Into The Void

Into the Void

Chapter 1: A Toxic Balance

      Cho-San Talis, a.k.a. Exile, staggered into the med bay of the Ebon Hawk. Barely able to stand, she leaned heavily against the plasteel container that dispensed med-packs.

        A red mist clouded her vision and she wearily rubbed her eyes. Fluid leaked from them, tracked down her cheeks and dripped off her chin to the floor.

        Cho stared down, stunned. What she thought were tears, were actually drops of blood! She realized, horrified, that she was covered in gore. The stench of death assailed her. She smelled of cauterized flesh and reeked of smoke and blood. She looked down and discovered her Jedi robe was saturated. Memories of what she had just been through assaulted her, and she was drawn back into the Trayus Academy.

         She used stealth almost constantly  while she was in the Trayus Academy, knowing the numbers of Sith she faced would have to be dealt with using her cunning and not just her skill with her dual lightsaber. She crept up behind Sith assassins and cut their throats using a vibro-dagger. Their arterial sprays drenched her in the blood of her enemies. She set mines and lured Sith into them, deafening herself to their screams and blinding herself to  the gruesome sight of body parts decorating the walls and floors like sadistic art.

        Force Confusion was a potent weapon, too, and she shuddered at the toll it took from her to penetrate a mind, molding it, commanding it to kill its own kind. She used it on a Sith, then raced ahead while he or she was under her control, opened the adjoining door, and watched as the Sith ran into that room to be cut down by the other students.  Her Force powers were depleted often, and she needed to stay stealthed until the energy flowed again.

        The Force magnified the deaths she caused, and she quivered as she remembered the slaughter of Assassins, Marauders, Dark Jedi, Sion, and, finally, Kreia. Their screams echoed inside her, threatening her very sanity. Kreia was dead and yet Cho lived-there was the toxic balancing of the Force. Cho thought that, when Kreia died, she would die and the echo within her would destroy everything she had worked so hard to save. But when Lord Nilhilus destroyed Katarr the balance would have been askew, and so she was spared.

        She looked at her throbbing hands-they were nicked and bruised and one nail was missing altogether, a little blood-filled moon marking the space where it had been torn to the quick. How could she have survived, she wondered, not sure she was happy about it. How could the Force allow such things to happen?  The deaths of the last of the Jedi Council-three Jedi Masters and three Sith Masters-all dead by her doing-hence, the toxic balance. Three Dark Side-three Light Side. By all rights Cho should have died, too, but that would upset the balance the Force seemed to think so important.

        Bao-Dur knew her only as the Exile or General. She had promised herself that, if she made it off Malachor V alive, she would reclaim her identity. She would be a Jedi no longer-just Cho-Sann Talis. Last of the Jedi was another title, and she renounced it, too. She would train her padiwans, but their designation would not be Knights. The Force would demand their lives should more Dark Jedi rise; and Cho knew they would. In the histories, as Mical always stated, the Dark and the Light always battled. Cho and her followers would not embrace either side. They would use the dark and the light. Revan was right about that, and it was her legacy and Kreia's teachings Cho committed to memory. The Jedi Order was not correct-neither was the Sith. They were opposites, claiming the Force was only to be used for their ancient ways.

        All these random thoughts lit up her mind like Force Lightning-forks of knowledge, striking at the old ideas, turning them to ash, and one cleansing breath blew them away.

        She wanted to go to the cockpit and find out which member of her crew had disobeyed her direct order not to come with her to Malachor, but her energy, to her very core, failed.

        There was nothing left. She could not even summon the Force to heal. She injected two advanced med-packs into her thigh, and the kolto provided some relief from the pain that was beginning to manifest itself across her shoulders and upper back. She knew it was from wielding her dual lightsaber for so long.

        It was a suicide mission. Cho knew that, and that was why she did not want anyone to come with her. She did not expect to survive. On Dantooine, facing the three Jedi Masters, they had revealed she was a cipher, a giant leech in the Force, forming bonds with her friends and Force sensitives, drawing them to her, using their bond to make them follow her and fight for her, sometimes against their will.

        She remembered Mical's expressive blue eyes when he said he followed her because she was a natural leader. Cho thought of herself as an unnatural leader, even though she wanted to find solace in his kind words. His eyes told her even more-of his love for her.

        T-3, the astromech droid, actually blocked her way, beeping furiously at her, telling her in droid language she could not go alone. She feinted to one side and slipped past him, striking the switch to Lt. Grenn's office door, sealing the droid inside.

