Knights of the Old Republic: Rise to Glory/3-4

Chapter Three
"I thought it was supposed to be two weeks?" a young Jedi muttered as Revan stormed into a meeting room and looked around for a moment.

"Three days is enough. I heard that the Mandalorians are moving on Serreco?" Revan asked, getting straight to business. The young Jedi and general stared at his commander in silence before sighing.

"Revan, listen... you need to get some sleep, you can't run the war by yourself"

"And you can?" Revan spat venomously as he stalked over to the slightly older man. "For three years I waited for someone to do something about it and for three years I watched billions die. If you are going to do something about this, then by all means, I won't stop you." The Jedi blinked several times before bowing his head. It was true. No one had been able to unite the Jedi to fight the Mandalorians as Revan had and even though only a fifth of their Order was fighting, it was better than the few hundred that had gone off the fight, only to be slaughtered by the Mandalorians. Revan paced the room angrily like a caged rancor, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he went over the latest reports from his generals and commanders.

"What are the estimated losses on Serreco?" Revan asked wearily. The young Jedi he had spoken to before sighed and shook his head.

"Forty percent of the garrison and twenty Jedi."

Revan closed his eyes and took in a steadying breath. "Yyp, prepare the men, we're leaving." Yyp Dracyl, the young Jedi Revan had been greeted by minutes before, bowed and made his way to the communications console before stopping and looking curiously at the new arrival. Jedi Master Vrook Lamar stood silently before Yyp, his face a mask of stoicism.

"We are accompanying you," he stated. The Jedi Council had become curious as to how the war was being fought. Though it was in their nature and the Republic's to ignore a problem, they could not ignore the fact that a fifth of their Order had rallied under one young man. Revan turned slowly, his masked face weary, though he spoke with a bit of passion in his voice.

"Who is we, Master Vrook?" Vrook merely took a step to the side to reveal a young girl of fifteen. Revan's eyes widened at the sight of the girl he had run into on Dantooine.

"Are you insane? How many missions has she been on?" Revan snarled, causing Bastila's head to immediately snap to the former Jedi Knight. Vrook sighed as he looked down to Bastila. He did not want to take her along, but the Council thought it would help the development of her Battle Meditation if she were to witness a battle or two.

"This is her first..." Vrook sighed, wishing he could take back the words as Revan nearly fell over. The Republic commander composed himself and looked down to Bastila. "You stay on the ship," he stated as if he were the head of the Jedi Council. Bastila nodded meekly, this was unknown territory and she had always been taught by the Jedi to blend into the background and avoid confrontation, though her blood seemed to boil as the young man all but ordered her to stay behind. Her mind snapped indignantly as she listened to her Master speaking, more like arguing with Revan.

"I can't believe this!" If Revan had not been so terrifying in his armor, Bastila would have thought he was pouting.

"There's nothing I can do about it, the Council's decision stands and if we need to, I am under orders to speak with your commanders or perhaps the Senate." Revan shook with anger, though it was far from murderous he could not help but smile at the mental picture of Vrook being sucked into a black hole.

Revan's dark thoughts ceased as he stared into two azure fires. He could see the annoyance burning below the surface and found himself staring at her. Bastila shifted when she felt his eyes on her. She had difficulty comparing the menacing man clad in crimson and obsidian armor before her to the handsome young man that she had spoken briefly to on Dantooine a day before. Revan suddenly turned away, crossing his arms over his chest and staring intently at the holodisplay of Serreco.

"Since you've chosen to go over my head, Master Vrook I would appreciate your council as to the welfare of the refugees..." Revan sighed. The Senate seemed all for helping the refugees, if a holocam was on them.

Revan made a noise that could only be described as a growl. Under his guidance, the Mandalorian advance had ground to a stop. The three gaping holes in the Republic from the Mandalorian's initial invasion were slowly closing and the Mandalorians occupying those worlds dug themselves in, preparing for a long, drawn out war and a worthy challenge. The Republic was slow to catch its breath as the Senate saw their worlds as no longer in danger. The Republic had, in the nine months since Revan entered the war, nearly undermined all he had accomplished. Revan had practically begged the Republic for his own fleet and had combined the bulk of the ten thousand Jedi that had joined him in that fleet. It amazed the Jedi to no end how the Senate could be so uncaring and blind to the plight of their own people as long as they had credits to stuff into their faces. Revan shook his head of the thoughts and was surprised when Vrook nodded agreement to his assignment.

