An awakening from darkness chapter 5

Tindra was sitting under a huge tree, doing her best to wring out water from her hair and clothes. She was waiting for the two Padawans under her command. She had sent them out on a scouting mission earlier this evening. She had an irking suspicion that they had gone too far into the Mandalorian territory. She could feel a great encampment to the east and had sent the Padawans to investigate. Oh, how much I hate this cursed moon, she thought as she killed mosquito on her arm. She did not know what was worse, the moisture the never ending rains caused or the insects. The moisture forced them to walk around soaking wet; she hardly could recall what it felt like being dry and warm any longer, and the mosquitoes kept them awake every night. Some of them were even worse than those huge mosquitoes that could be found on Dantooine. Tindra rubbed her back against the tree. She knew she should not scratch the bites, but she had decided that rubbing against a tree did not count as scratching. But I could have lived with the bites and moisture if I was not just feeling this weary all the time, she thought. She sighed. Sometimes it felt like the entire planet was feeding on her. If she had not been able to draw upon the Force for strength, she did not know how she would have kept on going. Sometimes at night, she would dream she was still on Dantooine, discussing history with Atris, sparring with Kavar, helping the apprentices with their training. She missed them all so much. Tindra closed her eyes and tried to push away the thoughts of Dantooine and the people she had left there. Instead she reached out with the Force and felt the soldiers around her. They were in good spirits, and unlike her, it seemed like they never got tired. It surprised her, but she was grateful for it. It was no easy task Revan had given them, and they had lost so many raiding the Mandalorian line, always searching for weaknesses. It was a dangerous assignment, and she had not been happy when Revan had given her this task; they had argued about it.

"You will send my men to a certain death, Revan," she had told Revan.

"I don't mean for you to die, Tindra. I count on your success."

"In that case, you live in an imaginary world, Revan. I know it is war. I am completely aware of that. But you ask me to order my men to run straight into the arms of death. There must be some other way."

"They will follow you, Tindra. You know that." And she knew it. They would follow her, and that was almost the worst thing of all. I hate what this war has done with us, she had thought.

"Tindra, the Mandalorians run this entire war from Duxn. We must take this damn moon. And I would not give you the assignment if I did not think you believe you may succeed."

"Succeed maybe," she had sighed. "But at what price?"

"If the Mandalorians are defeated, anything is a small price to pay, and every victory demands sacrifices," Revan had said, and Tindra had accepted it. It had sounded so right, so true, but she wished it could have been different - she wished it so badly. But Revan had been right; they had followed her, like they always did.

Tindra got up on her feet; the thought of Revan made her remember that she had not sent her daily report yet. She had hoped Tamara and Thamas would return before she did, but it was starting to get late; darkness was already spreading through the forest moon.

Suddenly she felt two people approach the camp. She stiffened for half a second, but then she recognized them. A young woman in her late teens and with long blonde curly hair came running towards her, followed by a boy the same age, her twin brother. When they had begun this mission almost two months ago, Tindra had four padawans and three knights under her command; now there were only these two left together with a quarter of the soldiers.

"General Forn," they said together and bowed.

She greeted them with a smile, glad they had made it back safely.

"Tamara, what have you seen? Are the Mandalorians close?"

"They are close," the woman answered. "It is a wonder they haven't noticed us yet."

"How big is the encampment?"

"It's no encampment, General," said the boy.

"We think it's their main fortress," Tamara added.

Tindra looked at the two Padawans. She had guessed they gone too far, but if it was the main fortress...well, it was a wonder they were still alive. Something was wrong here, they should not have been able to come this far. Two months of the Duxn war had taught her that Mandalorians did not give up ground easily. No, something was wrong.

"Tamara, I know you are tired, but I really need to see this. Think you can show me?"

The Padawan nodded.

"Good, and Thamas, you will inform the captains of what you have seen and make sure everyone is ready to leave when we return."

"Yes, General," he bowed and disappeared into the forest.