        Mandalore was not a factor.  He received word from one of the TSF soldiers there was a clan of Mandalorians on the surface of Telos. Cho negotiated with Chodo Habat, the Ithorian leader, to borrow another shuttle. Visas and Mical accompanied him.

        Atton only left his post in the cockpit when Cho resorted to Force mind domination. His blank stare as he followed her order to leave the Hawk, bothered Cho terribly. She knew how Atton felt about having his mind invaded, but her decision to go to Malachor V and face Kreia and her Sith minions alone had caused him to cross his arms over his chest and glare in mutinous rebellion.

         "Remember when you went to Jek Jek Tarr by yourself. We know how well that turned out."

        Atton did not listen, so she did the equivalent of mind rape, and regret gnawed at her soul. She knew he would know what she had done when his full faculties returned.

        She stripped off her bloody clothes and studied her nude body. There were burns and cuts-some minor, some serious--and lots of bruises. Several of her braids had been ripped loose from the clasps during the prolonged battle. Cho's hair was long when it was not tamed into braids, and it flowed in black ripples past her shoulders. Now it hung limply, wet with slime, blood and sweat.

        She used the refresher and donned fresh clothes. She did not have another Jedi robe, so she struggled into dark pants. She barely had the strength to tug on her Republic-issue boots, tucking the pants into the tops. She could barely raise her arms long enough to put on a long-sleeved tan shirt. She purposefully left her lightsaber and stealth belt on her bunk and made her way toward the cockpit.

        Cho stopped short when she heard a familiar whining noise. She followed the sound to the engine room and encountered T3. The droid beeped nervously when it saw her.

         "We'll talk later," she said, shaking a finger. His worried [dwoooooooo ] followed her as she veered left, heading to the cockpit with renewed fervor.  She heard another noise in the communications room and ducked in to see who else was aboard. A red-maned minx clad in black leather that looked as if it was painted on, gave her a sloppy salute.

        "Mira?"
        "Loved Malachor V, babe," Mira said cockily. "I faced my demon there. How about you, Jedi?" Mira's attitude softened. "You...look different. Not used to seeing your hair loose like that. Atton'll flip over you all over again."

        "What?" Cho was nonplussed. "What are you doing here? I left you on Citadel Station!"
        "Covering your back. I planned on helping you out, but I ran into Hanharr and..." Mira shrugged. "It was me or him. Good thing I stowed away, because GOTO was up to no good.  I tracked a signal from Bao's remote to one of the Republic ships on the surface. Anyway, to make a long story short, Jedi, Bao's remote was out of commish. Bao told me he thought GOTO would try to throw a hydro spanner into the works, and when he worked on GOTO, he put some of the components of his remote inside and he gave me this switch gizmo that deactivated him." Mira raised her hands as if asking for no applause. "Anyway, I didn't stick around to admire the scenery. I beat it back to the Hawk just in time, cause it took off in search of you. Good thing? GOTO ‘s no more. Bad thing? Bao's buddy got fried, too."

        "I wonder-" Cho began, then a wave of weariness washed over her and she shook her head. "We will talk later. Who's flying the Hawk?"

        "Bao's busy repairing what he can to hold the ship together until we reach Citadel Station. Atton's piloting this bird."

        "Why do I bother to issue orders?" Cho queried, clearly annoyed.

        Mira grinned. "Hey, Jedi, we follow you, but not blindly, ya know, so get over yourself."

        Normally, Cho would have smiled back but her anger at being disobeyed by so many was bubbling to the surface. She needed to go to her quarters and meditate and center herself. But first, she wanted to speak to Bao- Dur.

        She found him in his usual place in the garage, tinkering, repairing what he could. The ship was in worse shape than when it had arrived at Peragus.

        Cho cleared her throat. "So, were you the one to engineer this mutiny?"
        "We like to think of it as a timely rescue, General." He turned to her. "Are you all right?" His ultra-soft voice was more like a whisper and Cho realized he was afraid.

        She placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the solid muscle underneath the tight military tee he wore. "I'm sorry about your remote, Bao."
        "Malachor was destroyed-again. I take it you found Kreia."

        "I'm not ready to talk about it." She softened at his crestfallen expression. "I want everyone present so I only have to say it once."

        "Then it will have to wait until we reach Citadel Station, General."

        She could tell Bao expected an outburst, but she was too tired to even raise an eyebrow. "To pick up the others? To repair the Hawk?"

