Jedi Insurgency 204

The restaurant on Gyndine was quiet in the late afternoon, its dim amber lights reflecting softly off polished oaken tables and curved log shaped walls. Its decor was jungle themed, and had wood imported from Kashyyyk, along with a sort of tropical vibe where the sound of exotic birds was played from loudspeakers. 

A game of gravball was on display above a bar, and a few families with their young children running about occupied most of the tables, leading to a lively, family friendly atmosphere. 

Outside the front windows, the Imperial city was busy as ever as people were in a rush to get home after clocking out. Life for the people of Gyndine had become predictable. Now that it was the focus for a defensive chokepoint, the Hutt elements had largely been stomped out, and crime was at an all time low. For the local citizenry, Imperial rule was at the height of its popularity. 

Inside the private booth at the rear of the restaurant, Crix Madine sat alone.

The young, dirty blonde, blue eyed officer wore plain civilian clothing, but his posture betrayed him. Straight-backed and alert, his eyes were constantly scanning the area searching for potential threats. Enlisted into the Republic Commando program at the start of the Clone Wars, he was 25 years old now, and had taken part in the most vicious conflicts. He was one of the few non-clones who could claim to have slain a CIS Commando droid in melee combat. 

Sitting perfectly still, like a predator, Madine-for all his training-couldn't help but feel nervous at the moment. Tonight wasn't a typical meetup with the usual contacts. He wouldn't be sweet talking a bank teller or rough housing a bouncer this time. 

Madine folded his hands on the table and tried not to stare at the door.

Six months.

Six months had passed since the events of Order 66 had passed. Six months had passed since he was recruited to the Rebellion to restore the Republic. In that time, he had left behind friends, family, and a lover to fight for what was right. He made new friends, new enemies, and had trained dozens of cells how to resist Palpatine's rule. 

On that fateful day, deep within the Inspectorate HQ, he had been convinced by that man. 

When he confronted the Umbaran, a mind numbing scream had brought him to his knees. Blood poured out of his eyes, ears, and nose, whilst glass shards threatened to pierce him at super speeds. Then, in a burst of lightning, that evil woman had met her end. The sudden stillness that followed when the man in the dark robes stepped forward felt like the very world itself had stalled. 

Clad in a Mandalorian mask, and promising to right the wrongs in the universe, that man had revealed himself as an Old Republic legend. He was:

Revan.

Madine exhaled slowly as he recalled that life changing day. Across his storied career, he had watched Jedi perform miracle after miracle. He was there, on Dantooine, playing witness to Mace Windu singlehandedly destroying a CIS army. He had fought on Coruscant, witnessing Yoda bring down a pair of troop transports into one another. Countless other feats of speed or accuracy that only a cyborg, droid, or man in power armor could do were accomplished by these robe wearing monks. 

Despite all of their accolades, none of them had felt like him. 

Revan had moved through that room like it belonged to him. His will was calm, absolute, and totally in control. The masked man was terrifying in a way that inspired loyalty instead of fear.

And when the battle ended, when the surviving officers in that room stood stunned amongst the aftermath of his duel with the Umbaran, Revan had spoken to them with honeyed words. There was a magnetic richness to his voice, something that had made Madine want to believe in him. Of course it helped that Revan treated them as comrades, and not as expendable assets. 

Madine had never forgotten that day, and how it had impacted his worldview. 

That seemingly insignificant moment had lit a firebrand in his heart, and after many ups and downs, here he was, sitting at a table once more. Except this time, he would play the part of the host! 

Madine adjusted the position of the plates on the table for the third time, and glanced at his watch, hoping that everything would go perfectly. 

In front of him was a colorful spread of steaming dishes. Generous portions of roasted nuna with citrus glaze, spiced nerf strips, fried meiloorun slices, bowls of fragrant Alderaani rice, and grilled local vegetables filled the table. An amber-golden decanter of lum sat beside three glasses.

He had ordered ahead to avoid attracting attention, after all, there was no need for some waitress to overhear top secret plans. 

From his elevated position in the private booth, he saw the front door open, and could barely contain his nervousness, and his excitement. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself like the professional he was. 

‘Come on Mads, you've debriefed Senators, and seen the worst the war has to offer, don't fanboy now.’ Madine told himself, and poured himself a quick drink, taking a sip to calm his nerves. 

As the newcomers entered, conversation in the room seemed to dim without anyone consciously noticing why. 

The first man walked inside with relaxed confidence, his dark robes hung loosely around him. His face was calm covered in a half mask, yet anyone who saw him could tell he was a handsome bloke. However, the air around him carried a quiet gravity that made approaching him seem daunting. 

Although he wasn't wearing the full mask that he was famous for, Revan wore a half mask to hide his identity. Privately, Madine was disappointed that he couldn't see the most wanted man in the galaxy's unmasked face. 

Behind him walked a younger man with snow white hair, and a cold, almost marble-like expression. 

Madine recognized him immediately despite never seeing him in person. The teenager’s snow-white hair and pale features were unmistakable. This young Echani man was somewhat well known due to his association with Revan. After studying the Siege of Eriadu, Madine had acquainted himself with Revan’s methodology, as well as his helpers. 

