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Knights of the Old Republic III: Revenge of the Sith - PART VII: Betrayal

Submitted by WebMistressGina on February 15, 2006 - 1:32pm.

Here is the latest installment. Thanks once again to my regular sources of info - gamebanshee, star wars wikicities, the SW timeline guide, and the big ups to Star Shadow.

DISCLAIMER - This story is a work of fiction based on characters, locations, and storylines from the video games Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, The Sith Lords. These characters, locations, and storylines belong to that of Lucas Arts, Bioware, and Obsidian Entertainment. No money is being from this fiction.

KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC III

REVENGE OF THE SITH

PART VII - BETRAYAL

No one saw the arrival Revan and Malak would make with the Sith until it was too late. The galaxy had already been in an upheaval because of the Mandalorians, but when the ousted Jedi had joined the Republic to stop them, things seemed to be going for the best. However, things had drastically changed once those heroes became the villains.

One never knows when a friend will turn into an enemy, but when it happens drastic measures sometimes need to be taken in order to maintain the structure of the universe; and sometimes betrayal can be a double edged sword.

It was still late at night when the console began beeping in Ellis' quarters. Easing himself from the arms of Brianna, he slid out of bed and reached for the pair of pants he had been wearing earlier. He was groggy -- they had just fallen to sleep -- so he wasn't in the mood to be disturbed. Answering it, he was surprised to see Atton on the other end, looking a little worse for wear. 'Because of the hour, I'm hoping you have something important to tell me,' he replied.

The dark apprentice nodded.

'This is about Goto?'

'We've taken care of him,' Atton said. 'And his droids.'

'He's very fond of droids,' Ellis smirked.

'Ellis,' the scoundrel sighed. 'He was a droid.'

Atton and the others just stared at the black hovering ball, shocked to learn this was the crime lord they had been dealing with. 'You're Goto?' The scoundrel exclaimed.

The black droid laughed. 'I see you're not as slow as the old crone thought you were,' he chuckled. 'Yes, I am Goto, biggest crime organizer for the Exchange; a thoroughly and highly advanced piece of modern machinery.'

'But...' asked one marauder. 'How...?'

'I was originally created to aid in the reconstruction of the planet Telos,' the droid began. 'It was a complete and utter mess there after Admiral Karath had it bombed. But that was the other reason I was manufactured -- to help in the reconstruction of the Republic itself. It was too much for the galaxy after the Mandalorian War and then that of the war started by Revan and Malak'

'Revan and Malak didn't start that war,' Atton muttered.

'Of course that is how you see it, Mr. Rand,' the droid replied. 'Seeing as you fought along side them, but to those that built me, it was a different story. Now if you don't mind -- where was I? Yes...I was only supposed to follow two prime directives -- find options with rebuilding the Republic and following all of its rules. Unfortunately for the Republic, all of the logical options were against their laws, so I had to find other means of keeping to the first part of my programming.'

'And exactly how does pretending to be a crime lord keep with your protocol?' Atton asked, sarcastically.

'I can see my earlier assessment of you was quite wrong indeed,' the droid retorted. 'In case you haven't noticed, I've done exactly what my programming required. Though the thought of a smuggling ring sounds and looks illegal, it has eliminated those who sought to destabilize the galaxy, has brought profits to entire sectors, and stabilized planets. I have also, until meeting up with the Jedi exile, managed to keep a tight reign on your affiliations of Sith and Jedi. From where I stand, your dark master has foiled my plans; however I did say that if he stabilized the Republic, I would pay him handsomely. So tell me, has he?'

'Yeah,' Atton began, igniting his lightsaber. 'He's well on his way, but first he has to take care of some loose ends.'

'Indeed.'

'So Goto had all the galaxy duped,' Ellis responded, after hearing the tale Atton told. 'You were right, though. I am planning to fix the galaxy.'

'With help from the people you keep meeting with?'

Ellis nodded. 'Soon, Atton,' he replied. 'After Brianna and I...tie up some loose ends of our own, I want the two of you to meet the people we are helping.'

'Who are these people?' Atton asked.

'Friends, Atton,' Ellis said, an unmistakable gleam in his eyes. 'Friends who will change the course of history, for a second time, and who we will stand with when that time comes.'

Atton nodded, albeit slowly. He wasn't sure about this arrangement; he just had a weird feeling about it, but rather than voice his concerns, he nodded again as way of a goodbye before turning off the transmission. Ellis grinned softly as he turned and looked at Brianna, who had stirred somewhat. He wanted to marry her before they continued on their quest. Afterwards, things would be okay. He knew it.

He just knew it.

The mood on the Ebon Hawk was one of slight celebration. The return of Jolee Bindo to the group was a happy occasion that needed to be celebrated. At least that was what most of the crew felt. For Mission Vao, however, she didn't feel like celebrating. In fact, she was sitting on her bunk within the women's dorm, thinking. She had easily gotten over the ordeal with being a prisoner of the Exchange, but what she couldn't get over, not even forgive, was how she had gotten in that position in the first place.

Griff, why? She thought to herself. She had known for quite some time that her brother was clearly not a saint, but she didn't think he would stoop so low as to...to...sell her, his own sister. She should've realized when she saw him last that perhaps he wouldn't really change, but Mission had really believed he cared about her and now this. She knew she shouldn't be so upset, but she couldn't help it. Somewhere inside her, this hurt worse than anything, and the only way she'd feel better was...well, she didn't know, but for the moment, crying felt just about right.

And that's how Dustil found her a few minutes later, sitting on her bunk with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head resting on her arms. Looking at her, knowing she was so upset, tore at the young Jedi's heart and it seemed to fill with a longing he knew all too well. He approached her, whispering her name, and watched as she hastily wiped away some fresh tears. 'Hey,' she said, shakily. The young Jedi moved to sit next to her, putting a hand on her back to soothe her.

'I got worried,' he whispered. 'When you left, I mean.'

'I shouldn't be so upset, you know?' she sniffed. 'I mean, I've always known he wasn't the best brother in the galaxy, but he was family, yeah? I mean...I don't even know what I mean!' She started crying harder and didn't protest when Dustil pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and soothing her outburst. He held her as she continued to cry, until after a few minutes the tears began to recede, but Dustil didn't let her go. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered. 'I probably made a mess of your shirt.'

'Don't worry about it,' he said, letting his fingers trail down her lekku. He knew Twi'leks were sensitive in that area and for some, it was a sign of a close connection for one to touch them. He didn't know why he was doing what he was, but he was relieved when Mission relaxed against him and didn't pull away. 'Revan and I gave him a good talking to,' he continued. 'I can guarantee he won't hurt you again, but...'

'You can't say that he'll see me again, either.' She finished. She snuggled against his neck and it took all Dustil had not to express the pleasure of the action. 'I just don't understand why he'd do something like that. I mean, I'm his sister, doesn't...doesn't that mean anything to him?'

'You know,' Dustil began. 'When my dad used to go off, with the Fleet and everything...in...in the beginning, it was okay, cause he wasn't gone long. But when the Mandalorians came, it was like he was never home and...and...we missed him. Sometimes...sometimes I wondered if he even cared about us anymore. That's...that's when I started hating him. I thought...I thought maybe being in the Fleet was more important to him.'

He didn't know why he told her that, maybe to show that he had felt the same way at one time. Either way, he was becoming very comfortable having her in his arms. His lips brushed her forehead and he drew her closer, feeling one of her tails move against his throat; this time he didn't stop the moan that escaped. 'Thanks for talking to me, Dusty,' she murmured, her voice husky against his ear.

'Anytime.'

He turned his head, letting his lips trail along her cheek, then her jaw, before moving his lips along the path to where he truly wanted to...

'Hey Mish?'

The familiar sound of Revan's voice startled the two away from each other and they each looked over to the man that stood in the doorway. 'Am I interrupting?' he asked, slyly.

They both stammered out negatives, with Dustil standing and heading towards him. 'I was just...'

'Dustil was just...'

'...wanting to see how she was.' The young Jedi concluded.

'That's actually why I came by,' Revan chuckled. 'Wanted to see how you were.'

'I'm fine, Rev,' Mission replied, blushing. 'I'll...I'll be out to see everyone. I just...you know.'

'Yeah,' he responded. He looked between the two of them before nodding. 'Okay then. Whenever you're ready, ok?' Looking at Dustil, he said, 'Come, young Jedi. Your master awaits you in our dining quarters. I think he wants to know what kind of trouble you may have cause while hanging out with Canderous.'

Dustil chuckled. Looking back at Mission, he gave her smile, before following Revan out of the dorm.

The chambers of the Senate were relatively quiet, save for the small meeting that was taking place. Only a few members were clustered around the ground floor seats, talking in a heated debate. There were about twenty of them, most shouting at the news that one had delivered regarding the presence and purpose of Revan. Robert Belyn stood to the side, equally chagrined at the news that his former bride had ignored her direct order to stay on the planet and rushed off to aid Revan in whatever mayhem he would once again cause the galaxy.

'Gentlemen,' he began, trying to calm the nerves of those shouting. 'Gentlemen, please. I know this new development is not something we were expecting; hardly seems fair, does it? I mean, who does Revan think he is? Surely none of you believe that story he told Kodis about being on vacation. It's clear to me that Revan and his mistress have clearly placed those traveling with them in some sort of Jedi trance. I find it disturbing that he could manage to trap not only one, but two highly decorated officers of the Republic.'

'What do you suggest, Robert?' asked one man. 'I'll admit that I wasn't sure if this rumor was true, but now...'

'Gentlemen,' he said. 'It is clear to me, as it has for many years, that the Jedi can not be trusted. They have continually turned against us in their vicious bid to rule the universe. They manipulate those around them and then try to erase those mistakes by begging for our help. But no more. Gentlemen, I know it may be extreme, but desperate times call for desperate measures.' He reached into his robe and pulled out a data pad. 'I received this the other day, after our meetings with the criminals. I know my father has spoken to many of you about having patience in this matter, but I think enough is enough.

'In this data pad, someone has so very nicely described some things that need to be considered, especially when speaking of Revan and his group.' Robert looked at those around him. 'Were any of you aware of the fact that the Jedi are essentially the Sith, just in a different set of uniforms?' Whispers went around the group. 'It's true,' he replied, holding up the data pad. 'Jedi who were exiled mated with another species on the planet Korriban, where they took the name of the Sith. The Jedi are the reason we battled them in the past -- everything always comes down to those two factions -- well, I've arranged to meet with some people who assure us that this will no longer be a problem.'

'But how is that possible?' asked another person. 'I mean, we all know what happened to the Jedi Temple last year. Rumor was that all the Jedi were dead.'

'Except for one errant member,' Kodis Basil stated. 'The Jedi Exile somehow managed to stay alive last year.'

'As well as cause damage to the entire galaxy!' one Bothan shouted, causing the yelling to start again.

Basil held up his hands. 'Please,' he soothed. 'We all know what has happened; this is why it is imperative that we discuss this rationally. These people that I have talked with have a plan to right the galaxy once more and their first act was just that -- to rid ourselves of the Jedi.'

'But what of Revan?' someone questioned. 'He's a Jedi.'

'Former Jedi,' Robert interrupted. 'I doubt he'd be recognized as such now. The person I spoke to was...a part of the Republic's plans from after the Mandalorian War. He was...acquisitioned to help with the repair and stability of the Republic.'

'He's rather...' Basil began, looking over at Robert. 'Unorthodox when it comes to...aiding us. But his duties were clear and he has fulfilled them in a way.'

'And what has he done?'

'He's made sure that certain people didn't continue to ruin our planet and our universe,' Basil responded. 'He brought stability back to some parts of the galaxy.'

'Most importantly,' Robert added. 'He took care of our problem with the Jedi and the Sith.' At the others' looks, he asked, 'Who do you think put up that bounty for Jedi?'

Many of them looked at the young man in horror. 'The Exchange, Robert!?' one cried. 'You've used the Exchange to do our business?'

'I used the individual who was fronting for the Exchange,' he calmly replied. 'But he is very much a proponent of the Republic. In fact, he brought up something very interesting the last time I spoke with him -- it shouldn't matter with whom we have to back us; as long as we keep the Republic stable.'

'What my colleague means to say is,' Basil took over. 'We should leave all possibilities open for who we would like protecting us.'

'You mean...' said one Zabrak, completely stunned. 'Join with the Sith?'

'I mean,' Robert elaborated. 'I think we should look at who will help us with rebuilding and who will hinder our efforts.'

'Of course before you make a concrete decision,' Basil replied. 'You should take into account those actions that have been for us and against us.'

