KOTOR 1 - Connections: Banned

STRONG WARNING: The following contains heavy spoilers about KOTOR 1. If you have not played KOTOR I, DO NOT READ THIS. Go play KOTOR I first then come back. I promise I'll wait.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: this was written in preparation for a 2022 playthrough of KOTOR I and KOTOR II. For this playthrough, I carried the same head canon story all the way through from before the beginning of KOTOR I to a conclusion after KOTOR II. Here are the associated main character builds for KOTOR 1 and KOTOR 2. I try to stick to the spirit of the builds and playthrough in the fanfics, but I do not necessarily follow them exactly.

DISCLAIMER: the conclusion to this fan fiction, and if I'm being completely honest a whole lot of its content, deviates wildly from canon (and by "canon" I mean ""Legends canon", I have no idea what new canon says about any of this, if anything at all). These deviations are small in the first two chapters, where I mostly just tweak and reinterpret canon events a bit to fit my own purposes. In this chapter, I am still trying to hold to the broad strokes of canon, but many of the details are of my own invention. By the last chapter, I'm way, way off the map. If this sort of speculative writing bothers you, then you might want to stop now and not waste your time. If, on the other hand, you're interested in a just-for-fun story that doesn't fit anywhere into the official Star Wars timeline, then read on!

CONTEXT: This is the third chapter in the the fan fiction which started in KOTOR 1 - Connections: Revan's Surrender. This chapter is set just after the events of KOTOR 1.

The Ebon Hawk flew through hyperspace on its way to Dantooine, leaving the Rakatan planet Lehon behind. It had been only a few days since the Star Forge was destroyed, securing the Republic's victory over the Sith. The Sith leader, Darth Malak, had been killed by the woman now known as Victory Relevant, but formerly known as Revan.

Victory Relevant's past was complicated. Seven years ago, when the Mandalorians had attacked the Republic, she had defied the Jedi Council and joined the fight. Known then as Revan, she led the Republic to victory, but disappeared almost immediately afterward with Malak, her second-in-command. She soon returned as Darth Revan, in command of a massive Sith armada of unknown origin. With Malak as her apprentice, she attacked the Republic. Malak, however, betrayed and almost killed Revan. Ironically, she was rescued from her exploding flagship by Bastila Shan, a Jedi. Hoping to benefit from Revan's hidden memories, the Jedi Council healed her wounds and rebuilt her destroyed mind. Now known as Victory Relevant, and accompanied by a group of companions including Bastila, she had eventually discovered the source of the Sith fleet: the Star Forge, an ancient remnant of the Rakatan Infinite Empire.

Now the Star Forge was destroyed, Malak was dead, and the Republic could again attempt to recover. Jedi Master Vandar had led an impromptu ceremony on the nearby Rakatan world, commemorating the triumph and celebrating Victory and her companions. Then almost everyone had promptly departed, as if they all knew exactly where they were going and what they were doing. Victory's group, however, had been focused on Malak's defeat for months, and now found themselves without a purpose.

It hadn't escaped Victory's notice that, despite the speeches proclaiming that she and her companions would be known as heroes from one end of the Republic to the other, the ceremony was held on an unknown world, was not carried by the HoloNews, and was attended only by people who were already aware of her involvement. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised that neither the Jedi nor the Republic were quick to publicly embrace someone who had once been their most powerful enemy. But the hypocrisy bothered her. And with no one interested in claiming her, she wasn't sure what to do next.

After some discussion, they agreed to travel to Dantooine, home of the Jedi Training Enclave, which Malak had destroyed during the war. Several members of the group had personal connections to Dantooine, and for the rest it was as good a place as any to figure out what to do next. And Victory, who had learned of her former identity as Revan, might finally have time to explore her own past. And future.

Victory Relevant, Bastila Shan, and Carth Onasi sat at the central table of the Ebon Hawk. The holoprojector showed an image of a Jedi Master, taken from files that Bastila had recently downloaded from the Jedi Archives. Victory stared at the image for some time, then shook her head. After a brief discussion, Carth pressed a button on the console and the image disappeared, replaced by another. Before Tory could focus on it, Mission Vao walked by.

"Still at it?" Mission asked. "You've been going for hours."

Tory stood and stretched. "Yes. It's a strange feeling, studying your own life and having it feel like someone else's."

"Remember any more yet?" Mission asked.

"Just a few flashes," Tory said. "We're going through images of Jedi from Revan's past - my past - to see if anything clicks."

"Well, have fun," Mission said, walking away.

"I do appreciate both of you doing this," Tory said, looking to both Carth and Bastila. Carth had also stood and was walking slowly around the table, massaging his back. Bastila had leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. She now opened them again and looked at Tory.

"I'd say it is the least I can do, after my very active part in manipulating you," Bastila said.

"We've been over that," Tory said. "Yes, I was furious at you at first. But you also launched yourself at Darth Malak to protect me. And don't say again that you were protecting the mission. We already had a pretty good idea where the last Star Map was. You could have left me to Malak and gotten it on your own."

"Before you give me too much credit," Bastila countered, "letting Malak have you would have risked him turning you again to the Dark Side. We could have found ourselves facing you as the Dark Lord again. We were fortunate to have survived that once. A second time would have been devastating."

"Remember, we still share a Force Bond. Your argument makes sense now, after the fact. But in the moment, I could feel what you felt. You did it for me."

This time Carth spoke. "Look, we all went through a lot. I should know, I'm the king of trust issues here. It took me longer to get past learning you were Revan than it did anyone else-"

"-for good reason," Tory interjected.

"My point is," Carth continued, "we got through it because we made a choice to trust each other. It wasn't just the mission. We decided that the new connections we'd built were more important than old betrayals."

"Well spoken" said Tory. "I've been thinking a lot about our connections lately. Not to get too philosophical, but I believe that's something the Jedi are missing. We were, and I feel still are, far more attached to each other than the Jedi Council would approve of. But we are stronger for it."

"The danger," said Bastila, "is that attachment can lead to the Dark Side. With attachment comes fear of loss, anger, and jealousy."

"Then focus on helping Jedi deal with that," said Tory. "The need for deep connection is common across almost all species. If I'm thirsty, and the only available water is unsafe, I don't put my efforts into a futile attempt at making myself not need water. I put my efforts into make the water drinkable."

"Thousands of years of Jedi wisdom have shown otherwise," said Bastila.

"I'd argue that those same thousands of years show that the Jedi's attempts at suppressing connections have caused at least as many problems as they have solved."

"As much as I enjoy listening to the two of you debate Jedi regulations," said Carth, "are we done with the images for now? Because I can go do something more entertaining, like listen to Canderous tell me again how the Mandalorians almost won, or play another round of 'What Interesting Bugs Are Living In Zaalbar's Fur?'."

"I think we all need a break," said Bastila. "We only have two left in the current dataset, but we can finish those later."

"Sounds good to me," said Carth. He reached for the button that would deactivate the holograms.

"Wait!" said Tory, more loudly than she had intended. She had finally looked at the latest image, and was now settling back into her seat. The others did the same.

"Do you recognize this one?" asked Bastila curiously.

Tory looked at the image for a moment longer. It showed a robed middle-aged human female with graying hair. The woman's expression was intense, her eyes penetrating.

"Kreia," Tory said definitively.

