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Revan: Departure Chapter 1

"Carth," Hodge Antilles said, turning a bit pale. He didn't particularly like big crowds. "Don't you think this is a bit extravagant?"

"I tried to tell Admiral Dodonna that." The Republic Captain whispered. "She insisted that a formal ceremony was required."

The former Dark Lord of the Sith sighed. He, as well as the rest of the Ebon Hawk's crew, sat in front of a large audience on Coruscant, waiting to be awarded for their valiant efforts. The gesture wouldn't have been so bad if there wasn't already a celebration on the Builder world, praise from the Jedi council and numerous other applauses just about everywhere they went. For the most part, Hodge waved his hand at the crowd, cheering his name from the stands. "Revan! Revan! Revan!"

"Couldn't you have used that Jedi mind trick to get us out of this mess?" Carth Onasi said under his breath. Apparently, he had gotten just about as sick as everyone else.

"I can't mind trick a million people, Carth." Hodge defended. To be fair, he could perform such a feat, but that would require a sense of calm and meditation. Frankly, he was just too damn tired, what with all the business with saving the Republic. Besides, a young female Jedi with short ponytails didn't seem to mind. With a quick glance to the side, he gave a subtle wink to which she simply rolled her eyes at. Though many could not see past the surface, he knew that Bastila loved their playful relationship.

Other than the occasional political stab and loud protestors, Hodge had better places to be. Judging by the looks of his companions, they felt the same way. Mission had resorted to having full on conversations with Zaalbar, though Wookiees weren't known for their quiet voices. Juhani did her best to maintain a disciplined stance, though even she couldn't maintain that sort of patience. Canderous, for the most part, looked as disgruntled as always. HK and T3, being droids, were used to orders to standing around and waiting (though Hodge did have to shoot the occasional glance to ensure HK's blaster rifle didn't 'accidentally' go off).

Oddly enough, Jolee looked as calm as ever. Perhaps it was because of his old age, or perhaps he was naturally patient in this sort of thing, but the bald Jedi gave a genuine smile as he sat back and waved at the crowd. In truth, ever since he met the Old Hermit living in the Shadowlands, Hodge was always naturally aware that Jolee was more than he appeared. Sure on the outside there was an aging, cranky, morally ambiguous Jedi who'd love to ramble on about his past, but there was also a sense of profound wisdom found in him. Hodge confirmed this theory back on the Builder homeworld, learning about the snake and the man.

In a way, Jolee's wisecracking and sense of humor eased their journey to save the galaxy. Hodge looked to him as somewhat of a defunct master.

Regardless, the Savior of the galaxy couldn't have been more bored as his mind drifted off into sleep.

The new apprentice stood out from the crowd. Literally. Somewhat of a Wookiee among Ewoks, Alek was at least five feet tall compared to other Force sensitive children who barely broke the 4 foot barrier. On Dantooine, he was somewhat awestruck with what he had seen. The peaceful farming world had plains as far as the eye could see with its most of its sophisticated technology inside the Jedi Enclave. He sighed a bit as he followed the rest of the children, being led by Master Dorak.

"Younglings, you may feel free to explore the Enclave, but the courtyard is restricted to you. If you want access to the archives, feel free to ask me which materials you want. I look forward to each and everyone of you becoming Jedi Knights."

The lanky boy did as he was told and explored the gardens of the Enclave. Albeit peaceful, much of the other children did not want to converse with him. He had his doubts, and apparently he was not alone in that belief. The other children looked at him strangely and so he decided it was best to venture off on his own.

"Wow, you're really tall, you know that?" A proud voice told him.

At first, Alek looked surprised. He turned around only to see a much shorter boy in front of him. Alek could tell this boy was different from the other Younglings by the way he leaned his head behind his hands. He had a fair complexion, with rich brown hair albeit darker from the plains of Dantooine. His eyes were a bright green, matching the blade of the famed Jedi Counsulars. But most of all was his smile. The boy literally had a grin so big that the whole academy noticed his gleaming white teeth.

