Revan's Shadow: Chapter Eight

Bastila slowly strode towards the dead krayt dragon and stared. Obtena joined her as Canderous walked around from the other side. "Too bad the Ebon Hawk doesn't have a cargo hold big enough to put the head in," he said. "It would make a good trophy."

"We'd never get it up the ramp anyway," Obtena replied. "I'd tell the people at the hunter's lodge to come get it, but I'd rather keep this location secret, considering what's in there." She nodded at the cave.

"The Jawas can attend to it," Bastila said quietly. She stepped forward and pushed on the creature's jaw, opening its mouth wider, before reaching in and feeling around.

"Uh, Bastila? What are you doing?" Obtena asked.

"Finishing what my father started." Bastila pulled something from under one side of the krayt's tongue, and placed it in her other hand before kneeling to feel around on the other side. A moment later, she stood with a small white orb in each hand. She offered one to her fellow padawan. "Here."

Obtena took the orb and tried to wipe away some of the wet slick of saliva that seemed to cover its surface, only to discover it was in fact completely dry. "Is this a krayt dragon pearl?"

"Yes it is. Not only are they valuable, but they can be used in lightsabers."

"What, that shiny little rock?" Canderous growled.

"Anything that looks this wet while being this dry has to have some interesting properties," Obtena reasoned.

"Take care," Bastila warned as she put the one she kept away. "The pearls will require significant preparation, and your patience has been lacking on more than one occasion."

"Sometimes, patience is worth the result," Obtena admitted, bagging the pearl. "Let's go."

The first thing they encountered upon entering the cave were corpses; not just those of Komad and his friend. Some of the remains had been left untouched, except by the passage of time. The only notable exception were the Jedi robes. They had been torn apart, but there was no blood on the cloth. Obtena rooted around and found parts of a lightsaber. She managed to pry a crystal out of the weapon's bent housing before moving on.

"The Jedi master who came here must have become one with the Force when he was killed," Bastila murmered. "A fitting end when facing such a monster, cheating it out of a meal."

They moved deeper in. As their eyes became accustomed to the dark, Obtena and Bastila began to recognise features from the vision they had shared. The shape of the device was barely visible in the darkest corner of the cave, but the darkness here did not feel entirely natural. As on Dantooine, it hummed to life as they approached. The three struts folded downward, the projector rose into the air, and the galactic holograph glowed to life. Both Jedi pulled out their datapads and compared the information they had with that being displayed before them, and added the new information. They were now one step closer to finding the Star Forge.

"Anybody else get the feeling that finding the starmap in the back of this krayt dragon's cave is more than just a coincidence?" Canderous asked.

"The starmap is an artifact of the dark side," Bastila informed him. "The krayt dragon must have been drawn here by its power, only to be enslaved by..."

Obtena turned her attention to Bastila when her voice faltered. She watched as her companion stepped around the starmap and stoop to the ground. There was the sound of creaking leather, the chink of metal on metal. When Bastila rose to her feet and turned, the others could see she held a pouchbelt clutched in one hand, and a small cube lying in the palm of the other. The holocron was emitting a faint blue glow which seemed to brighten slightly as the padawan held it up. Obtena could feel the wall in Bastila's mind going up just as her emotions threatened to spill over, and wished she'd just let go so she could feel better afterwards. On the other hand, this probably wasn't the time, especially with the Mandalorian looking on. Bastila wouldn't want to give him the satisfaction, or the opportunity for another scathing remark.

Canderous harrumphed, most likely because he figured if the Jedi princess hadn't burst into tears by now, she probably wasn't going to. "Now that we've got what we came for we should probably move on. Can't say I'm going to miss this pit of a world." Bastila nodded wordlessly and stowed both the belt and holocron in her pack, along with her datapad. Canderous led the way out, Bastila behind, and Obtena poked around in the corners they hadn't checked yet to see if there was anything interesting they'd missed on the way in.

Their exit was interrupted by the sound of arriving landspeeders.

Chuckling to himself, Canderous swung his heavy repeater around his shoulder and drew his vibroblade before stepping back out into the sunlight. The Jedi flanked him on either side. Together, they greeted the newcomers.

"I have to give you credit... you've led me on quite a chase," the leader of the group admitted, "But nobody gets away from Calo Nord in the end."

"I see you brought some back-up, Calo," Canderous barked, indicating the mix of Rodian and Aqualish mercenaries Calo had arrived with. "Realized we were a bit much to handle on your own, huh?"

"You got lucky on Taris; the Sith attack saved you from a quick and gruesome death. But I promise you, the Sith won't be getting in my way this time!"

"We got lucky? Look who's talking!" Obtena challanged the bounty hunter. "This time your fate will be sealed!"

"Let's go boys... it's showtime!" Calo yelled, thumbing a control on his belt. His short stocky form was enveloped by an energy field as his companions opened fire.