"No," Bastila said. "that's Master Arren Kae. She was one of your teachers before, and I believe perhaps during or after, the Mandalorian Wars. She was exiled from the Jedi Order during the Wars."

"For joining the conflict?" Carth asked.

"She joined the conflict after her exile," Bastila said. "She was officially exiled over a matter of personal conduct. She had a relationship with an Echani General named Yusanis. He was one of their greatest leaders until ... well ..."

"Until what?" Tory asked.

"Until he challenged you to a duel over your assassination of an Echani senator, and you killed him," Bastila replied.

"Oh," said Tory uncomfortably.

"Getting back to Master Kae," Bastila said, "she was exiled because she concealed not only their relationship, but also the existence of their child, for a decade.""

"She found it necessary to conceal love, and was banished for it?", Tory asked pointedly.

Bastila ignored Tory's commentary. "Master Kae died in the final battle of the war, at Malachor V."

"I believe that everything you've told me is correct according to the database. But I also know that this woman's name is Kreia, and she is very much alive."

"How do you know that?" asked Carth. "What do you remember?"

"Nothing specific," said Tory. "I just know she's alive. And dangerous. More dangerous, perhaps, than Malak ever was. Or me."

"You and Malak were on the verge of subjugating the galaxy," said Carth. "What could be more dangerous than that?"

"I'm not sure," said Tory. "But she's someone to watch out for. I have another question, though. You said she was 'officially' exiled for concealing her relationship and family. Was there an unofficial reason as well?"

"There were rumors that many, if not all of her students fell to the Dark Side," Bastila said. "There were also rumors that she was responsible for your own fall."

"I see," Tory said. "I wish I could remember more. Maybe it'll come back."

"Ok, let's add her to the list of people to review later," said Carth. "We only have one more in this series. Want to finish it off?"

"Sure," said Tory. Carth pressed a button and the robed woman disappeared. A human female of roughly Tory's age took her place.

"Who's this woman?" asked Tory. "See's very familiar."

"That's Meetra Surik," Bastila said. "She was a Jedi, and also one of your top generals in the Mandalorian Wars."

"She feels significant," Tory said. "What do you know about her?"

"Probably not all the details, but I'll you what I can. From what I understand, she's an exceptional case.

"She was, next to Malak, your closest ally in the Mandalorian Wars. You trusted her to lead the final confrontation at Malachor V. The records of that battle are ... odd. The Republic won, but lost many soldiers and ships, and Malachor V itself was virtually destroyed in the process. I feel more happened there than was properly recorded. I suspect some details were intentionally withheld.

"Afterward, Meetra Surik returned and faced the Jedi Council to answer for her defiance in joining the war. She was the only Jedi to do so, the others either perishing in battle, leaving the Order, or ... well ... joining you as Sith. While I do not know all the details of her appearance before the Council, I do know that she was exiled. I believe she left the Republic for the Outer Regions."

"I can add a little more," said Carth. "General Surik was a great tactician and a respected commanding officer. While I never served with her directly, she had a reputation for connecting with her troops, for inspiring loyalty. She was second only to you in that regard.

"I wasn't present at Malachor V, but I talked to some people who were. General Surik was in charge of the Republic Fleet in that battle, while you were busy personally defeating Mandalore. The battle wasn't going well for the Republic. Then apparently the planet was somehow transformed into a gravity well. Or something like that, even the survivors weren't clear. It pulled in virtually the entire Mandalorian fleet, as well as a significant part of the Republic fleet.

"We lost an enormous number of ships and soldiers, but the Mandalorians lost everything. Between that, and your defeat of Mandalore, the war was over. I talked to someone who knew General Surik, and they said she wasn't the same after that battle. There are some people who believed the entire battle was a trap that you engineered. If so, I guess you trusted General Surik to execute it, and she apparently did. I can imagine how causing death at that scale would emotionally affect an ordinary person. I can't begin to imagine how it would affect a Jedi, particularly one as connected to other people as General Surik."

"That would also explain," said Bastila, "why the records were left intentionally vague. I doubt either the Jedi or the Republic wanted to publicly claim such actions, even if they did end the war."

"I was pretty ruthless, even before I became a Sith," said Tory.

Carth chuckled sympathetically. "The war was hard on all of us, that's for sure. Remember my quest for vengeance? You helped me get through that. Maybe we all need to let each other off the hook."

Tory nodded in agreement. "Regarding Meetra Surik, I think we're going to see her again. I think we're going to need to."

"What are you thinking?" asked Bastila.

"I'm still working that out," said Tory. "But I think she's going to be important. And I don't want anyone to remain exiled out of loyalty to me, or because of something I commanded them to do. If someone has to answer for my choices, it should be me."

There were interrupted by a beep from the navigation system. Carth checked the readouts. "Won't be long until we're ready to drop out of hyperspace for Dantooine. I'll let the others know."

"The damage does not look extensive from here," said Juhani. They were in orbit around Dantooine. None of them had known what to expect. At this distance, though, much of the planet appeared unaffected.

"At Taris, Malak didn't know where Bastila might be, so he had to destroy as much of the planet as he could," said Jolee. "Here, he had one target - the Jedi Enclave - so he must have focused exclusively on that."

"I led a few planetary bombardments," said Canderous. "It takes hours to properly position a fleet. If you have one localized target, especially one as elusive as a group of Jedi, it makes a lot more sense to drop out of hyperspace with a minimal number of ships and immediately hit your objective. Much less chance that your adversary will have time to escape."

"I can't raise any sort of flight control or planetary authority," said Carth. "I'll bring us in closer so we can find a good spot to land. Hang on, everyone, down we go!"

As they descended and drew nearer to the Jedi Enclave, it became apparent that Malak had employed the strategy that Canderous had described. Lush pastoral farmlands and rolling green hills gave way to blackened craters and general devastation. Outside the targeted area, Dantooine was unaffected. But within it, little remained. The destruction, while centered on the Enclave itself, had consumed a circle several kilometers in diameter, including the many non-Jedi homes and structures that had been near the Enclave. Malak's attack had wiped out the most heavily populated civilian area on Dantooine. From the air, the Enclave itself appeared to have been almost totally destroyed. Some buildings remained partially standing, but none were intact. Roofs were collapsed, walls had gaping holes, and the many courtyards and sidewalks were covered in rubble. Nothing remained of the landing area. A few smaller undamaged ships were present, suggesting that at least some Jedi were present, but there was no evidence of temporary shelters or attempts at rebuilding.

"Look, over there," said Bastila, pointing. A freighter was lifting off a few kilometers away, past the edge of the destruction. "Let's try that direction."

As they approached the place where the freighter had departed, they could see that a makeshift landing area had been constructed. People were milling about, moving what appeared to be boxes of cargo, perhaps dropped off by the freighter. Some were stacking boxes under temporary shelters that were little more than large tents. Others were loading crates onto a motley array of speeders, repulsor sleds, and even beasts of burden that formed a crooked line stretching around the nearest hill. Carth picked an open spot away from the activity and gently landed the Hawk.

The group disembarked and began walking toward the activity. Even at a distance, some of the Dantooinians stopped to stare. Five humans, a Cathar, a Twi'lek, a Wookie, and two droids were an unusual combination, even here.

"This is fun," said Mission.

