They Have Brought Truth, Chapter 49 A Jedi's Work is Never Done

"Excuse me, Master Bindo, may I have a moment?" she asked, obviously nervous.

"I'm leaving in a few minutes, young lady, so make it quick," Jolee said.

"That's why I am here. I wish to come with you. Although I am now a Jedi Knight, I feel I have much to learn. I am a former slave and I feel that I could be of value given Kashyyyk's recent history." Her rich voice was filled with confidence and humility.

"I didn't petition the Council to take anyone along. They won't look kindly on you going without permission. Besides, this is just a tribal dispute. The only reason I'm going is because Chief Freyyr and I are old friends. He just wanted to speed up the process of politics." Jolee tried to sound casual and evade the young woman.

"I don't mean to be intrusive, but I must ask you a serious question. How much do you know of the Sith factions?" she asked, standing her ground.

"Very little, Knight Ban. I took a long vacation after the war of Exar Kun. What are you driving at? Let's have it all out in the open. I don't have time for guessing games. If you have something to say, then say it," Jolee said half-angrily.

"Very well, then. Malak was the Dark Lord, but he was far from all-powerful. On the Outer Rim, three powerful Sith Lords had divided a base of power. They were shrouded in secrecy, but rumors were that their hatred of the Jedi made Malak's look like a mild irritation. After Revan destroyed Malak, she created a power vacuum. It is only a matter of time before it is filled. She would know this, and she would have left you some way to prepare for it. I suspect your trip to Kashyyyk has something to do with this." Yuthura was guessing, but she made certain she sounded sure.

"Do you think you can just walk out of here without letting anyone know? That won't please the Council, believe me," Jolee stressed emphatically, trying to dissuade Yuthura one last time.

"I've already requested permission from Master Kavar. He was more than happy to grant my request," she said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"I just remembered who you remind me of... Come on, then, let's get going. Do you have everything you need?" he asked, acknowledging his defeat.

"I am well prepared. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity, Master Bindo," Yuthura said, her eyes glittering with happiness.

"My name is Jolee. Get used to using it. Let's go!" Jolee snapped.

Jolee escorted the young woman to a small ship and they began their journey together. Yuthura was excited to be traveling with Jolee, and hoped for a productive mission. When Revan had come to Korriban, Yuthura's desire to defeat the evil slave trade in the Republic had reawakened to a fevered pitch. Kashyyyk's emancipation was a small first step in the right direction.

Jolee's true mission fascinated her, as well. She wondered how she could earn his trust. Sometimes she was sure being a Sith was an easier way of life, but she had to admit she had never felt more satisfied with her life than she did now. For the first time ever, she felt truly free, and the feeling was taking some getting used to. Unfortunately, her social skills were still very raw. 'Distrust breeds distrust. Perhaps I should make the first move,' she thought.

"Jolee, is there anything I should be aware of while we're on Kashyyyk? I have no desire to offend the native people. As you know, I have very little experience with other cultures," she asked.

"Just mind your manners and you should be fine, my dear. There aren't any real social customs for you to worry about. The Wookiee people value simplicity, but don't make the mistake of thinking they're backward or unsophisticated. Nothing is further from the truth," Jolee explained.

"Appearances are always deceiving. I am used to being underestimated. It is not a mistake I make with others," Yuthura assured.

"Yes, I can see that. Well, since we're going to be stuck together for a while we should decide how to pass the time. Lady's first," he offered in a gallant manner.

"I must confess, I wasn't sure that you'd allow me to come along. While what I told you about the Sith factions is true, I was only speculating about your real purpose on this mission," she admitted. Her small smile did little to hide her embarrassment.

"I must be getting old! You sure had me fooled, young lady. I congratulate you," he quipped with sarcasm.

"Please don't think I meant to mislead you, Jolee. I wish to do whatever I can to assist you," she said, slightly embarrassed.

"I know that, Yuthura. I should have warned you that I'm a crotchety old man. What would you like to talk about?" he asked, trying to put her more at ease.

