but to flinch. It was so very unlike him. “Malak calm down…”

           “I should have let you kill him rather than us taking him back to Coruscant! I should never have stopped you!”

           “Alex…” she said, hoping to try a different approach to the situation.

           Malak laughed ironically. “Alex is dead, Revanchist! Surely you knew that already. Just like Halin is. Dead and gone!”

           The term sounded so vulgar when he had said it, as if he had called her by some obscene profanity. It would seem as if trying to appeal to him as Halin wouldn’t work this time…

           “You’re not thinking rationally,” she insisted. “You need to calm down.”

           “You of all people are telling me to calm down!?”

           “Yes! Yes, I am! Malak, stop it! This isn’t like you! The Republic authorities must already have people hunting him back down. Demagol is a war criminal and they will not allow him to just be taken like that!”

           “I’ll hunt him down myself!”

           “We don’t have time for this. The Revanchists have more important matters to be attending to in this war…”

           “He slaughtered a Padawan, Revan, and tortured and mutilated me! You should have killed him!”

           “But I didn’t. You stopped me. You saved me from my anger and confusion then. It’s my job now to do the same for you.” She came behind him, resting a hand on his back. At first he tensed, but then slowly softened into her touch. “I promise everything will turn out right in the end. The authorities will find him and Demagol will be brought to justice…”

           He didn’t answer her, but at least he seemed much calmer now. She stood there, her hand resting on his back for some time before she continued. “I see you finally got those tattoos you were talking about,” she commented, hoping to lighten the situation. “I didn’t think that you were serious about it…. It suits you.”

           Malak gave a single laugh. “You think so?”

           “Yes, it brings out your eyes.”

           “Now I know that you’re lying to me….”

           “No, I mean it. You look nice… I think it’s good for you… Good for you to help you to move on… to ignore the scars of the past… and I don’t just mean the physical ones.”

           He turned to look at her, hoping to meet her eyes, but found the red and silver gleam of a Mandalorian mask instead. He had forgotten for a moment, and his heart fell. He’d hoped for a reaction from her. He honestly had… He remembered the way she lit up with laughter when he had half-jokingly mentioned the idea to begin with. He’d had it done before the trial had started, and had hoped, as she’d deciphered, that it would help him to move on from the events of Flashpoint Station… But with the order of events since they’d arrived on Coruscant, his emotions had been a twisted web of confusion, and he no longer knew how to feel about Flashpoint, about Demagol, or about his closest friend.

“Thanks,” he said flatly. “I’m glad you approve…”

><><><><><

Master Dorjander Kace was a former member of the High Council of the Jedi Order and one of the last surviving members to have actively fought in the Great Sith War. He was in a unique position among the Jedi in his personal experience with the Mandalorians. After all, he was captured by them early on during the war and held prisoner for most of the time. It was during the period of his capture and confinement that his perspective on the Mandalorians began to shift.

He hadn’t taken the Revanchist movement seriously until very recently. After all, they were just a bunch of children, really. Children with a vision of what they perceived as heroism. They were nothing he considered concerning himself over until recently. Recently, after a confrontation by several Jedi Masters in which all present had witnessed a great massacre on the planet Cathar, there was a little weight gained to their movement.

It was after this vision that the Council had begun to cooperate with them… And it was after this vision that Dorjander Kace had left the Jedi High Council. He stood now with three former Padawans of his, now knights: a Faleen Female named Jaska, a Cathar Female named Veskasa, and a Chagrian Female named Sabawyn.

Master Dorjander Kace had decided that it was time. It was time for him to make his own point known in this war. It was time for him to stop watching and to use what he knew in order to bring about true justice. And under the circumstances, he knew his only hope would be to join the Revanchists.

“We’re ready, Master Kace,” Jaska said. “We all share you’re your vision, your ideal… We all know what must be done. We are ready to serve.”

“Excellent,” he said. “These Revanchists as they call themselves may be our only hope in the matter. Remember your training. They mustn’t suspect our true motives for joining. Par tor!”

“Par tor!” all three repeated. And four coppery-orange blades ignited, all joining one another.

“Our time,” Master Kace said, “is now!”

><><><><><

While Revan had expected there to be new recruits after the Council had sanctioned their request to join the Republic Mercy Corps, she had not expected there to be so many wishing to join the Revanchists. It was a bit overwhelming, really. Even excluding Arren, there were ten new recruits in total—more than enough to make up for their lost numbers after Fiolli and Nisotsa were forced to leave. Xaset had also chosen to rejoin them.

The new recruits were quite a varied bunch. There were a couple of Zabraks who had decided to join after the Mandalorians had attacked the Iridonia system—Acaadi, and Duqua Dar, both Guardian Knights. There were humans, too—two males by the name of Cale Berkona, and Voren Renstaal, and a female by the name of Cariaga Sin. There was even an Ithorian among them by the name of Thuggjomlern Din! What was possibly the most surprising of all, however, was the presence of Jedi Master Dorjander Kace and three of his former Padawans who had all become Knights—a Faleen Female, a Cathar Female, and a Chagrian Female.

The whole thing made Revan’s heart flutter with excitement that so many had been inspired to take up the cause. With numbers and with the support of the Republic, they would finally be able to start making an impact in the war effort, even if it was under the banner of the Mercy Corps.

There were sixteen of them now in total, all gathered around to discuss further course of action. “I’ve spoken with Captain Telettoh, our liaison with the Republic while members of the Jedi Mercy Corps,” Revan told them all. We are to set out in one week’s time. The Republic is providing transport aboard several of their hammerhead class cruisers. We are likely to be divided and sent to different areas of troops depending on where Jedi support is needed. If that is the case, you will be serving under whatever Republic officer is in charge of the company you are supporting. Even so, you are to report progress back to me on a regular basis. I’ll need to submit a report to Council of our actions on a regular basis.”