'But aren't the Sith...well...evil?'

'Evil is as evil does, Bucri,' Robert replied, smoothly. 'And what is a Sith but a disgruntled Jedi? I'm not saying anything at the moment, but it seems as though Revan is quite clear to keep his activities to himself and surely - ' Here, he chuckled. 'I'm not the only one here who thinks his activities suspicious.'

'Just think on it,' Basil said. 'We'll tell you more when we know more ourselves. In fact, we are waiting for a check in with our friend in the Exchange.'

The others nodded slowly and each turned to walk out of the chambers, leaving only the senator and the Genosian. 'Excellent speech, my boy,' the insectoid said. 'I dare say you'll be a force to recon with once your father steps down from being Chancellor.'

'That is the plan,' the man responded, in a confident manner. 'And I refuse to have anyone hinder that. If siding with the Sith is what we will need to do to ensure our stability, then so be it. Besides, from what I've seen, the Jedi are no better. They say they protect us, but do they? Most of their order has turned to the dark side and have lead the Sith against us. And when we cry for help, what do they do? Sit within their tower and hide. I refuse to have alliances that tremble in fear when things go bad.'

'I agree,' Basil said. 'But do not enter into a contract with the Sith on hatred of Jedi alone, Robert. You must use caution when dealing with anyone, especially the Sith.'

'I know what I'm doing, Kodis,' he sighed. 'And I had hoped that my former wife knew her role as well.'

'Do not worry,' the Genesian said. 'The Chancellor's Ball is upcoming and it'll be the opportune moment to have Revan tell us what he is up to. Surely a former hero of the Republic should be honored for his tasks during the Star Forge mission, even if it is six years a little too late.'

'Will they come?'

'We have found them before,' he replied. 'And we shall find them again. Let them think we are through with them. For now.'

Jolee was excited, on top of some of his other emotions of dread. He had been greeted with warm greetings, new introductions, as well the skinny on what had been happening since he had slipped away from Coruscant. To say that his suspicions of dread were right on was an understatement. He didn't enjoy hearing how someone as young as this Ellis Yoly fellow was throwing his life away and bringing others down with him and he wasn't blind to see that the person it affected most was Revan. He could see how the events of the past few months and even his years away were taking a toll on him.

So while he agreed the matter at hand needed to be discussed and dealt with, he certainly didn't want to throw out the opportunity for the crew to lighten up a bit.

His thoughts on Dustil and Mission were confirmed when the young Jedi returned with Revan, the Twi'lek coming only a few moments later, and the way those two were eyeing each other and blushing...well, it did Jolee's heart good. And he didn't know about that lieutenant, but he knew something was going on with her and Carth for sure. For a minute, Jolee thought about his wife -- he always did when he saw the looks pass between two people crushing on each other or falling in love -- and in those moments, he could never be guilty about his feelings for her or his leaving the Order for her. That's what love was about -- give and take; sacrifices...

Shaking his head clear, Jolee sat himself down in a chair around their makeshift dinning table. He wasn't sure what kind of food Revan was whipping up -- that boy never could use a replicator right -- but he thought as long as Carth was in there 'supervising' things should turn out fine. They returned with nerf burgers, something Jolee hadn't had in quite sometime and the rest of the evening was spent trying to catch up on things. 'So,' he said, looking over at Revan. 'Other than running around the galaxy finding Sith Lords, what else have you done?'

The former Jedi master shrugged. 'Not much,' he replied. 'Just making a nuisance of myself to everyone I can.'

'Revan, stop,' Bastila chastised.

'What?' he shrugged again. 'It's true.'

She shook her head. 'You're impossible.'

'So you've said.'

Jolee chuckled. 'It's good to see some things never change,' he commented. 'Just hope I live long enough to see a wedding.' His comment was covered up by his glass, but the intended listeners heard it.

'You know,' Revan announced, pushing his chair back and standing. 'I have been meaning to rectify that very issue.' He walked over to where Bastila sat next to Carth, watching as her jaw dropped when she realized what was about to happen. Sure enough, Revan fell to one knee before her. 'You drive me insane,' he began, smiling as an indignant huff came from her lips. 'But I wouldn't want anyone other than you. You truly do complete me, Bastila Shan, and while I had planned a sonnet and many a words of grandiose feelings of love, but...I think this should do, yes? I love you, Bas. No other could make me so incredibly happy the way you make me. It would be an honor -' Here, he removed a ring he had placed within his pocket. It was a simple gold band with a small gem in the center. 'No, a privilege if you would marry me.'

'It's a wonder how I manage to hang around you,' she whispered, but there was a smile on her face and a few tears in her eyes.

'Think you can stand a few more years?' he asked.

'I'll have to, won't I?'

Revan knew -- well, hoped anyway -- that she would say yes, but the fact that she practically flew at him in something disguised as a hug, nearly threw him back to the floor. 'Is that a yes?' he laughed, feeling her chuckles and tears on his neck.

'Of course, you prat,' she sniffed, hitting him on the arm. 'Do you honestly think I'd turn down a proposal like that?'

'I would,' Carth quipped. 'I thought it lacked creativity.'

'Quiet you!' Revan hissed, aiming a punch at Carth's leg, causing the admiral to laugh in amusement.

While the crew of the Ebon Hawk spent their time laughing and congratulating their comrades, on the distant planet of Ord Radama, on a grassy slope overlooking the budding city, Ellis Yoly and Brianna Kae pledged their lives to one another in front of an acting minister.

Ossus had once been the center of the Jedi; legend said the very beginnings of the Jedi Order began there and the utmost knowledge of the Order, the Great Jedi Library, had once been housed there as well. But it all changed when Exar Kun became a Sith Lord. He and Ulic had caused an explosion within the Cron Cluster, causing a huge backlash to be hurled toward the planet. While the chaos ensued, the two Sith lords hoped to raid the planet of ancient Jedi artifacts. In fact, this was not the first time Exar Kun had been on the planet. He had once come to lure other Jedi Knights to the dark side and had slain his master, then had taken off with a Sith holocron.

The elderly man known as Kumar had resided in the old semi-demolished building that had once been known as the Great Jedi Library, trying in vein to watch over the few relics that rested there. A couple times he had passed an old tree that he thought might be the transformed Ood Bnar, but he was never certain if it was truth or his old age kicking in. The older gentleman felt a connection with this place, which is why he returned after the planet was deemed habitable again.

Kumar didn't think about his former years as a Jedi -- they were far behind him and for fear, he kept his secret, claiming he just enjoyed the history of the organization -- but in his day, he thought he was a good Jedi. He held the ideals that the Order stood for and people like Kun and Qel -- Droma truly angered him. He had, at the time, felt they had turned their backs on their masters, on their teachings. Oh, he had learned all about Freedon Nadd and he was in the middle of the war with Kun.

But now, with the Republic facing its own destruction, Kumar spent his time wondering how things got to this state. He often wondered how certain Jedi found themselves lured by the powers of the dark side. He had watched many of his colleagues turn; had heard about many more during the end of the Mandalorian War...it disturbed him how power and promises had lead some of the greatest Jedi to their dooms. And that brought him to the here and now -- the place in which the Republic stood to lose far more than an ongoing war. The very galaxy teetered on whether the Republic could hold its own and it seemed it was just a wounded animal, waiting to die.

He wasn't stupid, of course; he'd heard the reports -- an exiled Revan fleeing to the Unknown Regions; an exiled Jedi returning to the Republic and wrecking havoc on it; the Sith trying valiantly to find either one of them. He had also heard the rumors that had cropped up lately, that Revan had returned and was causing havoc within the Senate; the Jedi Order no longer a force to stop invaders; the unknown Jedi exile leading the Sith...he was worried for everything. He had felt the deaths of his colleagues when the Sith had destroyed Katarr, just as he felt the deaths of those on Malachor some years ago. While he may not have wielded the Force in some time, he still retained his connection.

And right now, his connection to the Force is what saved him from having his head cut off, as a familiar hiss interrupted his musings. Having a quickness from his youth, he removed his lightsaber, stopping the attacking weapon from coming down at him. His eyes widened as he saw the color of the offending object; not red as a Sith lightsaber, but blue. A Jedi Guardian. Moving quickly, he was able to block several blows from his opponent, who face was covered by a dark Sith robe and hood. His attacker was also quick, able to counter his blocks and push him further within the library's chambers.

For his lack of training through the years, Kumar kept up with the attacker, though he felt himself slowing. He wasn't a young man anymore and his opponent seemed to keep him moving from room to room. Finally, the old librarian made a miscalculated blow, missing the attacker and causing the blue lightsaber to fall across his arm, severing his hand at the wrist. He was only able to make a small cry, before he was thrown back against a wall, colliding with it and sliding down to the floor.

He was dizzy and in great pain as the figure walked over and stood above him. Kumar waited for the final blow, but when seconds passed, he finally looked up at his attacker and gasped. 'You!' he exclaimed, before feeling the effects of a well placed Force Lightening to his chest, effectively stopping his heart. The figure continued to pour the electricity into the body until they felt satisfied that Kumar was dead. The figure smiled, her pristine features glowing with the shade usually attributed to those on the dark side. It had taken her a while to find the old man, but when she had, she could feel the Force flow through him, though she could tell it had been still for some time.

Her masters would be pleased with her when she reported the good news. Just because the Exchange had removed the bounty on Jedi did not mean that it had been removed from the eyes of the True Sith.

The morning on the Necrosis dawned with a meeting of epic proportions. The three new Sith Lords would meet those that had tasked them this most important mission and would bow and serve them on their whim. Atton, Brianna, and Ellis dressed in their Sith robes and walked down the corridor to a meeting room that Ellis had designated especially for this occasion. At the end of the hall, they turned to the left, entering into the meeting room, where a transmission console sat. Without stopping, Ellis walked to it, and opened a secure communication channel. It didn't take long before three figures shrouded in robes appeared before them.

'Ah,' replied one, male from the tone of his voice. 'Lord Trayun. We have been expecting your call.'

'Forgive the lateness of my correspondence, Master.' The young man bowed. 'I'd like to introduce you to my apprentices.'

'Yes,' replied a second figure. 'Those you told us about; Lady Salus and Lord Casus, welcome to the order of the Sith.' Both apprentices bowed as well. 'Did you recover the Sith holocron from Muzara as we asked?'

'We did,' Ellis nodded. 'Casus and I recovered it. It's in one of the rooms near our quarters; it's safe from prying eyes, Master.'

'Well done, Lord Trayun,' the male said. 'We have another assignment for you, if you would like it.'

'Nothing would give me more pleasure, my lord.'

'I don't know how much information the Jedi have given you on our planets,' the male continued. 'There is a planet called Khar Delba...'

'The planet in which Naga Sadow hid a false fortress?' Ellis asked.

'You see,' whispered the third, the first time they had spoken. 'He is the one.'

'You are bright, young lord,' the male figure praised. 'Certainly you did not come across this information within the Jedi Archives?'

Ellis looked embarrassed for a second, before swallowing and saying, 'No, Master. It was Revan who taught me that.'

'He is another assignment for you, Darth Trayun,' said the second figure. 'He will need to be taken care of.'

'That will also be quite pleasurable,' Ellis said, his voice hard and determined.

'The planet of Khar Delba holds more than just a false retreat,' the male voice began. 'I'm sure it will be in your interest to investigate fully, young lord. It may even help you lure Revan into a trap.'

Brianna gasped, as the implications of what was said revealed itself to her. Ellis glanced at her, eyebrow raised, before smirking and turning back to the hologram. 'How interesting,' he murmured. 'How interesting indeed.'

It had been a few months since Helena Shan had spoken to her daughter and at the time, the younger woman was nursing the fact that the galaxy they lived in was in mortal peril. A Jedi exile had seemed to turn to the Sith and was wrecking havoc on the galaxy; and most devastating was the rumors that this exile was Revan reclaiming his throne. When the truth was revealed, it still didn't stop Bastila from turning to her mother and questioning whether or not she would see her fiancée again.

So when the transmission came in from her daughter, Helena was pleasantly surprised that 1. her daughter seemed to be in good spirits, 2. Bastila was coming for a visit, and 3. she was getting married. Helena had hoped that the last piece of news meant her daughter had either found another nice young man to spend her days with or that Revan had returned. While both were good, she truly hoped the latter was true. She missed the young man herself -- he did remind her of her late husband somewhat - and she thought his personality complimented Bastila's temperament.

