Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [35]
“I don’t want to get Mission and Zaalbar mixed up in this, either,” Revan continued. “They’ve worked hard to build up a nice importexport business over the past year. I don’t want them to throw it all away.”
“They would if you asked them to,” Canderous noted. “Wouldn’t even think twice about it.”
“That’s why I’m not going to ask. Mission’s had it rough her whole life. Now that she’s finally got it back on track, I’m not going to mess things up for her.”
“Okay, scratch the Twi’lek kid. But what about Zaalbar? That Wookiee knows how to handle himself when things get rough.”
“Mission and Big Z are a team. We can’t break them up.”
Canderous rolled his eyes. “We’re getting a little short on bodies here.”
T3 whistled loudly, and Revan reached down to give him a reassuring pat on the head. “Don’t worry, little fella. You’re too useful to leave behind.”
The astromech droid whistled again.
“Good point,” Revan replied. “HK’s a little too trigger-happy to bring on this mission. Things tend to get bloody when he’s around.”
“You realize we’re going to a planet overrun with Mandalorians?” Canderous reminded him. “Bloody is probably unavoidable.”
“I’m hoping at least some of the clans can be reasoned with,” Revan explained. “If we bring a homicidal assassin droid with us, I don’t think they’re going to give us much of a chance to explain why we’re there.”
“We’re a little short on bodies,” Canderous repeated. “What about that other Jedi who helped you during the war? Not Malak. The one they call the Exile.”
“Meetra,” Revan said.
“I heard she and the Council had a falling-out.”
“I don’t know where she is.”
“Might be worth tracking her down,” Canderous pressed. “She proved herself during the war.”
Revan wasn’t sure how much Canderous knew about Malachor V and the mass-shadow generator. The mission report was sealed away in the Jedi Archives; he might have no idea that she had lured thousands of his fellow soldiers into a trap. It was also possible he was fully aware of Meetra’s actions, and respected her even more for making the ruthless but tactically brilliant decision to sacrifice thousands of her own people to achieve victory. In either case, Revan didn’t want to get into the tragic tale of Meetra’s banishment and her severance from the Force.
“She may have had a falling-out with the Council, but she’s still a Jedi,” he lied, doing his best to ignore the twinge of guilt he felt for his role in her ultimate fate.
“So who’s that leave, then? You, me, and this half-sized bucket of bolts?”
Canderous gave T3 a playful kick with one of his heavy boots. The droid beeped angrily in response.
“Don’t forget Bastila,” Revan added.
“I thought you wanted to leave the Jedi out of this.”
“She’s my wife,” Revan answered. “I’m not going to abandon her.”
“Hey, it’s your call,” Canderous said, holding his hands up defensively. “She’s welcome to come along. I mean, if you really think you can convince her that heading to the Outer Rim to explore Rekkiad’s frozen wastelands is a good idea.”
“Well,” Revan said with a shrug, “we never did go on a honeymoon.”
BASTILA WAS SITTING in the living room when he got home, watching holovids while she waited for him to return. Revan wondered if she’d been waiting long.
He hadn’t told her where he was going, and he hadn’t told her about sending Canderous off to investigate the Mandalorians—he just hadn’t seen any point in worrying her if there was nothing she could do to help. Now that they had a plan, however, he was eager to share it with her. He just had to be careful how he explained it all.
“Sorry,” he said as he crossed the room and bent down to give her a kiss. “I didn’t know I’d be so late. You shouldn’t have waited up.”
“That’s okay,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him down onto the couch beside her. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Still holding his hand, she turned to face him. “I’ve got something to tell you,” she said.
“Me, too. Big news.”
“I bet mine is bigger,” she said with a faint smile.
“That’s a bet you’d lose,” he warned her.
“I’m pregnant.”
Revan