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Chapter Text

Prologue – What Could Have Been

          As the sun began to set on a dark and desolate world, two figures walked across its red sand plateaus, and between crumbling ruins of a once mighty empire. Now only ancient tombs, monuments, statues, each echoing silence, evil, and death surrounded them. The two individuals were an odd paring to say the least. One of them stood at 6’5” was heavily armed with a blaster rifle on his back, 3 pistols distributed on hips/leg, and a large vibrosword handle coming out of a panel on his back. The figure was completely robotic, made out of an intimidating and battle weathered red metal with complementing glowing red eyes, that constantly scanned their surroundings. The other man was no were less frightening to the average viewer. While only standing at 5’11” they were probably the more intimidating of the two, clad in long dark robes that ended in a hood obscuring his face, which was further hidden by a black and red mask that possessed an almost demonic quality to it. Under the rest of the robes was a heavy looking set of red and silver Mandalorian-hybrid battle armor, hidden with all kinds of technical add-ons/weapons, accompanied with the more obvious weapons of two lightsabers hanging off of his belt. As the duo continued their walk across the silent and dead wasteland, the droid finally broke the heavy silence.

          “Query: Master, how much longer are we going to be sneaking around here like common scavengers? The sith armies have been completely removed from the planet and the Republic is in the process of building a new space station in orbit.”

The cloaked man finally stopped and stood before a large tomb, its ancient statues, glyphs, and red sand-stone looked down on the two figures, and while the droid could not feel it, Revan could sense the dark-side calling out to him from every direction, but became concentrated at this particular tomb. Revan reached out a gloved hand and slowly felt the almost-familiar stone, running his fingers carefully across the sith glyphs and writings, a dead language decorating a dead place. Revan finally turned and faced HK-47, who had been examining Revan’s movements with slight curiosity, when he wasn’t sweeping their surroundings visually and by scanner.

          “We are not hiding from the sith my old friend.” Revan’s voice came across automated and distorted, a default setting he had left on his mask and couldn’t be bothered to consistently switch on and off. “I simply do not want to attract any unwanted attention. The Republic and Jedi still do not trust me, even after all I have done for those ungrateful sods, and me, of all people, coming back to Korriban dressed in my old attire, which we recently stole from the Republic, would cause quite a few concerned reactions.” Revan finished his explanation before going back to examining the massive stone doors before him.

          “Advisement: Then perhaps we should conclude our business quickly and leave this place. Unless there is an opportunity to kill some bothersome Republic meat-bags, then I would be quite happy to stay as long as you like master.”

          A slight smile crept on to Revan’s face under his mask, before he shook his head and responded without turning around, “No HK, we are not here to fight anyone, at least, you aren’t.” The assassin droid turned his head to examine its master. Feeling the implied question Revan answered, “I’m going away HK, probably to my death if we’re going to be perfectly honest and before you insist, no, you cannot follow me, even if I would enjoy your company and the extra gun covering my back.” The ruins and tombs of Korriban may have fooled the rest of the galaxy into thinking death was the final legacy of the sith, and their threat had been altogether removed from the galaxy, Revan knew better. HK said nothing and simply watched Revan work, calculating something in his metallic mind, whatever it was Revan did not know, so he continued to speak into the silence around them.

          “I want you to take the ship and go back to Bastila, she is your new master now.” Revan turned to stare directly into his loyal assassin’s eyes, “You will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, I do not care if it costs you everything to do so, nothing happens to her. Do I make myself clear?” Internally HK was surprised with the harshness of his master’s order, but his synthetic exterior revealed nothing. If the droid could feel emotion, Revan’s words brought him to a place of ‘hurt’ or ‘abandonment’ if he could even approximate what that feeling might be. After several moments of silence HK slowly nodded and said, “Acknowledgement: I understand master. I will follow your directions to my last nanosecond of operation, no matter the cost.”

          Under his mask Revan shifted between HK’s two glowing red eyes, instinctually looking for some kind of assurance or tell, knowing subconsciously there would not be any to be found. Finally, Revan nodded back, before turning again to the doors in front of him. “Oh, and do treat her like your new master. For the love of anything do not give her any grief or back-talk, she’ll be mad enough at me once she finds out what I’ve done.” HK did not respond, but Revan knew the droid would cling to his every word, he had built him with that same reliability he had counted on for so many years.

          “Query: And what of the others master, what shall I tell them?” Revan stopped his work and looked down at the sandy floor beneath his feet. A flood of emotions, memories, good and bad flooded through his mind at once before he was able to fully swallow them down and breath again. “I have already left detailed instructions for the rest of them, but, if they do decide to ask you, tell them…I went where my dreams took me.” After a few moments of silence between the two Revan looked slightly over his shoulder, “You can go now HK.” HK waited slightly longer than he knew he should, but eventually the tall droid began to make its way back to the ship. Just before HK could disappear from view Revan turned and called out, “Oh, and HK!” The assassin turned and looked at his master surprised and possibly hopeful. “…Take care of my ship.” HK simply looked at Revan for a few moments then nodded before turning and disappearing from sight.

          Revan felt a slight ting of sadness wash over him, knowing that was probably the last time he would ever see a friendly face. He turned back to the door and clenched his fists willing new determination in his spirit before waving a hand in front of three specific runes. The symbols slid back into the wall, loud noises of gears, mechanisms, and contraptions began to creak and groan as they moved for the first time in perhaps a millennium. Finally, the mechanism finished its long sequence and the ancient stone doors broke their tension from each other and slowly opened inwardly to the dark tomb, letting a rush of dust and stale air wash out of the tomb. Revan thanked his past-self mentally for the air-filters in his mask.

          He slowly entered he dark structure before him as the sun began to set behind him, casting an eerie orange glow that barely penetrated the room before him. Revan pulled out a blue lightsaber and cautiously walked forward, igniting it as he did so, casting a fait blue glow on the sith halls around him. Making his way deeper into the tomb he heard the sound of terentatek begging to stir deeper in the tomb, but instead of moving down the obvious path before him, Revan stopped in the middle of a hallway and turned to face one of the walls. Slowly sliding his hand over the sith glyps and writings he found one he was looking for and sent a spark of force lightning into it. The wall made a hiss as a secret door slowly slid back into the wall and then to the side, revealing a cramped and more ancient tunnel. Revan had to duck slightly as he made his way through the new tunnel, only slightly glancing behind him as the wall closed back into place. After walking for less than a minute he came to a corner, which he rounded, and then he could finally see it. At the end of the passage was a room, no more than 10 feet long in all directions. In each of the four corners stood statues, and all around the room were hieroglyphs, carvings, pictures, and writings; however the room as so ancient that almost everything in the room had become dust, even the walls; and nothing was recognizable. In the middle of the room as a small pyramid with its top flattened, standing at about 5 feet tall, hovering with a slight spin just above the pyramid was a purple crystal, dimly pulsing with a purple glow.

          Revan entered the room and turned off his lightsaber. As he approached the crystal it began to glow brighter, and something dark began to call to him, its sounds could almost be heard whispering around the room itself. Revan had seen this crystal before. It had called to him once, right before he became Darth Revan. It had offered a solution, a different way to defeat the true sith and save the galaxy and the republic, however he was younger then, more prideful and arrogant, confident his vision for the galaxy could be achieved through swift military might. Almost immediately after He had killed his former apprentice and friend, part of his old memories came flooding back to him. It almost broke his mind again, if She had not been there to help him. Over the next two years she had helped him as more and more memories slowly came back, as his mind began to heal itself fully. Then, a few nights ago, a vision, this memory, this crystal, appeared to him along with his original mission and purpose, why he had become Darth Revan, and what he had to stop before it ever came back to the galaxy.

          He pondered for a moment what would have happened if he had gone down this path instead of the one he choose, but such thoughts were ultimately pointless. Shaking the rambling questions running through his mind Revan did one last careful check of his equipment, armor, and weapons. Satisfied that he was as prepared as he could be for what would happen, he slowly reached out towards the crystal. The purple object began to spin and glow faster and faster as his hand approached it, the voices in the room becoming louder as well. Just before he grasped it Revan spoke, “Take me to the Lord of the sith.” Once his hand grabbed the crystal, purple lighting began to shoot out of it into the room. The crystal burned in Revan’s hand as he forced it to stop moving and he felt like all the bones in his body were going to snap as energy coursed through his arm and into his entire frame. He let out a cry of pain as light and smoke filled the room. When the light cleared Revan was gone and the room stood empty and quiet once more.

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 – Should I Come Back Later?

          It was close to noon on a bright sunny day on the city-planet of Coruscant. Chancellor Palpatine was sitting behind his desk listening to a group of people he secretly despised. In the room with him were four Jedi, two of whom were the well known and respected Master Yoda and Master Windu, accompanied by masters Saesee Tiin and Plo-Koon. Aside from them were several senators and political dignitaries, the most infuriating of whom was one Senator Padmé Amidala, who had called this meeting to discuss the current bill being proposed to secure additional funding for the purchasing of more clone troopers. The Jedi masters had arrived, unannounced of course, for their own meeting, but had decided to stay and add to the discussion at hand, much to the further irritation of the chancellor. Still, he had to admit, everything was going just fine from where he was sitting. He knew the bill would pass, eventually, and the war would continue on its way just as he had planned. He was almost tempted to zone out and let the room ramble amongst themselves when suddenly.

          The chancellor had to grip his seat to keep himself from not reacting, but internally his mind was racing, and his body was screaming at him to get ready for a fight. Something had happened in the Force, almost like a nuclear-sized explosion had ruptured in the Force sending shock waves in all directions. Several moments after Palpatine had sensed it the four jedi masters froze, each experiencing the same event, each trying to pull themselves together and figure out what had just happened. The politicians in the room only had a second to see that something was visibly wrong on the Jedi's faces before Windu jumped up and yelled: "Cover!"

          The security team, which had been standing in the back of the office, sprang into action at the order, running to grab the civilians, while the jedi dove and pushed everyone away from the center of the room. No one would later recall that Palpatine had already decided to duck under his desk before Windu had spoken.

          A sudden and violent explosion spontaneously ruptured in the middle of the room, sending black smoke bellowing out in all directions, and blasting anyone back who wasn't fortunate enough to get down in time. Senate guards on the landing strip below the chancellor's office looked up as shattered glass rained down on them, and smoke began to pour out of the office. Alarms quickly went off and the guards began rushing to their posts in response. Surprisingly the explosion itself was relatively small, and the actual damage it did to the room and its occupants was minimal, seriously wounding no one.

          As the civilians and Jedi in the room began to get themselves up, occasionally coughing from the smoke that had not quite cleared, they all looked to the center of the room in confusion, fear, and anticipation. The greatest concentration of smoke still lingered where the explosion had originated from, and it randomly crackled with small bolts of purple lighting. As the smoke slowly dissipated a figure could be seen on one knee, kneeling, then slowly rising. As the figure came into view several politicians gasped and one screamed, as the almost demonic black, red, and silver figure began to scan the room behind their intimidating mask.

          Palpatine, who was doing his best to play the role of a shell-shocked old man, slowly peeked from over his desk to observe the figure standing before him. He did not recognize a single thing about the individual, except for quickly noticing the two light sabers that were attached to his belt, which caused more concern for Palpatine. What made the chancellor the most worried however, was how he could not even sense the individual in front of him, it was like they were not even present in the Force, aside from the faintest indication. What was more troubling was that the force was screaming at him from all directions, almost like a wounded animal who had just been stabbed in the side. Whatever event had just transpired that brought this figure before him, it was not supposed to have ever happened, that much Palpatine was sure of.

          The chancellor's internal thoughts were cut off by Windu and the other jedi stepping towards the intruder igniting their sabers as they did so. "By order of the Galactic Republic, you are under arrest." Windu stated with great seriousness and the force of someone who is used to giving orders that are followed. "Surrender, you are surrounded." To add on to his point several senate guards finally arrived, coming through the single door opposite the window, aiming their weapons directly at Revan, and blocking the exit.

          Revan, for his part, was annoyed, bust mostly lost. He was obviously on a republic city world, probably Coruscant with his luck, and had just bombed some kind of important political or military meeting. Not a great start to his journey. What made matters worse was that he was now about to be attacked by several skilled and powerful Jedi, though he did note that they did not feel as powerful in the Force as those he was used to fighting. He had been examining the room and occupants for as long as he could, avoiding any sudden movements to try and give himself more time to make a plan and gather himself together. Unfortunately, it seemed he was out of time. Revan had been slightly surprised by the power behind the jedi's words, and had almost just done what he said, but now he knew, there was only one way out of this. But maybe he could stall just a little bit longer to give himself more time to think.

          "I'm terribly sorry about all this." Revan finally broke his silence for the first time as he carefully gestured to the damage around him. His voice obviously being modified by the mask he wore. Everyone looked visibly surprised by this first comment, which Revan quickly followed up with an even more baffling one: "Is this a bad time? Should I come back later?"

          Senator Padmé would have laughed at Revan's joke if she wasn't equal parts curious, confused, and terrified of the situation she was in. The blast had knocked her further towards the chancellor and window, and away from the door. Her head of security had begun to silently gesture for her to start making her way towards him and the other senate guards, but she had ignored him and instead was trying to examine the man before her as much as she could. Carefully trying to memorize anything of note on his person that would help her investigation later. She finally saw something, a symbol, barely visible on Revan's left gauntlet, it seemed to have been inscribed with a knife by hand, and only after he had gestured to the wreckage around him, and the sun had caught his armor, had she managed to see it. Her observations were interrupted when Windu spoke again, taking another step towards the intruder. "I won't ask again. Surrender. Now."

          Revan let out a sigh and made his decision. He mumbled, mostly to himself, and only loud enough that Windu was the only one who could hear him, "No, I don't suspect you will." Windu narrowed his eyes at Revan before realizing just a moment too late what his intentions were, as he sliced his saber through nothing but air.

          Palpatine finally got his answer for why he almost couldn't sense the man in front of him. Suddenly, Revan force-dashed directly at senator Padmaé. The moment he did so there could be no mistake, he had been masking his presence in the Force, not quite to the extent that Palpatine had learned to do so from his master, but almost to the same level. Before the chancellor had time to consider this further Revan had already grabbed the senator in a choke-hold, put her between himself and the rest of the room, and was now standing on the very edge of the shattered window, the wind whipping his robes wildly behind him. The jedi moved forward but stopped several paces back. The other politicians were quickly taken out of the room by the security, who moved up behind the jedi. "Get out of here." Windu barked at Palapatine who had managed to scrambling around to the other side of his desk. The chancellor held back a glare at the Jedi master for barking orders at him, but did slowly make his way back towards the door, trying his best to stay and observe what was going to happen, perhaps Padmé would finally be removed for him.

          Revan quickly moved his gaze between each of the Jedi, knowing he now had much more control of the situation, but only just. Padmé could feel the wind pull at her from being this high up and found herself clinging to Revan instinctively for fear of begin dropped out the window. Was this the end for her? She hated this attacker for what now seemed to be another assassination attempt.

Master Plo stepped forward slightly and spoke much more calmly diplomatically than Windu had done, "Let us not be hasty about this. Give us the senator and we promise no harm shall befall you."

          Revan's red and black mask turned and looked directly at master Plo, its gaze causing a slight amount of intimidation, but not enough to show itself. Revan smiled under his mask before answering. "I believe you master Jedi. But I'm afraid, my ride is here." The jedi tried to force grip the two individuals but were met with a massive invisible blast that sent them all sliding back, forcing them to brace themselves instead, and sending the guards behind them all flying into the wall. With the few seconds he gained himself, Revan gripped the senator tighter and leapt a spectacular distance directly backwards in a wide flip, landing with a loud thud on the top of cargo container that was being pulled along by a flying speeder.

          Padmé had closed her eyes for the entire flight that had felt like an eternity, once she felt they had stopped moving, she instantly began to struggle to get free, hoping the landing had caused her kidnapper to loosen his grip. Unfortunately for her, Revan had anticipated this, and kept her from succeeding. He then spoke softly and almost kindly, into her ear, which caused her to stop fighting mostly out of surprise. "I'm terribly sorry about this my dear." Revan spoke without a voice modifier, and in a genuinely apologetic tone, before waving his hand in front of Padmé's face, causing her to pass out. Revan then carefully laid her on her side before slumping back with a heavy sigh, looking up to examine the Senate office, which was quickly disappearing from view.

          The four Jedi stood on the window ledge, watching the faint black figure disappear in the sea of speeders. Windu had wanted to leap onto another speeder and follow them, but even he wasn't sure he could make that jump, and Yoda had advised him to not recklessly give chase. Oddly enough the four Jedi had agreed that they had felt nothing in the force to indicate to them that Padmé was in any actual danger. But telling this to Padmé's security officer had not stopped him from shouting to the senate guards in a panic to go after her.

          Palpatine finally re-entered the room under heavy escort. "So, master Jedis, what has become of the situation?"

          "The intruder escaped." Windu stated shortly, obviously irritated. "But we'll find him, and the senator. We have already sent word to the Jedi temple, and several teams are being assembled and dispatched in coordination with the Coruscant’s local security."

          "Very good, very good." Responded Palpatine. "I have every confidence that under your care master Jedis, this terrorist will be brought to justice, and the matter will be closed. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have several matters that require my full attention." As the chancellor turned to leave, he was stopped.

          "Wise to be alone for you chancellor, it is not." Yoda spoke up.

          "Well now, I don't think they're anything-" but Palpatine was cut off by master Plo "I agree with master Yoda. We do not know if this attacker was working alone, they're could be others, and if they are also Force users, the chancellor will need Jedi protectors."

          "Well I don't think-" But Windu cut off Palpatine again. "Then it is settled. Until this matter is sufficiently resolved, Master Plo and I will stay with the chancellor at all times today." Palpatine hated this arrangement, but knew he was not going to convince them out of it. "Very well, if that is what you think is best."

"We do." Yoda answred, before turning to Windu and Plo, "Master Tin and I, return to the temple, we will. From their, coordinate the search, I will." The Jedi all nodded in agreement and the group began to leave the room. Master Yoda turned one last time to scan the room and look out the broken window. Troubling times these were, and the storm that had suddenly appeared over the horizon, he felt was just beginning.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 – The Right Man in the Wrong Place

          An office door made a hiss as it quickly slid open. A pair of Jedi walked into what had previously been Chancellor Palpatine's office, but now looked more like a cross between a murder scene investigation, and a small arm's test detonation. Furniture was scattered in every direction, the chancellor's desk was broken into pieces some of which were embedded in the wall, and the middle of the room had the remains of an obviously blast. The charred burnt ground had been scorched in an almost perfect circle, directly above it the ceiling was also blackened with the smoke that had come off the explosion and left a trail out the window.

          "Looks like someone had an eventful start to their day." Master Obi-Wan Kenobi spoke to no one in particular, causing Masters Plo Koon and Mace Windu to turn and nod to the two new arrivals. "Anakin, Obi-Wan, glad you could finally join us." Master Windu said in half jest and half seriousness, obviously itching to get down to business.

          "What's the situation masters?" Anakin spoke as he made his way towards the back of the room where Mace and Plo had been conversing with a clone officer.

          "I can answer that for you sirs." The clone officer spoke up. "I've just received a report from one of our search teams."

          "Go ahead commander Wolffe." Plo spoke the group's verbal permission.

The clone nodded before continuing. "We've just finished our complete sweep and lockdown of the entire senate building. There are no unidentified persons in the building and no missing civilians who had already checked in for the day."

          "What about senator Amidala?" Anakin interrupted Wolffe before he could continue, drawing a small glance from Kenobi.

          "She's safe sir." Wolffe answered without missing a beat. "Local authorities had immediately been dispatched to go after her after the incident. Then they came across the speeder the attacker had used to escape. It had parked only a few blocks west of here. She was still on the roof unconscious, our medical teams checked on her showing only minor injuries she suffered from the blast. They tried to take her to a hospital, but she refused and had the team take her back to her apartment. Her security chief is with her now."

          Kenobi chuckled at the end of the clone's report. "That does sound like Padmé."

          "And what of the driver? Have they been taken into custody?" Mace asked as a follow-up, ignoring Kenobi's comment.

          "Yes sir." Wolffe responded. "But upon questioning him he said he has no memory of why he even parked and when local security looked his identification up on criminal records it came up completely clean. The officers think he might have just been an unlucky civilian at the wrong place at the wrong time."

          Windu nodded in understanding, "Tell them to keep the driver in holding for now. We don't want to let go a possible lead."

          "Understood sir." Wolffe acknowledged quickly.

          "What is being done to search for the perpetrator?" Plo asked.

          "We’ve got several teams sweeping the entire Federal District. We've also begun to set up check points around that perimeter and we are having all local traffic either grounded or pass through a check point. Additionally, all ships leaving the planet must be searched before they are clear to leave, the navy in orbit is handling that." Wolffe answered the inquiry. "We also have started posting security footage of the attack to the local HoloNet, encouraging civilians to call in with any sightings, and a bounty is being approved as we speak for any information or confirmed sightings. It may take some time sirs, but we'll find him." Wolffe finished his report with confidence.

          "Thank you, commander." Kenobi said, "We will call you over if we have more questions."

          "Sirs." Wolffe saluted before moving to speak with a scanning team that had just entered the room.

          The four Jedi looked at each other with some skepticism. While the local authorities and the clones had acted fast, Coruscant was a big place. The attacker could already be far outside the district for all they knew. "Do we have any other leads?"

          Windu shook his head to answer Anakin's question. "None right now, but what is certain is that we should be ready for anything. If this was some kind of attack by the separatists, there may be more trouble ahead."

          "I don't feel like this was the Separatists." Kenobi offered as a counter point to Windu's advised caution. "This, intruder, shall we say, landed in a target rich environment and didn't kill a single person. I mean the explosion itself didn't even cause any major injuries; I feel like we are dealing with a third party."

          "I sense you are right Obi-Wan," Plo spoke, "But even so, we must remain vigilant. Whoever this individual was he is still at large. We can conjecture about these events at length after the matter at hand has been settled."

          "I'll track him down, find him, and make sure we put an end to this." Anakin spoke with a slight air of anger in his voice.

          "Don't be hasty Skywalker." Windu objected, "This attacker is powerful in the Force, until we know more about him, we should have all Jedi stay in pairs of two and call in any sightings immediately to the temple. Master Yoda is there now coordinating the other Jedi. Master Plo and I are going to stay here and watch the chancellor, and the senators."

          "That sounds like a wise plan." Kenobi complimented Windu. "Anakin and I will search the area around the Senate Building where our masked friend was last seen, we'll contact you if anything turns up."

          "Good luck." Plo said, "And may the Force be with you."

          The two Jedi turned to walk out of the room. Once they were through the door Anakin spoke. "I'll meet you at the hanger master, I need to check on something real quick."

          Kenobi turned to look at his apprentice, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Alright." He said deciding not to press the matter. "But don't be long, this investigation is pressing."

          "I know master, I'll be right behind you." Anakin said reassuringly. Kenobi nodded and walked off. Once he was out of sight Anakin ducted into an empty hallway. Quickly checking to make sure no one was around he pulled out his holo-communicator and activated it. A moment or two passed before Padmé appeared in his hand. He was relieved to see her and that she only had a few small bandages on her forehead and hands. "Padmé! Oh, I'm glad to see you. Are you okay?"

          "I'm fine Anakin." Padmé said with a smile, "But thank you for the concern. I am a little annoyed as my security refuses to let me come back to the senate building. Can you believe they almost dragged to a hospital for these tiny cuts?" She said in obvious aggravation.

          Anakin smiled and laughed slightly at her. "Even a terrorist bombing and being taken hostage can't keep you down."

          "Enough about me. Padmé quickly waved his comment off with her hand. "How's the investigation? Is everyone else okay?"

          "Everyone else is fine." Anakin assured her. "No one suffered any injuries worse than yours, but the bomber is still out there. Obi-Wan and I are about to go out looking for him now."

          "Okay. That's good to hear, please be safe out there Anakin. I've never seen four Jedi masters get out played like that before." Padmé said with hint of worry. "Also, let me know if there's anything I can do to help with the investigation."

          "Don't worry about me." Anakin said, "You need to rest and lay low until this guy is taken care of. And I promise, I'll find the guy who had the nerve to use you as a hostage, the low life." Anakin clenched his other fist slightly as he said it.

          "I'm sure you will Anakin." Padmé responded. "Now you should go, I'm sure Obi-Wan is waiting for you."

          Anakin nodded as an answer. "I love you." "I love you too." Padmé responded with a smile.

          Anakin hung up the call, then quickly moved towards the hanger.

          Revan landed with a small thud in a dark alley. He looked up at the few streets he had managed to jump down from, point to point, after getting off of the container. As a courtesy to whatever politician he had no doubt scared to death, Revan had mind-tricked the speeder driver into carefully stopping a good distance away from Revan's dropping off point and calling the local authorities immediately. This was half a small apology to the woman, but it would also serve as a decoy for the Jedi to start their search somewhat far from where he actually was, hopefully giving himself enough of a lead. Revan shook his head at that thought. Already all around him different signs, news bulletins, and display boards had slightly blurry footage of him, informing the population to come forward with any information or sightings they had of this "...yet unidentified terrorist." Revan huffed at the description. "’Terrorist.’ I didn't even kill anyone...though I may have blow up a major government building, but that's beside the point, it was an accident!”

          Revan sighed and leaned against the wall, there was no point dwelling on that. He quickly took a moment to check his gear, and make sure that nothing had broken in his little trip, cursing his past self for ever thinking he could possibly trust an ancient Sith crystal for anything. Looking around at his surroundings he began to make observations. This was definitely Coruscant the signs everywhere confirmed it, but it looked...off? Things were different, out of place, taller? If that was even possible, but still, the feeling lingered. This was not the Coruscant he knew.

          He began to notice other things, the technology was different, the clothing too, especially, and then, he examined the date below one of the large announcement monitors. ‘968 PRR.’ PRR? What the hell was that! Revan rubbed the front of his mask, groaning to himself. “Oh, what have I gotten myself into now?” He mentally asked his own mind He began to pace slightly with his hands behind his back, talking to himself:

          “Alright, focus. What are we dealing with? Coruscant. Still under Republic control?" He took a moment to glance at the symbols and environment around him. "Yes. Jedi still prominent here? Obviously." He said with clear irritation. "How good are the local authorities at catching criminals? Judging by how long it is taking them in a city full of cameras, not very. So, I thankfully have some time. Now! Where are we? Well, ancient Sith crystal dating back Force knows how long, using alchemy, what are the most likely outcomes? Illusion?" He took a moment to crush a discarded soda can with his foot, he then gave it a few twists and kicks, he wobbled his head back and forth before continuing, "...Possible. Dream? Same thing. Pocket dimension?" At this point Revan heard some aliens walking by and made sure to cling to the wall waiting for them to pass. "...Not likely. Alternate dimension? Very possible. Mind prison? Force control? Hypnotism?" Revan found he had begun to pace faster and faster, getting more and more agitated as his mind raced in circles. Suddenly, he turned and punched the wall behind him with a loud crack.

          Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and his mind. Slowly moving his fist off the wall, he saw the sizable impact he had created in the concrete, he flexed his hand slightly to make sure nothing was broken.

          "This isn't helping. I need answers, not theories, I need a place to gather myself, to make a plan to..." Revan stopped himself as he finally looked down the opposite end of the alley and slowly began to laugh to himself quietly. "...I can't be serious...There’s no way even I would be dumb enough to do that..." Revan shook his head, chuckled, then let out a large sigh. "Well! This should be interesting."

With his personal conversation finally done, Revan began to move, looking around carefully and cautiously as he did so, and with a purpose in mind, Revan started to make his way towards the Jedi Temple.

          Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee walked around the Jedi Temple Archives. The pair of padawan had been assigned to help Master Jocasta Nu with some organization projects. This assignment had been given as a small punishment for failing to follow orders during a previous battle and was meant to teach them the importance of patience; that a clear mind that did not get caught up in the moment.

          What it was currently teaching them was that the Jedi archives were a confusing maze of information, data entries, long forgotten knowledge, and a horribly outdated filing system that no-one had thought prudent to update since around 200 years ago.

          "Uhg! I hate this assignment." Ahsoka finally broke the silence between the two of them. Barriss nodded and turned from her work in front of one of the many digital cases. "I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling like this is some sadistic form of torture. There are entries here that are over 100 years old and they've never been properly categorized." Ahsoka finally slumped down to the floor, tossing her data pad to the ground in front of her. "I think the most frustrating thing is the hypocrisy of this whole thing. The jedi knights and masters choose reckless strategies and disobey orders all the time, and we learn from them! But then, when we padawans do something similar, we get disciplined simply because we don't have high enough rank to fight it."

          Barriss nodded and looked down at her data pad with a sigh. "It must be particularly frustrating for you. I can't imagine all the rules Skywalker teaches you to break. He's infamous for disobeying orders."

          "I know!" Ahsoka exclaimed in agreement. "But for whatever reason, he pretty much always gets a free pass from the council, like he's their chosen poster child or something." Ahsoka let out an aggravated grown and buried her head in her crossed arms. "Look, I know this discipline is pretty mild, and we got off easy, and I am very grateful for all the things master Skywalker has taught me, but I just don't understand the inconsistencies. It's frustrating."

          Barriss looked down at Ahsoka, and then slowly rubbed the back of her neck. "It's true. I feel like the council tells us one thing and then does something completely different." Barriss' gaze began to slowly shift around the archives. "It almost makes you want to just..." Barriss looked like she was on the verge of saying something but was struggling to let it out.

          Noticing the silence Ahsoka finally looked up at Barriss and saw the obvious conflict on her face. "Uh...hey Barriss? Are you okay?" Barriss shook her head and looked at Ahsoka, obviously pulling herself out of some kind of mental headspace.

          "Oh, what? Sorry. Must have drifted off there." Barriss spoke with a district lack of confidence. Ahsoka looked confused and slightly worried at her padawan friend, but before she could press further they both heard the distinct tapping of shoes on tile approaching them. Both of their heads snapped towards the familiar sound and Ahsoka quickly stood up and force pulled her data pad to her just in time as Jocasta Nu rounded the corner.

          “Ah! There you are my children.” The elderly Jedi said with a hint of relief in her voice, but obvious worry was also carried in her tone. "I'm glad I found you." She finished before closing the distance between the two.

          Ahsoka and Barriss both glanced at each other before looking at Jocasta. "Is there something we can help you with master?" Barriss offered first. "We were just about to finish this secti-" But Ahsoka was cut off before she could finish.

          "Oh, do not worry about that my dears. I'm sure you're doing excellent work. I came to tell both of you that the Senate Building has just been attacked.

          "Attacked?" Ahsoka asked with extreme concern. She instantly thought of Padmé and other senators that she new who would have been working today. "Do we have any details? Was anyone hurt?" Barriss continued Ahsoka's line of questioning.

          "I'm afraid I don't have much information for you, but the temple is on high alert until the terrorist is caught."

          "You mean whoever attacked the senate got away?" Ahsoka said with slight anger and surprise.

          "I am afraid they are still at large. But rest assured my young padawans, several Jedi Masters are on the scene and the situation will be handled in no time. I will inform you of anymore updates but for now, continue on your work and do not worry. Now if you will excuse me, I must attend to other matters." Before the concerned pupils could press for any more information Jocasta quickly made her exit back the way she came.

          Barriss and Ahsoka turned to look at each other, both visibly shaken that a terrorist had not only managed to strike at the heart of Coruscant but was still roaming the city at this very moment. They stood in silence for several seconds when suddenly Ahsoka grabbed the side of her head and slumped against the self behind them, groaning in paid as she did so. Barriss reacted just fast enough to stop Ahsoka from falling and gently helped her to a sitting position. "Ahsoka are you alright?" Barriss asked, trying to keep herself from panicking.

          Ahsoka's mind was filled with whispers of voices and visions that came in flashes of half or distorted images. Her head was pounding in agony for a few moments then it finally left her. She rubbed her forehead a few times then opened her eyes to see Barriss looking at her with great concern. "Barriss? What happened?"

          "You almost collapsed." Barriss answered, "I caught you just in time. What happened to you."

          Ahsoka stared past the floor for a moment before answering, "I...I don't know, it was almost like I had a...premonition. I can't explain why but, I think the Jedi Temple is going to be attacked."

          Barriss' eyes grew wide with shock. "Do you think we should inform the council?" Ahsoka thought about it then shook her head and responded, "No. They have their hands full, and they may just think we're trying to get out of our archiving duty. Plus, I trust that if the Force is giving me a vision of an attack on the temple, I'm sure the Jedi council will feel the same thing coming towards them.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 - If A System Does Not Appear In Our Records...

          Revan had never really taken the time to properly look at the Jedi temple from the outside. Now, as he crouched on the edge of a roof about a quarter of a mile from the border of the temple grounds, he realized something he had never truly appreciated: the temple was terribly dull looking. One massive block with 5 tall pillars sticking out of it. To be fair, the Jedi had never been the extremely...imaginative or creative type. The corner of Revan's mouth turned up slightly at the personal joke, but quickly disappeared as his mind began to work on a strategy for getting in and then out of the temple. As he looked over the portion of the temple he could see, he tapped the side of his mask which slowly began to pull up a now 4,000 year old blueprint of the temple, which he lined up with the section he was observing to further understand what his options were. Revan took a second to thank his past life for planning for the eventual invasion of Coruscant and having the foresight to know that the temple would be one of the most important fights to win.

          As Revan scanned over the information laid out in front of him, he understood that the schematics were most likely wrong. Whatever strange parallel universe the crystal possibly transported him to was very similar, but not the same, and Revan expected the temple to be no different.

          Giving his mind several minutes to look for the best route, he began crossing off possible options due to either the unreliability of the map he had or because the temple was no doubt on high-alter and would be monitoring things like air vents or sewer lines; not to mention the myriad of security measures the temple he knew was full of.

          Finally, a thought entered Revan's mind. He chuckled slightly and shook his head as he checked and double checked his other options. "Well, if today is the day of stupid ideas, might as well go all out." Tapping the side of his mask again to remove the overlay Revan stood and began to make a few precautionary stretches. He then scanned the sparse traffic that was moving in front of him. The traffic in the entire district Revan had been moving through was slowly dying down, an observation that was not lost on Revan.

          After a minute or two of scanning Revan spotted a larger transport that would work perfectly for his purposes. Revan turned and walked quickly to the opposite end of the roof, then spun back around and cracked his neck; taking a few deep breaths to focus himself. Once the transport was in the right position Revan began to run towards the edge of the roof. With his last step on the edge of building, Revan unleashed a massive Force jump that propelled himself forward. He sailed through the air for several seconds, his body acting on instinct to adjust itself for the fast landing. Revan hit the transport and used the momentum to go into a role and immediately broke into a new run across the vehicle, only having less than 10 seconds to find his next target. Spotting it, Revan picked up his speed and launched himself in the same fashion as before. This next speeder was much smaller than the cargo vessel he had just jumped from, so instead of a roll Revan braced himself for a hard landing, reinforcing his body with the Force to take the majority of the impact.

          Revan's heavy frame smashed like a boulder onto the top of the speeder, sending it spiraling off course. Revan let out a quite curse as he realized he had overestimated the power of this personal craft. Seeing the cockpit below him and the panicking alien within, Revan reached out with the Force and grabbed the controls, forcing the speeder to steady and get back to the correct altitude. Once the speeder had been steadied, and the Rodian had been quickly calmed with a simple mind trick, Revan turned back to his current target.

          The speeder going off course had completely botched Revan's previous steppingstones and now, there was nothing between him and the temple grounds but a massive drop. Revan quickly looked around for another solution, but knew he had none. Revan moved into a crouched position, like an animal ready to pounce, and placed both of his hands on the roof of the speeder.

          He could feel the force swirling around him, bending to his call easily and intensely. Once the energy was fully charged, the intensity was so great that the metal under Revan’s boots and gloved fingers began to bend and indent. Saying a small Mandalorian prayer under his breath, Revan unleashed his force jump with a massive blast that catapulted the speeder downward about 20 feet in under 3 seconds. Revan, meanwhile, was catapulted almost 100 feet into the air. The wind whistled around him, and then slowly died down as his arch reached its peak, and then picked up again as he began to hurtle back down towards the temple grounds. Bracing himself for a very hard landing, Revan gathered the Force around himself and pulled his body into a ball, knowing no roll or stance was going to help with a fall from this height.

          Revan hurtled down onto the grounds and smashed into one of the several green hedges that lined edge of the perimeter. The hedge exploded from the force of Revan's crash and Revan laid in the grass for several moments, breathing heavily and letting out a groan from the pain he was experiencing. Slowly patting himself under his armor, Revan examined his body for any breaks, whispering a small thanks when he discovered none. Pulling himself up from the ground he winced and grabbed his side, while he may not have broken anything, he had definitely bruised several things, and maybe fractured a rib or two.

          Shrugging the pain off and making a mental note to take some time to heal after he was done with the temple, Revan quietly moved through the greenery around him. Thankfully for Revan, the hedge he had destroyed was behind several layers of trees and other foliage, meaning his impact had been hidden from any guards or security cameras.

          Revan peeked through the last level of greenery and examined one of the main entrances to the temple. He frowned as he observed 2 temple guards standing at attention at the door, checking the few individuals that were entering. The doors were also sealed shut until one of the guards used the force on a console behind him, which opened an auxiliary door large enough for maybe two people shoulder-to-shoulder to enter in, leaving the massive main temple doors closed. 

          Revan knelt, pondering his options, when suddenly, a ship landed on a platform not too far to Revan's right. Some humans quickly got out of the vehicle and made their way towards the entrance. A smile crossed Revan's features under his mask. He reached down and tapped a small device on the side of his belt.

          The group of humans were stopped by the guards and obviously searched and examined before being let in. As one of the guards stepped aside to let the group in, he stopped and looked intently at them.

          "Is something wrong?" One of them asked. The guard said nothing for a few seconds then finally spoke. "No... You’re free to go in." The guard could have sworn he saw some kind of shimmer in the air behind one of the humans, but upon further examination there was nothing there. Shaking his head, he chalked it up to nerves and a stressful day with the high security alert.

          Revan let out a small breath of relief once the door had closed behind him. His stealth field generator had managed to work perfectly in getting into the temple, though there was a close call with one of the guards, but now, he was in. Looking around he instantly began to recognize the temple's interior. In fact, he was slightly surprised with how the temple seemed to be exactly like the one he remembered. 'Perhaps things are not as different as I first imagined' Revan thought to himself, but he knew he would have time for contemplation later. Making sure to avoid moving too quickly or too close to any of the individuals or droids making their way around the grand hall of the temple, Revan began moving towards his target.

          Anakin was frustrated. The feeling had started when he first heard the news about the bombing of the senate building and it had slowly grown throughout the day. Now, as Obi-Wan finished what seemed like his 100th identical conversation with another random local, Anakin was about ready to punch something.

          "Let me guess," Anakin began in his classic sarcastic tone, "They've just been going about their day and they haven't seen anything unusual?"

          Obi-Wan shook his head at his apprentice, choosing to ignore his snide comment, "It seems you may have been right about this whole endeavor. No one has seen the man we're looking for, which is surprising with how out of place he looks in a city like this."

          "Well I'm not surprised. I told you this whole thing was a waste of time. Our guy has probably been sitting in a nearby hideout for hours at this point just sleeping away while we run around aimlessly looking for him."

          "I wouldn't be so sure," Kenobi countered, "The attack seemed almost, unplanned, or at the very least something went wrong, otherwise I feel like we would have had a lot more dead bodies on our hands. Besides, it's always worth checking every possible lead, and citizens are usually more open to speaking to Jedi than local officers, or clones for that matter."

          "Yeah well, at the end of the day, we have nothing to show for our efforts."

          "For now, at least. Anyway, we better get back to the temple and give our report, see if any of the other teams have faired better than we have."

          "Finally, it seems we agree on what we should do next."

          Kenobi rolled his eyes at the younger Jedi's comment before heading back towards the speeder parked nearby. Anakin was about to follow when he turned and gazed in the direction of the Jedi Temple. Something felt off in the Force, like it was trying to warn him about something, but it couldn't quite communicate with him. He pressed into the feeling and stared at the temple, something drawing him further in.

          "Are you coming appreciate, or shall I leave you here to get further acquainted with the locals?"

          Anakin was snapped out of his mental headspace by Kenobi's question, he looked back at the temple, but the feeling was gone. He shook his head before slowly turning away and answering.

          "Coming master."

          Palpatine glanced over his shoulder as he quickly typed in a memorized sequence on a hidden keypad, that had revealed itself after a disguised scanner recognized his handprint. The unrecognizable door slid open to a kind of airlock, which Palpatine stepped inside. The panel closed behind him and the room began to scan the chancellor, reading his biometrics and ensuring he was alone. Once the scan was completed the next door opened to a dark communications room with very dim red lighting. Stepping to his private chamber, Palpatine quickly wrapped himself in a dark robe and slid the hood over his head and face, also summoning the Force to further disguise his features. He began to loosen his vocal cords, allowing his naturally corrupted voice to no longer be hidden behind his well-practiced accent. Tapping a few keys on a console beside him the large communicator lit up blue in front of him and after a few moments of waiting, an old white-haired man appeared before him, quickly moving to one knee to bow before the chancellor.

          "How may I serve you, my master?" The old gentlemen spoke with an air of sophistication and one who was raised among the upper class of society.

          "There has been a great disturbance in the Force my appreciate." The dark gravelly voice of Palpatine addressed the kneeling man.

          "I am aware my lord. I have been feeling its effects for quite some time. Do we know what caused it?"

          "Not what, Darth Tyranus, but who. An individual suddenly appeared in my office this morning quite... violently. He is the source of this disturbance. Where he comes from and what he wants, I do not know yet, but I intend to find out."

          "What would you have me do, my master?"

Palpatine typed once more on the console, out of Tyranus' view before speaking again. "I am sending you all the information I currently have available on this individual, security footage, crime scene analysis from the investigators, and any other information that the Republic uncovers will also be quietly sent to you. I want you to do as much research as you can on the matter. Cross-reference all the information we have with my personal archives. Leave no stone unturned until you have some relevant information for me. This is your highest priority, see to nothing else until this is done."

          Tyranus looked up at his master before speaking, "Then...what of the war, my master?"

          Palpatine paused and thought for a moment before answering. "Have Grievous and your assassin take over any operations you were to oversee for the time being. We shall continue with my plans as we previously discussed for the present moment. I will let you know if any changes are necessary."

          "I understand, I shall not fail you in this matter. I will contact you when I have found some information of note."

          "See to it that you do, my appreciate. I would hate to be disappointed in this matter." Tyranus bowed deeply again before Palpatine shut off the communicator.

As the chancellor exited his private quarters, seemingly distracted with some lint on his arm he had recently found, he almost bumped straight into master Windu, who was standing in front of the door, arms crossed, and looking quite annoyed, but then again when didn't he?

          "Ah! Master Jedi. I’m afraid you give me quite the fright just now. Perhaps you shouldn't be standing so close to doorways?"

          "And perhaps you should be quicker about 'freshening up.' This building is still on lockdown and your quarters are an obvious place for a new attack."

          Palpatine waved his hand dismissively at the Jedi before him. "Come now master Jedi. The threat has been scared away. If there was going to be another attack on my life, they would have done so by now."

          "Do not be so certain." Master Plo Koon spoke as he came around the corner, drawing the attention of both Windu and the chancellor. "The mind of an assassin is often unpredictable; thus, we must always be on guard."

          "Hmmm...well said, master jedi." Palpatine complemented the Kel-Dor.

          "Senate security wishes to do another sweep of the building, I advise we move the chancellor to his personal bunker in the lower levels until they are finished as a precaution; just in case they come across any surprises left behind."

          Windu nodded at Plo's advice, "I agree." He said before turning to the chancellor, with some obvious irritation still on his face.

          Palpatine let out sigh and shrugged slightly. "Well, I don't suppose there's any point in trying to argue the matter." And slowly began to walk towards the elevators. Windu glanced back at Plo and shook his head before the two Jedi began to follow behind the chancellor.

          Revan moved silently through the Jedi temple. He often would have to slip in the shadows or behind whatever object he could find to hide and allow his stealth field generator to recharge. Progress was slow and difficult, Jedi were everywhere, and while the generator and his own Force suppression made him almost completely invisible to the Jedi in both their senses and visuals, the generator worked less and less effectively the faster the wearer moved. Adding to the difficulty, the temple was busy with activity, giving Revan many close calls up this point. Finally, he had arrived at the archives. Thankfully, it seemed today was not a reading day as they appeared to be almost completely empty.

          Revan moved silently further into the archives, staying away from the main halls and alleys of the massive library. Finally, he found a few terminals, nestled away in one of the secluded corners, meant to be a place of quite and private study, something Revan remembered he had always wished the archives on Dantooine had had. Pushing the old memories from his mind he settled in front of a terminal, and after checking his surrounding he began to type on the digital keypad that appeared before him. As he did so, a panel to his left opened and a security console that could only be interacted with by the Force was revealed. It seems the Jedi had added some levels of security, ensuring only Jedi could access the information. Clever. Revan moved his hand over the terminal and tried a few patterns with the Force, and after a few failed attempts he succeeded. "I guess too many students get it wrong so often there’s simply no alarm for getting it wrong...can't say I blame them." Revan though to himself.

          The terminal now unlocked displayed a myriad of menus and options. Revan quickly scanned the interface and began to type his desired information, starting with the dating method of PRR. The display answered him, and Revan slowly leaned back in his chair processing the information that had just slammed into him like a mudhorn. "Post Ruusan Reformation...4,000 years...so...time travel...who would have guessed?" Revan whispered to himself, scoffing slightly at the absurdity of it all. "I would have much preferred pocket dimension, at least those always have an exit."

          His mind wanted to race, the implications of everything he once knew as familiar long gone, dead, or destroyed. But before his mind could spiral in on itself, Revan clenched his fists and took hold of thoughts. After a moment of being completely still, Revan had control. Sitting up quickly he began to type again. There would be time to morn later, right now he was on a ticking timer, and he couldn't see how much was left.

          Next, he searched his name. He cursed in Mando under his breath when the RESTRICTED symbol appeared in front of him. "Good to know the Jedi haven't changed in all these years. I always hated this. Hide your dirty skeletons away so the young and impressionable cannot be led astray. Then have them turn against you regardless, when they find how much has been hidden from them, and that they've been lied to for so long." Revan shook his head and scoffed. He continued to search names, dates, locations, battles, and anything relevant to his past simply to get some clear idea of what happened once had had disappeared from the Galaxy but he continued to be denied access.

          Finally, Revan slumped back in his chair with a sigh. "Seems my trip here was a waste of time. I should have known better than to take this risk. Where are all those those insufferable Jedi masters now?"

          Almost as if by fate, Jedi Master Jocasta Nu came around the corner, she thought she had heard some muttering in the back of the archives and had come to investigate. Seeing the cloaked figure, she approached them, her normal responsibilities kicking in on instinct. "May I help you find something my dear?"

          A smirk slowly crept onto the edges of Revan's hidden features, perhaps the Force really did have a sense of humor. "Why yes...I do believe you can."

          Barriss and Ahsoka were almost done with their assignment when Ahsoka grabbed her head and had to steady herself against the digital case to keep from falling. Barriss quickly glanced over, then rushed to help her friend. "Are you alright?"

          Ahsoka could not answer for a moment, then slowly nodded her head as the feeling passed. "I'm okay, but...somethings wrong. I think someone is in the temple."

          Barriss' eyes widen in fear and surprise, "Can you sense where they are?"

Ahsoka closed her eyes again then opened them suddenly and turned sharply. "This way...they’re close. I think they're in the archives."

          Barriss looked in the same direction, still visibly nervous. "We should report this." She said before drawing her communicator, but Ahsoka put a hand on hers to stop her.

          "Not yet. The temple is already on alert, if I'm wrong we'll get in a lot of trouble, we need to confirm it first. Plus, I doubt I'm the only Jedi who sensed this."

          Barriss looked at Ahsoka, uncertainly covering her features, glancing at the possible intruder then back, she nodded and a look of determination entered her eyes. She put away he communicator, drew her saber and nodded. "Lead the way. I've got your back."

          Ahsoka nodded, drew her two sabers and began to move quietly towards the back of the archives.

          Masters Yoda and Aayla Secura stood on opposite ends of a large display in the middle of the security center of the temple. The hologram was currently showing the different teams of Jedi in the senate district and what their statuses were. Several clones and other Jedi moved quickly around the room, handling different transmissions and sending packets of data wherever they were needed.

          "We've been searching for hours and still no sign of our mystery man." Aayla spoke with an air of tiredness in her voice. "I am afraid the attacker has either gone to ground, or has already escaped our net. He may have even managed to get off world before the barricade could get into position."

          "Escaped, our target, has not." Yoda disagreed with the other master's assessment of the situation. "Closer than we realize, he is."

          Aayla looked at the far older, wiser, and more powerful master, nodding as she stroked her chin in contemplation. Somehow, she knew the head of the council was correct. "I do wonder why there has been no trace of him as of yet. Surely we would have uncovered some lead to his location by now."

          "Patience. In these matters, trust in the Force, we must."

          Aayla nodded in agreement before both masters stopped and turned their gaze off into the distance. Yoda turned away from the display and closed his eyes.

          "You feel it too?" Aayla questioned.

          Yoda took a deep breath before nodding and turning back. "Descended over the temple, a dark cloud has."

          Aayla quickly turned to one of the nearby clones who was working on a terminal, "Put the temple on high alter, and lock down all entrances and star craft, no one leaves until further notice."

          "Right away general." The clone saluted before quickly typing away at the console again. Yoda and Aayla looked at each other, both with a small level of uneasiness in their eyes as Aayla changed the display to show only the temple itself.

          Barriss and Ahsoka made their way silently between the towering stacks of information surrounding them. Pausing at every corner with stopped breath and tightened grip on their sabers. Their hearts were beginning to race, but they each steeled themselves for whomever or whatever they would face. Finally, as they came around one corner, they saw it. Standing over a terminal, with the chair completely moved to the side, stood a figure dressed in a black robe. Their hands were both on the desk either side of the display, which was quickly blinking and flashing away images. Ashoka scanned the desk and realized that the figure had hooked up a data pad to the terminal and must be copying a sizable amount of information onto it.

          Looking further she saw something that almost made her gasp. Master Nu was laying on the desk, her hand resting on the security console beside the display. Ashoka got back around the corner and clenched her hands around her sabers tightly in anger. If this creep had hurt master Nu in any way, they were going to pay for it. Barriss peaked around the same corner then looked at Ahsoka with a similar face of resolve. Pulling out her communicator-

          "Are you two are done sneaking around, planning your next move?"

The two padawans stopped, frozen for a moment. They locked eyes with each other. If the intruder knew they were here and had managed to best a Jedi master without anyone sensing it, he could probably stop them from using their communicators. They both knew what they had to do. They slowly made their way into view, both with their sabers ready but not yet activated.

          "There," The man spoke with a clearly augmented voice, "now we are all out in the open." He finished speaking by standing up straight and turning towards the two young Jedi. He couldn't help but smirk to himself slightly as he saw the momentary surprise and fear flash over their features when they saw his armor and mask. It never got old to see the reaction Jedi always seemed to have when encountering him for the first time.

          "What did you do to master Nu? And who are you?" Ahsoka demanded, trying her best to keep her emotions calm and her anger low.

          Revan examined the two Jedi before him, clearly padawans, but they held themselves with confidence and battle experience. Strange, for Jedi so young. He crossed his arms and shifted his gaze between the two of them. Each felt uneasy when the black eye-slit made eye contact with them.

          "My name is Revan." He finally answered after considering for a few moments. "And your master is fine, she is merely asleep. I did not harm her."

          Ahsoka could sense no lie from the man, but she didn't trust it as she could barely even feel the man in the Force, but the lightsabers on his belt told her he clearly could use the Force, or was some kind of cyborg freak like General Grievous. She glanced at Barriss and the two padawans began to move around Revan, setting themselves up on opposite ends of him.

          "We can't let you leave with that information." Barriss spoke up as she slowly moved into position.

          Revan smiled slightly as he saw the obvious maneuver to try and attack him from both sides. Clearly these Jedi did have combat experience and now he was curious to see how much. He considered using his lightsabers, but decided it was not worth potentially seriously hurting one or both of them. The last thing he needed was more Jedi masters wanting to hunt him down.

          "Come now, we can talk this out. There is no need for violence."

Ahsoka stopped moving and began to crouch. Staring into the dark eyes of the mask she narrowed her eyes and called the Force to her. "I'm done talking." She then suddenly leapt at Revan, igniting both sabers as she did so. Barriss, who had been watching intently did the exact same just a split second behind.

          Revan, for his part, could not help but start to enjoy himself. He suddenly moved, faster than the two padawans. He used his gauntlets, made of a mixture Mandalorian iron and Rakatan alloys, to cause both blades to be a glancing blow. He then grabbed Ahsoka by her arm and threw her towards Barriss, who ducked just in time, causing Ahsoka to hit the far wall of the corner behind her. Barriss looked back concerned for her friend, then when she turned as she realized her mistake.

          Revan had grappled both her wrists in an instant, and twisted them, causing her to drop her lightsaber. He then flipped her over onto her back on the floor, put her in a chokehold, and pinched a nerve on the side of her neck hard until she passed out. Revan then lowered her unconscious body to the floor, frowning slightly at the disappointingly short fight.

          "Get away from her!" Ashoka demanded as she stood up and reignited her sabers. Revan smiled to himself as he stood up and faced Ahsoka.

          "Seems you have quite a bit of fight in you padawan."

          Ahsoka glared at the man before flipping both of her sabers into a reverse grip and taking her most well-known fighting stance. "Oh, you have no idea." She then rushed forward again.

          Anakin and Obi-Wan had just landed in the Jedi Temple hanger. "I still don't know why the temple decided to go on high alert, all systems look green according to the security team." Anakin spoke to his old friend and mentor with genuine confusion and some concern.

          "I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you, my apprentice, but we must trust that master Yoda would not have made that order if he did not have good reason to do so." Kenobi offered a cooler counterpoint, to Anakin's fiery demeanor.

          "All I'm saying is that it seems like a slight over reaction. We need Jedi out their, searching for this guy, not just sitting here waiting for something to happen that might not."

          "Patience my young apprentice, we must trust in the Force in these matters. It is important to take a moment to center yourself and wait for-" but before the older Jedi could finish, both Jedi stopped and looked at each other.

          "It's Ahsoka. She's in trouble." Anakin said, worry slowly rising to his voice.

          "I sense it too." Obi-Wan quickly responded before the two dashed towards the hanger exit.

          Green and Yellow saber clashed against silver metal for only a split second, time and time again, lighting up the small area of the library as two combatants danced and moved around each other. Occasionally the younger padawan would throw force blasts or pushes at her enemy, but they seemed to be negated by his own defenses easily. Frustration and anger were beginning to build in Ahsoka as the relatively short fight began to drag on. She had not managed to land a single blow of any kind, but in turn hand managed to dodge several kicks, punches, and grabs, all of which she knew would probably mean the end of the fight for her.

          Revan was impressed with his opponent. While still no where close to an fair fight for him, she was quick, observant, and was managing to dodge him constantly and read his moves. Whoever had trained her was unorthodox, but a skilled combatant. He could also sense the anger and frustration building inside her. She had not yet been fully trained to suppress her emotions, which was curious to Revan. He could sense the dark side calling to her at the edges of her mind.     Before Revan could reach further in, a notification displayed in front of him. The download timer was finished. Glancing at his gauntlets he noticed they were beginning to break down. The special mixture of Rakatan alloys and Beskar made his armor extremely lightsaber and blaster resistant, but not invulnerable. Eventually it would break. Thus, he had done his best to keep the saber hits to glancing blows, not wanting to make extended contact with the blades. Deciding it was time to end the fight, he fainted a lunge with a grab.

          Ahsoka saw the lunge and in the heat of the moment decided to dodge it, only a second later to realize her mistake, as the real intended leg sweep knocked her off her feet. In an instant she was pinned, and her wrists twisted causing her to drop her sabers. She looked up at the mask now staring down at her. Fear, anger, confusing, and rage all tried to take over her mind, but she simply closed her eyes and breathed. She had lost and now she was probably going to die. Opening her eyes again she was calm and stared directly into the face of her opponent.

          Revan starred back, simply examining her for a moment, considering. He then, much to Ahsoka's surprise stood up, took her sabers, and walked back to the desk, leaving her where she was.

          Ahsoka slowly got up and watched the man, she was confused. Half of her mind was screaming at her to run and get help, raise the alarm, but for some reason she stayed.

          "You're the terrorist, aren't you?" Ahsoka asked as she stayed seated, her back to an archive case.

          Revan sighed and shook his head as he checked the data pad to ensure it had finished downloading. "I am not a terrorist. Answer me this, if my intention was to kill anyone, why are no senators, politicians, Jedi, or even civilians dead? Has anyone brought that information to your attention? Are any of the authorities bothering to present these facts? Of course not."

          Ahsoka was confused and had nothing to say. She looked over at Barriss and Master Nu, who were both clearly still breathing, and she realized again that she was alive. She felt truly lost now as to what to think. "Then why do all that? Why explode the senate building, and why come here and attack the temple, and steal from it?"

          Satisfied with his check, Revan slipped the data pad under his robes, then gently moved Barriss and Jocasta away from the desk he had been working on.

"You probably won't believe any of this, but the senate building was an accident, I truly had no idea that would happen. As for the temple, I needed answers and I knew I could find them here. And for your accusation of stealing," Revan turned to look at Ahsoka picking up the four lightsabers he had collected in one hand before walking over to her and kneeling in front of her. "One cannot steal what already belongs to them." His voice was calm, confident, level. Somehow Ahsoka knew he wasn't lying, but she didn't understand.

          Before she could press further Revan extended his hand, offering all 4 sabers to her. More confused than ever, she slowly reached out her hands and took them.

"...Be careful what you believe little one, and who you listen to. Even the Jedi have made more mistakes than they will ever admit. No one is infallible. Everyone can be wrong."

          His words seemed to come from someplace deeper, like a man recalling an old memory. There was an obvious double meaning to what Revan said, but before she could ask anything else Revan slowly waved a hand in front of her and while she struggled to stay awake sleep quickly claimed her.

          Revan watched her fall asleep and simply stayed, kneeling in front of her for a moment, then his head turned slightly as he sensed approaching Jedi. Time to leave, he thought.

          Moving with a purpose now Revan went back to the desk he had been working on, he placed both hands just over the display, and took a deep breath.

          Anakin, Obi-Wan, and several temple guards sprinted into the archives. All had their sabers ready and were scanning the room. Suddenly, a massive explosion caught their attention, and they all ran towards it igniting their sabers as they went. Anakin rushed ahead of the group and rounded several corners before arriving in the back of the library. Before him was the blacked chard remains of an archive terminal. Only the edges of the desk itself remained, and the majority of the middle had been completely eviscerated, leaving only ash and spurting electronic wires behind. Anakin quickly scanned the corner and saw the three unconscious Jedi all leaned up against the bookcase to his side. He turned off his saber and knelt before them, immediately going to his appreciate and calling her name. "Ahsoka! Ahsoka! Are you alright?"

          Kenobi and the guards rounded the corner and were stopped by the contained but devastating destruction in front of them. They then turned and rushed to check on the other Jedi. Kenobi knelt beside Anakin, slight worry on his face.

Ahsoka slowly opened her eyes and looked around. "Masters?" Both Anakin and Kenobi were swept with a sense of relief and Anakin quickly hugged his apprentice.

          "It's okay," Anakin assured her, "you're safe now." Ahsoka tried her best to stay awake but sleep overtook her again.

          Obi-Wan stood up and turned to the guards, "How are the others?"

          "No obvious major injuries master," One responded, "but both are unconscious."

          "Very good. Get all three of them to the medical ward, immediately." Kenobi ordered.

          The guard bowed and began to issue orders to the others while stretchers were brought in.

          Kenobi turned and slowly walked towards what was left of the console. Crossing his arms and stroking his beard in contemplation. These recent events had raised so many questions. Hopefully the padawans could provide some answers.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 – Chased

          Revan took a moment to steady himself and lean against the wall of an alley. He had just spent the better part of the past few hours nimbly dodging and avoiding Jedi on his way out of the temple. Eventually he had managed to get into the ventilation system and exit through the force field surrounding the vents, forcing a hole through the energy field on the outside of the temple by force lightning. Now his stealth field generator was completely spent and Revan had to admit to himself, he was tired. The constant use of Force suppression was not a new or particularly taxing thing on the trained former Jedi, but along with the amount of movement, sneaking, jumping, and fighting he had been forced to accomplish today, the demands on his body were beginning to weigh on him.

          Thus, he decided to take a small respite and duck into an alley to catch his breath. Time, unfortunately, was not a luxury Revan had. After his close escape from the temple, Revan knew it was only a matter of time before the Jedi tracked him down. There was, after all, only so far he could go on foot and the military had shifted their perimeter to now only a few mile radius around the Jedi temple, leaving Revan with very few options. Taking another deep breath to steady himself, Revan began to think of possible solutions, his mind searching for some kind of escape plan.

          Before he properly had a moment to think however, his thoughts were interrupted. A noise had caused Revan to shift his attention and to his surprise, he had zoned out enough mentally that he had allowed himself to be snuck up on. A human and a Bith were standing side-by-side, blocking the street entrance to the alley, while a Rodian had rounded a corner and was blocking access to further down the alley. All three thugs carried a knife and a small concealable blaster, which they had proceeded to slowly draw as they surrounded their would-be prey.

          "Look what we got here boys!" The Rodian spoke first, "Some kind of poor lost soul. Do you think we should help him?"

          "Yeah Ito," The human replied, "This guy does look kinda lost. I guess we can...help him find his way." The three muggers began to chuckle and laugh as they toyed with what they thought was their next victim, each slowly stepping closer to further surround Revan.

          Revan sighed heavily and leaned his head into his arm he had propped up on the wall, "Trust me gentlemen. You don't want to do this."

          The thugs laughed at Revan's statement. "This guy thinks he's real funny, don't he Ito?"

          "Yeah, seems we got ourselves a regular comedian." The Rodian responded before fully drawing his blaster and stepping closer. "Alright pal, hand over all your credits. Now!" To accent his point he leveled the barrel of his pistol with Revan's head.

          Revan closed his eyes tightly, very annoyed with his present situation. He didn't have time for this, but these were just idiot's, not worth his full attention, so, he made his decision of how he would deal with them. "One." Revan spoke without moving at all.

          The goons stopped their advances and looked at each other confused. "One? What's he mean by 'one' Ito?"

          Before the Rodian could answer, Revan's augmented voice spoke again, "Two."

          "What's this guy saying! One? Two? Is he trying to make fun of us?" The Bith demanded in obvious anger.

          The Rodian shook himself from his confusion and marched closer to Revan, placing his pistol to the side of Revan's head, "Hey ya freak! Are you deaf or something?"

          There was a second of pause, then Revan's eyes opened behind his mask. "Three." Once he said the word Revan moved back from the wall and stared directly at the Rodian, who promptly turned a few shades greener on coming face to face with the demonic mask, now obvious armor, and hanging lightsabers.

          "He's a Jedi!" The Rodian shouted to his compatriots before attempting to shoot Revan square in the face, but before he could pull the trigger, he suddenly found himself frozen in place, unable to move any part of himself but his eyes and his mouth. "Uh! What is this? Guys, shoot him!"

          The other two thugs not quite understand what had happened raised their pistols as well to fire, but found themselves in the exact same position as their partner.

          The Bith started to swivel his eyes around in a panic, and then, to his horror, realized his arm was moving without his consent. His body was forced to slowly move the pistol he was holding to the side of his head. He began to sputter his language incoherently, begging to be spared, but as soon as the pistol was lined up to the side of his skull, he felt his fingers pull the trigger.

          Both the human's and Ito's eyes widened in shock and fear as they were forced to watch their partner's body slump to the floor, a cauterized hole burning slightly on either side of his head. Before either of them had time to fully process this, the human's arm began to move as well. His begs and pleas too fell on deaf ears, as he tried to apologize and make excuses up to his last breath.

          As the human fell to the floor the Rodian quickly realized what was going to happen, and he stared with a terrified expression at the cold, lifeless gaze of Revan's mask which simply stood and stared back at him. As the Rodian's arm began to move he spoke in a similar vein as the others had. "Wait! Please! Jedi! I'll do anything you want! I'll never rob anyone again. I'll change, I'll do better! Please I can give you everything I have!" But his words seemed to have no effect has his arm continued to rise up, and just as the pistol made contact with the side of his head- "I have a ship!" He blurted out as his final words with eyes clenched shut.

          What surprised the Rodian is that he didn't feel like he was dead, and in fact as he dared to slowly open his eyes he realized he was not. The masked figure was still standing in front of him, and he could still feel the cold metal of his blaster on the side of his skull, but for some reason he was not lying lifeless on the floor like his two companions.

          Several tense moments passed in silence as the two simply looked at each other. The masked figure then stepped forward, bent down slightly until the two were exactly eye-level, and the Rodian gulped as the demonic red mask was now inches from his face.

          "...What did you say?" Revan asked staring directly into the Rodian's eyes, ready to sense any lie from the thug in the Force.

          The Rodian was confused, but managed to shakily repeat the last thing he had just managed to blurt out, "I-I....I ha-have a...ship." He barely managed to speak with another gulp.

          Though the Rodian could not see it, a small smile made it's way on to Revan's features.

          Several Jedi stood around the destroyed remains of one of the terminals in the archives. The are had been a similar looking crime scene set up around the remains of the desk and temple guards along with clone officers were moving around the scene with different equipment. Masters Yoda, Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia, Saesee Tiin, Kit Fisto, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker all stood around the scene, contemplating their next move. Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully and shook his head, this day was becoming far too complicated for his liking. Two crime scenes in one day was never a good sign.

          After a few moments of silence, Anakin spoke, "Why did the attacker decided to destroy this terminal? Do we know anything about what he did or how he managed to get in here?"

          Aayla answered him, "Security footage shows that the intruder did access the archives, and while it seems he originally was blocked by restricted access, he removed that block by using Master Jocasta's biometrics to gain further access. He can then be seen copying large amounts of data onto a data pad which he took with him. As for how he got into the temple, it seems he used some sort of personal cloaking device."

          "So, he can vanish into thin air? Brilliant. This doesn’t make things even more complicated." Anakin stated with obvious frustration as he rolled his eyes.

          "That does not explain how he managed to slip past so many Jedi and not be sensed." Adi observed.

          "You are right in that respect." Obi-Wan agreed with the other Jedi master. "He must have some ability to mask his presence in the Force. This would also line up with Master Plo's report about barely being able to sense him in the chancellor's office earlier today." The other Jedi nodded at Kenobi's educated guess, it made sense, but didn't bring any comfort or good news to the situation at hand.