"That would be acceptable, the Council is concerned with the welfare of the Refugees from your war," Vrook added pointedly. Revan sighed and motioned to his men to prepare to depart.

"General Dracyl..." Yyp turned and set down the container of holos he was carrying.

"Yes, Commander?" he asked, absently tugging on his cloak.

"The forces at Serreco are taking heavy losses and have dug themselves in. It will primarily be a ground war... like Dxun..." Yyp winced slightly at the mention of Dxun. He had been the one to find Revan. He recalled Malak nearly knocking him over as they found Revan lying in a pool of his own blood in that interrogation chamber. Never had he seen someone so battered and he paled to think of what had happened to the other Jedi that were missing in action. The young general was pulled from his thoughts as Revan continued his briefing.

"I need to gather our forces, we cannot afford to be cut off like the Mandalorians were on Dxun. I'm sure you remember what happened to them." Yyp nodded, trying to fight the deep sense of foreboding he was picking up from Revan's serious tone.

"Our fleet is over Taris and that is nearly two days from here... Serreco is only seven hours from here... and about thirty from Taris..." Yyp again nodded understanding. Sighing heavily, Revan's stance slumped slightly.

"I... I need you to take a dropship and as many Jedi as you can to reinforce Serreco. Malak is taking half the fleet from Taris to reinforce Onderon. There was word that the Mandalorians are planning to launch an assault in the next week and we cannot ignore that, especially with all the help and all the resources Onderon can offer."

Yyp bowed and added in an understanding tone, "And you need to command the fleet." Revan nodded solemnly.

"You will be there, on your own for seventy hours. I can't promise you anything else except that I will be there in seventy hours." Yyp nodded, knowing Revan had no choice and departed, taking a Republic dropship and several dozen Jedi as well as a thousand men to reinforce Serreco. Revan watched his general leave, knowing that the time was being wasted.

"Lets move it!" he shouted to the other Jedi and Republic soldiers. Bastila and Vrook found themselves on Revan's flagship several minutes later and after nearly an hour of loading, the ship broke away from Dantooine and entered hyperspace, en route to Taris and the Republic and Jedi Expeditionary Force, stationed over the city planet. Revan turned from his thoughts and the hyperspace field that had been occupying his view to see Vrook glaring at him. It had only been fifteen minutes since they had jumped into hyperspace and the Jedi Master had been occupying his time silently watching Revan and his men. Wincing, Revan walked over to the Jedi Master who could destroy his reputation in the Senate by withdrawing the meager Jedi support that had formed since he had rallied a fifth of the Order nearly a year before.

"Master Vrook, this is Lieutenant Korso, she will show you to a room." Vrook nodded, satisfied. He had been planning on challenging the younger man to a verbal sparring match, but peace and quiet and a well deserved show sounded more inviting to the Jedi Master and there was the fact that he did not like the way his Padawan was staring at the armored Exile. Revan motioned to Lieutenant Korso and turned back to Vrook, only to see the Jedi Master's glare had shifted to his Padawan. Following the glare, Revan saw two azure fires that unnerved him more than a thousand Basilisks. Revan tilted his head slightly in a bow and watched the young girl suddenly start out of her thoughts. Shrugging mentally, Revan turned and removed the mask from his face, setting it in a pouch that lay hidden in his cloak. The former Jedi Knight pulled back his hood and took a in a deep breath, resisting the urge to cough as the recycled air hit his lungs. Revan looked down at himself with a frown. A month floating in a Kolto tank did not help his physical fitness. The Jedi quickly left the bridge, intending to find one of the Republic cruiser's recreation and training rooms. Revan stopped near the bridge's doorway and strained to hear what Vrook would say to his Padawan.

Bastila frowned as she watched the retreating form of Revan. The Padawan was torn from her thoughts as she heard her Master clear his throat. Bastila turned and paled slightly when she caught the look of barely contained rage on Vrook's face.

