#serocco | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ladyrevanhalin · 5 years ago

Text

ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER THIRTEEN - SEROCCO AND THE CATHAR MASSACRE

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/38115335

The Miraluka planet of Katarr was brimming and alive with the Force. It was the reason why the Revanchist had suggested that they rendezvous here before taking the prisoner to Coruscant to go on trial. It would be far easier for the Revanchists to recover from their recent nightmare on Flashpoint in a place that was so full with energy from the Force.

Many were deep in meditation as the ships—the Stalwart Nightingale and the Williwaw—sat landed on the planet’s surface. Away from the others so as not to disturb them, the Revanchist sat in the med bay of the Nightingale with her apprentice, tending to his head wounds. Across the entirety of his skull were a network of crude stitches which seemed to be holding him together. It appeared as though Demagol had performed a vivisection on the man’s head in an attempt to observe the brain. There were soft spots also along many of the stitched points. The Revanchist could only assume that the doctor had drilled through the bone in these places.

In all, Malak was lucky just to be alive. The guilt of this thought ate away at the woman’s soul. Had it not been for the stroke of luck with that Padawan from Taris, it was almost certain he would have been dead before she could reach Flashpoint.

The man grimaced, letting out a groan as his Master applied a Fresh kolto patch to his head. The Revanchist winced at the sound.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m trying to be as gentle as I can…. I… I’m sorry….”

“Why do you keep apologizing? You’re not the one who carved my head open.”

“I may as well have been…”

“Halin…”

“Please don’t call me that.”

Malak let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t like the Revanchist.”

The woman froze, her hands trembling. She swallowed, so as to contain her emotions from escaping. The words cut through her like a knife.

“The Revanchist,” he continued, “is so caught up in chasing phantom visions that she forgets the real war is happening right in front of her. Halin, on the other hand… Halin would have sensed the distress of a friend much sooner… I’d rather follow Halin into battle than the Revanchist….”

He waited for a reply from her, but the woman remained silent, her eyes downcast, lost in thought. Malak sighed again.

“I’m not sure why I bother…” he said plainly.

The Revanchist choked on the well of emotions caught there in her throat. She made a move as if to leave, but her apprentice caught her wrist before she could do so.

“Please… Please just speak to me,” he said to her. “I’m trying to understand… To understand what’s happening to you. You’ve not been yourself since we met in the grove on Dantooine. I don’t understand why you’re suddenly so cold lately…”

There was another moment of silence between them. He waited, and waited… and finally, she answered:

“The Council was right…”

The man looked at the woman in disbelief, wondering if he had heard her correctly. Even as Halin, the woman before him had always had her fair share of disagreements with the Jedi Council. These disagreements were what drove her to enter the war—what drove her to become the Revanchist in the first place… and now, she was saying that they were right?

“…I had sensed your distress some time ago… Not long after having arrived on Deralia…”

“Then why did you ignore it if you knew something was wrong?”

“Because you are Malak.”

The man looked at her, puzzled at the answer. He’d assumed that the name she’d given to him was a passing whim, meant to separate their current actions from their time in the Order as Halin and Alex…

“I don’t like Malak either…” he replied bitterly.

“Don’t say that…”

“And why shouldn’t I?”

“Please….”

“Please what? Please just accept that my closest friend left me and all of the rest of those who followed her to be tortured to death by the Mandalorians? Well you know what, Revanchist? I can’t do that! You don’t care what happens to any of us! Look at me! Look at what they’ve done to me! Do you think that this,” he said, pointing to his scalp with his free hand, “hurts? Well, what hurts, even more, is you! I….”

He caught himself before he could say it. ‘I love you’ were the words that wanted desperately to escape his lips, but he could not bring himself to say it out loud. Not now… He looked at her face. Her eyes were wide with obvious remorse as she stared at him. This situation must have caused her just as much pain as it had him. He sighed, letting go of her wrist.

“I miss Halin…” he said gently.

“I’m sorry…” she said in a voice no louder than a whisper. “I truly am…”

“Sorry doesn’t alter the past….”

“I know that… but it can alter the future… I’ve decided to disband the Revanchists once we return to Coruscant….”

“What!? You can’t be serious…”

“One of them is already dead because of my foolishness, and I almost you as well. The Council was right. It was stupid of me to involve anyone else in this. I shouldn’t have let you follow me. I shouldn’t have let any of you follow me!”

“We followed you because we thought that you were right—because we believed in what the Revanchist stood for… We believed in ‘justice for the innocent.’ We believed in you…”

She simply shook her head. “You’re all better off without me. I… I can’t ask you to risk your lives in vain….”

“If we stop now, then everything will have been in vain.”

“But…”

“But what?”

The young woman froze. She’d heard the voice again—and this time, it hadn’t been a vision. There on Dxun…. There was more there than just Mandalorian outposts, or even Sith tombs… There were even greater forces at work. She debated for a moment whether she could tell him. Perhaps… perhaps little at a time… Until she was sure that he was ready to understand….

“I’m a danger to all of you… it’s these visions… I’m no seer, but they’re so… so vivid… I don’t know how to control them… and all I see… all I see is darkness… so much darkness….”

Her words concerned Malak. Just what kind of darkness was she talking about here? “Can you be any more specific? Onderon, for example… what did you see exactly?”

“I saw the planet and its moon… at first, everything was peaceful… but then a sort of shadow started stretching from the moon, like an eclipse that engulfed the entire planet… and then… and then there was a voice…”

“A voice? What sort of a voice?”

“It was difficult to distinguish at first… and yet it seemed as though it were always there… and it wasn’t the first time that I heard it either… The same voice was in my previous vision…”

Malak was a bit confused by this. She had told him previously of her first vision, but had never mentioned any sort of a voice… “But what did the voice say to you?”

It was here that the woman froze in hesitation. “I… I can’t say it… I dare not repeat it…”

“You need help. Maybe back on Coruscant there is a seer among the order who can help you interpret their meanings… Who can help you learn to control when the visions come…”

“And then what? I can’t stay there… Someone needs to help the Republic with their war, Malak. And while I don’t want to risk you or the others, it doesn’t mean that I plan on stopping myself.”

Malak just shook his head. “I swear you’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met… Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me. You can’t do this alone… Discuss it with the others if you will, but I think that they’ll agree with me.”

“I put all of you in danger. I knew that something had gone wrong, I sensed your distress, but I did not act. I foolishly continued on my own, thinking that you would be able to handle the situation just fine without me…”

“Well then, change the future,” he said. “Don’t go running off on your own anymore. Let us help you… Promise me that much. If there is something that you need to investigate… another one of these visions, you’ll take me with you. And if you sense that something is even the slightest bit wrong, you’ll attempt to check in with someone from that company… We all knew that this would be dangerous, Halin. We knew it when we first decided to join you…”

“Please don’t call me Halin….”

“I’m sorry… I can’t help it. You’re not the Revanchist—not to me, at least. It’s too impersonal. Will it really kill you to let me call you by your name? At least in private?”

She bit her lip. “I suppose if the others aren’t around…”

“It’s settled then. At least until you manage something that’s less of a mouthful, for me, you’re Halin.” He smiled at her, as if attempting to lighten the mood.

Halin returned the smile. “And I promise to check in more often instead of rushing off on my own… Even if you are Malak.”

“There you go again… I still don’t understand why you call me that. I still prefer Alex. I get it that you want to disconnect from your life as Halin… but is it really necessary for me too?”

“Surely it isn’t so bad…”

“But is it necessary? Malak… what does that even mean?”

The woman smiled again and took up a fresh kolto patch to change the one she had previously placed on his head. “You know, I call you ‘Malak’ as a compliment…. It was clear after you refused to leave me in the grove…. Malak is the Angel.”

The man would have raised an eyebrow at this, but extraneous facial movements pulled on where the stitches were, and so they were best avoided. The Revanchist removed the old patch and applied the new.

“You are Malak because you protect,” she continued to explain. “Because you watch over… It is for this reason that I left you in charge on Suurja…” It was at this point that her expression became somber again. “Why I had assumed that all would be okay….”