The last part was half true. The Council did want to keep tabs on them, but if Revan were to report the information herself rather than have it channel through Republic feeds, she would better be able to control what information they received. After all, they couldn’t risk any provocation of the Council to try to shut them down again. They had to keep this as clean as possible, particularly until they were able to gain momentum, if they were to survive as a unit.

“In one week,” she continued, “We are to meet with Captain Telettoh at the Embassy to head out. Are there any questions?”

“I have one.”

It was Malak who had spoken. Curious, Revan turned to him. “Yes, Malak?”

She really did think that the tattoos really were becoming on him, even if he had insisted it was only a lie to try to cheer him up at the time. While the change had startled her after the trial, he had started becoming surer of himself. He was more opinionated since they had first formed the Revanchists. She assumed that it had developed out of necessity, when he had been on charge on Flashpoint, and when he had been forced to step into command temporarily after the destruction of Serrocco had left her incapacitated.

“There are so many new faces among us… how can we be certain they will truly be loyal to our cause?”

There was a glint in his eyes which told her everything. He was referring to the understanding the new recruits were likely to have of the situation of being labeled as ‘Mercy Corps.’ The question was whether they were there as Revanchists, or as Mercy Corps. It was a fair concern, and it wasn’t exactly something that could be just blurted out… Not yet, at least.

“I don’t know that they will be,” Revan stated simply. “However, I’m willing to give each of them the benefit of the doubt … for the time being, at least. I tell all of you now, just as I have told the first Revanchists before, our mission will not be an easy one, and it is possible that none of us will return from it. If there is any doubt in your mind about being here, then you should leave now, while you still have the chance. I give you the week to reflect upon whether this is what is truly within your hearts. If there is any doubt by the time it comes to leave, then I request that you remain on Coruscant, understanding that this is not the path for you. I have no further statements for you. Revanchists, I shall see you in one week’s time. May the Force be with you.”

><><><><><

                       All was black. All was still. There was nothing. There was no light. There was no sound. There was no smell. There was only the darkness. It was so very dark. Revan could feel her heart racing, her breath rising and falling heavily. There was something else there with her.

           Betrayal…

           She frantically looked around, but there was still nothing but blackness. Her senses failed her, but a presence remained in the Force. Something else was there. Something so powerful that it could have swallowed her whole.

           She thought she felt a breath, cold and stale, close to her ear and quickly spun around to meet it but found nothing. She swallowed hard, her eyes frantically darting across the dark void, but to no avail.

           “A traitor…”

           The voice!

           She swiftly drew her lightsaber, its deep purple hue illuminating her own face, for her mask was not here… but the darkness remained simply darkness. She could see nothing else but her blade and herself.

           “Who is there?” She managed. “Who are you? Why are you following me?”

           She could feel herself shivering. She felt unusually cold. A sense of dread began to fill her. At first, there was no reply.

           “Answer me!” she demanded, more forcefully this time. “What are you doing in my head? You’re not welcome here. Get out—now!”

           This time, the deep laughter came from before and Revan’s shivering had turned to trembling.

           “So many traitors among you,” the voice said. “I truly wonder… are there any you can actually call your friend?”

           Revan shifted her form from Shii-Cho to a Makashi, her eyes still darting frantically about the surrounding blackness. “I’m warning you,” she said. “Leave now!”

           “Or what? Dear child, I thought you enjoyed games…”

           Before Revan knew what was happening, she was falling through the blackness and landed squarely on a hard marble surface. She could make out some figures now. The floor was large ebony and ivory checkers and she was surrounded by strange-looking statues in the same colors and material. She quickly got back up and resumed her form, but noticed that, strangely, her cloak and her robes had turned to white, and she wore pieces from the Deralian armor which Talon had gifted to her.

           She looked around for the source of the voice but could find nothing. No one…. Upon closer observation of her surroundings, she found that she was in the middle of what appeared to be a very large game board resembling those that would be used for Chess, or for Shah-Tezh.

           ‘What sort of strange place is this?...’ She wondered.

           “Your mind!”

           The voice came loud and clear from directly behind her, so suddenly and with such force that she could not help but to give a startled cry. It was answering the question which she’d been certain she’d not voiced aloud. Swiftly, she spun around in time to see one of the statues moving rapidly toward her. Without time to move out of the way, she swung, slicing cleanly across the center. Oddly, the statue shattered and then vanished into a puff of smoke, as if it had never been there to begin with.

           “A Queen,” the voice continued. “Most fitting… I should have suspected so much.”

           “Whoever you are, I’ve had enough of your mind games!”

           “But I’m only getting started, Revan. Why won’t you play a few rounds with me?”

           Another piece came, this time from her left. With more time to react, she leapt out of its way and attacked from behind, this time at a one o’clock angle. Again, the statue vanished. A cold sweat began to form on her temples. She maintained her form, standing ready to attack again.

           “I said enough!”

           “I’m afraid that choice isn’t yours to make, child…”

           “I’m not a child! I am a Jedi Knight, and I will bring peace to the Republic!”

           The voice laughed maniacally, and Revan turned frantically, still searching for its source.

           “Silly girl, not a Knight, but a Queen… And one who should be prudent, lest the true Knight betray her to be used as a sacrificial piece….”

           Suddenly it hit her. The game that they were playing… If she could win the game, then perhaps she could free herself of the voice. She sprinted across the board, but it seemed oddly larger than it should have been, as if there were no end on any side of it.