"Are you alright sir," Lieutenant Korso asked the Jedi Master. Vrook's glare softened to a scowl as he turned to the young woman, sighing and offering a neutral expression which was as close to a smile the aging Jedi Master ever got.

"I am fine Lieutenant, why do you ask?" The Lieutenant frowned, not wanting to say what Revan had put her up to saying but wanting to see the reaction firsthand.

"Well for a minute there you looked like you were constipated, I could escort you to the ship's infirmary. The healers should be able to fix that right away." Vrook stared at the young woman in open shock, his mouth hanging open before he caught himself. After getting over the shock herself, Bastila fought not to burst into a fit of giggles and looked at the Lieutenant with pity.

A deep laugh sounded in the hallway and Bastila turned to see Revan lying on the floor near the bridge's entrance, laughing hysterically. Vrook growled towards Revan and looked back to the Lieutenant. Seeing her shift under his cold glare, Vrook was satisfied and waved the comment off, making a note to get back at Revan. Revan stood and wiped his eyes, watching the Jedi Master, who's face had taken on a deep red leave with his Padawan in tow. Revan smiled as he caught the small smirk on Bastila's face as she followed her Master from the bridge. Sighing, Revan made his way to his ship's recreation room, breaking into a series of advanced katas and fighting techniques. -- Several hours passed and Bastila let out a frustrated sigh, tossing her datapad on her bed and turning from her stomach to stare at the bulkhead. The idea of seeing the Mandalorians first hand and being in the same room as people like Revan and Malak and Dracyl brought a thrill to her though it did little for her self esteem. The constant scolding of her Master over the years and how the other Jedi initiates had mocked her constantly for being brought in later than themselves brought constant doubt to the young girl. Turning her thoughts inwardly, Bastila groaned. She had constantly had trouble learning the techniques and Battle Meditation was no different. Bastila's eyes glistened as her thoughts drifted to where they always had for nearly a decade, to her father. Vrook had constantly scolded her on thinking of her past too often but she could not help it, she missed him too much. As it always did, thinking of her father also made her think of her mother. Scowling slightly, Bastila snarled in frustration, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of her bed. Bastila's frown deepened. No matter how hard she tried, she could never concentrate and focus as well as the others her age. She was nearly three years behind the others when she arrived and they always rubbed it in her face. The young Padawan soon found herself standing outside a recreational room on the Republic cruiser and looked down at her loose fitting Jedi robes.

Ignoring the slight disarray in what would normally be her sleep clothes, Bastila entered the recreational facility and sought out a dueling room. Walking into the first room she saw, Bastila immediately stopped and flushed slightly when she caught sight of Revan. The former Jedi Knight had discarded his armor after training in them for two hours, favoring his obsidian Jedi robes. Bastila turned to leave but the Republic commander's voice stopped her.

"Dammit, three days. How are they going to hold out for three days?" Turning slowly, Bastila watched the Jedi curiously. Revan was wearing only his black pants and knee high boots. His tunic was lying in a pile near his armor and Bastila was granted a very nice view of his well toned physique. Flushing at her own thoughts, Bastila turned her attention to the stream of battle plans the man muttered. She soon became aware that Revan was in some type of trance as his body moved through advanced katas she could only dream of completing. The former Knight's azure blade hummed through the complex maneuvers meant to train a Jedi's reflexes in combat and Bastila seated herself on a bench as she listened to the man's rambling begin to form into a complex battle plan.

"If I divide my forces on Serreco and Dxun I leave Taris and the entire Meridian sector open to invasion... If I leave too many ships there I could forfeit the coming battle..." Bastila listened intently to the former Jedi as he pondered aloud his thoughts.

"I could always cut off the Perlemian trade route... it’s the only hyperspace route that leads to Taris and through the Meridian sector..." Revan trailed off as he suddenly became aware of another presence in the room. Cursing himself for being so distracted, Revan ceased his kata and turned to see two blue eyes staring at him intently. "Padawan Shan?" Bastila jumped with a start, flushing.