Helena had a lot to thank the young man for. These last few years she hadn't even imagined being alive or even seeing her daughter again, but from the time those two walked in to the cantina in Anchorhead, things had never been the same. Revan had paid for the remaining treatments she needed to survive; had even bought her the house she resided in, all because he was deeply in love with Bastila. The elder woman had plenty of time to think about her hopefully soon to be son-in-law and her daughter -- how they had both fallen to the dark side and how they saved each other from it. She didn't give a flying nerf about their organization's views on feelings; all she knew was that Revan had saved her, had saved her daughter, and apparently had saved the galaxy on more than one occasion. And for that, she was grateful, regardless of what had happened in the past.

It felt like she had waited hours upon hours and days upon days when she finally heard a familiar knock on her door. She rushed as quickly as she could, opening it and seeing her daughter's smiling face, and hugged her -- something the two of them had truly only started doing since Helena's hospitalization. Letting her go, Helena leaned back to look at her only child. Her hair was down about her shoulders and she seemed to be glowing from excitement. The elder woman was struck by how much of a woman her daughter now seemed; she looked relaxed and very beautiful with her hair down, her blue eyes twinkling in merriment. The elder woman was suddenly struck by the sight; with exception to her eyes, she was staring at a female version of her husband -- from the hair, to her face, to that smile she had loved when she had first seen it on Galen's handsome face.

'Hello again, Mother,' the younger woman replied, her eyes quickly examining the elder Shan's features. While the treatments did indeed help, it didn't ease the passage of time, and once again Bastila was slightly thanking Revan for intervening between the feud that had grown between her and her mother.

'Bastila.' Helena said, again struck by the likeness to her husband. 'You know I was quite surprised when you called and to hear you're getting married. Who's the lucky man?'

'Forgotten me already?' asked a deep voice, a small chuckle following the statement.

Helena of course had hoped Revan would return, but to see him suddenly appear next her daughter, looking different, but yet the same threw her. He now sported a head of hair, though it was relatively cut short and his goatee had solidified itself, but his smile was the same and she was brought back to the day the two of them had come to see her in the medical facility on Coruscant; how happy they both made each other, how happy this young man had made her daughter. 'I should give you a good talking to, young man,' she replied, sternly, watching as Revan hung his head, his face reddening in shame and embarrassment.

'Mother...'

'Hush,' she scolded. 'There had better be a damned good reason for you to be gallivanting around the galaxy when my only child is sitting here waiting for you.' She let that sink in, refusing to see the absolute furious look on her daughter's face. 'But...' she continued. 'You did make a good impression the first time you came and you were so heart sick when Bastila was gone...' The young man looked up, eyes hopeful, but sad. 'I'm sure you use that sad, adorable face when Bastila's mad at you?'

'All the time,' Revan nodded. 'It's to garner sympathy.'

Helena laughed out loud, causing Bastila to cringe and Revan to smile. 'Still the charmer, I see,' she giggled, walking up to the young man and hugging him. 'Don't go and scare me again, you hear me? Because next time I really will hunt you down.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

The elder Shan ushered the two in, insisting they sit, have some tea, and tell her about their wedding. She listened as Revan described his official proposal in front of their friends and crew and how he had wanted to have the wedding on Talravin, by the sea. It wouldn't be anything large -- just Helena and their friends and they would exchange words of love and commitment. Their friend Jolee had volunteered to oversee the ceremony, bragging he had done a few in his time, but never expanding on that; Carth had not only agreed to stand by Revan's side, but to give Bastila away as well. Of course Helena would also fulfill that role, but Bastila had asked the pilot if he would, feeling the bond between them was like that of family than anything romantic that had been in his and Revan's minds.

Helena was supportive, insisting on making the most of the reception. She immediately alerted a restaurant that would cater the small event with refreshment, food, and a cake. When Revan offered to pay for it, she shook her head, saying, 'After everything you've done, dear, let me do this for you.'

All the arrangements would be finished by the end of the week and that's when the two set their date. The Ebon Hawk crew took their time relaxing and basking in the beauty of the planet. The only hindrance was a message from Kodis Basil and Chancellor Belyn, requesting that Revan, Bastila, and Carth be present at the Chancellor's ball that would fall within the following week. An attached message from Basil suggested the group not miss this opportunity to set the record straight on their recent activities. Carth reluctantly sent in a reply that the crew, despite protests and misgivings, would be there.

As the countdown to his wedding began to dwindle, Revan found himself back in his nightmarish visions, events that had already taken place, but only now seemed to come to the surface. He had several about being on a ship -- his ship -- and visiting planets out in the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions. He had a few that involved him and Malak assumably searching for the other Star Maps, just quick glimpses, conversations between the two. Some were of him and others within strongholds; strongholds he hadn't even remembered having. But the most disturbing was of him standing in front of various figures - they were out of focus and blurry, but he stood before five of them...and then horrific visions filled his mind, just to suddenly stop as quick as they came. Then he was viewing something, a journal, something...and then he knew where to find the Star Maps and he was telling Malak...

Then there was Malachor and watching as Ellis fell to the floor screaming, feeling so many people die, seeing the horror...

He woke up in a cold sweat, his heart racing, and his mind a jumble of thoughts and feelings. He ran a hand over his hair before resting his head in it. His visions were telling him something, he knew, but they were never straight, never in order to truly understand what they meant. Who were those figures that surrounded him? And what exactly did he see that told him about the Star Maps? And where these other strongholds he had? He thought he had taken care of everything; that's why he hadn't come back. He had to make sure no one made his same mistakes, never realizing the last person he would think to watch was Ellis Yoly.

Revan?

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Of course Bastila could feel him, sense his turmoil, even from across the city. Her mother had insisted on her staying at home -- something about the bride not seeing the groom -- and had told him and the crew to lodge in the nearby hotel. Helena was apparently friends with the owner and the crew was allowed to stay for free, due to the upcoming wedding.

I'm fine, my darling.

Liar. You've had a dream, haven't you?

No fooling you, is there?

No. What about?

My past, of course. I think...I think I'm trying to tell myself something, but I'm unaware of what. Everything is so jumbled, I can't make sense of it.

Do you want to show me?

No, but I will tell Jolee. Perhaps he can help me.

Hmmm...

I'm sorry to wake you, Bas.

It's fine. I was just dreaming about you, is all.

Revan chuckled. Oh? And what about me?

You'll have to wait until the honeymoon, won't you?

Woman, you drive me mad!

He could feel the laughter within her and it calmed him as he shifted back under his covers. I miss you.

And I you, my love. Please try and sleep. I refuse to have my future husband dozing off at my wedding.

You're right, he chuckled. I have a feeling neither of us will get any sleep afterwards.

Naughty boy.

He smiled, closing his eyes and forcing his dreams to be about his future wife and their children.

Kelath Vesay had once been a farm boy on the dusty planet of Tatooine, in the city of Mos Eisley. He had hated it and had run away to planet after planet, before finding himself on the dark planet of Korriban. It was only here that he learned he could control the Force and use it. Truth be told, Kelath enjoyed using his build and his power to keep people in check; even his parents were afraid of him. He hated the weak, they annoyed him, and that was particularly why he was glad to stumble upon the Sith and not the Jedi.

He had come to the planet during the reign of Malak, but when word came that the dark lord had been bested by his former master, Kelath had quickly fled with some other students. He had then kept to himself and wondered on the surface of Nar Shaddaa for a while, the energies of the people there only fueling his anger and his desire to hurt and maim. When the problems dealing with the new Sith began, the young man kept to himself, waiting and watching, wondering what would happen. Shortly after the second battle on the planet of Telos, a woman approached him.

Though he tried to guess her motives, he couldn't help but be attracted to her. She was quite beautiful, not like the women of his species, always nagging about this or that or worse -- whining. But she was quite fetching, even if she did look odd to his eyes. She called herself 'V' and said that she could sense his presence on the planet even from above. Most of all, she could see his heart and knew that he craved what she could offer him. She talked of a great empire that would rise to over throw the hapless Republic and build the galaxy anew.

And they wanted him to help.

To skip ahead, that is how Kelath Vesay found himself as a Sith Marauder.

And on this very day, he would find himself presented with a most glorious opportunity. His masters wanted him to help in the rebuilding of one of their strongholds and V had told him that he had a second task -- kill the traitor Revan. Now, Kelath knew of Revan and knew that their new lord, Darth Trayun, also wanted the former Sith lord dead as well. When he asked V about this, she responded with honesty.

'Our masters feel that Darth Trayun may need some help. While he will battle Revan, you will eliminate anyone with him. As Revan watches one of his loved ones fall, he will be rendered weak. Then you may assist Lord Trayun in his destruction.'

Kelath nodded slowly, a slow smile coming to his features. He would do that, with great abandon, and all for the fact that it would make Revan prey. And he wouldn't kill his companions with a snap; no, he would make them suffer and he hoped Revan would have to watch.

Carth had been to a few weddings in his time, mostly through his friends from the Fleet. They had been big productions, with hundreds upon thousands of people in attendance and sometimes folks from the Holonet. After his wife had died, Carth politely turned down invites to weddings. What would be the point of seeing two people get together when he couldn't share it with his wife or worse, be subjected to thoughts of their own wedding and then his own failure at being a husband? The former Republic pilot really didn't enjoy those times, so he avoided them.

But today, he couldn't and wouldn't avoid this happy occasion. Revan and Bastila's wedding -- or rather joining -- was much more subdued. The only people in attendance were those of the Ebon Hawk crew and Bastila's mother. Jolee stood at the front, presiding as both minister and witness. This wedding was more...intimate, he guess the word was. Revan had told him earlier, when he had asked Carth to stand with him that he didn't just want to marry Bastila.

'I want it to mean something,' he replied. 'I want it to mean that even in death, she'll know she's the only woman for me.'

And then the young man launched into having a life bond, something that would go deeper than what they had now. He'd be giving her his life and vice versa; he would know if she was hurt, he would actually be able to feel her pain if she was in any. The depths of that devotion nearly unhinged Carth, but then he realized he felt that way about his wife, too. He would've done anything for her and he could admit that he felt a piece of his soul being ripped out when she died. He had never heard of this type of ability before and was surprised to learn that it was indeed a Jedi type power.

'So why don't more Jedi use it?' he had asked.

Revan just smirked at him. 'Admit it,' he said. 'When I described it to you, it freaked you out a little, didn't it?'

'No,' the admiral insisted. 'I was just thinking about...'

The two men stared at each other, a smile coming to Revan's face. 'You know, Carth,' he said. 'It is possible for someone without the Force to be bonded to someone who does have it.' The look the younger man gave him caused the admiral to bristle. Couldn't he get through one day without Revan suggesting he was Force sensitive?

'It's like a day without ale for you, isn't it?' he shot back.

Revan shrugged. 'I can only go with what I see,' he replied, mysteriously.

Carth once again shrugged off the jest. Revan had been joking with him like that since the beginning, though now it really was starting to grade on him. Force sensitive, sure, he thought. Though he knew Revan and Bastila wouldn't start pushing him to become a Jedi, it still angered him to think they thought he could. He wasn't a Jedi, nor was he Jedi material. In fact, aside from those friends of his, he didn't even like the Jedi and anything they stood for.

Shaking his head with a bemused smile, he turned his attention back to the happy couple. The ceremony had been near the house Helena Shan lived in, right out near the small beach behind it. It was held mid day, so as the ceremony started, the sun began to go down, lighting the beautiful background to an equally beautiful event. Revan and Bastila stood by the refreshment table, talking to Jolee, with their arms around each other. The couple wasn't big on outward displays of affection, but every now and then they would let down their guard and let everyone see how much they loved one another. Standing there and watching them put a bit of pain in Carth's heart. Though he was truly over the death of Morgana, he would never stop loving her or forget the times they had together.

'Credit for your thoughts?'

Carth smiled at the voice, turning to look at Lynsel as she stood next to him, gazing at the very scene he watched. She looked beautiful -- her reddish-brown hair out of its usual ponytail, her eyes alive, happy. She had been brave to tell the crew what she knew and how she came to be on the Ebon Hawk. She didn't tell them about her Force training, but he could tell both Bastila and Revan had known about it and from the way Jolee looked at her, Carth knew he had some suspicions. 'They really are good together,' she commented, watching as Revan gave his new bride a kiss on her temple. Carth nodded his agreement, tearing his eyes from her and back over to the happy couple.

'Are you sorry you gave her up?'

Carth's head snapped immediately back to Lynsel, before he chuckled softly. 'Still think there's something between Bastila and I, huh?' The Intel officer just shrugged. 'Nothing romantic happened,' he continued. 'I don't make a habit of going after another guy's girl, especially when that guy is my best friend. I'll admit, we're closer than I could've thought possible after our first initial meeting, but it's all based on friendship. Do I love her? Of course I do. You don't spend a year chasing down the Sith and then another six chasing down a loved one and don't get close, but Bastila and I...' He sighed, again turning to watch his newly married friends.