          "Do we know if he deleted anything from the archives while he was here? Maybe he was covering something up he did not want us to see."

          Aayla shook her head at Master Fisto's question, "We've done a complete scan of the archives base code and compared it to the last scan of data run several days ago. It's a complete match, no indication of any code being tampered or removed with on any level."

          "Well if he didn't come to delete anything then we must assume his mission was to gather information." Master Tiin stated, "But that does not explain why he destroyed the terminal he was working from before leaving."

          As if on que to answer the Jedi's implied query, a clone technician stood up, and waved a data pad in his hand, "I may have an answer for you general." The clone stated before walking over to the group, which had turned to look at him.

          "What have you found trooper?" Kit asked.

          "Some interesting findings sir. On examining the console, or what's left of it I should say, it seems that the blast of energy actually managed to cause some minor damage to some of the surrounding systems. To protect its information, the archives went into a kind of lockdown self-preservation state to secure all high value data. This means the system prioritized it's most valuable processes and dumped any unnecessary data so it could do a quick and immediate backup to other servers. In short, all recent search history or data inquiries for the past few days have been deleted."

          The Jedi looked at each other slightly confused for a moment before Anakin spoke up, "So what you're saying trooper is that the history of whatever was searched for at this terminal has been completely lost, meaning there's no way to know what the intruder called up or copied, correct?"

          "Yes sir, that's correct." The clone answered.

          "Well that solves one mystery," Adi stated, "so what do we do now?"

          Yoda turned towards the group finally addressing his fellow Jedi. "Close, this intruder is. Pursue him now, we must, before the trial grows cold."

          "I agree with master Yoda," Kit spoke, "But we're going to need a lead."

          "I think I can help you again, generals." The same clone spoke up, his hand pressed to his ear piece. "It seems local security has discovered two dead bodies just a few blocks from here, and several eye-witnesses claim they saw a cloaked figure in a black cloak go into the same alley the bodies were found."

          The Jedi all looked at each other with determination, they could catch him, if they moved fast.

          "Go, all of you." Yoda spoke again. "Master Aayla and I, remain here, we will. Coordinate your efforts and keep track of your progress, we shall."

          Aayla added to Yoda's instructions, "I also took the liberty of contacting Quinlan Vos. He was on assignment in the lower levels of Coruscant, but now is on route to the temple. I'll have him meet you all at the crime scene."

          "Cautions, you all must be." Yoda warned them. "This intruder, powerful and cunning, he is. Knows how our systems work, how we function, he does. Underestimate him, do not. Now go, may the Force be with you."

          The Jedi bowed to the head of the council before quickly moving towards the temple hanger.

          Revan and the Rodian Ito made their way down several back alleys, and down several floors into the beginning of the lower levels of Coruscant, until they were well in the heart of Coruscant’s mid-district. Not the worst that Coruscant had to offer by any means, but far enough down that the average establishment was no longer completely legitimate. The odd pair walked in silence before Ito turned a corner and stopped in front of a large warehouse surrounded by abandon buildings, far off the normal walking path of most individuals.

          "Thi-this is the place." Ito spoke with an obvious nervousness to his voice.

Revan looked up at the building, then stated, "How many are inside?"

          Ito's eyes grew large and he began to stammer before Revan cut him off by raising his hand, which caused the cowardly Rodian to stop mid-sentence.

          "Don't try to lie to me, I can sense the others inside. How many are there?"

          Ito gulped and twiddle his thumbs for a moment before answering. "12. I think. That's how large our crew is, minus the two you killed earlier. But some might not be in right now, I don't know, honest!"

          Revan scanned the building up and down, "I believe you. Now. Knock."

          Ito looked at Revan ready to object, but the stare he received back from the demonic mask caused his mind to think better of it. Ito slowly made his way to a side door and knocked a few times. A moment passed then a small eye slit opened, revealing an Ithorian, who spoke with a gruff voice in his own language, "About time you showed up, the boss has been looking for you."

          "Yeah well," Ito rubbed the back of his neck and tried not to make eye contact. "We got caught up in some...trouble. Just let me in and I'll explain everything to the boss."

          The Ithorian seemed to do the equivalent of a human raising an eyebrow, but shrugged and said, "Your funeral." The eye-slit was closed, a few electronic bolts were disengaged with obvious noise and the door swung open.

          The Ithorian was about to make another quip at the Rodian, but did not get the chance. His eyes grew large at seeing the intimidating figure that was now standing directly in the doorway. Before he could react, the Ithorian was punched in both of his gills on the side of his long head/neck, causing the alien to drop to his knees in noiseless pain. He tried to scream his agony, but due to the blow he could barely breath.

          He looked up at his attacker just in time to feel a fist make contact with the top of his skull, rapidly forcing his head down into the floor of the warehouse. The impact of the armored fist slamming the Ithorian's skull against the concrete in that exact spot cracked the alien's skull and sent shards of bone into his central context, killing him instantly.

          As Revan stood up and wiped the green blood from his hand, he turned and look at the stunned and terrified Ito behind him. "If you try to run, I will sense it, and you will die instantly. Stay behind me. Don't get shot."

          Ito looked up from the corpse of his former partner and nodded slowly, knowing that somehow this insane Jedi could easily back up his threats.

          Revan turned from Ito and made his way into the warehouse. As he rounded the corner of different crates and boxes he came in view of the main area, which was large, open, and mostly cleared out, with random cargo dotted around it. The warehouse was mostly occupied by an old beat up YV-865 Aurore-class freighter, that had clearly seen better days. Also within the room were 11 different aliens and humans of a variety of races, all obviously criminals, smugglers, and pirates.       Revan quickly scanned the room, seeing most of the smugglers were lounging around, playing dice, or loading containers onto the transport.

          As he was scanning, a male Weequay nudged a male human towards the back, who seemed to be wearing more expensive clothing than the rest, and was more heavily armed.

          "Oi, boss!" The Weequay stated loud enough to get the rest of the crew's attention. "Looks like we got an unwelcome guest."

          The human boss turned to look at Revan along with the rest of the crew.

"Hey!" The boss got up and locked eyes with Revan, the mask taking him back for a moment before he continued, "How did you get past Flen? Why did he let you in here?" The boss of the gang demanded as the rest also got up and began to draw their weapons.

          Revan looked around the room documenting what each pirate possessed, each had a pistol, two had blaster rifles, one had a belt of grenades, and they all carried knives. Revan then looked at the ship, his mask gave him a basic scan and it seemed, for the most part, to be space worthy.

          "Your ship." Revan's augmented voice causing a few smugglers to take an uneasy look at their partners. And when Revan looked at the gang again, a few stepped back, despite the glare from their boss. "I'm taking it."

          "Hahaha!" The human laughed in response, causing most of the crew to do the same, though some still looked uneasy. "You must be having a laugh! And why exactly should I not just shoot you right now?" The boss stated with assured arrogance as he pointed his rifle at Revan.

          "Because." Revan spoke slowly as the hand by his side slowly moved without the notice of the criminals. "You'll be dead before you pull the trigger."

          The outraged boss was about to respond, when his head turned to the sound of several grenades being activated close by. The groups demolitions only had enough time to look at their belt of explosives before they violently burst into a fiery explosion, killing 4 crew outright in the blast, and knocking several others off their feet.

          Revan leapt into action and began to deal with each pirate. He snapped the first one's neck quickly, he dodged another's swipe with a knife, breaking their arm and stabbing them in the neck with their own weapon. He then proceeded to use the same knife to cut the knee of his next victim, and as they fell he sliced upwards along their throat.

          He moved swiftly and dispatched the next two by dodging a blaster bolt, causing it to go across the room and hit another pirate who had just stood up. Before the one who missed her shot could fire again, Revan had thrown his knife in between her eyes. The next two he killed simultaneously by rushing them, dodging their wild blows, breaking their legs with side kicks, then grabbing their necks and slamming them to the ground, shattering their windpipes. Revan looked up at the boss, the final pirate, who had just managed to pull himself up from the explosion, he looked around terrified, his hands shaking at the carnage around him. He tried to aim his blaster at Revan, but suddenly was lifted up by an invisible hand on his throat, which he clutched at in vain trying to stop it from choking him. He then was pulled through the air straight into Revan's outstretched hand. He clawed at Revan's hand and arm, struggling to breath he managed to sputter out a question, "Wh-who ar-are y-yo-you?"

          Revan looked into the boss' eyes for a second before answering. "A Crusader." He answered more for himself, before he deftly snapped the neck of the boss with one hand, then releasing the body to slump on the floor in front of his feet.

          Revan stood in the midst of his quick and easy victory. He took a moment to breath and steady himself. The battle was over and sometimes he needed to remind his body to stop fighting. Once he collected himself he called out in the warehouse, "Ito!"

          The shaking Rodian slowly appeared from behind some crates. He had watched the whole thing and was on the verge of passing out. "Yeeee-sss- yes sir?"

          "Come here." The Rodian trembled as he approached the masked man who turned to face him, he wanted to beg for his life but decided now was not the time.

          Revan noticed his terrified demeanor and shook his head. "You're no good to me like this." He said before waving his hand in front of the Rodian's face. "You are at peace, everything is fine." Revan spoke with a slightly more soothing tone.

          Ito's eyes dilated and his posture changed as he straightened up and stopped shaking. "I am at peace. Everything is fine." He repeated the words in a slightly monotone fashion.

          Revan nodded at his response before looking around. "What are in these crates Ito?"

          "Spice mostly." Ito replied now without hesitation or fear, "We were going to make a delivery today and change the identification number on this ship we recently stole, but then the lock down happened and we knew we wouldn't make it off planet."

          Revan continued to examine his surroundings. "Where was the spice going?"

"Florrum. Big pirate base out there. Best money to be made for spice cuz the Hutts don't get a cut."

          Revan nodded in understanding. "And the ship, is she ready to fly?"

          "Almost, our mechanic,” Ito pointed to a female body near Revan, “noticed there had been a leak in the hyperdrive when we brought the ship back here. I don't know if she got around to fixing it."

          Revan sighed as he looked at the female Theelin with a knife embedded in her forehead. "Knowing my luck today, I suspect she didn't." Revan shook his head slightly before stroking his mask in thought.

          "Alright then. Ito."

          "Yeah?"

          "Load up all the spice into the ship."

          "Alright." Ito responded simply, then asked, "What are you going to do?"

          Revan began walking onto the ship before turning slightly, "Fixing this ship." He then made his way into the hyperdrive room and saw a myriad of tools and parts lying all around it. He stooped down to examine what he was dealing with. Tapping the side of his mask, it proceeded to scan the drive, tools, and various components before him. It seems there had been a leak, which thankfully was patched. However, the repairs had also uncovered other problems with the drive and several parts needing replacement.

          Revan scoffed slightly and mutter in Mando to himself, "Things are never simple for the cursed." Revan began to look at the compiled list of all he had available and pulled up the schematics of the Ebon Hawk’s hyper drive to give himself a general baseline of what he needed to do. His mind naturally drifted to T3 usually handling the repairs. His actions began to slow as images of his old crew, racing around the galaxy to find the star maps began to take over his vision.   He missed them. All of them.

          Revan quickly shook his head and gripped the tool in his hand harder. Now was not the time, as time itself was currently against him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 – Escape From Coruscant

          Shadows moved across dark walls. Lights flickered randomly, creating illusions on ancient stone. Statues of hideous monsters came into view and disappeared just as quickly. Panting could be heard as she ran, faster, and faster. She had to get there, she had to make it. Screams were heard in the distance, then suddenly mist surrounded her. She stumbled in the grey fog before finally colliding into something, it was a control panel. Looking around she was on the bridge of a ship. There was an intense and chaotic battle raging outside the view port and the ship shook violently with different explosions. Four figures stood at the head of the bridge, in what looked like a 1 vs. 3 situation. Dialogue was exchanged. Lightsabers were raised. Then, she noticed, a ship outside the view port was turning. It was going to fire on them. She called out a warning.

          Ahsoka woke up with a gasp. The intense dream she had experienced slowly drifted from her mind. She tried to hold on to it, to grasp it and understand it, but it was too late.

          "Did you have a bad dream?"

          Ahsoka turned to the familiar voice, "Barriss?" The two padawans were in the medical wing of the Jedi temple, the soft sounds of different science equipment beeped and hummed in the background and it seemed the two Jedi had a two person room to themselves. "What happened?" Ahsoka asked finally.

          "What's the last thing you remember?" Barriss asked as she sat on the other bed with her feet hanging off the side, a few bandages on her legs and arms.

          "I remember...we fought the intruder. He beat us-"

          "Badly." Barriss interjected with a hint of frustration as she looked at the floor.

          Ahsoka simply glanced up, she had the same feeling of guilt that they had failed to stop him. She continued, "You got knocked out first, I kept fighting as best I could." She rubbed her slightly pained wrists as she recalled the fight. "He disarmed me, I thought I was dead but then...he let me live." She looked up at Barriss who returned her gaze.

          They were both thinking the same thing, the attack had been odd to say the least. If this had been a normal Sith, bounty hunter, or assassin they would both be dead, and now they were left to wonder why not?

          "Did he say anything?" Barriss asked curiously.

          Ahsoka looked down at the floor, her eyes darting back and forth in thought. "When I accused him of stealing the information, he said 'One can not steal what already belongs to them.'" Ahsoka looked up at Barriss who had a look of confusing on her face. "And the weirdest part was...it didn't feel like he was lying."

          Barriss stroked her chin thoughtfully. "To be fair Ahsoka, most Jedi in the temple couldn't even sense him, that probably also extends to his ability to lie."

          "Yeah...I guess you might be right." But Ahsoka was not confident in that answer, this whole thing felt wrong somehow, like she only had a few of the pieces to a massive puzzle, and something burned in her mind to find the rest.

          Before the padawans could continue their discussion, the door slid opened with a hiss. They both turned to see Master Yoda slowly walking in with his cane.

"Master Yoda." The two padawans instinctively began to get up to bow, but Yoda quickly gestured for them to stay seated.

          "Please. Sit. How are you two feeling?" He asked with genuine sympathy and concern in his voice, almost like a kind grandfather.

          "We're pretty much fine." Ahsoka stated, which Barriss nodded to and continued on, "The medical droid told me that we only had minor injuries, nothing serious or broken."

          "Good. Good." Yoda stated with a smile as he jumped onto the counter and sat opposite the two padawans. "Hearing you are well, brings warm feelings to my heart."

          "Thank you master for your concern and kindness." Barriss said with a small smile.

          "Yes...thank you master, but why did you come see us? Shouldn't we be out there looking for the intruder? Or did we catch him?"

          Yoda shook his head somberly. "Escaped, the intruder did. Several masters, dispatched to search for him, already left, they have."

          Ahsoka looked disappointed at the news. Not only had he managed to escape, but she was stuck in this room being useless when she should be out there helping Anakin and the other Jedi.

          "Came here I did," Yoda continued, "To commend your efforts. Very brave, it was, to protect the Jedi archives." The two padawans smiled slightly at each other for the high praise from Master Yoda. "But, now, questions for you two, I have. Know more about this attacker, we must." The two padawans glanced at each other before looking at Yoda.

          Ahsoka spoke up, "His name...is Revan."

          5 Jedi stood in various places near a crime scene on the upper streets of Coruscant. For two of the Jedi, it was their third one today, and they were beginning to grow tired of it. Anakin, Fisto, and Tiin stood over the two body bags that were slightly open at their heads, revealing the faces of a human and a Bith. Kit knelt down beside them and was examining the burn marks on the sides of their skulls.

          "Looks like blaster fire. Point blank range." He said looking up at his fellow Jedi.

          "Then this might not be our man. He's never been seen using a blaster." Tiin put forward as a possibility.

          "I wouldn't be so sure." Anakin stated with his arms crossed as he looked down at the bodies. "What kind of common alley fight ends with two dead bodies right next to each other, both with pointblank blaster bolts to the side of their heads? In almost the exact same spot as well? I think something different killed these guys." Tiin and Kit nodded at Skywalkers’ keen observation.

          "You've caught an unusual scent, as always my apprentice." Kenobi stated as he and Adi entered the alley from the street.

          "We just finished talking to some witnesses," Adi began to explain. "they both say a dark robed figured entered the alley, then the human and the Bith followed shortly after. A few minutes later they heard screaming and yelling, followed by blaster fire. They immediately contacted local security."

          "Combine that with fuzzy surveillance footage from a nearby store camera that security managed to pull," Kenobi continued by holding up a hologram which showed a familiar dark robed man looking down the street as he snuck into the alley. The feintest bit of a red mask could be seen under his hood in the fuzzy display. "and I'd say we have our man."

          Anakin's fist tightened subtly as he looked at the hologram. "Too bad he didn't leave us a trail to follow."

          "I believe I can help with that Skywalker!" A loud and enthusiastic voice came from the entrance to the alley, causing the Jedi to turn and Kenobi to roll his eyes slightly before doing the same.

          "Good timing as always Vos." Kit said as he stood up and shook the fellow Jedi Master's hand.

          Quinlan Vos displayed his signature bright smile as he entered the scene. "Kenobi! Long time no see!" He stated as he gave the older jedi a friendly punch in the arm.

          Kenobi sighed slightly and rubbed his arm before responding, "Yes, good to see you too."

          Anakin smiled slightly and chuckled at the whole affair before getting serious again. "We really need your help on this one Vos. We’ve got a dangerous target and he's currently getting away."

          Vos nodded at the commanding presence of Anakin. "I know, Aayla briefed me on my way here. Now," Vos said as he moved forward over the two bodies, "let's see what we're dealing with." He proceeded to kneel to the ground and place his palm on the pavement, closing his eyes as he did so. He concentrated for several moments before his eyes opened. "I’ve got him...and he's not alone," he stood up before finishing. "he's got a Rodian with him."

          "There's been no report of this man having a partner." Adi stated as the Jedi looked at each other.

          "We can't rule out anything as a possibility right now, but two bodies to track is better than one." Tiin stated simply, to which the other Jedi nodded.

          "The two went down a few levels." Vos turned around before continuing, "I'll have to track again from down there."

          "Alright, once we have a rough idea of what level he's on, I say we split up." The other Jedi looked at Anakin questioningly. "If he managed to get spotted like this once, I'm willing to bet he got seen again. If we go in pairs of two I bet we'll have a better chance of possibly surrounding this guy from multiple sides. We'll all stay in constant radio contact and move roughly in whatever direction Vos tracks this guy, but in a wider arch."

          "Spreading out a net to give us a better chance of cutting off his escape." Kit finished the explanation. "Good thinking Skywalker.

          Kenobi stroked his beard in thought before answering. "Alright, we'll follow Anakin's plan. I will go with Vos. Masters Kit and Tiin can go together. And Adi...keep Anakin out of trouble." Kenobi said with a small smirk as he looked at his apprentice.

          Anakin smirked back before answering, "If you can't do it master, who do you think can?"

          Adi rolled her eyes at the exchange before shouting. "Alright everyone, let's move it!" All 6 jedi took off with Vos in the lead towards the lower levels.

          Anakin and Adi found themselves along one of the seedier strips of Coruscant. There were rough looking cantinas, pawn, and sex shops, along with many obvious fronts for different scrupulous dealings. The pair of Jedi were headed straight for the largest and busiest cantina in the whole sector.

          "Why are we going down this street Skywalker?" Adi asked, "I know the plan was to cast a wide net, but Vos and Obi-Wan are moving deeper into the warehouse section of this district and I think we should be too."

          "Here's my thinking, our intruder might have already bought passage for himself off the planet, and is either gone or laying low until he can leave. Either way, I bet you there's someone in here who knows about that deal, or knows about everyone currently looking for passage."

          "You might be right, but it's a wild guess at this point."

          Anakin shrugged, "Call it, Jedi intuition. And I promise, we'll only be in here a minute, then we'll catch up and be closer to Vos and Kenobi."

          Adi looked up at the flashing signs for the bar. Along with the various kinds of sex workers and drug dealers loitering just outside the establishment, eyeing anyone who came close and instantly trying to lure them over. She sighed and shook her head before saying, "I'll give you 5 minutes, then we're gone."

          "5 minutes is all I need." Anakin said with a bit of a smirk. The two Jedi walked confidently up to the entrance. The large alien bouncer looked down at them. He was about to say something when he noticed their lightsabers and the 'just try to get in our way' look he received from Anakin, which made him quickly step out of the pair’s way.

          The two Jedi entered the bar as semi-loud music, light smoke, and all manner of conversation, laughter, and general noise hit them at once. They scanned the room looking for anyone who might stand out, but in this crowd, almost everyone stood out. A few patrons and a bartender eyed the Jedi with suspicion, but they weren't low enough in the city to risk the authorities being called on them, so everyone who did take notice quickly went back about their business.

          Anakin began to walk into the mild chaos before Adi tapped his shoulder and said, "Where are you going?"

          "Where else? To get a drink." Anakin replied with a slight smirk before continuing his walk.

          Adi rolled her eyes and moved towards the back of the cantina.

          Anakin slowly made his way through the crowd to the bar, occasionally nudging different humans and aliens out of his way. Some turned to give him a mouthful, but quickly changed their minds at the sight of a Jedi.

          Anakin finally made his way to the bar. Out of his view, a male Balosar almost spit out his drink when he saw the Jedi, quickly grabbing his pile of death sticks and making a hasty exit.

          The bartender slowly turned and looked at Anakin as he cleaned a glass. After a few seconds of observing Anakin look around the bar he coughed, getting the knight's attention. "What can I do ya fors, master Jedi?"

          Anakin leaned against the counter and lowered his voice as he spoke. "Know anyone who delivers...unmarked cargo around here?"

          "Nows whys would ah Jedis wants to know?" The bartender asked.

          Anakin simply leaned off the counter, revealing a small amount of credits where his hand had been previously. "I wanna buy them a drink."

          The bartender chuckled slightly before swiping the credits and pointing to a group of Rodians gathered in a back booth.

          Anakin nodded at the bartender and made his way towards the Rodians, careful that they wouldn't see him approach. Once he got close, he used the Force to concentrate on their conversation and block out the noise around him.

          "This is a gonna be a disaster for us, if the blockade doesn't lift soon."

          "I know I know! We gotta get that spice out of here."

          "But how? Security confiscated our ship this week! You should have never taken this deal!"

          "Hey hey, relax. My cousin Ito told me he's got his own ship now, crew and everything! He'll hook us up, I promise. In fact, the warehouse he's operating out of is nearby."

          "How can we be sure?"

          "I sent one of our boys over to meet with him a few levels up. He should be back any min-" As if on que a Rodian suddenly ran into the bar and made their way panting back to the table with the other Rodians.

          "Woah! Greedo! Slow down man, you'll hurt yourself. What's got you all riled up?"

          Greedo took several gasps of air and proceeded to down a drink. "I had to run. Security after me. They saw me snooping around. Wanted to question me."

          "Snooping around what exactly?"

          "I went to the store where I was supposed to meet Ito, he was super late. So, I started looking around, maybe I was at the wrong place I thought. Then, I stumbled across a crime scene. I got curious, so I got closer to investigate. It was Ito's two drinking buddies. Dead."

          "And what about Ito?" One of them said with concern.

          "No sign of him. They spotted me at that point so I had to run."

          "Poodo!" A Rodian exclaimed as he slammed his fist on the table. "Now what!"

          Before any of the others could answer, Anakin stepped in and slammed his lightsaber on the table. The Rodians all jumped in shock and grabbed their weapons under their clothing but didn't pull them out on seeing the lightsaber.

          "Good evening gentlemen!" Anakin said with a slightly peppy tone. "Sorry to interrupt your evening out, but I'd like to know where this warehouse with a ship is!"

          The original three Rodians glared at Anakin, while Greedo slowly began to back away and towards the exit.

          One Rodian spoke, "You got nothing on us, Jedi! We're not telling you anything." He finished by spitting on Anakin's boot.

          Anakin's gaze became darker and his tone shifted. "Normally I would just arrest slime like you and let security deal with you, but today," the hand not on his saber slowly began to close into a fist under the table and the Rodians’ eyes bulged as they each began to choke and grasp while invisible hands began to tighten around their throats, "I really don't have the time." Anakin then looked at the nearest Rodian with a death glare who was starting back at him terrified. "And I'm really not in the mood."

          "Th-the warehouse." One of them managed to choke out between gasps. Anakin turned to him and released all three who each gasped for air.

          "Tell me. Now."

          Vos and Obi-Wan made their way quickly down several back alleys, taking twists and turns every 20 to 40 feet. It was like a maze back here in this part of the district. Most of the buildings had been abandoned over the years, bought, used, resold, and abandoned again. Eventually the problem had become so massive and widespread in this particular sector that the government had simply decided it was cheaper to just ignore them.

          Kenobi shook his head as he knew all too well the amount of crime that was carried on and sheltered thanks to places like this.

          Before he could contemplate their location further, the two masters came to a halt as Vos knelt down and closed his eyes. Kenobi was thankfully for the small rest, it seemed he had not run this continually for quite a while. He made a note to get back to general exercise at a gym when he had the chance. War kept one fit and in shape for the most part, but it didn't always cover everything.

          Kenobi suddenly realized that Vos had taken a lot longer than previously, so he spoke up, "Is everything alright?"

          Vos did not respond for a moment but finally said. "It's strange...the closer we get to this man...the harder it is for me to track him."

          "That sounds very similar to the main problem we've been having with this one. Even when he was going through the temple surrounded by Jedi, it was like he was invisible to us. It seems he has a way to mask his presence in the Force, making him quite the dangerous adversary for us. We should proceed with caution if you believe we are close."

          Vos stood up and nodded at Kenobi before running forward again.

          Revan muttered to himself something about the stupidity of the design before him, before he finally managed to snap a particularly stubborn part into place. He then stood back from the hyperdrive with a deep breath. By a combination of the scans from his mask, the hyperdrive of the Ebon Hawk as a rough guide, and his own best guess at the very inefficient design of the ship, Revan believed he had done all he could.

          Just then he heard a grunt followed by a slam, as a metallic crate was dropped in the ship’s cargo hold. It had been a repeated sound for the past 30 minutes and one that Revan had done his best to block out from his work. However, this one was followed by:

          "It's all loaded!" Ito called from the main hold to Revan in the engine compartment.

          Revan made his way out of the more cramped part of the ship and looked at the semi-organized collection of spice in front of him. He did not know the current exchange rate of spice on the black market, nor the quality of this spice, so he asked, "Ito?" The Rodian turned to look at him. "How much would you say all this spice is worth."

          "Not really sure,” the Rodian admitted with a shrug, “but I think the boss said about 300,000 credits for the lot."

          Revan smirked slightly at the estimate. More than enough to buy a simple ship, and keep his identity hidden. A good bargaining chip for where he was likely to end up.

          “Alright Ito, go warm up the ship, and pray the hyperdrive doesn't blow us to pieces. I had to deactivate the main reactor to do some repairs, so the ship will take a few minutes to be ready to fly, but let me-"

          Revan suddenly looked up and off in a random direction. Ito looked at him curiously and after a few seconds of silence said, "Let you know about…?"

          Revan finally turned back to Ito, "Just get the ship ready to go." He then quickly marched back into the warehouse itself. Heading over to the main controls he opened up the roof hanger doors and began checking his equipment. "Seems the Jedi found me faster than I thought they would." He tightened the straps on his gauntlets and checked his hidden knife as well, before switching his mask back to it's tactical read out mode.

          The roof doors made a bit of noise as they finally fully opened causing Revan to look up in the now almost night sky. "Time to find out what these Jedi are made of." He quickly pulled out a saber and slashed the controls to pieces, ensuring the roof would say open.

          Vos and Kenobi rounded a final corner before they came to a larger warehouse that had no neighboring buildings attached to it. The two Jedi looked at each other and nodded, this was the place where the trail ended. The two Jedi masters quickly made their way to a side door, pulling out their sabers as they went.

          Vos entered first with Kenobi close behind. The two crouched and made their way between selves of various tools and equipment. Finally they came into the main room of the warehouse and they stopped in their tracks. Bodies littered the room, an explosion had gone off on one side, and a ship sat with its cargo door open. Before the Jedi could fully process the scene in front of them, a distorted voice spoke, causing them to turn towards it.

          "Greetings, master Jedi! And welcome." Revan was sitting on top of a pile of random crates and containers, most of them empty, but the purposely made pyramid stack reached about 15 feet in height. "I do apologize about the mess, but then again you didn't exactly give me much time to clean up before you got here."

          "We do apologize for arrive so unannounced." Kenobi spoke as he stepped over the bodies near him and approached Revan as Vos did the same. "We will be sure to call next time before we arrive."

          Revan smirked under his mask at the sass he had just received back from the bearded master. Maybe the Jedi had finally learned how to not shove so many sticks up their ass.

          "Surrender terrorist!" Vos stated loudly as he got into an offensive stance below Revan, igniting his saber as he did so. "You've got nowhere to run and the might of the Republic and Jedi order are about to come crashing down on you!"

          Revan's smile disappeared, quickly replaced by a frown as he looked down at Vos. And the stick goes right back in.

          "I do have to agree with my partner," Kenobi spoke again, "you are about to be completely surrounded. If you surrender now, I promise no harm will come to you."

          Revan said nothing for a moment before slowly standing to his feet, Vos gripped his saber ready for a fight, but Kenobi simply observed. "Well, that is a VERY compelling offer master Jedi. But before I give my answer, I am curious as to know your names."

          Kenobi's eyebrow raised. He thought the request over a moment. The man was clearly stalling for time, but at this point with no backup so was Obi-Wan. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Quinlan Vos. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

          So, the Jedi was also stalling for time. Perfect. "My name is Revan. Pleasure to meet you, master Kenobi." Revan bowed slightly towards the Jedi, which caused a surprised look to cross Obi-Wan's features. Vos however growled in frustration.

          "He's just stalling Kenobi! And I don't intend to find out for what!" And with that, Vos proceeded to leap with the Force straight up towards Revan with his saber raised for an attack.

          "Vos! No!" Kenobi shouted out a warning, but all too late.

          Revan smirked under as mask as the Jedi had been easy to predict. He quickly rolled under Vos' jump, kicking a key crate in the middle of the pyramid as he did so. The breaking of the structure in such a way caused the entire stack to collapse before Vos could land, forcing him to crash into the pile of containers and be buried by the rest that fell behind him. Revan landed in front of the open ship and Kenobi turn towards him, igniting his saber.

          Revan slowly stood and looked at Kenobi, "Such a shame, I was enjoying our conversation."

          "So was I, but it seems all good things must come to an end."

          Revan scoffed at the levels of irony the Jedi did not even know he had just made. He was about to respond when the pile of crates burst in several directions, as Quinlan Vos suddenly, and angrily, emerged from the pile. He locked eyes with Revan and charged him again.

          Revan, in the blink of an eye, suddenly had a saber in his hand, and red clashed with green at the last possibly moment. This quick action and last second block surprised Vos, giving Revan an opening to kick him square in the chest and send him flying back into the pile of crates.

          Kenobi was fast to join in the fight, striking at Revan the moment Vos was out of the way. Revan and Kenobi began to duel properly with one another other, each calculated and experienced fighters gave no ground.

          Revan quickly recognized the more defensive and strategic style of the master he was fighting. There would be no easy tricks or catching him off guard. That meant eliminating the other one, and quickly.

          Vos burst forth once again, leaping into the duel between Revan and Kenobi, and with the combined might of both masters they began to push Revan back from his position.

          Revan's pure speed and finesse were almost terrifying to the two masters, as he expertly blocked, parried, and countered the two masters who relentlessly battered at him. A brilliant display of Red, Green, and Blue colors clashed in the warehouse for several minutes. Revan managed to lock the two blades of the Jedi with his one. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to Ito, who had been doing his best to stay out of sight in the ships cockpit.

          The ship was almost ready, but Revan could feel other Jedi about to enter the warehouse. He had been spending so much energy on concealing himself in the Force for fear of being mobbed by every Jedi on the planet. Well, now it seemed there was no reason to hold back.

          Revan opened his eyes, he pushed with the Force against the Jedi sending them both sliding backwards. Vos rushed him again, but this time, Revan lowered his saber, and right before the green blade made contact with him, Vos was struck by a massive blast of force lightning.

          The pain was unlike anything Vos had felt. His skin instantly started to burn. He cried out in agony as electricity began to arch out of his body and random hit the walls of the building. Vos mustered up all the strength he had and tried to bring his saber down. Revan responded by lifting Vos up by the force Lightning itself and slamming him against the far wall of the warehouse, knocking him unconscious.

          Revan turned to Kenobi. Kenobi stood, stunned in place. He could now sense Revan fully. The Force seemed to swirl around him, just being near the man caused Kenobi to feel the Force more potently and concentrated than he had in years. As he looked at Revan, he almost felt like he was staring into the heart of the Force itself. There was no doubt, Revan wasn't simply powerful. He was power.

          At that moment Anakin and Adi ran into the building by the same means as Vos and Obi-Wan. They too stopped and they looked at Revan, experiencing similar revelations. Adi saw the smoking body of Vos slumped against the wall and ignited her saber. Anakin stared at Revan with absolute hatred in his eyes.          Revan's head titled curiously as he examined the young Jedi. He was powerful, dangerously so, but he had no control, no discipline. Revan smirked slightly at an old memory that was prompted by these thoughts.

          Anakin ignited his saber and moved to step forward, but Kenobi grabbed his arm and looked at him sternly before saying, "We take him together."

          Anakin's metallic hand flinched a little at his master’s words, but he nodded and took his stance beside Kenobi, with Adi on the opposite side. "You're going to pay for what you've done today." Anakin said fiercely.

          "You can't win this Revan." Kenobi stated.

          Revan looked at the three Jedi lined up against him. He could almost see the bridge he had stood on, in a different life. "Well, master Jedi," Revan spoke as he slowly pulled another saber from under his cloak, which he ignited it, its purple blade crossing over the red one in a dark contrast. "let us find out if that is true."

Revan was tired of holding back, of sneaking around, of trying his best to not harm anyone unnecessarily. Now was his time to let off some steam.

          He rushed them, using the Force to speed up his moments he came at the three Jedi in a blur of cloak, armor, and sabers. The three Jedi, even working in unison, began to find themselves losing ground. It was all they could do to simply defend themselves. Finally, communicating in the Force, they each jumped back, and combined a force blast directly at Revan. Revan countered with his own, which overcame the first and threw the Jedi back smashing into the wall.

          Revan couldn't help but smile. It felt good to be back in control. He was about to leap after Adi when he stopped and titled his head back slightly over his shoulder. Time was up.

          Anakin quickly got up ready for the next attack, then he noticed the same thing as Revan. "Looks like you’re done."

          Revan glanced back at Anakin, he was going to be a problem, but Revan had overcome worse. Suddenly, the ship's engines roared to life, causing loose objects, tools, and smaller containers to go flying around the room. Revan looked directly at Anakin before saying, "Not today, it would seem."

          Anakin growled in frustration and leapt at Revan. Revan blocked his blows several times before he deactivated a saber, grabbed Anakin's arm, and threw him on top of his master Kenobi who had just stood up, only to be knocked down again by Anakin's flying body.

          The ship slowly began to rise out of the warehouse and Revan force jumped into the open cargo bay. He looked down at the warehouse as Fisto and Tiin burst into the room along with several clone troopers. Revan quickly made his way to the cockpit where Ito was flying.

          "Wow! I mean, I have to say, fighting all those Jedi, that was impressive work."

          "Thank you for the complement. But sadly Ito, while I was growing to like you, I have constantly been sensing your different plans to try and kill me the next chance you get. Unfortunately for you, I do not tolerate disloyalty." Before Ito could object his neck was snapped by an invisible force.

          The Jedi on the ground ordered the clones to fire at the ship, but it had no effect. And as the cargo ship sped up into the night, just before its bay doors closed, a lifeless Rodian body fell from it and landed with a bloody splat amongst his other comrades.

          Padmé was typing into her personal computer at her apartment. The cool air always seemed to help her work better at night. She had managed to get a hold of R2 and had him connect her to the central Senate servers remotely. Her political access along with a friend in the local security force who owed her several favors was allowing her to access the unofficial crime report on the bombing in the Chancellor's office earlier in the afternoon.

          She shook her had as the image of that mask looked right at her, and memories of her being taking captive and flung through the air tried to invade her mind. She shivered slightly and pulled her blanket tightly around her, maybe she should close the windows.

          She continued typing away looking at all the data that had been compiled, along with what distorted video footage from a not completely destroyed camera had picked up in the office. She was going through the case file line by line when she noticed a section on foreign dust that had been found at the scene. Why would this be a section of the report? When she went to open it she found it was redacted.

          She squinted at the blacked lines in front of her. How could an unofficial report that was just compiled and uploaded this evening already have redacted information? Something wasn't right.

          Palpatine looked out at his newly refurbished office window. It had been a long, tiring, and annoying day. Now, at the end, there was still more troubling news. He had been staring out the window for the past several minutes, focusing on what he had felt. It was the intruder from today, there was no doubt in Palpatine's mind. He was so powerful he had felt him across the district, glowing like a massive bonfire in the Force. Palpatine opened his eyes and sighed. The intruder was hidden again.

          It seems the Jedi had failed to stop him from leaving the planet. That was a problem. But Palpatine had contingencies and backup plans upon backup plans. He would deal with this new threat as he had with all others before.

          Turning, he made his way back to his desk. The file his forensics team had complied on the man was currently displayed on his monitor, along with an image of the attacker. The team notified him this afternoon the moment they had found dust form Korriban on the ground where the man had violently and suddenly appeared. He quickly blocked had this information from the report altogether. He did not want the Jedi getting wind of a potential Sith and thus causing them to become more paranoid than they were already becoming.

          He looked over the information again as he had slowly been reading through it, when a private and heavily secured document appeared available for download, it bore the insignia of Darth Tyranus. Palpatine opened the file and waves upon waves of information flooded his screen and began scrolling onto his three large displays, there was too much today to be seen all at once. Palpatine smiled slightly, it seems his apprentice had been busy. But his smile quickly faded as he began to read some of the new text in front of him.

          In a large image showing the picture of the man was a name. Palpatine looked at the security image, then back to the new picture before him. They were almost identical. The name Darth Revan began to burn itself into the Lord of the Sith's mind.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 – Dangerous Dealings

            Clones moved hurriedly around the security center in the Jedi Temple. Consoles flashed and beeped with information as data was passed between a number of individuals, offices, and departments throughout the Temple and the surrounding areas. In the middle of the commotion stood several Jedi, all quietly and somberly reviewing a slowly scrolling text of information, along with multiple pictures attached at key intervals. The data moved slowly across the main circular console in the middle of the room and was projected as a flat document of information, so each reader could better see, the designated symbol of: ‘For official access by Jedi Council approval only’ was embedded on every part of the file being read.

            Jedi knights and masters read the document in contemplative silence, each with a mixture of confusion and worry etched on their faces. The members in question were:

            Anakin, Yoda, Windu, Plo-Koon, Obi-Wan, and Adi Gallia. The document slowly descended until it came to a final stop, showing a blurry image of several Jedi fighting on the bridge of some kind of a ship. The Jedi had their lightsabers ignited and were squaring off against a black-cloaked individual, wielding a red lightsaber, and wearing a red and black mask. Anakin's fist clenched slightly at the sight of the image, only Obi-Wan spared him a slight glance but the other Jedi did not notice.

            "This doesn't make any sense." The young Jedi Knight stated in frustration. "How can any of this be true?"

            "Patience apprentice, the Force often does not reveal things all at once." Master Plo Koon advised with an air of assurance and peace, but even his mind was reeling with questions that had begun to flood his thoughts since the conclusion of the data before them.

            "While I fully agree with Master Plo's assertion, I do share Young Skywalker's skepticism on this matter. This may all be the work of our elusive Darth Sidious." Master Windu interjected between the two Jedi's comments.

            "One has to wonder,” Master Adi finally said breaking her silence, "if this is the same Revan who helped save the republic, why would he choose to attack it now?"

            "I am afraid that our records show no information on what happened to Revan after the Jedi Civil War." Obi-Wan answered her query, "All the Jedi archives mention is that he simply disappeared into the unknown regions. If this is the same man, his perspective on the Republic and Jedi could have drastically changed, especially if he ever discovered what the Jedi did to him by wiping his mind and using him to kill his former apprentice."

            "I will admit," Anakin began, "I want to catch this guy more than anyone, but how could the Jedi destroy someone's entire mind and identity like that?"

            "Sometimes, hard and often foolish decisions are made in war." Plo Koon answered the younger Jedi. "Do not be so quick to judge your predecessors while you sit with the benefit of hindsight on their choices."

            The master’s words resonated in Anakin's mind, but as he stared at the screen in front of him, a part of him was not fully convinced.

            "Do we know at least how he escaped off-planet?" Adi asked.

            Windu quickly answered as he pulled up records from the Coruscant fleet, "It seems his ship managed to breach the blockade by mind tricking a clone officer into giving him clearance to get through the blockade, without being properly searched. The commanding admiral wanted to court marital the clone, but the council has countered the order as this ‘Revan’ is obviously powerful in the Force.

            "Little we accomplish, through theory and speculation. The time for action, now, it is." Master Yoda stated definitively, bringing a moment of silence between the Jedi.

            Master Windu stroked his chin in contemplation before speaking, "Master Yoda is correct, whether this character is the real Revan or not, our focus now should be finding and capturing him. With that in mind, we need to assemble a strike force to bring him in to stand trial for his crimes."

            "I nominate Master Kenobi as head of this team." Plo spoke with practiced eloquence, "He is the master who has spent the most time hunting this man and has proven himself capable in doing so."

            Kenobi looked slightly surprised by the nomination, but after a moment of thought, he nodded his head slowly. "I will take on this assignment, but until Master Vos recovers from his injuries it will be difficult to track him."

            "Assistance in this matter, require you will. Capture Revan alone, you cannot." Yoda stated.

            "I will join my master." Anakin spoke up confidently. "I have also spent some time tracking this man and I believe I can be of some benefit when it comes navigating the outer rim if he chooses to go there."

            Kenobi was about to object when he was interrupted, "I am coming too." Kenobi turned to see a slight smirk on Master Gallia's face. "Can't let you go having all the fun Kenobi."

            Kenobi looked between the two volunteers before sighing and shaking his head, "It seems my team is decided for me."

            Windu nodded before speaking, "Then it is decided. We cannot afford to spare many Jedi due to the state of the war, you three will make up the entirety of this strike force, at least until other Jedi can be spared. Use any means or resources needed to bring this terrorist back to Coruscant for trial."

            "Working together, your strongest ally, will be. Trust in the Force, guide you along your path, it will." Yoda gave a last encouragement to the Jedi before they each bowed to one another and slowly exited the room.

            The soft hum of hyperspace, oxygen being recycled through various air filters, and the occasional beep or chirp of different computer systems mixed together in a subtle symphony of background noise that occupied the otherwise silent space of an old run-down cargo ship. A figure cloaked in black sat in the pilot seat of the dark and dusty cockpit, his dark grey eyes slowly scanning over the various instruments before him. The man’s face was slightly pale like it had not seen sunlight consistently in several weeks. A subtle five o’clock shadow had started to form a beard on the otherwise clean face. The stubble was a perfect black and matched the almost shoulder-length hair that was slicked back to stay out of the man’s face. A few scars could faintly be seen on his face as he slowly turned from looking at one end of the instruments to the others.

            After a long period of silence, Revan finally leaned back and rubbed his eyes with his gloved hand, and let out a tired sigh. He had tried to get some rest after the close escape from the hands of the Jedi, but he had been interrupted by alerts coming from the ship’s computer system. He had spent the past several minutes looking over the status of the ship and soon realized that while he had managed to patch the hyperdrive as best he could in the time he had, the quick escape had clearly been too much for the old freighter and now the ship was slowly leaking fuel. It seems the former dark lord could never catch a break.

            Revan took a moment to compose himself and think about his options. He certainly did not have enough fuel to make it to his intended destination, so he would need to stop somewhere to make proper repairs and more fuel, or just an entirely new ship. Revan placed his hands back on the console before him and pulled up the existing navigational charts that were in the system. Thankfully, the pirates did not seem interested in wiping their ship’s navigational memory every time they landed.  

            Most of the planets were too far for the ship to reach with its current fuel supply. As his dark eyes slowly scrolled through the list before him, he stopped on one planet in particular: Florrum. Something clicked in his memory about one of the pirates mentioning needing to get this shipment of spice to that place. Part of Revan's mind rejected the idea of bringing the now stolen spice of dead smugglers to its intended destination as the recipients were no doubt familiar with the crew on Coruscant and would most likely want revenge when they realized what Revan had done. However, another part of his mind saw the opportunity to use the spice as a resource for his own benefit. The two different scenarios waged war between each other in the former Jedi's scarred mind as his tactical genius did its best to find which of the options was the most strategic.

            Revan leaned away from the console and turned his head to look back at the cargo hold filled with various containers of spice. His eyes narrowed as he glanced around his surroundings, looking for some kind of obvious answer to his question. He slowly leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, placing his face in his hands as he did so. He hated to admit it, but he was tired, he needed rest. Revan slowly rubbed his temple to alleviate some of the tension in his head. He wished the others were here right now. Carth would have a plan, Mission would have a crafty solution no one had thought of, T-3 would have repaired the ship better, and Bastila...

            Revan's eyes opened and his movements stopped. None of them were here. None of these thoughts were helpful. There was only moving forward. Revan leaned up in the chair, looked at the spice, then back to the console. He knew what he had to do.

            The medical ward in the Jedi Temple beeped and hummed with the quiet rhythm of various kinds of machinery. The white walls, floors, and sheets on the two beds of one particular room seemed to all blend together in a clinical yet peaceful manner. Barriss and Ahsoka sat on the two beds both still attached to a few monitoring devices and machines. Both had almost completely recovered from their minor injuries and were beginning to reach a point where no one would have known they had recently been in a fight.

            Ahsoka was doing her best to pass the time, but her mind was racing with questions and she was starting to feel restless being stuck in this room waiting for the final medical check to grant her release. Barriss, who had decided to pass the time through meditation, looked over at her padawan friend.

            "What's troubling you Ahsoka?"

            "Huh? What?" Ahsoka answered after a short pause, seemingly having just been pulled out of some deep thought. "Sorry, I got distracted. Why do you think something's bothering me?"

            Barriss chuckled and shook her head, "This whole time I've been trying to meditate, your thoughts have been flying around the room like blaster bolts. It's made it very hard to concentrate I must say." Barriss explained with a slight smile. "But seriously, what's wrong?"

            Ahsoka looked over at Barriss apologetically, "Sorry." She said, before lowering her gaze to in front of her, her face scrunching slightly as she tried to piece together her thoughts into words. "I just can't keep thinking about that fight."

            "We got beaten by someone obviously much more powerful than us, there's nothing to be ashamed of in that. We did what we could to protect the archives." Barriss quickly interjected to try and reassure her friend.

            "I know that." Ahsoka answered, "It's not that we lost that's bothering me, it's more...what happened with me before the fight. Like, how could I sense him when no one else in the temple could? And why did I feel the temple was going to be attacked before anyone else did? I feel like something changed in the Force yesterday, and I'm not sure what to do." Ahsoka finished by looking over at Barriss with questions and slight worry in her eyes. Before her friend could answer her, however, both females turned as they heard their door room open. Stepping through the door was with his usual smile was Anakin Skywalker. "Hello girls, sorry if I'm interrupting."

            Barriss smiled slightly back and replied, "Hello Anakin, good to see you again. And no, we had just finished talking actually." She said, glancing at Ahsoka with a reassuring expression.

            Ahsoka smiled as Anakin walked in the door, she was genuinely happy to see him and his presence soothed some of her anxiety away. She did notice the slight worry behind his eyes that couldn't be completely hidden. "Hello master, what brings you here?"

            "Just wanted to check on the two bravest padawans in the order. You should be proud, you did your best to protect the temple, even if running in without backup is kind of a dumb move Snips." Anakin teased his padawan slightly as he made his last comment.

            Ahsoka shrugged slightly and replied, "I learned it from you, master."

            "How is the search for Revan going?" Barriss decided to chime in with her own curiosity.

            Anakin's expression soured slightly, and a flash of anger crossed his face, but he quickly recovered and put on a more serious and neutral expression. “Unfortunately, Revan escaped the planet, so now we're just waiting to see if any leads or sightings come up from the Republic or others. The chancellor has already approved a sizable bounty on any information pertaining to Revan's location, and a larger one if he's brought in alive. Hopefully, that will give that terrorist almost nowhere to hide."

            Ahsoka couldn't help but feel slightly angry at Anakin's news. She wasn't hoping for Revan to get away, but what had just been shared didn't sit right with her. "Do you really think it's fair to call him a terrorist?"

            Anakin and Barriss both looked at Ahsoka with surprise in their eyes. "I think it's more than a fair label, based on everything he's done." Anakin answered strongly.

            "But did he kill anyone innocent? Did he jeopardize the Republic in any significant way?" Ahsoka continued her line of questioning, "I'm not saying he hasn't broken the law, but calling what he's done terrorism seems really extreme."

            "Enough!" Anakin said a bit harsher than he intended to, his inner anger almost boiling over as he remembered watching the security footage of Revan taking Padmé as a hostage. Seeing the padawans slightly worried expressions at his tone, he sighed and continued more peacefully, "I know you mean well Snips, but justice is being served here, and this is what needs to be done."

            Ahsoka decided not to press further, though it was clear on her face she was not satisfied with the answers she had received. Breaking the moment of silence Barriss spoke once more, "Are you going to be one of the Jedi who goes looking for him?"

            Anakin smirked slightly before answering, "Of course, who else would the council send on their most dangerous missions?" Anakin's communicator beeped at him as he finished his rhetorical question and he looked at his wrist for a moment before saying, "And that's my cue, got to go. Glad you two are doing well, and Snips, try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone, okay?" And with that, he quickly left before receiving an answer from his padawan.

            "Always on the move." Ahsoka stated with a slight sigh.

            "You know," Barriss began, "Your master might have a point. Revan did run from the Jedi and the Republic both. If he's not really that bad why run?"

            Ahsoka mulled the question over in her mind, "I know. Anakin probably is right. I don't know how to explain it, but I just have this feeling there's more going on here than the council realizes. Almost like...they're missing something."

            Barriss shrugged slightly at Ahsoka's comment, "Could be. Jedi aren't always right, and the council is not infallible."

            Ahsoka's mind slowly drifted off as she thought about Revan's words about not following things blindly. Unfortunately, she was still left with more questions than answers.

            The bright blue and white tunnel of hyperspace caused frequent moving shadows to appear and disappear across the interior of the cockpit. Revan sat in his chair, enjoying the few precious moments of peace and relative silence he had to himself. He had tried to spend the first part of his short trip meditating, but without the comforting presence of his link with Bastila, meditation brought nothing but troubled memories and stressful thoughts. Giving up on the chance to meditate and center himself in the Force, Revan decided to use his travel time to read through the information he had received from the Jedi archives. He was now sitting in the pilot’s seat with a datapad in one hand, while the other slowly scrolled through the information that glowed a dim blue directly into his grey eyes.

            Some of what Revan had been reading disturbed him, but there were some bright spots. He was happy to see that most of his former crew had lived long and successful lives, each seemed to have carried out their instructions with relative success, leading to a stronger galaxy that had managed to withstand the Sith invasion. Bastila had even managed to become head of the Jedi council and their child, grandchild, and great-grandchild had all managed to go on and do the same. There was an undeniable sense of pride and satisfaction in knowing that the Jedi could never fully remove his legacy from their order. Revan chuckled slightly when he saw that Jolee had actually taken his advice and joined the reformed Jedi council. Juhani had taken up teaching with the Jedi after Revan left, but dismissed herself from the order in her twilight years, which wasn’t entirely surprising to Revan due to her background. Carth managed to climb his way through the ranks of the Republic military and eventually succeeded in his great ambition of becoming head admiral of the entire Republic Navy. Mission and Zaalbar went back to Kashyyyk to help with the growing issues of slavery. Revan frowned slightly when there was no substantial information on Canderous, only a small footnote of his participation and honoring in the battle of the Star Forge. Either the Jedi had chosen not to keep an eye on the Mandalorian after the Jedi Civil War, or Canderous had managed to keep his mission secret from the prying eyes of the galaxy. Regardless of which was the case, Revan would have to do some investigation of his own.

            Just as the former Jedi was about to read on to the Great Galactic War, the console in front of him began to give off a warning noise. Revan quickly put down the datapad into the seat next to him and once again maned the controls of the ship. Pulling the accelerator down as gently as he could, the ship still gave an unpleasant jolt as it slowed back down to normal speed. Revan cursed in Mando under his breath as he heard the scraping of metal and saw a few pieces of the ship fly off in front of him. Shaking his head slightly at the absurdity of it all, Revan looked up to find the planet Florrum directly in front of his ship. Taking a deep breath, Revan willed the crumbling ship to begin making its way towards the surface of the planet.

            As the ship slowly began its approach, one of the consoles began to blink with an indication, Revan was receiving a hail. Taking only a momentary pause, Revan quickly reached across the controls and answered the comms. “I am receiving you.” He stated simply and plainly so as not to give any tactical information away.

            “You are entering territory belonging to the dread pirate Hondo Ohnaka.” A gruff and clearly annoyed voice spoke back in response. “Identify yourself or be blown to smithereens.”

            Revan frowned slightly at the immediate threat. His first instinct was to squash whatever pitiful creature was speaking to him but taking a second glance at the state of his craft and its low levels of shields persuaded him otherwise. “I have an expected delivery from Coruscant. I apologize for the long delay, there were some…complications.”

            “Hmmm,” the voice responded back, “alright, just hang on a moment.” It finished before the line went silent.

            Revan’s jaw began to clench slightly as the seconds dragged on, he did not fancy his chances of being able to make it to the surface in one piece if he started to get fired upon.

            Finally, after a tense several minutes, the line crackled to life once again. “Listen here, you’ve been granted access to land, proceed to the provided coordinates, and don’t try any funny business, or it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

            Revan shook his head and sighed in frustration, “Understood, proceeding to the landing zone.” He called back before cutting the line off. He really needed to relieve some stress.

            As the sun finished its zenith, on the never sleeping city world of Coruscant, Padmé Amidala sat in the main lounge of her loft penthouse. Her recently manicured fingers held a cup of recently brewed tea, lines of steam still coming off it as she blew on the hot liquid to try and cool it slightly. The sun seemed to glow more brightly in the luxurious space, as the former queen of Naboo had practically created her central living area to take advantage of the sunlight whenever possible. Two security guards stood just around the corner flanking either side of the main elevator doors, while a few handmaidens quietly moved around the senator as they prepared her afternoon lunch.

            Padmé paid her surroundings little mind. Spread before her and scattered all over a long marble table were a number of datapads, digital files, and storage chips all culminating in a sizable pile of information. She cautiously took a sip of tea with one hand, while the other held one of the many data pads, this one displaying the most recent public news report on the attack that had occurred yesterday morning. Anakin had stopped by earlier to check on her and had also given her his summary of the non-public report of events, along with updates on the case, but she was still interested to see what the media had been told to feed the public. Her eyes narrowed as she reached the end of the article and saw no mention that Revan had actually left the planet, and while the news had not explicitly stated it, it was heavily implied that the culprit was still on Coruscant.

            Padmé’s concentration was broken as she heard the familiar sound of her private security holo began to beep. She quickly answered the call and looked up to see the familiar figure of Gregar Typho, the head of her security detail.

            “Senator Padmé,” He spoke with a quick bow, “sorry for the interruption, but it seems we have an unscheduled visitor-“

            Before he could finish his report Padmé quickly interrupted him, “Oh that should be senator Organa arriving for our tea date. Would you mind letting him in please?” She finished with a quick smile.

            Typho sighed and shook his head before speaking to someone out of view, “You know,” he began, “I really wish you would get in the habit of telling me your daily schedule, then I wouldn't have to keep getting surprised by things.”

            “Come now Typho, you wouldn’t be earning your pay if I wasn’t able to keep you on your toes.” she said with a small smile as she took another sip of tea.

            Typho simply chuckled and said, “I suppose that’s true; we’re sending him up now.”

            “Thank you, captain.”

            “At your service, ma’am.” And the call was terminated.

            A moment later and an elevator ding was heard. Senator Organa stepped into view and was greeted with a warm smile. Organa smiled back before his eyes slowly began to scan all of the various items strew about before Padmé. “Good to see nothing keeps you from staying busy.” He commented before gesturing to the pile.

            “Well, when the chancellor decides to give you a two-day mandatory stay home and rest order, your house would probably not look so different.” Padmé quickly countered back before taking another sip of tea.

            Organa chuckled slightly before replying, “I guess you have me there.” A handmaiden quickly walked over and asked if she could get Organa some tea, to which he politely smiled and said, “I’m fine, thank you.” He then turned back to Padmé before continuing, “So, what's this very important meeting you made me promise I would come over for?”

            Padmé did not immediately respond, but instead politely asked both her handmaidens and security guards to give them the room, which they quickly obliged her request.

            At this, Organa raised a brow curiously at Padmé before taking a seat beside her once she gestured for him to sit down. “Alright, you have my attention, but I must say I don't like that look in your eye. It's the same one that always seems to happen right before you get into trouble.”

            Padmé rolled her eyes at the comment before pulling a datapad up from under one particular stack, “Here, look at this.” She directed before handing Organa the pad.

            Organa took it and his eyes began to scan the document displayed before him quickly. His eyes grew large and he asked in a slightly hushed tone, “How did you get the official crime scene report of the bombing from yesterday?”

            Padmé smirked in response before saying, “It pays to have friends.”

            Organa laughed slightly despite his initially worry and simply shook his head. He continued to read in silence for a moment before he stopped and leaned back slightly. “That's odd.” He said as the unfinished statement slowly faded from his lips.

            “That's what I wanted to talk to you about!” Padmé replied eagerly, “This is the official security report, it's not even been released for public access yet, but already some information has been redacted.”

            “That is very strange, to say the least,” Organa agreed with his friend, “...but maybe your, ‘friend,’ just got you a copy that the censors had already begun working for public release?”

            Padmé shook her head, “I checked that the date and time of the server timestamps match up almost exactly with the time I received this document. That means this hit the local security server WITH redacted information, meaning…“

            She paused slightly to give Organa the space to fill in the conclusion, which he did: “Someone got access to the official report before it went to local security and removed information they didn't want anyone to see...not just the public.”

            Padmé began to nod enthusiastically, “What's doubly strange is that my friend has been forwarding me any relevant chatter from inside local security, no one in their archive team is talking about this, so this wasn't an outside force, this was someone from the inside who had enough power and position to make people turn a blind eye. This could lead to something, I know it!”

            Bail tapped the side of the datapad with a finger thoughtfully for a few moments before slowly handing it back to Padmé, “Look, I know you have a knack for digging up things others would rather leave buried, but something like this...I don't know if this is really enough to warrant one of your famous investigations.” He slowly got up from the shared couch, “Thank you senator for a wonderful discussion, but unfortunately, I have a meeting to get to. I hope to see you back at the Senate soon. Don’t forget to actually get some rest on your mandatory rest time.”

            As he turned to leave, he stopped when Padmé spoke, “Bail, please... You know I'm on to something, I don't get this focused when it's nothing.”

            Bail looked her in the eyes for several moments before taking a deep breath and saying, “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

            Padmé slowly began to smile again.

            Revan cursed as the cockpit began to blare with warnings and the ship’s instruments spiraled into the unreadable. The ship shook violently as it burned its way through the atmosphere, the shields having given out only a few minutes into the descent, leaving the hull vulnerable and pieces of it literally flying off into the atmosphere. Revan wrestled for control of the ship and forced the hunk of metal to stay on course, muttering to himself about how the smuggler’s mechanic had received too quick of a death.

            Finally, after several moments, the cloud cover broke and the ship began to stabilize itself. Revan left out a sigh of relief as his grip loosened on the controls. He took a moment to examine the mostly empty landscape before him, immediately understanding why pirates would choose to hide out in a remote and uncared for planet. His gaze eventually fell on a well-fortified, but crudely set up base in the back of a small canyon. Revan considered that it wasn’t a terrible setup, with a decently defensible location, but surely there must be better places to have a less obvious and easily surmountable base. If any substantial or legitimate military force wanted to conquer this place they easily could. It would be much better to be hidden in a mountain or cave somewhere, but honestly, what did he expect from pirates?

            Revan steered the ship towards the base, and after only a few minutes of flying, brought the vessel down with a hard thud as one of the landing gear failed to deploy, resulting in the ship leaning and resting on its side.

            Revan looked out the viewport and examined the outside, noting the general causal and haphazard nature of the layout, but appearances could always be deceiving, and one should never underestimate pirates. Revan also noticed a large number of pirates that were slowly gathering around the ship. Their obvious desire to take whatever was on the ship for their own individual profits was very clear in the Force. Revan huffed to himself, a whole group of self-serving individuals...one wonders how they've managed to accomplish anything as a group, let alone stay alive this long.

            Revan decided it was time to greet his hosts and made his way towards the back of the ship. As the cargo bay doors slowly opened, Revan stood with his arms crossed and observed the rabble below him. Many of them took steps back or grabbed onto their pistols when they saw his intimidating masked figure. His presence caused quite a stir in the camp and soon the entire outside area was either looking at him or whispering to one another. Eventually, as Revan stood and scanned the group before him, one Weequay came up to speak with him.

            “Welcome to Florrum, mister ah…” The pirate did not finish his sentence as he wanted for the masked figure to identify himself.

            After a moment of consideration, Revan finally responded, “Revan.” He reasoned because now that the Jedi and Republic knew his name, there was not much sense in trying to hide it from this lot.

            “Mister Revan.” The pirate finished his welcome with a dramatic flourish, and not so subtly eyed the containers of spice behind Revan. “My name is Sabo. I do have to ask if you don’t mind the intrusion, but I believe this shipment of spice you’re carrying often comes from some other friends of ours…”

            Revan glanced behind his mask at the group of pirates below the ship, most of them tensely gripping their blasters. “Unfortunately, your friends on Coruscant will no longer be able to deliver your spice as they all decided to take…an early retirement, shall we say.” Sabo grimaced slightly at Revan’s implied meaning, and several pirates stepped forward in anger. “But” Revan continued, “I am sure we can come to some kind of, arrangement.”

            Sabo’s frown quickly turned into a smile and he gestured for the others to back down. “Now that’s the kind of talk we like to hear around these parts!” He said enthusiastically, “Anyway, before we get into the business side of things sir, there’s someone who would like to have a word with you if you wouldn’t mind following me…”

            “Lead the way.” Revan replied simply.

            Sabo smiled and turned, leaning Revan towards the main entrance.

            Revan rolled his eyes as the pirates quickly began to run into the ship and start taking whatever they could get their hands on, not even waiting for him to be out of view first.

            Revan was lead through several dark and dimly lit halls, before finally entering into the noisy and smoke-filled center room of the pirate base. Sabo led him past several haphazardly set up tables, benches, and other random pieces of furniture. Several tables were positioned specifically for twi'leks dancers, who were currently being jeered at by different pirates, while female Weequay moved around the room handing out drinks, though it seemed everyone already had a cup in hand. ‘It seems some things never change, even in 4,000 years of galactic history’ Revan thought to himself.

            As the pair made their way through the active space, half of the room eyed Revan with suspicion when the other half was too drunk or preoccupied to notice him. The stares, thoughts, and emotions were all clearly be felt by Revan in the Force and most of them were not friendly, to say the least.

            Eventually, Sabo led Revan to the largest table near the back, where several pirates were gathered, clearly enjoying themselves. At their center was a more fashionably dressed Weequay with tinted glasses and a red jacket to further make him stand out from the crowd. ‘The boss then,’ Revan noted.

            The head Weequay was laughing and telling a tale in some grandiose manner when he noticed Revan and Sabo approach and stopped himself. “Well well well, look what we have here boys! A guest! Come, come, someone get this man a drink! After all, he has brought one of our long-awaited shipments all the way from Coruscant and must be thirsty from such a long journey.

            Revan's brow raised slightly as he was surprised by how much this boss already knew. Despite his carefree appearance, he must stay well informed of whatever goes on in his base, reinforcing Revan's caution to not let his guard down.

            A female Weequay approached the group with a tray of drinks, quickly offering one to Revan, but he simply put a hand up without looking at her. The waitress, obviously intimidated, immediately took the out and walked away quickly.

            The boss frowned slightly at Revan's refusal but quickly turned to Sabo who proceeds to fill him in on who Revan is and that their friends on Coruscant are no more.

            “Well, that is unfortunate, but! These things do happen! And, what use is staying in the past, I say. The future is where profits are to be made! But I'm getting ahead of the plot, I haven't even introduced myself, how rude of me! My name is Hondo Ohnaka, and this,” He says as he wildly gestures around the room, “is my home! So, now that introductions are out of the way, and you clearly are not in the mood for refreshments, at the moment, let's get down to business, eh? So, Mr. uh...Revan, was it? Since you went to the trouble of coming all the way here, I must ask, what can I do for you?”

            Revan waited a moment before replying “A new ship.”

            Hondo chuckled slightly at his answer, “Yes, I heard the boys watching your approach. We weren't even sure you were going to make it to the base in one piece. Well, I'll tell you what, why don't you stay here one night and in the morning, we can discuss some… business arrangements.” Hondo leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table, “As the way I see it, I am going to need some extra compensation for you killing my good friends on Coruscant.” He finished his proposal with a slow sip of his drink.

            Sabo and the other pirates nearby turned to look at Revan expectantly, most of them already having their hands on their blasters.

            Revan crossed his arms and stood looking at Hondo for several moments, calculating his next move. After a lengthy silence, he spoke, “No deal. I want a ship now or you can forget about getting your spice.”

            Hondo frowned before leaning forward to glare slightly at the masked figure before him. He then began to tap his fingers slowly on the table and his tone lost its playful touch, “You know... Mr. Revan, I was hoping we could be more, how do you say? Diplomatic about all this, but then you have to go around and start making these kinds of forceful demands and reject my hospitality!”

            At this point, several pirates around the room begin to slowly get up from their seats and draw their blasters. Revan did not move to react in any way.

            “I am sorry to say my friend,” Hondo continued, “but you're really in no position to bargain at this point. My men have already acquired the spice, but on top of that,” Hondo then pulled out a small holocommunicator which showed a display of Revan’s wanted poster, “It seems the Republic have put quite a large bounty on bringing you in alive…” He said this last part with a proud smirk, “But! Let it never be said that I am not first and foremost a businessman, so, if you have a better offer than the one sitting in front of me, I would love to hear it!” Hondo smiled at Revan as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands behind his head.

            Revan now knew why this group had ever had a successful day in their lives. The entire operation rested on this one alien's shoulders, and he had to admit, Revan was impressed. Hondo certainly looked and acted like a carefree fool, but he was clearly anything but, in fact, Hondo may just be one of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy Revan had yet to encounter.