"I am still not very good at talking to people for pleasure. I know that my personality is difficult. It comes from years of slavery and the Sith. Unfortunately, most Jedi know little or nothing about either way of life. Therefore, I have few acquaintances, and my one true friendship is interrupted for the time being. So you see the situation is rather hopeless," she said with a wry laugh.

"Nonsense! Even if there *was* such a thing as a hopeless situation, yours wouldn't be it. Consider me your practice friend. You can tell me as much or as little as you want about yourself. Who knows, you might actually enjoy yourself. I'll even tell you some of my more less-than-"Jedi-like" occupations. Now, you can't refuse an offer like that. It's a once in a life-time opportunity." Jolee's voice was enthusiastic

"Very well, then, Jolee, I agree. Where should we begin?" Yuthura asked, amused with the older Jedi.

"Let me tell you about an old friend of mine named Andor..." Jolee said with a wide smile.

An hour later, it occurred to Yuthura that she had never laughed so much in her life. 'Is this what happiness is?' she asked herself. Smiling felt very strange. The muscles in her face were slightly strained. Surprisingly, she wasn't bothered enough by it to stop. A sense of humor was something she hadn't taken the time to develop, but she was beginning to see that it was an invaluable quality.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, lass. Now, how about you telling me about some of your adventures?" Jolee asked.

"I'm afraid that many of my stories would be unpleasant to hear. My adventures do not have the color of your own," she admitted.

"Well, let's talk about Korriban then. Why didn't you tell Uthar that you had an ex-Padawan and a Republic war hero in the academy? Don't try to convince me you didn't know. Dustil looks just like his father, and I'm not exactly invisible. You must have had your reasons," he pushed.

"All right, you win, Jolee," Yuthura said, slightly annoyed that she'd been forced to surrender. "The week before the Ebon Hawk arrived on Korriban, I had a strange vision. But before I explain that, let me tell you about the events that led up to our meeting." Her rich voice was made for storytelling..."The academy was buzzing with the latest news of the war. Malak had just reduced the Jedi enclave on Dantooine to rubble. The students were very excited and most of them wanted to get into the fray. I had been spending most of my time quelling their rambunctious spirits, something that grew tiresome very quickly. The only apprentice on the whole planet that wasn't filling the air with grandiose talk was Dustil. As a matter of fact, I took him for breakfast that morning. We were together in the academy mess hall the day after the attack. Dustil was very quiet. It concerned me, although I didn't know why.

"I went to my quarters and began to meditate. True to Dustil's word, there was a disturbance. It was hidden in the background of Dantooine's destruction. I focused all of my energy on seeing beyond the obvious destruction. It was very difficult. Finally, I saw something that confused me at the time," Yuthura trailed off.

"What was it, child?" Jolee asked, trying to encourage the young woman to continue being open.

"I saw Revan's eyes. I didn't know what it meant until I saw her in the cantina. I certainly didn't know who she was. When I saw her power, I knew that she was my key to challenging Uthar. I decided that her peculiarities, both in philosophy and in companions, didn't outweigh my interests. I was foolish to believe I would have succeeded with my scheme," she said to the streaking stars.

"Well, all I can say is that I'm glad things turned out the way they did. You're much too pretty for the ravages of the dark side," Jolee said with a fond smile.

Yuthura shifted uncomfortably in her seat. One thing that she had enjoyed during her time with the Sith was the unimportance of her appearance. Years of slavery and objectification had made her despise her physicality. Jolee's well-meaning compliment had brought back a flood of bad memories.

"I'm sorry, lass, I didn't mean to dredge up the past for you. I'm an old man. Sometimes we say things and don't think them through. Ask Revan about how I drove her to distraction from the moment I met her. Well, you can't right now, but ask her at the wedding," he grumbled nervously.

Yuthura laughed softly. She couldn't be angry at the older man, despite her discomfort. "I look forward to such a happy occasion. I admit that I've never been to such an event. There have been many rumors about Revan's disappearance at the Temple. I was hoping that I could find out some more accurate information from you," she said with a voice full of feminine persuasion.