"Hi! I'm Revan. What's your name?" He said with a very straight-forward tone.

"Umm… Alek. Alek Squinquargesimus."

"Wow. Even your name is tall! How about I call you 'Squint' instead?"

"'Squint'?" Alek repeated. Though he didn't spend much time in the Galactic Republic civilization, he knew enough that Squint denoted someone… rather short.

"Yeah, on account you're so tall. 'Squint'." Alek nodded with a confused gaze. Somehow, he could tell that this apprentice was far, far more different than any other of the children in the Enclave.

"Want to go see the courtyard? It's a lot more interesting that this place." Revan's smile began to have a lasting impression on Alek.

"But we can't; there's a protocol droid blocking us from entering there."

"Who? B1-D2? Nah, it's easy to get by him. Just watch."

Before Alek could try to talk reason to the young boy, the boy was already halfway across the garden.

"Excuse me, Younglings." The protocol droid said automatically with its open eyes. "But the Enclave is restricted to those who have permission from the Jedi Council. Please go back to your studies."

However, Revan had slid behind the droid and placed several of its wires into his datapad. From what Alek deducted, his companion was hacking through B1-D2's processing core.

Revan smirked. "B1-D2, please allow access to the courtyard for apprentices Revan and Squint."

"Of course, young master." The droid immediately opened the door in front of them. Alek wasn't sure if this was the right course of action, but his companion seemed more confident than anything.

"Come on! I want to show you the Courtyard!" Just before any protest could be made, Revan yanked Alek by the arm and stopped just outside of the Enclave.

For once, Alek gasped in awe. His only view of the planet were from the holovids shown on the transport and the window below. However, the beauty of the infinite plains was a wonder to behold. The sun's gaze showed how thick and beautiful each strain of grass was as large beautiful Brith spread out their wings to glide through the air. The two boys rushed past the settlers to catch more of Dantooine's beauty.

"Well, do you like it?" Revan smiled to his taller companion.

"It's amazing! I've never seen such a more beautiful place." Alek leaned forward to see more the amazing animals that filled the planet.

"Just watch out for Kath Hounds. They like to attack the settlers time and again." The boys continued to converse and chase each other throughout the plains. They giggled and laughed as they ran up various hills to watch the sunset. As the orange glow began to settle down, Alek turned to the young Padawan that had led him here. Even then, he could tell.

"This one is strong with the Force." Alek thought to himself.

"Revan…" Alek began. "Are you not afraid that such… proud actions could lead to the Dark Side?"

"Nah!" The shorter boy said, laying on his back. "The way I see it, I'm going to be the Greatest Jedi Ever. And if I think that, there's no way a Jedi can ever fall to the Dark Side!"

"But, to serve the Light, you must adhere to its rules." Alek protested.

"Not the way my Master teaches it…" Revan muttered to himself.

"Your Master?"

"Yeah. She's an old bat who's always saying something about 'echoes' or something like that. But one thing she said really stuck out to me. She said that 'sometimes, in order to serve the Light, we have to think outside the teachings of the Jedi. We have to forge our own ideas and that way, we make our own Light.' I think she was right. I mean, if it protects people in the end, where's the harm in that?"

Alek was moved by this wisdom. "I guess, you will be the Greatest Jedi Ever…"

"Yep! And you'll be by my side! We'll be the two who saved the Galaxy!" Revan grinned.

Thankfully, once the ceremony was over, Hodge and his companions celebrated at the local Cantina. Able to unwind, the group split up to their own sections. Of course, Mission and Zaalbar had gone and watched the variety of vids that were playing while Hodge, Bastila, Carth, Jolee, and Juhani talked together. The Cantina didn't allow droids and as such, T3 and HK-47 were forced to wait on the Ebon Hawk.

As they ate and celebrated in merriment, the Republic Captain spoke up.

"So, Hodge. What are your plans? I mean, at this point, you're a hero. Surely, you'll probably join the Council or something."