            After several moments of silence, as Revan contemplated his observations, Hondo finally spoke with a hint of frustration, “Well? Come now I do have other matters to deal with today.”

            “I have a better offer,” Revan finally spoke, causing Hondo to smile again, “Your lives.”

            There was a moment of tension as the whole room seemed to now be focused on Revan, even the dancers and musicians stopped at his words which seemed to echo with a deadly seriousness over the room. Hondo, who seemed to be the only one not gripped by a small level of fear began to laugh, which slowly caused the tension to die down, and the room slowly filled with laughter in agreement with Hondo. “Oh, my friend,” Hondo shook his head and slowly stood up, “I admire the tenacity and confidence, but surely you must see the situation for what it is!” He held his arms up as the pirates fully pointed their blasters at Revan from all sides and some began to move toward him on his sides and behind him, “You are surrounded, so, I suggest you come quietly and this can all be settled nice and easily, hmmm?”

            Revan tilted his head slightly and stared back at Hondo, slowly uncrossing his arms, and lowering them to his sides. He spoke again with the same deadly conviction as before, “Very well. If that's what you want.”

            Hondo smiled and nodded to Sabo who quickly pulled out a pair of handcuffs and moved towards Revan. When he was about a foot away Revan suddenly called two sabers out of his robes directly into his hands and ignited them.

            The smile on Hondo's face disappeared as he yelled out: “Jedi!” but it was too late. Sabo was already cut in half by one saber, as an invisible force grabbed the next closest pirate, and flung him directly onto the other waiting saber. The room erupted into chaos as blaster fire began to go off in every direction. Revan used the force to begin sprinting around the room, cutting off limbs, legs, heads, and torsos with every swing. He was like a swirling vortex of death that moved through the room almost too fast for the eye to keep up with, the flashing colors of red and purple sabers leaving a trail of devastation behind them. The number of pirates in the room began to drop exponentially, some not even managing to draw or fire their blasters in time before a saber found its way into or across them, killing them instantly. The pirates who did get to fire soon regretted it, as any shot that did somehow manage to not miss Revan, was instantly and expertly directly straight back into their chest or head. Revan called on the Force to enhance his movements, running, leaping, and dodging between tables, pillars, and pirates, choosing not to rely completely on his sabers for full offense and defense. He was tired of having to hold back for so long on Coruscant, and it felt good and powerful to be fully immersed in the Force again.

            Hondo stood stunned as he watched his pirates get massacred in front of him. He had dealt with Jedi and Sith before, but nothing like this. Revan was something else entirely and for one of the few moments in his entire life, Hondo began to feel fear creep up his spine. His thoughts were interrupted as he was pulled behind the now overturned main table by one of his guards and he quickly pulled out his communicator and shouted at his men to keep shooting Revan. Hondo active his comms and called in for reinforcements into the main hall, as one pirate beside him stood up, took a shot, and a moment later fell backward dead with a smoking blaster wound set perfectly between his eyes. Hondo yelled again into the communicator for his men to hurry up!

            Revan stabbed two more pirates straight through their chests and then used the Force to aim their blasters at two others who had just stood up from cover and shoot, both bolts embedding themselves in their ally’s skulls. Revan smiled slightly under his mask at how easy this was going to be when something in the Force drew his attention. He slowly stood up straight and looked at the main entrance before suddenly there was a large explosion that tore a large hole where the small doorway had just been. Revan moved his arm up slightly to protect himself from the scattered derby and then lowered it as the dust slowly settled. Coming out of the cloud of destruction were three large tanks tightly packed together. They were each manned by a pirate on the main open top gun, and they all began to laugh confidently as they aimed their cannons down at Revan. Revan stood confidently, not moving at all, he then put one of his sabers away, and taking a deep breath, he slowly raised one hand into the air in a fist.

            The pirates looked at each other confused, wondering if he was trying to surrender. One of them shrugged and was about to order the others to fire when he was cut off. Suddenly the air around Revan began to swirl slightly, whipping his cloak around him, then small sparks of electricity randomly began to shoot off around the room from the area surrounding his hand. The whole room began to feel like the air was becoming statically charged, and one pirate even got shocked harshly as he placed his hand on some metal on the wall. The pirates in the tanks shook themselves from their stupor and pressed down on their gun’s triggers. Before the triggers were fully pressed, Revan opened his first and a massive burst of Force Lightning poured out from his raised hand and split into three separate massive arcs that slammed into each of the tanks. The lightning was so powerful and massive that random bolts started to break off the main arcs and fly off Revan's hand, randomly striking around the room, causing the few pirates remaining to duck for cover. The pirates in the tanks could only scream in pain as their skin, blood and organs began to boil and smoke as they burned from the pure energy which relentlessly poured into them. The tanks started to shake violently from the energy, and sparks of wiring and internal components began to flash randomly off the tanks as they were quickly and devastatingly destroyed by the Force Storm. Soon the pirates’ screams faded as they died from the massive amounts of lightning. The tanks quickly reached their limited and exploded in massive fireballs that sent furniture flying across the room and the hole in the wall to quadruple in size.

            Revan, however, was unmoved, like a mountain defiantly coming up out of the ocean. The blast seemed to roll over him, blowing his cloak and robes backward wildly, but not moving him an inch. He slowly lowered his hand and took several deep breaths to steady himself, but not loud enough that anyone would hear it. He remained there for quite a while, simply looking at the smoldering fire and wreckage that used to be three tanks. He couldn't help but feel impressed with himself.

            Finally, he heard a familiar voice call out from the back of the room, “Stop! Stop! Everyone! Put your weapons down! “Hondo said as he came from around his cover holding his blaster and empty hand well above his head.” Revan turned and examined Hondo, choosing intentionally to leave one of his sabers on. Hondo cautiously approached Revan and said, “It seems you have made your point Mr. Revan. So please, let us not us have any more senseless bloodshed today. As I said, I am a businessman, and this current exchange is not profitable for either of us.” He accented his intention to have peace by slowly lowering his gun to the floor and kicking it towards Revan. “We are clearly at your mercy Jedi, or Sith, or whatever you are. So, what can I, and my humble crew, do for you?”

            Revan smirked slightly at how quickly Hondo adapted to every situation, clearly never missing a beat, the Jedi could benefit from that kind of thinking he mused to himself. He turned his saber off and put it back inside his cloak before answering, “As I said, I need a ship, and I was going to give you that spice and my old ship for free if only for the scrap it could give you.” Hondo’s smile slowly began to make its way onto his face as he heard this news, “But now,” Hondo’s smile immediately turned into a frown, “I think I’ll be needing about… 50,000 credits from you, as well as a brand new ship.”

            Hondo scoffed before saying, “50,000?! You know that’s most of the worth of that shipment and a new ship is worth a considerable amount already and-“ Revan simply tilted his head as if to say, ‘Do you really want to test me?’ Hondo, seeing the implied question, stopped his rant and put his hands up, "Alright, alright! Like I said, you've made your point. You know,” Hondo began with a chuckle, “I think I might like you, Mr. Revan. You might drive a hard bargain, but you are surprisingly simple to deal with all things considered."

            “Trust me Hondo, when you have lived through everything I have, keeping things simple is a refreshing state to be in, and a luxury I often am not afforded.”

            Hondo smiled at this and said, “Yes, I get what you mean... Well! Now that all this unpleasantry is behind us, let me show you to your ship then. We have a few already fueled up and ready to go, and I will have one of my men bring you your credits.

            Revan simply nodded and said, “Lead the way.”

            A 3-way holocommunications call is in progress. The one side of the call shows Jedi Masters Yoda, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Adi Gallia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, all of whom stood around a holo-terminal in the Jedi Temple hangar. Another side of the call was Chancellor Palpatine, sitting back in his newly fixed primary office. The last line of the call belonged to a certain notorious pirate.

            “Wait, hang on a minute. Are we really going to trust information from the guy who kidnapped up and tried to hold us for ransom? Does no one else see a problem with this?” Anakin spoke up to all members of the call.

            “For once, I must agree with my apprentice on this one.” Obi-Wan added into the conversation.

            Palpatine spoke up from his end of the communication, “I understand your reservations my friends, and while I was perfectly content to ignore this low-life pirate's obvious game, some of your other masters thought it prudent to hear him out when they learned of his transmission.”  Palpatine couldn't help but let out a small amount of frustration in the back end of his voice out as he finished.

            “Hondo did manage to capture Count Dooku, and he did not lie to us about holding him at their base on Florrum.” Master Adi countered.

            “Unwise, it would be, to turn away the council of another, before hearing that which they have to say.” Yoda stated, as a way of ending the argument.

            “Very well, what does the infamous Pirate have to say for himself?” Plo finally moved the conversation forward, growing tired of the debate.

            Hondo cleared his throat and stood up straight, “Well, gentlemen, and lady,” he said bowing slightly to Audi who simply crossed her arms. “I have come to you today to humbly offer my services to the great Republic and Jedi.” He accented with another bow and dramatic flourish of his hand.

            “How many credits do you want?” Audi asked bluntly.

            “Ah, I knew I would like you,” Hondo said with a smile, “So since it's straight to business then? Very well, here is my offer, the location of your recently escaped terrorist friend...” All eyes slightly widened at this possible lead, but waited for Hondo to name his price, “for free.”

            There was a moment of silence as the group looked at Hondo all very surprised. “I think I might be going crazy, did the Hondo Ohnaka, just offer to give something away for free?” Anakin asked in obvious disbelief.

            “I'm afraid I might be entering into that delirium with you Anakin, I heard it too.” Obi-Wan quipped.

            “Hardy har har! Yes, let's all laugh at this situation and waste everyone's time! That sounds like a great plan to me.” Hondo crossed his arms slightly annoyed.

            “What's the catch?” Windu broke his silence.

            Hondo dramatically put a hand to his chest and gasped, "Oh! Me? A catch? I am insulted! How could you accuse a simple man like myself, of double-crossing anyone?" The Jedi and even chancellor all turned to glare slightly at the pirate. Hondo looked around at all the different faces trying to play innocent when he finally sighed and said, “Alright, the truth is...if you send some Jedi after this man, you'll be paying me back simply by doing it.”

            “What do you mean by that?” Windu asked.

            “Let's just say your terrorist friend and I had a bit of a... crossing of paths, shall you say, and I would very much never like to cross paths with him again. So, if you are able to remove him from the galaxy for me, I will consider us even on the payment front!”

            The Jedi all looked at each other skeptically before Anakin spoke again, “How do you even know where he is?”

            “Ah-ha, good question master Jedi.” He then pulled out a datapad from his jacket, “Our mutual acquaintance demanded one of our ships and while I was less than happy to oblige, I did give him one of our... special ships.” He said with a mischievous smile, “All the data on the ship is sent directly back to me, including-“

            “It’s navigational inputs,” Plo stated before Hondo could finish his explanation.

            “Hmmm. Not a bad trick, even for a pirate.” Obi-Wan admitted.

            “So where is he headed? Adi asked firmly.

            Hondo sighed slightly before he answered, “Well since we are all such good friends now, I guess I can tell you. He is headed…” he looked down and double-checked the information, “to Tatooine.”

            As the call finally ended Palpatine leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced and brought up to his face as he pondered his options for several moments. He had expected a man like Revan to stay low and not draw attention to himself, being in such an unknown environment, and as tactically minded as the historical data had described him. Perhaps this wasn't the Revan of legends, but an imposter inspired by him. It might answer why he keeps getting found so quickly. It seemed there was only one way to test this new hypothesis.

            Pulling up his display Palpatine typed in a code on the console, before a retinal scanner appeared and verified his identity. His screen then changed to a black and red display with an entirely different selection of information than what had previously appeared. He began typing a simple but important message: ‘Revan has been spotted. Headed to Tatooine. Send Ventress.’

            The Jedi looked at each other once the communication had ended. “Quickly, you should go, to Tatooine, several steps behind our target, we already are.” Yoda spoke to the group with authority in his voice.

            Windu added, “We will notify any Republic fleets in that area, but as you are entering Hutt space if you need reinforcements, they will likely only be able to offer you an exit.”

            Kenobi answered, “We understand masters. We will report in as soon as we confirm or deny Hondo's information.”

            The group was about to bow and leave when they all heard a "Wait up!" The Jedis turned and Anakin spoke and moved forward towards the newcomer, "Snips?"

            Ahsoka jogged over to the group, a minor scar on her cheek as the only indication she had ever been in a fight recently. She looked her usual determined self. “Sorry I'm late, they discharged me from the medical ward, and I heard the strike team was heading out on a new lead.”

            “Possible, lead.” Anakin corrected with a slight scolding tone, “And you aren't part of the strike force, what are you doing here?”

            “It's obvious Skywalker, she's taking after you and wants to join where there might be some danger,” Adi said with a slight bit of teasing which the other Jedi smiled at.

            Ahsoka lowered her head sheepishly and said, “I'm sorry master, but I really feel like I should come on this mission…”

            “I do think this is the kind of assignment for a Padawan.” Windu spoke up, “Now come along Ahsoka, I'm sure your master will be fine without you.”

            The group began to move as the matter looked settled and they began to turn away when Ahsoka blurted out, “Wait!” causing the Jedi to again turn back towards her “...there's something you should know.”

            Plo moved forward and spoke, “Go on Ahsoka, we're listening.”

            Ahsoka nervously began to rub her arm before she finally said, “I think I can sense Revan even when he's making his presence in the Force.”

            The Jedi all looked at her with a mixture of confusion, worry, and skepticism. Seeing their disbelief, she spoke louder and stood up straighter, “It’s true! Why do you think Barriss and I came across him first? We weren't just wandering the archives aimlessly. I could feel him in the library when clearly no one else in the temple could.”

            The Jedi all began to look at each other unsure of what to do, Ahsoka looked at her master pleading with him to believe her, he sighed and began to speak, “Ahsoka, this is some pretty big information to suddenly be dropped on us, and I don't think it's a good idea-“

            But before he could finish Plo suddenly put his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder and cut him off, “-To leave her behind.” The group looked at Plo surprised, before he continued looking down into Ahsoka's eyes, “If Ahsoka can sense Revan when none of us can, it would be a huge waste of an advantage to not bring her, and with how many hiding places there are on Tatooine, she may be our only chance of finding him.”

            Ahsoka felt surprised that Plo was standing up for her, and a little hurt that Anakin didn't take her side, but before she could thank her former master, Adi spoke up, “Master Plo has a point. Now, if this is all settled, let's go already! Revan is probably halfway to Tatooine by now!” She said as she moved towards the waiting ship.

            Obi-Wan looked at Anakin and shrugged before saying, “Welcome aboard Ahsoka Tano. Glad to have you as part of the team.” and he too went to the ship.

            Anakin looked at Ahsoka and sighed, obviously overruled before saying, “Alright then. You're on the team but try not to fall behind Snips.”

            Ahsoka smiled slightly and went to follow Anakin when she turned to look at Plo, “Master I-“

            Before she can thank him, Plo simply holds up his hand and says, “There's no need Ahsoka, just promise me that you will be safe. I fear this mission may be more dangerous than we realize.”

            Ahsoka smiled, nodded, and bowed deeply to Plo, “I promise, master.”

            Plo bowed back slightly before saying, “May the force be with you.”

            Ahsoka smiled once more, then, hearing Anakin calling for her, she quickly turned and ran towards the ship.

            Plo watched the ship until the moment it disappeared into the atmosphere. Quietly he breathed a heavy sigh. It never got easier, seeing them leave...

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 – Hunted

Revan sat in the middle of a SoroSuub Corporation Yacht cockpit; the low hum of hyperspace created a peaceful ambiance. The former Jedi Knight was in a traditional meditation pose, his eyes closed in quiet concentration. He had spent the majority of his trip going over the most relevant information he had gathered from the Jedi Temple and now possessed a basic understanding of what had happened after his jump through time, the fate of most of his companions, and a brief overview of the past 4,000 years of galactic history. The current Galactic Civil War was of great interest to the former Sith Lord, and he couldn't help but find some measure of amusement in seeing almost half of the galaxy in outright rejection of the Republic; something he could somewhat personally identify with. His own relationship with the Republic was...complicated, to say the least. There was still more to learn and much more to study, but what he had learned would suffice for now.

Upon completion of his reading, a wave of held off exhaustion had swept over Revan. His mind was still racing with questions and unsolved issues, but his body was beginning to protest and demand some rest. Taking a look at the navigation system's remaining time to Tatooine, it did not seem to facilitate the kind of rest Revan was in need of, so he opted instead for an old military trick he had created for his Jedi during the Mandalorian War. Meditate within the Force and use it to accelerate your body's natural healing process, which mimics the effect of actually getting sleep. This did not fully negate the need for actual rest, the Force can only do so much to compensate for one's physical needs, but this trick did allow Revan and his followers to go days or weeks at a time without actually sleeping and thus keeping their response times as high as possible.

Unfortunately for Revan, the meditation was not as restful as he had hoped. Upon entering into a meditative state, he immediately felt the weight of the war come upon him. While Revan was not unfamiliar with war, it had been some time since he experienced the effects of one within the Force. Additionally, he had never experienced a war on this scale and its effect on the Force was staggering. The whole galaxy seemed to be shrouded in the dark side, no doubt from the war itself, but there was something else, something deeper perpetuating this almost impenetrable shadow. The Force itself also seemed weaker somehow. There was a distinct lack of trained Force users that could be felt, and despite the large veil of darkness the only significant presence in the Force was that of the Jedi Order. This left Revan with a very disturbing question that began to turn his stomach as certain memories whispered on the edge of his fractured mind: Where were the Sith?

Taking a deep breath, Revan centered himself. These questions would have to wait until he had more time to reflect. As Revan slowly allowed the Force to concentrate on his physical form and mind, something caught his attention. When he had arrived on Coruscant, Revan had attempted to reach out to Bastila through their bond in the Force. Instead of feeling her familiar and calming presence, Revan had felt nothing, a hollow emptiness. In the moment, he had willed himself to look for answers, and not dwell on her absence, which he found in the Jedi Temple. However, now that he had taken a moment to dwell in the Force longer, he noticed something incredibly subtle, a sensation so small he might have never sensed it. There was something else, someone else, there. Barely in the back of his mind and deep within that empty void left by the Force bond was another presence.

Before Revan could fully dive into that mental cavern, the navi-computer began to beep its standard alarm to alert the pilot that the hyperdrive would need to be disengaged soon. Revan growled slightly as his eyes sprang open on instinct, his years of military, Jedi, and Mandalorian training tensed his body to be ready to react to the outside stimuli. Revan took a moment to consider trying to meditate again and find the source of that presence but glancing at the navi-computer and seeing he had arrived at his destination he decided it would have to wait. He sighed as he stretched and stood up to move into the pilot's chair. His list of "things that would have to wait" was growing uncomfortably long.

Taking hold of the ship's controls with practiced assurance, Revan smiled slightly to himself as he looked over the console before him and remembered the look on Hondo's face when he demanded this ship instead of the others that were presented to him. While the former general had never had the chance to fly in a luxury civilian ship, Revan reasoned that while the ship might attract more attention from pirates and petty criminals, it would make any encounters with legitimate military or militia much easier. Plus, a part of him had to admit that he always wanted to own a luxury ship. That whole experience with the pirates had been interesting, to say the least, and Revan suspected that that would not be the last time he saw Hondo Ohnaka.

Revan reached across the control panel and with several quick switch flicks and button presses the familiar jolt of coming out from hyperspace caused him to shift slightly in his seat. Revan's eyes squinted as he looked up to see the bight view of Tatooine, as its gleaming sand quickly filled the entire horizon. A few different emotions made their way through Revan's mind as he looked down at the approaching planet. He had never liked Tatooine, the poverty, the crime, and don't get him started on the sand! Coarse, rough, getting everywhere, it would take him days to get all of it out of his clothing. But Tatooine had also been a place he could rely on, strange as it might seem. No matter what else might change in the galaxy, Tatooine would never change, and that very quality is why he had chosen it...

Before he could reflect further, the console in front of him began to indicate that he was being hailed by the surface below. The transmission carried the Hutt Cartel insignia. Revan scoffed slightly at this obvious intimidation technique but reached over and answered the call none-the-less.

"Go ahead." He said shortly so as to gain more information without giving any away.

A bored alien answered after a brief pause of silence. "Unidentified vessel, you are entering Hutt controlled space. State your business and your intended landing zone."

Revan raised a brow slightly at this request. It would seem that the Hutts had taken a more active role in tracking the ships coming in and out of their planet. Perhaps the war had made them more cautious than in previous times. Thinking for a moment Revan answered, "Ground control, I am here on personal business. Intended destination is Anchorhead."

There was a long silence, one that made Revan slowly flex his hands and roll his shoulders in slight nervousness. Finally, the alien spoke again, "Come again vessel, did you say Anchorhead?"

It was too late to back out now, "Affirmative." Revan replied.

"Well, I don't know what you want with a dying mining town, but I don't get paid enough to ask questions. Just remember, you're in Hutt space now, don't cause any trouble on Tatooine if you know what's good for your health."

Revan chuckled slightly before quickly responding, "Thank you for the advice."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The alien dismissively said before ending the transmission.

Revan looked back at the planet before him, "I guess even Tatooine changes a little after thousands of years." He then gripped the controls tighter and began his descent.

A large thunderstorm began to form over a quiet forest on the planet Serenno. The animals of the forest began to scatter into their respective burrows and nests. The relative silence was soon broken as a blaster bolt flew through the air and struck the truck of a tree just above one of its largest branches. A half-second before the bolt landed a black-cloaked figure jumped from the branch with incredible speed, barely escaping a fatal hit.

The figure continued to jump between the branches of the forest as more shots rang out, each one streaking through the air with deadly accuracy and intent. Moving quickly along the same path as the cloaked individual were four heavily modified BX-Series Commando Droids. The Separatist droids pursued their target with both agility and speed, making use of jetpacks, grappling hooks, and hydraulic pistons within their legs. These instruments allowed them to match the pace and speed of the cloaked figure. The droid's advanced sensors and targeting systems would have meant death to any other individual, but their current target was barely staying alive thanks to their sheer velocity and unpredictable movements.

As the droids continued to slowly close the close gap between them and their prey, one of the commandos quickly calculated the next most probable move for its target and in an instant turned its weapon to fire on a branch in front of the target.

Before the cloaked individual could react, the branch they had decided to jump to next was hit with several shots, causing it to break and fall away to the forest floor below. Cursing under their breath, the figure quickly twisted themselves in mid-air, altering their course enough to push off the trunk of that same tree and quickly leap to a different branch that would hold them. Unfortunately, while this reaction did save them from dropping several stories, it had also caused their momentum to slow, giving the droids a few precious seconds to decrease their gap. Blaster bolts flew around the figure, one of which grazed their right shoulder, causing them to wince in pain. This mistake seemed to anger the figure and they launched from their momentary pause with even greater speed than before.

The chase continued for several moments with heated intensity. The figure continued to dance between the trees in a flurry of flips, spins, kicks and practiced grace and skill, while the pursing droids represented more of a bulldozer as they blasted and tore their way along the same path.

The figure's movements just barely began to slow. The commando's inhuman vision caught this change, and just as the four droids aimed their blasters to take a final shot, the figure suddenly jumped straight to the forest floor. The droids only took one-tenth of a second to recalculate and respond to this unprecedented move, each of them quickly diving after their prey. The four pursuers rapidly made their way down to the floor, and with the use of their jetpacks managed to land in a coordinated box shape, surrounding the figure.

The cloaked individual stood in front of the base of a large tree, clearly one of the oldest within the forest. They were looking directly at the truck of the tree, with their back to the droids that had just landed. Attached to the trunk were two curved lightsaber hilts, each one a combination of silver and black metal. The figure reached out a hand and the two sabers were quickly pulled through the air by an invisible force. As soon as they reached the figure's hands, two crimson red blades were activated and the figure turned to face their pursuers.

Upon seeing the activated lightsabers, the droids slowly lowered their blasters. After a brief moment of calculations, each commando pulled out a sword from their back and took an offensive stance. The figure slowly raised one hand and beckoned for a fight.

The four commandos charged at once, coordinating their attacks with deadly precision. Blades clashed with sabers as the figure moved with almost blinding speed, blocking each of the strikes perfectly as they came, before elegantly moving to intercept the next attack. After several moments of heated blocking and striking, the figure leaped out from between the commandos and landed behind the north-most one. Before the droid could properly react, a saber blade broke through the chest of the droid causing sparks and sputtering's to emit from it. The blade quickly traveled upward and sliced the top half of the droid in two, exposing its super-heated internal components. Two more droids rushed their opponent, but one was dropped with a swift kick followed by a slice across its chest, while the other missed its swing and instantly received a saber through one of its eyes in response. The last droid used its jetpack to ascend above the figure and come down hard with a strike from above, but the figure managed to roll away from underneath it. The droid turned and went to intercept a red blade with its sword, but at the last moment the saber turned off, leaving the droid paused and recalculating for just a fraction of a second, but that was all it took for the second saber to find it's mark, cutting the droid in two at the waist.

A new silence slowly began to settle over the fresh battle scene, only disturbed by the hum of a lightsaber, the sparks and smoke of several destroyed droids, and the faint breathing of the cloaked figure. As a new wave of thunder began to roll over the valley from the approaching storm, a quiet beep started to originate from the figure's black robes. The figure quickly turned off their remaining saber and reached onto their hip to pull out a small holocommunicator from beneath their clothing.

Before answering the incoming call, Asajj Ventress removed her hood and mask from around her face. Pressing the side of her communicator, the small, yet detailed form of Count Dooku appeared in her hand, glowing a transparent blue. Bowing her head slightly she spoke, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"I see you have completed your exercise with the new commando droids, well done." Count Dooku's voice carried a hint of approval, but his aristocratic tone quickly defaulted back to its normal seriousness. "But I have not called to check on the progress of your training. Return to the castle at once. I have a new assignment for you."

"I will arrive shortly, my lord." Ventress replied with another bow.

"Do not keep me waiting." Dooku stated before ending the transmission.

Ventress soon arrived at Castle Serenno by means of a STAP, which had been waiting for her nearby in the forest. The Sith assassin quickly made her way into one of the grand halls of the castle, where Dooku was waiting, seated behind a large, white, ornately carved desk. The white, grey, and green halls of House Serenno were made with expert craftsmanship and every level of the large complex had been created to display wealth, power, and authority. Ventress always thought the palace was a little too gaudy but would never dare to say anything even appearing to be negative about her master's home.

Now dressed in her usual Sith attire, she swiftly made her way to the foot of a small set of stairs that led up to the desk at the end of the room. The green hue of the large circular window behind Dooku cast an eerie glow over the space. "What is my new mission?" Ventress asked as she knelt a few feet from the bottom-most step.

Dooku looked down at his apprentice/assassin, a slight flash of approval crossed his old features but quickly disappeared into his usual scowling expression. He slowly rose from his chair and made his way to the front of the desk, speaking as he did so. "I have recently been informed of an interesting situation. The Jedi are hunting a supposed terrorist and have tracked him to Tatooine. There are some...concerns about the identity of this individual."

"Why should an enemy of the Jedi be a concern to us?" Ventress asked with half confusion and half curiosity.

Dooku quickly glared down at his kneeling assassin. "Do not interrupt me with your pointless questions."

His voice carried only a slight hint of anger, but it was enough to cause Ventress to crouch lower towards the ground. "Forgive me, master."

Dooku glared for only a moment longer before settling back down again. "You are to go to Tatooine, with an escort of MagnaGuards, and bring this individual back to me. Dead or alive does not matter. What is paramount is that the Jedi walk away with nothing. A ship is already fueled, loaded, and waiting for you in the hangar, along with a datapad containing all the information you need. The Jedi are already ahead of you, so you must move quickly if you are to succeed."

Ventress quickly stood and bowed her head to her master before saying, "I will leave at once, my lord."

"Be cautious Ventress. This unknown person has held their own against several Jedi Masters at once. Do not underestimate them."

"My power has grown considerably, thanks to your teaching. I will not fail." She stated confidently before turning and making her way out of the room.

"See that you do not." Dooku spoke in response as she left, before quietly saying, "For your sake."

An Ithorian mechanic sat at his dust-covered desk in one of the few still operating hangars in the small mining town of Anchorhead. Several old and busted data pads laid across the desk, which sat against the single dusty window of a cramped, makeshift workspace. The room was filled with shelves containing anything from busted droids, damaged ship parts, or various power tools most of which were too clogged with sand to work properly. Sterr had bought the old hangar years ago, right when he had heard that Anchorhead was going to be resettled for the first time in several hundred years. His friends had sold him on the idea, convinced him that the ore deposits found just outside of the abandoned settlement's walls were going to make everyone who came there filthy rich. But just like most things in Sterr's life, the reality had been much harsher than he had been prepared for.

While the town did see an initial financial boom as different companies and prospectors came out to see if the newly found ore deposits were of any value, and several waves of people rushed to the once-bustling city in hopes of a better life, soon the settlement was back on the brink of abandonment. The initial findings of ore had been deceptive, to say the least, and after less than one solar cycle, the most valuable deposits had already been dug up, leaving only mediocre metals that were barely usable. At that point, most people left the town again, but the few that still could be paid to mine stayed; them and the ones that lived at the cantina. Sterr would have left as well, but he had no other prospects, no other skills to fall back on, and had spent all of his savings on buying the largest hanger in the town; a decision he still hated himself for. The only thing that had kept the Ithorian afloat was the occasional arrival of hunters who would spend several weeks out in the vast dunes looking for uncommon creatures to capture or kill and bring back to the core worlds, but lately, even the hunters had stopped coming.

Sterr sat at his desk, looking at his desperate financial situation. He had taken out a loan to keep himself going a few weeks ago but being his normal naive self, he had no idea the financier had been an enforcer for the Hutts, not until a few unsavory individuals had shown up yesterday and threatened to burn the hangar down if he didn't pay back what he owed plus interest. Things seemed hopeless. The tired Ithorian let out a long sigh before closing his eyes and resting his head on the desk.

Before the mechanic could spiral further in his mental depression, a few items on the desk subtlety began to shake. Sterr opened one eye in confusion and glanced around as more and more items began to shake around him. Quickly, Sterr bolted up as the uncommon, yet familiar sensation hit him that a ship was coming in to land. He looked out of the window as his few pit droids began to activate inside the hangar and run around in a panicked and unpracticed frenzy, crashing into one another and tripping over randomly scattered tools and miscellaneous parts.

Sterr quickly ran out of his cramped workspace, and stood on the edge of the hangar, raising a hand to help block the sun as he looked into the sky hoping for an incoming ship. A large shadow finally fell over the hangar as a ship began to lower itself into the walled-off area. Sterr's eyes went wide as he looked at a full luxury Yacht descended into his piece of property. He had only seen a ship that expensive on the holonet.

As the dust settled, which had been kicked up from the ship's engines, a smooth white ramp slowly lowered from under the front portion of the hull, and a humanoid individual, covered in a large brown hooded robe stepped out from the ship and approached Sterr. The Ithorian quickly shook himself out of his stupor and kicked one of his pit droids that was still running around. He began to feel very nervous as it had been almost a year since he had last had a visitor. "We-welcome s-sir. M-my name i-iss St-sterr." He began to stutter out in slightly broken Basic.

Revan walked up to the clearly nervous Ithorian and stopped a few feet away from the mechanic. He slowly glanced around the hangar he had landed in. It had been the only one large enough to accommodate his ship, but now he was slightly regretting his decision. The whole hangar was a mess, parts scattered everywhere, the three pit droids were clearly in need of cleaning and repair, and the whole place looked like it was beginning to be absorbed back into the dunes of Tatooine. Revan finally turned his attention to the dirty Ithorian before him. Revan sensed that he was worried, yet honest, hardworking, and in desperate need of help. Revan had always had a slight admiration for Ithorians and wished the galaxy valued their dependability and humility more. But sadly, they were often used and mistreated by those around them, and this lowly mechanic seemed to be no exception.

Revan pulled his hood down to reveal his unmasked face and gave Sterr a small but reassuring smile. Revan had found the large, bulky, brown cloak on the ship, along with other items of clothing, and decided to use it to cover his usual appearance. His mask and sabers hung on the side of his belt also hidden away but reassuring close. He then spoke in not perfect, but decent Ithorese, "Thank you for the warm welcome Sterr."

Sterr's eyes widened greatly as he heard his native tongue come out of the human before him. He could not help himself as his features broke into what his species would describe as a 'large grin' and he responded back in Ithorese with great energy and enthusiasm, "Oh sir, I cannot begin to describe how wonderful it is to hear my own tongue again! I have not had the pleasure in many years!"

Revan frowned slightly at this bit of information, "Are there no other Ithorians here in Anchorhead?"

Sterr's enthusiasm quickly fell along with his 'grin' as he answered, "I am afraid not sir. There are only a few hundred individuals in all of Anchorhead at present. Most have given up on this Sarlacc pit of a town since most of the mines dried up."

"I see..." Revan said as he glanced around once more with a slightly different perspective on the scene before him, "Then I am curious Sterr, if you do not mind me being so bold, why are you still here?"

Sterr looked down at the ground and nervously kicked some sand with his foot, "...Because of my debts, sir. That, and I am afraid even without them, I do not have anywhere else to go to start my life over."

Revan nodded slowly at this information. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke again, "Well Sterr," The Ithorian quickly looked up, "It seems my ship is in need of fuel and a tune-up. I believe the left engine was causing me a slight lean as I came in for reentry. Are you able to take a look at her for me?"

Sterr's eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly gazed down the side of the ship. The Yacht looked to be in near-perfect condition, and he doubted it would take much time or be worth much as far as payment for labor went. A part of his mind began to creep in with the idea that he should lie to this human and take longer than necessary to work on his ship, maybe even give a false report on what needed to be done. He desperately needed the money and this human obviously had plenty, so what was the harm in a few false claims?

Sterr quickly shook these thoughts from his mind, they weren't in his character. He was an Ithorian of integrity and honor. No matter how bad things got in life or how much he lost, he could at least hold on to his dignity. Having made up his mind, he turned to Revan and said, "I can do a thorough inspection of your vessel, sir. However, from my own observation, she seems to be nearly perfect at a glance. I do not believe it will take me much time to repair what minor issues there may be, and my pit droids can refuel your ship with haste."

Revan, who had been sensing in the Force the Ithorian's brief moral dilemma, smiled slightly as the Ithorian gave his predictions for the work that needed to be done. "I understand. I will need a thorough inspection of the entire ship, top to bottom. I do not exactly trust the man I... acquired it from. However, I am more than happy to pay you a retainer fee upfront for ensuring the safety of the vessel and paying you the full cost of your labor and parts on my return. Simply tell what it cost you and I will gladly pay, no questions."

Sterr's eyes went wide yet again as he heard this generous offer from a very amicable human. He quickly stumbled out a reply so as not to stay stunned, "Oh, uh, of course, sir! My droids and I will conduct a complete diagnostic of your ship. And as for watching your ship, normally I give a flat fee at the end of my work, usually 50 credits, sir."

Revan nodded before slowly walking around the Ithorian and purposefully looking for something. "That is agreeable. While on the subject of upfront pay..." His eyes finally settled on what he had been looking for, "Is that a working land speeder?" He asked as he gestured to an almost fully covered, under a dusty tarp, Zephyr-G swoop bike.

Sterr's gaze slowly drifted across the hangar to where Revan was pointing and settled with a mix of confusion and surprise. "Well...Yes, that is my personal speeder bike, modified her myself. Haven't used her in ages mind you, but she still runs."

"How does it handle the dunes?" Revan asked as he made his way over to the covered bike.

Sterr quickly followed, "Fantastically. I built her for long-distance travel. Had to compensate for that with some of the thruster max speed. As a result, she will burn out if you try to take her to full speed, but she's never broken down on me. Most dependable thing I own."

Revan reached his destination and quickly pulled the tarp away, throwing a great cloud of dust and revealing a slightly rusted, but overall well-maintained bike. Revan quickly looked over the vehicle and saw that it was indeed modified. It seemed this mechanic was far better skilled than his work environment indicated. Revan nodded before turning to look at Sterr. "I would like to rent your bike."

"Well sir, I would be happy to lend it to you, but I am afraid the town is far too small for you to have any need of it here while you wait for my work to complete."

Revan chuckled slightly and shook his head, "No, no. You misunderstand me my Ithorian friend, I intend to take her out into the wastes, far outside the city walls."

Sterr was slightly surprised by this information, but quickly asked, "Are you a hunter then, sir?"

Revan smirked slightly at the question, "Depends on the day."

Sterr was confused by this answer but decided it was best not to question it. "Very well sir. I am slightly embarrassed to say I do not know what a fair price would be to charge you for the use of my bike."

Revan responded, "Seeing as how you are taking the extra time to watch my ship while I am away, and this is your prized personal vehicle, I would say... 5,000 credits would be a fair fee for all this."

The Ithorian almost choked on the air he was breathing when he heard that number. He began to sputter out a distressed explanation of how that was far too much to be a fair deal, and he couldn't possibly accept, but Revan simply raised his hand to stop him. "It is refreshing to deal with an honest individual for a change. Consider this my personal thanks, and assurance that you will take great care in looking through my ship."

After a few moments of intense emotions, Sterr finally stood up straight and nodded with confidence, "Of course sir. You can count on me."

Revan smiled, reached into his pocket, and handed Sterr the credits along with a small, hand-held communicator which had also come from the ship. "Keep that close in case I have need to contact you, and of course feel free to call me with any updates you have." He explained.

Sterr nodded. "Of course. I will get to work immediately. Happy hunting, sir."

Revan smiled in response before turning, mounting the speeder bike, and with an experienced kick the engine roared to life, and he quickly flew out of the hangar.

Sterr watched the man leave, he looked down at the credits in his hand wondering how he had been fortunate enough to be given this freedom. He clenched the credits tightly, before turning towards the ship with a renewed energy.

The soft jazz-like music of a large band slowly echoed through the underground clay halls of Jabba's Palace. The large Hutt crime lord sat on his custom throne with a bored expression. Around him was the general murmur of guards, advisors, and a few droid assistants. The cool, dusty, room was relatively quiet but still filled with the usual scum and villainy that always occupied the main hall.

As Jabba began to slowly drift into his standard afternoon nap, one of his advisors cautiously approached the large Hutt and with a shaky hand reached out to gently tap Jabba's arm. "Uh...Great Jabba."

The crime lord jolted slightly as his peaceful mind was disturbed by the intrusion. Several eyes turned in the direction of the large throne in response to Jabba's movements. Some stared skeptically at the advisor who had dared to disturb the short-tempered Hutt.

Jabba turned slightly to acknowledge the advisor and said in groggy, but clearly annoyed Huttese, "You better have a good reason for disturbing me..."

The advisor quickly bowed and rapidly spoke in a nervous tone, "Of course your excellency. I deeply apologize for disturbing you, but I thought it best to inform you of a transmission waiting for you."

Jabba growled slightly as he turned fully to glare at the shriveling alien beside him, "And who is calling me that is important enough to not be told to wait?" Hearing their master's clear anger, several Gamorrean guards raised their war axes and took a slight step towards the throne.

The advisor jumped back slightly at the surrounding hostility, but quickly continued in his explanation, "The pirate Hondo Ohnaka, my liege."

Upon hearing this Jabba paused as his emotions quickly shifted to curiosity. "Hmmm... That is interesting... Pull up the transmission!" Jabba ordered loudly, drawing the attention of the entire room.

An astromech droid quickly wheeled itself to the middle of the floor in front of the throne and projected a full-sized hologram. After a few seconds of blurry connection, the transparent blue image of Hondo Ohnaka stood in the middle of the palace hall. "Jabba!" The Weequay spoke with his trademark accent and showmanship mannerisms. "It has been a long time, my old friend. May I just say that you look fantastic!" He gestured widely with both hands at the Hutt who simply raised a brow in skepticism. "Have you lost weight?"

"Hondo!" Jabba answered back loudly in his deep guttural tone. "I am surprised to see your face here, especially after our last encounter..." The crime lord let his sentence trail off with a slight growl.

Hondo quickly raised his two hands in front of him and took a step back. "Come on now, what's a few tons of spice to men like us, huh? Besides, your men said it was your shipment, my men said your men were already dead when they boarded the ship, who's to say what really happened?" Jabba growled at Hondo upon hearing this. "Easy my Hutt friend, let us not allow a small squabble in our past get blown out of proportion! Besides, have our other dealings not been very, very profitable for all parties involved?"

Jabba scoffed slightly before asking bluntly, "Stop wasting my time pirate. What do you want?"

Hondo nodded his head slightly at this, "Yes, yes, the ever-impatient Jabba, always waiting to get straight to the point. Very well! I am calling you today, oh great Jabba of Tatooine, to inform you of a very... profitable piece of information. I am sure you have heard stirrings of a Republic terrorist who recently escaped Coruscant? The one who currently has a rather sizable bounty on his head? Well, I just so happen to know where he is..." The room had been watching the exchange between the two crime lords with some amused interest, but at this last piece of information, most members of the audience were leaning forward in their chairs or tightly gripping their blasters. Most had seen the bounty when it was created, then it had doubled and finally tripled when news broke to the public that the criminal had managed to escape the planet.

Jabba watched Hondo's face for any signs of deception or trickery, but his usual enthusiastic smile revealed nothing. "What do you want Hondo?" The Hutt finally broke the several tense moments of silence.

Hondo's smile widened slightly, and he stood up straight before answering, "For this amazing piece of information, my price is..." The room leaned in closer in anticipation, "Nothing." Jabba's eyes widened in surprise at this and surprised murmurings began to make their way around the room. After giving adequate time for the surprise to settle, Hondo continued, "He is in Anchorhead, right in your backyard of Tatooine."

Several humans and aliens began to stir more obviously, and the conversations began to grow slightly louder. Jabba quickly glared around the room to bring the levels of noise down, which they immediately did, then turned back to the hologram and asked, "What's your trick here, pirate?"

Hondo's face turned into a large frown and one hand slapped against his chest. "Oh! Who, me? Trick? Jabba I am offended! Truly, after all we have been through, how could you accuse me of such things?" Before Jabba could answer Hondo dropped the act and laughed loudly. "Oh Jabba, no one can pull anything over you, so I will tell you- oh?" Hondo's gaze seemed to move to something in his environment. "Oh, I am so sorry my friend, but I must go, business never sleeps, as you know! Good luck with the bounty!" And the call was terminated.

The room fell silent for several moments before several individuals stood up and began to argue loudly about who would claim the bounty. Tensions quickly rose as blasters began to be drawn and pointed around the room.

Suddenly, a loud yell reverberated around the room, causing small clouds of dust and sand to shake off the cool clay walls. The arguing immediately ceased as all eyes turned to the source of the noise, which was a very annoyed looking Jabba the Hutt. This, combined with several Gamorrean guards standing at full attention, made it very clear to the various hunters and assassins that there would no fighting in the palace.

Finally, a deep, gravelly voice spoke up from one of the darker corners of the room, "I'll be taking that bounty." Most of the room turned towards the source of the noise and watched as a brown leather-clad figure, with a wide-brimmed matching brown hat that hid their face, slowly made their way to the center of the room. Aliens and humans quickly moved out of the way of the individual as they walked close and the atmosphere in the room seemed to tense up slightly. The figure finally reached the area directly in front of Jabba's throne and slowly lifted their head, revealing the distinct blue skin and almost glowing red eyes of an alien Duros. "As long as there are no objections..." Cad Bane looked at Jabba directly, waiting for the Hutt's approval to operate in his territory.

Before Jabba could respond, another voice rang out, "Now hold on there!" A group of Quarren quickly made their way into the open space of the middle of the room. "What gives this guy the nerve to think he can just claim an open bounty all to himself? I bet he couldn't hit the side of a cruiser with that ridiculous hat on! And-"

Before the alien could continue with any further insults, a shot rang out from the middle of the room. Suddenly, Bane was holding a custom silver blaster, which no one had seen him pull out until after the shot had been fired. A small stream of smoke slowly rose from between the eyes of the Quarren, who stood for a few seconds before his body finally collapsed to the floor. Bane quickly swiveled around the room now holding both blasters pointed at the ceiling, "Any other objections?" He asked loudly, challenging the room.

The criminal audience, along with a few of the guards took a step back in fear, and the previously bold Quarren group, quickly drug their former leader back into the shadows. Bane glared down a few hunters who still had their hands on their blasters before twirling his pistols and instantly holstering them back in the folds of his layered attire. The Chiss then turned back to Jabba, sliding his fingers along the edge of his hat in a practiced manner, "Now that that issue is settled… If you don't mind, I'd like to get on with my business."

Jabba simply gave a deep laugh in response and waved Bane out the door, who nodded in response, turned on his heels, and made his way up the stairs.

The vast dunes of Tatooine's rolling and ever-changing sands stretched out in all directions as a single swoop bike gracefully made its way over the never-ending terrain. Revan had equipped his mask upon leaving the settlement and was thankful for its protection, as single particles of sand created continuous metallic clinks as they bounced off its red and black surface with high velocity. Revan's head slowly scanned the horizon, keeping a vigilant eye out both physically and in the Force for any potential signs of danger. Not within physical view, Revan's mask was projecting his current geological location directly to the former dark lord and had created a simple but effective hologram display of how far he was from his intended destination.

Revan did his best to stay concentrated and not let his mind wander, the dunes of Tatooine were mysterious, treacherous, and a hiding place for all manner of dangerous entities. After an hour or so of skillful driving, Revan's tension slowly relaxed, and despite the searing heat from the dual suns, he began to enjoy the relative peace and feel of the bike. The scene around him slowly began to bring back old memories of swoop bike racing on Taris and Manaan. Revan chuckled slightly to himself as those days and events now seemed so peaceful, simple. The galaxy was far less... complicated from his perspective back then. But, then again, he had not exactly had a very clear perspective. Inevitably, memories of his former comrades began to slowly drift into his mind, and his thoughts quickly turned bitter and slightly guilty at how long it had been since their passings'.

Revan gripped the handles of the bike more firmly and increased speed, taking one of the larger sandbanks and ramping off it as a way to increase his time. Not long after his trip down memory lane, Revan's mask display notified him that he had arrived. Deftly pulling the bike to the side, Revan slid his vehicle sideways for several feet before finally coming to a full stop. Leaving the bike running, his masked gaze slowly began to scan his surroundings, invisibly changing through several different filters and types of vision through his mask's built-in visor. The area Revan had stopped in was functionally identical to the rest of Tatooine's surface, with no structures, landmarks, or even tracks to take note of.

As the former general was scanning the area before him, he stopped as he barely sensed something in the Force. Revan turned fully in his seat and to his slight surprise saw two Tusken Raiders standing some 50 feet away, just to the side of one of the larger dunes. Revan had always wondered if their people had some unique connection to the Force on this planet that allowed them to possess certain abilities. Maybe that was why the Rakata were never able to make them a slave race like the majority of the galaxy.

The sand people simply stood, both were holding slugthrower rifles almost taller than either of them, but they were not aimed at Revan. After a few moments where the old sound came from the occasional whistling of wind, Revan slowly dismounted his bike and faced the Raiders, who only turned their heads slightly in response. Revan wished that HK were here for this encounter, he quickly thought back to his interaction with this race many years ago. Taking a slight gamble, Revan slowly pulled back the large brown hood from his bulk robe, place his hands together in a specific gesture, and bowed deeply towards the two Raiders, before standing straight up again. The Tuskens did not seem to react in any noticeable way, simply watching Revan's movements. Just as he was starting to prepare for a fight the two Raiders bowed back very slightly and walked behind the dune, they had been standing beside, out of sight.

Revan gave a half-smile behind his mask; he had honestly not expected that to work as he had only barely remembered the gesture that the Tusken chief had given upon their final encounter. Enjoying his moment of good fortune, Revan turned back to the opposite side of the bike, where his gaze finally fell on one particular sand dune perpendicular to the nose of the bike.

Revan slowly made his way to the large mound of sand. Once he was several feet from the start of its gentle slope, he knelt down on a single knee, placing his hand flat against the ground beneath him. The wind picked up and whipped his oversized coat around him. After a few moments of silent concentration, the sand around Revan began to slowly lift straight up. As more and more particles of sand started to float around him, a faint rumbling sound could be heard coming from a few feet in front of him. As the seconds passed, the sound became louder and louder, and the ground around Revan began to shake.

Suddenly, several dark grey boulders and various large rocks burst from the bottom of the tall sand dune directly in front of him. They were launched with a considerable amount of force, flying over his head or to his side and landing in various scattered positions around him with powerful and loud impacts. In response to the long-buried foundation being suddenly removed, the majority of the sand dune and most of the sand directly in front of Revan began to rapidly fall into the now vacant underground space, sending up a large cloud of dust that encompassed the area.

Once the sand finally stopped shifting, the sand cloud was quickly dispersed as a wave of Force energy blasted out from the middle of the cloud. Revan slowly stood up straight and dusted the few remaining bits of sand off of his cloak. He found himself once again very thankful for the sealed mask and air filters he was breathing through. Several feet in front of Revan was now only a quarter of the original sand dune, and immediately before him was now a large, deep, black pit, with a gentle ramp made out of sand leading down into it. Taking a deep breath, Revan slowly made his way down into the darkness.

A nervous Ahsoka Tano sat in the main hold of a Jedi T-6 shuttle slowly rubbing her hands in an absent-minded fashion while her bright blue eyes stared straight into the floor. She had gotten her wish and was added on to the strike team with her old master's recommendation, but now that she was here the ever-present voice of doubt slowly began to creep into the back of her mind. The presence of two Jedi Masters, whom she greatly respected, and her own master all being present to observe her actions didn't help her mental worry. Her only present comfort was the relatively peaceful hum of hyperspace, and the slight rhythmic movement of the ship's faster than light travel.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the door to the cockpit opened and Anakin Skywalker stepped into the main compartment, followed quickly by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Adi Gallia. "How are you holding up Snips?" Anakin asked as way of greeting, his face showing slight concern at reading his apprentice's nervous demeanor.

"Huh? Oh, sorry master." Ahsoka shook her head slightly as Anakin's question finally registered in her mind. "I'm alright, sometimes having too much time to sit and reflect is not a helpful thing."

Obi-Wan chuckled at Ahsoka's response and said, "Wise words Ahsoka."

"I trust you are ready for this mission." Adi spoke with a hint of skepticism in her voice. "After all, it was you who was so insistent on coming."

Ahsoka took a small breath, then locked eyes with the Tholothian master, "I'm ready." She answered with willed conviction.

Adi maintained the eye lock for a few seconds, searching the padawan for any hint of wavering, but eventually nodded and took one of the wall-mounted seats.

"We've just received an update from Coruscant." Obi-Wan began as he also took a seat beside his fellow Jedi Master, "Revan has landed on Tatooine, in a small mining settlement called Anchorhead."

"Will we be able to catch him before he leaves planet again?"

"Honestly? No clue." Anakin stated bluntly, having chosen to stay standing, simply leaning against the bulkhead as he answered. "He could take off at any moment." Ahsoka's brow rose slightly as she noticed that Anakin looked slightly more tense than usual but decided to ask him about it later.

"However," Adi spoke up to offer a counterpoint, "thanks to Hondo's tracking information, if Revan does leave Tatooine before we arrive, it will be a simple matter to follow him."

"Things involving Revan haven't exactly gone 'simply' since we started this hunt." Obi-Wan stated contemplatively as he gently stroked his beard.

"Do we have any idea why he chose to land on Tatooine? Or why this random mining town?"

"Not at the moment." Anakin responded as he pulled out a datapad from behind his back. "We have a few Jedi back at the temple sending us all of the information they can find on the settlement, but Republic records barely have any information on it. Even growing up on Tatooine, I never heard of this place."

"We are also having a few Jedi historians go through all the records still available on Revan's life to see if he has any connection to the town." Kenobi added on to Anakin's answer. "But that is proving slightly... difficult."

"Why's that?" Ahsoka asked in confusion.

The three Jedi glanced at each other before Adi finally stepped in with an answer. "Apparently the Jedi Council of Revan's time determined that much of his history contained too much sensitive information to be left completely unedited, so they removed some parts of Revan's history."

Anakin scoffed slightly at Adi's explanation, which earned him a side glare from Obi-Wan. "What's of most importance," Kenobi continued with, "is that we find Revan and bring him in alive."

"Which brings us to you Ahsoka." Adi interjected with, "You mentioned when we were about to leave the Temple that you could sense Revan, even when he tried to hide his presence in the Force. Could you explain a bit further for us?"

Ahsoka's eyes fell to the floor as the three other Jedi now fully turned their attention towards her. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before slowly speaking, "...I... don't know exactly." The Jedi waited for Ahsoka to continue. "While Barriss and I were going through the Archives, I noticed that someone was in there with us, but Barriss couldn't sense them. We went to investigate and only afterward did I find out that no one in the Temple had been able to sense Revan." She then looked up to make eye-contact with each Jedi, "I don't know how to explain it, but it happened."

The Jedi were silent for several moments, each with a thoughtful expression on their face. "This could be a useful tool to our advantage, especially if Revan tries to escape again." Kenobi finally broke the silence with a positive statement.

"There is also a possibility of danger." Adi interjected, "If Ahsoka has some sort of connection between herself and Revan in the Force, it may also give him an advantage over knowing our movements. We may need to leave her with the ship and only bring her in if we have need of her."

Ahsoka was about to protest when Anakin spoke up, "Hold on now." All members in the hold turned to look at the Knight. "Revan was able to sense all of the Jedi in the Temple and make his way through it completely undetected, I do not believe that bringing Ahsoka along is immediately putting us or her in danger. The only thing I care about," He paused slightly as he moved to stand in front of his apprentice, he knelt down slightly to make his face level with hers, "is that my padawan is ready for whatever we might have to deal with down there."

Ahsoka looked at Anakin for several moments, seeing the concern in his eyes. "I can do this, master." She said with a steady and assured voice.

"Well, I'm convinced." Adi said as a way to break the tension around them.

"I am as well." Kenobi agreed, "Now, we should spend our remaining time working on a battle plan for when we arrive." Before the Jedi Master could finish his suggestion, a noise began to emanate from the cockpit.

"I think your plan is going to have to wait Obi-Wan." Anakin said with a slight frown as he got up and moved towards the cockpit. "We are about to come out of hyperspace."

Ahsoka watched her master go to pilot the ship. Adi and Obi-Wan began to pass some strategic ideas between each other. Ahsoka's mind slowly started to block out the noise around her. Her eyes slowly went to the floor as her hands started to rub together in an absent-minded fashion.

Revan slid down several feet of the newly made sand ramp until he finally came to a more level area of sand. The light from above him barely penetrated the dark cave that Revan now stood at the entrance of. The darkness around him was heavy and suffocating, it seemed to latch on to him as he slowly moved around the space. Revan tapped the side of his mask causing a bright flashlight to emit from a series of hidden lights just below his visor, yet even the extra illumination could hardly make a dent in the dark cave.

Revan slowly looked around at his environment. The cave ceiling had large stalagmites hanging straight down into almost sharp points, like teeth of an ancient stone monster, and Revan was standing in the middle of the jaw. He took a deep breath through his air filters, which caused a slight echo to reverberate deeper into the cave. He could feel the dark side calling out to him, but its presence was faint, old, and never dying.

Revan slowly began making his way into the ancient cave, the sounds of crunching sand underneath his heavy boots were amplified as they bounced off the smooth dusty stone walls. He continued on through the cave as shadows danced and moved around him like dark memories on the edge of his psyche. Eventually, after several moments of walking, Revan's light finally landed on an object.

Standing in the middle of the room was a chest-high, dark grey, obelisk, covered in ancient runes and writings. Revan sighed slightly as he looked at the half-buried in sand Star Map, and a flood of memories came back to him. Now, at the center of the cave the dark side called out to him even stronger, it knew him, and it wanted him back.

Clenching his fist slightly, Revan finally shook himself out of his maze of thoughts and nightmares and made his way around the Star Map, towards the very back of the cave. He scanned the floor in an intentional manner for a few seconds before finally kneeling down, opening a hand fully just above the ground, and after a few seconds of almost deafening silence, the sand below his hand began to move. Suddenly, a small, palm-sized, bronze metal cube, covered in faint green lines hovered out of the sand and directly into Revan's open palm, causing his fingers to tightly grip around it.

Standing back up, Revan looked at the cube in his hand. It had been a strange memory that had come to him that night. During his time as Dark Lord of the Sith, Revan had discovered many of the Rakata's secrets, and this was perhaps the greatest of them all. Channeling the Force into his hand, the cube's green lines glowed in response, then out of one of the corners, a small star map showing a specific sector of the galaxy was displayed into the air. Revan studied the map intensely, the information this item contained was too powerful for anyone in the galaxy to be fully aware of, that is why he had decided the risk was not worth taking all those years ago. He had decided to hide the information here, on Tatooine. Not only was the planet a natural kind of vault for all manner of ancient and hidden relics but placing the cube so close to one of the fabled Star Maps meant that anyone who came here would naturally assume that that was the only prize to be had. No one would ever look for a different treasure in a room with such an obvious prize in front of them. When He had been on Coruscant just a few days ago, Revan had made a decision about where he needed to go, but now, remembering what his older self had concluded, he wondered if the risk was worth taking this time.

Eventually, he pressed the side of the cube and the map was pulled back into the box. It was his only option. He turned and made his way back to the surface. As he emerged from the cave and began walking back to his bike, Revan's internal communicator began to beep. Tapping the side of his mask as he walked, Revan spoke, "Go ahead."

A familiar, but much more confident and excited Ithorian voice responded in Revan's ear. "Hello, sir! I trust your hunting is going well?"

Revan smiled slightly at hearing Sterr's voice, "Hello Sterr, it is going quite well. I am on my way back to you now. How goes the work on my ship?"

Revan could hear the mechanic yell at his droids at the sound of something heavy being dropped. "It's progressing well, sir. We are almost done with the minor repairs and she's been completely fueled. However," Revan frowned slightly at the tone change, "I did find something interesting I thought you should be aware of."

"Continue." Revan simply stated as he reached and mounted his bike, not yet turning it on.

"The first thing I did for your ship was run a full diagnostic and that was when I noticed a strange reading. Extra power was being routed to your Navigational Systems, not much more than the standard configuration, but still noticeable. Not being able to help myself, I decided to investigate your systems further. I started by checking to see if your ship's navi-computer had any need for the extra power, but I couldn't find it. I must say, sir, you have a very impressive ship." Revan smirked slightly but let Sterr continue his long-winded explanation. "Anyway, I was not satisfied with my findings, so I hope you do not mind sir, but I made the choice to uncover your computer's wiring and look at the physical parts. I remember you mentioned you did not fully trust the individual you acquired this ship from, and it seems your intuition was correct, sir."

"What did you find?"

"A hidden extra component integrated into your navi-computer. I have seen some items like this, but nothing this well made, it's honestly ingenious! No one would have been able to tell it was there without physically-"

Revan gently cut the Ithorian off in the middle of his excited explanation, "Sterr. What does it do?"

"Oh, yes, my apologies sir. It transmits all of your navigational information directly to an outside source that is linked to it."

Revan gripped a handle of the bike tightly on hearing this, but after taking a breath, he chuckled slightly and shook his head. It seemed he had ended up underestimating the pirate captain after all, well played.

"Sir?" Sterr spoke after a moment, "Are you still reading me?"

"I'm here." Revan replied. "Can you remove it?"

There were sounds of a few sparks and Ithorian curses, then Sterr finally answered, "It is well integrated, the installer knew what they were doing." There was another pause before he continued. "However, I believe I can, given a few hours."

Revan was about to answer when the Force suddenly surged around him and into his mind. His mind blared with an internal warning of danger. He had been targeted, his location was known, and now he could feel that several hunters had arrived on Tatooine and were headed straight for him. He steadied his mind, and scanned his surroundings, looking over the endless dunes around him. His mind quickly calculated a large number of possible strategies, but as most were eliminated due to too many complications, it eventually settled on the soundest option to move forward.

Sighing slightly, Revan spoke again, "Sterr?"

"Yes, I am here sir."

"I will double your pay if you can get that thing off my ship in less than an hour."

There was a long pause before Sterr finally answered in an excited tone. "O-of course sir! Your ship will be ready for you before you arrive, I promise!"

"Good man. I will return soon. Once you are able to, get the ship started and ready to leave." Before Sterr could answer, Revan tapped the side of his mask again, ending the transmission. He quickly removed the large brown cloak, revealing his full black, red, and silver attire. He checked his armor, tightened his gauntlets, and adjusted his lightsabers into slightly different positions. Content with what he had done and giving one last pat check to the cube buried deep in his robes, he grabbed the bike's handles, kicked the vehicle to life, and took off back towards Anchorhead. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 – This Town Ain’t Big Enough

          Anakin stepped out of a shabby cantina into the scorching rays of Tatooine’s blazing suns. It was mid-day, and despite the occasional gust of wind which carried small dustings of the desert with it, it was still incredibly hot and miserable, even for the native-born Tatooinian, who instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes and give them time to adjust to the harsh light. 

          “I hate sand…” He muttered to no one in particular, before turning his head slightly to observe his surroundings. Anchorhead was a few steps away from becoming a ghost town, with its ramshackled buildings, boarded-up windows, and general air of emptiness. The Jedi Knight had to wonder why Revan would pick such a desolate location of all places to come. Whatever the reason was, the action had simply stirred up a new level of bitterness against the terrorist, as stepping foot on his homeworld still brought back memories of his mother. 

          “Any luck at the bar?” Anakin turned to see his former master making his way to him. Obi Wan seemed to be enjoying their current environment as much as he was. 

          “I’m afraid not.” The Knight replied to the Master, making his way towards Kenobi in the middle of the main thoroughfare. “Nothing but people down on their luck trying to find answers at the bottom of a bottle. No one saw Revan, and I doubt he would have a reason to stop in for a drink. Any progress with the ship Revan came in on?”

Obi Wan shook his head in response. “I managed to find the ship he took from Hondo, even with the tracking beacon somehow being disabled, but there was only an Ithorian doing some basic repairs. He told me that the pilot had paid him a considerable amount to watch the ship and do maintenance on it, but he hadn’t seen him in several hours. I’m afraid Revan may have suspected something and simply grabbed another ship.” 

“You might be right about that hunch Master Kenobi.” Both Jedis turned to see Adi Gallia and Ahsoka Tano walking up to meet them. 

“We asked around with several locals, but no one has seen anyone matching Revan’s description.” Ahsoka explained as the four Jedi finally met in a small circle in the street. 

Anakin’s hand tightened into a fist as he heard the bad report. “So, we’ve got nothing, great! Revan has left us behind once again.”

“Patience, Anakin, do not let your emotions cloud your judgement. I am sure there is still something we can do.” 

After a moment of collective silence Adi turned to Ahsoka and spoke, “Padawan Tano, do you think you could try and sense where Revan is currently?” 

Obi Wan and Skywalker turned to look at Ahsoka, who suddenly felt very put on the spot. “Hold on.” Anakin stated, temporarily drawing the attention to himself. “Are we sure that’s a good idea? We don't know exactly how Ahsoka is able to sense Revan, or if he is aware that she can do that. We might be taking too large a risk here.”

Kenobi stroked his beard thoughtfully before replying. “You are right, Anakin.” Tano was about to speak up in protest before the Jedi Master continued, “But the only reason we allowed Ahsoka on this mission in the first place was to confirm if she could do as she claimed, and unless you have a better idea, I say we let your apprentice at least try.” 

“We aren’t exactly drowning in leads at the moment.” Adi added in agreement. 

Anakin stared at Ahsoka with concern in his eyes, as she matched his gaze with confidence. “I can do this, master.” She stated, her voice backed by conviction. 

Anakin sighed and shook his head. “Okay. But tell us exactly what is happening, and if we need to protect your mind in the Force, we will.” 

Tano nodded, before bowing her head, putting her hands together, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath. She summoned the Force to her and began searching in her mind for that elusive connection she had felt earlier. It took several moments but finally she found it and latched onto it, using the Force to widen the tether she felt. The environment around her began to fade away, and a vision slowly formed in her mind, though she had to concentrate harder and harder to make it clearer. “I...I see light...sand...and I’m moving quickly…” Suddenly her eyes shot open and she raised her head. Looking at the three concerned and curious Jedi before her she said, “Revan is coming.” 

          The sound of a speeder bike’s engine hummed loudly, and small waves of sand were continually blasted in all directions, as a dark metallic blur quickly shot across the large sandy dunes of Tatooine. 

          Revan gripped the handles of the bike as he deftly weaved the old machine around, between, and over the unending mounds of sand between him and his destination. He had sensed the arrival of the Jedi as soon as they had stepped on the planet, and it seemed they had decided to stay in Anchorhead, much to his dismay. He had considered simply waiting for them to leave or come out into the desert to look for him, but the arrival of two different unknown threats had dissuaded him against that decision. It would appear he only had one way to get off this planet: fight. 

          As Revan began running through potential strategies in his mind, he concluded that he would not need to defeat all of his opponents, only delay them until Sterr could have the ship ready. Hopefully the Ithorian had given the Jedi minimum information about him, but nothing in the Force had warned Revan that the mechanic had betrayed him. As he came closer and closer towards the town, his mind began to wonder who the two other threats were, and what part they would play in the inevitable conflict he was fast approaching. 

          Suddenly, Revan’s mind felt something prick at the back of his subconscious. The sensation was familiar, but he couldn’t quite identify what was happening. As he tried to concentrate on the feeling in the Force it suddenly disappeared. His eyes narrowed behind his mask in suspicion, something was off with his mind. Feeling a slight level of frustration in having another mystery hanging over his head, he gripped the handles tighter and pressed on the throttle with his foot as far back as it would go, forcing the bike to reach its maximum speed, propelling him faster towards the coming battle. 

   Cad Bane quickly and quietly made his way through mostly abandoned side streets and alleys. The bounty hunter was familiar with almost all of Tatooine’s major settlements, but usually never bothered with backwater locations like this one. He was glad that several of his old contacts still operated nearby, usually just taking random work to hunt Sand People or the occasional band of pirates. Several squads of experienced mercenaries had arrived in Anchorhead shortly before he did but had stayed hidden as per Bane’s specific orders. 

          He rounded the corner and, carefully glanced around, before deftly stepping into an abandoned building that still had a working door. Inside was an assortment of various aliens, weaponry, and intention to murder. The lookout crouched by the boarded-up window had seen Bane approach and simply nodded to him as he stepped into the room.

          Cad quickly scanned the room, glancing over the various make-shift tables strewn about the room covered with blasters, explosives, rounds of ammo, a few slug throwers, several knives, and even a few swords. He made his way to one particular table and slowly ran his hand over a silver RPS-6 rocket launcher.