        "Admiral Onasi's orders, General."
        "I...see." Cho's shrug was eloquent. "Then Citadel it is."

        "You did not expect to survive."
        She shook her head. "I'm not sure I did."

        Bao-Dur frowned at her in doubt, but Cho smiled. Her lips smiled at least. She was screaming inside, standing on the edge of a very long, fatal drop. He did not look reassured. His voice, always so quiet and reserved, so soothing, had seemed to come from a long distance. She felt a sudden nauseating surge of disorientation. Even after injecting the med-packs, pain tugged at every nerve in her body.

        "You need to rest, General."

        "I will, after I check in with Atton."

        It felt like it took forever to reach the cockpit, as if she moved through syrup.

Another blinding flash of memory struck her; dissolved the corridor stretching out before her.

        Cho was back in the tomb on Korriban, staring at Darth Revan.

         "What are you doing here?"
        Seeing Revan, fighting Revan, was part of the hallucinations culminated by the Dark Side of the Force.

        Revan said something right before her twin sabers, one red and one violet hissed to life, something important! But what? Cho's memory careened from scene to scene inside the tomb, shattering into fragments that slashed at her psyche. If only she could remember what Revan said!

        She put her hands to her head and dug her nails into her temples. She could not find her center, and her Force powers were exhausted. She took several deep, calming breaths and took the last winding turn to the cockpit.

        Atton stood as soon as she came in, dark eyes quizzical.

         "How did it go?"
        "Pure Pazaak," she quipped.

        He grinned. "You played it in your head. Smart.  Uh, for a Jedi, I mean."

        Cho nodded. "If you hadn't taught me how, I don't think I would have made it. The dark Jedi attacked, and they used dark Force powers and..." She paused as another wave of dizziness engulfed her. "Make the jump to light speed, Atton. I already know where we're going."

        Atton held up his hands as if weighing something in each. "General," His right hand dropped. "Admiral." His left hand rose significantly. "No contest."

        "Atton...I'm sorry."

        "Sorry you used the Force to manipulate me? Sorry because you know how I feel about it? Kreia did it to me. From that creepy old witch, I expect it. From a Jedi Master..." He thumped his chest. "My Jedi Master, I don't. I pretended to go along with it, and then I used my talent to conceal my presence and hid in the concealed compartment in the cargo hold."

        "I didn't think I would live through it, to be honest; and when I was on Malachor, what kept me going was you."

        He cocked his head. "Uh-huh. And?"
        "And the thought of you being the last of the Jedi scared me more than all the Sith Kreia could throw at me." She said it deadpan and waited for his reaction.

        Atton's mouth dropped open.  He was silent for a moment, and then he slapped his thigh and began to laugh. Cho's high-pitched giggles joined in, even though it hurt to laugh.

        Atton vented one last amused snort, and then turned serious. "If I helped you through that ordeal, I'm glad."
        "I was afraid what I did would destroy the trust between us."

        "Nah. I was good and mad at ya, and called you a few choice names, but I know why you did it: to protect me." He shook a lean finger at her. "Don't try it again, Master."
        She rolled her eyes. "Am I the Master? I consider us equals, Atton."

        "Mind if I hope for something more in this relationship, Cho?"
        His directness caught her off guard. "Atton, I do love you..."
        "But," he drawled out the word.

        "But your timing is off. If we get through this, ask me again."

        "Count on it." He gently took her by the shoulders and turned her around and guided her to the hallway, "Now, get. Go grab some sleep."

        "Good idea. You have the com, my padiwan." Cho barely held it together long enough to reach her quarters. She was shaking and her mind was in a fugue. She did not have the strength to meditate and just lay on her bunk.

        Flashes of death. Battling 140 Sith.  It was as if the Force ticked them off in her head.  It all exploded in her memory. Then, mercifully, thankfully, everything faded away as sleep overcame her.

        Korriban. The tomb. Facing Revan. But it was different; Revan was different. She was not wearing the Sith mask that obscured her features. Kreia had told her Revan originated from beyond the outer rim worlds. Could Revan's roots be traced back to the True Sith?
        "What is it?" Cho asked, deviating even more from their encounter.

        Revan's blue eyes blazed. Her face was ashen. Her lips looked parched and cracked.

         "When you awaken, you will know what must be done. Do not tell him. He must not know your true mission. Only you have the power. In you lies all my hope, for if you cannot overcome this evil, then the galaxy, all worlds, will die. The planets will burn and every sentient will die as they did on Katarr."

        Cho, though asleep, knew this was a vision, not a dream.