           “…for in the end,” the voice continued, “even if the Queen is the most powerful, all pieces exist only to defend the King…”

           Revan stopped short, something was approaching her from the darkness, cloaked in black and red with a hood covering its head. Whatever it was, this thing was not a statue as the other pieces had been. She held her blade ready to strike on the offensive.

           The full cloaked figure came into view now, the amethyst light from her saber reflecting back on her from the glinting metal of its armor. Slowly, the figure lifted its hood, and when it did, Revan went pale.

           She was not sure what she had expected to see when the figure revealed itself, but what it was she could not have prepared herself for. For there, staring back at her, was her own face! The eyes of the reflection gleamed a yellowed amber, and the lips were drawn in a blood-red smirk. Revan staggered backward a few steps, her breathing becoming increasingly labored.

           The reflection drew its own saber, the gleaming red piercing through the darkness. In the background, the hollow laughter of the voice loomed around them. Revan could feel it pounding within her skull. She wanted desperately for it to stop. The sound was maddening. She tried to close her senses to it, but it didn’t pay at the time to block any alertness. For the moment she did, the reflection advanced with alarming speed.

           Revan didn’t have time enough to react and parry or block the attack. She felt a piercing burn in her abdomen as the reflection lunged forward with a stab, those glinting yellow eyes staring into her own, and she cried out in pain. She felt dizzy, the world around her becoming a haze, the smell of burnt flesh hanging strong and present in the air…

><><><><><

“Revan!”

Arren Kae was holding her former pupil in her arms and attempting desperately to shake her awake. She had been thrashing about in her sleep and had suddenly screamed, as if in intense pain. The sudden sound had woken both Arren and Malak, who were the only others aboard the Stalwart Nightingale at the time and they had both rushed to see what had happened. When they found her, Revan was pale as death, the mask laying on the ground beside her bunk. She was convulsing and that was when Kae had restrained her in order to prevent her from injuring herself.

“Revan, wake up,” the former Jedi Master repeated, this time holding a hand over the younger woman’s face and applying pressure to the temples and mid-brow.

Revan’s eyes fluttered open and she immediately began sobbing in pain. It had all felt so real! So agonizingly real…

“Shhh…” Arren said. “It was only a nightmare…”

“No,” Malak said. “No, I’ve seen her like this before. She’s been having these strange visions. She doesn’t know how to control them… I keep telling her she needs to get help, but she refuses to listen to me!”

Kae shook her head and placed a hand on either of Revan’s cheeks, brushing them gently with her cheeks. “Calm down now… Tell us what happened. Tell us what you saw…”

“The voice…” It was all that she could manage to say before the pain overwhelmed her again and she cried out, clutching the place where the reflection’s blade had pierced her.

Arren frowned. “Are you injured? Show me…” she pried Revan’s hands from the spot in order to check for any sort of a wound. While there did not appear to be any physical damage, the place was unusually hot—burning even. She didn’t know what to make of it. “I don’t see any external injuries, but perhaps there’s something internal… here.”

Arren Kae closed her eyes, concentrating deeply until a blue-green glow began to emit from her hands. She passed them over the place that Revan had previously been clutching at. Whatever it was that the younger woman had seen in her vision appeared to have been attempting to manifest itself to the outside.

Arren turned to Malak, hoping for more explanation. It was quite clear that her former apprentice would not be capable of answering much of anything for a bit of time still… “What is this voice?”

“I don’t know exactly,” Malak admitted. “She says it speaks to her during the visions… that sometimes it says terrible things she dares not to repeat… You don’t think that whatever it is might be causing all of this, do you?”

“It’s hard to say… I would need more information… You said that there have been other occurrences?”

“Yes, some more intense than others… I remember during our first visit to Cathar the timing of the vision coincided so closely to the destruction of Serrocco that the disturbance left her struggling for basic motor functions for over a week after… Other times she would mix up the visions with reality. She attacked the Scientist Demagol when he was aboard and unconscious as our prisoner while we transported him to Coruscant to go into Republic custody.” Malak reflected bitterly at the thought. He still hadn’t forgiven himself for stopping her. “I saw the situation from the security web and was able to intervene before she ended up killing him… I’ve never seen her in physical pain though. Out of breath or a bit nauseous, yes… but never like this.”

Revan’s breathing was finally beginning to slow to a more normal rate. Both Malak and Kae let out an audible sigh of relief. Revan groaned and attempted to sit up.

“Careful,” Kae said, assisting her in sitting. “You’re still quite weak. You seemed to be burning up from the inside….”

“It felt like I’d been impaled…”

“Impaled?” Malak repeated, rather confused. “What exactly happened?”

“It’s… difficult to describe… It was far more abstract than any of the visions I’ve told you of previously. I… I was a part of some sort of a game… A game of chess, it seemed. The voice was my opponent… But nothing that it said seemed to make any sense… I realized that the only way to get out would be to win the game… except I was a piece also… just a piece in some sort of a larger game…”

“A pawn?”

“No…. no, not exactly…”

“Then a Knight?”

“That’s what I had thought initially, but the voice claimed I was the Queen and that the true Knight would betray me as a sacrificial piece to protect the King… None of what it was saying made sense…”

“Did you ever find the King?”

“No… No, I found my opponent’s Queen…” Her eyes grew distant remembering the dark reflection of herself which she had witnessed within the vision. “It was the Queen who attacked me… who tried to kill me…” to protect the King!