Again, silence fell upon the two. This time, it was Malak to break it. “I’m sorry I let you down…”

Halin sighed. “You never let me down…. I suppose I just assumed too much. I was naïve…. I realized that this was a war, but somehow I thought just scouting would be less dangerous… The fighting was over. There was no reason for there to have been an ambush on Suurja… They shouldn’t have known we were there…. I’m so sorry… You did everything that you could, Malak. Hazar should have been my responsibility, not yours… He was too young. I never should have let him near the front with your company… I should have been there to stop it…”

“Halin, if you had been there, they would have captured you too. They would have tortured you too. And Opela, and Fiolli… We should just be grateful those of us who made it through did… How does it look up there?”

“Pretty bad,” the woman admitted, examining his injuries. “I’m doing what I can, but you’re going to have some nasty scars…”

“Maybe I’ll just have to start going around with a hood all of the time like you do,” he said half-jokingly. “Or I could always get a tattoo or something to cover them. I’ve always wanted an excuse to get one…”

“Now that I’d like to see,” Halin laughed. “All right, nerf-herder, I should go check up on the others…”

“Nerf-herder? I thought I had been upgraded an ‘angel’ now.”

“Watch it, Malak—even angels can still be nerf-herders. Now get some rest. We’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, watching as the Revanchist left the med bay. They would need to get the prisoner to Coruscant as quickly as possible. Malak didn’t like the idea of keeping him around, yet Halin had insisted that the best option would be to have the Republic hold him on trial. He supposed that might have been the most ‘Jedi’ approach to the situation… but a part of him craved to see the demented Doctor suffer in exactly the way he had made the Jedi suffer. A trial would be justice, but a greater satisfaction would have come with revenge.

><><><><><

The Revanchists were returning to Coruscant with the prisoner in tow. They were all understandably shaken after the events on Flashpoint. The situation had been like a cold splash of reality to the overenthusiastic advances the group had made. Suurja was a lesson to be remembered.

In light of her companions’ obvious uneasiness at the prospect, the Revanchist herself had agreed to be the one to watch over the prisoner they carried. He was quite different in appearance than the Mandalorians she had witnessed on Dxun during her investigations. His armor was generally more lithe and slender, and seemed to be outfitted with some additional equipment for medical or scientific purposes.

He had been knocked out by a rogue Mandalorian who had been helping the Taris Padawan at Flashpoint station, but it was unknown whether the unconscious state of the prisoner would continue until they reached Coruscant. After all, the Core Worlds were a long way from the Outer Rim… The Revanchist hated being stuck on guard duty, but she supposed that it was only fair given the way things had turned out up until this point.

She had been there for a few hours already when the prisoner began to stir. She moved a hand to her lightsaber to be ready in case of any dangerous situation which might arise. The prisoner was bound, but, given his history, she did not wish to take any chances…

“Don’t move,” she warned him. “They’ve told me all about you, Demagol the Flesh Carver.”

A low chuckle erupted from the suit of Mandalorian armor. “Did they now? I suppose I should be flattered that you’ve heard of me, Jedi… You weren’t among my patients though… I would have remembered a pretty face…”

“You would have remembered the name of the Revanchist, Demagol! I was not there when my company was ambushed on Suurja and brought to your laboratory on Flashpoint. I was not there when you killed a Padawan among them in cold blood, or when you nearly tortured my apprentice to death. But I am here now and I will see to it personally that you pay for your crimes.”

“The Revanchist? Is that so… Somehow I always thought you would be a man… and taller.”

“Don’t try my patience. Many would not be so kind as to take you to Coruscant for trial. It’s a bit ironic, really… that after your heinous experiments on Jedi, your life should only be spared now because of the mercy of the Jedi….”

“Don’t lecture me about your mercy missions, Revanchist. We both know very well that there’s no place for such foolishness in times of war. You and I are not so very different, you know? We each support the war effort in our own unique ways, unorthodox they may be….”

The woman clenched her teeth. “I’m nothing like you, Demagol!”

“Ah, you see, but that is where you are wrong….” The low laughter began again. The Revanchist could feel it echoing over and over, pounding inside of her skull. She clenched her hands over her ears, trying to muffle the sound, but it just kept pounding and pounding, as if it were not coming from the outside at all. And then… and then the voice came, slipping through the noise like oil over a smooth hard surface…

‘You are no hero… you are no savior… like the Flesh Carver, you will be… the Butcher!’

“Shut up!” she screamed, “Get out of my head!”

Without warning, without thinking, she grabbed her lightsaber hilt in one hand and reached out, her fingers stretched out as if to lock him into a choke and, while she never physically made contact with him, the Mandalorian rose from the ground, clutching at his throat…. But the laughter did not stop. The laughter continued pounding and pounding and pounding until…

“Halin? Halin!”

It was Malak’s voice. Suddenly, she realized what she was doing and let go of the prisoner, deactivating her lightsaber and returning the hilt to her belt. She clutched her hand which hand locked the prisoner into a choke and massaged it gently through her glove. The sound of the voice and of the laughter had suddenly stopped, but her temples were still throbbing, her ears still ringing.

“What were you thinking!?” her apprentice exclaimed. “I was watching the security cameras and suddenly heard you scream and saw your lightsaber… What was going on!?”

“The voice! The voice was there… He was laughing and then came and it… it…”

“Laughing? Halin, what are you talking about? Demagol has been unconscious the whole time. Whatever that Mandalorian did to him back on Flashpoint knocked him out good…”

“The whole time…” Halin murmured in repetition.

“I don’t like this. You’re mixing the visions with reality. It’s like you don’t know what’s what any more…. You need help.”

“No! No… No, I’ll be fine… I need to meditate, that’s all. My mind is restless….”

“It seems a little more than restless… You almost killed him, Halin.”

“I know that! I… I don’t know what’s wrong with me…” She massaged her hand again, as if to check if it were really her own. What she had felt in that moment… What she had felt was hate, desperation, unrestrained raw emotions… and what had alarmed her the most about it was how natural it had felt. “Please,” she continued, more softly this time, “I need to meditate… Did anyone else see the security footage during that time?”

Malak shook his head, “Not that I am aware of.”

“Good,” she said, giving a single nod. “See to it that it stays that way…. Lock the prisoner away and ensure there is nothing nearby that could be used for escape. I will be meditating in the Starboard dormitories should you need me.”

With this, she swiftly left, still rubbing her hand the whole time. Malak was concerned. He knew very well what he had seen. It was a common Sith technique used to cause asphyxiation, crushing the windpipe of one’s opponent. While he’d heard of it before, he’d never actually seen the technique in person. After all, the Sith had hidden their presence since the time of the Great Sith War. But this wasn’t some Sith who had suddenly come out of hiding… This was his friend. This was his Halin….

Once he had finished securing the prisoner, he left to go find her. Something was very much not right. It was only getting progressively worse, and if they didn’t figure out something soon, then surely her mind would be lost… He knew very well that she was against seeking the aid of the Order on Coruscant, but it may very well have been her only chance for stopping the progression.

He found her in the starboard dormitory, just as she had said. However, upon entering, he felt that there was a second presence in the room. A strange, dark presence. Something else was here. Something seemed to be following Halin. It was then that he heard it…

“Tse satsetop sirbmu ni…”

Malak looked about frantically. Was this the voice that Halin had been talking about?...

“Tse satsetop sirbmu ni!”

He looked to where it seemed to be coming from. There was a footlocker with a faint red glow between the cracks of the opening—a glow that seemed to be coming from inside. He approached the footlocker when he heard:

“Don’t touch it!”

It was Halin. She’d broken her meditation and had rushed to him, catching his arm. He turned to look at her.

“It’s trying to trick you into letting it out,” she continued.

“But what is it?” Malak asked.

The Revanchist swallowed. She hesitated, glancing around the room to ensure that no one else was there before replying to him. “It’s a Sith Holocron.”

“Here!? But what is it doing onboard?”