          “Alright, listen up!” All eyes turned to look at the Duros in anticipation. “We’ve got a job to do. Classic ambush. I’ve already been informed that several Jedi are here poking around, no doubt looking for the same target as us. To keep things simple, we’re gonna deal with those Jedi first. I want snipers and this launcher on a roof. Everyone else, find an alley or side street and get ready to fire on my mark. Jedi can only block so much blaster fire before something gets through.” He quickly picked up one of the sniper rifles, double checked the condition, and loaded a power pack in. “Anyone who kills a Jedi gets to keep a larger portion of the reward.” That offer earned a murmur of approval from the room. “But if anyone tries to steal the primary target’s body…” The bounty hunter’s red eyes slowly glared across the room, daring anyone to challenge his authority, but no one could meet his gaze. “...will be dead before the suns go down. You all got that?!” He raised his voice angrily to drive the point home, causing several mercenaries shrunk back in fear, while the rest simply nodded.

          Seemingly satisfied with the responses, Bane simply nodded before slinging the rifle onto his back. “Alright then. Let’s move out, nice and quiet.” With the order given, everybody in the room quickly began to move, loading themselves up with whatever gear they could grab. 

Revan could finally see the settlement on the horizon, and it was fast approaching. Slowing the speeder down and switching to driving with one hand, Revan sat up fully in the seat and quickly performed a rough check of his equipment and armor with his off hand. Satisfied with the findings, he leaned back down and increased his speed, the bike gave a small sputter of smoke and lurch as it was forced to max out its speed once again. Revan made a mental note to give Sterr extra credits for his work on this piece of junk, if not for the mechanic’s skills this bike would have broken down hours ago. 

          As the town came further into view, Revan tapped the side of his mask, causing his vision to zoom. The old walls that used to surround the settlement had long since crumbled from lack of maintenance, and thus the main street was wide open and easily visible to the outside. Just within his enhanced vision, Revan saw four Jedi standing about a foot apart in a single line, all facing his direction. 

          ‘So much for getting the drop on them.’ Revan mused to himself, before taking a deep breath and adjusting his course slightly. 

          It took several minutes, but finally Revan arrived at the outskirts of town. He slowed his speed just enough to aim his bike a full 90 degrees to his left, forcing it to come to a quick stop, and sending up a small cloud of dust and sand. Revan slowly disembarked from his bike on the side facing the Jedi and turned to look at his opponents. 

          “I see you received my invitation.” Revan’s mask gave no hint of any emotion on his face, but the same could not be said for Anakin, who was currently glaring daggers into the cloaked figure. 

          “I’m just sorry it took us so long to arrive at your party.” Obi Wan quipped back, “And I’m afraid we forgot to bring any gifts.”

          Revan smirked slightly at the Jedi Master’s response, but before he could continue their banter an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

          “Well, I brought plenty of gifts for all of you.” A black and purple robed figure, with pale white skin, and dark tattoos slowly emerged from one of the small alleys to Revan’s left, turning everyone’s attention to them. “But it seems I misplaced my invitation.” 

          “Ventress…” Anakin growled in half frustration and half annoyance. 

          “Oh, come now, Skywalker, I know you missed me.” Ventress said with a cruel smile as she surveyed the individuals before her. 

          “Why am I not surprised that you would crawl out of some pit right where you’re least wanted?” Ahsoka asked with clear mockery behind her words.

          The Sith assassin glared at Tano before replying, “Well, if it isn’t the Padawan brat. I’m surprised they let you come out to play with the adults.” 

          “Enough.” Adi said forcefully, ending the tiresome back and forth. “Why are you here, Sith?”

          Ventress glared at Gallia for a moment before turning to look at Revan, “As much as I enjoy killing all of you, that’s not why I’m here today…”

          Upon seeing Ventress’ gaze shift, Obi Wan spoke, “It seems we’re not the only ones that Hondo gave his information to.”

          “Remind me to strangle that slimy Weequay next time I see him.” Ahsoka added in annoyance.

          “That makes two of us.” Revan spoke back. While he was annoyed that the pirate had managed to outplay Revan in this manner, he couldn’t help but be impressed with Hondo’s ingenuity. Perhaps he had truly underestimated everything that Ohnaka could truly do. 

          “I’m tired of talking.” Anakin stated before igniting his lightsaber and pointing it at Revan. “Surrender now, Revan, and perhaps the Council will show leniency.” 

          “I’m afraid he won’t be surrendering to you.” Ventress retorted before igniting both of her curved sabers. 

          The other Jedi quickly turned on their sabers in response. “This does not concern you, Ventress.” Adi spoke, “Leave now, while you still have the chance.” 

          The Sith assassin simply smirked in response and took an offensive stance. Revan watched his adversaries with some interest, he examined each of them in turn through the Force. Ventress was powerful, but she did not compare to the Sith of his day, in fact she did not truly feel like one of the Sith he was looking for, but at least now he had confirmation that they were indeed still active in the galaxy; as he had suspected. The two Masters and one Knight were indeed strong, this would be a difficult fight, but as his gaze landed on the familiar Togruta, his thoughts stopped. 

          Ahsoka was the only one that noticed the subtle motion of Revan’s demonic mask, as the pure black visor, which seemed to almost suck in light into a void, slowly drifted across the line of Jedi. Her heart skipped a beat when the movement stopped and landed firmly on her. Although she couldn’t be completely certain, she could feel his eyes locked on her behind the red, silver, and black mask. Her pulse began to quicken, and a small connection in the Force slowly began to grow in the back of her mind. 

With a screeching sound of death, a high explosive rocket flew across the empty air, colliding with the spot where Revan was standing only seconds before. The resulting explosion consumed the speeder bike, doubling the resulting fireball. The former Sith Lord rolled into the middle of the street only seconds before catastrophe and was now crouched only a few feet in front of the line of Jedi, who along with Ventress, were only temporarily stunned by the sudden interruption of Bane and his men. 

Seizing the opportunity, Ventress gripped both her sabers and Force Leapt directly on top of Revan’s crouched form. In an instant, Revan called a saber to each of his hands, and stood to block the incoming strike. The Sith assassin’s two crimson blades clashed with two suddenly appearing red and purple blades. The speed with which her target produced his weaponry and blocked her attack surprised Ventress, and she was not ready for a swift kick to her stomach which forced her to slide back along the hot sand. 

          Only a second slower to respond, the Jedi had begun to run into the fight, but were stopped in their tracks as a hail of blaster fire rang out over the battlefield. Several of Bane’s mercenaries finally revealed themselves on rooftops and in various alleyways and had begun to open fire on all the Force users in front of them. 

          Both Jedi, Sith, and Revan turned to the East and began to block the blaster fire with practiced precision. Taking cover behind some crates, Ventress quickly sent an order with her wrist communicator, and in seconds a CIS Maxillipede shuttle flew over the battlefield, quickly dropping a six magnaguard squad directly onto Cad Bane’s position. 

          Bane, dropping his sniper rifle, quickly pulled out his two signature LL-30 blaster pistols, and began to fire at the nearest droid opponent, which responded by rapidly spinning its electrostaff to create a shield against the laser fire. The other droids began to quickly kill many of the mercenaries who had mostly been caught by surprise, while a few of the veteran members either ran for a better position deeper into the city or managed to pull out vibro knives and blades quickly enough to engage in melee with the guards. 

          With the blaster suppression having stopped, Obi Wan turned to quickly scan the situation in front of him. To his right, Ventress was coming over from behind cover, to his left Bane and his mercenaries were currently occupied with the newly arrived droids, and Revan was standing just a few feet in front of him, simply observing the skirmish between the guards and the mercenaries. Quickly forming a plan in his mind, Kenobi spoke to his fellow Jedi, “Adi, take Ahsoka and deal with Cad, his men, and the magnaguards. Anakin, I want you to-” but before the Jedi Master could finish, his apprentice was already charging directly at Revan with his saber raised. As the masked opponent and Anakin began to violently clash, Obi Wan quickly muttered to himself: “I hate it when he does that.”

          Turning to see the look of worry on Adi’s and Ahsoka’s faces, he said, “Go. I’ve got him.” Master Gallia nodded back confidently before running towards the larger skirmish. Ahsoka hesitated slightly, watching the intense duel between her master and Revan, before gripping her lightsabers tightly and running after the other Jedi. Kenobi glanced at his own former apprentice, and seeing that Anakin was in no immediate danger, besides his own foolishness, turned his attention towards Ventress, who was slowly making her way closer to the dueling pair. 

          Revan turned his head slightly at the sound of Obi Wan giving orders to his fellow Jedi. However, before the first few words had even left the Jedi Master’s mouth, Anakin had charged Revan directly, using the Force to enhance his speed and strength. Sensing Anakin’s building rage, Revan smirked slightly as he simply waited a brief moment before fully turning to defend against the Knight’s incoming onslaught. As blue saber crashed against red and purple, the former Republic General was impressed with the amount of power and force that was delivered behind each blow. The strikes were precise and meant to kill, and even though Revan had the speed and skill to block each attack, the hits came so quickly that even with his two sabers Revan had no window to counterattack, or even perry. The former Sith Lord began having to surrender ground to his opponent and started to take small steps directly backwards, towards the still burning wreckage of the destroyed speeder bike. 

          The duel was harsh, quick, and violet. Years of training and experience crashed directly against raw skill and exponential potential. The two fighters maintained a consistent struggle for power in the exchange, and while Anakin was staying firmly on the offensive and creating enough pressure that his opponent was forced to maintain pure defense, his own steam was quickly running out and his attacks began to slow just in the slightest. 

          Sensing that Anakin was starting to lose energy, Revan bided his time, expertly blocking each strike that came against him. The fight told the former Jedi a great deal about his adversary. Anakin clearly had been trained well, but his skills were still unrefined, relying more on pure strength and power, than technique or strategy. Revan could sense the immense power that lay deep within Anakin, he surmised that given enough time and proper training, Anakin could become one of the most powerful beings that had ever walked the galaxy. It was a shame then that as long as he continued to act recklessly and without patience, Anakin would never reach that potential. 

          Finally, after several minutes of intense dueling, Revan had his opening, a small gap in Anakin’s offensive that left him vulnerable to attack. Calling on the Force subtly enough so as not to alert Anakin’s senses, Revan quickly deactivated one of his lightsabers, and ducked under an incoming blow, causing Anakin’s swing to overshoot and miss. Before the Jedi could react, Revan threw a powerful punch directly into Anakin’s gut and summoned the Force to push him backwards with a powerful blast. Having already summoned a great deal of Force Energy around him, Anakin was able to mitigate most of the damage, but was still sent sliding back several feet, temporarily pausing their fight. 

          Revan slowly stood up and took a slow but deep breath to center himself. He just needed to stall a little longer. “You fight well, for an amateur.” Revan said tauntingly to the Jedi in front of him.

          Anakin glared at the masked figure, straightening himself up as well and panting slightly as he took a second to let his energy recharge. “You will pay for your crimes Revan. I will see to it.” He spoke with anger behind his words as he raised his saber to point at his enemy.

          Revan titled his head slightly and examined Anakin for several seconds before replying, “So...this is personal for you. I am curious as to why.” 

          Anakin gripped his saber tightly with both hands, keeping it in the same raised position before slowly moving to one side of Revan. “You attacked the Republic, you invaded my home, and you hurt my friends, why wouldn’t some of this be personal?” He finished his question as he came to a stop. 

          Revan watched Anakin’s movements carefully. As the Knight was talking, he reached out in the Force and began to sense the Jedi’s emotions and thoughts. As Anakin’s mind recalled the events that Revan had done, a single emotion burned at the center of all of them, one that was obviously fueling all the others: the fear of losing someone.

          Once Anakin had finished talking, Revan finally responded, “No...that’s not quite right, is it? Yes, I admit I did do all the things you accuse me of, and anyone would have every right to want to see me dead, but that’s not what drives you.” Anakin’s eyes narrowed as his grip tightened. “You’re afraid...of losing...her.” 

          Anakin’s eyes shot open, and in an instant he let out a roar of anger before calling on the Force and leaping at Revan, who barely reacted fast enough to block the powerful strike with his still ignited purple saber. 

          Ventress twisted the sabers over in her hand for a moment as she inched towards the pair of dueling Force users. The young brat’s back was to her, it would only take a quick swipe and the nuisance would be eliminated, when a sharp click echoed from behind her, and a familiar heat washed over her back as the blue glow of Obi Wan’s lightsaber fell over her back. She cursed under her breath not moving as Kenobi leveled the saber over her shoulder. “It’s been too long, Ventress.”  Obi Wan mused, a small smile across his face.

          “Kenobi.” She practically growled at him as she summoned the Force to her for a moment before unleashing it back at him, sending him and the blade sliding back away from her. He managed to stop himself before he crashed against a nearby building and readied his blade quickly, barely managing to block the forthcoming strikes as Ventress pressed her advantage. He ducked under one of her blades and parried the other, spinning around her, and taking a few steps backwards into the street. He spun his saber for a moment as she shook her head and turned to face him. He raised his saber above his head, pointing it at her and extended his free arm towards her.  

          “Off-day Ventress?  I suppose the heat gets to the best of us.” He taunted, eliciting a scream of anger from the assassin as she rushed towards him again. Another flurry of wild blows came flying at him, less focused than the previous volley of attacks. He managed to dodge them and leap further back into the street, trying to keep some distance between himself and Ventress, when a new round of blaster fire served as a cruel reminder as to why they sought cover in the first place. 

          The assassin paid the new combatants no mind as she pressed her assault against Obi Wan forcing him to the middle of the street. As his mind raced trying to formulate a plan, a single shot managed to clip his shoulder, grazing him close enough to burn his robes and singe his skin. With that, he cut off the blade to his saber, managed to land a kick to Ventress’ chest with as much of the Force channeled into it as he could manage sending her flying backwards, before quickly Force Jumping towards the mercenaries, landing in their midst as he reactivated his saber.  

          Ventress crashed against the wall behind her and into the sand. The world spun around her for a moment, as she steadied herself. She watched the dark cloaked figure and Skywalker clash for a few moments before looking towards the men on the far side of the street. She witnessed one of them drop his blaster rifle, disappear into an alley for a moment only to reappear brandishing the group’s rocket launcher. The man took a knee and steadied the launcher at the dueling pair, but as usual Skywalker’s sense had all but left him as he charged at Revan. The former Sith was far more aware of his situation than the enraged Jedi, and he Force Pushed Anakin backwards down the street towards Obi-Wan and the mercenaries, before leaping backwards into the alley behind him, barely avoiding the second rocket and forthcoming explosion. 

          Her target was alone in the alley. Her master would never forgive her if she did not seize this opportunity. She took both sabers in her hands and charged towards where Revan had disappeared to. 

          Adi and Ahsoka were in the midst of a large group of mercenaries. Ahsoka had jumped in first, igniting both of her sabers on the way down to the ground, slicing two individuals who barely had time to look up, before she landed deftly into a roll, holding both sabers in her signature inverted style. 

          Adi followed directly behind, shaking her head slightly as she witnessed Skywalker’s clear influence on the padawan. Landing behind Ahsoka, Gallia expertly blocked several blaster shots, sending them straight back at the alien that fired them, which fell as two bolts found their mark on its chest. 

          Tano glanced back behind her, nodding a quick thanks to the Jedi Master before sprinting forward. She cut down enemy after enemy in her path, almost becoming a blur of sand, yellow and green lightsabers, and death. She had a lot of pent-up frustration and energy from the past several days, and she couldn’t help but feel a smile come to her face as she was able to let go and embrace the Force. 

          A magnaguard droid had just finished crushing a human’s throat with one hand, before tossing their lifeless body to the ground. Quickly whirling around to observe the battlefield, its scanners immediately locked on to the incoming Jedi, who was more occupied with dealing with the hired guns. Waiting for the right moment, the droid leapt with incredible force, leaving a small crater in the roof it had been standing on. 

          Adi sliced down another mercenary before turning to monitor Ahsoka’s progress. She barely had time to cry out a verbal warning. 

          Hearing Gallia’s outcry, Tano was able to look up and roll to the side a half-second before an electrostaff slammed into the ground where she had just been. Performing a quick roll into a flip, Ahsoka was now facing the newly landed magnaguard as it pulled its embedded staff out of the ground, and turned to face the padawan, whirling its weapon as it did so. 

          Ahsoka gripped her sabers tighter before charging directly at the droid. The guard’s quick reflexes almost caught her as she slid under a powerful swing, allowing one of her sabers to slice against the droid’s right leg. Completing her slide, she quickly stood up and swung with her other saber at the droid’s center, but by turning only its torso, the guard was able to block the strike with its staff. 

          The two entered into a small stalemate as blows were traded and blocked, no ground being given up by either of the pair. The droid quickly memorized the Jedi’s favored strikes, recalculated its fighting style in a few milliseconds, and feinted a sweep on the padawan’s legs. 

          Ahsoka’s eyes widened slightly as she realized her mistake in blocking a strike that never came, which left her open to a powerful kick that sent her flying back, sliding along the hot ground as she did so. Her head spun slightly, as she just managed to pick herself up off the ground, her vision still slightly blurry. The droid quickly advanced on their dazed opponent, raising their staff for a killing strike. 

          Ahsoka’s senses flared up at the last second, and she dodged out of the way just in time. Anger flared up inside her for a moment, and on instinct she reached out in the Force, pulling the droid towards her in a move that surprised the guard, and before it could react, Ahsoka sliced it cleanly in two directly at the waist. 

          The top half of the droid fell to the ground, as its legs buckled and soon followed. Ahsoka found herself panting slightly and took a moment to steady her breathing. Just as she was about to reenter the fight, she heard the reactivation of an electrostaff behind her, and turned to see the torso of the guard still active and about to strike her. 

          Suddenly, a blue lightsaber pierced directly through the chest of the still active droid, sending sparks flying, and causing its glowing red eyes to flicker several times before what was left of the unit finally collapsed. Ahsoka looked up to see Master Gallia standing over the droid, as she quickly freed her saber blade from the metal corpse. 

“Make sure it’s dead next time.” Gallia said with a slight bit of amusement in her voice. 

“Thank you, Master. I guess that’s twice I owe you for having my back.” 

Adi smirked slightly, “As long as we are only counting today.” 

Ahsoka smiled back, before a sudden blast of blaster bolts flew over both of their heads. The two turned to face a new batch of mercenaries, nodding seriously to each other, before running with the Force to face their attackers. 

The magnaguard’s staff spun faster than Bane’s eyes could follow it. He unleashed another volley of rounds towards it as it pushed across the roof towards him, but the rounds ricocheted helplessly against the purple energy on the ends of the staff.  He muttered several curses to himself, as he slipped the pistol into its holster and started to reach for a pair of electro-mines, but before he could draw them, a blur of a movement caught the edge of his vision.

The bounty hunter immediately fell to the ground, barely dodging under the large arc of a second guard’s staff. He spun the mine into his hand and tossed at it the droid’s chest, but it easily cut it from the air, sending sparks and shards of metal flying. It raised its staff to bring down on his chest, but before it could, two bolts connected with its back. Both droids swung around to face two mercenaries. 

Cad did not waste time watching his men die, as he kicked his jump boots to life and rocketed across the roof. Once he had reached an acceptable distance, he planted his hand and flipped himself back to his feet. As he landed, a magnaguard was pushing the corpse of one of his men from its staff. “That’s one.” He muttered, “But where’s?” His question to himself was cut short as the staff connected with his back sending him flying forwards back towards the first.  

He crashed against the ground with a thud, causing the world to spin around him. Both of the droids converged on him, limiting his time to think, but he acted despite it. They swung their staffs in unison and he ducked under them, pivoting slightly, to force them to the front, and peppering the closest one’s chest with shots from his pistol as he ducked close to it. Sparks leapt from its chest but it pressed forwards despite the wounds.  

They pressed their advantages taking numerous swipes at his head that forced him to duck and weave. His hand reached for another pair of electro-mines as he responded with more blaster fire. They had forced him to continue to retreat, and the limited amount of roof remaining was not lost on him. He raised the mines to throw at the droid again but tossed them to the rooftop instead. The mines immediately activated, freezing one of the pair in its tracks, as electricity sparked up around it.  

The guard on the move took another swipe at Bane, but instead of dodging backwards he charged forwards, positioning himself inside of its arms, barely catching the droid’s arm before it could swing again. He had underestimated how strong the droid was, as he tried to keep its arm extended. His hand shot towards a pair of binder-cuffs and quickly latched one of the two bindings around the upper portion of the droid’s arm. A quick flick of his wrist brought a vibro knife to his palm and he jammed it into the droid’s still sparking chest and sliced a gaping hole through the wiring.  

He had to use all of his weight, but he managed to force the magnaguard back towards its still stunned ally. Once they were close, his hand jumped towards a thermal detonator, stuffed it into the hole that he had created. He released his grip on the arm, ducked under a strike, catching the pair of binder cuffs and latching the other half to the second droid’s neck. He leapt backwards kicking the back of the droid, activated his jump boots, and blasted away from the roof just as it was engulfed in flames and smoke.

Taking a small moment to breathe, Bane hovered several feet in the air as he scanned his surroundings. The Jedi pup and Tholothian were carving up his men, but otherwise occupied, Kenobi had just broken from his fight with some crazy, and Skywalker was still doing his best to try and kill Bane’s bounty. 

Growling slightly in annoyance at how long those droids had occupied his time, the bounty hunter was about to head towards his target, when something caught his attention. One of his mercenaries had just ran out into the street with the rocket launcher and was aiming it squarely at Skywalker and the target. Before Bane could stop him, the rocket fired, and he watched in surprise as the masked figure not only pushed Skywalker out of the way, but also managed to jump a considerable distance before the projectile made contact. However, the explosion did still send both fighters flying back further than either would have wanted. 

Cad’s prey was flung backwards into a side alley out of sight from everyone, and he watched as the crazy Sith girl ran in the same direction. Pressing a button on one of his gauntlets, his rocket boots shot out more fire in response, and Bane quickly flew towards where Revan had landed. 

          Revan slowly picked himself up off the ground with a quiet groan. One rocket had been annoying at best, two clearly meant the universe was trying to tell him something. Standing up fully, he began to brush what felt like several pounds of sand out of his layers of robes and cloak, muttering a few Mandalorian curses as he did so. 

          “Seems we are alone at last.” Revan stopped his movements and slowly turned his head to look down the alley at the source of the voice. Standing several feet away from him was the pale woman, a Dathomirian if Revan had to guess, from earlier that had tried to cut him down at the beginning of the fight, that was now consuming a considerable portion of Anchorhead. Straightening up and cracking a few of his stiffer joints, Revan turned to face his opponent, but said nothing. 

          “Allow me to finally introduce myself-”

          “Your name is Ventress. I heard the Jedi say your name, and I presume you already know mine, so introductions seem slightly irrelevant at this point.”

          Ventress frowned at the hostile response, it seemed this one was going to be a lot less fun to deal with. “So it would seem…”

          “What I am actually in the dark about is who your master is? I have been wondering when the Sith would finally crawl out of their dark hiding places.”

          The assassin growled in anger at Revan’s insult, “Sith do not hide! And I shall prove that when I bring your head to Count Dooku!” She accented her threat by igniting both of her sabers. 

          Revan titled his head slightly as he quickly searched his memory for that name. He had only briefly managed to skim recent galactic events from the data he had taken from the Jedi Temple, and thus was still widely in the dark about many current historical details and figures, a disadvantage he meant to correct as soon as he was off this death trap of a planet. “Count Dooku...leader of the Separatists, if I remember correctly. You’re telling me he is the current Lord of the Sith?”

          Ventress’ eyes narrowed slightly, she had only been given limited information about this ‘Revan’ on her flight here, and now she was more confused. He was clearly an enemy of the Jedi, but he did not know who Dooku was, and now he was digging for information. She would have to be careful how she responded. But before she could answer, Revan spoke again.

          “No…” Revan began slowly, actively searching Ventress’ exposed thoughts and emotions in the Force, it would appear that the Sith had gotten progressively even worse at guarding their minds since Revan’s time. “Dooku is your master, that much is clear...but he is not his own master…”

          Ventress’ eyes widened in shock; this scum was reading her mind! She yelled in anger and charged at Revan, hoping to keep him from digging any further.

          However, before she ran close enough to strike, a hail of blaster bolts descended from the sky, directly at and between the two opposing Force users. Both Revan and Ventress reacted instantly, blocking the incoming fire, before looking up at its source. 

          Appearing out of the glare of the dual suns, Cad Bane descended from the sky with his rocket boots and landed on a rooftop that was roughly in the middle of Ventress and Revan. “Sorry to break up the party,” His growling and slightly robotic voice echoed down to the pair, “but this masked fellow has a very large bounty on his head, and I intend to collect.” he accented his claim by twirling both of his custom silver blaster pistols. 

          So, a bounty hunter, that’s where those mercenaries came from, Revan thought to himself. It would seem Hondo had been busy making sure he would burn. Revan was once again impressed with the pirate. The Duros felt dangerous in the Force, but his mind was strong enough that Revan could not easily pierce it, this had the added effect that the Force would be slower to warn him about the bounty hunter’s attacks. This reminded him of his very close fights with the veteran Mandalorian Crusaders, he would have to be careful with this one.

          Ventress clenched her sabers tighter, and growled in annoyance at this interruption, but then a scheme drifted into her mind. Revan had proven himself by standing up to everything Skywalker could throw at him, she was doubtful she could take him in a straight up fight, unless…

          “Bounty hunter,” Cad turned to look at the assassin, “I do not care about something as insignificant as credits, if you help me kill this fool, you can have the full bounty.”

          A few tense moments of silence passed, as Bane’s eyes shifted back and forth between the two individuals below him as he mulled over the offer. “Looks like you got yourself a deal, lady.” He finally said. 

          Revan’s body tensed slightly as his two enemies came to the agreement, but he did not wait for them to devise a strategy. He charged towards the pale assassin, ducking under her counterattack, and sliding towards her. The stunned assassin could barely respond as he grabbed her ankle and tore her from her feet. The bounty hunter unleashed a hail of blaster fire towards Revan from the rooftop he occupied.  

          The former Sith Lord barely rolled out of the way and to his feet, raising one gauntlet to take the last few shots. His hand shot out with the Force and he tore the bounty hunter from the air, slamming him against the wall and dropping him into the alley. Bane landed stunned as Ventress roared and leapt towards Revan, who nimbly dodged out of the way of both red saber blades. He managed to catch one of her wrists and spin her into the wall, stepping between her and the bounty hunter, placing them on either side of him.      

Bane had managed to recover and level a blaster at Revan, firing a few shots. Revan lunged at Bane raising his gauntlet tanking the shots before reaching him. The saber appeared in Revan’s hand before the bounty hunter could respond and it sliced through the end of Bane’s blaster pistol before he planted a boot in his chest sending the bounty hunter flying backwards.  

Revan smirked beneath his mask slightly before a pinging noise sounded below him. Electricity sparked off a pair of electromines that had been left at his feet and electricity raced up his body from his legs. He managed to contain his anger as he lashed out with the Force crushing both mines in half as Ventress appeared just behind him. Revan raised his second saber and caught both of his opponent’s blades, parrying them and taking a step backwards, blocking and dodging her flurry of attacks. His eyes quickly move beneath his mask, searching for an opening in her enraged onslaught. Before he could find one, the Duros recovered and tossed a pair of thermal detonators at both combatants’ feet.

Revan reacted without hesitation, leaping backwards against the wall before pushing off, sending himself flying into the air as the alley was engulfed in flames. The resulting explosion sent Ventress flying backwards with curses at her would-be ally. Bane did not give Revan time to collect his thoughts as he started firing before he landed back on the ground forcing him to parry the shots as he fell back to the sand. 

          Revan raised his blades to block the continued barrage of blaster fire, but before he could respond, the assassin leapt towards him again, her rage and fury in the dark side giving her extra strength, despite her wounds. He managed to block both of her blades with his purple saber and continued to try to block the blaster bolts with his crimson blade, positioning his gauntlet and chest plate to take what he could not block in time. The onslaught continued, forcing the former Jedi to back up until he found himself against a wall. As his foot connected with the sandstone of the building, the communicator built into his mask chirped to life and began to beep repeatedly.  

Slightly surprised by this interruption, Revan was almost sliced by one of Ventress’ blades, but managed to dodge, Force Push his two enemies back, and Force Jump backwards onto the roof of the building behind him. He only had a second to tap the side of his mask to open up the communication channel before both enemies had caught back up with him and resumed their combined assault. 

“Hello? Can you hear me?” The familiar Ithorian voice sounded in Revan’s ear. 

Despite his present situation, a small, involuntary smile, crossed Revan’s features as he heard the voice. “Good to hear from you Sterr! What’s-” He was cut off as he was forced to parry and dodge more strikes and blaster fire. “What’s the status of my ship?”

“Well sir, I performed all the tasks you assigned me. The diagnostics came back clean, there was some minor building up in your left exhaust-port, as well as-”

“Sterr.” Revan cut off the mechanic mid-report, his breath had started to quicken slightly from the sustained fighting, and the talking was not helping. “Let’s skip to the end, I’m kind of-” He reflected a shot at Bane that the bounty hunter was forced to roll out of the way from, “busy.” 

“Oh! Uhm, yes, of course. My apologies. Well, the short version is that the ship is ready to go.” 

“Excellent.” He grabbed one of Ventress’ arms and managed to punch her, before having to jump back from a burst of flame from one of Bane’s gauntlets. “Start the ship. I’ll be there soon.” Not waiting for a response, Revan ended the call.

Now fully focused on the fight, Revan watched as Bane activated his jump boots and was preparing to fly over Revan. At that same moment, Ventress had recovered from the punch, and was now charging with both sabers ready to strike with both simultaneously. He would need to time this perfectly. 

In the spare second he had left, Revan took a deep breath, deactivated one saber, dropping it as he did, raised his purple saber in his left hand, and activated both his personal energy shields with his free-hand. Both Ventress’ crimson sabers connected with Revan’s purple blade, clashing in a volent move that sent sparks flying, and causing all 3 sabers to flicker slightly from the impact. Revan’s arm screamed at him from the strain of holding back both of her blades, Ventress grinned widely as she pressed down with all her strength, sensing she could eventually overpower him.

In that same instance, Bane launched over Revan’s head, and seeing Revan so exposed, unleashed a barrage of bolts from his remaining custom pistol, and a hidden blaster integrated in his other gauntlet. Bane’s and Ventress’ eyes widened in surprise as the combined personally energy shields flared around Revan as the bolts connected with them, covering his entire person in a few inches of dark blue energy. Neither bounty hunter, nor assassin had ever encountered this long-forgotten technology, as increased blaster power had made them all but obsolete over the millennia since Revan’s time. True to this fact, while the first 80% of Bane’s fire was absorbed by Revan’s shields, the remaining few shots found their mark, as the shields broke. Revan’s chest piece and concealed shoulder pads managed to take most of the remaining shots, but two landed directly on his right arm.

Revan grimaced in pain, angry in his mind that his shields had not held up as long as they should have, but he had succeeded in his plan. 

Suddenly, the Force screamed in warning at Ventress, and her eyes drifted over to the source of the warning, she had been so focused on her attack that she had failed to noticed Revan raising his right hand in a fist. Her eyes fully widened in terror as she saw sparks of Force Lightning flash around the raised fist, and as the hand slowly opened, more sparks and bolts of lightning began to appear and violently strike out. She yelled out in warning and tried to jump back in time, but it was too late.

Bane’s quick reflexes were not fast enough, as he saw Revan’s hand opening, and recognized the signs of Force lightning. He reached for his rocket controls and tried desperately to adjust course. 

In an instant, blinding light and the sound of thunder exploded across the rooftop, as large arcs of lighting raced out in all directions. One arc raced into the sky, striking Bane and consuming him in a torrent of Force Lightning. He cried out in pain, the electricity being so intense that it caused him to lose control of his muscles. The electricity also made its way into his equipment, causing all of his gadgets to short-circuit and burst in sparks. His rocket boots overcharged and violently shot him into the air, leaving a trail of smoke behind him as he left the radius of the Force Storm. 

Ventress, realizing she could not escape the blast, raised her sabers in a desperate attempt to block the incoming attack. The power she felt coming off of Revan in the Force shocked her, and she felt deeply fearful that she would not survive this. As the lightning connected with her crossed sabers, it took all of her strength to hold off the power for a few seconds, but it eventually overcame her, and electricity rapidly and painfully engulfed her, causing her to scream out in agony. 

Revan allowed the storm to continue for a few moments, before releasing it, and the last of the arcs of lightning stopped their violent thrashing out, leaving massive scorch marks all over the roof, and the sides of nearby buildings. 

Once the lightning stopped, Ventress collapsed onto the roof, only having stood up until then because the electricity had caused her muscles to seize up and force her to remain standing. Small streams of smoke from several burn marks radiated off her body, and her breathing was labored, but Revan could sense that she would not die from her wounds. He briefly considered killing her, but as he watched her in the Force, he saw a great deal of untapped potential, and some deeply hidden doubts about serving her master. Perhaps she could be useful in the future. 

Pain demanded Revan’s attention once again, as he felt along his arm for the two blaster wounds. His left arm was also not in great shape from holding off Ventress’ full attack, his breathing was heavy from the exertion of casting Force Storm so quickly, and his body was in general pain from the prolonged fighting of the day. If he was going to survive, he needed to get out of here, and quickly. 

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Revan recovered his dropped saber, deactivating the one in his hand, and placed both next to the others concealed in his robes. Scanning his surroundings to make sure no one else was coming after him at that moment, Revan concentrated on concealing himself in the Force, activated his stealth-field-generator, and began walking towards the hangar as his physical form slowly disappeared. 

Ahsoka pulled one of her blades from the chest of a human, as their body slumped to the ground. Her breathing was heavy, but as she looked around at the combined destruction she and Master Gallia had caused, she couldn't help but smile a little. 

The remaining Magnaguards had been dealt with, thanks to Master Obi Wan's help, who was currently dealing with the last of the mercenaries. Anakin was clearly frustrated, he had been knocked out for a small period of time from the rocket blast, but with Kenobi's protection he hadn't been a target, and was now taking out his aggression on the few enemies left. 

Finally having a moment to breathe and just take in her surroundings, Ahsoka noticed that she hadn't seen Revan since the start of the fight. In fact, now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Ventress or Bane either. 

          Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by a feeling of a massive surge of power in the Force, followed by what sounded like a roar of thunder from a different part of town. The other Jedi sensed the same thing, stopping in their tracks, then everyone's attention turned towards the sound of the explosion. 

"It's Revan." Anakin stated definitively. 

Kenobi nodded in agreement, before speaking. "Adi, Ahsoka, stay here and deal with the rest of Bane’s men. Anakin and I will go after Revan." 

"We'll meet up with you once we're done here!" Adi yelled back to her fellow Master. 

Ahsoka was about to say something, when another sensation came over her, she could actively feel Revan’s presence shifting in the Force, it was the same feeling she had in the Temple. 

By the time she shook herself from her thoughts, she looked up to see that Anakin and Obi Wan were already gone. She pulled out her communicator and tried to call them, but to her dismay it had broken at some point during the fight. Looking up in desperation, and increasing worry, she saw that Adi had leaped into action to deal with the remaining mercenaries, which had dug into a very tough defensive position inside of a building. 

Glancing around frantically her mind raced with conflicting information. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and focused in the Force. Revan was headed towards the hangar; they were going to lose him. After a few more seconds of concentration, her eyes sprung open, filled with determination. She deactivated both sabers, summoned the Force to augment her, and started to run. 

Sterr was in the process of quickly double checking the outside of Revan's ship, making sure that he had not forgotten to disengage a fuel line or docking clamp. Satisfied with his findings, the Ithrorian made his way back to the boarding ramp of the ship and jumped in fear when he saw a black-cloaked figure, with a demonic red mask, that was gripping its right arm, walking towards him. 

Seeing the mechanic's obvious terror, Revan realized his mistake and quickly took off his mask, pulled his hood back, and waved his hand at Sterr before speaking, "Sterr, it's me." 

The Ithroian took a second to register who he was looking at, then shook his head and quickly made his way over to meet him. "Revan, sir, my deepest apologies for not realizing it was you, I-"

But Revan simply waved him off and offered a slight smile. "Is the ship ready to leave?"

"Oh! Uhm, yes, sir! I started it up as you asked, and she's ready to fly." 

Revan nodded in approval. "And the tracking system?" He did not fancy another situation like this one happening again.

"Completely removed. It did give me some trouble at times, but I think you will be very proud of the work I was able to do in the short time I had her." 

Revan's eyes scanned the ship, and slowly nodded, his mind turning with a new idea. "Sterr…"

The Ithorian's head picked up slightly in anticipation of what his most generous customer was about to say. 

"...How would you like to come with me?" Revan asked as he looked at the mechanic, who's eyes were slowly widening. "I could use a mechanic like you, and I have a feeling your ingenuity has a great deal more potential than perhaps even you realize." Sterr was speechless for several moments, and sensing the Jedi were looking for him, Revan decided to speed the process along. "I can pay you even more than what I already owe you, plus," he glanced back over his shoulder to the hangar entrance, "I've just made a lot of dangerous enemies, and they will probably not take kindly to the fact that you helped me escape."

A flash of worry crossed over the alien’s features, and his mind raced with thoughts and questions as he began looking around his hangar, the place that he had called home and prison for so many years. 

Revan watched the Ithroian for several seconds feeling the intense levels of emotions radiating off of him. "I can't promise that the work will be easy, or safe for that matter, but I can offer you a better life than this. It's your choice, but I need to know now." 

Sterr finally stopped looking around and locked eyes with Revan. There was a strange pull, a level of conviction and confidence in his eyes that Sterr had never seen in another being. His mind resolved. He straightened himself to his full height and nodded confidently. "I will join you." 

Revan couldn't help the large smile that came across his face. 

"Stop!" Revan and Sterr turned to face the voice that had yelled across the hangar. Revan's brow raised in surprise as he saw the Jedi Padawan run into the hangar, both sabers in her hands, deactivated. How had she…

"I can't let you leave Revan!" Ahsoka said as she came to a stop a few feet away from the pair, igniting both sabers, and taking an offensive stance. 

Sterr glanced between the Togruta and Revan worriedly, but Revan simply maintained eye contact with the Jedi. 

Revan turned his head just slightly and said, "Be ready to take off on my mark." but did not stop looking at Ahsoka. 

Sterr nodded quickly and hurriedly boarded the ship. 

Ahsoka glanced at the Ithorian but decided to stay focused on Revan. 

"You know you can't stop me, young one. I appreciate the courage, and you clearly have conviction, but we both know how this fight ends. Just let me go, and we can leave this matter here." 

Ahsoka gripped her sabers tighter, she knew Revan was right, but she wasn't going to back down, hopefully she could stall him long enough for the others to realize where she was. "I have to try." 

Revan looked at the padawan with new appreciation. She had bravely tried to defend the archives and was now willing to fight a lost battle because she knew it was her responsibility to do so. She reminded him of Mission… "Goodbye Ahsoka, perhaps we'll meet again someday." He said before turning to board the ship. 

Ahsoka steeled herself, realizing she was out of options, she charged at Revan's back. 

With only a foot between them, Revan turned to face Ahsoka and held out a hand, flat and open. Suddenly, Ahsoka was locked in place, completely frozen, a thin layer of purple energy surrounded her and bound her in place, only allowing for her eyes to move about frantically in confusion. 

Revan maintained the Force Stasis, paralyzing the Padawan. He could feel the slight panic and great confusion coming off of the Jedi, and his head tilted slightly. He was aware that he needed to end this and leave, but his curiosity got the better of him and he searched her mind to further understand her confusion. Surely the Jedi had not forgotten the extremely useful and peaceful tool that was Force Stasis? 

As Revan reached into her mind, Ahsoka could actively feel him reach out to her mind for answers. For the first time, she fully felt the connection in the Force between them, and almost on instinct she locked eyes with Revan and launched forward. 

Revan's eyes went wide, as a mixture of shock and surprise came over him, as Ashoka used the unprotected connection between them to delve into his psyche. A wave of memories, dreams, emotions, buried truths, and dark secrets were suddenly unleashed on the ill-prepared padawan, and her mind felt like it was going to be consumed in the fire that was Revan's wounded mind. 

Revan lost his concentration, the Force Stasis fell, Ahsoka gripped her head crying out in pain, which caused Revan to snap out of his daze. He quickly blocked their connection in the Force, which ended the pain Ahsoka was experiencing, but the experience had been so intense and overwhelming for her mind that it shut off in self-defense, causing her to collapse to the ground and pass out. 

Revan was left stunned by the event that had just happened. It took him a moment to recenter himself, as the event had caused a great deal of deep and difficult emotions and memories to rise to the surface of his mind. He stared down at the still form of the Jedi Padawan in disbelief, his mind finally understanding why certain things had happened the way they did. 

          As the seconds rolled by for what seemed like a small eternity, one thing became very clear to the former High Commander of the Republic: He had a decision to make. 

          Anakin and Obi Wan were standing on top of a very burned and partially destroyed rooftop, several blocks from their previous skirmish with Cad Bane’s mercenaries. Kenobi stood on the edge of one side of the roof, thoughtfully stroking his beard as he surveyed the damage done to other nearby structures, while Skywalker was crouched in the middle of the roof, using his fingers to carefully examine one of the burn marks. Neither Bane, nor Ventress, nor Revan had been seen by the pair of Jedi on their way to, or at this location.

          The only sound between them was the occasional gust of wind and rolling of small pieces of stone against the roof and surrounding structures but was broken up by the noise of rushing wind, as Master Gallia Force Jumped onto the same roof and landed with a small thud. Both Obi Wan and Anakin only gave her a side glance and an affirming nod before getting back to their observations. 

          “What’s the situation?” Adi asked as she approached Kenobi’s side.

          “No sign of Bane, Ventress, or Revan, but whatever happened here couldn’t have been good for any of them.” Kenobi remarked.

          “Judging by the scorch marks and blaster fire,” Skywalker began as he stood up and approached the two masters, “it was a pretty intense skirmish. But I would put money on Revan ending the fight with some kind of powerful Force Lightning.”

          “Just like he did on Coruscant…” Obi Wan muttered somberly, as the image of Quinlan Vos’ smoking form entered the Jedi Master’s mind. 

          “Exactly.” Anakin affirmed the unspoken sentiment. “But based on how this fight went, none of them could have gotten far, we should still have a chance to catch Revan.” 

Just as Anakin finished speaking, all three Jedi turned to the sound of a nearby ship’s engines roaring to full power and looked up to the sky to watch the tail-end of a Personal Luxury Yacht rapidly fly out of sight into the lower levels of the planet’s atmosphere.

“You were saying…” Adi commented with a slight smirk.

Obi Wan was about to join in on the teasing of his former apprentice, when he stopped upon seeing the very serious and intense look on Anakin’s face. 

Anakin turned to look at both Masters, a mixture of fear and anger just beginning to stir at the back of his voice, “Where’s Ahsoka?”

Chapter Text

AN: Hello my lovely readers, it is great to be back! Firstly, I would like to thank all of you for your patience and support, and I hope that this story continues to entertain each and every one of you. I have been very blessed to receive the amount of support you guys have given to me over the past year and I cannot express just how much all the encouragement has meant to me. These past two months have been very challenging with finishing school (I finally graduated btw!), family drama, and some major financial troubles, and the thought of getting this chapter done and getting to engage with this loyal audience was one of many motivations that helped me through this recent season; so, in all sincerity, thank you.

Secondly, on a lighter note, I recently acquired the Mass Effect Legendary Edition (if you are wondering if it is worth buying, it IS!) and I am about to finally start playing ME2, for probably the 5^th time if I am being honest. With that being said, I wanted to take a kind of ‘poll’ on if I should slowly start working on a ME2 x Revan crossover? I have read a few of these stories of the years, been inspired by one in particular, and I have always been a big ME fan, but I am not sure if I should try to take on two stories. So, with all that being said, what do you guys think? If there is enough interest and demand to see me write that story then I will, so if that’s something you want to see please leave a comment on this chapter saying so!

Anyway, that’s all from me! As always, please leave feedback, comments, criticisms, any and all thoughts you have! All feedback is good feedback and the more you guys engage the more motivation I have to keep writing. I hope you all enjoy the longest chapter I have written to date! (It seems no matter how much I try I can’t write short chapters lol) Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 9 – The Room Where It Happens

The sounds of lightsabers clashing together in an intense duel slowly became louder and louder in the complete darkness she was surrounded by. The fierce fighting rose in intensity as the obscuring shadow slowly began to clear in all directions. She was standing in the middle of a large, circular, red-copper-colored, and metallic room. More details began to come into focus as her eyes adjusted to the muddled lighting of the room, the first of which was the numerous blinking lights of various control and display panels that were scattered around the room. As she continued to look around a flash of light and the dulled boom of an explosion drew her attention to the upper portions of the room. Her mind instantly recognized the scene of a small spacecraft, most likely a fighter, being destroyed and the subsequent explosion that quickly dissipates in the vacuum of space. She realized that she was looking out of a fairly large viewport that wrapped around the entire room and she could barely make out a large space battle raging outside her unfamiliar environment. She also began to recognize the noise of alarms blaring in the background, the kind that was common on a capital ship or space station.

Suddenly, another, much closer, explosion occurred just outside one of the viewports, causing several metal panels to violently blast across the room, leaving exposed sparking wires behind. The explosion also reverberated throughout the room, causing her to be shaken and lose her footing, which now placed two individuals directly in the path of her sight. While she couldn’t make out too many specific details, she could tell she was looking at two men. One was shorter than the other, clad in brown robes, while the other was bald with prominent tattoos on their head and was dressed in red. The two were engaged in a deadly lightsaber duel, neither fighter was holding back, and both had the clear intention of cutting the other one down. The blows of each saber were powerful and skillfully exchanged, the speed of which alone communicated just how experienced and dangerous these two combatants really were. While she tried her best to witness the battle, another explosion tore her attention away from the action in front of her. She turned around just in time to drop to the ground and avoid being sliced in half by another flying piece of debris. By the time she was able to shake off the scare and look back to the duel, the brown robbed man was standing over the other, victorious. What happened next surprised her as the winner of the match fell to their knees and let out a cry of pain and anguish. Before she could take any action, the room shook violently, and she was suddenly dropped through an instantly appearing crack in the floor.

Ahsoka woke with a gasp. Her breathing was quick, and she could feel her heart racing inside her chest. She looked around rapidly, trying to determine her surroundings and assess her situation. Wherever she was was dark, but contained a few dim lights along the floor and ceiling. Her senses began to notice that she was on a carpeted floor, which felt soft and clean. Just as her mind was starting to calm slightly, she attempted to reach up to her head but encountered that she had been placed in a set of binder cuffs. This immediately caused new anxiety and fear to swell up inside her, but thankfully her training kicked in and she took a moment to close her eyes, take a deep breath, and keep her emotions in check. Having dealt with her immediate emotions, for the moment, she slowly began to scan her environment more carefully, while also reaching out in the Force for any insight that could help her. The Force revealed that she was not in any imminent danger, and as her eyes adjusted to the lighting of the space, she began to make out a few spread-out tables and chairs. Lastly, as she reached down and felt the floor, she detected the subtle, but unmistakable feeling of a ship traveling through hyperspace, this was also confirmed as her hearing began to pick up the dull hum of the ship’s hyperdrive.

Just before she could start formulating a plan in her mind, a door she had not noticed at the far end of the room suddenly slid open with a quiet hissing sound, causing white-blue light to shine brightly into the room. She raised her hands instinctively to cover her face, as her eyes did their best to quickly adjust to the sudden shift in brightness. Her muscles also instinctively tensed up, ready for whatever potential threat awaited her.

"Ah, good, you're awake." A steady and slightly familiar male voice spoke from the doorway as a humanoid silhouette appeared in the frame of the doorway. Ahsoka saw the shadow of a hand quickly press a button on a small control panel near the door and the lights of the room quickly faded up to a much brighter setting, filling the room with warm even lighting. The figure's face now came into view, and Ahsoka was surprised to find herself slightly at ease upon seeing Revan's unmasked face, though the rest of his form was still fully robed and armored as the last time she had seen him.

Determined to find some measure of control in the situation, Ahsoka quickly looked around the newly lit room and found that her earlier limited observation had been correct. She was in the middle of a fairly spacious lounge or seating area, with spread-out luxury chairs and tables, the former of which were all covered in the same high-quality red with detailed gold patterns woven throughout the carpet, that the floor and walls were also plated with. This combined with the observations of being in hyperspace led the Padawan to the conclusion that they must be on the luxury yacht she had attempted to keep Revan from leaving on and had obviously failed. The thought of that encounter triggered a strange, but foggy memory of what had happened to her just before she had passed out.

Realizing that she had not said anything in response to Revan's comment, she responded with a redundant question to try and stall for time to come up with some kind of escape plan. "Where are we?" She asked with as much sincerity as she could muster.

When she glanced at Revan to gauge his response, hoping he would give some important information away, she was taken aback by a small smile on his face, followed by a short, but sincere laugh. "You already know the answer to that question, didn't your master teach you to guard your thoughts and emotions in the Force?"

Ahsoka mentally scolded herself for her lack of focus. Granted, she had never been good at putting up mental guards. She had only been taught the basics of how to do so from Master Plo Koon, and while she had learned a lot from Anakin's patented "hands-on" approach, he had never been big on the instruction of the fundamentals of Jedi training and skills. Still, she was an experienced enough Jedi that she should have been more careful and prepared, especially since she had already encountered Revan twice and knew a portion of what he was capable of.

Ahsoka's mental frustration was interrupted by a small chuckle emanating from Revan. "Don't be too hard on yourself." He began as he walked further into the room, "Even if you had been better mentally guarded, I'm not sure it would have made a difference." He finished his statement by taking a seat at one of the few tables in the room, before gesturing to the seat directly across from him and saying, "Come, sit. You and I need to have a conversation."

Ahsoka's brow rose slightly in suspicion, but she slowly lifted herself from her position on the floor and cautiously sat in the offered chair. She reminded silent, however, deciding to let Revan initiate whatever this conversation was going to be about, and doing her best to concentrate on keeping her mind and emotions sealed in the Force.

Revan offered a small reassuring smile, but let out a sigh when he saw it did nothing to lower Ahsoka's suspicion or general tension. "I have no intention to harm you if that's what you're worried about."

Ahsoka could sense no lie from Revan in the Force, but she also could barely feel his presence at all in the Force even this close to him. Thus, she continued to keep her guard up, ready to spring into action if necessary.

Revan watched her a moment, switching his gaze between each of her eyes, almost as if he was looking for something, but couldn't quite tell if he had found it or not. Finally, he spoke again, "You must be wondering what you are doing here."

"Not especially." Ahsoka quickly responded back, a small level of anger rising in her as her mind fully settled on the fact that she had been taken hostage and separated from her Jedi companions. "I'm probably here as a hostage to keep the Jedi from coming after you again." And unfortunately, she knew it would work. The Council would most likely back off for a time with one of their own in danger. A small wave of sadness came over her at the thought of the frustration and anger that kind of order would cause her master.

A flash of sympathy, or perhaps guilt, went across Revan's face as her mind went through these emotions, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "While you most likely will not, believe me, I did not bring you along-"

"Kidnapped." Ahsoka interjected as a correction, a glare forming in her eyes.

Revan paused for a moment before continuing, "...Kidnapped, to make use of you as a hostage. Personally, I do not believe that any warrior worth their salt should have to resort to hiding behind live shields as cover."

Ahsoka was once again surprised with the conviction and slight anger she could hear behind Revan's words, but she still was not totally convinced that she was by any means safe. However, for the sake of information, and frankly to speed this conversation along, she decided to see where this was all going, "Fine. Let's say you're telling the truth and I'm not a hostage, that still doesn't answer the question of why I am here."

"You are right, it does not." Revan placed a gloved hand on the table and began to rhythmically tap his fingers on the metal surface, his mind clearly trying to calculate some kind of equation or next step. After several moments he finally spoke again, "Tell me...how much do you know about Force Bonds?"

Ahsoka's face looked slightly bewildered at this apparent shift in conversation, but pushing those questions aside, she leaned forward slightly as her mind began to concentrate on the question she had just been asked. A thought was beginning to formulate in the recesses of her mind, and her natural curiosity was starting to peak in interest. "Well...I have only heard about them a few times, during some of my early Jedi training sessions where we studied history in the archives. Though, to be honest I always got bored and stopped paying attention about halfway through most of the lectures."

Revan laughed at this honest response, before saying, "It seems I wasn't the only one who found those history lessons duller than a Rancor's social life."

Ahsoka smiled at Revan's joke, despite herself, her tension and worry started to take a backseat to her curiosity. "Wait, you were Padawan?"

Revan nodded in response before answering, "Indeed I was, though I imagine my training had many significant differences to your own."

Before he could continue his explanation, something clicked in Ahsoka's mind, "So...that’s what you meant when you told me you weren't stealing anything from the Temple Archives."

"Correct. You're quite a quick study for someone so young."

Ahsoka felt a small bit of pride well up inside her. Anakin was quick to give encouraging words, but specific and intentional complements were not something she was accustomed to, mostly just scoldings or reprimands, something she had started to understand better the more she saw how Obi-Wan interacted with his former apprentice. Her training kicked in again and she realized that she had lost all focus. Shaking her head slightly she locked eyes with Revan and said, "Regardless, what does you kidnapping me have to do with Force Bonds?"

"Yes well, now we get to the heart of it, don't we?" Revan rested his other hand on the table and leaned forward slightly. "Ahsoka...there's no convenient way for me to explain this, but..."

Ahsoka's eyes slowly grew larger as her mind raced ahead with the conclusion that Revan was already headed towards. In an instant, her mind flashed back to her and Bariss in the Archives, where Ahsoka could sense an attack but Bariss couldn't. Later, she could feel Revan in the Temple when none of the other Jedi even knew he was there. Then, on Tatooine, she knew Revan was on his way back to town, but none of the other Masters could even sense him. Finally, at the hanger, she remembered, she had seen memories, she had looked into his mind. "We're Bonded?" She asked in a mixture of confusion, worry, and bewilderment.

This time it was Revan's turn to be surprised, he had only barely paused when the Padawan had spoken up and finished his dialog for him. Sensing the flood of emotions coming off of the young Togruta, he waited a moment before responding, "Yes... That would be the correct conclusion."

"How? When? Why did this happen? What does all of this-"

Her questions were cut short as Revan raised a hand as a signal for her to stop, which she reluctantly did. "Take a breath. Steady yourself. Do not allow your emotions to control you."

While a flash of anger and frustration crept up inside her, Ahsoka heeded the wisdom in his words and did as was suggested. Having found her center again she spoke, "At least answer my questions."

"I would if I could." Revan leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together as he did so. "The frustrating reality is that I have been meditating on our...situation, for the better part of several hours, while you slept, and I have yet to find a satisfactory answer to the questions of how, when, or why this occurred. All I am currently certain of is the reality of this Bond we now share."

Ahsoka watched Revan carefully for several moments, trying her best to detect any trace of dishonesty. Having found none, she asked a new question, "So what does this mean for us? I'm still not totally familiar with the subject of Force Bonds, only that they serve as some kind of two-way connection between two Force users."

Revan nodded slightly at Ahsoka's basic explanation. "That's more or less the whole of it. When two Force users are bonded they have the ability to communicate with one another in the Force, but not just with words. They can transmit or receive thoughts, emotions, instincts, physical stimuli, and even memories and knowledge."

Ahsoka looked down at the table, pieces of the puzzle and the past few days were slowly beginning to fall into place, but she was still missing large portions of the picture. "If that's all true, then why can't I feel anything in the Force from you right now?"

"Let us just say I have some...experience with Force Bonds." Ahsoka looked up questioningly, but Revan continued speaking, "While a Force Bond can be used to powerful effect between two allies, it also can be very dangerous. If one individual's mind is more unstable or powerful than the other's, certain memories or traumatic events can overwhelm the weaker mind without warning. Additionally, if a Bond is left open and unguarded, then any physical wound one individual suffers will be felt with equal intensity by the other. These potential dangers and exposed weaknesses only grow as the Bond is deepened, but so do the potential benefits. This is why when any Force Bond is formed, there must be careful training and actions that should be taken to ensure the safety of both individuals."

"So you've experienced a Force Bond before," Ahsoka locked eyes with Revan to judge his reaction, "and you're sealing your side of the connection off right now."

Revan met her gaze and did not look away as he answered, "Correct, once again."

As assured as she could be, Ahsoka looked away and continued to process the information. "So, this is why I'm here... No matter where you go, or how well you hide yourself in the Force, I still have the ability to find you."

"Precisely. It seems you are a very fast learner."

"But, if you can seal yourself off from this connection, why take me?" Ahsoka asked confused.

"It's not a permanent solution." Revan answered simply, "At some point, I will lose focus on sealing my side of the Bond. I will be in battle, I will have to sleep, or I will simply become occupied with other more pressing matters. At some point, you will gain access to my mind again, and just as I suspect happened on Tatooine, you will be able to sense my location no matter where I am in the galaxy."

Ahsoka slowly nodded in understanding. "...How do we get rid of this connection?" She asked with great seriousness.

Revan chuckled and took a deep breath before responding, "I am afraid that information is unknown, even by your great Jedi Council."

Ahsoka looked at him questioningly, but he waved his hand and began to answer her unspoken question, "Force Bonds are extremely rare, even among the Jedi. Because of this fact, studies on the subject have been extremely...limited, to say the least. Even after all these thousands of years that the Jedi have been recording countless volumes of information, the ones who have studied Force Bonds are still not sure how they form, much less how to sever the link."

Ahsoka's face fell and she stared at the floor. Several moments passed in silence before she spoke, "I guess this means you're going to lock me up in some cage until you're defeated, or you no longer need to hide."

Revan studied the Padawan for a moment before answering, "That is one possibility I have considered… However, I feel that would be quite a waste for both you and I."

Ahsoka slowly looked up, her curiosity beginning to take charge again, "What do you mean?"

"I would like to offer you an...agreement. In exchange for your cooperation, meaning you will not actively attempt to escape, I will allow you to stay at my side and live in monitored freedom, to do as you like."

Ahsoka's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "You're asking me to join you?"

"Not entirely. I am no fool, Ahsoka. I know no matter how many layers of security I put around you, you are going to attempt to escape and I am sure I will have to dedicate a serious portion of resources to ensure that you do not."

Ahsoka smirked slightly at this comment but continued to be wary of what exactly Revan was offering. "So if I choose this other option, I can walk around, but I'll still be a prisoner?"

Revan shrugged slightly in response, "More or less, but the significant difference is that you will actually be able to learn things during your imprisonment, rather than simply staring at a metal wall for weeks or months." Ahsoka cocked her head to the side, and Revan continued by answering her unspoken question. "By saving me the time, energy, and resources in containing you, you will gain the benefit of knowing some of my plans, getting to explore my facilities, and even gaining key intelligence that could completely defeat me. I do not doubt that at some point either you will escape or your Jedi friends will manage to retrieve you. Would you not rather be reunited with them having gained a wealth of knowledge on one of their enemies?"

Ahsoka once again studied Revan closely to try and see what he wasn't telling her. "...Why would you risk that important information, just to not worry about me escaping for the next little bit? And how do you know I won't make a break for it as soon as we land?"

Revan simply shrugged again, "Perhaps it's pride or overconfidence that compels me to offer this deal, but I can tell you this, you will not learn anything more about me or my motivations locked in a cell. As for you making a break for it as soon as we land, I do not believe you will." He leaned forward again and locked eyes with the Padawan before continuing, "Just as you have looked into my mind, so I have looked into yours. You are a loyal and committed Jedi, one who understands the value of their word. You do not break the oaths you take lightly."

Ahsoka felt like shrinking back away from his gaze, which seemed to slice straight through her, but despite her fear she simply gripped a fist under the table to stable herself and did not back down from the exchange.

Revan smirked slightly at seeing her courage and determination, he then leaned back to give her mind a break, saying as he did so, "So, Ms. Tano, have we reach an accord?"

Ahsoka was frustrated that she couldn't read anything off the man in front of her. However, as she mulled his proposal over in her mind she began to soften to the idea. He could have simply killed her in that hanger when he realized the threat she posed. Even before that, he could have killed her and Barriss at the Archives, or Vos when he was chasing Revan through Coruscant. Additionally, Revan clearly wasn't a Sith, Ventress attacking him more than confirmed that. While Ahsoka was nowhere near understanding this man or his motivations, he had done nothing that was unforgivable, and surprisingly enough all the damage he had caused could have been much worse. She was sure there was a catch to what Revan was offering, but as he said, she wouldn't know what that was sitting in a cell. "Well," she finally began, "if I'm going to be a prisoner for the foreseeable future, I might as well pick up a hobby to kill the time."

Revan smiled at her response, before standing up from the table. "I am very pleased we could come to an understanding about this situation." He then waved his hand in front of him and the binder cuffs clicked and dropped to the floor.

Ahsoka was surprised by this action, and as she rubbed her wrists to ease the soreness she said, "...Thanks."

"You are welcome. Now, please excuse me, I should go check on our pilot and progress." He gestured to a small bar on the opposite wall. "There's water, some food, and other beverages all in there. Feel free to take whatever you would like." He looked at her, leaned forward, and mockingly whispered, "I won't report you to the Council if you decide to have a real drink."

Ahsoka simply rolled her eyes at the joke, but she appreciated the offer of food and water. "Where did you get this nice of a ship?" She asked looking around with new appreciation for her surroundings.

"Courtesy of one Hondo Ohnaka-"

"The pirate lord?" Ahsoka asked before Revan could continue.

He looked at her slightly surprised, before asking his own question, "You know him?"

"I've had my share of run-ins with that scum."

"Huh...it really is a small galaxy." Revan muttered, mostly to himself. He then turned and began walking to the cockpit. "Oh!" He quickly spun back around, causing Ahsoka to look at him curiously, "I almost forgot." He added before reaching into his black layered robes, then proceeded to pull out two silver lightsaber hilts of slightly different sizes, which he quickly tossed to Ahsoka.

She caught them and her eyes grew slightly wide as she realized they were her sabers. By the time she looked back up at Revan, he had already re-entered the cockpit, the sliding door just closing behind him. Despite everything she at just learned, all the emotions and questions running through her mind, and her general confusion about what to think of Revan and his methods, Ahsoka felt a small smile slowly appear on her face.

Count Dooku was suddenly stirred from his daily meditation. He had been sitting quite comfortably for only a short while, allowing the Force to ease his mind and bring comfort to his aging body. What had broken the momentary peace was the small, yet consistent, and slightly annoying beep of his personal communicator, which he kept near himself at all times, just in case any urgent matters needed to be attended to. He scowled as the noise continued to invade his private and comfortable mediation suit at his home. Taking a deep sigh he leisurely reached over and activated the communicator before saying, "This had better be important."

A smooth, robotic, feminine voice of a personal assistant droid answered back across the two-way line, "I do apologize for disturbing you my lord, but it seems you have a requested call in a few minutes on the high-priority line."

The Count's eyes widened slightly, and he felt his pulse quicken upon hearing this information. He had only just received the report on Ventress' mission, but he had hoped to have more time to formulate an answer for her failure. Shaking his head he willed his reactions under control before answering in his usual modulated tone, "Very well. Inform my master that I will be available to receive his call."

"Very good, my lord." The droid answer before the call was terminated.

Dooku quickly rose from his plush meditation cushion, before making his way into a small bathroom to change into his usual black robes and brown cloak with a connecting silver chain. Once he was in proper attire, he made his way through a few adjacent hallways before finally arriving in the main hall where his desk and primary computer were. Seeing the red flash of an incoming call, Count Dooku knelt in the proper location to be seen, bowed his head, and accepted the call.

A large blue hologram appeared before the Count, displaying a cloaked figure whose nose and mouth were barely visible under an obscuring hood. "What is thy bidding, my master?" Dooku asked without looking up from the ground.

"I have just received the report from the battle on Tatooine. It seems your assassin's performance left much to be desired." The cold and gravelly voice of Darth Sideous answered back to his apprentice.

"I assure you, my Lord, this disgraceful failure will be answered for in swift and harsh punishment." Dooku spoke, anger and frustration rising slightly in the back of his tone.

The large hologram simply waved its hand dismissively. "It does not matter that she failed to secure or kill Revan, we have gained a wealth of knowledge and information from that one fight alone. I never expected her to succeed, the fact that she survived is surprising."

Dooku slowly looked up at his master, his face showing a small level of confusion. "This means you anticipated that Revan would escape?"

"I needed to assess his capabilities, and with the recordings from the droid's data banks, as well as the information from the Jedi's report, I now have a much clearer picture of the individual we are dealing with."

Dooku nodded slightly before asking, "What has been your conclusion then? Is this the Revan from our galaxy's history?"

Sideous paused a moment before answering, "I still cannot say for certain, but thus far all the evidence points to that possibility. I doubt anyone else living, or dead, in the galaxy could have made it out of such a death trap. From this point on, we will be treating Revan as if he truly is from our own history."

"I understand, what would you have me do?"

"I will begin my own study into the possibility of time travel, and search for how Revan could have possibly entered our time. I want you, and the various generals of the Separatist army to begin reviewing the plans, tactics, and strategies from Revan's past exploits. I want his next step predicted and intercepted before he makes it. Lastly, send General Grevious with a large fleet to Hutt Space and have him send probes and other search teams to all the systems near Tatooine. If Revan has gone to hide somewhere in that cluster, I want him found and eliminated. Do what you must to appease the Hutts, but do not allow them to impede the search."

"It shall be done, my master." Dooku said before bowing his head again.

"And Tyranus," Dooku looked up again at his master, "this new enemy is not to be underestimated. See to it that you do not disappoint me in this endeavor." The threat was well understood by both parties and was accented with Sideous walking out of view and the hologram slowly fading away.

Dooku was surprised with how well that conversation had gone and found himself having to consciously loose the tension in his shoulders. Picking himself off the ground he made his way to his seat at his desk, and after a few seconds of typing on his terminal, a small hologram of a mostly mechanized cyborg appeared just to Dooku's right.

A husky and slightly robotic voice spoke as the intimidating figure bowed slightly with one arm, "What are you orders, my lord?"

Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa were sitting side-by-side in a standard grey with red trim Coruscant airspeeder, with Padmé driving. The pair of senators were flying through the middle of Coruscant's infamous mid-day rush hour. While Padmé was clearly a skilled pilot and expertly flew the craft in between the heavy traffic above the clouds, Organa still found himself consistently gripping the support handles whenever they flew a little too close to another vehicle.

"Just for my sake, let's go over the plan again." The senator from Alderaan said, mostly as a way to take his mind off of his fellow senator's style of aggressive driving.