Canderous charged straight for Calo, and was surprised to see him firing at Obtena instead. He'd figured this had become personal, but apparently... Of course. He's working for the Sith now. Well, this has become personal to me, and I'm not about to waste time with Calo's hired muscle. The girls were doing their part, deflecting shots with their lightsabers as they closed the distance to the mercenaries and cutting them down. With a roar Canderous leapt upon Calo, swinging his vibroblade down in an overhead swing. Dodging the attack, the bounty hunter finally turned his attention to his fellow Mandalorian.

For a moment - Canderous always lost his perception of time when he was in the thick of it - it was a game of avoiding swings of the blade and shots from the blasters. Canderous was losing, his bulk proving a disadvantage that his implant couldn't quite make up for, but the blade crashed down on Calo's armour a few times too, and Canderous had enough faith in his companions to know the battle was about to turn in his favor.

Yellow and violet lightsabers clashed down on Calo Nord, but the power shield deflected the brunt of the energy. It wouldn't be able to withstand the assault for long, though. Calo found himself surrounded. He knocked Canderous back with a shoulder before turning to aim a blaster at each Jedi, trying to keep them too busy deflecting shots to wear down the shield any further. Canderous feigned a stumble, then reversed his motion and slid his blade up through the shield, between armour plates and into Calo's back. The bounty hunter let out a surprised gasp, then collapsed facedown into the sand.

*

"To closure," Obtena announced smugly, raising her glass. Canderous, Carth, Mission and Zaalbar raised theirs in response before knocking back the last of the Tarisian ale in one gulp. Mission choked until the Wookiee gave her a pat on the back; it was her first, and probably last, taste of the stuff, so Obtena had decided to let her join them in the toast.

In the corner, Juhani whispered a question to Bastila as they watched Canderous root around for more alcohol. "Calo Nord, the bounty hunter? How was he involved?"

"He was working for Davik with Canderous, and was present at the confrontation when Obtena and the boys were trying to steal the Ebon Hawk." Juhani raised an eyebrow at Bastila's use of Obtena's term for the two men in their group, but did not interrupt. "When he realized he was losing, he threatened to blow everyone up with a thermal detonator. The Sith had just started bombing Taris... the last they saw of Nord, he was buried under falling debris." Bastila shuddered at the memory, the tremendous loss of life as the entire surface of the planet was pulverized by blasts of focused energy. She turned to Juhani and was startled by the expression on the Cathar's face: resentment, even anger, directed specifically at her. "Juhani?"

Juhani shook her head, her topknot waving back and forth angrily. "It is nothing important," she hissed quietly, then closed her feline eyes to center herself. When she turned her gaze back to Bastila, her face was calm once more, and she regarded the padawan coolly for a moment before speaking again. "You are not the only one to suffer... emotional drawbacks, right now. Perhaps it would be best if a Jedi would not feel. But to deny that you feel, even as you feel it... I think such self-deception would be worse."

"If you want to talk..."

"Another time, perhaps. Did you find what you were looking for?" Bastila knew she didn't mean the starmap. She swallowed silently and nodded. "It is up to you to decide how best to mourn him. Do not deny the loss, but do not let it consume you. You have help for the second part. All you have to do is accept it." With a grim smile and a nod, she slinked off to the cargo hold to keep the little stowaway girl company.

Canderous had wasted some credits on the local Jawa beer, and was willing to share it. "Here, kid," he grumbled, shoving a mug under Mission's nose. "This should help soften the blow of the ale. Can't have the little blue girl turning green." Already used to Carth's jibes about her age, Mission merely kicked Canderous in the booted shin (which probably hurt her foot more than his leg) and took the mug with a smile. Bastila did not miss the grin on Obtena's face as she quietly observed the exchange. By the time this mission is over, Bastila thought, she's going to get Juhani and Canderous romantically involved...

Obtena burst into giggles, and Bastila realized the Force bond must have shared the idea with her. Obtena looked to her now and shook her head, and Bastila understood that Obtena knew her social abilities had limits after all.

"What?" Canderous asked, failing to notice the mental exchange between Jedi. "It wasn't that funny..." he paused, suddenly wondering if Republics - or Twi'leks for that matter - had some sort of custom involving offering girls drinks that he didn't know about.

"Nothing, private joke," Obtena assured him, and Bastila knew she was probably going to tease her about it later. "How about another war story?"

"Hm," Canderous grunted as he took a seat. "I think I'll tell you a little bit about our war with the Rupublic; that might be more familiar to you. The one where Jedi Revan beat my people." The frown that had eased its grip on Carth's face slapped back into place, but he said nothing. "We started by conqouring worlds just outside the Republic..."

Bastila retreated to her bunk. Ever since she had learned of her father's death, she spent even less time with the others in a social setting than the little she had dared to, before. Every spare waking moment, she now spent in meditation, making more sure than ever that she would remain centered and focused on the task at hand. She wished she was doing it to guard against Obtena's constant emotional presence in her mind, rather than guarding against her own emotions. After Juhani's words, it concerned her that she would even think to deceive herself about it.