“It’s something I picked up while on Dxun… While I was investigating the moon and the Mandalorian base there, I found it…”

“Don’t tell me you opened it!?” Malak exclaimed, ripping his arm from her grasp

“Of course not! I’m not stupid! But I couldn’t just leave it there either…. What if it were somehow responsible for corrupting the Mandalorians? Or even worse—what if they discovered how to access its knowledge of the Dark Side? It was too dangerous to be left there…”

“I wouldn’t say that here, on a ship full of Jedi, is any less dangerous…”

“Well, as you recall, it was not my original intention to be among everyone again so soon… I was hoping to be able to locate a safe place where it could be left or destroyed before the Council sent me to retrieve you from Flashpoint…”

“Why didn’t you leave it with the Council while you were there?”

“The thought had crossed my mind… but how do you think they would react if I brought them such a thing? Many of them had already condemned me for starting the Revanchist movement in the first place, and the situation with Hazar and Flashpoint station only served to worsen my relationship with the Council. You should have seen Master Zez-Kai Ell when I appeared before them… Imagine what they might think if I brought them a real Sith holocron! They would probably assume I was some sort of Sith Lord come to uproot their entire ancient tradition.”

Halin tried to force laughter at her own remark, but it only faded breathlessly into a terrified expression on her face as she again clutched at her own hand.

“Malak?” she continued, “Do you think me a bad person?”

“Of course not,” he said. “I wouldn’t have followed you if I did…. But I do think that you need help. You can’t take on the burden of everything by yourself. You need to leave the holocron with the Council.”

“I’ve already told you why I can’t do that… Besides, who is to say it wouldn’t corrupt them as well?”

“While you may not agree with all of their choices, and neither do I… the Masters are far more experienced in dealing with such things… I have an idea. You said that Opela and Fiolli were also meeting back with us on Coruscant?”

“Yes…”

“Then have Opela bring it to them.”

The Revanchist considered the thought. Opela had a good standing relationship with many of the high Council members…. At least, before she had joined the war effort. There was no doubt that it would be easier for Opela to bring such a thing before the Council than it would be for her to do such a thing herself. Yes… Yes, perhaps such a thing would work after all…

“Tse satsetop sirbmu ni!”

“Hush, you!,” Halin said, turning sharply to the footlocker where the holocron was stashed. “I’ll not have you causing any more problems on board.” She turned back to Malak. “We contact Opela immediately and explain to her the situation. In the meantime, the starboard dormitory is to be closed to everyone. No one may enter until we’re docked and the holocron is being removed—this including ourselves… On that note, I would rather not stay here. It’s becoming restless with so many Jedi around and I don’t know how much longer I can resist its temptation in such close proximity….”

Malak nodded. It was agreed. They would leave the holocron for the Council to dispose of. Malak was a bit relieved by this. After all, perhaps it would allow for his friend to get some much-needed rest. He had never seen her in such a state as she had been locked in the room with Demagol… But at the same time, her visions had started before Dxun. No… no, surely there was much more to it than this. She knew something that she still wasn’t telling him. There were greater powers at work here. Something was watching them. Somewhere, an invisible puppet master was pulling all of the strings attached to this war. Only time would tell whether they were all a part of the puppet show as well.

><><><><><

Opela followed in close step with Master Atris as the Council Member carefully transported the holocron through a series of passages leading to a vault underneath the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The thing seemed to be screaming all of the while, as if it knew and understood their intentions to dispose of it. The whole task made Opela rather nervous. She could feel the dark side energy which radiated from the holocron. She regarded Master Atris with a concerned expression, but the Master remained focused with her gaze forward.

“What language is it speaking?” Opela asked. “I’ve never heard anything like it before….”

“It is of the ancient Sith tongue,” the Master replied. “Pray you never have to hear it again…”

“What is it saying?

“Things that I dare not repeat… Explain to me where you found this again?”

Opela shook her head. “I didn’t find it. Halin did when she was on Dxun she said…”

“Ah yes, the self-proclaimed ‘Revanchist’… She should have told us of this rather than about the Mandalorian base when she appeared before the Council… No doubt she was debating using its knowledge for herself. It wouldn’t be the first time she attempted to access knowledge that was forbidden…”

Opela was confused by the way of which Master Atris spoke of Halin. It seemed that her distaste for the woman was rooted in occurrences from even before the emergence of the Revanchist. “Master Atris, why do you despise her so?”

“I feel no such thing,” the Master replied. “Hatred is the path to the Dark Side… I merely believe that she should show more respect for the Council’s decisions and try to see their wisdom behind them rather than reacting so violently in opposition. Her actions were irresponsible and cost one young Padawan his life. I’m only glad now that you and the rest have returned so that her poor influence can harm you no longer.”

“She meant no harm in her actions. She had thought all of us to be safe. It was why she had chosen to place everyone where she did, based on their strengths… Though I’m sure she will consider placements differently in future scouting…”

Master Atris stopped, causing Opela to stop alongside her. “Future scouting? Don’t tell me that you intend to follow her back into this war…”

“I made her a promise, Master Atris, and I intend to keep it.”

Master Atris continued walking, quickening her pace this time so that Opela practically had to jog to keep up with her.

“No! She will lead all of you astray! It is foolishness! This holocron only further proves such. Mark my words, Opela Moraf—the horrors that you will find in war are ones that no one can fully cope with—Jedi or not—without grave consequences. Continuing to follow down this path will lead you to violence, hatred, destruction, and ultimately the Dark Side. You will not return as yourself—if you return at all!”

It was at this point that the two made it to the doors of a large vault beneath the temple.

“You are not permitted beyond this point. There are many relics of the Dark Side here that could easily corrupt a mind unprepared. That is, if you’ve not begun to be corrupted already. Reflect upon my words, Opela Moraf. For if you leave this temple and join with the Revanchist again on this crusade, you will not remain a Jedi.”

><><><><><

“Why did you come with them here?” The Revanchist asked, the irritation evident in her voice. Her arms were folded as she stood face-to-face with Talon Chan on the Deralian deep-space shuttle that Opela and Fiolli had returned upon. “Deralia needs you in case of another attack. If the Mandalorians return, it will be in much greater numbers than before.”

“Halin, they need you just as much as they need me,” Talon protested.

“I told you, I’m not Halin anymore!”

“Revanchist or not, you’re still Halin Chan. You’re still my little sister.”

“And you’re still not listening to me. You shouldn’t be here!”

“Why are you like this? It seems like you’re avoiding me….”

“Well, if it seems like I’m avoiding you, then perhaps that’s because I am. I’ve already lost someone under my command and I don’t need you foolishly following me around and getting yourself killed while trying to deal in Jedi business.”

Talon shook his head. “You just don’t get it, do you? I’m trying to help you, Halin…”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Why do you hate me? What did I do deserve this from you?”

“I don’t hate you, I—” She stopped herself mid-sentence, swallowing hard. She understood well why the Order discouraged contact with family members. It was a strange set of emotions that surrounded Talon’s presence, and she didn’t understand them. It made her feel uncomfortable. It made it difficult to focus. The woman let out a sigh. “I don’t hate you….” She repeated, more gently this time.

Talon was no less confused about his sister’s treatment of him. He wasn’t certain whether she was trying to protect him or trying to forget him. The man sighed and reached out, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I’m just worried about your safety… Being a Jedi was never a ‘safe’ thing to begin with, but war… war is something completely different…. People aren’t willing to negotiate. Lives are lost every day. Likes are taken every day….”

He broke off and turned from her, going to a locker there on the ship. “I wanted to bring this for you,” he said, opening the locker and pulling out something gleaming in bronze. “You’re going to need it if you end up on the front lines…”

The Revanchist looked at the thing which Talon Chan held before her. It was a suit of armor in the style of the Deralian Royal Military Guard.

“I’m not wearing that,” she said simply.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Jedi robes don’t offer the greatest protection against blaster fire…”

“That’s what a lightsaber is for. Besides, how is one supposed to move in that stuff?”

“Halin, please take it.”

“Fine. But I’m not wearing it.”

Talon rolled his eyes. “You always were stubborn, even as a kid. Just… promise me you’ll be careful out there…”

“Only if you promise to go back to Deralia.”