'We needed each other,' he whispered. 'You don't know what it was like, that first year after the Star Forge; watching as the Jedi Council tried to tear them apart; watching him suffer from nightmares and then coming back and seeing how much he had suffered. You weren't there when we heard this exile was a Jedi or that he looked so much like Revan. And knowing that Bastila had known, known Revan had slipped...' he shook his head. 'It was trying, for both of us.' He finished. 'I don't think either of us could've gotten through by ourselves, which says something. We're both too stubborn for our own good.'

Lynsel chuckled, ducking her head in embarrassment. While she tried to tell herself she was just looking for more information, she couldn't help but be elated that nothing had ever happened between Carth Onasi and Bastila Shan. She couldn't stop the small blush as she asked, 'Think you'll ever get married again?'

Carth crossed his arms over his chest. 'You know,' he began. 'If you had asked him that years ago, I would've said no. I wasn't ready and...and I didn't think I could ever get over the loss of my wife. But now...' He looked at her seriously. 'It would all come down to me finding someone I thought could handle my boyish charm.'

Lynsel laughed, placing her hand on one of his arms. 'If what I heard on your ship is any indication, Admiral,' she smirked. 'You might be hard pressed to keep women away from you.'

The former pilot smiled. 'What about you?' he asked, in a conspiratorial whisper. 'Think you'll ever get married again?'

'Probably not,' she said, just realizing where her hand was and quickly removed it. 'Most men wouldn't want to date a Republic officer. Too involved with work, you know? I'd be hard pressed to find someone who respected that.'

'You might not have to look very far,' he countered, giving her a look that literally made her shiver. Someone clearing their throat caused the two to step away from each other, only to find Bastila standing in front of them, smiling.

'Mind if I steal him away for a bit?' she asked, cheekily.

'No!' Lynsel exclaimed, covering it up with a nervous laugh when she felt her cheeks heat up. 'I mean, he's all yours, so to speak.' The officer recovered enough to be approached by Jolee, who had already launched into a story about how he had lead a Republic cruiser on a chase through the Mid Rim.

'Sorry to have to pull you away and redirect your attention, Admiral.'

'You know, I have a feeling you're not the least bit sorry.' Carth retorted, as he let her lead him to where Revan stood.

'Sorry, Capt'n,' Revan smirked. 'But we couldn't let you have all the fun. It is our wedding, after all, and there you are making eyes at the Lieutenant.'

'What?' Carth cried, trying his best to maintain his compose and force a blush away from his face. 'Making...what're you talking about?'

'Don't worry,' Bastila replied, putting a hand on his arm.

'We'll let you get back to it in a moment.' Revan finished, with a smile.

Carth looked between the two, noticing neither one of them looked as though they were remotely sorry for causing his embarrassment. 'You two are really a pair, you know that?'

'Darling, I do believe that was our first compliment as husband and wife!'

'How lovely!'

The admiral rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep the smile from his face. 'What do you want?'

'Tell us about this ball that we have to go to,' Revan replied. 'I've heard they hold one every year, but that doesn't explain why we've been picked to go this year.'

Carth shrugged. 'You gotta know something's up,' he replied. 'Seeing as our last visit wasn't full of sunshine and flowers.'

'Quite right, Carth,' Bastila agreed. 'I hardly think the Senate just suddenly remembered that we helped defeat Malak nearly six, seven years ago. There must be something more to this ball than we are being let on to.'

'And we still have to find Ellis and the Sith,' Revan spoke. 'I know we haven't heard from them and I don't like it. Ellis isn't the patient sort and I doubt he's just sitting around waiting for me to find him. He'll come to me, I'm sure of it.'

What the three of them weren't aware of was that in fact, Darth Trayun was waiting for Revan to find him or rather, he was making sure that Revan would remember where to find him. He, Atton, and Brianna had directed their troops to the icy world of Khar Delba, deep within the Outer Rim. This part of the galaxy had been known as 'Sith space' as it was where most of the Sith empire hailed from. For now, however, those planets that had been utilized by the Sith had never been found by the Republic or the Jedi and they had a certain mystique and danger for those that were unaware of them.

The masters had told them of this planet; how Naga Sadow kept a false base here, one that was attacked by Ludo Kressh, unaware that the true base of operations lay on the nearby moon of Khar Shian. The masters had told Ellis, in secret of course, how Revan had built a small stronghold within the false fortress, knowing that no one within the Republic would know where an attack would come from. This is where Ellis stood now. Dressed in warm fatigues, Ellis and his troops had discovered the hidden base within the snow-capped terrain. It reminded the young lord of when they had stumbled upon the hidden base upon Telos, where he had first met Brianna. The young man couldn't help but smile at the memory, smile at the thought of how they were now wed to one another.

His thoughts stopped before he could envision her in his arms, just as Atton walked up behind him. 'It's damn cold here,' he complained. Ellis smirked at him, turning slightly to look at his attire.

'I'm sure you'd be warmer if you actually bothered to wear a jacket,' he joked, motioning to the scoundrel's dark robes.

'I like looking the part, if you don't mind.' He shot back. He looked at the galactic map that hung on the wall in front of them, asking, 'Are you sure Revan will come here?'

Ellis nodded once. 'I'll make sure he's aware that I'm waiting for him,' he replied. 'But just to make things interesting, I plan to give them a little surprise at that ball they must attend.'

'I hope this doesn't alienate us from our source within the Senate.'

'It shouldn't,' the dark lord responded. 'We're after Revan. And besides, they've told us who needs to be...dealt with. In that sense, they've already allowed us some...liberties.'

Atton smirked at that. 'So everything should be set?' he asked, tentatively.

Again, his master nodded. 'If everything goes well,' he replied. 'We will be rid of Revan and have the full backing of the Republic Senate.'

The task and responsibilities of the Supreme Chancellor were certainly not for those with the weakest of hearts or constitutions. Being the head of the Galactic Government was one of fierce politics and even a bit of backstabbing if the need called for it. Robert Belyn, Sr. had hoped to get through his political career without that ever happening. He had just entered into his second term, after successfully leading their government through the upheaval that was the aftermath of the Star Forge.

He had seen, from the inside, what war could do to the galaxy and the Republic as a whole. He had been Vice Chair to the last Chancellor during the Mandalorian War and again through the whole Jedi Civil War. He had seen the struggles that the government had with the clashing of Jedi propaganda. Belyn personally had rather liked the Jedi, had thought them to be upstanding in fact, but he had to take a hard look when those heroes had betrayed them, though it should've been no surprise with the way they had seemed to betray their own masters and order.

Politics was never an easy game to play, but as Chancellor, Belyn was determined to keep the galaxy as peaceful as possible.

So when his son and another senator had approached him about the return of Revan and the fact that the former Jedi and former Sith lord seemed to be sneaking around the galaxy once again, of course he was alarmed. Revan had gone off before and had returned as a Sith Lord with half the Jedi Order and Republic Fleet behind him. That war had nearly destroyed the Republic as they knew it and Belyn refused to let it happen again. He trusted his son -- after all, Robbie was the Senior Admin Aide, appointed by him personally -- so he would listen to whatever suggestions there could be.

Robert had first approached him when the Jedi Order had given that press sitting with reporters from the Holonet and everyone of course was disturbed when they saw no Revan at the conference. And the flimsy excuse the masters gave -- that he was on Order business -- never set right with him either. So he let it sit and stew for a bit, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it certainly did. It may have taken five years, but when the reports had come out that the planet of Peragus II had literally blown up, causing a fuel shortage for the nearby Telos, Belyn knew there would be problems.

And there were.

The first reports were not good -- an exiled Jedi was known to be responsible for the explosion and the description fit Revan's last appearance perfectly. That's when the Supreme Chancellor wanted knowledge -- where did Revan go? Who were his friends? Lovers? Enemies? People were to find them. Immediately and have them questioned. But he should've realized things wouldn't go as he wanted. He should've known the attack and destruction of the Jedi Temple was significant in some way and when that was followed up by the murders of so many Jedi and then the thing at Katarr...those first years of his term were shaky at best.

People wanted justice. That was one reason why he hadn't put his foot down on that Jedi bounty by the Exchange. As far as he was concerned, that was a problem between the Jedi and the Sith; he just wanted them to leave the galaxy alone for their skirmishes. Again, that was too much to hope for. And now, as he sat in his office, leaning back in his chair, soft music setting his mind at ease, he was still deeply troubled by what he had heard today.

While he had agreed to Robert's plan of sending out the best of the best to find Revan, Belyn hadn't realized his former daughter-in-law would be the person to find him. He knew why they got divorced and he certainly never blamed Lynsel for anything that had happened; this was business and it needed to be conducted as such. And he listened as his son told them the information they had received -- how Revan seemed to be up to his old tricks; finding former colleagues, hanging out with Mandalorians...he wouldn't deny that that fact alone had worried him.

But deep within him, Robert, Sr. felt something was amiss; something was stirring and he didn't like it. Robbie and Kodis Basil seemed to be joined at the hip lately and his son always had some place to be or someone to speak to; it made Belyn nervous. When Kodis had approached him about sending out invitations to Revan and his crew for that year's ball, he was instantly suspicious, but Kodis had eased his fears, saying that Revan would have the opportunity to perhaps settle the rumors about his once again allegiance to the Sith. It was a good idea, he thought, assuming the man accepted. And even with the surprise that the invite was accepted, Belyn was still...wary. He couldn't help it. He had been in politics for a long time and he knew when someone was yanking his chain.

This felt like one of those moments.

Coruscant always had the distinction of being a beautiful planet at night. The sky was always clear and the stars seemed to shine brighter from the capitol planet than on any other. This was the night that the Chancellor's Ball was set against. Most of Coruscant's leaders and high society types were in attendance and the rumor held that the former Jedi and Sith, Revan, would be there as well.

Robert Belyn, Jr. -- the Senior Administrative Aid to the Supreme Chancellor -- had hoped the rumors of Revan's presence would be true. He wanted to expose the former Sith Lord for what he was; a former Sith trying to regain his title. He could see it in the way the man was secretative about his activities for the last few years and Robert wasn't stupid to note that the mysterious exile had seemingly disappeared once Revan had returned to galactic space. Oh yes, Revan was up to something. And it didn't hurt that his ex-wife would need to be there as well. He still had things to tell her and the fact that Admiral Onasi had seemed to stick his nose in their business didn't sit well with him either. He wasn't blind. He knew want and lust when he saw it and Onasi was dripping with it when his eyes turned to Lynsel. Really. Just because the man's wife had died didn't mean he could go about taking other men's just to suit his repressed sexual appetite. Disgusting really, but what could one say when they were in the presence of a Sith Lord?

Tonight, Robert would show his father just what the former Jedi wanted and he would show his father that the time was right to finally set the galaxy back on its feet.

Without Revan.

Within minutes of their arrival, the whispering began. Revan had known he'd be seen, despite his different facial and head appearance and the absence of Jedi robes, but people knew him no matter what. It didn't help certainly that both he and Bastila were not only together, but former allies -- at least as far as the people in the room were concerned. They had both been in the Jedi and they had both been in the Sith and for the moment, it didn't matter if they were in neither. They had a past and they had arrived together.

Carth and Lynsel weren't spared from the treatment either. Many people knew who Carth Onasi was and many knew of his history with Revan and with Saul Karath. Seeing a senator's former wife on his arm didn't help his appeal any and Lynsel couldn't help but be embarrassed by those who knew her. Of course they would know her -- she was a top Special Forces officer and the former wife of Robert Belyn, Jr., the basic left hand man of the Supreme Chancellor, who of course, just happened to be her former father-in-law.

'Ah, Revan,' Kodis Basil greeted them, standing by the door as though he had been anticipating their arrival. 'I'm so glad you could come. And Miss Shan, how beautiful you look tonight. I might have to steal a dance from you.'

'I wouldn't count on it.' Bastila replied.

'Really Basil,' Revan began. 'Was this necessary? I do have things to do.'

'I'm sure you do, Revan,' said Robert, as he came towards them. 'Come. I have a table for you and your crew. No point just standing in the doorway. Unless of course you're plotting your escape.'

'The thought had occurred to me.'

Robert smirked at him, before offering his arm to Lynsel. 'No thanks,' she said, huffily. 'I already have one.' She leaned into Carth, who smiled wickedly.

'For tonight maybe.' Came the retort. 'Come then.'