Seeing her friend's obvious discomfort, Padmé smirked slightly before deciding to humor his request. "Don't tell me you're getting too old to remember things Bail?" The look/glare she received from her older companion was enough to make her put up a hand, "Okay, okay, just joking. As for the plan, it's pretty simple. You already called ahead and set up a meeting with the local sector chief of Coruscant Security to discuss increasing your own private security detail. While you are very early for your meeting, my contact in Security will get us further into the main headquarters of this sector. With you keeping an eye out and acting like you're supposed to be there, I will be inside the archives to pull any data I can find with this." She accented her plan by holding up a silver data drive that was clearly modified.

"And what exactly are you looking for that your contact couldn't have sent to you?" Organa asked while taking a curious look at the device.

"Unfortunately, Coruscant Security has started to monitor archive information more heavily, and apparently the entire Revan investigation has been labeled as ‘highly classified,’ so my contact has lost all access to those files."

"Uh-huh...and what happens if we get caught? What we are doing isn't exactly legal."

"And when has that stopped us before?" Padmé looked at her friend with a mocked raised eyebrow.

Organa laughed slightly in response, "I suppose that's a fair question, but you still haven't answered mine."

Padmé simply shrugged, "You already have a meeting set up, if anyone asks what you're doing, just say you got lost and need help getting to your appointment. You're a good actor, they'll believe you." She said with a small smile.

"Simple enough, but what about you? At the very least they're going to have your image on their cameras."

"Got that covered. My contact still has access to the building's security, today's footage is going to mysteriously get corrupted. I.T. is always running into problems nowadays. And if I get into real trouble, I'll improvise. I've certainly been in worse situations." She ended her explanation with a wink.

Organa smiled back, but then sighed heavily before saying, "Padmé, you're very capable, and I know you think you've found something important here, but if this goes wrong, this could have massive repercussions for you and your position as senator." He fully turned his head and looked at his friend with seriousness in his eyes, "I want you to be sure this is something you have to do."

Making sure the air in front of them was clear for a while, Padmé turned and met Organa's gaze. She stared back with a unique firey conviction the older senator had never found in another individual, and said, "I'm sure."

A few more seconds passed before Organa finally nodded back and said, "Alright, I've got your back."

The speeder flew around a towering building before headed directly towards a large isolated structure, surrounded by various police and military craft.

Ahsoka was suddenly stirred from her idle meditation when she felt the familiar jolt of a ship exiting hyperspace. Getting up from the chair she had stayed in since her earlier conversation, she attached her two sabers to her belt and made her way to the cockpit door. The door slid open and she found herself standing inside a comfortably sized two-person control room, with Revan sitting on her right and the Ithorian from the hangar on her left. Ahsoka hesitated at the sight of the alien before her memory reminded her of where she had seen him before.

Revan turned his head slightly at the sound of the door opening and said, "I was wondering when you were going to join us." He then turned to his co-pilot, "Sterr, this is Ahsoka Tano, Ahsoka, meet Sterr, one of the finest mechanics I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." He said with a genuine smile on his face.

The Ithorian seemed both surprised and pleased by the compliment, proceeding to turn his long neck and give a kind of seated bow to Ahsoka, "It is an honor to meet a Jedi, Ms. Tano. I must apologize for the...unfortunate circumstances we had to meet in."

Ahsoka was taken aback by the Ithroian's demeanor but quickly smiled reassuringly before placing a fist in her other palm and bowing to the Ithorian. "No apology is necessary Sterr, and please, call me Ahsoka."

The Ithorian nodded before turning back to look out of the wide viewport that was directly in front of the pilots' seats. Revan leaned forward and pressed a few buttons and switches on the control panel before taking hold of the two-handled yoke that was dedicated to his chair. "I'll take it from here Sterr, this area is going to be a bit tricky to get through."

Ahsoka finally took notice of the movement outside of the spacecraft, proceeding to move forward in the cockpit until she was standing between both seats, resting her hands on each for support. The yacht was flying directly towards a densely packed asteroid cluster that seemed to revolve around and almost entirely encompass a small dwarf planet, or maybe a very large asteroid, that had about a quarter of its mass broken and floating into space, no doubt caused by multiple impacts over thousands of years.

As the craft flew closer and closer to the orbiting cluster, Revan reached into his robes and pulled out a small, metal, bronze-colored cube, with thin green lines running across its surface. He gently placed the cube on the dash directly below the viewport's glass before placing his hand back on the yoke.

Ahsoka watched with curiosity as the cube's subtle and thin green lines began to glow and seemingly expand ever so slightly. She also observed how Revan continued to glance between the cube and the window, making small adjustments and course corrections whenever the cube would dim or shift its lighting. She was also impressed with how naturally and expertly Revan navigated the dangerous environment they were surrounded by. Even only having watched him fly for a few minutes, Ahsoka could tell he was an experienced pilot.

Finally, after several minutes of tense and careful flying in relative silence, save the various sounds of the ship's engines quick adjustments and responses to Revan's commands, Revan finally spoke, "We've arrived."

Ahsoka was about to ask what he meant but was cut short as they rounded a larger asteroid and the trio was greeted with an impressive sight. In a relatively empty section of the huge asteroid cluster sat a massive asteroid that clearly contained a space station directly inside of it. The structure was almost entirely covered by the asteroid but had a few what looked like ports, hangers, docking clamps, and various other extensions or pieces of the station that jutted out from underneath the grey rock, creating a harsh contrast due to the bronze metal material of the station. The station was very dark, with no lights or signs of activity, and with how far the surrounding cluster was from this system's star, Ahsoka was beginning to realize how hidden and isolated this location was.

Both the Togruta and Ithorian were stunned in silence as the full scope of the structure became more apparent as they flew closer to what could only be described as half of a small moon. "Where is here, exactly?" Ahsoka asked without being able to tear her eyes away from the sight before her.

"The Foundry." Revan answered simply, his attention being much more focused on steering the ship to one of the many hangers that ran around the equator of the asteroid.

Ahsoka stopped staring at the station and looked at the back of Revan’s head, a mixture of confusion, curiosity, and slight worry going through her mind. "And, would you care to elaborate on that fact, or should I be expected to read your mind?"

"Tell me Ahsoka, how much do you know of the Rakata?" Revan responded back with, choosing not to engage with her obvious frustration.

Ahsoka's mind raced back through her memory upon hearing that word. Something seemed very familiar about it, but she couldn't quite place it, meaning she most likely encountered it during one of the various boring lectures she was forced to listen to as a youngling. Finally, a very foggy history lesson made its way to the surface of her thoughts. "They...they were an ancient civilization. Thousands of years before the Republic, or even Jedi… Didn't they enslave the galaxy or something?"

Revan nodded, not taking his eyes off of his intended destination. "You have pretty much got it. They were the first militant race in the galaxy, and the first to fully embrace the Dark Side, like the Sith later on. In fact, they created Galatic Basic as a slave language for all the races they forced to work for them, but that is an unimportant detail."

Sterr looked at Revan and Ahsoka with wide eyes, gulping slightly upon hearing this history lesson for the first time.

"Regardless," Revan continued, "they built a massive and powerful empire, the likes of which has never been seen since, and like all groups that amass too much power, they destroyed themselves. Now it is extremely rare to find any evidence of their existence, but a few of their greatest accomplishments were hidden away and protected. The Foundry is perhaps one of the greatest marvels they ever constructed."

Ahsoka was stunned with the information she had just received, and she slowly looked up at the approaching station, which had now become so large it completely encompassed the party's view. "So this is where you've been trying to get to all this time..." she said quietly, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

Revan didn't answer but simply glanced at his two companions, smirking slightly upon seeing both of their reactions.

"What is the function of this place?' Sterr finally spoke up, his technical mind slowly replacing his fear of the unknown with excitement about the possibilities of such an installation.

"It builds things." Revan responded flatly. "Primarily very advanced battle droids, but it also has the capability to produce almost anything one can imagine from ships to fighters, or even other more powerful space stations." Ahsoka noticed that as Revan mentioned the last item, his tone seemed to shift slightly, almost as if his mind drifted off to an entirely different place and time.

Before Ahsoka could observe the former Sith lord further, her attention was caught by the sight of a large, closed, hangar door shifting more prominently into view. Just as she was about to ask how they would get in, Revan wordlessly reached a hand forward and slowly waved a gloved, open palm just above the bronze cube still sitting on the dash. As his hand passed over it, Ahsoka could sense the Force passing over it, and the cube responded by glowing brighter for just a moment. Immediately following this action, several lights came on around the hanger doors, and two heavy bronze pieces of metal began to slide apart from each other in diagonal directions, followed by two other sets of doors behind them, the first horizontally and the last vertically.

Ahsoka watched in amazement as the ancient doors moved smoothly and without trouble. She was about to ask several questions when Revan answered predictively, "The Rakatans were advanced beyond even today's standard of technology. Somehow they were able to craft a kind of metal that could physically be infused with the Force. This allowed them to be the first and only civilization to fully and seamlessly combine the Force and their technology. This also allows the Force to mend and maintain their technology over time as it does with simple living organisms like plant life. It does not matter how old a piece of Rakatan technology is, as long as the Force is not hindered in its environment, it will work as well as the day it was made."

Ahsoka stared at the cube and the slowly opening hanger in bewilderment and awe. However, her mind slowly began to wonder what someone like Revan was planning to do with technology this powerful, and she could feel her body tense up slightly in worry with some of the more extreme predictions that came to mind. These mental gymnastics were interrupted as the hanger fully came into view. The interior was quite dark, with only the exterior lights of the ship illuminating the metal interior, it almost gave the sensation that the ship was slowly being swallowed by some ancient monster.

"The main generation is offline. We will have to restart it, but in the meantime, I doubt there will be any oxygen inside for us." Revan explained as a word of caution. "There should be a couple of environmental helmets and filters for each of you in the back storage."

"What about you?" Ahsoka asked.

Revan responded by unhooking his mask from his belt, bringing his undersuit up around the back of his head, and carefully placing the mask over his face until the hissing sound of sealing air was produced, followed by the slightly synthesized sound of filtered breathing. Revan turned to look at the Padawan and said in a modulated voice, "You do not believe this thing is just for show, do you?"

The red, black, and silver mask was still as dark and intimidating as when she had first seen it, but Ahsoka managed to push away the building fear and simply roll her eyes at Revan before walking to the back of the ship just as it landed with an audible thud.

After several moments of mostly dark silence, the main hanger doors having closed behind the spacecraft, the mechanical whirring noise of a ship's boarding ramp slowly echoed throughout the large hangar. Once the ramp was fully lowered, the sound of boots on the metal ramp also echoed through the hanger, as Revan cautiously descended from the ship first. He was followed by Ahsoka, wearing a simple breath mask, with one saber in hand, who in turn was followed by Sterr, wearing his own custom breathing gills that connected above his elongated neck, and was also holding a small blaster pistol tightly in both hands. Revan stepped foot onto the hanger proper and stopped, tapping the side of his mask several times as his head slowly panned and scanned the room before them.

Ahsoka took position directly beside him, doing her best to search the room both visibly and in the Force. "I'm guessing we might not be alone in here." Ahsoka offered as an observation.

Revan did not respond immediately, but as his scanning was producing nothing obvious he finally answered, "To be perfectly transparent, I have only set foot on the Foundry once before now, but I did encounter a few still active security droids at that time. In the thousands of years since I have been gone, I have no way of knowing if anything else stirred in this powerful station."

His words were accented as a low groan, like that of a settling metal house, drifted up from deeper in the darkness of the station and reverberated around them for a tense moment.

"I-I am af-afraid I may not b-be much help to th-the two of you. Pe-perhaps I sh-should stay on the sh-ship." Sterr barely managed to stutter out in embarrassed fear, the pistol in his hands noisily shaking despite his tight grip on it.

Ahsoka felt pity for the simple mechanic, who had now been throw far outside of his comfort zone. She was about to agree with his idea when Revan spoke while still scanning the room. "It is alright Sterr." She looked at Revan surprised as he had sounded genuinely kind and sympathetic. "Ahsoka and I will make sure nothing happens to you. Additionally, I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay on that ship, but I can if you stay near me and within my sight." Revan then turned to look at the Ithorian, placing a hand on his shoulder as he did so. "I know that I am asking a lot of you right now, but I have confidence in your courage and bravery. What I need from you right now is to believe you possess those qualities as well."

Ahsoka watched as Sterr met Revan's gaze and saw new determination slowly fill his eyes before he nodded with renewed confidence. She was beginning to understand how Revan treated his followers, and how even someone as common as Sterr could be inspired to follow him into this unknown and potentially dangerous place.

Before any more words could be exchanged, Revan's head suddenly turned to look at the darkness. Ahsoka felt it a second later and was about to turn on her lightsaber, but before she could Revan shouted, "Down!" and immediately two of the trio dropped to the floor, as Sterr and Ahsoka were pulled prone by an invisible hand in the Force. They hit the ground with a thud as several precise blaster bolts flew just inches over the heads and broke against the front of the ship.

A moderately sized set of double doors slid open as Senator Padmé Amidala and Senator Bail Organa stepped into the busy sector HQ of Coruscant Security. A flurry of noise, movement, people, aliens, and droids moved through the large octagonal lobby, most of them officers, a few were various civilians or legal representatives, and a small yet uncomfortable minority were comprised of various individuals in binder cuffs being led to their respective processing locations.

"Seems we picked quite the active day to come here." Organa mentioned quietly to his partner-in-crime as the two looked around the space trying to take in all the fast-moving information before them.

Padmé simply nodded in agreement without saying anything. She continued to observe the lobby until she spotted a recently opened help-desk, where a GU-series Guardian police droid had just taken up their post and was in the process of loading up their holographic terminal in front of them. Having found her target she made her way over to the droid confidently, only looking around in small movements to make sure she wasn't about to get trampled by anyone racing across the floor. Organa matched her air of ‘I am supposed to be here.’ And the two of them made their way to the desk.

The droid was occupied with trying to get their terminal up and running and obviously wasn't having a very successful start to their day.

"Ah-hem, uh, excuse me, officer?" The new noise pulled the droid out of their focus and their optics quickly adjusted to view the individual directly in front of them. Padmé put on her most practiced smile as the droid made eye contact with her.

"Oh! Uhm, yes, hello." The droid slowly responded, its processor obviously was quite a bit slower than the newer models that had recently been released. "How may I help you today citizen? I must apologize that I may not be able to access our visitor system or public records for a few more minutes, this terminal seems to be malfunctioning."

"That's quite alright, if you could just contact officer Rexl for me and let him know his lunch is here, I would greatly appreciate it." Padmé replied back.

The droid was surprised with the request and glanced up at Organa standing to the side of Padmé, who simply smiled back. "Uh, I...yes, of course. One moment." The droid turned around in their chair and began talking into their internal comms.

Padmé leaned against the front of the help desk and looked at Organa, "Guess we're waiting." The older man said to his younger colleague.

After only a few moments both Senators turned as they heard a voice call out to them, "Ah, there you both are." The voice came from a bluish-green Rodian, dressed in a typical police uniform, who quickly made their way to the two waiting humans. "Thanks, G7," the Rodian said to the still slightly confused droid, "I'll take these two from here."

Before the droid could respond with something about proper protocol for all visitors, the newly formed trio quickly made their way across the lobby and into the station proper, through a set of heavier doors where only non-police/criminals were allowed through. "Glad you two made it when you did, I only have a few minutes left in my break."

"Thanks for getting us in Rexl, I guess I owe you another bottle of that Nabooian wine." Padmé said somewhat jokingly.

"For everything I'm doing this time, you better make it two bottles." Rexl countered back with, half-jokingly, half dead-serious.

"What kind of timetable are we working with here?" Organa asked in a low voice as the group casually, yet cautiously, made their way deeper and deeper into the white and grey halls/corridors of the station.

"Guards patrol every 15 minutes through the more restricted sections of the station, which of course includes the digital archives. I timed my break and your arrival so we should arrive just as a patrol finishes their round, so that gives you 10 minutes to get in, get your data, and 5 to get out." Rexl suddenly stopped his explanation and gestured for his two companions to stop at the end of a hallway. The trio waited a few tense seconds as two security drones slowly hovered past them along a perpendicular corridor. After verifying that the coast was clear the group continued to move. "As soon as I leave you two I'll head to the main security hub and corrupt all the camera footage for the past several hours, including the upcoming hour you two will be here for, so if you see an active camera don't worry about it."

"And what about the guards currently watching the cameras?" Padmé asked quickly.

"All taking their lunch break, I may have paid a friend in the scheduling department to set that up." He then turned to Padmé and smiled slightly, "Maybe it should be three bottles, now that I think about it."

Padmé simply rolled her eyes and the group continued on.

"What about getting into the archives?" Organa asked. "Does the station monitor who access what areas at what times?"

"They do indeed, but that's simple. I just swiped a key card off another guy at the station." Rexl answered before holding up a small blue and white card with his index and middle finger.

After several careful minutes of sneaking through the mostly empty halls of the back portion of the station, the group arrived in front of a small black and red door. Rexl quickly swiped the key card and the door opened. "Alright, this is where I leave you. Remember, if either of you gets caught, I can't help you get out of this mess."

Padmé turned to the Rodian and said, "Thank you Rexl, you've done more than enough."

"After everything you did for Onaconda, don't mention it." Rexl responded back, all three persons in the group felt a wave of sadness as they were reminded of the death of their friend. "Alright, good luck you two." Rexl said before saluting them both and quickly jogging away.

Padmé looked at Organa, who said, "You better get to work, I'll keep an eye out just like we agreed, just be sure to keep your communicator close by."

Padmé nodded back at her friend, smiled, and said, "I won't be long." Then headed into the dimly light, black and red room of the station's archives.

Revan leaped into action before Ahsoka could even fully register what was happening. In an instant, after she and Sterr had been pulled to the floor, she had heard the sound of a lightsaber being ignited, simultaneously followed by Revan’s robed form jumping into the darkness of the room to the source of the blaster fire. Looking up, the only thing she could see in the room was red blots connecting with a red saber that moved rapidly to block and deflect the incoming fire.

Ahsoka quickly pushed herself up from the ground and ignited both sabers, before Force Jumping to land near Revan. In mid-air she saw Revan close the distance between himself and the origin of the blaster fire, deftly slicing the barrel off of some kind of rifle. Her vision shifted when she landed, but when she looked up again she found herself confused. Revan had stopped moving completely, his red saber was pointed down at an angle in front of him, the low light of which barely illuminated some kind of figure which Ahsoka could hardly see.

"HK?" Revan's voice echoed slightly throughout the hangar in a clearly surprised tone, even with the synthetic filter of his mask.

"Query: Master?" A clearly robotic, yet somewhat human-sounding voice responded back from just in front of Revan.

Suddenly, several lights throughout the hanger turned on, adding a moderate amount of light to the large space. Ahsoka raised her hand in a reaction as her eyes quickly adjusted to the rapid shift in light. Once she could see more clearly, she saw Revan was standing over an almost rust-colored droid, a type of which she had never seen before. Her thoughts were further confused when Revan suddenly turned off his lightsaber and offered his hand to the droid, who quickly took hold of his arm and was assisted in standing to its feet.

The droid was tall, most likely more than 7 feet in total height. Its face possessed a slightly menacing quality, which was not helped by its glowing red, and harshly angular eyes. Squinting in suspicion, and keeping a tight grip on both her sabers, Ahsoka asked, "Wait, you know this thing?"

"I suppose you could say that." Revan replied before turning to look at the Jedi just a few feet behind him, "I built him."

Ahsoka stared in disbelief, her mind still mostly in a very offensive state.

"Declaration: Oh master, I cannot fully articulate how overjoyed my circuits are upon seeing you alive again! Though I must admit, I did not believe I would ever have the pleasure of your presence again." The droid spoke again, giving off an almost unnerving amount of organic emotion in its voice as it did so.

Revan simply chuckled before turning to face the droid again, "It's good to see you as well HK. I assume you gained some control of the station, what with the lights and everything?"

The droid nodded once, "Answer: That is correct, master. Explanation: Once I arrived at this station I ascertained that while the primary reactor had been dormant for some time, the backup generators were still operational. It was only a simple matter of creating a rudimentary program to be able to access the basic functions of the station that were still receiving power, which has been most helpful in dealing with unwanted meatbags over the years."

Revan tilted his head slightly upon hearing all this information. "How long have you been here, HK?"

"Answer: By my own calculations I have been residing on this station for just under 3800 solar cycles."

"And why did you come here?"

"Explanation: I followed my primary directive you set as long as I was able to, master. With great difficulty, I might add. Once the primary targets were no longer an option to protect, I defaulted to any secondary objectives that were left in my memory core, the highest of which was the protection of the Foundry."

Revan nodded slowly at his information, one hand idly rubbing the chin of his mask as he did so. Though Ahsoka could not see his face, she could feel a mixture of grief and peace come over Revan, something she quickly took note of for a later conversation.

The three individuals turned as they heard a voice call out very meekly from inside the ship, "I-is it safe to come out n-now?"

Ahsoka and Revan were surprised with how fast the Ithorian had managed to get back onto the ship. "It's alright Sterr," Revan called out to the mechanic, "you can come out now." Despite having been given the all-clear, it still took several moments for Sterr to peak his head from the boarding ramp, and longer still for him to cautiously make his way down, still tightly gripping his pistol.

Ahsoka took this opportunity to turn off her sabers and walk up to beside Revan, though she kept both weapons in her hands. "So is the Foundry secure, HK, was it?"

The droid looked at the Jedi with his unblinking gaze a moment before answering, "Answer: The Foundry is secure, and you may refer to this unit as HK, or HK-47." He then turned to look at Revan before continuing, "Statement: I see you still enjoy the company of various meatbags, master."

"Meatbags?" Ahsoka asked in disgust and slight anger.

Before HK could respond Revan held up a hand, laughing slightly as he did so, "I will tell you about that later. HK, I want you to refer to my companions by their proper names from now on. This is Ahsoka, and the Ithorian slowly making his way to us is Sterr."

HK quickly surveyed both aliens before speaking, "Disappointment: Very well, master, I will comply with your directive. Though I do wish it to be known I do not enjoy this command."

"Duly noted HK." Revan simply answered back, a small smile on his face upon hearing his old companion’s entertaining remarks again.

"So..." Ahsoka began once Sterr had joined them, still warily glancing at the intimidating droid, "what's next?"

"I will head down to the primary reactor and get oxygen production back up and running. After that, I think we could all use some rest, especially myself. HK," The droid attentively turned to look at Revan, "take Ahsoka and Sterr and find them some suitable living quarters for the moment, we will have to figure out proper living accommodations like furniture at a future date. I will radio all of you when we need to meet again. If you want to look around and explore feel free, but I would advise going with HK, he knows this place better than any of us at this point."

"Statement: It is a pleasure to have you back, master." HK said before turning and making his way further into the station.

Ahsoka looked at Revan, who simply nodded at her. She decided to wait on her questions and began to follow HK, "Come on Sterr, I'll make sure that droid doesn't try anything on you." She said as a way of reassuring comfort, which seemed to help as the mechanic followed closely behind her.

It took Revan several minutes to reach the primary reactor of the station. The room was a massive sphere with a large cylindrical structure in the center that went from floor to ceiling. Revan stood in front of a large control panel, filled with buttons, switches, holographic projectors, and physical displays, all dark and silent like most of the station. He pressed the side of his mask and a small light projected from the far right of the visor, placing a small but bright spotlight directly onto the control panel. The light slowly moved across the panel until it reflected off of an almost invisible cube-shaped gap in the controls. Keeping his gaze on the empty space, Revan reached into his cloak and pulled out the bronze device from Tatooine. He slowly rolled the object in his hand for several moments, his mind pondering the consequences of the path he was about to go down. "Well, they never accused me of being too cautious." Revan spoke quietly to himself, a small smirk forming on his lips at his own joke. Slowly, but with heavy purpose, his hand carefully placed the cube into the slot, a definitive ‘click’ echoed through the room as he did so.

Several tense moments passed in utter silence, then, one by one the various lights and displays on the panel began to slowly illuminate back to life. A series of loud mechanical sounds began to emanate from the central structure, followed by a low rhythmic hum that sent out vibrations that reverberated around the room. Steadily, a light green glow began to radiate from inside the core of the reactor. Revan could hear the multitude of systems, elevators, transports, droids, and small nation of systems that made up and ran the station begin to stir for the first time in tens of millennia.

The Foundry was awake.

Padmé quickly typed away at the terminal in front of her. She was alone in a dimly lit black and red room. The area was filled to the brim with floor-to-ceiling terminal blocks, each one containing millions of pieces of information and data. This was one of several data hubs for Coruscant Security's archived data, and there was a lot here. Directly beside the senator was a small silver device that was plugged into one of the large black towers that she was currently working at its single usable holo-terminal. She had paid a handsome amount of credits years ago in Coruscant’s black market for this hacking device and its various programs to break through tough firewalls, and now she was very thankful she had done so.

Her eyes were narrowed in concentration as she shifted through the data before her. Levels of frustration were slowly building in the back of her mind as she continued to carefully look for anything she could find on the event of Revan's appearance in the chancellor's office just a few days ago.

However, what she was finding was not at all what she had hoped. It was almost as if everything related to that event had been scrubbed clean. The official security report she had been sent a copy of was even more redacted now. Parts of the investigation had gone through a wild process of being shuffled through multiple departments and agents before simply ending, and there was subtle evidence that some sections of the crime scene had simply been removed from all documentation. Nevertheless, she was determined to find something of value buried inside this archive, as the more roadblocks she hit the more she was convinced that someone was hiding something.

"Padmé, do you read me?" A quiet voice whispered in her earpiece, causing her to almost jump.

After a quick sigh, she whispered back, "Yes. I'm still looking."

"We need to go." Bail Organa said in response. "Your ten minutes of search are up and if a patrol is just a little bit early we're going to get caught."

"I know, I know." She said with clear frustration. "But I can't leave yet."

"I'm sorry you didn't find what you are looking for, but you can't afford to get arrested right now. There are important votes in the Senate coming up."

"Bail, I need more time. What I am seeing doesn't make sense, it's like the whole investigation has been gutted and scrubbed clean. You'd think for a major ‘terrorist attack’ there'd be a massive investigation dedicated to this, but there isn't."

"Then you were right and something is going on, but we can investigate that later, what you can't do is look further into this if you get put on trial for conspiracy."

Padmé heard the wisdom in her friend's words. She was about to walk away when something caught her eye. Buried deep in a pile of data scheduled for deletion tomorrow morning, she saw a file titled, 'Time-sheets.' Whether by instinct or luck she highlighted the file and saw that it was a video file, not a document. "Now why would a timesheet document be converted into a video...?" She quietly wondered to herself out loud.

"What did you say?"

Without responding to Organa's question, Padmé opened the file and her eyes went wide. She was watching the security footage from one of the cameras in the Chancellor's main office, the same room Revan had appeared in. "Bail...Bail I found something."

"What is it?"

"Footage! Security footage from the room where everything happened that day." She saw herself along with several senators and Jedi enter the room and begin taking their seats.

"Wait, what? I thought the report Rexl sent you stated that all the security cameras were destroyed in the initial explosion?"

"I told you someone is hiding something."

"Okay, I'll say it again, you were right, but we are out of time. We need to go, now!"

Padmé quickly typed on the terminal and began downloading the surveillance footage. "I'm going to download the file, then we're out of here."

"We can't wait that long, we can come back another day or get your friend to grab it for us."

"I can't, the file is marked for deletion at the end of the day when the system updates. This is my one chance to grab it."

A frustrated groan came over the comms in response. "Padmé, I can't-" but before he could continue she heard a new voice faintly come over the communicator.

"Hey! Who are you? You're not authorized to be here!"

Padmé tensed up and listened quietly.

"Oh, hello. I am Senator Bail Organa. I am here for a meeting with the station's chief, but I believe I must have gotten lost at some point." Organa said with an embarrassed laugh.

"Right...and who were you talking to on your communicator?"

"Ah, yes, that would be my wife. She called me just now asking me to pick up some blue milk. But, as you can imagine, I had to tell her I couldn't. It's a difficult thing working full-time and having a family. Are either of you two gentlemen married?"

A new voice came across the channel. "Why yes, I have been happily married for five years now, but it can be tough at times. Say, do you have any advice on an anniversary gift? You see-" but the second officer was cut off with what sounded like a hit to their shoulder.

"Cut it out." The first officer said. "Look, the archive door is unlocked. Shouldn't it be secure during normal hours?"

"I think you're right." The second officer said.

"I just wandered into this hall actually." Organa quickly covered for himself. "I'm not the most observant man, as you can tell." He said with another laugh.

"Mmhmm." The first officer spoke again, "Kal, go check it out, I'll stay here with our senator friend."

Padmé tensed up upon hearing this order, looked at the screen she still had a minute left before the download finished.

Kal sighed before saying, "Alright Mar, but I tell you, you're a bit too paranoid for this job."

Several tense moments passed as Padmé heard the door to the room open and footsteps slowly made their way through the rows of data blocks.

"Please, officer Mar," Organa spoke again, "if you and your partner could escort me to my meeting with the station chief, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm likely to get lost again on my own."

"Yeah...don't worry, we'll escort you down… After, my partner checks the archives."

The progress bar was almost done, and the footsteps on the metal floor were getting closer and closer. Padmé looked around desperately for a place to hide as soon as the download was finished, but the terminals were too thin on their sides and she was at the far end of the room.

Suddenly, a new voice rang out inside the archives. "Officer Kal, come in officer Kal."

The footsteps immediately stopped and Kal responded, "This is Kal, I read you."

"This is Central Command, is one...Senator Organa with you by chance? He's late for a meeting and the chief asked us to contact all patrolling officers in the station, there's some kind of malfunction with the security cameras."

"That would be affirmative, my partner and I just ran into him actually. Seems he got himself a little lost."

"Roger that, would you mind escorting him up to the chief’s office?"

"Not at all. Over and out. Did you hear that Mar?" Kal asked over his communicator.

"...Yeah." Mar responded, clearly annoyed. "Did you find anything?

"No one's in here. Guess maintenance or one of the tech guys forgot to lock up once they were done in here. I'm coming back."

The footsteps quickly faded away from Padmé who let out a long breath of relief.

"Well gentlemen, shall we?" Padmé smirked as she could hear the smile in Organa's voice and imagined the frustration on Officer Mar.

A small beep drew her attention back to the console letting her know the download had finished. She grabbed her silver driver and cautiously made her way out of the room.

Anakin stood in the center of the Jedi Council, the evening light of Coruscant's bright star was beginning to cause long shadows to appear over the planet's urbanized surface. Some of the seats in the room were filled with different Jedi Masters, but most contained holograms of the members who could not attend this meeting in person. One of the many testaments to the effect this war was having on the Jedi.

"You're not going after her?!" The anger in Anakin's voice could be heard easily. Several of the Masters shifted slightly in their seats at this response.

"Calm down, Skywalker." The authoritative voice of Mace Windu answered back more quietly, but just as forceful.

"But I don't understand this decision, nor do I agree with it."

"I am sorry, Anakin." Master Ki-Adi-Mundi's hologram answered with genuine sympathy. "However, this is what the Council has decided."

"We read the entire report submitted by Master Gallia before the team returned to Coruscant." Aayla Secura spoke up, "We debated the subject heavily, but we concluded that without any more leads to go on, the wounding of Master Vos and Padawan Offee, and now the capture of Padawan Tano, we have clearly underestimated and failed to fully understand this Revan and the threat he posses."

"We cannot afford to risk the lives of any more Jedi recklessly." Saesee Tiin added as a last point of defense.

"I'm sorry, Masters," This time it was Obi-Wan who spoke up, leaning forward in his chair as he did so, visibly surprised by the decision. "but, I must ask, why did you not wait until we had returned to have this discussion?"

"With no disrespect," Windu began, "the Council felt that both you, and Knight Skywalker, were too close to Padawan Tano to objectively weigh in on this situation, and having just experienced her capture, might be clouded in your judgment."

"We're not the ones clouded in our judgment here." Anakin said in a low voice, his eyes glaring slightly as he did so.

"Make every effort to find Ahsoka, we will." Yoda spoke for the first time in the entire meeting. "But, wait on the Force, and opportunity to bring her back safely, we must. Strength there is, in patience. Strength your padawan will need from you, Skywalker."

Anakin was about to respond when another voice caught his attention, "I am sorry, Anakin." He turned to see Plo-Koon, his voice had carried a great deal of sadness and regret. He locked eyes with Anakin before adding, "I know the responsibility you bear in this situation, and I truly wish there is more we could..."

Anakin glared slightly at the Master before saying, "Whatever happens to Ahsoka, it won't be my burden to bear." He then turned and walked off to the elevator.

"Skywalker!" Windu called out with irritation.

"I'll talk to him." Obi-Wan said before quickly getting up and moving quickly to join his former apprentice in the elevator.

The doors shut and the two stood in silence for several minutes.

"...I am sorry...if I had known." Kenobi broke the silence.

"You would have done what?" Anakin spat back. "You always tell me to trust in the wisdom of the Council and their directions, is that still the same this time?"

Anakin's former master looked to the floor for several moments before finally saying, "I'm afraid so."

"Typical."

"Just think for a moment, Anakin." Kenobi looked up and said back with conviction, but still a touch of sympathy. "I feel just as responsible for her as you do, but we have no leads, nothing to go on, no way of tracking Revan down. We need to be patient and ready for an opportunity to actually do something!"

"And what if one never comes? Do you want to look back and think about how you did nothing?!"

"You're not thinking clearly!" Kenobi actually raised his voice in response and got closer to his apprentice.

Anakin did not respond, simply waiting out the last few seconds as the elevator arrived. As soon as the doors opened he quickly started walking away.

Kenobi watched him for several seconds before calling out with genuine care in his voice, "I am sorry, Anakin..." The older Jedi truly felt helpless at that moment.

Revan sat at an improvised desk inside a small storage room that he had picked out to be his living space for the moment. While he did miss having real furniture, he was in remarkably better spirits than he had been for the past several days, maybe even weeks. He had finally gotten to actually sleep for the first time in days, along with getting to remove his armor and layers of top robes. However, his mind was still focused on the task in front of him, so as soon as he had woken up he went right back to researching the information he had taken from the Jedi Temple.

He had spent the past several hours reading over the current state of the galaxy, the political climate and the Civil War were his two main areas of focus. As always, politics and various groups competing for power and money had pulled the galaxy into the largest war it had ever seen. By the looks of it, the Senate was still one big joke of bureaucracy and foolishness. In fact, the more he read about events like the Trade Federation and their blockade and various war crimes on Naboo, and how in the aftermath the Republic had essentially given them a slap on the wrist, he wondered how a group like the Separatists hadn't broken away centuries ago.

However, the more Revan studied the state of the galaxy and examined the large facts of this war, a certain pattern began to emerge. He read, studied, and examined various events, pieces of evidence, and the primary events that had all taken place one after the other to cause this war. Something wasn't adding up for Revan. Wars were messy, especially politically motivated ones like this, but they usually didn't last this long. All attempts at peace talks had failed and somehow both sides seemed to continue to take over more and more of the neutral or normally unclaimed portions of the galaxy. And then, the biggest missing factor of all for Revan: Where were the Sith?

He knew about this Count Dooku and had even met his apprentice, but when he searched in the Force the entire galaxy was shrouded in the Dark Side. If the Confederacy truly contained all of the Sith, why did the Force feel so out of balance? There were more Jedi now than had ever been, even during Revan's time, but none of this was adding up. The whole war was too...perfect.

Getting up from his chair he made his way out and began to wander, letting his mind slowly mull over the facts he had in his head. After several minutes he found himself near one of the interior hangers, which was used to house additional spacecraft in reserve, having no immediate external access. He stopped in his tracks and looked inside, his eyes going slightly wide as he did so.

Sitting in the middle of the hangar, all by itself and clearly showing its age, was the Ebon Hawk. Revan slowly made his way to his old ship, his surprise slowly leaving him as his mind rationalized that HK must have used it to get to the Foundry. He stood directly in front of the cockpit and slowly raised a single ungloved hand to lightly run across the ship's surface.

He sighed deeply as various memories and emotions came back to him. Then, an idea clicked into his mind, a thought he couldn't shake. Slowly pulling his hand away and resisting the urge to get on board and see if the ship still ran, Revan instead activated a wrist communicator he kept on him as a backup for his mask. "HK, do you read me?"

A moment of silence passed with Revan just looking with a mixture of sadness and fondness at his ship before a familiar voice crackled over the comms. "Answer: Yes, master, how many I assist you?"

"Bring Sterr and Ahsoka to the primary control room. Tell them we need to discuss something."

"Acknowledgement: I will see to it at once."

Revan took one last long look, before turning on his heel, and quickly making his way out of the hangar.

Padmé sat in her parlor room typing away at her portable terminal. She had only gotten back to her apartment moments ago, sending her staff away quickly. While she was a bit shaken from her close call with Coruscant Security, she was energized to see this footage.

Just as she was about to bring the file up, her elevator dinged, causing her to jump slightly and quickly turn off her terminal, hiding her data drive as she did so. Heavy footsteps were heard before Anakin came around the corner.

Padmé breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at him, but then she stopped herself and worry came over her. Looking at Anakin she could see he was in great distress. "Anakin? Are you alright?"

Skywalker looked at her and the rage he felt slowly melted away, replaced with guilt and sadness. He slowly made his way to her and the two hugged. The next hour was spent with Anakin telling her everything and confessing the blame he felt for letting Ahsoka get taken.

Padmé listened intently and was shocked to hear that the Council was going to do nothing but wait. However, part of her understood that decision, but she did not share that with Anakin and equally understood his anger.

"It's just not fair!" Anakin had gotten worked up again as he finished recounting the events with the Council. "She might die, and they're just going to let it happen!" He got up and began pacing back and forth.

He continued to rant and rave but was suddenly stopped as Padmé stood up and took his hand.  The two locked eyes for several moments before she reached up and gently pulled him in for a kiss.

The two embraced quietly in silence for several moments as Coruscant's star began to dip below the horizon of its tall buildings.

"Thank you all for coming." Revan said as he exited an elevator into a large command room with various consoles, displays, monitors, control boards, and a large square holographic projector, directly in the middle of the room. Various Rakatan droids made their way through the room, each consumed with some kind of automated task to run the Foundry, though they seemed to pay no attention to Revan or the others.

"Like we had much of a choice." Ahsoka said half-jokingly, half-seriously as she sat on one side of the projector.

Sterr seemed much more comfortable than before and gave the Ithorian equivalent of a smile as Revan approached. "Sir, I must say, this station is an absolute marvel. I cannot begin to imagine all the possibilities something of this technological advancement is capable of." He stared in amazement as a droid walked past him and began entering commands into a nearby console.

"I am glad you like it, Sterr." Revan said as he finally stood in the center of the Northside of the projector. "And I suppose you would rather be in a cell?" Revan asked with a slight smirk in response to Ahsoka's comment.

She merely rolled her eyes in response before hopping down and putting her hands on the projector, leaning forward as she did so. "Alright then, why are we here?"

"HK," The droid walked closer to the projector, "how much information do you have on the current state of the war?" Revan asked.

"Answer: As you directed in my programming, master, I have kept small listening posts scattered throughout the nearby systems close to the Foundry, occasionally flying out on the Hawk to give repairs as needed." HK tapped on his side of the projector and brought up a map of the galaxy. "Continuation: From these stations, I have managed to gather a considerable amount of intelligence, both from various civilians, but also from the stray military channels on both sides."

"What about military encryptions?" Ahsoka asked.

"Answer: I broke each military’s data encryption in little under a week upon encountering them for the first time." Even Revan looked at HK in surprise at this comment. "Explanation: I have had a lot of time on my hands with nothing to do. There is great motivation in solving a puzzle when it's the first challenging thing you have had to do in over 3,000 years."

Revan chuckled at this explanation, "Alright then, give us a map of the current battle lines, highlight any major points of contention."

The map quickly updated, covering the Republic side in blue and the Confederacy in red, with major points of fighting highlighted in purple and neutral or third-party space put in yellow.

"Wow..." Sterr suddenly commented, "Tucked away in a little shop on Tatooine, you forget just how much of the galaxy is at war."

"I get what you mean..." Ahsoka added in affirmation.

Revan waited a few moments before speaking again. "So, what do we know about this war?"

"Well..." Ahsoka began, "There are two opposing factions, the Republic led by Chancellor Palpatine, the Senate, and the Jedi Council; and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, lead by Count Dooku."

"Indeed, and both militaries are filled with an endless supply of craftable soldiers. Neither side wants to talk to the other, and the galaxy is slowly getting taken over by one faction or the other, with only minor gains or losses on the front lines." Revan added.

"Where are you going with this?" Ahsoka asked.

"Tell me, based on what we know, just the objective facts, does this war not seem a little too...convenient, too orchestrated?"

The group began to look at one another, the same thought slowly rolling in their heads.

"Wait," Ahsoka stared, "Are you talking about Darth Sideous?"

The group turned to look at her, "Who?" Revan asked.

Ahsoka looked at Revan, she still wasn't convinced she could trust him, but it seemed like this information couldn't hurt, maybe it could even help the Jedi if Revan knew. "Okay, I don't know the full story, the Council has kept this very quiet, but my master, Anakin-" She suddenly stopped herself as she thought about her master and how worried he must be about her, causing a feeling of guilt to well up inside her.

Revan felt her anxiety and worry about her master. He subtlety used their connection to help ease the worry and guilt, taking some of it onto himself. Ahsoka locked eyes with Revan as he did so. At first, she felt suspicious, but once she realized he was actually taking on some of her pain and not simply manipulating her, she calmed and was surprised he would help in that way. He nodded at her reassuringly, silently communicating they would talk about this topic later.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Anakin told me that Master Kenobi had been captured by Count Dooku at one point, and had tried to convince Kenobi to join him. He said that the entire galaxy, including the Republic, was under the influence of his master, Darth Sideous."

Revan's hand flexed unconsciously upon hearing this information, his missing puzzle piece was beginning to fall.

"But, it's just a lie, a trick of some kind, right?" Ahsoka looked around the room for reassurance.

Sterr shrugged, "This is all outside of my knowledge."

"Statment: Reviewing my databanks I can find no mention of this individual."

Ahsoka looked at Revan who was staring at the galaxy map, his eyes shifting between several locations in thought. "...What if he's not?" He finally asked.

A sensation of fear and surprise slowly began to tug at the back of Ahsoka's mind.

"Let us suppose, just for a moment, that Dooku told the truth." Revan continued, looking at each member present. "This, Sideous exists. Could he somehow gain enough power and influence to effectively run both sides of the war?"

The group thought a moment before Sterr answered, "Well, if this Darth person is Count Dooku's master, and Dooku controls the Confederacy, then he would essentially control them."

Ahsoka looked up at the map and slowly added, "And...the Republic votes on military actions through the Senate. If he got enough votes for what he wanted..."

Revan nodded in agreement to both individuals. "There is already established proof that the Senate is full of corruption and individuals who are motivated solely by power and greed."

"You can say that again." Ahsoka affirmed, various memories coming quickly to mind about her experience with Coruscant's political game.

"So if this is true, and it is quite possible, then neither side in this war can be trusted." Ahsoka looked at Revan with reluctance. He looked at her and continued with conviction, "Not even the Jedi, for they answer to the Senate, as far as the war is concerned."

Her eyes went wide slightly and she looked at the floor. She wanted to respond with something, but couldn't find the words, her mind still reeling from this conversation.

"But, this just a theory." Sterr spoke up. "How do we prove it to be a reality?"

The group looked again towards Revan. He placed his hands on the projector and leaned forward before stating boldly, "Simple. We draw him out." He let the statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "We cause enough damage, we make ourselves enough of a pain in his plans that he is forced out of the shadows to deal with us directly."

"Observation: You are proposing becoming a third side in this war." HK commented.

Ahsoka and Sterr quickly looked at Revan in surprise. "That is correct." He said.

Silence descended on the room. Ahsoka's mind was reeling. She was about to speak when Revan broke the silence, "I think you all have the right to know something: The entire reason I am here, my mission...is to kill the Lord of the Sith."

Ahsoka was once again stunned and looked at Revan even more confused than before.

"My original intention was to kill the Sith Emperor of my time, but by means I am not entirely sure of, I was transported through time. I truly believe this was not a mistake, but an act of the Force that I might not simply kill a Lord of the Sith, but THE Lord of the Sith. If this Darth Sideous does exist and has enough influence to affect the entire galaxy, then he would have more power than any Sith before him, or dare I say after; should he succeed in fully controlling the entire galaxy, not merely influencing it in certain directions."

More silence followed, then Ahsoka spoke up, "But... say you're right. Say both sides can't be trusted, you'd never win in a fight against both sides!"

"Agreement: Master, I hate to side with the meat-" Before HK could continue, Ahsoka glared fiercely at him, causing the droid to stop and then continue speaking, "side with Ahsoka, however even with the Foundry's remarkable capabilities and technological superiority, by my calculations it would take us approximately five years of letting the Foundry run before we even stood a slight chance of winning. Though it would bring me great joy to finally be able to kill something again."

Sterr cautiously stepped further away from the droid before speaking, "I concur with the crazy droid. We would need men, resources, funds, and territory to be able to store and gather whatever fleet or army this place could produce."

"Then we acquire some." Revan answered back. He quickly typed on the projector and the galaxy map zoomed in to one particular planet which now filled the projector.

"Mandalore..." Ahsoka muttered quietly, her thoughts already connecting the dots of what Revan had schemed up.

Revan looked at her curiously, feeling the memories and emotions that Ahsoka had of that place, but he did not search her mind actively for an answer. "Yes, Mandalore. Their current leader, Duchess Satine Kryze, represents 1,500 neutral start systems. Whoever controls Mandalore controls this Council of Neutral Systems."

The group looked at the hologram of the planet for several moments. "Observation: The Republic currently controls approximately 30,000 systems, and the CIS holds approximately 20,000, to say it would be an uneven fight would be an understatement."

"But we do not need to defeat either side, just cause enough annoyance to both. Only fight long enough to be considered a legitimate threat to Sideous. Plus, they will still be fighting each other so as not to arouse suspicion, and the Foundry will make up for whatever difference in power is left."

"But, these systems are pacifists." Ahsoka objected. "They will not join in this war."

"They are independents, mostly, only the most outspoken like the Duchess are truly pacifists. What these worlds desire is to be left out of this conflict. If their freedom was to be impeded on, if either side was to militarily act against them, they would rally behind a defender, one who is still neutral and promises to protect them from both sides." Revan responded back.

"And what would cause either the Republic or Separatists to attack the neutral systems?" Sterr asked out of curiosity.

Revan turned and answered, "A drastic political change in leadership. If Sideous is politically moving both sides as he sees fit, then the neutral systems are a steady and predictable part of the galaxy, something he can mostly leave alone and let be. This is evidenced by the fact that neither side has attacked them and tried to take over, causing the systems to run to the other for protection. If suddenly Mandalore's leadership is drastically changed, and the neutral systems claim total independence, not even trading with the Republic as their current alliance allows, Sideous would be forced to intervene swiftly."

Ahsoka did not like the implication of something bad happening to Duchess Satine, and she was beginning to once again question Revan's motivation and intentions. "Who would replace the Duchess, you? Would you kill her to get that outcome?"

Revan looked at Ahsoka, allowing her to see into his mind slightly to know he was being genuine, "I have no intention of killing the Duchess, it would only anger her allies both in and outside the neutral systems. As for who would replace her, well..." He looked at the planet as his mind began to wander elsewhere, "Let's just say I have something much more...dramatic in mind. Something Sideous couldn't possibly ignore." He smirked slightly to himself.

After a few seconds of silence, HK spoke, "Statement: Master, this is a crazy and probably suicidal endeavor. It's so good to have you back!"

Sterr glanced cautiously at HK before nodding slowly. "I have always avoided conflict and spent my life afraid. If I can save the galaxy from this darkness, this hidden evil, it will be the noblest thing I could give my life to."

Revan smiled in genuine appreciation upon hearing this commitment. "Thank you, Sterr."

He then turned and looked at Ahsoka. Her mind was still in chaos from this whole talk. She doubted this theory about Sideous, she doubted this insane plan, and she doubted Revan. Could this be real? Could the Jedi really have been blind to this truth? She looked into Revan's eyes, a mixture of skepticism, fear, anger, and sadness at the possibility that everything she had ever known had been under the shadow of darkness.

Revan's face changed to one of sympathy, and he said, "I know what it is to have one's life, one's entire existence be shattered in an instant. I am not asking you to trust me or place your faith in me, I only ask for an opportunity to gain your trust. I have not lied to you thus far."

A few tense seconds passed before she finally answered, "What opportunity?"

Revan smiled slightly, before turning to HK and Sterr. "HK, are there any Rakatan stealth ships ready for use?"

"Answer: Affirmative, master, shall I have one sent to the nearest hangar?"

Revan nodded in response. "I also want you to take another stealth ship and begin setting up better-listening posts, not only in the surrounding systems but also in strategic positions for the war. I want to be able to listen to both sides’ plans at all times. Sterr, my old ship is here, but unfortunately, it's almost 4,000 years old and I imagine horribly out-of-date with current technology standards. I would like you to start familiarizing yourself with the Foundry's technology, schematics, and resources, once you feel comfortable enough, I would like you to update my ship the best you can."

Sterr nodded enthusiastically, an excited glint in his eye at the possibilities of working with the Foundry. "You will not be disappointed, sir."

"I am sure I will not be." Revan then turned back to Ahsoka who had her arms crossed and her brow raised as if to say: 'You still haven't answered my question.' To which Revan responded by taping on the projector one last time, causing an unfamiliar planet to replace the hologram of Mandalore. "How do you feel about...jungles?"

The star had completely set on Coruscant's city world, but the world was almost filled with more light as the nightlife of the planet came into full swing.

Pamdé Amidala's eyes opened as she looked at the sleeping figure of Anakin Skywalker directly beside her. After listening carefully for several moments that he was indeed asleep, she slowly slipped from under the covers, stepped into a set of slippers, and threw a nightgown on. She quietly made her way back into the main parlor, sitting down at her normal spot, and quickly pulled her terminal back up, inserting her data drive into the computer as she did so.

She pulled up the video she had secured from the archive and began to watch the footage from the Chancellor's room. She rubbed the back of her neck as she remembered the fear and stress of that day. She shook her head and moved the footage forward to after Revan appeared. The explosion from Revan's arrival did indeed damage and shift the camera, causing complete static to fill the screen for several seconds. Padmé held her breath until the static slowly faded as the smoke rushed out the newly shattered window.

For the next several minutes she moved the footage forward and backward, forward and backward, watching it over and over from Revan appearing to her being grabbed and the two of them flying out of the window. She continued this process for the better part of half an hour, a small amount of frustration building up in her mind as she zoomed, squinted, and combed over the video meticulously.

Finally, she leaned back into the cushions behind her, placing her hands on her forehead, and uttered a groan of frustration. This wasn't working. Was it all for nothing? Did she really risk her entire career and Bail's entire life over a dumb piece of footage?

She was just about to slam her terminal off and go back to bed when her eyes shot open. She shot up and almost knocked her terminal off the table in her rush to move the footage back to a moment she had just remembered.

"Where are you?... Where are-" She stopped muttering to herself when she saw it. On Revan's left gauntlet, she had seen a symbol etched into the silver metal. She zoomed in as much as she could without the image becoming too blurry and after going frame-by-frame, she found what she had barely remembered. Perhaps the news about Ahsoka, and a new motivation to help her Jedi friend had served as a reminder.

"Gotcha." She couldn't help but let a large smile form on her lips. Not waiting a moment, she clipped the zoomed frame, attached it as an image to a message, and typed up a quick explanation. She had a friend, a professor, at the University of Coruscant who loved researching obscure topics, and Padmé had sent him a number of things over the years.

Just before she hit send, she jumped slightly as she heard a voice, "Are you alright?" Anakin asked as he stood in the hallway entrance that attached the bedroom to the parlor.

Padmé let out a long breath and laughed slightly, "You scared me." She admitted.

"Sorry." Anakin said with his hands raised slightly, clearly still sleepy from having just woken up, "Just woke up and noticed you had left bed, so I came to check on you."

She smiled at him before saying, "I am fine, but thank you, that is very sweet."

He smiled back, then cocked his head slightly and narrowed his eyes curiously when he noticed the terminal, "What are you working on?"

"Oh, this?" Padmé said slightly nervously but quickly regained her composure as she quickly hit send. "Nothing! Just needed to reschedule some meetings for tomorrow. There's an important bill being voted on in the Senate." Part of her felt bad for lying, but it was partially true with the details about the vote. With the news concerning Ahsoka, she didn't want Anakin to have more to worry about with her possibly running off into danger, he always was a little too overprotective.

"Do you ever stop working?" Anakin shook his head and laughed, "You know, the Republic isn't going to collapse if you took a day or two off."

Padmé shrugged before walking up to Anakin, putting her arms around him as she did, "I guess I could take a couple days off... If I had proper motivation to do something for those days." She said with a smirk.

Anakin smiled back and the two laughed and kissed before heading back to bed.

Reminder: Please be sure to vote if I should work on a Mass Effect 2 xover fic. If no one wants to read it, there's no point in me writing it lol. Thanks again, everyone!

Chapter Text

Chapter 10 – Heart of Darkness

Ashoka stood in darkness, bracing herself. Several tense moments passed in that void, where time and space seem to fluctuate at random, and only the faint whispers of her imagination offered any sort of company.

This relatively peaceful, if slightly uneasy moment was suddenly interrupted as in a flash of movement she swung her saber in a certain direction, putting considerable power behind her movements as she did so.

"Closer." A male voice spoke just a few feet to the left of where the saber had only managed to pass through the air, colliding with nothing.

A noise of frustration echoed out of Ahsoka's throat, followed quickly by a small cry of pain as a staff hit against the back of her arm with medium force. "Ow!" She protested as she reflexively rubbed on the newly damaged spot, she was going to be covered in bruises by the time this was done, she angrily thought to herself. "Explain to me again why we're doing this? Training with a blindfold is a classic Padawan lesson, but we were never expected to fight things that could literally disappear from being sensed with the Force." She allowed her annoyance with the situation to be very evident in her tone.

"That's exactly the point," Revan answered back, very matter of fact, his tone showing no signs of frustration or disappointment, a testament to his years of experience as a teacher. Most of that education was done in the middle of a war, but the same principles for instruction carried through in all contexts, at least Revan believed so. "the Jedi have begun training at a much younger age, and advancing your education more quickly due to the ongoing war. While there is something to be admired for this new system, it does have some major flaws, the greatest of which is how dependent it makes young Jedi on relying purely on the Force."

"You're saying the Jedi rely on the Force too much? Isn't that kind of our entire advantage over everyone else in the Galaxy? Why not use it?"

Revan continued silently moving around the compartment the two individuals occupied, Ahsoka remaining in the center, bracing herself for another attack or potential opportunity to try and hit Revan. "There is an undeniable logic to what you are arguing, however, your perspective is..." He paused his thought as he quickly spun his staff and struck one of Ahsoka's legs, causing her to wince and buckle, before trying to strike back, which Revan quickly sidestepped out of the way, "limited."

Ahsoka huffed in frustration before centering herself again. "Fine. Explain."

"Your education should have taught you that there are uncommon, yet very real locations or circumstances where one's connection to the Force will be weakened or almost unusable."

"Wounds in the Force, you mean."

Revan nodded in response, simply by habit, "Along with an opposing Nexus in the Force. In your case, that would be akin to a Dark-Side tainted world, like Korriban. But other than locations there are creatures, animals, and even some races or individuals who are resistant to or simply unaffected by the Force. Consider this: what is a Jedi without the Force? You rely on it, depend on it, strip away the Force, and what remains? Have you seen a Jedi try to hold a blaster or a blade that is not a lightsaber? The galaxy has many locations that are simply too dangerous for a Jedi to go, and even a more common scoundrel would be more capable than a Jedi in those places. That is why we are practicing with this method. You cannot rely on the Force or your sight at this moment, the two most important senses for you, you must now adapt, adjust, and learn to allow your other senses and instincts to guide you."

Ahsoka pondered the former general's words, mulling over the implications in the mind for several moments. What was said had an air of sense to it, and from a purely logical standpoint, she could find nothing to argue against. However, that same feeling of resistance, almost like a wave of anger, welled up inside her as Revan had once again taken a verbal hammer to several key principles and teachings she had been raised in. The Jedi Code raced back into her mind purely on reflex. She opened her mouth to protest, to raise some kind of objection, but her own experience in war had already laid a foundation of understanding for the ideas that Revan had finally put into words for her: the Force was not always enough. She thought back to times where she wished she had the technical skills of Rex, the commanding presence of Cody, or simply the confidence of her master. As much as part of her rebelled at the thought, Revan was right, and if she was going to survive and eventually escape her strange imprisonment, she would need to adapt and learn. Taking a deep breath she stood up straight, held both sabers by her side, and began to focus on what she could feel without the Force.

Revan couldn't help but allow a small smile to cross his features. She was stubborn, headstrong, and still quite naive, but this Padawan learned faster than some Masters Revan had encountered. He was impressed, which did not happen often for the former Sith Lord. Refocusing on the task at hand, Revan began to move around the compartment once again, adjusting the staff in his hands as he did so. His movements were almost completely silent, barely able to be registered even on the metal surface of the space.

Ahsoka strained her other senses, desperately trying to catch any indication of where her opponent was. She could feel doubt, anxiety, and frustration begin to build at the edges of her mind when suddenly she felt the faintest change in the air around her. Spinning as quickly as she could she raised both sabers and caught the metal staff above her head in an 'X' between the two blades. The metal quickly sparked and heated at the contact with the plasma, forcing Revan to withdrawal his attack. Feeling no more resistance on her wrists, Ahsoka lunged forward in a surprising and daring move. She was rewarded with the sound of plasma cutting through metal, which caused her to stop, but still held her saber pointed forward.

"Well done." Revan said after a small delay.

Ahsoka carefully removed her blindfold with her off-hand, and looked to her other saber was only a few inches from Revan's face, which contained a mixture of surprise, respect, and possibly admiration? Ahsoka smirked at seeing her accomplishment and was about to withdrawal her blade when a dark thought suddenly invaded her mind, and she imagined thrusting her saber forward into her captor.

Revan watched with curiosity as a wave of emotions washed over Ahsoka. Even without their connection, Revan could see the conflict and even fear of what had entered her mind written all over her external features.

Ahsoka quickly shook her head and withdrew her saber, disengaging both blades. Where had that idea come from? Jedi don't kill their enemies once they are defeated. Even if part of her was still angry at Revan for her situation, she could never break the Code in that way... could she?

Revan watched Ahsoka for several moments, allowing himself a small peek into her mind to understand the full conflict that she was experiencing in her mind. "Take it from someone with a great deal of experience in these matters." Ahsoka looked up at him questioningly. "War... changes a person, and seldom for the better. However, how you change, and how you decide to go on living with the person you have become, is entirely dependent on you. You will probably dislike me more for saying this, but it is necessary for you to hear: the Jedi Code does not cover every situation you will encounter in your life, nor can it fully prepare you for what you will face during a time like this. Much like the Force, you must learn when to let it go."

Ahsoka gripped her sabers tightly as she heard this advice. Revan was now targeting the core principles of her entire life. She had heard this kind of language from Ventress, and currently, Revan sounded like any other Sith. However, as her initial reaction faded away, and she considered his advice alongside what he had already taught in this training session, part of her appreciated his perspective. He wasn't telling her that the Jedi Code was useless, or that it made her weak for following it, only that sometimes it wasn't the answer to a problem. Ahsoka had experienced this frustration in war and was often confused about how the Jedi could justify being this heavily involved in a war in the first place. She had seen her master, and other Jedi ignore the Code or the teachings of the Council multiple times because of different things this war had demanded. Was she really so blind, so indoctrinated by what the Jedi had given to her that she was blind to the reality in front of her?

As she began to spiral into a mental conflict of doubt and questions, Revan couldn't help but feel pity for the Padawan. He knew better than most the devastation of having one's reality be pulled apart, and the pain of being confronted with an uncomfortable truth. She would need time to make these decisions on her own.

Just then, an automated alter began to sound in the room. The intrusion pulled both individuals out of their own mental spaces and caused them to look at the speaker, then at one another.

"Come on," Revan spoke first. "We seem to have arrived." He then made his way to a door at the top end of the compartment. Ahsoka hesitated for a brief moment, but slowly clipped her sabers to her belt and turned to follow.

The two Force-Users entered a large 4-person cockpit of the Rakatan stealth shuttle they had been flying for several hours now. The shuttle was made from the same rustic red metal as most Rakatan structures and was designed in a functional manner, yet still following the almost uniform design associated with that race.

Revan took the main pilot's seat on the left and Ahsoka took the secondary position on the right, leaving the back two seats empty. Revan quickly typed away at the alien controls, his basic familiarity with Rakatan design carrying him through the necessary steps to disengage the hyperdrive. Ahsoka watched him work and did her best to study and take in the control panels around her, but her mental conflict still tugged at her making it more difficult to do so. After a few moments and ensuring that they were at the correct distance, Revan slowly pulled back on one of the throttles near the middle of the main control panel, and the swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace quickly dissipated. The viewpoint was suddenly filled with the image of a large moon, covered in bright green vegetation, yet also full of large spiraling grey and black storms that obscured much of the planet's surface.

"So this is Dxun..." Ahsoka said more to herself than anyone in particular. She remembered the brief discussion Revan and she had had regarding their destination, but he had been less than forthcoming about the reason for why the jungle moon was their destination. "Can you finally tell me what we are doing here?" She asked as she turned to examine Revan.

He waiting a second before replying, adjusting the flight path slightly, and double-checking his navigational coordinates. "We are looking for something."

"You already said that." Ahsoka retorted as she crossed her arms. "You know, if you want to work on this whole 'me trusting you - thing,' you could start by being a little more transparent with your plans."

Revan smirked slightly at this comment. The Padawan was in fact correct, perhaps it was time to start including her more in the details of things. "...Very well, but first answer me this: what do you know of Dxun?"

Ahsoka shrugged in response. "Not much, to be honest. History was already a boring subject for me, and the name doesn't ring any bells."

"That seems about right. While Dxun has had some significance in the past, it has largely been forgotten by the galaxy. A remnant of an age long since passed." Revan's mind drifted slightly as the thought of how far he was from the galaxy he once knew, his gaze shifted, and he seemed to be staring into a different reality altogether.

Ahsoka watched Revan curiously. While he still guarded his side of their connection carefully, she was beginning to learn how to make use of it, and with his focus shifting, she could even being to feel some of the emotions of remorse and grief that were currently spiraling around the former Jedi's mind. "You alright?" She finally asked, actually out of slight concern, which surprised the young Padawan.

Revan snapped back to attention and looked at Ahsoka, her brow raised to accent her earlier question. He opened his mouth to say a quick dismissal but stopped himself. He took a moment to actually reflect on his own emotional state and everything he had been dealing with. "...No." he finally spoke, earning him an even more surprised look from Ahsoka that he would truly be honest and vulnerable with her, even if just barely. "Unfortunately there's nothing that can be done about that, at this moment. So for now, we press on as best we can."

Ahsoka's eyes darted between Revan's, trying to figure out what game or tactic he was attempting with her, her suspicion of the man keeping her natural guard up. However, as the seconds passed, she could find no lie or trick in his words. A new level of sympathy began to form in the Togruta, and the reality that Revan had his entire life and existence ripped from him slowly dawned on her for the first time. Revan was grieving the life that was now 4,000 years behind him. Maybe there was more to this man than she had initially given him credit for. Nodding slowly she did not respond but simply looked down at the console in front of her. Natural curiosity got the better of her, and she checked the ship's navi-computer to see what planet the moon orbited. "Onderon!" She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Revan turned and looked at the Padawan curiously, "Yes... we are near Onderon. Does that place have some significance to you?"

Ahsoka didn't respond immediately. She was mad at herself for saying the name. She eventually reached the conclusion that if Revan wanted to pry into her mind he could, so she slowly began to explain, "I... I had a friend, on Onderon... his mother was assassinated, and I haven't seen him in a long time."

Revan thought about pressing for more information, but he decided to let the matter go. "I see... And this, friend, were you two close?"

"...I guess you could say that. He helped challenge some things I thought I knew, I guess you could say he left an impression."

"It would seem he did." Revan commented before shifting focus back to the planet.

Ahsoka thought back to the last time she had seen Lux Bonteri, and how he had tried to hire the Death Watch to kill Count Dooku. That had been one of the most moronic plans she had ever had to pull someone out of. She couldn't help but wonder what Lux was up to now.

"Before we land..." Revan slowly began, sensing that Ahsoka was deep in her own train of thought, "There are a few things you should know." Ahsoka's focus was now completely on Revan as he continued to explain. "There is a reason why we spent all those hours training before we arrived here. Dxun is a Dark-Side nexus, you have an extremely difficult time connecting with the Force while you are on the surface."

Ahsoka could feel herself tense in response to this news and slight anger began to build in her for not being warned about this sooner.

Revan raised a hand before she could utter a protest. "There was no point in having you worry about this place the whole way here. That kind of fear and anticipation would have only distracted you from the training and made it more difficult for you to prepare for this mission. I also cannot trust you as of yet to be left in the Foundry without some supervision, and HK had work I needed him to accomplish, I had to bring you with me regardless if you did not want to be locked in a cell." Revan turned to look at her before adding, "As we agreed."

Ahsoka glared at Revan as he explained his reasoning, but eventually, she relented and leaned back into her seat. "I'm getting tired of being kept in the dark. Is there anything else I should know?"

Revan slowly nodded before saying, "The creatures of the moon have adapted to feed off of the Dark Side, and thus it has twisted them to become more deadly and violent. Additionally, because the moon is nexus for the Dark Side, they can use the Force itself as a natural kind of camouflage, even I will not be able to sense them coming should they choose to hunt us. Lastly, as a creature that has been immersed in the Light Side, the moment you step foot on that planet it will be like shooting up a flare into the sky - any creatures near us will begin hunting you."

Ahsoka looked at the moon with wide eyes. As they came closer and closer to the surface, she could begin to feel the powerful pull of the Dark Side, something she had only experienced on a few rare occasions. She could feel her emotions start to build against her will, and the weight of the Force began to feel more like a crushing weight than a comforting sensation.

"Ahsoka." Revan state firmly, causing her to look at him and pull herself out of her trance. "It is time you learned how to conceal yourself in the Force."

"What?!" She asked in shock. Maybe it was their proximity to the nexus but Ahsoka was finding it difficult to keep her emotions in check. "Now?! We're maybe a half-hour from landing on this Dark Side death moon, filled with monsters that want to eat me, and you're going to try and teach me this advanced technique that I didn't even knew existed until I met you, now!?"

"Ahsoka. Breathe." Revan stated firmly.

The Padawan wanted to vent more but through force of will gripped her fists and took a deep breath, forcing her mind to become at least calmer.

Revan nodded at this action before speaking again, "Good. Now, remember what I said about the benefits of sharing a Force Bond? Well, now is the time to make use of one of those. I am going to impart my knowledge of Force Concealment directly into your mind."