"Fun?" said Juhani angrily. "Do you not remember the destruction of our homeworld? From what I saw, Twi'leks were treated little better than Cathar, but Taris was still our home planet. Dantooine may not have been completely destroyed, but these people have lost everything! There lives are no less shattered than yours was. Or is your memory so short?"

Zaalbar growled, but Mission put a calming hand on his arm. "No," she said. "Of course I remember. What I meant was, it's fun all being off the ship together. When we were trying to stop Malak, it was almost always just Tory and two of the rest of us."

"I am sorry," said Juhani. "I misunderstood. I think that seeing the Enclave in this state has affected me. Now the only two homes that I can remember are gone. But that is not your fault. A Jedi should not let their anger control them, and should most certainly not release it at a friend."

"That's okay," said Mission. "Sometimes even friends need to vent a little steam. You can't imagine the things Zaalbar used to break when he got mad. Well, maybe you can. Anyway, why was that, Tory? There were probably lots of times when all of us helping would have made things easier, but only two of us at a time ever went with you. And come to think of it, weren't there times when you could have used a break? Even when we just stopped in somewhere to buy supplies, you always went."

"I really don't know," said Tory, shrugging. "It just seemed like the thing to do at the time."

As they drew closer to the activity, Carth spoke up. "Those look like standard Republic supply crates. I've seen them delivered to other worlds affected by major battles, or in refugee situations. Maybe we can help distribute them."

They walked to someone who appeared to be directing other people. "How may we help?" Juhani asked.

The overseer very pointedly dropped his gaze to the lightsaber on her belt. "Haven't your kind done enough already?"

"My kind?" Juhani asked defensively.

"Jedi," the overseer said, his voice bitter. "This is all your fault. You made us targets, and now you're all leaving. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be treated as discardable? To pay the price for simply being in the way of someone else's war? To see everything you knew, meager as it was, wiped out from orbit on someone's whim?"

Juhani stammered, unable to answer. It was Bastila who responded. "The Sith would have destroyed us all. It was the Jedi who fought and defeated them, for all our sakes."

"Will that bring my children back?" the overseer said. "Will that repair all the lives you see destroyed here? You fought a civil war with your own kind and now you retreat to your shiny temple. You think one freighter-full of boxes makes up for that?"

Bastila's face grew red and she started to reply, but Tory put a hand on her shoulder and gestured away from the overseer. Bastila reluctantly followed, along with the others. The overseer shook his head at them, then turned back to his work.

"Jedi aren't going be any help here," said Tory.

"It isn't any of your faults, but these people have just been through so much," said Carth. "They're angry and they're looking for someone to blame. People talk about the Great Sith War against Exar Kun like it was forever ago, but it's only been forty years. Some of these people are probably the children of refugees from that war whose lives never really got back on track. Now between the Mandalorian Wars and the war that just ended, we've had another seven years of conflict. And let's not pretend that just because Malak is dead, the Sith are all gone. I wouldn't be surprised if, in another few years, we're fighting their remnants. There just hasn't been time between all these wars to put the pieces back together. Sometimes I wonder how much more the Republic, and its people, can take."

"I wouldn't be surprised if his attitude is pretty common across the Republic right now," said Jolee. "To a lot of people, this war probably did look like a feud within the Jedi. It isn't true, but I can see how it would appear that way."

"Isn't it true, though?" said Tory. "It's okay to say it out loud. It isn't any secret that I, as Revan, was the most well-known Jedi in the galaxy, and that after leading the Republic forces, I attacked both the Republic and the Jedi Order. Didn't I turn a great number of Jedi to my cause? How would that not look like a Jedi feud to people outside the Order?"

"That is not who you are now," said Juhani. "You led both myself and Bastila back to the Light when we had fallen. You defeated Malak and ended the war. You saved all these people. If you carried any blame for the past, you have more than compensated for it."

"Even if that's so," said Tory, "how would they know it? And wouldn't my defeating Malak be yet more evidence of a Jedi feud? He was, after all, my apprentice." She paused a moment, uncertain if she should continue, then plunged ahead. "Juhani, do you trust me?"

"I trust you completely," said Juhani. "You have proven to be a true servant of the Light."

"The Republic soldiers under my command trusted me completely as well. Before I turned against them. The Sith under my command trusted me. Until I turned against them as well. How would you feel if I betrayed your trust? Yes, I am a servant of the Light, and I hope to never repeat the mistakes of my past. But I abused the trust of the entire galaxy in very public ways. Unfortunately, as a Jedi, my actions reflect on all of you. Not that the Jedi Order didn't already have problems of its own, but it may take generations for it to recover from what I've done."

A long moment of silence followed. Finally, Jolee spoke. "Well, that's a heavy thought. But don't start thinking you're the most tragic figure in history or something. As Carth mentioned, Exar Kun did at least as much damage as you, and never tried to fix a damn bit of it. At least you're trying to clean up your own mess. Anyway, here we are. What do we do about it, right now, today? I've had my share of hiding. And now that I think about it, I'm starting to get hungry. So let's not stand here all day talking about what could have been or what should have been. Let's either find something useful to do, or find some lunch."

Zaalbar howled approvingly at the possibility of lunch, but Mission elbowed him in the side.

"Let's split up," suggested Tory. "Bastila, Juhani, Jolee, and I can head to the Enclave to see how things are there. The rest of you will be more readily accepted here. Maybe there are still things you can do to help."

"Okay," said Mission. "Let's dodge that rude guy, though. Maybe we can help those people loading crates under the tents."

"Suggestion:" said HK-47. "Should I remain here and monitor the aggressive meatbag? I am more than willing to facilitate a transition in leadership."

"Ummm, maybe you should come with us," said Tory. "T3, why don't you come with us as well? You have a full record of our mission that you can provide if the Jedi would like to have it."

T3 dutifully fell in behind Tory, but HK-47 hesitated. "Hesitation: Master, are you certain? I am not sure my programming is capable of enduring the Jedi love-fest that I am sure will occur when the Prodigal Knight returns home. Any Jedi Council members present will undoubtedly be lining up to welcome Revan back. My only hope will be that one of them will hug you too tightly and give me an excuse to engage my protective protocols."

"On second thought," said Tory, "maybe you had better guard the ship."

"Agreement:", said HK-47. "Analysis indicates it quite likely that one of the despondent residents of this planet will attempt to abscond with the Ebon Hawk. I will protect it vigorously, Master!"

"I ... uh ... ok," said Tory, as HK-47 strode off at a brisk pace. The rest of them separated into two groups. The four Jedi and T3 began making their way toward the distant ruins of the Enclave. The four others returned toward the cargo drop zone, and had just reached the supply tent when the distant sound of blaster fire echoed through the hills.

"Mandalorian raiders!" called a voice from the direction where the loaded speeders and sleds were exiting.

Jolee closed his eyes, reaching outwards, sensing. "They're cutting through the ravine on the other side of this hill," he said to the other Jedi. "We can cut them off." He nimbly leaped to the top of the twenty-foot-tall cliff beside them.

