#the only girl in the cast for their revenge quest and it put a sour taste in my mouth. at least we got sharla soon after who they ALSO did

[deus-and-the-machina]

xenoblade 1 is interesting because when I first played it I had really mixed feelings. mostly I think because it had been slightly overhyped for me. there were so many videos with masterpiece in the description and people saying it was their favorite.

there was a lot that first turned me off during the story (namely the way it handled its female characters made me frustrated at multiple points) and also how they handled the revenge arc because I have very very specific taste in revenge arcs and I just dont think it landed for me. 

I think I appreciate it a lot more now that im fully deep into the series. I do like a lot about it, from its gameplay to its environment to a lot of the little cast interactions, to just shulk existing. yeah. yeah its alright

[ladyrevanhalin]

ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE MERCY OF THE JEDI

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/38375939#workskin

For the first time since returning from Dxun, the woman stood before the Jedi Council. Once she had come here as Halin Chan, the promising Jedi Knight who wished to serve the Republic. Once she had come here as the Revanchist, who sought to turn the Council’s heads and make them realize their hypocrisy. But now, she was coming here for the first time as Revan. What Revan wanted… what Revan wanted was more than Halin or the Revanchist even realized was at stake.

The red and silver of the mask the woman wore contrasted sharply with the deep sapphire color of her robes, with both colors standing boldly against the black of her cloak. She appeared as some sort of a strange Jedi-Mandalorian hybrid there in the center of the Council Chamber. It was clear that some of the Council Members were intimidated by the fact that they could not see her face beneath the mask she wore. She would have been lying to herself if she denied the pleasure she felt at knowing that her presence there intimidated them. A certain degree of fear bred respect—a respect that the Council was used to being on the receiving end of, but not necessarily the opposite. It felt nice to have a shift in the tides for once.

However, Revan did notice a shift in some of the seats on the Council. Replacing Master Dorjander Kace on the Council was Lucian Draay, one of the Masters who had formerly been in charge of the Jedi Tower on Taris. She wondered as to what could be the reasoning for such a change, particularly at this time. Master Dorjander Kace had been one of the last left to have fought in the Great Sith War, and had been captured by the Mandalorians for a period of time. Dared she hope it was possible he resigned his position after voicing support for the Revanchists’ cause?

While the possibility did give her hope, it was irrelevant at the moment. In light of the shared vision on Cathar, which all of the Council had seen with their own eyes, Revan had come before them, once again, to ask for the Council’s support in the decision regarding Jedi aid for the Republic against the Mandalorians.

“I believe all of you already understand why I am here yet again,” Revan said as she addressed them. “You have all now witnessed with your own eyes the truth that I and that the Revanchists have known now for some time. You have all now witnessed the mass-genocide of an entire race from their home planet. You have all witnessed the atrocities of which the Mandalorians are capable of. With these things in mind, I ask you, once again, for the support of the Jedi Order to the Republic during this war.”

There was an uneasy silence in the room. Revan stood tall and with as much confidence as she was capable of displaying. If this had not changed their mind on the matter, then she did not know what would. Either way, she would not allow them to stop her. She would fight on her own if she had to. But if she could convince them finally to sanction the movement, then any Jedi would be free to join the Revanchists—free to fight for the protection of the Republic!

“We do share your concerns,” one Council members finally said, “However, things are a bit more complicated than us simply giving permission for you and your followers to run off into battle…”

“There are… political reasons. The reputation of the Jedi Order is also at stake here. We are not warriors, or soldiers. The Jedi are scholars, healers, teachers…”

“Many rash decisions can be made amidst the desperation caused by war. If such a decision were to be made by a Jedi, and it held negative repercussions, it is the Jedi Order as a whole that would be held responsible.”

“So what all of you are saying,” Revan put rather bluntly, “is that the possibility of negative repercussions on the reputation of the Order outweighs the countless lives that would be saved. Is that the excuse that you are making?”

“We’ve said no such thing!” Master Lemar stated in protest.

“That’s exactly what you’ve said though! You’re still not willing to let the Jedi aid, and yet you know how many people suffer as a result!” The woman was having none of their petty excuses. It needed to be now or never. If they waited too long, there would be no chance of helping.

“We didn’t say that we did not want to help them…”

“You want to, and yet you continue to make excuses not to.”

“We cannot sanction a military unit…”

Revan thought. Surely there must be some way around the stupid politics which surrounded the whole situation. The Council admitted now that they wanted to help… The only issue was getting them to overlook propriety and niceties long enough to take action and give their word.

“Surely there have been Jedi to help in past wars, even on a smaller scale, outside of the Great Sith Wars…?”

“Well,” one said, scratching his chin, “Occasionally they’ve joined one of the volunteer mercy corps as healers, but outside of that…. No, no, I can’t think of any specific cases…”

Revan’s heart leapt in her breast. A Jedi Mercy Corps… Maybe there was a chance after all…

“Has the Jedi Council ever denied a Jedi’s request to join such a mercy corps?” Revan asked the Council. The Council was somewhat confused by her question, but they did choose to humor her with an answer:

“A request to join the mercy corps has never been denied, no. During times of great destruction, there is always need for healers to take away the pain. It would be immoral for us to deny such a request…”

“Then I ask the Council for permission for the Revanchists to join the Republic Mercy Corps.”

The Masters glanced among the order. ‘Halin’ had never been much of a talent for healing. Her marks in the area were acceptable, but nothing beyond the basics. And while there were several talented healers among them, such as Opela and Fiolli, and even Ferroh to a lesser degree… the majority of the Revanchists were not primarily healers. No, no, they suspected that there must have been some sort of an ulterior motive behind Revan’s request.

They hesitated to respond. She had put them into a position of great conflict. While they strongly suspected that the nature of the Mercy Corps missions were not her primary intention… to deny the quest would go directly against their own morals. Halin had always been a clever girl, but Revan’s psychoanalysis of the situation was beginning to border on manipulation. Either they denied her request and proved to the onlooking galaxy Revan’s views of their hypocrisy… or they granted it at the risk of her overstepping those boundaries…

Master Vrook Lamar regarded the woman who called herself Revan with an expression of concern combined with admiration on his face. He’d always been warry of her rebellious nature when she was training at the Academy on Dantooine, but these current issues… they were different than the ones he’d faced with her then. He knew that there was no alternative to granting her request. As they told her, a Jedi had never been denied the ability to serve on the Mercy Corps. However, he remained wary. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t change her mind about the Mandalorians. ‘Justice’ was the word she had used on Cathar upon taking up the mask which she wore now. However, Master Vrook understood from observing Jedi during the Great Sith War that all too often ‘Justice’ was confused with ‘Revenge.’

“The Jedi Council grants your request, Revan, to join the Republic Mercy Corps.”

Much to the woman’s surprise, it was Master Vrook Lamar who finally dared to speak up on the Council’s behalf. She could tell from his expression that he did not trust her, but respected him for realizing that he knew he could not deny her. However, he continued.

“We do, however, have conditions to granting you this permission.”

She knew it. She knew that there had to be some sort of catch to this.

“And pray tell what those conditions might be, Master Lemar?”

“You are to accept no more Padawans into the Revanchists. Any Padawans who have already joined you are to return to their Masters at once. You are also required to be under the command of a Republic officer during any and all missions under the banner of the Mercy Corps. And our final condition is that any major decisions involving Jedi activity in the Republic war effort, even under the banner of the Mercy Corps, must be brought before the Council first for approval.”