“Did you see who the Queen was?” It was Kae who asked this time. She had a bad feeling about this. She had heard of experiences of Jedi being faced with similar instances during extreme cases of the Trial of the Spirit that was administered during the tests for a Padawan to gain the rank of Knight, or for a Knight to gain the rank of Master. It was sometimes referred to as ‘Facing the Mirror.’ She feared that this might have been what Revan was experiencing in a far more intense form than it had manifested itself during her trials… “Revan, please tell me…. I can’t help you if you won’t tell me what’s going on…”

Revan did not reply, unwilling to admit what she had seen. Unwilling to admit the dark version of herself with which she had been faced…

“I told you to get help,” Malak said. “There’s still time before we leave Coruscant…”

“From whom?” Revan said defensively. “I did consider it… seeking out the school of the seers here on Coruscant… But Krynda Draay is dead now, Malak. And without her, seers are few and far between…”

“I’m not a seer,” Kae said, standing and leaving Revan to sit on her own now, “but I do think that can help you… This voice… Is it in all of your visions?”

“Yes…”

“And how would you describe the voice? How does it sound?”

Revan considered it, shuttering at the memory. “It often seems as though it’s coming from inside my head itself… like I can’t shut it out… but often it creeps in, as if it has been there the entire time… I can never seem to locate exactly where it is coming from because it feels like it’s coming from everywhere at once…”

“And would you say it is the visions, or the voice that disturbs you?”

Revan thought about it. While many of the visions had been disturbing on her own, it was the voice which had filled her with more dread than the visions themselves. In fact, at times it seemed as though the voice were somehow controlling what would manifest itself within the vision…

“It’s the voice,” she said in reply.

“I see… well, the good news is that, if you’re willing, I think there’s a way that I can help you… at least to manage what is going on. I’m no seer, so I can’t help you to control the visions themselves… but I may be able to help you to block the sound of the voice…”

“I’m willing to try just about anything if it means that I can get the damned thing out of my head…”

“Do you recall what I told you of the Mak’Tor?”

“Of their song?” Revan almost scoffed.

“Don’t laugh, child. I’m too young to be your mother. Don’t force me to have to treat you like I am.”

“Sorry… Yes, I remember.”

“The healer I told you of… Ta’Lona’Mack’… When she told me of the explanation of the Song, and what it was to her people, I asked her if she could help me to try to hear… Guide me as she tried, I only ever heard a faint whiff of it…”

“I don’t see where you’re going with this…”

“I think that it could help you, Revan… If you can learn to hear the song as she described… then perhaps the sound of it would be enough to drown out the voice… or at least to distract from it. It seems from your description that it is the sound which bothers you so… If that’s the case, then perhaps your senses will be more receptive than my own to the Song… I’ve decided I’m coming with you and with the Revanchists. You will need guidance if you are to learn how to manage these visions… I can relay to you what I know and remember of Ta’Lona’Mack’s words. I sometimes use what little I can hear for meditative purposes… If you are willing to allow your old master to teach you once more.”

While Revan still wasn’t fully convinced of the idea, it was the only plausible help she’d found or been offered, and she knew that if the visions continued to progress like this, things would only get worse…

Revan beat a fist to her chest, bowing respectfully to Arren Kae. “I would be honored if you were to accept me as your apprentice once more.”  

[ladyrevanhalin]

ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER FOUR - CONNECTIONS IN THE FORCE

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/36745326#workskin

           The way back from Coruscant to Dantooine was full of much discussion between Halin and Alex. After all, with the events of the past day, there was much for them to talk about: The incident in the archives, the results of Alex’s trip, the newly learned information about the advancing Mandalorians and about Halin’s homeworld, Deralia…

           “So what did he tell you of the situation?” Alex asked as he reclined in the co-pilot’s seat.

           “Not much,” Halin said, flicking some of the controls. “We spoke mostly of Deralia itself. He mentioned that the Council was sending a Master to investigate, though he didn’t mention who. I’m sure we could check the records of the meeting though. I doubt that would be among restricted records…”

           There was a hint of bitterness in the tone of her last words and Alex could tell that she was still upset by the Council’s decision on banning her from detailed records of Exar Kun and of the Great Sith War.

           “Perhaps not,” Alex said, deciding to leave the topic for the time being. “I suppose in a worst-case scenario, you could always contact Talon and ask. Though it’s possible the Council didn’t tell him either… Not that it makes much difference, really. I’m sure that they’re sending someone perfectly capable and that Deralia is in good hands…”

           “That’s just it though. They’re not sending someone to aid with the defense on Deralia specifically—the Master is to investigate the Mandalorians’ presence in the outer rim planets under the control of the Republic. Talon doesn’t seem confident that the Jedi Master will be of much help. He’s going to have the planetary defenses on alert and has said he would contact me directly should there be any change in the status of planetary security…”

           Alex blinked. “Contact you directly? All things considered, I’m surprised that you agreed to such a thing…”

           “What choice did I have, Alex? I may not remember him or my parents very well, but… these are my people. It wouldn’t be right to leave them without any hope of aid when they might be in need… Isn’t it the duty of a Jedi to protect the innocent?”

           Alex smiled. “So you plan on helping them if the time comes…”

           “Of course I do.”

           “Would you mind if an old friend tagged along for the ride?”

           Halin laughed a little. “Of course not, but… what, might I ask, inspired this?”

           “Well… after the Knighting ceremony on Dantooine, Opela asked if she could spar with me…”

           Halin grinned at this. “And how did that go?”

           “I questioned her reasoning for wanting to spar with me, rather than with one of the training droids when it was obvious that her skills with a lightsaber were far below my own.… Her reasoning, she said, was because of her talent in forming connections in the Force. She thought that perhaps she could use these connections as a means for better reading her opponent, and since droids are not living creatures with the Force flowing through them, she had difficulty sensing them in the same way that she did organics… You know very well that I don’t like sparring with colleagues, in fear I may end up injuring them unless I use a training saber… But her confidence in herself and in me… it made me feel compelled to allow her to spar with me. At first, I thought she must be manipulating me somehow, but her own reasoning and faith in her abilities made me think… We all form bonds in the Force—between teacher and student, friend and friend… And these bonds make both stronger. Through them, we feed off of each other’s strength and connection with the Force… And I believe that we share some sort of a bond, Halin.”