The group followed the aide, trying their best to ignore the pointed stares and whispering that came as they entered. Robert led them to a table that was on the right of the Supreme Chancellor, who immediately stood as the group came towards him. He instantly went to hug Lynsel, causing a smile on the face of the young woman as they greeted each other. He shook Carth's hand, saying, 'I've heard nothing but great things about you, Admiral.' When he got to Revan, the younger man could see he was being sized up.

'The great Revan,' the Chancellor replied, holding out his hand. 'There has been much talk about you.'

'All mixed, I'm sure.' Revan supplied, shaking the hand held out to him.

'To say that you have been...straightforward...on your activities would be an understatement.'

'I have to have my secrets, Chancellor.'

'Don't we all?' Robert asked, his eyes momentarily moving towards Lynsel before turning back.

'Robbie was a bit mistaken,' the elder man continued. 'You'll be dining at my table.'

'Chancellor, that's...that's...not necess...' Revan stumbled, only to be interrupted by the Chancellor.

'Nonsense!' he exclaimed. 'We have so much to discuss. Besides,' he said, throwing an arm around Lynsel's shoulders. 'I have to catch up with my favorite daughter-in-law.'

The Intel officer chuckled. 'Bob, I'm your only daughter-in-law.'

'But you're still my favorite.' He whispered. 'Come on, have a seat.'

The evening only seemed to drag for the crew. The tension that had been felt earlier upon their arrival only seemed to intensify as they sat and talked at the Chancellor's table. Revan sensed something was brewing between the junior Belyn and Carth, while he nervously glanced around at nearby tables and groupings -- all had their eyes on him and they didn't make a move to deter the fact that they were staring and suspicious of him. He noticed Bastila glancing towards the doorway repeatedly, almost as if she was thinking of making a run for it at any minute.

'Kodis tells me you're on a vacation, Revan,' the Chancellor said, suddenly, startling the younger man from his musings.

Revan looked around him -- his friends gave him looks that asked what he would say, while the Senate members at their table wondered if he would agree or disagree. The young man nodded, slowly. 'That's right,' he said. 'I uh...thought it be good for me, you know. Therapeutic.'

'And what exactly have you been doing on this vacation of yours?'

The former Jedi schooled his features. He couldn't let them know this line of questioning was starting to unnerve him. 'What a person normally does when on vacation,' he replied. 'Looking at beaches, shopping, doing some swoop races. You know, that sort of thing.'

'Do you mean to tell his Excellency that for five, six years, you've been 'hanging out' on a beach and shopping?' Robert asked, sarcastically.

'You forgot the swoop races,' Revan retorted. 'I did those too.'

'What does it matter what he did or does on vacation?' Mission asked, clearly annoyed by the turn of conversation. 'It's his business, not yours.'

'Unfortunately, my dear child,' the Chancellor replied. 'It matters a great deal. Especially when rumors say he's not truly 'vacationing', as he'd like us to believe.'

'I wouldn't have pinned you as someone who believes in rumors and hearsay, Bob,' Lynsel said.

'As Chancellor,' he responded. 'It's my duty to make sure no threat or harm comes to the Republic, if I can help it. Now my question to you, Revan, is whether or not you're planning on harming the Republic any time in the future.'

'Honestly Chancellor,' Revan said, seriously. 'I'm hoping to save it.'

'Like you hoped to save it when you became Dark Lord of the Sith?' Robert asked.

'Robert, that's enough.' Lynsel stressed.

The tension had just mounted and it didn't look as though it would be lowering any time soon.

What a night! Lynsel thought as she made her way into her shared quarters with Mission. This was exactly what she suspected the night would be and exactly how she thought the night would end. She originally had no intention of going to the ball that night, but the fact that Basil's invitation was addressed to 'Revan and crew', apparently no amount of protest could persuade Revan to just let them be for the night. She had been pleasantly surprised though, when Carth offered to escort her.

'We might have some fun together,' he shrugged. 'You never know.'

Well, as much as she had wanted to have fun with Carth, it was literally a hard thing to do with her ex-husband and his father hanging around her all night. Though she enjoyed catching up with Bob Belyn, she couldn't wait to get away from Robert and made no secret in showing that she was there with Carth and was determined to have a good time. Of course, Robert took that as a challenge or something, because no sooner had she and Carth gotten to the dance floor, there was Robert cutting his way in.

'Must you be so rude!' she hissed.

'I'm just protecting what's mine,' he growled, an all too familiar smell on his breath indicated he was getting to the point of being belligerent. 'What exactly do you know about this Onasi fellow anyway? He could easily be trying to get into your pants or worse, turn you into one of Revan's willing victims.'

'What the hell are you talking about?' she whispered. 'Robert, you're obviously in the throws of getting drunk, so why don't you get back to it?'

'You don't get it, do you?' he asked, pulling her towards him as she tried to turn.

'No, you don't get it,' she hissed. 'I am not your wife anymore, nor am I your property to control. We are through, Robert! We have been for years.' She looked around and noticed quite a few people were staring, so she moved closer to him. 'If you don't unhand me this very second, a room full of people are going to watch you fall to the floor in a lot of pain.'

'I didn't realize what a schutta you were,' he grumbled. 'So when you've fallen out of Onasi's bed, will you be stumbling into Revan's as well? Or maybe you need a bit of fresh meat. I saw you looking at Onasi's son. Or maybe you like the exotic. That old man would do the trick; put some cream in his caffa, would you?'

'You're vile and vulgar and this conversation is over.'

Sometimes, she couldn't believe the sheer audacity that man had and it was clear to her he posed a problem, for everyone involved. A quick knock on the paneling had her turning from her thoughts and gazing at Carth. He was still dressed in his admiral uniform -- a formality for formal dinners -- though his top buttons were undone, revealing a white t-shirt underneath. 'Hey,' he said, walking over to her.

'Hey yourself.'

'I wanted to make sure you were okay,' he said. 'It didn't look like we had fun after all.'

She laughed at the statement. 'That was entirely due to the company,' she said. 'And I don't mean yours. You...you were great. And I'm sorry I didn't pay you much attention.'

The pilot shrugged. 'It looked like you really got on with the Chancellor,' he said. 'Being your in-law and all. Though things got a little...heated between you and Senator Belyn.'

Lynsel snorted. 'Sometimes I do wonder why I married that man.'

'His charm? His way with words?'

The lieutenant giggled at the absurdity, though in the back of her mind, she wondered if those were indeed the reasons. As she giggled, she couldn't help but notice how close she and Carth were, causing her to blush. She saw Carth also noticing their proximity as well and she could tell he was thinking of backing away. Lynsel had always been fairly ambitious when it came to what she wanted and her conversation with Robert earlier had cemented what she had been feeling for quite sometime. She was, without a doubt, attracted to Carth Onasi. And she was quite sure he was attracted to her. It would be wrong to deny it and certainly on this ship, she had learned never to deny anything with present company -- assuming they were trust worthy of course. She had a hard time trusting people after Robert, especially men, who she knew looked at her like a main course or a dessert platter.

But not Carth.

He had always joked with her and they usually had a good time talking about their military histories and funny tidbits and stories. She was quite comfortable with Carth, something that she never experienced with Robert. If he hadn't been part of the senators that had known about her Jedi training, she probably would never have said anything. And even when he knew, Robert had treated her differently; that's when the affairs -- oh, she knew of at least one other time -- started. But Carth...Carth had figured it out himself and he wasn't the least bit angry with her. In fact, it seemed as though he understood her.

Swallowing, she fingered one of the open buttons of his collar. 'I really did have a good time with you,' she whispered, raising her eyes to look at him.

His hand covered hers and he said, 'I'm glad.' His thumb stroked the skin of her hand, before he released it and backed up. 'You were getting ready for bed, so I'd better let you.'

'What?' she asked, teasingly. 'You think you're so boring you'd put me to sleep standing up?'

'Oh ho,' he chuckled. 'That's cute.'

'I am adorable,' she retorted. 'That may explain why you've been watching me lately.'

The admiral's face seemed to blanch before coloring up again with red. 'Oh,' he mumbled. 'I hadn't thought you'd noticed...'

'If you were any more obvious, your eyes would fall out of your head.'

'I'm not that bad...'

'Not for a monkey-lizard, no,' she joked. 'Not bad at all.'

'Damn it, woman,' he exclaimed, a small grin on his face. 'If you keep hounding me, I'm going to put you over my knee and teach you a lesson!'

'Is that a promise?' she asked, innocently.

Carth chuckled. 'You really are something, you know that?'

'Something good, I hope.'

She didn't mind the lust in his eyes as he muttered, 'Very good.' He seemed to shake himself out of it, turned and began heading for the door. He stopped however, looking over his shoulder at her. She stared at him, raising an eyebrow in a silent challenge. What was he planning on doing? She watched as he turned back towards her and reached her in a few steps. She didn't move, instead closing her eyes as his lips descended on hers. It wasn't a full on 'leading to something' kiss, but it was deeper than any normal good night kiss she'd ever had.

They said their good nights to each other, not stopping the smiles that got the better of them both. She sighed happily when he left and tried her best to settle the flutters that seemed to start in her stomach and then chest. For his part, Carth seemed to be a little in shock, to the point that he just leaned against the door when it closed. He had been fighting his attraction to her for fear she would reject him. He knew enough to know Robert Belyn had destroyed the confidence and trust she probably used to have and that caused him pause in his pursuit of her. But tonight...tonight, he couldn't stop his jealousy from mounting as soon as Belyn had his eyes on her.

After what he had done, he seriously thought she'd want to get back together with him!?

He calmed his heart and tried to keep his features neutral as he headed down the corridor. No sense in giving Revan ammunition...he abruptly stopped as he came around the corner. Against the wall stood Dustil and Mission, but it was truly hard to see where one ended and the other began. They were in a deep embrace and if Carth hadn't cleared his throat loudly, he couldn't imagine where his son's hand had been heading. They immediately broke apart, both embarrassed at being caught, though Carth noted that Dustil seemed more to be annoyed at being caught than embarrassed by it.

'I was just...' Mission stuttered. 'I was...um...heading to bed.' Her blue face looked pink from the heat of the blush. She mumbled a goodnight to both Onasis before hurrying past Carth to her quarters. Carth raised an eyebrow at the defiant stare his son gave him.

Chuckling, he said, 'Come help me get the ship ready for take-off, Lover boy.' The younger man groaned, but dolefully followed his father towards the cockpit. They passed by a meditating Jolee, who smirked when Dustil walked by him.

'Not one word, old man!'

Carth was still chuckling as they continued, only stopping when the admiral took his son by the arm and pulled him into the main console room, before crossing his arms over his chest and looking at him. He wasn't going to lecture; his son was a man now and he could make his own decisions and certainly, he had given the young man an abridged version of how men were to treat a woman and what a woman expected. He could see the eyes of the boy's mother staring back at him, almost the same kind of stare Morgana would give him if he had said something to upset her.

'Father...'

'I'm not going to lecture,' the pilot chuckled. 'You're a grown man and I expect you to treat Mission the same way you'd want someone to treat your mother. However, I thought it might be good to go over certain...precautions.' Dustil rolled his eyes, the only way a child who knew what was coming could.

'Just because I had my tongue in her mouth, doesn't mean I'm going to be charging up her loading ramp.'

'What a lovely image that makes,' Carth retorted. 'But with that in mind, I think I have to ask, just want do you want to happen between the two of you?'

'You're her guardian now?' Dustil exclaimed.

'No,' Carth replied, leaning back against the console. 'But I would think you'd want me to ask instead of Revan, cause surely if he had caught you...'

Dustil groaned. He had certainly not seen this happening. When he had asked Mission to accompany him to the ball, he had hoped they could spend more time together. Not that they weren't spending a lot of time together now, but he wanted alone time with her. Ever since Revan had caught him...comforting...her, the former Jedi seemed to make it a point to be where ever the two of them were, which was surprising, as he had his own wedding to worry about.

'I like her, all right?' he whispered. 'I wasn't intending to, but I do. A lot. I didn't want to...I don't want to fall for her, but it feels like I am.'

Carth regarded his son and suddenly things began to click. He remembered when they had met on Telos and they had actually talked for the first time since Dustil was a boy. He hadn't wanted to pry, but he needed to know that he hadn't missed too much of his son's growing up and that included girls. Dustil hadn't said anything specific, but there had been one name that had stood out for Carth.

'Selene wasn't just a friend, was she?'