They soon sighted the Mandalorians. They had apparently absconded with one of the larger repulsor sleds. One Mandalorian was piloting it down the ravine floor, while others flanked him on speeder bikes. Jolee, Juhani and Bastila drew lightsabers and jumped into their midst, deflecting blaster bolts, slicing, and stabbing. Tory remained at the top of the ravine, drew both her blasters and began dropping Mandalorians. The repulsor sled pilot tried weaving and dodging in an erratic pattern, crates spilling every direction as he drove at top speed. His efforts were ineffective. A single shot from Tory's blaster struck him in the head, killing him instantly. The sled smashed into the side of the ravine, spilling its remaining crates across the ravine floor. Tory looked for another target, realized the battle over, and jumped down to the bottom of the ravine, landing lightly beside her companions.

Just then three speeders appeared around the nearest bend in the ravine, screaming toward them at top speed. They quickly decelerated when they saw the Jedi standing among the scattered crates and dead Mandalorians. The speeders were piloted by locals, and carried what appeared to be a posse. Carth, Canderous, Mission, and Zaalbar were among them. The speeders stopped and their passengers began gathering up the spilled cargo. The four Jedi began helping as well.

Tory found herself walking beside Carth, Juhani, and Canderous toward the Mandalorian who had been piloting the repulsor sled. One of the spilled cargo containers had contained frozen goods, which had spilled out when then crate had fallen. The Mandalorian's body was lying sprawled across it, red blood mixing with white ice.

Canderous looked disdainfully at the dead Mandalorian. "How far we've fallen," he said. "Once we were warriors with honor, now we're nothing but common thieves. This one even tried to run. Run! What a disgrace. We lost, and it hurts, but we didn't have to turn into this. We could have lost with dignity, retained our culture even in defeat. If this is what's become of the Mandalorians, I'm not sure where that leaves me."

The group started to step away, then realized that Tory was still standing motionless, staring at the Mandalorian lying in the spilled ice, transfixed.

"Tory," said Carth. Tory appeared to not hear him.

"Victory!" said Juhani, more sharply. Still, Tory stared at the Mandalorian.

"REVAN!" barked Canderous. At this, Tory blinked and shook her head.

"Canderous, is there an ice planet significant to the Mandalorians?" she asked. "Or maybe one where I would have encountered the Mandalorians, either before or after the war?"

"I don't know," Canderous said. "Why?"

"I'm still putting the pieces together," said Tory. "But I think I may be able to help both you and your people. As soon as you can break away, head back to the ship. See if you can learn anything about that ice planet."

"You got it, Revan," said Canderous. She shot him a look. "Tory. Whatever the hell I'm supposed to call you."

They finished helping the locals repack the crates onto the repulsor sled. The Jedi leaped back up the ravine wall, jogged back over the hill, and continued toward the Enclave with T3, while the others accompanied the locals back to the landing area.

The journey to the Enclave became more difficult as they went. At the outer edges of the bombardment zone, they were able skirt the craters and walk on level ground. Eventually, the craters were numerous enough that flat ground was rare. Finally, this gave way to an area were craters stacked on each other, with some reaching down to bedrock. It wasn't feasible for T3 to continue, so Tory sent him back to the ship with Canderous and HK-47.

Tory paused just outside the entrance to the shattered courtyard and turned to Bastila. "How do you think I'll be received?" she asked.

"It depends," said Bastila. "Many Jedi won't even know of your past. Others will enthusiastically accept you back, seeing it as a triumph of the Light. But a few may be less forgiving."

"My situation was quite a bit different than yours," Jolee said, "but I encountered mixed opinions. We'll see what we get."

"Whatever occurs, we will stand by you," Juhani said.

"Thank you," Tory said, and continued into the courtyard.

The view from the ground confirmed their impressions from the air. The Enclave itself had suffered irreparable damage. Many of the craters in the courtyard area had been filled with rubble from the structures, presumably by Jedi during the recovery efforts, so the ground was at least somewhat more passable than the approach had been. But footing was still treacherous. A few Jedi were entering and exiting the remains of the Enclave through openings that appeared to lead to the underground sublevel. The handful of ships sitting nearby was insufficient to have carried even the small number of people milling about, so some must have arrived on a larger transport or been ferried down from orbit. It was possible that rudimentary living quarters had been set up in a relatively-undamaged underground area. The initial search and rescue operations would have been completed long ago, so these Jedi must be otherwise engaged.

Before the group could move further into the courtyard, someone approached them from the side.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," said a familiar voice. Tory turned to see Yuthura Ban, a Twi'lek who had been second-in-command at the Sith Academy on Korriban. Tory had encountered Yuthura during the search for the Star Maps, when Tory had posed as a Sith student. Yuthura had been plotting to overthrow Uthar Wynn, the Master of the Sith Academy, and assume control herself. She had recruited Tory to assist her, promising that Tory would become her Sith apprentice. Tory had pretended to agree in order to gain access to the Star Map. During their conversations, Yuthura had revealed her past as a slave on Sleheyron, and that she had initially begun Jedi training before leaving the Jedi for the Sith. After Tory and Yuthura killed Uthar, Yuthura had betrayed and attacked Tory. Tory had defeated Yuthura and, instead of killing her, had turned her back to the Light and convinced her to return to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. The two had spoken again on Dantooine afterward, shortly after the Jedi had extended an offer for Yuthura to resume her Jedi training.

"I saw your ship fly overhead earlier," Yuthura said. "I expected all of you would be along soon. Welcome to what remains of the Jedi Enclave."

"It's very good to see you," Tory said. "We weren't sure how many had survived."

"Many did not," Yuthura said. "I was fortunate to be in a training chamber on the sublevel when the attack came-"

"Training chamber?" Tory interrupted. "Does that mean you-"

"Yes, I chose to resume my training as a Jedi. I still ... I still struggle with many of the feelings that originally led me away from the Order. And perhaps I always will. But after taking more time to work through my feelings, and after several conversations with my old Master, I came to the conclusion that becoming an unconventional Jedi was a better path than having no allegiance at all."

"I'm happy to hear that," Tory said. "I'm a little unconventional myself."

"Now that's an understatement," Jolee said. "Anyway, please continue about the attack."

"It felt as if the entire planet was exploding," Yuthura said. "Several students, including myself, used the Force to shield ourselves as the walls and ceilings shattered. We were left alive, but trapped under a pile of debris. As it turned out, being trapped was actually to our benefit."

"How so?" Tory asked.

"After the bombardment, Malak sent in ground troops," Yuthura said. "They killed or captured everyone they could find. From what we could tell afterward, the few surviving Jedi put up the best fight they could, but there were simply too many Sith, and may of the Jedi were already badly injured. The only reason we survived is the Sith were unaware of us. I can only imagine what Malak did to the Jedi he captured."

"I know of their fate," Tory said. "For now, suffice to say that they are one with the Force."

"That's ... I had hoped some had survived, but it is good to know that they are no longer suffering," Yuthura said. "As for us, it took days for us to be found. We joined the effort to search for more survivors, but there were none. We pulled more bodies than I care to remember from the wreckage. After that, many people left for other training facilities, or for Coruscant. I, however, chose to remain here. I guess after finally choosing to reattach myself to the Jedi in this place, it was just difficult to leave. We tried to help the surrounding community as well, but our efforts have been met with a surprising amount of hostility. The local populace has developed a strong antagonism toward Jedi."

"We encountered some of that ourselves," said Bastila.

"We therefore refocused our efforts on the Enclave," Yuthura said. "We are attempting to salvage as much knowledge and history as possible. Two of the Council members, historians themselves, have been leading that effort, along with a small team of archivists. I've mostly just been assisting in whatever way I can."