"Commander Revan..." she replied as she stood and bowed. Revan frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"How long have you been there, Padawan?" Revan asked calmly, fuming inwardly to himself for not noticing her presence. Training always had a calming effect on the former Jedi and he had been so lost in his thoughts and training routine that he wouldn't have even sensed Malak enter. Revan's eyes narrowed further as he caught Bastila shifting uncomfortably under his gaze and flushing as much as her Master had on the bridge. Bastila glanced at her chrono, her eyes widening when she realized she had been watching Revan for nearly an hour. Looking like a Gizka caught in a swoop's headlights, Bastila gave Revan a pleading look.

"I- I must have been lost in my thoughts, I have to return or Master Vrook will... be unpleasant." Bastila winced. Searching for an excuse was more difficult that she thought. Revan suddenly smiled warmly to her, tilting his head.

"I suppose, if he isn't still in the infirmary..." Revan's smile shifted to a smug grin and he heard a small giggle come from the Padawan with him. Bastila placed her hand over her mouth, looking around as if the mere sound would draw the wrath of her Master. Seeing this, Revan burst into laughter, shaking his head and reveling in the peace and contentment he felt at that moment. It amazed the young Knight that this one girl could make him forget what he had seen and what he had to do in the end.

"So, Bastila... is it alright if I call you that," Bastila nodded, smiling slightly. It seemed like it had been years since someone had called her by only her first name. Revan returned the smile, walking over to his armor and pulling his tunic over his head after wiping the sweat from himself with a workout towel. Bastila cursed to herself as she slowly walked over to Revan.

"Tell me Bastila, why are you here?" Revan asked as he lowered the setting on his lightsaber to a safe training level.

"I came to train but your training methods... distracted me." Bastila felt a blush forming on her cheeks again and willed it away, hoping Revan did not see the faint pink of them. Revan smirked slightly and Bastila cursed herself.

"Training eh? How good are your reflexes?" Just as she was about to answer, Bastila felt the Force warning her and threw herself to the side to avoid the azure beam that shot from Revan's hand. Bastila looked at the former Jedi in confusion before she saw him advancing again.

"Not bad, how's your form?" Revan struck low, slashing his saber and was pleased to see Bastila leap over his attack and back away, drawing her own weapon. A pale yellow beam shot from Bastila's weapon and the Padawan quickly fell into her most comfortable fighting stance, preparing for Revan's next attack. Bastila quickly shifted her weight and shot to the side, blocking Revan's thrust and spinning as she swung her saber, colliding with Revan's azure beam. Revan used his strength to force Bastila's blade to the side and instantly shifted his weight, spinning the blade and throwing Bastila off balance, tapping her with the low intensity blade on her shoulder.

"That is a common mistake, even amongst Jedi Knights and Masters. Always avoid a saber block." Revan's voice held no condescension, in fact it held a bit of respect that Bastila thought misplaced. She had always been belittled by her teachers and to have someone like Revan impressed with her technique was almost too much for her to handle. Fighting the urge to grin, Bastila nodded and prepared herself again for Revan's attack. Revan performed a similar maneuver and struck Bastila from the opposite side, pleased when she only locked with his blade for a split second before spinning away and delivering a kick, which be blocked easily.

"Good, now. I am going to try something a little different so be mindful." Bastila nodded, enjoying the duel and the fact that Revan was allowing her to explore her own talents instead of keeping her restrained to a simple set of fighting techniques. The randomness of his attacks was a little awkward to the young Padawan and his superior size and strength as well as his speed was difficult to keep up with. Bastila watched in momentary shock as Revan turned from her and used a nearby wall to vault himself into the air. Acting on instincts, or some would say the Force, Bastila dropped to the ground and moved her saber over her head in a wide arc, blocking Revan's downward strike. Revan smiled slightly, impressed that she was able to block such an unexpected attack.

