Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [57]
He wasn’t surprised to see them circling high above him, well out of the reach of even a Jedi’s leap. Just as he had learned how to fight Basilisks during the Mandalorian Wars, their riders had also learned the best strategies to use when facing a member of the Jedi Order. If they stayed at a distance and coordinated their fire, it was only a matter of time until they brought Revan down.
Fortunately, he wasn’t fighting alone. His distraction had given Veela and the other Clan Ordo riders the time they needed. As the Jendri pilots prepared to retaliate against Revan, six Ordo Basilisks took to the air in attack formation.
Now outnumbered two to one, the Jendri pilots banked their war droids away from the enemy squadron and fled. Instead of pursuing, the Ordo riders turned their attention to the enemy forces on the ground.
The battle quickly turned into a rout. Even with superior numbers, the Jendri troops couldn’t match the awesome firepower of half a dozen Basilisks. The carnage lasted less than five minutes before the Jendri ranks broke.
Revan didn’t bother to participate in the final stages of the slaughter. He’d known the battle was over the instant Veela and the others took to the sky.
He looked around for Canderous and found him perched atop one of the Basilisks, screaming out a Mandalorian war cry as he arced back and forth across the field, butchering his enemies. Such vicious savagery was typical of Mandalorian warfare, and yet Revan knew that once the battle was over, Clan Jendri would hold no grudge against the victors. If Mandalore ever rose again and called them to fight alongside Clan Ordo, they would answer without hesitation.
His thoughts were interrupted when a great shadow passed over him, followed a second later by the heavy thud as Canderous brought his Basilisk in for a landing a few meters away.
“Better put that thing away,” he said, leaping to the ground and nodding at Revan’s lightsaber.
“Why, you think Veela’s going to forget I have it?” Revan asked. But he extinguished the blade as he spoke.
“I doubt anyone other than the pilots saw what happened. No point advertising what you really are any more than we have to.”
Revan changed the subject. “You think they’ll try another attack?”
“No,” Canderous said.
“You sure? I get the feeling they don’t like us being in their territory.”
“They fled the battle.” Canderous grinned. “It’s our territory now.” His grin grew wider. “Felt good to fly into battle again.”
“Where’d you get the mount?” Revan asked.
“Belongs to a young man named Grizzer. He still hasn’t been tested in battle, so Veela told me I could use it if we ran into any trouble.”
“When’d she tell you that?”
“The other night.”
“You mean when you were sharing her tent?”
Canderous shrugged.
“What does Grizzer think about that?”
“Veela’s the clan leader. He’ll do what she says.”
“And what’s she going to say now that she knows I’m a Jedi?” Revan wondered.
“Guess we’re going to find out,” Canderous said as Veela’s Basilisk swooped in to land beside them.
The Clan Ordo leader didn’t say a word as she climbed down from her seat. She walked toward the two men, her expression unreadable.
“Go help with the wounded,” she said to Revan. “You Jedi are good at that, right?”
He nodded.
“After that get some rest. Both of you. Tomorrow we climb the first Spear. Be ready to leave at daybreak.” Her words were calm, almost casual, but there was a fierce intensity in her eyes that made Revan wonder if he’d made an enormous mistake.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“I WASN’T TOLD to expect you back yet, Lord Scourge,” the guard at the gate said.
“Maybe Darth Nyriss didn’t think you needed to know my schedule,” Scourge replied, his tone dripping with acid.
The guard nodded and buzzed Scourge in.
Scourge moved quickly down the stronghold’s halls, hoping his rebuke had shocked the guard into not reporting his arrival. The truth was, Nyriss didn’t know he was back yet. He had been expected