“I promise.”

“Then I swear to you that I will be careful not to get hit be any stray blaster fire.”

Talon chuckled. “That’s close enough I suppose… Well then, if I’m going to be getting back, I’ll need you to get off of my ship. Otherwise, you’re coming back with me.”

The young woman smiled. “Goodbye, Talon. I’m sorry our meetings are so brief…”

“I’m just happy they exist at all. Given our track record before, I would say it’s quite the improvement.”

“I’ll show myself out then. Have a safe flight. May the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you.”

><><><><><

“She didn’t seem happy,” Opela told the other Revanchists of her encounter with Master Atris upon bringing the Sith Holocron to the Jedi Temple. “She said that if we continued, we wouldn’t be Jedi any longer…”

The group was gathered about the Stalwart Nightingale attempting to decide their next course of action. The Council had anticipated that the group would stop once they returned to Coruscant, but the Revanchists had other plans. They had a cause, and Flashpoint had only served to strengthen their resolve. There were undeniable atrocities being committed in this war, and it was up to them to put an end to them.

There were murmurs among the group at Opela’s words, but the Revanchist seemed more certain than before. Her blue-grey eyes burned with a defiant determination. It had become more than just a war to help the Republic defeat the Mandalorians. It had become a war to win over the Jedi Council—to re-define what it meant to be Jedi.

“If we stop now,” the Revanchist began, “then everything we have strived for until this point will be lost. Deaths will have been in vain. Sacrifices will have been for naught. We cannot allow their fear to control our actions. You saw the way that they reacted upon our return. You heard all that they had assumed. Are we to allow their ignorance to determine who we are and what we stand for?”

“I agree with the Revanchist,” Malak said. “I say we press onward.”

“Any opposed?” the Revanchist asked. She looked around the others. There was concern clearly in many of their eyes… but no one dared to speak up. Whether it was because they agreed or because they were afraid to be thought of traitors to the cause was unknown. After all, the last mission they had gone on had been quite gruesome. It was only likely to go downhill from there.

“It is settled then. We continue as planned. Ferroh? You had mentioned you had lost contact with your people on your home planet? That Cathar was one of the first planets attacked at the beginning of the Mandalorian crusades?”

The Cathar hesitated. “Yes… The Mandalorians had never forgiven my people for defeating them in the Great Sith War… After all, the Cathar are a proud warrior race, but our planet is not within the Republic… I’m afraid that no one knows for certain what happened on-planet though. The only ones left of my people that I’ve been able to make contact with are all refugees, scattered on different worlds…”

“I see… Malak, what is the latest update on the Mandalorian front?”

“The Republic is still trying to hold the defense between The front and Taris… It looks as if Admiral Karath is planning to mount a defense at the planet Serrocco to buffer against the Mandalorian advancement.”

“Then we divide our forces,” the Revanchist said. One group will head to Serrocco to make contact with and aid the Republic military there. We will not wait for the battle to clear and risk another ambush unprepared from leftover soldiers… The other group will follow me to Cathar to investigate what remains. If Cathar was the start of this war, perhaps we can find some clue there as to the Mandalorians’ goal and how to stop them.”

“I would like to volunteer to lead the group to Serrocco,” Opela stated. The Revanchist regarded her with confusion. Only weeks before, when they had been headed to Deralia, she had been hesitant to accept any positions of leadership… and yet now she had volunteered on her own accord?

“Why the sudden change in heart?” the Revanchist asked her.

“If we’re meeting the Republic military leaders, then you’ll need someone who can deal with the diplomatic aspects of the situation. Negotiation is a strong point of mine. If we’re acting against the Council’s orders, then it will take negotiation to convince the Republic to accept our aid.”

A small smile crept to the Revanchist’s lips. It was good to see Opela finally taking some initiative. “Very well then, Lieutenant Moraf. I leave the Serrocco company in your care. Fiolli, Nisotsa, Tavlon and Xaset—you will join her. The rest of you are with me. Serrocco Company will take the Williwaw and Cathar the Nightingale. If there are any complications, you report back immediately to your commanding officer. Do I make myself clear?”

There was a bought of ‘ayes’ from the group. Things were taking shape again. Things would be better off this time around. She could sense that much. Perhaps this would finally be the turning point for the Revanchists.

><><><><><

While the battle had yet to start, the situation on Serrocco was far worse than Opela had initially anticipated. She couldn’t say that she agreed at all with the Republic’s decision of Tactics in the matter. They had chosen to place their surface-side outposts and camps near the cities of the native Stareb species. Their reasoning was that they assumed the Mandalorians would not want to possibly destroy anything that could be valuable for looting after the battle.

Opela could not follow this logic. After all, the Mandalorians were not space pirates. In her opinion, all conflict should have been kept away from both the Stareb cities and human settlements alike. It was selfish for either side to knowingly place innocents in danger because of their fighting. What was the point in conquering a planet if there was nothing left by the end of it to be conquered?

Opela sat aboard the Williwaw, waiting for a reply to her transition for a request of an audience with Admiral Karath of the Republic Navy. He was the one who was in charge of the Republic’s fleet in this sector, ad so any and all negotiations would have to ultimately pass through him if they were to be of any consequence. So far, there had been no such luck.

The woman let out a frustrated sigh, debating whether she should take a break from waiting in order to check out the camp. She was quite curious to see what a Republic military camp would look like up close. This transmission was important though. She couldn’t risk missing it.

Finally, a sound came over the communicator. “This is Darrick Kilvaari, communications aboard the Courageous. We’ve received a transmission request from you, Williwaw, over?”

“Yes, Courageous. This is Lieutenant Opela Moraf, Jedi Knight, representing the Revanchists. I wish to speak with Admiral Saul Karath, over.”

“The Admiral is busy with preparations for the battle I’m afraid…”

“Tell him that the Revanchists are looking to aid the Republic in any way possible during their fight. I have both healers and combat specialists aboard. We are ready to provide Jedi support immediately if permitted to do so, over.”

There was a short pause on the line followed by: “Please stand by, Williwaw. We’re contacting Admiral Karath now, over.”

The silence resumed and the anticipation that came with it caused the absence of sound to become deafening. So much of their mission relied on being able to cooperate with the Republic military forces. This meeting was important for them. It was important that it be successful. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Darrick Kilvaari returned over the transmission.

“Admiral Karath is heading planetside. He’s agreed to meet you at one of the army commissaries in four standard hours. Name is Little Bivoli, over.”

Opela breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, there was some progress. “Got it. Tell the Admiral I’ll be there. Thank you so much, Kilvaari, over.”

Finally, she could afford to step away from the communications console. She would have to prepare for her meeting with the Admiral. She changed into fresh robes, checked her general appearance, and then set out. After all, it would reflect poorly if she were late, and should she miss the Admiral, there would perhaps not be a second chance to make the Revanchists’ appeal…

><><><><><

When the time came, Opela Moraf went out to the commissaries ship known as the Little Bivoli. The place was rather a bustle. It seemed to be quite popular with both the soldiers and locals alike. So much so that Opela began to wonder whether it would even be possible to get a table at the place. Beyond that, she had never met the Admiral before, and so she wasn’t exactly certain what he looked like. With this many people around, it might prove difficult to actually find him. That was, at least, until she heard a commotion coming from the area around one of the far tables.

“You’re lucky you’re a finger, boy! On the Courageous, the Admiral would space you for that!”

It seemed that the Admiral was already here. Opela acted quickly. After all, she did not want to miss him. She headed to the location of the commotion and found the Admiral walking away from the situation to his own table with a rather stern look on his face. She approached him.

“Admiral Karath, I take it?” she asked him.

“I am he. And who might you be?”

“My name is Opela Moraf. I am a Jedi Knight and lieutenant with the Revanchists. I was in contact with the Courageous earlier and they informed me that I should meet you here in order to discuss future negotiations between the Revanchists and the Republic military…” She reached a hand out to shake his.

“Ah yes, Lieutenant Moraf. Welcome. Please pull up a seat. Tell me more about your proposal,” he said, accepting her handshake.