Revan thought about this proposal. It would mean that Nisotsa would be unable to return to them, and that Fiolli would have to leave. It would be a shame about Fiolli, since she was the best healer and pilot among them. But if they had a Republic escort now, there would be no necessity for pilots. These were losses she could manage. In regard to the second issue, it would be a matter of ensuring that the Republic officer in charge was sympathetic to their case, which was nothing beyond a bit of persuasion…. But the last clause… the last one was what made things tricky. The last one risked the effort being dragged to a stalemate due to the sticky backward nature of Jedi politics.

“May I ask what it is I’ve done to breed such distrust among you?” Revan asked the Council. “I have killed no one during this war, and neither have any of the others.” That is, as far as she was aware. True, Hazar had died because of her naïveté, and she’s nearly killed Demagol while trying to resist the Sith holocron when it was onboard…. But her hands remained clean of blood thus far. Though she’d never gotten all of the details from Malak about what happened aboard the Arkanian Legacy… She was still sour about the situation leading up to it, and so she tried to avoid bringing it up. Though perhaps… “And you cannot think that we would choose to deal in potentially system-devastating weapons. That’s simply ridiculous.”

“That’s not what the report from Admiral Karath states,” one Council member stated.

Ah, that’s right…. Malak did mention that he was there…

“And what did the reports say? I was not there. I wouldn’t know.”

“You weren’t there?”

“No. I was….” She searched her mind for the correct words to phrase what had happened. “Incapacitated,” was what she came up with. “Malak went in my stead.”

“We should have expected such,” Master Atris nearly hissed. “Sending your comrades in your place when the situation turns dangerous!”

Revan could feel her temples boiling beneath her mask. Her core felt unusually hot and seemingly burning from within. Her hands trembled. She couldn’t place what it was that she felt in that moment. It was so intense she had to mentally brace herself.

There is no emotion… There is no emotion…

But she could only brace herself against so much. “I never sent Malak on such an errand,” she said through her teeth. “In fact, I specifically ordered him not to go. He left for Lord Adasca’s flagship without my knowledge or permission.”

She leered at Master Atris from beneath her mask. The visibility from the visor was surprisingly good, considering the fact that no one could see in from the outside. She should have suspected so much though. After all, Mandalorians were warriors, and good visibility was a necessity when in the heat of combat, particularly for those unattuned to the Force.

The air was stiff, yet full of electricity, as if a great storm were brewing. Everyone present knew it. Everyone present felt it. The tension was high. Revan continued.

“I’ve done everything within my power to keep every member of this company safe, and while I deeply regret that there are those I have failed at protecting, to even suggest that I would do such a thing is simply beyond despicable! I care very deeply for Malak; I will not hide this. I would never knowingly place him in danger. I sent him to Suurja with the expectation that fighting had ceased and there was no military presence left from either side. And after the nameless tortures which he endured as a result, I have regretted it ever since. I tended to his wounds myself. His pain was my pain, and I felt dead knowing that I could have prevented it all…”

Her voice had become progressively choked with tears. Her words were genuine. Even the Council could not deny that. No one knew the words to respond to this. Even the Jedi were not so void of emotion that they could not understand remorse and pity.

Revan swallowed. She was becoming distracted. She could not risk this. She needed to focus on the goal at hand. “I accept the Council’s conditions,” she managed with what strength left to her voice that she could muster. “I do not know what you have heard of the Battle at Omonoth, or of the Arkanian Legacy, and perhaps you know more of what happened there than I know myself… and while I do not agree with Malak in his decision to undermine me and go on his own, I do trust him. I trust that he would not have done anything to mar the name of the Jedi. You trust him too—that much I can sense from all of you. What I don’t comprehend is why you distrust me.”

><><><><><

           Malak approached Revan as she exited the Council Chamber. He tried to catch her eye as she moved, but her hood was up and her mask downcast, as if deliberately trying to avoid eye contact with the world. The mask was like a shield. It did not let others in, and it did not let her expressions out.

He had been listening behind the door the entire time. He’d heard her conversation about the Mercy Corps… and about him. There was so much he needed to ask her about…

“Revan?” he said, calling to her softly. He humored her with the new name she had chosen. He had to admit that he did prefer it to the Revanchist. It seemed more like a name than a title, a bit more humanizing in that sense. It was also much easier to say. While he hated to admit it, a part of him never wanted to call her the Revanchist because it made him feel stupid trying to pronounce it correctly as he struggled to imitate her inflections in the Deralian tongue. But the main reason why he preferred Revan was in the context of her choice. The Revanchist was bred from the death of innocence—the death of Halin. Revan was bred from the determination of justice.

Justice….

That was the word she had used before, in her attempt to explain to him what it meant to be Revanchist…. Yet it seemed to bear more poignancy as Revan. If a Revanchist was, as she had told him before, one who serves justice to the innocent, then Revan must have been justice itself.

The woman stopped, exhaling a sigh as she did so. Somehow her victory in obtaining the support of the Council didn’t feel like a victory at all.

“We did it,” she said, not turning to him. “The Revanchists are now officially serving as a ‘Jedi Mercy Corps.’ We are to meet with the Republic at the Embassy at planetary noon tomorrow.”

“Why do I sense that you are unhappy?” The question was more of a formality. He’d heard most of the conversation from outside.

“They’ve imposed conditions on our involvement even within the Mercy Corps,” Revan stated, resuming her previous pace. Malak followed at her side. “I don’t understand why it is that they still do not trust me…”

“They feel threatened by you, Rev,” he said, tasting the feeling of it in his mouth. It wasn’t entirely bad. There was a certain mellifluous feeling as it danced on his tongue, the fricative leaving a lingering vibration on his lips. His abbreviation of the name caused her to stop again in confusion. Malak had not been anticipating this, and found he had to turn back around to face her after having stepped too far ahead. Unsure if he had offended her, he quickly continued speaking, as if in an attempt to retract the thing. “They’re not used to having someone counteract their logic or point out their flaws. They are threatened by you because you think for yourself…”

The woman sighed. Malak half expected her to correct him of her newly chosen name, but she did no such thing. She was silent again. Malak wondered what his friend and Master was thinking. She had always been quite careful about her own mental blocks and was elusive to those who tried to read her. The mask only deepened the elusion, for her face was now unreadable as well…

Finally, he dared to ask her the question that was really on his mind after what he had heard: “I’m… dear to you?”

The mask looked up at him, and he wondered what expression shone in the blue-grey eyes which lie underneath. He reached out slowly, as if to lift the mask and meet her eyes beneath, but she raised a hand and turned her face away.

“I’ve said too much already… We should find the others. They should know about the shift in operations. Xaset Terep will be free to rejoin us also, should he choose. I’ll break the bad news to Fiolli personally. She has served with honor as a Revanchist…”

Revan continued walking.

‘She’s avoiding my question,’ Malak thought. It seemed to have struck a nerve with her, like whatever it was that she was refraining from telling him was something that she had yet to even fully admit to herself…

Maybe it was for the better though. There is no emotion, there is peace… It would only serve as a distraction from their mission. He decided to drop it for the moment. It would be best for everyone if they focused on the goal at hand.