"Very impressive, Bastila," Revan remarked. Bastila smiled and nodded her head, preparing herself for another attack. Revan grinned widely and obliged, charging for her and dropping to the ground, rolling across the floor as his saber moved in a barely visible blur. Bastila jumped back and furrowed a brow at the strange attack before she caught sight of what Revan was truly doing. Revan's blade suddenly ceased its light show as Bastila felt his booted foot sweep under her, knocking her on her posterior. Bastila quickly rolled away and arched her back, kicking her legs out to vault herself to a standing position. The Padawan barely had time to block Revan as he struck first on her left side, then her right. Twisting to the side, Revan prepared to lunge for his opponent when Bastila smirked and dropped beneath his attack, kicking his weapon hand to the side and bringing her saber into his mid section. Revan's eyes widened slightly as pain shot through him. Looking down he saw Bastila's hilt against his abdomen and groaned slightly. Bastila's victorious smirk was replaced with a confused and then horrified expression. Revan coughed violently as he looked over to Bastila as she deactivated her weapon and backed away.

"You. Forgot. To. Change. The. Settings." Revan dropped to his knees and clutched his mid section, closing his eyes as he drew on the Force and slowly lost consciousness. Bastila dropped her saber and brought her hands to cover her mouth as she gasped.

She had been so lost in her thoughts on the way to the training room that she hadn't changed the setting of her weapon and Revan had started their duel so abruptly that the thought didn't even cross her mind. Quickly getting over the shock and mortification, Bastila rushed to a comm system and called frantically for medics to come. The medics arrived within moments and quickly took Revan away, asking Bastila to calm down and speak with her Master.

Bastila closed her eyes, willing away the tears at the thought. She was so caught up in her concern that she did not even realize she had bested one of the best swordsmen in the entire Jedi Order or that she had potentially killed the only man who could defeat the Mandalorians. She didn't even take into account the fact that Vrook was likely going to skin her alive and feed her to Firaxan or that this might destroy the Jedi's support in the Senate. Not wanting to endure the accusatory looks of the ship's crew or the scolding of her Master, Bastila rushed to the ship's infirmary, watching in mute horror as the healers fought to stabilize Revan's condition.

Vrook had been shockingly understanding. The Jedi Master had not even glowered at Bastila when she had finally told him what had happened. Vrook merely stood in the infirmary watching Revan floating in the Kolto tank. The aging Jedi Master sighed as he watched his Padawan's sleeping form in a nearby chair. He knew he should scold her for her actions and for the strange way she was reacting towards Revan but he knew she was young and he had been young himself once. Vrook's eyes glazed slightly at that thought. He knew he was using that as an excuse more times than not for the fact that he could just not keep up with his Padawan. She was intelligent, brilliant really, and her largest flaw seemed to be the lack of confidence. Vrook had constantly scolded her, belittling her in the hopes that he could drive her past that flaw but it only seemed to convince her more of her ineptitude. Sighing, Vrook looked over the form of Revan. It had been two days and Malak had already departed after having a few choice words to say to Bastila. The towering former Jedi had been surprisingly angered by the accident and had fixed his cold glare on Vrook, likely thinking it was some Jedi plot to bring what they referred to as the lost ones back into the Order. Vrook shook his head of the dark thoughts.

Vrook could not deny the look of loathing he received from the man though and he knew that somewhere, Malak was harboring his hatred as it seemed many of the young did these days. "Master Vrook..." Vrook turned to see the young Lieutenant that had shown he and Bastila to their quarters looking at him with concern.

"I... know this may not be the best time but there's a message from the Jedi Council... They are ordering you to return with Bastila to Coruscant immediately." Vrook nodded solemnly, turning from the woman and walking over to Bastila's sleeping form. Sighing, Vrook gently lifted the girl and carried her to a transport, taking her from all the chaos that had engulfed the Outer Rim.

Chapter Four
Revan awoke a week after his injury, pulling himself to a sitting position and ignoring the protest of his still tender abdomen. Frowning slightly, Revan stood shakily and walked to a nearby nurse, who nearly fell over in shock.

"Please Commander, you must rest." Revan stared at the woman before shaking his head and speaking.

"How long?"

"Precisely one week." the woman responded.

Revan nodded and looked around the medical room, not sensing Vrook or Bastila. His search was violently cut short when he turned back to the nurse and snarled, "One Week!"

The nurse backed away and nodded slightly. Revan's eyes glazed for a moment in deep thought before they snapped back to life. "What is our position?" The nurse frowned.