        Revan came closer and tugged off the accuracy glove, freeing her right hand. Cho forced herself not to flinch as Revan's fingers touched her forehead. Revan's contact burned, but not like fire-like ice.  Cho shuddered, but stood docilely. She had seen Revan perform this action when she imparted teachings, employing the Force to send knowledge into the cerebral cortex. It was beyond mind domination. It was as if a slender, silver spear extended from Revan and pierced Cho between the eyes.  She gasped and fell to her knees and Revan's hands came down upon the top of her head, driving the spike even deeper.

         "General Talis, you must do as I command. Follow my orders as you did during the Mandalorian War."

        "What..." Blood dripped from Cho's nostrils as Revan stepped back, allowing Cho to rise. "I-did not follow you and Malak down the dark path then, and I will not now."

        "You misunderstand me. The Sith--the True Sith--wait in the dark, beyond the outer rim. What Kreia told you was true. They must be stopped. You must find their place of origin."

        "Where?" Cho spat out. "Dream, vision, whatever you are, answer me! Where?"
        "T3 and Carth will help. Learn from my mistake. I left all those I cared about behind. In my arrogance, I thought I could confront the danger alone. If I had brought my friends, they could have prevented..." Revan's voice faded to a whisper."...me...from becoming... Find me and... Me... Must succeed... Find others... I...am the vessel... All...lost...as I am to him."

Revan slipped something into the deep pocket of Cho's Jedi robe before fading from sight.

        Cho's eyes flew open and she bolted off the bunk, hands flailing. The remnants of the evil she had sensed in the vision caused her to retch. She had not eaten for a standard day, so nothing came up but bile. She went to the refresher and splashed cold water over her face.

        Had it really been Revan on Korriban?  Revan's power would be strong enough to project her to the tomb. At the time, Cho had thought Revan was another illusion, but now she was uncertain.

        Wait! Revan had given her something!

        Cho dug through her discarded clothing and fished out her blood-soaked robe. She had not realized, until now, that Revan had given her something. She dug her hand into the soggy pocket, and her fingers closed over something cold, metallic. It caught on the material and seemed to resist her efforts, but Cho managed to free it and draw it into the light. She stared at a lightsaber. She thumbed the activation button and a violet blade hissed to life, illuminating the room with its light. No other illusion in the Korriban tomb had given her anything tangible. Except Revan. This was proof! The encounter with Revan had been real!

        Cho turned off the saber and swallowed hard. The letter R was engraved on the hilt.

        Memories battered Cho's already fatigued mind-memories of the very day Revan had put her initial on the hilt.     

        When the Force sang its song within her, and the music of the Universe overwhelmed her with the beauty and purity of its notes, Cho passed that music on to others without even having to think about it. She formed bonds, her music resonating in others, calling them to her, so that, even when she was a padiwan, others followed her.

        Revan was drawn to her as well. Revan was a light so bright, Cho was blinded. Their bond was not something either wanted. Cho's music tinkled and was playful and soothing, like water over rocks. Revan's was the clashing of swords-metallic-powerful, making Cho want to place her hands over her ears.

        The girls liked each other, but the bond caused them to be wary. Revan did not like the fact that she could not act independently whenever Cho was present, yet she was drawn to her, as were so many of the others who studied on Dantooine. Cho was cool water. Revan was flame. Water could put out fire. Fire could turn water to molten steam.

        Cho was a good student, following the teachings of the Jedi Order. Revan was constantly pushing, shoving at the rules that bound her, the rigidity of the Council, the immobility the Jedi Code posed. They were direct opposites.

        Cho and Revan raced from the Enclave, missing a sparring lesson with Master Zhar. Revan ran faster, making Cho resort to using Force speed.

         "No fair!" Revan laughed as Cho caught up to her. "You cheated."

        Cho's long black hair rose like a banner in the temperate breeze. Revan's caught the sun and glinted red and gold. Light blue eyes searched Cho's earnest brown.  "You up for this?  I could go back and get Mal. He wants to explore the cave."

        Cho frowned. Revan, as always, was a bad influence. The cave was forbidden.

        As if reading her mind, Revan mocked, "Afraid of the kinrath?"

        Cho shook her head. A derisive snort from her companion told her Revan knew what she feared. She did not want to disobey the Council.

        Revan snapped her hand and made the sound of a vibro-whip. "Too bad, Cho. Better go back to the Enclave, little Kath pup. Tell Mal to meet me at the cave. At least he has the courage to-"
        "I'm coming!" Cho snapped.