The young man tensed, but only for a moment. He didn't like talking about Selene; he didn't like talking about his time in the Sith; he didn't like the memories that came when he did. But that was the main reason he had fought against these feelings. If they were on a planet or she had just been passing by, maybe they wouldn't haunt him, but they did. They were on a small ship, enclosed, and most of their time was spent together. 'No,' he whispered. 'She wasn't.'

'It's not easy, is it?' he asked. 'Trying to stay true to your first love when you have feelings for someone else.'

'Is that how you feel?'

The admiral sighed. 'I spent years wanting vengeance, Dusty,' he said. 'I didn't have time for a relationship and really, I don't think one could've lasted then. I was so...devastated, I told you that. I did nothing but think about you, your mother, and how...how I failed to protect you like I should have. I couldn't find room for anything else.

'But you can't turn your feelings on and off,' he continued. 'There's got to be a reason that you're letting Mission get close to you.'

'Like you and Lt. Belyn?' the younger man asked, sending his father a small smile.

Carth couldn't help but smile as well. 'We certainly picked the most determined women, didn't we?' he joked.

'I'm...I'm happy for you, Dad.' Dustil replied. 'I know how much mother's death hurt you and I'm...glad to see you happy again. She...she does make you happy, right?'

'Yeah,' the pilot whispered, a far off look on his face. 'She does.'

'Mission makes me happy, too.'

'Good,' the older man responded, with a grin. 'Now about charging up her loading ramp...'

'I'm not going to be charging up her loading ramp,' Dustil muttered, his cheeks red in embarrassment.

'I didn't say you couldn't,' Carth said, admist a chuckle. 'Just that you...um...be cloaked while doing so.'

'The same goes to you,' the son retorted. 'Unless of course you're planning on giving me a sibling or two. I always did hate being an only child.'

'Why you little...'

Their joking was halted as they heard a loud commotion outside. 'What the hell...?' murmured Carth, as he and Dustil headed to the cockpit to see what was going on. They stopped when they heard louder shouts coming from the main hold. Looking at each other, they quickly changed course, and hurried to the base of operations. They were surprised to see a transmitted holo of Robert Belyn, who seemed to be ranting and raving at a very angry Revan.

'He wants to see you,' Belyn spat. 'Now!'

'On my way.' Revan seethed, turning and heading for the loading ramp, muttered curses coming from his lips.

'What the hell happened?' Carth exclaimed, looking over at Bastila, who looked equally chagrinned.

'It's the Supreme Chancellor,' she replied, in a tight voice, reminding Carth of what he had dubbed her 'reprimanding tone'. 'He wants us in his office. Apparently, the Sith have attacked.'

It had been shortly after midnight when the attack came. The ball had let out about an hour before, but there were still stragglers that sat within the expansive Skysitter Restaurant. It was the most lucrative place within all the galaxy and incredibly exclusive. When the Senate thought of having a ball, they turned to the Skysitter, knowing it for its delicious, yet expensive cuisine. It also boasted a very nice, though a bit small, dance floor for its patrons.

The Skysitter was one of many wonderful sights to see in the government city and it was the best place to see the city as a whole. The restaurant sat high above a spire that rotated to achieve a panoramic view of the city. It was from this view point that a few people noticed a disturbance from the ground floor. Not thinking anything of it, of course, and went back to their after dinner chatter or their desserts. It wasn't until the screaming began and people could see the emergence of Sith elite soldiers. As the panic set in, more Sith troops appeared, this time in the form of the Shadow assassins that had once stalked the Jedi to extinction.

Not everyone was hurt, but there were deaths, most notably a few of those senators that had decided to stay. The man in charge, assumably the captain, gave them a message: 'Darth Trayun wanted to prevent this, but as usual, the traitor Revan has refused to even meet with us to discuss his withdrawal from the Core Worlds. Our master wants to avoid further blood shed, but Revan will need to be delivered to us.'

That started an outcry the Supreme Chancellor didn't think he could avoid. He hadn't even walked into the bathroom to use the fresher, then slip into his nightclothes, when his console began beeping with a vengeance. His son had been on the other line, raving that the Sith had attacked the remaining party goers at the Skysitter and had killed four members of the senate. Looking across the city from his bedroom, he could almost see people tromping down towards his residence. For the first time in many years, Robert Belyn, Sr cursed, long and wildly.

He had immediately told Robbie to call Revan and his crew into his office and made him dispatch some officers that could calm the fears of the people of the city. He had then walked into his bath and splashed water on his face. He would not take this, not from anyone.

Bastila could literally feel the waves of anger that flowed from her husband. They had been making their way to the replicator when the main console beeped at them, revealing an outraged Robert Belyn, Jr. Revan didn't even have time to defend himself from the accusations when Belyn barked that the Supreme Chancellor wanted to see them, immediately.

And now, standing in the office of the Supreme Chancellor, the earlier tension that had been building during dinner and the ball now exploded to no one's surprise. Robert, Jr. was livid at the attack and he put all the blame on Revan, saying that despite the fact that the captain of the Sith unit had said another lord's name, Robert was clearly in the camp that thought Revan was this Sith lord and he had planned this attack. 'And what, prey tell, would be my motivation for planning an attack against the Senate?' Revan angrily asked.

'Perhaps you're once again taking up the mantle of dark lord!' Robert exclaimed.

'Enough!' the Supreme Chancellor yelled. It had been non stop shouting since they had all walked in and some of the insults were getting personal. 'Revan,' he said, trying to calm himself down. 'Is there a reason for the Sith attack tonight? And do you know of this new dark lord?'

Revan's eyes bore into the Senior aide's before turning to address the Chancellor. 'I don't know why the Sith have attacked tonight,' he stated. 'But yes, I do know of the new Sith Lord.'

'Was Darth Revan taken?' Robert sneered. Carth made a move towards him, but the former Jedi held him back.

'I don't want to keep you in the dark, Chancellor,' he continued. 'But I must. I can at least tell you I plan on taking care of Darth Pain in My Ass as soon as possible. However...I would like to warn you about something, something that affects the entire galaxy.'

'And that is?'

With a look to Robert, Revan replied, 'Keep close watch on those you call confidences. I...I hope to avoid my past mistakes, as well as making sure a friend of mine doesn't make an even bigger one.'

The former Jedi left it at that, leaving a thoroughly wary and confused Supreme Chancellor and an enraged Senior aide.

Storming back on the Hawk, Revan didn't seem the least surprised when the main console beeped to life with an incoming message. In fact, the image coming through only seemed to incense Revan more. 'Condescending greeting: Ah, my former master. How good it is to see you again. I do hope things have gone well.'

'I should strip you for parts, you blood-thirsty traitor,' Revan hissed.

'Placating response: You always did have a terrible temper. I'm only communicating until my current master arrives. Gleeful salutation: Master! How wonderful. I was just telling my former master how he needs to watch his temper. He'll cause himself undo pain and torture. Mournful retraction: How unfortunate that would be for us.'

'Yes indeed, HK,' Ellis replied, giving an evil smirk towards Revan. 'Get my message, did you?'

'Where are you?'

'The mighty Revan,' Ellis taunted. 'The great Revan. You were said to be the brilliance behind the Sith. Why should I bother telling you were I am?'

'You won't get away with this!' Bastila countered.

The current dark lord smirked at the woman. 'And I suppose you're going to stop me?' he asked.

'Yeah we are.' Carth supplied.

'With what army?' Ellis asked. 'Too bad you had to go and destroy the Star Forge, Revan. You may have actually had a chance. But that's not why I called. I decided I'll let Coruscant rest up a bit before I start in again on the Core Worlds. Unless of course, you think you can find me.'

'I'll find you.' Revan growled.

'Maybe I should give you a hint,' the dark lord said, sweetly. 'You didn't destroy all your strongholds, you know. In fact, I'm sending this to you from a very nice one. Oh, you need some plants and maybe a bit of a sky light, but overall, a nice place to say...conquer the galaxy from. Catch me if you can.' The transmission ended, leaving the crew pondering where Ellis could possibly be. The message however seemed to put Revan over the top as far as his anger was concerned.

'Bastard!' he spat, before moving towards the cockpit. He hadn't even entered the corridor when the main console beeped again, this time showing the drawn face of the current Mandalore.

'Canderous, what...?' Bastila started, but was interrupted by the clan leader.

'We've got problems.'

'So do we,' the former Jedi responded, walking back towards the main hold. 'What's your problem?'

'The Sith,' the leader responded. 'They're here on Dxun and Revan...you're not gonna like what they're doing.'

Revan stared back at his old friend, almost afraid to ask what the Sith could possibly be doing on Dxun.

'I think...' Canderous began, swallowing. 'I think they may be trying to raise Freedon Nadd again.'

Revan wasn't in a talkative mood, nor was he in a happy mood. He had just left the moon of Dxun, dropping off Mission, Dustil, and Lynsel at the meeting point for the Mandalorian camp. Canderous had told them they had seen a few scattered Sith officers just roaming the jungle -- most of those encountering the fierce beasts within -- and had pretty much taken care of the others that managed to avoid such dangers. But the clan leader had said they had been attacked -- one that was reminiscent of when the exile had been on the moon with them -- and after defeating those soldiers, things seemed to be quiet.

Until Visas said something was amiss.

Revan didn't bother to ask why the former Sith was on Dxun instead of her planet of Katarr, but he noted Bastila filed that little tidbit away. When asked to expand on that statement, the clan leader only said Visas thought that Dxun was once again being shrouded in dark energy and she stated it was coming from the temple that held Freedon Nadd's tomb.

While Revan would've liked to have taken the whole crew, they still had the matter of finding Ellis. The former Jedi didn't know how he had done it or what planet they were exactly heading to...he had just come up with the coordinates in his head and told them to Carth, who looked at Revan in confused awe. He couldn't tell he pilot where they were headed, but he just had a feeling that it was some how important. Jolee had pulled him to the side later, also wanting to know how he had just 'instinctively' known where to go and how to get there.

Revan shrugged. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I mean I just...I was thinking about where Ellis might be and all of sudden, I had a route in my head.'

'Hmm...' the elder man replied. 'I've heard of this, where some Jedi could actually plot a hyperspace route in their heads, without the help of a nav-computer.' The elder Jedi nodded his head, slowly.

'Do you think this is an ability I've had before?' Revan asked, quietly.

'Hard to say, isn't it?' Jolee asked. 'With most of your memory gone, one can't say if this was something that was always an ability for you or if you've just now begun to show signs of it.'

After that conversation, Revan decided to focus on the upcoming confrontation with Ellis and he knew there would be a confrontation. He hadn't seen the young Sith Lord since their meeting on Yavin IV, which wasn't a true battle between them. Revan was in fact, a little worried about meeting his former friend. After their last battle on the Hawk, Revan had hoped Ellis would turn away from the dark side or at least be smart enough not to get involved with the true species of Sith. On top of that, Revan still suspected Ellis was being helped in a way that wouldn't bold well for him, mainly the fact that he thought Ellis was possessed. He didn't know why he thought that, but there was something within himself that said he had once been that way as well.

Had he been possessed by a spirit of the True Sith? He didn't know and he couldn't remember. He couldn't imagine what kinds of...gifts the True Sith could've bestowed onto Ellis, but he knew, it wasn't good.

And on top of that, they were trying to raise Freedon Nadd's spirit and the way Canderous had worded it, apparently this wasn't the first time. Again, Revan thought he may have rushed things with coming after the Sith. He had known there was something beyond the Unknown Regions that spelled doom for the Republic, but he had never imagined this.

Not in his wildest dreams.

Dustil knew from his Jedi history, as well as his time on both Dxun and Onderon, that Freedon Nadd's tomb sat nestled in the jungles on Dxun. He remembered Canderous telling him not to wonder far within the jungle, especially to the tomb itself, as it was forbidden. The clan leader had told him that the exile, with their help of course, and his crew had driven the Sith out and off the moon and though things should've been fine, had been fine up until this point, the Mandalorians still felt the tomb and its dark power.

And soon enough, as soon as he stepped off the ramp onto the meeting place, he could feel something on the moon he hadn't truly felt before. At least, not since his time on Onderon. Their guide led them into the camp and they were immediately met by Mandalore and Visas Marr. Dustil made introductions to the former Sith, knowing her as an acquaintance of Canderous' as well as a gifted welder of the Force. The two again explained the situation to the trio, stating that this time they would have to do something to ensure that this didn't happen again.