Moving through the forest was easy now when there were only the two of them. Silently like two shadows, they made their way through the wilderness, the Force guiding them through the darkness. They had run for a little less than an hour when Tamara finally stopped.

"There," she whispered and pointed to the east.

Tindra nodded. She could see it. The fortress was huge, and the walls were lined with turrets. It was the main camp; there was no doubt about that.

"Something is wrong," she whispered to the padawan. "We should not have been able to get this close." 

Tamara nodded. She knew, for she had learned the lessons of the Duxn war just as Tindra had. The defenses around the fortress had been lax as well. They had been forced to avoid sensors while they moved through the forest, and not a single patrol had been seen.

"We need to get closer," she told the padawan.

Slowly and with great caution, they approached the fortress.

"There is nothing here. We better head back," a voice said suddenly.

Tindra and Tamara froze. Mandalorians were coming their way. Drawing upon the Force they both made a seven-meters jump straight up and landed in a tree. There, hidden behind the dense mass of leafs and branches, they could see three Mandalorians approaching. Their armor covered their faces and bodies, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other. The Mandalorians stopped under the tree.

"I don't like this," said one of the Mandalorians. "True warriors stand and fight no matter what the odds are. We should not give up just because of this Jedi wench."

"That "wench" has impressed Mandalore himself. She is a warrior worthy of our respect," said another.

"The more reason for us to stay. If we lose Duxn, what will be next?" said the third.

"She will win Duxn eventually. By doing this, Mandalore will diminish her victory. Off-planet we can regroup and counter-attack with full our strength and crush the Republic once and for all," the second replied. "It's not cowardice, it is tactic."

"Too bad the ones that will stay have already been chosen. I would have volunteered if I had been given the chance. It will be an honor-filled battle. The Mandalorians' last stand on Duxn, glorious," the first said.

"About this Revan, does anyone know what she looks like?" the third asked.

"Why do you ask? Planning on proposing to her, are you?"

The others laughed.

"Well, if she had been a Mandalorian, I might have done that," the third replied.

The second one snorted.

"If she had been a Mandalorian, she would be married to Mandalore himself."

"I guess he'll just have to start courting her then," said the first. "Then she can join us, we will conquer the galaxy and every one will live happily ever after."

They all laughed.

"We should head back," said the first after a while.

They began to move away, and Tindra dared to breathe again.

"We most head back quick. We must tell Revan," she whispered.

Revan stood in the opening of her tent and watched the setting sun. The tent was huge, almost as big as her quarters on the Protector, and placed in the middle of the Republic's main camp. She wondered why Tindra had not given her daily report yet. She was worried about her. She had sent Tindra out on a mission that was more or less suicide. Revan had not liked it, but she had no choice. She knew what had to be done, and Tindra had been the best suited for the task. But she hoped Tindra would make it. She had come to like her and she had been a great help during the war. Almost as great as Malak, and unlike Malak, she understood strategies.

The first part of the war on Duxn had been the simplest. With the biggest army seen during the war she had assaulted Duxn she had been aided by the Onderon general Vaklu, but it had not been enough. They had taken half the moon in what must have been the bloodiest battle in known history, and the last two months had been a long series of attacks and counter-attacks. She had devised a plan full of feints, attacks, and traps and done everything she could to confuse Mandalore. It had worked, the Mandalorians were slowly losing their grip on the moon. But the price was terrible, so many died that they could not take care of them any longer. Now they were just left for the cannoks. The wounded had become a heavy burden as well. Master Tenen had taken his own life after he was severely wounded in a battle. "I don't want to be a burden for you, lass," he had told her and driven his lightsaber through his chest, and even if Revan mourned him, a part of her wished that others would do the same.

Revan sat down and took off her mask. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Malak had made contact with her earlier. He had taken a Mandalorian encampment with ease, which was good but surprising news, but then the last days attacks had been very weak, as if the Mandalorians had lost their will to fight - if that was possible for a Mandalorian. Revan lay down and began massaging her temples; she slept so badly these days that she feared she would soon get a severe headache. Her dreams had not gotten any better. Every night was the same, and it was about to drive her crazy. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Oh, if she could only have one night without dreams.