           He looked at her very seriously. So much so that Halin could not help but to be taken a little aback. “And what sort of bond, pray tell, do you think that might be?”

           “I don’t know exactly… Only that… when I’m around you, I feel your strength, and that with it, I too feel stronger… Please, if the time comes, promise me that you’ll let me come with you…”

           “Don’t you go getting all mushy on me now, nerfhearder. You can come with me, but I think Opela must have made something snap in your brain…”

           Alex forced laughter. “Yeah, maybe… Thanks though.”

           He’d blown it. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to try to bring this up… His sparring session with Opela had made him realize many things about himself that he was still discovering even afterward. She had made him realize the existence of his own bonds—why he could be so open with Halin, despite his generally closed and reserved nature. He loved her! He was sure of it!

           When he was around Opela, she had intensified the connections he felt through all bonds, including his bond with Halin. It was this reason that he had felt strangely when he was previously in Opela’s presence. What was interesting though was that she—Opela—seemed to understand his feelings before he did himself. Perhaps this was why Master Tokare thought so highly of her abilities…

           Maybe when the time was right, he would better be able to explain this to Halin, but for now he was content with their friendship. Given the rules of the Order, he doubted it would ever be more than such, but he could at least hope for her understanding…

           Halin cleared her throat.

           “So… about those schematics…”

           “Oh yes… here,” Alex said, pulling out a chip, which Halin took and, giving a nod in thanks, tucked away in the same pocket as the crystals.

           “I’ll download them to my datapad once we’re docked. Is it an interesting model, at least?”

           “I thought so. It’s rejected prototype blueprints for a new type of protocol droid that the Czerka Corporation has been working on. Apparently, they scrapped the idea though…”

           “Oh? I wonder for what reason…”

           “Beats me. I’m not much one for going over programming.”

           “I wonder if I could build a functioning model… A protocol droid shouldn’t cause any issues. It might help to pass the time, at least. It would also prove to be a great study piece…”

           Alex rolled his eyes. Sometimes he thought that Halin seemed more interested in droids than she was in the living. “Who knows,” he said. And he stood up, stretching. “I’m going to get some shuteye before we come out of hyperspace. Will you be alright with things here on your own for a couple hours?”

           “I can manage. Go rest.”

           Alex excused himself to the sleeping quarters of the Stalwart Nightingale. The ship was a rather small freighter, so they were nothing extravagant, but it was more comfortable than the cockpit. The young man disrobed and then flopped onto one of the bunks, letting out a sigh as he did so. He was scheduled to head to the Academy on Taris soon after they would arrive back on Dantooine, It was just a brief assignment—merely to scout some of the new talents among younglings there—but he was going to be on his own this time, and the thought startled him.

           Ever since being brought to the Academy, he had always been able to follow someone—his Master, Halin, the Council… This would be his first time taking up the position of a ‘leader’ of sorts.  Others of the new Knights had received similar assignments: Opela Moraf on Dantooine, another on Coruscant, one on H’ratth… The idea was that they would serve as an inspiration to aspiring Padawans.

           Alex closed his eyes, allowing his mind to grow calm as the Stalwart Nightingale continued to barrel peacefully through hyperspace.

><><><><><

           “For how long will you be gone?” Opela asked as she followed Master Kavar through the corridors of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine.

           “For as long as the investigation demands,” Kavar replied. “It could be a few months, it could be a couple of years… It honestly depends on what the Mandalorians are planning in the Outer Rim, and how they go about executing that plan. Don’t worry about me though. I’ll be sure to keep in contact from time to time. Besides, you have your own assignment to be worried about right now. I heard the Council has entrusted you with a special task here on Dantooine. To serve as the role model for the next generation of Jedi… it’s a great honor. I couldn’t think of any better choice for the task.”

           Opela blushed with modesty. “I fear I may not be ready. It is a big responsibility… And what if they should have questions to which I do not know the answers?”

           “Trust in the Force,” Kavar said, stopping and turning to his friend. “I’m sure you know more than you realize… and if you cannot find the answer within yourself, challenge them to find the answers to their questions by searching within themselves. The path to becoming a Jedi is one of self-discovery. They cannot expect to be spoon-fed all of the answers.”

           Opela smiled. Master Kavar always seemed to know the right things to say. While a Jedi Guardian, there was no doubt that he possessed the wisdom of a Master in fields beyond that of combat. “You are right, Master Kavar. I wish you luck on your journey. May the Force be with you.”

           “May the Force be with you,” the Jedi Master replied, and the two bowed to one another in respect before parting.

           Opela continued down her own path to the Enclave’s mess hall. It was a jovial place where Jedi of all ranks came to have a bite to eat while at the Enclave on Dantooine. She went along the self-service line, selected a couple pieces of exotic-looking fruit and some sort of unleavened bread, then looked for a place to sit and enjoy her light meal. She noticed a mostly empty table where sat Alex and Halin, the former gorging himself in a sort of stewed meat, and the latter sipping a cup of tea while reading something from her datapad. Opela approached them.

           “Mind if I sit here?” Opela asked them.

           Alex looked at her with his mouth full, unable to politely respond, and Halin gave a silent gesture without looking up from her datapad, to indicate that it was okay for Opela to sit. The blonde woman joined her companions at the table.