><><><><><

Revan regarded the strange-looking man who had been there to meet them at the Republic embassy. Captain Telettoh had goldish-pinkish hair similar in color to the juice of cloudberries from Bakura, which he kept clipped very short in a typical military fashion. His nose and mouth were rather wide-set for a human male, and his eyes were difficult to distinguish beneath the sheen of his glasses. It made the woman wonder if he could even see at all, given their nearly opaque appearance. A blind military officer would have been laughable… except for the fact that he was in charge of the Mercy Corps. There was no combat he would need to see.

Revan sat alone with the Captain and with Malak in the Embassy. The other Revanchists were enjoying the moment of respite before the movement returned to the Outer Rim. Revan couldn’t say that she blamed them for wanting to do such. After all, there wasn’t much to see in the Rim right now other than war-torn worlds and destruction… She had tried to convince Malak to do the same, but he refused to leave her, insisting that this was an important moment for their movement, and that he wanted to be a part of the conversation.

Despite his odd appearance, Revan found Captain Telettoh to be rather agreeable. She had learned from their conversation that there were, in fact, many military leaders among the Republic who had wanted involvement of the Jedi sooner.

Revan’s gaze was intense beneath her mask as she subtly probed the Captain’s mind while he was explaining the history of the Mercy Corps and their mission. She was trying to determine how receptive he would be to a change in tactics. While she was happy to finally be working in cooperation with the Republic directly, she needed to be certain that it wouldn’t cause additional political hoops she would be forced to jump through in order to make any sort of actual progress.

Her mind gently brushed against his, waiting to see if there would be any sort of a reaction. The Captain paused mid-sentence, scratching his head a moment as if he had lost his train of thought before he continued on. A small smile appeared on the masked woman’s lips. The man’s mind seemed susceptible enough. It was possible that this whole crazy plan might just work… Proceeding with caution, she went in further, slipping past his mind’s barriers.

There’s no reason for the Republic to limit the Jedi’s aid to them.

“There’s no reason for the Republic to limit the Jedi’s aid to them,” Captain Telettoh continued.

It would be a waste of available resources to use them only as healers

“It would be a waste of available resources to use them only as healers.”

Malak subtly glanced over at his companion with suspicion. He knew Jedi mind tricks when he saw them. He didn’t understand why she would even think of risking a thing like this now though. They’d only just gotten approval from the Council, and already she was risking them getting shut down by doing such a thing. He personally thought the act to be quite irresponsible, but he dared not speak up now, lest he risk her tactics being caught.

Revan continued.

There’s no need for you to tell the Jedi Council or the Republic media about our actions. All will remain in complete confidence.

“There’s no need for me to tell the Jedi Council or the Republic media about the Revanchists’ actions. All will remain in complete confidence, I assure you both.”

“Well then, Captain,” she said aloud, “I thank you for your trust in the matter. You have been most agreeable. We shall do our best not to disappoint the Republic.”

She stood, bowing politely in a gesture to take leave. “It has been a pleasure, Captain Telettoh.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Jedi Revan and Jedi Malak. I look forward to working alongside the Revanchists when our task force leaves Coruscant.”

The two groups parted ways. It was only after they had left the embassy that Malak dared to address Revan about what had happened in their meeting.

“What were you thinking!? What if something had gone wrong—”

“His mind was weak, susceptible,” Revan replied plainly. “It was not an uncalculated risk, I assure you. I had been testing the malleability of his consciousness ever since our arrival…”

“But why? Our meeting at all was already a step forward.”

“One step forward isn’t progression if it’s followed by two steps backward. We’ve been at this far too long already with nearly nothing to show for result. I will not have our next eight months be just as unproductive as the first… It’s better this way. If the Captain will not report our actions, then we are free to move as necessary in order to end this war.”

><><><><><

It was one of the first truly successful battles of the war for the side of the Republic. The Mandalorians had been slowly shifting their route on conquest and turning inward toward the Core Worlds of the Republic. The Mandalorian forces had attempted a sort of pincer movement by capturing Ithor and Iridonia, however, in a second battle at Iridonia, the Republic had managed to liberate the Iridonian system from Mandalorian control.

The Republic needed this victory. Their war efforts thus far had been met with little to no success, and the Mandalorian front was gradually closing inward on Republic space over the past year of fighting since the Republic had first entered the war. With all of their resources and trained soldiers, the thing that the Republic was lacking was the Mandalorians’ almost fanatical views of honor in battle. Every action was for the glory of battle, for the thrill of meeting an opponent and facing them to the death.

It was largely these views that made the Mandalorians so ruthless in their conquests. Try as they may, the Republics tactics could not seem to effectively counter the warrior race. At Iridonia, the Republic had been lucky enough to have the aid of the Zabraks in repelling them.

But Iridonia and Ithor were Mid-Rim systems. That the Mandalorian front had managed to progress this far at all was a startling realization in and of itself. When the Mandalorians had begun attacking unaligned planets in the Outer-Rim thirteen years prior, the Republic had not expected them to be a threat other than perhaps the occasional supply raid. However, what had resulted now because of their ignorance toward the situation had become potentially fatal to the very existence of the Republic.

><><><><><

Jedi Master Arren Kae entered the Chamber of the Jedi High Council on Coruscant. Her nearly white blonde hair hung gently over her shoulders like a crest of gold-rimmed clouds atop the olive and chestnut forest of her robes. Her dark blue eyes seemed as deep as the sea. She was an attractive woman to be sure, but an even more deadly warrior should she choose.

The woman had spent much time among the Echani people, a race of near-humans originally from Eshan who were widely regarded for their swordsmanship and mastery of unarmed combat. For the Echani, the only way to truly know a person was through combat. To them, communication best came through the exchange of motion in their ancient martial arts customs.

During her time among the Echani, Master Kae had learned much in the terms of their battle techniques. It was an ancient tradition, to know another through sparring—No weapons, no armor, no tools… only two bodies and two souls, their every motion speaking beyond the capability of words.

The woman stepped to the center of the Council Chamber and bowed in respect to the other Masters present who formed the Jedi Council. “The Council has requested my presence?” The woman asked them. She’d heard much recently regarding trouble with one of her former apprentices. She assumed that the reasoning for her summons had to do with this—that they would ask her to speak to the apprentice—but she knew that they were wasting their time if this was their purpose. While the Jedi Knight Halin Chan had always treated Kae with respect while under her tutelage, she had also always been quite independent. Miss Chan was a good-natured pupil though, and Master Kae was confident that her intentions matched this nature.

The Mandalorians and the Echani were very much alike in some ways, yet very different in others. Both were warrior races, feared by those who opposed them. But Mandalorians only sought conquest and the glory of battle. The Echani sought understanding through combat. As her former teacher, Master Arren Kae was confident that her former apprentice was closer to an Echani than to a Mandalorian.

But these things were not why the Council had requested her audience.

“The Council has been informed of some rather… disturbing news recently, and we wished to address you in person about the situation before coming to any of our own conclusions,” one of the Council members stated.

Master Kae furrowed her brow. The statement had been a confusing one to her. “What news is it that the Council has heard?” she dared to ask.

“A source, who has asked us to remain anonymous, has come to us recently with some rumors regarding your time spent on Eshan approximately eleven years ago,” they continued. “It is these rumors which we wish to discuss with you.”