Suddenly her comm. peeped, and Revan flew up. Was it Tindra? A wave of relief came over her when she turned it on and heard Tindra on the other end.

"Revan?"

"Tindra, I'm glad to hear you are still alive. What took you so..."

"Revan," Tindra interrupted. "There's not much time to explain, but we almost stumbled into the Mandalorians' main fortress. Tamara and I managed to get close enough to overhear them talking, and Revan, they are leaving. They are actually leaving. If we don't want Mandalore to escape, we have to attack now."

Suddenly all the pieces fell into place - the last day's weak attacks, the easiness which Malak had taken the encampment with. They were going to run away; Mandalore must have known she would win in the end. But Revan was not in the mood to let them get away. Tindra was right; if they wanted Mandalore they had to act now.

"Tindra, wait a moment. I shall just contact Karath," Revan said, feeling excitement growing inside her. She changed the frequency and got contact with Karath, whom she had left in command over her fleet. If she had fought a constant war on Duxn, he had fought a constant war above it. The fleets had railed against each other just as the ground forces had on the moon.

"Admiral," she almost screamed into the comm. "Are you there!"

"Yes, ma'am, what's the matter?"

"Make sure the fleet is ready. The Mandalorians are trying to leave."

"As you wish, Master Jedi."

Revan switched back.

"Tindra, are you there still?"

"I am here."

"Great, this is what I need you to do....."

Tindra

 Tindra switched off her comlink. The soldiers were waiting behind her, together with Tamara and Thamas. The news that Mandalorians were evacuated had spread quickly, and everybody was eagerly awaiting their new orders.

"General," one of the captains asked. "What are our orders?"

"Revan will attack with the main force," she explained. "But it will take some time before they get here, and they will attack from the south. The problem is this: from what we could see, most of the Mandalorians' ships are stored north of the fortress. So even if we attack, chances are that most of them will manage to escape when they see us coming. If Revan's army tries to move around the fortress they will likely be discovered. But a small group like us has a better chance to escape notice, so we will head north, and right before Revan's attack, we will destroy as many ships as possible. Understood?"

"Won't they discover us if we blow up their ships?" asked a young soldier.

"That's why our timing is so important."

The soldier nodded.

Tindra smiled.

"We have been through a lot now," she told them softly. "Every single one of you has proven his or her worth a thousand times over. Now I ask you to show the same valor as you have shown in the past, and tomorrow this will all be over, and we will sleep in beds, dry and warm and without mosquitoes."

 They soldiers laughed, and at that moment she knew they would follow her wherever she led them.

The march was not as easy when there had only been Tindra and Tamara, but they stilled moved with good speed. The two months on Duxn had taught them how to move through the thick forest. When they finally reached their destination, it was a few hours after midnight, and it had began to rain. But nobody cared about the rain any longer. Soon this would be over, and they would be warm and dry at their ships - their general had told them so.

Tindra had ordered them to stop, and now there was nothing else to do than wait. Tindra walked around among the soldiers, offering them encouraging words. She joked a bit and tried to make them relax. The hours past and the sun began to rise; it was still raining but the worst had stopped.

"It's time," Tindra said raising. There had not been any signal, but it was time - she just knew it.

They moved through the wilderness. It was easier now when it was dawn, but more dangerous as well. They pressed forward, but suddenly the Force whispered a warning in her mind. Something was wrong.

"What's wrong, General?" a captain asked, a woman in her late middle age.

Tindra just wanted to cry. A minefield separated them from the ships' hangers. No, she thought. Not this, not when we are so close. It is not fair after all we've been through. But there was no other choice. They had to charge, no matter the price. They had to press forward. And she was the one that would have to give the order.

"It's a mine field," she said, trying desperately to keep her voice calm. "And it separates us from the hangers."