While certainly official in his proceedings, the Admiral seemed amicable enough. Following his gesture, the Jedi Knight sat at the table. “Well,” Opela began, “I fear I must begin with a disclaimer…”

“Oh? And what sort of a disclaimer is that?”

“Our movement of the Revanchists is not sanctioned by the Jedi Council. I must inform you that we are acting on our own. However, I assure you that, even so, our intentions lie purely in the protection of the Republic and its people…”

The Admiral groaned and Opela could not help but to be put back by his reaction. “Great,” he said. “The last thing I need is to be dealing with more rogue Jedi…”

More? The statement caused the woman some confusion. Had other Jedi approached him with similar proposals previously? And if so, why had the Revanchists not heard of them until now? “I beg your pardon?”

“Recently I’ve had to deal with a troublesome Padawan who turned and killed his classmates. I was bringing him in to the Council when the ship was ambushed and he escaped. I’m sure you’ve heard the news recently….”

“Not really,” Opela admitted. “Our investigations haven’t left much time for keeping up with anything outside of the war. I find it difficult to believe that such a thing could happen though. Jedi are pacifists by nature….”

“And yet here we are, discussing your involvement with my company during the war.” And with this, he gave a laugh. “It seems rather ironic, don’t you think, that you of all people should be lecturing me about the peaceful nature of the Jedi. As much as the support would come in handy, I’m not going to risk the Republic’s relationship with the Jedi Order just to satisfy the desire for combat of a few young Knights.”

“But you yourself admit that the Republic needs Jedi support…”

“Even as an Admiral, there’s only so much I’m sanctioned to make decisions about when it comes to the finer political points of this war.”

“You mean like how close your troops are setting up to the Stareb cities,” the woman said, turning her focus to the stone spires only a couple of miles away.

The Admiral grew red in the face, slamming his hand on the table before standing up. “Look, Lieutenant, guys down here are army. My business,” he said, pointing upward, “is up there with the naval positions. I don’t choose the placements of ground troops, and I don’t question the authority of those who do. Now I suggest you show yourself out of this camp before I decide to call up your Council and tell them all about this.”

Opela inhaled deeply, being careful not to allow the Admiral to intimidate her, and stood as calmly as she could. “That will not be necessary,” she said. “I thank you for your agreeing to meet me. If you will not accept our aid here, then we will find alternative means of supporting our cause. Goodbye, Admiral Karath. May the Force be with you and with your fleet. I shall leave you to conduct your battle strategies as you see fit.”

If there was nothing that could be done in conjunction with the troops directly, then perhaps it would be best for them to re-focus their efforts toward protecting the Stareb cities, or to assisting injured left on the battlefield once the fighting commenced. Sure it wasn’t the sort of involvement that there had initially been hoping for, but at least it was something they could do that might make a difference in the battle, however small that difference might be.

><><><><><

Opela Moraf returned to the Williwaw with a report of her meeting with the Admiral. She sent a transmission to the Stalwart Nightingale, explaining to the Cathar company their lack of success thus far. It was a frustrating time just getting the Revanchists to be recognized in the war. The Republic respected the Jedi Council, and largely depended on their support. Unfortunately, it would take more for them to be willing to risk upsetting them…

The day was a rather frustrating one. The Serocco Company was forced to remain apart from the military camps. Instead, they split up, making their way to different camps across the planet’s surface, each one positioned near a different Stareb City… They did what they could in subtlety to encourage the troops to move their positions, but no one was willing to risk the consequences of disobeying orders from the higher-ups in the chain of command, and after the conversation that Opela had had with Admiral Karath, a warning had been issued to avoid Jedi scouts trying to become involved in the war effort. Needless to say, the military was not very cooperative.

The Starebs themselves were no more receptive of the warnings. Gullible as they were, they did not seem to believe that, without the warning sirens going off, there was no reason to consider evacuation. It seemed as though everything the Serrocco Company tried was a wasted effort.

According to the soldiers they had been able to speak to, the Mandalorians were expected to drop within the next day. Time was of the essence.

It was around sunset when the thing finally happened. Warnings began to sound. The dark shapes of ships in the atmosphere above increased. Flashes of light began to appear in the sky. It was happening. It was happening all so quickly… The Mandalorians had arrived!

><><><><><

Cathar was a lush planet, thick with vegetation and non-sentient species. It was strange that somewhere so seemingly teeming with life should feel so very void. Even the abandoned buildings were alive, carved directly into the great ‘city-trees’ as Ferroh said they were called. It was all so beautiful, yet so morbid. So alive… and yet so dead.

The Revanchists searched through every empty hall, down every winding road, in every abandoned tent and hut… and found nothing. Nothing but silence—an eerie and unnatural silence.

“It’s just as it was when I last visited… it appears as though everyone has simply vanished,” Ferroh stated.

The Revanchist pulled her cloak around herself in order to better keep the native insects away. This place made her uneasy. The Force felt strange here. In the cities, there was no sign of life… but also no sign of death. No sign of battle, or conflict… Nothing! No clue as to what could have possibly happened to the Cathar people. It was as if someone had deliberately washed away any trace of its history.

It was their intention to extend their search beyond the cities when they all felt it. All at once, billions of voices crying out in horror…

><><><><><

It was a planet of mostly desert landscapes, tall stone spires stretching toward the orange sunset. It was all so beautiful… Like dancing flames, their light reflecting off the glassy mirror of sand. All was calm, all was still. Lights began to appear in the sky. More and more until…

Honor… Without honor, let them burn! Let all of them burn! Let Serrocco burn!

All at once, the lights in the sky grew closer, larger, until everything was consumed in one brilliant flash. Suddenly the flaming orange of the sky engulfed the entire surface, burning wildly out of control. Screams of children pierced her ears so sharply that she thought her eardrums would surely burst. Pieces of stone mingled with blood and limbs flew in every which direction, the great stone cities crumbling into mere ruins of glass and sand.

And through all of it, slipping through like an oil, oozing over the flames and feeding their destruction, a peal of laughter began to resonate in that place. It was everywhere! Everywhere…

><><><><><

They all felt it. All at once, billions of voices crying out in horror… and then all being silenced at once.

The Revanchist was bent over clutching her abdomen and seemingly wreathing in pain. The shock of the experienced vision coupled with the great disturbance that all of them had felt in the Force had caused her to vomit. Her entire body was trembling.

Her apprentice seemed to immediately notice the difference in her reaction compared to the others, for he rushed to her side. Unable to help himself, her name sprung from his lips. “Halin—!”

She was in too much of a state of shock to protest. She looked as though she could very well vomit a second time. She had grown quite pale, as if every ounce of blood had been drawn from her veins in an instant. Her eyes were wide and pupils dilated, silent tears flowing down her cheeks. All she could do was to repeat, almost incoherently: “I feel it… I feel it… I feel it….”

Seeing that she was in no state to continue forward, Malak decided to take charge in her stead. He was sure that he wouldn’t hear the end of it from her later, but right now, they had all experienced great pain. They needed someone to direct them from there, and Halin Chan was in no condition to do it.

“Cathar Company,” Malak said, addressing the group. “We need to return to the Stalwart Nightingale, now! We should make contact with the Williwaw and ask if Serrocco Company has sensed the same… If they’ve had any developments…”

“Serocco,” the Revanchist breathed. “I feel it… I feel it….”

The company regarded their debilitated leader with concern. Malak glanced among them, trying to read their expressions. Halin was in a very vulnerable state. It had seemed she’d experienced another one of her visions, and if it had coincided with the great loss which all of them had felt, it could have very well accounted for her intensified reaction. His fear, however, was that it would be seen as a weakness in her leadership.

The movement was barely holding together as it was. After all, all that they had was their leader and their cause. Take away one of the two, and the whole structure would be left on the brink of collapse. Malak had determined that he would not allow for this to happen, even if it meant he had to take over himself. Protectively, he placed an arm around her as if to shield her from the threat of judgement, and encouraged her to rest her head on his side.