"That is not the way of the Jedi, Carth," Bastila scolded. "True, Hodge did show admirable devotion to the Light when he refused to take over the galaxy, but that doesn't mean he's ready to become a Jedi Master. It is something only after overcoming numerous trials and ordeals can one be even considered joining."

"Aren't you somewhat disqualified to answer that question?" Carth shot back. "I mean, no offense but you did help Malak for a short while and even fell yourself. I mean, what does the Council think of that?"

Before Bastila could retort, Hodge stepped in. "That's something for us and the Council to discuss. Besides, if they're hesitant to take her back, I can be very persuasive."

Carth chuckled, unsure whether to be intimidated or humored. Bastila would've spoken up, but the way Hodge's hand rested on her thigh, she was less than willing to speak her mind.

"I wouldn't worry," Jolee said, drinking his ale. "The Council will take Bastila back. Her Battle Meditation is too valuable to leave unchecked. Their punishment, however, well… let's just hope the Council was more lenient that they were in my day."

"You must trust in the Jedi Council," Juhani spoke up. "Even if their methods are… questionable, they do things for good reason. Like my Master Quatra, they do things so that we may learn from them. You must trust in their wisdom."

"Ha!" Jolee scoffed. "At my age, you learn to make your own wisdom, not simply repeat the sayings of the Council. In my opinion, that's what makes a great Jedi."

After what had become years of strict tutelage and apprenticeship, Revan had become a full-fledged Jedi Knight. Luckily, all those years of training and meditation had somewhat matured Revan into a calm-thinking individual. Of course, Alek was present, but not as fondly admired or recognized as his partner. Alek knew better than to feel jealousy, but still felt it time and time again. Revan's playful taunts didn't help matters any.

However, innocent days would lead to troublesome times. Mainly, the threat of the Mandalorians were arising. Already conquering the Outer Rim, it wouldn't be long before they began to start seizing worlds within the Republic. The Senate had approached the Council for aid already, but the Jedi Masters denied this action. They had claimed that further observation was required and that no Jedi Knights were to fight in the War.

Alek had met Revan outside the Enclave, on the plains. Once all the Younglings had been sent to their chambers, Alek and his partner would convene in the middle of the night. Always alert, Revan had taught his friend how to avoid notice from the Council or other Jedi Knights. When the coast was clear, he and Revan met and began to discuss their plans. Already, Alek had noticed Revan's change of attire from simple robes to a black cloak.

"Alek," Revan began. "If you had to choose between being an hero or saving the Republic, which would you choose?"

"Could we not do both?" Alek asked. "Saving the Republic would earn us some admiration, I think."

"You know what I mean…"

Indeed, Alek did. He and Revan, on missions in the Outer Rim, had seen… horrors beyond imagination. To simply call it 'evil' was an understatement. Whatever had happened, the Mandalorians were not the true threat. What they saw was.

After much discussion, both of them had come to the conclusion was to meet the Mandalorians head-on, with a group of followers that would swear to serve them. They would be heroes and recognized through out the Republic.

What came after, was a point of concern.

"I think, that if we eventually do that which would save lives, that would be a noble effort. And if a few must be… sacrificed to do so, then I believe the cause is just."

Revan nodded. "Then there is only one thing in the galaxy that will ensure our victory and further beyond."

"The Star Forge…"

"Well, well, well…" A rather sly looking fellow said, coming across Canderous. The grey-haired Mandalorian soldier drank separate from the rest of the party. Unlike everyone who was estatic that the Sith were defeated, Canderous simply saw it as an end to another fight. Out off everyone else, he considered himself to be alone from the rest of the group. Only Revan could understand what it meant for Canderous, and even then, Revan was not his former self.

"Look at the new Kath Hound of the Republic." The sly fellow was Mandalorian, there was no doubt, as were his 2 other companions. Canderous did not recognize their clan, but he knew their intent well enough. Mandalorians did not look very kindly on the Republic, and helping that which had humiliated you was… degrading, to say the least.

"Leave me alone, worm. I'm not in the mood for teaching boys how to fight."