“As you are well aware,” spoke another, “much has changed in our time as a result of the Great Sith War… Changes among the practices of the Jedi Order have been put into place for the purpose of avoiding the temptations which lead so many to yield to their passions and fall to the dark side during those difficult times.”

“Yes, I understand this,” Master Kae said to them. “Such changes were put into place with the best intentions for the future of the Jedi Order in mind. However, I must admit that I’m unsure what this has to do with my time on Eshan. As you know, I was stationed there to aid in diplomatic proceedings between the Echani and the Jedi Council. There were many young Echani who were sensitive to the Force that you wished to have sent to be trained and potentially join the rank of Padawan.”

“Yes, and we had you test a great deal of Echani children for Force-Sensitivity… Including the daughters of one of their generals… a General Yusanis, if I recall correctly?”

A flicker of emotions briefly rippled over Master Arren Kae’s naturally calm demeanor, but she regained her composer so very quickly that the only way one could have noticed would have been if they had been looking for such a thing in advance.

“Yes,” Master Kae replied. “He had five daughters, though I did not sense that any of them had any talent in the ways of the Force…”

“His sixth daughter wouldn’t have been born at that point, I suppose… Like but unalike to her sisters, the child bears the face of her mother… Your face, Master Kae. Do you deny this?”

Master Kae’s eyes were as deep as the sea, lost in reflection of the past. She remembered General Yusanis fondly. He was an expert in combat, and the two of them had sparred often while she was on Eshan. He was one of the finest dualists among the Echani, and his children were among those that the Jedi Council hoped to have tested for the potential of becoming Jedi.

While all five had failed the tests that Master Kae had given to them, her interactions with the General had continued through the entirety of the duration of her stay on Eshan. He was fierce and masterful in the way he moved in combat. She had learnt much of the Echani and their traditions from him. Their martial arts, their traditions of honor… he had even shared with her some Echani poetry, though it caused her to understand why they preferred poetry in motion to the use of words.

To the Echani, words were clumsy things. The only true expression of a person could be achieved through the own dance of their body in hand to hand combat. It was a communication so pure to them that they felt it could be used to truly understand another’s soul. It was through combat that she had come to know the soul of the Echani General… and through combat that he had come to learn hers. Such had been the case on the occasion in which the two had consummated what they had come to understand as love.

It had been after a particularly intense sparring session. As tradition mandated, there were to be no weapons, no shields, no armor… only warrior against warrior, flesh against flesh… The two were an equal match, the intensity of their attacks showing the respect they held for one another. There was no restraint, no hesitation, only pure, unadulterated motion. Poetry in motion. A dance in the duel. A duet spun of martial art. The intensity climaxed until there was nothing left but the two of them. Warrior and Warrior. Man and Woman…

“Master Kae?”

The Council Chamber had grown silent waiting for her response. Master Arren Kae swallowed, bringing her thoughts back to the present.

“I do not deny this… The child bears my face because I am the child’s mother.”

“You understand that such things have been forbidden among the Jedi Order, Master Kae?”

“I do,” she said simply. While she had hoped otherwise, she’d always known that it would be impossible for her to hide the situation forever. She had not personally seen the child since soon after it was born. Yusanis had begged her to leave the child to him on Eshan in order to avoid the punishment of the Jedi Council and a scandal among the Echani political scene.

“Then you understand that we are left with no choice,” the Council continued. “Arren Kae, the Jedi Council finds you guilty of knowingly yielding to your own passions and defying the Council’s mandates proceeding the Great Sith War. It is with deep regret that we are forced to expel you from the Order and must ask that you relinquish your lightsaber.”

Silently, Arren Kae closed her eyes and bowed respectfully in acceptance of the Jedi Council’s decree. She removed the hilt of her saber from her belt, her hand lingering there for a moment, as if to reflect upon the way that it felt so that she might clearly remember it later, and laid it in the center of the chamber before turning and exiting in silence. For the Echani, there was more spoken in movement than in words. And for Arren Kae, there was more spoken in silence. Motion, simple and pure, filled a void of connotation which words could not.

><><><><><

In every war, there were tragedies on both sides. However, there were times when true tragedies came to a side from within themselves. Much was at unrest within the Jedi Order on Coruscant. While the dispute with the Revanchists movement had been largely settled, problems which had lurked in the shadows for some time now were finally beginning to come to light.

The truth had finally come out as to what had happened during the Padawan Massacre on Taris near the start of Republic entry into the war. As it turned out, the Masters in charge of the Jedi Spire there had a collective vision that they believed to be a sign one of their Padawans would turn to the Dark Side and become a Sith Lord that would destroy them all… and so they had chosen to kill the Padawans in an attempt to prevent that from happening.

What they hadn’t anticipated was that one of the Padawans, Master Lucian Draay’s, would survive the massacre, and so the poor thing ended up as the scapegoat, having the whole blame of the situation put on him. Consequentially, the Padawan, Zayne Carrick, had been on the run ever since, trying to clear his name. The situation had brought him to Coruscant.

One thing led to another and the situation culminated with a servant of the Draay estate overriding the weapons systems to a Republic command ship in orbit and firing on the planet below. As it turned out, it was the servant, a failed Padawan, who had been corrupted by the dark side and had begun amassing his own following of Dark Jedi who had been loyal to the Draay Family Estate. When the weapons had been fired on the planet, the Council and several of the Masters and Knights at the Temple had immediately swarmed the scene of the Draay Estate in order to put down the Dark Side uprising.

Needless to say, Master Lucian Draay was expunged from the Council and from the Jedi Order. The wanted charges for the Padawan Zayne Carrick had been dropped and the involvement of the Draay family had been covered in order to keep the reputation of Krynda Draay, who had been one of the greatest Seers and teacher of Seers within the Order, and who had died after being removed from the stasis tank in which the rogue servant had placed her. The official account released to the press was that Mandalorians had hacked the fleet’s weapon systems and launched an attack on the estate, hoping to blind the Jedi and the Republic. The Jedi Order was very thorough about coving up any potential scandals.

><><><><><

When Revan had heard the news of the expulsion of her former Master, Arren Kae, from the Jedi Order, she had determined that she needed to find the woman before the Revanchists were to leave again for the War. The recent events at the Draay Estate there on Coruscant had caused chaos and disruption among the Jedi there, and the Order and the Republic alike were scrambling for a coverup of the incident, blaming much of the damage on ‘Mandalorian hackers.’ Personally, Revan thought that the notion was ridiculous, and didn’t see how anyone would buy it. After all, the method would have been very un-Mandalorian, but the general population did not know anything of the Mandalorians’ views of honor in battle.

The first place that Revan had thought to seek her former teacher was a public garden that the Master had been quite fond of on the Coruscant skywalk. She had personally preferred it to the Meditation Gardens at the Jedi Temple. While the meditation gardens were peaceful, the skywalk garden provided a view that was unparalleled. It sat atop one of the tallest spires in the planet-wide city and allowed visitors to see for miles in every direction on a clear day, or to sit among the clouds themselves on one less so.

That particular day was moderately cloudy. The atmosphere was thinner here due to the altitude, and so it behooved one to remain calm and breathe deeply in order to avoid a lack of oxygen. Master Kae had brought her here many times to meditate, but also for teaching what Revan had learned of Echani dueling. Her reasoning was that, when the air was so much thinner, the body was forced to perform at maximum efficiency in order to not tire out too quickly. One must retain supreme focus and remain true to their body, as was the goal in the Echani martial arts—a pure expression of the body through movement.