“What are you all waiting for?” he said, addressing the others with as much authority as he could muster. “I said move out. To the Nightingale!”

><><><><><

The meeting after Serrocco was a difficult one. Because they had been spread out attempting to assist the Starebs, many from the Serrocco company were not physically close enough to a transport to make it off-planet in time. Even so, Many ships had been grounded, unable to lift off before the nuclear warheads from the Mandalorian fleet had come raining in from above. It was unlikely anyone survived on the surface. Opela and Fiolli were close enough to the Williwaw that they were able to save themselves and the ship. Nisotsa and Xaset had made it off-planet, but with a group from the Republic army, and were being sent back to Coruscant to face the Jedi Council for ‘attempting to interfere with Republic military activities.’ No one had heard a word from Tavlon.

The war had only just begun and their numbers were thinning with each battle. The Revanchist sat with her head hung in her hands. Another… Another, and there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She felt powerless. She hadn’t even been able to command her own company during the occurrence. The shock of Serrocco and the vision of the attack had happened so suddenly that it was as if someone had bashed her over the head with a plasteel cylinder. If it hadn’t been for Malak, she wasn’t sure how she would have been able to even get back to the ship.

Opela approached the Revanchist and seated herself alongside her. She was unsure how she could console her friend in such a situation. The loss of another among their ranks had upset all of them greatly… “There was nothing you could have done….”

“But I could have…. I saw it happening… If only I could have seen it sooner, I could have stopped all of it… I could have saved Tavlon… I could have saved all of them…. If only I could learn control….”

“Tavlon died a hero. He died trying to protect innocent lives… He was a true Revanchist.”

A silence passed. Opela placed her hand on the other woman’s back as if to comfort her.

“Malak told me about what happened on Cathar when Serrocco was destroyed…. He was worried—and still is. He cares very deeply for you, you know…”

“He is my closest friend,” the Revanchist replied simply. “I don’t know what I would do without him sometimes. It’s like we’re two sides of the same coin.”

Opela smiled at this response. She was glad that the other was finally beginning to see the connection between the two of them. She hoped that, for Malak’s sake, the Revanchist would come to realize on her own the way in which he felt about her. Even if it were nothing more than a mutual understanding, at least he wouldn’t have to hide it anymore.

After the groups had rejoined following the investigations on Cathar and on Serrocco, Malak had approached Opela again about the situation of his special ‘bond’ with Halin. He’d been increasingly worried for her lately, particularly because of a series of ‘visions’ she had been having. Lately, they had seemed to grow more and more intense, completely incapacitating her at times, as the one had at the time of Serrocco.

It was Serrocco which had forced Malak to take action. He’d had to assume command over the Cathar Company when it had happened and practically carry Halin back to the ship she was so incoherent. He constantly felt her distress and pain since they had left from Dantooine several months prior, and it bothered him. While Halin was the sort of charismatic idealist that took to inspire people to follow, whatever shadow of darkness was threatening her had stifled her capacity for leadership. He was concerned as to whether the pressure of being the ‘Revanchist’ was what was causing her deteriorating mental stability. He knew he couldn’t convince her to stop, but he thought that perhaps he could at least convince her to share more of the responsibility.

He had hoped that, with his and Opela’s combined persuasion, he could convince her to allow them to handle much of the effort in her stead. So far, there had been no luck, but the fact that she was still weakened from Serrocco had only increased the necessity.

“You certainly are,” Opela said to the Revanchist’s comment about herself and Malak. “You know, he’s only trying to help you… Maybe you should let him…”

The Revanchist simply shook her head. “I can’t ask that of him… He’s always been so shy around others when I wasn’t there, and I don’t think he’s fully forgiven me for what happened on Flashpoint… I couldn’t put him into that sort of a situation again. It makes him uncomfortable…”

“I think seeing you like this makes him feel even worse…”

The Revanchist sighed. “There’s just no winning either way, is there?”

“At least until you’ve recovered… Give him a chance. He might just surprise you.”

Opela watched her companion, waiting to see how she would react. It was what was best for all of them… she only hoped that the other would see it that way.

“I suppose… but just until I’m well again… You know, I’d hoped for his sake we would have been able to join the Republic in combat by now. It’s where he truly shines…”

“There will be a time,” Opela said, patting the Revanchist on the back. “It’s a big war, and there’s a role for everyone to help. Try to rest. We need you battle-ready when the time comes… It would make Malak feel better.”

><><><><><

The news channels were all abuzz in the Republic and across the entirety of the Outer Rim Territories. Taris had finally fallen under siege from the Mandalorians, and it didn’t look as though the Republic were going to be able to repel them. All of the Jedi had been recently pulled from Taris by the Jedi High Council following a recent tragedy with the deaths of several of the Padawans there, presumably by one of their own, so there were none to aid on-surface when the invasion came. This happening so soon after the destruction of Serrocco had made it a dark time for everyone.

The Republic was growing desperate for a way to defeat Mandalore the Ultimate’s growing army of Mandalorian neo-crusaders. Likewise, the Revanchists were growing desperate to find a means to be able to officially enter the war. It seemed as though their entire effort thus far had been running from shadow to shadow trying to do what they could, but not be caught doing it.

“Halin?” Malak said gently, tapping on the doorway to the chamber in which the Revanchist had been meditating. “There’s someone on the Communicator… says they want to speak to you directly…”

It was then that he noticed how pale she was. Sweat was pouring from her temples. Her body was stiff and she didn’t seem to be breathing. Not again…. Swiftly, he went to her, kneeling down and taking her hands. They were like ice. “Halin! Halin, you need to snap out of it! Focus on my voice. Open your eyes… Dammit, Halin, open your eyes!”

Finally, her eyes flew open and she gasped for air. Malak gave a sigh of relief. It must have been another vision. He didn’t like how frequent they were growing, and they were taking a toll on her both physically and mentally. He wasn’t sure how much longer she would last if this kept up… When she had decided to first set out, she seemed to have attracted the attention of some sort of dark power. Slowly, whatever it was that she had awakened was trying to take hold of her.

“Calm down,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, as he had when he had seen her on Dantooine the night that she had decided to leave. “What did you see?”

“Space,” she said, softly. “I saw space…”

“And what else was there?”

“Asteroids…. Debris…. And strange creatures….”

“Creatures? What sort of creatures?”

“I…. I don’t know…. I had never seen anything like them before…. It was like some sort of an eel, or a snake…. But they were massive! And they lived in open space… They filled me with a sort of dread, though I wasn’t sure why at first. They had seemed to be asleep…. But then, there was a light…”

“A light?”

“Yes… It looked like… Like some sort of a dying star…. And when the creatures felt the light, they began to awaken…. And when they did… When they did, they began to feed… They consumed everything… everything in sight…. And then…. And then they traveled further… deeper into space. They were approaching systems… systems I recognized… Inhabited systems with billions of people…”

It was at this point that he could hear tears threatening to fall from the way that her voice broke. He held her tighter. “Shhhh…. Did you hear the voice again?”

“Yes… It started when they approached the system, but you broke my trance before I could make out what it was saying….”

Malak was somewhat relieved that he had come when he did. Who knew how much worse it would have been had the vision continued… It seemed to him that this voice was the thing that truly terrified Halin, even more so than the visions themselves…

“I’ll tell the person calling that you’re unable to respond at the moment…”

“No…. No, if they’re trying to speak to me directly, then maybe it’s important. Maybe it will finally be something to turn things around for all of us…”

“You’re in no condition to receive calls right now. You look like death…”

“They don’t have to see me,” she protested, pushing her way out of his arms. “I’ll wear my cloak and over holovid they won’t notice a thing!”

Malak sighed. He’d wished she would have stayed like that a little bit longer, there in his arms. These were stressful times and having her so close made him feel a little better. He hoped that he made her feel just as safe as she had made him feel.

He watched her pull herself up. Her legs shook at first, like a newborn animal that was trying to stand for the first time, and so he put his arms out to catch her in case she were to fall, but she managed to stabilize herself on her own. She pulled her cloak from where she had lain it and put it on, pulling its billowing hood over her head. Neither her face nor frame were visible when she was like this. She was like some sort of specter of a figure, ambiguous, yet unquestionably authoritative in appearance.