Ahsoka's eyes widened in surprise at hearing this. Not only did she not realize this is what Revan had meant by 'faster learning' through a Force Bond, but he was willing to share one of his most powerful abilities that had already helped him escape many difficult situations. "...what do I have to do?"

Revan smiled slightly at this question, "Just relax, this will go a lot smoother if your mind is calm and open to our connection. Also, understand that I cannot impart my experience with this ability to you, so you will still have to practice a considerable amount to get used to this power, but this will certainly put you far above the normal learning curve."

Ahsoka looked slightly concerned at hearing this, "But if I don't have any experience with this ability, what if I don't get the hang of it fast enough to use on the planet?"

"You already have some basic experience. The training we were doing on the way here, by distancing yourself from your connection to the Force, allowing your other sense to become highlighted, you actually were suppressing your own natural connection, and thus 'hiding' your presence in the Force by extension."

Ahsoka was caught off guard once again by this information. "So that's how the ability works, and that's why we couldn't sense you because you were blocking yourself from the Force, so it couldn't pass through you as strongly... that's so simple, yet... genius!"

Revan chuckled slightly at the explained revelation, "A quick study as always Ahsoka. Now, are you ready?"

She looked at him with a mixture of awe, slight anger, and a new sense of inspiration. Excited at the possibility of learning this skill she straightened her back and locked eyes with the man before nodding confidently.

Revan nodded back before reaching out and lightly touching the sides of her head with his index and middle fingers of each hand. The pair closed their eyes and focused on their Force Bond. Revan very carefully began to channel only the information his mind had on Force Concealment. He knew the potential risks of exposing an inexperienced mind to the pitfalls of an unfiltered Force Bond.

Ahsoka winced in pain as new thoughts and memories began to invade her mind. Reflexively she wanted to fight against this invasion into her mind, but remembering Revan's words, she gritted her teeth through the pain and allowed her mind to stay open in the Force. After several agonizing moments, the pain began to lessen as her mind adjust to the experience, and by the time the information had fully passed, the pain was almost unnoticeable.

Once completed, Revan leaned back fully in his chair and examined Ahsoka closely, "How do you feel?" He asked with some genuine concern in his voice.

Ahsoka shook her head messaged her forehead as some of the initial pain still reverberated like a pulsing sensation through her skull. "That was... painful... but, I think it worked. The information is there, it just feels... foggy. Like I'm trying to recall a vivid dream I had last night, not impossible to remember just... difficult."

Revan nodded at her explanation, "All of that is to be expected. Those memories are not native to your own mind, and thus it will take some time before they are fully accepted, but the more you practice recalling them the faster that process will be. Now try to hide yourself."

Ahsoka nodded before closing her eyes and concentrating. She thought back to the training, and the experience she had felt in distancing herself from the Force, rather than leaning more into the sensation. She focused on the new memories, and Revan's own experience using the ability. She was able to recall the first time he had successfully used this technique, and slowly, through great effort, something shifted in her mind. Opening her eyes she looked around in slight confusion. Everything around her felt like it was moving half a second slower, colors seemed less bright, and her hearing felt like she had water in one of her ears. "This is... uncomfortable."

Revan laughed slightly causing her to look at him, a genuine smile was on his features as he watched her. "Never have I seen any Force User use that ability so quickly after learning it! I knew I had confidence in you for a reason."

Ahsoka was surprised but smiled slightly at the genuine compliment and praise she had just received.

"As for the uncomfortable feelings you are experiencing," Revan quickly added on as he turned back to the controls of the ship, "you are simply seeing the world through the eyes of the common individual: those that have little to no significant connection to the Force. I think we often take our abilities for granted, faster reactions, better senses, simply a deeper connection to the galaxy around us. The Force is powerful, but I hope you can begin to appreciate what I mean when I said the Jedi rely on it far too much. However, the more you use this ability and train with it, the more you will naturally learn to compensate for the lack of your connection, it just requires a lot of work and endurance."

Ahsoka looked around the space with a new appreciation for Revan's earlier words. She now personally understood a little of what it would mean to truly live without the Force, and frankly, she felt miserable. "So you can't sense me right now?"

"You have come a great deal further than even I had hoped, but no, I can still sense you even without our connection. Just like any technique, you will have to train yourself to become better at using this. However, what you have so far should keep most of the predators near us from detecting you, and it will provide the additional benefit of keeping the nexus from overwhelming you."

"You know... you took a big risk by waiting until two minutes before landing to teach me all this." Ahsoka added with a little frustration as the clouds of one of the larger storms quickly enveloped their shuttle, causing a considerable amount of turbulence.

Revan did not respond immediately as he gripped the controls and carefully piloted the ship through the storm as quickly as possible. Once they had passed through the underside of the clouds his grip relaxed and he answered. "Possibly... but I was confident you would succeed."

Ahsoka looked at him with appreciation, once again not expecting the compliments. She was about to respond when the sound of landing gear began to echo in the cockpit.

Revan quickly flipped a few switches and entered in a final command sequence before getting up from his chair. "Come along, the sooner we are off this moon, the better."

Ahsoka simply nodded in agreement before following Revan back to the main compartment.

The shuttle landed with a quiet thud, though several birds and smaller reptiles scattered from the small jungle clearing they had managed to find, very loudly. A large ramp quickly extended from the bottom of the craft, as the main compartment door split open, revealing the pair of Force Users. Ahsoka scanned the jungle floor with suspicion, both hands were on a different saber attached to her belt. Revan was attaching the last armor pieces before unclipping his mask and intentionally placing it over his face, before pulling his hood up over his head.

Rain cascaded down all around them, plinking off the metal of the ship in an almost calming fashion. The area around them was as dark as late evening, even though it was actually about noon, as the light from this system's star could barely penetrate the raging storm high above the pair. The jungle was sporadically illuminated by a flash of lightning, which added to the grim atmosphere of their surroundings.

The pair slowly made their way down the ship's ramp, Revan just slightly in front of Ahsoka. Once they had reached the muddy, yet still vegetation-rich ground, Revan slowly scanned the clearing they were in and periodically pressed the side of his mask as he changed through different vision settings on his mask.

Ahsoka's eyes strained to make out anything more than 50 feet ahead of her, the dense foliage of the jungle added to the lack of sunlight they were currently experiencing. "See anything?" She finally asked after about a minute.

"No... But something tells me that won't be the case for long." Revan stated with a grim frown. He understood why this moon had been ideal for Canderous, but he wondered now if the natural protection this moon provided was a little too good.

"You know," Ahsoka began, "We kind of got side-tracked with, well everything that just happened, and you still haven't told me what we're doing here, besides trying not to get killed, obviously."

Revan smirked slightly at the Padawan's humor, "You're right." He stated, "My apologies for forgetting, but let us walk and talk, shall we?"

Just then a large roar from some beast far away echoed across the clearing they were in, causing Ahsoka to sharply turn and grip both sabers tightly. "Yeah... that sounds like a good idea."

The two began to carefully make their way into the dense vegetation of the planet, climbing over the roots of large trees and around leaves of plants bigger than either of them.

After a moment or two of hiking, Revan spoke, "To finally provide an answer, we are looking for a mask."

"Is yours out of fashion, or something?" Ahsoka joke with a slight grin.

Revan rolled his eyes under his mask but smiled slightly as well. "Thankfully, mine never goes out of style." The joke surprised Ahsoka, but Revan continued speaking, "I am curious, you obviously have had some experience with the Mandalorians, how much do you know about them?"

Ahsoka thought back to her earlier encounters with that people, and while she still didn't fully trust Revan, there were some things she was willing to share. "I was on Mandalore for a short time, teaching a group of top students at their academy. The kids actually managed to uncover a government conspiracy and put a corrupt politician in jail." Ahsoka smiled upon thinking about those brash but very brave kids. "The Mandalorians seem like a noble race, but they've suffered a great deal, and their current financial situation is pretty dire, but the Duchess wants no part of the war. She says it will turn them back to their old ways of war and bloodshed."

Revan shook his head at hearing this information, most of it he had already gathered from a few public reports he had downloaded at the Temple. He remembered how angry and frustrated he had been the first time he read about the state of the Mandalorians. Not only were they still suffering some of the consequences of his actions, but now their teeth had been pulled and they had been convinced to become pacifists! Even now, after thousands of years of being a fractured people with no real home, they were finally united, but now had no way to defend themselves and secure their own future in the galaxy. Just the thought of it all made Revan want to punch the Duchess for what she had reduced a once-great people to.

Ahsoka watched Revan curiously as she saw his body language shift and his movements become more forceful as they hiked through the difficult terrain. Still concealing herself in the Force, their connection was even more muted to her, and she couldn't feel Revan in the Force at all, definitely due to the fact he was concealing himself as well. "So... why is this mask important? And what does it have to do with the Mandalorians?"

Revan shook his head and sighed as he forced his mind to let go of his raging thoughts. "Before the Mandalorians were... neutered, they functioned as a band of various tribes, usually fighting one another. The only time the clans untied together was when the strongest amongst all the clans fought their way to the top, proving their worth. Once there were no challengers left, this Mandalorian was named Mandalore, and was given the Helm of Mandalorian to wear until their death. They gave up their old life, name, clan, everything, and became not only the leader of the whole race but a physical embodiment of everything it meant to be a Mandalorian."

Ahsoka became increasingly uneasy as she heard Revan speak. He was starting to sound a lot like Death Watch. "So the Helm is here? Wait." She suddenly stopped, causing Revan to turn and look at her. "This is what you meant by 'a dramatic shift in leadership' you want to bring this... Mandalore figure back, and you're going to have to kill the Duchess to do it!" Ahsoka could feel the anger build inside her, her hands closed tightly around each saber. "You lied to me."

Revan slowly raised a hand as he saw Ahsoka grab her sabers. "Ahsoka, please. We can discuss this further, but if we fight now..."

A part of Ahsoka knew he was right, but the rest of her didn't care. She was beginning to feel the Dark Side around her more strongly, calling to her, promising her power and the ability to be free. She glared at Revan, this was her chance.

However, before she could act, her eyes widened in surprise as Revan grabbed his own saber, and in a flash of movement charged at her while the red blade ignited. Before she could even register her shock and physically react, Revan surprised her further by forcibly pushing her out of the way, causing her to be flung to the ground on her side.

Recovering as quickly as she could, Ahsoka jumped up from the ground, igniting both sabers. Her questions were quickly answered as a large, cat-like beast, with an elongated neck, and sharp intimidating claws and fangs, was leaping out of a plant directly behind where Ahsoka had just been standing. Revan intercepted the creatures' pounce with his lightsaber, and much to Ahsoka's horror the crimson blade seem to simply bounce off the red scales of the beast with no effect.

The beast growled in irritation but now focused its attention on Revan, swiping and attempting to bit him with deadly precision and speed. The former Sith Lord barely avoided the attacks, his moments clearly slowed from not relying on the Force.

Ahsoka shook herself out of her daze and was about to jump into the fight when she heard a deep growl behind her. Slowly emerging out of a different part of the jungle was another of the creatures, its sharp yellow eyes fixed on Ahsoka with murderous intent.

Ahsoka glanced over to Revan and his intense fight, doubt, and fear began to cloud her judgment. She shook her head and willed herself to face this new threat, perhaps it was the Dark Side edging her on to take this fight. Igniting both sabers, she took her practiced stance with both blades inverted and her hands raised to in front of her chest.

The creature growled at this posture, hesitating slightly as its would-be-prey locked eyes with it and stared it down. Unfortunately for Ahsoka, the Dark Side fed into the ferocity of the beast, and it roared before charging at Ahsoka full force.

The Padawan waited until the last moment, then rolled out of the way of its claws and bite as it lept at her. Unfortunately, she was still not very seasoned in fighting without the aid of the Force, and her movements were slower than she had been expecting. She was painfully reminded of her situation as the beast's claws managed to rake over her left arm as she rolled away. She quickly turned to face the creature again, grabbing her arm on instinct, as pain shot up from the wound. Looking down at her hand which was now slick with her own blood, she growled in frustration and pushed through the pain.

The creature wasted no time and seemed to be made more ferocious at the smell of blood in the air. It left at her again, this time waiting until it got closer to jump, expecting another roll like last time.

Ahsoka didn't dodge this time, instead, she stood her ground and blocked off the beast's attacks with her sabers. While her blades bounced off the scales with only a few sparks, there was enough momentum and strength behind her swings to bat off the creature's swings and bites.

Glancing over to her side, Ahsoka could see Revan was in a similar predicament. Part of his cloak was ripped in several places, and sparks would fly off his gauntlets when he had to use one to defend against multiple attacks. Ahsoka began to worry about their chances, when suddenly Revan stepped inside one of the creature's swings, leaving himself dangerously close to the beast's mouth. The creature reacted without hesitation and went for a killing bite on Revan's neck. Ahsoka opened her mouth to cry out a warning, suddenly Ahsoka felt Revan more clearly in the Force for a fraction of a second, and in the blink of an eye a purple blade from a newly revealed saber ignited into the side of the creature's mouth from the inside.

The purple blade busted through the cheek of the creature, causing it to recoil and howl in pain. Ahsoka watched as the blade met fierce resistance as the creature pulled back and the exterior scales clashed with the protruding blade. Revan had to act fast and disable his saber allowing the creature to back away from him, or risk losing the saber to the strength of the creature.

Ahsoka was amazed by the move, and it almost distracted her from the creature in front of her, which attempted another frustrated lunge with more strength than before. Ahsoka was forced to cross her sabers and lock with one of the claws just to stave off the attack.

As she raced to figure out her next move, a voice slowly entered into her mind, "Time for part two of this lesson." Revan's voice was clear, with an almost echoed quality to it. This caught Ahsoka even more off-guard, but the present danger kept her from reacting too much. "You must become flexible with your Concealment. Switching between using the Force and suppressing it is a difficult thing, but it can save your life in situations like this one."

Ahsoka glanced at Revan who was now charging his own creature as it recovered from the injury it had sustained. She growled in frustration at this method of teaching, it was almost as bad as Skywalker’s. Jumping away from the beast as a bite flew through the air, she gave herself just enough space to close her eyes and focus for the few precious moments she had. Once again she waited until she could feel the beast with her normal senses, then, after saying a quiet prayer to the Force, she switched. Her eyes opened in a flash, and she ducked at the perfect time, allowing her to block the additional swing with one saber, and slice her main saber across the open mouth of the creature as it attempted to bite her. The blade flashed against the exterior scales of the creature's cheeks but found slight purchase on the inner part of the mouth on the right side. The beast roared in pain and just like its partner quickly jumped back from its opponent. Ahsoka couldn't help but smile confidently before she remembered her potential danger and focused on concealing herself again. The switch back was almost painfully forced, but she was impressed with the fact that it only took a few seconds.

In those few moments, the creature had regained its rage and charged once again. Unfortunately, Ahsoka was not ready for this attack and was immediately on put on the back foot, suffering several glancing scrapes and minor wounds for her lack of speed.

Emboldened by its newfound success, the creature leaped up again and jumped on top of Ahsoka. The Padawan tried to get out of the way but was slammed to the ground as the creature landed a serious blow into her leg. Crying out in pain Ahsoka looked up in horror as the creature stared down at her, a predatory gleam in its eyes. It raised its claw to strike down again, keeping its mouth firmly shut.

Ahsoka's body tensed, her mind panicked for a solution, she went to raise a saber but both had clattered from her hands a few feet away. She felt helpless, afraid, but underneath all of that was rage. She had been lied to, imprisoned, bonded with some kind of scheming murder, and now was about to die on this damned moon! No. She refused.

The Dark Side answered her call and raising her hands a massive blast of Force energy shot the creature a full 30 feet away from her, causing it to slam into a tree with a sickening crack.

Ahsoka slowly stood up, the Force came to her more powerfully than she had ever felt before, and it felt good. She summoned bother her sabers back to her and stared in hatred at the beast. The creature was slowly trying to get up from the place it had been thrown, but clearly, something was broken, and it cried out in pain as it tried to move. It looked up at Ahsoka and roared in anger at her. Suddenly, the creature felt an invisible force, like a giant hand, force its mouth to stay open. It began to squirm and thrash violently trying to rid itself of whatever thing had invaded its maw. It cried in pain more as the hand seemed to force its jaw open wider, almost to the point of breaking. Its eyes darted wildly in confusion before locking gaze with Ahsoka, who had one hand outstretched towards the creature, and someone it understood she was causing its pain, and for the first time, fear began to fill the beats eyes.

Ahsoka grinned at the beast's response, almost relishing in its pain and suffering. Taking a deep breath, she flung her main saber through the air and sent it with blinding speed straight into the mouth of the creature and down its throat.

The beast roared in pain for a few moments before the saber wildly spun and severed its vocal cords. The creature flailed around crazed as it tried to escape its fate. Flashes of green came out of its mouth as the saber accomplished its deadly mission inside the belly of the beast. After just a few moments of extreme pain, the beast finally collapsed, the life in its eyes ebbing away.

Ahsoka quickly gripped her hand, summoning her saber back to her. Her breathing was heavy and labored, but her smile was long and almost crazed. She could not see it, but her eyes carried a gleam of golden-yellow. Looking over she saw Revan finishing off his beast. His cloak had taken the majority of the damage that fight, but she did notice a few scrape marks on his armor, even from this distance.

Revan turned and looked at her, and while she could not see his face, his sudden stop and change in body language communicated surprise. He slowly made his way over to her, and it did not go unnoticed that he left his saber activated. "Ahsoka..." he began slowly.

She stared at him, the Dark Side calling to her to attack him and destroy him. She was about to speak when a small pain began to register in her mind. "What?" She finally spoke as her mind began to clear slightly."

"You're injured." Revan stated clear concern and worry present in his voice.

This statement, along with his tone, managed to fully pull Ahsoka out of her trance, the yellow in her eyes quickly fading away, and she glanced down in confusion as to where a growing pain was forming. Her eyes widened as she saw her right leg was drenched in blood from the knee down, and she could see a worryingly deep cut running along the outside of her lower thigh.

Dropping both her sabers, the Padawan almost collapsed as the shock began to set in, and would have if Revan had not quickly stepped in and caught her, gently lowering her to the ground. "Oh boy!" She said in a shaky voice, "This is bad."

Revan knelt beside her, tearing some of his cloak and using it to mop up some of the blood around the wound. "Ahsoka." He said trying to get her attention, but she was beginning to breathe more heavily as panic set in. "Ahsoka!" He stated more forcefully.

This caused the Padawan to look up at him. Doubt, anxiety, and the gaze of a lost person looked into the black eye-slit of Revan's mask, which only served to heighten her anxiety more.

Seeing her mental state, Revan removed his mask and locked eyes with the Togruta. "Ahsoka, listen to me."

Her mind slowly began to calm as she was now able to look into the eyes of another person, not the soulless voice of that mask. She nodded in affirmation to his words.

"I will take care of this wound. I need you to focus on concealing yourself again."

She let out a shaky breath but gave a short nod in response.

Satisfied with the answer, Revan turned his attention to the wound.

Ahsoka concentrated and did her best to block out the pain. Eventually, she managed to fall back into concealment, and this is where she learned the harsh feeling of pain without the Force to protect herself. Her leg suddenly felt twice as painful, and now like it was on fire. She gritted her teach and willed herself not to fall back on the Force for help. She suddenly had a newfound respect for the clones who were injured in battle.

Just then, a new sensation caused her to open her eyes. Revan had placed both of his hands on either side of the wound. She looked at him questioningly, but his eyes were closed in concentration. A moment later, Ahsoka felt a cool sensation, almost like someone was pouring liquid ice on her leg, but just cold enough as to not be painful. At first, she tensed up from the sensation, but as it spread it began to carry immense relief from the pain she felt. Ahsoka looked back at her leg and watched in amazement as blue Force energy began to radiate off of the palms of Revan's hands. As the energy spread, the minor cuts, scrapes, even day-old bruises on Ahsoka's person began to heal and close. She watched in disbelief as the gash on her leg slowly began to heal and close up. After several moments, all that was left of the previously almost fatal wound was a prominent scar running up the side of her leg.

She looked at Revan in speechless amazement as he opened his eyes, removed his hands, and took a deep breath. Ahsoka frowned slightly as it looked like the color from his face had almost completely drained away.

Revan looked down at her leg, carefully examining it to make sure the healing was successful. He frowned at the sight of the scar and sighed, "Apologies for the scar... I was never the best at Force Healing. For that kind of task, you were always better off with my better half." He smiled slightly at his personal joke, but it was quickly replaced by sadness as he thought about Bastila.

"Apologize? What? For a scar? Revan, you just saved my life! I think I can live with a battle wound." She looked at him intently before asking, "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost?"

Revan nodded slowly before slumping against a tree they were close to. "Force Healing makes use of one's own life-force, a deeply powerful, but also exhausting resource to tap into. If one uses Force Heal for too long, or for something too major, it can take years off the casters life, or even in some extreme cases, cost them their life."

Ahsoka looked worriedly at the scar then back to Revan, but he simply waved his hand at her implied question.

"What I did simply took the wind out of me. I'll be fine in a few moments."

Ahsoka stared at him for a few moments, but upon seeing some color slowly come back to his face, she nodded in acceptance. "Well... regardless... Thank you."

Revan simply nodded and closed his eyes.

Ahsoka glanced around the area they were in. When her gaze fell on the creature she killed a feeling of guilt began to well up inside her as she remembered fully what had happened. "What... what were those things."

"Nighthunters," Revan answered simply without opening his eyes. "Nasty ambush predators. We were very fortunate there were not more of them."

Ahsoka slowly drew her knees to her chest and put her arms around them. After another minute or so where the only sounds were the rain and thunder, Ahsoka spoke. "...I used the Dark Side." She looked at Revan to see what kind of reaction he would have.

"I know." He replied without any other form of reaction.

"...I suppose you're going to encourage me to use it more? Say it's better than being a simple-minded Jedi?"

"What you're feeling is shame Ahsoka."

Her eyes widened in surprise at this answer.

"And no, I did not look into your mind to know that." Revan's eyes finally opened, he looked much better than before, and he slowly began to pick himself up. "I know first-hand what you are experiencing. Remember what I said about war, and the galaxy? How they demand that you change? You are experiencing just that." He fully stood, brushed himself off as best he could before equipping his mask and walking back over the Ahsoka. He looked down at her before finishing, "Who you decide to become after that change... that is entirely up to you." He then reached down a hand to her.

Ahsoka glanced at the hand, then back to the mask. Revan was frustrating accurate, yet extremely cryptic and vague all at once. She couldn't tell if she respected him, or wanted to slap him. She still had a lot of issues, and he would have to give a damn good explanation for his plan for the Duchess. But for the time being, she couldn't think of any better options. Cementing her decision in her mind, Ahsoka grabbed his hand and was quickly pulled to her feet.

The pair continued their march through the difficult terrain in relative silence for what seemed like a few hours. The constant rain and thunder did little to add any sense of time or progress but created a sensation of an endless journey through the heart of darkness.

Finally, after a tedious and slow slog through the jungle, the two individuals broke through a particularly difficult portion of foliage and found themselves just a foot or two away from a grey and black, metal wall.

Revan slowly lifted a hand and ran it across the surface of the wall, before double-checking something on his mask's readings.

"This doesn't look like it belongs here." Ahsoka said with an air of curiosity.

"Depends on your perspective, I suppose." Revan replied before slowly making his way to one side of the wall.

As the two rounded the corner, Ahsoka realized they had run into the side of a building, and they were now entering a sizable, but extremely overgrown and decaying compound of some kind. The structures were a loose connection of various functions and placements but were made of a sturdy material and intentionally built for some kind of long-lost purpose. "What was this place?"

"A sanctuary. A place where the Mandalorians started to rebuild. I had hoped it would have lasted, but it seems it did enough." Revan answered back. His tone was mostly even but carried a mixture of nostalgia and regret.

Ahsoka watched Revan curiously as he slowly made his way through the compound, carefully scanning each building with various filters in his mask. "How do you know so much about the Mandalorians? And how do you know the Helm is here?"

Revan did not immediately answer as he proceeded deeper into the compound. He eventually stopped in front of the largest building, near the center of the complex. "That answer is... long, and difficult. Something we do not have time for at present. As for how I know where the Helm is, let us just say it pays to keep track of these kinds of items in the galaxy. I am honestly surprised the tracking beacon is still functioning after all this time."

Ahsoka simply looked more confused but decided to hold her questions as Revan removed several layers of vines, revealing a broken door. Igniting one of his sabers, Revan slowly carved the door out of its frame and carefully helped it lower to the ground outside so as not to create too much noise.

As they stepped into the increased darkness of the building, Revan activated a light on the side of his mask, offering a small window of illumination in the abandoned place. Ahsoka couldn't shake the feeling that they had just stepped into the mouth of some great beast but managed to ignore the trepidation as the two slowly made their way deeper in.

In short time, they came to a large control panel that ran across the length of a wall. Revan carefully searched the entire console, eventually stopping at one location to remove a panel, and proceeded to begin pulling certain wires out into the open.

"You really think this thing still has power? I mean look at it: the circuits are rusted, most of the wiring is fried, clearly, no one has done maintenance on this place in years." Ahsoka observed as she watched Revan work.

"The Mandalorians always had backup plans and layers of defenses. I just need to find..." He stopped his train of thought as he find one particular set of wires that were connected to an odd junction box, something distinct from the rest of the components. Holding the box carefully in one hand, Revan took one of his lightsabers, and using the Force he exposed its power matrix just enough to allow a single wire in. With great finesse and delicate intention, Revan fed one of the wires from the box into his saber. There was a small surge of power and the console erupted into sparks and some smoke.

Ahsoka coughed loudly and waved her hand to clear some of the smoke away. "Well going there. Now we're definitely sure this whole setup is busted."

Revan ignored her snide comment, and quickly made his way to a different part of the building, Ahsoka followed curiously. She then noticed that a small side door, something that had perfectly blended in with the walls of the building, had barely slid open just a fraction, but it was enough to expose the hidden door.

Using his saber again, Revan cut through the door just as he did the entrance, revealing a small staircase leading down into the earth.

"Layers of defense..." Ahsoka murmured in understanding.

Revan quickly made his way down into the basement of the building. The new room was even darker than the upstairs, but just as abandoned as the former. The air here was more dusty and stale, undoubtedly this room had been preserved from the outside conditions of the planet. Revan's mask light barely penetrated the dense atmosphere, and Ahsoka had to hold her breath on several occasions to keep herself from coughing.

Eventually, the pair made their way to the back section of the room. Both stopped suddenly as Revan's light bounced off a metallic and almost shiny set of armor. The armor was only barely rusted in a few places and was in remarkably well-preserved condition despite its age. Revan slowly kneeled down beside the armor, running his hand along its surface for just a moment.

Ahsoka examined the armor for several moments before her eyes adjusted enough that she could tell it was not simply a suit of armor, but a corpse. "...Did you know this person?"

"...As well as I think anyone could." Revan chuckled slightly as he remembered how much he had to annoy and poke at Canderous just to get him to have even a simple conversation. Looking around Revan noticed a well-preserved datapad. Picking up, and wiping the dust off it, he scrolled through the short information it contained. "It seems the compound was attacked," Revan explained out loud. "Some kind of retaliation for their involvement in a situation on Onderon. He was wounded during the fight but decided against informing his men. He ordered an evacuation, then stayed behind. It seems he did not fully trust his more prominent warriors with the Helm."

Ahsoka looked at Revan in surprise, "This is Mandalore?"

"The last Mandalore, yes."

"...How did you know him?"

"...I asked him to become Mandalore, for the sake of his people."

Ahsoka was more stunned by this new information. She simple watched Revan for several moments before asking, "What was his name?"

Revan didn't answer but looked at the body for some time. Eventually, he placed his hands together in a certain fashion and spoke a quiet prayer in Mandalorian over his former compatriot. Once that was done he slowly reached up and removed the Helm from the body before standing up, examining the Helm carefully to ensure its condition. "He would not want to be remembered by that name. He was Mandalore, the embodiment of his people, and that is how he shall remain."

Ahsoka looked between Revan and the body, before finally settling her gaze on the Helm in Revan's hands. Anxiety began to creep back into her mind, as she remembered their almost confrontation in the jungle earlier, and her anger at feeling like Revan was just going to be another Death Watch.

Before she could say anything, Revan turned and began to walk out of the basement. "We should depart. This planet still possesses a great deal of danger."

Ahsoka agreed with that statement at least, and the two made their way out of the building and back into the main yard of the compound. Before they could get much further, Ahsoka stopped, "Wait." She stated.

Revan did so, turning to look at her.

"Before we get back to the ship, I need some promises from you."

"Ahsoka, this conversation can wait, we need to get back to the ship."

"No! It can't wait. I've been tricked, betrayed, used, and lied too far too many times. If you want me to trust you, there needs to be an understanding between us."

"Ahsoka, I-" Before Revan could respond, a loud crashing sound erupted from behind him, causing both individuals to turn in its direction.

The duo barely had time to jump out of the way as the tops of several large trees came hurtling down across the yard, crashing with devastating force.

Ahsoka grabbed both of her sabers and looked up just in time to see a terrifying, grey, demon-like beast swoop down from the sky, letting out a bone-shaking roar as it did so. The monster was huge, comparable to the size of a krayt dragon, but perhaps more intimidating than one as it could fly with the use of a set of massive wings that came from its back. Ahsoka watched in horror as the beast landed almost directly on top of Revan, and she could hear him yell out in pain.

Fear overwhelmed her, and for a brief moment, she was frozen. She was brought back to reality as she heard Revan in pain once again. She could see that he was trapped under the foot of the massive beast. Before she could leap into action, Revan managed to get one arm free, and lifting his hand upward, the air around the compound began to swirl and become increasingly violent.

Thunder and lightning clashed and resounded in greater frequency, and before the beast could deliver a final blow on its trapped prey, a bolt of lightning came crashing down from the sky before colliding into the side of the monster's face.

The beast let out a roar of pain and tried to shake its head out of the way of the bolt, but the lightning continued to unnaturally arch out of the sky and maintain contact with the beast, whose skin was beginning to become blackened and scarred from the sustained damage.

After several tense moments of this, the beast finally stepped away from its original position and too back to the sky, roaring angrily as it did so.

Revan's hand fell to the ground beside him, and he did not move after that.

Ahsoka stood for several moments breathing heavily. The shock of the situation was slowly wearing off, and the creature didn't look like it was coming back. She was angry with herself for not acting sooner, but everything had happened so fast, and her Concealment along with the nexus was making all of her actions twice as difficult. She began to move towards Revan's still form but stopped herself. Revan hadn't moved in almost a minute. She was confident that he wasn't dead, as she could still feel their bond, even with her connection to the Force suppressed. She glanced back several times between his still form and the jungle they had entered the compound from. Her mind was more divided than ever on what to do.

Revan woke with a gasp. The first sensation he felt was pain and a lot of it. The second feeling was one of worry. He quickly noticed that his armor was gone, along with his mask, and the Helm. The final sensation was one of confusion. Glancing around to get a sense of his surroundings he noticed he was inside of a structure and had been laying next to a makeshift fire set up in the middle of a metal room. The fire was placed directly underneath a medium hole in the roof, which caused the occasional drop of rainwater to splash into the fire, creating a pleasant hiss followed by a small burst of steam to rise with the smoke.

Revan tried his best to stand up, but quickly found that several of his bones were broken in various places, and one of his legs and one of his arms were in crude splints made dried of jungle wood and vines. Looking further around he finally saw Ahsoka sitting on the opposite end of the room, near one of the almost boarded-up windows. She was keeping watch. He was about to say something when he noticed she was holding his mask in one of her hands, tapping it absent-mindedly.

Taking a second to compose himself, he finally let out a short cough, grabbing the attention of the Padawan.

"Ah, you're awake." She said with a mixture of worry and relief.

"How long was I out?" Revan asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

Ahsoka shrugged as she made her way over to the fire and sat across from Revan. "Time is hard to keep track of when it's constantly storming, but at least two days have passed."

Revan looked at her in surprise, he was about to ask about survival when he noticed there was a small animal roasting in the fire. Looking around further he saw that most of the building had been given crude repairs to the various holes and outside exposures. There was even a small sleeping area she had made for herself out of leaves and other vegetation. "It seems you've been... productive."

Ahsoka nodded as she slowly rotated the creature over the fire. "You could say that. I took care of your wounds as best I could, but I'm not exactly a great doctor. All of this was part of our basic survival training if we ever got stranded on a planet with no way off-world. I got to practice some of this once with Master Secura, though it wasn't quite as rough as this setup." She chuckled slightly.

"It works well." Revan replied, "And... thank you." Ahsoka only nodded not looking at him. After a few more moments he asked, "But I must ask... why did you save me?"

Several minutes passed before Ahsoka replied, her mind flipping through all the turmoil and inner debate she had suffered through the past two days. "...It was what I was taught to do. Jedi are supposed to save lives."

Revan watched her intently, this was the answer she had been telling herself, but it wasn't the whole truth of the situation. "A noble idea... but you still could have saved me and brought me back to the Jedi. I am a wanted man after all. Does your code not also tell you to dispense justice?"

Ahsoka's grimaced at this question. This was the line of thought she had been wrestling with, this was the reality she did not want to confront. "You're still badly injured. You won't get out of here without my help. I could still leave and bring the Jedi back here."

Revan nodded slowly at this, "Indeed, you could."

Ahsoka finally looked at Revan and said, "...I need to make a decision, but before I do... I want you to explain."

Revan's brow raised slightly at this, "Explain what, exactly?"

She tossed his mask back to him, "I watched your recordings... All of them." This time it was Revan's turn to be surprised, he was about to ask when Ahsoka answered his question before he could ask it, "I know it's biometrically locked, I just put it back on your face and used the Force to open your eye-lids whenever the security function would time out and block my access."

Revan was surprised and impressed with the boldness Ahsoka was now portraying, and his initial anger at having his privacy invaded quickly subsided. "Well... you have seen the story then, what more is there to say?"

"I saw a lot... but I didn't understand it all," Ahsoka said before looking back at the fire. "Some of the data was corrupted, damaged, or just simply deleted... there are a lot of gaps, missing pieces, things that don't make sense." She turned back to lock eyes with him. "I want your whole story, from the very beginning, as much detail as you can give me. I think I've earned that much."

Revan was surprised by this request. He glanced down at his mask before taking a deep breath and looking back at Ahsoka.

Before he could speak she held up a hand and added, "Also. I want your whole plan, or at least as much as you have right now. How are you going to take down Sideous, if he is real? And what are you going to do with that Helm and the Duchess? Will Jedi have to die for this plan? No more keeping me in the dark. I need to know what you know if we're going to work together. This is your chance to gain the trust you claim to want to earn."

She stared at him with a harsh conviction, one he had seen before in the eyes of Bastila, and Mission, two women to be feared and respected. He scanned her eyes for several seconds, debating what to do next. Finally, he gave a single nod and said, "Very well. A long time ago..."

Revan spent the next several hours answering Ahsoka's request. He told her of his life as best as he could remember, all the way up to his transportation into this time. She listened intently, only asking the occasional question for clarification. She processed each story that was told and found herself emotionally moved by many of the hardships in Revan's life. She wanted to protest when he explained what the Jedi had done to his mind, but she stopped herself and forced her mind to simply listen, not draw conclusions the moment she encountered something she didn't like.

Once that part of the conversation was finished, Revan laid out the plan he had created so far to deal with Sideous. Most of it she already knew from their conversation in the Foundry's primary control room, but there was some new information she did not yet know. Ultimately, Ahsoka was surprised that Revan had genuinely laid out most of his plan so far to her and Sterr, it helped ease her feeling of being kept in the dark on some grand conspiracy.

"And that is everything." Revan finally finished his monologue. He looked at Ahsoka as she stared into the flames pondering the information she had just heard.

"...Okay." She finally broke her silence, before locking eyes with Revan, "I'm in."

Revan smiled slightly and nodded approvingly, "I am glad to hear it."

"But!" She began with a serious glare in her eye, "If you ever lie to me, or start to go back on any of the things we agreed on during this trip, I'm out, and you have to let me go or I will fight tooth and nail to escape." She maintained her eye contact and slowly extend a hand.

Revan did not break eye contact either, and grabbed her hand without hesitation, "Agreed."

Satisfied with his answer, Ahsoka turned her attention back to the creature that was roasting. "Sound be about done now." The smell of burned meat had started to come out of the fire.

Revan waved his hand slightly to ward off the smell, "Who taught you how to cook?" He chuckled slightly as he painfully sat up with a groan.

Ahsoka sheepishly chuckled back as she moved the animal from the fire. "No one. I clone cook did try to teach me once, but I wasn't very good at it. Gave myself food poisoning the first time I made my own meal."

Revan shook his head and smiled, "Then I know what our next lesson is going to involve. I remember this amazing restaurant on Taris..."

The two exchanged stories and shared a meal well into the night.

HK and Sterr stood at opposite ends of the Foundry's holographic table in the middle of its main control panel. HK was studying the map of the galaxy intently, its glowing eyes shifting quickly between various points of interest.

Sterr, meanwhile, was nervously pacing back and forth on the other side of the table.

"Request: Would you please stop your insistent pacing? Your movement is constantly pulling my optics away from the task at hand."

"S-Sorry." Sterr mutter nervously as he forced himself to stop moving though he couldn't keep himself from fiddling with his hands as he stood. The past few days had been very stressful for the Ithorian. While he had absolutely loved his work and the chance to study this advanced technology, he had only had the robotic workers of the Foundry, who were completely silent, and HK, who still greatly intimated the mechanic. "It's just..." He began slowly, much to HK's disappointment, "They've been gone for days now... perhaps something has happened to them. I hate to think such bad omens over Revan and the Togruta, but surely we must do something?"

If the assassin droid had the ability to roll his eyes, he would have. "Contradiction: The Master gave us very clear instructions for our work while he and the... Jedi were. That is our primary directive at this moment. Addition: You are also making the mistake of believing that anything could harm the Master. This theory is simply impossible."

Sterr shook his head in frustration and began to pace again, adding to the annoyance of HK.

Before any more dialog could be exchanged, one of the elevators opened with a slight 'hiss', and Revan and Ahsoka slowly stepped out.

"Call off the search parties." Revan said jokingly, he knew HK would never come looking for him after Revan had given him a specific mission to carry out.

Sterr's eyes lit up, and the Ithorian equivalent of a smile came across his features, "You're back!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm. He moved quickly to approach the pair but stopped short. Concern quickly covered him as he saw the several splints that immobilized Revan's leg and arm, and while he could walk without Ahsoka's assistance, he currently did so with the aid of a crude cane made of jungle wood.

"What happened?" Sterr asked in worry.

Revan waved the Ithorian off, though he did appreciate the genuine concern the mechanic gave. "Just a small run-in with a Drexl." Revan said very casually.

Ahsoka snorted at this reply, "Small?" She sarcastically questioned.

Revan smirked at her slightly before turning to look back at Sterr. "I am fine, thanks to Ahsoka's help. And my wounds will heal quickly with some assistance from an advanced medical droid. There is nothing to worry about, I assure you." Revan ended his words by nudging Sterr's mind slightly with the Force to help him calm down.

The Ithorian slowly nodded in agreement before moving back to his previous position, seemingly much calmer than before.

Ahsoka glared slightly at Revan who simply shrugged, earning him an eye roll in return.

Revan looked at HK who had been silently studying him for a few moments. If the droid had any facial expression, it would most likely be akin to concern and anger at seeing its master in this state. However, as metal cannot become emotional, the droid simply stared before saying, "Greeting: Welcome back master. Query: Did you enjoy your trip?"

Revan chuckled slightly at the subtle annoyance the droid conveyed in its words, something that would only be detectable after spending years with the creation. "It was delightful, HK. Now, why don't you show me what you've been up to." Revan said as he moved toward the holo-table and gestured to the galaxy map currently on display.

HK quickly turned and began typing on the console before him, causing several small locations to become highlighted. "Explanation: As per your instructions, master, I have successfully created a small grid of undetectable listening posts near the border of the CIS and Republic. A similar grid has also been built several light-years in all directions around the Foundry."

"An early warning system." Ahsoka interjected.

"Indeed," Revan confirmed. "Well done HK."

The droid paid the interruptions little mind. "Addendum: While the listening posts are active, and we have already gathered a great deal of information from both militaries, there appear to be additional layers of encryptions I was not initially aware of, the key to which change frequently. Another issue arises from the fact that communications sent while a ship is in hyperspace are proving very difficult to untangle from background radiation. Conclusion: I suggest the deployment of infiltration units to act as physical forms of data collection and fill in these gaps of information."

Revan nodded as he heard everything the droid had explained. "I agree with your logic, HK. I will begin working on a new design for our infiltrators. The current designs for droids have changed considerably over the past several millennia." Turning his attention across the table, he spoke again, "What reports do you have, Sterr?"

The Ithorian jumped slightly at being addressed, but quickly composed himself, straightened up fully, and began enthusiastically typing at his own control panel for the holo-table, causing the galaxy to shift and be replaced with a detailed schematic of the Ebon Hawk. "I have been working tirelessly on learning more of the Rakatan systems, and I believe you will be very pleased with the outcome."

Sterr began to rattle on excitedly about all the improvements and difficult, yet rewarding challenges he faced while trying to upgrade the old ship with the advanced alien technology. Revan half-listened, but was mostly drawn into the display before him, and he was impressed. The Ithorian was without a doubt, a blossoming genius of engineering and ship design, who had simply never been given the tools and proper freedom to truly stretch his skills. The Hawk was improved in every possible way, from shields to armor, to weapons, and engines. Sterr had even managed to install an advanced stealth system into the new Rakatan generator which now took up most of the previously large cargo bay, a sacrifice Revan was more than happy to make.

Sterr finally came to the end of his rant, clearly very proud of himself. Revan looked at him with genuine amazement before saying, "Sterr... you have exceeded my expectations in every way."

If Ithorian's could blush, Sterr would have resembled the plains of Mustafar at that moment, as red as the scorching lava. "I- I... thank you, sir." He said while glancing at his feet.

Revan chuckled slightly before looking back at the ship.

"You know..." Ahsoka began, "if this alliance is ever going grow beyond the three of us, we can't always bring people back to the Foundry, it's too much of a security risk."

Revan nodded in agreement with her but stayed looking at the Hawk. This problem had crossed his mind once or twice, and while part of him loved the idea of jumping back in his ship to fly around the galaxy and make a new crew of ruffians and misfits, his practical nature won out in the end. "Sterr," he began, causing the mechanic to look at him expectantly, "you've been studying the schematics within the Foundry, correct?" The alien nodded quickly. "Good. Tell me what you think about this." Revan typed on the panel HK had been using for a few seconds before a display of the Leviathan, an Interdictor-class cruiser, appeared. The sight of the ship brought back several bad memories for Revan, but he quickly forced those from his mind.

There was a few moments of silence as Sterr examined the display, occasionally walking around the holo-table to get various angles on the design. "It's... small... at least for a cruiser, I mean." Sterr stated.

"Interjection: Master, you cannot seriously be considering using this outdated model for our new fleets?" HK protested, and pulled up the image of a Venator-class star destroyer for comparison. "Explanation: The Republic's main fleet ship is twice the size and carries 2,000 more troops and crew members. Not to mention it outclasses the Leviathan on every single statistical analysis."

"I hate to agree with the droid," Ahsoka added in. "But he has a point, and this isn't even comparing your cruiser against something like a Separatist command ship."

Revan raised his hand to silence the conversation, "I am well aware of the deficiencies, however, this ship design is... unorthodox, and presents some unique advantages that neither the Republic nor CIS currently possesses. As for the discrepancies in power and size, well... thankfully we have our brilliant engineer who can modify the original design into something better."

Sterr looked at the group as they all turned to watch him expectantly. He nervously glanced up at the two ships, fiddled with his thumbs, and muttered to himself before something finally clicked in his mind and he stared back at them more confidently. "I believe I can do it."

"Good!" Revan said enthusiastically, "Begin working on this new design immediately and send me the first draft you come up with. I have something... special, in mind for the first ship we create."

Sterr grinned at this comment and quickly bowed before rushing off to begin his new work.

Revan smiled slightly before looking at HK, "Keep working on the listening grid, and see if you can find those old HK-51 schematics lying around you were complaining to me about before I left for Dxun."

HK was about to protest when Revan stopped him, "I know, I know! 'inferior design' and 'an insult to your very creation' I understand. However, I have some ideas, so humor me on this."

If HK could glare at Revan he would. Instead, he simply saluted his master before walking off at a slightly more aggressive pace than normal.

Once they were alone, Ahsoka approached Revan who turned to look at her curiously, "Yes?" He asked.

Ahsoka avoided his gaze for a few moments before finally looking at him. She had been debating this decision for a while, but she supposed it was her turn to trust him. "You know how you mentioned your plan for the Helm, and how you had been considering approaching a certain group of individuals."

Revan nodded slowly, looking at the Padawan more intently, she was apparently doing something she thought a considerable risk, so he simply waited for her to finish.

Ahsoka slowly typed into the console, bringing up an image of a snow-covered planet, "...How do you feel about... snow?"

Chapter Text

Uneasy Alliances

Revan stood on one side of the sizable, circular, holo-table located in the central room of the Ebon Hawk. His grey eyes quickly scanned through several messages that were displayed directly in front of him. The past week had been very busy for the former Jedi Knight, his physical injuries had kept him limited in functionality, but his mind had been extremely hard at work. He and Sterr had been going over several different schematics, blueprints, and designs for the various droids and ships Revan would need in the immediate future. The Ithorian had continued to exceed Revan's expectations and had proven himself to be a remarkably quick study on the subject of droids and weaponry, making his assistance all the more invaluable.

HK, despite his considerable protests, had produced the designs for the HK 51 models, and while Revan had to admit they were cheap imitations of the original assassin droid, overly simplified for the purpose of being mass-produced, they still held to the most important aspects of the HK framework. With occasional input from Sterr, Revan had heavily modified the 51's design to better translate into the current climate of this modern galaxy. He had spent several days looking at various droid designs for inspiration, along with their commonality and how well they could go unnoticed in various environments. Originally, he had considered the classic protocol droid, as it was undoubtedly the most widely used droid across all classes and settings of the galaxy. However, the design was far too rigid and restrictive, better put to use purely as an aesthetic or disguise that could be projected with a personal hologram display. Eventually, Revan had stumbled across the somewhat controversial Personal Assistant Droid (PAD). While there was some corporate slander and political propaganda around these very feminine droids, the upper class, especially administrators, business executives, and even government politicians across the Republic had been fully won over by these advanced machines, which made their design the perfect candidate for Revan's plans. If he ever needed to infiltrate a lower-class sector he would compensate with built-in holographic projectors that would make them appear as standard protocol droids, or if that failed a long-lasting stealth field generator would suffice. Revan swore that if HK could physically blush, he would have upon seeing the final schematics Revan had produced for these specialized infiltration units, which he simply dubbed "Infiltrators." Perhaps not the most original name, but it was practical.

Next, Revan had looked to his military needs. For this project, he had closely examined all available schematics HK had managed to intercept from various droid factories within the CIS as they shared data with one another, with occasional updates and minor design adjustments. Revan had been less than thrilled to see that the entire Separatist army was completely automated, even the commanders and officers had been replaced by tactical droids that had been proven to do terribly the moment their original plan started to go wrong or change in any drastic way; something the clones and Jedi had slowly become masters of over the course of the war. While Revan had temporarily considered creating his own strategic droids, he had quickly thrown away that notion. He had used droids quite heavily during the now titled: "Jedi Civil War", but had only done so to make up for the sheer lack of numbers on his side. Droids were primarily cannon fodder, and would never replace the creativity and adaptability of an organic mind. One droid had stuck out to him, however, and that was the BX-series Commando droid. These droids had originally been deployed for sabotage and infiltration but had slowly been converted more into elite fighting units that could break through enemy lines, or even engage tougher enemies like a Jedi. This sort of application was very appealing to Revan, and after taking a closer look at the HK-51 model, he now had a direct one-to-one use for these designs. While the now dubbed "Infiltrators" used many elements of the HK-47 and HK-51 schematics, Revan had essentially had to work from the ground up to create his new espionage droids and model them to fit the PAD design. With these assault units, Revan simply made a few tweaks to the HK-51 schematics to make them more durable indirect battlefield conflicts. He also made improvements to their speed, personal shielding, hand-to-hand combat, targeting, and even gave each a built-in vibro sword for close combat or to possibly fight Jedi. To make things less confusing for himself and his team, he had named this newish creation, the "KH Dragoon" unit.

Finally, Revan had looked for a solution to his lack of numbers. While he had a solution in place for the officers and generals, they would need simple numbers on their side if they were going to have any chance of fighting in such a large-scale war. After going through several options, Revan had finally settled on the Mark V Assault Droid. These slightly odd-looking droids had been originally designed by the Czerka Corporation and sold as personal protection units. However, during Revan's war on the Republic, he had stolen the designs and heavily modified them to be far more dangerous than the originals ever could be. He had outfitted the design with more powerful weapons, a larger arsenal including rockets and a flame thrower, he had given them a small specialized Rakatan style reactor that was able to support an energy shield similar to the modern Droideka, and finally increased the strength and resistance of their armor, even making them resistant to lightsaber attacks. These droids had been very powerful in Revan's day but were expensive and time-consuming to make, even with the Star Forge's advanced production systems. For this reason, Revan had kept his modified Mark 1's exclusively to guard and protect the Star Forge itself. Taking a look at his old design Revan knew he would need to make these droids more affordable if he was ever going to realistically use them for large-scale war. After mulling over what he could afford to lose, he decided the most expensive element of his original design was the incredibly strong armor and powerful reactors each droid was built with. Replacing the armor with a more cost-effective metal was a simple fix, and after playing with some calculations he was also able to simply the reactor design at the cost of some of its shield power. He would still take a considerable amount of firepower to destroy these droids and they would each carry a small squad's worth of firepower with them. Satisfied with this compromise, Revan took a step back, breathed deeply, and examined the multiple displays before him.

He now had a very important decision in front of him. Unlike his previous weapon of mass destruction, the Foundry was much more limited in its production capabilities. Instead of simply pulling a near-infinite amount of energy from a star and literally creating matter out of that energy to create whatever Revan wanted, the Foundry actually used the asteroid it was surrounded by, along with any materials physically present within the cluster it was hidden by. For all intents and purposes, it was a giant factory floating in space, needing just as much oversight and materials as any other production plant in the galaxy. Granted, it was an extremely advanced factor that was more efficient and powerful than anything the current galaxy could even comprehend, but it was still a physically limited factory, nonetheless. With this limitation in mind, Revan would have to be very careful about choosing what to produce, how much he made of it at once, and in what order it was to be created. His eyes slowly scanned through each of the screens hovering before him, slowly rubbing his chin as he did so. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes, sent up a small prayer, to what he didn't know, and stepped back up to the console, quickly typing two separate messages with detailed instructions as he did so. HK and Sterr were going to have a lot of work to do very quickly over the next couple of days while he was away from the Foundry. He had faith in both individuals, but he still hated being so distant from such a crucial moment in his plans. Everything needed to happen at exactly the correct time for this crazy plot to work correctly.

Just as he finally hit 'send,' the hissing sound of a door opening drew his attention away from the holo-table.

"You're up early," Ahsoka said with a yawn and a stretch as she slowly made her way to the opposite side of the holo-table.

Revan shrugged slightly at this comment before closing his messages and began pulling up a different system on the table. "I do not sleep very long, or well for that matter. Additionally, there is too much work to do to waste the time I am awake."

Ahsoka looked at Revan with slight concern on her face. The former Sith Lord always seemed to be working, never stopping to relax or take time to rest. It was like some invisible need was constantly driving him to work on something or complete some task. She understood a lot of this behavior he probably developed during his time in two different wars, but she was beginning to wonder what happened when he finally ran out of energy and physically couldn't keep moving at this speed. Even though he had taken a physical rest for the past week to recover from his injuries suffered on Dxun, he hadn't taken any actual time off, perhaps even throwing himself even more into what work he could do than previously.

After a moment or two of silence Revan finally looked up at the Padawan, "I can feel your concern." He stated plainly, "But rest assured, I have learned my own limitations very well. I am not arrogant or ignorant enough to think I am invincible, though I can understand why you might not believe me, especially considering your experiences with your Master."

Ahsoka was still getting used to their Force Bond, and still found it frustrating how easily Revan could perceive her thoughts and emotions, but she did admit that he had been very respectful and limited with his invasion of her mental space. Over the past week, Ahsoka and Revan had discussed many topics, including Anakin and her own widely different experiences within the Jedi Order. Revan had been brutally honest with his love-hate relationship with the Jedi, and after hearing his story on Dxun, Ahsoka couldn't fault him for his perspective. However, he had not pressured her into taking his views as her own and had been very clear he was only offering his own limited and biased point of view. Ahsoka had come to enjoy their conversations more and more and had found it so liberating to talk unfiltered about anything from history, to politics, to even the Jedi themselves. While Anakin had always offered a... differing perspective on things and had given her a lot of freedom to speak her mind and ask uncomfortable questions, there were still quite a few subjects he would simply refuse to allow to be discussed. With Revan truly nothing was off the table, and she even had the freedom to get angry and walk away from conversations when she couldn't stand what Revan was saying about the Jedi becoming merely puppets of the fundamentally corrupt Republic political system. He never judged her for their disagreements or fights, and he never shied away from conflict or uncomfortable dialogue. The more Ahsoka came to know and understand Revan, the more she understood why so many Jedi had left with him to fight the Mandalorians, and why all but one had continued to support him, even when turning to the Dark Side.

Shaking her head as her thoughts went back to her master, and the guilt she still felt for having decided to disappear from the Jedi for this long, she looked at the program Revan was pulling up on the table. "I guess it's back to studying." She said with a sarcastic tone. If she was being fully honest, she was looking forward to this. Over the past week, Revan had put her on a tight regiment of two types of training. Half of her days were spent in combat training with HK in a training arena he had designed for himself within the Foundry. HK was brutal in his training and had held nothing back. If it weren't for Revan's very explicit instructions that HK could not bring severe harm to Ahsoka, she's pretty sure she would have lost at least one limb this past week. Later on, Revan had confessed that he had originally built HK specifically to be able to kill Jedi. At first, she had been horrified that he would have her train against such a creation, but she soon remembered how dangerous her encounters in this war had been, and how almost everything the CIS threw at her was also designed to kill her. Eventually, she had appreciated being able to truly advance her combat skills unrestricted by the threat of death, or the oversight of what was allowed in Jedi or Republic training. They certainly didn't use live ammunition at the Temple.

This brutal style of practice had truly forced her to advance her skills further along than she had previously thought possible, and by the end of the week, even HK admitted she had passed his original predictions for her, a high completely indeed from the droid.

The other half of her days were spent with Revan. He had created a kind of large-scale strategic "game," that simulated ground, air, or space combat. The simulation reminded her somewhat of Dejarik, or holochess, as she would control one set of forces, and Revan would control the other side. At first, the simulations were fairly straightforward, laying the foundational format for how to control and order a mass amount of units and resources, something Ahsoka was somewhat familiar with, but on a scale, she had never actually been responsible for in the war. As a commander, she had been responsible for large groups of until, but never an entire army or fleet, and there was far more nuance and strategies she quickly came to appreciate. A part of her thought back to some of her failures as a military leader, and now seeing the even larger scale of a battle or several-days conflict, made her wish she had been less short-sighted and more careful in her younger years.

Revan was a master general, and while he started by going easy on Ahsoka and giving her the clear advantage in either numbers or environment, he quickly ramped up the difficulty and offered less and less advice on how to win each encounter. Ahsoka recognized some of the simulations from actual battles Revan had had to fight during the Mandalorian Crusades, and being placed in his shoes on more than one occasion she couldn't begin to fathom how Revan had won some of those encounters. These exercises had been extended frustrating as the difficulty progressed, and Revan had absolutely wiped the floor with her over and over again. But after each simulation, he had slowly walked her back through the fight and talked with her about what she had done wrong and right, and the two had discussed what other options she might have taken. It had been grueling slow progress for her, especially as she had always preferred being on the front lines with her men, but she slowly grew an appreciation for the stress and responsibility a general carried in battle. Revan had also exemplified what it meant to be a good leader, even if you never saw any action yourself on that day. Just like with the physical training, by the end of the week, Revan had paid her a high compliment for how far she had come, even though she still felt like a total amateur.

Revan finally finished pulling up another simulation, one that Ahsoka had played 10 different times before, but had never managed to win. In the scenario, she was in a space battle against a much larger force. However, the goal was not to defeat the enemy, but simply to stall for time until reinforcements arrived, protecting the planet behind her forces at all costs and not allowing the enemy to launch a ground invasion.

Ahsoka glared at the table in front of her, determination and frustration mixed in her mind as she recounted all the times she had lost this encounter. "You really like seeing me lose this one, don't you.”? She asked without taking her eyes off the holo-table.

Revan chuckled slightly before initiating the game, "I suppose I could go easier on you this time..."

Ahsoka looked up at him with a sarcastic glare, "But you won't." She stated back.

"You know me too well it seems. However, while we play, I would like to go over the next steps of the plan again, just to make sure you are still sharp on what comes next for us."

Ahsoka raised a brow curiously as the small holographic ships began to move on the table. "We've been over this talk a few dozen times now, but if you want, I suppose I can multi-task."

Revan simply nodded in response, typing in a few commands for several cruisers to begin their advance towards his opponent's defenses. "As you know, our current objective is to secure Mandalore and the neutral systems that are loyal to her. However, Mandalore is currently entangled in three different, yet connected, crises, what are they?"

Ahsoka squinted slightly at the familiar maneuver Revan always opened with, she thought for a moment before typing her own set of commands into her control panel, sending her more powerful ships to get into a better firing position. "...The three main issues are: Political, Economic, and Military. Politically, the people are divided on their support of Duchess Satine, if HK's listening grid is to be trusted, almost half of Mandalore's population either no longer has confidence in her, or outright blames her for the state the planet is in. The Duchess herself is in an unpopular position with the Republic as well, while she represents a large set of neutral systems and maintains a healthy trade agreement, her extreme pacifist ideology has put her at odds with many political groups that profit off the war, and she is seen as a vulnerable leader or simply too weak to protect her people from internal and external threats." Ahsoka felt bad for the Duchess. She admired her strong convictions but understood why even Master Kenobi was continually frustrated with her. It did seem like Satine was delusional at times, and was sacrificing her people for the sake of her morals.

Feeling Ahsoka's mixed emotions, Revan spoke, "It is an admirable quality, to hold true to one's beliefs so strongly. However, at some point we must all ask if our convictions can realistically exist in the reality we occupy. Perhaps one day the Duchess could see a galaxy where all war stops, but to sit back and believe chance will happen only through words, is an ignorant notion at best."

Part of Ahsoka hated to agree with Revan's cold outlook on life, but even her Jedi training told her that taking action was an inevitable necessity in some circumstances. Pushing the internal debate away, she made a far more aggressive move than she had previously done, charging some of her ships directly at Revan's slowly advancing line. "Regardless, when we replace Satine with a new Mand’alor, the majority of the population will fall in line as things improve, however, the other neutral systems will need to be reassured and probably negotiated with. Additionally, the internal political structure will need to be reexamined to remove any unnecessary bureaucracy. If Mandalore is going to become fully independent, they will need to have an effective government to run in a newly militarized fashion."

Revan was surprised by this move and quickly halted his advance to deal with the incoming attackers more efficiently, maintaining his tight formation to minimize losses. "That is a correct summation of the political issues. Now, what of the economics?"

Ahsoka winced slightly as she saw her charging ships get destroyed with brutal efficiency, only managing to take one carrier down with them. She tightened her defensive line and began to fire whatever long-range weapons she had at Revan's weakest vessels. "The economy of Mandalore is in shatters. Since Satine halted the sale of Beskar in a statement against war, the planet has suffered massive unemployment and can barely offer other mined materials to the Republic in trade. The neutral systems do help subside Mandalore's economy as their main political representative, but even many of those planets are beginning to hit financial hardship as the Republic taxes are becoming larger and larger to meet the demands of the war. The black market has fully cemented itself into Mandalore's culture as it is becoming the only reliable place for citizens to get the supplies they need to survive. This has also drastically increased corruption and poverty throughout the planet, and crime is becoming a large internal issue in all sections of the people's daily lives."

Revan watched as several of his smaller ships were destroyed by long-range torpedoes, but he quickly compensated by moving his largest ships to the front, including his capital ship into a more vulnerable position to take the brunt of the fire and keep his smaller ships safe. "Well remembered. When your own people must turn to crime to survive, your system is broken and cannot be salvaged. We will have to completely restart the planet's economy to keep its people alive, this will also make the transition of power much easier for the population to accept."

Ahsoka couldn't disagree with this evaluation, she hated to see the people suffer like they were, and was glad that at least they were going to objectively help in this way. "And we are still on the same page?" She glanced up at Revan who met her gaze with slight curiosity. "The Duchess will not die." She said with some force behind her. While she had a great deal of mixed emotions about this plan they were walking into, she had found a certain peace with the reasons and motivations she could share with Revan. However, she still did not fully trust him and remained vigilant to any sign of crossing a line she could not follow.

Revan nodded slowly, along their connection to open slightly as a reassurance of his honesty. "As I said before, killing the Duchess would only galvanize her allies against us. Peacefully removing her from power is our only option. Unfortunately, we will have to treat her as a political prisoner, for if she is able to run to the Republic and call for additional aid, we will be in greater trouble."

Ahsoka looked down at the board before her, she hated the idea of locking up someone she had come to respect over the years, and someone who trusted her, but Revan had also made a valuable point that if the Republic and CIS were under Sidious' control, she would not be truly safe in either side's company. It is much easier to control the image of a martyr, rather than an active and outspoken political figure. Shaking her head from these thoughts, she refocused on the game at hand, entering a command to begin launching the small number of fighters she had at her disposal.

Revan frowned slightly at seeing a familiar move by Ahsoka, it seems the Padawan was running out of ideas. He quickly entered a new set of commands before continuing, "Lastly, what of the military problems?"

"Mandalore has no standing military. It has a small internal security force, but it can barely keep the crime rate in check. If the planet and people are going to be able to defend themselves, they will need a sizable standing army. The other neutral systems can provide raw materials, and a few of them still operate their own defensive military, but we cannot count on any of them to provide sizable help. We will have to create and maintain the military on almost all fronts." Ahsoka watched as more and more of her fighters and ships were begging to be picked apart by Revan’s slow, but efficiently moving forces. She estimated she had only destroyed about a tenth of his fleet, while she was sitting at almost forty percent losses. She scowled as it looked like she was going to lose once again, just then, a radical idea entered her mind. Taking a second to do some quick calculations, she began to rapidly enter a large set of commands, almost taking full control of every individual ship.

Revan listened to her explanation before speaking, "It seems you remembered everything quite well. I only hope the solutions we have in place will translate just as well into reality as we hope they will." Revan was about to ask another question, but he stopped himself as he looked with curiosity at the table. Ahsoka had begun to make some fairly radical moves. Instead of keeping a wide and balanced defensive line to keep his forces from having access to the planet, she had now consolidated all her remaining ships into a tight 'spear' formation and was charging directly into the center of his fleet. Revan's eyes narrowed in suspicion and quickly halted his advance, preparing to fire everything he had at Ahsoka's forces.

Despite the obvious obliteration she was about to suffer, Ahsoka continued recklessly, heading straight for the center-most point of Revan's tightly packed fleet.

The losses soon became incredibly heavy for Ahsoka, she simply did not have the ships to put a sizable dent into Revan's forces, and while both sides were taking losses, it was clear who was going to walk away with considerably more ships.

"I must say," Revan began, "This was a daring maneuver, but unfortunately-" his words were cut short as his eyes noticed something. Ahsoka only had 4 ships left, all heavily damaged, but they were her larger cruisers and capital ship. They had barely managed to make it into the center of Revan's formation and were about to be destroyed, but something was wrong. Revan's sensors began to light up with several warning messages as his ships detected a massive energy surge coming from all four remaining enemy vessels. Revan had prioritized destroying the advancing force's shields and weapons so as to minimize his losses and take out Ahsoka's ships faster, but he had neglected to target their engines or hyperdrives since none of her ships had been on a direct collision course.

Glancing up at Ahsoka, he saw a somewhat evil smirk on her face which confirmed his fears. He rapidly began typing new orders and shifted all of his firepower to the engines of the remaining ship, and while he did manage to disable one, it was too late. He quickly tried to disperse his fleet, but they had been so tightly locked together to protect his more vulnerable landing craft that they could barely maneuver away from one another, and the debris left by Ahsoka's destroyed ships. Revan watched as the final warnings sounded off before 3 massive explosions consumed almost the entire space Revan's fleet had occupied.

Once the simulation finally caught up with all of the calculations, it refreshed itself and showed that Revan only had a few ships remaining, all of them critically damaged and unable to move, and there was nothing left of Ahsoka's forces. The pair were ultimately left at a stalemate - If Revan's few ships could repair themselves in time, he could still theoretically land on the surface and accomplish his goal, however, if time ran out and Ahsoka's reinforcements arrived, Revan's remaining fleet would be defenseless and completely obliterated.

After a few seconds of silence, Revan finally spoke. "...That was... a bold move. Overloading your larger ship's engines and hyperdrive was inspired, though now you have left your planet completely open and are gambling on time."

Ahsoka stared at the board a moment longer before answering, "I had already lost by that point, we both know it. So I was left with a guaranteed loss or even the slight chance of getting a win." She looked up at Revan before continuing, "I believe you once said something to your men about the value of sacrifice."

Revan's mind flashed back to dozens of speeches he had made before seemingly impossible battles they had to face during the Crusades. He had always felt guilt afterward, knowing he had just galvanized most of those soldiers and Jedi to their deaths, but they had gladly laid down their lives for the cause they believed in. A part of him always wondered if he had only managed to convince them to believe their sacrifices were worth it, and none of them truly shared the idea in their own reality. Shaking his head from these past questions, he closed the application and looked back at Ahsoka, "Regardless, you did technically succeed in your goal, so well done. Just be mindful," his eyes took on a deeper seriousness and seemed to drill into Ahsoka as he finished his advice, "sacrifice should always be a last resort, never a first. Sometimes even a loss is necessary for the future of those under you. You will have the fate of many lives in your hand, Ahsoka. Never take that responsibility for granted."

His words resonated in Ahsoka's mind, and for a moment she was reminded of similar lessons she had received from Anakin and Obi-Wan. She simply nodded but did not respond.

The two stood in silence for a moment before a new noise echoed through the room. "It would seem we are about to arrive," Revan commented. The two exchanged a knowing look before both made their way into the cockpit of the Hawk.