She found Master Kae seated on the white stone pavement beneath a tree, deep in meditation, when she approached her.

“Master Kae? May I join you?” Revan asked her.

“You may join me, though I’ve no right to let you call me ‘Master,’” the woman said, her eyes still closed, though she recognized the voice and presence of her former student. “Call me Arren.”

“Arren then,” the younger woman said, sitting facing the former Jedi Master.

“I hear you’ve taken upon a new name yourself, my former apprentice… ‘Revan’ is what they call you now, is it not?”

Revan swallowed past a lump in her throat. She could not help but to feel guilty for Arren Kae’s current predicament.

“….Master Kae, I’m so sorry…”

“Arren,” she corrected. “And there’s no reason for you to apologize to me. I’d always known that there would be a time when this day would come. That I would not be able to hide Brianna forever…”

“But thirty years ago, you wouldn’t have needed to hide anything—and you shouldn’t now…”

“Much has changed since that time, Revan. The Council has done what they have in an attempt to prevent future generations from falling to the darkness the way that so many did then. Whether I agree with their methods or not is unimportant.”

“The timing and severity of all of this though… I cannot help but to think that their punishment was provoked by the emergence of the Revanchist movement… You were my teacher…”

“As were several of the Council Members themselves at one point or another. Master Tokare, Master Dorak, Master Lestin… You had many teachers, Revan. I was but one. You cannot blame yourself for my being outcast.”

A silence passed between the two, the faint hum of air speeders buzzing in the distance from the traffic lanes below. In retrospect, the garden was a rather strange place. It was like a little Eden hidden away from the glitz and the grit that formed Coruscant. Below them, crime lords and politicians alike were at work. People from hundreds of races moved about their daily lives. A crew worked to hastily repair the damages that, according to official media outlets, were caused by ‘Mandalorian hackers.’ And the Jedi went about in their Temple, teaching, meditating, debating politics… But here there was none of that. Here, there was only the sky, the two of them, and their own thoughts and reflections.

“You said her name was Brianna?”

“Yes,” Arren replied, opening her eyes finally. “My own mother’s name.”

“I must say… I don’t quite understand… The rules of attachments have been in place since before I was born… what does it… feel like?”

“To be a mother?... Or to fall in love?”

“Both, I suppose…”

Arren Kae smiled at her pupil’s question. “I’m afraid I’m not a very good example of a mother… I’ve not seen Brianna since she was only a few months old… But I know that she is safe. A mother can sense these things. Such is the bond with her child… She’s ten now. She’s on Eshan with her father and his family…”

Revan was beginning to realize how very little she actually knew of her former Master’s life. She had always been all-business as a pupil, not just while with Kae, but in general, seeking to gain as much knowledge and experience as she could possibly absorb. While she had been an apprentice to many, it would have been a stretch for her to claim that she was truly a friend of any of them.

“But surely the Jedi must have sensed something before,” Revan said, “when you were with child.” She’d not encountered many pregnant women before, but in those she had, it was possible to sense the new life growing within the Force. It would have been difficult for the Jedi not to sense sooner.

“I had help,” Arren said.

“From whom? From other Jedi?” Revan could see no other way that anyone could have helped with such a thing.

“From the Mak’Tor,” the former Master explained. Revan had heard of the Mak’Tor on Coruscant, but she didn’t know anything of them other than the name. Kae continued: “They are great healers, and while they are in the Jedi, they are not of the Jedi. I went to them during my pregnancy. They were willing to help me keep my secret… Brianna was born here, on Coruscant. I come to them hoping for help with my rather precarious situation.”

“And they were able to hide your pregnancy?”

“Yes… The healer I had approached—I’ll never forget her—took my case to someone the Mak’Tor referred to as a ‘Master Singer.’ They’re quite a curious group. Their views of the Force are different from what the Jedi are traditionally taught. I asked once to Ta’Lona’Mack (that was her name) to explain it to me…. She described the Force as a song…”

Revan could not help but to laugh at the notion. “I’m sorry… but a song?”

“Yes,” Kae said, quite seriously. “They listen for a song, a sort of undercurrent symphony to all the universe… Some of the Mak’Tor, such as the Master Singer I mentioned, are able to use this song, often for healing rituals…”

“And this healer… this ‘Master Singer’… did they… sing to you?” Revan had to admit, she was puzzled by the concept. It seemed a bit silly… but, then again, the Force manifested itself in many strange and logic-defying ways. Who was to say it was beyond possibility for these people to hear it as a song? The Miraluka could see. And though the concept was different from what she could understand, why should the Mak’Tor not hear?

“Not exactly,” Arren explained. “The Master Singer presented the healer with a crystal, which she gave to me and told me to keep with me at all times… I’m afraid that I don’t fully understand the finer mechanics of how the remedy worked, but the crystal dampened the appearance of my unborn child in the Force.”

And with these words, a smile crept its way to Arren Kae’s lips. She rested a hand on her abdomen, as if fondly remembering the time.

“I decided that the best way to keep the crystal with me would be to incorporate it into my lightsaber… which I did. So in a way, Brianna has always been with me through these ten years…” Her face fell. “Though the Council asked me to relinquish my lightsaber when they cast me from the Order. I’m afraid the crystal will remain lost to me now.”

Revan felt it was only now that she was beginning to learn anything of the person whom former Master Arren Kae was and had been. She wondered though about her former Master… She pitied the woman. Only thirty years prior, the ‘crimes’ for which she was being punished were not crimes at all. And how, she was deprived of the life she had known, of her home, and of the only remnant she carried of her own child.

“You know, Arren… if you need a place to stay, you’re more than welcome among the Revanchists… It cannot be easy for you to have lost so much so suddenly… Most of the others have chosen to stay at the Temple while we are on Coruscant, but I’ve been staying with the ship we’ve been using… It’s not much, but you’re welcome to call it ‘home’.”

“Thank you,” the elder woman said softly. “It’s kind of you to offer, but I wouldn’t want to be a burden to your cause.”

“You wouldn’t be a burden. You could join us… Help us to stop the Mandalorians and to save the Republic… I don’t know what your thoughts are on the matter… But I know that you would be an incredible asset and a wise guide to our group. The Revanchists…. Well… We are young. We lack your experience…. You have every right to refuse my offer, but… we need your help, Arren Kae…. I need your help.”

Revan had realized since their movement began that there were difficulties in leadership beyond coordination and protection. She needed a mentor. She needed someone to teach her to assume the role herself.

“Your offer is quite tempting,” Arren Kae admitted. “but you don’t need my help.”

The younger woman looked at the other hopefully, but the expression was hidden beneath the cold and unwavering metal of the mask. “Please. It would bring me much ease to have you there for guidance….”

And while her expressions were not visible, Kae smiled at Revan, understanding the hopefulness in her words and in her aura. “I will consider then,” she stated. “After all, I still owe you an explanation to your second question… though I sense now is not the appropriate time. I wish to meditate a bit longer. I will meet you on this ship later on.”

“Thank you, Master Kae,” Revan said.

“Arren,” she corrected with a smile. “You should rest too. There will be a long journey ahead once the Revanchists leave Coruscant. Perhaps on the way, I can tell you more of Yusanis… that was his name.”