           “Aren’t either of you nervous for the upcoming assignment? I think I would be less nervous if I weren’t staying here on Dantooine, but… these children could see my actions at any time… Alex, you’re going to Taris, are you not?” Opela looked to the barrel-chested man for a reply.

           Alex swallowed down what he had been chewing. “I am,” He replied. “Can’t say I’m any less nervous than you though, even if I don’t look it.”

           “And what about you, Halin?” Opela asked, turning to the other.

           “Who, me? Oh, I’m not going?”

           “Not going? Why not?”

           Halin set down her tea and her datapad and looked Opela in the eye. “I’ve been deemed a ‘bad influence’,” she said, putting air quotes around the last part of her sentence. “I guess they don’t want my questioning authority to rub off on the younglings…” And with this, she went back to her tea and datapad.

           Opela looked at her quizzically. “Bad influence… I don’t understand… You’re one of the most gifted students to have come out of the Academy in recent years.”

           “Talent and personality are two different things, sweetheart. We can’t all be blessed with the best of both.” Her words were tinged with a sarcasm that Opela couldn’t understand.

           “I think what Halin means to say,” Alex said, interrupting the situation, “is that the Council would rather give her some time to reflect upon…. recent events before allowing her to consider taking a Padawan.”

           “Recent events?” Opela repeated, even more confused than before.

           Alex opened his mouth to explain, but Halin shot him a look that made him hold back his words. “It’s nothing, really,” he said instead. “Personal matters. They are of no concern…”

           “I see,” Opela said, not seeming so convinced, but deciding not to push further for the time being. Instead, she took a bite of the unleavened bread on her tray. “Well… If you’re still going to be on Dantooine during the time, you’re more than welcome to assist me in addressing the younglings here.”

           “Why would I do that?”

           “Well… I think it’s important for the youth to be able to see many different types of Jedi with different views and talents… I’m sure that they’ll have questions, and I cannot possibly answer them all. You’re one of the most brilliant women I know. I’m sure you could come up with something…”

           Halin sighed. “I don’t want to cause any trouble for you….”

           “It’s not trouble at all! This is my assignment, and if I feel you are up for the task, then that’s my choice.”

           Halin bit her lip, musing upon the idea. It wasn’t that she wanted to refuse really… Simply that she didn’t want to cause any more trouble than she already had recently. “I suppose if I’m not busy during the time I could at least drop by… Are you certain this is what you want though?”

           “I am certain.”

           Halin nodded, then went back to her tea.

           “Forgive me, I don’t mean to intrude, but… you seem… distracted. Is everything all right?”

           Halin sighed and set the datapad down, clutching her cup of tea in both hands. “I’m fine. It’s just that a lot has been going on lately…. Things that I couldn’t have even begun to anticipate myself…”

           “What sort of things?”

           Halin hesitated. “Well…. I met my brother while Alex and I were on Coruscant… It wasn’t planned, obviously, and certainly not expected either….”

           “What was he doing on Coruscant?”

           “He came to request an audience with the Jedi High Council on behalf of Deralia… It’s…” Halin swallowed and lowered her voice, not wanting to attract the attention of any extraneous ears. “It’s the Mandalorians. They’ve been attacking planets on the Outer Rim. So far none of the attacks have been on the Republic, but…. the last time that the Mandalorians launched such a series of attacks, it resulted in a full-blown war, eventually leading to the Great Sith War… I fear that, if things get any worse, another war will come, and there won’t be any chance of stopping it…”

           “That must be why Master Kavar was headed to the Outer Rim…” Opela murmured.

           “I beg your pardon?”

           “Oh! Sorry… Master Kavar was telling me that the Council was sending him to investigate Mandalorian activities on the Outer Rim,” Opela replied. “My guess is that it has something to do with why your brother was contacting the Council…”

           “So they sent Master Kavar, huh…” Halin felt a little relieved by this bit of information. After all, Master Kavar was quite skilled and was one of the only remaining Masters who had participated directly in the Great Sith War. “That’s good news, at least. He more so than most would understand exactly what is at stake…” And with this, she stood. “I’m sorry, but I have a lot on my mind and I feel I need to meditate on this… Please let me know when you will be working with the younglings. Time permitting, I will come to see you.” Halin bowed graciously and left in solitude. While she hoped that a war would not come as a result of the recent occurrences, she knew better than to lie to herself by denying the possibility.

           Opela redirected her attention to Alex after Halin’s parting. “Did you speak to her?” she asked him.

           Alex shook his head. “I tried, but… it’s difficult for me to put into words…”

           Opela smiled a little. “Bonds are funny that way… they are easier to feel than to provide a tangible description of. I suppose the Force is a mysterious thing in that sense… The time will come though. Let me know if you need any help until then… I think she knows that you admire her. Perhaps if things were different, you would serve well as her pupil, always so ready to follow her… It’s beautiful, really.”

           Alex blushed a little. “Jedi are warned against forming emotional attachments…”

           “Perhaps, though the existence of emotions and of bonds is perfectly natural… It is how we control them, rather than letting them control us, which makes Jedi different from most…”

[ladyrevanhalin]

ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER TEN - THE JEDI RAPTURE

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/37139603#workskin

           Over the next few days, Malak had been fulfilling his new Master’s wishes by recruiting who he could toward their cause in aiding the Republic against the onslaught of the Mandalorians. While many did not wish to defy the decisions of the High Council, there were members on both sides of the situation who had surprised Malak on the matter.

Opela Moraf, whom he had not expected to join them due to her relationship with the Council, was one of those who proclaimed herself willing to join their cause. She was, after all, a former pupil of Master Vandar Tokare and of Master Vima Sunrider—daughter of the famed Nomi Sunrider, who had sat as Grand Master of the High Jedi Council and was one of the last known practitioners of the Jedi Battle Meditation. Moraf was also a close friend of Master Atris, Mistress of the Jedi Archives, who sat on the Council, and had apprenticed informally for a brief time under Master Kavar, who also sat on the Council.