"There was a Sith from the Academy on Korriban who we encouraged to join the Jedi," Tory said. "Kel Algwinn. I spoke with him here on my last visit to Dantooine, the same visit when I last spoke to you. Do you know..." But Yuthura was already shaking her head sadly.

"I am sure you do not know the names of all the deceased," Juhani said, "but I had a friend here, someone who was very special to me. Her name was Belaya. Do you happen to know her fate?"

Yuthura's voice remained controlled, but her eyes filled with tears. "I am so sorry, Juhani," she said. "Belaya was a friend. In fact, she was one of the people who convinced me to recommit to the Order. She spoke so fondly of you. In fact, she shared the story of your victory over the Dark Side to persuade me that I, too, could truly be redeemed. I hope it is okay with you that we spoke about that."

"Of course," Juhani began, her voice uneven. "If my story could help someone else, I'm glad..." But she broke off as her throat tightened with emotion.

"She spoke kindly of you to me as well," Tory said to Juhani. "She was very protective and loyal to you. I can only imagine what her reaction would have been if my first meeting with you had turned out differently."

"She was no better at handling her emotions than I," Juhani said with difficulty. "I ... I will miss her. I am ... a Jedi should not ..." She began sobbing quietly.

"As will I," Yuthura said. She reached out to put a bracing hand on Juhani's shoulder, then changed her mind. "Oh, what the hell, I'm barely a Jedi myself," Yutuhra said, and embraced Juhani tightly as the two cried softly together.

After a few moments, Tory put a consoling hand on each of their shoulders. "You are both, each of you, credits to the Jedi Order, and you will both be stronger for this," she said. She turned her head to look Bastila directly in the eyes. "This, Bastila. This is why connections matter. You will never teach people not to love. You may teach them to hide it. You may even teach them to bury it. But you will never, ever teach them not to love. What you can do, I believe, is teach them how to handle it. If these two were not connected to each other, and to us, if what they're feeling now turned into bitterness, they might each fall back to the Dark Side. But because we're all connected, we'll support them through this, and they'll remain on the path of the Light."

"I do not intend to be insensitive," Bastila said. "The Jedi Code is not meant to be harsh or unfeeling. It doesn't just say 'There is no emotion', it also says 'there is peace'. It seeks to protect people against pain. Yes, of course I will support my friends. But I also wish for them that they did not have to go through this in the first place."

"That's just not realistic," Tory said. "Jolee already said it best. Can I quote you, Jolee?"

"Please do," Jolee said. "Especially if whatever I said sounded good."

"The Jedi," Tory quoted, "with their damnable sense of over-caution, would tell you love is something to avoid. Thankfully, anyone who's even partially alive knows that's not true. Love doesn't lead to the Dark Side. Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled, but passion is not the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love, that's what they should teach you to beware. But love itself will save you, not condemn you."

"I said that?" Jolee said. "That did sound pretty good."

Tory smiled at him. "I think you know you did." She looked at Juhani and Yuthura, who had separated and were now listening closely with the rest. "You grieve today, and you are right to do so. Grieve deeply and honestly. Let yourself feel grief, but don't be controlled by it. When you overcome this, you'll be stronger for it. Loss is part of life. You're Jedi. You may find yourself in galaxy-changing situations. If your first experience with a loss so large that you can't suppress your emotions comes at a critical time, you may react poorly, and the consequences could be far larger than yourself. Loss will never be easy, and it shouldn't be. But you'll come out of this with the knowledge that you can handle even the greatest losses in your life. You aren't poor Jedi because you grieve. You will be better Jedi because you have grieved."

"Hear hear," said Jolee. Even Bastila was nodding, if somewhat reluctantly.

"Still leading others astray, I see," said a voice from behind Tory. She turned and saw two humans. One was Master Dorak, a dark-skinned male who she recognized from her conversations with the Jedi Enclave Council after the destruction of Taris. The other was a light-skinned female who, though roughly Tory's age, had strikingly white hair. It was she who had spoken.

"Master Dorak," Tory said, inclining her head respectfully.

"Greetings, Victory," said Dorak.

"Atris," Tory said cooly, looking the woman directly in the eyes.

"So, I see your memories have returned," said Atris.

"Very few of them," said Tory. "But you, I remember."

"When I heard you had killed Malak, I hoped you were using this as a second chance-" Atris said.

"You killed Malak?" Yuthura asked. Tory nodded to her, then refocused on Atris, who had not stopped speaking. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Yuthura muttered, mostly to herself. "You certainly didn't have any trouble with Uthar. Or me."

"-but I see now," Atris continued, "that you were merely executing vengeance against your old apprentice, and have immediately resumed your habit of contaminating the Jedi Order with your lies."

"Apprentice?" asked Yuthura, but everyone's attention was now on Tory and Atris, and no one noticed.

"Search my heart," said Tory. "See if any darkness remains in me. I've learned from my mistakes, no thanks to you by the way, and have become a better person. And on my journey through death and life I've learned a few things. I'd be happy to discuss them with you, share what I've found. If you're willing to listen."

"I have no need or desire to look at your heart," said Atris. "Your actions reveal all. As they always have. Even before you were corrupting Jedi into Sith, you were pulling Jedi away into the Mandalorian Wars, in defiance of the Council. Retraining you was a foolish mistake."

"Retraining her was our only choice, Atris," said Dorak. "We explained why it was necessary. And don't the results bear out our decision? Malak is defeated, and the woman before you is a Jedi, not a Sith." He turned to Tory. " I do apologize for the deceit, Victory. I hope you understand."

"What is going on?" asked Yuthura more insistently, but again either no one heard, or no one answered.

"The results?" said Atris to Dorak. "Look around you. The Jedi Enclave is destroyed, centuries of history lost. We pick through the remains, trying to salvage what little we can, while-

"We saved much before the attack," Dorak interrupted.

"Wait, before the attack?" Yuthura asked. "You knew the attack was coming?"

"Do you think the Council blind?" Atris asked. "We had premonitions. But there were few ships, and little time. We evacuated what we could, but much more was lost."

"I was here!" Yuthura said. "There was never an evacuation sounded within the Enclave!"

"Master Vrook and Master Vandar evacuated as many of the non-Jedi from the surrounding areas as they were able. Fortunately, I was on Dantooine at the time. I took charge of the Enclave and ensured the future of the Jedi Order by preserving those things necessary to rebuild it," Atris said. "Without me, nothing would have been saved."

"What about saving the people? The Jedi themselves? Those who looked to you as Master?" Yuthura asked, but Atris had already turned back to Dorak.

"Do you hear this? Her new students are already questioning the Council. How do you know this is not exactly what she intended? Have you forgotten that her plans always had many layers? We are at our weakest, distracted by our losses, our training facility destroyed, our history gone, many Jedi dead, and she has already begun recruiting a new army against us before our very eyes."

"I am not your enemy," said Tory. "I would be your ally, if you would let me. When did the Jedi reject redemption? When did they become so quick to judge? Is this the same fair consideration that you gave Meetra Surik? Or did you summarily exile her without even hearing her case?"

"What plans? What army? Redemption from what? Will someone tell me-" began Yuthura, but the mention of Meetra Surik had focused Atris' attention back on Tory.