Asajj Ventress yelled out in anger as she cut through a squadron of clones. Her two red sabers swirled and flashed in a gruesome display of unfiltered rage. Orders were barked out by various soldiers as the squad desperately tried to fight back in some way against the ceaseless aggression of the Sith assassin. One arc trooper managed to get a lucky shot in between her attacks however this small victory proved short-lived as he was suddenly strangled by an invisible hand and slammed against a nearby wall with Force Choke, resulting in a sickening crack before he slumped to the ground dead.

A desperate "retreat" was ordered over the sounds of battle, death, and blaster fire, but as the last remaining clones began to pull back, another cry went up from the Sith. Gripping both of her sabers tightly, she took in a deep breath before throwing both sabers at the retreating units. The red blades flew through the air with deadly precision, cutting down the last of the troopers before they could successfully getaway.

Calling both of the sabers back to her, she gripped the curved hilts tightly and stared down at her handiwork. She had received a few minor wounds for her reckless behavior, but that had only served to increase her ferocity as she fought. She leaned more deeply into the Dark Side and allowed her emotions of anger and pain to flow around her.

The Sith assassin had a deeper reason for this rage than simply battle adrenaline. After her failure on Tatooine with the man known as Revan, Dooku had personally seen to her punishment. After a minimal number of days in a bacta tank to mostly recover from her more serious wounds, her master had sent her to the front lines.  Specifically, to a planet that was currently being invaded by the Separatists, but had been met heavy by resistance from the Republic, who had set up considerably well-entrenched defenses.

To make matters worse, Dooku had put her directly under the command of her primary rival, General Grievous, making it very clear to both parties who was in charge of whom. Grievous had taken this rare opportunity to send Ventress into the heaviest locations of fighting, treating her as a kind of blunt instrument to smash through enemy lines. The constant orders to go charge into another heavily defended spot with minimal support was not only humiliating, but was beginning to take a toll on the Sith, and while she would not allow anyone to see her possible weaknesses, she was beginning to wonder how long she could keep this pace up.

At that moment, her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the sound of slow footsteps behind her. Whirling around, she leveled both her still ignited sabers at the unseen threat.

Letting out a fearful noise, a simple B-Series battle droid captain shot both of its arms straight into the air, flinging its standard-issue battle rifle into the air as it did so. The droid was visibly shaking and clearly had tried to cautiously approach the Sith without getting its limbs dismembered. "F-forgive me, Commander Ventress, but you have a call on-" The battle rifle fell back down on the droid's head, "Ouch!" It cried as it rubbed its head.

Ventress seriously consider slicing the droid in half as she glared at the incompetent piece of machinery, but decided against it, at least for now. With a snarl, she deactivated both sabers and spoke harshly, "I will go see to this call. See that your droids secure this area and begin setting up proper defenses. You can also contact the General and tell him the zone has been secured." With that she began to march past the droid, giving it an irritated shove as she did so.

The droid scrambled to try and get out of her way, before giving a proper salute. Once she was several paces removed, he quickly picked up his gun and began ordering the other droids he had under his command the directions he had just been given.

It was a slow walk back to the nearest command post, one of the few their forces had managed to deploy and fully secure on the planet. The invasion resembled more of a grind than a tactical war, and Ventress doubted there would be much progress at all with their current rate of advancement being as slow as it was.

After a few hours of walking through war-torn streets, she finally made her way to the command post/landing zone she and her droids had been dropped off at several hours ago. A slow train of super battle droids, tanks, and even heavy walkers made their way past the Sith as she did her best to not let her weariness show, she did not need Grievous having another advantage over her.

Making her way to the central command hub, which had been set up in a rather large tent to keep the elements out, she glared around the room at the two strategic unit droids and several other admin droids before saying, "Out. Now."

One strategy droid was about to object when she simply responded by lifting it with the Force and throwing it out of the tent. The rest of the droids quickly understood the message and rapidly made their exit.

Making her way over to the primary communications console, she quickly pulled up any calls directed toward her. Her eyes widened slightly in fear as she saw there was a waiting call from her master. Quickly brushing the dirt off of her battle-scarred apparel, and doing her best to cover her various scars and wounds, she sent a call to her master and knelt before the console.

After several tense moments, a hologram of the Count appeared before her, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"I have seen the reports of your efforts on the battlefield, and if these calculations are to be trusted, it seems you have done rather well over the past few days."

Ventress felt a measure of relief in the tiny amount of praise she had just received, "I live to severe as best as I am able, my lord." She said back with whatever false humility she could muster up.

Dooku scoffed at the obvious ploy to gain additional favor, but he said nothing to outright condemn it. "Regardless, I hope you have learned something valuable about the cost of failure. A lesson I am sure you are well-practiced in by now."

Her master's cruel remarks about her failed missions in the past cut deeper than she would ever show, and the only indication his words bothered her was the subtle clenching of her fists by her sides.

Dooku paid her little mind as he continued, "However, I am calling on you today with a new assignment."

She did her best to contain her excitement at the possibility of getting to leave this lowly position, "What would you ask of me?"

Dooku smirked slightly at her clear desire to leave that place, "It would seem that the scouting fleet that Grievous deployed into Hutt space to hunt for Revan has produced nothing of value. We are no closer to finding out where Revan disappeared to than before."

Ventress smirked slightly at the hearing of Grievous' failure but kept her emotions in check as she waited for her master to continue.

"I am beginning to worry that Revan is planning something, and finding him is becoming more of a priority for us. Therefore, I am sending you to the last available source we had on tracking down Revan, the pirate Hondo Ohnaka."

"Could we not simply contact him and offer to buy any information he has?" Ventress asked out of curiosity.

Dooku shook his head in response, "If he discovers that we truly need hips help, he will do whatever he can to make the deal better for himself than for us. Additionally, he might pass on whatever information he does have to the Republic if we do not give him what he wants."

"I understand, my master. I will ensure he helps us, even if it must convince him by force." Ventress said with a small smile on her face. She was looking forward to being in charge of her own assignments again.

"See to it that he does. And Ventress," Dooku looked down at his apprentice with added seriousness, "be cautious around this pirate, he is an individual not to be underestimated. You would be wise not to disappoint me a second time."

Ventress bowed her head more deeply as she understood the severity of this warning/threat. Any individual that was crafty to capture her master, even for a short time, was a worthy adversary indeed. "It shall be done, my master."

Satisfied with her response, Dooku quickly terminated the call.

Ahsoka and Revan worked in tandem to bring the Ebon Hawk II, as Revan had decided to name her, out of hyperspace. Revan had given the Jedi Padawan a basic crash course on the ship, its systems, and the new modifications including the stealth drive that had been installed by Sterr. Revan had to admit that the new improvements to the ship had been a dream come true. The original Hawk had always been an impressive ship, but these upgrades had put the vessel in a league well and truly of its own. The over-a-day journey the pair had been on had given each of them ample time to familiarize themselves with all this ship could now truly do, and the advanced Rakatan hyperdrive had cut their journey time at least in half. This was an advantage Revan intended to exploit for all of his future ships.

The pair finished their respective responsibilities quickly, and after only a short moment, the blue tunnel of hyperspace quickly flashed away to reveal the large shape of a swamp planet.

Ahsoka quickly double-checked their navigational systems, "It's confirmed, we made it to Zanbar. Glad the fancy new hyperdrive didn't shoot us off in the wrong direction." She said mostly sarcastically, but slightly relieved.

Revan chuckled slightly, "You should have more faith in Sterr's abilities. He has more than proven his capabilities with ship design."

"It's not him that my faith is lacking in..." Ahsoka let her words hang as she simply stared forward at the ever-encroaching planet before them. She was beginning to have second thoughts about coming here. "Are we sure they are even here?"

Revan glanced at Ahsoka with slight concern, he had anticipated that this might be a difficult mission for her, "HK verified it three times over. After they left their base on Carlac, they set up a new establishment here. HK never reports on things he is unsure of."

Ahsoka nodded at this answer. She still felt a mixture of anger and uncertainty, but it would be too late to back out now.

Revan knew he would have to deal with this sooner rather than later. Turning on autopilot and set in a route for the ship to take, he turned to face the Togruta before speaking, "Ahsoka," she met his gaze, "when you brought these individuals up to me, I had already considered the possibility of approaching them, as I told you on Dxun. I know you had suggested that we simply eliminate this group as they would inevitably become hostile to our plans with Mandalore, but that would simply bring us more enemies in the long-run, and make us appear as total outside invaders to the Mandalorian people. Sometimes extreme measures require alliances that we normally would not consider. All I ask is that you trust my lead on this plan, and if you ever feel like things are getting out of hand, you can object, and I promise to listen."

Ahsoka locked eyes with the former Sith Lord looking for some kind of lie or deceit, but after more than a week of being in the man's company, she had begun to get a sense of his character and knew when he was being science, even without the help of their bond.

After waiting a moment for a response, Revan added, "Have I broken my word to you so far?"

It took Ahsoka another pause before she could answer, "...No. Not yet." She added more for herself than for anyone. A reminder that she was still technically a prisoner of some kind, though the line between prisoner and partner was becoming more and more blurry, especially after her commitment to helping Revan on Dxun as long as he remained truthful and did not force her to compromise on any hard line of her beliefs. "I'll follow your lead on this, but I want it known I don't fully support this."

Revan nodded, "I can accept that." He then turned and took hold of the controls once again, steering the ship deeper into the planet's atmosphere.

After a few minutes of flying, the Hawk finally touched down on the mostly swamp planet on the outskirts of a large rocky plateau, just a few clicks from their intended destination.

"Do you think they know we're here?" Ahsoka asked.

"I deliberately did not engage the stealth drive when we came into orbit. If HK's assessment of their equipment is to be believed, they should have spotted us by now." Revan answered before the two made their way to the boarding ramp of the ship.

The ramp of the Hawk slowly lowered, revealing the pair fully equipped. Ahsoka had both hands on her sabers and cautiously glanced around at their surroundings, while Revan did some last-minute checks on his armor and ensured his mask was properly sealed. The two began walking onto the planet side-by-side, both scanning their environment with the practiced air of war veterans.

After only getting a few minutes away from the ship, Revan held up a hand and came to a stop, causing Ahsoka to do the same. She felt the same thing only a moment after he had and gripped her sabers tightly. A few seconds passed before the sound of speeder bikes and jetpacks could be heard just out of view.

Flying around the corner of some larger rock formations were three seeder bikes, the front two were one to two-person Balutar-class swoop bikes, followed closely behind by a larger four-person speeder of similar design. Flaking this cluster of speeders were about eight jet packers, four to each side flying about 15 feet off the ground.

The new group quickly surrounded the pair of Force Users, quickly producing various blaster pistols and rifles aimed directly at them as they did so. The two smaller bikes swung wide allowing the larger bike to stop only a few feet in front of Revan and Ahsoka. Several individuals disembarked from the speeder, and one slowly approached the two before removing their helmet and speaking, "Hello again, Ahsoka. Didn't think you were dumb enough to come find us again."

Ahsoka glared at the red-headed female standing before them, "Trust me, Bo-Katan, I had hoped to never see your ugly mug ever again."

"Cute, as always little Jedi." The Mandalorian said with slight malice before she turned her attention fully to another person in front of her. As she studied the taller and much more intimidating individual, Bo-Katan couldn't help but let some of her obvious confusion, slip out onto her facial expression. "Who's your new friend? He looks a lot different from the last pipsqueak you were taking orders from." This newcomer was truly baffling to the seasoned Mandalorian. His dark and red robes reminded her of something a Sith would wear. Was that ancient armor he was wearing? And that mask. Something about the demonic-looking mask seemed to pull at her deepest memories, along with something more recent she had overheard her soldiers talking about.

Revan took a confident step forward, causing all the guns to shift slightly and target him directly. "I must say, I am disappointed." The slightly synthetic voice caused a brow to raise on Bo-Katan's face, but Revan seemed to ignore her and look around at the small crowd of Mandalorians that had surrounded them. "This is all you brought to bear against your greatest rival?"

This statement caused Bo-Katan's eyes to narrow, "And who are you to claim such a title?"

Revan's dark mask locked eyes with her. He was impressed that he saw no fear in her expression. "Have you forgotten your own history so easily?" Revan spread his arms slightly and raised his voice before speaking again, "I am High General of the Republic. I am the defender against the Mandalorian Crusades. I am the one who defeated Mand'alor the Ultimate. I am the destroyer of Malachor V..." Revan could feel the anger, confusion, and fear that was coming from the warriors around him, and he paused for a brief moment before finishing in perfect Mando'a, "I am Revan."

Bo-Katan's eyes had slowly widened over the course of this man's speech. Memories of teaching and instruction she had been taught as a child came flooding back to her. Every Mandalorian had been taught about the destruction of their original home on Malachor V, and the shame and near extinction their people had faced. However, to her, and many of her people Revan was more a myth or a legend. Some ancient relic of Republic propaganda had been used to bolster their people into action. She had never truly believed some half-human could have accomplished so much against her people. This man spoke with conviction and certainty that made her doubt these assumptions, but how could he be here, now? 4,000 removed from the history he claimed he was a part of.

As these questions swirled around in the Mandalorian's mind, a voice cried out breaking her thoughts, "Liar! Deceiver!" One of her jet-troopers had called out in clear rage and proceeded to fire several blaster bolts directly at Revan.

In the blink of an eye, the former General had activated a red saber and deflected both bolts directly back at the attacker with deadly precision. The trooper's eyes went wide under his mask as he had no time to react. Both bolts slammed directly into the weak points of his armor causing him to fall to the ground, barely alive.

The rest of the fighters were about to avenge their comrade, but a voice yelled out, "Stop!" All eyes turned to the source, which was Bo-Katan holding up a clenched fist. "Stand down! All of you!" Her eyes quickly jumped between all of her men, staring them down, daring them to disobey her. She was not easily intimated, but the speed and agility this man had just shown gave her pause. If this individual truly was the Revan he claimed to be, then he was right to say this wouldn't be enough men to defeat him. "Check his wounds." She barked out to her nearest soldier who quickly ran over to the fallen member.

Revan looked at the female leader with respect. Mandalorian warriors were notoriously difficult to command and control, but these men clearly respected her, and he could tell it wasn't simply out of fear, but she had proven herself a leader worthy to be followed. An admirable trait indeed.

"So," Bo-Katan began once she was confident another fight wouldn't break out, "if we are to believe you truly are Revan, why are you here? Do you intend to finish wiping us out?"

Revan kept his saber active as a silent warning, "No. I have come here today to present you with an offer."

Bo-Katan's eyes narrowed again, "What kind of offer?"

Before Revan could respond, "He's alive." The soldier called out, after having checked the other's vitals. "But he needs medical attention, fast."

Bo-Katan glanced over at the soldier that had called out and nodded. She looked at Revan, and after debating several things in her mind for a moment, she finally spoke, "Fine. Come back to camp with us. Pre Vizsla will hear whatever this offer you have is." She placed her helmet back on before activating her jetpack and launching herself into the air. Two troopers followed her back as she raced ahead of the group.

Revan turned to Ahsoka who was tightly gripping both of her sabers. The two exchanged a knowing look before nodding and climbing into the back of the four-person speeder.

The journey took the group maybe 12 minutes total to reach the Death Watch camp, but it felt considerably longer with the obvious glares and death wishes the pair could feel in the Force, directed at the two of them.

Once they finally arrived, the two were led into a large tent that contained sparse furniture. Two troopers stood inside the tent with them as they waited.

"It's cute they think this is enough of a guard detail," Ahsoka said with a small smirk as she leaned against the one table in the room. She mostly did it to keep up appearances and seem confident, but internally she was worried about their situation. If things went south, she wasn't sure if Revan could handle nearly 100 highly skilled warriors like the Death Watch.

Revan said nothing in return, choosing instead to meditate on their surroundings and get a sense if they were about to be attacked or not. He felt Ahsoka's uneasiness and used their connection to reassure her that they had gotten this far. He knew he had taken a considerable risk bragging that much about his past exploits against the Mandalorian people, but he was betting it would fully grab their attention, and it seemed for the moment it was working.

After several more tense minutes of waiting, the other side of the tent was flung open, and Bo-Katan reappeared, but this time she was following instead of leading. Stepping into the space with the practiced arrogance of a narcissistic leader, Pre Vizsla looked at both Ahsoka and Revan with contempt. Vizsla and his second were flanked by their two most skilled warriors, a detail that was not lost on Revan.

"So, the little Jedi returns, and she's supposedly brought a legend from history with her," Vizsla said with a slight smirk, but his eyes conveyed more anger and confusion than confidence.

Ahsoka simply glared back but said nothing. She knew one wrong move could set this whole place ablaze.

"You must be the man in charge," Revan commented as he folded his arms and examined the Mandalorian before him. So far, Revan was not impressed.

Vizsla growled slightly before puffing his chest out slightly, "I am Pre Vizsla, of Clan Vizsla. Leader of Death Watch and future leader of Mandalore and her people. You claim to be the Revan of my people's greatest defeat, but how do we know this is not some cheap ploy to get our attention?"

Revan rolled his eyes slightly under his mask as he heard the postering of words. "I have proof."

This statement earned a look of surprise from both Vizsla and Bo-Katan, but Revan simply ignored them and placed a small holoprojector on the table. Activating it, the device began to play a recording that Revan had copied over from his mask's data bank of various recordings. The projection showed the first-person perspective of Revan's duel with Mand'alor the Ultimate, and the subsequent destruction of Malachor V.

The two leaders of Death Watch looked on in confusion and horror as they witnessed ancient footage of their people's greatest defeat. It took several moments of stunned silence before anyone in the room reacted.

Slamming a fist onto the table Vizsla spoke with pure malice in his voice, "Then tell me, Revan, why should I not order my entire army to reign destruction upon you, and wipe you from the face of existence?" He looked up at the masked figure with a mixture of anger, confusion, and fear at what exactly was even standing before him.

Ahsoka glanced nervously between the Mandalorians and Revan, the seconds seeming to painfully drag on as Revan stalled before answering.

"Because," Revan finally began, "I have something you need."

Vizsla's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "And what would that be?"

"A legitimate claim to rule over all Mandalorians."

There was a brief pause of silence before Vizsla began to laugh. "You fool! I already have that claim!" He then produced a silver, angular, hilt from his belt, and with a gleam of pride in his eye, he activated the Darksaber and pointed it directly at Revan's face. "With this blade, I have all the legitimate claim I need, so what could you possibly offer me?"

Revan simply looked back, letting out a deep sigh before answering, "You truly have become a lost people."

Vizsla and Bo-Katan looked confused and angry at this statement, but before either could demand an answer, Revan reached into his robes and pulled out the Helm of Mand'alor before carefully setting it on the table. Both leaders of Death Watch looked like they had just seen a ghost. Even the other troopers in the tent took a step forward to get a better look at the object before them.

"It... it can't be. It has to be some kind of trick." Bo-Katan said in a hushed voice, but the more she looked at the Helm and recognized the ancient inscriptions, even her skepticism slowly melted away.

Vizsla was fully entranced by the object and slowly reached out to grab it, when a gloved hand fell on top of it, blocking him. Snapping himself out of his daze he looked up and saw Revan had stopped him from taking the Helm. New anger flared up inside of him and he took an offensive stance with the saber. "You would dare bring such an artifact into this place and seek to use it to bend us to your will?!"

"No," Revan stated firmly. "I would see the Mandalorians restored to their former glory, and I even see Death Watch in power over Mandalore herself. However, this Helm was last won in single combat by me. This means that I am the last rightful owner of the Helm. I must either choose to give it to a successor, or it must be taken from me in single combat by a challenger. This is the ancient law of your people."

"You are an outsider." Vizsla spat back, "You have no right!"

"Unfortunately, he does." The tent turned to see Bo-Katan had spoken up. Everyone, except for Revan, was surprised by this interjection. "I looked at my old history text on the Crusades to see if I could catch Revan as some kind of impostor, but that's when I remembered something important about his duel with Mand'alor." She looked at Vizsla before finishing, though she was obviously not happy with what she was about to say, "Revan challenged Mand'alor to a Taung blood duel, which he had to accept as Revan was half Mandalorian by birth. Since Revan is still alive, has the Helm, and has not been challenged for it, he is still the rightful owner."

Vizsla stared in disbelief at the words he had just heard. Even Ahsoka was looking at Revan with slight surprise, she had known about the duel but not about his heritage, though it did explain a lot of things about the man.

Once the shock slightly settled, Vizsla glared at his second, who simply looked back with equal frustration as if to say, 'These are our laws.' Shaking his head he slowly turned back to Revan, "So our greatest enemy has taken our most sacred title from us as well..."

He was about to say more when Revan put up a hand, "I know you have an intention to challenge me for the Helm, but let us not be so hasty. I know you seek to control Mandalore and her people, and I know that the Duchess and her support from the Republic and Jedi have continually prevented you from doing so. Thus, I have come up with an offer. I will help you take Mandalore, and will even give you the Helm once the throne is secure. All I ask in return is your people's support in creating a fully independent neutral sector of the galaxy."

Vizsla and Bo-Katan looked surprised and skeptical at this offer, "You would draw the ire of both the Republic and Separatists." Bo-Katan spoke up, "Mandalore does not even possess a military."

"I assure you, with Death Watch's help, not only will you control Mandalore, but you will never be under threat of Republic or Separatist’s control ever again." Revan waited for their natural curiosities to settle in.

"Explain," Vizsla demanded skeptically.

A smirk slowly formed under Revan's mask.

Padmé found herself fidgeting in her seat as she scrolled through the datapad in her hands, barely registering what she was reading as her mind refused to even consider being peaceful. The senator was going over some preliminary information on the vote to extend military spending, which would require the securing of additional loans, plunging the struggling Republic economy further into debt. The past week had been a frustrating deluge of meetings, debates, senate hearings, and inevitable back-room negotiations. Padmé and the fellow senators in her camp were obviously against this purposed vote, however, she faced fierce competition, and with recent reports of increasing numbers of Separatist forces, many senate members she could normally count on were beginning to show signs of switching. It seemed that the vote was ultimately going to be very close, maybe a difference as low as single-digits, and this reality had pushed Padmé into an overdrive to try and secure her side's position. Part of her mind blamed Revan's entrance into this whole mess as a critical factor for this situation. The event was being successfully used against her position to show how vulnerable the Republic truly was in this war. Even her own very brief "kidnapping" was being used against her by her political opponents.

Padmé gripped the datapad slightly tighter as she thought back to that day. The still vivid memory brought her back to focus on where she presently was. The politician had been waiting for several minutes just outside of an office at the University of Coruscant. The past week's extremely busy schedule had prevented her from finding an appropriate time to make her way down to the Fobosi District, but this meeting had been poking at the back of her mind whenever she had had a moment to rest and now she was determined to make it happen without further delay.

Her inner reflections were interrupted as an older gentleman carrying a few too many datapads, and carrying bags, came around the corner muttering to himself about getting too old for this sort of work.

Padmé smiled at seeing the figure and quickly put away her datapad before standing up and walking over. "Looks like you could use some help with all that." She stated, before taking a few items off the man's precarious balancing act.

With his face fully revealed the individual was an aging human, with a grey full beard, balding head, and striking blue eyes that shined behind a pair of old-fashioned circular spectacles. The man was surprised at seeing the senator, but his expression was quickly replaced with a large smile as he belted out a response, "Padmé! Oh, it is so good to see you, my dear! It has been far too long, has it not?"

"Indeed it has, Orden." She said back with a small laugh, "And I apologize for my poor manners in not coming to see you more often."

Orden quickly waved her apology off, "Pish-posh, my dear! You have nothing to apologize for! The work of an activist like yourself is never done. Plus, how would my beloved institution still have the budget to hire myself and many of my colleagues if not for your intervention in the Senate? Truly if not for your efforts my salary would have been directed towards another batch of tanks or some other military exploit, no doubt."

Padmé smiled appreciatively at the man's genuine gratitude and praise. "Well thank you for your understanding, friend. I suppose someone has to remind the politicians that we must still invest in our people's future, even when we are at war."

Orden nodded vigorously in agreement, "Yes indeed, or there will be no future after this war. But! Enough of this dreary talk, please. Let's step into my office and give me a moment to set all this junk down somewhere."

The pair made their way inside the medium-sized room. While the office space was sizable, it still felt fairly cramped with piles of datapads, computers, various pieces of equipment, server drives, and even some old-fashioned books with real paper inside. Padmé carefully made her way through the cluttered environment, making sure not to disturb any of the disorganized organization of the room. She also had to fight back the urge to begin cleaning and properly filing everything into an organized system, but her few years in politics had taught her that some people function better in a sea of chaos, rather than in a systematically filed library.

"You can set those down anywhere," Orden said in regard to the few items his friend had helped him carry in. Less graciously than her, he had made his way over to his barely visible desk before unceremoniously pushing shoving his remaining armful onto a shelf that barely had enough room to hold it all. After relieving himself of his bags he finally sat behind his desk with a sign as he rubbed his head.

"Long day?" Padmé asked she finally chose a less-full space to place her items before clearing space to take one of the two "available" chairs across from the man.

Orden laughed to himself before answering, "You could say that. But I'll be fine, I assure you." Glancing around he quickly searched for something before opening a desk drawer and smiling, "Ah, glad I didn't lose this." He disappeared slightly behind the desk before producing a bottle with no label and two glasses, which he set between himself and the senator. "So my dear," he began as he poured a red liquid into the two small ornate glasses, "I take it by your arrival that you received my message."

Padmé nodded before taking her datapad back out and replying, "Yes I did, and I appreciate your discretion in keeping what you had found vague in our conversation."

Orden placed the bottle on his desk before offering one of the glasses to Padmé, who politely declined, earning her a shrug from the man before he quickly downed both glasses with a satisfied sigh. "I believe I know you well enough at this point to have a sense when you're digging around in places you most likely shouldn't be." He finished with a slight smile before pouring himself another glass.

"I don't think I quite know what you mean," Padmé responded with a knowing smirk. "Regardless, you mentioned in your message that you wanted to meet in person to discuss your findings."

Orden nodded before moving things around on his desk as he attempted to find something. "Indeed, and I must say, my dear, this latest treasure hunt you sent me on was one of the most time-consuming and frustrating experiences I have had to deal with in a while, and that's even counting my latest batch of students!" He added a small laugh before triumphantly producing a buried personal computer and quickly typing into it, adjusting his glasses as he did so. "I even ended up canceling a few lectures just to try and sort out this puzzle box, but I finally did it!" He proudly beamed a smile at his friend before handing her the computer and taking another sip of his glass.

Padmé's eyes quickly scanned through the information and said nothing for several moments. "...A Mandalorian clan symbol?" She finally asked in confusion.

Orden nodded enthusiastically before taking another sip. "Yes indeed! You see the difficulty in determining where your symbol on that image you sent me came from was the fact that we had no record of it in our database. I had to brush up on my Mandalorian history and ask another professor to help me with this project. You see, the Mandalorians before they relocated most of their species to the current location of Mandalore, were a tribal society. Every Mandalorian could trace their lineage back to a specific clan, or essentially what we would consider a family name or house. These clans fought each other over generations and eventually the minor or simply less fortunate clans would get wiped out completely. Combine this with the fact that much of Mandalorian culture was orally passed down, and you can begin to appreciate why trying to study their history or culture is extremely difficult."

Padmé simply nodded in understanding as she continued to read the extensive process the professor had taken in reaching this conclusion. His notes and log entries were just as scattered and disorganized as his workspace, but she could follow his train of thought quite well. Part of her wondered what learning from him as a student must be like. She pushed her side thoughts away and focused on the document, but her eyes narrowed in confusion as she came to the end of the report. "You don't mention what clan this symbol is from." She finally looked up at the professor for an answer.

Orden sighed heavily before placing his hands together on the desk, "Unfortunately, my dear, this is where I seem to have failed you. While I was able to determine definitively the origin of that symbol, based on language fonts, cultural symbolic similarities, and design philosophy, I cannot tell you with even remote certainty what clan that symbol belongs to. As I said previously, the clans would often wipe each other out and there would be no one to pass on their story to the next generation."

Padmé looked like the wind had just been knocked out of her. Had she put in so much effort, scrapped, and pulled at every possible thread just to come up short?

Orden frowned slightly as he saw the clear defeat in his friend's expression. "However," he began causing Padmé's eyes to shift in curiosity, "I do have a potential solution to your problem." He reached into a bag near him and produced another datapad, this one contained what looked like a large email chain between several faculty and administration personnel within the University.

Padmé glanced at Orden curiously before quickly reading the datapad. "A formal information-sharing request? From Duchess Satine?"

Orden smiled before explaining further, "It seems you have impeccable timing, as always Padmé. Not two days ago, the University was formally contacted by Duchess Satine, asking for our assistance. It appears she is hoping to open a rather sizable university in her capital city and make it free to all citizens to try and help the population with their advanced learning. She is proposing a sort of, information partnership. Since she gained her title the Duchess has been offering incentives to any Mandalorian with any historical documents or surviving oral traditions to come to Mandalore and have their information formally documented for publication consumption and safeguarding for future generations. Without this initiative, potentially thousands of years of Mandalorian history would be lost to the galaxy. However, due to Mandalore's neutral and almost isolated state from the Republic, this information has been largely unavailable to any institutions that would be interested in obtaining it, including this university."

"So now she is offering this historical data in exchange for information to add to her university's curriculum." Padmé finished for the professor as the full picture dawned on her.

"Precisely, my dear," Orden affirmed her conclusion.

Padmé sat and thought for a moment before speaking, "Do you believe that I might be able to identify this clan symbol by going directly to Mandalore and asking for their assistance in identifying it?"

Orden shrugged in response before finishing his third glass, "It is the best lead I have found, thus far. I can't guarantee you will find what you are looking for, but I believe it is the best chance you currently have."

Orden's words made sense, and she was very appreciative of his help in finding this next lead for her. However, her mind was now in conflict as she considered the upcoming vote in the senate. No doubt Satine would get her access to that information, but would she be wasting valuable time going on a random scavenger hunt only to end up with nothing to show for it? And even if she did find something on Mandalore, would it even be helpful in tracking down Revan and finding Ahsoka? These questions waged war in her mind as she considered her responsibilities to both the Republic and to her friend.

Finally snapping herself back to the present she looked at Orden, who was staring at her with concern. "Don't try and take on the weight of the world, Padmé. Maybe you should take a break and get some rest. You look tired."

Part of her was angry at the suggestion, but the other was thankful for his sympathy and genuinely wanting to look out for her. Smiling in response she quickly got up from her chair and handed the items back to Orden, "Thank you again, for all your help, Orden. I promise we'll have time to meet where I'm not asking a favor of you."

Orden chuckled slightly before smiling back and saying, "My dear, there's no need to feel obligated to an old man like myself. It is always a pleasure to assist you in whatever way I can. Now try to care of yourself from time to time, hmm?"

"Thank you for the advice, friend. I hope to see you again soon." Padmé shook his hand before quickly making her way out of the office, shutting the door behind her as she did. Once alone, the senator leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. Her next decision could impact the lives of many, many people, for good or ill. Orden's words about needing rest rang in her mind and she considered going home and taking a nap right there.

Shaking her head she willed herself to keep going. 'There would be time to rest later.' she thought to herself, even if she knew it was a lie. Finally making up her mind, she began quickly walking down the hall, pulling out her datapad as she did so.

A female Weequay sighed heavily as she looked at the large tray of drinks quickly being assembled before her. The kitchen was buzzing with activity and bodies were moving/running through any empty space to try and keep up with the demand for work. Chefs shouted out orders, waitresses were bringing in trays of consumed food and drink, dumping the used dishes into large baths that busboys desperately tried to keep up with the cleaning, and the whole environment had an atmosphere of manic energy.

The Weequay was snaped back to her task as she was barked at to take the now full tray out. With a heavy sigh, she lifted the considerable load and made her way out of the kitchen. As she made her way through the doors and around several corners, the sounds of laughter, partying, and debauchery became increasingly louder. The party was in full swing. Men shouted, cheered, and drank and ate themselves to their heart's content, while women around them served whatever they demanded. This was a typical spectacle on Florrum, and the pirates of the planet certainly liked to enjoy themselves.

At the center of this chaos and commotion sat the guest of honor, and coincidentally the host, pirate lord, and criminal mastermind Hondo Ohnaka. The male Weequay was dressed in his usual striking red coat, which helped to distinguish him from the other pirates around him. Sitting at a large central table, the leader was surrounded by several men and women of various species, but two Twi'leks were draped around either arm. The pirate lord looked very pleased with himself as he was clearly retelling some story that he of course overly dramatized.

As the server got closer to the group, she could begin to hear what Hondo was saying over the noise of the rest of the party.

"So there I was, back against the wall, dead men all around me! So what did I do? I stood up! And faced the man down. I said to him: Mister! If you are going to come in here and kill all my men, you must start with me!" Hondo dramatically acted out his story with wild gestures, different voices, and even stood up, knocking a plate of food as he did so. This earned him a few appreciative gasps and 'oos' from most of his fans, and many eye rolls and scoffs from the individuals that were actually there at the time.

Regardless of what reactions he got, Hondo was determined to continue his retelling. "So the beast turned and looked at me. Fire, smoke, and lighting poured out of that demonic mask, but I stood firm! He approached me and tried to intimate me, but I would not yield. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of tension, the monster relented and I was able to win him over with my superior charm and intellect!"

A small gasp come from one of the Twi'leks, "You talked to this horrible creature?"

Hondo smiled at her before answering, "Indeed I did. But I did not just talk to him... I outsmarted him!"

This earned some curious looks from even the pirates that had witnessed Revan's fight in their base just a week ago.

"He told me he wanted a ship, so I made him think I would hate from him to take my luxury yacht, which was a bit of a sad thing to see let go, I admit, however! I had a plan. I had vowed to get my pound of flesh for the lives of my men he had taken and the damage he had done to my house! For you see, the yacht was a trap! I now knew his every move and gave the information of where he was headed away to anyone who cared to listen!"

The crowd once again seemed impressed with this move, and of course, Hondo's more adoring fans were clapping and cheering for his payback.

"So now, I purpose a toast!" Hondo paused as he stood on the large table and yelled loudly enough to quiet the party and put the attention on himself. "To the pirates of Florrum! No one comes into Hondo Ohnaka's house without paying the price!"

A triumphant cheer went up from the room as everyone present grabbed a glass and raised it in salute to their leader.

Hondo laughed in joy and smiled at the room before him. Just as he was about to take a drink from his glass, something strange happened.

There was a deep rumble that reverberated throughout the room, causing several light fixtures to rattle and a few items to fall off tables. Hondo had to balance himself slightly to not fall.

"What the hell was that?" One pirate yelled out in confusion as the few sober individuals quickly looked around concerned at each other.

Hondo's eyes narrowed in suspicion, he quickly checked his communicator but saw that he had no missed calls or notifications. He always had guards watching the fortress in case any unwanted visitors came knocking, but no alarm of an attack had been raised.

Another, more powerful rumble reverberated through the room, causing a few drunk individuals to fall out of their chairs and onto the floor.

Hondo cursed at this interruption, before throwing his drink on the ground, jumping off the table, and beginning to march towards the main hall's primary exit to the outside. "I swear, if those idiots are messing with my weapon stockpile again, I'll-"

Before the pirate lord could finish his mad threat, a very powerful explosion suddenly destroyed the wall Hondo had been walking towards. The force of the explosion caused him to be flung backwards, slamming his back into one of the room’s pillars and causing considerable pain.

Hondo's vision was blurry, and he lifted his hand to try and block out the sunlight that was now streaming into the room. His ears rung, but he heard the sounds of shouting and blaster fire, even seeing a few bright red bolts fly across the room. As his senses slowly came back to him, he was consumed by what looked like droids making their way inside the hall from the destroyed wall. Before he could fully process what he was seeing, a shadow fell over him, and he looked up with genuine fear in his eyes at the figure looming over him.

Anakin took a deep breath to steady himself. All around him was the noise and activity of the busy bridge of a Venator-class Republic Cruiser. The ship was currently heading through hyperspace, on its way to link up with a larger fleet just outside of the Core Worlds. Anakin and the 501st legion had spent the past week fighting off Separatists attacks in the Outer Rim. While the assignment had proven to be essential to holding on to Republic territory in that part of space, the Jedi Knight still felt like he had been sent away as punishment for his outburst at the Council.

Part of Anakin had been thankful for the distraction. The fighting had been intense and consistent, allowing him to throw himself completely into the battles and temporarily forget about his Padawan. His fiercer fighting methods and obvious anger/frustration had been apparent to the troops under his command, and even now the clones on the bridge made sure to give him a wide berth. When word quickly spread about Ahsoka's kidnapping throughout the 501st, the clones had shared Anakin's frustration and disappointment with the Council's decision, but none of them made mention of it to their general, but the loss of this favorite commander was clearly affecting the men.

The fighting had come to a stop for all of them when Obi-Wan had arrived about a day ago with new orders and a replacement fleet to maintain the defenses they had established. While Anakin was thankful to get his troops a well-deserved break, he now was left with little to do, and his mind had begun to spiral again.

Before he could think further on these matters, the main door to the bridge opened, and Master Kenobi stepped onto the bridge, giving the 'at ease' gesture to the clones responding to a general coming onto the deck.

Anakin looked at his former master with a mixture of regret and anger. Their last real conversation at the temple had left the pair on rocky terms, and Anakin knew he hadn't been fully in the right to blame Obi-Wan as he had.

"Everything well here on the bridge?" Kenobi asked as a way to break the tension.

Anakin simply nodded before rubbing his head slightly, "Aside from the general exhaustion of myself and the men? Yeah, things are fine up here."

"I'm glad to hear it." Obi-Wan looked at his former apprentice with sympathy. He knew Anakin well enough to see he was not doing well, and with no news of Ahsoka in over a week, he couldn't imagine the stress his friend was truly under. After a few moments of awkward silence, Obi-Wan began again, "...Anakin, I want to say that-"

The Jedi Master was cut off as Anakin raised a hand and shook his head, "Don't apologize, Master. I am sorry." This earned Anakin a surprised look from his friend, "You were right when I said I wasn't thinking clearly. Being back in a war zone reminded me of the importance of planning, intel, and having the right information to keep people alive. We have no leads, nowhere to begin looking, and Ahsoka missing hasn't stopped this war from continuing. Right now, all I can do is perform my responsibilities and wait for an opportunity to help my apprentice."

Kenobi was slightly stunned by this mature and sincere response. While he also felt guilt for what happened to Ahsoka, he did ultimately agree with the Council's decision and their reasoning. "You care for her, I understand that, and your reaction was completely understandable. However, I am glad to hear that you have had some time to reflect and contemplate this situation." Obi-Wan made his way over to Anakin and placed his hand on the other man's shoulder, "You have a good heart, Anakin."

The two brothers locked eyes with each other, and for the first time in a long while, Anakin could see the pride and care in the older Jedi's eyes for him. "...Thank you, Master." The Knight finally said after fighting back several intense emotions.

Obi-Wan nodded back with a small smile before patting the younger Jedi on the back. "Now you should go get some sleep. I can monitor the bridge while you're gone."

Anakin could feel the exhaustion creep into the back of his eyes, and was about to take the offer, but his attention was grabbed as the bridge doors opened again and a new figure quickly walked in, making their way to the pair. "Rex, what blew up this time?" Anakin said to his favored clone captain in jest.

Captain Rex approached the two Jedi before giving a quick salute, and saying, "Nothing that needs mentioning, sir." Rex said with a subtle smirk. "Good to see you again, General Kenobi."

"Likewise, Rex," Obi-Wan responded.

"I have something to report, Generals," Rex explained as his reasoning for coming to the bridge.

Anakin straightened up fully and looked at the captain curiously, "What is it?"

Rex began typing away at the large holo-table that occupied the central room at the back of the bridge, which the trio stood around. "Just a few minutes ago, I was called down to communications, they wanted me to take a look at something. They had intercepted a stray transmission that wasn't meant for us."

"Was it from a Separatist message?" Obi-Wan asked.

Rex shook his head before continuing, "No, sir. While the sign was faint, we were able to clear it up and determine the nature and source. The transmission was being broadcast on an unencrypted line, but on a lower frequency than normal vessels would be accounting for."

"Pirates." Anakin reasoned.

"Correct, sir." Rex affirmed, "But not just any pirates, this transmission came from..." Rex paused as he finished pulling up the data of the transmission along with the image of a planet onto the table.

"Florrum." Anakin immediately said as soon as the planet came into view. Both he and Obi-Wan stared at the image with mixed feelings due to their previous experience with its inhabitants.

"What did the transmission say?" Obi-Wan finally asked after a brief pause.

"Hard to say, sir." Rex answer. "Due to our distance from the planet and the interference from hyperspace on our communications array, we cannot say for certain. However, our technicians do believe that it is most likely a distress call of some kind."

Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at each other with surprise. "It's not like Hondo to call for help." Kenobi began, "If this truly is a distress call, he must be truly desperate."

Anakin nodded in agreement. Quickly pulling up a map of their current route, the knight changed course to head towards Florrum instead. "We are, kind of, passing near that system. We could make a slight detour."

Obi-Wan glanced at the map and rubbed his chin in thought. "I'm not sure Anakin. This detour would put us severely behind schedule to link up with the rest of the fleet, additionally, this might be some kind of trap or encounter we don't want to be involved in. It would make the logistics of our current assignment more complicated if we suffered any significant damage in a fight with some of Hondo's rivals."

"Master, Hondo has helped us several times in the past, and while I don't care for the pirate it would be a shame to lose a potential ally." He turned to look at the older Jedi, a small level of desperation could be seen in his eyes. "And... he was the last legitimate lead we ever had on Revan. If he has been seen at all, Hondo might have heard about it through his network."

Obi-Wan looked at his friend with genuine sympathy and felt conflicted. He wanted to help in some way, and this might at the very least keep Anakin focused on the rest of the mission.

The Jedi Master was about to speak when Rex spoke up, "I could send a message to the waiting fleet and inform them of our detour and make a request we alter the rendezvous point to compensate for our lost travel time."

Kenobi looked at the normally stoic clone captain and saw a similar level of desperate hope. Sighing heavily the Jedi Master finally relented, "Fine, fine. Rex, send that message to the fleet. Anakin, change our course to Florrum."

Both Rex and Anakin smiled slightly at their instructions. Rex gave a quick salute and departed from the bridge while Anakin began typing in orders to the rest of the bridge crew and ship.

"Why is it never simple with you around?" Kenobi asked half-jokingly, half-serious.

Anakin smirked before finishing his message and replying, "You know your life would be dull without me, master."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at this response before shaking his head and walking away. 'That boy was going to be the death of him,' he sarcastically thought to himself.

Revan sat in the pilot's seat of the Ebon Hawk. He had a datapad in his hand and was reading a file he had just received.

The door to the cockpit opened as Ahsoka walked into the compartment, "Our companions are wondering how much longer it will be before we arrive."

Revan shifted his attention away from the file, checking the flight controls in front of him for an update. "We are just about to arrive, but do not concern yourself with going back there, they can wait. I would speak with you a moment."

Ahsoka looked at Revan curiously, but took the co-pilot's seat before saying, "Alright then, what happened this time?"

Revan chuckled slightly before answering, "A fair question, given our past dealings. But nothing has happened this time, instead, I wish to prepare you for something that is going to happen. Do you remember one of the things I mentioned on Dxun, about needing to gain control over certain individuals that would not naturally be willing to help us?"

Ahsoka nodded slightly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, "I do... are you planning on doing something to the killer Mandalorians we have on the ship with us?"

Revan shook his head, "That sort of decision would bring unnecessary conflict, no. Zealots are easy to control if you know what they want. What I mean to say is that there will be certain drastic, but temporary measures that will need to be taken to ensure we are not betrayed. I want you to know that I do not enjoy or encourage these sorts of drastic actions to be taken, nor do I believe in forced cooperation, as it never inspires true loyalty or trust. However, in this case, I am afraid we do not have much of a choice."

Ahsoka studied Revan carefully as he spoke. She did not like the implications Revan was getting at, and she was certain she would not be happy with that the man was about to reveal to her.

"All I ask," Revan continued, "is for your patience and trust. As I stated, temporary solutions will be needed, but they will not stay in place forever. Can you promise to support me in this at least in the short-term, and trust my decision?"

Ahsoka said nothing for several moments. "Fine." She finally spoke. "But what is this decision, exactly?"

Before Revan could answer, he stopped himself and turned to look at the cockpit door. A few seconds later there was a loud banging on the metal. Revan pressed a button to open the door, revealing a helmetless Bo-Katan with a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

"Vizsla requests an update on our progress." She spoke with force behind her voice, finely toeing the line between a command and a threat.

Revan simply turned back to the controls and quickly pulled the ship out of hyperspace. "See for yourself." He offered, gesturing to the view outside the ship.

Bo-Katan and Ahsoka both leaned forward to get a better view, and their eyes went slightly wide in surprise at what they were seeing.

Floating in the middle of an empty portion of space was an Interdictor-class cruiser, which Ahsoka immediately recognized as the same design as Revan's personal flagship, the "Leviathan," which she had seen the schematics before on the Foundry. However, the ship they were looking at was massive. The ship was almost twice the size of a Separatist

Providence-class Dreadnought, and had made use of the added space with additional hangers, turbo lasers, rocket batteries, torpedo bays, and even what looked like industrial sized orbital drop-pods along the underside of the top half of the ship. Flying around the ship were several squads of what looked like a combination of automated and single-manned starfighters, all in similar, yet clearly updated style of the original Sith interceptors that had occupied the original Leviathan cruiser.

Ahsoka felt herself get slightly nervous as she had flashbacks to the brutal effectiveness of Separatist droid fighters.

"If this is a trap-" Bo-Katan began her threat before Revan dismissively waved his hand.

"You know my history better than most, Bo-Katan. I would not make an offer on my honor only to betray you all at the last second. Your other vessels have already been marked as friendly by my forces."

The Mandalorian glanced at Revan before studying the outside activity for several moments. Finally making a mental decision, she activated her communicator on her gauntlet and spoke, "All ships, do not engage. Keep close to the Ebon Hawk and follow us in."

Ahsoka glanced out the side of the viewport to see the three Gauntlet starfighters that had accompanied them from the Death Watch camp form a closer formation around the Hawk.

The four vessels quickly flew towards the main hanger of the dreadnought, located directly in the central "parting" of the two outstretched sections of the ship.

The hanger was massive even by a dreadnought's standards. If Ahsoka had to guess one could easily fill more than half an entire Venator-class' starfighter regiment in this one hanger alone.

The Hawk made a smooth landing in the center of the hanger, while the Death Watch ships all landed nearby.

"Well then," Revan began as he stood up, placing his mask on as he did so, "Shall we?"

Bo-Katan still held suspicion in her eyes at Revan but nodded slightly before walking back into the ship.

The trio met up with the rest of the Mandalorians inside the Hawk, which consisted of a few trusted guards and Pre Vizsla himself, who looked slightly displeased and curious with his current situation. The group made their way down the boarding ramp of the ship which had lowered and were greeted with a small contingent of the newly designed KH Dragoon units.

Standing in front of them with a beaming 'smile' was a familiar Ithorian. "I hope you are pleased with my work, sir."

"Sterr! It's good to see you again." Ahsoka said with genuine relief at finally seeing another friendly face.

"It is good to see you too." He said back before shaking hands with the Padawan.

"It seems you have outdone yourself, Sterr," Revan said as he looked around in appreciation, before walking up and carefully looked over one of the Dragoons. The KH units were slightly taller than 47, made of completely black material that seemed to absorb the light around them but still held to the classic HK angular frame and design. Their glowing yellow eyes stood out in harsh contrast to the rest of their appearance adding to their overall indication factor. Each one carried a heavy blaster rifle, along with several obvious small arms on various attachment points, and their arms had rocket and flamethrower capabilities built-in. If 47's design had been a little less than sublet, these models didn't even understand the definition of the word.

The Death Watch members from the other ships slowly allocated together in front of the Hawk. While all but Vizsla and Bo-Katan had their helmets on, their body language communicated they were all on edge as they looked around the alien space.

After quiet communication with his second in command, Vizsla confidentially strode forward and loudly asked, "So you bring us all the way out here to see droids and ships? The Separatists have made the same offer as what I see before me. And who is this alien?"  He added with a hint of disgust in his voice.

Revan scowled slightly at the ignorance he was hearing but took a deep breath before turning and walking back over to Vizsla, Ahsoka, and Sterr. "Sterr, I would like you to meet Pre Vizsla, head of the Death Watch."

The mechanic's eyes went slightly wide, and he gulped slightly upon hearing the infamous terrorist group's name. "Pl-pleased to meet you." He offered a shaky greeting, doing his best to keep his fear under control. Being in a ship of his design with several killer droids he had helped create did help his confidence slightly.

Revan smiled slightly at seeing Sterr's growing confidence. "And this is Sterr, my chief engineer, and creator of everything you see around you."

Sterr looked at Revan in surprised shock. He had never been given an official title before and felt honored to be given such full credit, even for things he had not completely done himself, such as the Dragoon units. He bowed in response to this and offered a simple, "Thank you, sir."

Bo-Katan walked up to the group, clear confusion and surprise on her face. "You're telling me that this one, Ithorian, helped you create all this?" Revan simply nodded, causing the Mandalorian to look at the mechanic with deep appreciation and respect.

Vizsla was also surprised, but quickly regained himself and scowled, "You still have not answered my question. The Separatists also have droids and large ships, what makes your offer so different?"

Revan rolled his eyes behind his mask before responding, "Come with me and I will show you." He then quickly turned to walk towards the hangar exit. The Dragoon units immediately responded to his movements, turning and dividing themselves down the middle of their ranks to allow Revan, Sterr, and Ahsoka to walk through. The synchronized action from the large droids caused a loud crash of metal to reverberate through the hanger, making several Death Watch members grip their weapons more tightly.

Vizsla glared at the back of Revan in suspicion, before ordering his men to stay with the ships, choosing only to take Bo-Katan and two other Mandalorians with him.

The group of individuals made their way to the back of the hanger and were greater with a large open speeder with no stealing but simple hand-rails around the edge of the hovering platform, which was being controlled by a Rakatan maintenance droid. Revan explained that the ship was so massive they designed a fleet of "transporters" to take groups, individuals, or even equipment to any part of the ship they needed to reach quickly and that a whole internal series of larger passageways had been designed into the ship to allow these speeders to travel without disrupting normal foot traffic.

The group got on board and were quickly whisked away to a wall panel that slid open for them as they approached. They sped through an internal system of cargo-sized lifts that the speeder could attack, and long stretches of track that allowed the vehicle to reach immense speeds. Through the bare-bones supports and maintenance walkways, the group could see hundreds of other speeders performing similar travels throughout the ship. Only small pauses occasionally interrupted the flow of traffic to allow certain speeders to pass one another, but even then it was almost seamless as the entire system appeared to communicate with itself an impressive speed.

The group finally stepped off the speeder and into a large hallway with a heavy set of doors directly in the middle of the wall. Revan lead the group through into the impressively sized and busy bridge of the ship. The layout still mirrored the original ship's design, but had much more room to station additional consoles, holo-tables, and even had multiple maintenance shafts that allowed the Rakatan droid crew to seamlessly enter and exit the bridge without ever using the main set of doors. Two Dragoon units stood on either side of the interior side of the bridge doors in stationary positions, though their optics and sensors were definitely observing the group that had just entered. Bo-Katan also couldn't help but notice the large ceiling-mounted guns that occupied most of the roof of the bridge. If anyone tried to storm this room, they were in for a nasty surprise. She couldn't help but wonder what other hidden security this monstrous vessel contained.

Once the group was fully inside, Revan turned and spread his arms to the side, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, to the Leviathan." He had debated on keeping the same name, but with the connotations of a massive monster rising from the dark depths of the sea, he just couldn't resist the poetic justice of the image.

The group looked around with a mixture of awe, fear, and confusion.

Vizsla scowled before speaking up first, "So you have nothing else to show for yourself than one powerful ship?"

Revan glared under his mask before gesturing for the group to gather around a very large holo-table, approximately 15 feet long and wide. Typing onto the console in front of him Revan pulled up an image of the new Leviathan. "This ship is not only the most powerful dreadnought currently in existence, but it is also so much more than that. This vessel is a mobile commander center. From here you could have enough resources to conquer a fortified planet with just this ship alone. It has advanced communications to contact other ships that are too far for normal systems to reach, meaning you could coordinate battles that are happening in an entirely different part of the galaxy. And this ship is not even fully equipped yet. More vessels to act in support are being made as we speak along with armies of droids, weapons, tanks, starfighters, and anything else one might desire for war. This ship is simply the beginning of what is to come, and it is from here that I will explain the rest of my plan for Mandalore and the Duchess."

Vizsla crossed his arms in skepticism, but Revan could not help but notice that Bo-Katan seemed to lean in slightly closer and watch with keen interest.

"Ahsoka, please explain to our guests what we discussed about Mandalore's current state."

Ahsoka was surprised with this command, but quickly regained herself and pulled up an image of Mandalore and the information she and Revan had talked about on their way to meet with Death Watch. She gave a more concise report of the three primary issues facing the planet, those of Military, Economic, and Political nature. Once she was done, she looked at Revan's masked face, and while she could not see his expression, he expressed his thanks and complement through their Force Bond, earning him a small smile from the Padawan.

"And how do you propose we solve these issues?" Bo-Katan finally asked.

Revan pulled up some additional information, "When we take over Mandalore and declare full independence, it is highly likely that the Republic or Separatists will take this opportunity to try and forcibly take over the planet through military intervention. This ship and other weapons I have at my disposal will give us the advantage we need to defend the planet and her allies. However, I understand your hesitation in relying on so many droids, but this is not the end of our forces. Your Death Watch, along with Mandalorians that still have skill in combat and military training will act as captains, commanders, and even generals to direct these droids into battle. You will not risk your untrained population into war, and our primary losses can always be rebuilt while giving us the advantage of organic intuition and decision making."

"This sounds like you are combining the philosophies of the Republic and Separatists into one army... clever," Bo-Katan commented.

Vizsla's earlier disdain for only relying on droids to fight slowly melted away, but he shook his head and responded, "Our people are largely untrained, as you said, how do you hope to militarize a people that have been indoctrinated in weak pacifism for so long?"

Revan looked at him before saying, "I leave that in your capable hands, Vizsla. Surely the leader of the 'true Mandalorians' can train his own people to rise up and fight for their home?"

This obvious challenge earned Revan a glare from the Death Watch leader, but he quickly straightened up and said, "Fine, I will raise our people to greatness once again."

Bo-Katan glanced at Vizsla with a flash of frustration. Revan could sense from her thoughts that she was the one who had trained most of the Death Watch, yet she was being given no credit for that accomplishment here. "What of the other two issues?" Bo-Katan asked as a way to move the conversation forward.

Revan nodded to her before changing the projection once again. "As already stated, the citizens of Mandalore have been relying on the black market to keep themselves alive. While the Duchess has done her best to stamp down on the market's hold on the planet, her efforts have proven to be less than effective. While we cannot allow the current crime rates and other problems that come with the average citizen working with the criminal underworld, we can turn this situation to our advantage. We will control the black market on Mandalore and use it as a new source of trade and commerce to bring funds and supplies into the economy."

"And how do you intend to do that? The gangs and criminal organizations would never deal with an official government directly, and even then they might play us for fools and use their position to gain power over us." Vizsla obviously protested the idea.

"Because," Revan began, "we have an ambassador, one who knows how the entire game is played and will facilitate the best deals and prices for our buying and selling to these groups." He then pressed a few keys on the panel in front of him.

After a few seconds of silence, a side door opened and HK-47 stepped out of it. In either hand, the assassin droid was holding tightly onto two humanoid figures wearing binder cuffs behind their backs. The droid forced both individuals to their knees before taking a small step back from them and equipping his blaster rifle.

Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock as Revan made his way over to the newly entered trio.

"May I present our two newest additions to this little family," Revan started before standing in front of both individuals, "Hondo Ohnaka, and Cad Bane."

Both aliens looked slightly injured but had been tended to by medical droids.

Hondo looked up at Revan and did his best to put on his usually proud smile. "Ah... Revan... good to see you again, my friend. You are looking well, all things considered." The Weequay could not help but let some intimidation and fear slip through his words.

Revan smirked under his mask, "I must say Hondo, I seriously considered killing you after you sent the dogs after me. However, I had more respect for you once I had time to cool off. It seems I did not give you enough credit after our first meeting."

"What can I say? I tend to surprise people. Now, what do you say you and I make a deal, huh? Let old wounds be forgotten and move forward towards something profitable together?"

Revan chuckled slightly before turning to look at Cad Bane. The county hunter was pissed but was wisely choosing to remain quiet. He glanced around the room tactical looking for some way out of this situation. He was surprised to see Death Watch and angry to see the Jedi brat he had fought previously. Glancing up at Revan he managed to not let his slight fear of the man that had almost killed him show on his face. "If you're going to kill us just get it over with already." Bane spat out.

"Not this time, bounty hunter," Revan responded, before pulling out a small holoprojector and activating it. The device displayed an image of what looked like a medical diagram of a humanoid figure, with a few areas around the spine and skull highlighted. "Gentlemen, pay close attention to what I am about to say, your lives depend on it."

Both pirate and bounty hunter glanced at each other before looking up at Revan.

"When my associate," Revan gestured to HK standing behind them, "brought the two of you onboard this ship, no doubt you remember being unconscious at some point, this was no accident. My medical droids have performed a highly difficult surgery to place small cybernetic attachments onto the connection between your brain and spine. These cybernetics not only allow me to see what you see, and know your vitals at all times." To prove his point he changed the display and it showed a live feed of what Hondo was currently looking at, creating a 'mirror effect' as Hondo's vision looped on itself as he looked at the hologram in front of him. "But at any point, I can have the cybernetics detonate, killing you instantly."

This revelation caused everyone in the room to look at Revan in shock. Bo-Katan and Vizsla were surprised that such technology was even possible, Sterr was very disturbed with the implication that Revan could and was willing to do this to someone, and Ahsoka found herself angry and confused why Revan would do something so barbaric, even to scum like Hondo and Bane. Part of her also wondered why Revan had never placed such an implant in her.

Hondo and Bane were both visibly upset by this information, and while one tried to bargain for some way out and the other threatened Revan with a gruesome death, the former Sith Lord used the Force to make both men quiet. "I am not done." Said with power behind his voice. "I will be able to track you at all times, see your movements, and even know every word you say. If you try and remove these implants at any point they will set off an alert and I will not hesitate to detonate them. Any attempt to betray me will result in your immediate termination." Revan paused and lowered himself until he was at eye level with both aliens, "Do I make myself clear?" He let go of his use of Force Stun to allow them to speak.

Hondo nodded and said, "Yes, yes, perfectly clear, as always." He forced a small smile as he spoke.

Bane glared at Revan for several moments before growling out, "Transparently."

Revan nodded in response, stood back up, and waved his hand causing both binder cuffs to fall off the two aliens. "I will make this promise. Work well, and work hard, and once our business is concluded I will see your implants removed and you will both walk away with your lives and a large fortune of credits. This is not a permanent position I will force you to stay in, and you will be rewarded for your cooperation, if you choose to give it." He offered a hand to both aliens to stand up.

Hondo was surprised by this information and hesitated a moment, but eventually grabbed Revan's hand and was helped to his feet. "You should have stared with the part about a fortune of credits."

Bane simply glared at Revan's hand and stood up on his own before adjusting his iconic hat. "So what's the job?"

Revan nodded before walking back to the table. "Hondo will work with his black market contacts and negotiate whatever trade deals we have. Bane will act in a more... political matter." Revan switched the display to show the coalition of neutral planets that were allied to Mandalore. "Through some careful listening and reconnaissance, we have determined that only seven key planets hold the primary political and economic sway to keep the rest of the natural systems in line with Mandalore. As long as these key systems toe the line, Mandalore will have her allies. To ensure this continued cooperation, even after your take over, Bane and HK will pay each of these seven planets a visit, and will ensure that their governments are fully... persuaded to not go running at the first sign of trouble."

This explanation eared Revan an appreciative smirk from Vizsla and glare from Ahsoka.

"So you're hoping threats will keep these systems in line?" Bo-Katan asked skeptically.

"Not simply threats," Revan began, "but offers of money, power, and blackmail of their darkest secrets. HK-47," he gestured to his personal assassin droid as a quick way of introduction, "has been digging up some useful dirt on these targets. All of these tactics will be used in our favor, and with Cad Bane's infamous reputation, these leaders will understand the severity of our demands. In time, we will seek to gain their loyalty and trust, but drastic actions must often be taken for short-term gains. Loyalty is never earned under the heel of a boot, but sometimes a boot is necessary to keep people temporarily in line."

Bo-Katan slowly nodded in understanding. She was about to speak when Vizsla spoke up again, "So everything is settled then? When can we strike?"

Revan sighed only loud enough for himself to hear. "You are missing one crucial detail. The political problems facing Mandalore also exist on the inside as well as out." Revan zoomed the map in to bring Mandalore back up to focus. "The current government will not be easily devolved and replaced. Your people have grown accustomed to living with bureaucracy, schools, roads, day-to-day laws, and all the administration that the Duchess has successfully integrated into your society. To simply replace this entire structure with something completely different would not only anger your people, but would leave your economy and trade in shambles."

"What do you suggest?" Bo-Katan asked, curiously.

"A replacement," Revan answered simply. "Someone must be put in charge of replacing your entire internal government without removing or changing any of the actual structure too drastically. This will be difficult as almost everyone in your current government is either loyal to Satine or simply corrupt, but there is one candidate I had in mind." The display shifted once again, as now a middle-aged humanoid male stood beside the planet.

"The former Prime Minister, Almec?" Bo-Katan asked in surprise.

"This man betrayed the Duchess and sought to gain his own place of power!" Vizsla protested angrily to this idea, "Why would we ever trust such a slimy politician as him?"

"Slimy or not, Almec possesses some very useful qualities. Firstly, he desires power and has been stripped of all rank and status, currently rotting away in a Mandalorian prison, freeing him would place you in a very favorable light with him. Secondly, he knows your government better than almost anyone, has his own decent experience with the black market, and above all: he has no love or loyalty for the Duchess. He has already revealed his untrustworthy nature once, this makes him far easier to predict, monitor, and ultimately control than a more unknown character. Almec is your best choice for fixing Mandalore's internal problems." Revan finished his explanation and crossed his arms, leaving the floor open to anyone else who wished to speak.

Vizsla's face was a mixture of emotions and conflict. He couldn't deny that Revan had truly thought of everything and found genius solutions to every problem they would encounter, but he was angry at having so little say in this plan or its logistics.

Bo-Katan looked impressed. She was mentally going through all the details she had just heard, and from a simple strategy perspective, she could find no fault with this plan aside from the general risk factors of any strategy possibly going wrong. She looked at Revan's masked face, a deeper level of appreciation for the man that had defeated her ancestors was beginning to form in her mind.

Ahsoka was somewhat conflicted as well. Revan had mentioned on Dxun some of these details, like the idea to recruit Almec, which she was still not exactly thrilled about. However, she had not expected some parts of these plans, like the implants on Hondo and Bane, or threatening several governments into line to ensure no one broke away from the neutral systems. She looked at Revan with frustration, and while she wished to protest, she knew that would not help their plans to even appear to be in conflict in front of Death Watch. She was thankful he had somewhat prepared her by saying she wasn't going to like some of the things she heard during this meeting.

After several moments of silence, Pre Vizsla spoke again, "Very well... your plan is... acceptable. I just have one last question: do we kill the Duchess?"

Revan couldn't help but notice the glare Vizsla received from his second in command, though it was only for an extremely brief moment. His eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask in curiosity. "...No." he finally stated, watching Bo-Katan's expression shift slightly to both surprise and relief. "Killing her costs us too much. Her allies will rally against us, and we would ensure the wrath of the Republic on our heads for killing such a beloved and influential individual. The Duchess must stay alive at all costs if this plan is going to succeed and you to have your prize."

Vizsla looked displeased with this information but quickly saw the wisdom in Revan's words. "Very well. What is to be done now?"

Revan nodded before uncrossing his arms and typing some instructions into the table. "HK," the droid looked expectantly at his master, "go with Bane and begin your mission to the seven planets previously mentioned. Bane, you have the lead on this assignment and, HK will follow your instructions and provide whatever information and resources you require, however you are not allowed to kill anyone, understood?"

The bounty hunter smirked slightly before nodding with a tip of his hat. "Come on droid," the gravelly voice of Cad spoke up as he turned, "let's go see what other fancy toys you got locked away on this ship."

The pair of killers quickly exited the bridge before Revan continued, "Hondo, a Dragoon with escort you down to the communications array, there you can begin setting up meetings with your various contacts. There will be a full list of everything we require both in order of importance and how quickly we need it."

One of the KH guards walked up and stood beside the pirate lord, who couldn't help but appear fairly intimidating by the metal monster beside him. "As you wish! My captain." Hondo gave a dramatic bow before carefully walking past the Dragoon and making his way to the exit, followed closely behind by the droid.

"Sterr, you know your assignments," Revan stated simply, to which the Ithorian bowed in response before quickly leaving the bridge. "Finally that leaves Death Watch." Revan said as he looked at the four Mandalorians across the table from him. "Go back to your camp, gather everything and everyone. Explain the plan and go over the details I am sending to you now. Ensure your men are ready, and be back here in three days. Once you arrive, we head for Mandalore."

This declaration earned the former general a smirk from the Death Watch leader. "Alright men, let's move!" He shouted out his order as he turned to leave.

The four Mandalorians quickly turned and began making their way out of the bridge, however before they were all fully out of view, Bo-Katan stopped, turning to look at Revan as she did so. She did not know why she hesitated, and the two looked at each other for several moments. She wanted to ask something, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Before she could linger further, the voice of her leader barked at her to catch up with the group. She clenched her fists in frustration before turning away and quickly leaving the bridge.

Ahsoka watched Bo-Katan go curiously, and once the bridge door had closed she asked, "What was that about?"

"I'm not quite sure..." Revan slowly answered back, "but I think I will have an answer soon." Shaking his head slightly he removed his mask before leaning against the holo-table and looking at the Padawan. "Regardless, I feel that went fairly well, all things considered."

"You can say that again," Ahsoka replied back with a sigh. She looked at Revan and communicated her anger and disappointment clearly through their bond.

Revan put up a hand in defense, "I understand you are upset by some of what was revealed in this meeting, but as I said these are not the long-term solutions I desire. All I ask is your patience and continued trust while we deal with what is immediately required of us, however drastic it may seem."

Ahsoka folded her arms and watched Revan carefully for several moments. After some intense mental deliberation with herself, she finally spoke, "Fine. But there better not be any more surprises like this." She stated forcibly before walking away and off the bridge. She was still slightly angry with Revan, but the more she thought about everything she had heard, she was mostly angry with herself. Part of her was getting too comfortable with things like Death Watch, taking over a free world, and even the implants hadn't been as reclusive to her as she knew they should be. Ahsoka hated it, but she was beginning to realize just how much she was changing.