        "That's the spirit." Revan cut her eyes down at Cho, who was two inches shorter. "You're such a tiny little thing, but the Force inside you is so big." She rolled her pale blue eyes. "I really think it has a wicked sense of humor."

        "Where's your lightsaber?" Cho asked, noting the hook on Revan's belt was empty.

        Revan scowled. "I laid it down the other day in the grass near the statue, and when I got back it was gone."

        "Master Zhar will be livid!" Cho shook her head. "You know he always tells us how important it is to take care of them."

        "Don't lecture me, little plains mouse!" Revan's shoulders shook in silent amusement. "Knowing him, Mal probably found it and is waiting for me to say something. He'll wait forever."
        "He really likes you."

        "Another thing Master Zhar frowns upon." She deepened her voice, imitating their Twilek Master. "Attachment leads to the Dark Side, my apprentice."

        "Why are you here, Revan? You don't pay attention in class. You constantly run off and do the exact opposite of what we are told. You lose your lightsaber at least once a week."
        Revan's glare was reinforced with the Force, and Cho shielded her eyes from its intensity, warding it off with her own Force powers. "Cho, why I put up with you is a riddle I haven't the answer to, but there is something about you that makes me want to hang around. That power intrigues me, and it will have its uses."

        "Let's get to the cave," Cho said, wanting to steer the conversation away from this topic. Revan was always trying to figure out what it was about Cho that called to her.

        They had been walking as they talked, and Cho stopped when she realized they had reached the Crystal Cave. "No kinrath on the plains. That means they're all inside."

        Revan laughed, throwing back her head."I don't need a lightsaber to defeat them! Come on, Cho! Glory in the Force!"
        Later, after the girls were covered in stinking slime from fighting through the kinrath hordes, they stopped in the main cavern. Revan darted about, touching the huge crystals, hugging one large formation. She gestured Cho over. "Feel. It's warm!" Cho obliged, laying her cheek against the formation. She closed her eyes and tears slid out of the corners of her eyes. Her ability did not stop at bonding with others-she formed bonds with places-things.

        She was startled when Revan tapped her on the shoulder. "Why are you crying? Touch this one over here. It's like ice, yet not really cold. This place is amazing."

        Cho followed her, but her eyes lingered on the large formation. "It sang to me. It's so beautiful."

        "I like this one." Revan took out a small vibro-dagger and used it to chisel out a piece of the crystal.  "There's a crystal inside this piece."

        Cho laid her hand over the other girl's. "You shouldn't deface it."
        "These crystals are here for a reason, and I don't think it's to make the kinrath nest pretty." Revan shook off Cho's grip. She pushed past her and returned to the large formation. "Let's take a little ditty home for you, Chosie."

        "Don't call me that, and I don't want it!"

        "Too late." Revan tossed a chunk of the formation from her left hand to her right. "If you don't want it, guess I will just use it as a tossing stone when we get to the bridge."

        "No! I-I'll take it. Don't do that!"

        Revan's smile was not nice as she handed Cho the chunk. "We'll sneak into the workroom later when everyone else is at mess."

        "But, I'm hungry..."
        Revan's laugh was almost manic. "Then we'll sneak out of the dorm after everybody's in bed and get some supper."
        "You never seem to want to eat," Cho complained.

        Blue eyes regarded her, no slyness present. "The Force feeds me. Believe me, Cho. I'm ravenous--all the time. There's a hunger in me I cannot explain."
        "Revan! Cho! There you are!" A young man tall enough to tower over them came into the cave and waved. "Not that way. Zhar's looking for you." He unhooked a lightsaber from his belt and gave it to Revan. "Maybe we should rivet it to your hand," he joked. He held his nose. "Phew! You stink!"

        "Ha ha, very funny, Mal."  She put her arm about his waist and his arm fell naturally around her shoulders, his fingers caressing her soft hair. Cho was scandalized, but also felt a little envious. They went back to the academy, headed for the showers and then changed into clean tunics. They rejoined Mal, who waited in the hallway near the door to the training room.

        "I hate these tunics," Revan groused, jerking at the ill-fitting garment. "Some day I'll design my own clothes."

        "Designer Jedi," he snorted.

        "Let's find Master Zhar," Revan said, taking the Kath hound by the horns.

        As usual, Revan got through everything unscathed. She blatantly lied to Master Zhar about missing training class because she had been so engrossed in her histories. The twit Twilek!  Sometimes Cho wanted the Masters to open their eyes, but they seemed to wear blinders when it came to Revan. Cho had received a lecture on being on time and kitchen detail for a week.