"Don't you dare to criticize me about Meetra Surik!" Atris hissed. "She should be on the Council by now, instead of being exiled by it. It was you who destroyed her! You corrupted her, used her, then threw her away like a broken tool! The Meetra Surik you sent back to us was a shell, a Wound in the Force, the remnants of what should have been a truly great Jedi. Exile is the least of her problems. The fate you condemned her to is far worse than exile, worse even than death. And now, you have manipulated us into restoring your power. How long before you openly attack us again, Revan?"

"Revan?" gasped Yuthura.

Tory turned to Yuthura. "Yes, although I didn't know it when we met before. The last few months have been .... complicated. I was once Revan. But now I am exactly what I told you, a servant of the Light.

"And as for manipulation," said Tory, turning back to Atris, "That's a hypocritical line of criticism, coming from you."

"If you are referring to the Enclave Council's use of you to find the Star Maps," Atris said, "you can hardly blame me for that. I would never have allowed it. You deserved imprisonment. Or worse."

"You would not have allowed it?" Tory said. "You are on the Council, Atris, but you do not speak for it. And exactly what does 'worse' mean? You're the one who sounds like a Sith."

"You would presume to judge me?" Atris said. "I see two Sith before me, you and the one you smuggled in. Although perhaps we should consider the loyalties of the others who traveled with you." Atris looked away from Tory and let her gaze rest briefly on Bastila, Jolee, and Juhani. "Have you compromised them as well? Should I deal with them, here and now, before your new threat gains hold?"

Tory had retained her composure thus far, but now her face darkened and her voice began to rise. "Leave them out of this!" she said. "I have earned your doubt, mistaken as it may be, but they have done nothing to you!"

"You are forthwith banned from any further heretical teachings!" shouted Atris.

"You said I'm consistent," said Tory hotly. "In one sense, we agree. I didn't need your permission before, and I don't need it now! If you have issues with that, take it up with me. Not them!"

Atris was not deterred. "Any who listen to your misguidance will find themselves expelled from the Order! Any who follow you will be considered enemies of the Jedi and suffer the consequences!"

"What consequences???" Tory demanded, but Atris continued over her.

"And as for your Sith spy-" Atris turned to Yuthura and began to raise her hands, but Tory stepped between them.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU BITCH!!!"

The waves of fury rolling off Tory were almost palpable now. She glared at Atris, her eyes flashing, her hands twitching expectantly as if preparing for a release.

The others were frozen in surprise. Bastila had faced Darth Revan on her flagship. She'd battled across the galaxy with Victory Relevant. She'd even attacked her in mortal combat atop the Rakatan temple. But it wasn't until this moment that she realized who her friend truly was. Power emanated from Revan, filling the broken courtyard, until she almost seemed to be glowing. Atris, despite her rank as Jedi Master and her authority as a High Council member, looked small, almost transparent. Revan, though she did not move, seemed in Bastila's perception to grow, dominating the space until it was as if she towered over the rest of them. Bastila unconsciously took a step backward, startled at the fear she felt. This was not the suffocating darkness from Revan's flagship. It was a searing, brilliant light. But it was no less intimidating. Revan unveiled was blinding power, a demigod of righteous judgement. Bastila had not known that this level of potency could exist within a mortal. She wondered if, now that it was awakened, it could be contained. If Revan unleashed herself recklessly, none of them, or even all of them combined, could hope to stand before her.

Atris was not as perceptive. "Do it, Revan," she muttered, her own hands twitching. "Prove me right. Reveal yourself, and die."

Bastila watched as the two women faced each other, the air between them practically sparkling with energy. And she realized there was more, something else underneath and behind Revan's power, a dynamic that Bastila had never felt before. As her initial shock abated, Bastila had a strange sensation of duality. She was standing in the courtyard, watching Revan and Atris face each other. But she was also looking at Atris as if through Revan's own eyes. The incredible power that she felt wasn't just surrounding her, it was inside her, flowing between herself, Revan, Jolee, Juhani, and Yuthura. Revan was the tip of the spear, sharp and deadly, but the rest of them were its shaft, supporting, steadying, ready to drive forward. Somehow, together, they weren't just watching Revan. In some way that Bastila could not understand, they almost were Revan.

Revan glared at Atris for another long moment, then slowly closed her eyes and lowered her head. She took a deep breath, then raised her head and opened her eyes again. The moment had passed. She was once again simply Tory.

"This is not productive," she said quietly. "We will leave." She turned toward the courtyard exit, motioning for the others to join her. Yuthura followed as well.

Atris began to pursue them, but Dorak caught her arm. "Enough," he said. Atris started to object, but Dorak held his ground. "I am a Council member too. We will not begin fighting amongst ourselves. You will not start another war, especially here, literally on the ashes of the last one." Atris again began to object, saw Dorak's determination, and relented. She instead turned and strode to one of the small Jedi starships nearby, boarded it, and departed.

"That was intense," said Jolee, outside the courtyard.

"I told Atris I remembered her," Tory said, "but the truth is I recall little more than her name and some general impressions. I don't know what she's become, but I don't think that's what she used to be. I remember arrogance and a closed mind, but nothing like what we just saw."

"Would she really have attacked us?" asked Juhani.

"I don't know," said Tory. "I think her true intent was to goad me into attacking her. And she came closer to succeeding than I'd like to admit."

"Whatever she once was," said Bastila, "I fear that she has become dangerous. The Jedi Council can rightfully be accused of being prideful, self-assured, and set in their ways. But that was something else altogether. I fear Atris has become evil."

"Someone may eventually have to deal with her," said Tory, "but that wasn't the time or the place."

"Thank you," said Yuthura to Tory. "For standing up for me that way. No one has ever done something like that for me before. Ever."

"Of course," said Tory. "I would do the same for any of you. As, I believe, any you would for me."

"So you're really Revan?" Yuthura said. It was more statement than question. "I knew when I met you on Korriban that there was something different about you, but I couldn't have imagined this. Do you remember what I told you? I said that you that you could become a great Sith. You. Revan. What a fool I was. I was blinder than I even knew." She chuckled. "I guess I was at least correct that you were more likely than any of the other prospective students to succeed."

"I no longer go by Revan," Tory said. "I'm Victory Relevant now. Tory, to you, if you like."

"That brings up something I've been meaning to ask you for some time," said Bastila. "I know you remember very little of your experiences before the Endar Spire, but do you have any idea why you picked the name Victory Relevant? You are aware it was you and not the Council who picked it, are you not?

"Yes, I'm aware of that," said Tory. "And while you're correct that I remember very little, I do know why. But first, why do you want to know?"

"Because the Jedi Masters almost didn't retrain you over it," said Bastila. "Both because of its literal meaning and because it contains the letters of 'Revan'."

Tory shook her head. "Is there anything they don't get wrong? As usual, the answer was in front of them and they couldn't see it. They were looking at the wrong letters. What do you get if you keep only the I and the R from Victory and combine it with my last name?"

"Irrelevant?" Bastila asked, confused.

"That's what the Force taught me," Tory said. "Only by becoming irrelevant could I achieve victory. And even then, that victory would not be for myself. Because it isn't about me. That's the whole point of the name. I don't matter. Only the Force matters."

"That explains some things," said Bastila. "In the beginning, I was so afraid the Dark Lord would emerge again. I kept watching you, waiting for it, but it never happened. All my pontificating was unnecessary. You've really moved beyond your past, haven't you?"