Anakin and Obi-Wan stood side-by-side as they looked over the smoldering wreckage that had been Hondo Ohnaka's fortress. The stronghold itself was still standing, but large portions of the structure were heavily damaged, giving clear signs of intense and rent fighting. All around the compound were dead or wounded pirates, the more conscious or less injured were quickly running around in controlled panic, either to put out the few remaining fires or to tend to the wounded survivors. Both Jedi shared a wary glance as they made their way towards the compound.

"Captain, fan out with your men and look for survivors," Anakin ordered once the pair of Jedi and the clone detachment they had taken with them to the planet's surface, were close enough to get a sense of what was going on.

Rex responded with, "Right away, sir." Before shouting orders to his men and picking up the pace with his fellow soldiers.

The pirates that were well enough to move tensed up at the sight of the approaching clones, many of them drawing their weapons and taking aim at the Republic troops. After a tense moment of reassurance from Captain Rex that they were here to help, the pirates slowly lowered their weapons and allowed the clones to assist them, most of them quickly realizing they would not win any legitimate fight in the group's current state.

Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way through the courtyard of the fortress, taking in the general wreckage and destruction around them. In all honesty, the pair had expected to see more casualties from such an assault, but from what they could gather most of the pirates were only wounded, and maybe only 1 in 30 or so were actually dead.

"What do you think? A rival gang? Maybe a raiding group looking to make take some credits or spice?" Anakin asked the older Jedi.

Kenobi stroked his beard in thought before answering, "Something tells me not. Don't you find it strange there are no bodies or wounded belonging to the attackers? Surely there would be some evidence of who is responsible?"

"Maybe one of the survivors could give us some answers." Anakin offered, as he spotted a wounded Weequay that was located near a large hole in the main building's exterior.

The two Jedi made their way over to the sitting pirate, who was clutching his side and coughing profusely. "We need a medic over here!" Anakin called out as the pair of force-users knelt on either side of the pirate.

The injured alien spat up some blood before looking at the two Jedi with surprise in his eyes, "I remember you two... Hondo had you both locked up, you're not here to finish us off? Are ya?"

"Not this time," Anakin answered with a small smirk at the man's fearful expression.

Obi-Wan glared at his former Padawan, who simply shrugged in response. He then said, "Those past aggressions have long been forgiven, Jedi do not hold on to grudges."

A clone medic quickly made his way over to the trio, before scanning the pirate with a medical scanner and administering a medpac near the main injury site. "He's received quite a nasty wound, generals." The medic spoke, "Must have been a high-powered rifle, by my best estimates."

The pirate breathed a sigh of relief as the medical drugs began to kick in. "Thanks for the help. Guess we owes ya one, eh?"

"You could start repaying us by telling us who did this." Kenobi offered.

"T’was those damn droids." The pirate said before another coughing fit overtook him.

The two Jedi shared a confused and uneasy look. "You're saying the Separatists were here?" Anakin asked with concern. While Florrum was part of the Outer Rim territories, it was considerably closer to the Core Worlds than any known Separatist force had ever been, and would have worrying implications for the war if the CIS were able to divert a considerably fleet into this sector.

"Don't know about any Separatists." The pirate answered. "Didn't look like any droid I ever seen. Maybe some a couple of techies Hondo keeps around could tell ya more."

Upon hearing this, Obi-Wan looked around with renewed curiosity. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around the courtyard and the ongoing activity of moving bodies. "...Speaking of our former host," the master began slowly before looking back at the pirate, "where is Hondo currently?"

Anakin also became aware of the charismatic leader's absence once Kenobi pointed it out, and looked at the pirate expectantly.

"Not sure." He answered. "Came outside when I heard some commotion, got shot for my troubles. Last I saw him, he was inside the main hall telling some story." He finished by pointing over his shoulder at the large hole in the building.

The two Jedi glanced at each other with a nod, before both stood up. "Stabilize him, trooper, then go see who else you can help," Anakin ordered before he and Obi-Wan made their way inside.

The pair made their way through the rubble of destruction, passing through a few hallways that had simply been blasted through until they arrived at the main hall. The interior of the building was in similar disarray to the outside. The walls and various pillars were scorched with blaster marks, tables were flipped, banners were torn, and various wounded and dead were scattered through the area, most already being tended to by one of their fellow pirates, who watched the Jedi suspiciously, but focused on tending to their own.

"Must have been quite the party." Kenobi quipped as he took in the scene before him.

Anakin barely registered his friend's joke, as he was entirely focused on scanning the room. Something had alerted his senses in the Force and he was keen to find it. Just then, his eyes caught the briefest glimpse of a hooded figure disappearing further into the base down one of the side halls. He quickly jogged after what he had seen.

Obi-Wan noticed Anakin's silence a few moments after his remark received none of the usual annoyed responses his former apprentice would give him for his ‘terrible puns.’ He turned to look at the Jedi Knight only to find him quickly jogging towards the back of the base. "Anakin?" The Jedi Master asked, but received no answer. The older Jedi sighed and shook his head before jogging after his more impulsive friend.

Anakin quickly made his way down several corridors further into the base, rounding a few corners to do so, following the feeling in the Force. Eventually, he stopped as he entered a fairly large, darker, rectangular room. Glancing around, his vision was mostly obscured by various boxes and crates, most likely some kind of storage room.

"What's the hurry?" Obi-Wan asked as he finally caught back up with the Jedi Knight.

"Someone's here," Anakin answered as he glanced to his right where the Jedi Master had stepped beside him.

Before either one could comment further, a condescending feminine voice called out from deeper inside the storage room, "Awww, poor Master Kenobi's senses have dulled over the years. So sad to see the effects of age slow a person down."

"Ventress..." Anakin said with a growl in his voice.

The two Jedi shared an understanding look before both took hold of their respective lightsaber and began carefully making their way further into the storage room.

"Why don't we dispense with this little game of cat and mouse, and talk this out, face-to-face," Obi-Wan called out to the room as he carefully observed his surroundings.

"Predictable Kenobi, always wanting to talk your way through every problem." Ventress answered back.

"Then why don't you come out and face me? I don't really care for talking either." Anakin said.

"It's always tempting to play with you, Skywalker, but I'm afraid I don't have any spare time for you today." The Sith assassin responded.

The two Jedi came to a slightly open portion of the storage room and carefully looked around, trying to sense where Dooku's apprentice was hiding.

"While I can appreciate keeping a tight schedule," Obi-Wan began, "I'm afraid we have the fortress fairly secure with our troops, not to mention our ship in orbit. I'm afraid you won't be getting very far this time."

Ventress frowned as she stayed deep within the shadows of the room. She had just been about to leave the fortress when clones started running around the place. She had originally planned to fight her way out, but when she saw the two familiar Jedi, she realized her full predicament and had opted to hide and wait for the Republic forces to leave. At least that had been the plan until the Skywalker brat had sniffed her out. Taking a second to weigh her options, she finally stood up straight, and stepped out into view of the two Jedi, staying well out of reach on a pile of larger crates. "You make an excellent point, Master Jedi. Perhaps we can reach some kind of deal?"

Anakin glared at seeing the assassin come into view and activated his blue lightsaber on instinct. He smirked slightly seeing Ventress tense slightly upon seeing the familiar blade of plasma she had lost to more times than she cared to admit.

Obi-Wan looked curiously at the assassin, and while he still held his lightsaber in his hand, he stepped forward, placing a hand on Anakin's arm as he did so. "I must say that I cannot imagine what you could offer us that would make us consider letting you go. Perhaps you could enlighten us?"

Anakin glanced at his friend in frustration before speaking, "Master, she's probably the one responsible for this attack. What if her troops are nearby and she's just stalling for time?"

Ventress smirked slightly before slowly reaching behind her back and producing a small holoprojector. "While you may not believe me, I actually had nothing to do with this attack. My master sent me here on an assignment and I only arrived slightly before you did. However, while I was digging around the place looking for answers, I found a badly damaged astromech that was barely still functional. I took the liberty of downloading its memory banks and found it had some surviving footage of the attack. Along with a pretty clear image of the attackers themselves."

Both Jedi looked surprised at this information, but remained on guard. "...Tell me, before we go any further with this conversation, what was your mission, exactly?" Obi-Wan asked.

Ventress frowned at this, but after considering the position she was in further, she finally answered, "I was sent to speak with Hondo Ohnaka and buy any additional information he had to the whereabouts of Revan. Unfortunately, I have looked up and down this scum hole and have seen no trace of the alien. There are some answers on this holoprojector, however." She finished with a taunting smirk.

Anakin glared slightly before he asked out loud to his fellow Jedi, "Do you think she's telling the truth?"

Kenobi stroked his beard in thought before answering, "...I can sense no lie from her, and I think she understands she gains nothing but a more difficult time from us if we catch her in a lie now."

Anakin nodded in agreement before speaking to Ventress, "And what's to stop us from just taking the information from you and locking you up regardless?"

Ventress glared at the Jedi Knight, but confidently stretched out her hand which held the device, ensuring to keep a tight grip on it in the Force in case either one tried to Force Pull it away from her. "Because, if you attack me, I will simply destroy the device and the data long with it. I made sure to wipe the astromech's memory, and I have already transmitted a copy of the recording to my master. This is the only surviving evidence of what truly happened here, and I have no further need of it. So if you want it, you'll let me walk out of here without issue."

Anakin scoffed when he heard the offer being presented, "Do you really think we'd fall for something like that? And why are you so confident we let you go even if we made this deal?"

"Because, Skywalker," she began with a malicious smile, "you Jedi are always true to your word. It's why you're so easy to predict and kill."

Anakin growled in anger at this insult and took a step forward. This caused Ventress to visibly tighten her grip on the device, and simultaneously Kenobi put a hand on Anakin's shoulder to stop him. The Knight looked at the Master with anger in his eyes, "You're not seriously considering this, are you?"

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin for a long moment before saying, "...We have no immediate quarrel with Ventress, and if she would have no conflict with us then the Code dictates we should not initiate one ourselves. If this data is the only lead on what happened here and to Hondo, and the Separatists already have it, then we should ensure the Republic acquires it as well."

Anakin stayed tensed for several moments before finally letting out a deep sigh and lowering his saber. "Fine. Give us the data, and get out of here, before I change my mind." Anakin said forcibly without looking back at the Sith assassin.

Ventress smirked before tossing the device to Kenobi, then quickly leaping across the room to the exit. "Always a pleasure to see you two." She called back before confidently walking away from the room.

Anakin glared at her for a few moments before finally turning off his saber and activating his wrist communicator. "Rex. This is Anakin. You have a familiar boogie coming your way. Tell your men to stand down... I'll explain later."

Padmé slowly scrolled a digital display of information on her personal mini-computer. She had spent the past 3 days since her meeting with Orden, rearranging, rescheduling, and creating specific instructions for each of her aids. She knew she was cutting it close with this trip, but as she carefully went back over all the planning she had painstakingly created, she was fairly confident she could make it back in time for the official vote. She had always had trouble delegating important tasks to others, but over the years she had learned the valuable lesson that she couldn't do everything on her own.

Taking a deep breath she finished her third time going over all the logistics. She was sure this little escapade was going to cost her several favors and numerous bottles of Nabooian wine, but she would deal with that when the time came. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the sound of her holocommunicator altered her to an incoming call. Picking the device up, she answered.

A small hologram of Bail Organa appeared in the palm of her hand. "Padmé, I'm glad you picked up. I finally had some time today to sit down and go over the message you sent me yesterday. I must admit, you have me a little worried with this massive reshuffle you're doing right before the Senate meets in two days. Are you sure this trip you're taking can't wait until after the vote? I'm sure Mandalore will still be there in two days."

Padmé smiled at her friend's concern, "You know me Bail when I find something to dig into, I can't stop until I've gotten to the bottom of it. Plus, I think the Duchess could use a friendly face right about now. The latest reports coming from Mandalore don't look very good."

Bail shook his head in agreement. "You could say that again." He took a deep breath before adding, "Alright Padmé, I'll help out with the final meetings and take care of these tasks you've sent me. Just know, you're gonna owe me a pretty big favor after all this work you're dropping on me last minute."

Padmé chuckled and smiled before responding, "I figured as much. A few of my other friends I called in favors with have made their frustrations known to me. I guess I'll be owing quite a few favors when I get back."

Bail smiled back, but his face became rather serious as he looked at his fellow senator. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I know Mandalore is still our ally, but that's a dangerous part of the galaxy right now. I won't tell anyone where you're going, just as you asked me not to, but please call me if you need any kind of help or something happens."

Padmé gave a reassuring smile, "I promise, Bail. And let's be honest, I've gone to much more dangerous places than this."

Bail shook his head again and let out a very brief chuckle, "Yeah... you could say that again. Anyway, I better get on all this work someone left me with. Take care of yourself out there."

"I will. Thanks again, Bail." She gave another smile before ending the call. Leaning back in her chair she let out a heavy sigh, before closing her eyes and rubbing her head. She just needed a moment of silence a peace.

Just then, a door slid open and a very robotic male voice spoke causing Padmé to jump slightly, "Mistress, we are about to arrive. You instructed me to notify you when we were about to exit hyperspace."

Padmé took a deep breath to steady herself before giving a reassuring smile to her personal protocol droid, C-3PO. "Yes, I did. Thank you 3PO, I'll be up in a second."

"Very good, madam." The golden droid responded before making his way back to the cockpit of the H-type Nubian yacht.

Padmé laughed a little at herself before quickly standing up, stretching, and joining her droid in the cockpit.

Revan stood in the main section of the Ebon Hawk on one side of the circular holo-table that occupied a majority of the space. Just behind his right shoulder stood Ahsoka, her arms crossed and her expression very muted. All around the room were several members of Death Watch, including their leader, Pre Vizsla, and his second-in-command, Bo-Katan.

Currently being displayed on the holo-table was a very detailed 3D map containing the schematics of the domed capital city, Sundari. Bo-Katan was laying out a detailed plan of infiltration for how the group was going to enter the city, and what route they were going to take. Her speech was also being transmitted to two Rakatan stealth shuttles that were in the same hyperspace lane as the Ebon Hawk. "Using our ship's stealth systems, we will land at one of the lower docking ports used primarily for large cargo or shipping out hazardous materials. Two of Revan's Infiltrator units are already in position and have given us the all-clear. The main dock worker is a Death Watch sympathizer, and has already been paid to disable all cameras in that area just before our arrival. Once we land, we will split into three teams: Alpha, Delta, and Omega. Alpha will be responsible for the securing of the city's main security center." A specific building was highlighted on the display. "This area control all entrances and exits to the city's exterior dome, as well as its early warning detection system. If we are going to bring in the rest of Death Watch without having a fight on our hands, we'll need to get control of this station. Team Delta will be responsible for the infiltration of the city's main prison complex. They will secure and extract one individual: former Prime Minister Almec."

Ahsoka couldn't help but glare slightly when she heard that name. How many Mandalorians had suffered or died due to his greed and hunger for power, she wondered. She took a deep breath to calm her mind, it was too late to be having second thoughts at this point.

Bo-Katan continued with her briefing, "Finally, team Omega will be responsible for the securing of the royal palace, along with the capture and deposition of Duchess Satine."

"And Mandalore will finally be back in the rule of the strong." Pre Vizsla interrupted the briefing with a hungry smile on his face.

Bo-Katan glared at her commander slightly, before quickly composing herself and continuing, "You each already have your assigned squads, as well as the predetermined routes you will  take within the city. It is paramount that no alarms are raised to alert the Duchess to our presence. Her security team has an evacuation plan in place and her palace contains a secure private hangar which she can use to escape even if the city is locked down. We cannot afford for her to leave the planet and maintain her position as a legitimate ruler over Mandalore. This must be done quickly, precisely, and without mistake. Do I make myself clear?"

The Death Watch around her and the few she could see as holograms on the table simply responded with a powerful salute, hitting their fists against the chest piece of their armor.

Bo-Katan smiled slightly at the response before nodding back in response.

Vizsla took the Darksaber into his hand and began to speak, "Men, prepare yourself, for on this day, we free Mandalore!" A cheer went up from the ranks and the Mandalorians raised their weapons high in response to their leader doing the same with the Darksaber.

At that moment, a Rakatan droid entered the room from the hall beside Revan. "We have just come exited hyperspace." It said plainly in a very robotic voice. Revan simply nodded at the droid and dismissed it back to its duties. "Double-check your equipment, and be ready to move." Revan finally spoke, his mask giving his voice a slightly synthetic quality to it.

The two other ships ended their communication and the Death Watch present slowly exited the room and did as the former general recommend. While none had openly admitted it, several of the Death Watch members had come to respect or at least understand why they were working with a former enemy to their people.

Once the room was finally clear, Pre Vizsla looked at Revan with a serious expression. "I expect to see the Helm when the Duchess is removed from power."

Revan folded his arms and stared back at the Death Watch leader. The black void of his mask's visor seemed to suck in the light of the room. After a short pause, he finally answered, "...On my honor, once the Duchess is deposed, I will relinquish possession of the Helm."

Vizsla continued the staring match a moment longer, his eyes searching in vain for some kind of tell from the former Sith Lord. Finally, he nodded before turning and walking away.

"I could have told him he wasn't going to get anything out of you," Ahsoka spoke with a small smirk as she watched Vizsla leave. The comment earned her a small chuckle from Revan. She sighed before saying, "I better go make sure your droids don't crash the ship." She said before making her way to the cockpit.

Revan only gave the Padawan a brief glance of acknowledgment before turning his gaze to the one person still in the room with him, Bo-Katan. She was intently staring at the display of the city, her eyes scanning through the highlighted locations and buildings that had been marked from her earlier plan.

"...You did well." Revan finally spoke after a few seconds of silence.

The Mandalorian looked over at the masked figure with some confusion at this statement. "What do you mean?" She asked with suspicion in her voice and face.

"Your plan, it was well made, well explained, and you conveyed it with the authority of a true leader. Vizsla is lucky to have you as his second." Revan explained.

Bo-Katan was surprised by the words of encouragement and recognition, something that was seldom expressed in the context of Death Watch. She still watched Revan suspiciously, but finally said, "Thank you. But I am the lucky one. Vizsla took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He helped train me into the warrior I am today, and his vision for our people is what drives this movement."

Revan paused before replying, "I am curious, what is his vision, exactly?"

Bo-Katan blinked in surprise to this question. "The liberation of our people. To go back to our warrior heritage and have the freedom to unshackle ourselves from the oppression we have suffered for too long. Surely you have heard him speak of this? Why else would you seek us out and agree that Mandalorians must be able to fight for their own future once again?"

"Oh, I have heard him speak. It seems to be a favored pastime of his. But surely you can see he lacks perspective?" Revan questioned back. Bo-Katan appeared angry and was about to object, but Revan held up a hand to stop her. "What I mean is this: I do agree that Mandalorians must be able to fight for their future, as any people should have the right to. But what lies behind that? Once your people can choose to be warriors again, what comes next? Will he lead you down another path of war and annihilation like the Crusades of old? Will your people become hated and hunted by the galaxy once more? What happens after your people have their freedom again? And does your leader have these answers?" Revan examined how the questions seemed to eat away at her mind. She had pondered this chain of thinking before and she knew the answers to these questions, but part of her did not want to admit it. "You and I both know what happens when warriors are not given proper direction and leadership." The pair shared a knowing look, one that could only come from leading others into battle, both to victory and slaughter. Finally, Revan turned and looked back at the map between them. "Perhaps that is why he allows a woman to help him lead his men, even though he claims the male sect should be in charge." He glanced at the Mandalorian, seeing the slight twitch in her eye, knowing he had struck a nerve. "Perhaps you give him... perspective."

Bo-Katan studied Revan for several minutes, a flurry of emotions welling up inside her, most of them containing anger or frustration. She wanted to speak but her thoughts were disjointed and seemingly at war with each other.

Just before she was about to speak, Ahsoka entered back into the room and said, "We've just entered the planet's atmosphere, we'll be landing shortly."

"Understood," Revan responded giving Ahsoka a quick nod before turning back to the Mandalorian.

Ahsoka looked between the two individuals before her with a curious and somewhat confused expression.

Bo-Katan glanced at Ahsoka, quickly putting on her most stoic face. She looked back at Revan and simply gave a respectful nod, before putting on her helmet and leaving the room.

Padmé walked down a hallway, being led by two Mandalorian Royal guards. She had decided to leave C-3PO with the ship, in case any messages or long-distance communications needed to be forwarded directly to her communicator. Her mind wandered slightly as she glanced around and appreciated the unique architecture of the royal place. The angular structure of design, along with the large windows with various engravings, gave the building an almost religious sense to it, something Padmé had always felt inspired by during her previous visits here. She thought back to the terrible poisonings of children that she and the Duchess had managed to uncover. She shook her head as the more unpleasant memories of this place slowly came back to her. The senator hoped that this visit would not have such a dramatic turn as the last one.

Padmé's focus was snapped back to reality as the guards in front of her came to a sudden stop. The trio were now waiting outside of a heavy set of doors that lead into the throne room.

One of the guards turned and spoke, "Apologies, senator. It would seem that a council meeting is still on going at the moment. However, we should be able to enter soon."

Padmé nodded in understanding, before glancing around for a bench to sit on. Before she could locate one, however, the doors to the throne room opened and several individuals began making their way out of the room. Some of the council members Padmé recognized, but most were unfamiliar to her. She also couldn't help but notice that many of them were muttering to themselves, clearly frustrated with whatever meeting had just concluded.

Once the group had fully cleared, one of the guards addressed Padmé again, "The Duchess will see you now." To which the former queen nodded again and followed them inside.

Light poured in through the ornate windows all around the room, yet the atmosphere carried a very dreary sense of emotion. Duchess Satine sat on her throne with two guards on either side of her, and while she held the look and posture of a proper ruler, her eyes told a story of exhaustion and stress. Her mood visibly brightened upon seeing Padmé walk into the room. The Duchess quickly got up and made her way over to the senator, "Padmé, my dear friend. It is so very good to see you again."

"Likewise," Padmé replied with a smile, as the two shared a quick hug. "I apologize if my being here interrupts any of your work."

Satine quickly waved a hand at this concern, "I have had my share of work for the time being, and after all the help you have given to me and my people, you will always be welcome here, regardless of circumstance."

"Your generosity is appreciated," Padmé said with a genuine smile, but her expression quickly changed to concern as she noticed the fatigue that was present on the Duchess' face. "You look tired, Satine. Was it that meeting just now?"

Satine's eyes looked down at the floor and she breathed a heavy sigh before making her way over to a small table containing a few bottles of various refreshments. "In truth, Padmé, every meeting is a draining meeting as of late. To put it bluntly, our people are starving. After the imprisonment of Almec and this new campaign to root out the black market, some troubling things have been discovered. So much of our internal infrastructure was slowly being tied into underworld channels, and the more we untangle and remove the criminal element from our planet, the more our people seem to suffer. Our available economics and resources are not enough to fill in all the needs that seem to increase day by day. Some of my council suggest we take out additional loans with the Republic or even the Banking Clan, but I refuse to put my people in further debt. I am staring down a dark path with little light at the end of what to do next." She finished her explanation as she poured two glasses from a container of red liquid.

Padmé watched the Duchess with increasing worry. She had read some of the reports coming out of Mandalore, but clearly, the situation was far worse than what was currently being reported. "Can you not ask for emergency aid from the Republic? Or reach out to your other allies here in the neutral zone?"

Satine shook her head as she offered one of the glasses to her friend. "I am afraid not. All attempts to request emergency aid have been met with conditions about giving the Republic more control over our planet, even allowing military troops to land on Mandalore. I will not have our sovereignty infringed upon. As for our other allies, we have been asking them for help for so many years now, many of them have become bitter and hostile towards us. I am afraid I may have used up all of the goodwill I had left."

Padmé wanted to offer more solutions, provide counterarguments to how the Republic might need to become more involved to help Mandalore. However, as she looked into the tired and almost defeated eyes of her friend, she held her tongue and simply offered a reassuring smile. "If you ever need my help, you know you can always reach out. I am confident you will lead your people through this as you have always done."

Satine's expression seemed to lighten slightly as she took in the encouragement. "Thank you, Padmé. You are as loyal of a friend as anyone could hope for. Now, enough about the troubles of leadership and rule. You mentioned to me in your message that you needed some research information? I must admit I was curious why my historians couldn't simply send you whatever information you were after."

Padmé nodded before setting her glass back down on the table, "Let's just say that this investigation is a little... off the reservation. Plus I wanted to see the information myself and be able to ask questions of your researchers, if you would allow me early access into your university project, that is."

The Duchess smirked slightly before answering, "The hands-on work never stops for people like us, does it? And I can fully appreciate the need for discretion. If there is anything those history buffs at the university can help you find, I will ensure they are at your full disposal."

Padmé gave a short bow before saying, "Thank you, Satine. Your help means a great deal."

"It is my pleasure, my dear. And before you depart, please come and see me again. I know you mentioned you are on a tight schedule, but I would love to at least have dinner and catch up."

"I would like that, very much." The two friends gave a quick farewell before Padmé was escorted out by two guards.

The sound of boots on metal gave a distinct echo as Revan, Ahsoka, and various Death Watch members all descended the ramp of the Ebon Hawk. Revan slowly surveyed his surroundings of one of the mam docking yards around the domed city of Sundari.

Ahsoka rubbed her arm slightly as a small amount of unease began to fill her mind.

Turning to look at her, the dark void of Revan's mask watched her carefully, sensing her emotions in the Force. "Steady yourself." The Padawan's attention instantly snapped to the former Sith Lord as she heard his somewhat familiar voice inside her mind. It was still a sensation she was getting used to. "I know you have some lingering doubt and regret about this decision." Revan continued his mental dialogue. "But there is no turning back now… If it is any comfort, think back to the recordings in my mask. Do you remember the debate I had with myself before I began my invasion of the Republic?"

Ahsoka nodded in response. Revan had spent the better part of an entire day recording himself ranting and debating with his mind about the ethics of going to war with the very people he had sworn to protect only a few years prior. It was one of the more striking recordings his mask had contained, and one of the ones that had helped convince her to at least extend a bit more trust to her kidnapper.

"Sometimes the right path is not the easiest. You have been taught this by the Jedi, and the war you have had to fight in. Now, learn to walk a step further into the truth of this reality, and accept that sometimes we must outcast ourselves to save the innocent."

Ahsoka took a deep breath and steadied herself. She had come to trust Revan's wisdom more easily over their time together. Part of her wondered if she was being tricked in some way, but her instincts told her she wasn't, and she had learned to trust her intuition over the years.

Before they could mentally speak further, an Infiltrator unit de-cloaked itself and approached the group, causing several Death Watch members to become alert and even point their weapons at the droid.

Revan held up a hand to reassure the team and approached one of his newest creations, "Report." He commanded.

The droid bowed slightly, before answering in a feminine voice, "This portion of the docks is secure. security cameras and alarms in the area are being actively jammed with the equipment you provided us. Your passage into the city is also secure, along with transportation for you and the Jedi."

"Well done," Revan replied, before turning and giving an affirmative nod to Bo-Katan's questioning gaze, who was waiting some yards away, with her men.

"All teams, execute your orders and keep your comms open. If anything changes I want to hear about it immediately." The Death Watch commander ordered with force and severity.

The three squads before her gave a traditional salute. All of them then quickly activated their jetpacks and flew towards the city entrance.

Pre Vizsla led the main group, but stopped by Revan and Ahsoka to say, "Keep up, or be left behind!" He then flew towards the city entrance with the others.

Revan's face could not be seen under his mask, but for a rare instance, Ahsoka could feel the emotions coming off of him. He turned back to the Jedi and extend his arm towards the capital, "After you." He said.

Ahsoka nodded in response and the two made their way to a waiting Buirk'alor-class airspeeder, that the Infiltrator droids had commandeered.

Anakin, Obi-Wan, Captain Rex, and Wullf Yularen were gathered around a holo-table on the Jedi Cruiser Resolute's main bridge. All four ranking officers within the Republic had a mixture of confusion and concern on their faces. They were watching the very damaged, but still somewhat watchable footage that Asajj Ventress had secured from the wreckage on Florrum.

The display showed the perspective of an astromech droid making its way around the main hall of the pirates' base, clearly being used as a mobile drink tray when suddenly there was a large explosion that sent the droid flying. The video became very static-filled and looked as though it would end there, but the display barely came back to life. Blaster shots could be seen flying across the room, either wounding or killing many of the very surprised pirates. Hondo himself was barely in view and was lying against a large pillar, clearly wounded and dazed. Just on the edge of the droid’s limited receptors, a few large figures could be seen making their way into the room.

The group leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better look at the fuzzy imagery before them, pausing the recording as they did.

"Are those... droids?" Rex asked, breaking the long silence that had fallen over the group.

"They don't look like any droids I've ever seen," Anakin answered.

"And they don't appear to fit Separatist design." Admiral Wullf added.

"This would confirm what Ventress told us about not being involved," Obi-Wan commented.

"Do you believe it was wise to let her go?" Wullf asked, his displeasure with the decision already having been made clear earlier when he had finally been informed about it.

"I guess we're about to find out," Anakin responded.

"There's more footage here," Rex stated, as a way to move the situation forward before playing the recording further.

The display continued, and after a few moments where the fighting had died down, as most blaster fire stopped, a new figure entered into frame. This new individual was much closer to the astromech and was tall enough to obscure Hondo from sight. After a brief moment where this new droid clearly spoke to Hondo, it reached down, injected the pirate with some kind of sleep agent, before picking him up and slugging the Weequay over its shoulder.

As the droid turned and looked at the astromech, Anakin's eyes widened and he paused the footage. "I know that droid." He said.

The other three turned and looked at him, all with questioning expressions.

The Knight dismissed their implied skepticism and continued, "Master, don't you remember the briefing we had at the temple? When we were read into the known data the Archives have on Revan? This is his droid!"

Obi-Wan blinked a few times as he quickly searched his memory from the past week. That meeting felt like a lifetime ago now. "The assassin droid? The one Revan built himself and helped him later when he attacked the Star Forge with the Republic?"

"But, wouldn't that make the droid 4,000 years old?" Rex asked confused. Anakin had filled him in on the whole Revan situation when the two had found some downtime to catch up on what had been going on in their lives as of late. The Jedi and Force stuff had always been a little confusing for Rex, but the thought of a time-traveling man who had saved, then almost destroyed, then saved the Republic again, was almost too much to believe, even for the veteran clone captain.

"Well, it might not be the exact same droid," Anakin admitted. "But if Revan could have found some kind of base of operations or factory, he might have built himself his old droid again. I mean, it's no crazier than him time-traveling 4,000 years into the future, is it?" Part of Anakin understood what it meant to have a droid that you built with your own hands, and he imagined Revan would want to have something familiar to him. The motivation almost made Revan seem more human and relatable, a thought Anakin quickly buried under his hatred for what the terrorist had done to his love, and was potentially doing to his Padawan right now.

Obi-Wan watched the few flashes of ranging emotion on Anakin's face but said nothing to draw attention to the understandable conflict. "It does raise a troubling point though: where did Revan get the resources and materials to build his old droid, and these new ones as well?"

"And how does it benefit him to kidnap a common pirate?" The Admiral also wondered.

"Revenge, obviously. Hondo tried to feed Revan to us, the Separatists, and whatever bounty hunters and lowlifes would go after him." Anakin stated bluntly.

Kenobi shook his head at this comment. "No, I don't think so. Revan has proven himself to be a diligent tactician. Not a single move he has made has been without some longer-term strategy behind it. What he is planning we can't know for sure, but we now have confirmation that he is no longer hiding like he was before. We need to find what he is up to and intercept it before he has a chance to execute whatever his next plan is."

The four nodded in agreement with the experienced Jedi Master.

"Rex, get a squad of engineers down to the planet, see if they can find any metal pieces, weapon fragments, or just any clue that might point us in the direction of where these droids are being made." Anakin began, before turning to Wullf, "Admiral, contact Republic command and inform them of the situation. Perhaps they can give us more time before we rendezvous with the rest of the fleet." Wullf and Rex both nodded in affirmation.

Obi-Wan nodded as well in agreement before saying, "Very good. I will contact the council and inform them as well. Perhaps they can offer some direction with this situation."

Three of the four moved away from the table, but Anakin remained, looking at the display. Something didn't feel right to the Jedi Knight. He thought about Ahsoka, and how this might help him finally track down and free his Padawan. His fist clenched in anger as he thought about Revan taking her, just as he had used Padmé as a human shield in the Chancellor's office. Upon thinking about that memory his eyes blinked in realization. He had been hoping to get leave to stop on Coruscant and see Padmé for a bit before this next assignment fully kicked in. Now worried about the timing of his original plan, he quickly turned and ran over to the bridge entrance. "Hey, Rex! Hold on one second."

The captain turned, and looked at the Knight expectantly, "Yes, sir?"

Anakin glanced around carefully before lowering his voice slightly, "I need you to send another private communication for me."

Rex smirked slightly, before answering back in a matching lowered tone, "Of course, sir. Absolute discretion when it comes to matters of Republic security and all."

Anakin smiled slightly before patting Rex on the back and saying, "I'll leave the info in your room, just like last time. And thank you, again."

The clone simply nodded before heading into the lift.

Revan and Ahsoka were flying through a lower part of the Mandalorian capital, on their airspeeder, while Pre Vizsla, Bo-Katan, and several Death Watch commandos flew around them in a fairly synchronized pattern. The light of the city was slowly fading into evening, though it was difficult to tell as the group had to weave between buildings and maintenance sections that were devoid of any population. This route was fairly long to get to their intended destination, but it almost ensured there would be no civilian or security witnesses to complicate things.

There had been one or two instances where a stray guard or maintenance worker had walked into the path of the oncoming group, but one of the commandos had responded in a flash, diving down and knocking the individual unconscious before they could react.

Ahsoka's hands both held a lightsaber, and she was reflexively rolling two cylinders over and over in her palms, trying whatever she could to keep herself grounded. She would occasionally glance over to Revan who simply stared ahead as he carefully, but quickly navigated the airspeeder through some tight passages.

The complete lack of communication was suddenly broken when a communication suddenly came through, causing each Death Watch member to place two fingers on the side of their helmets. Revan and Ahsoka also received the combination, courtesy of Revan ensuring they would be added to Death Watch's main frequency during the mission.

"Alpha team here. We've secured the control center."

"Any problems?" Bo-Katan asked.

"Just a few guards that took a minute to put down. No shots were fired. We're still undetected. All alarms in the city are currently being ignored."

"Good. Initiate lockdown." Pre Vizsla commanded over the comms.

The group could barely hear a few automated alarms going off throughout the perimeter of the city, warning any individuals to stay clear of blast doors as the domed capital was slowly sealed from all exits.

The group quickly rounded a few more corners before the lower section of the Royal Palace came into view. The flyers changed course at the last moment, barely avoiding a crash, and hugging the foundation of the structure as they flew upwards. Ahsoka had to grip the sides of the speeder to fully keep herself within the seat.

The first few commands appeared over the edge of a side platform that connect to the palace and were greeted by several royal guards who were caught unawares by the intruders. The commandos quickly clashed with them and engaged in melee combat so as not to produce blaster sounds. The fighting was fierce, as the defenders put up a valiant resistance, but as the rest of the Death Watch squad quickly arrived, the fight turned just as fast as the protector became overrun.

One guard towards the back attempted to flee into the palace to raise an alarm. Upon seeing this, Pre Vizsla flew after him, igniting the Darksaber as he did so. The guard turned a moment too late, as black plasma cut straight through his chest and out his back. Pre Vizsla let the body fall to the ground and turned to look at his men.

Revan's speeder landed a moment later, and the two quickly disembarked. Ahsoka looked with anger at the bodies of the guards around them on the platform but took a deep breath to steady herself. She glanced at Revan and was somewhat reassured at feeling his disapproval in the Force.

Bo-Katan glanced at the two of them before activating her communicator once again. "Team Delta, do you read me? We have arrived at the Palace. What's your status, over?"

There was a brief pause of static, and she was about to radio again when the sounds of blaster fire came over the comms. "This is Delta Team. We've hit some heavy resistance at the prison. We have a few wounded, but we've almost secured the area."

"Is the target secure?" Revan pressed the side of his mask and spoke into his own communicator, earning him several looks from the Death Watch members around him.

Several more seconds of silence followed. Pre Vizsla walked over to the group and spoke with clear aggravation, "What does it matter if they get Almec? We are about to secure our people's future, and you hold us back for the sake of some bureaucrat!"

Revan turned slightly to match Vizsla's gaze. "I do not move, nor does the Helm, until I have confirmation."

The tension between the two leaders seemed to draw everything in around them. The other commandos and Bo-Katan slowly tightened their grips on their weapons, and even Ahsoka began to raise her sabers just slightly.

The Darksaber's hum seemed to grow in intensity, and its blade slowly shifted as Vizsla's hand subtly began to move. His helmet stated intensely into Revan's mask.

Despite all the threatening energy around him, Revan did not move an inch.

The situation looked like it was about to explode, when the faint static of an open line suddenly crackled to life, cutting the deadly moment short. "This is Delta. We came under heavy fire. The asset is secure. We're finishing up with the last guards now."

Revan simply nodded before walking past Vizsla, "Are you coming?" He asked.

Ahsoka tensed slightly as she saw Vizsla visibly raise the saber slightly, but slowly lowered it and turned it off, his body language commuting deep anger.

The Death Watch leader barked out, "Let's move!" Causing the rest of the group to quickly match towards the Palace side entrance.

Padmé walked into a large archive room, being led by a fairly stoic and somewhat unfriendly Mandalorian professor. While most of the staff at the currently in-progress university were cordial enough, the head archivist was clearly annoyed with Padmé's interruption of her work.

The Mandalorian scholar, who had briefly introduced themselves as Rhal, was currently leading the Republic senator through the academy's nearly complete archives, explaining the basic functions of some of the terminals, which sections contained what information, and what areas were currently unusable. While the information was detailed and helpful, the archivist's tone was dismissive and uninterested in elaborating on anything further than was minimally necessary.

Once the basic information was passed on, the scholar turned and looked at Padmé before saying, "The Duchess sent us instructions that we are to be at your complete service during your time here, however, I will be quite frank with you, senator: The work to get this institution up and running does not stop simply stop because an important member of the Republic barges in and demands our attention. So, is there anything else you require, or can I get back to my work?"

Padmé practiced her most charming smile, containing her slight annoyance with Rhal as she did so. The senator understood the appearance of her being there, and that relations with the Mandalorians and the Republic were still somewhat tense, so she did her best to not take too much offense at the scholar's hostile tone. "Actually, there is one thing I was hoping you could assist me with." Rhal sighed heavily at this, but Padmé simply ignored it and produced a datapad from her carrier bag, before handing it over to the archivist. "I have a friend at the University of Coruscant who said I should come see you about this symbol I recently found."

Rhal's expression slowly changed from annoyance to curiosity as she examined the image on the datapad, along with the various notes and written out deductions that Orden had gone through to conclude the basic origin of the symbol. After a few moments of thoughtful examination and reading, she finally spoke, "I'm impressed, your friend is obviously well-studied. I'm surprised someone at your University would put in this much effort to glean this much information about our past."

"One thing you can definitely say about Orden is that he's passionate about his work."

Rhal simply nodded without looking up from the screen. After a few more moments of reading, she spoke again. "This is going to take me a while to dig through our records. Wait here." She didn't wait for a response and simply turned and walked off deeper into the archives.

Padmé looked around for a spot to sit and settled down for the unknown amount of wait time. The senator was left to her own devices for what felt like close to an hour. Only the distant sounds of construction, conversations, and occasional passersby interrupted her waiting. Finally, a closer set of footsteps drew her attention away from one of the many windows that looked out into the city.

Rhal was carrying several stacks of datapads and seemed to have a renewed energy about them. She gently set all she was carrying on a nearby table and began to slowly lay each device out in a deliberate manner.

Padmé quickly approached the table, waited a moment for Rhal to finish, and then asked, "What did you find?"

"More than I truly bargained for." The scholar turned and looked at Padmé with a questioning look, "Where did you find this clan symbol?"

Padmé kept her expression neutral, a skill she had many years of practice with during her time in the political game, "It was kind of by accident, to tell you the truth."

Rhal's brow raised slightly in skepticism, but she did not press further. "Well, you stumbled on quite an interesting piece of history. Your professor friend was right in thinking this was a clan symbol, and he was also correct in guessing that the clan was wiped out, but that's not what makes this discovery so interesting."

"And what does?" Padmé asked curiously as she looked over the screens laid out before the pair.

"This symbol belonged to clan Demar. They were a smaller house within the Mandalorian lineage, rarely mentioned in any stories or oral traditions. However, they do have one moment of historical significance. When Mand'alor the Ultimate created the Neo-Crusaders and rallied the clans to go to war with the galaxy, the clan Demar stood opposed to this call and were subsequently destroyed for their opposition. We barely have any records of them now, as their existence was almost erased from what few records our ancestors kept, only briefly being mentioned as a cautionary tale to warn others from disobeying the will of Mand'alor."

Padmé looked slightly confused and curious over the other files. "If there is so little information about them, why did you bring out so many documents?"

"Because of him." Rhal moved one datapad to the center of the table, and Padmé's breath stopped for a brief moment. An artistic depiction of Revan stared back at her, engaged in what looked like a gruesome fight. "Our people's greatest adversary, the Jedi named Revan, was reported by many sources as having the clan's symbol etched onto one of his gauntlets. It was one of the many symbols he took of our people, including his mask belonging to a Mandalorian Neo-Crusader that tried to stop a massacre on Cathar. At least, that is what your Republic sources claim."

Padmé's eyes widened in surprise as she received all this information. She had barely received any information about Revan during this past week. She had tried to convince Anakin to give her whatever information the Jedi had on the man that had briefly taken her hostage, but the conversation had quickly turned hostile, and she decided to let the matter go. Her own digging into Revan's name on public sources had produced very little, only making brief mentions of a Republic tactician that had helped in some key battles during the Mandalorian Crusades. "Would you mind if I went through this information myself? I've never gotten the chance to properly study this part of history before."

Rhal looked slightly skeptical at Padmé, but eventually shrugged and answered, "Suit yourself. If you have any questions you can find me near the construction zone of the archives, we're installing new data cases today." The archivist took one last look at the senator and the information laid out on the table. "I can't understand your interest in all this, but I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for." They finished before departing.

Padmé wondered exactly what she was looking for, but she knew she was close to something important.

Chancellor Palpatine sat behind his desk in his office on Coruscant. The room was populated with several aids, dignitaries, and politicians from various races and affiliations. The meeting was a general discussion of the upcoming vote for the production of additional clone troopers for the war effort. While this vote was a very important affair and had produced several heated debates and arguments, it truly was all just a formality at this point. Palpatine had to put in some effort to not appear bored with the ongoing discussion around him. He already knew the vote would pass, and while some groups like those belonging to the almost insufferable Padmé Amidala, did truly believe they could put in enough effort to block this vote, the Chancellor knew otherwise. In truth, Palpatine was thankful for Padmé's dedication and outspoken opposition to this bill and others like it. It always helped to have a firm and unwavering opposition, so at the very least the Senate still appeared to have more than one voice, and that the people of the Republic truly did still have a say in what went on in the wider galaxy, but this of course was all but an illusion at this point. The war was coming to its final few chapters, and Palpatine had already won in gaining full control over the Republic. Everything was going according to the plan he had foreseen.

However, a small thought slowly made its way into the back of his mind. As he sat there and surveyed the room around him, he couldn't help but tense slightly as he remembered the now completely removed scorch marks from Revan's explosive entrance into this time. That moment had perfectly encapsulated the small, but very real possibility of Palpatine being discovered before it was time, a disastrous notion the Sith Lord had taken painstaking steps to mitigate as much as possible.

His mood was slowly soured as he thought of Revan. He was an anomaly that should not exist, something that represented a very real danger to all of his planning and work up to this point. How could Palpatine not have foreseen his arrival? This thought raised a deeper concern, one that had been plaguing the Dark Lord for some time now. When Revan had first appeared, the Force screamed out in a terrible wound. Palpatine had deducted that this was due to Revan moving through time, something that had not appeared possible before just a week ago.

However, as the Force had slowly settled into a steadier state once again, Palpatine had realized that his ability to see into the future was different. He could still see and sense things in an immediate sense, but the few times he had tried to perceive the next day or even few hours, his visions had become erratic, even incomprehensible. Any attempts to look years or longer into the future had resulted in pain and no vision at all. Whatever Revan had done to the time-line was still effecting the Force, and Palpatine had begun to worry that his foresight may be compromised for quite a while. This was a prospect that had angered him greatly, only being added to by the fact that all attempts to locate Revan since his escape from Tatooine had returned void.

Palpatine could feel his rage begin to boil over and had to force himself to maintain his composure. After taking a deep breath, he reminded himself of his power, his accomplishments, and his almost perfect control of the galaxy. Revan was an anomaly, yes, but one that would be dealt with like all the rest.

The Chancellor realized he had been asked a question during his internal thought process and was about to respond when something grabbed at his attention. The Force was shifting again, not as dramatic as before, but something monumental was about to happen. The Dark Lord could feel slight fear and anticipation begin to creep at the back of his mind.

Duchess Satine looked out of a large window from her throne room. She had heard the fait, yet distinct sirens of multiple city gates closing, but she had not been notified of any kind of alert. Sensing that something was amiss, she ordered one of her guards to contact the security center and determine if anything was wrong. She rubbed her hands slightly as tension began to build in her stomach the longer she waited.

Finally, the guard came jogging back to her, giving a quick salute before speaking, "My lady, all attempts to reach the security center have been unsuccessful. In fact, all communication lines are being actively jammed. We cannot reach any other station or even broadcast outside the city itself. We believe the city may be under attack."

Satine's eyes widened in slight fear and surprise, but she quickly composed herself. This was not the first time she had been forced to put up a defense of her people. "We shall stand and face whatever comes, peacefully. Just as we always have. Gather the rest of the protectors and prepare to head into the city."

The guard saluted and was about to turn when both their attentions were pulled to the sound of blaster fire just outside the throne room. The two other protectors in the room quickly joined the third, and they formed a protective wall in front of the Duchess, readying their weapons as they did so.

The sounds of fighting became louder and more vicious as the attackers carved their way through the rest of the Palace's defenders.

"My lady, there is still time to leave." One of the guards offered.

Satine shook her head, "I will not abandon my people."

The four individuals braced themselves as the sounds escalated before finally stopping with an ominous silence. Several tense seconds past before a small beeping noise was heard, followed by a much louder explosion that literally blasted the large throne room doors open.

Smoke bellowed into the room, causing the Duchess to shield her face and eyes, but still coughed heavily. The smoke slowly dissipated, and Satine's narrowed as she tried to perceive who was entering the room.

Stepping out of the grey cloud was the fully armored Pre Vizsla, ignited Darksaber in hand. Just behind his right shoulder was Bo-Katan. The two stopped several yards away from their opposing group.

"Death Watch." Satine spat, "I should have known you would make such a foolish move."

"It's nice to see you again too, Duchess." Vizsla sarcastically quipped back before removing his helmet and confidently smirking. "But I'm afraid we haven't come here to chat all day." He waved his hand forward and several Death Watch commandos flew into the room, quickly surrounded the Duchess on all sides and aiming their weapons at her guards.

"What do you possibly hope to accomplish with this act of unprovoked aggression? The people will never accept you, and even if you manage to subdue them, the Republic will see this as a terrorist attack and be on our door step in a matter of days. You cannot hope to take Mandalore like this." The Duchess reasoned very accurately.

"The people will fall in line once we fix all the mistakes and burdens you have laid upon them, your highness." Vizsla spat back. "As for the Republic, they will have no just cause to impede on Mandalore's sovereignty, for you will be formally abdicating your position as ruler of Mandalore."

Satine's eyes narrowed in frustration, and she crossed her arms before asking, "And in what fantasy world would I willingly do such a thing? Kill me or lie about my abdication will only buy you temporary time until the truth is revealed."

"It will be no lie, your highness." A new voice spoke into the room, one with a slightly synthetic and dark tone to it. "Nor does it require your death."

The Duchess looked puzzled, and her gaze searched behind Vizsla for the origin of this new voice. Her expression carried slight fear as a new, barely recognized individual stepped out from the hallway and into brighter throne room. "...You. You're that terrorist that attacked Senator Padmé."

Revan stood several paces to the left of Vizsla, almost against one wall of the room. His dark mask locked gaze with the Duchess, causing a small sense of dread to come over her. "I assure you that story was... greatly exaggerated. But allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Revan."

Once again, the Duchess' mind reeled in surprise. A very old history lesson slowly came up from the recesses of her childhood memories.

Revan smirked slightly under his mask as he saw the slow realization, but immediate doubt on Satine's features. "Yes, that Revan. I wish we had more time to go into the details of how this meeting is even possible, but I am afraid we have more pressing matters to deal with, at the moment." He paused slightly to reach into his robes and slowly produce a singular item. "Do you recognize this?"

Satine's shock continued as she gazed upon perhaps the most infamous and well known artifact that ever belonged to her people. The Helm of Mand'alor was the physical represent of everything that the Duchess had spent her entire life trying to bring her people away from, and now it was staring her in the face. "That... that can't be. This must be a trick, or a replica of some kind."

Before she could protest further, she surprise was escalated even further as a familiar and trusted Jedi Padawan stepped into the room and stood beside Revan. "It's the real Helm, Duchess."

"Wha-... Ahsoka? Why would you side with these people? What have they done to you?"

"Nothing." Ahsoka stated firmly, finally forcing herself to lock eyes with Satine. The look of confusion and betrayal in the Duchess' eyes was almost too much for the Jedi to take, but she maintained her composure. "I am here by my choice. And... for whatever it's worth, I'm sorry it had to happen this way."

Satine blink in further confusion but took a deep breath and forced herself to be composed, despite the flurry of emotions and questions swirling in her mind.

"The fact remains, Duchess," Revan spoke up again, "despite your best efforts to eradicate your people's warrior past, we both know a significant portion of your citizens believe in the old traditions. If you were to oppose the new and legitimate Mand'alor, there would be chaos and bloodshed the likes of which you have not seen since coming to this planet. The people would erupt into a civil war, torn between their loyalty to you, and to their past heritage. Regardless of who would win, your mission of pacifism and peace would be destroyed, and thousands if not millions of your people would suffer and die, and the galaxy would once again see your people as ruthless beasts that need to be quelled or subdued. Is that truly the legacy you wish to leave behind?"

Satine held her gaze with Revan's mask as long as she could, but eventually her eyes fell to the floor as his words heavily sank into her mind. She wanted to believe otherwise, she wanted to have faith in her people, but recent riots and protest against her rule had proven otherwise. While the majority of the people did still support her, she knew Revan was right. One major event like this would be all it would take to set the metaphorical time bomb off. Things were too tense, and her people were too desperate. Revan and Death Watch had struck at the perfect time and circumstances.

"Well, Duchess? What say you?" Vizsla demanded a response as he raised his saber towards her, causing his own men to take aim, and her guards to visibly tense, ready to leap into action.

Before anyone could make the first strike, Satine spoke, "Enough!" Everyone in the room visibly stopped. "...I will abdicate." Her protectors visibly turned and looked at her with genuine confusion. She looked at them and offered a weak smile of reassurance, "Lower your weapons." The guards took several moments to obey, but eventually set their staffs on the floor. The Duchess then looked sternly at Vizsla. "I want your word: All my protectors and other guards in the city that do not wish to join you are not harmed in any way. You must also promise not to kill or harm any protesters." Vizsla was about to give an answer, but the Duchess raised a hand and glared at him with even more intensity, "On the honor of your clan, Vizsla! Or I will not go silently."

Vizsla glared slightly in return at being given demands, but he slowly composed himself and gave a traditional Mandalorian salute with his fist on his chest, "You have my word, as head of clan Vizsla, and on the honor of my ancestors, your demands will be satisfied."

Satine held their visual stand-off a few moments longer before finally nodded and looking down again.

Ahsoka turned away upon seeing the mighty leader look so defeated.

Revan noticed a similar shift in Bo-Katan's body language but drew no attention to it.

Vizsla smiled cruelly as he gave another hand signal, causing some of his men to land and begin placing stuncuffs on the guards and Duchess.

The group of four were slowly lead away from the throne room, Satine only giving a passing glance at Bo-Katan who intentionally did not look at her sister.

Vizsla slowly walked towards the throne, laughing slightly as he did so. "At last... the true leaders of Mandalore will once again-"

"Not so fast, Vizsla." The Death Watch leader slowly turned with visible anger to the source of the interruption. Revan simply matched his gaze and slowly held up the Helm in one hand. "I believe you are forgetting an important piece before you take that throne."

Vizsla's eyes narrowed, and he slowly reached out his empty hand, "I have run out of patience for you, outsider. Give me the Helm, now." His demand was accented by his remaining commandos simultaneously turning their weapons towards Revan and Ahsoka.

Revan shook his head and audibly sighed, "Are you so quick to switch between your heritage and your current desires? The Helm is not given, it is won, in combat. And I would certainly never willing give you the Helm."

Vizsla's blood began to boil, and his voice raised, "I knew it! This was your plan all along! You would use us to remove the Duchess, then you would claim the title of Mand'alor for yourself! How dare you think you have the right to challenge me for the Helm!"

Before the Death Watch leader could rant further, Revan put up a hand and used Force Stasis to freeze Vizsla in place.

The rest of Death Watch, and even Bo-Katan readied themselves to attack Revan, but his masked gaze seemed to carry a force behind it, and they hesitated.

He then turned back to the still frozen Vizsla and spoke, "I have no desire to claim this Helm. But you are not deserving of it until you have met a proper challenger." He then released Vizsla from the stasis.

Vizsla looked like he was about to leap at Revan, but he also hesitated. Finally, he asked, "And who would dare challenge my rightful claim to the Helm? The one passed down to me through the blood of my ancestors!"

"She will." Revan simply turned and looked at Bo-Katan.

The rest of Death Watch slowly turned from Revan and stared at their second-in-command. While none of their faces were viable, their confusion was obvious. Bo-Katan even glanced around before looking at Revan. Under her helmet a flurry of emotions and questions crossed her features.

After several moments of silence, Pre Vizsla finally shook off his confused expression and burst out with laughter. "Bo-Katan? She would never betray me! She is loyal and knows her place. You truly are a fool Revan if you think my second would challenge my right to-"

"It is not your right." Once again, all eyes were on Bo-Katan. Her voice somewhat quite but very forceful.

Pre Vizsla looked more confused than ever, but a new sensation of anger was beginning to rise in him. "What did you say?"

"It is not your right." Bo-Katan said louder and more forcibly. She took off her helmet and locked eyes with Vizsla, a fire burned in them that caused the Death Watch leader to recoil just slightly. "This outsider, as you call him, acts more like a true Mandalorian than you have as of late. Ever since that Helm appeared you have forgotten yourself Pre Vizsla. Your bloodline and your ancestors hold no sway over our people. Any Mandalorian as the right to be called Mand'alor, and the title is won in combat. You have forgotten yourself, and you have forgotten our way of life."

The other Death Watch members slowly lowered their weapons, looked between the two leaders, and slowly retreated to the edges of the room.

Vizsla snarled at the visible support Bo-Katan had just received for a duel. "Very well, if this is your declaration of a challenge for the Helm, then we will settle this as our creed demands!"

Ahsoka watched the room carefully, she was impressed that Revan's predictions about this conflict had come true.

Revan slowly stepped forward between the two Death Watch leaders. He looked at Bo-Katan and asked, "Have you ever used a lightsaber before?"

She looked at him curiously but nodded. He then produced his personal silver lightsaber and offered it to her. She slowly reached out and accepted it, nodding appreciatively to him as she did so.

He nodded back before looking around the room and speaking, "A blood duel shall now be held before all witnesses present. The winner shall receive the Helm and the title of a new Mand'alor. The defeated, shall die. Are any opposed?" The commandos and Ahsoka said nothing. "Very well." Revan stepped back over to the Padawan. "Begin."

Vizsla let out a savage roar before activating his jetpack and flying directly at Bo-Katan. She took a defensive stance before activating the lightsaber, which produced a purple blade. The two met in a brutal clash of black and purple plasma. Immediate Bo-Katan was put on the back-foot, as Vizsla took a far more aggressive style. The two traded deadly and expertly timed blows, showing their clear proficiency in combat. Very rarely, sparks would fly as one saber could connect just briefly with a piece of Beskar armor, causing the metal to glow red hot for several seconds afterwards. The two soon took to the sky and began to shoot at each other with their wrist gauntlets. The fighting took them all over the room, and at several points some of the watch commandos had to duck or dive out of the way to avoid getting hit by a stay bolt, or a wild passing swing.

Eventually, Vizsla's aggressiveness overwhelmed Bo-Katan's defenses, and he was able to cut through her jetpack, causing her to crash heavily on the throne steps, her lightsaber being flung from her hand and clattering across the floor.

Vizsla let out a confident laugh and plunged downward for a killing blow.

Bo-Katan cursed in Mando'a, but in a flash, executed a brilliant move. At the last second, she rolled out of the way, causing Vizsla to plunge the saber straight into the marble floor. This gave her a brief moment to swing herself up, and the half second of extra resistance that the floor caused Vizsla as he tried to free the Darksaber, was just enough for her to sweep his legs from under him with a powerful kick. She promptly followed this move by grabbing his hair, slamming his face into the ground, cracking several teeth and stunning him. She then grabbed the still stuck Darksaber, freed it, and wiped around to point the tip of the blade at Vizsla's throat, as he had only just managed to get back to his feet.

The space seemed to freeze as the two stared at each other. Vizsla looked at the blade and then into Bo-Katan's eyes. He slowly lowered himself to his knees, raising his hands to either side. "The strongest will rule Mandalore. Do it. End me."

Bo-Katan's face flashed with a wide range of emotions before she finally looked away, lowering the saber as she did so. "I spare you, Pre Vizsla. You will serve our people faithfully, as you have always done." She began to walk away without looking at her former leader.

Vizsla's face slowly began to fill with rage once again. All his frustrations, all his defeats and failures slowly filled his mind as his face became red with a rush of blood. He slowly stood up, his hands visibly shaking as a vibro knife slowly descended from one of his gauntlets. He was about to yell out and move, when the sound of a lightsaber ignited.

Bo-Katan turned on instinct, the Darksaber raised ready to fight, but her face went cold as she saw what was before her.

Vizsla face slowly shifted to confusion as he looked down. Protruding from his neck was the crimson blade of a red lightsaber. Standing directly behind him, holding the handle of the saber against the back of his neck was Revan. "Traitors deserve no mercy." He said before deactivating his saber and letting Vizsla's body fall to the floor.

Bo-Katan was about to yell out in anger but stooped herself as she saw the vibro blade sticking out of Vizsla's right gauntlet. The rest of Death Watch went to move against Revan but were stopped as she slowly lifted a hand to signal them not to. She slowly lowered and deactivated the Darksaber as she stared at her former leader in disbelief that he would try and kill her after the duel was concluded. She was snapped out of her grief as Revan slowly approached her. Anger, confusion, sadness, and guilt weighed on her, and part of her wanted to blame it all on Revan. Had he influenced her in some way? Had he tricked her into doing all this? Could she even trust him? But as she gazed into the void of his mask, she found no answers. Her gaze in slight surprise as Revan knelt down and slowly raised up the Helm to her. She looked at the ancient mask for several moments, before finally reaching for it with shaking hands. After what felt like a lifetime, she finally placed it over her face.

At that moment, several other Death Watch members from team Delta arrived with former Prime Minister Almec. There was visible confusion present on all of them as they saw the body of Pre Vizsla and the obvious signs of fighting. Almec's face looked pale as he saw Ahsoka standing to the side, who only gave him a passing glare.

Revan stood up, exchanging a look of understanding with Mand'alor before he stepped to the side and shouted to the room. "A new Mand'alor is born! All hail Mand'alor the Resurrector!"

"Hail!" The commandos responded back as they raised a fist into the air.

Bo-Katan looked at Revan with slight curiosity, "Resurrector?... Seems fitting. I like it."

"I thought you might." Revan said back. "Ah, Prime Minister, why don't you come address your new lord?"

Almec was shoved forward by a few commands and forced to his knees at the steps of the throne. He did his best to put on a convincing smile, but was clearly nervous, "Ah, so good to see that Death Watch has finally secured it's proper place in ruling. I must say, I was always opposed to Satine's rule and I-"

Mand'alor raised a fist to stop the minister from babbling on any further, "Stop groveling. Do you know why you're here?"

"I assume you require my services? That or you wish to kill me yourself I suppose."

"A tempting prospect." Bo-Katan said with a slight smirk under her mask. "But your first guest is correct. Your position as Prime Minister is to be restored, and you will assist me in rebuilding a new government. But understood this," she moved forward until she was towering over the man, "if I ever catch a hint that you are planning to betray me, I will not hesitate to have you executed in the most painful way I can imagine. Do I make myself clear?"

Almec bowed deeply to hide his fearful expression, "Most assuredly, your eminence."

Bo-Katan watched Almec for a moment longer before stepping back and waving to her men. "Find our Prime Minister some quarters and give him the briefing about his next tasks." Two commandos quickly moved into action and escorted Almec away. She then stopped and looked at the body of Vizsla again. "...Take Pre Vizsla's body and prepare it for a funeral. He shall have a warrior's memorial to honor his legacy to Death Watch, and his people." A few commands respectfully carried the body away.

One commando came flying into the room from the hallway leading into the throne room. "Mand'alor, there's a large crowd gathered outside."

"Rioters? Already?" She asked confused.

The commando shook his head, "It seems like they're waiting for some kind of announcement.

Bo-Katan slowly turned and looked at Revan with suspicion.

He looked back at her and said, "I may have taken the liberty of sending a communication to every home that there was an announcement coming from the Palace concerning the future of this planet, and that attendance was recommended. On the topic of that future, I have a suggestion for a small, but symbolic change you may want to consider."

Bo-Katan's body language shifted as she looked at Revan in curiosity. He leaned in closely and whispered something quietly to her. Once he moved away the two stared at each other for a moment before she nodded in agreement.

"Your people are waiting, Mand'alor." Revan said with a small bow as he gestured to the Palace's main balcony.

Bo-Katan took a deep breath and walked onto the balcony. Before her was a sea of Mandalorians waiting expectantly for some kind of announcement.

"Mandalorians! I come to you today with important news. The Duchess has abdicated her position, for the Helm of Mand'alor has been found! Today marks a new chapter in our people's history. No longer will we passively live under the constraints of those who wish to control and exploit us, but we shall defend our right to be a free and sovereign people! To commemorate this day, this planet shall be renamed to New Malachor, for Mandalore is not a place, a planet, or a physical location, but it is the unbreakable spirit of our people. Wherever we Mandalorians are gathered, whether in peace or at war, there is Mandalore!" The crowd slowly began to cheer as promises were made regarding food, security, and a freedom form the taxes and debts owed to outside powers like the Republic. While many were still confused, angry, or skeptical, Bo-Katan's powerful words slowly swayed the crowd into a fervor of hope and anticipation.

Revan watched the beginning moments of Mand'alor's speech with a small smile of pride on his face.

Ahsoka slowly made her way over to him and stood by his side. The pair stood in silence for a few seconds before she spoke, "Well... we did it. I hope it was the right decision."

"Time will tell." Revan replied back, "But now, the real work begins."

Ahsoka looked at Revan with a slightly raised brow in an unsaid question.

"Excuse me, I have my own speech to make." He did not elaborate further as he walked out of the throne room.

(This scene will be shifting through multiple different perspectives)

*Padmé was pulled out of her deep studies as she suddenly noticed the absence of noise around her. She suddenly felt like something was very wrong and slowly got up from the table and began to walk around in search of what had changed around her. Eventually, she heard the faint sound of someone talking. She slowly made her way towards the source of the sound and stopped as she rounded a corner. Rhal, a few other academics she had briefly been introduced to, and several construction workers were all standing with shocked expressions as they watched a large screen on a wall. The screen was displaying the live speech of Bo-Katan to the Mandalorian people. Padmé slowly approached the group and was also stunned by the things she was hearing. Where was the Duchess? What was happening to the planet? The group watched on in silence, unable to tear themselves away. The speech finally ended, and the screen went dark.

However, before anyone could speak the screen suddenly crackled back to life. Padmé's breath tensed up as she saw the familiar demonic mask stare back at her.*

"Greetings, citizens of the galaxy."

*Dooku stood on the bridge of a Separatist Cruiser, his eyes widened in surprise as a hologram of Revan suddenly appeared on the ship's main display.*

"I apologize for whatever interruption this broadcast may have caused you, but I promise will be concise and to the point."

*Palatine and his fellow politicians silently watched the hologram that had forcibly appeared on his room's large projector. The Chancellor’s hands slowly clenched the sides of his chair in rage, just out of view from the rest of the room.*

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Revan. While many of you will not recognize that name, simply know that I am an individual not to be easily dismissed or trifled with. As for why I am speaking to you all today, that answer will take a little more explanation."

*Adi Gallia and Aayla Secura stood in the main security room of the Jedi temple, watching the broadcast before them. "Why are we receiving this?" Master Secura asked. One of the clone technicians quickly typed away at a console before slowly turning and looking at the two Jedi,

"Everywhere, generals. It's a massive unsecure broadcast being forced onto every public communication network.*

"The galaxy will soon discover that Duchess Satine  has recently abdicated her throne. The now named, New Malachor, is currently under the legitimate rule of Mand'alor the Resurrector. New Malachor, and her neutral system allies are from this day forward, totally sovereign and free from all control or influence from outside forces, including the Republic and its affiliates."

*Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Wullf watched in frustration and horror as they watched the broadcast. "Where is this coming from?" Anakin finally asked.

Anakin looked over at his former master whose face was slowly draining of color. Rex ran into the room with a look of concern, before handing the Jedi Knight a datapad. Anakin took the device with slight confusion, but his face quickly turned to concern and anger. Rex had tried to send a message to Padmé's apartment, but her aids had informed him that she had left for a trip to-

"Mandalore, sir." One of the technicians finally replied.*

"Let me be very clear: The neutral systems are not at war with any faction. Nor are any existing treaties with the Republic broken by this change in leadership. And for those who doubt our intentions, the Duchess is alive and well, and the people of Mandalore will be provided for without the assistance of the Republic. So, what are our demands? That is very simple: To be left out of your war. To have our liberties respected, and our neutrality maintained. We shall make no move to expand or take any territories that we do not currently have a claim to. But for those who would seek conflict with us, I give you this warning."

*All spectators watched in anticipation for the next set of words.*

"Prepare yourselves for a new kind of war."

I hope it was worth the wait! I promise I am trying to gett better at publishing these things lol.