KOTOR III: TRET'YE SRAZHENIE (THIRD BATTLE)
Chapter VII: Old Friends, New Allies
Even though the planet-spanning city of Coruscant lay several hundred thousand light-years away from Dantooine, the antiquated Ebon Hawk still had no trouble traveling there. Zakal, Becca Solis, and Galon Klivian were amazed at how well the ship was constructed, although Bao-Dur's Padawan spent considerable time making repairs and adjustments to the inside of the vessel. As she'd promised before, she also took a look at T3-M4, the Hawk's plucky utility droid, and upgraded his frame and memory core. As for Becca, she and Galon sat in the main hold with Master Mira, conversing as Zakal worked around them and listened. Mira was explaining about what she'd heard in regards to the resurrected Jedi Temple and its inhabitants:
"Just as our Enclave on Dantooine has been reconstructed, so has the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. I don't know who or what has done all the rebuilding, but I have heard that one of the former companions of Revan has returned to supervise the work. She's a Jedi, although for a time, she had been Sith."
"I remember hearing something about that," mentioned Becca. "Bastila Shan was her name, I believe. Do you think she'll be able to help us find the Force presence we're looking for?" She sat back in her durasteel seat in the main hold, wondering if Bastila would remember Revan or know where he was.
"We'd better hope so," said Galon. "Otherwise, if the Jedi on Coruscant can't help us, where else would we look? We can't go running all over the galaxy following false leads and guesses. The Force will help us, but we have to have something to go on that's more substantial than our own theories right now."
"I agree," said Zakal. "Let's talk to this Bastila Shan and find out what she knows." She took an omni-wrench and adjusted a panel inside T3-M4. Becca and Galon nodded, and Master Mira furrowed her brow, closing her fiery eyes.
"Is something the matter?" asked Becca, but Mira raised her hand for silence.
"I'm just trying to think," Mira said slowly, "and meditate. Give me a minute." When she finally opened her eyes, she said, "The Force is telling me that many things are different upon Coruscant since the last time any of us have been there. A city that's as big as a planet obviously undergoes many changes through the course of time, even as short as a month or two, but there's something...more hopeful...about Coruscant now. I can feel the mass presences of people, droids and creatures through the Force, and they seem to be...more at peace. That's all I can say right now. Did I confuse you?"
"Not at all," replied Zakal. "Your feelings are probably due to the fact that the Temple has been rebuilt, and there are Jedi in it. Our Order has always been a source of stability in times of trouble, even if the galaxy is in the thick of war. Of course Coruscant might feel more at peace with the Temple intact again. Thank you for telling us, Master Mira, about what you've sensed."
"You're welcome," the red-haired former bounty hunter replied, and then she heard a quick beeping signal from the Ebon Hawk's autopilot in the cockpit. "Oh! That sound means we're about to come in for a landing. Fasten your harnesses, and when we get to the Temple, mind your Jedi protocol."
"No problem!" laughed Galon. "I'll just stand on my head the whole time!"
Becca Solis rolled her eyes, and Zakal snickered. Protocol was not Galon Klivian's strength, but all the same, he wouldn't be standing on his head! When the Ebon Hawk received clearance from a tall security droid to land on the pad nearest the refurbished Jedi Temple, Master Mira squared her shoulders. She signaled for the three Padawans to holster their most basic lightsabers, and they did so. Becca's was, of course, yellow, the golden color of the Jedi Sentinels. Galon Klivian preferred blue, the standard hue that the Jedi Guardians chose for their sabers. As for Zakal, her lightsaber was green, since she was a Jedi Consular focused on skills in mechanics and the Force. They made a perfectly-balanced team, with stealthy Mira at their head.
"Here we are," Mira announced. "Don't do anything barve-ish, all right?"
The three glanced at each other briefly, and then shook their heads at the Master. The security droid ushered them into the sanctuary of the Temple, since Mira had duly requested to have an audience with its leaders. Becca, Galon and Zakal marveled at how well the ruins of the building had been so gracefully incorporated into the new structure. It was a mixture of history and progress, time past and time present, mingling artfully with the future.
"Wow," mused Zakal admiringly. "Whoever built this knew their craft well."
"Greetings, Jedi!" A stately older woman in the traditional short brown robes of the Order, along with a dark-haired and dark-complexioned man in longer and thicker ones, stepped forward to greet them. The sun streamed in through the sanctuary windows, bathing all of them in light unpolluted by haze or the industrial pollution that seemed to blanket all of Coruscant. Perhaps the Temple, with its sacred aura, protected itself through the Force, or perhaps that was only the action of well-placed air scrubbers and ventilators! Whatever the case, the Padawans and Master Mira felt at peace.
"My name is Master Bastila Shan," said the woman, "and beside me is Master Revan. We both used to be Sith, but we have now returned to the Light."
Mira and the Padawans bowed, humbly presenting their case to the Masters.
Bastila's brow furrowed. "It is worse than I thought. We've much work to do."
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nice work Tysy, I look forward to more of this series!