"Nice try, young lady. That's another thing about us old men. We're immune to the feminine wiles of the young," Jolee admonished with a chuckle.

"Now, you would be the first man I've ever met of any age to say that," she said with obvious disbelief.

"Come on, now, you don't think you could charm old Vrook do you?" Jolee challenged.

"Don't tempt me to take you up on that dare, Jolee. It might be worth the look on your face to attempt it," Yuthura said with an evil grin.

"You wouldn't dare!" Jolee stated confidently.

The look on Yuthura's face said otherwise and for the first time since Revan left, Jolee was made nervous by another beautiful woman with a dark past. 'What have I gotten myself into now?' he thought dubiously.

Yuthura sat back, chuckling softly. Accompanying Jolee had definitely been the right decision. If she was patient, in time, he would reveal the reasons behind Revan's disappearance to her. The Force seemed to quiver with urgency, as if time wanted to speed up.

Yuthura had noticed how this urgency was beginning to show divisions in the Order and it worried her. On the one hand, there was the Council which was being increasingly secretive and cut off from the daily politics of the Republic, only involving itself in situations they collectively felt threatened the balance of the Force. On the other hand, there was a handful of Jedi who felt that the wounds left by decades of conflicts could only be healed by the Order reasserting its role in the Republic, and working to regain the Republic's support and trust. She wondered if soon the Council would make any changes to support unity and compromise within the Order's members.

"You've become awfully quiet, my dear. I apologize for being such dull company, but I've had a lot on my mind these days," Jolee said with a small smile.

"I was thinking about how drastically the galaxy has changed and how much I have changed in such a short time. Just over a year ago, I was a prominent Sith Master and we were conquering the Republic. Now, I'm a newly Knighted Jedi and the stability of the Republic and the Order is precarious at best. It is an unsettling feeling," she admitted.

"Well, I was a hermit in the woods last year and determined to stay that way. Now, I'm off on secret missions, and a Jedi Master to boot! I'd say we're both out of our comfort zones. Look on the bright side, lass. You've got your youth. I'm pushing seventy. I should be starting to take it easy, not jumping head first into intrigue and danger," he answered with a gruff cough.

"Yet you are here doing just that. If you don't mind my asking, why did you go with Revan? Was it for her or did you join her to fight Malak?" she asked cautiously. Jolee had the reputation of being notoriously private.

Jolee sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. That was a loaded question and one he wasn't sure he had the complete answer to. "If I said I wasn't sure, would you believe me?" he asked.

"I have come to understand that we often do not realize why we make the choices we do. We might be convinced of our motivations at the time and come to discover that we were deceiving ourselves later," she answered.

"You're a very wise young woman. I'll try to give you a partial answer to that question. Force knows I've asked it enough. When she came to Kashyyyk, I saw that she was in a situation that she was completely unprepared for, and I knew that if she didn't have he lp she wouldn't survive it. So in the beginning, yes, I left my exile for Revan. After the Star Forge became space junk, I realized that I was ready to serve the galaxy again. I have great timing. Now I'm a crotchety old man with delusions of grandeur," he groused.

"I would hardly call arbitrating a planetary dispute a 'delusion of grandeur.' But I've never been on this type of mission before, so it's possible that I am wrong," Yuthura replied.

"You'll learn that sometimes the so-called simple missions are the ones that end up having the most problems. It is easy to defeat an enemy. Trying to get opposing opinions to compromise for the greater good is difficult, but I have a feeling that you are going to be very good at it. We'll be there in about a standard hour, so get some rest. You'll need it," he said. Then he put his head back to doze off while the ship was put on automatic pilot.

Yuthura sighed and began to watch the stars again. She was slightly frustrated that Jolee was keeping the purpose of this mission to himself. 'Somehow I will find out what is going on even if I have to charm you, old man,' she thought to herself. If there was one thing she never did, it was give up.