"General," the captain said in a voice thick with sorrow. "What are we going to do? If the path is mined...."

Tindra sighed. She already knows the answer, must she force me to say the words.

"We must press forward, captain," Tindra said forcing her voice to remain calm; she had to stay strong for the sake of these people.

The captain looked out over the field.

"Will our sacrifice mean anything?" she asked.

Tindra nodded.

"It will, I promise you," she said softly.

The captain saluted her.

"We will charge if you order us, General."

I know, Tindra thought. And Revan knows it.

She gave the captain a nod, and she called out one word.

"Attack!"

Revan walked along the row of prisoners. She smiled behind her mask. Duxn was hers. It was disturbing that Mandalore had managed to escape, but she was not surprised. He was a cunning man after all. But she had given the Mandalorians a blow that would take them a long time to recover from. She studied the prisoners. Soon she would have to decide what should be done with them. Some of them gave her looks full of hate, but they were surprisingly few. In most eyes she saw curiosity and even admiration.

"Revan?"

 She turned around and gave Malak a happy smile.

"Have you seen Tindra?" she asked.

"Yes, and she will make it. She is strong."

Revan nodded. It was thanks to Tindra that the row of prisoners was as long as it was. Without her and her soldiers, most of the Mandalorians would have managed to escape, and the victory would not have been so great. They had been forced to charge over a mine field, and it had been an outright slaughter. But enough had survived to carry out the mission. Tindra had survived, together with Tamara and a few soldiers. Tamara's twin brother had not made it. It was sad; he had been a promising Padawan, and Tamara was heartbroken.

"Are you happy, Revan? Oh Force, I hate it when you wear that thing. I can't see if you smile."

Revan chuckled.

"I guess you have to trust my words when I say I'm smiling."

"This is one of your greatest victories, after all."

"Yes, but it took a long time," Revan replied. "Two months on this cursed moon. I can't wait to get back to the Protector, and call me vain, but the first thing I will do when we get back is to take a nice, long shower."

Malak laughed.

"You are not the only one. You know what, I think we shall..."

"Revan!" a voice cried out.

Revan and Malak turned around. It had come from the row of prisoners.

"Yes," Revan said in a commanding voice. "Who spoke?"

The row of prisoners split up and an elderly man stepped forward. He had his right hand clutched against his side, and Revan could see the blood trickle through his fingers. He was dying. That surprised her. She had ordered that the wounded prisoners should be taken care of.

"What do you want?" she asked him, approaching him cautiously. There was something about this man that made her skin crawl.

The man fell to the ground at her feet.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The prisoner looked up.

 "A man," the prisoner replied calmly.

Before she could answer him he clutched something into her hand. Shocked, Revan stepped back. She looked at her hand. He had given her a small pyramid. A holocron, she thought. But before she could finish, the thought the holocron sprang to life, projecting the image of a planet. When she saw it, it was as if a cold hand gripped her hearth. It could not be. The image changed, it moved closer and closer to the surface. When it finally stopped, Revan did not want to believe what she saw. But there was no doubt; the holocron displayed a building she was far too familiar with.

"It can't be," she whispered. "How is it possible?"

She looked down at the man at her feet.

"Who are you?" she demanded again.

The prisoner looked up.

"A man."

Revan tore her mask off and threw herself to the ground. She seized the man shoulders and shook him.

"How did you know?" she cried, her voice thick with disbelief.

The man looked upon her.

"We all have our secrets, Revan, don't we?" he said with a pleased smile and a last gurgling sound before he gave up his last breath.

For a long moment, she just sat there, neither wanting to believe nor accept what she had seen.

"Revan," Malak said, his voice filled with concern. "What is it?"

Revan rose while she tried to compose herself. She attached the mask again.

"Malak, find out everything you can about this man. Interrogate every single prisoner and see if they know anything."

"That planet, was it..."

Revan held up her hand.

"Not here, Mal. We will talk more when we get back. I will join you later; just now I need to be alone."