"In my old life, my ego drove me to do terrible things," Tory said. "Even when I was fighting for the right goals, I did it in the wrong way, because I had too much pride in myself. No more."

"You don't even have a desire to lead anymore?" Bastila asked. "Clearly, you remain a natural leader. Surely you are aware that you are the leader of our group."

"That's not the point," Tory said. "Whether or not I lead is not up to me. Remember, I'm irrelevant. Only the will of the Force matters. I will play whatever role it requires of me."

Yuthura was still looking closely at Tory. "Bastila is right. As a Sith, I swore an oath to serve you. Then I had you kill the Master of your own Academy, and then I tried to murder you. Despite all that, you not only turned me back to the Light, just now you interposed yourself between me and a High Council member. You are not only a true servant of the Light, you are a true leader. Whatever name you wish me to call you by, if you will have me, I will follow you anywhere."

"Don't follow me," said Tory. "Follow the Force."

"From what I can see," Yuthura said, "that is a distinction without a difference. But if you prefer, I'll say it this way: will you let me join you and your friends in following the Force together?"

Tory started to answer, but Jolee spoke first. "There was once a family on a long ocean voyage. The ship they were traveling on was caught in a storm and they were thrown into the water. The parents survived, but their infant daughter was lost. After grieving for some time, they adopted an orphan child. After the child grew to adulthood, she became curious about her biological family. She did some research, and learned that as an infant she had been found by a fishing boat, floating on some boards. Turns out, she was the daughter who had been lost at sea."

"And your point?" asked Yuthura.

"I think I already made it," said Jolee, looking around at the others. "I didn't stop in the middle again, did I?"

Juhani reached out and squeezed Yuthura's hand. "You were always one of us, even before you knew it."

The five Jedi walked back to the Ebon Hawk in silence, picking their way slowly at first through the deep craters, and finally reaching normal ground. T3 was waiting outside the ship, beeping happily. Canderous and HK-47, drawn by his excitement, walked down the loading ramp.

"Status: the ship remains safe, Master," HK-47 said. "I was prepared to blast the Mandalorian if he tried to leave with it. I am certain that only my presence prevented such an attempt."

"Your irritating droid wouldn't shut up," Canderous said. "Kept issuing 'Warning:' this and 'Proclamation:' that. I almost turned it to scrap, but then I remembered how handy it is in a fight."

"Did you learn anything about the ice planet?" Tory asked.

"Maybe," Canderous said. "Does the name 'Rekkiad' ring any bells for you?"

Tory shook her head, but Yuthura spoke up. "It does for me. There were many rumors at the Sith Academy, and it was hard to separate fact from fiction. One common topic was speculation on things that Revan ... you ... and Malak had done. As was the Sith way, everyone sought to gain an advantage over everyone else. Details from your past might have given such an edge. The name 'Rekkiad' came up multiple times."

"The name means nothing to me," Tory said, "but the images are very clear. That must be the place."

"There was another rumor," Yuthura said to Tory. "This one seemed more fanciful, but I cannot dismiss it, and if you are planning to return to the regions you visited before, you should be aware of it."

"What was the rumor?" Tory asked.

"We were not the real Sith," Yuthura said. "The were other Sith, an old Sith Empire, somewhere in the Outer Regions. This empire was populated by True Sith, a species from outside the Core. It was rumored that it was they who sent you and Malak back to attack the Republic."

"I don't rememb-" Tory began, then suddenly stopped, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead. "Vitiate," she said softly. She swayed slightly, then fell unsteadily to one knee.

The other gathered around her. They were quickly joined by Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar. Apparently, the trio had been watching for the Jedi to return, and had walked over from where the cargo was being sorted, arriving just as Tory fell.

"What's wrong?" Carth asked.

"I believe she remembered something," Juhani said. They helped move Tory to a sitting position. After several minutes, she recovered her composure, but remained sitting.

"This just became much more serious," Tory said. "I still don't remember everything but ... I think we have another enemy."

"The rumor is true?" Yuthura asked.

"I'm not sure," Tory said. "This feel less like I can't remember and more like ... I'm not sure how to explain it. More like this particular memory is somehow blocked. But I don't think the Mandalorians really started the Mandalorian wars. I think there's something else out there, something that manipulated them into attacking the Republic. Something that's still out there."

"What do we do?" Bastila asked.

"We prepare," Tory said, standing to her feet. She turned to Canderous. "Just after the Mandalorian Wars, I left something on Rekkiad, something hidden in a tomb in the ice. Something that you will find very interesting, Canderous."

"You mean..." Canderous began hesitantly.

"Yes, that," said Tory. "Your people must be prepared, and I can think of no one better for the job than you. We'll be leaving soon."

"Me?" Canderous asked. "You want to give it to me?"

"I can't think of anyone more qualified," Tory said. "You'll do it honor."

"Mandalorians don't bow, or kneel, or whatever you Jedi do," Canderous said. "But you have my thanks, Revan." This time, Tory did not correct him. Canderous jogged up the loading ramp to prepare the ship, HK-47 dutifully following to make sure he didn't lift off too early.

"T3, go make sure they don't kill each other," Tory said. The small droid rolled up the ramp behind them.

"You're leaving?" Carth asked. "Right now?"

"Yes, and I need you to do something for me," Tory said. "I need you to make sure the Republic recovers its strength. If all goes well, I'll only be gone a few weeks. But if it doesn't, or maybe even if it does, I'm afraid the Republic may not have much time before it will have to be ready to fight again."

"Fight who?" Carth asked. "How do we prepare for an unknown enemy?"

"I wish I had answers for you," Tory said. "Just do your best."

"Okay," Carth said. "We heard there's another Republic freighter due in a few days. I can hitch a ride. Don't think you're getting rid of me this easy, though. I want to hear from you when you get back. I didn't get a chance to ask, though - how were things at the Enclave?"

"Let's just say not all the Jedi were happy to see me," Tory said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Carth. "We found a lot of mixed reactions ourselves. Some people are as disillusioned as the overseer we talked to. Others were glad to learn that Malak is dead, and are determined to make a new start."

"We found a way to help," Mission said. "There's a group of settlers planning to travel across the continent to a small settlement near the ocean. They probably won't run into anything too dangerous, but there might be some Kath Hounds and stuff. Big Z and I were thinking of going with them, looking out for them. And after everything we've been through, a long walk across some pretty countryside sounds peaceful."

"I think that's a great idea," Tory said.

"We'll get our gear together," Mission said. She and Zaalbar entered the ship.

"Carth, you'd best gather your gear as well," Tory said. "I'll be leaving soon."

"On it," Carth said. He followed Mission and Zaalbar into the Hawk.

Now only the five Jedi stood at the foot of the ramp. "So, we're off to Rekkiad next?" asked Jolee.

"I am," Tory said. "But only as a stop to somewhere else. Something happened back there, in the Enclave courtyard. Something new. Something I need to meditate on. And I think somewhere beyond Rekkiad is the place I must do it. Did any of you feel the thing I'm talking about?"

"If you mean at the end, when you were facing Atris, it was overwhelming," Bastila said. "I had no idea that Revan ... you ... wielded that sort of power. I didn't know anyone could. I will admit that I was momentarily frightened for all of us. But there was something else as well, something I don't know how to describe."