        Cho and Galen Malak joined her in the workroom. Revan dug through the tools in the workbench, found an engraver and carved her initial into the hilt of her lightsaber. She extracted the crystal from the piece of cool rock she had taken from the cave. She used the polisher and buffer to craft her crystal until its facets gleamed.

        "I-it's red!" Galen was the first to react. Cho's hand was over her mouth.

        "So?  What has the color got to do with anything?  I like it." Revan held it up to the light and ruby rainbows bounced off the walls. "It suits me."

        "The Sith have red-"Cho began, but stopped when Revan made a slashing gesture with her hand.

        "The Sith use synthetic crystals, oh ye who sticks to the curriculum of the Order and never deviates."

        "Rev, have you been accessing the histories-the forbidden histories?" Galen's eyes widened, yet his attitude was one of admiration.

        "What if I have?  Master Dorak says only Masters can use the consoles, but, it doesn't take a Master to slice into their antiquated computers." She clenched her hands into fists. "I need to learn! I can't explain it, but it gnaws at me. I need the knowledge."

        "For what? To rule the galaxy one day?"  Galen joked, and he and Cho laughed

        Revan did not. "There is something coming. I have...visions," she said seriously. "There's a threat to the worlds as we know them, and the Jedi are going to have to step up."

        Malak shook his head, pushing back his hair from his forehead. "Rev, that isn't going to happen. You study the histories. The Order will stay true to their tenants."

        Revan's pale blue eyes were twin suns. "History will change." She gazed at her friends. "Galen, your strength will be an asset. Cho, your ability that I cannot put a name to, will be needed. I'll need both of you when the time comes."

        "Will you stop talking in riddles?" Malak ducked when she tossed a hydro spanner at his head. "Tell us what you mean."

        "I'll be transferred to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They'll soon discover Master Zhar is not the right Master for me. I have my eye on Master Kavar. He'll help me hone my saber skills. He's the best, and I want to be taught only by the best. And the library there, the Hall of Archives, I can't wait until I can see it-have all that knowledge at my fingertips."

        "Rev, you're leaving?"
        She nodded, brushing Malak's cheek with her lips. "I'll be back. You two stay here and try to get into trouble every once in awhile." She cocked her head and gave them a brash wink.

        "That's why you misbehaved so much-so they would send you there."

        "Smart as well as short. Yes, Chosie." The crystal she held up to catch the light was reflected in her eyes, turning them blood red. It was eerie and disturbing. She reached over and caught Cho's chin, holding it firmly, and indicated Malak, adding in a whisper only Cho could here.  "Watch over him for me. I'll return when it's time."

        Revan swept out of the room and Galen turned to Cho. "I hope she knows what she's doing. She won't be able to wrap the Masters at the Jedi Temple around her little finger like she did our Masters."

        Cho frowned, laying a hand on his arm, craning her neck back so she could meet his troubled gaze. "I'm beginning to believe Revan can do anything she wants, and the world will fall at her feet."

        "I'll follow her," he said softly. "Wherever she leads."

        "Don't love her, Mal. Loving her involves too much pain."

        He smiled. "I know, but..."
        Cho smiled back. "It's Revan. I'll follow her, too-she seems to want me to."

"And whatever Rev wants..."
   "She gets. Come on!" She linked her arm with his. "Let's go grab some chow before the mess is shut down."

        Cho sat cross-legged on her bunk and closed her eyes. She needed to meditate; to find her center; to be able to determine if it was a vision or a nightmare spawned from Malachor. She took several deep breaths and cleared her mind, opening it to the Force. It was hard to understand Revan's last words. Her voice faded in and out, fainter and fainter.

        I am lost to him.

        She must mean Admiral Onasi. Cho had met the handsome Republic hero before leaving Citadel. The sadness in his brown eyes touched her deeply.

        If you see her, tell her Carth Onasi is waiting.

        "You picked a winner, Revan," she murmured. "He's waited over four years for you."

        If I had brought my friends...

        Cho opened her eyes as a plan crystallized. She knew what she must do. Having a plan of action brought peace, and she let her body fall sideways on the bunk. Sleep took her and the Force came to her, healing her body and spirit.

        When she awoke, she found someone had moved her into a more comfortable position and covered her. She sat up and stretched, surprised at how good she felt.

        There was movement and she saw Bao framed in the door to her quarters. She heard a low humming and saw something bob and weave over Bao's shoulder, tweeting its own unique greeting.