Revan nodded silently and stood. “Docking platform 32, the Stalwart Nightingale… Thank you, Arren. I look forward to hearing your explanation.” And with this, Revan left her former Master in the skywalk garden, the gentle moisture of the clouds dampening her robes and bathing them both in a soft mist as they parted ways.

><><><><><

           Malak had a different aura to him the next time that Revan saw him on Coruscant. Demagol had finally woken from his coma and was being put on trial. Given Malak’s experiences with the scientist on Flashpoint, the court had asked him to testify as to what had happened. The Force seemed to burn around him in a way that Revan had never seen before. Beyond the difference in the force, he was physically different too. Blue tattoos lined the entirety of his scalp. She’d remembered him mentioning the thought of getting them to cover the scars he had as a result of Demagol’s procedures, however, she’d assumed it had been a joke when he had said it.

           The sudden changes disturbed Revan in a way that she had not anticipated. What remained of Alex had been burned away. What was left in its place was only Malak. It was strange, really, that it disturbed her so, given the changes which had occurred in herself since the time of the Revanchists. But Malak… Somehow he had always managed to keep an air to him that had reminded her of their time at the Academy on Dantooine. He’d always been the optimist of the two and a sort of positivity radiated through him even when situations seemed at their worst. She supposed that this was why she was generally happier when he was around.

           She debated whether to approach him about the situation directly or let him come out with it on his own. She didn’t have to wait long though. Malak slammed a fist on the hull of the Stalwart Nightingale. Rage. This was the emotion, the aura, that seemed to burn around him. It terrified Revan. She’d seen nothing approaching it from him before. He had always been better at controlling his emotions than she was. For him to be like this… Something must have happened at the trial…

           “Escaped!” he shouted. “I don’t know how it happened, but that monster escaped!”

           “Escaped?” Revan repeated quizzically. How could Demagol have escaped from Republic custody during the trial?

           “The court entered recess and when the recess adjourned he was gone! It looked as if someone had switched places with the guards.”

           Malak slammed a fist against the hull again, and Revan could not help but to flinch. It was so very unlike him. “Malak calm down…”

           “I should have let you kill him rather than us taking him back to Coruscant! I should never have stopped you!”

           “Alex…” she said, hoping to try a different approach to the situation.

           Malak laughed ironically. “Alex is dead, Revanchist! Surely you knew that already. Just like Halin is. Dead and gone!”

           The term sounded so vulgar when he had said it, as if he had called her by some obscene profanity. It would seem as if trying to appeal to him as Halin wouldn’t work this time…

           “You’re not thinking rationally,” she insisted. “You need to calm down.”

           “You of all people are telling me to calm down!?”

           “Yes! Yes, I am! Malak, stop it! This isn’t like you! The Republic authorities must already have people hunting him back down. Demagol is a war criminal and they will not allow him to just be taken like that!”

           “I’ll hunt him down myself!”

           “We don’t have time for this. The Revanchists have more important matters to be attending to in this war…”

           “He slaughtered a Padawan, Revan, and tortured and mutilated me! You should have killed him!”

           “But I didn’t. You stopped me. You saved me from my anger and confusion then. It’s my job now to do the same for you.” She came behind him, resting a hand on his back. At first he tensed, but then slowly softened into her touch. “I promise everything will turn out right in the end. The authorities will find him and Demagol will be brought to justice…”

           He didn’t answer her, but at least he seemed much calmer now. She stood there, her hand resting on his back for some time before she continued. “I see you finally got those tattoos you were talking about,” she commented, hoping to lighten the situation. “I didn’t think that you were serious about it…. It suits you.”

           Malak gave a single laugh. “You think so?”

           “Yes, it brings out your eyes.”

           “Now I know that you’re lying to me….”

           “No, I mean it. You look nice… I think it’s good for you… Good for you to help you to move on… to ignore the scars of the past… and I don’t just mean the physical ones.”

           He turned to look at her, hoping to meet her eyes, but found the red and silver gleam of a Mandalorian mask instead. He had forgotten for a moment, and his heart fell. He’d hoped for a reaction from her. He honestly had… He remembered the way she lit up with laughter when he had half-jokingly mentioned the idea to begin with. He’d had it done before the trial had started, and had hoped, as she’d deciphered, that it would help him to move on from the events of Flashpoint Station… But with the order of events since they’d arrived on Coruscant, his emotions had been a twisted web of confusion, and he no longer knew how to feel about Flashpoint, about Demagol, or about his closest friend.

“Thanks,” he said flatly. “I’m glad you approve…”

><><><><><

Master Dorjander Kace was a former member of the High Council of the Jedi Order and one of the last surviving members to have actively fought in the Great Sith War. He was in a unique position among the Jedi in his personal experience with the Mandalorians. After all, he was captured by them early on during the war and held prisoner for most of the time. It was during the period of his capture and confinement that his perspective on the Mandalorians began to shift.

He hadn’t taken the Revanchist movement seriously until very recently. After all, they were just a bunch of children, really. Children with a vision of what they perceived as heroism. They were nothing he considered concerning himself over until recently. Recently, after a confrontation by several Jedi Masters in which all present had witnessed a great massacre on the planet Cathar, there was a little weight gained to their movement.

It was after this vision that the Council had begun to cooperate with them… And it was after this vision that Dorjander Kace had left the Jedi High Council. He stood now with three former Padawans of his, now knights: a Faleen Female named Jaska, a Cathar Female named Veskasa, and a Chagrian Female named Sabawyn.

Master Dorjander Kace had decided that it was time. It was time for him to make his own point known in this war. It was time for him to stop watching and to use what he knew in order to bring about true justice. And under the circumstances, he knew his only hope would be to join the Revanchists.

“We’re ready, Master Kace,” Jaska said. “We all share you’re your vision, your ideal… We all know what must be done. We are ready to serve.”

“Excellent,” he said. “These Revanchists as they call themselves may be our only hope in the matter. Remember your training. They mustn’t suspect our true motives for joining. Par tor!”

“Par tor!” all three repeated. And four coppery-orange blades ignited, all joining one another.

“Our time,” Master Kace said, “is now!”

><><><><><

While Revan had expected there to be new recruits after the Council had sanctioned their request to join the Republic Mercy Corps, she had not expected there to be so many wishing to join the Revanchists. It was a bit overwhelming, really. Even excluding Arren, there were ten new recruits in total—more than enough to make up for their lost numbers after Fiolli and Nisotsa were forced to leave. Xaset had also chosen to rejoin them.

The new recruits were quite a varied bunch. There were a couple of Zabraks who had decided to join after the Mandalorians had attacked the Iridonia system—Acaadi, and Duqua Dar, both Guardian Knights. There were humans, too—two males by the name of Cale Berkona, and Voren Renstaal, and a female by the name of Cariaga Sin. There was even an Ithorian among them by the name of Thuggjomlern Din! What was possibly the most surprising of all, however, was the presence of Jedi Master Dorjander Kace and three of his former Padawans who had all become Knights—a Faleen Female, a Cathar Female, and a Chagrian Female.

The whole thing made Revan’s heart flutter with excitement that so many had been inspired to take up the cause. With numbers and with the support of the Republic, they would finally be able to start making an impact in the war effort, even if it was under the banner of the Mercy Corps.