The pair approached the booth, to which Madine pressed a button, opening the door, and then stood to greet them. 

“General Revan, Commander Jax, it's a pleasure to meet you here.” Madine offered his hand with a professional smile. 

Revan inclined his head slightly, a faint smile formed showing beneath his mask. 

“Commander Madine, I have spoken briefly with Organa several times, and he only has good things to say about you. The Republic is blessed to have you fighting on our side.” Revan said, filling Madine with the warmth of appreciation. 

The acknowledgment was simple, but hearing his name spoken so casually by the legendary Jedi made Madine’s pulse quicken.

His gaze flicked briefly toward Jax.

“And this must be your student.” Madine said, so as not to reveal his embarrassment. 

“Jedi Knight Jax.” Revan said with pride. 

Jax gave a polite nod, and maintained his silence. 

Madine gestured to the chairs within the booth. 

“Please. Sit.”

Revan slid into the booth smoothly, Jax sitting beside him. Neither man appeared tense, though Madine suspected both had already mapped every exit in the building.

Revan’s eyes moved across the table at the food. Madine privately wondered if he was finally going to see the mask come off. The famed General would have to do that much if he wanted to eat, right? 

“You've picked a fun little restaurant for our meeting, Commander. It's nice to see families enjoying themselves, and this wroshyr wood is smooth.” Revan complimented, and then took off a glove to run his hand along the table. 

Madine cleared his throat quickly, worried that Revan would take exception with his food being ordered ahead of time. 

“My apologies for ordering early, and without either of your inputs. Due to operational security, I thought it best to minimize our interaction with the staff.”

For half a heartbeat, Madine worried he had overstepped. Going above a superior officer like this had landed more than one of his contemporaries into hot water in the past. 

Revan leaned back comfortably into his chair, and sighed contentedly. 

“Don't worry about it.” He said lightly. “I trust you.” 

Revan's gaze then drifted across the dishes, and hummed in approval.

“Frankly, I’m impressed. Let's dig in, I'm starved.” 

Madine peeled his eyes as Revan reached for some utensils, and dished himself some rice & spiced nerf strips. Then, he wanted to blink in confusion, as the food was suddenly in the Jedi's mouth as if the mask had never moved. 

“You have a good taste in food.” Revan poured everyone a glass of lum, then held up his cup in salute. 

Jax quietly began serving himself as well, then clinked his glass with his Master's. 

Madine slowly sat down across from them, and could only clink glasses, and salute with them. 

After that, he wryly smiled, chalking this strange event up to Jedi mysticism, and dug into a skewer of fried gorog & vegetables. 

A few minutes passed, and Revan was moving on to another dish after finishing what was on his plate. 

“This is excellent, Commander. Meeting you here was worth the trip.” Revan praised, then let out a long burp. 

Madine felt a strange, irrational sense of relief.

“I’m glad you like it, sir.” Madine solemnly nodded. 

Revan gestured slightly with his fork, in faux salute, then began to pile more food onto his plate. 

Madine tried to maintain his professional composure, but inside his mind was racing.

There were so many questions.

About the war, the Jedi, and what system Revan would move onto next now that Eriadu was firmly under control. 

Furthermore, his curiosity was burning to know how Revan had managed to unite soldiers, smugglers, defectors, and entire armies across the galaxy in barely half a year.

Madine wanted to ask everything, such as: 

How do we win? What is the end game for us? What will become of the Rebellion in another six months? 

Besides restoring the Republic, what are we fighting for now? When worlds like Gyndine are so content under Imperial rule, would they really be ‘liberating’ them? 

Despite all these burning questions, he held himself back, and maintained the professionalism of a seasoned commando. 

After all, this wasn’t a fan meeting, despite the casual setting. This was an unexpected, yet important debriefing. Revan had been gallivanting across the universe undertaking his own missions, and might not be aware of some of the broader strokes taking place in the galaxy. Per General Dodonna's orders, he would try to connect with this mysterious man, and hopefully begin a campaign of united resistance. 

Revan seemed to notice that Madine was practically chomping at the bit-despite his outward stoicism. A faint, knowing smile tugged at the corner of the Jedi's mouth.

Madine suspected the Jedi could feel the storm of curiosity through the Force, and tried to make his thoughts simple, so as not to allow the Force Sensitive any additional information. 

Jax quietly ate beside him, the young Knight was calm and observant, occasionally glancing towards Madine with polite interest.

Revan finally set his fork down.

“Well, Commander, that was a delicious meal. However, this meeting wasn't arranged just to review Gyndine’s cuisine.”

Madine straightened in his seat, then pulled out a dataslate, relieved that they were finally getting down to business. 

Despite the seriousness of the rebellion they were building, Madine could not quite suppress the quiet thrill of sitting across from the man who had ignited it.

“Let's begin with what I've been doing up until this point, and then I'll inform you about our local operations, and what we know about Kuat Drive Yard's plans for Gyndine…”