“Come, Malak,” she said. “Put me through with the caller… did he give his name?”

She was already walking toward the communications array and so Malak was left with no choice but to follow. “He said he represents Lord Adasca of Arkania, and says he has a proposal for you, but that he could only present it to the Revanchist leader directly…”

What he didn’t tell her was that he had claimed that he was the Revanchist when the call had come through, but that his lie had not been believed. He’d hoped to save her from the trouble by doing so, but the ruse was seen through immediately. Apparently, the caller had anticipated that the Revanchist would not be so easy to reach, and suspected the falsehood when he’d first answered.

The Revanchist sat in the seat at the communications array and pushed the button to accept the call that had been on hold. A hologram of a Duros Male flashed before her. “Ah, greeting, Revanchist Leader. I’m so happy that you have decided to accept my call,” he said upon seeing her cloaked figure. “My name is Eejee, and I’m calling on behalf of Lord Adasca of Arkania.”

“So I’ve been told,” the Revanchist replied. “I’ve heard that he has some sort of a proposal for me?”

“Yes,” the Duros replied. “He insisted that I only give the invitation to you directly.”

“A bold request, given that he has chosen not to call me himself.”

“The Lord apologizes, but he has been busy entertaining a special guest as of late, and has had little time, so as his secretary I’ve been keeping up with his business work as able.”

“What sort of an invitation is this?”

“To view a new weapon that has been in development.”

Halin further paled under her hood. A new weapon… The timing of it all… It must have had something to do with what she had seen in her recent vision.

“And just what sort of a weapon is this?” she managed.

“I’m sending over files with the details now. It’s quite an interesting thing, really… You see, Lord Adasca wants to be certain his project does not fall into the wrong hands… He’s asked me to contact specific groups who he think might be responsible enough to control such a thing.”

“I see… and who else has he contacted about this?”

“Now now, that information I am not at liberty to disclose freely. If you wish to see, then I suggest that you consider meeting us in the Omonoth system in five days time aboard Lord Adasca’s flagship, the Arkanian Legacy. We look forward to meeting you in person, Revanchist.”

The transmission ended and data was displayed from what the Duros Eejee had sent about the weapon in question. Halin removed her hood so she could more clearly view the information. Her apprentice could sense the disturbance in his friend and Master and moved closer to view the information with her. It was information on a species of large space-dwelling beasts called ‘Exogorths.’

“It’s just as it was in my vision…. I have to go,” she said, standing.

“Halin, you can’t. You’re still recovering…”

“I told you what I saw, Malak! If those things are there as he says, and if someone were to release them into an inhabited system…” She stopped. She couldn’t bear to think of the results that might come from such a thing. “I have to go…”

“No you don’t,” Malak said firmly. “You’re staying put—I’ll go!”

“Malak, don’t be ridiculous. You heard already. Lord Adasca is only willing to deal with me directly…”

“He sent his secretary to call us. I say we return the favor. I’ll say you were busy with other matters and sent me in your place.”

“It’s too risky. If we fail…”

“It’s too risky for you to go on your own! Send me on the Williwaw with Fiolli to pilot. We don’t need a large group for the task.”

“Malak, no! My decision is final!”

“Any chance I could bribe you?”

The woman gave him a look of disbelief. “Bribe me? Malak, you can’t be serious. We’re not kids anymore and this isn’t any time to be playing around! Now as your commanding officer and as your Master, I am telling you no!”

“And as your friend I am telling you that I won’t let you go running off again when you’re too weak to fight back if something goes wrong.”

“I can fight just fine if I have to. As I recall, the last time we sparred I had you bested after only a few minutes.”

“The last time we sparred,” he said, growing rather exasperated with her persistence, “you weren’t barely coherent from the after-effects of your visions! You’re not going!”

“Just watch me!”

“Halin, don’t make me do something we’ll both regret…”

The woman laughed. “Are you threatening me?”

“No,” he said, using the Force to pull her closer to him and swiftly applying pressure to a point on her neck, rendering the woman instantly unconscious. “I’m making you a promise.”

He set her back into the communications array chair and downloaded the data from the Consul regarding the information from Lord Adasca. He knew he would be in for an earful when she woke up, but it was for her own good. He would go to the Arkanian Legacy and see exactly what this proposal from Lord Adasca was all about…

><><><><><

The Williwaw was regrouping with the Stalwart Nightingale after Malak’s meeting with Lord Adasca on the Arkanian Legacy. Things certainly hadn’t turned out the way that anyone had expected during the deal. To Malak’s surprise, the other parties invited by Lord Adasca included not only the Republic Military’s Admiral Karath, but Madalore the Ultimate himself! As expected, things went very much awry…

However, as badly as the situation there had turned out, what Malak was dreading, even more, was his return. He’d not spoken to Halin since leaving on the mission, and given the circumstances of his departure, he couldn’t imagine that she would be very happy to see him again. Whatever he had imagined couldn’t have possibly prepared him for the sort of welcome which he received.

The fire in her eyes when he saw her was unlike any which he had seen in her before. And despite their obvious difference in size, he could not help but to feel intimidated. She marched straight up to him and slapped him across the face.

“Ack!” Malak exclaimed, rubbing his cheek. It would seem as though she had finally recovered from the Serrocco vision. “What was that for!?”

“For being a disrespectful nerf-herder!”

“I missed you too,” he muttered.

“You know, in a real military setting, a stunt like that would have you spaced!”

Malak rolled his eyes. “Guess I should feel lucky I have such a benevolent Master then… Are you feeling better now?”

She turned away. “You know, I would have been fine, going on my own…”

Malak sighed, “Somehow I doubt that, Halin… I’m almost surprised I’m even back myself after how things went there. Mandalore himself was there.”

With this, Halin’s eyes widened and she swiftly turned back to him, practically lunging at him as she grabbed the utility belt suspenders of his bodysuit and pulled his face closer to hers so as she could look him in the eye.

“Mandalore the Ultimate!?”

“Yes,” he said, slightly dazed by the ferocity of her reaction. “Lord Adasca called him there under a flag of truce. Apparently, he wanted to see who would offer him the best price for the weapon that he’d been able to develop.”

Halin paled and let go of him. If Mandalore were to get hold of such a thing…

“Please tell me….” She stopped, afraid to finish her thought.

“No… No, Mandalore doesn’t have it. No one does. One of the scientists responsible for its development seemed to have a higher moral ground than the rest of the bastards involved… Sacrificed himself playing hero by baiting the creatures away to some part of the unknown regions,”

Halin breathed a sigh of relief. “I suppose things turned out for the better then… Whoever the scientist was, he’s saved more lives than he probably could have imagined… It’s a shame we never got to meet him… He will be remembered though as a hero of the Republic…”

Malak nodded. “I didn’t come back empty-handed though.”

“Oh?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

Malak pulled something out of a bag that he had been carrying with him and tossed it to Halin. “Catch,” he said.

She caught the thing, which was a rust-red colored droid head of some sort.

“Lord Adasca had several of the things aboard the Arkanian Legacy and they attacked us at some point. They resembled the model I found you schematics for a couple years back, and so I thought you might be interested. Consider it an apology present.”

Halin examined the droid head. The memory core still seemed to be intact. With such a thing, she could probably study the droid enough to replicate one should she choose. The war was growing more and more complex with every passing day. Any advantage that they could gain would be for the better…

“Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook that easily,” she said to him, looking up from the droid head.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Master,” he said, bowing to her in a mocking fashion.

Halin rolled her eyes. “All right, nerf-herder, you’re on probation. Any more stunts like that and I’ll have you spaced for real.”

Malak grinned. He liked it when she was spirited like this. It reminded him of how she had been before they had left to form the Revanchists. And even though she had claimed that Halin Chan was dead, for a while, it felt as though he had Halin back there beside him.

><><><><><

“Let me through!” the Revanchist demanded, pushing her way past her apprentice in an attempt to get to the Communications Consul. “I want to speak to them myself!”