The leader of the group clapped his hands and chuckled in mockery. "Big words for a puppet. Tell me; did you join out of fear or did you always want the Republic to win the war?"

"Look, Kid," Canderous spoke up, his anger starting to boil up. "When you get to be my age, you learn several ways to kill somebody. You probably only did so with a blaster or in a fighter. Apologize, and I won't have to break your arm."

"Try it! I may be young, but at least I know where my loyalties stand!"

And with that, Canderous quickly seized the young boy's arm, put it in a dead lock between his neck and his left hand, and proceeded to snap it in two.

"Quick!" Carth said, immediately spotting the Mandalorian in a bar brawl, of all things. "Canderous is in trouble! We have to-"

Hodge quickly pulled up his hand. "Wait, don't." As if another instinct had taken over, he told the rest of the group to hold their attack.

"What are you doing?" Bastila said. "He needs our-"

The Prodigal Knight simply pointed to the scene, showing Canderous for the most part, parrying or blocking most of the throws. The Mandalorian Veteran held his own as the two came to the side, and he took one arm of his attackers and swung it to the other's face. He then tackled his other assailant and began beating him to a pulp. When the leader of the group tried to sneak up from behind and swing a vibroblade at him, Canderous simply turned around, raised his right hand up to fist the leader's neather regions.

The Young Mandalorian, who by then was paralyzed and frozen by this attack, could do little as Canderous stood up and revealed his superior physique.

"Know your place, pup." And with that, he gave a full bodied kick to the boy's chest, knocking the young Mandalorian on his back.

After a blaster rifle went off, the rest of the Cantina turned to the front, seeing the Bartender holding the gun.

"I don't care how many Crosses of Glory you have; nobody starts a fight in my bar and stays! Especially not Mandalorians!"

Canderous grumbled, took a swig from his glass and dropped it on the aching boys on the floor.

Carth turned to Hodge, stunned by what he just witnessed. "That was… interesting. How did you know he'd win that fight?"

"I didn't."

Revan studied the Galaxy on the map. The fleet they constructed with the power of the Star Forge was… incredible. He could seldom believe the armada of Sith Fleets he had at his disposal. However, he had another ulterior motive. After the Mandalorian Wars and Malachor V, he and Malak had met… unforeseen circumstances. What was to be a swift and final victory, resulted in their inevitable defeat. Now, he had been sent as a messenger to lead an army to conquer the Republic.

It was somehow humiliating, knowing that the person who you had been trying to kill, was now your new Master.

And so, Revan and Malak forged an army to conquer the Republic. Little did many realize Revan's true motive.

Within his chambers, he thought to himself. "I have to ensure that Courscant survives. Without a capital to govern the galaxy, anarchy will soon follow. Kashyyyk might be worth dominating, but Czerka should take care of that…"

"My Lord…" A Sith Commander stood at attention, ready to serve.

"What?" Revan said, turning to him. "What is it?"

"I bring word of success. The bombardment obliterated everything in sight." The Soldier could not see nor fathom the deep rage circling underneath Revan's mask.

"Bombardment? I gave no such order!" So, the former hero of the Republic did what many shouldn't have: he panicked. He panicked as a result of shortsightedness, a poor trait for any leader. "What planet was destroyed?"

"Forgive me, my lord. But your apprentice, Lord Malak gave the order to destroy Telos."

"Telos…" As if he had just swallowed an entire blaster, the Dark Lord quickly slumped in his chair. Telos IV was a vital planet of the Republic. It was a trade route for many systems, had rare indigeonous flora and fauna not seen anywhere else in the galaxy and held the home of many Ithorians and Republic soldiers. Losing such a location, rather than by conquering it, was a colossal failure to say the least.

Infuriated, he turned to the soldier. "You! Bring Malak here so he can answer for his stupidity!"

"Aye aye, sir." The soldier quickly left the premisis to do so.

Within a few moments, Malak stood there, facing his master. "You summoned me, Lord Revan?"