There were sixteen of them now in total, all gathered around to discuss further course of action. “I’ve spoken with Captain Telettoh, our liaison with the Republic while members of the Jedi Mercy Corps,” Revan told them all. We are to set out in one week’s time. The Republic is providing transport aboard several of their hammerhead class cruisers. We are likely to be divided and sent to different areas of troops depending on where Jedi support is needed. If that is the case, you will be serving under whatever Republic officer is in charge of the company you are supporting. Even so, you are to report progress back to me on a regular basis. I’ll need to submit a report to Council of our actions on a regular basis.”

The last part was half true. The Council did want to keep tabs on them, but if Revan were to report the information herself rather than have it channel through Republic feeds, she would better be able to control what information they received. After all, they couldn’t risk any provocation of the Council to try to shut them down again. They had to keep this as clean as possible, particularly until they were able to gain momentum, if they were to survive as a unit.

“In one week,” she continued, “We are to meet with Captain Telettoh at the Embassy to head out. Are there any questions?”

“I have one.”

It was Malak who had spoken. Curious, Revan turned to him. “Yes, Malak?”

She really did think that the tattoos really were becoming on him, even if he had insisted it was only a lie to try to cheer him up at the time. While the change had startled her after the trial, he had started becoming surer of himself. He was more opinionated since they had first formed the Revanchists. She assumed that it had developed out of necessity, when he had been on charge on Flashpoint, and when he had been forced to step into command temporarily after the destruction of Serrocco had left her incapacitated.

“There are so many new faces among us… how can we be certain they will truly be loyal to our cause?”

There was a glint in his eyes which told her everything. He was referring to the understanding the new recruits were likely to have of the situation of being labeled as ‘Mercy Corps.’ The question was whether they were there as Revanchists, or as Mercy Corps. It was a fair concern, and it wasn’t exactly something that could be just blurted out… Not yet, at least.

“I don’t know that they will be,” Revan stated simply. “However, I’m willing to give each of them the benefit of the doubt … for the time being, at least. I tell all of you now, just as I have told the first Revanchists before, our mission will not be an easy one, and it is possible that none of us will return from it. If there is any doubt in your mind about being here, then you should leave now, while you still have the chance. I give you the week to reflect upon whether this is what is truly within your hearts. If there is any doubt by the time it comes to leave, then I request that you remain on Coruscant, understanding that this is not the path for you. I have no further statements for you. Revanchists, I shall see you in one week’s time. May the Force be with you.”

><><><><><

                       All was black. All was still. There was nothing. There was no light. There was no sound. There was no smell. There was only the darkness. It was so very dark. Revan could feel her heart racing, her breath rising and falling heavily. There was something else there with her.

           Betrayal…

           She frantically looked around, but there was still nothing but blackness. Her senses failed her, but a presence remained in the Force. Something else was there. Something so powerful that it could have swallowed her whole.

           She thought she felt a breath, cold and stale, close to her ear and quickly spun around to meet it but found nothing. She swallowed hard, her eyes frantically darting across the dark void, but to no avail.

           “A traitor…”

           The voice!

           She swiftly drew her lightsaber, its deep purple hue illuminating her own face, for her mask was not here… but the darkness remained simply darkness. She could see nothing else but her blade and herself.

           “Who is there?” She managed. “Who are you? Why are you following me?”

           She could feel herself shivering. She felt unusually cold. A sense of dread began to fill her. At first, there was no reply.

           “Answer me!” she demanded, more forcefully this time. “What are you doing in my head? You’re not welcome here. Get out—now!”

           This time, the deep laughter came from before and Revan’s shivering had turned to trembling.

           “So many traitors among you,” the voice said. “I truly wonder… are there any you can actually call your friend?”

           Revan shifted her form from Shii-Cho to a Makashi, her eyes still darting frantically about the surrounding blackness. “I’m warning you,” she said. “Leave now!”

           “Or what? Dear child, I thought you enjoyed games…”

           Before Revan knew what was happening, she was falling through the blackness and landed squarely on a hard marble surface. She could make out some figures now. The floor was large ebony and ivory checkers and she was surrounded by strange-looking statues in the same colors and material. She quickly got back up and resumed her form, but noticed that, strangely, her cloak and her robes had turned to white, and she wore pieces from the Deralian armor which Talon had gifted to her.

           She looked around for the source of the voice but could find nothing. No one…. Upon closer observation of her surroundings, she found that she was in the middle of what appeared to be a very large game board resembling those that would be used for Chess, or for Shah-Tezh.

           ‘What sort of strange place is this?...’ She wondered.

           “Your mind!”

           The voice came loud and clear from directly behind her, so suddenly and with such force that she could not help but to give a startled cry. It was answering the question which she’d been certain she’d not voiced aloud. Swiftly, she spun around in time to see one of the statues moving rapidly toward her. Without time to move out of the way, she swung, slicing cleanly across the center. Oddly, the statue shattered and then vanished into a puff of smoke, as if it had never been there to begin with.

           “A Queen,” the voice continued. “Most fitting… I should have suspected so much.”

           “Whoever you are, I’ve had enough of your mind games!”

           “But I’m only getting started, Revan. Why won’t you play a few rounds with me?”

           Another piece came, this time from her left. With more time to react, she leapt out of its way and attacked from behind, this time at a one o’clock angle. Again, the statue vanished. A cold sweat began to form on her temples. She maintained her form, standing ready to attack again.

           “I said enough!”

           “I’m afraid that choice isn’t yours to make, child…”

           “I’m not a child! I am a Jedi Knight, and I will bring peace to the Republic!”

           The voice laughed maniacally, and Revan turned frantically, still searching for its source.

           “Silly girl, not a Knight, but a Queen… And one who should be prudent, lest the true Knight betray her to be used as a sacrificial piece….”

           Suddenly it hit her. The game that they were playing… If she could win the game, then perhaps she could free herself of the voice. She sprinted across the board, but it seemed oddly larger than it should have been, as if there were no end on any side of it.

           “…for in the end,” the voice continued, “even if the Queen is the most powerful, all pieces exist only to defend the King…”

           Revan stopped short, something was approaching her from the darkness, cloaked in black and red with a hood covering its head. Whatever it was, this thing was not a statue as the other pieces had been. She held her blade ready to strike on the offensive.

           The full cloaked figure came into view now, the amethyst light from her saber reflecting back on her from the glinting metal of its armor. Slowly, the figure lifted its hood, and when it did, Revan went pale.

           She was not sure what she had expected to see when the figure revealed itself, but what it was she could not have prepared herself for. For there, staring back at her, was her own face! The eyes of the reflection gleamed a yellowed amber, and the lips were drawn in a blood-red smirk. Revan staggered backward a few steps, her breathing becoming increasingly labored.

           The reflection drew its own saber, the gleaming red piercing through the darkness. In the background, the hollow laughter of the voice loomed around them. Revan could feel it pounding within her skull. She wanted desperately for it to stop. The sound was maddening. She tried to close her senses to it, but it didn’t pay at the time to block any alertness. For the moment she did, the reflection advanced with alarming speed.

           Revan didn’t have time enough to react and parry or block the attack. She felt a piercing burn in her abdomen as the reflection lunged forward with a stab, those glinting yellow eyes staring into her own, and she cried out in pain. She felt dizzy, the world around her becoming a haze, the smell of burnt flesh hanging strong and present in the air…

><><><><><

“Revan!”