There were others, however, who he had expected to take up the cause, but had declined for one reason or another. To his dismay, there were very few who were both sympathetic and also brave enough to take action. Malak was surprised and somewhat disturbed at the faith some of the younger Padawans whom he had approached had in the Council’s decision on the matter.

In total, Malak had succeeded in recruiting five Jedi to their cause. Besides Opela, there were, Cariaga Sin, Talvon Esan, Xaset Terep, and Nisotsa.

They were all human, but from varying backgrounds and experience, some Knights and some still Padawans. The thing that they shared in common, however, was the need to make a difference in the Galaxy, which drew them toward the call to war.

While the assembled Jedi forming what was the ‘Revanchists’ were not very many in number, there was no doubt in Malak’s mind that they would be able to recruit more to their noble cause on Coruscant and on other planets where the Jedi assembled, such as the metropolis Taris, which was so very close in proximity to the front lines of the war. Beyond even these places, there were many Jedi who had taken up hermitage scattered across the galaxy. Perhaps they were not the first to feel this calling.

The Revanchist had already gone ahead to Coruscant to address the Council one last time before the official entry of the Revanchists into the war. She seemed to genuinely hope that the Council would change their minds about the situation. As determined as she had seemed about the action that must be taken, Malak still sensed that there was a part of his Master that did not wish to have to risk being cast out of the Jedi Order.

Malak gathered the Revanchists aboard the Stalwart Nightingale. They would be headed to Coruscant next, in order to meet with their leader and to discover the results of her meeting with the High Council, every one of them knowing full well the risks involved in becoming a part of this crusade.

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           The Revanchist entered the Circular chamber in which the Jedi High Council met at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the sapphire and ebony colors of her robes contrasting sharply with the polished white marble and chrome surroundings. The hilt of her newly crafted saber was grasped firmly in her right hand. She moved with a purpose and with a brisk confidence that hadn’t manifested itself so strongly in her before. She was there with a mission in mind. Either she would succeed in convincing the Council of the cause of the Revanchists, or she would openly defy their judgment and declare her own faction of the Jedi.

           “I come before you again,” she said boldly, not waiting to be acknowledged by the Council members, “in order to ask you to reconsider your decision on the inaction of the Jedi during this war.”

           Many of the Council members were stunned at the rashness of her words. They had assumed that the fiery and rebellious nature of the youth had calmed during the self-imposed extension of her training. Only weeks before, she had stood before them as the very model of the Jedi. Yet now, she dared to question their wisdom?

           “As the Council has previously stated,” spoke Master Lonna Vash, “the topic will be discussed no further.”

           “We do understand your concern in wanting to aid the Republic,” Master Kavar continued. “However, after having witnessed the early stages of the war first hand, I do not sense there is anything that requires our immediate involvement in the matter. There appears to be no involvement from the Sith…”

           “Is that all that the lot of you care about—the Sith!?” The Revanchist said, the irritation quite evident in the tone of her voice. “Here you sit all safe and mighty in your Temple while the people outside are suffering and dying because of a very real threat that you refuse to acknowledge!”

           “Halin Chan, that is quite enough,” spoke Master Dorak, hoping the calm the young Jedi knight.

           “I am not Halin! You—all of you—have killed Halin Chan! The woman standing before you today is not Halin, but the Revanchist!” And with this, she raised her lightsaber over her head and ignited the trigger. The saber’s intense purple blade illuminated the room, reflecting off of the many polished surfaces of the room.

Many of the Council Members could not help an audible gasp from escaping at the sight of the woman’s new lightsaber. The colors had become so traditional amongst the Order that any variances were highly unusual, but this variance in particular… The fact that the crystal had bonded in this color could prove to be problematic. Purple and violet colors often indicated that the Force-sensitive with which the crystal had bonded held strong qualities of both the Jedi and the Sith, and, more often than not, called upon both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.

“In the presence of the entire Council, I hereby declare that The Revanchist and all who follow the Revanchist will enter war alongside the Galactic Republic, effective immediately! When more members of the Order learn of your selfish deeds, they will flock to our cause, and there will be nothing within your power that you will be able to do in order to stop them from doing what they know is the right thing!”

The Members of the High Council stood in a ready position, as if to strike the Revanchist should she turn violent and any moment. There mere connotation of such crushed the young woman inside. It seemed to her that they already felt she was gone from the Light. She swallowed, concentrating very hard on not betraying her further emotions of betrayal at this. “I do not wish to fight any of you,” she continued, more calmly this time, “but I will if I must. All I ask is that, in your course of inaction you do not attempt to dissuade or prevent us from our cause.”

With no further words, The Revanchist turned and promptly exited the Grand Council Chamber. The deed was officially finished. There was no taking back of her words possible at this point. She anticipated that the Council would not welcome her back by the end of this war, unless by some sort of unforeseen miracle.

‘Malak should be arriving soon in the Nightingale,’ she thought. It would be time for her to meet her future comrades in battle. It was time for her to see the Revanchists with her own eyes.

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           The Revanchist was already at the platform to meet her apprentice when the Stalwart Nightingale landed. She was, however, not alone. Several Jedi Knights and Padawans at the temple had heard of the noble quest of the Revanchist, and some had decided to follow her into battle. Among them were a young Knight by the name of Ferroh, a woman named Fiolli Baill, and Hazar Kasra, who was the Padwan of Master Zez-Kai Ell, one of the Masters who sat on the High Council. It must have been a blow to the selfish pride of them to see more flocking to the cause that they had dismissed so.