Mandalore took charge instantly, telling his commanders to accompany Visas, Dustil, and Lynsel to the jungle tomb. Mission was a little put out for being made to stay behind, but Dustil spoke softly to her, telling her the dangers may be more than even he could handle and with the Sith, it might do well to have Jedi fighting against them. It didn't take away her annoyance, but it did ease her somewhat -- or maybe it was the kiss he dropped on her forehead, as he told her he'd take out as many Sith as he could in her name. Visas said goodbye to Mandalore, her voice low and soft, as though she didn't want her words overheard. Dustil wasn't blind and was quite aware that something was happening between the former Sith and the clan leader, but he excused himself, along with Lynsel as they went outside to wait for their group.

The second in command, Kelbourn, was to accompany and lead them to the tomb. The armored Mandalorian was known throughout the camp as one of the greatest and he had only been bested once -- by the Jedi exile -- and he had helped to discover and eliminate the searching of Col. Tobin's troops from Onderon. He was doing this out of respect to Xarga, who had been wounded while fending off some of the Sith troops they had recently battled.

They headed off, reaching a jungle corridor that the remains of what looked to be mines and a motion sensor. 'You don't have to worry about those,' Kelbourn replied. 'Xarga told me the exile's companions took care of that the last time they were here. In fact, I doubt we'll have any problems getting to the tomb itself.'

'Isn't that a bit dangerous?' Lynsel asked. 'I mean, militarily speaking, of course. I would think if I'm about to raise the dead spirit of an evil Sith lord, I'd make sure I wasn't interrupted. Not putting up any kind of defenses...'

'That's what I wonder, too,' Visas responded. 'It's not like the Sith to just invite one into their private party.'

'Unless we're not dealing with the normal Sith.' Dustil commented, walking ahead to view out of the corridor. 'I can see the temple from here. And you won't believe this...there's nothing stopping us.'

'You're kidding, right?' Lynsel asked, walking over to him. Peering out, she too saw the water waves to their left and the mixture of brown and green grass ahead of them. Sure enough, the outline of a building stood in the foreground and it didn't seem as though they'd be meeting any resistance. 'Something's not right,' she muttered. 'There really should be something here.'

'I agree,' Visas said. 'There is something waiting for us. And they appear to be very large.'

'Do I even want to know how you know that?' Lynsel asked, warily.

'Force sight,' Dustil replied, unhooking his lightsaber and taking a few steps out of the corridors. 'Allows her to see things beyond the natural realm of regular sight, like through doors and walls.'

'You impress me with your knowledge, young Jedi,' Visas smiled. 'Kelbourn, do you think your men would enjoy some sport?'

'We're Mandalorians, Lady Visas,' the leader commented, teasingly. 'We always enjoy a good battle.'

The group walked cautiously towards the tomb, greatly on edge with what seemed to be a very ingenious trap. No sooner had they passed a security terminal when they heard the first cries of an animal. The group seemed to suddenly be swarmed by bomas, but the creatures seemed different than before. Usually, the creatures were easily taken care of and would succumb to the normal Force power, but even as Dustil and Visas unleashed theirs, the beasts didn't seem to slow any and it was a much harder fight than it should've been.

Afterwards, fifteen of the beasts lay dead, with two members of their Mandalorian group dead next to them. Visas used her healing powers to help those that had been wounded, but it seemed the group wasn't out of the woods yet. As soon as they had walked away from the carnage, another roar was heard, this time from one of two drexl beasts. The group split off, a smaller portion each fighting a beast. Dustil and Lynsel fought off one, with Lynsel leading an offensive while Dustil tried to slow the creature down with various dark sided powers. It seemed like hours before both beasts were down, but again, they lost a large chunk of their fighting force.

From a group of about eleven warriors, they were now down to six.

'There's no way we can survive like this,' Dustil panted.

'We'll have to,' Lynsel countered. 'There's no way we can turn around and come back. What if we return and there's more of these things to kill?'

'The lieutenant is right,' Visas replied, shaking her head. 'We must move forward. If the Sith are indeed trying to raise Freedon Nadd, we don't have the luxury of time to turn back and gather reinforcements.'

'Agreed,' Kelbourn said. 'Forward then.'

The group remained on guard, though nothing seemed to happen once they headed up to the ramp to the entrance of the tomb. 'The Force is strong through these doors,' Visas whispered.

'It's stifling.' Lynsel mumbled, causing Dustil to look at her curiously.

'It's the dark side,' he answered.

'Our mission should end here,' Visas continued. 'Regardless of an outcome.'

With that said, the group entered the tomb.

Again with caution, the group walked a narrow hallway, on guard to defend themselves if necessary. And again, they were met with a large door that easily slid open for them. Another corridor and another door was passed before they found themselves in a large chamber. It was quiet, but the sounds of doors opening immediately put the group on guard once again. They heard grunts and a low roar from either of them and the sights that greeted them were not good.

To their left, was a large reptilian like creature, that had sharp claws on both hands and on its feet; it had long spikes that rested on its head and two long and pointy front fangs. To the right of them looked to be a man, but he had been horribly transfigured into the creature before them. He was red and stood at least seven feet tall; most importantly, he was mutated. A creature of genetics gone terribly wrong.

'What the hell...' Kelbourn whispered, looking at the red figure coming towards them, then glancing over his shoulder at the beast that came from behind.

'I believe,' Visas replied, igniting her lightsaber. 'This was the trouble we were hoping to avoid.'

The battle was even fiercer than what they had faced outside. Neither of these creatures seemed to deter from Force powers and it left the Jedi in the group in a disadvantage. Lynsel, fed up with the evidence that nothing they seemed to be doing was working, quickly pulled Dustil behind her before throwing out a proton grenade at the large scaled beast. The impact did seem to disorient the creature, allowing Dustil to strike it with his Force Lightening. That only seemed to make the beast madder than it already was. The two quickly ran for it, trying to lure the creature from the fight that was taking place with the red-skinned being.

The two ran towards the right-handed door and then doubled back, running past the creature, who continued to stumble towards the door. Realizing its prey was behind it, the creature turned, but his momentary lapse of judgment was all it took for Lynsel to produce a thermal detonator and toss it at the creature, destroying it and opening the door behind it. Turning back to the second creature, she and Dustil help defeat it, but their numbers had again dwindled, leaving the four of them. However, Kelbourn was badly wounded and even Visas and Dustil's healing powers weren't sustaining him. They gave him two of the med-pacs they had, but suggested perhaps Kelbourn sit out this fight, to which the Mandalorian stubbornly agreed.

The trio went to investigate the right side, walking into a room that seemed to be devoid of anything except an ancient looking terminal. Dustil was the brave one to take a look at it, seeing that it would allow them to access the large double doors that stood at the end of the ramp out front. Activating it, he and the ladies returned to the outer chamber and headed down the ramp to enter the crux of Freedon Nadd's tomb. When they entered, a ghastly sight greeted them.

Three beings stood in front of a tomb, their skins slightly darker than the large human turned creature had been, and they had small chin tuffs. They smiled at the three new comers, for a figure had arisen from behind them. He was a specter, but he was also very large, though his appearance could've been due to his armor, but he was a daunting figure to be sure.

'Is it true?' the ghost asked. 'I have been raised to continue what I was denied?' He looked around him, seeing the three dark cloaked figures bowing before him. 'Ah, my followers.' He grinned. 'So afraid I was that you would haunt me in my life and here you are, bowing to me in death.' Looking up, he spotted Visas, Dustil, and Lynsel. 'Have you brought me something?' he asked, tilting his head to the side. 'Ah...Jedi and so strong in the Force are they.' He chuckled, deeply. 'Do not be afraid, my children. I ask that you join me for a great cause.'

'We'll never join you,' Dustil stuttered, backing away from the scene as much as he dared.

Again, the specter chuckled. 'I sense you have touched the dark side, young one,' he whispered. 'And your companion as well. Surely, you do not find comfort in the light, when you can have so much within the dark.'

The trio could only stare at the figure as he began laughing, slow at first, and then growing in volume and sound. It was all they could to run out of the chamber back in the previous one. Kelbourn took one look at them and didn't ask any questions, instead followed them outside, where Dustil immediately became sick over the side of the temple's ramp before collapsing to the ground. 'Do I want to ask what happened?' the Mandalorian asked, nervously.

'We have failed,' Visas spat, doing her best to maintain her composure, but like Dustil, she too was deeply affected by the temple itself and their meeting with those inside. 'Freedon Nadd has arisen.'

Carth had never truly been in the Unknown Regions before; hell, he had never really been past the Outer Rim before, and this time, he was really within uncharted space. He had been so surprised when Revan had given the coordinates for a planet he wasn't sure even existed, but the former pilot knew better than to question Revan and his motives, so he powered up the Hawk and made the jump to lightspeed. When they hit their mark, they were greeted with total darkness and an icy planet before them.

'Where are we?' he had whispered, looking up at his friend. Revan had been quiet the entire trip, only just now returning to the cockpit as they got closer. The look on his face could only be one of confusion, but what the former knight could be confused about, Carth didn't know.

'Revan?' Bastila asked, from her co-pilot's chair.

'I don't know,' came his whisper, in response to Carth's question. And truly, Revan had no idea where they were or what the planet before them was called. He only knew that he had been here once, that he had seen it once in his mind. 'T3,' he said, calling the little droid to him. The little astromech droid beeped at his master, wondering what he could want.

'It's time, T3.' Was all he said.

To Carth, it seemed as though the little droid tried to put up a fight, but Revan shook his head and repeated his earlier statement. Again, the droid protested. 'Be that as it may,' Revan replied. 'It is time.' T3 seemed to let it go then and made his way out of the cockpit.

'What was that about?' asked Carth.

'It seems Ellis tried to break into the nav-computer,' came the response.

'Whatever for?'

'To see where I had gone.'

Carth and Bastila looked at each other. 'I want you to review those files, Carth,' he continued. 'While we're on the planet.'

'What am I looking for?' the pilot asked, hesitantly.

'Clues.'

That was as far as he would elaborate, before he walked out of the cockpit, leaving his friends to stare after him. 'I have a horrible feeling about this, Carth,' Bastila whispered. 'I sense that this planet is heavy within the dark side and it will take everything for both Revan and myself to counter it.'

'What do you think's going on down there?' he asked.

'I haven't the slightest idea,' she replied. 'But I feel as though nothing good will come from this. In fact...I have the feeling nothing will go as planned.'

'Maybe we shouldn't be here.'

The young woman shook her head. 'The Force is directing us for a reason,' she whispered, standing and heading for the doorway. 'However the event will end.'

Only moments later, Carth was landing the ship in a remote location that was blocked by a large mountain of ice. From the windows, they could see the planet to be extremely cold, prompting the trio of Revan, Jolee, and Bastila to dress warmer than they normally would. The winds looked to be calm, directing Revan to wait to leave while the temperatures weren't harsh. 'The winds here can cause hypothermia,' he said, casually. He missed the look passed between Jolee and Bastila.

The trio left the safety and warmth of the Ebon Hawk to step on the surface of this unknown, cold planet. The winds were just as Revan said -- harsh, cold, and brutal -- and the three moved slowly within the snow that lay thick on the ground. Revan wasn't sure where he was leading them, just that something told him to go north and that's where he headed. They walked in silence, until Jolee had to ask where they were headed. Revan shook his head, muttering, 'I don't know,' before pushing on ahead.

For Bastila, she didn't know how her husband could endure the swirl of the dark side here. It was almost as if the planet itself was incased in it and it brought about horrible memories from when she had been turned by Malak -- the rage and anger she had felt had truly blinded her, almost to the point she had nearly killed the man who would become her husband of the past few weeks. She smiled inwardly; she knew most women would balk at their journey. She and Revan should be on a traditional honeymoon; instead they were on a planet heavy in the dark side, looking for a former friend of Revan's who wanted him dead.

'I see nothing funny about traipsing around in the snow,' Jolee huffed, seeing her small smile

The young woman smirked. 'Just thinking, Jolee,' she replied.

'About where we're going, I hope.'

'I have as much as an idea as you do, old man,' she retorted. 'Though you must know that the Force is pointing us in this direction.'

'Hmph,' the elder muttered. 'The Force is many things, though sometimes I do wonder if it does indeed lead us.'

'You think we're here for nothing then?' she asked.

'Oh, I think we need to be here,' he admitted. 'I just have a bad feeling about it.'

Bastila looked ahead of her, seeing Revan further ahead than she would've liked. 'I have the same feeling, Jolee,' she whispered. 'I can't help but feel we're walking into a trap somehow.'