Revan wasted no time clenching his fingers together and thus making Malak's breathing much more difficult. Had the apprentice's windpipe had access to much needed air, he would've questioned why his Master was punishing him. With a pitiful gesture, Revan let go and turned his back to Malak.

"You disappoint me, Malak," he said, trying to restrain as much blind rage as possible. "You and I both knew Telos was a major planet for the Republic. Yet, you order its destruction. Why?"

"Saul Karath of the Republic had recently joined our ranks. I needed to test his loyalty so I-"

Revan whipped around, infuriated. "You let him damn the entire planet? Idiot! We could've used him to convince the Republic to joining us! We could've used his knowledge, his resources to conquer strategic points and take the planet. What good is it to me dead? Pray it doesn't fall to the Hutts."

Then, an unmistakable sound filled the background. The low hum of a drawn lightsaber revealed itself with its crimsom hue filling the empty spaces of the Star Forge. Revan did not humor this posture more than he needed to. He did not want to spark infighting within the ranks.

"Put that away, lest you want to embarrass yourself further among the soldiers." The Sith Lord's words went deaf, as Malak decided to attack anyway. With a quick turn, Revan drew his own Sith saber and managed to block Malak's push.

"You were always too weak, Revan." The apprentice grinned, fooled to believe he had the upper hand. "Your conquests and careful tactics were no match to raw strength. That is why I destroyed Telos. That is why I am the true ruler of the Sith!"

With a quick press of a button, Revan withdrew his saber and, Malak found himself a victim of his own weight. As he stumbled to recover his stance, Revan had already moved to the side, drew his saber once more and cut off a rather sizable chunk of his apprentice's face. At this point, Malak looked almost comical, seeing that he had no more mouth to speak of. He would of screamed in agony, had he had the use of his vocal chords.

Revan gave a quick snap of his fingers. "Get him to medical, but have him keep that look. He's useful to me."

As the rest of the soldiers helped Malak to his feet, Revan gave one last warning.

"You've fallen far, Malak. It was a mistake bringing you along." Revan retired to his chambers. He would save as much as he could, even if it meant losing those loyal to him.

Mission Vao was not easily intimidated. Okay, she was, but she knew how to keep calm during most situations. However, she had never seen a bar fight which she couldn't resolve with Zaalbar's help. She kept asking questions, unsure how to respond.

"Are you sure it's okay?" The young Twi'lek asked. "I mean, it looked like he got out of the scuffle okay, but-"

"Mission," Hodge reassured. "Canderous can take care of himself. Let him cool off his engines and I'll talk to him." Even with all of her experience in the slums of Taris, Mission Vao was still little more than a child. A very competent child, perhaps, but still a child. She knew how to look after herself and Zaalbar well enough, but she still needed a bit of reassurance time and again. However, with one of her friends being threatened and her not being able to do anything, she wondered if she was able to do anything.

"Okay, but just to let you know, we'll be here if you need us. Right, Big Z?"

"Of course, Mission." The Wookiee growled. "As part of my life debt, I will continue to follow you, Hodge Antilles."

"And wherever he goes, I go!" Mission said, her smile finally returning.

Mission would've held her good spirits, until she caught sight a very familiar Twi'lek. Indeed, from his blue skin pigmentation, to the rather clumsy way he burst through the crowd, few could ignore the presence of Griff Vao.

"Griff? What are you doing here?" Mission accused.

"Sis! Boy, am I glad to find you! I was just-"

"Forget it, Griff!" Mission said with an icy tone. "Just because we're heroes of the Republic doesn't mean you get to take a free ride on this starship! Why don't you blast off, before you embarrass all of us?"

"Mission, you don't understand! I'm not here to bum money off you. I'm rich!"

"You're…What?"

"It's true, Sis! Remember that Tarisian Ale I was working on? Well, the 1st compound didn't exactly work out, as you know, but we kept getting more and more Tach glands and were able to synthesize real Tarisian Ale. Here, have a sip."

Mission glared at Griff intently and drank a sip of the mixture. However, her face instantly lighted up, showing a remarkable reaction.

