Chapter 1: Destiny's Door

'Where are we headed now, Tanya?' Atton asked as he piloted the Ebon Hawk away from the remains of Malachor V.

'Pick a destination, anywhere is good by me. I just want to put this behind me,' Tanya Chen replied wearily.

'So what happened down there?'

'What do you mean?'

'What happened between you and Kreia in the Trayus core?'

'Nothing that concerns you Atton. I may have trained you to be a Jedi, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to tell you everything that happens to me. We all have our secrets, you of all people should know that.'

'Fine, strike a low blow at the former Jedi hunter. But I've told you my secrets. And let me tell you, once I let those go, I felt a lot better. Secrets only serve to harm people. I know this very well.'

'You make a good point, but I'm still not telling you.'

'Alright, fine. I won't push the matter. You are perhaps the most stubborn woman I've ever met, but also the most capable.'

'Thank you Atton,' Tanya said quietly as she put a hand on his shoulder, 'You don't know how much that means to me.'

A moment of silence passed between them before Tanya spoke again, 'You know Atton, you've changed quite a bit since I met you on Peragus. I've actually grown to like your smart-ass attitude toward life, and your ability to see that nothing is as it appears to be has saved my butt more times than I'd like to admit. And that makes what I have to do that much harder.'

She struck Atton across the back of the head with her lightsaber hilt. He slumped forward onto the controls. She stepped back to the galaxy map and set the hyperspace coordinates for Dantooine.

Dantooine,she thought to herself, I always come back to Dantooine. It was here I trained with Revan and Malak. It was here I restored the Council, which Kreia then destroyed. If only Vrook had survived, he could guide Atton and the rest. However, Dantooine is the best place for them to help each other grow in the Force. As for me, well my path leads beyond the Outer Rim, and into the Unknown regions. Just as it did Revan.

'Tanya?' Mira didn't even have to voice her question. After her experience on Malachor V, she knew what Tanya had to do.

'Yes Mira, I am leaving you and Atton and Visas on Dantooine. I'll take Mandalore back to Dxun. T3 and HK-47 will be leaving with me.'

'I just wanted to wish you well. I'm sorry about Bao-Dur and Michal.'

'They're deaths were not your fault. In a way, Bao-Dur had wanted this to happen all along, and Michal died to protect his mentor and teacher.'

Mira started to walk away when Tanya added, 'I will also be removing the homing devices you placed on the Ebon Hawk before I leave Dxun. It was a valiant effort, but in the end, futile.'

Mira half-smiled, 'Well, it was worth a try.' Then she turned and left, returning to the storage compartment which had once housed HK-47.

Tanya turned back to the galactic map and punched in the last coordinate for Dantooine. She sat in the copilot's seat and made the jump to hyperspace. It would be a few hours before they reached Dantooine, and she still hadn't talked to Visas, assuming Visas would speak with her. She headed off to the starboard sleeping quarters, where Visas could usually be found meditating. Much to her surprise, Visas wasn't there. She used her force sight, in hopes that she might see Visas cloaked, but she wasn't anywhere within view. That was the one disadvantage of the force sight, she couldn't see through solid objects. Through the Force, she reached out to Visas, and found her, surprisingly in the port side quarters, where Kreia used to meditate. Tanya walked over there, and when Visas felt her enter the room, she stood up, silently.

'Visas, I...' Tanya began.

'I came here hoping to discern her motives, her thoughts, her soul. Yet when I sit here, the only residual thoughts I feel are those of Revan and Bastila, almost as if they did something in this room that was extremely passionate. Whether it was a fight, or something else, I do not know. She must have known this and chose this room to prevent me from doing what I am trying to do.' Visas interrupted.

'Wait, Revan and Bastila did something passionate in here?'

'As far as I can tell. As to what that act of passion was, I do not know. In all honesty, while my curiosity is piqued, I am not certain I wish to know what happened in here.'

'Anyways, I just came in here to say goodbye. I am leaving for the Unknown Regions after leaving you, Mira and Atton on Dantooine, and Mandalore on Dxun. Atton doesn't know this yet. I knocked him out because I knew he wouldn't be rational. You and Mira will probably have to calm him down when he awakens on Dantooine.'

'Why?'

'Revan saw something dangerous lurking on the horizon, something only he could deal with. He would have brought me with him, but he could not find me. I was in exile still. He knows that whatever this is will prevent our return to known space, but he also knows that it must be prevented from wiping out the galaxy. I know that I am the only one who he would let help him, I am also the only one who can help him.'

'So you must go.'

'I could choose to stay, but then how could I live with myself for leaving an unknown threat unanswered, how could you live with me if I did not go and sacrifice myself for the galaxy. Yes, I must go.'

'May the Force be with you.'

'And with all of you.'

When they arrived at Dantooine, They were greeted by a full honor guard from the Khoonda militia. Mandalore carried Atton out of the ship, set him on the ground, and stimmed him up.

'He should awaken in a few minutes. We should be gone by then.'

'Thank you for everything, Mandalore.'

'Call me Canderous, but only in private, and there is no need to thank me. You served under Revan, and I have no doubt in my mind that you could beat me easily in a fight. I would serve you just as I served Revan five years ago.'

'Visas, Mira, traveling with you has taught me much, just as much as I have taught you, I'm sure. I'll never forget either of you. Oh, and give this holocube to Atton when he's ready for it. It's for him, and is extremely private, so please don't view it.'

Tanya handed the cube to Visas, and walked back up the boarding ramp with Mandalore. Within a few seconds, the Ebon Hawk's engines powered up and it left Dantooine, presumably never to return. As if the whine of the engines was a signal, Atton awakened, and asked groggily, 'Where the hell am I?'

...

Dxun. Returning to the moon once would have given her nightmares, but now she felt no fear, remembered little of the death and destruction she and the Mandalorians had caused ten years prior. She and Mandalore parted without a goodbye, at least, not a spoken one. Mandalore had already said all he needed to on Dantooine, and she understood his culture. To have extended the goodbye would have been an insult. She had T3 remove all of Mira's homing devices, and left Dxun, heading out on the trajectory which Revan had followed.