"That power wasn't all me," Tory said. "I don't think I ever was that strong, even as the Dark Lord. Do you know where it came from today?"

Bastila shook her head. "I know we still share a Force Bond, but this felt different. For a moment, it was almost as if I was in your place, seeing Atris as you saw her. In fact, I felt connected to all of you in a way that I can't explain. How did you do that?"

"I didn't," Tory said. Seeing their puzzled looks, she continued. "I think the connections between all of us manifested themselves in a new way today. The Force Bond that Bastila and I share made the experience more intense for her, but we were all involved. I'm not yet sure how to define all this. What I'm certain of so far is that, in that moment in the courtyard, you each lent me some of your own strength. Atris wasn't facing me, or even who I used to be. Atris was facing all of us together."

"You're selling yourself short, lass," Jolee said. "Most of that was you. Your command of the Force certainly hasn't suffered."

"Maybe," Tory conceded. "But a lot of it was each of you as well. And just for the record, I don't command the Force anymore. I don't believe I should."

"Isn't that what we do?" asked Jolee.

"That's what we're taught," she said. "But should we? Isn't that what the Sith do? Shouldn't the Force command us instead?"

"You are not equating the Jedi Order with the Sith, are you?" asked Juhani cautiously.

"Of course not," said Tory. "What I'm saying is that we should serve the Force. We should not make the Force serve us."

"We do serve the Force," said Juhani. "The Jedi fight for the Light, for good."

"It isn't the Jedi's intentions I'm questioning," said Tory. "It's their methods."

"Shall I find a glass of water?" asked Bastila with a smile.

"That aside," Tory said, "I'm not sure how or why whatever happened in the courtyard occurred, but I feel almost compelled to find out. Canderous can prepare the Mandalorians for whatever is to come, and Carth can do the same with the Republic. But I think this new thing may be the key to preparing the Jedi, and I need some time to understand it. Tell me more about Meetra Surik. Atris said she had become a 'Wound in the Force', and that I had condemned her to a fate worse than death. Exactly what does that mean?"

"Freedon Nadd's tomb was said to be a Wound in the Force," Jolee said. "Imagine a place where something so terrible, so destructive happened that the Force itself was injured. Almost like a scar the body forms to seal a grievous injury. It would be an abnormal place, a hard place where the Force could not penetrate."

"What would it mean for a person to be such a Wound?" Tory asked.

"I'm not even sure," Jolee said. "I hadn't considered it possible. I suppose that a Jedi who existed in such a state would be disconnected from the Force, unable to feel it, unable to use it. It sounds horrible."

"And what of Surik's ability to form connections with others? Would that be affected as well?" Tory asked.

This time Yuthura answered. "I don't think so. While the Jedi reject connections, the Sith thrive on them, albeit in a dark way that I now find abhorrent. I ... I would prefer not to discuss details. Suffice to say, the Sith technique, while related to the Force, does not require feeling or using it in the normal manner. I find it quite possible that Surik could still connect to others. And I do not mean to suggest that Surik is a Sith, or using Sith teachings. The technique itself is benign. What the Sith did with it ... was not."

"If I'm understanding properly," Bastila said, "that might actually be the only way she could still feel the Force. Even if cut off from feeling it directly, she might be able to still feel it through others."

"That's exactly what I was hoping," Tory said.

"This is all very interesting," Juhani said. "But I did not miss that you said you were going beyond Rekkiad. You said that as if we were not going with you."

"That's right," Tory said. "I need time alone to meditate on all this. But more than that, all of you have important work to do."

"What work is that?" asked Juhani.

"You have the most challenging job," Tory said. "A group of Jedi might attract the wrong kind of attention where I suspect you will be going, but your skills at camouflage and your natural instincts will serve you well. I trust you, and I believe you will succeed."

"And what is my mission?" Juhani asked.

"We need Meetra Surik," Tory said. "Not only is it wrong for her to suffer an unjust exile, I think she may be the key to this mystery. Even more importantly, though, I think I can help her. Will you find her for me, and convince her to return?"

Juhani nodded. "I will do my best. However, I do not even know which direction she went when she left."

"There may be some here that knew her," Tory said. "Some who might be sympathetic and might have thoughts about where she would have gone. Unless I'm mistaken, Master Dorak is one of them. Once I leave, I think you will find yourself much more welcome at the Enclave. Ask some questions, see what you can learn. Beyond that, the Force will guide you."

"I will start with Master Dorak, then," Juhani said. "I have always found him a reasonable man. When I do find her, though, I do not know if she will wish to return. It sounds as if she was treated very poorly."

Tory looked uncomfortable for a moment, then said, "If you have to, tell her that Revan needs her. I think she will return."

"And what will the rest of us be doing?" Jolee asked.

"Look around you," Tory said. "The people of Dantooine have suffered a loss, but not a disaster on a planetary scale. Yes, they need some immediate practical help, but what is really standing in the way of their recovery? Their biggest need isn't crates of supplies. Their biggest need is hope. You're going to bring that to them."

"And how will we accomplish this?" Jolee asked.

Tory looked at Yuthura. "I can imagine that, if I were a slave, and I were freed, it might give me hope. I might spread that hope to others around me. It is time for you to return to Sleheyron."

"You have not forgotten," Yuthura said.

"I haven't," Tory said. "Some of the slaves, once freed, may have destinations of their own that they want to go to. But for those who don't, the settlement that Mission and Zaalbar are headed to would be a fine home."

"I feared that I would end up having to do this alone," Yuthura said. "But now I will go with friends."

"Let's divide most of the credits we've accumulated amongst all of you," Tory said. "It should be enough to cover your expenses. I'll need very little. Juhani's task will probably take the longest. I expect to meet the rest of you back on Dantooine in a few weeks. We can await Juhani and Meetra together."

"I understand why Juhani has to go alone," said Bastila. "But I'd rather the rest of us first went to Sleheyron together, and then beyond Rekkiad together. You're not even sure where you're going. And if you do find it, you don't know what you'll encounter there. The last time you went outside known space after winning a war, you came back as Darth Revan."

"I know," Tory said. "And I'll be careful. I'm not even sure why myself, but this is something I have to do alone. And actually I won't be alone. I'll have T3 and HK-47 to protect me."

"You'll understand if taking HK-47 makes me more concerned and not less, won't you?" Bastila asked.

"That's fair," Tory said with a grin. "But for all his eccentricities, he's extremely loyal to me. We'll be fine. I'm not looking for a fight, just answers. If I run into trouble, I'll turn around and come back. I really do believe this is the path I must take."

"Be safe then," Jolee said. "And return soon."

Final arrangements were made, and final goodbyes were said. As the sun set on Dantooine, the Ebon Hawk flew into the sky, with Tory, Canderous, HK-47, and T3-M4 on board. The others watched as the light of the fading sun glinted against it for one last moment.

Then it was gone.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

There is no indication in either game that Atris was on Dantooine when Malak attacked. But there is no proof that she wasn't either. In KOTOR 2, you can learn through conversation with a Handmaiden (not Brianna, one of the others) that there was an evacuation before Malak's attack, which included saving some of the Jedi relics. I wanted Atris to be all villiany for this fanfic, so I interpreted that in a way very unfavorable to her.

The events described above are followed by the KOTOR II game. The fan fiction continues in KOTOR 2 - Connections: Messenger, which is set just before KOTOR II.