"I-I don't believe it. It's actually Tarisian Ale. Griff, how did you get those Tach glands?"

The Twi'lek male rubbed the back of his head, "Well… Uhh, you see, when you get as desperate as I do, you tend to… go on your own and get them yourself."

"Are you saying you went to Kashyyyk's Shadowlands and harvested the Tach?" Hodge said, wary of the statement.

"Actually, no. See the Wookiees had some sort of revolution or something against Czerka. I was… salvaging whatever goods I could come upon when the Wookiees ambushed me. I thought I was a real goner, until I mentioned your name, Mission. Then, the Wookiees treated me like family! They even let me have the Tach glands Czerka had harvested, and before you know it, I'm up to my neck in credits! Which reminds me, I think I owe you 1,000 credits, Revan."

As Griff handed him the credits, the Prodigal Knight waved his hand. "I appreciate the offer, Griff, but Jedi are above monetary gain. Besides, it's Hodge now."

"Whatever you say! If you don't want the credits, I've got at least a year's worth of Tarisian Ale I'm giving out. Please, I ask that you at least take a bottle!"

"Generous. I accept." Hodge said, as Griff's assistants began handing out free bottles of Tarisian Ale to everyone. In fact, most of the bar patrons were more than happy to indulge themselves in alcohol save Mission.

"I'm going to go enjoy this outside. Mission, try to get along with your brother. I think he's being honest this time."

The Twi'lek female scoffed, "You never know; he could just be a really good liar. Why did dumb luck have to and give someone like Griff the deal of a lifetime?"

Bastila chimed in, "Mission, you know very well that there's no such thing as luck; there is only the Force."

"Hmph. Dumb Force, then."

Hodge sheathed his sabers. He had done it; he had defeated Darth Malak. With a sign of disbelief, Hodge continued to hold his battle stance only to see Malak clutch his chest and fall to his knees. He stared at the Dark Lord, only to find something he did not expect to find: remorse.

"Im-Impossible. I cannot be beaten. I am the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Hodge quivered, putting away his Lightsabers. "Well… that's what you get for going to the dark side."

"Still," Malak gave a very deep cough. "Still spouting the wisdom of the Jedi council, I see. Maybe there is more truth in their code than I ever believed. I...I cannot help but wonder Revan. What would have happened had our positions been reversed? What if fate had decreed I would be captured by the Jedi? Could I have returned to the light as you did? If you had not led me down the dark path in the first place, what destiny would I have found?"

Hodge was speechless. He wasn't sure what to say at this point. He was essentially speaking for someone who was dead: Revan. Hodge wasn't Revan. He couldn't possibly answer for a crime he didn't commit. Slowly, and silently, he bent down to his former apprentice.

"I'm… sorry. I'm sorry I did this to you. But… you went this path, not me."

Malak was at his final breaths now, energy slowly being depleted with each word. "I suppose… I suppose you speak the truth. I alone must accept responsibility for my fate. I wanted to be Master of the Sith and ruler of the galaxy. But that destiny was not mine, Revan. It might have been yours, perhaps… but never mine. And in the end, as the darkness takes me…" He coughed "I am nothing."

And with that, Malak collapsed to the floor, the life gone from him. Hodge bent down and laid a hand on his former apprentice.

"He's so cold…" He thought, as he quickly raised back up and headed back to the ship.

How ironic that he remembered. Hodge, carrying an uncorked bottle of Tarisian ale with him, made his way to an empty street, empty of the passerby's. As he lived his new life, memories of his previous one had bubbled in, moreso when he confronted Malak. As he sat by himself, he breathed a heavy sigh and unpopped the cork. There as the alcohol bubbled out its rich, thick foam, Hodge neared the bottle to his lips.

However, he stopped and chuckled. As he shook his head, he poured out its remnants to the street next to him.

"Drink up, Squint. It's good."

He mourned the loss of his friend. Not the corrupted shell that came afterwards, nor his apprentice as Lord of the Sith. Hodge mourned the loss of a Jedi Knight named Alek Squinquargesimus.

He had a very tall name.