Arren Kae was holding her former pupil in her arms and attempting desperately to shake her awake. She had been thrashing about in her sleep and had suddenly screamed, as if in intense pain. The sudden sound had woken both Arren and Malak, who were the only others aboard the Stalwart Nightingale at the time and they had both rushed to see what had happened. When they found her, Revan was pale as death, the mask laying on the ground beside her bunk. She was convulsing and that was when Kae had restrained her in order to prevent her from injuring herself.

“Revan, wake up,” the former Jedi Master repeated, this time holding a hand over the younger woman’s face and applying pressure to the temples and mid-brow.

Revan’s eyes fluttered open and she immediately began sobbing in pain. It had all felt so real! So agonizingly real…

“Shhh…” Arren said. “It was only a nightmare…”

“No,” Malak said. “No, I’ve seen her like this before. She’s been having these strange visions. She doesn’t know how to control them… I keep telling her she needs to get help, but she refuses to listen to me!”

Kae shook her head and placed a hand on either of Revan’s cheeks, brushing them gently with her cheeks. “Calm down now… Tell us what happened. Tell us what you saw…”

“The voice…” It was all that she could manage to say before the pain overwhelmed her again and she cried out, clutching the place where the reflection’s blade had pierced her.

Arren frowned. “Are you injured? Show me…” she pried Revan’s hands from the spot in order to check for any sort of a wound. While there did not appear to be any physical damage, the place was unusually hot—burning even. She didn’t know what to make of it. “I don’t see any external injuries, but perhaps there’s something internal… here.”

Arren Kae closed her eyes, concentrating deeply until a blue-green glow began to emit from her hands. She passed them over the place that Revan had previously been clutching at. Whatever it was that the younger woman had seen in her vision appeared to have been attempting to manifest itself to the outside.

Arren turned to Malak, hoping for more explanation. It was quite clear that her former apprentice would not be capable of answering much of anything for a bit of time still… “What is this voice?”

“I don’t know exactly,” Malak admitted. “She says it speaks to her during the visions… that sometimes it says terrible things she dares not to repeat… You don’t think that whatever it is might be causing all of this, do you?”

“It’s hard to say… I would need more information… You said that there have been other occurrences?”

“Yes, some more intense than others… I remember during our first visit to Cathar the timing of the vision coincided so closely to the destruction of Serrocco that the disturbance left her struggling for basic motor functions for over a week after… Other times she would mix up the visions with reality. She attacked the Scientist Demagol when he was aboard and unconscious as our prisoner while we transported him to Coruscant to go into Republic custody.” Malak reflected bitterly at the thought. He still hadn’t forgiven himself for stopping her. “I saw the situation from the security web and was able to intervene before she ended up killing him… I’ve never seen her in physical pain though. Out of breath or a bit nauseous, yes… but never like this.”

Revan’s breathing was finally beginning to slow to a more normal rate. Both Malak and Kae let out an audible sigh of relief. Revan groaned and attempted to sit up.

“Careful,” Kae said, assisting her in sitting. “You’re still quite weak. You seemed to be burning up from the inside….”

“It felt like I’d been impaled…”

“Impaled?” Malak repeated, rather confused. “What exactly happened?”

“It’s… difficult to describe… It was far more abstract than any of the visions I’ve told you of previously. I… I was a part of some sort of a game… A game of chess, it seemed. The voice was my opponent… But nothing that it said seemed to make any sense… I realized that the only way to get out would be to win the game… except I was a piece also… just a piece in some sort of a larger game…”

“A pawn?”

“No…. no, not exactly…”

“Then a Knight?”

“That’s what I had thought initially, but the voice claimed I was the Queen and that the true Knight would betray me as a sacrificial piece to protect the King… None of what it was saying made sense…”

“Did you ever find the King?”

“No… No, I found my opponent’s Queen…” Her eyes grew distant remembering the dark reflection of herself which she had witnessed within the vision. “It was the Queen who attacked me… who tried to kill me…” to protect the King!

“Did you see who the Queen was?” It was Kae who asked this time. She had a bad feeling about this. She had heard of experiences of Jedi being faced with similar instances during extreme cases of the Trial of the Spirit that was administered during the tests for a Padawan to gain the rank of Knight, or for a Knight to gain the rank of Master. It was sometimes referred to as ‘Facing the Mirror.’ She feared that this might have been what Revan was experiencing in a far more intense form than it had manifested itself during her trials… “Revan, please tell me…. I can’t help you if you won’t tell me what’s going on…”

Revan did not reply, unwilling to admit what she had seen. Unwilling to admit the dark version of herself with which she had been faced…

“I told you to get help,” Malak said. “There’s still time before we leave Coruscant…”

“From whom?” Revan said defensively. “I did consider it… seeking out the school of the seers here on Coruscant… But Krynda Draay is dead now, Malak. And without her, seers are few and far between…”

“I’m not a seer,” Kae said, standing and leaving Revan to sit on her own now, “but I do think that can help you… This voice… Is it in all of your visions?”

“Yes…”

“And how would you describe the voice? How does it sound?”

Revan considered it, shuttering at the memory. “It often seems as though it’s coming from inside my head itself… like I can’t shut it out… but often it creeps in, as if it has been there the entire time… I can never seem to locate exactly where it is coming from because it feels like it’s coming from everywhere at once…”

“And would you say it is the visions, or the voice that disturbs you?”

Revan thought about it. While many of the visions had been disturbing on her own, it was the voice which had filled her with more dread than the visions themselves. In fact, at times it seemed as though the voice were somehow controlling what would manifest itself within the vision…

“It’s the voice,” she said in reply.

“I see… well, the good news is that, if you’re willing, I think there’s a way that I can help you… at least to manage what is going on. I’m no seer, so I can’t help you to control the visions themselves… but I may be able to help you to block the sound of the voice…”

“I’m willing to try just about anything if it means that I can get the damned thing out of my head…”

“Do you recall what I told you of the Mak’Tor?”

“Of their song?” Revan almost scoffed.

“Don’t laugh, child. I’m too young to be your mother. Don’t force me to have to treat you like I am.”

“Sorry… Yes, I remember.”

“The healer I told you of… Ta’Lona’Mack’… When she told me of the explanation of the Song, and what it was to her people, I asked her if she could help me to try to hear… Guide me as she tried, I only ever heard a faint whiff of it…”

“I don’t see where you’re going with this…”

“I think that it could help you, Revan… If you can learn to hear the song as she described… then perhaps the sound of it would be enough to drown out the voice… or at least to distract from it. It seems from your description that it is the sound which bothers you so… If that’s the case, then perhaps your senses will be more receptive than my own to the Song… I’ve decided I’m coming with you and with the Revanchists. You will need guidance if you are to learn how to manage these visions… I can relay to you what I know and remember of Ta’Lona’Mack’s words. I sometimes use what little I can hear for meditative purposes… If you are willing to allow your old master to teach you once more.”

While Revan still wasn’t fully convinced of the idea, it was the only plausible help she’d found or been offered, and she knew that if the visions continued to progress like this, things would only get worse…

Revan beat a fist to her chest, bowing respectfully to Arren Kae. “I would be honored if you were to accept me as your apprentice once more.”