Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [66]
“Veela!” Canderous demanded. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Put the Mask down and step away from the crypt,” she commanded, ignoring him.
Moving slowly so as not to alarm anyone, Revan placed the Mask back in the crypt.
“Avner fought beside us,” Canderous protested. “He led us to Mandalore’s Mask. And you repay him with betrayal?”
Veela barked out a harsh laugh. “Who are you to talk of betrayal? You turned your back on your people. And for what? To throw your lot in with Revan the Butcher?”
“When did you figure it out?” Canderous asked, not bothering to deny the truth.
“Once he revealed himself to be a Jedi, it was obvious,” she said with a sneer. “Especially with that name. Did you really think rearranging Revan into Avner would fool us?”
“This isn’t about him,” Canderous said. “It’s about me, isn’t it?”
Veela bit down hard on her lip but didn’t answer.
“I’m not here to claim the Mask for myself,” Canderous assured her. “You’re the rightful leader of Clan Ordo. I’m not here to challenge you.”
“You still don’t get it,” Veela said, shaking her head. “You should be our leader, not me! You were our greatest warrior. You were our champion. Our hero. When Mandalore fell, you should have been the one to take his place!” She looked at him sadly. “Instead, you abandoned us. You abandoned me.”
“I’m sorry,” Canderous said softly. “When our clan fell apart, I was lost. I had to get away. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You could have stayed and help piece it back together,” Veela insisted, her voice cracking slightly as she lowered the blaster in her hand.
“Cin vhetin,” Canderous said. “I can’t undo the past. But I’m here now.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell the others in the camp,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to destroy your reputation by telling them you fell in with Revan.”
“You didn’t tell them because you’re afraid they would agree with me,” Canderous countered. “Revan is not our enemy. Not now. Without him, Clan Jendri would have slaughtered us. Without him, we would never have found Mandalore’s Mask. Revan has proved himself to be our brother; and what you are doing brings dishonor on our clan!”
“No,” Veela insisted. “You’re wrong. Clan Ordo might accept a Jedi, but not him. Anyone but him.”
“There’s only one way to be sure. We let the whole clan decide.”
“That’s not an option,” Veela replied, raising her blaster back up. “Revan cannot leave this chamber alive.”
“You know Revan’s reputation,” Canderous warned. “And mine. There may be six of you, but do you really think you have a chance against us both?”
“We’re not here to kill you,” Veela told him. “Just him.”
“And you expect me to stand by and do nothing?”
“I expect you to join us!” Veela shouted. “You are Mandalorian! Clan Ordo is your family, not Revan. You have to choose: him or us.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Canderous said evenly. “Lower your weapons. End this madness. We’ll take Mandalore’s Mask back down to the camp together.”
“This is your last chance, Canderous,” Veela said. “Choose!”
Her hand was trembling, making it difficult for her to aim. But the other five held their blasters steady and true.
“You can’t win this battle,” Revan said quietly, speaking more to the others than Veela.
“We killed dozens of Jedi during the war,” Veela answered grimly.
“I’m no ordinary Jedi.”
“Veela,” Canderous pleaded, “please don’t do this.”
Her shoulders slumped and she let out a sigh of resignation. “Kill them both.”
Revan was in motion, his lightsaber flashing to life, before the words had finished spilling from her mouth. As Veela and two of the others—reacting slightly faster than the rest—fired their blasters, the green blade transformed into a spinning, twirling blur as he used it to deflect their bolts back in the direction of the shooters.
One of the deflected bolts struck its mark, taking down the woman on Veela’s left. Canderous and Revan dived for cover