"We are holding over Taris, Commander." Revan did not heed the nurse's warnings as he rushed to the bridge, clad in his medical clothing. The former Jedi immediately shouted to his officers to prepare the fleet to reinforce Serreco.

The ships arrived two days later to find the forces on Serreco cornered and nearly wiped out. Revan led the assault against the Mandalorians, tearing mercilessly through their position and within a few hours, the battle had died down. What Revan found when he searched for his men brought a sickening feeling to him. Only a few hundred men had survived out of the entire garrison and the reinforcements and of all the Jedi sent there, only a dozen had survived, including the man he had brought reinforcements to four days too late. Ian took one look at Revan, a look that said everything. The war was no longer a clean war. All around the decaying bodies of civilians lay and Revan nearly gagged at the sight. Serreco was a hollow victory, a slaughter would have been a better term.

Surprisingly, Revan's hatred did not include Bastila. She had been the one ordered by the Jedi to accompany him and it was their involvement that had done this. Growling with frustration, Revan kicked a Mandalorian's helmet and stormed away, ignoring the blood that seeped through his abdomen and ran down his armor. His own blood.

The Senate wasted no time commemorating the Jedi for their victory at Serreco. The civilian losses had been horrendous and had only started after Yyp arrived. The Mandalorians had cornered the Jedi and the Republic and began executing the native population of Serreco to goad the Jedi and Republic into fighting. Those that tried, died and the planet had been nearly a total loss.

Revan's mind snapped to him as he ignored the burning pain in his reopened wound. A hail had come from the Jedi Council and they had demanded that Bastila be sent to the next battle. Revan shook his head and relented, knowing the Republic would withdraw support from him if he did not make a visible effort to convince the rest of the Order to join the war. --- Jedi Master Vrook tensed slightly as his transport docked with Revan's flagship. He chanced a glance at his Padawan to see her shivering slightly and extremely pale. It had been two weeks since the victory at Serreco and the Council had again ordered him and his Padawan to observe the rouge Jedi. What Vrook saw when he exited the ship shocked him. Revan stood silently flanked by dozens of Republic soldiers and several former Jedi. The former Knight was wearing only his Jedi robes and Vrook could tell by his stance that he was still recovering from what should have been a mortal wound. Revan smiled to the Jedi Master and bowed.

"Master Vrook, a pleasure to have you and Padawan Shan on board again." Bastila kept her eyes downcast, wearing a dejected expression as Vrook raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior.

"Where are we off to on this little excursion," Vrook asked. Revan smiled a smile that sent a chill up Vrook's spine. He had never thought the younger man would be able to intimidate him but the smile was absent and there was a strange underlying sense of foreboding that chilled Vrook to his core.

"Cathar," Revan replied. Vrook furrowed a brow towards Revan.

"That world was taken over a decade ago and is outside the Republic... why go there," Vrook asked. Revan merely smiled coldly and motioned for Vrook and Bastila to follow as the Jedi and guards escorted them to the bridge.

"The forces on Cathar are but remnants and should pose no threat, I thought it would be a good idea to show you firsthand the results of war and it will be a relatively safe environment for Bastila to test her Battle Meditation." Revan's voice had shifted from its cheery greeting to a malicious snarl at the last word. Vrook paused his steps for a moment before nodding, giving Revan a calculating gaze. He understood the logic in Revan's words. Cathar was burned and abandoned years ago and any forces still present would be pirates or deserters and would pose no real threat. An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as they entered the bridge. The Jedi and soldiers filtered out amongst the crew on the way and Vrook took a seat on a bench, watching the hyperspace trail.