        Cho swung her legs over the side of her bunk and rose, keeping a steadying hand on its frame. "How...?"

        "As much as I wanted to trust Mira, General... Well, she was a bounty hunter before you met, and had dealings with GOTO."

        When Cho motioned for him to continue, he cleared his throat.  "GOTO asked me to do some maintenance. When I did, I included a fail-safe device and installed the trigger inside a remote."

        Cho raised a hand. "Wait a millisec-a remote?"

        He nodded, chuckling quietly. Everything Bao did was quiet. "I knew GOTO would betray you, General." Bao turned and gave his little remote a pat and it made a trilling noise in response, almost like a purr. "Turns out just like we suspected. GOTO planned to sabotage the mission to reactivate the mass shadow generator, so the remote activated the shut-down mechanism I installed inside GOTO's casing."

        "The other remote-what happened to it?"
        "Mira stumbled on me making it, so I pretended to let her in on the big secret and gave her a dummy switch."

        "Bao, you can trust Mira. Her past is just that, past." Cho beamed a smile at him. "Brilliant plan! Risky, too, because GOTO told me he would detonate and blow up the ship if I tried to destroy him."
        "Well, while I was inside his casing and he was shut down, I removed the detonator and replaced it with an explosive device of my own."

        "And?" Cho's admiration showed through the bruises on her face.

        "Once Mira was on board and we rescued you and you gave me the order, I tripped the programming chip I installed and GOTO activated the mass shadow generator and then self-destructed."

        "Bao, words fail me. That was-an amazing strategy!"
        "It did go well, General. Even the new remote made it back to safety in time." His bionic arm glowed in the semi-darkness of the hall. "You did ask me once if I would make one for you."

        The silence between them stretched until it became uncomfortable. Cho broke it first. "Bao, I am going to need you. Kreia and the other two Sith Lords were just symptoms-just echoes of the real threat. Kreia told me a lot before she died. We have not faced the True Sith yet." She told him the vision of Revan. "I know she went to fight the real threat."

        "And that is where you intend to go, General." It was not a question, and Cho sensed Bao-Dur beginning to withdraw from her, wanting to return to his repairs.  She knew why he withdrew.

        "Bao, I need you to understand something. I chose Atton as my padiwan because he was ready to accept my training. The same goes for Mical and Mira. You and I have a lot in common: war, computers, repair. But I can't, with all my skills, fix what is wrong between us. Is that what you're thinking?"
        "A general should not show favoritism."

        "Let's hear it all. You've been withdrawn since the last time we left Dantooine."

        "I'm...jealous...of Atton and Mical. They get to train in the Force. Trained by you. I have served and fought by your side, and you never once asked me if I..."

        Cho groaned at not recognizing this need. Bao seemed so strong and self-assured. Her bond was with him as well as the others; he would feel its pull just as they did. "I'm asking you now."

        "Don't you need the Force to become a Jedi?"
        Cho approached him, took his hand and drew him into her quarters, her free hand coming down on the door switch, sealing them inside, away from any prying eyes.

        Bao swallowed hard, gazing down at the small hand that held his large, capable one. He saw her injured finger and fought back the sudden urge to bend down and kiss it. He wanted to. He swallowed hard as Cho's fingers closed around his other hand, squeezing gently to make him look up and give her his full attention.

        "Bao, you have the Force. It is just untapped. I can help you find it within yourself." She paused so he would know it was not an order of general to tech. "If you wish it."

        "I...I do, General." His black eyes looked down into her slanted brown and he frowned, realizing one of her eyes was blackened. Her beautiful face was a kaleidoscope of colors and he wanted to kiss every bruise, every cut.

        Weary as Cho was, she beckoned the Zabrak to join her as she at on the floor.

        "Close your eyes, Bao." He did. "Think of how you felt after the final battle at Malachor:  the horror and all those lives lost, and the blame you placed on yourself."

        Bao gave a brief shudder, but kept his eyes closed.

        "Now I want you to see the restoration zone on Telos: the beautiful, crystal blue ocean, the grass-covered hills, and realize all of the bad is being undone. Let go of your anger and hatred and find the peace I know is deep within you. Inside you is a kernel of light. I want you to find it and access it like you would a database or a droid. See the Force as parts and components, binding you to the galaxy and the galaxy to you. That is the Force, Bao. Embrace it."