She had not appreciated Obtena informing the rest of the crew of her personal circumstances, though she did understand it. The crew of the Ebon Hawk was a family of mismatched individuals set adrift in the galaxy... apparently guided by the Force to aid in her mission. Even the Mandalorian. She could not fathom why such a brute would have agreed to remain with them once they had escaped Taris. At first she thought he was merely infatuated with Revan, but that was not - Obtena, not Revan, damn - the case. Respect, surely. The lewd jokes he shot off every now and then certainly proved he was not above base lusts, but he did not seem to be actively pursuing Obtena in that fashion...

As if I know in what fashion a man would pursue a woman, let alone a Mandalorian, she admitted to herself. As usual, she refused to let herself dwell on it. Instead, she knelt upon the floor by her bunk, in her usual position, and cleared her mind. Her perception of time lessened, and her consciousness began to drift...

"I HAVE NO TIME OR PATIENCE FOR COWARDS!" Canderous' voice boomed. Bastila's eyes flew open to see the Mandalorian was not in the room with her as it had seemed. The shock of it caused her to miss what was said next, then she realized that the bond with Obtena must have augmented the echo down the corridor. She immediately calmed herself again and reached across the connection...

Someone was stomping away... the footfalls were too light... it was Carth, heading to the cockpit, filled with a violent temper that matched Canderous' usual state of mind. Obtena was letting him go, calming Canderous down so he would continue. She felt Bastila's attention, but did not respond to it. Bastila returned to her meditation, but kept an inner eye open.

As her thoughts began to drift again, she began to wonder if she could alter her battle meditation to work in a more social situation. Inspiring allies and demoralizing enemies could be useful for negotiations as well as war... could prevent war, perhaps. Or it could backfire and cause a war. Bastila was not a diplomatic consular. Perhaps, the next time they visited Dantooine, she could mention it to the masters...

Canderous has cut short his story. Before getting to the point where Revan, Malak and the Jedi that followed them joined the Republic military forces. Bastila was relieved, but she could feel something else was going on. Obtena watched Canderous amble off before sliding out of her seat and... heading for the cockpit. What was she up to?

Carth was fiddling with the instrumentation, occupying his mind. Was that an old habit, or something he picked up from his Jedi companions? Was it Bastila or Obtena who was wondering that? Bastila could not be certain. "Do you want to talk now?" Obtena asked, and Bastila could hear - no, feel - the same old friendly smirk on her lips.

With a burst of insight, Bastila became aware of what Obtena had done. Carth had barely spoken to any of them since the argument on the way to Tatooine. Obtena had timed Canderous' story in order to make Carth lose his temper, on purpose! She'd made him emotionally vulnerable! Bastila scowled, and made sure Obtena could feel it. Obtena stuck her tongue out at the back of Carth's head as he continued to face the other way, but Bastila knew who the gesture was meant for. Well, why not, Bastila decided. Carth is not a Jedi, and has less need to guard against the dark side. It was Obtena she was worried about. Interaction and manipulation were not the same thing... Carth was speaking, and Obtena was mentally 'nudging' her, so Bastila relaxed the connection.

This Force bond was proving to be as surprising as it was unexpected. Bastila had heard of telepathy before, of course, but she had always imagined it to be like a conversation going on between two minds. This had turned out to be far more... intimate. She grimaced internally at the concept, but it was the only one that would do the experience justice. What had started as just a flicker of life felt through the Force had blossomed into an absolute sharing of experience. First it had merely been a presence, always in the back of her mind. It was Obtena's training at the Jedi enclave on Dantooine that strengthened the bond into something more. The more accustomed she had become to using the Force, the more the bond had grown to include impressions of emotion, and now sensation. And as time had gone on, the stronger the impressions had become.

It had advantages, of course. Out of everyone in their group, noone could fight in tandem better than Bastila and Obtena. Even taking part in Obtena's training could not explain how well they coordinated their actions. Between two properly-trained Jedi, such a bond would be a great asset. This situation, however...

Bastila was just a padawan, and she was connected to an amnesiac Sith Lord and the one individual in the galaxy who was more likely to effect the course of the war. How could she ever hope to guide Obtena? The power of Revan was within her, even if she didn't know it. And yet, despite some of Obtena's behaviour, Bastila's assumption that she would fall straight back to the dark side was proving false.

What had happened to Revan during the Mandalorian War? What had happened to her afterwards? Why had she fallen? Would she fall again?

Once more, Bastila put her trust in the Force and the Jedi masters who had brought it to her. Believing it would all turn out for the best would not make it so, she knew, but it would probably help.

The difference now was that Obtena had a bigger role to play in the happy ending than Bastila had ever considered.