Ferroh was of a species known as the Cathar, a cat-like warrior race from a planet of the same name in the Outer Rim. His planet had been one of the first to be ravaged by the Mandalorians at the beginning of their crusade. Since the planet was outside of Republic space, not much was known of the incident, other than what he had heard from members who were displaced by the event.

The other two who had chosen to follow the Revanchist from Coruscant were merely Padawans, but their resolve had convinced her that they would be capable of aiding the cause.

           The freighter landed, its hatch door opening and letting out the docking ramp. From the Nightingale, Malak emerged, followed by the five others who had joined. The Revanchist was somewhat surprised to see Opela Moraf among their ranks. Given Moraf’s ties to the High Council, it was unlikely that they would take their cause so lightly for long. This would be good for the Revanchists.

           Malak looked at his Master expectantly, waiting for a report as to how the meeting with the High Council had gone. The fact that there were others with her had given him hope for good news. However, the Revanchist simply shook her head. “The High Council will not approve of our Crusade, but I believe that I’ve convinced them to at least not interfere with our cause,” she told her apprentice. “These three have decided to join among our ranks and defend the Republic against the Mandalorian threat. Let us all gather aboard the Stalwart Nightingale and I will explain to all of you our plans.”

           The small group of Jedi boarded the freighter, all looking to the Revanchist for further clarification of their mission. In the ship's brig, she addressed them. “I am the Revanchist, and this,” she said, indicating her companion, “is my apprentice, Malak. We have lived and trained among the Order, as all of you have, but we have also seen the truth! The High Council of the Jedi Order has made the decision to ignore the cries of the Republic and its people. Now, the Mandalorians have engaged the Republic in full-on war and we have decided that we will not sit by idly while billions die at their hands! The Revanchists will not stand for such injustice—we will fight! If you are here among us, it is because you too have heard the calling to stand up for what is right. However, I must warn all of you that what we are doing is without the support of the Council. I cannot guarantee any of you that you will be welcomed back to the Order after the war. Nor can I guarantee you that you or any of us will come back alive by the end of this. Know that you will be forever changed. If there is any doubt in your mind about being here, then I ask you to leave now, before it is too late.”

           She paused, looking out among them for any who were not bold enough to continue of their journey. To her happiness, none of those there among them made a move to leave. This was good. She did not need the timid among their ranks. The Revanchists must be bold and fearless if they were to go face-to-face against the Mandalorians.

           “I welcome each of you into the Revanchists. Together, we will bring an end to this war and restore peace to the Galaxy,” with these words, she ignited her lightsaber and held it out before her as a sign of solidarity, waiting for the others to do the same. Malak was the next of them to make such a gesture, holding his blue blade against the violet one of the Revanchist. More and more followed, the greens, yellows, blues, and silver illuminating the space around them. For a moment, this reminded the Revanchist of the Kyber crystal in her own saber before it had taken its color. Together, they created a force of countless possibilities. Just as her actions and choices had molded the crystal, the actions of the Revanchists would shape the future of this war.

           “For the Republic!” the Revanchist declared, inviting the others to join her. And from the lips of all present, the words poured out in chorus:

           “For the Republic!”

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           The Stalwart Nightingale traveled through hyperspace along the route that the nava-computer had pre-determined. It was decided that the Revanchists would begin their involvement in the war through a series of scouting missions, designed to assess the current threat posed and determine where they would need to concentrate their efforts. There were many planets that had already been ravaged by the Mandalorian Crusaders. They would need to divide their forces and visit several of these areas, as well as places where it was likely for the Mandalorians to strike next.

           Malak would lead the first group of them (those who specialized more in combat—mostly Jedi Guardians) to scout near the front lines of the battle in the Galactic Eastern front, in places that were recently attacked by the Mandalorians and where the Republic was likely to have military forces stationed. The Revanchist would lead the other half of them (those who specialized more in covert and reconnaissance) to investigate territories further out along the Rim which had less involvement with the Republic, along the Galactic Southern front. While in the Southern front, she would also be able to see Talon and to assess the war’s effects on Deralia. Being a member of the Royal military on the planet, Talon would also be able to give her more information on the Mandalorians themselves and on their style of combat.

           Since there was only one ship available to them for the time being, the initial plan was to drop off those closer to the front lines with the Stalwart Nightingale, where it would be likely they could rendezvous with the Republic’s forces. The rest would move to the further reaches aboard the Nightingale. They would keep in contact via holo-communicator in order to relay any important information between the two groups. The plan was to regroup in one month’s time and plan further course of action based upon the combined findings of the two.

           The Revanchist did not wholly know what they would find in their scouting missions. They needed to be prepared for anything. After all, there was likely to still be Mandalorian presence on many of these planets. It was important that they not reveal their identity as Jedi or their purpose for their presence to the wrong people. The scouting must remain covert if it was to be successful.

           Currently, the Republic forces were engaged in combat with the Mandalorians in the Suurja System, which was located along the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line that Captain Saul Karath of the Republic Navy had put up as a defense between Taris and the recently captured Flashpoint Research Station. The conflict had resulted in many battles up to that point, yet there was still no decisive edge that seemed to be gained on either side. The Revanchists hoped that, with the aid of the Jedi, they would be able to change this, turning the tides of war in the Republic’s favor.

           Before the scouting missions, the Revanchist had decided to stop on Taris, in order to address the Jedi at the Jedi Tower. Malak had spent time on Taris previously, and she hoped that his influence there might aid in convincing the Jedi in charge of the Tower to support their crusade. They needed as much help as they could manage to pull together. And so the Stalwart Nightingale moved onward toward Taris and toward the center of the conflict.