        The Force was not the only thing he wanted to embrace. Bao was ashamed of his errant thoughts. Did she know how he felt? How hard it was for him when he saw her meditate with Disciple? How he wanted to seize Atton's Pazaak deck and throw the cards into a shredder? How he wanted to use a plasma torch to cut through Mandalore's armor so she could see the real man and know he was not somebody she could depend on or trust? Mira. Visas. All shared her attention. Did they share her love? Did she love the fool? Did she love the historian with his honor and his Coruscanti accent? Could she love a Mandalorian?

    Could she love a Zabrak?

   He wondered where all these thoughts originated. There were boundaries he thought could never be crossed, yet she was not like any other Jedi. Was there room in her heart for him? Would she even consider him as someone who would take care of her, fight by her side, protect her, and love her? He admitted it now. He loved Cho-her beauty haunted his dreams. He had a prior claim to her the others did not. He had known her during the war. Did that give him any precedence? Did that provide him any hope?

   "Awaken, Bao."

   He opened his eyes and smiled shyly.  "I did...feel something, General, or should I call you Master now?" He hoped she had not read his thoughts or felt the longing coursing through him.

        She sighed and leaned her injured hand on her cheek, her eyes meeting his with unnerving directness. It was the truth he saw in her eyes. They never lied.

        "Call me Cho."

        Bao thought if he said her name, something would change-something neither one of them could take back. General-tech. Master-padiwan-acceptable, but if he called her by her name...

        "Cho." He seemed to taste the name and a small smile tugged at his lips. Warmth lit his eyes. The bond between them shifted to allow a closeness he'd never expected. The barriers of rank were down. The line could be crossed.

        "Now, if you would please give me a hand up," she said, breaking the spell, groaning when her body refused to let her rise from the meditation position.

        He leapt to his feet and extended his hand. Her small hand crept into his and his warm fingers intertwined with hers as he bent down to tenderly, carefully, help her to her feet.

        There was no sound in her quarters, only Bao's quiet breathing. Cho knew she should unlink her fingers from his, but his touch was so soothing, and she found she needed comfort. Of her own volition, Cho stepped closer, bringing his hands down to his sides, her fingers curling over his. She turned her head and laid her injured cheek against his strong chest. A flood of tears came, and she sobbed as if her heart was breaking.

        Bao gently untangled his fingers from hers and cradled her in his arms, crooning softly in the Zabrak tongue. He guided her to the bunk, sat on it with her in his lap, rocking her on his thighs. Her arms wound around his neck and Cho let out everything she had been holding back-guilt-pain-betrayal-all of it.

        Finally she ran out of tears, and they remained holding each other. Bao stroked her hair with one hand. She could feel the fingers of his other hand splayed out over her back, keeping her from losing her balance.  Cho placed her cheek against his chest again and listened to the sound of his heart-the trip-hammer reverberation as it accelerated into a frenzy of joy. She noted his skin was flushed and sweat dewed his brow.

        "Cho, may I...?"

        What was she doing?  Cho berated herself. This damned bond was doing it again!  Could she never control it? Atton, Mical and now Bao!  She would not permit Bao to be hurt-to hope for what she was not sure she could ever give.  She knew he would think it was because he was not human, but that had nothing to do with it. How could she trust that his feelings were his own and not something created by the bond?

        "Bao..."
        "Just...one...kiss."  His lips were warm as they descended on her mouth.

        The kiss was like his hands-gentle and able to flick the right switch. Cho gave in to the sensation, too tired to wonder whether it was real or something the bond projected.

        The Force impacted them, joining them together in a swirl of color-she was silver-he was blue. Jedi Master-Jedi Guardian and their colors merged, as the kiss deepened, binding them and the galaxy together.

        The kiss might have gone on forever. Cho comprehended she was lying on her bunk, Bao half on top of her, and things were getting out of hand. She regretted it, but she used the Force to explain to him this was not something she could handle right now.

        Bao moved away from her, his face flushed.  All she could see was his arm glowing as he withdrew even further. "I...am so sorry, Gen..Mas..Cho. I don't know what came over me."

        Cho carefully kept her face averted so he could not see how deeply what he said affected her. It was just as she feared-the damned bond-or was it? She wished she knew. She needed to say something to ease the tension between them and let him know she assigned no blame. Words failed her so she put what she wanted to say in her eyes as she approached him.

   Thank you, her eyes said. I needed comfort and you gave it to me. You gave me your shoulder to cry on. You kissed away my tears. Thank you, Bao

   He smiled down at her. Her eyes gave him hope. They never lied.