Before the elder man could respond, they saw Revan standing still in front of them and looking ahead, they could see why. Before them stood something of a castle, wide and grey. The walls were high, leading into two towers on either end. The perimeter seemed to be deserted, but all three Jedi could sense the evil this place held. 'I know where we are,' Revan whispered, his eyes scanning the area around them. 'This is Khar Delba, once a planet of the Sith Empire. This place...this place was said to be Naga Sadow's fortress, but it wasn't. It was a decoy; the place Ludo Kressh attacked, while Sadow was hidden in the real fortress on the planet's moon. He gave a surprise attack, virtually destroying Kressh's fleet and taking two of his supporters with them.'

'How do you know all that?' Bastila asked in awe and a bit of trepidation.

Jolee smirked. 'Revan was always looking for something to research,' he chuckled. 'I heard you were up for the job of Jedi historian, if not for the war.'

Revan shook his head. 'Not that,' he replied. 'I've been here.' He again looked around. 'There's a side entrance on the right, just over the hill,' he continued. 'There're war and assault droids at the front and...' The former dark lord shook his head, as if trying to remember something. 'There's something else, but...I can't...'

'You've done enough already, son,' Jolee replied, giving the younger man a fatherly pat on the shoulder. 'We're wasting too much time out here. I say we go for broke and get inside this place.'

The couple nodded at the suggestion and the three headed off in a run towards the side door. It was hard to maneuver with the snow, but when they finally reached the door, Bastila was dismayed to see that it had a control lock on it. Revan shook his head. 'You got me, remember?' he quipped, before slicing into the computer pad and opening the door. The inside, though a sharp contrast from the harsh winds of outside, was just as intimidating as the outside of the castle. Revan surmised the place hadn't been use since his last time here, though he couldn't be sure on when he had been here at all.

Though it had been some time -- centuries supposedly or years from the last time Revan had been there -- the corridor they stood seemed to be immaculate and recently cleaned. The light was dim from where they stood, but further down they could see the light considerably brightened. The trio took cautious steps, the sound of their footsteps oddly muted on the cold floor. They had just reached the junction between the darkened area and the lighted one when a figure appeared before them, standing at what seemed to an entrance into a large room. He was of average height, with a shave head that seemed to previous hold red locks; he was dressed in the black robes of a dark knight, and he actually winked at them before turning away.

Bastila didn't have time to think how it was odd it was that this Sith lord -- and she was positive it was this Darth Trayun that stood before them -- was bold enough to meet them, when she heard a shout and was suddenly watching as Revan took off after the man. She and Jolee moved as one, trying to follow the former knight, but when they entered the room, he and his chase were nowhere in sight. 'Damn fool kid,' Jolee muttered, as the two of them looked around. They entered something of a large chamber, by the looks of it, with three different accesses to other parts of the castle.

'Where do you think he went?' Bastila asked, looking at all three pathways and trying her best to find Revan, but the dark side masked his presence and it seemed there were other Force users in the building as well.

Jolee was shaking his head, his eyes glued to the entrance to their left. 'I don't know,' he grumbled. 'But I don't like it and I have a bad feeling we're about to have company.'

Sure enough, from the entrance Jolee watched, they could hear the sounds of several droids approaching, the first two being Mark IV assault droids, followed by what seemed to be an army of military droids.

'Oh bloody hell,' came the curse, surprisingly from Bastila herself.

'Looks like we have our work cut out for us, hmm?' Jolee quipped, preparing his lightsaber

Revan didn't know what he would do once he got a hold of his former friend, but as he chased him down one corridor and then another, the thought of some sort of vengeance for making him run after the guy was in tall order. As it was, the former Jedi paid no attention to where his former ally was leading him, so when he ended up in a third corridor, only the way he came and the entrance to a nearby room were his only choices.

Looking this way and that, Revan wasn't certain where Ellis -- or himself for that matter -- had ended up and it looked like the only way to find out was to move forward. He eyed the forward room with some trepidation, his hands hovering over his sides where he kept his lightsabers, and he took the tentative steps towards the opening.

Something in his senses told him to duck, which he did, falling and sliding forward across the floor on his knees as the swing of a double-bladed, red saber flew over his head. While still in motion, and with a flick of his thumbs, Revan countered a blow coming at his back with his left handed weapon. He ducked by rolling to the right and immediately got on his feet, weapons ready to face his opponent. He saw the confident swagger in the younger man, a smirk on his face as he twirled his lit lightsaber like a baton. 'I thought you were much smarter than this, Ellis,' Revan replied. 'I didn't think you would stoop so low.'

'You're one to speak, Revan,' the dark lord retorted. 'So high and mighty you thought you were, but look how far you've fallen. Even after you taught us that the Jedi thought us as pawns, you still worked for them as their puppet. The great Revan being led around by weak minded fools!'

Darth Trayun came at him, feigning a swipe at his left side, just to turn his saber upwards, nearly severing Revan's head had the former Jedi not moved away and countered. The two battled, the older man surprised with his former friend's movements and directions. It seemed like Ellis' movements, but they were slightly diminished, as though the Sith Lord lost some of his weapons training. But some moves and counters were the same -- he still used the Shien form that Revan and Malak had taught him, as well as that of Jar'kai; but there was another style too; he seemed to be fighting in the style of Makashi, a very elegant form for saber to saber fighting and Revan couldn't remember ever teaching him the second form.

Revan could also see the style of Echani within their dance and that brought about a pain he didn't wish to acknowledge at the moment. The thought made him think of Arren Kae, the woman who had been his master and a mother figure; whose husband had taught his troops about his people and then led them against the Mandalorian onslaught. He had a flash to several months earlier when he had encountered Ellis for the first time in nearly ten years -- how the young lord had addressed one of his apprentices as the daughter of Arren and Yusanis. Certainly, with her heritage, she would be willing to teach her master the art known as Echani fighting. The Dark Lord was on the offensive, pushing Revan backwards towards the wall, trying to block him. The former knight dodged, Darth Trayun's blade missing his head and scrapping the wall behind them.

'Ellis!' Revan screamed. 'Don't do this. You have no idea what these...beings are capable of.'

'There you go again,' the Sith Lord said, walking towards his opponent. 'Always doubting my ability. My masters have taught me more than you and Malak combined. And when they reclaim the galaxy, I will sit on a throne worthy of my talents. While you, dear Revan, will be rotting in this room.'

'So sure, are you, that you'll beat me?' Revan replied, flourishing both his sabers.

'The student has become the master.'

'We'll see.'

They danced around each other before their blades met again, causing some energy sparks with the intensity. They parried and swung and blocked, neither of them getting the upper hand. 'When the Sith take the galaxy,' Ellis taunted. 'Your friends will be the first to fall. And then, we will make adequate use of your Jedi whore.' Revan could feel his anger build and he came at the Sith Lord with renewed energy, turning his defense to offence and pushing the young lord back. Darth Trayun tried to counter, but in the end, could only block Revan's downward swing, but didn't block the left swing that came at his side, seemingly cutting him in half.

However, as Revan's blade hit the side, the figure of Darth Trayun ceased to exist. He simply disappeared.

Revan stood and looked around him, trying to discern what had happened to his former friend. Seeing that the young lord was nowhere in the vicinity, the former Jedi moved out of the room slowly, hoping to either find his foe or his friends.

There seemed to be a mass number of droids that continued to flow through the doorway, even though Jolee and Bastila were doing their hardest to keep them at bay. They were using a heavy amount of Force powers, exclusive to disabling or destroying droids. Though they used their lightsabers as well, it was known that sabers were not much when compared to the complex shielding and metal of droids and it seemed as these droids were of a high caliber, resistant to lightsabers.

Just as suddenly as the attack began, it stopped when the droids that were attacking them began to wind down and stop. The former Jedi stood in the center, surrounded either by debris or by droids that were no longer moving. 'Do you get the sense that was deliberate?' Bastila asked, looking around their area.

'It's mighty hard to tell, Lass,' Jolee murmured. 'The dark shields everything and in this place, no truer sentiment than that describes what we're experiencing. Evil truly does shroud this place like a baby's blanket.'

'I fear we are not alone.'

No sooner had Bastila said it, when they both heard the familiar hiss of lightsabers being turned on. To Bastila's right stood a woman of average height and a build similar to the young woman herself. She was white haired with piercing blue eyes and she wore robes of grey and black. Her saber staff glowed in the shadows of where she stood, causing her to be bathed in partial red light. To Jolee's left, stood a man considerably taller than the woman, with no hair to speak of and a malicious glint in his eye. His one red lightsaber twirled lightly in his hand. 'I'll take him,' Jolee spoke. 'You take care of the other one and go find Revan. Force knows what kind of trouble he's gotten himself into.'

Bastila was torn; she didn't want to leave Jolee alone, but on the other hand, she couldn't allow this person to get away either. Looking at him, she nodded once, saying 'May the Force be with you.' before turning and walking towards the woman who seemed to be beckoning her to her.

'The Force will do nothing to save you, old man,' the younger spouted, sending a blast of Force lightening his way, only to watch it be blocked by the former counselor.

'Kids these days,' he muttered, igniting his lightsaber. 'No respect what so ever.' The two split and went after their perspective marks.

If Bastila was expecting a surprise attack, she was unprepared when one never came.

She had followed the younger woman through a corridor before ending up in another chamber, this one slightly smaller than the front entrance hall. The room was empty, save for the woman she had followed. 'You are highly mistaken if you think luring me away will make me any less of an opponent to you,' the Jedi replied, haughtily.

'On the contrary,' the woman said, once again igniting her lightsaber. 'I only wanted to fight in a less confining condition.'

Bastila looked around the room. 'Bit small, don't you think?'

'Though without the presence of others and certainly more room without droids littering the floor.'

The women came together in a clash, red striking yellow. Their fight was more of a practice, a friendly battle than anything that seemed to be tense. And Bastila Shan picked up on that right away. 'Your master has taught you well,' she complimented. 'It's very hard to wield a double staff, as you know.'

'Ellis...' the woman stopped herself, shaking her head slightly. 'Lord Trayun didn't teach me how to wield a double-handed staff. That pleasure went to my former mistress and my sisters.'

'Then they are to be commended.'

The two again went at each other, Bastila clearly on the offensive, while the mysterious woman blocked her attempts at getting an upper hand. 'The Force is strong within you,' the Jedi said. 'I can feel the good that is in your heart. Surely you know what will happen if your master continues on this path.'

The woman stood for a moment, looking at Bastila with such an unreadable expression, but which Bastila could feel was a quiet calm of sorts. 'I am aware of what the consequences could be,' she whispered. 'But you must understand what this about. Do you still think the Jedi were correct? Even with your feelings for Revan known?'

'This is much more than the Sith vs the Jedi,' Bastila spat. 'If you haven't noticed, there are no more Jedi left.'

'I'm well aware,' the woman replied. 'I can not influence the direction this fight leads us.'

'I think you can and are unwilling.'

'Believe me, Ms. Shan,' the woman said. 'I am quite willing to do whatever I can to keep Ellis from his death.'

'Even if it means falling to the dark side?' asked Bastila.

'You, above anyone else, should know the answer to that.'

Before Bastila could respond, Revan came running from the direction behind them. He stopped when we saw the white haired woman, his mouth hanging open at the sight of her. 'We meet again, Revan,' she said, a small smile on her lips.

'So we do,' he whispered. 'Where is he?'

She shook her head. 'I can not let you harm him.'

'Even when he's doing something stupid?'

'As opposed to going off for a few months hunting down Sith relics?' the woman countered. 'Yes, I guess this would seem pretty small in comparison.'

'This is different...'

'This is no different from when you tried conquering the galaxy,' the young woman spat. 'The goals are the same; only the means are different. Then again...perhaps they're not.'

'What do you mean?' Bastila asked, looking between the two of them.

Just then, all three felt a shift in the Force, the feel of one who was on the least leg of their life. 'Jolee!' two of them exclaimed, looking through the doors they had entered, trying to figure which direction their colleague could be. 'Try the east,' the woman whispered, causing both to look at her in surprise. 'I can't assure that's where your friend is, but it's a start.' With that, she turned and rushed down the corridor behind her.

'Do we trust her?' Bastila whispered, watching the retreating figure.

'We have no choice, do we?' Revan responded. He looked at the east corridor and began to move toward it. 'Was this where you last saw him?'

Bastila shook her head, following him through the hall. 'He was in the opposite direction, actually,' she replied. 'Do you think the hallways loop around?'

'Maybe,' Revan mumbled. 'Possibly. I'm not too sure.'

The corridor they went down indeed looped to the left and came into a small weapons chamber. Though Revan knew timing was of the essence, something was telling him to stop; to look at the supplies he could have. The knight slowed down, being drawn to a footlocker nearby. 'Revan!' Bastila admonished. 'We don't have time!' The young woman herself was finding it difficult to resist some of the u