Vrook was glad his Padawan was on the ship trying to establish a connection to her Battle Meditation. Revan had insisted the Jedi Master accompany him to the surface to see is there were any refugees to help and what Vrook saw caused even him to ponder the wisdom of the Jedi not throwing themselves into the war. Revan descended on the mercenaries and pirates with the full force of his flagship and small fleet as they destroyed the pirate fleet in their ships and sent dropships to clear the world of their unwelcome guests. Vrook could not believe his eyes. What had once been a world that held billions of Cathar, only held a few thousand. The Jedi Master suddenly felt the urge to vomit as he took in the sight of thousands upon thousands of ancient corpses, left in massive piles to make them easier to dispose of. The entire world was ravaged and stripped of its resources, likely to support the Mandalorian war machine and what remained were dead and dying. The small amount of Cathar that still remained on the world were beyond impoverished. To be frank, they were dead or dying. Vrook felt his heart go out to the Cathar and even he killed a slaver or two as he and Revan's men tore through the scum that had claimed the world. Hours passed as the Republic and Jedi forces tore over the landscape in swoop bikes and speeders, searching out what remained of the Cathar race. Vrook found himself searching for the Force and feeling the pain of the world's destruction that still echoed there.

"How could we have let this happen?" he whispered as he looked over the destruction with horror and revulsion. Vrook turned to see Revan, his skin was pale, nearly white and he had deep circles around his eyes. The former Jedi Knight turned to him as they stood on a hillside of the ravaged world and motioned for Vrook. Vrook slowly walked over to the younger man and looked out over a destroyed city that was likely a once beautiful and teeming citadel.

"You are here to find out why so many followed me to war, Master Vrook. This is why." Revan motioned to the destroyed city and turned his heel, leaving the Jedi Master to mull over his thoughts.

Bastila slowly pulled herself out of the deep trance she had entered and took in a deep breath, panting from the effort. She slowly opened her eyes to see Revan sitting in the room staring at her. The former Jedi had left Vrook and his men to finish cleaning up and processing the refugees and had quickly made his way to Bastila to see the results of the Jedi's little test. Bastila looked away from his thoughtful expression, ashamed to be in the same room as the man. Revan slowly stood and walked over to Bastila, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently.

"I have to thank you, Bastila." Bastila frowned and turned to Revan, surprised by his words. "Wha- why is that," she asked meekly. Revan smiled warmly and backed away, eyeing her for a moment.

"You showed me something the last time we spoke and I have to thank you for giving me peace." Bastila's mind screamed at her. She slowly looked into Revan's eyes. She could tell he was tired, exhausted really but his eyes still held a warmth and peace that she would not have thought possible. She could not believe he was acting as if the accident in the training room never happened.

"I...." Revan raised his hand to cut off Bastila's response. "Don't worry, Bastila. I know it was an accident. What you really showed me was that I should not fight my own decisions. Fate, or the Force has a plan and I am a part of it. That accident should have killed me but the Force did not allow me to die and you... you were there for a reason. The Force has a plan for you, Bastila and I see great things in your future." Bastila blinked several times and frowned. Revan smile at Bastila's genuinely confused expression.

"I was wondering if you'd care to join me for dinner, Padawan Shan," Revan asked formally. Bastila nodded, not knowing what to say and too busy taking in all that had happened to be embarrassed by his offer. Revan smiled warmly and held out his arm. Bastila took it and they slowly made their way to the ship's mess hall.

Revan looked across the table to the young woman as she hesitantly began her life story and began speaking of her father and her mother and what life had been like on Talravin before she joined the Order. Bastila was so caught up in her story that she did not notice the mess hall had emptied hours ago and that she was speaking of her frustrations in her training. Revan smiled as he listened, offering an encouragement here or there when need be and adding his understanding. It was amazing to him how he and this young woman were alike. The only flaw she held and the only difference was that she seemed uncertain, confused. Revan listened politely, enjoying the conversation and the brief distraction ffrom the horror he had witnessed on Cathar. Yyp had forgiven him and held no malice towards Bastila. The general knew that it was an accident and he knew that the sacrifice of the men on Serreco seemed to inflame their forces more though he wished victory had not come at such a high cost. Revan ignored the slight burning in his abdomen as he continued to listen to Bastila speak. He was not lying when he said Bastila had brought him peace of mind. On Dxun he had reservations of fighting his own people, even after being tortured by a Mandalorian he could not ignore the face that he was on but after seeing what had happened on Serreco and seeing the remains of Cathar, he knew he would not doubt himself again and that he would not stop until the Mandalorians lay in ruins beneath him.