Malak grabbed her arms, dragging her backward. “Halin, don’t you think it would be best if Opela handled the situation…”

“I don’t care if it’s what’s best! Those fools have no right to make demands like this!”

“Whether you agree with them or not, they’re still the High Council.”

“Whether they’re the High Council or not they’re still a bunch of Gammorian-faced hypocrites!”

A call had come recently from Coruscant. It was the Jedi High Council contacting the Revanchists with a formal cease-and-desist order. After hearing about the Adasca Affair, they had decided that there was no place in Jedi dealing in arms deals for weapons of mass destruction. While they had turned the other cheek until this point, this was a situation which they felt that they could not ignore.

“Hundreds of Systems would have suffered the consequences had that situation gone any differently!” the woman continued in protest.

“I know that better than anyone!” the man replied. “I was there, after all!”

“What we are doing is right, and the Republic will fall without us!”

“Halin, please…”

“Don’t call me Halin! They’re the ones who killed Halin!” And with this, she let out a sob.

It was at this point that Opela approached them. She had finished the call with the Jedi Council and wore a somber expression on her face. It couldn’t have gone well…

“They won’t be swayed,” she said simply. “If we don’t go back, they’re going to have an arrest warrant issued for all of us… Honestly, I don’t see any way out of this…”

“No,” Halin said tearfully. “No, we can’t… Not now…. Not yet….”

“I’m sorry,” the other woman continued. “I did what I could… They say that, if we come willingly, there will be only minor suspensions for all of us…”

“No,” the Revanchist repeated, swallowing hard and managing to contain the rest of her tears. “No, we continue our course back to Cathar.”

“With all due respect, I don’t think that’s the wisest decision at this point…”

“There is something there that we missed, I can feel it! All we need is something! Some shred of a thing that will show to them the importance of the Jedi in the outcome of this war… If Cathar is where it all started, then Cathar will be our best option…”

“But with the communication having been open, it’s possible that they were able to track our signal and already know where we are headed. They could come after us themselves if they choose…”

“Then let them come! Let them come and let them see for themselves, but I will not be taken back and branded as a traitor for doing the right thing. Others have already given their lives for our cause. We cannot stop now…”

There was a moment of silence between all three. Either decision they made, there was much at stake. So much to be lost…

><><><><><

The Revanchists made their way through the grassy planes and marshlands of the planet Cathar. After a vote among the crew, they had decided to press onward. While there was much for them to lost in continuing, there was also much to be gained. If, as the Revanchist had said, they were able to find something to justify their actions to the Council, then they would be forced to hide no longer! And if the Council approved, then others would help them! They would no longer have to hide from both sides. They would openly be able to help and fight alongside the Republic’s military forces. They had to at least try.

The cities of Cathar were just as they had left them before—eerily empty with no trace of life or death to be found. There were no battered or battle-scarred buildings or piles of rubble anywhere. It was all so very strange…

“Ferroh,” the Revanchist said, addressing the native Cathar within their company, “is there any place where your people might have fled to in the event of an emergency situation?”

“Maybe the beaches,” he replied, “but they wouldn’t have been able to stay for long if they did. Cathar people aren’t suited well for wet climates….”

“It’s worth at least checking out… Company, move out! We head for the shoreline. This could be our last chance to be able to find something to convince the Jedi Order to support our cause. We cannot fail!”

><><><><><

The sounds of waves could be heard in the near distance. It had been a two-day hike from where they landed to the nearest waterfront. They were weary, but hopeful. The Force resonated differently here than it had in the settlements. There was still some sort of residual energy from whatever had taken place years before. They could feel the moisture of sea spray in the air and quickened their pace. They were so close now—so close to discovering the truth about what had happened to the Cathar.

They could see the beach now. There were faint traces of an attack here, but not much else as far as they were able to tell at this point. There were some small scattered debris, a few scraps of clothing and trinkets…

“Halt right now, Revanchists! This crusade of yours has gone on long enough.”

The company spun around and saw several Jedi Masters approaching them, many of whom here on the Jedi Council. It seemed as though Opela’s concern that they might have been tracking the communication was well-founded, for there they stood now, closing around the Revanchists.

Halin began to tremble. No… No, not yet… We’re so close… We just need a little more time…

“You don’t understand,” the Revanchist said to them. “It’s more clear now than ever that the Republic needs us…”

“There is nothing warranting Jedi aid in another war!” said one of the Masters.

“You are to abandon this childish cause of yours and disperse—forever!” stated another.

“No!” the Revanchist protested. “No, I refuse!”

It was Malak who stopped her before she could do something she would regret. He took hold of her wrist, preventing her from rushing toward the Masters. “Halin, don’t… We’ve done what we could. It’s time to go home now…”

The Revanchist swallowed hard, collapsing to her knees defeatedly, her back hunched over. Her apprentice finally let go of her wrist. In her entire life, she had never felt so very empty… So defeated… She closed her eyes, letting her senses take in the flurry of stimuli around her—the presence of the Masters, the broken spirits of her comrades, the roar of the sea, the taste and smell of the salt…. These were the last moments that she would ever feel as the Revanchist…

But when she opened her eyes, she saw something there before her, half-buried in the sand. She wasn’t sure what it was that compelled her to pick the thing up, but the moment she did… the moment it hit the light… all began to change.

From further up the hill, a stampede of Cathar began to run in their direction, seemingly running for their lives. Halin Chan quickly got to her feet and all of the Jedi there, both Master and Revanchist alike, quickly made way for the terrified crowd to pass through.

It was then that they noticed what followed behind. A group of Mandalorians led by Mandalore the Ultimate’s right-hand man, Cassus Fett, was shooting at the Cathar people, chasing them and driving them toward the sea. Swiftly, the Revanchists sprung to action, each drawing their blade and attempting to defend the poor Cathar from the Mandalorian onslaught.

What was strange, however, was that none of their blows seemed to hit. It was as if none of the Cathar, nor any of the Mandalorians, seemed to notice the Jedi at all! However, it was very evident that every one of the Jedi there could see what was happening. Halin spun around observing their surroundings. This feeling… It was the same way she felt during the start of one of her visions…. But this time… This time everyone could see. It was a vision that all of them were sharing! But rather than a vision of the future, this was a vision of the past.

Many of the Masters shouted out in protest, insisting that the attack on the Cathar people halt, but it was of no use. These were two separate times, and while the past could communicate with the present, there was no way for the present to communicate with the past. But while the present could not communicate with those in the past, perhaps one other from the past could.

As the Mandalorian attackers began driving the Cathar deeper into the sea waters, one Mandalorian woman moved in front of Cassus Fett, blocking the path between the Mandalorians and the Cathar.

“Cassus, wait,” the Mandalorian woman said. “They’re already defeated. There’s no need for us to do this…”

But Cassus Fett would not be swayed. “The Cathar left a stain of dishonor on the Mando’ade,” he stated. “Today, I wash it clean in the waters of their own presumption. But, if you truly believe that they need a defender to stand with them, then do so!”

And with this, he gave the signal. The Mandalorians, with their jetpacks, flew above the Cathar people and their lone defender and, in a swift and merciless act, opened fire, raining down an assault of terror and destruction from above.

When the dust of the battle finally settled, the Mandalorians and the Cathar alike had all vanished. The Jedi stood stunned at what they had all just witnessed. It was at this point that Halin finally looked down at what was in her hand—what she had picked up just before the vision had begun. It was the mask of the unknown Mandalorian woman. The woman who alone stood up to Cassus Fett and swore to protect the Cathar people from needless slaughter.

“They were beaten,” Halin murmured. “You didn’t have to do it… One of you knew, but the rest… the rest didn’t listen…”

And with this, Halin brought the mask of the Mandalorian woman to her face. “I don’t know your name, but I will take up your cause… I will wear your mask until there is justice—until the Mandalorians have been defeated once and for all. So swears… Revan!”

#kotor #kotoredit #female revan #revan #revan malak #revalek #jedi exile #star wars #mandalorian wars #fanfic

0 notes